The Park Family Pioneers

within a generation or two will largely be lost to memory. What a tragedy this can be in the history of a family. Knowledge of our ancestors shapes us and instills within us values that give direction and meaning to our lives." Dennis B. Neuenschwander of the Quorum of the Seventy. The intent of this book is to keep the memory of the Park Family Pioneers alive. Their struggle for a better life is well worth remembering. The chart to the right begins with James Park at the top, my fourth great grandfather, and descends to myself, Mabel Jean Meadows Browning. Hopefully, this visual aide will help determine your relationship to the top three generations (our pioneers). James Park was born Feb. 9, 1766 in Lanark, Scotland. On August 6, 1788 he married Marion Allen. The Park family made their living in Scotland as weavers and miners. Around 1820, James, Marion and their children started immigrating to Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Ontario. James and Marion had thirteen children, all born in Cambuslang, Scotland, and all but one of them, Andrew, immigrated to Canada. Their thirteen children are James, Hugh, Mary, Marion, Andrew, Joseph, Martha, John, Ellen/Helen, William, Margaret, David, and Jean. Our direct ancestor is their eighth child, John, who was born May 11, 1802. 1

James Park (1766 - after 1842) Marion Allen (1769 - )

A life that is not documented is a life that

Married 6 August 1788

John Park (1802-1869) Louisa Smith (1818-1891)

Married 24 March 1840

Mary Ann Park (1843-1941) Isaac Brockbank Jr. (1837-1927)

Married 7 January 1865

Louise Park Brockbank (1869--1963) Charles Robert Reynolds (1865-1950)

Married 13 April 1892

Mabel Louise Reynolds (1893-1969) William Baker (1891-1971)

Married 20 August 1914

Mary Ruth Baker (1918-2007) Wallace Sidney Meadows ( 1917-1990)

Married 1 June 1938

Mabel Jean Meadows Richard Bruce Browning

After the war ended between Britain and France in 1815, Britain slumped into an economic depression. The Scottish weavers were particularly hard hit. Demand for military uniforms and blankets stopped and orders for household goods diminished. Britain was pressured to alleviate the problem and offered free land in Upper Canada to people wanting to leave the country. Any male emigrant 21 years and older would receive 100 acres, a few implements to get started, and about 10 lbs. of sterling. The money was to be paid back over a ten year period while Britain held the land deed as security for the loan. It was a clever idea. It not only helped the depression, but saved the government the cost of maintaining a regular force of troops in the area. Canada was afraid of an invasion from the United States and militia units made up of settlers could be called into service as needed. In 1820, an organization known as the "Lanark Society Settlers" was formed to help poor settlers with their
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move. It was made up of more than forty emigration societies who travelled en masse to settle in what is now Lanark County, near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Most of the people were city dwellers but were willing to try farming in a foreign land to avoid starvation or the poorhouse. Times must have been harsh for the entire Park family, including all the married children (except Andrew) to pull up stakes and relocate overseas. There are conflicting dates when the James Park family left Scotland because they immigrated to Canada in the years when passenger lists were incomplete, and little effort was made to record all arrivals. In addition, British subjects were not required to become naturalized meaning records that are generally "information gold mines" don't exist. Even biographies that were written about James and Marion Park by close family members can't pinpoint the date. I have discovered different scenarios for the Parks' immigration and included them in this document. It was most likely 1820 or 1821 but it could have been later.

The first possibility is that the Parks may have joined what is known as the Lesmahagow Emigration Society which was organized in their vicinity. In that case, they would have been part of the group leaving on July 4, 1820 on the ship "Prompt". The following paragraphs are taken from an essay 1 about the settlement of Dalhousie. "In 1820 the County of Lanark received a number of settlers who belonged to Lesmahagow and transatlantic societies of Scottish immigrants who settled in Dalhousie Township. . . . . . . . . . .The passengers of the Prompt remained at Perth till Sept. 30th, 1820. The government paid an installment of one-third of their bonus money and they went forth in quest of their future home. They were taken in wagons as far as the present site of Lanark village, where they found a paper nailed to a tree in the heart of the forest through which they had cleared a road for the wagons. The placard contained these words "This is Lanark." Near here, on the hill overlook the Clyde, their baggage was put down; the wagons returned to Perth. They employed Lieutenant Fraser to guide them to Dalhousie, where they drew their location by lot, taking from a hat a slip of paper with a number of a certain lot on it. The

location was central, a short distance west of where Watson's Corners now is. A few of them were James Martin, Wm. Barrett, Charles Bailie, James Watson, George Brown, Thomas Easton, George Easton, Edward Conroy, Peter Shields, John Donald, John Duncan, Andrew Park, James Park (this could have been our James or James and Marion's oldest son James, we just don't know for sure), John Todd, Wm. Jack, James Hood and Alex. Watt. Robert Forest got lost in the woods but was discovered by John Duncan." Second, I found a copy of this notice in a London newspaper 2 that paints another picture. "Friday morning (Apr. 20, 1821), the fine ship George Canning, Captain Portaer, sailed from Greenock for Quebec, with 489 passengers, chiefly from Glasgow and its neighborhood, consisting of weavers, cotton-spinners, joiners, farmers, and laborers, from the various emigrant associations which the distress of the times has lately called into operation. Of the above number, there are 264 males and 225 females. The adult portion of both is 239. The number of families of which the whole consists is 113. Too bad, it doesn't list all the individuals by name but a partial passenger

"Early Settlement of Dalhousie" by Tina Penman, Middleville, Ontario

"The Time", Friday, Apr. 20, 1821, No. 11,225, p. 3.

list shows a James (29) Park with a wife and 3 children and Hugh Park (29) with a wife and 8 children. James and Marion's oldest sons are James and Hugh.3 It may have been them, but in 1821 their James would have been 32 and Hugh would have been 31. On the internet, in a private genealogical database, I read this undocumented note: "In 1821, James, Marion and their children started immigrating to Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Ontario. It took about seven years before everyone in the family arrived in Canada." They were referring to our James and Marion but didn't cite a source or other details. Then, I found a paragraph from the book, The Lanark Society Settlers4 that states "James Park came with a wife, three boys and one girl, all under 12." That James Park could be James and Marion's oldest son James and his wife (Euphemia Southerland) and children. In 1820 they had a set of twins, a girl and a

boy, and two other boys under 12 which matches the sentence from the book. At that time, James and Marion only had two children under 12, a boy 11 and a girl 6. Their next children were 13, 16, 18 (John), 21, and 22. The older children were 24, 26, 28, 30, and 31. We are still left to wonder when James and Marion immigrated and who was with them. Maybe their sons James and Hugh emigrated before they did. ????? Let's turn our attention to John Park. He married Louisa Smith on March 24, 1840 in Plympton, Ontario, Canada. John was 37 years old, and Louisa was 21. She was born June 24, 1818, in Farenham, Kent, England and immigrated to Canada in about 1829 with her parents, William Smith and Mary Ann Staples. Louisa was teaching school at the time she married John and he was most likely farming. I would love to know about their courtship since John is sixteen years older than Louisa. John and Louisa apparently lived on the Park Farm near Watford with John's aged father. The area was filled with maple trees and other timber. Louisa helped clear the land by rolling or hauling logs together, piling on the underbrush, and then burning up the fallen logs so the land could be tilled and planted with crops. The logs had to dry before they
4

Passenger list PRO CO 42/189 ff. 512 Jen 2 McGill, Lanark County, 239. Members of 11 emigration societies, page 525 4 Carol Bennett, The Lanark Society Settlers, 1820-1821 (Renfrew, Ontario: Juniper Books, 1991), 8.

could be burned so it took hard work and careful planning to have enough land for growing food. Stumps were left to rot away and had to be plowed around until they disappeared. Albert Jones is the husband of Jane Park, John's oldest daughter. He wrote a biography about John Park, where this story originated. He tells about the land conditions at the time of settlement as well as why John and Louisa were living with James after they were married. From recent correspondents now living in Canada in the vicinity of the old homestead, we learn that part of Father's (John's) farm is now the burial ground of the present generation. The country then abounded in game; turkeys, deer, timber wolves, and panthers, were in abundance. The correspondent referred to (Mr. Joseph S. Williams), tells how John left his yard dog named Watch behind and one day he was pursued by a large gaunt wolf, right up close to the old log house, and the correspondent's father shot the wolf and paid his taxes in part with the bounty money received for the wolf's scalp. A written agreement is held by the family which states that John Park agrees to maintain his father, James Park, during his last days, in consideration of receiving all properties owned by the said James Park, which is a quaint and ancient piece of
5

legal writ quite interesting. Again, the deed from the British Government to John Park for his section of land dated December 1841, on parchment is worthy of note, given under the seal of the Governor of Canada in the fifth year of the reign of Queen Victoria." These interesting bits of information make sense. Since John was older when he married, he probably always helped work his father's farm. In Jane's autobiography she talks about tending to Grandfather James Park as a very young child in her home. We don't have a death date for James other than he died after 1842. Marion passed away in 1838 at the age of 69 in McDonald's Corners, Lanark, Ontario, Canada. In 1844, an Elder of the Mormon Church, John Borrowmen went about preaching in the Canadian wilderness. Several of the families in the neighborhood were converted including the John Park family, two of John's brothers, William and David and their families, Archibald Gardner, the noted Mill Wright, and a brother of Gardner's with his family. A nephew of John, James Pollock Park had already joined the church in 1843. Soon there was an organized Branch with about twenty-five members.

Two members of the Branch traveled to Illinois to see the apostles in the summer of 1844. Then the following winter, John A. Smith went to Canada with the message of persecutions and to see if the Branch wanted to join the Saints traveling west. If so, there was no time to lose. Most of the Branch left that spring arriving in Nauvoo in April 1846. John and Louisa, along with their three girls Jane, Mary Ann and Marion were with them. Mary Ann wrote about them leaving. "This was a severe trial to mother's family. They felt very bitter towards a religion that would take their daughter so far away from home and their association. Mother was the only one in her family to ever join the church. When my parents started on their journey with the Saints, Mother's parents joined them and traveled with them for three or four days before they could make up their minds to say "good-bye" and return back home. This was a great trial to Mother and the separation was almost unbearable. "5 AN INTERESTING NOTE: Carl E. Muench of Grants Pass, Oregon, made the following comment in the 1973

July Ensign. "I think members of the Church may be interested to know that according to The History of Lambton County and The Great Canadian Mission, an early settlement of Mormons, living in what was then called Gardners Mills and what is now called Alvinston, constructed a roadway through dense brush. They called the roadway the Nauvoo Road. The purpose for building the road was to connect up to the main road in order to travel to Nauvoo by way of Sarnia, Ontario, and Port Huron, Michigan. The road building took place in 1846. (John and his family were with this

group and helped build the road.)

A monument now stands at the place, erected by members of the Church in Ontario and the Utah Pioneer Trails and Landmarks Association. Many don't realize the gospel was taught in Canada as early as the winter of 182930, when Oliver Cowdery and Hiram Page traveled to Toronto in an attempt to raise funds for the publishing of the Book of Mormon. Joseph Smith himself established a branch of the Church in Eastern Canada, and many of the early leaders carried out missionary work in the area.

Autobiography of Mary Ann Park Brockbank.

John and Louisa passed through Nauvoo in June 1846. From Nauvoo, they traveled to Winter Quarters

Valley with the Edward Hunter - Joseph Horne Company also known as the John Taylor Company. In 1847, John Taylor and Parley P. Pratt were asked by Brigham Young to take 1500 hundred people to the Salt Lake Valley. The 1500 gathered in Elkhorn about 27 miles from Winter Quarters. There they organized in companies of one hundred individuals. Edward Hunter was captain over the group of 100 that the Park family was assigned. It was also the company that John Taylor mainly traveled with. Once the company was divided into 100's, it was then divided into groups of 50's and again into 10's. Joseph Horne and Jacob Foutz were captains of the 50's. 8 Whenever possible the pioneers followed existing roads and trails. They did very little trailblazing between Winter Quarters and the Salt Lake Valley. Across Nebraska the Oregon Trail ran along the south side of the Platte River. The first part of the Mormon Trail paralleled the Oregon Trail to Fort Laramie, Wyoming, but was on the north side of the

Winter Quarters, Nebraska

where they spent the winter of 1846/47. In a covered wagon on 13 December 1846, their fourth daughter Louesa was born.6 On June 17, 18477 with two wagons and four yoke of oxen, they began the expedition to the Salt Lake

The Biography of Mary Ann Park Brockbank , LDS Chruch Records.

Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel, 18471868
8

Church History in the Fullness of Times, Religion 341-43

river because the pioneers hoped to find better grazing.9 A nephew, James Pollock Park (Jimmy) drove one of the teams for John and Louisa. When the call of the government for the Mormon Battalion took Jimmy away, Louisa took his place. John drove the lead wagon and she followed behind across the great wild plains. It couldn't have been easy with a nursing baby and three other small children to care for besides. Obviously, there weren't "car seats" to secure them from falling out of the wagon or keep them out of mischief. I suspect that Mary Ann, who was four years old, rode mostly with her father. She said she would help her father with his chores while her sisters helped their mother. I have taken the next pages directly from the

autobiography of Mary Ann. I think her spirit can be better felt from her own writings. ". . . I don't remember much that occurred of the journey to the west. When our company stopped at night on the plains, the wagons were arranged so as to make a circle around the camp and all the fires and cooking was done on the inside of the circle. When wood was scarce I helped to gather buffalo chips to make the fires. We saw herds of buffalo on the plains, and on one occasion a large buffalo was killed near our camp and it took three yoke of cattle to drag the carcass to our camp where it was prepared for food and divided among all. Some of the men in our company had to be on guard each night so that our cattle would not stray away or be stolen by the Indians. After our arrival in Salt Lake Valley (October 1847), we made our camp with other saints on what was later called Pioneer Square. Here my parents built a log cabin. Up to this time, since leaving Canada, we had lived in our wagons. We

Fort Utah (later changed to Fort Provo)

Church History in the Fullness of Times, Religion 341-43

remained in this camp two winters, when my parents with (33) other families went to settle in Provo, as the council was for the saints to spread out. This was in the summer of 1849. During the summer of 1848 my father assisted in all of the pioneer life, to provide food and substance for his family. I remember how the crickets came and ate up much of the growing crops that the saints had planted, and how the seagulls came in great numbers and ate the crickets and saved the balance of the growing crops from being destroyed. It took seven days to make the trip from Salt Lake to Provo. Our teams were oxen and we had to build some roads. We passed over the mountain on an old Indian trail that was a mile farther east than where the road now goes around the point of the mountain. We had to double our teams and take one wagon at a time and then return and get another wagon and so forth until all were over the mountain. When our company arrived at Provo they built a fort that they might protect themselves from the Indians who were inclined to help themselves to anything they could use and carry away. The Indians frequently tried to steal our cattle, and on one occasion they did steal some of them.
9

They drove them so fast and so far that they became over-heated and died before they got them to their destination. My father, with other men, followed the Indians and recovered the carcasses. Out of them my father made shoes for his family, and from the tallow my parents made candles to light our home. Also, from other fats they made a quantity of soap. The lye to make the soap was obtained by leaching wood ashes, which was done by putting the ashes in a wooden box and covering them with water and using the water that dripped out, for lye. One day an old buck Indian came to our cabin when mother was alone with her children. The Indian pointed his gun through the slab door and demanded food, which mother did not have. We were all very frightened. Mother felt that the Lord would protect us and she offered a silent prayer in her heart that the Indian would go on his way, which he soon did. At the time my parents moved to Provo, it was uninhabited except for roaming, bands of wild Indians and game and wild animals. The land was covered with sage brush, grass, willows and cottonwoods, and had to be cleared and plowed before crops could be planted. My father engaged in farming that he might produce food and clothing for his family. Our clothes were

made from flax fiber. When the flax was ripe the stalks were gathered and then submerged in water until the fiber would separate or peel off. The fiber was then dried and beaten up fine and then spun into thread on a small spinning wheel by my father. Having been a weaver in Scotland, he wove the threads into cloth from which mother made clothing for her family. In those days the grain was cut with a scythe and thrashed with a flail. The wheat was ground into coarse flour and corn was made into meal in a burr mill which the settlers made. This flour and meal was made into food. In my girlhood days I assisted my father in his work. My sisters helped mother with her work. I have yoked up cattle, and have plowed and harrowed the farm. I have helped father haul wood for fuel and could manage and drive cattle as well as my father. In those days there was work for all to do, and all were willing to work for the common good and welfare of others. Ditches had to be made and water taken out of the river so the land could be irrigated and crops produced. Cabins had to be built for shelter and comfort. The forts had to be maintained and kept in good repair. Guards had to be on duty every night to protect the cattle from the Indians who were very
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troublesome. Sometimes it looked like the settlers might be destroyed by the uprising of the red man. In the first fort erected by the settlers in 1849, the land became too damp and it was decided that a dryer location should be selected. This new fort, afterwards known as the old adobe yard, was on the north side of the town. Here my father moved his family, as did all the settlers, and built another log cabin for their shelter. The struggle for existence in those early days in Utah was very keen. The settlers had to protect themselves from the roving Indians by living in forts; all available men had duties to perform for the benefit and safety of all. Our school house was built in the center of the fort and all children living within the fort attended school. My mother, being a school teacher before her marriage, taught her children the alphabet and to read and write. My earliest recollection of attending school was within the fort and was taught by a man named George W. Bean. Here the children were taught to read and write and some arithmetic. Books were very scarce and one book had to serve several children, so that the chances for an education were very poor, especially was this case where children had

to assist their parents to obtain the necessities of life. After living in the second fort three years, my father moved his family on his farm and built another log house. On one occasion, I with other girl companions was walking in the Fort field gathering flowers and sightseeing when we came to a bottomless hole of spring water. In this hole there were several poles sticking up that were tied to a stake. Some of the girls untied one of the poles and drew it up out of the water. On the end of the pole were strapped the bodies of some dead Indian children. This was one way the Indians had of disposing of their dead children. We were all so frightened that we ran away screaming without tying the pole down again. At this time there was no sugar to be had and my mother made syrup from the juice of squash and watermelon boiled down. This was used for sweetening our food. At other times we gathered honey dew from the bushes that grew along the river. We would gather the bushes and wash them in a tub of water and then boil the water down into syrup. Food was very scarce and none was ever wasted. My father often went to work with so little for his breakfast that he would feel so weak and exhausted
11

that he would eat his lunch on his way to work. When our crops were poor and were threatened with destruction by grasshoppers all were greatly concerned over the outlook. But the pioneers, and especially my parents and their family, had implicit confidence in the protecting hand of God for his people. In the year 1855 our crop had a promising outlook, the saints were much encouraged that the harvest would be abundant and ample, so that none would suffer for the want of food. Their encouragement soon turned to despair when great hordes of grasshoppers appeared. They ate all the growing crops. The green fields were devoured and cleared off as if a fire had swept the surface of the earth. The ground, fences, houses, and trees were covered with them. No one could do anything to stop the ravages and destruction of the growing crop. Many fields of growing grain were destroyed; nearly all hope was lost, when the seagulls again came to the rescue of the settlers and ate up the grasshoppers. Enough grain and potatoes were raised to supply the needs of the people so that none suffered for the want of something to eat. During the winter of 1857 when all seemed well with the people, word was received that the U. S. Government had issued orders for troops to be sent

to Utah to exterminate the Mormon people. This order was issued because someone had notified the government that the Mormons were plotting to overthrow the jurisdiction of the government. The pioneers were determined to defend their homes and their rights for they knew that they had done no act of lawlessness against the government. Under the orders of Brigham Young every man able to do military duty was enrolled for the protection of the homes and rights of the people. The Government Army, known as the Johnson's Army, were stopped before they entered the territory and had to spend a long severe winter near the borders of Utah. In the meantime, the U. S. Government had been advised of the true condition of the Mormons. When the army came into our territory in the spring of 1858, they peacefully established their camp some fifty miles south and west of Salt Lake City and called it Camp Floyd. This Army which once threatened the destruction of the people, really proved a blessing because they brought to the west many supplies, clothing, and equipment that the people were much in need of. They also purchased much of the surplus goods the people had making a market for produce that proved to be a great blessing to the settlers.

I might here relate that my parents had a large family, six girls and six boys. They reared them all to maturity and taught them the Gospel as restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. The second year after coming to Utah my twin brothers, John and William, were born. They were born in direct answer to prayer. My mother having suffered so many hardships and privations desired an added testimony as to the truthfulness of the Gospel and she prayed to the Lord to give her this testimony by granting her to be the mother of twins. Three years later another pair of twins was born, Joseph and Martha, then my brother, David, a sister, Margaret, and my brother Albert. All my brothers and sisters grew to manhood and womanhood. My youngest brother, Albert, met with a fatal accident when he was seventeen years of age. He was practicing in a sham battle for a Fourth of July celebration to be put on in Provo. The guns were all supposed to contain blank cartridges, but it just so happened that one did not and he was accidentally shot near the heart and died three days later. This accident cast gloom over the whole town. All the rest of my fathers family are taking their part in the development of the West in rearing
12

families and subduing the soil, and all are staunch and faithful members of the church, to which their parents sacrificed and devoted their lives. In 1869 my father died in his sixty-seventh year honored and respected by all. My mother passed away in November 1891 in her seventy-third year, a true and devoted mother, a faithful worker in the church and esteemed by all who knew her. Mother was a very good cook and a wonderful bread maker and these fine characteristics were inherited by her worthy daughters. Of late years, three sisters and one brother have departed from earthly life, all having lived to be more than eighty years of age and all were faithful Latter-day Saints. I lived at Provo with my parents until I was a grown girl, being eighteen years of Mary Ann Park age. I knew how to do all kinds of farm and outdoor work also had a fair knowledge of cooking and house work.
13

When I was twenty years old, I was employed as a domestic worker in the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. Howard who lived on the old County Road near FortyEighth South (Holladay, Utah). The Howards owned and operated a large distillery and employed many men, several of whom boarded at the Howard home. I was employed here for two and one-half years. I did all kinds of heavy work, washing, ironing, scrubbing cooking and washing dishes. I was paid $1.50 per week. In those days calico was 75 cents per yard and other cloth equally as high. We were very proud in those days to have two dresses for general wear and one for best. It was while I was employed at the Howard home that I met Isaac Brockbank, whom I married on January 7, 1865, becoming his plural and second wife. We established a home on a Isaac Brockbank Jr. tract of land which was then quite desolate. My husband had located this land as his homestead. It has always been my home and it is where I still reside. The location is at 4570 Highland Drive. Holladay, Utah. In getting our farm under

production, my husband employed men to do the fencing, plowing and cultivating of the crops as he was otherwise employed I milked cows, and made butter and cheese in large quantities. I understood how to prepare the rennet from a calf's stomach, which is used in making cheese.

I raised cows, calves, colts, chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys and pigs to supply the needs of the family. We also planted a peach orchard and raised fruit of all kinds. I also had a spinning wheel upon which I spun the warp for making Lindsey cloth which was part cotton and

Mary Ann Brockbank at the far left of the photo at her home at 4570 Highland Drive. Holladay, Utah.

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part wool. I also spun the wool for a green and white quilt which my mother colored with home-made dye. This dye was made by mixing Indigo blue with the yellow flowers from rabbit brush, so prevalent a weed in those days. These were boiled together and made a beautiful dark green color. The quilt was woven in a beautiful design by a neighbor of the family, a Mrs. Scott. I still own this quilt, as it is in fair condition. As my children came along, I made all their clothes and knit wool stockings for all of them. I also gathered straw and braided hundreds of yards of straw and sewed it together and made hats for my brothers and myself and children. I am the mother of twelve children, six boys and six girls. Three of the girls died in infancy or young childhood, the other nine I raised to manhood and womanhood. My husband was employed by the church for many years. He was a bookkeeper and had charge of the payroll when the Salt Lake Temple was under construction. In June 1873, we moved to the Church farm where my husband, associated with Bishop S. P. Sheets, had charge of the Church cattle and the harvesting of hay that was produced on the farm. A large barn was erected there, also stable, corral and stockyards.
15

During this time I did the cooking for most of the workers. My youngest sister, Margaret, lived with me and assisted with the housework. It was while living at the Church farm that my twins were born on December 12, 1874, a boy and a girl, James W., and Jane. It was also while here that I nearly lost my little son, Heber, who was the fourth child in the family and was about five years old. He and his sister, Louise, two years older, were crossing a stream of water about twelve feet wide and three or four feet deep, on a plank used for a foot bridge. Heber fell into the water but happened to cling to the plank. Louise ran for me to come and I hurried to his rescue. He was clinging with his fingers and his head bobbing up and down with the force of the water; his strength nearly exhausted. The first words he could say after his rescue was, Mama, why didnt you come quicker? In another moment he would have been drowned. After living on the Church farm for three years, we returned to the farm where I formerly resided and where the rest of my children were born. I will just state here that as my children grew up, I taught them the Gospel and they all learned to pray as they knelt by my side before retiring at night.

In my early married life, candles were used for lighting our home. I had the molds and candle wicks and made them for many years. Later the coal oil lamp was introduced and my husband bought me two coal oil lamps. My brother-in-law came to visit me and the coal oil lamp was new to him and quite a luxury. I asked him to light one of them and he hesitated for he was afraid of it exploding. We often laughed about this incident later when lamps became more common. For nearly twenty years all the water used for culinary purposes was carried from a spring that was located at the foot of the hill about eighty feet from the house. Over this spring we had an adobe room erected where we could keep our butter and milk and other food cool. At one time we placed a nice roast in a jar which rested on a large rock at the side of the spring; this we intended to use for our Sunday dinner. The spring used to boil up quick-sand at intervals, and was real deep in the center. When we went to get the roast it was nowhere to be found. Apparently, that night the spring had an upheaval which had caved the rock, jar and all into the bottomless hole and we never saw it after that.
Mary Ann with her three surviving daughters Agnes Park, Mary Park, Louise Park 16

In the year 1883, we drove one of the first flowing wells that were obtained in the county. This well was

driven by hand. A derrick about sixteen feet high had a fifty-pound iron block fastened to it. When the block of iron was pulled up on a pulley, it was let loose and fell on the end of a two inch pipe that was driven into the ground. When the pipe was driven down into the ground seventy-six feet and cleaned out with water from a force pump, a flow of water gushed up. This well has been flowing constantly since that time, more than fifty-six years. We built a small brick room near this well and had shelves put up of one-half inch pipe through which the water flowed, making shelves to set our milk and butter on, and other food that required a cool place. As part of our earthly life is to get experience, and to test our capabilities and our power to bear up under adverse conditions, I will here record that I have met

the hand of death in my own family. My first child, a girl, died at birth. On October 12, 1884, my daughter, Jane, a bright child ten years of age died of that dread disease, typhoid pneumonia. Her funeral was held at our home. She was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. In the year 1889 all of my children were afflicted with that awful disease, diphtheria. My lovely little daughter, Margaret Ellen (six years of age) was the victim. As the family was under quarantine, I had to wash and prepare her body for burial. My friend and neighbor, Isabelle McDonald assisted me. No funeral was held. She was also buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. Our home was cleaned and fumigated by burning sulphur. My family had to sleep in the barn while the house cleaning was being done. In the spring of 1892, my sons, John and Heber, decided that they would

Isaac and Mary Ann's Sons James William Park, Joseph Park, Taylor Park, Heber Park, Alma Park, Isaac Brockbank Jr., John Park

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like to go on a small ranch which their father had purchased at Huntington, Emery County, Utah, about one hundred and fifty miles south and start out for themselves. They left with a new wagon, two teams, some cattle and extra horses and some farming implements. This was a great trial to me to have my two sons leave home for up to this time they had lived at home and taken part in all the home work and responsibilities Four of my sons have filled honorable missions. J. W. went to the eastern states in May, 1898. Joseph went to the southern states in 1901. He was released after fourteen months of service on account of poor health. John went to the northern states in 1904. Heber went to the central states in 1907. My sons, Taylor, John and Heber, have each been councilors in the bishopric of their various wards, and all my children have held positions of trust and responsibility in the various communities in which they reside. On June 11, 1919 my son, Joseph, was accidentally and instantly killed at a railroad crossing near his home in Ogden in his forty-third year, leaving a wife and son thirteen years old. Joseph was active in all church work. He was a willing worker in all of the auxiliary

organizations and was a careful and industrious worker on his farm. My husband died at his home in Holladay, March 4, 1927 in his ninetieth year. October 16, 1927 my daughter Agnes, forty-six years of age, died at her home in Smithfield, leaving a husband and five children. As I am a plural wife and the mother of a large family, I have had much to content with. Some friction has existed between the two families all through life. My husband spent most of his time at the home of his first wife who lived in the city until her children were grown. I always lived on the farm and made much of the butter and furnished eggs that were eaten by the first family. My husband was a good provider and kept our children well clothed. I had the care and training of my children. My husband and I never had a pleasure trip or ever visited a neighbor together. I have always felt that I was slighted and even frowned upon by his first wife. She was reared in luxury while I was reared in

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poverty. I have toiled hard all my life. This has made some differences all through our lives. I however, think that harmony and good feeling could exist in plural families if the husband would treat each wife fair and impartially and provide for each to the best of his ability without being dominated by either wife. A man should rule in his home with love, harmony and a fair deal given to all. In July, 1931 all the remaining living pioneers were the guests of United Air Lines in a nine minute flight over the rough and rugged stretches of the old Mormon trail. I was then eighty-eight years of age, and this was the greatest thrill of my life. There were twelve of us, and I was the only woman in the party. It was our first flight. We pioneers rode in a covered wagon from one end of the Airport to the United Air Lines plane, which was piloted by Tommy Thomson. At this date, February, 1939, I have six living children, my oldest son, John, having passed away on December 26, 1938. Life to me has been a great experience. I have passed through sunshine and sorrow and have been a pioneer in very deed. My greatest joy at this time is
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to see and know that my children are all members of the Church, are good citizens, and are taking their part in building up the community and the kingdom of God. I desire to continue true and faithful to the Gospel to the end of my days and to have all my dear ones do likewise."

From Ivy Parkes, a granddaughter, we learn that Mary Ann loved company, but never got excited. In her own sweet calm way she could soon put on a delicious meal with a supply of goodies stored in her pantry. She loved peace and quiet. The sound of running water was soothing to her. She always left the kitchen tap running a little, and water from the well ran day and night (just a quiet little stream). Even in her older years, it was no task for her to harness up the horse and hitch it to the buggy for a ride to visit her children or go shopping to Murray or Salt Lake City. I've also been told that Mary Ann was stern and regimented. Maybe, her demanding life contributed to her no nonsense personality. None the less, she should be complimented for her stalwart testimony of the gospel and her unwavering faith in God.

The last six years of her life, she gave up active house-keeping and lived with her children. She was alert and active almost to the day of her death. She knit several baby shawls out of wool yarn after she was ninety-five years of age. She could see without her glasses and read in the daytime continually when she was not otherwise engaged. Mary Ann Park Brockbank was given a marvelous patriarchal blessing in which she was promised "she could live to a good old age if she desired it". One night she told her daughter, Louise, she was tired of living. Some time through the night she passed away at the age of ninety-eight. The following is a copy of her Patriarchal Blessing given in Provo, May 21, 1861, by John Young, Patriarch.

As you grow in years, you shall grow in knowledge and in favor with the heavens. Obey the council of your parents, and your days shall be prolonged upon the earth. I bless you with life and health and prosperity and say you shall be an ornament to the holy religion of Jesus. You will be a bright and shining light; your name shall be honorable among the daughters of Zion. You are a lawful heir to all these blessings, being a daughter of Abraham entitled to all that have been promised to his faithful children. In the own due time of the Lord, you shall have an agreeable companion, be a mother in Israel, have a numerous posterity upon the earth. They shall rise up and call you blessed, for your faithfulness and perseverance in the cause of Zion; being a blessing to your father's house, and to all you are associated with. You will have power to govern and control yourself and your household and you shall live on the earth to a good old age if you desire it, and see good days in the land of the living and rejoice in the midst of the saints. No evil influence shall have power over you or wicked men, or devils, but the angels of mercy shall be with you to bless you under all difficult circumstances that you may have to pass through and the angels of health shall administer health to you. You shall grow up unto Christ your living head and become a member of the church of the first born. It will be your meat and drink to do the will of your
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Sister Mary Ann, I lay my hands upon your head to bless you while in your youthful day. You have embraced the gospel and been numbered among the Saints and desire to live the life of the righteous. Therefore, you shall be blest all the days of your life in as much as you will endeavor to do right. Neither evil nor accident shall befall you. The fostering hand of your Heavenly Father shall be over you to preserve you from every evil thing. Your guardian angels shall

lead you forth in the paths of truth and virtue and righteousness all the days of your pilgrimage.

father who is in heaven, and you can live to see the redemption of Zion, be gathered up to that consecrated land, and see the temples of the Lord, and the blessings of the earth shall be multiplied unto you and the blessings of the heaven. You shall be kept as in the hollow of his hand, and have power to live in innocence before him, all the days of your life. You will secure to yourself an everlasting inheritance in the new heavens and new earth, and dwell in the midst of your kindred and friends being numbered with the great and the good. All these blessings I confer upon you upon conditions of your faithfulness in following the councils of your parents and in doing good. I seal you up to a Holy Resurrection and say you shall live forever, and stand upon Mount Zion, with palms of victory in your hands and have a fullness of joy. This I do according to the holy order and sealing power which binds on earth and for heaven in the name of The Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
A month before Mary Ann's death she was honored by the daughters of the Utah pioneers at a reception in the Winder Ward chapel, in connection with the celebration of Covered Wagon days. July 17, 1941 she observed her ninety-eighth birthday at a Park family reunion in Fairmont Park in Salt Lake City. Two weeks later she attended a family dinner, displaying excellent spirit. She quietly passed away at the home of
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her daughter, Mrs. Louise B. Reynolds, August 18, 1941. She was the states sole surviving pioneer of 1847. She left a numerous and praiseworthy posterity. Survivors included four sons and two daughters; Heber Brockbank of Huntington, Louise B. Reynolds of Murray, William, Taylor, and A. P. Brockbank of Murray, and Mary B. North of Holladay. Also surviving were fifty grandchildren, one hundred thirty-five great grandchildren, and four great-great grandchildren, a brother, Joseph Park and a sister, Margaret Park Hoover. Funeral services were August 20, 1941. The speakers were Apostles Harold B. Lee, Charles A. Challis, and James E. Moss of Holladay who spoke as an old family friend. Bishop Claude I. Ashton of Winder Ward and Mrs. W.F. Woodruff, representing the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, further eulogized the pioneer. Nearly five hundred relatives and friends attended the rites. Burial was in Salt Lake City Cemetery with dedication of the grave by Heber P. Brockbank, her oldest living son. Six grandsons served as pallbearers. President Harold B. Lee, then a member of the Council of the Twelve, gave the following at his funeral speech: "Mary Ann was not just an individual, she was an institution. Her passing marks the end of a great epoch in the Church and in her state. In her life time she saw God's miracles wrought upon the land. She was the last surviving pioneer of 1847."

Photo taken July 24, 1905 - Mary Ann Park Brockbank is third from the left - second row from the front.

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(This article and the photograph were printed in the Deseret News in 1937.)

Separated in years by spans ranging from 21 to 94 years, five generations of the Mary A. Park Brockbank families, shown here, are today living within a few blocks of each other near Salt Lake. Mrs. Brockbank, who was born in 1843 and came to Utah at the age of four years, is holding her great-great grandchild, William G. Sharp, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dean W. Sharp of Midvale, born May 20 of this (1937) year. The child's mother, formerly Vauna L. Baker of Murray, who was born Aug. 5, 1916, is shown at the top and center of the picture. Seated at Mrs. Brockbank's left and right, respectively, are her daughter, Mrs. Louise B. Reynolds, of Murray, who was born Jan. 28, 1869, and her granddaughter, Mabel R. Baker, also of Murray born Feb. 1, 1893. Mrs. Brockbank is the widow of Isaac Brockbank, whom she married in Salt Lake in 1865. She was the mother of 12 children.

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Marion Park, Jane Park, Mary Ann Park - sisters

Louise Park Brockbank with mother Mary Ann Park Brockbank, And husband Charles R. Reynolds

Margaret Naomi, Mary Ann, Joseph Smith Park - siblings

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Summary of the Children of John Park and Louisa Smith

1. Jane Park was born Feb 11, 1842 in Waterford, Ontario, Canada. She traveled to the Salt Lake Valley in the John Taylor Company in 1847 when she was five years old. She married Albert Jones December 4, 1862. She died at her home in Provo, Utah on February 20, 1933 at the age of 91. She had good health until a few weeks before she died. She was affectionately known as "Aunt Jane" among her friends. She was the oldest Provo resident having virtually grown up with the community since its beginning when she arrived with her family in 1849 after Brigham Young asked her family to help in the settlement of Fort Provo. She had a prominent part in community activities, and was a faithful member of the LDS Church. Her husband Albert was a Patriarch in the church. 2. Mary Ann Park was born July 17, 1843 in Waterford, Ontario, Canada. She traveled to the Salt Lake Valley with her family in the John Taylor Company in 1847 when she was four years old. She married Isaac Brockbank Jr. January 7, 1845 and was the mother of twelve children She passed through sunshine and sorrow and was a pioneer in every deed. She worked hard all her life, and remained true and faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ. She was vibrant and alert up until her death. She lived to be 98 years old and was the last surviving 1847 Pioneer. She died on August 18, 1941 at her daughter's, Louise P.B. Reynolds home.

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3. Marion Ellen Park was born April 6, 1845 in Waterford, Ontario, Canada. She traveled with her family to the Salt Lake Valley when she was two years old in the John Taylor Company. She married Daniel Vincent on February 22, 1867 in Provo, Utah. She was the mother of six children. She was a staunch and faithful member of the church and took a large part in the development of the west. She died April 10, 1926 in Provo, Utah at the age of 81.

4. Louesa Park was born on December 13, 1846 in Winter Quarters, Douglas, Nebraska in a covered wagon. She married Harvey John Harper on December 29 1866 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was the mother of eight children. She died in Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona, on June 20, 1913 at the age of 66.

were the first white children born in Provo. He was a great support to his family after his father died in 1869 and worked any job he could get to help the family. When the Salt Lake Temple was being built, he stayed with his sister Mary Ann in Holladay and hauled massive granite blocks, one at a time, from the mountain in Little Cottonwood Canyon to the temple site. He married Martha Melissa Parker, October 26, 1874. They had ten children together. Martha was killed in a horse and buggy accident on July 19, 1913. On June 30, 1915 he married Maud Jex Hopper. They had five children. He was very active in the LDS Church and lived in the Provo area for a period of seventy years. He was a fruit grower, and prospered in his undertakings. He donated land for a school and a church and was affectionately called "Uncle John" by friends and family. He was constable two years, Justice of the Peace 14 years, and a water superintendent. He died January 24, 1940 in Provo at the age of 90.

5. John Smith Park was born December 29, 1849 in Provo, Utah. He and his twin brother William

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brother were the first white children born in the area. The twins were born in direct answer to prayer. His mother, Louisa, had suffered many hardships and privations and desired an added testimony as to the truthfulness of the Gospel. She asked the Lord to give her this testimony by granting her to be the mother of twins. When John and William were old enough they would herd the cows, going barefoot, up the foot hills of east Provo City. Sometimes, the Indians would follow them, step on their heels, and take their lunches away from them. There is no record of a marriage for James. He died December 5, 1935 in Provo, Utah.

6. James William Park was born December 29, 1849 in Fort Utah, Provo, Utah. He and his twin

7. Joseph Smith Park was born August 1, 1852 in Provo, Utah. He had a twin sister Martha Ellen Park. Joseph married Mariah Elizabeth Harding Dec. 21, 1876. They were blessed with fourteen children. He was a farmer, and a gardener of the courthouse grounds. He was a high priest in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints. He was an asset to the community for many years as he saw many changes in the development of Provo, Utah.

8. Martha Ellen Park was born August 1, 1852 in Provo, Utah and is a twin to Joseph Smith Park. She married Thomas William Frederick Allen on April 3, 1879 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was the mother of nine children. She died at the age of 80 on June 9, 1933 in Provo, Utah.

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9. David Smith Park was born April 21, 1855 in Provo Utah. He married Epsy Albina Pace on November 13, 1877 in Provo, Utah. They had thirteen children. He died at the age of 81 on October 13, 1936 in Provo, Utah.

10. Margaret Naomi Park was born May 13, 1858. Margaret lived with her sister Mary Ann for a time to help with her children and the housework. She married John Whitmer Hoover on January 8, 1880, in Salt Lake City, Utah. They had ten children. She died on March 27, 1945 at the age of 86 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

No Photo

11. Albert Andrew Park was born August 24 1862 in Provo, Utah. He died July 3, 1879 in Provo, Utah at the age of 16. He was accidently shot while practicing for a sham battle for the Fourth of July celebration. He lived but a short time after the accident, and was buried greatly respected. This was a sad situation as he was a promising young man as well as a help and comfort to his aging mother.

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Documentation for Jane Park Jones

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Documentation for Mary Ann Park Brockbank

Mourned
Mary Ann Brockbank, Thought to be the last pioneer of 1847, died today.

Death Takes 1847 Pioneer

An era in Utah=s history came to a close today with the death at 6 a.m. of Mrs. Mary Ann Park Brockbank, who was the states sole surviving pioneer of 1847. Ninety-eight years of age, Mrs. Brockbanks life spanned the history of Utah. She was four years old at the time she entered the then barren Salt Lake Valley, with her parents and three sisters, in September of 1847. The Park family came to Utah from Winter Quarters with the Edward Hunter and John Taylor Wagon Train companies. Alert and active almost to the day of her death, which occurred at the family residence, 1080 East Forty-eighth South Street, Mrs. Brockbank was honored only last month by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, at a reception in the Winder Ward chapel, in connection with the celebration of Covered Wagon Days. Mrs Brockbank was born in Warnick, Kent, Canada, July 17, 1843, daughter of John and Louisa Smith Park. Following her arrival in Salt Lake with her parents in 1847, she spent two years here in Salt Lake and then moved with a group of colonizers whom Brigham Young had instructed to settle the region around the Provo River. She married Isaac Brockbank in the Salt Lake Endowment House in 1865. They moved to Holladay to make their home, and there resided ever since. Mr. Brockbank died in 1927. She left a numerous and praiseworthy posterity. Survivors include four sons and two daughters: Heber Brockbank, Huntington; William, Taylor P. and A. P. Brockbank; Mrs. Louise B. Reynolds, Murray, and Mrs. Mary P. North, Holladay. Also surviving are 135 grandchildren, 200 greatgrandchildren and four great-great grandchildren; a brother, Joseph Park, Provo, and a sister, Mrs. Margaret B. Hoover, Provo.

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Mary Ann Park Brockbank

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Documentation for Marion Park Vincent

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Documentation for Louesa Park Harper

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Documentation for James William Park

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Documentation for John Smith Park

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Documentation for Joseph Smith Park

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Documentation for Martha Ellen Park Allen

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Documentation for David Smith Park

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Documentation for Margret Naomi Park Hoover

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Documentation for Albert Andrew Park

Albert Andrew Park Original Headstone

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Albert Andrew Park's Tragic Death

The city leaders of Provo planned a tourist excursion to Provo. In June 1879 Salt Lake City newspapers advertised the grand Fourth of July excursion to Provo. Excursionists could ride on the 7 a.m. train, picnic on the public square or Graves' Gardens, hear inspiring speeches, see a parade, attend a dance and, of course, witness a deafening reenactment of a Revolutionary War battle between Colonial troops commanded by General Howe. The tourists could then return to their home on the 6:25 train. Staging the mock battle between the Colonists and the English required some rehearsal. On the evening of July 1, at 7:30 a group of about 50 men gathered on the town square (Pioneer Park) to practice. An audience of a nearly 500 people assembled to watch. Albert Andrew Park, one of the group who gathered for practice, rode a horse the six blocks from his home to the square to participate. Albert was nearly 17 years old. After Albert's arrival at the square, the participants split into two groups of 25, one representing the colonials, and one King George's troops. The men also divided into infantrymen and cavalrymen. Albert served as a horseman. The make the drill as realistic and exciting as possible, the men's weapons were loaded with black powder and paper wads or blanks. During the drill, Albert and other cavalrymen made a charge on a group of infantrymen, the wheeled and beat a hasty, confused retreat.

Albert was in the act of wheeling his horse around when a nearby companion, who had already turned his horse, leveled his pistol at the enemy for one last shot. The man for some unknown reason loaded his weapon with tissue paper wad instead of using newspaper. The tissue paper compacted into a tighter mass which traveled the air farther than newspaper and did not dissipate as rapidly. In the excitement of the pseudo-battle, Albert wheeled in front of the man as the shot rang out, the discharging pistol a yard or less from Albert's torso. The blast from the barrel left powder burns on Albert's brown vest as the dense wad tore through the fabric and entered the left side of Albert's chest between his second and third ribs. The wad cut the plural membrane surrounding Albert's lung and possibly severed an artery before lodging just under the point of the left shoulder blade. It took a moment for the dust to clear and for the crown and the participants of the mock battle to comprehend what had happened. When they finally perceived that the potentially deadly accident had occurred, they were horrified. Albert was removed from the field and taken to his home where a doctor removed the wad. Albert bled profusely and suffered considerably. The suffering teenager's conditions continued to deteriorate, and at about 3:35 on the morning of July 3, he drew his final breath after suffering 33 painful hours. The fourth of July celebration was called off. Not only had Albert passed away, two children from the community 42

had died from diphtheria, and two boys lay at deaths door from a swimming accident.

The Park family held Albert's funeral in the LDS Second Ward's assembly hall, a building completed in 1862, and the year of Albert's birth. The service began at 2 o'clock on the afternoon of July 4. A large group of family and friends attended. When the national flag was unfurled, it was draped in mourning. Provo's choir, led by James E. Daniels, provided the music, Bishop James W. Loveless and Stake President A.O Smoot offered sermons. Provo's brass band played mournful music as it led the procession from the assembly hall to the cemetery. Next in the cortege came the body of the deceased. Forty-three carriages followed the remains to the burying ground. July 4, 1879, probably ranks as one of Provo's most somber Fourths. The local paper described the solemn holiday with the following words: "The whole city withheld their usual mirth common to Independence Day, to pay its last respects to one of its citizens."

A close-up of Albert's shirt and vest shows the large holes created by a tissue wad fired from a pistol held about a yard away. The Park family later donated the

Information taken from Tales from Utah Valley by D.

Robert Carter.

shirt and vest Albert wore that day to the Provo Daughters of Utah Pioneer Museum.

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Newspaper Clipping about Albert's Death as told by Dave Loveless

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The Park Family Siblings Honored in March 1938

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1. James, born June 8, 1789, married Euphermia Sutherland in Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland. James died 8 August 1874 in Plympton Township, Lambton, County, Ontario.

Summary of the children of James Park and Marion Allen

2. The second son was Hugh, born Sept. 29, 1790 in Cumbuslang, Lanark Scotland. He married Janet Hay on Aug. 22, 1812 in Scotland. Hugh died Oct. 9, 1841 in Plympton Township, Lambton County. 3. Mary came next, born October 15, 1792. She married William Arbuckle/Arbucle. Nothing else is known about Mary nor is it known where she is buried. 4. The next child was Marion, born July 17, 1794. Marion married William Umpherston (changed to Umpherson in the early 1900's) and stayed in Dalhousie Township. Marion and her husband are buried at Umpherston Pioneer Cemetery, Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Ontario. 5. The only child who did not emigrate was Andrew, born July 19, 1796 in Cumbuslang, Lanark Scotland. His first wife was Jean (AKA Jane) Pollock who he married on March 7, 1820. Andrew's second wife was Margaret Gould, whose marriage occurred on May 3, 1849. Andrew died on Aug. 21, 1873 at Rosebank Place, Cambuslang, Lanarkshire County, Scotland.
6. Joseph came sixth, born April 16, 1798. He married Agnes Sarah Duncan on Jan. 25, 1825 in Dalhousie Township. Joseph chose to stay in Lanark County. He died on Apr. 17, 1868 and is buried at West 1/2 Lot #21, Con. 7, Dalhousie Twp. 7. Next was Martha, born Dec. 31, 1799. She married William Hood, a local school teacher. Martha died on Jan. 21, 1880, and the couple is buried at St. Andrew's Cemetery, Plot 187, Watson's Corner, Lanark County, Canada. 8. John was born May 11, 1802. He married Louisa Smith on Mar. 24, 1840, when he was in 37 years old, in Lambton County. John became an early Mormon, and was in "The John Taylor" company that traveled west to Utah in 1847. He died Mar. 30, 1869 in Provo, Utah County, Utah.

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9. Ellen/Helen was born two years later on Feb. 6, 1804. Census from 1851 lists her as Ellen, while on the 1861 census she is called Helen. She married Andrew Park (no relation) in 1824, in Dalhousie Township. Andrew was the son of James Park and Jean Maxwell. Ellen and Andrew lived the rest of their lives in Dalhousie Township. They are buried at West 1/2 Lot #12, Con. 2, Dalhousie Township. 10. William came one year later on Oct. 26, 1805. His first wife was Jane Duncan who he married in Dalhousie Township. After some time, the family relocated to Lambton County. Eventually, William moved to Utah. His second wife was Janet Findlay who he married on April 7, 1850/51 at Brigham Young's home in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mary S. Gordon was William's third wife, who he married on Jun. 11, 1854. William died Mar. 11, 1890 at Millcreek, Utah. He is buried at the Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Utah. 11. Margaret was the only child to move to Perth County. She was born July 10, 1807. Margaret married James William Wood Brown in Dalhousie Township. She died Apr. 14, 1892 and is buried at Avon Bank Cemetery, Perth County, Ontario. 12. David was the youngest son, born June 12, 1809. He married Ann Brooks in Dalhousie Township, but eventually moved to Lambton County and then to Utah, before finally settling in Nevada. David and Ann had a daughter, Mary Park, who it has been said, had poor health, and so her husband, Ebenezer Bryce, moved, trying to find a location that would be beneficial for his wife's health. In the process of moving around, Ebenezer discovered Bryce Canyon, which today is a U.S. National Park. David died July 22, 1884 and is buried at Mottsville Cemetery, Douglas County, Nevada. 13. Jean was the youngest girl, born February 10, 1814. Jean married David Williamson on May 5, 1839, but very little is known about Jean and her burial location is also unknown.

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More information about William Park 1805-1890 Jane Duncan was born in Scotland in 1808 and was twelve years old when the Duncan family, along with thirty-three other families from Glascow and Paisley, Lanarkshire, Scotland sailed to Canada, settling on the Dalhouseie frontier in Ontario, Canada. William Park's family was also one of those thirty-three families and by the time Jane was twenty, the two had become sweethearts and married. Their first six children were born on the Dalhousie Frontier, then moving to Warwick Township (Kent County) three more children were born. Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reached their area and on April 11, 1844, Jane and William were baptized as were two of William's brother's (John and David) and soon there was an organized branch with about twenty-five members. Brothers William, John, David and their families left with most of the branch for Nauvoo in April 1846 and then traveled to the Salt Lake Valley with the John Taylor Company in 1847. The three month journey was not without pleasures. William was a good fiddler and often played around the camp fires at night for dances -- amazing the pioneers had energy to still enjoy. Their first winter in Salt Lake Valley was lived in the fort, when spring came William planted wheat where Salt Lake Penitentiary would be built later (21st S. 13th E.). The next year they moved to Big Cottonwood Creek (Mill Creek) into a log home and there the last two children were born. Their existence was meager; many meals would consist of Sego bulbs, mustard greens and one pint of meal a day. The next home was sun dried adobe. Jane kept her home intact through all the many months her husband and older sons traveled back and forth to the East bringing supplies and new immigrants into the valley .
William married two plural wives and as the first and more experienced, Jane was the one to oversee affairs and care for the sick. She was a midwife delivering hundreds of babies 48

Article about David Park (1809-1884) copied from the Genoa Weekly Courier, Friday, July 25, 1884.

Last Tuesday evening about 9 o'clock, the shocking intelligence was conveyed to town that David Park Sr. of Mottsville had committed suicide by hanging himself. The act was committed sometime during Tuesday afternoon, at the ranch of his younger son Joseph Park, where he had made his home the past eight years. Mr. Park and his family left after dinner for Sheridan where they went to visit friends, leaving the old gentleman and his wife at home. Shortly after departure, Mrs. Park missed her husband and after calling him once or twice and receiving no answer finally came to the conclusion that he gone down to visit the family of either Dave or Hugh Park, which he was in the habit of doing, and therefore paid no more attention to his being absent, until the family arrived home and it was learned he had not been seen to the family of the above mentioned. Of course, all hands became anxious for his safety, as the old gentleman had not been enjoying extra health lately, and a search was immediately commenced. On going to the barn and opening the door, all were horror stricken by finding the body of the old gentleman suspended from one of the supports of the stall, his feet resting on the ground. He had taken a couple of balling ropes, twisted them together, tied them to the support, fastened the noose about his neck and swung himself off. Mr. Park after recovering from the terrible shock, rushed in and cut the body down, but alas it was too late, as life was extinct at this time. The other relatives of the deceased were immediately notified, and all that was possible was done to restore his life, the body being warm for sometime after it was discovered, but to no avail. It was a terrible blow to his family and more especially to his aged wife. The deceased was 75 years old on the 12 of last June, and leaves a kind and devoted wife and a large and highly respected family to mourn his loss. Three of his sons are living here, being well-to-do, highly respected and influential farmers, each one having a fine intelligent family to make their homes pleasant and cheerful. It is evident that he was not in his right mind when the act was committed. Several years ago he became favorably impressed with a religion that was founded by W. W. Davis at Walla Walla, Washington territory, which was the cause of a good many emigrating from here to there. Mr. Park being among the number. He returned after a year's absence. He has visited twice there since. Since his return the last time, he has been brooding over his religion until no doubt; his mind became unsettled
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which led to committing the rash act. He was provided for in every shape and manner with comforts and luxuries of life, kindly furnished by his dutiful and affectionate sons, his devoted wife attended his every want, and his grandchildren were sources of pride for him. Everything shows that it was a case of temporary insanity which caused the rash act. The deceased was a native of Scotland. He came to Canada then to Nauvoo, Illinois, from there he went to Salt Lake City, Utah and finally came here in 1863, and settled in this valley on the ranch now owned by Anthony Dias, near Mottsville. He has been a resident of our valley for twenty one years. He has figured quite prominently in most of the important events that have been transpired here. Of late years however, he has not been very strong and therefore has remained near his home. As we have said before, he leaves an aged wife and a large family to mourn his sudden taking off. The affected relatives have a large number of sympathizers in their hour of affliction. The funeral last Wednesday at 3:00 o'clock was largely attended, both from Genoa and the surrounding Valley. The funeral services were held in the Mottsville school house, Rev. A.B. Jones officiating. After services the remains were laid away to their final resting place in Mottsville Cemetery

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