A Family is a Gift That Lasts Forever...

A Family is a Gift That Lasts Forever...

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Springville, Utah Heritage

 Traveling into the past

We took a trip with my mom to Springville to look into our family heritage in that town.  Cyrus Sanford was a significant figure in Springville history, and he was also my 4th great grandfather on my mom’s mom’s side of the family. We found his photos and artifacts at the Daughters of the Utah Pioneer museum in Springville.  He was born in Vermont, lived in Illinois for some time where Orson Hyde baptized him into the Mormon church and he traveled with the pioneers to Nauvoo and on to Salt Lake City with his wife Sylvia.  When in Salt Lake City, Brigham Young called him and others to settle the Springville Mission, so they willing went and began building a town in Springville.  It was fascinating to learn about Cyrus, the town constable, school teacher, mayor, justice of the peace, along with other titles.  They grew flax on their fields, and Sylvia processed the flax plants by grinding them, pulling the threads out of them and weaving it into fabric to be used for all sorts of things.  

Cyrus was sealed to Sylvia, along with 3 other wives at the same time, practicing polygamy.  He married Happylona (Sylvia’s half sister), Olive, and Mary.  Sylvia and Cyrus had 2 sets of twins and several other children.  Our line comes from their daughter Martha who left Springville to travel to San Bernardino, California and later Peoche, Nevada.  Martha’s daughter was Cecilia, whose daughter was Rose, whose daughter was Thelma, all born in Peoche, Nevada.  Doreen was Thelma’s daughter, and I am Doreen’s daughter.  A line of daughters :-).  We visited the Springville Cemetery and saw where many of the family was laid to rest and tried to piece together the family tree.  It was a lot of fun and very inspiring to learn about those individuals that we come from. 




Cyrus Sanford's Polygamist Wives:
1. Sylvia Elmina Stockwell
2. Olive Pixley
3. Happalona Saphronia Clark (Sylvia's half sister)
4. Mary Coon Johnson




Sylvia & Cyrus' children:
1. Margaret Elmirea Sanford (twin)
2. Martha Levira Sanford (twin - our ancestor in our line)
3. Ceclia Elmina Sanford
4. Melissa Sanford
5. Sylvia Eliza Sanford
6. Cyrus Nathaniel Sanford
7. Mary Abigail Sanford
8. Happylona Sanford
9. Saphronia Sanford


Sylvia was the first wife, and is honored here.



Happylona & Olive were the 2nd and 3rd wives and are laid here, above.


Silvia E. is Cyrus' daughter and her husband who are laid here, above.


Sephronia was Cyrus' daughter who was born and died on the same day.


This was Cyrus' grandson (Cyrus Nathanial's son) who died at 1 years old.


This was Cyrus' granddaughter (Cyrus Nathaniel's daughter) who died at 12 years old.


Hyrum Clark was Cyrus' wife Happylona's dad and Sylvia's step dad.  Sylvia's (Cyrus' first wife) dad either died or left, and Sylvia's mom married Hyrum Clark.  Sylvia and Happylona are half sisters.


An honor to Hyrum Clark




Cyrus & Sylvia Sanford


Sylvia Sanford


Cyrus Sanford


Cyrus' lantern







No comments: