HISTORY OF THE BAILEY FAMILY
by
ALICE BAILEY STAY
In writing the history of the Bailey Family much information -was obtained from records, some from parts of a diary kept by George Brown Bailey after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley and much from remembrance of Elizabeth Young Bailey and Ellen Bailey Humphrey.
On a farm in Avebury, Wiltshire England a maid whose name was Penelope Bailey lived in the year of 1790, for in that year a little son was born to her. He was named Joseph, also two daughters Mary E. and Elizabeth were born out of wedlock. Joseph Brown owner of the farm was the father of these children. He was born at Avebury, Wiltshire, England in l765. Joseph Bailey kept his mother's name. Penelope Bailey later married John Watts and the two girls took his name.
When Joseph Bailey was seventeen years old he joined the English army, (The following is his army record obtained from the British War Office.) Joseph Bailey enlisted in the 2nd Battalion, 62 foot, on January 8th 1807 at Denizee. He served in the Channel Islands, France and Ireland. Promoted to Corporal on December 25, 1813 on re-enlistment, Promoted to Sergeant in Feb. 1814. On the disbandment of the Battalion, he embarked for Halifax, Novia Scotia, America. The 1st day of May 1817 he joined the first battalion. He served with the Regiment in Canada and the West Indies from July, 1817 to the end of 1825. Reverted to Private on 25th of June 1819 through getting drunk. He returned to Ireland with the Regiment at the end of 1823, promoted to Sergeant on Nov. 25,1826. Reverted to Private March 16, 1827. Served in Ireland until 1830. He then went to the depot at Chatham England and was discharged on a modified pension, August 10, 1830.
While Joseph Bailey was quartered in Canada at the age of 28 years he married Ann Smith in St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Charlottstown, Prince Edward’s Island, Canada on 18th July 1818. Ann Smith was the daughter of Joseph Smith and Catherine Anderson. She was born Oct. 30, 1800 at Charlettetown P.E.I. Canada.
During the time this couple was stationed at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, three daughters were born, Mary Ann, Sarah and Elizabeth. After being transferred to Emerskillen [Enniskillen] Ireland another daughter Ellen was born. A son Robert was born at Templemoor [Templemore], Ireland. Robert only lived six years. Caroline the next child was born 28 July, 1830, at Chatham and died at the age of seven years. The next three children were sons George Brown Bailey, born Feb. 15, 1833, William born Oct. 30, 1836, and Reuben Josia born July 10, 1838. All of these sons were born at Bath, Somersetshire, England. William, dies Aug. 26, 1837 aged 10 months.
The father, Joseph Bailey died Nov. 1, 1850 at Chatham England. The mother, Ann Smith Bailey, joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and emigrated to Utah, America. She lived in Salt Lake City for a short time; then moved to Spanish Fork, Utah with her youngest son Reuben. They lived at Spanish Fork until the death of Reuben at the age of 22, in October 1860. Reuben died of blood poisoning caused by the wadding of a gun he was cleaning entering his hip on the accidental discharge of the gun. Ann Bailey then moved to Laketown, Utah where her daughter, Ellen Bailey Lambourn was living. She died December 19, 1871.
George Brown Bailey was christened in Bath Abby [Abbey]. George being the first son to grow up was naturally given most of the advantages in schooling. He was sent to a boys school or college, after receiving a fair education for those days, he was apprenticed to learn a cabinet makers trade in Bristol, England. While at Bristol, he joined the Church of Latter-day Saints, being baptized (sic) May 25 1851 by Thomas Brown. He was ordained a Deacon in March, 1852 by Elder Duff (Luff).
George met Elizabeth Young at Church in Bristol. She called him that big tall Deacon. Elizabeth was born April 20, 1833, in Bristol to Issac [Isaac] and Ann Davis Young. She was named for "Good Queen Bess". Little did they think that their tiny daughter would cross the Atlantic Ocean and help found an empire in the mountains of the United States.
As she was the eldest of six children, Elizabeth, Ann, Ellen, Caroline, Isaac, and Aaron, she learned to work early. From the time she was two years old her father, a tanner by trade, would take her to the home of two maiden ladies each morning. Here she ran errands, threaded needles, dusted chairs, and wiped the "tea things", until they were scrupulously clean.
One day, she had just dried the tea things, when one of the sisters came into the room, observing the child closely, she said, "Elizabeth, did you dry the dishes with that soiled pinafore on?"
"Yes, Ma’am I did."
"Then, child, you must don a clean one and wash them over."
These two ladies took an interest in her education, helping her in many ways. Schooling was high and she received little excepting that taught her in Sabbath School and the aid she received from these ladies. She had to memorize a chapter of the Bible each week for them.
One evening when she was about l5 years old, her mother and Grandmother Davis persuaded her to go to hear some "Mormon Elders" preach. She became interested in the doctrine and was baptized Feb. l5, 1849, by Edward Brain and was confirmed by John Rolls. On the way to be baptized she and Elder Brain saw her father coming towards them, as he was bitter against the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at this time, Elder Brain lowered the umbrella before their faces and walked by without notice.
Isaac Young, Elizabeth’s father, joined the church later. As he was an expert tradesman, he was advised to immigrate to Utah as early as possible. He went to Liverpool to sail for America. All of his luggage was on board the ship Saluda ready to sail when he was prompted to remove it and wait for the next boat, the Ellen Maria. The first boat sank before it reached America and all on board perished. In 1852, he sailed from England with the first company that came with the Perpetual Immigration Fund. This fund was loaned to any of the Saints desiring to come to Zion and didn’t have the means with the understanding it was to be paid back with interest.
From the Mississippi he drove an ox team hitched to a Santa Fe wagon so called because in the wagon was the body of an Elder they were bringing home bury. Abraham O. Smoot had charge of the Company. On arriving in Salt Lake City, Sept. 3,1851, five years after the first Pioneers entered the valley, Isaac Young drew a lot with a log house on it so he would have a home when his family arrived. As he was an expert tanner and courier he obtained work in the tannery of Ira Ames.
It was the dream of his life to own, 1,000 pigeons, as the guano of these birds was the best thing to tan hides, but he never lived to realize his dream. One day while he was skinning a poisoned cow he cut his thumb and died of blood poison[ing] in September 1854. The year after his wife Anne Davis Young and family arrived in Great Salt Lake.
As soon as the father was in America the rest of the family had desired more than ever to go to Zion. The women took in washing to get the necessary money, but they did not forget to attend their local meeting and it was here Elizabeth met George Brown Bailey a likely young man from Bath.
The young people learned to love each other and were married at the home of the bride’s mother Anna D. Young by Elder John Alexander. The bridegroom leaving his workshop and the bride the wash tub to stand up and be married. After tea, they both went back to their work as they were saving money to emigrate to Utah. None of their friends knew they were married until they were on their way to Zion. They married on Feb. 10, 1853.
George Brown Bailey, with his wife Elizabeth, her mother, Anna D. Young, brother Aaron, and sisters Ann and Caroline left their home in Bristol, England Feb. 20, 1853 and went to Liverpool to obtain passage on a sailing vessel to cross the Atlantic Ocean. After arriving in Liverpool they were detained one month, this wait depleted their savings considerable. They set sail on the ship Falcon, spending six weeks on the Atlantic, and three more weeks going around Florida and up the Mississippi. They landed at Keokuk, Iowa and spent three more weeks getting ready to cross the plains. How brave they were, not knowing what was ahead of them.
George obtained work driving horses across the plains for a merchant by the name of Kincane. They spent thirteen more weeks crossing the plains with the Appleton Harmon Company. Their route across the plains was by way of Kainsville to Salt Lake. This trip was especially hard on the women for they walked much of the way, gathering buffalo chips in their aprons as they went so they would have something for a fire when they stopped to cook at night. They feared the Indians and Elizabeth was terrified every time a stream had to be crossed. She never overcame this aversion to water. When they neared their journies [journy’s] end, Grandfather Young came out to meet them. He brought some ripe tomatoes with him. They were the first tomatoes any of them had seem and they looked so good. They thought the tomatoes were the nastiest things they had ever eaten, although they later learned to love them. Just eight months after leaving their home in England, upon reaching the Valley, George obtained work as a carpenter and cabinet maker.
The summer of 1854 the Council House was completed (now long since destroyed). Many went and were sealed as man and wife for all time and eternity. Among these were Isaac and Anna D. Young, and George B. and Elizabeth Y. Bailey. As George and Elizabeth were the youngest couple present, Heber G. Kimball called them first and sealed them for time and eternity before her parents were.
Sept. 14, 1854 George and Elizabeth's first son was born. They named him Joseph Hyrum. Two weeks later Grandfather Young died. They were glad he had seen his first grandchild. In November of this year George B. Bailey was ordained a teacher by Bishop Hunter. He served as a teacher for two years and was ordained a seventy in June 1855 by A. Raleigh, in the 5th Quorum of Seventies.
The family lived in the nineteenth ward in Salt Lake City at this time, in the home that Isaac Young had provided for them. One of the influential men of that day, came to Anna Young and told her if she would deed her home over to his[m] so he could have three lots in a row, he would let her have a lot in another part of the city for her home. She trustingly gave him the deed after which he refused to give her a lot in return. He told her that this lot of hers was in payment of Isaac Young’s passage that he had received through the Perpetual Immigration Fund and which his early death had prevented his paying back. George being the only male representative of the family went to Brigham Young who counseled [counseled] him to "Let him have it Brother Bailey and the Lord will bless you ten fold." George took the President's advice and gave the lot up. A few days later a man by the name of John Ebbe met him going home from work and asked him if he would like to get a ten acre farm out on the Mill Creek, six miles from the City. George replied that he didn't have anything to pay for it with as the family has[d] just lost the only home they had ever had. Brother Ebbe told him he could have the farm and have three years to pay for it. He was to work out a $75 assessment by hauling tanbark, a load in the fall and a load in the spring. They felt this was a fulfillment of President Young’s words of promise.
In the spring of 1855 the family of Bailey moved out on the farm, that was covered with sagebrush, oak brush and willows. In fact the country was so wild that a deer ran close by the wagon as they were driving along. In this wagon were all their worldly possessions. It also was their home for in it their little son learned to walk.
George made some chairs for a man by the name of Boket and received in payment enough adobes to build a two room house. Together they laid up the walls. George hauled three large logs to go across the top of them, then secured sheeting lumber which he nailed to the logs with square nails or wooden pegs. The cracks were covered with slabs or the first slices cut from logs before being sawed into lumber. This windowless, floorless hut was their home. It was a two room house with two fireplaces and a door George made and hung with leather hinges. This was a wonderful improvement over the wagon box. It took them the better part of two summers to build this house.
During the summer of 1855 while the house was being built in the men’s spare time Elizabeth kept house in her wagon box. Deer and other wild animals and also Indians used to walk past their humble home. One day a neighbor woman came to see them She asked "Be you the woman that lives up in the willers?" This woman’s name was Elizabeth Winegar. She became one of the best friends the Bailey family ever had.
George would walk into Salt Lake City, a distance of six miles, to work at his trade every Monday morning. He would return Saturday evening having left his little timid English wife, who had never been outside a big city before she left England. She would spend the week alone with her baby in the wagon box. When the walls were up to the square it turned cold and it became necessary for them to move into the city for the winter.
(From here on you will find inserts copied from the Journal of George and Elizabeth Bailey. This Journal is in the phrasing and handwriting of George Bailey.)
Journal: Bro. Willard Richards died he was one of the first presidency; 2nd councilor to Bro. Brigham Young.
My Mother, sister Elizabeth, Reubin and William left England in March 55 and arrived here safe in Salt Lake in October. (Nephew William Lamborne)
Through draught[drought] and grasshoppers the crops were very light and frost set in early.
Jan. 1st. Very cold severe winter indeed. Several thousand head of cattle were killed by the continued depth of snow covering the grass to the depth of from 1 to 4 feet on the level ground especially north of the city and the intensity of cold and frost.
March we moved down 6 miles from the city to Mill Creek and put in the biggest crop in my life. I asked the Lord to bless it and he did abundantly. Very hard living before the harvest. Hundreds of the Brethren and sisters with the rest lived upon root and greens for days and weeks together but thanks to God my Father he blessed me above some of my brethren with a little flour and meat. We have a good Bishop even Bro. Reuben Miller who took an interest in behalf of the poor and the destitute and gave them butter and meat to eat with their greens and my prayer is may the choicest of heavens blessings rest upon him forever. Amen.
History: These four extra, months caused a food shortage in the Bailey home as we have seen from the journal. They moved back to their home in March 1856 and rented ten acres of cleared land on what is now llth East in Salt Lake City. On this laid George planted wheat. Which came up heavy and was growing luxuriantly on one Sunday when George was home but by the next Sunday there was not a blade left. The grasshoppers had eaten it all. Nothing daunted these pioneers, they replanted with corn and squash and both crops matured. This was a very hard year for Elizabeth. She and her youngest sister gleaned where they could, threased [threshed] and cleaned the grain by hand and ground it in a coffee mill and made it into bread or must [mush].
Journal: Harvest came and a great deal of the grain had to be pulled like flax owing to the scarcity of water, light crops and a prophecy that before another harvest, the Brethern (sic) would be harder run for provisions than ever they were before, for there was not enough raised to support the inhabitants and this made the people very careful of their crops.
Bro. Jeddediah [Jedediah M.] Grant was the one chosen in the place of W. Richards as counselor.
A project was entered into early in the season to bring the Saints across the plains by walking and pulling a handcart with their luggage and provisions to Utah, which took first rate among the Saints and the companies that started in July and August from Iowa City came along first rant and beat ox teams by a month but through mismanagement some started in September to come a thousand miles before winter but the snow came and caught them in the mountains and some died through fatigue and cold but the President made a call for the Brethern(sic)to go out and meet them coming with handcarts and the horses and wagons were rolling across the mountains and over the plains to meet them. They went out miles from home even to Sweetwater River the snow being a foot deep there. They brought them in some me with frozen feet others with their fingers and hands frozen so it learned the Authorities a lesson for the future.
About this time Bro. Brigham Young the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said that this people were growing in wickedness instead of growing in rightousness (sic) and in the things pertaining to the kingdom of God so he told his councilors Heber and Jeddediah (sic) that he would go from one end of the Territory to the other and wake the people. up to a sence [sense] of their duty toward their God, if no one else would do it, but Jeddediah (sic) said I will go aid preach repentence (sic) to the saints and sinners for all were asleep and he did go forth as a mighty champion in the strength and power Israel’s God and cried return, repent, reform from your evil ways and serve the God of Joseph and Brigham even a God whom the World despised, one that will lead us, comfort us, hear us when we pray and answer our prayers beyond our expectations. He counciled [counseled] the Saints to renew their covenants by Baptism and serve our God aright from that thime (sic) heaceforth [henceforth] and forever. But he grew sick and at the 3 of December 1856 he died and was buried. He was a great good and wise man in the Church. Brother Daniel H. Wells was ordained in his stead.
History: During this winter a strange woman come to Elizabeth and asked if she would trade her some squash for a table big enough for four. She needed more table room so she agreed. The next day she carried ten squash, one at a time the length of a ten acre field, and waited for the woman to bring the table. When the woman arrived the table was eighteen inches square and of rough lumber. Elizabeth let her have the squash and then sat down and cried. She kept the table however and when the call for repentance went out the woman came to Elizabeth and told her that she had misrepresented the table because her children needed the food and she was afraid that she would not get the squash.
That fall Anna Young, who still lived in the Nineteenth Ward, gleaned enough wheat to earn half a bushel. She and her two children walked to Bishop John Neff’s mill in the mouth of Mill Creek Canyon and had it ground into flour. They carried the flour down to the Bailey hone and made cake with a sateratus [Salaratus ,baking soda obtained from scraping the alkaline substance from the ground. See explanation below] and buttermilk, drank a cup of tea and felt that they had enjoyed a great treat. Elizabeth and her sister-in-law walked part way back to town with her Mother, who had walked over 25 miles that day!
George had plenty of work in Salt Lake City, but received little pay. He would walk home twice a week, get up early the next morning and walk back the six miles and work ten hours a day. One evening he failed to bring home a parcel that he had promised his wife as he had been unable to collect any money. Because Elizabeth felt so badly he laid (sic) off the next day, got two bushels of shelled corn from a man who was indebted to him. He took the corn into town and bought five yards of factory and three yards of bright yellow calico to make baby dresses for his second child.
The mother was sorry to bring another child into this world poverty, toil and sorrow she was experiencing at this time. The baby was a poor, sickly little thing. She felt that it was a judgment on her for complaining before the baby was born. Her diet had consisted of greens, most of their bread was made from bran that had already been sifted so many times that it fell apart after two hours baking. Often they did not have enough to eat even of roots and greens. The baby was a little girl named Ellen Maria. She was born December 10 1856.
One night they went to bed supperless, after praying that a way would be opened up where by they might obtain some food for their little family. They never forgot their God. Shortly after retiring they heard a knock on the door, with the leather hinges. Upon opening it they discovered a sack of flour on the door steps. Several days later a neighbor told them that after he had gone to bed he felt impressed to get up and take the flour to them as he felt they were without food. Truly an answer to prayer.
The sickly little baby girl grew up to be a wonderful mother and wife of twelve children. She lived to the ripe old age of ninety-four years in spite of the roots and greens, even Ellen Maria Bailey Humphrey.
Journal: I most not pass by a thing of great note. It was a prophecied [prophesied] we would want provisions before harvest but I will say the Lord accepted our repentance and blessed our wheat in our bins our flour in our barrels and everything pertaining to us so we had plenty to eat all the time. Blessed be the name of the Lord God of Jacob for his mercy unto us likewise in our crops so that there was never as greater harvest gathered in these valleys nor near as good.
History: July 24 1847 [1857]just ten years after the pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley most of the people who had transportation went up to Brighton to celebrate. Word was brought up to Brigham Young, then Governor of Utah territory, of the United States, that an army was coming to make war on the Mormons.
Journal: We received the news that Bro. Parley P. Pratt, one of the twelve apostals (sic), was murdered in Arkansas by one McClean. He was shot six times and not hurt and then was stabbed with a knife and died.
The United States is all in an uproar concerning the Mormons in Utah. The President James Buchanan ordered Gen. Harney and twenty five hundred men with seven hundred wagons loaded with provisions and clothing and ammunition with cannons marters [mortars] and implements of war to proceed to Utah to place Gov. Cummins in the Government of Utah and to misplace Bro. Young. We expect a fuss several hundred men has gone out to reconnitre [reconnoiter] them and we all expect to fight August 22, 1857.
Sunday, Aug. 22: This people came out and declared their independency of the United States from this very time. The Presidency put it to the people whether they would maintain it to the last it was carried by unanmous [unanimous] vote of uplifted show of hands and a shout of yea which made the place echo.
They prophecied (sic) that when they moved from this valley they would pitch their tents in Jackson County and brother Kimball confirmed what Daniel Wells said to be the truth of High Heaven.
Sunday Aug. 29 Thos. B. Marsh one of the twelve apostles who apostatized 19 years all but one month from this date was presented to the brethren and gave a short history of his life during the time he has been absent from the church and asked the Brethern (sic)to receive him back again into the church. He gave some good advice in relation to apostacy (sic) and afterwards Bro. Brigham Young motioned that he be received into full faith and standing among the saints. The motion was carried.
Captain Van Vlete of the .3. Army arrived Sept. 2nd to act as commasarry [commissary] for the troops but the Governor gave his[m] no encouragement and he returned to the States without accomplishing anything. The Gov. said the troops should not come in here among this people and took votes upon it before Captain Van Vlete and also many other thing[s].
There was an express sent out by Pres. Young to the States and to England with Samuel Richard G. Knowlton and G. Snider to call all the elders home. Bro. Knowlton has proven himself a friend again to me, God bless him.
Monday, Sept. 13th, J. M. Bernershel [Bernheisel] and Van Vlete started for the States to Washington City with letters to Mr. Buchanan Gov. and the congress stating that if they did not honor his draft that he would put on attachment on the Government foods and sell them at a sheriff’s sale and get his pay.
Sept. l3th I was ordered to march on the 19th for a three days campaign [and] find my own provisions. Saturday came and I marched off and camped on Jordon (sic) River for two days and was dismissed with orders to be on hand at an hours warning.
Sept. 28 received orders to march out to meet the enemy next day Tuesday. By break of day we were moving on our way to the City. Got there safe and paraded mustering 60 men. Was much praised for our good appearance and turn out. We waited there for orders for us to move forward but the express which came in said the enemy was camped and was going to stop there for a few weeks till General Harney came up. So the president gave orders for us to rendevouze [rendezvous] in our own wards to call roll every morning and evening. When Gov. Young sent out D. Wells letters to the United States and his proclamation stating he would not allow any army to stay in this state.
Oct 7, attended Conference had a good time of it the President gave same good remarks, he said he was going to reserve his sermon till after the war.
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November 16 received order to march. We left and stayed in the city that night and started for the plains next day, Tuesday. It was very cold indeed and snowed all day and blew like everything. We camped at the foot of the little mountains and the next night between the mountains and the next day we went over the big mountains of the Wasatch range. There were four feet of snow on the mountains and the same night we arrived at East Canyon Creek. A volenteer [volunteer] was called for to go back with a team and they could not get one so they pressed me and sent me back after a weeks absence from home. The whole army returned after a month’s absence from home for all the winter. Through the winter we talked about raising a standing army. It was allotted to our Ward to raise 55 men, which cost the ward $22,015 dollars. W. W. Casper was appointed captain of fifty.
Feb. Colonel T. L. Kane arrived from the states as a delegate to stop impending difficulties and he did so until an investigation committee brought with them the President’s free pardon for all the Mormons forgiving them for all murders, thefts and every other crime imputed against us by unprincipled men whether we were guilty or not and we say we are innocent verely [verily] sure. We agreed to let the army into this territory if they would behave themselves like honest men, which the officers in command pledged their word, that they would. Previous to this the word came out at conference held April 6th 1858 that we should vacate our home farms, orchards, and everything from the point of the Utah Valley range of Mountains to the northern settlement and then I was called to go to the mountain to guard the passes is [in] the mountains. I was out one month camped on Lost Creek. Came home the last day of May and in a week I was rolling south with my family. We camped out by the River Jordan for about a month and then when peace was made we removed back to our homes again which was very acceptable news to the whole community in general for they were in a poor condition for clothing.
The army came in and took up their quarters for the winter in Cedar Valley, 40 miles Southwest of Great Salt Lake City. I have planted myself a peach orchard of about 600 trees.
History: George did not put in his diary that his wife Elizabeth made him a shirt, cap and pair of pants out of their wagon cover, for him to wear when he went out in the mountains to meet Johnson’s Army. Before leaving they put as many of their possessions as they could on a pair of running gears (just the wagon without a box) and put the rest in a box in a deep pit and covered it with straw and weeds to be turned [burned]if the army came. Men were left to set fire to everything in Salt Lake City, but the soldiers were very orderly and had orders to march through Salt Lake City without stopping.
The Bailey family was camped at what was then called the fish trap at the Jordon (sic) narrows. They watched the soldiers march around the Point of the Mountain, which was then just a narrow roadway. Everybody was at a high tension and every nerve was on a high pitch. One day Reuben Bailey cracked his whip and Elizabeth thought it was a soldier firing on them. It frightened her so badly she lost her baby and nearly lost her life. Word was sent to her husband who was standing guard in Sale Lake, he walked and ran the eighteen miles in less than three hours.
After the soldiers arrived food and clothing were more plentiful. When Elizabeth was able to travel they moved back to their home on the Mill Creek and spent the winter in their two room house.
April 13, 1859 Elisabeth gave birth to twins premature, they were so small that they were regarded as a curiosity. The boy was named George Smith Bailey and weighed four pounds when one month old. The girl Elizabeth Davis Bailey was much smaller. People came from all around to see them. One day John Scott a neighbor, came in and held the babies both on one arm, after looking at them a short time he said, "Sister Bailey in the name of Israel’s God, I promise, you shall raise these babes to man and womanhood and that they should live to be a father and mother in Zion." George became the father of twelve children and Elisabeth the mother of seven. Both lived to be past seventy-five years old. In fact Elizabeth was 89 years old when she died.
Instead of moving back to Salt Lake City from the Jordan Narrows, Ann Smith Bailey and her family moved south to Spanish Fork and started a home and farm there. In Oct. 1860 Reuben J. Bailey, George’s only brother was cleaning a gun, which accidentally discharged the wadding entering his hip which caused his death in a few days. George took his little family to Spanish Fork to help his mother harvest the crop his brother had planted. On the way there they had to ford the Provo River as there were no bridges in those days. There was a lot of water in the river even if it was autumn. While fording the river with an ox team the crater washed the wagon off the running gears with Elizabeth, her family of four children and a crippled woman they were giving a ride inside. The wagon box floated on to a sand bar, which saved their lives as George had vainly tried to hold the wagon together. The oxen swam ashore with George after them. George got help and rescued his family, with no further mishap. The children were recovering from the measles. Elizabeth, one of the twins caught cold in her ears and was deaf until she was twenty-one years old.
While living at Spanish Fork another son Isaac Young Bailey was born August 10, 1861. Ellen B. Humphrey writes: One day my Brother Joe drove the team and Mother with several neighbor women went to the Payson bottoms land to gather Saleratus [Saleratus is a naturally occurring sodium or potassium bicarbonate. The emigrants quickly recognized its capability as a leavening agent and used it as a raw form of baking soda. One emigrant party noted that "the efflorescent white bicarbonate of soda" turned their bread "a suspiciously green cast" if not used in moderation. Nevertheless, the leavening worked best when added to a dough cooked quickly over a high heat, making it perfect for an emigrant campfire.
Saleratus had become commercially available in 1840 and some of the females prized the find. Amelia Hadley described it "as white as snow and this is 3 or 4 inches deep and you can get chunks of salaratus as large as a pint cup just as pure as that you buy."] to make bread with. I Ellen, was left to take care of the house and was told to keep the door locked, my curiosity overcame my prudence for when some friendly Indians came to the door I opened it. I gave them all the bread in the house. Then came small Joe with two other boys who were herding sheep on the bench. When they saw some Indian warriors approaching them. Taking hold of hands they ran for home. Joe was the smallest and in the center, and an arrow was shot that went over his head and between the other boy’s heads.
The Bailey family lived in a dug-out in the cliffs on the north bank of the Spanish Fork River. One day Elizabeth and son Joe went to the mill to get some flour. When they returned home to the dug-out they could not get near the fire as there were too many Indians there with George. It was very cold and the Indians came in to get warm. Some were rubbing hides to make them soft, others were gambling by playing in Indian game, etc.
It was very cold that winter. One day Ellen with other children were sliding on the ice barefooted. She would slide for a while then sit down and wrap her feet in her dress to get them warm. Her father watched her for a while then with tears in his eyes, said he couldn't stand to see that, so he cut the tops off of his high top boots and made her a pair of shoes.
Once an Indian came into the house and started to molest the little mother. She threatened to throw hot water on him and he soon left. The other Indians laughed at him and called him a squaw for being frightened by such a small woman. The Indian troubles became so bad the family had to abandon the farm in Spanish Fork and move back to Mill Creek.
While they were in Spanish Fork, a cloud burst in Mill Creek Canyon brought rocks and gravel down which spread all over the young peach orchard and washed a channel under the north roof of their house. They tore this room down and built two small rooms and a cellar back of the south room.
George’s mother, Ann Bailey and her daughters Elizabeth Bailey Reed and Ellen Bailey Lambourn, moved to Laketown, Rich County, Utah, where they spent the rest of their lives. Elizabeth married Luther Reed after coming to Utah. Ellen’s husband John Lambourn died in England leaving her with four children, William, Edwin, Joseph, and Eliza. Eliza married E. B. Murphy in Mill Creek.
Anna Davis Young remained in Lehi after the army came. Her second daughter Ann, married William Perks, but she still had her two youngest children to support, so she took in washing. Later she moved to Camp Floyd, and washed for the soldiers. She married one of the soldiers by the name of Stagnell. When the Civil War started all the army was called back to the states. She with her two youngest children Aaron and Caroline, moved back to Kansas with her husband. Later after the war, she and her son Aaron came back to Utah and bought ten acres of land near the Bailey home. Caroline married a man by the name of Patrick McEvoy. The[y] remained in Kickapoo, Kansas and raised a family of six children four boys and two girls. Ann and William Perks moved to Montana. They also had six children, three boys and three girls. They live on a cattle ranch between Bozeman and Helena where they spent the rest of their lives.
While the soldiers were at Camp Floyd, Anna Young was able to procure the cast off clothing of the soldiers, which Elizabeth could cut down and make over for her children. Sewing them by hand. One time George brought some material home for a shirt for himself. Elizabeth sat up all night and made that shirt by hand. It seemed so good to have something new to sew. Elizabeth learned to spin and weave cloth to help clothe her family.
The men would scout the sheep before shearing them by driving them into the streams and rubbing them with sand. It was hard work to do this and often the sheep -were sheared without it. Then all the bits and burrs were picked out by hand the wool washed in warm water and greased for carding. Getting grease for this purpose was a problem. They often had to go without butter to eat and use it on the wool. It took one pound of butter to grease ten pounds of wool. When it was ready for carding it was taken to the carding machine, which cost two pounds out of five for carding. One time they could not buy cotton warp in Salt Lake City so one of the neighbor girls by the name of Gardner was hired to spin it for Elizabeth. This girl or her sisters would spin four skeins in a day. Each skein had ten knots, each knot had forty threads two yards long in it and was colored black with logwoor [logwood] and copper, red with madder-root, blue with indigo and chamber lye, yellow with peach leaves and alum, or rabbit brush blossoms and alum, brown with oak brush bark, for green they would color the wool blue then yellow. Elizabeth learned coloring from Jane Gardner, who had learned from the Indians in Canada before coming to Utah.
After moving back to Mill Creek a baby girl named Anna Russell Bailey was born Feb. 14, 1863, but she only lived ten minutes. As medical help was out of the question Anna Young would have to help Elizabeth when her babies were born. Later Elizabeth would help the relatives and neighbors when their babies were born or they had other sickness. She never kept count but she was sure she had helped more than a hundred babies into the world.
Every autumn the men and boys would haul logs from the canyons for fuel for the winter. Three more sons were born in the three room house, namely, Reuben Josiah, Aug. 10, 1864, David William, March 16, 1867, Aaron Charles, 17, 1869.
Feb. 8, 1868 George married Elsie Andrews, a convert from Denmark as his second wife. Their first stove was bought this year. The cooking up to this time had been done on the fireplace. The next year the peach trees George had planted began to bear and the financial straights were passed. The peaches were cut in half and each half placed by hand open side up to dry in the sun on lumber scaffolds. Many hundred pounds were thus cut and dried after which they were sold to a Mr. Teasdale, a merchant in Salt Lake City. Mr. Teasdale would then ship them to the mines for a good price. The families who had no fruit would come pick and cut the peaches for one bushel out of six. The Bailey family spreading the peaches on the scaffolds.
Elsie’s first child a girl, Mary Ann was the last child born in the original adobe house, on 28 November 1870. As money had become more plentiful at this time a sewing machine was bought, it was a Singer Sewing machine. George built a two-story frame house and painted it pink. It was one of the largest houses in the neighborhood and could be seen for miles around. There was one large room in the center, which served as a living room for the now large family. A bedroom on the north for Elsie and one on the South for Elisabeth. The two women lived in this house with their families with much harmony. Elizabeth bore three daughters, Caroline Ester, July 30, l871, Rhoda Ann, April 10, 1875, and Alice Elmina, March 31, 1877. Elsie had three sons, Edward Fransis, Feb. 6, 1873, James Andrews, December 1875, died at six months 30th June, 1876, and Heber John born August 11, 1877.
The next fall and winter a terrible disease called Diphtheria was raging through out the country. One night a neighbor girl came to the Bailey home for singing practice, with a sore throat and a high fever. In a short time Carrie was sick and died January 26, 1878. Isaac was next. He was seventeen years old and died February 3, 1878. The pet of the family was next. Little three-year old Rhoda Ann died Feb. 15, 1878. Two of Elsie’s children passed on with the disease. They were Mary Ann, the same age as Carrie, seven years old, died 18 Feb. 1878 and Edward Fransis, who was five years old, died Feb. 22, 1878. In the next few days two more of Elizabeth’s children died, 11 years old David and 9 year old Charlie. What a terrible void was left in this family. There were left the baby girl Alice Elmina of Elizabeth's younger children and the twins George aid Elizabeth and Reuben of the older children at home. Elsie had her baby Heber, seven months old left of her small family.
Three years before this Ellen Maria had married Thomas G. Humphrey. She had two boys George and Thomas. This family and Joseph the oldest son of George and Elizabeth had moved to Salina, Sevier County, Utah to make their home. The next July Joseph contracted the disease and died 30 July 1879, leaving a young wife Ann Crane and a little daughter Josephine to be born after his death December 1879.
One morning after moving into the larger home a swarm of honeybees was found clustered on one of the little box-elder trees out in the yard. The nearest known bees were in Salt Lake City six miles distance. The swarm was hived in a box and became the first of many more swarms for the Bailey family. George made a study of bees and their habits. He became one of the first if not the first Bee man in Salt Lake Co. The bee industry was very profitable and brought in many dollars to the family, until the smoke from the Murray Smelters, containing arsenic killed most of the bees in one winter. George lost over $1,000 worth the first winter and the rest died a short time later before the cause of their deaths was discovered. No damages were collected.
The two families continued to live together in harmony. Elizabeth helping to earn the living. Acting as Dr. and nurse when Elsie’s babies were born. Elsie had four more sons and a daughter, thus helping to fill the gap left by the death of so many of the older ones. They were Elsie Victoria born May 30, 1880, William Thomas, Nov. 5, 1882, Jesse Henry, March 13, 1885, Israel, Jan. 21, 1888, Eric Fredric, April 17, 1890. Elsie did the cooking and helping to keep house. She and Lizzie would knit the stockings and socks for the family by hand until a knitting machine was bought, which helped. Plenty of yarn was on the market by this time so there was no need to card or spin the wool or weave the cloth needed to clothe the family.
The United States Government or the men at the head of it had not forgotten the Mormons and what they were accomplishing in Utah and elsewhere in the world. So they decided to make a raid on the men who had more than one wife. The ones who were living and practicing the Revelation given by the Lord to the church by Joseph Smith the Prophet. April 1, 1886, early in the morning a U.S. Marshall came to the door and asked for George B. Bailey. He was still in bed. Rueben his son called him. When he appeared he asked the Marshall if he might have breakfast before going to the city. The Marshall gave permission, before setting down to eat George told the Marshall it was the custom in his home to have family prayer. The Marshall was invited to join them by George in these words. "Get down on your marrow bones. It won’t hurt you." George was then taken to Salt Lake City and tried before a Judge who had been sent to Salt Lake City from Washington D.C. Utah was still a territory at this time so the people did not have the choice of Governor, Judges or other Territorial officers. George was sentenced to serve six months in the Penitentiary and pay a fine of $350. He was charged with unlawful cohabitation for taking care of Elsie and their children. George was a high tempered man and loved to argue with anyone. Rather than pay the fine he served an extra month in the pen.
While he was in prison with many other of his brothers, who were there for the same offence, his two wives built a two room adobe house for Elsie on a farm of 20 acres, which had been bought some years before. Elsie took care of the house and Elizabeth hauled sour milk to the Utah Cracker Factory, later bought by the National Biscuit Co. The sour milk was donated by John Carlisle, a friend who lived down on the Jordan River and ran a dairy. Elsie’s two youngest sons were born after this, Israel and Eric.
Elsie went to live with Ellen in Salina so the Deputy Marshalls could not find her to testify against her husband George. George was again arrested in Nov. 1888 for unlawful cohabitation as they called it in those days. Although they did not have any proof he was sentenced to another six months in prison but was not fined. He got one month off good behavior and returned home in March 1889. Mr. George Dow the warden of the Penitentiary, a non-Mormon, was a friend of George’s and was one of nature[s] noblemen. He treated the Latter-day Saints like gentlemen and gave them every privilege that was in his power to do so.
George was a dear lover of flowers and had a beautiful garden. Many came to see and admire it. They never went away without a large bouquet. He also raised many kinds of fruit and fowls. At one time of his death he had 11 peacocks, many turkeys, guinea hens, several kinds of ducks and many kinds of chickens.
George was clerk of the Mill Creek Ward for many years. He served under two bishops. Rueben Miller and James 0. Hamilton. He led the choir for many years as he understood and could read music. He had a book with the tunes in, while the members only had the words. With the help of his little black hymn book he would learn the different parts of the tunes then teach the members to sing them by ear.
Elsie became acquainted with a man by the name of De Long who she thought she loved better than George. George went to visit he one day and found them together. He gave Elsie the choice of giving up De Long and taking care of her children or going with De Long and leaving the children. The decision to be made then and there. She chose De Long, so George stayed that night with his 10 children in the little adobe house then the next morning moved them up in the big house and Elizabeth took them to raise. This grieved George very much and after three years of ill health on 4th of November 1895 he passed peacefully away and was laid to rest in the Salt Lake Cemetery, which overlooks the City of Salt Lake which he loved so well and where he lived so many years as a faithful Latter-day Saint.
His posterity is spread over Utah, Idaho, and California, and also western Canada. His seven sons who lived to be married had 37 children and his three daughters had 31, which make 68 grand children and great grandchildren too numerous to mention.
Elizabeth was the Treasurer in the Mill Creek Relief Society and the Wilford Ward Relief Society for twenty- five years. She did temple work for her dead for six or seven years. She gave up housekeeping in 1912, leaving the old home where so many had come and gone. She went to live with her three daughters, Ellen, Elizabeth, and Alice. She learned to knit after she was eighty-two years old, several pairs of socks went to the grandsons who were fighting in World War I. She was one of the first victims of influenza and died October 18, 1918 at Salina, Utah. She was buried in the Salt Lake Cemetery with George and her other loved ones.
Thus ends the story of George and Elizabeth Bailey.
(This history was compiled and written by Alice B. Stay, March 1953.)
Alice B. Stay
3585 Mulford Ave
Lynnwood, California