William Henry Harrison Sagers

SOURCE: http://bycommonconsent.com/2007/09/12/william-henry-harrison-sagers...

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From A Genealogy of the Sagers, Fisk, and Stout Families, by Wayne D. Stout

https://archive.org/stream/AGenealogyOfTheSagersFiskAndStoutFamilie...

William Henry Harrison Sagers

Known in life as Harrison - so in the interest of space, that how he will be identified. Harrison was born May 3, 1815, LeRoy, Genesee County, New York, son of John and Amy Sweet Sagers. We know nothing of his youth until he was 18 years of age. At that age, he and his parents were living in Elk Creek, Erie County, Pennsylvania.

January 7, 1833, he was baptized by Evan M. Greene and John B. Boynton, two Mormon missionaries who had been commissioned by Joseph Smith to take the restored gospel to western Pennsylvania. These missionaries were very successful in Elk Creek where they found many honest souls hungry for the truth. Harrison was their first convert. He drank in their teachings like a hungry wolf his prey. Unconditionally, he accepted all their teachings. Harrison went all out for the new religion, His enthusiasm knew no bounds. He immediately left for Kirtland where his earnestness attracted the attention of Joseph Smith, who called him on a mission. The Journal History says Harrison accompanied John B. Boynton and Evan M. Greene on a mission. They left Kirtland, passed through Rome, and arrived in Elk Creek early in February. Here Harrison was instrumental in converting his own parents. Within two months, nearly all the Sagers and Clothiers were members of the church. John and Amy were most fortunate in the possession of a son who led them from darkness and doubt to immortality and eternal life. The two months of active proselytizing in Elk Creek paid rich dividends.

The Journal History for June 17, 1833, records the exit of Elders Lyman, Cutler, Alfred Fisk (brother-in-law of Harrison), and Harrison from Elk Creek. These missionaries went to Fayette and continued their activities. After a season in that area, Elders Greene, Lyman,, and Harrison continued on to Villanova in Chautauqua County, where their missions ended.

Harrison was called on a second mission, this time to the state of Maine. The Journal History for February 20, 1834, notes the decision of the High Council in Kirtland to appoint Orson Pratt and Harrison to a mission in Maine. They were instructed to do missionary work to and from their destination. A conference was to be held in Saco, Maine, on June 13, 1834, but it’s doubtful Harrison attended that conference. He probably returned to Kirtland in time to join Zion’s Camp, which left Kirtland about May 1, 1834, for Missouri.

Zion’s army arrived in Liberty, Clay County, June 23, 1834. We have no record of Harrison being attacked by cholera as was Alfred Fisk, his brother-in-law. It is easy to believe that Harrison would care for the burial of Alfred. The revelation received by Joseph Smith (Section 105) releasing the crusaders from their mission of redemption satisfied Harrison. The first group leaving for Kirtland included Harrison.

The activities of Harrison during the next four years are unknown. The Journal History for Feb. 6, 1838, identifies him with the reorganization of one of the Seventies Quorums. The Journal reports (June 28, 1838) the organizations of the Adam-Ondi-Ahman Stake which took place at the home of Lyman Wight. Harrison was chosen a member of its High Council. Sept. 25, Joseph Smith sent Harrison to investigate reports of mob violence in rural areas near Far West. Harrison was ordained an Elder Sept. 26, 1838.

Three more years pass before the name of Harrison is mentioned again in church or civil records. Church Chronology, for Oct. 7, 1841, reports that the Council of Twelve met and called a number of brethren on missions. Harrison was called to Jamaica, West Indies. We do not know when he left, how long the mission lasted, nor when he returned. We do know he was back in Nauvoo in November 1843.

The Journal History for Nov. 25, 1843, says, “The High Council set on the case of Harrison Sagers charged with ‘seduction’ and having stated that I (Joseph Smith) had taught it was right, charge sustained.” No reference is made to a penalty, if any. Five months later, Harrison found himself in more hot water. In the History of the Church, Vol. 6, p. 333, April 13, 1844, it is recorded that the “High Council received a charge against Harrison Sagers for teaching spiritual wife doctrines and neglecting his family.” What the verdict was in this case is not given. We are sure, however, that Harrison accepted polygamy unconditionally. The Nauvoo Temple records Jan. 22, 1846, show he was sealed to two women the same day: Olive Amanda Wheaton and Sarah L. Bailey. Later, he may have married (no sealing record) a third woman named Harriet Emeline Barney, probably in March 1846.

That Harrison was indeed a real polygamist we can prove from the Journal History. Under date of April 1, 1847, it is said that President Young received a report from Joseph A. Stratton of St. Louis advising that Harrison Sagers and another member (Lysander Gee) - members of the St. Louis Branch - were living in polygamy. The women in this case are the three named above. A sister of Harrison was the plural wife of Lysander Gee. This report not only proves Harrison was a polygamist, but it acquaints us with Harrison’s travels. Otherwise, we would not have known where Harrison went after the exodus from Nauvoo.

The mother of Harriet Barney was Sarah Bowen Estabrook. The Estabrook Genealogy lists Harrison and Harriet as the parents of Mary, born Dec. 24, 1847, in St. Louis. The child died in the same city June 27, 1849. This means the family lived in St. Louis during those 18 months. What happened during the next 13 months is not so easy to figure out. We believe the family moved to Council Bluffs. The Journal History for July 4, 1850, says, “The first Company to leave the Missouri River (July 4, 1850) under the sponsorship of the Perpetual Emigrating Fund, arrived in the Valley, Oct. 13, 1850.” Edward Hunter was in charge of that Company. Harrison Sagers and family is listed as members of that group. Naturally, we are curious to know who the members of Harrison’s clan were. The Utah Census for 1850 should answer that question.

The Utah 1850 Census shows the absence of Olive Amanda Wheaton and Sarah L. Bailey from the Sagers family. Obviously, these women had either deserted or divorced Harrison after 1846. There is the possibility of their death. We have no evidence that they ever came to the Valley. The census lists

• Harrison, age 35, painter;
• Harriet, age 20;
• Lucy, age 20;
• Ruth, age 18;
• William, age 1; and
• John H., two months.

Since 1846, Harrison had lost two wives and gained two. The new additions were Lucy Marillo Wheaton and Ruth Adelia Wheaton - probably sisters or cousins of Olive. We do not know when Harrison married these two women, but they were likely after he married Harriet Barney. He was sealed to Lucy and Ruth in the Endowment House, June 10, 1851.

The Census Bureau makes the claim that the 1850 count was not completed ‘til 1852. Since the Sagers did not arrive in the Valley ‘til late October 1850, they may not have been contacted by the census taker ‘til 1852. The contact took place in Tooele County. Lucy’s son, William, age one year, was probably born in late 1851. This means Harrison married Lucy about March 1851. We should be more accurate in determining Ruth’s marriage date. Her first born - John H. - was born Dec. 10, 1851, this means her marriage to Harrison could easily be in March 1851. John was two months old when the census taker made his visit. If this is true, then the census taker made his visit in February 1852. No children are listed for Harriet although her oldest son, Royal, was three months old in February 1852. The February date for the visit gives greater consistency for each member of the family.

The descendants of Harrison naturally wanted to know when the family moved to Tooele County. We must depend on the History of the Tooele Stake for this answer. According to this source, Harrison and Royal Barney were the first to settle at the mouth of the canyon, which was later named for Barney. This settlement was late in the fall of 1850. If this is true, then Harrison lost no time moving there after arriving in the Valley. The Stake History adds that the Sagers family did not remain long in the canyon - in a short time, they moved into the town of Tooele. The Stake History confirms the fact that Harrison was a polygamist. Harrison was appointed a Counselor to Bishop John Rowberry, serving from 1851 to 1854. It was during this period that Harrison took Lucy and Ruth to the Endowment House in Salt Lake where they were sealed to him June 10, 1851. In the first election held in Tooele County, August 1852, Harrison was chosen County Assessor.

Harrison was ardent polygamist if we can believe the record. Dec. 3, 1852, he married Frances Carmelia Adams. Frances failed to adjust herself to this strange situation, so she divorced him, March 8, 1853. This action left Harrison with the same three wives - but not for long. Frances must have given Harriet ideas. The dissatisfaction stirred up by Frances became contagious. Harriet also began showing signs of frustration. Sharing her husband with two other women was more than Harriet could take. Her patience was exhausted in 1855 when she asked President Brigham Young for a temple divorce from Harrison. This petition was granted. This freed her from all competition with other women. Imagine her consternation when Brigham Young proposed marriage to her. We are shocked that she would consent. March 14, 1856, Harriet became Brigham’s 47th wife. Now, instead of sharing her husband with two women, she was expected to share him with 46 other women. Brigham adopted the three children, who took the Young name. In 1959, 218 person have taken the name “Young”.

In 1856, Harrison had a small family of two wives and four children. Another child was added in 1857. In 1858, he found another woman who was willing to serve as his third wife. Her name: Marion Browning Smith, whom he married June 5, 1858. She became the mother of six children before she was forced to divorce Harrison.

The Census of 1860 gives us another picture of the family. This count shows Harrison to be a farmer, 44 years old (this means the census taker made his visit before May 3). This census lists two wives for Harrison - Ruth and Marion. Lucy is not named, but her three children are:

• William, age 10
• Dinah, age 4, and
• Asa, age 2.

Lucy’s absence from the family is difficult to explain. She could have died, or worse, deserted Harrison. A tradition suggests she took Dinah and Asa back to her old home in Providence, New York, and then vanished into oblivion. Her son, William, died soon after the census was taken. Asa is know to have been living in Oklahoma in 1910. He died in Burley, Idaho, June 23, 1832. Wife Ruth, age 27, is listed with four of her children:

• John Henry, age 9,
• Don Carlow, age 7,
• Lucinda, age 3, and
• Ruth, age two months.

Marion is listed with one child, William, age 1.

It is difficult to follow the movements of Harrison during the sixties. With the exception of William, all six of Marion’s children were born during that decade. Since the 1860 census lists him a farmer, one would naturally suppose his Tooele farmer would keep him busy. He did own a 160-acre farm at Erda (six miles north of Tooele City) which he sold Robert Skelton, March 28, 1870. This land should have kept him busy on a full-time basis. Instead we have traditions that lead us to believe otherwise. There is a persistent story that he took wife Ruth and her four children to Sanpete County to live. Ruth’s daughter Ruth, claims to have been born in Moroni. A careful search of civil and church records in Sanpete give no evidence that the family ever lived there. Why Harrison had so much time to travel around the country when his farm demanded all his attention is difficult to understand. The Journal history for March 10, 1863, suggests he might have been living in Salt Lake County. The Third District Court met and called jurymen. The name of Harrison is listed. The same History for July 31, 1864, lists Harrison as a member of the Deseret Agricultural Manufacturing Society. This does not prove he was not living in Tooele. Three months later, the Journal (Oct. 19, 1864) reports a reunion of all veterans of Zion’s Camp. Harrison attended that social. Two years later, the Journal reports another festival was held (Oct. 10, 1866), in Salt Lake City. This is the last time Harrison is mentioned by that source.

The Census for 1870 gives us another picture of the family. Marion is not listed but her five children are. She did not divorce him until about 1872, so she should be listed. In 1874, she married James Steel and moved to Lake View; taking her five children, there she remained until death (1879). Wife Ruth is not listed. She had died March 12, 1871, which may mean the census taker did not make his visit until after her demise. None of her children are listed. Her two older boys had left home, but the two girls should have been listed. The census adds another wife to the family. Her name, Mary, age 34, who she is still remains a mystery. After Marion’s exit in (approx.) 1872, she was the only wife Harrison could call his own. He married her about 1861. By 1866, she had given him four children. None of these four were listed in the 1870 census. We do not have access to the Census of 1880. That count should solve the problem.

We do not know when Harrison and family left Tooele. The last year he paid taxes in Tooele was in 1876. County records show he sold same land in Tooele on Jan. 26, 1874. We might conclude he left Tooele between 1877 and 1879. Where did he go? For many years after 1870, his son John Henry lived on a large ranch 35 miles from Soda Springs, Idaho. Harrison and wife could have lived in that area for a season. There are no probate records in that county to indicate that any of the Sagers ever lived there. Eventually John and Harrison moved to Blackfoot for that is where Ethel, John’s daughter, was born in 1887. It is possible Harrison arrived in Blackfoot in 1879.

It is indeed strange that Harrison and his last family should disappear from the Tooele ward records after 1870. The Blackfoot ward records, which began in 1880, has no trace of any of the Sagers. After the family moved to Blackfoot, they had no contacts with the Mormon Church. Was Harrison excommunicated from the church? The Historian’s Office has no such record. A descendant of Harrison suggested to the writer that Harrison may have been tied up with the Godbe Movement. The writer went all out to prove or disprove this possibility. He found no evidence to connect him with that group. When the Godbites failed to establish a new church, they joined the Liberal Party in Utah. It has been impossible to connect Harrison with that political group.

The Will of Harrison reveals he owned a 60-acre farm one mile east of Blackfoot. The title to the land was unencumbered. He bequeathed the property to wife Elizabeth and four children: Ida, Ada Adelia, Eugene, and Alfred. The Will, proved shortly after his death, claims he passed away June 19, 1886. His son John Henry was one of the signed witnesses to the document. Elizabeth Mary or Mary Elizabeth, his only legal wife, vanished into oblivion after his death. If they remained in Blackfoot, at least one of the children would have married there. The Bingham County records has no record of a Sagers marriage. There is no record of burial for Elizabeth. She must have sold the farm soon after Harrison’s death, and moved to a far country.

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• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jun 5 2018, 10:58:39 UTC

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• Residence: Tooele, Tooele, Utah Territory, United States - 1850
• Immigration: Oct 13 1850 - Utah, United States
• Residence: Tooele City, Tooele, Utah Territory, United States - 1860
• Residence: Utah, United States - 1870
• Residence: Portneuf, Oneida, Idaho, United States - 1880
  • Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Oct 27 2018, 18:16:18 UTC

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• Residence: Tooele, Tooele, Utah Territory, United States - 1850
• Immigration: Oct 13 1850 - Utah, United States
• Residence: Tooele City, Tooele, Utah Territory, United States - 1860
• Residence: Utah, United States - 1870
• Residence: Portneuf, Oneida, Idaho, United States - 1880
  • Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Oct 27 2018, 18:14:37 UTC