Elizabeth Partridge Whiting

See a photograph taken of Elizabeth when she was older under the Media Tab above.

Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel, 1847–1868 Ezra T. Benson Company (1849) Age 35, Departure: 15 July 1849, Arrival: 25-29 October 1849.

Elizabeth Partridge Tillotson was the daughter of Samuel Tillotson and Sarah Partridge. Elizabeth was born April 15, 1814. She married Edwin Whiting on September 21, 1833. Edwin was born on September 9, 1809 in Lee, Berkshire County, Massachusetts to Elisha Whiting, Jr. and Sally Hulet. Sally was the eldest daughter of Sylvanus Hulet and his wife Mary.

Edwin Whiting also married (concurrently) Mary Ann Washburn, Almira Mehitable Meacham, Mary Elizabeth Cox, and Hannah Haines Brown.

The Edwin Whiting Family Online Archives has comprehensive information about Edwin Whiting and all of his wives and children. Genealogical information there is probably more correct and up-to-date than what is presented below.

Elizabeth and Edwin were early converts to the Mormon religion. They moved away from the Brunswick, Medina County, Ohio area: first to Illinois, and then to Utah in 1849. Edwin was a nurseryman by trade. He established a tree nursery, a sawmill, and a retail store after moving to Utah. He was a member of the Utah legislature in 1859-1860 and was also Mayor of Manti, Utah.

The files of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers offer these anecdotes about Edwin Whiting:

Edwin Whiting was a pioneer of 1849, having joined the Church in Ohio and had been with the Saints through all their wanderings. When they reached Salt Lake City in October 1849, they thought their journey over, but Brigham Young sent them on to Manti, another three weeks' journey. As they drove through Springville, Mr. Whiting said that it looked like a fertile spot and he would like to stop there.

Mr. Whiting was a nurseryman and loved everything that grew. In 1854, he was sent on a mission back to the States and when he returned he brought with him trees, shrubs, flowers, and seeds. Many were from his father's orchard and garden in Ohio. These he planted in Manti, but the climate was too cold and the fruit usually froze. Brigham Young then advised him to move to Springville and try his trees there. He moved his family there in 1861 and found that the climate was ideal for his kind of work.

To obtain his evergreens, he went up the canyons and got the small trees. He would take some of the soil with each root. He would then wrap them so as to keep some of the native soil in place. These were packed securely in the wagon box. He always marked the trees so that they could be set the same way they stood in the canyon. Many of the evergreens and fruit trees were planted throughout the county. Among these was the large cedar tree that for many years stood in front of the Second Ward church. This tree was brought from the nearby canyon in 1861 and planted by Mr. Whiting, being nurtured and cared for by him.

Edwin's granddaughter Harriet Jensen described her grandfather this way:

Grandfather Edwin Whiting and his family were typical early residents of the canyon. Some of the first needs of the pioneers were to have land for crops and water to make them grow; also to be near where they could obtain wood for cooking and heat. Hobble Creek Canyon had plenty of trees, not only for fuel, but, also the large pines were used as logs for building houses, or to be sawed into lumber. Edwin Whiting had taken up 160 acres on Union Bench (now Mapleton) and divided it among his older boys; but as the young ones grew up, there was need for more land. By this time Joseph Kelly and others were ranching in Hobble Creek Canyon, so grandfather decided to homestead land in that vicinity. One log cabin was built on the Whiting homestead, and here they took turns staying and working the land. Brush and trees had to be cleared off the land and ditches made. For the Bench land, it meant going up the canyon where the elevation was as high as the land and making a ditch around the hillside. I remember, as a small girl, going with my uncle Fred to the site of the dam to see whether there were any breaks in it.

They had a fine range for cattle and raised hay, grain and vegetables. People were eager to locate where there was a spring. Well do I remember carrying water up the bank of the creek in a little brass kettle which had been brought across the plains. We grandchildren seemed to feel that we had a share in the old home, which was one large room made of logs, with a small window and a large fireplace in one end where grandmother used to do the cooking. She would pull some of the hot coals on the hearth -- a large flat stone in front of the fireplace -- place the bake kettle on them; then, with her tongs, put more red coals on the kettle lid. Almost every afternoon we would carry water to sprinkle in front of the house, which made the ground hard, and also kept what little grass was growing around the house, green and inviting. In the spring she would take newspapers, saved during the winter, to paper the logs. This was the first time I had ever heard of wall paper.

At first this was a summer home, then finally a school house was built and the families stayed the year around. This building had only one room, but, it served as school house, church and amusement hall. Children rode their horses to school. The Whitings had a sawmill up the canyon above the original log home. They did most of their logging in the winter, using half of a bob-sled to put one end of the log on and letting the rest of the log slide on the snow. By spring there was a good pile of logs. Edwin M. Whiting bought a steam engine and for a number of years furnished the lumber for Springville. They moved the sawmill wherever there was suitable timber. It was 16 miles up to the Whiting Ranch from town and took about five hours, with horse and wagon, to get there. There was always plenty of fish in the creek, and wild chicken and deer in the hills.

The following is a list of those who ranched in the canyon during its early settlement; Mr. Cutler followed by a Mr. Kelly, Cyrus Sanford, Myron and Milan Crandall, Al Roylance, Moroni Fuller, William Gallup, James Holley, Orson Mower, Erastus Clark, Royal Clements, Charles Johnson, and Levi Kendall. In those early days Charley Williams operated a sawmill on the creek. They took adverse possession but later congress passed a law to legalize the land so that they could get possession of their deeds. Farther up the canyon was the Packard Ranch. Alpheus Curtis, Wallace Johnson and Edward Snow also lived there. The Adams family now live on the original Whiting Ranch.

A marker, up Hobble Creek Canyon reads: "In memory of Edwin Whiting, pioneer, born September 9, 1809. Died December 8, 1890. Home-steaded this ranch in 1871. Erected August 17, 1935 by his family."

Elizabeth and Edwin had eleven children:

William Whiting was born on October 18, 1834 in Nelson, Portage County, Ohio. He married twice. He first married Rebecca Lossee (or Loose) on May 23, 1852. Rebecca was born March 6, 1845 in Lima, Adams County, Illinois. Rebecca died September 30, 1875 in Springville, Utah County, Utah.

William and Rebecca had six children:

William Whiting was born January 1, 1862 in Manti, Sanpete County, Utah. He died August 5, 1867.

Olive Whiting was born February 12, 1864 in Manti, Sanpete County, Utah. She died January 28, 1920.

Sylvester Whiting was born May 3, 1866 in Manti, Sanpete County, Utah. He died June 24, 1954.

Lucia Jane Whiting was born October 18, 1868 Manti, Sanpete County, Utah. She died July 5, 1947 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah.

Chauncey Whiting was born January 15, 1871 in Springville, Utah County, Utah. He died April 6, 1937.

Laverne Whiting was born July 28, 1875 in Springville, Utah County, Utah. Laverne married Lenord Major. Laverne died December 22, 1944.

William married Mary Ann Hall on October 28, 1880 at St. George, Washington County, Utah. Mary Ann was born December 20, 1842 in Lee County, Iowa.

William and Mary Ann had two children:

John Hall Whiting was born August 7, 1881 in Springville, Utah County, Utah. He died there August 28, 1955.

James William Whiting was born October 18, 1882 in Springville, Utah County, Utah. He died March 6, 1936 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah.

William died on September 10, 1888 in Springville, Utah County, Utah. Mary Ann died September 17, 1900 in Springville, Utah County, Utah.

Olivia Whiting was born on October 18, 1834 in Nelson, Portage County, Ohio. She died the same day. Olivia and William were twins.

Helen Amelia Whiting was born on August 21, 1836 in Nelson, Portage County, Ohio. She married Archibald Waller Overton Buchanan on August 22, 1854 in Sanpete County, Utah. Archibald was born on February 9, 1830 in Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky to John Buchanan of Ireland and Nancy Ann Bache. Joseph Buchanan, a descendant of Archibald, offers a correct transcript of a biography of Archibald Buchanan from the book Archibald Waller Overton Buchanan and Family written by Golden R. Buchanan.

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SOURCE OF THE FOLLOWING: http://edwinwhiting.org/wives/elizabeth-partridge-tillotson/142-eli...

ELIZABETH PARTRIDGE TILLOTSON WHITING, Compiled by William S. Johnson - May 1955

The incidents in this story are true and are taken from papers and letters in the possession of Teressa Fullmer Johnson, great granddaughter of Elizabeth P. Tillotson Whiting. Some of the letters are more than 100 years old. This is NOT a first-person account, but rather an account written in the voice of Elizabeth by William S. Johnson.

My name is Elizabeth Partridge Tillotson. I was born on April 15, 1814, in Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts. I was one of fourteen children born to Sarah Partridge and Samuel Tillotson. They were humble, average New England people. While I was still a child, my parents and the rest of the family, including myself, moved to Nelson, Ohio. I was extremely interested in education and received all the education available to me in those frontier days. This education served me well when I later became a school teacher, teaching frontier children the fundamentals of learning.

One day while still living in Ohio, I met Edwin Whiting. We fell in love and were married September 21, 1833. Shortly after we were married, we learned of a new religion, fathered by Joseph Smith. We were so impressed by the principles and teachings set forth by the Prophet Joseph Smith, we joined the Latter Day Saint Church and received a testimony of its truthfulness. So strong was our faith, we left our home and moved to Kirtland, Ohio.

During my early church association, I received numerous letters from my family, particularly from my sister Polly, who criticized me for accepting the Gospel and joining the Church. If only I could impress upon them the truthfulness of the Gospel. Polly wrote that the Book of Mormon had originally been written as a novel but that certain men had felt that it would have greater sales as a religious work.

Stirred by bitter men, the feelings of the townspeople of Kirtland turned against us Mormons. Angry mobs forced us to flee our home, escaping only with our clothing, bedding and our lives. And while we were living in Lima, Illinois a group of hateful men forced their way into our homes. They had waited until the men of the Mormon families were away helping to guard the prophet Joseph Smith. On that horror-filled night, the only Mormon home that was spared was that of father Elisha Whiting, who was so ill that he could not be moved from his bed. Fires were set to all the homes and buildings. The brightest flame in the night was that of the Whiting chair shop. Valuable lumber and expensive machinery shot showers of sparks into the air. My daughter, Sarah, who was three years old at the time, clapped her hands and danced about as if at a party at seeing the great number of enormous bonfires. Great was the fear in my heart, as I spent the night huddled on a pile of blankets we managed to save, trying every way to keep the baby Emily, who was sick, comforted and warm.

The next morning, teams came from Nauvoo. We loaded our meager possessions on to wagons and moved to a new home in Nauvoo. Edwin helped to erect the temple there. Great was our joy to enjoy the teachings and companionship of the Prophet Joseph.

“A group of crazed and angry men have killed the Prophet Joseph Smith, breaking their way into the Carthage jail where Joseph and others were being held. They shot him.”

Once more we were forced to flee from our homes by angry mobs. After leaving Nauvoo, we settled for a while at Mt. Pisgah, Union County, Iowa. While we were there, Edwin was president of the branch for a few seasons. Sorrow came to us at Mt. Pisgah where my darling daughter Emily, who was six years old at the time, passed away. Added sorrow came to us when father Elisha Whiting and his wife Sally contracted malarial fever during an epidemic and also passed away. Their names are inscribed on the monument there. This monument was erected by the Church, honoring the many Saints who rest there in unmarked graves.

So great was our faith that we heeded the call of our leaders in 1849. We undertook the task of crossing the plains to Utah. Day after dreary day crept slowly by as we trudged our way onward. My five children and I walked most of the way. We braved numerous hardships and suffered many trials. My wagon was next to that of George A. Smith. His wife, Bathsheba, and I became fond friends. Elder Smith was in charge of 50 wagons in Ezra T. Benson’s train of 100 wagons.

Finally our goal was almost in sight as we slowly fought our way up the slopes of what is known as South Pass. As we started to assent, snow began to fall. As we neared the summit, the storm had grown into a raging blizzard. For three days we were beaten by the falling snow and the howling winds. Numerous cattle and other live stock were lost in the deep snow and bitter cold. At last, tired and weary, we worked our way through the pass and into the valley below. We arrived in Salt Lake Valley in November, 1849. But upon our arrival, Brigham Young asked us to go with Morley’s company to start a new settlement in the area, which was later to be known as Manti in Sanpete County. With our foot-sore oxen, it took us three weeks to travel from Salt Lake City to the sight of our new settlement. After leaving Provo it was necessary to make our own trails and to build several dug ways and bridges in order to continue our journey, which ended the latter part of November.

A large band of Indians, numbering about 500, were already living in the area. We made dugouts in the hillsides where we spent the winter. We shared our meager possessions with the Indian band.

Snow fell very deep and all our cattle and oxen perished of starvation. The Indians were constantly begging for food. When spring finally came the Indians left to go to their hunting grounds in southern Utah. But they left behind the aged mother of the chief, who was too feeble and weak to make the trip. They placed her in a hole in the ground, left her a jug of water to drink and a piece of dried venison to eat. They covered her with brush and left her to die. Some children found her there before she died so she was taken to the home of Bishop Aaron Johnson for special care. She lived for several years, unknown to the chief, though he would have been very angry if he had found out the whole story.

I was very shocked at the treatment the Indians gave to their old people. When one became old and feeble, they would tie his feet to a horse with a rope and drag him over the rough rocky ground to their burial place, which was on the south side of what is now temple hill.

Edwin went to Salt Lake to sell the chairs, which he had made during the winter. These chairs were made out of timber, which he had pulled down by hand from the canyon himself. He had fashioned the seats out of rawhide. With the money he received, we were able to buy food and supplies for the family. My daughters, Caroline and Louisa were born in our primitive, humble dugout home. The city, which we had settled was named Manti, and it was decided by the Church authorities to build a temple there.

Our dugout was located at the bottom of temple hill. One spring a great multitude of rattlesnakes crawled from the rocks of temple hill and invaded our homes, causing great fear and terror among us. However, thanks to God, no one was ever bitten.

In 1855, Edwin was called to go on a mission to the East. While he was gone, a plague of grasshoppers descended upon the valley and destroyed all our crops. I spun wool, made straw hats and knit socks for my neighbors to procure food for my children. In the fall, my son William and I drove by ox team to Springville where William tearfully allowed me to exchange his pet colt for a wagon load of corn.

After the marriage of my daughter Amelia to Archibald Buchanan, and my daughter Sarah to Bishop Warren Snow of Manti, and my son William to Rebecca Losee, Edwin and I and our four children, Lucius, Oscar, Louisa, and Caroline, moved to Springville.

I was delighted and pleased to hear from my sister Polly, to learn that she had joined the LDS Church. I was very happy to receive each one of her letters. We have kept in touch through the years even though it takes great lengths of time for our letters to be delivered. I knew in my heart that she had made the right decision. Her daughter, Sarah, later married Lorenzo Snow, who was later to become the President of the LDS Church.

I had the privilege of serving as counselor in the first Primary in Springville along with Zabonia Alleman and Mary Crandall.

the twilight years of my life were spent in a comfortable home surrounded by an abundance of fruits and flowers. I have lived a full life, have had a wonderful husband and family. I truly have been blessed by the Lord.

Elizabeth Partridge Tillotson Whiting died February 4, 1892, and was buried beside her beloved husband in the Springville Cemetery. She was a kind and gentle home-loving person. She was loved by all.”

• Updated from MyHeritage Family Trees via father Samuel Tillotson by SmartCopy: Jan 13 2015, 4:50:57 UTC

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Husband - Edwin /WHITING/

Parents - Samuel /TILLOTSON/ and Sarah /PARTRIDGE/ Inscription: Elizabeth P. Tillotson wife of Edwin Whiting born Tymingham In Mass. Apr. 15, 1814 Died Feb. 4, 1892 Kind Mother Rest in Peace.

• Updated from Find A Grave Memorial via Edwin Whiting by SmartCopy: May 19 2015, 18:40:15 UTC