Ann Thompson Walton was born in Litchfield, Staffordshire, England on February 27, 1821, 'the only child of Thomas and Mary Rowley Thompson. Her parents both died when she was a very small child, and she was adopted into the family of William Wright and was raised as one of their children. She lived with this family until 1854 where she had had all of the luxuries those liberal, kind, and well-to-do people could give her in the way of a home and all its comforts. So why, then, did she leave?

During the summer of 1847 the town of Litchfield was visited by some Mormon Elders, and it was at one of their meetings that Ann Thompson heard their message. She and some of her friends went to hear them out of curiosity, and the things that she heard them preach appealed to her greatly. She attended their meetings frequently, and invited them to the Wright home so that family could hear the gospel message, also. While the things the missionaries taught seemed perfectly plausible and acceptable to her, the ministers in the city violently opposed the missionary teachings, and they strongly advised those investigating the gospel to shun the doctrine of the Prophet Joseph Smith as taught by the Elders. Ann, however, was not willing to do so as she had gained a strong testimony of the truthfulness of their teachings. It was written by her son Benjamin that "she was the only one of her associates who started in the investigation. She was the only one in the great city of Litchfield who accepted the simple gospel message, who manifested her faith by baptism into the gospel which had been preached to her. She now discovered that she was alone in the world (one of a city). She now longed for association of the people of her faith .... undaunted she declared her intention to leave home, the land of her nativity, and friends of her youth. If she would renounce all, luxury and ease should be her dower for life. Her mind was thoroughly made up as to what she should do, so when the last hour arrived for her departure, her three trunks, packed to their capacity with gifts from her associates, besides her own belongings, were placed upon the coach, together with the lone passenger almost despondent, but whose soul was fired by visions of futurity, began the undiscovered journey of a new life where the west begins."

The first 20 miles of the trip from Litchfield to Liverpool, a distance of about 80 miles, was made by coach to the railway station at Stafford. There she connected with the LondonLiverpool passenger and freight train, and arrived safely in Liverpool with her luggage. The ship that she sailed on was called the "John M. Wood," with Captain Robert L. Campbell in charge. The crew numbered 25 men, Mormon emigrants numbered 393, including English, German, Swiss, and the Elders in charge returning home from their missions to Utah.

The destination of the ship was New Orleans, and the time estimated to make the trip was not less than seven weeks under the most favorable conditions. "The ship was a substantial vessel for that time and was rigged in every detail with provisions, fuel, water, merchandise and everything necessary to make the voyage."

Her son, Joseph Benjamin states, "Many times have I heard my mother relate her experiences in a most intelligently and impressive way. She was well educated and knew well how to narrate and describe scenes and events in her own way. The ship was exactly seven weeks and two days making the voyage, docking at the pier May 2, 1854. 1 have listened to her narrative as she described the changing panorama of the sky by night and by day. How the silvery moon casts her beams over the placid waters when no breaking ripple is heard, when the silence is as deep as the grave. The scene is sublime. At another time the sun is crowned in dazzling glory as it rises and sinks as ruler of the day and how the gathering clouds increase in density a signal of the approaching storm."

A grandson (Benjamin Allen Walton) who spent many hours sitting at her knee and listening to her tell stories of her voyage, stated that he recalled her telling him that accommodations were limited, and since she was unable to pay for a better bed, she was compelled to use one of her trunks to sleep on at night. He says, "I have often looked at this old tin trunk and have seen the slightly crushed-in lid she used for a bed, and have tried to picture this brave young girl and how courageous she must have been, as she lay there dreaming of her future. She was all alone, and I can see her reading her Bible and Book of Mormon during those long days on the water."

After a few days' rest at New Orleans, preparations were made for the trip to Keokuck by steamboat, a distance of 1700 miles. It was estimated that it would take eleven days to make this river trip. "The Mississippi River was high, swollen by flood waters from its immense tributaries until it spread in many places beyond its banks and deluged the surrounding country. Houses and barns were lifted from their foundations and floated down the stream. On either side of the river could be seen overhanging forests and climbing vines. The cane plantations of Louisiana, the cotton fields of the Mississippi, the corn fields of Illinois, and the thousand varied industries." Along the course of the trip the captain would point out historical events to the passengers.

Again, her son states, "At Keokuck the Saints were organized into companies for the overland trip across the state of Iowa 300
miles to Omaha, Nebraska, on the old Pioneer vanguard trail the same as that followed in 1847. Mr. Thomas Kearns was appointed Captain of the company. Miss Thompson made an intimate acquaintance with Mr. and Mrs. William Bell, who invited her to make their wagon her headquarters, which she gladly accepted. Her luggage, however, was divided among the wagons, one trunk being put on Mr. Bell's wagon and the other two trunks on other wagons. It required more than 100 wagons to accommodate the entire company and more than 400 oxen were required to draw these wagons across the plains. Many of the wagons had come all the way from the valleys to help the immigrants along and many had been purchased by private individuals. The ox train was now fully organized with camp equipment, drivers, commissary committees, doctors, mechanics, shoemakers, blacksmiths, carpenters, wheelwrights, musicians vocal and instrumental. This miniature army, early on the morning of May 25, 1854, after prayer had been said and a hymn or two sung, marched forth into the wilderness with military precision, but for peace and not for war. Many a time has Miss Thompson related her experiences while crossing the great plains, a distance of nearly 1500 miles, which was completed in exactly four months and ten days. She walked the greater part of the distance, sometimes at the head of the train and sometimes at the rear. They traveled at the rate of about 15 miles a day. Sundays were observed as a day of rest and religious service and no travel was allowed on this day, except in case of emergency. She assisted in caring for the sick and afflicted. She comforted those who mourned the loss of loved ones, and she buoyed up the spirits of those who were disheartened."

Again, quoting from her son, "She describes the hardships and perils that lurked by the wayside all the way. Savage treachery on,the part of the Red Men whose only thought was to retard civilized advancement by stealing and killing. The howl of the wolves which made the nights hideous and the hoot of the owl marking the solitude of the desert, but the footprints on the parched and dusty road gave courage to those who followed. Faith swells the heart to fullness and banishes all fear. Every omen forecasts a triumph and the soul of the weary traveler in restful vision beholds the city."

When the company had traveled about 700 miles, one of the men who was carrying two of Ann's trunks on his wagon complained that his load was too heavy. The captain investigated and consented to help him lighten his load. No other wagon was willing to increase its weight, so Ann was consulted and gave her consent to leave her trunks by the roadside. The trunks containing the few articles of clothing which she needed must now be left in a lonely desert perhaps to be picked up by some succeeding traveler or to decorate some native Indian maiden, or the neck and headdress of some proud Chief. But worse than all this, on arriving in the valley and becoming acquainted with the new order of things and associating with each other at the community socials or at church, her own wardrobe reduced and with no money to buy more, she beheld for a certainty the very dresses and shawls and even little pieces of jewelry being worn by the wives and daughters of this same gentleman. She thought it best, however, to say nothing but to leave the matter in the hands of a higher judge, whose business it is to judge and execute judgment.

The route the pioneers traveled was along the left bank of the Platte. It also extended north to the 42nd parallel and south to the Gila and included the upper and lower California.

"About the middle of August the emigrant train had traveled as far west as South Pass, about 275 miles west of Fort Laramie. Sweet Water is one of the tributaries of the Green River. At this point camp was made for the night. This camp is located on the great Rocky Mountain Divide. So plain is this divide that one may stand near a melting snowbank and with a fingermark conduct the water east or west.

"Sometimes one company would overtake another and, of course, a jubilee would follow. This night was just such a night for a jubilee, as two emigrant trains had met at this place. An emigrant supply train of several hundred wagons was on its way to the Missouri River. They carried supplies of various kinds and distributed them to whoever needed them and reloaded again as emigrant trains and set out as usual repeating the old story.

"Now at South Pass all hands were bent on pleasure and a dance was proposed. The young men soon cleared the ground of sage brush and everything was soon in readiness for a good time and the fiddles were already being tuned up. There was the Highland Fling, introductions, and supper consisting of buffalo barbecue. The blazing bonfire and the songs and jests contributed to the program.

"Joseph Walton, a young man of twenty-two years of age, was one of the supply train company and had been called by Bishop Ruben Miller to go on this mission to distribute supplies and to return loaded with westbound emigrants. During the evening's activities, he was introduced to Ann Thompson by William Bell, who said, 'Brother Walton, I take great pleasure in introducing you to Miss Ann Thompson, your future wife.' The jest was the cause of a laugh, but it proved to be a prediction, because Joseph Walton and Ann Thompson were married on October 29, 1854 at Mill Creek Ward. Around the campfire they danced and sang and gave glory to the Lord.

"On the evening of September 25, 1854, they arrived in Emigration Square at Salt Lake City, the same spot where the City and County Building now stands. The term "Great" referred only to the Great Salt Lake, because the city was small. The bowery still remained and afforded a comfortable place in the summer months in which to hold meetings. The building itself was nothing but a shed consisting of about 30 posts twelve feet high and covered with poles and brush. The enclosure had an area of about 100 feet square. It had been built mainly by Mormon boys of the returning Battalion. The seats were made of split logs or slabs. The site where this historic building once stood is what is now the southwest corner of the Temple block."

Joseph and Ann resided in Salt Lake City during the severe winter following their marriage, and in the spring of 1855 they settled in Mountainville (later called Alpine) where they bought a farm of seventeen acres and a double log house in the Fort. They were sealed for time and eternity in the Endowment House by Brigham Young on February 28, 1861.

The little home they moved into in Mountainville after their marriage was a humble little place, but it was their home, and how happy they must have been to finally be in a home of their own. The home was a two-room log house with the ceiling thatched with cane and rushes. The walls would have been about seven feet high and chinked with mud and wood. The roof was covered with about ten inches of dirt, and the bare ground served as a floor. There was a large flue projecting from one end that was made of rock and clay, and the fireplace served for both cook stove and heater. The furniture would have consisted of two chairs, three little stools, a table, and two beds upon which straw ticks were used, and buffalo robes which her husband obtained from the Indians through a trade were the bedding.

She had an iron kettle, an earthen jar for water, and a pounding board. Her dishes were of tin and knives and forks were made at the blacksmith's shop. She made all the clothing, even to carding and spinning the wool from the fleece of the sheep. But for all of this she was happy, and raised three of the children born to her to be useful, talented men.. She was a faithful Latter-day Saint. Her church, home, and-family were her all. She was loved and respected by family and friends alike.

Their first child, a son they named Joseph Benjamin, was born October 10, 1855. Other children were John James (my grandfather), born February 7, 1858; Thomas Heber, born November 1, 1860; and Alma Thompson, born March 30, 1862. Alma only lived until May 20, 1864. Three simple words in Joseph's little notebook also indicate that "one girl died." What the circumstances of this statement are we do not know.

Life for the settlers in Alpine in those early years was not easy. They had crop failures for several years in succession; the winters were severe, and seemed to get worse each year; they fought the grasshopper and the cricket wars; the Indians gave them trouble, and yet they remained true in their faith and lived their lives as best they could. They found pleasures in simple things, and enjoyed the companionship and association of each other. They had their socials and dances and these kinds of things helped to buoy up their spirits and enabled them to carry on.

In the early 1860s, Ann made a flag from material which was purchased by her husband. It was a national banner with a beehive just below the field of blue and the legends "Our Mountain Home" over the hive and "Alpine City" beneath it. The flag was taken on numerous trips all over Utah County during the years of the Indian hostilities. It was used very frequently during a forty-plus year period, and was still in excellent condition when it was destroyed in a fire which leveled the church building where it was kept.

May 10, 1868 the bishop called the sisters together in the schoolhouse for the purpose of organizing the Relief Society. There were 36 people present, among them Ann Walton. The organization met twice a month. Ann was a faithful member of the Relief Society, serving on the first Visiting Committee, and on June 8, 1876 was sustained as First Counselor in the Relief Society to President Margaret McCullough, with Eliza R. Snow conducting the meeting.

In about 1869 Joseph and Ann built a new home which was made of rock and which is still standing at 38 North 200 East in Alpine. They lived in this home together until 1912.

Ann's son Heber and his family lived next door to Ann and Joseph, and their son Benjamin spent many long hours with his grandmother when he was small. He recalled "that she was a small woman with beautiful snow-white hair, always combed neat, with a bob at the back of her neck. She was a quiet, sweet and loving personality. Her pure-white long apron, with long apron strings down the back, seemed to match her hair. Always did she keep cookies and goodies on hand and never did we fail to get these tasty morsels when we went to Grandma's." I'm sure other grandchildren had the same memories and felt the same as he, as I recall my own father telling me of happy trips from Salt Lake to Alpine to visit his grandparents.

A further quote from her grandson states: "The floors in her house were only bare boards, but were scrubbed to a snowy white and never a spot could be found." He always wished that he could have such a home as hers, especially with an old flour and provision bin where those good cookies were kept.

He recalled sitting at her side while she knit stockings and combed wool for quilts for the winter, and would tell him stories of her life in England and of her journey across the plains to Utah, and never did he hear her complain of the life that it was her lot to live. She told him stories of the kings and queens of her native land, and that she had lived during the reigns of King George IV, William IV, and Queen Victoria.

She passed hard times bravely and found no fault, and was prompt in paying her bills. She worked in the temple for her dead friends and family.

She lived with frail health for several years, but was able to be up and about enough to care for her home. She passed away February 24, 1912 and was buried February 27, 1912 her 91st birthday. Her husband, Joseph, followed her in death on November 27, 1916.

On their headstone in the Alpine City Cemetery is the inscription, "A light is from our household gone, the voice we loved is stilled. A place is vacant in our home. A place in heaven is filled."