William Henry Deuel, Sr.

William Henry Deuel, son of Lewis Deuel and Mary Barton, was born 1 January 1812 at Greenfield, Saratoga County, New York. He married Eliza Avery Whiting (14 October 1819 Guilford, Windham County, Vermont - 20 December 1872 Centerville, Davis County, Utah Territory), daughter of Nathaniel Whiting and Ida Mercy Young, on his 25th birthday, 1 January 1837 Freedom, Cattaraugus, New York; she was 18. They were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, emigrated to Utah Territory in 1847 with one of the first pioneer wagon trains to arrive in the Great Salt Lake Valley, and had ten children. William Henry Deuel, Sr., died 30 April 1891 at Escalante, Garfield County, Utah.

Marriage and Children

1. William Henry Deuel married Mary Carpenter in 1836; she died later that year.
2. He and Eliza Avery Whiting were married 1 January 1837 at Freedom, Cattaraugus, New York. They had the following children:
   1. Joseph Merritt Deuel, d.s.p. (1839 - 1839)
   2. Alonzo Merritt Deuel, d.s.p. (1840 - 1842)
   3. Minerva Adaline Deuel (1843 - 1873)
   4. Mercy Ann Dueuel (b. 1845)
   5. William Henry Deuel, Jr. (1848 - 1912)
   6. Lewis Deuel (1851 - 1929)
   7. Eliza Frances Deuel (1854 - 1925)
   8. George Amos Deuel (1857 - 1918)
   9. Nathaniel Deuel (1862 - 1936)
   10. Avery Jeanette Deuel (1875 - 1962)

Pioneer Brothers

William and his older brother Osmyn shared the same birthday, January 1, although William was ten years younger. Both brothers married daughters of Nathaniel Whiting. They were also experienced blacksmiths and farmers, which were valuable pioneer skills. Shortly after William's marriage to Eliza, they heard the preachings of Joseph Smith and converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. William was baptized in April 1840. William and Osmyn and their families, accompanied by at least one other Deuel brother, Amos, left their home behind to travel with fellow Mormons.

During their westward trek, they lived in at least three cities: Platt, Missouri; Nauvoo, Illinois; and Montrose, Iowa. The journey was not an easy one, and required more sacrifice than originally envisioned. Two sons were born, and died along the way. Joseph Merrit Deuel lived for only five months in Platt, whereas Alonzo Merrit Deuel reached his second birthday in his birthplace of Nauvoo.

Two daughters, Minerva Adeline Deuel and Mercy Ann Deuel, were born the following year in Montrose. This was also a time of great tribulation for Mormons, resulting in the martyrdom of their beloved Prophet Joseph Smith in 1844. Two years later, many in the Deuel family received church endowments & ordinances in the Nauvoo Temple. Brigham Young soon became the new LDS prophet, and asked the faithful to leave their homes once again.

The Deuels arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley in 1847 as members of the pioneer company led by Charles C. Rich. William and his brother Osmyn quickly built a new home that would house both families during the coming winter. Their first log cabin was located north of the east portal of the old fort, now Pioneer Park.

William Henry Deuel, Jr. was born a year later in the log home, during the great infestation of Mormon Crickets. His mother helped fight the pests devouring their fields until it was time for her to give birth. The crops were later saved as white seagulls swooped down from the sky to eat the black swarm of insects.

In 1848, William and his brother Osmyn moved north as original settlers of the second Mormon city in Utah, Deuel Settlement (present-day Centerville). They planted crops in the vicinity of Deuel Creek, named after them. They were soon joined by their wives, along with William's three children. Eliza gave birth four additional times, before she passed away in 1873 of black smallpox.

Following the death of his wife, William moved to southern Utah to be with three of his sons. They were farmers, providing blacksmith services to travelers heading for "Hole in the Rock" pass. William Henry Deuel lived in the small town of Escalante for the remainder of his life, where he was laid to rest in 1891.

A Pioneer Log Home

When the pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in July 1847, they immediately began constructing simple homes. Today only two of these original structures remain intact. One of them, the Deuel Pioneer Log Home, is on display and open to the public on West Temple Street across from Temple Square. The cabin was home to the William Henry Deuel family for less than two years following their arrival in the valley. Today it has been fully restored and furnished with authentic pioneer artifacts, including a cast-iron stove. It offers excellent insight into the lifestyle of the Mormon pioneers and others who settled parts of the American West.

The original log cabin measured 15 feet by 20 feet and was constructed of Douglas fir and lodgepole pine brought from the mountains east of the city. Another log structure, adjacent to the cabin, probably served as a blacksmith shop for the brothers.

The cabin was sold to Albert Carrington in 1849, after which he moved the structure to 1st North and West Temple Streets. This historic pioneer log home has since been on display in Salt Lake City at the Deseret Museum (1912-19), on Temple Square (1919-76), and in the plaza located adjacent to the North side of the Genealogical Library (1984-present). The cabin was restored in 1985 to appear as it would have looked in 1847.

Ancestors

William Henry Deuel's paternal grandfather played the violin, which was unusual for a Quaker. His fifth great-grandfather was born in England, emigrated to Colonial America in 1640, and was later brought before a Puritan court "for the continuing of a meeting upon the Lord's day from house to house".

Deuel Surname

The Deuel surname has an interesting background. It is derived from Deville, a village in France, anglicized from the name David. Besides not writing their names on a daily basis, members of this religious family were probably uncomfortable with a surname that resembled Devil.

Discussion and Notes

• Some resources, including FamilySearch.org, list Marcy Jane Barney (b. 1854 in Manti, Utah) as a wife of William Henry Deuel, Sr. This is incorrect; she was married to his son, William Henry Deuel, Jr., but never to the father.

Sources and Further Reading

• "The New England Historical and Genealogical Register", Volume LXXXII, page 230.
• "Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England", Volume I, page 162.
• "Directory of the Ancestral Heads of New England Families", by Frank R. Holmes, page 65 & 67.
• "Heart Throbs of the West", Daughters of Utah Pioneers - 1945, Volume 5, page 27; Volume 6, page 187-188.
• "Ensign", The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, July 1986, page 42.
• Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel, 1847–1868 Deuel, William Henry; Birth Date: 31 Dec. 1811; Death Date: 30 Apr. 1891; Gender: Male; Age: 35; Company: Charles C. Rich Company (1847). Sources: Journal History, 21 June 1847, p. 51.
• 1850 United States Federal Census. Name: William H Dewel [William H Deuel] ; Age: 33; Birth Year: abt 1817; Birthplace: New York; Home in 1850: Davis, Utah Territory; Gender: Male; Family Number: 168; Household Members: William H Dewel 33; Eliza Dewel 29; Minerva Dewel 8; Mercy A Dewel 4; William Dewel 3. Source Citation: Year: 1850; Census Place: , Davis, Utah Territory; Roll: M432_919; Page: 13B; Image: 31. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: Seventh Census of the United States, 1850; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, 1009 rolls); Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
• 1860 United States Federal Census. Name: Wm H Deuel; Age in 1860: 48; Birth Year: abt 1812; Birthplace: New York; Home in 1860: Centerville, Davis, Utah Territory; Gender: Male; Post Office: Centerville; Household Members: Wm H Deuel 48; Mary A Deuel 40; Mercy A Deuel 15; Wm H Deuel 12; Louis Deuel 9; Eliza F Deuel 6; Geo A Deuel 3. Source Citation: Year: 1860; Census Place: Centerville, Davis, Utah Territory; Roll: M653_1313; Page: 359; Image: 370; Family History Library Film: 805313. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: 1860 U.S. census, population schedule. NARA microfilm publication M653, 1,438 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.
• 1870 United States Federal Census. Name: William O Duell [William H Deuel] [William H Deuel] ;[William O Deuel] ; Age in 1870: 58; Birth Year: abt 1812; Birthplace: New York; ;Home in 1870: Kanasah, Kane, Utah Territory; Race: White; Gender: Male; Post Office: Kanasah; Household Members: William O Duell 58;Eliza Duell 50; William Duell 22; Louis Duell 18; Eliza F Duell 10; George A Duell 13; Nathaniel Duell 8; Willis Goodrich 25. Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: Kanasah, Kane, Utah Territory; Roll: M593_1611; Page: 473A; Image: 293; Family History Library Film: 553110. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.
• A Pioneer Log Home by Jay L. Deuel, Jr.
• Wiki article on black smallpox
• Seventy Quorum Membership, 1835–1846. Name: William Henry Deuel [William Henry Duel] [William Henry Dewell] ; Birth Date: 1812; Birth Place: New York; Death Date: 1891; Death Place: Utah; Father: Lewis Deuel; Mother: Mary Barton; Wives: Whiting, Eliza Avery(9); Quorum: Q22; Nauvoo Data: Baptized 1840; Endowed Nauvoo Temple 2/3/46 (Seventy); Iowa; Post-Nauvoo Data: Centerville UT; Farmer; Sources: M13:904; N205; Q22+. Source Information: Ancestry.com. Seventy Quorum Membership, 1835–1846 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: Black, Harvey B. Seventy Quorum Membership, 1835–1846: An Annotated Index of Over 3,500 Seventies Organized into the First Thirty-Five Quorums of the Seventy in Kirtland, Ohio, and Nauvoo, Illinois. Provo, Utah: Infobases, Inc., 1996. Private Donor.
• Membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-1848. Name: William Henry Deuel; Gender: Male; Relationship to Primary Person: Self (Head); Father: Lewis Deuel; Mother: Mary Barton; Birth Date: 1 Jan 1812; Alternate Birth Dates: Dec 31, 1811; Birth Place: Corinth, Washing, New York; Alternate Birth Places: Greenfield, Saratoga, New York; Death Date: 30 Apr 1891; Death Place: Escalante, Garfield, Utah, USA; Burial Date: 1891; Burial Place: Escalante Cemetery, Escalante, Garfield, Utah, USA; Residences: Hancock County, Illinois, USA; 1840 Davis County, Utah, 1851; LDS Church Ordinance Data: Baptism Date: April 1840 Ordained Seventy; LDS Temple Ordinance Data: Baptism Date: October 2, 1967 Temple: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, UT, USA; Endowment Date:February 3, 1846 Temple: Nauvoo, Hancock, IL, USA; Sealed to Spouse Date: May 2, 1856 Variant Sealed to Spouse Date: January 27, 1853 Temple: Endowment House in Salt Lake City; Sealed to Parents Date: May 19, 1966 Temple: St. George, Washington, UT, USA; Vocations: Farmer; Comments: In 1851, William had a household of 5 and a real wealth of $700.; Household Members: William Henry Deuel Self (Head); Eliza Avery Whiting Spouse; Joseph Merritt Deuel Child; Alonzo Deuel Child; Minerva Adeline Deuel Child; Mercy Ann Deuel Child; William Henry Deuel Child; Lewis Deuel Child; Eliza Francis Deuel Child; George Amos Deuel Child; Nathaniel Deuel Child. Source Information: Ancestry.com. Membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-1848 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Original data: Black, Susan Easton, compiler. Membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830–1848. 50 vols. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center, 1989. Private Donor.
• Utah Census, 1850-90. Name: William H. Sen. Duel; State: UT; County: Cedar County; Township: Centerville Ward; Year: 1856; Page: 90; Database: UT 1856 Statehood Census Index. Source Information: Jackson, Ron V., Accelerated Indexing Systems, comp.. Utah Census, 1850-90 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999. Original data: Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes.
• Find A Grave Memorial# 118668
• Utah Cemetery Inventory. Name: William Henry Deuel; Gender: M (Male); Birth Date: 31 Dec 1811; Birth Place: Greenfield, Saratoga, New York; Death Date: 30 Apr 1891; Death Place: Centerville, Davis, Utah; Cemetery: Centerville City Cemetery; Source: Sexton Records / Grant; Grave Location: UK10; Relatives: Spouse Whiting, Eliza Avery. Source Information: Utah State Historical Society, comp.. Utah Cemetery Inventory [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. Original data: Utah State Historical Society. Utah Cemetery Inventory. Salt Lake City, UT, USA: 2000.