Joseph Hill By Bonnie Shipley Anderson Great Granddaughter Information is from Family Records

By Bonnie Shipley Anderson
Great Granddaughter
Information is from Family Records, IGI, AF,
Margaret Hill McCracken's notes and Diary of William Henry Hill
New book "Smithfield ... as a city on a hill" A history of Smithfield, Utah 1859 - 2001

Joseph Hill was born 11 Jun 1840, in Wootton, Northampton, England. The oldest son of James H. Hill and Charlotte Louise Timms. His brothers were William Henry and John James. His sisters were Jane Ann, Louisa and Charlotte.

My father was a mason by trade and in the early years of my life, times were very hard in England. My father was under the necessity of traveling around the country a great deal in order to obtain sufficient labor to secure means to sustain his family with the necessities of life, and was therefore unable to give his children the advantages of an education.

My parents were very much of a religious turn of mind and tried to live an honest, upright life, but could not bring themselves to accept of any particular faith or belief, but leaned more to the Methodist than any other.

My father would see to it that his children stricktly attended their Sunday School, and was very particular to see that his children never desecrated the Sabbath day, and was careful to see that we were strict observers of the Sabbath.

After supper on Sunday evening he would have his children sit around the table, and he would read to us from the New Testament about the Lord Jesus and His teachings, 'til we almost learned it by hear, for he would read and then explain it so that we could understand it in a measure, so much so that I have never forgotten it. The children all learned to read and write.

When I was twelve and a half years old I went to work with my Father and became a brick mason apprentice to him.

When I was about seventeen years old my Father told me some Mormon Elders were going to preach in a village about four miles away from where we lived and that he was going to the meeting and asked me if I would like to go. When the meeting closed my Father, brother William and I started on our way home. As we walked along, we began talking about what had been said at the meeting, We all decided to be baptized. The following week we went to the place where the two gentlemen were staying and applied for baptism. Our request was granted and in the evening of the 14 Jun 1856, (25 Jan 1857 Joseph and 7 Oct 1856 for James H.) we were baptized in river Witham at Colsterworth, Lincolnshire, England.

I set sail for America on the 23 Apr 1861 and arrived in New York City 21th of May 1861 in the ship Underwriter, but before leaving , I made my brother promise to help the rest of the family join the church and to come to America the following year.

I sailed on the ship The UNDERWRITER - Ship: 1168 tons: 183' x 37' x 30' Built: 1850 by Westervelt and Mackey at New York City, New York. In three voyages the clipper ship Underwriter, skippered by Captain John Pratt Roberts, carried a total of 1243 Latter-day Saints across the Atlantic. The first passage began at Liverpool on 21 January 1858 and ended seven weeks later at New York on 11 March. Among the twenty-five Mormons on board were Presiding Elder Henry Harriman, Brigham H. Young, John S. Smith, and James H. Browning.

The second voyage also originated at Liverpool on 30 March 1860. Elder James D. Ross and his counselors, James Taylor and John Croft, presided over the 594 Mormon passengers. Seventy of the emigrants came from Switzerland and the remainder from Great Britain. During the crossing there were four deaths and four weddings. After a thirty-two-day passage the Underwriter arrived at New York on 1 May.

**On 23 April 1861 this ship sailed from Liverpool for the third time with a company of Mormon emigrants. Elder Milo Andrus presided over the 624 Saints. He was assisted by Homer Duncan and Charles W. Penrose. The emigrants were divided into nine wards, including a separate ward for unmarried men. Before departure Apostles Amasa M. Lyman, Charles C. Rich, and George Q. Cannon came aboard and gave the emigrating Saints their instructions and blessing. During the voyage two children died, and two marriages were performed. After a twenty-nine-day crossing-a relatively fast passage-the clipper ship arrived at New York on 21 May.

The Underwriter ran in the Red Star Line for sixteen years. Her Atlantic crossings averaged thirty-three days. She was built with a round stem, a full-length figurehead, and three decks. Her principal owner was Robert Kermit of New York City. In 1879 the vessel was sold to foreign owners. It is said that the ship received her name in appreciation for the generosity of marine insurance companies in settling claims from some previous packet wrecks.

About the 22nd of June 1862, Joseph is living in Brooklyn, New York with his new wife Sarah Crosby, and two of his friends Richard and Richard’s sister Hester Jessop. They were married the 24th day of May in the year 1862, in New York City. I would guess Brooklyn.

Sarah, Joseph, and Joseph’s younger brother William left New York the 18 June 1862. They saw several camps of Civil War Soldiers but were not interrupted by them. They traveled at first by train and little of importance occurred until they were traveling through the state of Illinois. There one of the cars that was loaded with the Saints’ baggage took fire and, instead of them uncoupling the car from the rest and pulling it a short distance away, and letting the people save what they could from the fire, they took the car six miles away to the next station. When the engineer returned back to the train, he swore that he would drive all the damned Mormons to hell. Putting on all the steam, he jumped from his engine and let her come full force into the car. Upon arriving to the place where they had taken the burning car, there was nothing left of it. There were hundreds of people around there, who no doubt had saved lots of the things that were in the car and carried them off. Sarah wasn’t to find out if her luggage was gone until she took passage on the steamboat and arrived at Florence, or Winter Quarters on the opposite side of the Old Missouri River from Council Bluffs. Much to her delight all of her luggage, Joseph’s and William’s was safe. Richard and Hester Jessop had lost all of their things.

They spent one night in St Joseph, Missouri and then went by boat for Florence, Nebraska. At Florence they were in a camp under the supervision of Joseph W. Young. They waited in the camp six weeks. The horse teams that would take them to Salt Lake were delayed due to high water from storms between Salt Lake and the Mississippi.

While waiting for the horse teams that would take them to the Great Salt Lake Valley, Sarah lived in a tent with her husband and eight other people . These tents were placed from sixteen to twenty feet apart, each way. There were nearly three thousand saints all there at this time. Each tent had a head person who was to look after the interests and comforts of those who were placed under their charge. They held regular meetings, and all met together for prayers, night and morning. Food was handed out each morning from the commissary to the head of each family for the day.

The teams began to come in at short intervals, and one train left under the direction of Captain Kimball, the second under Captain Murdock, and a third under the direction of Captain Waite. The fourth under the direction of Captain Henry Miller’s was the one for Sarah and Joseph and the Jessups to travel with. Each company had fifty wagons with ten persons to each wagon and tent, besides the teamsters. William came with a different group later. Joseph had agreed to pay William’s way to Winters Quarters and William was to work the rest of the way. It was a long and tiresome trip. Most of the company suffered with mountain fever. Joseph also came down with it. Every day they stopped to bury the dead. They reached Coalville, Utah on the 17 day of October 1862.

The newlyweds stayed here and in Hoptesville until the first day of March 1863. Sarah was pregnant with her first child at this time and they lived the winter in a dugout that Joseph and William built. Their diet was beans with no meat, except when they could kill a jack rabbit once in a while. They had little bread, but as William reported in his diary they got a long very well.

5 March 1863, Joseph started working at the Temple block and after April Conference they moved to Cache Valley and settled in Nillville. This wasn’t for long because May 15, the couple moved to Millville in Cache Valley for six weeks and then moved to Smithfield, Cache, UT where Joseph spent the majority of the rest of his life. August 19, 1863, Sarah and Joseph became parents of James Hill, who was born in Smithfield. The family grew as a daughter, Frances, joined them on January 15, 1865, and a son, Joseph Crosby Hill, on October 16, 1866.

Sarah and Joseph were sealed for time and all eternity in the Endowment House, November 28, 1866, when their youngest was about six weeks old. I haven’t found any record that any of the children were sealed at this time. Sarah became the number one wife on December 7, 1868, when Joseph married Betsy Ann Harper. They were sealed 6 Dec 1871, in the Endowment House. Sarah might of been of good disposition and faithful to have accepted this and given her permission. Alice says Betsy and Joseph separated until 6 Dec 1871. I haven’t confirmed this information. Her Mother-in-law knew them personally and says it is so. The Harper/Hill family leaves out the early marriage on purpose or why I don’t know. So the Harper/Hill family only give the marriage and sealing date of 6 Dec 1871 in their records.

Sarah gave birth to her fourth child, a daughter, Mary Maria on April 15, 1868, in Brigham City. Two more daughters joined the family. Sarah Jane, July 20, 1869, born in Millville and Rosetta, (or Rosette), born May 21, 1871, in Smithfield.

I am not sure where Joseph was when Sarah Jane was born. He had taken a contract with the Union Pacific Railroad Company and was at the Promontory when the silver spike was driven joining the railroads. He didn’t return to Smithfield until Fall.

I met a man in Smithfield in 1979, that was a nephew of Joseph and Betsy Ann’s. He was over 100 years old and his name was Hillyard. He was still living across the street from Joseph’s home. He said Sarah and Betsy Ann lived in the same house and were very devoted to each other. That Betsy Ann took care of Sarah before she died and that Betsy treated all the children as her own. After figuring out the dates, I realized he couldn’t of been alive when Sarah was alive so must of been telling what he had heard and what he saw when Betsy was the only mother.. He did talk about Joseph’s sense of humor and how he used to tell the fellow that his name was that much longer than his, holding his arms stretched out wide, it is a yard longer than mine. Mr. Hillyard said how devoted and caring he was to his wives and to his children. Many a evening would find Joseph playing not only with his own children but with several neighborhood children in the front yard. This reminded me a lot of my brother Jack and how he is so good to play with his children. He also told me about the tree that the family planted in the front yard. It still was there and growing when I visited in 1979.

Sarah was only 37 years old when she died in Brigham City, Utah on 28 September 1871 She was buried in the Smithfield Cemetery where Joseph was buried next to her years later. Her oldest child was 8 years old. Rosette, the youngest, was 4 months old. Betsy Ann didn’t have any children of her own at this time. She had her first child was born eleven months later.

Betsy Ann Harper and Joseph Hill with son

Joseph and Besty Ann Harper were married and sealed in the Endowment House 6 Dec 1871. She was 21 years old, having been born 9 Jun 1850 in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England. She was the daughter of Richard and Susanna Faulkner Harper. Joseph and Betsy had known each other since they crossed the plains together in the Henry W. Miller Company. Both the Harper and the Hill families lived in Smithfield too.

When Betsy Ann married Joseph she became the instant mother of five children. From all accounts she treated all the children alike and no one could tell which were her children and which were Sarah's. Their children were Richard Nephi, Harper William, Alice, Ida, Frank Henry, George Beltrum, Bessie, Joseph Samuel, Susann Faulkner, Margaret Shelton, and Charlotte Eleise.

Joseph and Betsy had the very sad experience of loosing four of their children in the month of August 1885. Alice, George, Bessie, and Joseph. Joseph was such a tender hearted man and kind his daughter Margaret said she thought this must of about killed him and did deeply affect him. He was always good to help Betsy care for the children because she had a bad leg. He was known to walk the floor with a crying child all night if necessary to quiet them down.

Joseph was a strict disciplinarian. His children knew when he told them to do something - it meant - do it and do it now, with no questions asked. He was a medium size man with a mustache and beard and very blue eyes.

One of the special kindnesses he showed his children was to round up their shoes on Sunday morning and take them out into the shed and make them shine in time for Sunday School.

Margaret says he was a very devoted church man all his life. He taught his children all the principles of the Gospel and he set them a good example of right living. He taught them the value of work, also. He earned a good living for his family by working at his trade of brick mason. He made $2.25 a day which was very good wages for that time and place. They also raised most of their food stuff and Betsy was a good manager and hard worker, that much cash money coming in, when handled right, went a long ways to wards a living. He worked in the surrounding towns of the county laying up homes. His conveyance for traveling was a team and ludlow (light wagon). He was one of the master masons in the construction of the Logan Temple. Three of his boys followed the brick mason trade also. One son filled a mission.

He seemed to have a natural talent for music. He never had a violin lesson but he was a great fiddler when it came to playing for the dances. He seemed to enjoy this so much. He was in great demand to play for the dances all over the County. Betsy went with him when ever she could. Joseph also was one of the founders of the Smithfield Pioneer Dramatic Company. He played the starring role many times and also painted scenery.

Betsy was only 63 when she died in Smithfield on 3 Jun 1913 of heart ailment. Joseph was very lonesome after she left. He lived with Margaret in Smithfield for fifteen years and with his daughter Susan Bingham in Ogden too. He lived to the ripe old age of 91 going to his great reward on 30 Sep 1931. He was buried beside his wives Sarah and Betsy in the Smithfield Cemetery.

Joseph carried the mail for a time and also was the Mayor of Smithfield for two terms. Some of the buildings he laid brick for were: Utah State Agricultural College (USU), Benson Stake Tabernacle; early, small ZCMI store in Logan; William Douglas Store in Smithfield; Smithfield Tabernacle; Farmers Union Mill in Smithfield; and many homes in Smithfield; Rock Tithing Celler and Grainery; Rock house where the UIC Depot stood 25 Aug 1979; Union Mercantile; Abe Smith Store; Miles Store; Commercial Bank; Hatch Building; and City Hall. besides these he built many homes and other businesses around the Cache Valley and in Logan and Brigham City. He was the main mason building the Logan Tabernacle, Logan Temple and helped with many other temples in Utah including the Salt Lake Temple.

Today Called Smithfield Implement	UIC Depot
	Logan LDS Temple	Logan LDS Tabernacle
Benson Stake Tabernacle	Another View of Logan Tab	Photo of Utah State where Agricultural College building is.
Logan Tabernacle 1894 Construction on the Tabernacle (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) began in 1865. Anthon Skanchy was superintendent of construction. James Quayle was the master mechanic and Joseph Hill of Smithfield was the master mason. Christian Garff assisted in making the benches, and much of the machine work was done at the Garff and Lundberg planning mill. The Tabernacle was dedicated November 1, 1891.	Tabernacle before 1891 Address: 50 North Main Street Construction on the Tabernacle (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) began in 1865. Anthon Skanchy was superintendent of construction. James Quayle was the master mechanic and Joseph Hill of Smithfield was the master mason. Christian Garff assisted in making the benches, and much of the machine work was done at the Garff and Lundberg planning mill. The Tabernacle was dedicated November 1, 1891.	Old Main and Mechanical Arts bldgs Address: Utah Agricultural College View of the east side of Old Main building with the Mechanical Arts building on the left. Source: Raymond C. Somers' Historical Photographs, Logan Library's Special Collections.
Old ZCMI Address: 87 North Main Street The three story building was constructed of brick and rock in the 1860's. In 1872 it was known as the Logan branch of ZCMI (Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institution). Until 1903 it was one of the most important business buildings in the history of the valley. The third floor was destroyed in the earthquake in 1962 and it was divided into two parts.	Logan ZCMI Address: 81-99 North Main Street ZCMI often paid in Scrip, which then circulated quite freely among the general population at face value until it was ultimately redeemed. The Cache Valley Branch of Z.C.M.I. was in business from 1872 until about 1900.	Tabernacle and LZCMI buildings Date: 1880 Address: 50 to 99 North Main The east side of the Tabernacle and the front of the Logan ZCMI building on Main Street.

Old Main and Mechanical Arts bldgs

Logan ZCMI

Tabernacle and LZCMI buildings