History of Ephriam Myers Lindsay
And the Branches of His Family
Compiled from histories written by 4 of his granddaughters: Mrs Louis (Fannie) Wolz; Mrs. Joseph (Florence) Wardell; Mrs. John (Rachel) Rohison; Mrs. Ralph (Lois) Anderson
Ephriam Myers Lindsay was the first child born to William Buckminster Lindsay, Sr. and Sarah Myers. He was born 4 May 1820 at Johnstown, Ontario, Canada. He met Jane Parrish in Nauvoo, Illinois where they were married 22 January, 1845. Jane had come from Kittley, Leeds, Ontario, Canada with her parents in 1839 settling in Scott County Illinois. He built a home in Nauvoo near Jane's parents and near the Temple. Their first child, a son was born there 20 November, 1845. Only a few months later the Saints were driven from Nauvoo. Ephriam took his wife and son, David, and his brother's wife, Julia in the exodus from Nauvoo. His brother, William B., had gone with the advance company as a guard for Brigham Young. Ephriam stopped in Pisgah and here they met William who was returning from Council Bluffs and carrying the call for volunteers for the war with Mexico. Ephriam sold a small wagon that had been given to Jane by her parents. The corn they received from this sale was used to buy a larger wagon and more oxen. Ephriam and his brother and two other brothers left the Saints and went to Wisconsin for their parents. They apparently stayed in Wisconsin a year or so because William Buckminster's first child was born in LaFayette County, Wisconsin in 1847. Ephriam's second child was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1848, apparently as the group was on their way back to join the Saints in Council Bluffs. In Jane Parrish's autobiography she states, "He, (William Buckminster Lindsay, Jr.) went to Wisconsin from Pisgah."
Ephriam settled in Council Bluffs approximately four years while the Lindsay's were growing food and obtaining resources for the trip to the West. Jane's parents, the Parrishes, had gone to Utah with the first company in 1847. The Lindsays did as many of the other Saints. They raised grain and vegetables both for food and for sale so they could buy wagons, oxen, and other equipment which they needed for traveling.
In 1852 the Lindsays left Council Bluffs with the John B. Walker Company and travelled by covered wagon to Utah. Jane Parrish told of how she nursed her mother-in-law during the three month trip to Utah. Ephriam's mother, Sarah Myers Lindsay, was suffering from breast cancer during this journey. She was in bed all the way across the plains. She promised her family she would live to reach the body of the Saints in Salt Lake if they would just start with her. She died 24 October, 1852 approximately three weeks after the company reached the Salt Lake Valley. This trip was dusty, and the group was fearful of the Indians. Ephriam was considered the best gunman in the company. When they would come across buffalo he would furnish the company with meat. When they met Indians who gave the peace sign, he went with them to get them meat.
The Lindsay's settled in Centerville for better than a year since that is where the Parrishes were. Then they moved to Kaysville where the family lived for six or seven years. While here, Ephriam outfitted a rig for his son David to go and aid the handcart Saints. Several trips with oxen and this rig were made in this behalf.
While the family was living in Kaysville, Ephriam was called by Brigham Young to go to Las Vegas, Nevada to help build a smelter and open a lead mine. Ephriam must have been the one listed in the 1840 census as employed in mining in Wisconsin. His experience in the lead mines would explain his call to Nevada. He returned from Nevada about 1860 or 1861 and moved with his family to Brigham City. The lack of water in Kaysville made farming difficult there. In Brigham City, he planted one of the first peach orchards, raised grain, and built a home on his farm. Here his children grew up and received what education they could get.
Ephriam enjoyed his farming. He built cradles to cradle the grain, bundled it for drying and ripening, and took it to the threshing floor and flailed it out. His ability in swinging the scythe and cradle in cutting the grain could keep two men busy binding it. They say as he cut as high as three or four acres a day.
One day David, Joel and Harvey went up the canyon to get wood. They tried to get the best and get it home the quickest so they spied a big tree way up on the mountain that would slide down the mountain side if cut right. When the tree was cut it came with such a rush that it brought timber enough for all the winter's wood supply. There was quite an excitement over the city over the big tree and the way it came down the mountain.
Ephriam's last move was to Bear Lake Valley where his father and two of his brothers had already moved. They homesteaded a farm in Bear Lake with a lovely spring of flowing water. Here he farmed, milked cows, and enjoyed the association of his grandchildren. The farm in Bennington was fenced all around with posts and poles which took much hard work. Grain, hay, potatoes, berries were the main crops and meat, milk, and butter from the cattle provided the living.
Ephriam had six months schooling in Canada. He enlarged his education through self study. He was a good student of history and geography and was called a "walking dictionary" because of the words that he would define.
He was described as six feet tall with blue eyes and blonde or brown hair. In the later years of his life he was bothered by a bad hernia. He would perform his work sitting on the ground because he was unable to stand -- doing such things a chopping wood, hoeing and weeding the garden, and other things. It was also stated that he had some lead poisoning from his work in the lead mines.
Often the boys would gather and talk with their father, Ephriam, about their ancestors. The family traditions of Captain David Lindsay and others who fought in the Revolutionary War and of the old records that were burned when the family home was burned in Canada were subjects of conversation. The granddaughters were privileged to trim his hair and his beard and to help him in other ways occasionally.
He preceded his wife in death by some eighteen years passing away on his eighty-first birthday, May 4, 1901 at Bennington, Bear Lake, Idaho where he is buried. He was a fine example of righteous Christian living. He is dearly loved by all who knew him and had earned the love and respect of his posterity.
In 1949, there were 183 descendants of Ephriam Myers Lindsay and Jane Parrish. A thirteen page autobiographical sketch of Jane Parrish is contained in the book "Parrish -Dach Families" pages 62 - 75 at the genealogical library in Salt Lake City. (Call number B19A8)