Louisa Harper

Harvey John and Louisa Park Harper · 31 October 2014 · 0 Comments GENEALOGICAL AND HISTORICAL MAGAZINE Mormon Pioneering and Settlements in the Salt River Valley. (Continued from January 1932, Number)

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF HARVEY JOHN AND LOUISA PARK HARPER, WIFE By Their Daughter Louisa B. Harper Rogers

Harvey J. Harper and wife and family, who arrived in the Salt River Valley January 1, 1887, were pioneers from birth and all through the rest of their lives. They were Utah pioneers of 1847 and Arizona pioneers of 1880.

My mother, Louisa Park Harper, was born December 13, 1846, at winter Quarters, Nebraska. Her parents were John Park and Louisa Smith Park. My Grandmother, Louisa Smith was of English decent, born June 24, 1818, at Farenhorn, Kent County, England, and emigrated with her parents in 1829 to Canada. My mothers father, John Park, as a young man came from Scotland to Canada, met Louisa Smith, and they were married early in 1840. Soon after this event they both accepted the Gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and decided to gather with the saints in the West. They left Canada in 1846 with two wagons and four yoke of oxen. They passed through Nauvoo and joined the saints at Winter Quarters, Nebraska, where they spent the winter of 1846-1847. At this place my mother was born, she being the fourth child. The three children preceding her were girls, Jane, Mary Ann and Marion. They left Winter Quarters in the Spring of 1847 together with the saints in John Taylor’s company under the leadership of President Brigham Young.

Upon their arrival in the Great Salt Lake Valley in 1847 they built a log cabin on the Old Fort Square now known as Pioneer Square. They had lived up to this time since leaving Canada in their wagon. After living in the Old Fort for two winters they were called in 1849 by Pres. Brigham Young with other Saints to settle on Provo River having at this time but very little to live upon and but scant clothing. The Indians were very hostile and the saints were compelled to build a fort for protection for themselves and their property. The Indians were so nervy they would carry away everything they could get their hands on. At one time they stole a bunch of cattle, which they drove away so fast and far that they became overheated and died. My grandfather, John Park, and others followed the Indians and recovered the carcasses of the cattle. Out of the hides my grandfather made shoes and from the tallow they made candles which furnished light for the home.

My grandfather engaged in farming, growing all kinds of food stuffs as well as flax for clothing. He was a weaver in Scotland, which was a great help to himself and family, as well as his neighbors in the new country. After growing flax the fiber was obtained by submerging the stalks in water until the fibers would separate, after which it was dried and beaten up fine and then spun into a thread by my grandfather on a spinning wheel. This thread was then made into cloth on a loom. An old burr mill, also a hand mill, were used to grind their wheat, which was left whole and was very wholesome.

The girls took an active part in those labors. They could cook, spin, grind the meal, sew or could hook up a span of horses or a yoke of oxen as good as a man. They could plow, harrow and haul wood. They also went to school when the opportunity afforded. At this time sweets were very hard to get. My grandmother made syrup from the juices of watermelons and squash boiled down. They also gathered honey dew or manna from bushes growing n the river bank, washed off the dew and boiled it into syrup. My grandmother was a school teacher in Canada and took a great interest in educational matters. She was a wonderful cook and was a real homebuilder, and was also a good church worker. She took an active part in Relief Society work in Provo and raised a large family, six girls and five boys. At one time her health became very delicate. Her strength became almost exhausted, but was partly restored by a good cup of tea which my grandfather procured at that time for one dollar a drawing. Teas was very scarce.

There was great excitement when Johnson’s army entered the valley. The family, along with their neighbors, were determined to defend their homes and their families. This army, while appearing to be a menace, was a blessing in disguise, for the people in the valley found ready market for all their supplies produced and were able to trade for all kinds of provisions, clothing and work animals.

My grandmother said, “I have seen the light of the obscured by millions of grasshoppers that were devouring all the crops and the great flocks of sea gulls that came and devoured them and thus saved the crops and the people were saved from starvation. I now regard Johnson’s army and the sea gull episode, along with other things showing the overruling provisions of God in protecting the saints from starvation and also bringing provisions and clothing into the valley for the benefit of the settlers. My faith in god and the Gospel of Mormonism has been strengthened by the experience we have had and I feel thankful that I have experiences”. So says Louisa Park Smith and Louisa Park Harper our greatest difficulties and hardships prove a blessing in disguise