With her husband, Mrs. Tufts gathered to Nauvoo in 1842. With the body of the church they shared the vicissitudes of the exodus, and finally the gathering to the valley. Here Mr. Tufts died in 1850.
Mrs. T. had the pleasure of visiting the recent centennial exhibition, and declares that this is the height and acme of America's grandeur. "The grand display," she says, "which all nations were invited to witness, is like the bankrupt's grand ball, just before the crash of ruin."
—
Vienna Jacques was born in the vicinity of Boston, in 1788. She went to Kirtland in 1833, being a single lady and very wealthy. When she arrived in Kirtland she donated all of her property to the church. She is one of the few women mentioned in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. Her lineage is very direct to the martyr John Rogers. She is still living and retains all of her faculties.
—
The three women who came to the valley with the pioneers are deserving of mention in connection with that event.
Mrs. Harriet Page Wheeler Young, the eldest of the three above mentioned, was born in Hillsborough, N. H., September 7th, 1803. She was baptized into the Mormon connection in February, 1836, at New Portage, Ohio; went with the saints to Missouri, and was expelled from that State in 1839; went from there to Nauvoo, and in the spring of 1844 was married to Lorenzo Dow Young, brother of President Young. She was with her husband in the exodus; and, on the 7th of April, 1847, in company with Helen Saunders, wife of Heber C. Kimball, and Clara Decker, wife of President Young, accompanied the pioneers on their famous journey to the valley of the Great Salt Lake.
They arrived in the valley on the 24th of July, 1847, and camped near what is now Main street, Salt Lake City. Plowing and planting was immediately commenced, and houses were soon reared in what was afterwards called the "Old Fort." On the 24th of September, following, she presented to her husband a son, the first white male child born in the valley.
In the early days, as is well known, the new settlers of Salt Lake were considerably troubled with Indian depredations. One day, when "Uncle Lorenzo" was gone from home, and his wife was alone, an Indian came and asked for biscuit. She gave him all she could spare, but he demanded more, and when she refused, he drew his bow and arrow and said he would kill her. But she outwitted him. In the adjoining room was a large dog, which fact the Indian did not know, and Sister Young, feigning great fear, asked the Indian to wait a moment, while she made as if to go into the other room for more food. She quickly untied the dog, and, opening the door, gave him the word. In an instant the Indian was overpowered and begging for mercy. She called off the dog, and bound up the Indian's wounds and let him go, and she was never troubled by Indians again. Her dying testimony to her husband, just before she expired, December 22d, 1871, was that she had never known any difference in her feelings and love for the children born to him by his young wives, and her own.
Sister Helen Saunders Kimball remained in the valley with her husband and reared a family. She died November 22d, 1871.