Person:John Edward Carter (1)

BIOGRAPHY OF JOHN EDWARD CARTER NATIVE PIONEER

Written by Sarah Ann Carter Huff, His Daughter

CAPTAIN OF LAKE SHORE CAMP, D.U.P. Of Lake Shore, March 1, 1947

History of John Edward Carter

John Edward Carter was born December 19, 1861, at Provo, Utah. He was the oldest son of William Furrbsbury, and Sally Ann Mecham Carter. He was a medium sized man with light blue eyes and medium light hair, and was 5 ft. 8 in. in height, weighting around 160 lbs. A very healthy man. A son of an original Pioneer, and a very religious father, who was a blacksmith for the Perpetual Emigration Company in 1854. My father was of a family of Seventeen boys and was the only one of whom followed in his father's footsteps as a blacksmith, and also in religious ways.

He was baptized in the year 1870, by Elder Eli Openshaw, at Santiquin Utah. The family stayed at Provo just a short time, moving to Mona, Utah in 1865. They stayed there two years then moved to Santiquin Utah for a period of seven years, and then moved to Benjamin, Utah in the year, 1887. Father being seventeen years old at this time. He, being the oldest son of his family, helped his father grub greasewoods to help make a little home for his mother, she being the fourth wife of grandpa Carter's. The other three wives living in Santiquin, Utah, and grandma Carter being of a quiet and peaceful nature, wanted a home where she could raise her family by herself.

This peaceful and quiet character was truly possessed by my Father as I can never remember seeing him angry. He spent his boyhood days on the farm with his father helping with the crops and this is where He first started blacksmithing. This little farm was located across the railroad track west from where the Animal By Products now stands called at this time the Indian farm. I can recall many times, of father telling us that they only had corn bread and molasses to eat when he was a boy. After helping grandpa get his little home grubbed and cleaned for crops, grandpa gave father a small piece of land to make a little home for himself.

He married Eliza Ann King, November 5, 1885 at Benjamin, Utah. They were married by Bishop A. J. B. Stewart. Fifteen years later at the Manti Temple, November 21, 1900. Now after father and mother were married they stayed here on this little farm until the summer of 1890. They then moved to Provo, where Father, Blacksmithed with a Mr. Brown who was a cousin by marriage of mother's. The shop was located south of where the Federal Building now stands.

We only stayed here in Provo until the fall of 1892. When we moved back to Benjamin, Utah, I being six years old at this time, can remember the first days at Provo school. Father farmed his little farm for a short while, blacksmithing on the side lineds.

In the summer of 1893, we had a well driven but had bad luck with it, and lost most all the pipe and didn't get any water. After this he started going to near by canyons for logs and wood to burn. He hauled and splet logs with his own hands and made a larger house in the summer of 1894. Father's first shop on this little farm was located near the railroad track, east of the little home, there being a road coming from Lake Shore on the North to Benjamin on the South. This little shop only stayed here a short time as the railroad officials condemed such, being to near the tracks, it being moved closer to the home, in the Spring of 1895. I can remember well of helping him in the Shop when he wanted an even heat for welding iron, as he said I could blow his bellows better than the boys. I loved to work by his side as it has taught me many ways to distinguish between the many different kind of iron and wood. In the winter time when there wasn't much work and it was cold and lots of snow, he would build sleighs. At one time he made a large bob sleigh which he sold to John William Huff, at another time he completed a smaller sleigh and surprised we children when he came to shcool to get us, as the snow was nice and slick and just fine for a sleigh ride. I will never forget how disappointed I was when he only kept this little sleigh a short time and sold it for the sum of $10.00. But little did we know at these times, how our parents had to work, scheme and save and go without for themselves to feed, clothe, and educate their families. This little sleigh was sold to John E. Huff, my future Father-in-law. Now the shop was moved once more. This time closer to the home on the north. It seemed the bellows were more successful in this location. It remained here until father sold the farm in Mar. 1904, as the family was growing larger and farm wasn't large enough to sustain the family. Father always found a job, blacksmithing. He worked at Dividend and Silver City, sharpening picks, shovels and drills for mining purposes. He made money in this way to have another well driven, which was another sad event. Two weeks after this well was finished, the well was flowing 40 gallons per minute. One night father and mother were awakened to find it caving in as the sand gravel, and decayed wood came in gushes until it gradually closed this giant stream to a small dribble. At this time I can remember helping father when he shod horses, by hadning him nails, shoes, pinchers, etc. It wasn't anything at all for a mean horse to jump and fall, tearing fingers and clothes, while being shod. He shod a team of horses every two weeks for Geo. A Hone to deliver butter and eggs to Mammoth for the miners.

Now to Spanish Fork. I Can almost see the sign on the shop door. "Horse Shoeing a Speciality". The first party father worked for was Mr. George Bradford and a Mr.Dressler, in the year 1896. Traveling back and forth with a single buggy and horse, a distance of about four or five miles, always taking a lunch, and he stayed with these men until they dissolved partnership, father staying with Mr. Bradford for a while longer. Many times he came home in a blizzard so cold we children would take care of his horse so he could get warm and dry. He continued driving back and forth for a period of four years.

During this time he worked for Niels Anthon, with Francis Miller as a helper between the years 1899 to 1901. Now in the year 1900 sorrow came to our home with the death of a baby daughter who was nine months old. It was this sad event that caused father and mother to grow closer to family and religion and get themselves and six children ready to go to the Manti Temple and be sealed for time and eternity. This trip took one week with team and covered wagon, it being the month of November in 1900. We all had to have many clothes, both for Temple work, traveling and best. This trip was planned, and by fathers continued efforts traveling back and forth bringing cloth ribbons, laces, etc., which the family needed, was a grand success. His wage was small but his faith was great. This was a very happy Thanksgiving.

In 1901 father was still blacksmithing her at Spanish Fork and in the month of June the were blesses with another baby daughter coming in to their home (Elva). Now in the fall of this same year we came to Spanish Fork for the winter, we first rented the old Patterson Place. We only stayed in this little house about six weeks then moved in a larger house here in the third ward, a Mrs. Monk's place where Mrs. Annie Gull's house now stands. I'll never forget how we felt when we left the farm, to come to Spanish Fork. We only stayed about two and one half years, then how I hated to go back to the farm for it was much nicer for Church and School here. I made many friends and wanted to stay.

Now father was working in the same shopp for the Patterson Brothers who had bought out George Bradford, so he continued to ride back and forth for another year. Between 1900 and 1902 father took over the Niels Anthon Shop and worked here for a period of two years as Mr. Anthon was called on a mission to Sweeden. After this, in the spring of 1904, we sold the little farm and made Spanish Fork our permanent home, buying the "Old Beck Home", of which father kept until 1914, when he bought the John R. Davis home. In the same year, 1904 father bought the A. J. Peterson Shop, and worked here with Uncle Maylan Carter as a wheelright for a period of two years. Then in the 1906, father bought a small strip of land from Mr. Andrew Dahle where he, with the help of four team of horses, and Joseph Chapple and four other men moved this shop from where it stood on Main Street to where it stood until after his death.

In the year 1908 another sad event came into the home, the death of a little son, he being a twin, at the age of twenty-eight months. Within nine days of this event, there was the first grandaughter born and the birth of another son, father carrying on alone. Mother was very sick for sometime.

Now in the year 1911, father sent his oldest son, John F. on a mission to the Western States. Times were very hard for father and mother at this time as there were thirteen still in the family. He always read the best of books. I can never remember seeing him read a short story or a novel of any kind. When I was a little girl I can remember him reading such books as "Heber C. Kimball", "Parley P. Pratt", and he would quite often read the "Doctrine and Covenants" and "Book of Mormon" while mother prepared breakfast. Father loved music. He could play both a violin and an Accordian real well and in his younger days he, with a brother, played for many good Old Fashion Dances, in Churches and homes.

Now World War One came. Two son's and one son-in-law were called in the Service. This, we know, caused many heartaches, then the terrible depression which followed lowered father's finances, and he being a hard working man, began to fail in health, but by the help of his own sons, carried on until the year of his death. He died a High Priest in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, being ordained August 26, 1924, by Lars. P. Parson. Father was a good neighbor and I might say, a good Samaritian, as he helped many a Brother and Sister. He did temple work for the dead for many. He died March 12, 1930, at the age of 69, leaving a posterity of twelve children, twenty-six grand children.

• Childrens names are:

• Sarah Ann Aug. 22, 1886
• John Ferlsbury May 19, 1888
• Austin Aug. 30, 1890
• Mary Ellen Oct. 25, 1892
• Lewis Firl Dec. 17, 1894
• Vern Sept. 1, 1896
• Nellie Nov. 23, 1899
  • Died Aug. 24, 1900
• Elva June 9, 1901
• Myron Sept. 23, 1903
• Reed & Ray Twins Nov. 17, 1905
  • Ray Died Mar. 6, 1908
• Earl Mar. 9, 1908
• Wayne April 1, 1910
• Linsay April 4, 1912
  • Lewis Died Mar. 3, 1942

In World War Two, there was one son in the army, four grandsons in the Army, four in the Navy and one in the Marines, and they all returned.

1.   All previous Church Blessings reconfirmed and ratified for John Edward Carter on 20 Sep 1967.