Thornton, Lydia Mecham
1830 - 1901 (70 years)Lydia Thornton Adams - A short sketch
SHORT SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF LYDIA THORNTON ADAMS (1830-1901)
PIONEER OF AMERICAN FORK, UTAH
1852
Source: Biographical sketch of Lydia Thornton Adams by Cynthia Adams Okey, microfilm of typescript, BYU.
Lydia Thornton Adams is the daughter of Oliver and Mary Griswald Thornton, born 19 October 1830, at Pickering, Ontario County, Canada. She was the oldest of twelve children and proud of the fact of being born the year the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was organized.
Her parents were earnest seekers of religious truth and were much confused at the cry of the many churches of their time of "Come join us for Here is the way, low here is the way' to receive Christ and be saved." Seven years after the organization of the Church, her parents accepted the gospel as taught to them by the missionaries traveling in Canada. Aunt Lydia was ten years old when she was baptized.
Early in the spring of 1828, the Thornton family decided to move to the head quarters of the Church at Kirkland, Ohio. They were bundled into a big sleigh with a fine team of horses and crossed the Great Lakes on the ice. Arriving in the United States they proceeded direct to Kirtland, Ohio; remaining there three months, they joined the movement westward and went with the Saints to Far West, Missouri.
In February, 1839, they were driven by mob persecution to leave Missouri and they moved to Bear Creek, near Fairfield, Adams County, Illinois. From here they moved to Hancock County Illinois, and settled on a farm near Carthage. It was owned by a man named David R. Fales. They were living here when the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were martyred, 5:30 o'clock, June 27, 1844, by an armed mob with blackened faces. They heard the gun fire and felt the sad oppression that hung over the country side but did not know what had happened until midnight when the wife of George D. Grant came to their home and told them the Prophet had been killed.
The Grants lived on a neighboring farm and Mrs. Grant filled with fear had waited until darkness came, then she took her baby and another little one in her arms and went to tell the sad news to the Thornton family. Brother Grant had gone to Nauvoo to tell the sad news to the Saints there.
Aunt Lydia's parents took her and their other children to see those great leaders as they lay in state in the Nauvoo Mansion. These two noble men with their pallid faces, hallowed looking even in death was an incident in her life she never forgot.
They later moved to Nauvoo and in the spring of 1846, they left Nauvoo with the Saints and went to Iowa. It was at about this time, Aunt Lydia was married to Edmond Buttler, being about sixteen years of age.
They remained in Iowa two years, then moved into Lynn County, Missouri, hoping here to find peace and rest from persecutions of mobs and wicked men. But not so, they were soon forced to move on, this time going 150 miles west settling along the Des Moines River. Here they engaged in farming and freighting for two years and managed to get two wagons and two good teams of horses, and struggled on to Kanesville, near Council Bluffs, Iowa.
They stayed here until the spring of 1852, when their one ambition was realized; they were able to go on to Great Salt Lake and join the main body of the Church. They arrived in Salt Lake City in the fall of 1852. Brigham Young sent the family to American Fork. They took up land and built a house where the old Thornton home now stands, east of town.
Aunt Lydia's mother had six children during the fourteen years they were traveling from Canada to Utah. Aunt Lydia was with them during all this traveling, persecutions and trying times. Being the oldest of the children it fell her lot to take a large share of the responsibilities of her mother's burdens. She also had married, had three children and lost them all and was a widow before she was twenty-two years old.
Imagine, or think if you can going through such tragic experiences for one so young. What faith, courage and determination she must have had. Through trials and sorrow, hunger and persecution she went coming out each time like pure gold tested seven times in a furnace of white heat. Can we appreciate our pioneer mothers enough, their value, their integrity, their sacrifice for that what they knew to be true.
The Thornton home in American Fork was cross the road from where Joshua Adams owned land. While working here, no doubt is how he met, wooed and won Lydia Thornton, for his bride. For in two years after their arrival here she became the first wife of Joshua Adams. Being married in 1814, in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City.
In 1857, the first I remember is that she lived on the north east corner of second north and first west streets, in the big brick house, now owned by Phebe Lynch. It was here most of all her ten children were born.
Years later father moved my mother (Mary Hoggard Adams) from the house beside the state road, about one block and a half north and built Aunt Lydia the two story brick home, on the site where we had been living. This home is now owned and occupied by James T. Larabry. (1934)
She proved herself a worthy Latter Day Saint, a tried and true pioneer, a faithful and loving wife, a devoted and affectionate mother. Her husband was her ideal of manly and saintly perfection. Her home, her kingdom and her children her life's ambition. She sought no public duty and to the public she was very quiet and retiring. But her life was full of good queenly principles worthy of emulation by her numerous posterity.
She died in American Fork, Utah County, Utah, April 30, 1901. Being the mother of ten children, Joshua; Lydia Ann; Amos F.; Thomas Ephraim; Alice Melissia; Sabina Clark; Charity Melissia; Joseph Steven; Emeretta and Oliver Marion. Three of this family are still living at this writing, November 29, 1934, 16 living grand children, 10 dead, 26 living great grand children, 3 dead, and 1 living great, great grand child, making a total of 56 descendants of this noble woman.
Our Pioneer Parents
Oh if I had the words and the power
And could put them into rhyme,
I would write them down on paper
Of your dear parents and mine.
I would tell you of their sorrows,
Of their trials and their joys,
Their anticipation of the morrow --
Gave them courage without alloy.
Did they stand those trials for nothing
With no hope of any reward?
They gladly helped their neighbors
They had faith in a Living God.
Now let us their children
Strive to make our lives sublime,
That they will be glad to welcome us
To live with them all time.
Cynthia Adams Okey
(This history was prepared for the Daughters of Utah Pioneers by Cynthia Adams Okey and given by her December 13, 1934.)
PIONEER OF AMERICAN FORK, UTAH
1852
Source: Biographical sketch of Lydia Thornton Adams by Cynthia Adams Okey, microfilm of typescript, BYU.
Lydia Thornton Adams is the daughter of Oliver and Mary Griswald Thornton, born 19 October 1830, at Pickering, Ontario County, Canada. She was the oldest of twelve children and proud of the fact of being born the year the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was organized.
Her parents were earnest seekers of religious truth and were much confused at the cry of the many churches of their time of "Come join us for Here is the way, low here is the way' to receive Christ and be saved." Seven years after the organization of the Church, her parents accepted the gospel as taught to them by the missionaries traveling in Canada. Aunt Lydia was ten years old when she was baptized.
Early in the spring of 1828, the Thornton family decided to move to the head quarters of the Church at Kirkland, Ohio. They were bundled into a big sleigh with a fine team of horses and crossed the Great Lakes on the ice. Arriving in the United States they proceeded direct to Kirtland, Ohio; remaining there three months, they joined the movement westward and went with the Saints to Far West, Missouri.
In February, 1839, they were driven by mob persecution to leave Missouri and they moved to Bear Creek, near Fairfield, Adams County, Illinois. From here they moved to Hancock County Illinois, and settled on a farm near Carthage. It was owned by a man named David R. Fales. They were living here when the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were martyred, 5:30 o'clock, June 27, 1844, by an armed mob with blackened faces. They heard the gun fire and felt the sad oppression that hung over the country side but did not know what had happened until midnight when the wife of George D. Grant came to their home and told them the Prophet had been killed.
The Grants lived on a neighboring farm and Mrs. Grant filled with fear had waited until darkness came, then she took her baby and another little one in her arms and went to tell the sad news to the Thornton family. Brother Grant had gone to Nauvoo to tell the sad news to the Saints there.
Aunt Lydia's parents took her and their other children to see those great leaders as they lay in state in the Nauvoo Mansion. These two noble men with their pallid faces, hallowed looking even in death was an incident in her life she never forgot.
They later moved to Nauvoo and in the spring of 1846, they left Nauvoo with the Saints and went to Iowa. It was at about this time, Aunt Lydia was married to Edmond Buttler, being about sixteen years of age.
They remained in Iowa two years, then moved into Lynn County, Missouri, hoping here to find peace and rest from persecutions of mobs and wicked men. But not so, they were soon forced to move on, this time going 150 miles west settling along the Des Moines River. Here they engaged in farming and freighting for two years and managed to get two wagons and two good teams of horses, and struggled on to Kanesville, near Council Bluffs, Iowa.
They stayed here until the spring of 1852, when their one ambition was realized; they were able to go on to Great Salt Lake and join the main body of the Church. They arrived in Salt Lake City in the fall of 1852. Brigham Young sent the family to American Fork. They took up land and built a house where the old Thornton home now stands, east of town.
Aunt Lydia's mother had six children during the fourteen years they were traveling from Canada to Utah. Aunt Lydia was with them during all this traveling, persecutions and trying times. Being the oldest of the children it fell her lot to take a large share of the responsibilities of her mother's burdens. She also had married, had three children and lost them all and was a widow before she was twenty-two years old.
Imagine, or think if you can going through such tragic experiences for one so young. What faith, courage and determination she must have had. Through trials and sorrow, hunger and persecution she went coming out each time like pure gold tested seven times in a furnace of white heat. Can we appreciate our pioneer mothers enough, their value, their integrity, their sacrifice for that what they knew to be true.
The Thornton home in American Fork was cross the road from where Joshua Adams owned land. While working here, no doubt is how he met, wooed and won Lydia Thornton, for his bride. For in two years after their arrival here she became the first wife of Joshua Adams. Being married in 1814, in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City.
In 1857, the first I remember is that she lived on the north east corner of second north and first west streets, in the big brick house, now owned by Phebe Lynch. It was here most of all her ten children were born.
Years later father moved my mother (Mary Hoggard Adams) from the house beside the state road, about one block and a half north and built Aunt Lydia the two story brick home, on the site where we had been living. This home is now owned and occupied by James T. Larabry. (1934)
She proved herself a worthy Latter Day Saint, a tried and true pioneer, a faithful and loving wife, a devoted and affectionate mother. Her husband was her ideal of manly and saintly perfection. Her home, her kingdom and her children her life's ambition. She sought no public duty and to the public she was very quiet and retiring. But her life was full of good queenly principles worthy of emulation by her numerous posterity.
She died in American Fork, Utah County, Utah, April 30, 1901. Being the mother of ten children, Joshua; Lydia Ann; Amos F.; Thomas Ephraim; Alice Melissia; Sabina Clark; Charity Melissia; Joseph Steven; Emeretta and Oliver Marion. Three of this family are still living at this writing, November 29, 1934, 16 living grand children, 10 dead, 26 living great grand children, 3 dead, and 1 living great, great grand child, making a total of 56 descendants of this noble woman.
Our Pioneer Parents
Oh if I had the words and the power
And could put them into rhyme,
I would write them down on paper
Of your dear parents and mine.
I would tell you of their sorrows,
Of their trials and their joys,
Their anticipation of the morrow --
Gave them courage without alloy.
Did they stand those trials for nothing
With no hope of any reward?
They gladly helped their neighbors
They had faith in a Living God.
Now let us their children
Strive to make our lives sublime,
That they will be glad to welcome us
To live with them all time.
Cynthia Adams Okey
(This history was prepared for the Daughters of Utah Pioneers by Cynthia Adams Okey and given by her December 13, 1934.)
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