Archives West Finding Aid

William Henry Adams Sr. was born in the town of Hythe, England, in 1817 to Mary Nash and John Adams. His father died before he was was born, and his mother then married William Gardner. Together they raised her son, and had a daughter they also named Mary. William Adams Sr. was apprenticed to the mason's trade at eight, which he later put to use constructing buildings in Utah. In 1839, he married Martha Jennings in Dover, England and they took over her parents' grocery business. They joined the Mormon church soon after their marriage, and in 1847 emigrated to America with their children, William Jr. and Eliza. The family arrived in the fall of 1847, and went directly to Council Bluff where they bought 160 acres of land to farm. In the spring of 1948, they left for the Salt Lake valley, in the company of Willard Richards, Brigham Young's cousin, and a contemporary of Joseph Smith. The Adams arrived in Salt Lake City in October 1948, but in 1850, at the request of Brigham Young, William, Philo Farnsworth, and John Mercer went to Utah County to help found Pleasant Grove. Martha died in 1852, and William was not only left with the children, but the hardships that followed. This included the beginning of crop failure in 1853, and the arrival of his mother and half-sister in the same year. In 1858, the cycle of crop failure came to an end, and William married Ann Otten Crossland, who bore him three children. During this time, he helped build barracks at Camp Floyd for Johnson's Army, and served as treasurer and tax collector in Pleasant Grove. He died in 1898.

This folder contains reminiscences of the life of Matthew Caldwell, complied by Robert Lewis Woodward, and Uzella Caldwell Koch, his granddaughter. Matthew Caldwell was born in 1822, at Mt. Vernon, Jefferson County Illinois to Curtis and Nancy Hood Caldwell. In 1828, the family moved to Hancock County, until the Black Hawk War of 1832 forced the family to move to Adams County until peace was restored. In 1943, Matthew married Barzilla Guymon, the eldest daughter of Thomas and Sarah Gordon Guymon. Already aware of the Mormon Church, Matthew met Joseph Smith in 1842 and at Nauvoo in 1843. He and Bazilla were witness to the persecution of members of the church, and Matthew was ultimately forced into the mob led by Levi Williams which led to the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. Matthew and his wife left Hancock County with the Mormons, and in June 1946, he was baptized and ordained a Seventy. Much of the history deals with Matthew Caldwell's experiences as a member of Company E in the Mormon Battalion, which Brigham Young personally asked him to join. Although the Company endured many hardships, there were friendly dealings with the Native American Pima Tribe, who brought them watermelons for Christmas. Caldwell also describes helping bury members of the Donner Party. He rejoined his family at Council Bluffs, and in 1850 they made the trek to Salt Lake City. Shortly after that, Brigham Young asked Matthew Caldwell to help settle American Fork.

This biographical sketch was written by Melissa Jame Caldwell Adams, about her mother. Barzilla Jane Caldwell was born in Tennessee in 1823, and was baptized into the Mormon Church in Nauvoo at age 15. She married Matthew Caldwell in 1853, and had three children with him, The sketch also descrbes the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, the trip to Council Bluffs and life there, and Matthew's return from the Mormon Battalion. The Caldwells came west in the Aaron Johnson company, and Matthew was stricken with the Cholera outbreak that hit them on the trip. She also describes the family's relocation to American Fork, Spanish Fork, and Springville.

This folder contains a sketch of Melissa and William Adams, writted by Melissa. It delves into their lives in Utah county, and also refers to events in her parent's lives and her father's second marriage after his wife's death. Melissa Jane Caldwell talks about her marriage,the births of her children. and gives an account of daily life in that period, which includes raising sheep, weaving and selling their wool into blankets and clothing; also raising chickens and selling their eggs; logging and building activities. She discusses experiences with local Native Americans.