John Park (1802-1869)
Biographical Information on the life of John Park...Biographical sketches were produced on the lives of John Park and Louisa Smith Park by their children and/or children's spouses:
BIOGRAPHY OF JOHN PARK by Albert Jones, Son-in-law, married to first born daughter, Jane Park. John Park was born near Glasgow in Scotland, May 11, 1802. In his early years he was engaged in the cloth industry as a weaver, which business was carried on extensively in the neighborhood of his birth. He left Scotland with his Father and large family for Canada prior to 1830. The family came out west and settled in the Township of Plympton, West Ontario, now known as Watford, Lambton County, Ontario, Canada. This section was then in its primeval state--forest land filled with high maple trees and other timber, and known as the bush. Here the family cleared the land, felling the big trees. We have heard how Mother assisted at the log rolling, which meant rolling or hauling the logs together, piling on the under brush, and them burning up the fallen logs that they might till the soil on which it grew. From recent correspondents now living in Canada in the vicinity of the old homestead, we learn that part of Father's farm is now the burial ground of the present generation. The country then abounded in game; turkeys, deer, timber wolves, and panthers, were in abundance. The correspondent referred to (Mr. Joseph S. Williams), tells how after Father left, his yard dog, "Watch," that he left behind, was pursued by a large gaunt wolf, right up close to the old log house, and the correspondent's father shot the wolf and paid his taxes in part with the bounty money received for the wolf's scalp. A written agreement is held by the family which states that John Park agrees to maintain his father, James Park, during his last days, in consideration of receiving all properties owned by the said James Park, which is a quaint and ancient piece of legal writ quite interesting. Again, the deed from the British Government to John Park for his section of land dated December 1841, on parchment is worthy of note, given under the seal of the Governor of Canada in the fifth year of the reign of Queen Victoria. Father lived here for many years, marrying Louisa Smith in 1840. She came to Canada from Farnham, Kent, England, forty miles in a direct line south from the Prophet Joseph Smith's ancestral home. Three daughters were born in Canada; Jane, Mary and Marion. Here should be recorded a peculiar incident. Sometime in the early eighties, two of Louisa Smith Park's brothers came out to Utah to visit her. They got off the train at the depot instead of coming to the southwest corner of the town here in Provo; they wandered up two or three blocks north, then went west, coming to the residence of Martha Harris, who is Joseph F. Smith's sister (now President of the Church). They inquired for their sister, Mrs. Park, and were directed to where she lived. The peculiar thing of this is that the two Smith brothers should inquire of a Smith for their sister, a Smith. About this time, 1844, an Elder of the Mormon Church, John Barrowman came preaching in the Wilderness, (like his namesake), and several families in the neighborhood were converted, among them, the Park Family; John's brothers William and David and their families and Archibald Gardner (the noted Mill Wright), and a brother of Gardner's with their family. These people, together with John Park, sold their property and lands in 1846 and started to join with the great body of their fellow religionists at what was known as Winter Quarters; this in accord with the principle of the Gathering, which rested heavily upon them. In leaving their Canadian friends and homes they drove down on one of the lanes with their ox teams which is known today by the older inhabitants of Watford as "Mormon Lane." Passing through Nauvoo, the city built by the saints and from which they had been driven by their enemies, the party wintered at Winter Quarters where Louisa was born, the fourth daughter. In 1847 they crossed the great plains in Boshop Edward Hunter's Company, the same with which Elder John Taylor traveled to Utah. Here John Park helped to build the Fort in Pioneer Square, Salt Lake City. In 1849, he together with a number of other families came to Prove, pioneering the way. John Park was well fitted out with teams, wagons and cows; also with clothing and supplies, generally, for his family, and although he was not a leader of men, he was of the type of Home Guard, careful, provident and thrifty. During all the privations endured by the early Pioneers settlers of Provo, John Park always had a little bread to share with his neighbors. Here at the old Fort built on Provo River, in the midst of privations, associated with those early days, over a thousand miles from the base of supplies, surrounded by war-like Indians on the 30th of December, 1849, his wife, Louisa, gave birth to twin boys, William and John, who became a source of curiosity and amusement to the squaws who visited at the Fort. |
Going out one morning to get up his oxen from the fields, John Park found two of his best oxen dead, having been mischievously and wantonly killed by the Indians. There were the arrows sticking in their bloated bodies. This was a great loss; still he had oxen left. He shared in all the perils of Indian attack; as the balance of the settlers of those early days. He tilled his land for the sustenance of his family, aided by his good wife Louisa, they fared as well as their neighbors, and with his provident ways, was able and did help others with bread stuff. When the settlers spread out from the fort, he took up some of the choice land, bought the ten acres upon which stands the home of Canby Scott. Dry Creek then ran through the land and Park's swimming hole was the noted resort of the youngsters. It was shaded by large cottonwood trees, which grew thick on it's banks, and the stream was much frequented. The swimming hole is now filled in and part of a large strawberry patch. To show the favored condition in which the family were in at the date of November 26, 1856, an inventory was taken of John Park's property, in connection with the rest of the settlers, to conform with a Church requisition of the time with a view of consecrations to the Lord. This schedule was sealed and signed by Lucius N. Scoville, County Recorder. It smattered of old Colonial days somewhat, and would be entirely out of tune at the present day. The schedule and valuation of the property footed up to total $1,073.00. Leaving the farm which he still owned, he moved into town, settling on the southwest corner of the southwest corner of the town, right under the shadow of the bastion of the City Well. Here another son and daughter were born to him, in all eleven children all of whom are living at date, January 16, 1911, except Albert who was accidentally wounded in preparing for a sham fight for the Fourth of July, 1879, and died from the effects of the wound, turning our fourth into a day of mourning and our procession into a funeral march, in which the greater part of the citizens participated. John Park died March 30, 1869, and Louisa S. Park died October, 1891. All hail to those brave men, the first who came,
Their greatness lies in deeds, and not in name, They paved the way to that which now appears. That gladdens all our hearts; brave Pioneers. Our thanks receive, our gratitude you gain, Our voices and our hearts ring out again; All hail! All Hail! down to the latest years, All honor to thy deeds, brave Pioneers. |