William Henderson Smith Jr
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Hannah Elizabeth Wheaton
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Home of William H. and Hannah Elizabeth Wheaton Smith
School at Coalville
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Chalk Creek
William Henderson Smith Born October 13, 1827 Died December 25,
1914
Hannah Elizabeth Wheaton Smith Born February 11, 1835
Died February 13, 1926
This is the Father and Mother of John Perry Smith. They lived in Coalville, Summit County, Utah. They are buried in the Coalville Cemetery.
You will find more about William Henderson Smith and Hannah Elizabeth Wheaton Smith in the history of Hannah's mother; Hannah Elizabeth Johnson Huffman Wheaton Staley. (Click on the link at the top of the page) It is very interesting and was generously provided by Kara Seager-Segalla jpsegalla@comcast.net
COALVILLE
Martha Sonntag Bradley
Utah History Encyclopedia Summit County's early history is largely defined by a trail. The road through Echo Canyon taken by a series of immigrant groups, some famous for the disasters that befell them, others for the success of their colonization efforts, became the line that drew history in this mountainous canyon to the northeast of the Salt Lake Valley. A number of communities sprang up along the road: some were supply stations for the bands of travelers, and others were permanent settlements of farmers anxious to try agriculture in the Great Basin.
The location of one such settlement, Coalville, was chosen by chance. In the fall of 1858 on a freight run between Salt Lake City and Fort Bridger, William Henderson Smith stopped to camp near Chalk Creek. He noticed that wheat that had fallen to the earth from earlier travelers' wagons had taken root and ripened without any attention. He took samples of the wheat with him into Salt Lake City and by the next spring had convinced two other men, Andrew Williams and Leonard Phillips, to join with him in the area's settlement. By April 1859 they were joined by Henry B. Wilde, Joseph Stalling, and Thomas B. Franklin and their families.
At first the new settlement was called Chalk Creek, but after the discovery of coal nearby the name was changed to Coalville. Thomas Rhoades discovered coal while hunting for game. He took samples of the coal to Brigham Young. Soon Young sent Daniel H. Wells, Briant Stringham, and Stephen Taylor to open the coal mine they called the "Old Church Mine."
Over the next several decades Mormon settlers opened a series of mines across the canyon walls, including mines at Spring Hollow, Allen's Hollow, and Wasatch or Grass Creek. The Weber Coal Company ran the Wasatch Mine for a number of years and then leased it for a period of time to J.H. Roberts. Most importantly, the coal mines provided an important natural resource that benefited locals, providing needed income, jobs, and fuel for their homes. Before 1873 coal was shipped to Salt Lake City by ox teams; by 1873 a narrow-gauge railroad had been built to the Wasatch Mine. The Utah Eastern Narrow Gauge greatly facilitated the transportation of ore to market. In 1880 a line was completed to Park City.
The settlers built a mill at Sulphur Springs in 1861, a rock schoolhouse in 1865, and regularly held court in Coalville. In 1867 the town was incorporated; W.W. Cluff was elected as mayor, and H.B. Wilde, W.H. Smith, H.B. Clements, Ira Hinckley, and John Staley were elected to the council. In 1871 Summit County built a county courthouse in Coalville, thereby solidifying the town's political importance to the area. This yellow sandstone structure was described by one observer as "by far the most beautiful public building we have seen for a city of its size." The formation of the LDS Summit Stake in July 1877 made Coalville the center of religious, political, and commercial life. By the turn of the century, a diverse group of businesses lined Coalville's Main Street and spread out from the center in all directions.
In 1892 LDS President Wilford Woodruff issued a charter for the Summit Stake Academy, a school opened in an upper chamber of the co-op building on Main Street. In 1912 the public school district built a school. Typical of the two-story buildings constructed during the consolidation movement, this school had four classrooms in the corners of the two levels and multiuse recreation rooms on each floor.
Coalville is located about 5,600 feet above sea level, a town cradled by mountains with ready access to water. One visitor to Coalville described Coalville as being "very picturesque. Through the city, from east to west, emptying into the grand Weber river, which is the western boundary of the city. Hemmed in by these two beautiful rivers, surrounded by majestic mountains, every home surrounded by flower gardens and fruit orchards, the pure mountain air—well, draw the picture yourself, a pen cannot describe it."
In 1908, Coalville had a population of 1,200 and about twenty businesses, the largest of which was a ZCMI. The city boasted its own opera house, electric light plant, and the elegant Summit Stake Tabernacle. Today, life in Coalville proceeds at a pace established long ago. Known for its extreme winter temperatures, Coalville is still a quiet, peaceful town. Occasionally the scene of heated battles about land usage in Summit County, it is nevertheless a place with a sense of tradition and a proud history that stretches back more than 140 years.
Hannah Elizabeth Johnson Huffman Wheaton Staley History
Hannah Elizabeth Wheaton and William Henderson Smith History
9. Conrad2 Staley (John1) was born in Oppenheim,Montgomery Co.,NY 01 JAN 1802. Conrad died 1845 in Douglas Co., NE, at 43 years of age. He married twice. He married Hannah Tripp about 1825. Hannah was born in Waterloo,Ontario,Canada 20 JAN 1801. Also records state born in Grand Island,Canada Hannah died 1834 in Magnolia, Harrison Co., IA, at 33 years of age. He married Hannah Elizabeth Johnson in Waterloo,Ontario,Canada, 15 DEC 1840. Saint Paul's Church, Waterloo (Fort Erie), Bertie Twp., District of Niagara, Canada 1
Hannah Johnson was born Albany, Albany Co., NY 31 JUL 1806. Hannah was the daughter of Abraham Johnson and Hannah Wheeler. Hannah died 27 OCT 1891 in Coalville, Summit Co., UT, at 85 years of age. Hannah Elizabeth Johnson Huffman Wheaton Staley Original Pioneer of 1852 By Kara Seager-Segalla, updated 2001 A descendent of Sarah Ann Huffman
Hannah Elizabeth Johnson was born on July 31, 1806, near Albany, New York. She was the daughter of Abraham Johnson and Hannah Wheeler. It is believed that both of her parents were born in the state of New York in the early 1780's. Abraham Johnson and Hannah Wheeler had eight children, John, Hannah, Peter, Jacob, Joseph, William, Serenen or Cyrenius, and Richard. All of these children were born in the state of New York. It is known that Hannah's brothers, John, William, Cyrenius, and Richard, all settled in Canada and that many of their descendants still live their today. Little is written about Hannah's early life. It is known, however, that the Johnson family's household water came from a canal and the children were obliged to do the carrying. One day little Hannah put her pail into the swift stream and the current pulled her in. Her cries brought two workmen from a nearby field, so she was rescued. The early pioneers of this time were never wholly free from fear of Indians. It is reported that the Indians stole Hannah when she was young. Through her courage, she waited until the Indians were asleep and escaped.
One history states that the Johnson family with three children, including Hannah, moved to Canada, because of their Tory thinking, settling near Bertie Township in Ontario. Hannah grew up to be young dark-haired women. She met a man by the name of George Ransier Huffman, whose family was living nearby. Mr. Huffman was about 8 years older then Hannah Johnson. She would have been about 16 years of age. George Huffman was born in Bertie, Ontario, Canada on Nov. 22, 1798, to Jacob Huffman and Nancy Ransier. The earliest history of a Huffman is of Jacob, born of German stock in Pennsylvania about 1765. The name was originally spelled Hoffman. The family had royalist sympathies, and so migrated to Canada at the time of the Revolutionary War, settling at Bertie in the province of Ontario. Jacob grew up to marry Nancy Ransier, who was born in Pennsylvania about 1770. Ten children were born to the marriage: Jacob, Rebecca, Catherine, William, George Ransier, Abigail, Nancy Ann, Betsie, Mary, and Margaret. All of these children were born in Canada.
After their marriage, Hannah and George Huffman lived in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It was in West Waterloo, on August 28, 1823, that their first child, Jacob Huffman, was born. Some records show a child, Hannah, who was born about 1825, but died as an infant. Sarah Ann Huffman was born July 5, 1827, in Bertie, Ontario, Canada. George Ransier Huffman died Jan. 25, 1830, of mountain fever in Canada. George was 31 years old and left a family of two, the youngest, Sarah Ann, just 2 ½ years old. Eliza Jane Huffman was born August 28, 1830, seven months after her father's death.
Life was difficult without a father, so of necessity, Hannah's children were trained early to be resourceful and industrious. It was quite a task to care for three small children alone, so about four years later, Hannah Johnson married her second husband, a man named John Wesley Wheaton. They were married about 1834 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Two children were born of this marriage: Hannah Elizabeth Wheaton, born February 11, 1835 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and Henry Wesley Wheaton, born on April 2, 1837 in Buffalo, Erie, New York. Later John Wheaton died in 1838 and Hannah was then left with five children to raise.
Hannah had to struggle to feed and care for her children, so as soon as they were old enough, they had to go to work to help support the family. In the history of Sarah Ann Huffman, Hannah's daughter, it states that when Sarah Ann was very young, she went to work in the home of a well-to-do family in Toronto. She was required to help with the cooking and housework. This meant there was little time for schooling. She learned to read from an old speller a friend had given her, and she became a good reader and could spell well. After Hannah's second husband's death, she married Conrad Staley in 1840 in St. Paul's Church at Fort Erie, in Bertie Township, Canada. Conrad Staley was born Jan. 1st, 1801 in Oppenheim, N.Y. to Johann Jacob Staley and Marie Elizabeth House. Mr. Staley was a widower with five children, ages 5 through 12; Margaret, Sarah Ann, Merritt, Eliza and Chester. He was baptized in July 1837 by S. Phelps and ordained a Seventy sometime before 1850. Hannah and Conrad Staley had at least two children, while in Canada. Emma was born Feb. 10, about 1839 in Canada. John was born August 16, 1841 in Grand Island, Canada. Sidney was born about 1843 in Canada, New York, or in Nauvoo, but died in infancy.
Hannah and her family learned of the gospel and read the Book of Mormon, which brought about their conversion and subsequent baptism by Jonathon Coats, a missionary to Canada for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1843 Hannah's oldest son, Jacob, married Margaret Staley, a daughter of Conrad, in the state of New York. Hannah with her third husband eventually joined the main body of the Church in Illinois, as did her son, Jacob, and family. Hannah's daughter, Eliza Jane Huffman, married out side of the church which was a disappointment to the family. Hannah with her third husband and family eventually settled in Nauvoo, Illinois, which was built in a bend of the Mississippi River. Their property was actually out side of the city of Nauvoo in Hancock County, Illinois. The property was listed as being in section T6-R7 in the square mile of #5. Since the Saints had settled the city in 1839, Nauvoo had become the largest city in Illinois where church members lived in relative peace and happiness. Hannah and Conrad Staley received their patriarchal blessings from John Smith on Aug. 18, 1845 in Nauvoo, Illinois. They had their fourth child, Conrad Hammel Staley or "Yod", born Sept. 17, 1845 in Nauvoo. While the years in Nauvoo provided many happy times for the Saints, persecution soon began again, culminating in the murder of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in 1844. Even after the murder of the Prophet, when the Saints realized they must shortly leave Nauvoo; they increased their commitment to completing the temple. The attic of the unfinished temple was dedicated as that part of the structure where the endowment ordinance would be administered. The Saints were anxious to receive this sacred ordinance. Almost 6,000 Saints received their endowment before leaving Nauvoo, including Hannah Johnson and Conrad Staley on Feb. 6, 1846. Conrad Staley was a Seventy at the time.
As persecutions in Nauvoo intensified, it became apparent that the Saints would have to leave. By Nov. 1845, Nauvoo was bustling with the activities of preparation. Captains of hundreds, fifties, and tens were called to lead the Saints on their exodus, which began on Feb. 4, 1846. It took the Saints 131 days to travel the 310 miles from Nauvoo to the settlements in western Iowa, where they would pass the winter of 1846-47 and prepare for their trek to the Rocky Mountains. This experience taught them many things about travel that would help them more quickly cross the 1,000 miles of the great American plains. A number of settlements of Saints stretched along both sides of the Missouri River. The largest settlement, Winter Quarters, was on the west side, in Nebraska. It quickly became home to approximately 3,500 Church members, including Hannah and her third husband, Conrad Staley. Mr. Staley carried mail from Nauvoo to the exiles who had started westward. He was also a member of the Seventies. The Saints lived in houses of logs and in dugouts of willows and dirt. Life was almost as challenging as it had been on the trail. In the summer they suffered from malarial fever. When winter came and fresh food was no longer available, they suffered from cholera epidemics, scurvy, toothaches, and severe diarrhea. Hundreds of people died. Hannah's husband, Conrad Staley, died at Winter Quarters sometime in the year of 1845 at the age of 44. There was so much sickness and death that a record could not be kept of all who died. Companies were organized and charged to care for the widows and fatherless in their midst.
On April 15, 1847, the first company, led by Brigham Young, moved out for the long journey westward. Over the next two decades, approximately 62,000 Saints would follow them across the prairies in wagons and handcarts to gather in "Zion". They followed the Mormon trail from Iowa through Nebraska and Wyoming before descending into the Great Salt Lake Valley. Hannah's daughter, Sarah Ann Huffman, met and married George White Pitkin on Feb. 14, 1847, while she was living in Winter Quarters. In the late spring of 1848, Winter Quarters, Nebraska, was abandoned and some twenty-four hundred exiled Saints piled their belongings into covered wagons and started the westward trek toward the Rocky Mountains. Sarah Ann and her husband, George Pitkin, departed Winter Quarters on May 29th, 1848 and crossed the plains in the Heber C. Kimball Company, arriving in the Salt Lake Valley on Sept. 23rd, 1848. Hannah's son, Jacob Huffman, and his wife, Margaret Staley settled for a time in Harrison Co. Iowa and came later to Utah in Sept. 1861 in the Milo Andrus Company.
Hannah's daughter, Hannah E. Wheaton, met and married William Henderson Smith on Sept. 1, 1851 at Pottowatome Commonwealth, Iowa. Mr. Smith was born in 1914 in Oldbrighton, Pennsylvania. They came to S.L.C., Utah about 1852. It is known that Hannah's older stepsons, Chester and Merritt, came across the plains to Utah, but whether or not they traveled with her is unknown. Hannah Johnson settled for a time in Kanesville (Council Bluffs), Iowa and then came across the plains to Utah as a member the 6th company of Captain David Woods oxen train. They departed Kanesville, Iowa in June of 1852 with 260 people in the company. Hannah had her own wagon, four oxen and two cows. In her canvas-covered wagon she piled all of her household goods, including a plow and other implements. She brought three children with her, Henry Wesley Wheaton, John Staley, and Conrad Hammel Staley, who would have been six years old at the time. It is also believed that her daughter, Hannah E. Wheaton, and her new husband, William H. Smith came across the plains at about the same time. William H. Smith was known as a teamster. The trail west was dusty in dry weather, muddy in rainy weather, and full of deep ruts most of the way.
Life in the great frontier days of America, when thousands of pioneers pushed westward was quite different from our life today. There were few comforts of any kind. Life was full of dangers from hostile Indians, from wild animals, and from the waterless plains where many died of thirst. There was no shelter, except for their wagons, from the heat of the summer, and the dashing rain. The company arrived in Salt Lake City on Oct. 1, 1852. Hannah would have been forty-four years old at this time. She must have been a very strong, dedicated and courageous lady to travel across the plains with her young children and without a husband. It is believed that she settled in "Sugar House", south of S.L.C. with her daughter and son-in-law, William H. Smith. In the early 1850's a sugar factory was established in "Sugar House", but the factory never quite managed to solve the chemical problems of converting beets, grown in alkali soil, into granulated sugar. In the fall of 1858, William H. Smith, a freighter, hauling goods between Ft. Bridger, Wyoming and Salt Lake City drove into a campground on Chalk Creek. He turned his oxen loose to graze and noticed some ripened wheat, which had probably been spilled the previous spring by other freighters. He concluded that if wheat would ripen, the Chalk Creek valley might be a good location for a farming community. This valley is at an elevation of 5,300 feet and surrounded by mountains of the Wasatch Range. Mr. Smith took some of the wheat back to Salt Lake City to show others that it could be cultivated. He persuaded families to come to Chalk Creek, and throughout the summer of 1859, several settlers arrived. It is believed that Hannah Johnson and her children came to Summit County shortly after this time, since she was in the 1860 census.
In every community settled in early days, the first signs of industry were noted in and around the pioneer homes. Land was cleared, houses were built for shelter of family and animals, trees were cut for logs and fuel, and stones were used for walks, fireplaces and even floors. Food was planted and prepared and other necessities provided. After Hannah Johnson arrived with her family, it is assumed that her older boy, Henry Wesley Wheaton, helped build a place for her and her youngest children to live, using the cottonwood trees along the stream bottoms. All members of the family had to do their share and worked from early to late in the day. It has been said that Hannah took great pride in saying that the sun never found her in bed. She was always a very kind and loving mother. She knew that good health was the one thing that would help her raise her family. She sensed how deeply she was needed all though her life, and took every possible precaution to maintain health and avoid disaster. She took excellent care of her children and her own health, and there was little illness. She apparently did smoke a corncob pipe, however. She had something wrong with her lungs and the doctor instructed her to smoke.
When Hannah's daughter, Sarah Ann Pitkin, was feeling badly about her mother not getting to Utah, she had a dream of her coming in an old covered wagon, driving herself and wearing a green sun bonnet, with slats. Apparently Hannah eventually made a visit to Cache County and drove up in her old, green sun bonnet. Sarah Ann dropped every thing and went running down the street to meet her. That night, when Hannah was visiting her daughter and getting ready for bed, Hannah said, "You sure have the Huffman feet." "By the way", said Sarah, "If your three husbands were lined up here for you to choose, which one would you want to be sealed?" Hannah said, "My first love, of course." Hannah wore long skirts, usually wool, and wore a wool shawl over her shoulders. She never let her bare feet touch the cold floor, but wore her stockings until she got into bed and put them on the next morning before getting up. Hannah's days would have been long and busy. The course of her time would have been typical of the pioneers of that era. There was little that could be bought from stores, so they made nearly everything. She wove sheets, made quilts, and cleaned feathers for pillows; made candles from mutton fat, made her own soap and most other utility items. She washed and carded wool, spun it into yarn, and then wove it into cloth. From this lovely woolen material, she tailored her children's clothes. The boys were very proud of their suits, for they were tailored perfectly. Besides this, she knit their stockings and was very skillful in the art of hat making. She prepared hot meals three times a day. Potatoes were always cooked in some fashion for breakfast. Hannah was always a spotless housekeeper, excellent cook, and such a good organizer, that with all she had to do, she managed to have time to train and supervise her children. All of her children became self reliant and obedient.
While Hannah was living in Chalk Creek, outcroppings of coal were discovered, and a mine was opened about 1859. This seems to have been the first coal discovered in Northern Utah, which resulted in practical value to the region. This discovery led to the development of coal mines, the working of which built up the area. On Sept. 12, 1861, Hannah's son, Jacob Huffman, with his family crossed the plains from Iowa and settled in Coalville, bringing with him the first threshing machine to Summit County, together with other farm implements and seed. In May 1866 the resident landowners of Chalk Creek decided they should lay out a city and live closer together, as they would have more strength if any Indian trouble arose. They surveyed the land and laid it out into blocks, lots and streets. They made a plot of the place and called it Coalville City because of the coal mines. The main street was the original trail of early freighters, hunters, trappers and pioneers. The first schools were held in private homes. In 1860 a log schoolhouse was built. Hannah's youngest children went to school there, and her son-in-law, William H. Smith taught there without pay. The Rock Schoolhouse was begun in 1865 and dedicated in 1869 by President Brigham Young. From The Deseret News, under the date of January 27, 1868, comes the following statement, "Coalville, the largest and most flourishing town in Summit County, has over 600 inhabitants, many of whom, judging by improvements recently made, are enterprising citizens. They have the most substantial and comfortable meeting house of any settlement I have seen in the Territory." After these glowing reports of years of growth and prosperity, adverse conditions visited this little community. Reports are found over a period of several years, 1865-1876, that drought, frost, and infestation of grasshoppers had done much damage to crops and livestock, but the people carried on hoping for better returns. On May 22, 1887 in The Deseret News it was estimated that 100,000 head of sheep were grazing in the mountains in the vicinity of Coalville. The industry had shown substantial growth in this area. By 1899 the Coalville farmers were prospering again.
Hannah Elizabeth Johnson Huffman Wheaton Staley was a very independent woman and lived to be the rip old age of 85. This is actually a very old age for a pioneer born in 1806. The average life expectancy then was only into the early forties. It shows that this ancestor was definitely a hardy survivor. There is a start black-and-white photo of Hannah. A withered, old woman, she wears her Sunday best, but the toils and troubles of the frontier are etched on her face, and all traces of the gentle beauty of her youth are dissipated. She has no smile. Her thin lips curl down at the corners, framing a resolute chin. Her dark, short hair, carefully parted in the middle above a prominent forehead, is brushed back tightly. Her aged photo tells a lot about her history as a pioneer woman. She braved multiple childbirth, disease, and death, clawing a new life from the desert while summer's merciless sun burned her once-fair face to be chapped and wrinkled. We need to respect her as being one of our most heroic ancestors. Like other Mormon women, she pushed her way westward in the name of spiritual freedom. She was tough and determined to do what was necessary to find a new home. She outlived three husbands, raised ten children of her own, took care of several stepchildren, and accomplished what she had to exist in an untamed environment. According to the Coalville city cemetery, Hannah died in Coalville, Utah following a hip fracture on Oct. 27, 1891 at the age of 85. She was living with her son, Jacob Huffman in 1880, according to the US census, but died at her son's home, Henry Wheaton. She is buried in section B, block 18, lot 2, grave 8 in the Henry Wheaton burial plot at the Coalville City Cemetery. Her headstone is combined with that of her son, Henry Wheaton. Her name is listed as "Hannah Staley" and doesn't have any birth or death dates inscribed. In honor of Hannah, her descendants have made an updated headstone with Hannah's full name, birth and death dates, and year she came to Utah.
For an earlier history on Hannah Johnson and her first husband, George R. Huffman, see the history on her son, Jacob Huffman by Ellen Evelyn Huffman Johnson, his granddaughter. About Hannah Johnson's children through her first husband, George Huffman, it is known that Jacob Huffman married first, Margaret Staley and four children were born to them: Hannah, George, Harriet, and Susan Alvira. After his first wife's death, he married second, Elizabeth Rebecca Frisby on Dec. 13, 1864 and ten children were born to them: Margaret Elizabeth, Sarah Ann, May, Jacob William, Joseph Henry, Eliza Jane, Emily Pricilla, Gertrude, John Franklin and Lola Bernetta (an Aunt to John Perry Smith). Jacob Huffman was a dentist, blacksmith, farmer and owner of a sawmill. He died Aug. 22, 1899 at the age of 76 and is buried in the Coalville cemetery - section B, block 20, lot 2, grave 1. Eliza Jane Huffman married out side of the LDS Church and probably stayed in New York or Canada. Sarah Ann Huffman, as mentioned previously, married George Pitkin and they settled in Millville, Utah and had three children: Harriet Vilate, Jay Leonard, and Jacob White, who died in infancy. Sarah Ann Huffman ran the kitchen in the Logan Temple and also served as midwife for all of her adult life. She died Jan. 30, 1904 in Millville and is buried there, next to her husband.
Concerning Hannah Johnson's children through her second husband, John Westley Wheaton: Hannah Elizabeth Wheaton married William Henderson Smith on Sept. 1, 1851. William H. Smith is considered "The Father of Coalville", because it was he who attracted interest to the area as a good place to settle. Hannah and William settled in Coalville, Utah and had ten children, 6 girls and 4 boys: Hannah Elizabeth, Margaret Ann, William Henderson, Serena J., John Perry, Beatrice H., Florence I., Evalyn, James Mclean, and Samuel H. Together, they operated the first hotel in Coalville.
Hannah's husband, William H. Smith, was also the first teacher for the children. He engaged in farming, freighting and acted as justice of the peace. Hannah E. Wheaton died on Feb. 13, 1926 at the age of 91; she is buried in the Coalville Cemetery in section C, block 6, lot 2, grave 4, next to her husband, who died at the age of 88 - section C, block 6, lot 2, grave 3. Henry Wesley Wheaton married Sophia Jane Randall, who was born in Illinois. They settled and farmed in Coalville, Utah and had eight children: John Wesley, Henry, William Jacob, Mary Elizabeth, Laura O'Retta, George, Mae, and Sophia Jannie. Sophia died in 1885 at the age of 37 and is buried in section B, bock 18, lot 2, section 2. Henry died at the age of 79 on Nov. 27, 1916 in Coalville and is buried in the Coalville Cemetery - in section B, block 18, lot 2, grave 1, next to his wife, Sophia.
Concerning Hannah Johnson's children through her third husband, Conrad Staley: Emma Staley married Edmund Eldredge, but died shortly after her marriage in Illinois. John Staley was raised in Coalville and married Sarah Wild. They had six children: Jacob Henry, John Conrad, William H., Emma Irene, Sarah Ann, and Eva Mary. John Staley died at the age of 28 in 1869 and is buried in section E, block 32, lot 2, grave 1 in the Coalville City Cemetery. Conrad Hammel Staley married Agnes Georgina Porter, and they had eighteen children: John Chester, Conrad Hammel, Richard Serenous, Hannah Elizabeth, Lawrence William, Esmond Edmond, Jesse Sylvester, Myrtle Leone, Sarah Eliza, Elmer Doris, Ethel Emma, Jacob Henry, Melvin Eugene, Edith Georgena, Harvey Ervin, James Alma, Robert Elwood and Mary Genevia. Conrad died in Salt Lake City on Oct. 22, 1926. He was buried in Upton, Utah, where he settled and farmed, east of Coalville. Sidney Staley probably died in infancy.
Reference sources:
1. History of Hannah Johnson Staley by Gertrude S. Payne. 2. History of Hannah Johnson Staley by Inez Rhead Allen. 3. The Story of Sarah Ann Huffman Pitkin compiled by Susan LaNez Pitkin Cragun, her granddaughter, on May 1960. 4. Family group and pedigree sheets of Sarah Ann Huffman and George White Pitkin by C. Austin Seager, descendent of Sarah Ann Huffman. 5. Coalville and Upton cemetery records. 6. Photo in possession of Kara Seager-Segalla. 7. Brief Life Story of an Early Pioneer, Jacob Huffman by his granddaughter, Ellen Evelyn Huffman Johnson. 8. The Father of Coalville, William Henderson Smith by Mrs. Walter Lee. 9. Family group and pedigree sheets on Henry Wheaton and Sophia Jane Randall by Grant Piercy. 10. Pedigree sheet on Jacob Huffman and Elizabeth Rebecca Frisby by Howard Blonquist. 11. Our Heritage, by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, pages 71- 72. 12. www.familysearch.org 13. Family group records on Hannah E. Wheaton and William Henderson Smith from Darrell Ball Smith
1830 living in Gerry,Chautauqua Co..NY. Scarabourgh, Ontario in 1837.
Conrad Staley and Hannah Tripp had the following children:
+ 64 i. Margaret3 Staley was born 04 JUN 1826.
+ 65 ii. Merritt Staley was born 18 MAY 1831.
+ 66 iii. Chester Staley was born 06 MAR 1833.
Conrad Staley and Hannah Elizabeth Johnson had the following children:
67 iv. Emma Staley was born in Ontario, Canada 10 FEB 1839.
+ 68 v. John Staley was born 16 AUG 1841.
69 vi. Sidney Staley was born in Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL abt 1843.
+ 70 vii. Conrad Hammel Staley was born 17 SEP 1845.
This is the Father and Mother of John Perry Smith. They lived in Coalville, Summit County, Utah. They are buried in the Coalville Cemetery.
You will find more about William Henderson Smith and Hannah Elizabeth Wheaton Smith in the history of Hannah's mother; Hannah Elizabeth Johnson Huffman Wheaton Staley. (Click on the link at the top of the page) It is very interesting and was generously provided by Kara Seager-Segalla jpsegalla@comcast.net
COALVILLE
Martha Sonntag Bradley
Utah History Encyclopedia Summit County's early history is largely defined by a trail. The road through Echo Canyon taken by a series of immigrant groups, some famous for the disasters that befell them, others for the success of their colonization efforts, became the line that drew history in this mountainous canyon to the northeast of the Salt Lake Valley. A number of communities sprang up along the road: some were supply stations for the bands of travelers, and others were permanent settlements of farmers anxious to try agriculture in the Great Basin.
The location of one such settlement, Coalville, was chosen by chance. In the fall of 1858 on a freight run between Salt Lake City and Fort Bridger, William Henderson Smith stopped to camp near Chalk Creek. He noticed that wheat that had fallen to the earth from earlier travelers' wagons had taken root and ripened without any attention. He took samples of the wheat with him into Salt Lake City and by the next spring had convinced two other men, Andrew Williams and Leonard Phillips, to join with him in the area's settlement. By April 1859 they were joined by Henry B. Wilde, Joseph Stalling, and Thomas B. Franklin and their families.
At first the new settlement was called Chalk Creek, but after the discovery of coal nearby the name was changed to Coalville. Thomas Rhoades discovered coal while hunting for game. He took samples of the coal to Brigham Young. Soon Young sent Daniel H. Wells, Briant Stringham, and Stephen Taylor to open the coal mine they called the "Old Church Mine."
Over the next several decades Mormon settlers opened a series of mines across the canyon walls, including mines at Spring Hollow, Allen's Hollow, and Wasatch or Grass Creek. The Weber Coal Company ran the Wasatch Mine for a number of years and then leased it for a period of time to J.H. Roberts. Most importantly, the coal mines provided an important natural resource that benefited locals, providing needed income, jobs, and fuel for their homes. Before 1873 coal was shipped to Salt Lake City by ox teams; by 1873 a narrow-gauge railroad had been built to the Wasatch Mine. The Utah Eastern Narrow Gauge greatly facilitated the transportation of ore to market. In 1880 a line was completed to Park City.
The settlers built a mill at Sulphur Springs in 1861, a rock schoolhouse in 1865, and regularly held court in Coalville. In 1867 the town was incorporated; W.W. Cluff was elected as mayor, and H.B. Wilde, W.H. Smith, H.B. Clements, Ira Hinckley, and John Staley were elected to the council. In 1871 Summit County built a county courthouse in Coalville, thereby solidifying the town's political importance to the area. This yellow sandstone structure was described by one observer as "by far the most beautiful public building we have seen for a city of its size." The formation of the LDS Summit Stake in July 1877 made Coalville the center of religious, political, and commercial life. By the turn of the century, a diverse group of businesses lined Coalville's Main Street and spread out from the center in all directions.
In 1892 LDS President Wilford Woodruff issued a charter for the Summit Stake Academy, a school opened in an upper chamber of the co-op building on Main Street. In 1912 the public school district built a school. Typical of the two-story buildings constructed during the consolidation movement, this school had four classrooms in the corners of the two levels and multiuse recreation rooms on each floor.
Coalville is located about 5,600 feet above sea level, a town cradled by mountains with ready access to water. One visitor to Coalville described Coalville as being "very picturesque. Through the city, from east to west, emptying into the grand Weber river, which is the western boundary of the city. Hemmed in by these two beautiful rivers, surrounded by majestic mountains, every home surrounded by flower gardens and fruit orchards, the pure mountain air—well, draw the picture yourself, a pen cannot describe it."
In 1908, Coalville had a population of 1,200 and about twenty businesses, the largest of which was a ZCMI. The city boasted its own opera house, electric light plant, and the elegant Summit Stake Tabernacle. Today, life in Coalville proceeds at a pace established long ago. Known for its extreme winter temperatures, Coalville is still a quiet, peaceful town. Occasionally the scene of heated battles about land usage in Summit County, it is nevertheless a place with a sense of tradition and a proud history that stretches back more than 140 years.
Hannah Elizabeth Johnson Huffman Wheaton Staley History
Hannah Elizabeth Wheaton and William Henderson Smith History
9. Conrad2 Staley (John1) was born in Oppenheim,Montgomery Co.,NY 01 JAN 1802. Conrad died 1845 in Douglas Co., NE, at 43 years of age. He married twice. He married Hannah Tripp about 1825. Hannah was born in Waterloo,Ontario,Canada 20 JAN 1801. Also records state born in Grand Island,Canada Hannah died 1834 in Magnolia, Harrison Co., IA, at 33 years of age. He married Hannah Elizabeth Johnson in Waterloo,Ontario,Canada, 15 DEC 1840. Saint Paul's Church, Waterloo (Fort Erie), Bertie Twp., District of Niagara, Canada 1
Hannah Johnson was born Albany, Albany Co., NY 31 JUL 1806. Hannah was the daughter of Abraham Johnson and Hannah Wheeler. Hannah died 27 OCT 1891 in Coalville, Summit Co., UT, at 85 years of age. Hannah Elizabeth Johnson Huffman Wheaton Staley Original Pioneer of 1852 By Kara Seager-Segalla, updated 2001 A descendent of Sarah Ann Huffman
Hannah Elizabeth Johnson was born on July 31, 1806, near Albany, New York. She was the daughter of Abraham Johnson and Hannah Wheeler. It is believed that both of her parents were born in the state of New York in the early 1780's. Abraham Johnson and Hannah Wheeler had eight children, John, Hannah, Peter, Jacob, Joseph, William, Serenen or Cyrenius, and Richard. All of these children were born in the state of New York. It is known that Hannah's brothers, John, William, Cyrenius, and Richard, all settled in Canada and that many of their descendants still live their today. Little is written about Hannah's early life. It is known, however, that the Johnson family's household water came from a canal and the children were obliged to do the carrying. One day little Hannah put her pail into the swift stream and the current pulled her in. Her cries brought two workmen from a nearby field, so she was rescued. The early pioneers of this time were never wholly free from fear of Indians. It is reported that the Indians stole Hannah when she was young. Through her courage, she waited until the Indians were asleep and escaped.
One history states that the Johnson family with three children, including Hannah, moved to Canada, because of their Tory thinking, settling near Bertie Township in Ontario. Hannah grew up to be young dark-haired women. She met a man by the name of George Ransier Huffman, whose family was living nearby. Mr. Huffman was about 8 years older then Hannah Johnson. She would have been about 16 years of age. George Huffman was born in Bertie, Ontario, Canada on Nov. 22, 1798, to Jacob Huffman and Nancy Ransier. The earliest history of a Huffman is of Jacob, born of German stock in Pennsylvania about 1765. The name was originally spelled Hoffman. The family had royalist sympathies, and so migrated to Canada at the time of the Revolutionary War, settling at Bertie in the province of Ontario. Jacob grew up to marry Nancy Ransier, who was born in Pennsylvania about 1770. Ten children were born to the marriage: Jacob, Rebecca, Catherine, William, George Ransier, Abigail, Nancy Ann, Betsie, Mary, and Margaret. All of these children were born in Canada.
After their marriage, Hannah and George Huffman lived in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It was in West Waterloo, on August 28, 1823, that their first child, Jacob Huffman, was born. Some records show a child, Hannah, who was born about 1825, but died as an infant. Sarah Ann Huffman was born July 5, 1827, in Bertie, Ontario, Canada. George Ransier Huffman died Jan. 25, 1830, of mountain fever in Canada. George was 31 years old and left a family of two, the youngest, Sarah Ann, just 2 ½ years old. Eliza Jane Huffman was born August 28, 1830, seven months after her father's death.
Life was difficult without a father, so of necessity, Hannah's children were trained early to be resourceful and industrious. It was quite a task to care for three small children alone, so about four years later, Hannah Johnson married her second husband, a man named John Wesley Wheaton. They were married about 1834 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Two children were born of this marriage: Hannah Elizabeth Wheaton, born February 11, 1835 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and Henry Wesley Wheaton, born on April 2, 1837 in Buffalo, Erie, New York. Later John Wheaton died in 1838 and Hannah was then left with five children to raise.
Hannah had to struggle to feed and care for her children, so as soon as they were old enough, they had to go to work to help support the family. In the history of Sarah Ann Huffman, Hannah's daughter, it states that when Sarah Ann was very young, she went to work in the home of a well-to-do family in Toronto. She was required to help with the cooking and housework. This meant there was little time for schooling. She learned to read from an old speller a friend had given her, and she became a good reader and could spell well. After Hannah's second husband's death, she married Conrad Staley in 1840 in St. Paul's Church at Fort Erie, in Bertie Township, Canada. Conrad Staley was born Jan. 1st, 1801 in Oppenheim, N.Y. to Johann Jacob Staley and Marie Elizabeth House. Mr. Staley was a widower with five children, ages 5 through 12; Margaret, Sarah Ann, Merritt, Eliza and Chester. He was baptized in July 1837 by S. Phelps and ordained a Seventy sometime before 1850. Hannah and Conrad Staley had at least two children, while in Canada. Emma was born Feb. 10, about 1839 in Canada. John was born August 16, 1841 in Grand Island, Canada. Sidney was born about 1843 in Canada, New York, or in Nauvoo, but died in infancy.
Hannah and her family learned of the gospel and read the Book of Mormon, which brought about their conversion and subsequent baptism by Jonathon Coats, a missionary to Canada for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1843 Hannah's oldest son, Jacob, married Margaret Staley, a daughter of Conrad, in the state of New York. Hannah with her third husband eventually joined the main body of the Church in Illinois, as did her son, Jacob, and family. Hannah's daughter, Eliza Jane Huffman, married out side of the church which was a disappointment to the family. Hannah with her third husband and family eventually settled in Nauvoo, Illinois, which was built in a bend of the Mississippi River. Their property was actually out side of the city of Nauvoo in Hancock County, Illinois. The property was listed as being in section T6-R7 in the square mile of #5. Since the Saints had settled the city in 1839, Nauvoo had become the largest city in Illinois where church members lived in relative peace and happiness. Hannah and Conrad Staley received their patriarchal blessings from John Smith on Aug. 18, 1845 in Nauvoo, Illinois. They had their fourth child, Conrad Hammel Staley or "Yod", born Sept. 17, 1845 in Nauvoo. While the years in Nauvoo provided many happy times for the Saints, persecution soon began again, culminating in the murder of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in 1844. Even after the murder of the Prophet, when the Saints realized they must shortly leave Nauvoo; they increased their commitment to completing the temple. The attic of the unfinished temple was dedicated as that part of the structure where the endowment ordinance would be administered. The Saints were anxious to receive this sacred ordinance. Almost 6,000 Saints received their endowment before leaving Nauvoo, including Hannah Johnson and Conrad Staley on Feb. 6, 1846. Conrad Staley was a Seventy at the time.
As persecutions in Nauvoo intensified, it became apparent that the Saints would have to leave. By Nov. 1845, Nauvoo was bustling with the activities of preparation. Captains of hundreds, fifties, and tens were called to lead the Saints on their exodus, which began on Feb. 4, 1846. It took the Saints 131 days to travel the 310 miles from Nauvoo to the settlements in western Iowa, where they would pass the winter of 1846-47 and prepare for their trek to the Rocky Mountains. This experience taught them many things about travel that would help them more quickly cross the 1,000 miles of the great American plains. A number of settlements of Saints stretched along both sides of the Missouri River. The largest settlement, Winter Quarters, was on the west side, in Nebraska. It quickly became home to approximately 3,500 Church members, including Hannah and her third husband, Conrad Staley. Mr. Staley carried mail from Nauvoo to the exiles who had started westward. He was also a member of the Seventies. The Saints lived in houses of logs and in dugouts of willows and dirt. Life was almost as challenging as it had been on the trail. In the summer they suffered from malarial fever. When winter came and fresh food was no longer available, they suffered from cholera epidemics, scurvy, toothaches, and severe diarrhea. Hundreds of people died. Hannah's husband, Conrad Staley, died at Winter Quarters sometime in the year of 1845 at the age of 44. There was so much sickness and death that a record could not be kept of all who died. Companies were organized and charged to care for the widows and fatherless in their midst.
On April 15, 1847, the first company, led by Brigham Young, moved out for the long journey westward. Over the next two decades, approximately 62,000 Saints would follow them across the prairies in wagons and handcarts to gather in "Zion". They followed the Mormon trail from Iowa through Nebraska and Wyoming before descending into the Great Salt Lake Valley. Hannah's daughter, Sarah Ann Huffman, met and married George White Pitkin on Feb. 14, 1847, while she was living in Winter Quarters. In the late spring of 1848, Winter Quarters, Nebraska, was abandoned and some twenty-four hundred exiled Saints piled their belongings into covered wagons and started the westward trek toward the Rocky Mountains. Sarah Ann and her husband, George Pitkin, departed Winter Quarters on May 29th, 1848 and crossed the plains in the Heber C. Kimball Company, arriving in the Salt Lake Valley on Sept. 23rd, 1848. Hannah's son, Jacob Huffman, and his wife, Margaret Staley settled for a time in Harrison Co. Iowa and came later to Utah in Sept. 1861 in the Milo Andrus Company.
Hannah's daughter, Hannah E. Wheaton, met and married William Henderson Smith on Sept. 1, 1851 at Pottowatome Commonwealth, Iowa. Mr. Smith was born in 1914 in Oldbrighton, Pennsylvania. They came to S.L.C., Utah about 1852. It is known that Hannah's older stepsons, Chester and Merritt, came across the plains to Utah, but whether or not they traveled with her is unknown. Hannah Johnson settled for a time in Kanesville (Council Bluffs), Iowa and then came across the plains to Utah as a member the 6th company of Captain David Woods oxen train. They departed Kanesville, Iowa in June of 1852 with 260 people in the company. Hannah had her own wagon, four oxen and two cows. In her canvas-covered wagon she piled all of her household goods, including a plow and other implements. She brought three children with her, Henry Wesley Wheaton, John Staley, and Conrad Hammel Staley, who would have been six years old at the time. It is also believed that her daughter, Hannah E. Wheaton, and her new husband, William H. Smith came across the plains at about the same time. William H. Smith was known as a teamster. The trail west was dusty in dry weather, muddy in rainy weather, and full of deep ruts most of the way.
Life in the great frontier days of America, when thousands of pioneers pushed westward was quite different from our life today. There were few comforts of any kind. Life was full of dangers from hostile Indians, from wild animals, and from the waterless plains where many died of thirst. There was no shelter, except for their wagons, from the heat of the summer, and the dashing rain. The company arrived in Salt Lake City on Oct. 1, 1852. Hannah would have been forty-four years old at this time. She must have been a very strong, dedicated and courageous lady to travel across the plains with her young children and without a husband. It is believed that she settled in "Sugar House", south of S.L.C. with her daughter and son-in-law, William H. Smith. In the early 1850's a sugar factory was established in "Sugar House", but the factory never quite managed to solve the chemical problems of converting beets, grown in alkali soil, into granulated sugar. In the fall of 1858, William H. Smith, a freighter, hauling goods between Ft. Bridger, Wyoming and Salt Lake City drove into a campground on Chalk Creek. He turned his oxen loose to graze and noticed some ripened wheat, which had probably been spilled the previous spring by other freighters. He concluded that if wheat would ripen, the Chalk Creek valley might be a good location for a farming community. This valley is at an elevation of 5,300 feet and surrounded by mountains of the Wasatch Range. Mr. Smith took some of the wheat back to Salt Lake City to show others that it could be cultivated. He persuaded families to come to Chalk Creek, and throughout the summer of 1859, several settlers arrived. It is believed that Hannah Johnson and her children came to Summit County shortly after this time, since she was in the 1860 census.
In every community settled in early days, the first signs of industry were noted in and around the pioneer homes. Land was cleared, houses were built for shelter of family and animals, trees were cut for logs and fuel, and stones were used for walks, fireplaces and even floors. Food was planted and prepared and other necessities provided. After Hannah Johnson arrived with her family, it is assumed that her older boy, Henry Wesley Wheaton, helped build a place for her and her youngest children to live, using the cottonwood trees along the stream bottoms. All members of the family had to do their share and worked from early to late in the day. It has been said that Hannah took great pride in saying that the sun never found her in bed. She was always a very kind and loving mother. She knew that good health was the one thing that would help her raise her family. She sensed how deeply she was needed all though her life, and took every possible precaution to maintain health and avoid disaster. She took excellent care of her children and her own health, and there was little illness. She apparently did smoke a corncob pipe, however. She had something wrong with her lungs and the doctor instructed her to smoke.
When Hannah's daughter, Sarah Ann Pitkin, was feeling badly about her mother not getting to Utah, she had a dream of her coming in an old covered wagon, driving herself and wearing a green sun bonnet, with slats. Apparently Hannah eventually made a visit to Cache County and drove up in her old, green sun bonnet. Sarah Ann dropped every thing and went running down the street to meet her. That night, when Hannah was visiting her daughter and getting ready for bed, Hannah said, "You sure have the Huffman feet." "By the way", said Sarah, "If your three husbands were lined up here for you to choose, which one would you want to be sealed?" Hannah said, "My first love, of course." Hannah wore long skirts, usually wool, and wore a wool shawl over her shoulders. She never let her bare feet touch the cold floor, but wore her stockings until she got into bed and put them on the next morning before getting up. Hannah's days would have been long and busy. The course of her time would have been typical of the pioneers of that era. There was little that could be bought from stores, so they made nearly everything. She wove sheets, made quilts, and cleaned feathers for pillows; made candles from mutton fat, made her own soap and most other utility items. She washed and carded wool, spun it into yarn, and then wove it into cloth. From this lovely woolen material, she tailored her children's clothes. The boys were very proud of their suits, for they were tailored perfectly. Besides this, she knit their stockings and was very skillful in the art of hat making. She prepared hot meals three times a day. Potatoes were always cooked in some fashion for breakfast. Hannah was always a spotless housekeeper, excellent cook, and such a good organizer, that with all she had to do, she managed to have time to train and supervise her children. All of her children became self reliant and obedient.
While Hannah was living in Chalk Creek, outcroppings of coal were discovered, and a mine was opened about 1859. This seems to have been the first coal discovered in Northern Utah, which resulted in practical value to the region. This discovery led to the development of coal mines, the working of which built up the area. On Sept. 12, 1861, Hannah's son, Jacob Huffman, with his family crossed the plains from Iowa and settled in Coalville, bringing with him the first threshing machine to Summit County, together with other farm implements and seed. In May 1866 the resident landowners of Chalk Creek decided they should lay out a city and live closer together, as they would have more strength if any Indian trouble arose. They surveyed the land and laid it out into blocks, lots and streets. They made a plot of the place and called it Coalville City because of the coal mines. The main street was the original trail of early freighters, hunters, trappers and pioneers. The first schools were held in private homes. In 1860 a log schoolhouse was built. Hannah's youngest children went to school there, and her son-in-law, William H. Smith taught there without pay. The Rock Schoolhouse was begun in 1865 and dedicated in 1869 by President Brigham Young. From The Deseret News, under the date of January 27, 1868, comes the following statement, "Coalville, the largest and most flourishing town in Summit County, has over 600 inhabitants, many of whom, judging by improvements recently made, are enterprising citizens. They have the most substantial and comfortable meeting house of any settlement I have seen in the Territory." After these glowing reports of years of growth and prosperity, adverse conditions visited this little community. Reports are found over a period of several years, 1865-1876, that drought, frost, and infestation of grasshoppers had done much damage to crops and livestock, but the people carried on hoping for better returns. On May 22, 1887 in The Deseret News it was estimated that 100,000 head of sheep were grazing in the mountains in the vicinity of Coalville. The industry had shown substantial growth in this area. By 1899 the Coalville farmers were prospering again.
Hannah Elizabeth Johnson Huffman Wheaton Staley was a very independent woman and lived to be the rip old age of 85. This is actually a very old age for a pioneer born in 1806. The average life expectancy then was only into the early forties. It shows that this ancestor was definitely a hardy survivor. There is a start black-and-white photo of Hannah. A withered, old woman, she wears her Sunday best, but the toils and troubles of the frontier are etched on her face, and all traces of the gentle beauty of her youth are dissipated. She has no smile. Her thin lips curl down at the corners, framing a resolute chin. Her dark, short hair, carefully parted in the middle above a prominent forehead, is brushed back tightly. Her aged photo tells a lot about her history as a pioneer woman. She braved multiple childbirth, disease, and death, clawing a new life from the desert while summer's merciless sun burned her once-fair face to be chapped and wrinkled. We need to respect her as being one of our most heroic ancestors. Like other Mormon women, she pushed her way westward in the name of spiritual freedom. She was tough and determined to do what was necessary to find a new home. She outlived three husbands, raised ten children of her own, took care of several stepchildren, and accomplished what she had to exist in an untamed environment. According to the Coalville city cemetery, Hannah died in Coalville, Utah following a hip fracture on Oct. 27, 1891 at the age of 85. She was living with her son, Jacob Huffman in 1880, according to the US census, but died at her son's home, Henry Wheaton. She is buried in section B, block 18, lot 2, grave 8 in the Henry Wheaton burial plot at the Coalville City Cemetery. Her headstone is combined with that of her son, Henry Wheaton. Her name is listed as "Hannah Staley" and doesn't have any birth or death dates inscribed. In honor of Hannah, her descendants have made an updated headstone with Hannah's full name, birth and death dates, and year she came to Utah.
For an earlier history on Hannah Johnson and her first husband, George R. Huffman, see the history on her son, Jacob Huffman by Ellen Evelyn Huffman Johnson, his granddaughter. About Hannah Johnson's children through her first husband, George Huffman, it is known that Jacob Huffman married first, Margaret Staley and four children were born to them: Hannah, George, Harriet, and Susan Alvira. After his first wife's death, he married second, Elizabeth Rebecca Frisby on Dec. 13, 1864 and ten children were born to them: Margaret Elizabeth, Sarah Ann, May, Jacob William, Joseph Henry, Eliza Jane, Emily Pricilla, Gertrude, John Franklin and Lola Bernetta (an Aunt to John Perry Smith). Jacob Huffman was a dentist, blacksmith, farmer and owner of a sawmill. He died Aug. 22, 1899 at the age of 76 and is buried in the Coalville cemetery - section B, block 20, lot 2, grave 1. Eliza Jane Huffman married out side of the LDS Church and probably stayed in New York or Canada. Sarah Ann Huffman, as mentioned previously, married George Pitkin and they settled in Millville, Utah and had three children: Harriet Vilate, Jay Leonard, and Jacob White, who died in infancy. Sarah Ann Huffman ran the kitchen in the Logan Temple and also served as midwife for all of her adult life. She died Jan. 30, 1904 in Millville and is buried there, next to her husband.
Concerning Hannah Johnson's children through her second husband, John Westley Wheaton: Hannah Elizabeth Wheaton married William Henderson Smith on Sept. 1, 1851. William H. Smith is considered "The Father of Coalville", because it was he who attracted interest to the area as a good place to settle. Hannah and William settled in Coalville, Utah and had ten children, 6 girls and 4 boys: Hannah Elizabeth, Margaret Ann, William Henderson, Serena J., John Perry, Beatrice H., Florence I., Evalyn, James Mclean, and Samuel H. Together, they operated the first hotel in Coalville.
Hannah's husband, William H. Smith, was also the first teacher for the children. He engaged in farming, freighting and acted as justice of the peace. Hannah E. Wheaton died on Feb. 13, 1926 at the age of 91; she is buried in the Coalville Cemetery in section C, block 6, lot 2, grave 4, next to her husband, who died at the age of 88 - section C, block 6, lot 2, grave 3. Henry Wesley Wheaton married Sophia Jane Randall, who was born in Illinois. They settled and farmed in Coalville, Utah and had eight children: John Wesley, Henry, William Jacob, Mary Elizabeth, Laura O'Retta, George, Mae, and Sophia Jannie. Sophia died in 1885 at the age of 37 and is buried in section B, bock 18, lot 2, section 2. Henry died at the age of 79 on Nov. 27, 1916 in Coalville and is buried in the Coalville Cemetery - in section B, block 18, lot 2, grave 1, next to his wife, Sophia.
Concerning Hannah Johnson's children through her third husband, Conrad Staley: Emma Staley married Edmund Eldredge, but died shortly after her marriage in Illinois. John Staley was raised in Coalville and married Sarah Wild. They had six children: Jacob Henry, John Conrad, William H., Emma Irene, Sarah Ann, and Eva Mary. John Staley died at the age of 28 in 1869 and is buried in section E, block 32, lot 2, grave 1 in the Coalville City Cemetery. Conrad Hammel Staley married Agnes Georgina Porter, and they had eighteen children: John Chester, Conrad Hammel, Richard Serenous, Hannah Elizabeth, Lawrence William, Esmond Edmond, Jesse Sylvester, Myrtle Leone, Sarah Eliza, Elmer Doris, Ethel Emma, Jacob Henry, Melvin Eugene, Edith Georgena, Harvey Ervin, James Alma, Robert Elwood and Mary Genevia. Conrad died in Salt Lake City on Oct. 22, 1926. He was buried in Upton, Utah, where he settled and farmed, east of Coalville. Sidney Staley probably died in infancy.
Reference sources:
1. History of Hannah Johnson Staley by Gertrude S. Payne. 2. History of Hannah Johnson Staley by Inez Rhead Allen. 3. The Story of Sarah Ann Huffman Pitkin compiled by Susan LaNez Pitkin Cragun, her granddaughter, on May 1960. 4. Family group and pedigree sheets of Sarah Ann Huffman and George White Pitkin by C. Austin Seager, descendent of Sarah Ann Huffman. 5. Coalville and Upton cemetery records. 6. Photo in possession of Kara Seager-Segalla. 7. Brief Life Story of an Early Pioneer, Jacob Huffman by his granddaughter, Ellen Evelyn Huffman Johnson. 8. The Father of Coalville, William Henderson Smith by Mrs. Walter Lee. 9. Family group and pedigree sheets on Henry Wheaton and Sophia Jane Randall by Grant Piercy. 10. Pedigree sheet on Jacob Huffman and Elizabeth Rebecca Frisby by Howard Blonquist. 11. Our Heritage, by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, pages 71- 72. 12. www.familysearch.org 13. Family group records on Hannah E. Wheaton and William Henderson Smith from Darrell Ball Smith
1830 living in Gerry,Chautauqua Co..NY. Scarabourgh, Ontario in 1837.
Conrad Staley and Hannah Tripp had the following children:
+ 64 i. Margaret3 Staley was born 04 JUN 1826.
+ 65 ii. Merritt Staley was born 18 MAY 1831.
+ 66 iii. Chester Staley was born 06 MAR 1833.
Conrad Staley and Hannah Elizabeth Johnson had the following children:
67 iv. Emma Staley was born in Ontario, Canada 10 FEB 1839.
+ 68 v. John Staley was born 16 AUG 1841.
69 vi. Sidney Staley was born in Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL abt 1843.
+ 70 vii. Conrad Hammel Staley was born 17 SEP 1845.