• • • JPEG-Bk13 PIONEER (full name) BIRTH (date and place) DEA TH (date and place) . PARENTS MARRIED (who and date) ARRIVAL IN UTAH {date) (Company arrived with) HISTORY (who wrote) (date written) (who submitted) (address) ·. · ·2:J't NaNCY Rich Porter· 23 Dec 1821 Switzerland Co, Indiana Joseph Rich Sarah Coulsen John President Porter 5 February 1843 Zula R. Cole · April 1967 Glenna rich Porter CAMP & COUNTY SUBMITTING _s_o_u_t__h _M_ o_r...:=;g_a_n_ _______ Camp Morgan Company County . ( Camp Historian & address )_ ___G l_e_n_n_a_R_._ P_o_r_t_e_r __ _______ County Historian & address)_ __D _e_n_a_C-.:.._R_i_c_h ___________ SOURCE OF INFORMATION & PAGE NUMBERS: ../:/ ' I v c'~t HISTORY OF NANCY RICH PORTER - 1821-1851 This information was taken from a history of Joseph Rich (father of Nancy) written by Zula R. Cole a great - granddaughter. Also from History of the Church, the Missouri Persecutions by B.H.Roberts, and information furnished by Amy Porter Hart, a granddaughter as of April 1967. C..2_mpiled by Thelma Hart Earnshaw a great-granddaughter. Areta Moss Duncan a great - granddaughter helped in g;thering the information, also Mary c. Andersen of Centerville, Utah, a gran~daughter of Charles c. Rich. Nancy 's earliest known ancestors was her great-great-grandparents, Joseph Rich and Elizabeth (widow Beeson) and they were living in 1700. They lived on the boundary line between Pennsylvania and Maryland in the little town of West Nottingham , which before 1763 was considered to be in Chester County, Pennsylvania, after in Cecil County, Maryland. They lived in a nice rock house on a good plantation and did much in supplying money and energy to forward the cause of the Quakers of which they were devout members. They had three sons, Peter, John, and Joseph. Joseph th e youngest of the three married 1st on Feb 27, 1742 to Sarah Coulson. Peter married the next April to Martha Robinson and had two little girls, but he was frozen to death about 1747 . John was married to Sarah Frazier who did not belong to the Quaker religion. His father apparently was displeased with his other sons and he left his plantation to his son Joseph. John later became an active Quaker and inherited property. Joseph Rich and his wife Sarah Coulsen, daughter of Thomas and Mary Coulson, were both firm Quakers as their parents had been. Joseph and Sarah had eleven child-ren but only three boys, Samuel, Stephen and Thomas . They were considered wealthy, they had about $60,000. Joseph died long before his wife and requested in his will that the children be educated. Thomas the youngest son and grandfather of Nancy Rich Porter, was born 25 Feb at West Nottingham, Cecil County, Maryland. He was about fourteen when his father died . When he was nineteen his mother sent him to live with his brother Samuel, in Goose Creek, Fairfax County, Virginia, to learn a trade. ('_ While Thomas was- there he met the charming but gentle Ann Pool, daughter of / Benjamin and Rebecca Fool; In December, 1783 they were married by a "hireling preacher" for they were not willing to wait the three months that the Quakers re-quired, as Thomas was to aquire the land deeded to him by his fathe r in one month. They were therefore disowned by the Quakers. Both Thomas and Ann were soft spoken and agreeable and they disliked unpleasant arguments but they quietly and firmly held to their purpose. They returned to Maryland to Thomas ' old home but were no longer active with the Quaker religion. \ Four children were born to Thomas and Ann: Joseph (Nancy's father) April 16, 1786, Israel about 1788, Landon about 1790, and Rachel born about 1792, but she died young . Some or all of them were probably born in Washington County, Pennsylvania , not far from Fort Pitt. In 1787 the United States Government passed a law which opened up for settlement the Northwest Territory . This region reached from the Allegheny Mountains on the east, the Ohio River on the south, the Mississippi River on the west , and the Great Lakes on the north . People from the more thickly populated north and east heard reports of this little - known territory, of the rolling, heavily wooded land, with plenty of rain-fall and they began making plans • •• The Indians bitterly contested the rights of the whites to occupy their lands. A formidable fort was built in 1759 at . Fort Pitt, faced with brick and surrounded by ; a l~!._&"e ditch . The first settlers arrived there through a trackless forest and high ; if§fin¥a.f ns . During the Revolution the British stirred up the Indians so that an armed l \ (i) - 2- ( g~rrison was kept there until Il790, when a post office was established. The populatio~ . mostly English and Scotch-Irish lived in a little village of small log cabins . A charter for a borough was gJ"anted in 1794 . There among other ones had come Stephen and Thomas Rich and Charles James O'Neal. ~ Thomas had sold his ;lantation in January 1785, to go there . It was necessary for them to build a flatboat or houseboat, that would float down the Ohio River without power. The pioneers going before 1800 had to build their own boats . The boats were built large and strong with a four foot wall of heavy oak planks all around the outside pierced only by portholes. This was necessary as protection from bullets, for they had not only menacing Indians to fear but renegade whites as well. The Riches went down the Ohio River about 1794, they sold all of their valuable property in Maryland, and after doing so could afford to go well supplied . The supplie they carried was of utmost importance for there would be no returning and no more supplies obtainable for years to come. They had to choose wisely and well for their success and their very lives depended largely on these things . Nancy's father Joseph Rich was about eight years old at this time , and he was a great help to his mother and father while they were working so diligently to get all of their supplies ready. It took quite a while to load the boat. They had their horses, cows, pigs and chickens and other animals, stacks of provisions as well as tools , anvil, guns , amunition, spinning wheel , iron pots, pewter dishes, knives, clothe . and supplies that mother Ann had wor ked diligently for months to have ready. They also brought the Bible along with other treasured books . The Riches must have spent rugged years in Western Pennsylvania and had a hazard-ous trip as they ventured farther west . On their way down the Ohio River they passed • everal boats whose passengers had been cruelly massacred, so they did not stop from he time they left Fort Pitt until they reached Cincinnati , four or five hundred miles away . The Indians fought desperately to prevent the whites from entering their land via the Ohio River . In 1790 Gove r nor St Clair was badly defeated by them in Ohio . Then General Anthony Wayne, one of the most daring officers of the Revolution , was placed in charge in 1793 . After failing to get a treaty with the Indians in 1794, when the Riches came to Cincinnati where General Wayne was , there were only three settlements in Ohio, Cincinna~i , North Bend , and Columbia - - all on the Ohio River and these were mostly soldiers . IThe Riches settled at North Bend , twenty miles west of Cincinnati near the mouth of the Miami River and were forced to live in a block house for a time~ for protection against the Indians depredations. Later they moved across the Ohio River south into the northermost part of Kentucky in Boone County . This part of the country was covered with hugh forests, thick with underbrush, where wild animals roamed, and also the stealthy Indians . The Indians were often on the warpath, but the Riches wanted to be friends with them, and usually succeeded , although at times they we r e near violence . Nancy ' s father Joseph grew up with the little Indian boys as playmates. They taught him to hunt and fish. He possessed great physical strength, was courageous, kind, generous , and of a happy disposition . Joseph!s mother and father Thomas and Ann had received a fairly good education • • eir books were read and reread and discussed . Ann at one time never saw a white man for two years . Much time was spent on their children's education . Her house-old duties included, spinning, weaving, sewing by hand , knitting , making soap, candles , etc, and she often helped Thomas as well . JPEG-Bk13 -3- 1.3? Neighbors were at first far distant, then gradually became more numerous. All religious barriers were forgotten, and the settlers worked together for the good of all. The Riches especially enjoyed the friendship of the family of Charles James O'Neal and his wife Jane Shaw, with their ten sons and daughters. This Irish, once • atholic family possessed much fun, wit, and humor. Nancy's father Joseph with his umorous, cheerful disposition soon became attracted to their second daughter Nancy and they were married June 23, 1808. Joseph and Nancy moved a short distance east into Campbell County, Kentucky, where their first child and only son Charles Coulson Rich was born August 21, 1809. They lived here only a short time for Joseph was hired by the Government to build block houses for the settlers in Switzerland County, Indiana, as protection from the Indians. This is just across the Ohio River west from Kentucky. In Joseph and Nancy's home after the first son was born, four daughters entered the family: l Artemisia born Sep 22, 1811; Jane Ann born Nov 5, 1813; Minerva born Jan 5, 1816; and our Nancy Rich born Dec 23, 1821. f Before long the Indians ceased to be a menace and the number of white settlers ' increased rapidly. Schools now helped with the home teaching. Charles and Artemisia had been sent to their folks in Kentucky to attend school, and likely Jane Ann and ' Minerva followed, but Nancy stayed with her parents as she was far too young. Nancy's parents had a well cleared, productive farm and they lived in Switzerland County, Indiana until 1829. Nancy was ~ight years old, and we can be well assured that with the wonderful parents that she had, Nancy was receiving good training and was not being neglected in her education as this was a very important thing in the Rich family. Now after profitably selling their farm Nancy with her parents and family went • the then sparsely settled region of Tazewell County, Illinois near Peoria, where nd was then selling for S2.00 an acre. Her father bought at different times 567 acres of land for which he paid in all S22,000. This was in the Deer Creek region in the townships of Washington and Morton; their town was called Groveland. Here they farmed and Nancy's only brother Charles taught school in the winter. Nancy's father built a nice comfortable home for the nearly grown family and were really proud of the furniture they made. All joined in making their home convenient and beautiful and keeping it so, for they were all taught to be industrious and they were able to make most of what they needed. The farm was planted into wheat and potatoes. They had some good cattle, horses and riding equipment. How they all enjoyed a race or any contest of man or beast, but the fine horses is what they really cared for most. Nancy was just ten years old when her oldest sister A-rtemis-ia was married April 14, 1831 to Jesse A. Wixom. Nancy's parents gave her sister a nice wedding, and one can well imagine the excitement in this lovely family and Nancy must of been a great deal of help to her mother in getting ready for this event. NanC'.y' s sister Artemisia was well prepared to make her husband happy for she was "very ambitious", a fine housekeeper and a good cook, also an excellent seamstress, knitter, and weaver, a devout christian and of a Puritan character. We are sure Nancy was learning all of these skills as she was being taught in this household. Artemisia and her husband Jesse lived in Tazewell County until after their first two children were born. ~ In Nancy's family, complaining was out of order. They were scrupulously honest, independent, self reliant, good neighbors, helpful to others, rather outspoken, but made few pretentions of any kind and least of all on religion. They knew their Bible aiiRtCM!lr'l~ devout, but it ended there. -~- The Riches had heard of one religious mormon sect and had heard some terrib le 2,3i t h ing s about them, so when two of their elders came they wanted little to do with the m. Th ey knew they couldn't be inhospitable and so they reluctantly took the preachers in. Th ese elders, Ly man Wight and John Corrill, carried such an astonishing message that it was hard to believe. After long discussions they left some literature and journeyed • n. The Ric h es were surprized and confused. Each had always stood by his own con-r i ctions. Now they were groping for the right and had to know for themselves. During the winter of 1831-1832 they put in more thought and study and prayed more about religion than they had done in all their lives before. Eac h felt that it was necessary for him to know for himself. This mormon religion was the all imp ortant topic of conversation. When Elders George M. Hinkle and Daniel Cathcart called back Nancy's mother and father Joseph and Nancy, their son and daughter Charles 22 years old and Minerva 16, were baptized by Elder Hinkle on April 1, 1832 and confirmed by these elders on the water's edge. Then the Spirit of God seemed to rest upon them, and their minds and hearts were open, and greater light and knowledge came to them. Artemisia who had just been married one year, Jane Ann 19 years and our Nancy t h en eleven years old hadn't made up their minds when a few days later, Joseph Smith, Newel K. Whitney, and Jesse Gause came on their way to Missouri, and a few days later in April 1832 they were all three baptized by the Prophet Joseph Smith. What a glorious time this Rich family must have had on this occasion. Every member of this family held steadfast to that testimony. Nancy's brother Charles went back to Kirtland to see the Prophet, a distance of some six hundred miles, teaching the gospel messag e on the way. He and the Prophet became very good friends and Nancy with her family worked very hard during the next five years so Charles could do missionary work in Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, Indiana, and Kentucky. He visited many of his friends and relatives on this mission and ~pti zed some of them. ~ In 1832 Nancy's sister Jane Ann married Harvey Green who joined the church, an~ Minerva married Asa Earl in about 1835 or 36. Their children Joseph, Julia, and inerva were born in Fulton County, Illinois, likely near uncle Landons'. Charles knew western Missouri was to be the gathering place for the saints and while he was there in 1836 he spotted some splendid new land with good timber and water. Nancy's parents and brother Charles sold out in Illinois in the depression year of 1837 and bought this farm in Caldwell County, Missouri, seven miles out of Far West. Nancy was then 16 years old. There they built good comfortable houses, first for Joseph and then for Charles who was married to Sarah DeArmon Pea on Feb 11, 1838 at Far West. Nancy was then seventeen and still at home. / ' Far West was located in the western part of Caldwell County, about eight miles ( ~est of the present County seat-Kingston. The town site is the highest swell in that ~hig h rolling country, and is visible from a long distance. In the fall of 1838 it was a thriving town of some 3,000 inhabitants. But with all the joy from their new found relig ion, there came also many trials and persecutions. There had been mob trouble before and now came the Battle of Crooked River in which Charles, Thomas, and Joseph took part. As a result of that and other mob trouble, Nancy's father Joseph was among those taken prisoners, they were driven • to a pasture. The Colonel ordered the men of the Malitia to shoot them all down, en David Patten their leader said he would take it to the highest Courts of the land. They then decided not to shoot them but held them for about a week. They were unable tgp£ ~~~/ hem so they turned them loose. The mob harrassed their loved ones, and ~- Nancy's brother Charles barely escaped with his life. David Patten was killed in the battle of Crooked River, and Captain Joseph Smith and brother Hyrum were taken to Liberty Jail. Things went from bad to worse. The Riches after losing everything and suffering much, finally all managed to reach Quincy Illinois in 1839, where they with ~ thers were befriended. Nancy being only seventeen must have suffered many heartachs with her mother during these mob violences and persecutions and Nancy and her mother were very close to each other. Nancy and her parents lived in Illinois for a lit tle while and tried to make a new start. Then they went into the new territory of Lee County, Iowa. Here in 1842 they bought 40 acres of land not far from Montrose. This was across the Mississippi River about twelve miles west of Nauvoo . They received word that Nancy's sister Minerva was very ill and had been since t h e birth of her baby Minerva born Oct 13, 1840 so they hurried to her . She lived only four weeks. This brought much sorrow to Nancy and her parents. Minerva was five yea;rs older t h a n Nancy and naturally they would be very close to one another. Minerva' : h usband Asa Earl felt he could take care of the two older children Joseph and Julia but not the tiny baby so he ask Nancy ' s parents to take her which they did. Minerva's home was always with her grandparents as her father remarried and moved to California and she never saw her brother and sister again. About this time a Sanford Porter family moved from Van Buren County, Missouri to Iowa by team and wagon and settled in Lee County, Iowa just three miles west of Nauvoo . According to the records Nancy lived about nine miles farther west. Nancy met John President Porter who was the second son of Sanford and Nancy 'arriner Porter, who was born 28 July, 1818 in Ply mouth, Oneida County, New York. hn President Porter had passed through the trials and persecutions of the church in is youth. Nancy fell in love with John President Porter and they were married on Feb 5, 1843 in her brother Charles's home across the river from where the temp le was built in Nauvoo. They had a lovely wedding with all of her folks present. They made their home in Lee County, Iowa. How wonderful it was for Nancy to settle so near to her mother and father. The Saints were commanded to build the temple in Nauvoo in January of 1841 and this temple was in the process of being built when John and Nancy were married. Nancy and J ohn witnessed the opening and dedication of the Nauvoo Temple which was built in the midst of trials, tribulations, poverty and worldly obstacles. This was a glorious accasion about 5 , 000 saints had the inexpressable joy and great gratification to meet for t h e first time in the house of the Lord . Some of the Nauvoo years were the most peaceful the Saints had known, wh ich gave them an opportunity to cultivate themselves culturally and educationally, as well as econ omically and religiously. The Saints social activities included dancing in the Prophet's Mansion House, in the cleared areas of the grove, and on the deck of the Maid of Iowa, the church owned steamboat; it included corn husking , parties, and pie suppers, and the offerings of domestic and debating societies. This was all due to the strong Charter of Nauvoo. John and Nancy's first child, Joseph Rich Porter, was born at Charleston on 29 March 1844 which brought much joy to their little household, however these were the ~rk days as little Joseph was less than three months old when the martyrdom of ~ seph Smith and his brother Hyrum took place on June 27 , 1844 in the Carthage jail. After this terrible murder came trouble again for it had be c ome evident that all t~Grcf-~ts who remained faithful to their church and to their God were to be driven o~i ~ a ga :C'n. In late September Brigham Young and the Council of the Twelve announced -6 - the Saints intentions to move west . This time they would turn their faces to the wild, little known Rocky Mountains where they hoped to make a permanent home away from the mob violence, but first they wanted to receive the promised blessings to be given them in their splendid temple which had been built with such sacrifice and effort ~ A second son, Sanford Colton Porter was born to John and Nancy at Charleston on the 26th December 1845 . John and Nancy rejoiced to receive their endowments in the Nauvoo Temple and to be sealed with their family for time and all eternity. They received these added blessings and also strength for what lay ahead. Nancy's brother Charles and family visited with Nancy's parents then left for nearby Sugar Creek where all of the companies who were leaving met and were organized. Here Nancy's parents came well laden and as they returned they were uttering a prayer for each one. These times required stout hearts full of faith, for there was a vicious mob behind, a cold howling wilderness ahead, and no one prepared to meet either Charl es was made leader of the Mt Pisgah Group where there were sickness, hunger, and suffering. ..., Nancy and her husband John had planned and worked that winter along with her mother and father Joseph and Nancy Rich so they could join the Saints in seeking a new home and to be with their loved ones again. Her brother Charles went to Nauvoo on business and they were ready by the time he left to return to Winter Quarters and with him went Joseph and Nancy Rich, 1ittle Minerva then just six years old, Nancy and John Porter and their two little boys Joseph 2 years and Sanford just three monhhs. By June 14, 1847, they left for the Rocky Mountains, about six weeks behind Brigham ·~ Young's first Company. This would have made Nancy's two little boys 3 years and 1~ years old, however, by this time Nancy was expecting her third child, and her health as not too good . This was going to be a long hard journey for Nancy as her health spoor and she was also concerned about her mother. The persecutions they had dergone had been very hard on her and she was far from well. Nancy's mother was at this time sixty five years old. Nancy's father Joseph ' s early training with the Indians and his hunting ability was a big help for the Indiana everywhere were a real problem, but serious trouble was avoided . They enjoyed hunting in the buffalo country and after feasting they were able to "jerk" or dry enough of the meat to last them to the valley. Joseph drove their carriage and tenderly cared for Nancy's mother who was ill. She was so patient, appreciative, and without complaint, although she did worry about her daughter Nancy who was taken sick early in September and had a son John,(our· grandfather) born in the wagon box on 4 September 1847 as they were making their last crossing in Sweetwater, Wyoming. About this time was when Nancy's mother became seriously ill . Loving hands did all that was possible under the difficult circumstance E and she lived to reach the valley. All were thankful that she did not have to be left by the wayside. They camped on the northeast corner of Pioneer Fort in what is now Pioneer Park in Salt Lake City, October 2, 1847. They hastily put up a tent and made a bed for Nancy's mother to make her as comfortable as possible but she died on Monday Oct 5, 1847 late in the afternoon about 5 P.M. A faithful Latter-day- Saint. She was buried on Wednesday the 6th, late in the evening, by the side of the beloved wife of Jedediah Grant, who died back over the big mountain before reaching the valley. Nancy's mother being the second person buried in the valley . Records of Carter E. Grant, historian • r the Grant family and writer of church history, show that Mrs Rich and Mrs Grant re buried southeast of the old Pioneer Square (now Pioneer Park). It had snowed on Sunday and the ground was very wet and it was cold. JPEG-Bk13 -7- 2'tl Nancy's mother and father had been happy congenial companions for over fort y -one years~ Their lives together were ever westward on the frontier. Great was their love for each other, for their family, and for their church. They had always been • eady to share with the needy and unfortunate. Their homes had been open to all . ancy was so thankful that she had been blessed with such wonderful parents . Nancy must have felt weighted down with the grief of losing her dear mother who had been so close to her through the years , the care of her small infant John (our grandfather) only one month old and the care of her two little boys, also she was concerned about her father who was left with seven year old Minerva to raise and take care of, and with the winter facing them but there was so much to be done and there was joy in service and solac e in work. However, Nancy ' s health was still poor. Nancy's husband John was very kind to her and he helped her father Joseph in getting fuel and house logs from the canyons and in building dirt roofed houses. They sawed the logs in two lengthwise and fitted together so closely that cold and wet were ke pt out and the walls were smooth and even inside. These houses were in the North For t . Th ey seemed so comfortable and nice after using a tent for a kitchen and wagon boxes for bedrooms, especially now that the weather was so cold and wet. At last they all had homes; then the needed furniture was added. Although t hey wer e crowded their hopes were high and there wer e no more fear of mobs , for here love , peace and unity existed . The meager rations were accepted with few complaints. In the spring every effort was put forth to get as much planted as possible, only to have the crickets come in swarms. When the Sea Gulls saved some of the crops and starvation was avoided, great was their thankfulness. Nancy's father Joseph and brother Charles c. moved to Centerville in 1850 and • ok up far ms ther e , however Charles ' s first wife Sarah D. stayed in Salt Lake, but s other two wives Eliza Graves and Sarah Peck moved to Centerville~ Nancy ' s sister Jane Ann and Harvey Green live d not very far from Joseph and Charles . John and Nancy with their small family stayed in Center ville for awhile so Nancy could be cared for as her health was poor and she was expecting her fourth child . On the 16 March 1851 John and Nancy wer e blessed with a baby daughter but they were grief stricken again as baby Nancy Rebecca died on the 7 May 1851 , and was buried in Center ville, Utah. John Porter was c alled back to Salt Lake on a work project and they went back to Salt Lake and l ived in their log cabin in the Fort. Nancy's health did not improve and she died of a miscarr iage in Salt Lake Cit y on the 1 Nov . 1851 at age 29 years 11 months , and was burried ther e . John Porter later married Eliza's sister Mary Palmer Graves on the 24 March 1853 . She was a very wonderful step- mother to Joseph who was 9 years old , Sanford C. who was 8 years old and our grandfather John President then 5~ years. They moved to Porterville , Morgan Gounty , Utah in 1861 and Nancy's childr en grew up there and all were outstanding citizens and raised wonderful families , which Nancy will feel proud to meet. • JPEG-Bk13 TO AN ANCESTOR By Georgia Moore Eber ling I never met you, but I think I know so much about you , that I almost see your form beside me as I onward go . I am the one to whom you handed down your dr eams, your won drous knowledge , and your l ooks . • • -8- You gave to me the dreamer's laurel crown, a love of singing words, and poets' books. Sometimes I wonder if the words I write are yours or mine, for it is hard to tell, those words that come in lovely trailing white or clad in black to sound a warning knell! Dear One, my spirit knows this to be true: You are a part of me and I of you. We are proud of the life of Nancy Rich Porter and of the wonderful heritage she gave to us, and may we live our lives in such a way that she will be proud that we belong to her. CHILDREN: Joseph Rich Porter born at Charleston, Lee County, Iowa, 29 March 1844, married (1) Eliza Jane Bratton (2 1 Electa E. Porter -- Sanford Coulsen Porter born at Charleston, Lee County, Iowa, 26 Dec 1845, married Olive Kilbourn -- John President Porter born at Sweetwater, Wyoming, 4 Sep 1847~ married Amy Zenora Porter,-Nancy Rebec~a Porter born at Centerville, Davis County, Utah 16 March 1851, died May 7, 1851 burried in Centerville, Utah. This family resided in Salt Lake City, Centerville, and Porterville, Utan • • JPEG-Bk13