Parowan - 03-06-03
The History of Edward Dalton; son of John Da
lton Jr.
Edward Dalton was born March 23, 1827, on a farm called Dalton Holl ow in the Township of Wysox, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. He was the s on of John Dalton, Jr., and Rebecca Cranmer. He had gray eyes and black h air. He stood five feet ten inches tall and weighed 190 pounds. Edward tra veled
with his family to Michigan, Wisconsin and then to Nauvoo, Illinois abo ut 1843. Edward was baptized on June 4th, 1843. He recieved his endownen ts in 1846 in Nauvoo.
Edward helped build the Nauvoo Temple in Illinois, and contributed a nd assisted in the erecting of every Temple up to the time of his deat h. When the call came from the President of the United States
for 500 able bodied Latter-day Saints to march across the country to Calif ornia to defend the country from Mexico, Edward and his brother Harry, a nd his nephew Henry Simon Dalton enlisted in the Mormon Battalion. Edwa rd and Harry belonged to Company "C", known as the Santa Fe detachment. T he Captain was John Brown, Edward and Harry were both privates. Edward w as taken sick along the way so he could only make part of the trip. The re being a numerous Mexican population in the Territory of Colorado, th is detachment along with sick members were sent to to Pueblo, Colorado. He re they were joined by a small company of Saints from Mississippi and Illi nois. They spent the winter of 1846-1847 in Pueblo.
It was this group of Mormans who first established the Anglo- Saxon civ ilization there. They held the first religious service in English, taug ht the first school, and erected the first Meeting House. The first whi te child born in Pueblo was a girl born to Mormon parents.
This detachment of the Morman Battalion arrived in the Salt Lake Valley a nd were greeted by Brigham Young on July 29th, 1847.
More about this Pueblo detachment that arrived in the Salt Lake Vall ey in July of 1847.
The Pueblo detachments and remaining Mississippi Saints, under Captain Jam es Brown, left Pueblo May 24. They gradually gained on the vanguard compa ny until they were only a day behind at the ferry on the Platte River. Fin ding a blacksmith, they decided to stop to get their animals shod. Next th ey followed the Platte River to the Sweetwater River on to Independence Ro ck. After they passed Devil’s Gate, they celebrated the anniversary of the ir enlistment, July 16. "At daylight there was a salute of small ar ms in honor of our enlistment and more especially the finishing of our o ne year’s service to Uncle Sam, and to let every one of Uncle Sam’s office rs know we were our own men once more."
On July 28 they had their first view of Salt Lake Valley. Abner Blackbu rn and several others climbed a mountain crest and were impressed by "t he grandest view that ever mortal beheld, the air was clear and perfect f or a great view, the great Salt Lake glistening under the sun’s rays, ran ge after range of mountains in every direction, the great desert to the we st and Utah lake to the south east and the mountains beyond. A more subli me view was seldom seen from a mountain top."
On July 29, 1847, President Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richa rds, George Albert Smith, Amasa Lyman, Wilford Woodruff, Ezra T. Benson a nd five other authorities rode on horseback to the mouth of Emigration Can yon, where they met the incoming Pueblo colonists. A violent thundersto rm prevented a grand welcome, but a fife and drum corps greeted the new ar rivals. Thomas Bullock described the formation: "Council & Officers firs t, Infantry next with Martial Music, then followed the Cavalry—with bagga ge wagons bringing up the rear."
Captain Brown led 29 wagons filled with soldiers, their families, and Miss issippi Saints to a campsite about one half mile north of the temple lo t. The next morning, July 30, Brigham Young and the Council of Twelve Apos tles met with the battalion officers and told them, "Your going into the a rmy has saved the lives of thousands of people."
Since their enlistment period had expired, Brigham Young and the church au thorities decided to disband the three detachments and not have them conti nue to California for severance pay as originally planned. That eveni ng in a general meeting for the Saints Brigham Young spoke until he was ho arse. He expressed a warm feeling toward the soldiers and requested that t he men build a bowery on the temple lot so they could hold their meetin gs in the shade.
On July 31 Brigham Young assumed command and assigned the soldiers to gath er brush for the bowery. They built a comfortable shelter forty by twenty- eight feet in size. During that week the soldiers continued to work und er church direction, cultivating the soil and making adobe bricks for bo th living quarters and the fort. The addition of the men from Pueblo great ly aided in the heavy work in the valley during those early months.
Edward Dalton was called on by Brigham Young to assist the surveyors in la ying out Salt Lake City.
On March 6, 1848, Edward was married to Elizabeth Meeks by Brigham Youn g. His vocation being that of a farmer and lawyer.
In January, 1852 they moved to Parowan, Utah where he took an active pa rt in the improvement of that community. He was a leader in governmenta l, church, and military affairs. Mr. Dalton's second wife was Jane Benso n. He also married Lezina Elizabeth Warren.
The settlement Of "Little Salt Lake" Valley--Parowan
In December, 1850, a company which numbered 118 men, in which there we re thirty families, with 101 wagons, left the Salt Lake colony for "Litt le Salt Lake valley," to make a settlement. The "valley" takes its name f rom a small body of saline water on the east side of what is now Iron coun ty, and just east of the Escalante wide, desert valley. This undertaking w as in further fulfillment of the promise made to Walker, the Utah chief, t hat settlers would be sent to his country. The party was under the leaders hip of George A. Smith, cousin of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and a very pra ctical, sturdy character, henceforth active and prominent in nearly all t he colonizing movements in southern Utah.
The company of settlers arrived in Little Salt Lake valley, over 200 mil es south of Salt Lake City, on the 13th of January, 1851, and settl ed on a mountain stream "about three yards wide, one foot deep, with rap id current, and gravel bottom and banks;" afterwards called "Center Creek ." The first site of the settlement, after thorough exploration of the sur rounding country, was made permanent, and named Parowan, after a Utah Indi an chief of the vicinity. The settlers were welcomed by Chief Peteeneet a nd his people, a miserable tribe known as "Piedes," who expressed themselv es as pleased that the brethren were settling in their valley. Peteeneet s aid his tribes owned the country--a declaration afterwards confirmed by Ch ief Walker. The pipe of peace was smoked by the Indians and whites.
Canarrah, another Piede chief, having first sent in one of his brav es to ascertain if it would be safe for him to venture into the settler s' camp, paid them a visit. "His apparel consisted of a pair of moccasin s, short leggings, and a kind of small cloak made of rabbit-skins. He w as tall and stately in appearance, though apparently suffering from hunge r. His followers were not as well dressed, being really specimens of human ity in its most degraded form."
In March Chiefs Walker and Peteeneet and about seventy braves visited t he settlement and smoked the peace pipe with President George A. Smith. Wa lker was very friendly and expressed the desire to build a house and tea ch his children to work. He represented that he had visited all the Indi an bands in the surrounding country and advised them to be friendly with t he colonists, and not disturb even a brute belonging to them. The obje ct of his visit was to exchange horses for cattle as his people were in ne ed of beef. Walker made known his intention of making a raid into Califor nia, but President George A. Smith persuaded him not to go, warning h im of the likelihood of coming in contact with United States troops.
In the first year the settlers built a fort, at Parowan, inclosing a sto ckade for their cattle and horses, and on the bastions of the fort plac ed their cannon in such manner as to command two sides of the fort. Lat er other settlements sprang up in Little Salt Lake valley, but Parowan mar ked the southern limits of the settlements founded during the actual exist ence of the "State of Deseret."
In May, 1851, the settlement was visited by Brigham Young and a par ty of church leaders. They were met some distance from the Center Creek s ettlement by a large company of horsemen and escorted into the fort, am id the salute of cannons and the rejoicing of the people. Public meetin gs were held through three successive days--11th, 12th and 13th of May. T he counsel of President Young to these settlers was of unusual interest, a nd is thus recorded by himself:
"I spoke upon the importance of the Iron county mission and the advanta ges of the brethren fulfilling it. I advised them to buy up the Lamani te children as fast as they could, and educate them, and teach them the go spel, so that not many generations would pass ere they would become a whi te and delightsome people, and said that the Lord could not have devis ed a better plan than to have put us where we were, in order to accompli sh that thing. I knew the Indians would dwindle away, but let a remna nt of the seed of Joseph be saved. I told the brethren to have the lo gs or pickets of their fort so close that the Indians could not shoot arro ws through. I recommended the adoption of the Indian name Parowan for t he city."
Edward Dalton and his family settled in Parowan, Iron County, Ut. after be ing called to the Iron County Mission by Brigham Young in 1851. Here the ir children Edward Meeks, Joseph Priddy, John Cranmer, Franklin Stephen s, Ida Mary, and Ada Elizabeth Dalton were born. His family bore all the h ardships of pioneer life without murmur, always keeping an open house a nd never turning anyone away. The visiting authorities from the north a nd most of the people that come up from Dixie to sell fruit stayed at h is home. He was a man of great faith and a student of history. Edward sur veyed and layed out the city of Parowan and took a prominent part in helpi ng to divide the water of Center Creek, both for city and field purpose s. He also surveyed the City of Panguitch. He was one of the first Mayo rs of Parowan and his name is attached to many original deeds for Lo ts in the city.
Heart Throbs of the West Volume 12
Ranching in the Early Days
In Iron County
One of the first ranches was owned by Edward Dalton and Robert Miller, nor th and a little east of the Cheney meadow. They milked cows, made cheese a nd butter all summer, spring, and fall for many years. John West owned a r anch and dairy a little south of the Dalton Ranch. William Adams ran a dai ry on his land east of the Dalton Ranch, right next to the Paragoonah fiel ds. Zach. Decker owned a pasture a little south and west of the Cheney Mea dow, but did not do much ranching.
In Parowan, Edward took a leading role in all the labors for the improv ement of the country, serving as alderman, mayor, probate judge, and bei ng a representative in the legislature. He was a leader in the military o perations in the Mormon War, 1857, and the Blackhawk wars with the Indian s. In June 1866 Indian raiders plundered Beaver of a herd of cattle. Edwa rd Dalton's militia Company routed the Indains and saved the cattle. (Edw ard Dalton was Captian of the Militia for the protection of the peopl e. He was noted for his fearlessness and was afraid fo nothing, yet he wou ld nor go blindly into a trail.
On New Year's day, 1870, the men were called out of a dance as the alarm w as given that the Navajos had rounded up about 500 head of horses. Among t he men who started up Parowan Canyon were the following: Capt. Edward Dalt on, Sydney Burton, Horace Smith, Samuel Orton, Peter Wimmer, Johnathan Pre thro, Hugh L. Adams, Charles Adams, James J. Adams, Ed Clark, Ed Ward, Ne ls Holingshead, Wm. C. Mitchell, Henry Harrop, Oscar Lyman, Hy Paramore, B ill Lister, John Butler, Heber Benson, Tom Butler, Allen Miller and Tom Ya rdley. There was so much snow in Parowan Canyon that after attempting to t raverse it, they ascended Little Creek Canyon. The men did not overtake t he Indians because of the deep snow. They went over to the East Fork of t he Sevier River, with no success, so Captain Dalton gave the order to go h ome. Some of the men wanted to proceed further, but their captain was impr essed to go home and all the men followed him. It was learned from scouti ng parties that they had avoided annihilation from hordes of ambushed Redm en. (Luella Adams Dalton.)
Note: Muster roll of the Company C, 1st Battalion, 10th Regiment of the Le gion of Nauvoo, Commanded by Captain Jesse N. Smith mustarted in the Ir on County Military District, Parowan. 10th day of Oct. 1857; Edward Dalton .
Once when Daniel Clark was sheriff, they got onto the trail of a bun ch of cattle rustlers, who had driven off a large bunch of cattle from t he north of the valley. William West and Edward Dalton offered to help She riff Clark. They rode hard to get on their trail, and the second day out s potted the cattle, just before sundown. They planned to camp for the nig ht and surprise them early in the morning. They made camp in an old sha ck close by. Shortly after making camp William West became violently ill w ith a pain in his side. The men talked over what was best to do, and decid ed to send one of the men over to St. George for a doctor. With the snow c ompletely covering all traces of the trail in the darkness, they decid ed to wait until daylight to go. Before morning Mr. West became so bad, th at he passed away with what was most likely a ruptured appendix. When morn ing came they rolled him in a quilt, packing snow around him and bound h im on his horse, and started home with him on his horse. He was a fine ma n. He left a wife and three children, one boy and two little girls to mou rn his early death.--Luella A. Dalton
While In Parowan Edward served on the High Council. On Feb. 15th, 186 5, Erastus Snow stopped in Parowan on his way to St. George and organiz ed the 9th quoram of Seventies. He ordained seven President, one of whom w as Edward Dalton.
Parowan Stake House is one of the old-time structures erected less th an fifteen years after the arrival of the first pioneers. It was bui lt in 1862 of stone at a cost of $10,000, and, strange to say, has never b een dedicated. The height of the building is 28 feet with 45 by 50 feet ou tside measurement. It has a seating capacity of 800, and has seven room s. The architects were Ebenezer Hanks, Edward Dalton, and William A. Warre n. The house stands in the center of an eight-acre block. An entrance to t he building leads from each side of the block. On either side of the pat hs leading from the gates, are avenues of trees, some ornamental and so me fruit. A man is paid to take care of the grounds and do the janitor wo rk in the building. Part of the grounds are used for raising crops. The Pr esident of the stake, Lucius N. Marsden, in giving a description of the bu ilding, says: "If the people would now build a meeting house accordi ng to their means, as the people did in 1862, we would have a most magnifi cent building."
Edward Dalton was gifted in dramatics. He was the President and Direct or of the Parowan Dramatic Association for many years. They tell the sto ry that Edward and James Adams were fighting a duel in the early plays. Th ey both were so stubborn that neither one gave up so they had to roll t he curtain down.
As Mayor of Parowan City in 1874, Edward Dalton was a delegate to the T erritorial Legislature, and while in this capacity, he entered a large tra ct of 760 acres for the first deeds to land in the valley,
farms and city lots. After Fort Cameron was established at Beaver, there w as some trouble about land rights. The settlers had held their farms and h omes only by squatters rights. Now all the land they held had deeds. O ne of the first ranches was owned by Edward Dalton and Robert Miller. It w as to the North an a little east of the Chimney Meadow, where they milk ed cows and made cheese and butter, all summer, sprihg and fall for many y ears.
A Mayor's Deed From Iron County
THAT I, Edward Dalton, Mayor of Parowan City, in Iron County, Utah Territo ry, by an Act of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah, approv ed February 17, 1869, entitled, "An Act prescribing Rules and Regulatio ns for the execution of the Trust arising under an Act of Congress, entitl ed, 'An Act for the relief of the Inhabitants of Cities and Towns Upon t he Public Lands,' approved March 2, 1867," and in consideration of the s um of Two ($2.00) Dollars paid by John Wardell, of Parowan City, Coun ty of Iron, Territory of Utah, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledge d, the said John Wardell, on the Ninth day of May, A. D. 1872, having be en adjudged by the Probate Court of Iron County, Territory aforesai d, to be the rightful owner and possessor of the following described Lo ts or Parcel of land, viz: The east part of Lots eleven (11) twelve (12) a nd thirteen (13) each part of Lot two (2) by eight and eleven-sixteent hs (8 11/16) rods, and the east part of Lots fourteen (14) and fifteen (1 5) each part of lot two (2) by eight (8) rods.
(Signed) EDWARD DALTON,
Note: One of Edward's son Edward Meeks Dalton was murdered by U.S. Marsha ll William Thompson Jr. on Dec. 16 1886. ( See Edward Meeks Dalton)
His first wife raised eight children to maturity. His eldest son Edward Me eks Dalton went on a Mission to North Carolina, where he converted Mart ha Harrell Warren and her daughter Lizzina Elizabeth. They came back to Pa rowan with him. Edward Dalton took Lizzina Elizabeth Warren for a plural w ife on the 14th of June, 1882 in the St. George Temple. They left Parow an to live in Manassa, Conejos County, Colorado. On March 7, 1886, he w as set apart as first counselor to President Silas Sanford Smith in the S an Luis stake presidency. While in Colorado Edward's first wife died a nd he had four more children by his second wife. He remained until 189 2. He then returned to Parowan. He was a Patriarch at the time of his de ath, April 6, 1896, of stomach cancer.
Note: Other information about Edward Dalton from his time in Colorado;
Dalton, Edward, first counselor of the San Luis Stake presidency, Colo., f rom 1886 to 1892, was born March 23, 1827, in Bradford, Penn., the s on of John Dalton and Rebecca Cronmer. He was baptized June 4, 1843. He w as appointed first counselor March 7, 1886, and was set apart to that posi tion June 27, 1886, by John Henry Smith. He died April 6, 1896.
Parowan. The greatest celebration of the 4th of July that ever took pla ce in Parowan was held. All were invited to participate, without rega rd to age, sex, color, caste, creed, previous condition, &c.
There was a grand procession in the morning at half-past eight o'clock—a s plendidly mounted front and rear guard; thirteen young ladies dressed in w hite, drawn in a chariot by four beautifully decorated chargers, each you ng lady bearing a banner with the respective name inscribed of the state s he was representing of the thirteen original states; forty-eight young lad ies dressed in white, each bearing a beautiful banner with the name inscri bed thereon of the state or territory she was representing of the prese nt number of the United States and Territories; Sunday School children; ci tizens on horseback, &c. A great many banners appropriate to the centenni al celebration were borne aloft by different parties through the processio n. All were accompanied by the sweet strains of the brass and martial band s.
The procession marched through a number of streets to the meetinghouse, wh ich had been beautifully adorned for the occasion with a beautiful ar ch at the entrance made of evergreens and flowers, also another arch of t he same kind over the stand. The walls of the house were decorated with ev ergreens, flowers, banners, paintings and the Stars and Stripes. Over t he stand was a fine portrait of General Washington, and another of Preside nt Young. Hon. Edward Dalton, mayor of Parowan, delivered a grand historic al and patriotic oration, other short and appropriate speeches were delive red and fine patriotic songs were rendered by Prof. Thomas Durham and t he choir. Double the usual amount of firing of cannon was indulged in thro ughout the day. The citizens were serenaded by the brass, martial and stri ng bands at intervals during the day. A dance in the afternoon and evenin g, closing at 11 p.m., ended the day's celebration.
Offical LDS Church records for Edward Dalton:
Dalton, Edward
Birth: Dalton, Edward Date: March 3, 1827 Place: Wysox, Bradford, PA, U SA
Parents: Dalton, Edward Father: Dalton, John Mother: Cranmer, Rebec ca Turner
Death: Dalton, Edward Date: April 6, 1896 Place: Parowan, Iron, UT, U SA - Buried: Parowan, Iron, UT, USA
Marriage Information: Dalton, Edward - Spouse: Meeks, Elizabeth -Date: M ay 13, 1852
Children: Dalton, Edward)
Name: Birthdate: Place:
1. Dalton, Hulda Amanda December 6, 1848
2. Dalton, Sarah Cedenia September 8, 1850
3. Dalton, Edward Meeks August 25, 1852
4. Dalton, Joseph Priddy September 17, 1854
5. Dalton, John Cranmer January 9, 1857
6. Dalton, Franklin Stephen February 26, 1859
Marriage Number 2 Dalton, Edward - Spouse: Warren, Lizzina Elizabeth Plac e: St. George, Washington, UT, USA Date: June 14, 1882
Marriage 2 Children:
Name: Birthdate: Place:
1. Dalton, Randall Warren June 9, 1883
2. Dalton, James Edward February 16, 1885
3. Dalton, Martha Rebecca October 3, 1886
4. Dalton, Ida February 13, 1888
5. Dalton, Francis Marion November 26, 1891
6. Dalton, Harrell Warren July 19, 1894
7. Dalton, Harley Warren July 19, 1894
Church Ordinance Data: Dalton, Edward-Baptism Date: June 4, 1843
Temple Ordinance Data: Dalton, Edward - Baptism - Date: March 31, 1964 - T emple: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, UT, USA
Endowment - Date: January 21, 1846 - Temple: Nauvoo, Hancock, IL, USA
Sealed to Parents - Date: March 31, 1951 - Temple: Manti, Sanpete, UT, USA
Sealed to Spouse - Date: May 13, 1852 - Temple: Endowment House in Salt La ke City
Sealed to Spouse - Date: June 14, 1882
Places of Residence: Dalton, Edward-Montpelier, Iron, UT, USA 1860 Parowa n, Iron, UT, USA August 25, 1852
Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, UT, USA December 6, 1848
Mill Creek, Salt Lake, UT, USA September 8, 1850
San Luis, Costilla, CO, USA 1886-1892
Vocations: Dalton, Edward-Farmer
Comments: Dalton, Edward. Edward was a Private in Company C of the Morm on Battalion.
Comments: #21. Edward was listed on the Daily Log of Persons in Nauvoo.
Comments: #31. In 1860, Edward had a household of 8 with $400 in real weal th and $700 in personal wealth.
Researched, complied by Rodney Dalton