Bishop Thomas Jefferson Thurston

   FamilySearch ID: K2Q6-R8V. Find a Grave ID: 78701.

  General Notes:

Thurston, Thomas Jefferson, first Bishop in Morgan county, Utah, was born Feb. 12, 1805, in Fletcher, Vermont, the son of Peter Thurston and Hanna Butler. He came to Salt Lake Valley in 1847, having crossed the plains in Jedediah M. Grant's company. He acted as a counselor to Bishop Wm. H. Hickenlooper of the Sixth Ward, Salt Lake City, for a number of years, and afterwards officiated as acting Bishop of Morgan county. Subsequently he served as a member of the High Council of the Morgan Stake. He was sent by Pres. Brigham Young on the first exploring expedition to Cache valley in 1848, and later settled at Centerrifle, Davis county, Utah, where he took up 80 acres of land and engaged in farming. Together with Chas. S. Peterson and their sons he helped to build the first road through Weber valley. With William W. Potter and others he built the first boat and made the first known trip on the Great Salt Lake, exploring all the islands. The boat was named "Mud Hen," and while navigating the lake the party were overtaken by a storm in which the members of the expedition came near loosing their lives. Bro. Thurston also established the first ferry on Bear river. Later in life he became a resident of St. George, Washington county, Utah, where he died May 4, 1885. Bishop Thurston married three wives, namely, Rozette Bull, Elizabeth Smith and Helen Maria Davis. By these wives he became the father of 26 children. (Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia)

Volume 3

Biographies

Tippets, John Harvey )

  Research Notes:

A great deal of information on his FS page: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/K2Q6-R8V including family.

  Events

• Immigration, 4 Oct 1847, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah. ²⁹⁷

• residence, 1880, Milton, Morgan, Utah Territory, United States. ²⁹⁷

Thomas married Rosetta Bull 20 Mar 1828 in Granville, Licking, Ohio, United States.²⁹⁷ (Rosetta Bull was born 25 Apr 1809 in Manchester, Bennington Co., VT,²⁹⁷ died 29 Jul 1880 in Pima, Graham, Arizona Territory ²⁹⁷ and was buried in Pima, Graham, Arizona Territory ²³⁰.)

Thomas next married Elizabeth Smith 12 Nov 1855 in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory.²⁹⁷ (Elizabeth Smith was born 26 Feb 1835 in Newton in Makerfield St Peter, Lancashire, England ²⁹⁷, christened 5 Apr 1835 in Burtonwood, Lancashire, England,²⁹⁷ died 18 Jan 1895 in St. George, Washington Co., Utah Territory ²⁹⁷ and was buried in St. George, Washington Co., Utah Territory.)

Thomas next married Helen Maria Davis 3 May 1862 in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory.²⁹⁷ (Helen Maria Davis was born 29 Oct 1844 in Lowell, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States ²⁹⁷, christened 29 Oct 1844, died 3 Aug 1896 in Ogden, Weber Co., Utah ²⁹⁷ and was buried in Milton, Morgan Co., Utah ²⁹⁷.)