Prepared by Kareen Lalliss Knight, October 2002
William Henry Gibbs Sr. Was the son of John Duggan and Julia Ann Tompkins Gibbs, born 7 Feb. 1851, at Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales. He received
his schooling by attending private and Tasker Charity School at Haverfordwest, Pembroke, Wales. In the year of 1863 he, his father, mother, and four brothers
left their native country for Liverpool, England, where they boarded the sailing vessel, Cynosure, with 754 saints for America. They arrived in New York harbor
19 July 1863.
In New York they boarded the railroad cars for the West. They were loaded into box cars as all the passenger cars were taken to transport the soldiers to the war,
which at this time was raging between the North and the South. At St. Joseph, Missouri, they boarded a steamer for Florence, Nebraska. The water in the river
being low, the passengers had to walk several miles to lighten the ship so it could cross the sand bars. The colored sailors sang "We'll Hang Jeff Davis on a Sour
Apple Tree" and other songs which made the trip quite lively.
From here I'll quote from his own writings. "We arrived at Florence, Nebraska, the 10th day of August, 1863, where ox teams were waiting for us. We were
booked for the Thomas E. Ricks Co. which consisted of 100 wagons with four yoke of oxen to each wagon. In our wagon we were crowded; besides our personal
belongs there were freight or sugar or nails. At night we had no tent to protect us. When it rained, we all had to huddle into the wagon to keep warm and dry.
When the weather was good we boys slept under the wagon. A bed was fixed in the wagon for mother.
"As we were traveling along I saw two men off to the side of the road shooting at a little animal. My boy companions and I hastened to see what was going on.
When we got there we saw the men firing at a little striped animal. Its fur was black and white and it had a long tail. Not being able to stop it with his gunfire,
one of the men took hold of the barrel of his gun and tried to hit it. He missed the creature and hit the ground instead, breaking his gun stock off. Then he kicked
the animal; and we boys followed suit. We were paid well for our trouble for the little animal turned out to be a pole cat. When we returned to camp, we were
not allowed to sit in the company with the rest of the travelers. One of the teamsters told me to go to the bank of the river and cover my feet and legs with sand. I
sat there for two hours. At night they buried my shoes, stockings, and pants. The terrible odor was up to my knees. By this time I got rid of the unpleasant smell
and was allowed to take my place at the table.
"When we arrived at the Platt River we found that the bed of the river had dried up leaving only riverlets with water six or seven inches deep running in them.
We spread a wagon cover in the water. They would hold one side up and the other they weighted down in the water with rocks. The men and boys would then
beat the stream further up and scare the fish into the stream down on the canvas where they would catch up the sides of the wagon cover letting the water drain out
and the fish would be left inside. There were enough fish caught in this way to feed the whole camp of over 500 people. Out on the plains we had no wood and
were forced to use buffalo chips for fuel. It made a hot fire, but did not smell so good.
"We arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, 4 Oct. 1863, in good health." In 1866 at the age of 15, William Henry Gibbs went to work for Mr. Charles Reese of Hyde
Park, Utah. He worked for one year for $100 to be paid in wheat at $5 per bushel. When he sold the wheat, he received $50 for ten bushels and $25 for ten
bushels, so it netted him $75 in place of the $100.
In the spring of 1868 his father sent him to Portage, Box Elder County, on foot. This was a distance of about 60 miles from Willard, Utah, where the family was
living. The trip took him two and a half days. The second night he stopped at the Bear River Bridge Hotel. The beds being all taken, Mr. Young gave him a pair
of blankets and after all the people went to bed he curled up on the center table in the sitting room and spent the night. On arriving at Portage, he went to the
home of Thomas John, one of h is acquaintances who also had come from Wales. Here in Portage he met Clark Ames and they worked together plowing up five
acres each and planting it in wheat. After this was done he started home. A man driving a team of horses came by and gave him a lift so he arrived home the
same day.
On the 10th of Jan. 1869, he and five others took a contract to build four or five sections of grade from the Union Pacific Railroad. The ground was wet and
boggy. They used spades and wheelbarrows to do the work.
In Jan. 1872 he was ordained an Elder by Miles Hall. On the 25th of Jan. 1872 he received his recommend to the Endowment House where on the 5th of Feb. he
married Letitia John, daughter of Thomas and Margaret John. Daniel Wells performed the wedding. After their marriage they returned to Portage where they
made their home.
I now quote from writings of Milton H. Welling regarding William Gibbs calling. "After the organization of the Portage Branch of the Church, he (William
Gibbs) was active under Oliver C. Hoskins as ward teacher and Supt. Of the Sunday School. When the Ward was organization on the 23rd of October, 1877, he
was made second counselor to Bishop Oliver C. Hoskins. On the 12th of Feb. 1888, he was made second counselor to Oliver C. Hoskins, who was then called as
President of the Malad Stake. On 22 Mar 1902 he was sustained as first counselor to Milton H.Welling, the new president of the Malad Stake. On 27th of Sep.
1908, the stake was divided, and William R. Richards was called as president of the Malad Stake with William H. Gibbs, Sr. as his first counselor. He held this
position until 28 Feb 1928. He served through one Ward and three Stake administrations for 50 years, 4 months, 28 days continuously as counselor to his
presiding officers. Incidental to this distinguished service, he served 12 years as a patriarch of the Malad Stake.
"He filled a mission to the Southern States in 1884, returning home in 1888.
"In addition to the activities of President Gibbs as a churchman, he has been at all times a useful citizen of the State of Utah. In his young manhood at Portage, he
served as an officer of every civic movement which had to do with the growth and development of the community. It mattered little what the activity was: the
organization of a debating society or the construction of an irrigation system. He served 16 years as a school trustee. In 1894 he represented Box Elder County as
a member of the Constitutional Convention of Utah. Later, as a member of the first State Legislature, he assisted in putting the State government into active
operation.
"When the town of Portage was organized, he was elected president of the town board and was the leading spirit in bringing piped city water to the homes of its
people."
The year before he passed away, he and Eveline, his second wife, went to Pocatello, ID, to visit William Golden Zundel Gibbs and Hazel his wife for a few days.
He asked Hazel to take them to Rupert to visit his only living brother, Charles Tompkins Gibbs, who was living with his daughter, Grace Johnson. After the visit,
the brothers put their arms around each other and said, "which one of us goes first on the other side we will tell father and mother about seeing each other and tell
them how we are and how we love them. We hope it will not be long before we meet on the other side". This was the last time they saw each other.
William Henry Gibbs, Sr died at the age of 59 years 6 months. He was the father of thirteen children, had 65 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren. He was
laid to rest by his first wife, who labored so hard with him.
Only By Working Together
All have a share in this beauty. All have a share in the plan. What does it matter what duty falls to the lot of a man? Someone has blended the plaster and
someone has carried the stone;
Neither the man nor the master ever has built alone. Making the roof from the weather, or building a house for the King; Only by working together have men
accomplished a thing.
Author unknown
Good Example
There are so many ways in life of doing good on earth to help some individual appreciate its worth.
And out of all the ways there are, the best is not to teach, to threaten, argue, or command, and surely not to preach; But just o live unselfishly and to be good and
true, And treat another as you wish that he would favor you. To set a good example by your conduct every day. Your actual accomplishments--all the things you
say. Because a good example is the best that we can give to bring about a better world in which to work and live.
James J. Metcalf
