HISTORY OF SANFORD ALLRED

Sanford Allred was born 30 October 1948 in Council Point (Council Bluff), Pottawattamie, Iowa.  His father was Isaac Allred and his mother was Mary Henderson, also known as Polly.  He was the second child in a family of six children.  Isaac, was born in Garden Grove, Iowa 13 October 1846 and died two weeks after birth..  Samuel was also born in Iowa 3 June 1851.  Mary was born in Kaysville 28 March 1853.  She died when a month old.  Orson was born in Kaysville 22 September 1856 and Olive was born in Ephraim 13 February 1859.  His father was a Polygamist and Mary Henderson was his second wife so Sanford also had twelve half brothers and sisters born to his Father’s two other wives.  Julia Ann Taylor was the mother of ten children and Isaac’s first wife.  Emma Dewey was the mother of two and his third wife whom he married in England while on a mission.

Isaac and Mary Allred were early converts to the church and were endowed, married and sealed in the Nauvoo Temple.  They lived in Nauvoo until the saints were driven from their homes and then lived in Iowa until 1852 when they came to Utah.  A year after arriving in Utah, Isaac was called on a mission to England leaving his two wives and 11 children in Kaysville where they lived in a wagon box and often had very little food.  In 1858 they moved to Ephraim and in 1859 to Mt. Pleasant being among the first settlers there.  While living in Mt. Pleasant Isaac was murdered by Thomas Ivie on the 12 May 1859.  He was buried in the old cemetery in Ephraim.  Mary and her children moved to Spring City in March 1860 where some of the Allred family lived and once more started to make a home.

Sanford was ten and his brother Samuel was almost eight when they went to work to help make a living.  They were without food many times and often lived on herbs that they dug from the earth while they herded a few sheep that were their only belongings.  There mother did sewing and weaving when she could find work to help support them.  For years Mary was the only widow in Spring City.  The only school that Sanford attended was taught by his mother.  Sanford and Samuel were both polygamists.  Samuel was the Bishop of the Spring City Ward for many years.  Orson and his wife Lorena ran the “Allred House” a hotel in Spring City.  His sister Olive married Frederick Accord and also lived in Spring City.

Sanford was baptized on the 3^rd of June 1860 by Wiley Payne Allred, his uncle.  In February 1863 he was ordained a Deacon by Christian J. Larsen.  His next ordination was to that of an Elder by James Anderson Allred on Jan 27, 1869.  In the summer of 1870 he was appointed a teacher in the Elder’s Quorum where he labored until Nov. 18, 1873 when he was called as Second Counselor to Pres. James Christensen in that Quorum.  When the Sanpete Stake was organized, he was appointed First Counselor in the Quorum and set apart by Henry Beal.  In 1877 the President was called on a mission and he served as acting president.

In the spring of 1866 Sanford was called to drive an ox team to the Missouri River to help bring immigrants to Utah. (1) On the 17^th of April 1866, he left home in obedience to the call for the perilous and never to be forgotten journey.  The community turned out to see them off and Apostle Hyde gave them a blessing.  He promised that if they would lived as they should live and obey counsel that they would return unharmed and have health and wisdom given them at the time it was needed.  He told them that they would see the hardest time they had ever seen with much sickness and trouble.  They arrived at Fort Laramie, Wyoming on July 23^rd.  The roads were almost impassable all the way.

On the 14^th of August they got their loads and started home.  Most of the immigrants were sick with Cholera and not well enough to care for each other so the teamsters were obliged to assist.  They left Missouri with 300 people but over 50 died on the way.  Some days they dug trenches and buried several together.  The promises given by Apostle Hyde were fulfilled as only one driver contracted the disease and he had not obeyed counsel but was permitted to live and return home a wiser and better man.  They arrived in Salt Lake City on the 22^nd of October 1866.  His mother and children had to abandon their home during that summer and move to Ephraim on account of Indian troubles but were home again.  His brother Samuel went to York (a small place north of Nephi) on horseback to meet him and bring his team home in order that he might ride a horse and arrive home on this 18^th birthday, 30 Oct. 1866.  He was welcomed home by the community but never cared to discuss the happenings of that journey.  The Captain of his company was Abner Lowry.  

In the spring of 1867, he was called with nine others to herd the cattle for Spring Town as the Indians were not friendly.  They had many skirmishes with the Indians but on the 13^th of August, they attacked the herd, killed two men, James Meeks and a Mr. Johnson.  William Blain was shot and the Indians got away with some of the horses.  Sanford was sent to town for help.  Blain begged him to take him but Sanford stopped long enough to hide him in the brush and then go for help.  They followed the Indians all day, he and Abram Acord leading the party up a trail in what is known as Bill Allred’s canyon.  The Indians shot the leaves from the trees close to their heads but no one else was injured.  Sanford carried many messages between towns and saw people who had been killed or abused.  This was very appalling to him.  He received warnings several times to move from places of danger and tried to heed those warnings at all times.  He was surrounded by Indians while riding to town but was always shown the way out.

On the 18^th of October 1869 he married Ellen Shepherd in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah.  The ceremony was performed by Joseph F. Smith.  To this union was born seven children.  Sanford Eugene, Feb 23, 1871;  Joseph Albert, Dec 1, 1871; Mary Ellen born May 30, 1874: Anenia Charlotte Aug. 23, 1876; Myron Oscar Dec. 22, 1878; Lester Grant Dec. 24, 1880' Samuel Bert Jan. 26, 1883.  They’re second son Joseph Albert died in September 1873 and was one of the first to be buried in the new cemetery.

On July 15, 1880, he married Annie Eliza Robinson in the Endowment House.  They were blessed with two sons, Cyrus Edward born Dec. 9, 1882 and Don Thurber born May 24 1883.  Don was killed in a snow slide in Prove Canyon March 29, 1924.  All of his children except Sanford Eugene who moved to Pleasant Grove and Myron Isaac who moved to Bingham, lived in Spring City.  All of Sanford’s children were baptized on their birthdays.

On the 27 March 1876, the Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association was organized in Spring City with Sanford Allred as President.  Ole Olson was first counselor and Lewis Christiansen as second counselor.  They had no instructions and were much puzzled about what to do.  There were twelve present and they sat around the stove in the meeting house and talked about what they should do.  They asked Henry Acord to sing a song which he did and that consisted of the first program given.  They served until Nov. 8, 1880 when he was again made President with Hemming Hansen and Lewis Christiansen as counselors.  He was released in 1882 but called to visit throughout the Stake and for years performed this labor.  He was much in demand to administer to the sick.  Night after night he spent time with the sick.  

He was elected City Marshall Aug. 2, 1880 and was also Constable for the Precinct.  He often brought men home who had broken the law, fed and cared for them and helped them to be better citizens.  He served in these positions for three years.  He also served two terms on the City Council and helped to build roads, ditches, canals, and flumes.  He was always interested in farming, stock and sheep raising and tried to find work for his boys to do.  He and his brothers Samuel and Orson worked cooperatively as long as he lived.  They owned considerable land and which ever piece of ground was ready first that is where they worked taking their boys with them and teaching them to work.  On Dec. 13, 1880, he writes in his journal “I went to North Bend (now Fairview) to attend a meeting of the City Council, then home and took by children to see C. A. Christensen’s show which was about the trials of the saints in the early days of the church.  Then I bought a sewing machine in Spring City.”  He was fond of dancing and was a prompter and floor manager for years.  

In 1881 he hauled much lumber, hay and produce to Manti for the temple and also did work on the construction.  

On March 22, 1884, he received a call to fill a mission to the Sandwich Islands.  (Hawaii) he consulted with his family and ward authorities, hurried to help get the grain in the earth and do all he could so that his family might have a crop that year.  He sold horses, cows and everything he could to help get him to his field of labor.  He bade his family of ten goodby and left on May 2, 1884 in company with Joseph Hyde and Amasa Aldrich.  Bro. Aldrich being called to New Zealand.  His brothers Samuel and Orson took him to Wales, that being the nearest railway station.

Arriving in Salt Lake City, they slept in their own blankets at the tithing office yard.  The next morning he was ordained a Seventy and set apart for his mission by Pres. Wilford Woodruff.  He was promised in his blessing that his family would be protected and blessed as long as he and his family remained faithful.  He went to Ogden and had dinner with his brother John.  He met two strange men who each gave him 50 cents to help him along.  He bought a ticket to San Francisco for $26.50.  When they arrived there they spent a few hours sightseeing and then bought tickets for Honolulu at $25.00 each and sailed on the ship “City of Sidney”.  He suffered much from sea sickness and for the reason, he never enjoyed the trips on the ocean.  He speaks of a discussion on polygamy being held on the ship with the Elders and some gentlemen on board.  A Jew was to be the judge.  After it was over the Jew said “the Mormons get away with it anyway”.

On May 18, 1884 he arrived in Honolulu at three PM.  Elder J. B. Read met and took them into town to rest.  They then bid goodby to the Elders who were leaving for New Zealand.  Many Hawaiians met the boat and this was the first time the Elders had seen the natives.  The next morning Pres. Partridge and Elder William Farrel came to take them there new home which was at Laie where the temple stands now and was 32 mile trip.  They visited the King’s Palace, heard a wonderful band play at what is known as Emma’s Square.  They left for Laie on horseback on the morning of May 20^th .  There was in the company one woman, two children, and six Elders.  A coincidence in this was that in his early days he often remarked that if he was called on a mission, he hoped it would be where he could ride a mule and this first mount he had and for many times after was a mule as that was their chief means of travel.

On arriving at Laie they were met by many natives who sang the Hawaiian songs he always loved.  That night he ate his first Poi and slept at the sugar mill with Elder Read.  The next day was assigned to work in the mill and fields.  A work that was in many ways a great trial as it was trying to teach the natives to raise sugar cane and other things adapted to that climate.  The natives loved to play in the water more than to work.  On June 10^th, he received his first letter from home and wept so much he could scarcely read it.  After his first month on Hawaiian soil he was afflicted with boils and at one time was so near death that he was pronounced dead.  Through the faith of his friends and the blessings he received he was made well.  He did much roping, riding and breaking of oxen to work on the carts and had many narrow escapes but was never seriously injured.  His association with the natives taught him much of the language and gave them faith in him.

He related many happy times at the Mission home among them being a Birthday Party given for him by the mission home people on Jan. 25, 1887.  Some of the Brethern wished for a good meal and as the sisters had been unable to find out when his birthday was, Elder Hyde told them it was that day so they celebrated in the evening with a splendid dinner, music, games, gifts, etc.  At the close of the program Sanford thanked all for the surprise but told then that his birthday was Oct. 30 and that he planned to spend his next one at home and all were invited.  Soon after this happy time came sorrow to them.  He was called to preside at the funeral of the four year old son of Jacob and Susie Gates and in one week another son died which brought sadness and homesickness to all.

One morning he reported as getting up early and branding 93 head of cattle and then driving 158 head into the corral.  He went in and prepared some poison for the rats and left it in his room while he saddled his horse.  On returning found that someone had eaten part of it.  He notified Sister Wilcox for he suspected that it was her small child.  It soon became ill and there was little hope for its recovery but again saw the power of the Priesthood made manifest and the child lived.  In September 1886, he was called to the home of Saints and found a lady by the name of Julia Allred who told him that she was blessed and named by Reddin Allred 33 years before.

In November 1886, he was made President of the Laie Branch at Oahu where he served until released to return home.  On November 26, 1886 in company with J. S. Hyde they went out to celebrate the King’s birthday.  While enjoying the music a man invited them to his home to have dinner.  After dinner he gave them the use of a very fine horse and buggy, a luxury at that time, and told them to take a ride and see the surrounding country and return when they were tired.  This was a kindness unexpected but much enjoyed.  On their return they again visited the palace and saw many beautiful gifts as well as furnishings and were greeted by the King. 

In June 1885 through some means Pres. J. F. Smith learned that a man on the islands had the Spaulding record and he with other Elders visited him.  His name was L. L. Rice.  After much persuasion they were permitted to see it but not tough it as he said he had promised his friends in the East that no Mormon should have it.  After many visits he finally loaned it to them for two weeks and Sanford and other Elders copied it all.  Mr. Rice promised to have it printed and give them 25 copies and send 50 copies East but he back out and never did have it printed.  

Sanford and Elder J. S. Hyde were invited to take charge of a funeral and learned that the lady and her husband by the name of Kilcohana had cared for Geo. Q. Cannon more than anyone else while he was in Hawaii many years before.  They also went to the Punch Bowl where Pres. Cannon had built an alter some 35 years earlier and had dedicated himself to the Lord for the work in that land.  He met many people in Hawaii who had remembered the first missionaries there and some were still faithful members.  One man told them that he had been baptized by Reddin Allred.  Sanford had many friends among the Chinese, Portuguese and Japanese who were very numerous in that land.  

Sanford’s visit to the Leper Settlement is described as one never to be forgotten.  They climbed a high mountain on one side with horses then walked down the other side with the helps of canes and clinging to brush and trees where they saw a beautiful sight.  All the houses were white with green surroundings but a living prison with the sea on three sides and a mountain that was impossible to climb on the other.  A meeting was called and all who were able attended but it was a very sad sight and they left with tears in every ones eyes as they knew that they would never meet agin on this earth.

On March 16, 1887, he was released to return home and sailed on the ship “Australia” in the company with A.W. Davis and wife of Salt Lake City.  A wife and three children of Pres. Joseph F. Smith was also with them.  They were seven days and 18 hours on the water and he was very sick all the way but recovered quickly when he reached shore.  He left San Francisco for home on March 25, 1887.  After a brief stay in Odgen, he reached Salt Lake City and visited with the Hawaiians there.  After reporting his mission, he started for Spring City.  He arrived at Moroni the evening of March 31, 1887 where he was met by his wife Ellen, brothers Samuel and Orson and his son Eugene and nephew Willis Allred.  Many friends greeted him when he arrived in Spring City.  (From his missionary journal; Meetings attended in Hawaii 618; days work done 517; beef killed 65; letters received 135; letters written 130)

When he returned home, because of the persecution to the families practicing plural marriage, he could not keep his two families in the same house so Annie and her two sons went to live with her mother and then his mother.  He finally built her a one-room log cabin and then in 1900 he built her a new house.  It was finished shortly before he died.  Sanford’s wives lived on the same block and there was always a gate between the two lots.  

In May 1887, he was called as a home missionary in the stake where he labored for many years.  On September 25^th he was sustained as one of the Seven Presidents of Seventy by Seymour B. Young.  On March 1, 1888, he left for Provo with his brother Samuel who had been arrested for “Conscience Sake.”  Samuel had pleaded guilty and was sentenced to pay a $64.60 fine and be imprisoned for six months in the State Penitentiary.  At this time Sanford assisted his brother’s family with the farming and responsibilities as his brother Samuel had done for his family while he served his mission.  On August 5^th he and his son Myron were at the Penitentiary gates at six A.M. to see them swing open for the release of Samuel.  It was a great thrill.

On September 17, 1888 the three brothers prepared themselves to do Temple work.  He baptized Samuel, Samuel baptized Orson and Orson baptized Sanford.  They took their mother and met Sanford’s mother-in-law Ellen Shepherd and her children at Manti and spent the first whole week it had ever been their privilege to spend in a temple.  

He served as a Director in the Spring City Co-op Store.  He took part in the dedication of the school house and helped haul rock, sand, quarry stone for the meeting house.  He owned and operated a shingle mill for several years and assisted with the plans and the building of the Old City Jail.  He was one of a committee appointed to meet Pres. Anthon H. Lund when he left for his mission to Jerusalem.  They presented Pres. Lund with a few gifts to help him along.  A kindness he never forgot and on his return made is first visit to Spring City.  Sanford answered several calls to visit the Hawaiians at Skull Valley and encourage them.

His home was in Spring City from his early childhood and where he died on November 8, 1900 of pneumonia.  His last recorded words were written on October 9, 1900.  “Not well today just lying around.”  He is buried in the Spring City Cemetery. 

(History written by daughter, Mary Ellen Allred Acord.  Information for it taken from his own journals.)

(1)  Journal History October, 22 1866 Abner Lowry’s Train.

(2) Church Chronology by Andrew Jensen FHL 289-309 J. 453C p. 77

ENTRIES FROM SANFORD ALLRED’S JOURNAL, BOOK 4, DATED MARCH 30, 1896.  (Original in poss. Of Margie A. Wadley, Pleasant Grove, Utah.)  This is copied exactly as in the journal.

12 March 1896: I was a home and all choring.