THURSTON, Thomas Jefferson

  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 )