Peter Maughan (1811-1871)

Peter Maughan, the sixth child of William and Martha Wilson Maughan, was born at Milton, Cumberland, England, 7 May 1811. As a youth, he worked in the lead mines at Alston, England. He married Ruth Harrison 1 October 1831 and six children were born to them. Peter and Ruth were baptized members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Alston in 1838 and were active in the branch. Sadly, Ruth died on 26 Mar 1841, shortly after the birth of their sixth child. Following the counsel of Brigham Young, who was on a mission in England, Peter and his children set sail on the Rochester for America, arriving 19 May 1841. Sailing with them were seven of the nine apostles who had been serving in England. The trip also was a sad occasion for Peter, as he had to bury his baby daughter, Ruth, at sea.

Peter and his family went to Kirtland, Ohio for a few weeks where he met a young widow, Mary Ann Weston Davis. When he decided to travel to Nauvoo, Illinois, Mrs. Davis and her companion were in the same wagon train which allowed them to become more acquainted. After arriving in Nauvoo, they decided they would be married on 2 Nov 1841. To them were born eight children.

In Nauvoo, Peter found work as a stonemason on the temple. The family lived in Nauvoo for about two and a half years before Peter was sent to Rock Island, Illinois to mine coal for the families in Nauvoo. When trouble developed in Nauvoo and the Saints were being driven out, the family was told to close up the mines in Rock Island and prepare to travel to the West. 

The family moved to New Diggings, Wisconsin in April of 1846 where Peter and the two older sons worked in the lead mines. Money was very scarce and the expense of living with such a large family and outfitting the two wagons needed caused the family to stay in New Diggings until April of 1850. After finding lead ore on their own property, they were able to raise the final $800 in 8 weeks and buy the needed equipment and supplies for the long trip to the Salt Lake Valley.

They arrived in Salt Lake City on 15 September 1850, and after resting a week, they were sent to Tooele. Challenges and discouragement filled the next five years. Poor soil, along with lack of water, plagues of grasshoppers, and Indian problems made survival difficult. During this time, Peter was involved in the government as county clerk and assessor.

In the July of 1856, Brigham Young directed Peter to lead a party of men from Tooele to Cache Valley for the purpose of locating a permanent settlement. After surveying the area, the decision was made to settle the valley; and Peter Maughan was chosen to lead the group. They arrived at what is now called Wellsville on the 15 September 1856 and began the development first called Maughan's Fort. The settlement of Wellsville was soon enlarged, and other communities in the area were founded. Peter Maughan was called as presiding bishop of Cache Valley, overseeing the wards and branches of the valley. In 1860, following directions from Brigham Young, he moved his family to Logan. He served as president of the Cache Valley Stake, as probate judge of Cache County, and as a member of the territorial legislature. He also held the rank of colonel in the Nauvoo Legion in Utah.