Pioneer Children

Whenever I thought of my pioneer ancestors crossing the plains I was always focused on the Adults for some reason. It wasn't until Family Search sent and email "Colleen, discover your 10-year-old pioneer!" that I started to realize that I did have pioneer children in my family tree.

    My great-grandfather, James Newton, on my father's line started the journey as a 4 month old infant. His family, who had been living in St. Louis, Missouri for almost 15 years, decided to take the trek west in 1864. The oldest two siblings were 14-years-old Mary and Samuel Jr. who was 11 years old. Along with them on the trek that started in Nebraska was James' Grandmother on his mother's side that was 68 years old. By August 13, west of Ft. Laramie they experienced some cattle deaths which slowed the company. On August 24 the Salt Lake Deseret News appealed to relatives and friends to go out and meet the company with a dozen or more yoke of cattle. They arrived in Salt Lake on September 20 and James was 7 months old. The 1st Mormon company that season was able to avoid Indian difficulties experienced by some following companies. 

My Great-grandfather on my mother's side was the 10-year-old Pioneer. Phillip William Arbon's family came with the John Gillespie Company in August-September of 1868. By that time the railroad went all the way to Benton, Wyoming. It was a family of six (including his parents) His older sister Louisa was 18 years old, Issac Amos was 6 years old and the youngest was 2 1/2 year old, Frederick. 

Gillespie, who was from Tooele, left Salt Lake on June 18 and reached Benton, Wyoming, before late July. Most of the emigrants who joined his company had crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the ship Constitution. That ship reached New York on August 6, and the emigrants left the next day on the Hudson River Railroad for the West. They traveled on trains (including cattle cars on some stretches of track) through Albany, New York, crossing into Canada and past Niagara Falls, and arriving in Omaha, Nebraska, on August 13. They reached Benton on August 16 and found Gillespie's teamsters and wagons waiting for them.

The company's departure was delayed waiting for luggage, so they left Benton on August 24. Some of the wagons traveling with the company carried merchandise and freight destined for stores in Salt Lake City. At the Sweetwater River and joined the old emigrant road 10 miles west of Devil's Gate. The majority of the company entered the valley via Parley's Canyon and arrived in Salt Lake on September 15. Phillip's family decided to settle in Grantsville, Utah.