The earliest that is known of the Stephens family is in about 1750. They were then located in Fayettville, in the central part of North Carolina, somewhere near the Yonkers River on the east side. Others settled in Salisbury, on the west side of the Yonkers River. They stayed in or near this place until the migration of the eastern people started into the Ohio Valley in the 1800's.
This is true of the Briggs, Pincocks, Garners, Williams and Rileys. These people were closely associated with each other, especially in inter marriage. When they decided to go west, some of each of these families journeyed together to migrate into the wilds of the vast new country. They finally arrived in Brown County, Illinois in 1831.
John Stephens and Elizabeth Briggs were in their twenties and were married in 1833 and made their home in Brown County, Illinois. John was 22 years 1 month and Elizabeth was 20 years 11 months 22 days old.
In May the first day 1834, their first son James Otha was born. David Henderson was born in 1835. John Cornelius was born in 1837, Alimire Caroline in 1839, Alexander Nephi in 1840, and all born in Brown County, Illinois.
In 1841 the Latter Day Saint people who had been living in Missouri were driven from their homes and settled in Illinois about sixty miles north called Commerce, but later was called Nauvoo. About this time an Elder named Jacob Foutz came into the neighborhood of Brown County preaching the gospel. His message met with favor. This family believed it to he true and all were baptized.
Later they sold their home in Brown County, Illinois and went to Nauvoo in Hancock County, some sixty miles on the Mississippi River in 1842. Their son Daniel was born soon after they arrived. Elizabeth Jane was born in 1845.
They helped in building a beautiful flourishing city of lovely homes, factories and business buildings, and had a population of 20,000 people. Again the persecution started. Homes were burned and crops destroyed and people beaten, but the Saints had started to build a Temple April the sixth, 1841. It was being erected in spite of poverty, sickness, death and destruction. In fact you might say with a rifle in one hand and a hammer or saw in the other.
Ten thousand people had witnessed the laying of the temple cornerstone which was put in place by Joseph Smith. This occasion was marked by great military display, the choir and band taking part.
John and Elizabeth Personally knew the prophet.
Their son James (called Otha.) was baptized by the Prophet and confirmed by Hiram Smith in 1843. On June 27, 1844 Joseph and Hiram were murdered by painted-face ruffians.
In spite of the persecution, poverty and weariness the work on the Temple continued enough that on October the filth 1845 a conference was held within its walls. On the first day of may 1846, the Temple was dedicated by Wilford Woodruff. The building cost $1,000,000 paid for by tithing, good will offerings and hard labor.
John and Elizabeth and their sons, Otha. and David were present at the conference and saw Brigham Young take on the mantle of Joseph Smith.
Again the Saints were driven from their homes. These parents sold what they could and the rest was taken over by thieving invaders. In July 1846 John
and Elizabeth and their seven children left Nauvoo with all their worldly possessions in one wagon drawn by one yoke of oxen and went to Missouri.
According to the diary of:
Daniel Stephens:
"My Mother's
Elizabeth brother Phillip Briggs lived there in Missouri and he gave John work which helped through the winter. Then we went to Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Soon after arriving Elizabeth gave birth March 16, 1847 to a son they named Thomas Jefferson. They took up a farm and lived here four years. During this time all who were old enough went to school: Otha 13, David 12, John 10, Almira 8 and Alexander 7. A temporary encampment called "Winter Quarters was built across the Missouri River. Here a thousand log houses were erected, also mills and workshops by 1847. In this city for a period of years most of the Saints lived with their wagon, horses, cattle and sheep which had migrated from Nauvoo.
Schools and churches were provided and suddenly there appeared on the prairie that which seemed a miracle. During the first whiter, hundred of weary underfed refugees died. Altogether there were 600 buried there at Winter Quarters.
In the year 1850 John loaned Brigham Young a yoke of oxen to help him to Utah. He sent them back the same year. In the same year John and family, this time with two yoke of oxen, two yoke of cows and two wagons started for Utah with the Bates Company (John Brown Company). Orson Pratt was in this same company. John was appointed Captain of ten families. They still had 1,000 weary miles over desert and mountains and many died on the way. During there travels they met many obstacles. Many lost cattle from drinking alkaline water, but fortunately they didn't lose any. One member who had overloaded his wagon had his teams give out and he had to leave by the roadside many valuable articles."
Before they reached Independence Rock their ten families were about one drive ahead of the main company and one was one mile behind them by the time they camped for the night. John and Otha went back to help them. They found them surrounded by about fifty Crow Indians. The Indians were not hostile but they were taking whatever they wanted from the wagon. John talked to them and persuaded them to stop, then he drove on, the Indians following. When they arrived at camp, the Indians went to one side and fired off their guns as a sign of peace, and then they camped by them for the night. John knew the Allred camp was just about a mile ahead of us at Independence Rock, and not knowing just what the Indians might decide to do during the night, he sent some of their men to this camp to get help for them to move to their camp.
They came and helped them to move to Alfred camp. The Indians then also broke up camp and left and they did not hear of them again.
They stayed at Independence Rock all the next day. Many of the men and boys went up on top and into the caves, saw the names of many people who had passed ahead of was written on the cave walls. Next day they went on their way and had no more trouble until they came to the South Pass in Echo Canyon. They had such a terrible wind and hail storm they had to unhitch all their teams and they stampeded. It. took all next day to find them. Then the next day they continued on and all went well.
On October 4, 1851 they reached Salt. Lake City. They found John's brother Alexander Stephens, who was a member of the Mormon Battalion. He had just finished building a house. He was not married, so they stayed with him until after the conference, they went to Ogden where James Brown lived. Captain Brown, his wife was John's sister Martha. He gave John work and they got along all right through the winter. Captain Brown had previously bought all the land in Weber County for $3,000, including the Fort and some cattle. In the spring he sold John some lots with a one room house on it. John and his family built another room and then they had quite a comfortable home. A two room house being a comfortable home for two parents and ten children.
On October 4, 1851 John was 40 years old and Elizabeth was 39 years old.
Elizabeth how could this wife and mother could find enough food, while crossing the plains for twelve people with eight of them boys from one to seventeen years, besides her husband!
Later they moved to Birch Creek on a farm. Martha May Stephens writes that her father James Alonzo told her that when he was a small boy he would walk from his home on 25th Street on a hot summer day to his Grandmother's home in Birch Creek she asked him if he would like some cold milk and some fresh baked bread. He said this stood out in his mind as the most enjoyable meal he had ever had.
From the diary of Uncle Daniel Stephens again:
"In the year 1870, Alexander took down with small pox. I waited on him, and nine days later I came down with small pox. I had a severe case. My wife, who had it in England cared for me and by her untiring; labor and the help of the Lord, I pulled through. Then seventeen members of my Father's family who lived on the farm went through this small pox, and we saved all but a brother's baby and my Father, who died December 3, 1870. He was 59 Years Old 8 months.
John and Elizabeth were married 37 years 7 months 2 days when John died.
Elizabeth Briggs born May 9, 1812 died March 13, 1886, at the age of 74.
Source Reference:
John Stephens in 1860
had a household of 13, a real wealth of $1260, and a personal wealth of $650 In 1870 had a household of 5, a real wealth of $2000, and a personal wealth of $550
John came to Utah on October 14, 18 51 as the captain of 10 with the Orson Pratt Company. He built the first reservoir in Weber County Utah in 1856 Reference Pioneers and Prominent Men in Utah by Esshow Frank 1913 page 1183
Temple - ordinances - data
Baptism - Baptized by the Prophet Joseph Smith
Endowments Sealing to spouse
Temple Index Bureau Nov 8, 1867
Feb 6, 1 846 Nauvoo
Temple Endowment Register 1845 - 46
Nauvoo Early Mormon series 1839 - 46 Platt, Lyman 1980
M: May 1, 1833 Brown County Il
Utah Federal Census: Year: 1860, 1870
Nauvoo Social History Project. Smith, James
Family Group Sheet - Father
Part Hancock County Taxes; Year 1842
Nauvoo Property Transactions, Year 1846
Pottawattamie Federal Census; Year 1840
Batch 5002442 Film Not Available EDITED: 18 MAR 1993
John Stephens was born 31 March 1811 in Rowan County, North Carolina. As a single man he immigrated North to Illinois with his sister, Elizabeth, and her family.
He married Elizabeth Briggs 17 Sep 1890, in Schuyler County, Illinois. Elizabeth was born 14 Mar 1812 in North Carolina.
There are many histories written of this couple. John and his wife joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints the same time that his sister Elizabeth Brown joined. He was baptized by the Prophet, Joseph Smith.
John and Elizabeth were the parents of 12 children:
The first five children were born in Brown County, Illinois. The next one in Nauvoo, Ill, the next three in Pottawattamie County, Illinois, and the last two in Ogden, Utah.
When the Latter Day Saints were driven from Nauvoo, Illinois, John and his wife took their seven children and went with them to Winter Quarters, (now Omaha, Nebraska). They remained in this area for quite some time. John was assigned by Brigham Young to stay and help raise crops for those pioneers that were coming later. It was know as the "poor farm". Later the Stephens Family immigrated to Utah in the Bates Company (John Brown Company) in 1851. The pioneer companies were divided into hundreds, fiftys and tens. John was captain of one of the ten families.
John settled his family in Ogden, Weber County, Utah. The town that was founded by his brother-in-law, Captain James Brown. A set of twin boys was born to the family at Ogden. One of the twins died at birth, but John and Elizabeth raised all eleven remaining children to maturity.
John died 3 Dec. 1870, at Ogden, Utah from small pox. His wife lived another 16 years and passed away 13 March 1886. She was 73 years of age and at that time had 76 grand children, 54 living, 13 great grand children, with 12 of them living.
They were buried in the Ogden City Cemetery near his sister, Elizabeth S. Brown, and not far from where his brother-in-law, Captain James Brown is buried.
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