The History of Benjamin Evan Williams and Elizabeth (Chisholm) Williams
Benjamin Evans Williams was born July 17, 1846 in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, Wales. He came to Utah at the age of seventeen with his guardians, John and Mary Evans.
His education was very limited, but he was strong minded and possessed excellent business and administrative qualities.
When he was a young boy, he herded cows along the city streets and near the bench lands. He loved horses and cattle. He related this exciting experience of his boyhood days: He and Charles Brown, Joshua Brockbank and Orson Creer were at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon herding cattle and protecting property. A band of Indians came toward them with their blood curdling yells and with the desire to kill. Benjamin headed his horse for the herd with all his cowboy skill and succeeded in turning the cattle up a ravine and saved them from the Indians.
Later in life, when a young man, Benjamin lived with the Ben Isaac family. It was at this time that he and Bill Chisholm freighted supplies to Pioche, Nevada and Milford, Utah. They brought back the first loads of cedar posts to Spanish Fork which were used to build fences.
It was at this time when he was working at the Chisholm and Gardner sawmill in Spanish Fork canyon that he began courting Elizabeth Chisholm. She and Mary Riley were cooking for a group of men there. Benjamin always said that he wanted a good cook for a wife and Elizabeth's good cooking led him on. After courting her for some time, they were married in the Old Endowment House in Salt Lake City, January 25, 1869.
They made their home at eighth North and first West in Spanish Fork. Three children were born to them. George C. was born January 17, 1870 and died September 1, 1870. Elizabeth Ann, the only girl, was born September 14, 1878. Benjamin Earnest was born July 31, 1883. He died January 11, 1929 and Elizabeth Ann died April 13, 1967.
Benjamin, John Isaac, Elias Jones and Pleasant Bradford were working on the railroad at Promitory Point near Salt Lake at the time the golden spike was driven on May 10, 1869. This event celebrated the fact that the nation was spanned by rail. In 1882, Benjamin started to haul freight from the Denver and Rio Grande depot at Mapleton to the Spanish Fork Co-op and other surrounding stores.
Because Benjamin owned a beautiful black team and was an expert driver, he was chose to drive the Spanish Fork Brass Band around town in a band wagon he built especially for that purpose. He hauled the band boys around on celebrations. The band would meet at the City Hall at sunrise and climb to the roof of the building and play, "The Star Spangled Banner." They would then get in the wagon and ride around serenading the town. They always felt perfectly safe with him although he gave them some pretty fast rides at times. Some of the men in the band were: Thomas Hitchings, John Morgan, Owen Rowe, Alfred Rees, John Rowe, Bill Davis, Joseph Chapple, Hugh Moore, Reese D. James and George Hitchings.
Benjamin told George Hitchings about an incident that happened to him while he was at conference in Salt Lake City. While going to his hotel, a man followed him with the intentions of holding him up. At the time, Benjamin had quite a sum of money with him which to do his trading. When the man reached to grab him, Benjamin turned quickly and knocked him to the ground. He left him laying and hurried on. Although Benjamin was a small man in stature, he was a strong, hard man to handle which of course was a good quality to possess.
Benjamin served as a policeman of Spanish Fork from 1885 to 1891. On September 14, 1891 he was appointed as marshall to finish the unexpired term of Henry Gardner who resigned. He served as marshall until 1894. He also served a city jailer for some time. Those who worked with him were Ben Argyle, A. T. Money, Hans Olsen, Al Andrus and Joshua Brockbank.
On September 25, 1888, his wife, Elizabeth died at Spanish Fork. Five years later he married Secelia Jones Thomas in the Salt Lake Temple. They had three children: Mary Williams Chapple, William J. Williams and Ben E. Williams.
After the death of Elizabeth he remained in the home in Spanish Fork. His son, Earnest and his wife, Louise also lived there. After his marriage to Secelia, they built a home in Palmyra and lived there. Here he spent the rest of his days as a successful farmer and stockraiser. He milked eight to ten cows, carrying ten gallon cans of milk from the corral to the milk house and after separating the milk by hand, he would carry the milk back to the pigs. The cream was used to make butter. They would churn the butter by hand in a large barrel churn and they would make about 30 pounds of butter a week. While Secelia got the butter ready, Benjamin would get the horse and buggy and off to town they would go. They would be stopped by several of their friends and neighbors for butter until they would only have a few pounds left to take to the stores. Secelia was an excellent butter maker.
Although Benjamin was of a quick-tempered nature, he was an honest and hard working man and the very best kind of father. After having his second wife Secelia with him for twenty-two years, she died in 1915. He was left with his three children, Mary, William and Ben. Mary took her mother's place in caring for her two brothers.
In the fall of the year, 1916, while in the corral catching his team to go to work, one of them turned and kicked him in the chest. It killed him instantly. His little son, Ben, was only five years old at the time and was with him when he was hurt. Realizing that his daddy was hurt, he said, "I'll close the gates so the pigs can't get you, Daddy." He ran for help to the nearby field and brought George C. Thomas who summoned Dr. Joseph Hughes.
Thus, Benjamin Evans Williams died November 1, 1916 in Palmyra, leaving the memory of a fine, upright citizen and pioneer. To his memory we pay tribute. We are indeed proud.
Elizabeth Chisholm was born October 10, 1848 in Wingate, Durham County, England. She was the daughter of George Chisholm and Elizabeth Whiteman (Weightman). She had three sisters and two brothers. They were Mary Ann, born December 4, 1834 at Heaburn, Durham County, England. She died January 16, 1886 at Spanish Fork. Dorothy, born February 29, 1836 at Durham County, England and she died August 5, 1889 in Spanish Fork. Eleanor, born in April 1839 at Wingate, Durham County, England. She died August 10, 1870 at Spanish Fork. William W. was born November 1, 1843 at Wingate, Durham County, England and died November 12, 1897 at Spanish Fork. Ralph, was born in England and died as a baby there.
On November 27, 1854, Elizabeth left England with her parents, brother and sisters for America. But after three days on the sea they were forced back to shore by a heavy gale. On December 7, 1854, they again began their journey on the ship called "Clara Wheeler." There were 422 saints on the ship and they made their voyage safely across the ocean.
They came to Utah and made their home in Spanish Fork. Their first home was on the Chisholm Hill where the Orson Johnson home now stands. It was here that Benjamin Evans Williams first became acquainted with his wife-to-be, Elizabeth Chisholm. They were married January 25, 1869 in Salt Lake in the Old Endowment House.
Benjamin bought a lot on 8th North and 1st West in Spanish Fork. He purchased the lot from Charles Lear and built a one room adobe house. They lived in this one room for several years and he later built the home where his son Earnest and wife, Louise lived and raised their family.
Elizabeth always went about her work with a smile on her face and a heart full of faith. She was a Relief Society teacher for several years. Whenever there was sickness in any of the homes, along with Nettie Morgan and Ann F. Rowe were among the first to go to assist them. They did all they could to bring comfort and cheer into the lives of those who were in need, and offering sympathy to bereaved families. When death came into any home in the neighborhood, Elizabeth would help prepare the body for burial, which consisted of washing and laying out the body and making all the clothes. The clothing was usually made under the supervision of Ann F. Rowe, who was an excellent seamstress.
Elizabeth worked on the Old Folks Committee for many years. Being an excellent cook, they always called on her to make cakes and pies. She was an industrious, hard working woman. Her husband would haul loads of peaches from the Aaron Peterson orchard on the bench. Then she and Aunt Polly Jensen would cut and dry them by the sacks full. Then they would haul them to Provo in a wagon and trade them for the things they needed.
Elizabeth was an excellent house keeper and for making quilts she could not be beat. She had a life full of all the service, love and duty that one could have. Her life gave increasing courage, and faith through the great service she rendered. She gained the love and respect of all her friends and neighbors by her kindness and generosity.
Elizabeth died September 25, 1888 at Spanish Fork leaving her husband, Benjamin Evans Williams, her daughter, Elizabeth Ann (Roach) aged ten and her son, Benjamin Earnest, aged six.
