Santaquin, Utah - Utah County: a Graphic Account of Its Foundings, Its Wonderful Growth

Utah County: a Graphic Account of Its Foundings, Its Wonderful Growth

Situated upon ill*- Line of the Oregon Short Line Railroad, and near the county line, this city presents to those who prefer to Liveinretiremenl from the busy world many inducements.

Like most towns in this part of the county it derives its support from t lie soil, which here when properly irrigated is very fertile, and its numerous farms and large orchards render Santaquin very attractive. It was first settled in 1852, but the Indian troubles caused a temporary abandonment, it being 1853 before the settlers began to erect permanent homes.

Some of those now residing there, and who knew it in its earlier days are: Frederick Wall. Thomas Kirkman, John Allen, John W. Preston, John O. Johnson, John Boss, and Eli Openshaw. It has a store kept by Mr. J. (.). Johnson, a good brick school house, and the foundations are now being laid for the erection of a new Latter Day Saint's church, Mr. Eli Openshaw being the Bishop.

Frederick Wall

No man could have lived in Utah during the early days, witnessing the thrilling events which transpired in those times, without having from force of circumstances been obliged to take a more or less active part in them, and Frederick Wall was no exception to the rule. Born in Birmingham, one of the greatest manufacturing cities of England on March 25, 1825, the son of Thomas and Ann Wall, he passed his early life In the town of his nut i\ ity. His father emigrated to America when Frederick \\;is but u mere child, und lit seven yeurs of age until the time of his father's emigration, which event necessitated his mother working to muiiitainher family, and at theuge of fifteen Frederick was apprenticed to u gunsmith, learning that trade in his youth, until later he was able to make a good income in the manufacture of small arms for the British government.

On November 16, 1845, he married Miss Sarah M. Williamson, in Birmingham, and was blessed by her with nine children, as follows: Emma Louisa, Sarah Ann, Martha Piatt, Frederick John, Alice Mary, Amy Elizabeth, Thomas Joseph, Uehomi and Heber Richard.

Naturally in possession of a religious turn of mind he was made a member of the Baptist Church by baptism in 184(1, but later their doctrine not appearing to him to be consistent with the teachings of the scriptures, in February. 1849 he was again baptized in Birmingham as an open profession of his belief in the doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. With a view to assist in the upbuilding of the church, he left England on January 8, 1851, in the ship "Ellen" with his wife and two children for America. His journey was attended by several important and some sad events, on July 24, 1851, his third child Martha Piatt, was born near Fort Laramie. One child succumbed to the measles in New Orleans, and another died in March 1851 at Alton Hlinois. While in Alton he worked at the trade of his youth, and earned enough while there to procure an outfit to cross the plains. He reached Utah Sept. 25, 1852, settling in Salt Lake City, and on November 19th of that year his wife Sarah was sealed to him by President Richards.

In January, 1853, he removed to Manti, where his services as a gunsmith were needed until in July he had to leave his home and seek shelter in the fort, remaining there until 1855, helping to protect Manti from the Indians. Later he went to Springville and on December 2, 185(3, he entered into celestial marriage with Elizabeth Robinson, returning to Manti April, 1859. In 1861 he went to Spring City and when the Black- Hawk war broke out he took up arms with others to protect themselves from the ravages of the Indians, which, combined with the destruction to crops caused by grasshoppers, made it very hard for him to provide for his family, as by this time he had fourteen children.

In 1872 he took up his abode in Santaquin. where in October, 1878, his beloved wife Sarah passed away, not living long enough to witness her husband's reward for his fidelity to the Church, as shortly afterwards he was appointed President of the Seventies in Santaijuin and

Goshen, and when the Fifteenth quorum of Seventies was assigned to Santaquin he was ordained one of the presidents by President Taylor and he is today senior president of that quorum.

As a result of his second marriage he had nine children, viz: Clara Amelia, Alonzo Edward, John Henry, Alexander, Emma Elizabeth, Sarah Jane, Mary Maria, Frederick Albert and Joseph Franklin. He has been connected with church and school matters almost from the time he entered Utah, having acted as a ward teacher for forty years and as a Sunday school teacher for thirty years, besides being a choir member for forty years. In February, 1853, he was ordained a Priest by Bishop Lowery of Manti, and for four years was a trustee in the Santaquin public school and is today an honored member of the ecclesiastical board of Santaquin.