Nephi, nestled at the base of towering Mount Nebo, full of
family and friends, a warm home and still warmer hearts, provided a nurturing
environment in which the young Aurilla flourished and in which she grew from a
child to a young women. Aurilla loved
Nephi – her many family and friends – and throughout their married lives,
George Armstrong Chappell would always take time out of his busy life, to take
his lovely Aurilla to visit magical Nephi.
August 31, 1858 was a happy day in Nephi Utah. Twins! What a wonderful blessing to the young family
of William Lamont and Margaret Ann Sidwell Sperry and their three boys, ages
eight, five and three(1). Joining in the
celebration was a sizable part of the town’s inhabitants. These weren’t just friendly neighbors, they
were family! By the time Aurilla and her
twin sister, Drusilla, came along that late August day, Nephi was fast becoming
the gathering place for both the Sperry’s and Sidwell’s
Aurilla’s Uncle Charles, her father’s younger brother, had
been one of the first settlers to bring his family and join Joseph L. Hayward
in the late fall of 1851 at the mouth of Salt Creek Canyon at the southwestern
foot of the towering Mount Nebo. (2) The area had first been explored for a Mormon
settlement by Parley P. Pratt in the early winter of 1849. Brother Hayward had been called by Brigham
Young to lead a group of families to the area.
Charles was familiar with the area in that he had visited previously to
cut hay.(3)
Arriving late in the fall, of immediate need was shelter for
the winter. However, building a log
cabin in the cold of winter had its challenges.
The following is an excerpt from the history of Isaac Grace, one of the
first settlers at Salt Creek.
Before building a home
for his own family, Isaac built one for his sister, and then helped the other
brethren build theirs, they in turn helped him. Charles Sperry helped by making
mud adobe for a chimney. It was freezing weather and they were hurrying to
complete it for Christmas. They discovered that the mortar had frozen, and that
if a fire was made in the fireplace, it would help to dry it out, so on
Christmas day they moved into their snug little log cabin. Everyone was merry
as the Christmas dinner was cooking in the fireplace when the awful crash came.
The frozen chimney came all to pieces and fell all over the room. With tears in
her eyes, Elizabeth picked up her babies and went back to her wagon. The
incident of the chimney was a sad blow, but with pluck and energy they built it
again with planks and mud. It stood until they could do better. (4)
Aunt Elizabeth (Elizabeth Lamont Sperry Hoyt, William
Lamont’s older sister) and her husband, Uncle Timothy (Timothy Sabin Hoyt) had
moved to Nephi in 1853 to join not only Charles Sperry, but also Timothy’s
brother Israel Hoyt.(5) Uncle Timothy was a veteran of the Mormon Battalion and
had left his young wife and young daughter in Iowa to participate in the
historic trek to California the summer of 1846. (6) Aunt Elizabeth had braved the trek to the
Salt Lake Valley with her 3 year old daughter Josephine Hellen Hoyt. With the help of her three brothers, William
Lamont, Harrison and Charles, they arrived in the SL Valley in Oct 1847 as part
of the Jedediah M Grant Company. (7) Elizabeth and Timothy had just had a baby
of their own. The twins were the second and third infants to the family that
summer as cousin Olive Hoyt had been born just 2 months before.
Two years prior to her birth, Aurilla’s parents had moved
from their home in Salt Lake City to join family in Nephi.(8) In addition to her father’s family, they were
also welcomed to their new home by members of her mother’s family, the Sidwell’s.
The Old Salt Creek Fort plate drawing shows a Sidwell family
living in the fort in 1854. Aunt
Rebecca (Rebecca Catherine Sidwell Wilson, Margaret Ann’s younger sister),
living in Nephi at the time of 1860 US Census, along with her husband Uncle Gid
(Gideon Wilson) (Listed as “Gid Wilson” in Aurilla’s family picture collection)
may well have been living in Nephi in 1858 to welcome the new arrivals. Several
Sidwell’s are listed as living in Juab County in the 1856 Utah Census, but it
is not more specific. The names listed are not grouped together as families but
are listed as individuals. The names listed are as follows: Adeline, Betsey,
Esther, George, Hepastes, John, Mary, Simon, Sophia. While it is uncertain how many of these
individuals were Aurilla’s aunts, uncles or cousins, by 1870 both of her
Sidwell grandparents were living in Nephi along with 3 Uncles (John, William
and Job R.) and her Aunt Rebecca Wilson.
Another uncle, George Sidwell, was living in Manti at the time. (1870 US Census)
Surrounded by parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles
and dozens of cousins, love was all around.
Daily chores were never that bad when shared by best friends. A parent’s patience is always extended longer
to a niece or nephew and a grandparent’s permissiveness is well known by
all. A treat, a kind word, and a gentle
hug unsolicited and freely given were just a part of everyday life. Aurilla grew and thrived; toddler to child,
teenager to young adult.
 |
| Aunt Soph and home, Sadie, Retta, Fen, Doug (Words written on the back of the picture) |
David King Udall, a contemporary of Aurilla, growing up in
Nephi at near the same time records the following:
Within the humble homes
mothers and daughters carded and spun and wove and stitched… the girls learned
to do housework, to card and spin and weave and sew…After the day's work was
done, we children played our games of "hide and seek" and "steal
sticks" and "pop the whip." When nine o'clock came we were
called in to go to bed… Dances were held frequently, old and young
participating with wholesome abandon to the tune of good old Brother Sperry's
fiddle. One winter we had a dancing master and my sister Mary and I were proud
when we took first prize for waltzing. Town dinners were held periodically in
the Church and later in the Social Hall. On the Fourth of July and on Pioneer
Day, the "24th," love of country ran high and hearts beat fast to
martial music and flags flying. Always there were parades in which Brother
Timothy B. Foote was a conspicuous figure in uniform. He was a veteran of the
War of 1812 and also had served as one of the Prophet Joseph's bodyguards in
Nauvoo. Church activities played an important part in our lives. Frequently we
listened to the General Authorities-President Young, Heber C. Kimball, George
A. Smith and many of the apostles who told us the story of the beloved prophet
so recently martyred and of the trek of the saints across the plains.(9)
 |
| David Udall with children Mary Ann, David K, and Joseph on his lap |
 |
| Photo of children in Nephi. Names unknown. |
A large community structure, the Social Hall, was built on
Center Street about 1859 or 1860 and provided a location for community
activities. As was mentioned by David
King Udall, dancing was a particularly popular activity and was a true family
affair. Parents would bring their
children and let them play in a corner or in another room while they
danced. Aurilla’s Uncle Charles Sperry
played his violin to the rhythm of the caller. Later Charles organized Sperry’s
Orchestra, noted as one of the finest musical groups in the Territory. (10)
 |
| Charles Sperry |
Four years her senior, it is unlikely the young George A
noticed or even knew of the young Aurilla Sperry in the early years after first
arriving from San Pete County in 1868.
For the next several years, he was busy with his many adventures with
the railroad, ranching, farming and freighting. As they both grew and matured, the social
aspects of those early Mormon communities would have given them ample
opportunity to interact and get to know each other.
The early Mormon settlements were noted for the community
minded nature of their inhabitants. The people worked together, played together
and prayed together. Agriculture was the
primary economy, in a land that did not lend itself to farming. There was too
little water, too much rugged terrain, and far too many hungry insects. Extensive water reclamation projects (dams,
canals, ditches, etc.) combined with the work needed to prepare hard, uneven
dry terrain for planting required the efforts of all. Harvest time also saw the community come out
together to bring in the crop and prepare for the cold Utah winters. While the men wielded shovels, forks and
plows, the lady folk, in addition to the many domestic duties associated with
keeping a family alive on the frontier, would be busy keeping the men fed and
clothed. Working together, this synergy
allowed success in an otherwise desperate circumstance. Surely the tall, handsome, hardworking
George “Christensen” caught the eye of Aurilla and other young women of
eligible age.
| Nephi about 1907 |
In addition to President Young’s birthday, his scheduled
visits among the settlements were greatly anticipated. “Everyone looked forward to them…with long
hours spent in preparation. In southern
Utah, the women wove material for new dresses and then searched the countryside
for roots from which to extract suitable dyes.
Their desire had been fulfilled if they marched in their new clothes,
perhaps shoeless, in a local parade honoring the visiting Church dignitary”.
(12) The whole community would come out to meet the Prophet. It was at one of these visits to Nephi that
the young George A was greatly impressed by Brigham Young and felt surely that
this man was a true prophet of God. (13)
Holidays were an especially good time for socializing. Christmas, New Year’s Day, Independence Day and Pioneer Day were the major celebrations where the whole community would gather. A Christmas evening dance would begin the winter holiday season followed by another big dance at New Year’s. Sandwiched in between were dinners, gift giving, singing, candy pulls and amateur dramatics. The summer holidays were another much anticipated time for all. For the two July celebrations, the people dressed in their best often sewing and preparing new cloths. Fix up and repairs on churches and community buildings were also an important part of the festivities. Outdoor dinners, games, races, competition and parades were held throughout the territory. (14) Often whole towns would escape to the mountains to camp and celebrate among the cool meadows and forests. And more dancing – outdoor in the warm summer air - additional opportunities for Charles Sperry and his band to entertain and liven things up!
Underlying the community economic and social activities, the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints provided not only the foundation,
but also the structure in which the communities developed and thrived. Religious observance and activities were a
major part of everyday life at home and in the community. While daily prayer and scripture study were
important, most Mormons of the day subscribed to the approach of their
pragmatic Prophet, Brigham Young, who considered hard work and service to
others every bit as important, if not more so, than more formal religious
observance. Most attended Sunday services,
another good place for the youth to mingle.
| Nephi Tabernacle |
While we don’t know the details of their early acquaintance
and courtship, we can assume, like other young Latter-Day Saints, that they
participated in the many community activates as noted and over time found an
attraction to each other that separated them slowly from their piers into a
couple focused on winning the heart of the other.
As the winter holidays of 1878 approached, the Sperry and
Christensen families had more than Christmas and New Year’s on their
minds. George Armstrong Christensen,
eldest son of Ana and Peter Christensen was engaged to be married to Aurilla
Sperry, daughter of William Lamont and Margaret Ann Sperry. Surely January 16, 1879 was a grand event in
the little town of Nephi. With Aurilla’s
Uncle Sperry leading the band, the community would have come out for dancing
and dining in celebration of the event.
A new family had been formed.
Truly a time to celebrate!
 |
| Nephi Diamond Jubilee and Homecoming. George Armstrong Chappell mid picture second from back - large mustache. Aurilla Sperry Chappell two to his left. |
1. 1860 Census
2. David King Udall,
“Arizona Pioneer Mormon” His Story and His Family. Tucson: Arizona Silhouettes
Press, 1959, p.2
3. Wilson, Pearl D.,
McNulty, June, Hampshire, David,”A History of Juab County”, Utah Centennial
County History Series, 1999, Utah State Historical Society, Juab County
Commission, pp 44-45
4. Florence McCune
Lunt for the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, published in Treasures of Pioneer
History, as found at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lcowen/HUDSON/isaac_grace.htm
6. The Iowa Mormon
Battalion, Company A, From ROSTER IOWA SOLDIERS, Miscellaneous Vol. VI, Des
Moines, 1911, Taken previously from Mr. REID’s early history of Iowa. As found
on : http://iagenweb.org/pottawattamie/mil/mormon-battalion-A.htm
8. Blue Book, History of George Armstrong and
Aurilla Sperry Chappell; Sperry Family History, History of William Lamont
Sperry – says he and Margaret Ann moved to Nephi in 1856
9. David King Udall,
“Arizona Pioneer Mormon” His Story and His Family. Tucson: Arizona Silhouettes
Press, 1959,pp. 4-7
10. Wilson, Pearl D., McNulty, June, Hampshire,
David,”A History of Juab County”, Utah Centennial County History Series, 1999,
Utah State Historical Society, Juab County Commission, pp. 84-85
11. Roland Walker, Golden Memories: Remembering
Life in a Mormon Village, p.206, as found at https://byustudies.byu.edu.
12. Roland Walker,
p. 206
13. Blue Book,
History of George Armstrong and Aurilla Sperry Chappell, p. 12
14. Roland Walker,
pp.208-210
No comments:
Post a Comment