"George Washington Bratton" is listed in the records of the "Membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-1848" (via Ancestry.com: http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=LDSVitalMembership1830-1848&indiv=try&h=10218), which states that he was born on 3 September 1812 or September 3, 1814 in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and that his parents were James Bratton and Isabella.
George Washington Bratton was born in Pennsylvania; and Mary Palmer Graves in Concord, Vermont. George and Mary were married in 1835 in Erie, Pennsylvania, and had five children--one who settled in Pennsylvania, one in Porterville, Utah, two in Centerville, Utah, and another in Grace, Idaho.
History of George Washington Bratton
History of George W. Bratton and Mary Palmer Graves. Compiled by Chaundelle Hill Brough in July 2004.
George Washington Bratton was born to James and Isabelle Bratton on September 3, 1812, in Wayne, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. In 1835 he married Mary Palmer Graves, the daughter of Reuben Graves and Phebe Palmer, in Erie City, Erie County, Pennsylvania. Mary Palmer was born September 13, 1818, in Concord, Vermont. After they were married they resided in Erie Pennsylvania for a time. It was here that their first two children were born; Caroline (September 25, 1836), and Elizabeth (January 19, 1838).
George was a cabinet maker by trade and had decided that by moving west he would be able to increase the family fortune. They settled in Ottowa, Iowa where they were given a very good farm by a friendly Potowatoma Indian. They lived in Ottowa about two years, and while there had their third daughter Laura (November 10, 1841). It was around this same time that the Nauvoo Temple was being built. George and Mary moved their family to Nauvoo where George worked on the Nauvoo Temple for five years designing much of the beautiful wood work found inside. They both were baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on January 21, 1846. It was in Nauvoo that their fourth daughter, Eliza Jane (March 6, 1845) was born. Mary’s mother also lived with them at this time.
During their last year in Nauvoo, the first covered wagon train of Mormons, under the direction of Brigham Young, left for the journey westward. Mary’s mother Phoebe Palmer was very anxious to make this trip, as her oldest daughter, Eliza Graves Rich, had gone with her husband (Charles C. Rich) in one of the earlier companies. However, she felt she could not go and leave Mary with her family of little girls behind. Mary wanted very much to make the journey as well, but her husband George, not being as deeply impressed by the gospel felt they had moved far enough west. Mary and her mother were very sincere and firm in their beliefs. They had already suffered so much persecution that they were reluctant to remain in Nauvoo when the main body of Saints was making such an effort to gather in Zion. Mary wished to rear her family in a community where she would be free to teach her children of God in the way of her church. Her husband could not see as she did. Mary also faced the prospect of a broken home seeing as George Bratton had become interested in another woman. The couple decided to separate. In the spring of 1852 Mary Palmer decided to head west with the Saints. George went with his family as far as Council Bluffs, Nebraska. Soon after their arrival their fifth daughter, Mary Florence (February 23, 1852) was born. Her appearance at this time tended to keep the family together a little longer, but it was only a temporary reconciliation.
In May 1852 Mary joined Captain Brim’s company of about fifty wagons. At the time she and George still owned the farm in Ottowa, the selling of which was put in the hands of Orson Hyde. From the money obtained for the farm George provided Mary with two very good ox teams and wagons for the long journey. Robert Brooks, a seventeen year old boy, had consented to drive one of the wagons in payment for his board. Mary’s mother would drive the other wagon, as Mary still had a very young baby to care for.
Mary had a cow that was part of one of her teams. Each day a portion of the milk obtained from the cow was put in an earthen jar in the wagon. With the jolting of the wagon they always had a nice pat of fresh butter for their evening meal. At night all members of the camp would gather around the central camp fire and sing, dance or tell lively jokes or stories. They would have group prayer in which everyone would bow their heads in tribute to their God, who had guided them safely on their journey that day.
At last they reached the Rocky Mountains. Just as the sun was setting they reached the mouth of Emigration Canyon. They arrived in Salt Lake City in September of 1852. The winter was spent in the Old Fort, now known as Pioneer Park. This fort had been erected as a protection against the Indians. The homes consisted of rows of crude houses built together. Many times the women folk were seen cooking over the stove, with an umbrella hanging over their heads to ward off the rain that leaked through the roof.
In the spring the Brattons moved into the home of Mary’s sister, Eliza Graves Rich in Centerville, Davis County, Utah, in what is known as the old Woolley home. This home was near the Nathan Porter home where John President Porter lived with his three motherless sons; Joseph Rich, Samuel C. (father of Orin Porter), and John. It was under these circumstances that Mary Graves Bratton and John President Porter met, and then married on March 24, 1853. There were two children born of this marriage; Charles Graves and Sarah Ellen (better known as Nell). Charles Graves Porter always said that in spite of the fact that there were three families all under one roof, the Porter family was a peaceful, happy, family.
John and Mary took up land in Centerville which proved to be poor and unproductive. After a few years of struggle and disappointment they moved to Morgan County in the Weber Valley and staked off a farm in what was later called Porterville, the town taking its name from these early settlers – Sanford Porter Sr., Sanford Porter Jr., and John President Porter.
Mary died June 18, 1896 and was buried June 21, 1896 in Porterville, Morgan County, Utah. John President Porter was buried May 30, 1895 also in Porterville. A lovely marker stands at the head of their graves. George Washington Bratton died February 2, 1901 in Brownville, Nebraska. The temple records show that Mary Graves Bratton Porter was sealed on March 27, 1853 in the President’s office, and again on February 25, 1855.
Note: Information taken from the journal of Elizabeth Bratton Parrish (daughter), and from information written by Bessie Porter Brough (daughter of Charles Graves Porter), Nancy P. Moffet, and Laura Walton Barber.
"James Bratton" and "Isabella" are mentioned as the parents of "George Washington Bratton" in the records of the "Membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-1848" (via Ancestry.com: http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=LDSVitalMembership1830-1848&indiv=try&h=10218), which states that George Washington Bratton was born on 3 September 1812 or September 3, 1814 in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and that his parents were James Bratton and Isabella.
Marriage Notes for James Bratton and Isabella Bratton-587
James Bratton and Isabelle Bratton were cousins.
William Lazarus Hardiman Dotson
William Dotson and Henrietta Landrum were baptised (into the LDS Church) in the Weber River, at Coalville, Utah, by Bishop Herry Wilde and confirmed by W.W. Cluff.
History of William Lazarus Hardiman Dotson
History of William L. H. Dotson and Henrietta Landrum. Compiled by Chaundelle Hill Brough in July 2004.
William Lazarus Hardiman Dotson was born to Reuben Dotson and Nancy Hogan McConnico on February 13, 1833, in Pickens County, Alabama. At his birth he weighed 12 lbs. and was a robust resolute boy. William was the 14th child in a family of 19 children, all which grew to manhood or womanhood. He had a leading spirit among boys his age, and even those older, throughout his childhood and adolescence.
Throughout his juvenile life not much could discourage him. Whatever he set his mind to do he accomplished, if within the range of possibilities. When he grew to manhood he had a voice almost like the deep tones of an organ. It was said of him that if a loose board was anywhere about the building in which he was singing it would rattle as if in a current of wind. As a young man he wooed and won the heart of Miss Henrietta Landrum. Henrietta was born on October 1, 1832 in Jefferson County, Alabama. She was a beautiful and accomplished young lady whose father (Isham Landrum) lived near Bear Creek Church; in Attala County, Mississippi. His wife (Jemina Tannehill) had the same indomitable will and perseverance as he had. They agreed in everything that conduced to make life pleasant; perhaps no couple in all the varied walks of life were more perfectly united in all the noble purposes of life than they were.
W.L.H. Dotson was bold, fearless, and had a commanding appearance that challenged the respect of all wherever he went. During the time of the Civil War he could come and go almost when and where he pleased and was seldom questioned by the sentinels on duty; who almost always permitted him to pass. After the war had waged along almost to its close, and all hope on the final success of the south had disappeared, he determined to go west. He was honorably discharged from the army.
William set out with the intent to go to California. He barely had enough means to pay his expenses. He took a steamboat at Whitworths Landing on the Mississippi River to the Missouri River and on to St. Joe. Here he arrived with a nearly invalid wife, and five small children; Reuben William (Nov. 29, 1854), Violet Ann Yerisha (Nov. 1, 1856), Ada (Jan. 1, 1859), Ida (July 22, 1861), and Henrietta Willia (Dec. 8, 1863). William found an emigration company ready to head west over the almost trackless plains. He acquired an outfit consisting of a wagon, yoke of oxen, and a yoke of cows, and started west with the company. One of the cows furnished a scant supply of milk for the children, which was a prairie delicacy. The family mainly survived on “big white gravy” bread and water. Big white gravy bread was made of water and flour mixed and boiled, the flour being made of wheat ground in a coffee mill.
At the time (1864) the western plains were infested with hostile Indians. If a company was not strong enough for self-protection, the Indians would murder them, burn their wagons, and take their stock. At one place a number of wagons had been burned, the stock run off, and the members of the company murdered. At another the wagons were left standing, the stock gone and the owners killed. At one or two different places Indians were seen in the distance, but the number of immigrants (about 100 wagons) must have made them afraid to tackle. At any rate William and his company were never harmed. However, he had many times to go ahead of his team and break ice before they would cross a stream. This was only necessary when the ice was not sufficient to hold the weight of the wagon and team.
When William arrived in Coalville, Utah, he sold his traveling outfit for supplies to live on as he had only $.50 in money. He secured a home there and hauled wood during the winter with another man’s wagon and team. He was able to secure a load of wood for his family every other day. Except for what he needed in his own fireplace he sold wood for $6.00 a load, the same price as a bushel of wheat. In the evening he worked late into the night by the light of burning cedar bark to make chairs with a drawing knife and an inch auger. These he was able to sell for $5.00 in trade.
During the winter his wife Henrietta taught a small school. In the spring he took a trip to Virginia City, Montana, 600 miles away and returned in 6 months with a wagon and team of his own. With this outfit he hauled coal to Salt Lake City. From Coalville he moved to Cove Creek. Here his sixth child Nancy Jemima (Nov. 19, 1868) was born. From Cove Creek he moved to Pine Creek and then on to Minersville, his final destination, where his seventh child Henry Petty (Aug. 26, 1871) was born. After a few years in Minersville he engaged in the mercantile business. He matured every enterprise he ever engaged in and all of them were successes.
In William’s own words he never failed to ask God for guidance in all he undertook to do and met without failure in anything. He was a Democrat and was elected to the legislature in 1898, over his Republican opponent, not withstanding his county being largely Republican. He was a member of the county court as a long as he was able. Few men have similar successes under such adverse circumstances. William told his son H.P., that at no time was he the least discouraged, or even regretted the steps he had taken. His wife never grumbled, or reproached him with “I told you so,” or something of the kind, during all their hardships to “keep the wolf from the door.”
William died March 5, 1920 in Minersville, Beaver County, Utah. His lovely wife Henrietta died 18 years prior on September 11, 1902, also in Minersville. They are both buried there.