by Thomas J. Yates, son

Thomas Yates, son of William and Hannah House Yates, was born in Somersetshire, England, June 6, 1840, one of eight children. William Yates was a Gardner and when Thomas was old enough, he helped his father garden, and he remained a proficient gardener the rest of his life.

Thomas was baptized May 29, 1853 by Dorr P. Curtis, as his parents had been converted to the Mormon Religion some years before. Having been expelled from school for being a Mormon after attending for only a few days, he became a well educated man through the teachings of his parents, and through self study, he did clerical work all of his life.

Having been ordained an elder at 16 years old, he was called on a mission as a traveling Elder in England, his native country. After serving for over six years, Thomas was released, just as the Emmigration Fund came into effect. He accepted this opportunity to get his fare paid to Utah, knowing he would have to repay the loan just as soon as possible.

With this same company of Saints with whom Thomas crossed the Atlantic Ocean, was a young lady named Elizabeth Francis, whom he had known in England. They went from New York to Florence, Nebraska, where on July 22,1863 Thomas and Elizabeth Francis were married.

Thomas had never before seen a team of oxen in his life, and although he was very awkward at first, he soon learned how to drive and care for his team and wagon, and they arrived in Salt Lake in October, 1863. Thomas and Elizabeth stayed in Lehi the first winter, with William, a brother to Thomas, and in the spring of 1864 they moved to Round Valley (Scipio). Thomas was given ten acres of land but he owned no team, wagon or tools with which to cultivate the land. He would work many hours helping other settlers cultivate their land in order to use their team and tools to cultivate his land.

At the end of three years, through many extra hours of hard labor, Thomas owned a team of horses, harness, wagon, plow and harrow and twenty acres of land. In the winter of 1868-69 Thomas worked for the railroad in Echo Canyon, when the railroad was being built in Utah. With the money he earned he paid off the last of his Perpetual Fund debt which brought him to Utah.

The settlers had been living in a fort up to 1869, to protect them from the Indians who had killed several residents and stolen all of the cattle, horses and supplies, they could get. Brigham Young had made a treaty with the Indians and now the people of Scipio moved on their own property. Thomas built a one roomed log house, in which the family lived for one winter. In the spring, Thomas was made superintendent of the Scipio Co-op, and the store was moved into the one roomed house, (the merchandise for the store was hauled in two tubs.) The family moved into a dugout or dirt cellar, and there Thomas Jarvis was born, their only son, November, 1870. The next year, Thomas built a four roomed log house, the family lived in two rooms, the store occupied the other two rooms. Elizabeth worked in the store and took trips to Salt Lake to purchase merchandise for it. The store prospered, and in 1885 a large two story brick building was built on the corner of Thomas Yates' property. Elizabeth and Thomas ran the store for 32 years. Thomas also served as a High Priest, a Counselor to the Bishop, and a Bishop until he died.

Since Scipio was on Highway 91, the only route to California, many travelers stopped at the Yates home which served as a free hotel and Elizabeth made beds, washed bedding and served meals for years to free lodgers.

She and Thomas had five children, two died in infancy; those three who lived were: Hannah Elizabeth, who married Henry Thompson; Sarah Louisa who married Joseph Lyman Robison, and became the General President of the Relief Society of the Mormon Church; Thomas Jaris, who married Lydia Horne and after she died married Lily Annette Fairbanks.

Since polygamy was being practiced, Thomas Yates took Susan Isabella McArthur, daughter of Henry and Sarah Elizabeth Ivie McArthur as his second wife, June 1880. The second wife also had five children but one died in infancy. The four were: Eva, who married William R. Stone; Henry, who never married; Dora married Vernon Bradfield; Viola who married Wallace Nielsen.

Thomas Yates was arrested and tried for practicing polygamy and served a term in the Penitentiary, along with many Bishops, Stake President and even Apostles .

Thomas had always worked night and day to earn a good living for his two families. Elizabeth, his first wife had been married and left four little girls in England when she joined the Mormons, since her husband forbade her to ever see the children again, and in England a wife had no rights. Two of those girls died and the other two came to Utah with the money Elizabeth supplied for them. This made two wives and nine children for which Thomas had to provide, and they were all sealed to him in the Temple. He spent years with other cattle men in Wayne County eating food prepared over a camp fire most of the time, - it is a small wonder that he suffered with a weak stomach, from which he suffered much torture. He died Feb. 21, 1903, and is buried in Scipio. He had a wide circle of friends and was loved by all who knew him.

Source: Builders of Early Millard