Jonathan Socwell Page, Sr

Biographical Summary #1:

Jonathan Socwell Page Sr. was born 4 June 1833 near Newport, Cumberland County New Jersey. His father was Daniel Page and his mother was Mary Socwell. Jonathan was of Scotch descent on his father's side (His great grandfather came to America about the year 1770 and settled in Newport, David Page). On his mother's side, he was of English descent (His mother's father, Jonathan Socwell, came to America in the latter part of the 18th century and also settled in Newport).

Through the financial panic of 1837, Jonathan's father lost his property and was reduced in circumstances, which caused the family to break up for a time. They moved from New Jersey to Pennsylvania, where the mother, to support the family went to work in a cotton factory with her eldest children, while the father went west to hunt a home for the family.

Jonathan, the youngest son (about 4 years old) was taken under guardianship of a Baptist Deacon (Gabriel Hall - whose wife was a Sheppard family relative) who resided in Greenwich, Cumberland County, New Jersey. He was a farmer and Jonathan was brought up in the farming life.

Meanwhile, his father going west, met the Mormons in the southern part of Illinois, as they came out of Missouri in their exodus from that state, and joined them and went up to Nauvoo, then known as Commerce, early in 1840. After a while he returned East and joined his wife in Pennsylvania and in about the year 1843 the family returned to their native State and place. The mother and her elder children having joined the church, in the spring of 1850, started with family west to join the Saints and arrived at Kanesville in the month of May. Here the family remained until the spring of 1852.

Jonathan remained with his gaurdian Mr. Hall until he was about fifteen years of age, when he went home to his parents. In August, 1850, he was baptised into the Mormon church, by Elder Bartholmew. He started to Utah in the spring of 1852 crossing the plains in an oxen team and arriving in Salt Lake City on the 3rd of September. His family also came the same year. He stayed a few weeks and worked on a farm, then moved to Provo and worked on the Sugar Factory and moved to Santaquin the following winter, to which place the family also moved the same year. There he stayed until the breaking out of the Indian war, in Southern Utah known as the Walker War. Santaquin being small and not considered safe, was broken up for a while in July 1853 and all the settlers moved to Payson.

After the temporary abandonment of the settlement, the settlers from time to time returned to Santaquin to harvest their crops. On the 20th of Sep, Jonathan, with eight or ten others while engaged in harvesting their corn and potatoes, were attacked by about fifty Indians. Ferna F. Tindall was killed and 5 yoke of cattle were killed or driven off.

He went to Salt Lake City in June 1854 to live and worked for Samuel Mulliner, in the tanning and currying business. In Augues 1855, he married Mary Leaver, second daughter of Samuel and Mary Ann Leaver. She was born in Brooklyn, State of New York, August 26, 1837. Her parents joined the church in New York, under the preaching of Apostle Parley P. Pratt, in March 1840.

In Sep 1856, Jonathan S. Page, with his wife and child left Salt Lake City for Payson, where they stayed about 3 months, when they moved to Santaquin and remained till July 1858. Meantime the Buchanan War had occurred and he went out with the Utah Militia in the Echo Canyon Campaign. In July 1858, he moved his family to Payson and for several years carried on in his place quite an extensive business.

During his public service in Utah County he has been connected with the Militia of Payson and the county as Captain of Infantry, Captain of Cavalry, and Major of Cavalry, he took an active part in all the Indian difficulties of Southern Utah. Was in the field under General D. H. Wells, in charge of 60 monuted men in the Sanpete, Sevier and Piute Counties in the Black Hawk War in 1866. He held this office as Major of Cavalry at the time of the Proclamation of Governor Shafter, forbidding the arming and drilling of Utah Militia.

His elected public offices included:

• City Councilor (elected 1861)
• Alderman (elected 1867)
• Mayor (re-elected 1877 (do not know when first elected) – served this term 4 years and retired at his own request)
• City Councilor (elected 1881)
• Selectman of Utah County (elected 1875, held this office for 15 years)
• Member of Utah Legislature (elected 1881 and 1883) Was eligible for service in the state under the Edmunds Bill
• Member of Territorial Board of Equalization (Elected 1888) Visited different parts of the territory.
• Member of 2 conventions to frame a state constitution to ask for admission to the Union.

Business activities:

• Superintendent of Payson Cooperative Institution
• One of the directors and vice president from its starting in 1869.
• In 1891 he started merchandising for himself.
• Owned and operated a steam-saw mill in Payson Canyon with T. G. Wimmer.

Church activities:

• Councilor to Bishop of Payson (at least 8 years)
• Superintendent of Sunday School 25 years.

Jonathan Socwell Page and his only wife, Mary, had 13 children. His wife died in March 1896. Jonathan died 15 Ocotober 1924 at Payson, Utah at the age of 91.

• In his autobiography, Jonathan says “I was elected a member of the city council in 1862 and continued in office as councilor, alderman and mayor for 20 years, during part of this time I held the office of Justice of the Peace for Payson Precinct.

SOURCE: Unknown.

Biographical Summary:

Jonathan was about four years old when he went to live with a Baptist minister, and later worked on a farm until he was 15. His parents were working in different places trying to make a living.

When his family finally got back together, his parents had joined the Church. Jonathan lived with them until 1948. He was baptized also. He left with this family in 1850 to go west.

After arriving in the Valley, they soon moved to Payson. In 1855 eh met Mary Leaver and they were married. She and her family had come west in 1852. They lived for a time in Salt Lake, but later moved to Santaquin where Jonathan supported his family by hauling wood from the Canyons.

In 1857, he was made a captain and participated in the Echo Canyon War. In 1859 they moved to Payson where Jonathan worked at a tannery. He later owned and operated his own tannery, a saddle and harness shop. Later he owned a steam mill in Payson, was superintendant of the Payson co-op, and later operated his own merchandising business in Payson.

He served in the Black Hawk Indian War, was Justice of the Peace, county commissioner, and was a state representative and senator. He was mayor Payson, patriarch in the LDS Church and was involved in political and church positions all his life. He was 91 when he died.

SOURCE: “Stalwart Mormon Pioneers, Conquerors of the West” Sons of the Utah Pioneers.

Letter:

Payson March 25th 1888

Mr. Corson Socwell

Dear Friend

I received your welcome letter on the 16th of March and was more than pleased to get it and learn that we were related. My mother's name, maiden name, was Mary Socwell an own sister of Sherrod Socwell. So you and I must be second cousins. My name is Jonathan Socwell Page. I was named after my grandfather Jonathan Socwell. I was born at Newport in Cumberland County, June the 4th, 1833 and will be 55 years old on the 4th day of next June. My family moved from NJ in the spring of 1850. I was then 17 years old. The family consisted of my father, mother, three brothers and four sisters. We went to Iowa, where the family lived until the spring of 1852. We then crossed the plains to Utah where I have resided to the present time. My father and mother still living. My brothers live in Utah, one sister in Arizona and one in Idaho. One of my sisters died in Illinois, the other in Mexico. [did he mean New Mexico???] I was married when 22 years old. We have 13 children all living. Have 2 sons and 3 daughters married. Have 13 grandchildren all living. So you see you have quite extensive relations. I am merchandizing. Live in the city of Payson, 65 miles south of Salt Lake City on the Utah Central Railroad. Population of Payson about 3,000. People live mostly by farming and steer raising and people are generally prosperous. We have a very good country. Healthy climate. Come out and see me. Should any of your friends visit this country tell them to stop and see me. Write soon.

From your cousin,

J. S. Page

SOURCE: Letter, Added by kittyletourneau123 on 24 Nov 2007

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• Residence: District 21, Pottawattamie, Iowa - 1850
• Residence: Payson, Utah, Utah Territory, United StatesPayson, Utah, Utah, United States - June 1870
• Census: 1880 - Payson, Utah, Utah, USA
• Residence: Payson, Utah, Utah, United States - 1880
• Residence: ED 161 Payson Precinct Payson city Ward 1-2, Utah, Utah, United StatesED 161 Payson Precinct Payson city Ward 1-2, Utah, Utah, United States - 1900
• Residence: Payson Ward 3, Utah, Utah - 1910
• Residence: Payson Ward 3, Utah, Utah - 1920
  • Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: May 23 2019, 14:21:40 UTC