Orville Sutherland Cox

Biographical Summary:

"...Cox, Orville Sutherland, Bishop of the Bountiful Ward, South Davis Stake, Utah, in 1849, was born Nov. 25, 1814, in the state of New York. He was ordained a Bishop in 1849. He died July 4, 1888.

ORVILLE SUTHERLAND COX was of large stature. He was a frontiersman, forester, lumberman, blacksmith, and natural born engineer. Also a surveyor and irrigator, 40 ditches and 14 towns owe some part of their existence to him. His father died when he was 15. He became an apprentice to a blacksmith who was also a Deacon. The arrangement his mother had made fell through and he didn't receive anything he was supposed to for the training. He was treated very badly and ran away after three years. After that, between 1835 and 38 he helped the Texans that were fighting for independence from Mexico. He was a pioneer to the Muddy in Arizona, captain of the minute men during the Walker Indian Wars, a member of the Nauvoo Legion Brass Band, as well as several other things. He had three wives, Elvira Pamelia Mills, Mary Elizabeth Allen, and Eliza Jane Losee. He came to Utah with the Charles C. Rich Company on October 23, 1847. He was baptized October, 6, 1839. They lived in Manti, and helped settle it. They also lived in Huntington and Orderville Utah and Overton Nevada. He was the first Bishop of the Bountiful ward and was a bishop's counselor. Cox, Orville S., Migrated to Utah in 1847 Roster found in Heart Throbs of the West, Volume 8, Pages 401-448..."

SOURCE: LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, Andrew Jenson, Vol. 4, p.621

Additional Biographical Summaries

"...Orville Sutherland Cox, the fifth son of Jonathan Upham Cox, was born November 25, 1814. He was very young when his father died, so he was bound out to a blacksmith to learn the trade. His master, Deacon Jones, was to send him to school three months of the year and properly raise him, but he was very severe, broke his agreement, loaned him no tools, and taught him nothing. The women had a dairy but they would not even let him have milk, which he loved. They made him tend the charcoal pits constantly. Orville stayed with them three years, but felt that his life was unbearable slavery and determined to leave them at the first opportunity, with his mother's knowledge, if not her consent. The Deacon had official business that would take him away from home all day, so the boy decided this was the time to put long distances between him and the Deacon. He traveled as fast as he could to the river Schenango, and followed along it until he found a hollowed-out log that served as a boat. With makeshift paddles he started down the stream. As night came on he was horrified to find that the log was filling with water and in danger of sinking at any moment. Luckily, he found an old keller or butter tub that he could use to bail out the water and keep afloat. Knowing his danger he kept near the shore so that if it sank he could swim ashore. Next morning he was tired out from bailing and rowing. When a man hailed him and asked to be taken along he said, "Yes, if you will bail." So they went along together to where the Schenango and the Schoolkill rivers joined. There, there was a boat landing and a steamboat about ready to leave. Using all their remaining strength they caught the boat and Orville climbed aboard. The man called after him, "What shall I do with your boat?" and he answered back, "Let 'er sink." So he made his way to one of his brother who was logging for a lumber company.

Orville went to Far West in 1837. When driven from there, he located in the Morley Settlement near Lima, Illinois. Here he met his wife, a Mormon girl. He was not one, and declared he did not propose to turn Mormon to get a wife; if she married him she must marry a gentile. They were married October 3, 1839 in Father Whiting's house. On the 6th they visited Nauvoo, twenty miles away where he was baptized by the Prophet Joseph. So it did not take his girl-wife long to convert him. He was a forester, lumberman, a brave frontiersman, a splendid blacksmith, a well engineer and a natural genius. They have a large posterity of stalwart sons and daughters scattered through Utah and Idaho to carry on their work and name..."

SOURCE: http://www.edmundrichardson.com/histories/FrederickWalterCox/

Treasures of Pioneer History: Vol 1 Pioneer Humor The United Order in Ordersville, Kane County The pioneers of Orderville who had previously settled on the Muddy, encountered a great deal of quicksand in the Virgin River, of which the Muddy is a branch, which they had to cross many times. Orville S. Cox made the following remark in a speech he made at the 60th anniversary of the settlement of Long Valley. "There was quicksand under the water and on the land, but under the water it was the quickest." This story of the big plow illustrates the ingenuity of Orville S. Cox's ditch making as told by the old settlers of Fairview. When the ditch that was afterwards called "city ditch" was first laid out all the men and boys were required to work on it everyday as it was spring and they must get it done before time for the fields to be plowed and planted. There was a rocky point at the head of the ditch to cut through that was about as hard as cement. The men turned out with plows, picks, crow-bars and shovels; but they found [p.410] they could not use the plow so they started prying the gravel loose with picks and crow-bars. This proved to be very slow work that would have taken weeks to complete.' Mr. Cox looked on at the men working and sweating but never offered to help and soon turned and walked away. One of the men remarked, "Well, I did not think Cox was that kind of a fellow." His going discouraged the rest of them, but still they plugged away. The next morning, Mr. Cox appeared on the scene with six or eight yoke of oxen hitched to a new kind of plow?one of Cox's own making. It was a big pitch pine log from 14 to 18 feet long with a limb jutting out from it like the thumb on a man's hand. He had bored a hole through the log with a crow-bar, down in front of the knob and crossways along the log. Back of the limb he had bored holes and put stout oak sticks through for spikes. They were the plow handles and he had eight men get hold of these handles and hold the plow level. He then loaded a crowd of men along the log and spoke to his oxen. "Great Scott, ye arter seen the gravel fly! and ye arter heard us fellers laugh and holler. Well, siree, he plowed up and down the ditch line four or five times and that ditch was practically made. All that the rest of us had to do was to shovel out the loose stuff. He did more in half a day than all the rest of us could have done in six weeks."

Heart Throbs of the West, Kate B. Carter, Vol.9, p.25
—Files of Daughters of Utah Pioneers.
Orville S. Cox, Pioneer

Orville S. Cox, being a thorough frontiersman, lumberman, a splendid blacksmith and a natural born engineer, was instrumental in helping the saints with getting their outfits ready for the western trek in 1847. Leaving Nauvoo with the last of the Mormon exiles, he crossed Iowa and settled at Pisgah, where he served as counselor to Lorenzo Snow, President of Pisgah. In his devoted attachment to Lorenzo Snow he was enthusiastic, also to Father Morley, where he had lived in Morley Settlement, and would follow their leadership anywhere.

An incident that illustrates the pioneer life of 1845-6 is told in the story of the "Last March." In the winter of 1845-6 Orville S. Cox and two Whiting boys, cousins of his wife, Elvira, went from Pisgah with ox teams and wagons down into Missouri with a load of chairs to sell, which Whitings had manufactured. Being successful in disposing of their chairs, and securing a load of bacon and corn. They were almost home when an Iowa blizzard, or hurricane or cyclone or all in one, struck them. They had no modern tornado cellars to flee into and no manner of shelter of any kind. The cold was intense. The wind came from every direction. They were all skilled backwoodsmen and knew they were very close to their homes, but they also knew that they were hopelessly lost in that swirling wind and snow. They and their oxen were freezing and their only hope in life was in making a fire and camping where they were. Everything was wet and under the snow. At first they unyoked the oxen, that they might find some sort of shelter for themselves. Then with frost, bitten fingers they sought in the darkness and storm for dry fuel. The best they found was damp and poor enough—and then for a match. Only three in the crowd, and no such matches as we have in these days either. Inside a large wooden bucket in which they fed grain they carefully laid their kindling. Then turning another bucket over it to keep out the falling snow and hugging close over to keep the wind out, they lifted the top bucket a little and one of the Whiting boys struck a precious match. It flickered, blazed a moment against the kindling and was puffed out by a draft of wind. Another match was taken and it died almost before it flared. Only one match remained to save three men from certain death. Their fingers were so numb they could not feel and very minute increased the numbness.

"Let Orville try. He is steadier than we," they said. So Orville, keenly sensing his responsibility took the tiny splinter of wood, struck the spark; it caught, it blazed and the fire lived and grew! Soon a roaring blaze was swirling upward. When the storm broke and light appeared they found themselves only a few rods from their home fences.

For some reason, probably that Orville had a wife and two children and also due to the fact that he was a blacksmith and wheelwright, he was not in the Battalion draft. He was very busy manufacturing wagons which the saints needed badly. It was told of him that he found a linch pin and said, "I'll just make a wagon to fit that pin." He prepared as good and serviceable an outfit as his limited means would allow for the long journey to the mountains. Two home-made wagons without brakes, as brakes were not needed on the eastern end of the journey; two yoke of oxen, three yoke of cows, a box of chickens on the back of the wagon, a wife and two children with bedding and food, was the outfit that started across the plains the last of June 1847, singing the song: "In the spring we'll take our journey, all to cross the grassy plains."

He traveled in the hundred of Charles C. Rich, known as the "Artillery Company." Cox was captain of one of the Tens.

One evening at camping time, 4:00 p.m., a herd of buffaloes were sighted about two miles away. The people were very hungry for a piece of fresh beef, so father and one companion shouldered their guns, snatched their percussion caps and powder horns and started to try a hunter's luck. About sunset they got their steak. With a generous load of the best cuts from the buffalo they started for camp. On and on they went. What they thought was a two mile stretch lengthened and their loads of meat grew heavier and heavier. They began to think they were lost, but the camp fires and stars told them they were going in the right direction. Finally they decided to fire their guns. This filled the camp with alarm, lest the hunters were in danger. Two or three men rushed away in the darkness to give aid and fired their guns to locate the hunters. Several shots brought them together. "Help us with this grub pile," they said. Help was given. They reached camp at eleven o'clock. The next morning all in the camp had a feast of fresh meat.

After leaving the Platte River while traveling along the Sweetwater River the company met General Kearney and his company of Battalion scouts with their illustrious prisoner, the great pathfinder John C. Fremont. With Fremont's guards were Sylvester Hulet, and Amos Cox. They had traveled many weary months in an unknown lonely country and C. C. Rich's company were also travel-weary. To thus meet relatives and friends so unexpectedly was an unspeakable joy to both parties. Now the Battalion men heard from their families left in Iowa for the first time in more than a year. And tears of joy and of sorrow were freely mingled. A daughter of Amos had died. Sylvester's wife had gone to New York where the Whitmores, her father-in-law and her brothers, lived; so he decided to return to the Rocky Mountains with the pioneers and Kearney gave him his discharges. Amos Cox continued with the prisoner to Fort Leavenworth, where he received his honorable discharge, and then went to his waiting family in Iowa.

The pioneer company continued on westward. At Green River, Bridger's Station, they met pioneers who had reached Great Salt Lake Valley and made a start toward a new home and were now returning to the camps in Iowa with more definite knowledge and instructions to impart to those who were to come to the mountains next year. They told this company many things regarding the way that lay before them and it was a great relief to know that they were nearing their destination. From now on the mountains were on every side, frowning cliffs looked ready to fall on and crush the poor foot-sore travelers, for people raised on the plains are part to have a shuddering of such sights. C. C. Rich's artillery company rolled into the valley of the Great Salt Lake in October, 1847. They were only two or three days behind Jedediah M. Grant's company of one hundred.

Being expert in the handling of lumber, Cox was immediately sent into the canyon for logs. Houses must now be built. Among other timbers, he brought down a magnificent specimen of a pine for a "liberty pole," which he assisted in raising in the city. One had been raised on Ensign Peak before winter in Salt Lake Valley. Heart Throbs of the West, Kate B. Carter, Vol.9, p.27 —Adelia B. Cox Sidwell.

www.oscox.org

Additional Listing

www.geni.com/profile/index/6000000000628700271

{{{ The following was taken from: [http://oscox.org/oscox/amoscox.html]

By 1863 most, if not all, of Orville's family had moved to Fairview. On 20 Feb that same year Mary had a second son Theadore. When Fairview was just being settled, a ditch was needed to bring water to the land. Several stories about the Big Plow built by Orville have been told, but this one by Pappas Brady of Fairview, an eye witness is the best:

The Big Plow

"When the ditch was first laid out that was afterward called City Ditch, every man and boy was called on to come and work on it every day till it would carry water.

   This was in the spring and it had to be finished before the fields were ready to be plowed and planted. The men turned out well with teams, plows, picks, crowbars and shovels. There was a rocky point at the head of the ditch to be cut through, and it was hard pan, about like cement. Couldn't be touched by plow, no-siree! No more than nothing. We was just prying the gravel loose with picks and crowbars, and looked like it would take us weeks to do six rods. Yes, six weeks! Cox looked at us sweating, working and never offered to lift a finger. No sir! Never done a tap; just looked and then without saying a word he just turned around and walked off! Yes, sir, walked off! Well, of all the mad bunch of men you ever saw, I guess we was about the maddest. Of course, we didn't swear; we was Mormons and the Bishop was there, but we watched him go and one of the men says, Well, I didn't think Cox was that sort of feller. His going discouraged the rest of us, just took the heart out of us. But of course we plugged away pretending to work the rest of the day, and dragged back the next morning.

   We weren't near all there when here came Cox. I don't just remember whether it was four yoke of oxen, six, or eight. For I was just a boy. But it was a long string and they was every one a good pulling ox, and they was hitched to a plow, a plumb new kind. Yes sir, a new kind of plow. It was a great big pitch pine log, about fourteen feet long, and may have been eighteen, with a limb sticking down. Like as if my arm and hand was the log, and my thumb was the limb. He had bored a hole through the log, and put a crowbar down in front of the knob; and crossways along the log back of the limb he bored holes and put stout oak sticks through for spikes. They was the plow handles, and he had eight men get hold of them handles and hold the plow level, and he loaded a bunch of men along on that log, and then he spoke to his oxen.

   Great Scott! Ye oter seen the gravel fly and ye oter seen us fellers laugh and holler. Well, sir, he plowed up and down that ditch four or five times and that ditch was made, practically made. All that the rest of us had to do was shovel out the loose stuff; he done more in half a day than all the rest of us could have done in six weeks.

   Why didn't he tell us his plan the first thing, so we wouldn't be so discouraged and hate him so? Why, cause we knew it wouldn't do a mite of good to talk. He wasn't the Bishop; and even if he had been, plans like that would be hooted at by half the fellers. No, Siree! His way was the best. Just shut up and do, and when a bunch of men see a thing a workin they believe. Yes, Sir, seein is believing. }}}

The same website says that Orville was baptized by Joseph Smith at Nauvoo.

Old King Cole

"Old King Cole" was more than a nursery rhyme -he was a real person, and had a hand in shaping world history. King Coel, (that is the correct way to spell his name) was the 56 great grandfather of Orville Sutherland Cox. Here is the story. At the time Jesus was crucified, some of the Jews talked of killing Lazarus who was raised from the dead by Jesus. (John 12: 10) About the time they stoned Stephen, the Jews put Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha, Joseph of Arimathea and his daughter Anna on a ship without a rudder, oars, or sails, and turned it loose on the Mediterranean Sea.

Joseph of Arimathea was a brother to Heli, the father of Mary and grandfather of Jesus (Luke 3:23). Jesus was buried in Joseph's tomb.

The rudderless ship floated westward past Italy, then northward and landed at Marseille, France (then called Gaul). Some of them remained in southern France and Spain. Others walked northwest across France and crossed to Great Britain, at that time all part of the Roman Empire. Britain was divided into several kingdoms. One of the kings married Anna.

The Reader's Digest reported that the cobblestone foundation of the Christian Church Joseph built has been located near London.

A third great grandson of Anna was Coel, King of Colechester in southwest England about 275 AD. He is the widely known "Old King Cole, a merry old soul!" At that time the Roman Armies had been in England for over 200 years. Coel knew he could not conquer them with the sword, so he used music. He had 3 Fiddlers and he played the pipes -Scotchbag pipes, perhaps ? (King Coel did not smoke a pipe, because tobacco was not introduced into England until 1000 years later).

The Roman Officers liked to hear Coel's music. When the Roman Commander-in-Chief visited Colechester, he visited the King's palace. There he saw King Coel's beautiful Christian daughter, Helena, and married her. When their son Constantine became Emperor of Rome, he passed a law for everyone to become Christians. You might say King Coel with his music converted the world to Christianity.

-Orville Cox Day

The Encyclopedia Britannica Coel Hen ancestors and about Coel Hen talks about 3 Coels, with 'The Old" being about 200 years later than "The Magnificent" described above. I find no information to contradict the details of O. C. Day's information, just that the nursery rhyme was about the later Coel Hen, "The Old". C. T. Cox January 2008

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