John Dalton, Jr.

Biographical Summary:

"...John Dalton, Jr., (1801-1885) was born July 10, 1801, in Wyoming, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, on the right bank of the Susquehanna River, 4 miles above Wilkes-Barre and is in a fertile valley of its own name. He moved with his family from Luzerne Co. to Bradford County sometime around 1807 and lived on a farm his father, John Sr. named “Dalton Hollow” in the village of Wysox, on the little Wysox Creek. The Little Wysox Stream empties in the Susquehanna River, only a few miles from where the farm was located..."

"...John Jr. had blue eyes and black hair. He was a skilled blacksmith and a farmer and he taught these skills to his sons. It is recorded that when he died at age 84, not one of his teeth were bad. Another thing we know about him is that he had a great love for fine horses and passed that interest to his sons, grandsons.

On January 21, 1822, he married Rebecca Turner Cranmer at Towanda, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of John and Ketura Cranmer. Rebecca was an intelligent and cultured woman and participated in all the trials and hardships of pioneer life with her husband. It was in Wysox Township where their children were born and raised into their teenage years. John was a great user of tea, coffee and tobacco, and was accustomed to a drink of whiskey after dinner.

The 1835 Tax Assessments of Wysox Township lists John Dalton Jr. owned a ½ interest in a saw mill with his brother Charles listed as owning the other half. This saw mill had a value of 70 dollars.

John Dalton Jr. moved to Washtenaw Co. Michigan sometime after Oct. of 1835. John Jr. either lived on his brother Simon’s land or he had a place of his own, we need to find a land record to prove this.

Some time in 1838 John and his family moved west into Wisconsin. John Dalton Jr. purchased 80 acres of land in Geneva Township, Walworth Co., in the Territory of Wisconsin in 1839. Once again they were pioneers. Walworth Co. is 500 feet above Lake Michigan, which is east of the county. The soil was virgin and the roads were only Indian paths. John Jr. and Rebecca and their seven children had to cut and saw logs for a new home, till the unbroken soil for planting, dig a new well, build another out house and put in new fencing. Simply put, they had to scratch out a new life for themselves in this new frontier. We know little of what their lives involved the few years they lived there. They were newly baptized members of the Church. John Dalton Jr. was baptized on the 15th, of July 1838 by Moses Smith.

There is a deed recorded to John Dalton in Walworth Co. Territory of Wisconsin, dated March 5, 1839. (FHL – Film # 1435076, item 3.)

On June 19, 1842, John Dalton purchased a second parcel of land consisting of 40 acres from his nephew, John Green Dalton. John Green was the brother of Henry Simon Dalton. One interesting fact is that on this above deed our John Dalton Jr. did not write his name, but signed it with an X. His wife Rebecca however wrote her own name. John Dalton Jr. over the next few years probably learned to write.

On June 1st, 1843, John Jr. sold his land and house and moved to Nauvoo, Illinois. Having good horses and wagons, he hauled materials for the building of the historic Temple there. John and family purchased two plots of land, where they built an abode house, as did the other Dalton's.

After John and Rebecca and their family arrived in Nauvoo they found out that the Prophet Joseph Smith was having difficulties with the state of Missouri and was arrested a number of times that year on trumped up charges. He was also having problems with Sidney Rigdon and other who had once been faithful.

It was into this environment that our Dalton's came when they moved to Nauvoo. The work on the Temple and the City also never ceased. John Dalton's donated many days helping to build this Temple. There were at that time 15,000 people living in Nauvoo.

In Nauvoo in 1843 a petition to the United States Congress was signed by the following Dalton family; John and Rebecca Dalton; Harry Dalton; Charles and Mary E. Dalton.

We all know the story in detail of the things, which transpired those June days. Shortly after 5 pm. on the 27th of June, Joesph and Hyrum were killed. On the 29th, 10,000 people viewed their bodies. Surely John and Rebecca were among the group that day.

A year and a half after Joseph’s death, our John Dalton Jr. would leave Nauvoo, never to see it again. But before they left they had the privilege of receiving within the Temple walls that for which, they had worked so hard and diligently, their endowments. This date was on Jan. 5th 1845. On the 21st of Jan. they returned to the Temple to be sealed for all time and eternity.

At the time of the call for the Mormon Battalion, John's two sons Henry (Harry) and Edward and his nephew Henry Simon Dalton "whom he had raised" all joined the Battalion. This left John Dalton alone with three teams of horses and loaded wagons without any drivers. He sent for Brigham Young and turned the teams of horses, wagons, and all that was in them over to him to use as he thought for the best. These horses were used by Brigham Young on the first pioneer journey into Utah.

Approximately sometime between Feb. 8 and 18, 1846, John Dalton Jr. and his family were packed and ready to leave Nauvoo for the long trek to the promised land of the Great Salt Lake valley. The group of Saints that John Dalton Jr. and family were with, crossed the frozen Mississippi River and landed on the Iowa side in the Mormon community of Montrose. From there they proceeded to the Sugar Creek encampment, then on to Garden Grove, Iowa. After staying in Garden Grove they went on to Kanesville, or Winter Quarters (Council Bluffs area). By Dec. 30, 1846, Winter Quarters consisted of 538 log cabins, 83 sod houses and a population of 3,483.

From the Book; "An Enduring Legacy- Move to Winter Quarters:

"...After we crossed the river, Brother Anson Call and I concluded to go out about 2 miles to the Puncas camp where my Brother Chandlier Holbrook lived. On the second night out, as our cattle were in the public yard, the Indians took down the fence and drove off seven heads of beef belonging to me. Judson Tolman, Chandler Holbrook and John Dalton Jr. armed themselves and pursued them for about ten miles...”

John Dalton Jr. and his family crossed the plains from the Missouri River to the Great Salt Lake Valley, with Brigham Young’s First Division (his second trip). The First Division left the Elkhorn River on June 1st, 1848 with the following; 1,229 souls who had 397 wagons, 74 horses, 19 mules, 1,275 oxen, 699 cows, 184 loose cattle, 411 sheep, 141 pigs, 605 chickens, 37 cats, 82 dogs, 3 goats, 10 geese, 2 hives of bees, 8 doves and one crow. This company arrived in the Valley on Sept. 20th, 1848. John Jr. bought land on block 32, lot 4, on 6th east between 4th & 5th South. He spent most of his life doing work for the church. John Dalton also managed the Church's Farm while he lived in Salt Lake City.

The LDS Church Farm was so important to the pioneers of the Great Salt Lake Valley, because it was here that almost every able bodied man would donate some of his time working on the Farm in exchange for food and vegetables. The farm was located in the Sugerhouse area of SLC. John Dalton Jr. is listed as a member of the Mill Creek Ward (Source: Taken from a registry of names of persons residing in the various Wards as to Bishop's reports, GSL City, Dec, 28, 1852.)

In 1848, with the arrival of the last wagon train of the season, there were now approximately 5,000 Saints in the Valley. There were at least three forts built at this point. Each of these forts was about half a mile long and 40 rods wide. Within these forts, the Territory of Deseret was organized. The first legislature met here and the first school was taught. For safety purposes these forts is where all the Dalton's would spent their first winter in the Valley. In Feb. of 1849, the residents of the Territory organized a temporary government which they called the "State of Deseret". After many debates, in Sept. of 1850, an act of Congress created the "Territory of Utah." Congress did not make it a State because too many Southern States did not want another Anti-slavery State added to the union. Brigham Young was appointed Governor of the Territory. As far as we know John and Rebecca went immediately into one of these forts when they arrived and would live there for several months.

John Dalton Jr. and his family would make their first home in the Territory in the boundary of the Tenth Ward. In Dec. of 1848, three months after their arrival, John built his first home in that area.

On Jan. 14, 1849, Salt Lake City was divided into 17 Church Wards, each containing nine city blocks. The Dalton's were assigned land a few blocks east and south of the old fort.

“Each family received without cost a 1.25-acre city plot, one of eight in each 10-arce block. Men with plural wives could claim additional lots.” For protection, a fence was built around the Ward boundaries. 10th Ward records show:

“John Dalton, Edward Dalton, Charles Dalton, Henry Dalton donated, self and teams for two days work."  The 10th ward was in the Salt Lake Stake, later changed to the Liberty Stake.

Source: History of the LDS Church.

John’s first little cabin was in block 32, Lot 4, which bordered between fourth south and fifth south and between sixth east and seventh east. The other Dalton families settled next door, with Brother Charles on Lot 5, Harry Dalton on Lot 2 and Edward Dalton on Lot 3.

John’s brother Simon Cooker Dalton built his home on Block 40, Lot 5. His son Charles Wakeman Dalton was two doors away on Lot 7.

From the 10th ward records; Salt Lake City:

"...Meeting of the citizens of the 10th Ward, Bishop Pettingrew stated the object of meeting was to see who would work on the Bowery, or The Tabernacle, to prepare it for the conference and the work turned to tithing. Work done on the Bowery, John Dalton donated 100 feet of lumber and 20 feet of slabs. Charles Dalton donated 10 feet of slabs..."

"...In the fall of 1849, it was ordered by the Presidency of the Church that Parley P. Pratt with a company of 50 men, should explore the Southern part of the Territory, three of these 50, were Charles Wakeman Dalton, John Dalton Jr., and John D Lee.

Source: From the Book "The Pioneers of the Southwest and Rocky Mountain Regions". Vol. 5. by Joseph Fish - Pioneer (1840- 1926)

We find John Dalton Jr. in "Parowan, Iron Co. Utah in May of 1851, Where as:

On Friday, May 1851, the brethren met at the Council House at 9:00 o'clock, where William Davis was appointed chairman and James Lewis, clerk. We organized the City. The following Officers were unanimously selected: Mayor, Wm. H. Davis; Others, 9th Councilor, John Dalton. President Young gave some excellent instruction on government, entitled "Union is Power".

We think that John Dalton Jr. was still a member in good standing in the 10th Ward in Salt Lake City in Dec. of 1851. This 10th Ward record shows that he paid his tithing up.

"This certifies that John Dolton has paid his Property Tithing in full in accordance with vote of confidence, Sept. 10th, 1851. GSL City, Dec. 29th, 1851. W. Clayton, Recorder."

Also: "This certifies that John Dolton has paid his Labour Tithing in to Sept. 1st, 1851. GSL City, Dec. 29th, 1851. W. Clayton."

Source: Historian's Office Library; film, Tenth Ward, Salt Lake Stake, Records of Members 1851-1866. Historical Record 1849-1855.

John Dalton Jr. then sold his house in Salt Lake City and settled in Parowan, Iron Co. Utah.

Note: Some time in 1858, Zion Canyon was discovered by Nephi Johnson, John Dalton Jr., James Jennings and other Mormon pioneers, who rode up the canyon as far as present Zion Stadium. Source of this fact is mention is a few history books. If you visit Zion Canyon and view the film they show in the large theater, you will hear that only Nephi Johnson is named as the only discoverer of Zion Canyon.

John Dalton Jr. in Salt Lake City:

On orders from the Presidency of the Church: Nov. 10th, 1849:

“...On motion, resolved that an assistant supervisor of streets be appointed in each ward of the city, to repair and keep in repair the streets of the same, and the following persons were appointed assistant supervisor for their respective wards; to wit:

10th Ward: John Dalton Jr. (Others Listed)

Source; Book: "The State of Deseret"

The 1850 Utah census shows John and Rebecca living together. John had married his second wife, Ann Hodgkinson on May 19th 1850. Henry Dalton and his young wife were living next door.

John Dalton Jr. decided to follow the teachings of his church and practiced polygamy for the first time. Lets now list all of John Dalton's wife's and the children by each one;

Below is listed the wife's and all the children of each that we know by records passed on to us.

John Dalton Jr. & Rebecca Cranmer: Married January 21 1822, in Towanda, Bradford Co. Pa.

1. Ellen Dalton, born Sept. 6 1823 in Wysox, Pa.
2. Henry (Harry) Dalton, born Jan. 10 1825 in Wysox, Pa..
3. Edward Dalton, born March 23 1827 in Wysox, Pa.
4. Harvey Dalton, born in 1828 in Wysox, Pa.
5. Danial Henry Dalton, born March 3 1829 in Wysox, Pa.
6. Elizabeth Dalton, born 1831, in Wysox, Pa.
7. Amanda Delilah Dalton, born Oct. 10, 1832 in Wysox, Pa.
8. Sophia Milissa Dalton, born Jan. 22 1835 in Wysox, Pa.

John Dalton Jr. & Ann Elizabeth Hodgkinson: Married May 19, 1850, in SLC, Utah. There were no children.

John Dalton Jr. & Lydia Goldthwait Knight: Married August 13 1851, in SLC, Utah

1. Artimesia Dalton, born Jan. 22 1852 in SLC, Utah.

John Dalton Jr. & Ann Casbourne Williams: Married August 23 1856, in SLC, Utah.

1. Margaret Dalton, born July 11 1857 in SLC, Utah.
2. Mary Ann Dalton, born Oct. 11 1860 in SLC, Utah.
3. Jemima Dalton, born Nov. 15 1861 in SLC, Utah.
4. Mirian Dalton, born Feb. 1 1864 in Virgin City, Utah.
5. David William Dalton, born July 25 1868 in Virgin City, Utah.
6. Ellen Latisha Dalton, born Sept. 22 1872 in Rockville, Utah.

John Dalton Jr. & Letitia Williams: Married Nov. 1 1856, in SLC, Utah.

1. Zina D. Dalton, born June 12 1858 in SLC, Utah.
2. Aaron D. Dalton,born Dec. 30 1859 in SLC, Utah.
3. Orley Dalton, born April 18 1862 in East Mill Creek, Utah.
4. Rosilpha Dalton, born June 18 1864 in Virgin City, Utah.
5. George A. Dalton, born August 26 1866 in Virgin City, Utah.
6. Mary A. Dalton, born Feb. 10 1870 in Virgin City, Utah.
7. Hyrum Dalton, born July 2 1872 in Virgin City, Utah.

John Dalton Jr. & Mariann Catherine Gardiol: Married Feb. 1 1857, in SLC, Utah.

1. Jared Dalton, born Jan. 22 1858 in SLC, Utah.
2. John J. Dalton, born Nov. 11 1859 in SLC, Utah.
3. Melvina Dalton, born April 10 1861 in SLC, Utah.
4. Brigham Dalton, born Feb. 9 1863 in Parowan, Utah.
5. Lorenso Dalton, born Jan. 16 1865 in Virgin City, Utah.
6. Alonso Dalton, born Nov. 14 1867 in Virgin City, Utah.
7. Vilate Dalton, born April 27 1872 in Virgin City, Utah

Here is the names of John Dalton's children in order of birth.

1. Ellen, Sept. 6 1823, Wysox Pa.
2. Henry, Jan. 10 1825, Wysox Pa.
3. Edward, Mar. 1827, Wysox Pa.
4. Harvey Dalton, born in 1828 in Wysox, Pa.
5. Daniel, Mar. 3 1829, Wysox Pa.
6. Elizabeth Dalton, born 1831, in Wysox, Pa.
7. Amanda, Oct. 1832 ,Wysox Pa.
8. Sophia, Jan. 22 1835, Wysox Pa.
9. Artimesia, Jan. 22 1852, SLC Utah.
10. Margaret, July 11 1857, SLC Utah.
11. Jared, Jan. 22 1858, SLC Utah.
12. Zina, June 12 1858, SLC Utah.
13. John J., Nov. 11 1859, SLC Utah.
14. Aaron, Dec. 30 1859, SLC Utah.
15. Mary Ann, Oct. 11 1860, SLC Utah.
16. Melvina, April 10 1861, SLC Utah.
17. Jemima, Nov. 15 1861, SLC Utah.
18. Orley, April 1862, East Mill Creek Utah.
19. Brigham, Feb. 9 1863, Parowan, Utah.
20. Mirian, Feb. 1864, Virgin City Utah.
21. Rosilpha, June 18 1864, Virgin City Utah.
22. Lorenso, Jan. 16 1865, Virgin City Utah.
23. George, August 16 1866, Virgin City Utah.
24. Alonso, Nov. 14 1867, Virgin City Utah.
25. David, July 25 1868, Virgin City Utah.
26. Mary, Feb. 10 1870, Virgin City Utah.
27. Vilate, April 27 1872, Virgin City Utah.
28. Ellen, Sept. 22 1872, Rockville Utah.

So as you see from the above birth dates of John Dalton Jr. children, he lived is Wysox, SLC, East Mill Creek, Parowan, Virgin City and then Rockville, Utah.

If you look at the date of birth of John Dalton's last child, Sept. 22 1972, you will see he was a very old man of 71!

In the 1850 census, living in the same neighborhood with John and Rebecca was his brother, Charles, wife Mary and their first four children. Living next to them were Charles Wakeman Dalton, his wife Juliet and their family.

Sometime during this time John Dalton Jr. was appointed to manage the Church’s farm in the Sugarhouse area of SLC. John spent ten or eleven years off and on running this farm.

It was located where the present day Forest Dale Golf Course is at 7th South & 2400th, East.

The following notes about the Church farm were copied from a book at the Sons of the Utah Pioneers Library in SLC.

June 10, 1849 – the Bishops met in council and agreed to fence a field around the Church farm.

April 28, 1856 – It was a cool day in SLC. The California mail arrived at 3:40 PM. Brother Dalton of the Church farm reports that a worm, which he thinks is the wire worm, is destroying in large quantities of this years wheat.

August 13, 1862 – Results of election in SLC count farmer’s precinct – John Dalton was elected fence retriever. It appears the John Dalton Jr. managed the entire Church farm property in the name of Brigham Young, who of course held it for the church. The total acreage was 2,297 Acres.

On ward records of May 1852, John and his families are shown as belonging to the Mill Creek Ward. This was in the Sugarhouse area.

The 1860 Utah Census shows the John Dalton Jr. family living in Sugarhouse, about where the present 21st So. Highland Blvd. is. John is managing the Church farm there. John's property is valued at $2000.

• John Dalton age 58 born in Penn.
• Rebecca age 64 born in Penn.
• Letitia age 25 born in Wales
• Mary age 20 born in Italy
• Ann age 28 born in Eng.
• Susanna age 4
• Jared age 2
• John J.
• Aaron
• Mary Ann
• Zina

In the fall of 1862, John Dalton Jr. was called to the Cotton Mission in Southern Utah by Brigham Young to raise cotton. He settled in the little town of Virgin City. Virgin City was the first town site chosen on the Virgin River. The word, city was used in connection with the name of the river as a name of the town, to make it easier to designate which was which whenever it was recorded. It was called Pocketville by the Indians because it was situated in a low spot or hole on the bank of the Virgin River about twenty miles west of Zion Park in Washington County.

About 1864 John Dalton Jr. and half a dozen other men with their families settled on the north side of the Rio Virgin River, about a mile and a half above Virgin. They named this settlement Dalton, at the mouth of what become known as Dalton Wash. They still belonged to the Virgin Ward and cooperated with the Virgin people in building canals to their respective farms but were considered as a separate settlement. After two years the place had to be abandoned because of Indian troubles, and was never resettled.

Source: "Our Pioneer Heritage, Mormon Ghost Towns in Washington County

“Dalton” was the name of a small LDS settlement commenced about 1864 by John Dalton and half a dozen other men with their families on the north side of the Rio Virgin, about a mile and a half above Virgin City. The people were members of the Virgin Ward during the time they lived in the area. Some farming and ditching was done, but after about two years the place was abandoned because of Indian troubles, and has never been resettled. John Dalton, a Pennsylvania Dutchman, was with the company of pioneers that entered Salt Lake Valley in 1848. He moved to Parowan in 1851 and to Virgin in 1862, having been called to the Cotton Mission by Brigham Young.

In the 1870 Utah census for Kane Co. and town of Virgin, it is interesting to see that each of John Dalton Jr. wife’s had a place of their own and they were close together.

In 1872, between July and Sept. John moved his family to Rockville, Kane Co., Utah.

Sometime during this time Rebecca left John and moved to Annabella, Utah where she lived out the rest of her life. Rebecca Cranmer Dalton died in Dec of 1875 in Annabella, Piute Co., Utah.

On the 16th of April 1879 a company of men were called to explore the San Juan River Country. The company was named The San Juan Exploring Company. John Dalton Jr. was one of these men.

"On about the first of July, 1879, Silas S. Sudsbury, John Dalton Jr. George Urie, Robert Bullock and Dell McGreger went to Durango Colorado for provisions."

Source: History of Iron County Mission; by Luella Adams Dalton.

John Dalton Jr. later moved his family to Rockville, Washington County. Here he spent the remainder of his life raising his children. On February 5, 1885, he died of debility at the age of 84. He did not have one decayed tooth in his mouth. He was buried in the Rockville cemetery.

Washington County is located in the southwestern corner of Utah. The county was formed on March 3, 1852, by an act of the territorial legislature. It was named for George Washington. Harmony, one of the only settlements in the area at that time, was appointed as the first county seat. The first boundaries of Washington County stretched nearly 600 miles - the entire width of the territory. As the territory was settled the county boundaries changed several times and the county seat was later changed to St. George. The county achieved its present shape and size (2,422 square miles) in 1892. Washington County is bordered by Iron County to the north, Kane County to the east, Nevada to the west, and Arizona to the south. Most of the early residents of the county were Mormon Pioneers and the area was agricultural.

John Dalton Jr. and his family were members of the Rockville ward, Zion Park Stake, Washington Co., Utah, which consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in the little town of Rockville, and also in the village of Shonesburg. Rockville is situated in the narrow Rio Virgin Valley on the north banks of said stream. The farming land belonging to the settlement consists of narrow strips on both sides of the river, where the valley is scarcely a mile wide. The gardens and farms of Rockville are irrigated from the Rio Virgin and its North Fork. Rockville is 10 miles up the Rio Virgin from Virgin City, 20 miles southeast of Toquerville, 15 miles east of Hurricane, the stake headquarters, and 43 miles northeast of St. George. The people of Rockville have always had great trouble in controlling the waters of the Rio Virgin, in which they have built dams every year, which have been washed away just as regularly as they have been built, sometimes several dams in one season. Nevertheless Rockville can boast of the finest location for a town on that river. There are many comfortable private residences in Rockville, consisting of adobe, rock and lumber houses. Rockville is on the main highway leading to Zion Park. Rockville as a settlement dates back to 1861, when it was founded under the direction of the late Apostle Orson Pratt and John C. Hall. The first location made by the settlers was at a place named Adventure, but the present Rockville was selected and surveyed in 1862, and about a dozen L. D. S. families spent the winter of 1862–1863 at Rockville..."

SOURCE: Dalton, Rodney Garth (author and compiler); "From Knight's to Dreamers: The Journey of our Utah Dalton Family"; Retrieved online from http://www.daltondatabank.org/Chronicles/RDaltonBook/Chapter_1a_His...

Biographical Summary #2:

John Dalton joined the Mormon Church in Wisconsin and from there went to Nauvoo. He had blue eyes and black hair. Vocation--farmer and blacksmith. At the call for the Mormon Battalion, his two sons, Henry (Harry) and Edward and his nephew Henry Simon Dalton "whom he had raised" all joined the Battalion. This left John Dalton alone, with three teams of horses and loaded wagons without any drivers. He sent for President Brigham Young and turned the teams of horses and wagons and all that was in them over to him to use as he thought for the best. These fine horses were used by President Young on the first pioneer journey to Utah.

Before joining the Mormon Church, John Dalton was a great user of tea, coffee, and tobacco and always had a drink of whiskey after dinner as was the custom. After joining the church, he heard the prophets sermon on the word of wisdom and he laid his tobacco pipe, tea, coffee and whiskey on the shelf and never touched them again. He was 84 years old when he died and did not have one decayed tooth in his mouth. John and Charles Dalton had their endowment in the Nauvoo Temple. Rebecca Cranmer was a very intelligent and cultured woman and participated in all the trials and hardships of pioneer life with her husband.

John Dalton (brother of our great great grandmother, Jemima Dalton Vargason) (this account was written by Jane Daily Bauer to her sister, Constance Daily Eaton in a letter on 4/12/1986) was born July 10, 1801, Wyoming, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. His parents were John Dalton, Sr. and Elizabeth Cooker. The Dalton family moved to Bradford County and lived on a farm near the village of Wysox. He was a blacksmith and farmer.

On January 21, 1822, he married Rebecca Turner Cranmer at Towanda, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of John Cranmer and Ketura (----). It was in Wysox Township where their children were born and raised into their early years.

John Dalton and family moved to the territory of Wisconsin. It was in Wisconsin where he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon). He was baptised and confirmed by Moses Smith (not a relative of Joseph Smith), in July, 1838.

Sometime before 1843, John Dalton and family, with his brothers Simon, Harry, Charles and nephew, Henry Simon Dalton, moved to Nauvoo, Illinois. John Dalton assisted in the building of the Nauvoo Temple. Having good horses and wagons, he hauled materials for the building of the temple. John Dalton and his wife Rebecca Cranmer were endowed in the Nauvoo Temple, January 5, 1846.

He and his family crossed the plains to Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1848, in Brigham Young's company.

In January of 1851, under the leadership of apostle George A. Smith, John Dalton and family and Charles W. Dalton helped colonize Parowan, Iron County, Utah. In the early part of the eighteen fifties, President Brigham Young called John Dalton to be the manager of the church farm about 4 miles south of Salt Lake City in the sugar house district. Here he is mentioned by The Utah Historical Quarterly, volume 10--1942, pages 188-191, November, 1856.

John Dalton was a polygamist. He married the following wives:

1. Rebecca Turner Cranmer, January 21, 1822.

2. Ann Hodgkinson, May 19, 1850. There were no children born to this marriage and it only lasted for a few weeks. Her husband had gone to California. On reliable but mistaken information he was reported to have been killed. Mr. Hodgkinson, however, returned to Utah and again took his wife.

3. Lydia Knight, August 13, 1851. She was a former wife of Newell Knight. In 1861 she did not return to Dixie County with John Dalton.

4. Ann Casbourne, August 24, 1856.

5. Letitia Williams, November 1, 1856.

6..Marianne Catherine Gardiol, February 1, 1857.

In 1861 President Brigham Young called on John Dalton to fulfill a mission for life in the Dixie Mission of Utah. In 1862 John Dalton and four of his wives moved to southern Utah and settled first at Virgin and later at Rockville, Washington County, Utah. Here he spent the remainder of his life raising his children. On February 5, 1885, he died of debility and age. He was buried in Rockville Cemetery. (Until 1865 Virgin and Rockville were in Kane County. After 1865 Virgin and Rockville became part of Washington County, Utah.)

In the records in Salt Lake City, members of John Dalton's family had other members of his family (Jemima was one) endowed. John Dalton was part of a party of men who discovered what would eventually be called Zion Canyon in Utah. They helped to set up a pioneer settlement in the canyon where they kept cattle.

One of John Dalton's nephews was killed by a mob in Parowan, Utah for his religious beliefs (practicing polygamy after the anti-polygamy Law was passed). The townspeople later raised a stone monument for the grave of Edward Meeks Dalton in the Parowan, Utah, Cemetery.

This book constantly refers to this family as being tall, gray-eyed or blue-eyed with coal black hair, the men standing over six feet tall and the women being all over five feet six inches tall. It also refers to the men and women as being fearless, willing to work hard, and willing to stand for their convictions, which they most certainly must have had to do by embracing the Mormon religion at that time.

SOURCE: Dalton, Mark; John Dalton Book of Genealogy chapter 17.

Additional Sources:

History of the Church, Vol. 7, Ch. 38, p.564.

Heber C. Kimball Journal.

Thomas Bullock Journal, BYU Studies Vol. 31, No 1.

From the History of the Dalton's; Charles Dalton, A Book by Leslie Crunk.

From research and personal Dalton Family Histories; by Rodney G Dalton.

From writings of Hannah Daphne Smith Dalton.

From a book by Lloyd, Murry & Sally Dalton. The History of John Dalton Jr. 1801 – 1885;

The second Son of John Dalton Sr. & Elizabeth Cooker.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jan 14 2017, 21:19:30 UTC

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GEDCOM Source

@R750458292@ Family Data Collection - Individual Records Edmund West, comp. Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. Birth year: 1801; Birth city: Wyoming; Birth state: PA. http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=genepool&h=3020109&ti=0&indiv... Birth date: 10 July 1801 Birth place: Wyoming, Luzerne, PA Death date: 5 January 1885 Death place: Rockville, Wash, UT Marriage date: 26 January 1822 Marriage place: Towanda, Bradford, PA 1,4725::3020109

GEDCOM Source

@R750458292@ Family Data Collection - Individual Records Edmund West, comp. Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. Birth year: 1801; Birth city: Wyoming; Birth state: PA. http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=genepool&h=3020109&ti=0&indiv... Birth date: 10 July 1801 Birth place: Wyoming, Luzerne, PA Death date: 5 January 1885 Death place: Rockville, Wash, UT Marriage date: 26 January 1822 Marriage place: Towanda, Bradford, PA 1,4725::3020109

GEDCOM Source

@R750458292@ Family Data Collection - Individual Records Edmund West, comp. Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. Birth year: 1801; Birth city: Wyoming; Birth state: PA. http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=genepool&h=3020109&ti=0&indiv... Birth date: 10 July 1801 Birth place: Wyoming, Luzerne, PA Death date: 5 January 1885 Death place: Rockville, Wash, UT Marriage date: 26 January 1822 Marriage place: Towanda, Bradford, PA 1,4725::3020109

GEDCOM Source

@R750458292@ Ancestry Family Trees Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=108375933&pi...

He abandoned Lydia Knight after one child and went to Parowan, Utah, and had a large family there. Brigham Young gave Lydia a temple divorce before she Married James McClellan. James was the third Stake President of Payson, Utah. They had 4 children.