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Show Times Newspaper Wednesday, July ,14,' 1999 Page 5 PROFILES wo-woo -y 1 x 1 si V -J AT - i DAVID THOMAS AND CAROLINE DITTMORE STRATTON The Own Heritage Museum, in cooperation with the Times, invitet descendants descen-dants of early Orem homesteaders to submit a biographical sketch and photo of their ancestor and spouse for publication in the newspaper and preservation in the Orem Heritage Museum. Ancestors need to have lived on their land, farmed, and raised their family from 1870-1900, either on top of the Provo Bench, on the lower Geneva Road, or on Carterville Road. For further information, call Mollis Scott, 374-6063, or LonBowen, 226-0555. i DAVID THOMAS & CAROLINE DITTMORE STRATTON David Thomas Stratton was born in Provo, Utah, to James Stratum and Eliza Briggs 26 November 1866, according to Provo First Ward birth records. He was blessed by his father on 3 January 1867. David was not quite two years old when his mother gave birth to her seventh child, two weeks before her husband's name, without notifying him, was read from the pulpit in the new Salt Lake Tabernacle as one of 16 men called from Provo with their families to help settle Southern Utah and raise cotton. James and Eliza faithfully accepted the call, without hesitation. They already knew about that extremely hot, arid region southwest of St George and the difficulties and discouragement others had suffered there before giving up and returning. But James simply wrote in his own autobiography, "I went Eliza Briggs, with six younger brothers and sisters and their parents, John and Ruth Butterworth Briggs, had the misfortune of emigrating west with the Martin Handcart Company, with many who perished of exposure and starvation. Winter came early that year of 1856 and the whole month of November was a horrible . disaster. The father, John Briggs, and the older son and a young daughter died on the trail. The mother was near death, as was Eliza, whose feet were badly frozen before the company arrived in Salt Lake City It was painful walking on them the rest of her life. The Muddy River Valley, now called Moaka Valley, turned out to be another disaster for Eliza. The temperature often reached 125 degrees in the summer and the wind would fill the settlers' irrigation ditches with sand as fast as they could dig it out There was no lumber of any kind, but they managed to build a house with adobe brick, with cattails from the marsh for a roof. With much hard work and extreme sacrifice, they planted their cotton and a garden in St Joseph, Rio Virgin County, Utah, which is now called Logandale in Clark County, near Overton, Nevada. , Their valley was thought to be a part of Utah, but following the 1870 census, it was determined that they were in the state of Nevada and the taxes which were immediately imposed on these poor farmers were so high it was impossible to pay them. They had no money at all, as there was no near market for their produce. They had no choice but to abandon their hard-earned homes and leave their vineyards and fields of grain and cotton behind them as they vacated the valley. This was in January 1871. Eliza Briggs Stratton gave birth to her eighth child just as everyone was leaving. She died when her baby, Alfred, was only two days old. Her husband and children were devastated. Jamea was overwhelmed with grief and sorrow and discouragement, discourage-ment, but he knew he had to get his children, all under age 14, back to Cedar Fort, Utah, where his married daughter, Susan, could help care for this newborn baby. The mild weather would end before they could make it to Cedar City so he found work and a woman to care for the baby in Santa Clara until spring, as none of them had winter clothing, and some hadno shoes. As they trudged back to Utah valley and Cedar Fort with their cow tied to the wagon, the two older sisters took turns milking the cow and feeding little Alfred. Samuel, the baby who was born in Provo just before they left in 1868, was only two, so he rode in the wagon, but four-year-old David walked most of the way with the other children. It was June before they arrived in Cedar Fort. Susan, a daughter of James Stratton "s Erst wife, Frances Clark, was shocked to see bow poor they were, but she noted how all the children had learned how to work - and how they took care of one another. She said: "David, about four, was bloated and ill, poor little fellow. He was a pitiful sight Their feet were sore from going barefoot in the heat It took the family nearly five years to recover. My father never married again." The younger daughter, Eliza, said later, 'After renting for a time, Father bought a good house and rented farm land." j 1 The mining town of Bingham was 28 miles away and other mines were being developed nearby, but James and his sons would stay with the land as advised by Brigham Young. The mines gave him a good market for his farm produce and fresh meat His son Samuel, just younger than David, died while they were in Cedar Fort. The two older sisters, Sarah Ann and Ruth, both married in 1879. Susan's brother, James Barton Stratton, son of James and his first wife frances Clark, found work wherever he could and was often gone from home as he grew older. Eliza Briggs' older sons, David and John Henry, were growing into fine young men, as was young Alfred. James was thinking of bis growing sons when he applied for land on the Provo Bench, which was opened up for homesteading. On the 8th day of April 1882, James opened a claim with the U.S. government for 80 acres just west of the long state road which crossed over the Provo Bench diagonally diago-nally toward Provo from Pleasant Grove and London. His farm was right in the middle between the two, and eventually, Center Street would open up along his north border. ' James and his sons spent that first winter building a log home and sheds for the animals while working the land clearing away the sagebrush. They planted hay and grain, and in the Bpring, they planted fruit trees. In March of 1883, James Stratton moved over into Utah Valley after more than ten years in Cedar Valley. His daughter, Eliza, wrote: "There were six families living at that time in the area between Linden and Provo. Ruth was 21 and Annie 19 when they married, and I was left to care for the family from then on, with Father's help. I was 14 when Father bought me a sewing machine. I made all the clothes for the family. My two brothers John and David, helped haul the brick for the Provo Tabernacle, and the money they earned helped pay for the water on Father's big farm. John and David also helped dig the big ditch." In 1884, young Eliza married Newel James Knight, whose father; Newel Knight, owned the homestead which bordered the east end of the Strattons' 80 acres. As State Street was diagonal, the Knight property had a 20-acre strip on the west side of the highway which was given to their son and he built a home there for his new bride, just east of her father's home, which had a lane through to State Street. James enjoyed having two of his children as his nearest neighbors after he gave the north field to his son, John, when he married Emma Evans in June 1886. John Henry Stratton decided when he was hauling brick for the Provo Tabernacle that he wanted a home of the same kind of brick. His was the first home on the Provo Bench to be built of fired brick. The Salt Lake Temple, under construction for 40 years, was finally completed and officially dedicated to the Lord on 6 April 1893. James Stratton began visiting often with his daughter, Sarah Ann, in Salt Lake City while doing temple ordinances ordi-nances for his family in England. A neighbor in Lindon named Rachel Smuin Dittmore happened to be in the temple at the same time in early 1894. So it happened that when Emma was needing help in the home while expecting her third child, Rachel's daughter, Caroline, was there. James had a habit of dropping in for dinner at either Eliza's home or John's, but he began spending more time at John's home ae Caroline Dittmore was there. He noted that Caroline was a hard worker and as the first daughter in a large family, she knew how to take responsibility She had a quiet dignity and poise, composure, and self-controL She was also an excellent cook. James found out that she was 27 years old, the same age as his son, Dave. One day, while complimenting Caroline for the good meal, he said, "Caroline, I'll give you a dime if you can catch my son, Dave!" James mentioned to David several times that Caroline would make a good wife for the man hicky enough to get her. David was a "good catch" himself. He had a kind, easy-going disposition like his mother's. He loved to dance and to sing at church socials. He was noted for his beautiful tenor singing voice and enjoyed harmonizing in a duet or quartet or with any group on any occasion. He, too, was a hard worker and dependable in every way. He must have been impressed when he met Caroline. They were married in September 1894 in the Salt Lake Temple. Caroline collected a dime from her father-in-law and treasured it the rest of her life. ' James gave David the west field of his 80 acres. David cleared sagebrush from his property and planted peach trees. He built a good-sized log home with a porch and with stairs on the outside to the loft There was a lane in from Fourth West Street between First and Second South. David had the first molasses, mill on the bench. David and Caroline's first baby daughter, Ann ArtelL was born the next July in her grandfather's rock home which stood next to his old log cabin. David and Caroline had three more daughters and three sons, but Artell got to ride with him when he took his fruit to market in Salt Lake City He taught her how to sing alto and they sang in harmony all the way James Stratton died in 1907 and in 1908, David and Caroline built a large, two-story two-story brick home just west of the old log home. John built one like it on 1600 South State Street Eliza and her husband, Newel Knight, built the same kind of home on their property at 212 South State. It is still there, presently used as a business establishment in the thriving city of Orem, Utah. David's historical brick home on 400 West Street has been beautifully restored and greatly enlarged, but the original origi-nal structure still faces west with the year 1908 clearly visible in the roof triangle over the front porch. Note: This profile was written and submitted by Dorothy D. Morgan, a granddaughter grand-daughter of David Thomas and Caroline Dittmore Stratton. TRAVIS HANSEN . ; , -,, . .. Travis Hansen homecoming Elder Travis M. Hansen, son of Scott W. and the late Laurie A. Hansen, has recently returned home from serving a mission for -The Church of Jesus Christ of ; Latter-day Saints in the Chile, ' Santiago West Mission. His homecoming will be held on July 18, 1999 at 11:30 a.m. in ! the Orem Park First Ward i Chapel, 750 West Center Street, ' Orem. , . Friends and family are invited '.. to visit with Travis from 1-4 p.m. :, at his home, 215 South 760 West, Orem. 1 9 -2 2- PARADE HOMES Utah Mallei) Parade of Homes IL 0 Come view 25 new custom fumes located throughout Utah County. Tickets and maps are available during Parade dates at the Home Builders tooth at the Provo Twite Centre or at any first Security In Utah County. 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