Moroni Dayton (1834-1903)
From Biographical Wiki
Haddock, et al. History of Bear Lake Pioneers, pp. 178-180:
by Mrs. J. V. Dunn
Moroni Dayton, the son of Hiram Dayton and Permelia Bundy, was the descendant of many prominent and influential Americans.
Moroni Dayton was born September 3, 1834, at Parkman, Ohio. His parents had previously become members of the Mormon Church, and because of their regard for it, they named this child Moroni. When about eight years of age, he moved with his family to Nauvoo, Illinois. Although a small boy, he could remember sitting on the Prophet's lap many times.
An accident and a miraculous healing had a very significant meaning to Moroni. One day while he and a group of young children were playing on the Temple grounds, a wagon loaded with rock was accidentally moved and began rolling toward him. Moroni, failing to see it, was drawn under the wheel, which passed over his body. He was badly crushed and thought to be dead. The Prophet was sent for at once, and upon his arrival, administered to the boy, who was healed immediately. Because of this incident Moroni always remembered the magnetic personality and marvelous power of the Prophet.
The days of insecurity and poverty that followed the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith were difficult to endure. Through frugality and careful planning, Moroni's father obtained two yoke of oxen, a team of horses, several cows, and a wagon. The family with all their belongings were placed in the wagon and then began the long trek across the hot, windswept plain s to the valley of Salt Lake. Young Moroni, then fifteen years of age, was especially assign ed to care for the cows, which provided plenty of milk for the use of the family and others. He walked most of the way and arrived in Salt Lake Valley in October, 1849.
Sarah Nichols, a capable, talented young lady, converted in England, came to Cedar Valley to make her home. Moroni courted the young lady and they were married August 12, 1855. For several years following this, he engaged in the freighting business, traveling between Cedar Valley, Salt Lake, and Boise, Idaho. During the Indian troubles and Black Hawk War, he proved himself fearless and courageous. Because of his trustworthiness and dependability, he was assigned as a scout. Many of the situations he faced were both distressful and extremely hazardous.
In July 1857, reports that Johnston's Army was about to enter Salt Lake Valley were received. Moroni was sent immediately to Echo Canyon to assist in blocking the advance. However, a few months later the army marched through Salt Lake, a deserted village, and located at Camp Floyd, a short distance from Cedar Valley. After a month or two passed, a company of soldiers gathered at the outskirts of Cedar Valley. Having had too much liqour, they began shooting [for the real reason they were shooting see the notes for Howard Orson Spencer--SDR]. Most of the families in the community were living in the old fort, but Moroni, his wife, and one child, remained in their home. During the shooting, several bullets entered his home; two cows were killed in the yard, and about thirty tons of hay burned in the stack. After this episode, Moroni moved his family to American Fork for a few months until conditions became settled, then returned to Cedar Valley.
Moroni, a very enterprising young man, next began mining at Mercur, Tintic, and in Nevada. He also furnished charcoal for the smelters at Ophir and Clay Town. One contract required the delivery of one hundred thousand bushels of charcoal.
About this time, he was advised to enter into polygamy. In Lehi, Hannah Cook, a charming but independent young lady, who had rejected his proposal of marriage years before, finally agreed to become his wife. Without any courtship and with the consent of his first wife, they were married in 1860 in the Endowment House.
During the next few years, he had various experiences - hauled rock and granite for use in t he construction of the Salt Lake Temple, mined in the Unita Basin for two years, made several trips to the Missouri River and returned, went to Texas before the railroad was completed in company with two of the other young men and bought four hundred head of cattle, which were driven to Utah.
In 1882, he went to Bear Lake, Idaho, where his oldest son, Frances Moroni, had filed claim on six hundred forty acres of land. Moroni bought some property from his son, built a log house of two rooms, and moved his first wife and family to the small town of Dingle.
Moroni was considered by many as the finest dancer in the whole valley. He danced all the square dances to 'time and measure,' that is dancing without the aid of a caller. He was so light on his feet that no noise could be heard while he danced, and for this he was called a ' pigeon-wing-dancer.' It was the delight of his life to play a practical joke on his fellow workers or his children. He developed a keen sense of humor, and because of this was very popular wherever he went.
In 1884, he built another two-room log house, and moved his second wife, Hannah, and family to Dingle. Because of the extremely cold winters there, the thermometer sometimes registering between ten and fifty degrees below zero, Hannah disliked Bear Lake.
Through investments, cattle and lands, he became prosperous and built on his productive farms two of the finest homes in the community. He could truly look with satisfaction and pleasure on the results of his courage, determination, and untiring labors.
Moroni Dayton enjoyed his large family of fine men and women, many of whom located near in the valley. He had a fine physique, was medium tall and straight, with broad, strong shoulders, deep-set blue eyes with a merry twinkle playing about the corners, graying hair and beard, and usually a smile on his lips. He was a sturdy pioneer, working unceasingly at the job that needed to be done, and because of his dependability, devotion to family, consideration for neighbors, and keen sense of humor, he won the love, respect, and confidence of his family and wide circle of friends and associates.
He believed implicitly in the doctrine of the Church and was ordained a High Priest.
Early in the spring of 1903, he was stricken with pneumonia. A few days later with both wives and several children present he again vowed his love for them. On April 14, 1903, he passed away at Dingle, Idaho, leaving a posterity of 24 children; and now has over 1200 descendants. (This article makes no mention of his third wife, Elizabeth Nichols, even though it does include her children in the total of Moroni's children-SDR)
[edit] Sources
- Name variations:
- Maroni [Utah immigration card index]
- Daton [1860 census]
- Mouni [Sealing Record]
- Birth: Black, Susan E. Membership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: 1830-1847, vol 13, p. 643.
- Utah Arrival: FHL Film #298440, Utah Immigration Card Index, 1847-1868:
- Dayton, Hiram (48)
- Maroni (12)
- Isaac Houston's Ten in James Cummings Fifty and Daniel Spencer's Hundred.
- [Note: Even though it lists the Dayton family as a part of Daniel Spencer's hundred, Hiram stated in his autobiography that they started in 1847, but when they lost their cattle, they stayed behind, eventually arriving in the Salt Lake Valley 27 Oct 1849 with the Ezra Taft Benson Company.--SDR]
- Patriarchal Blessing: FHL Film #392634, Index to Blessings:
- Name: Dayton, Moroni
- Born: 3 Sep 1834 Ohio
- Father: Hiram Dayton
- Mother: Amelia
- Blessed: 18 Oct 1858
- Place: Cedar Valley
- Lineage:
- Patriarch: John Young
- Recorded: Vol. 26, Page 791
- 1860 Federal Census, Utah, Cedar Co., Fort Cedar, Fort Cedar Post Office, Page #106 (?), Dwelling #3843, Family #2999:
- Daton, Moroni, 26, m, Farmer, 300/350, Ohio
- Sarah, 26, f, Eng
- Francis M., 3, m, U T
- Hyrum A., 5/12, m, U T
- Nichols, Sarah, 66, f, Eng
- Sealing: FHL Film #183395, Sealing Record of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Book C, 1856-1861, pp. 488- 489, #3315:
- Dayton, Mouni born 3 Sep 1834, Parkman, Geauga, Ohio
- Nichols, Sarah born 28 Nov 1834, Warwick, England
- Cook, Hannah born 22 Jun 1842, Michigan
- Sealed 9 Feb 1861 in the Endowment House
- By B. Young
- Witnesses: John Sharp, J. V. Long
- 2nd Marriage, variant: 9 Feb 1860 [Dayton Family Record, p. 247]
- 1870 Federal Census, Utah, Utah Co., Cedar Fort, Cedar Fort Post Office, Page #5, Dwelling #34, Family #31, Enumerated 3 Sep 1870:
- Dayton, Moroni, 36, m, w, Farmer, 1700/2000, Ohio, vote
- Sarah, 34, f, w, Keeping House, Eng, par. foreign
- Page #6:
- Moroni, 14, m, w, at home, Ut, mother foreign, sch
- Hyrum, 10, m, w, at home, Ut, mother foreign, sch
- Theodore, 5, m, w, at home, Ut, mother foreign
- Ella, 3, f, w, at home, Ut, mother foreign
- Frederick, 11/12, m, w, Ut, mother foreign, Sep
- Elizabeth, 38, f, w, at home, Eng, par. foreign
- Selena, 3, f, w, at home, Ut, parents foreign
- Berry, John, 15, m, w, at home, Ut, parents foreign, sch
- Maria, 12, f, w, at home, Ut, parents foreign, sch
- Sarah, 10, f, w, at home, Ut, parents foreign, sch
- David, 8, m, w, at home, Ut, parents foreign
- Lysander, 6, m, w, at home, Ut, parents foreign
- Dwelling #35, Family #32:
- Hannah, 28, f, w, Keeping House, Mich
- Mary, 8, f, w, at home, Ut
- Ellen, 6, f, w, at home, Ut
- Charlotte, 4, f, w, at home, Ut
- Henrietta, 2, f, w, at home, Ut
- John, 5/12, m, w, Ut, Mar
- William, 5/12, m, w, Ut, Mar
- Laughlin, Harriett, 15, f, w, Domestic Servant, Ut, par. for.
- 1880 Federal Census, Utah, Utah Co., Fairfield Precinct, Page #33, Dwelling #302, Family #313, Enumerated 27 Jun 1880:
- Dayton, Moroni, w, m, 46, md, Farmer, OH, NY, Mass
- Hannah, w, f, 36, wife, md, Keeping House, MI,NY,NY
- Mary S., w, f, 18, dau., single, Ut, OH, MI
- Helen I., w, f, 14, dau., single, at home, Ut,OH,MI
- Charlotta, w, f, 13, dau., single, Ut, OH, MI
- Henrietta, w, f, 11, dau., single, Ut, OH, MI
- Dwelling #303, Family #314:
- John H., w, m, 10, twin, son, single, Ut, OH, MI
- Wm Freeman, w, m, 10, twin, son, single, Ut, OH, MI
- Oliver, w, m, 5, son, single, Ut, OH, MI
- Elmo, w, m, 1, son, single, Ut, OH, MI
- (For the location of Sarah N. Dayton's family in 1880, see Sarah Nichols' notes)
- Ordinances: TIB card. He and Elizabeth Nichols Berry were sealed for time only.
- Burial: BYU-Idaho, Idaho Falls Obituary Index:
- ID: 16407
- Last Name: Dayton
- First Name: Moroni
- Age:
- Gender: M
- Cemetery: Dingle, Idaho
- Birth Date: 3 Sep 1834
- Birth Place: Parkman, Ohio
- Date Died: 14 Apr 1903
- Death Place: Dingle, Idaho
- Father: Hyrum Dayton
- Mother: Permelia Bundy
- Spouse:
- Sarah Nichols, md 1855
- Hannah Cook, md 1860
- Elizabeth Nichols, md 1866
- Sources: Headstone. Ancestral File.
- Gravestone: Dingle Cemetery, Bear Lake, Idaho:
- MORONI DAYTON
- Born Sept. 3, 1834
- Died Apr. 14, 1903
- The Sweet Flowers of Love
- That within the soul bloom,
- Can never be crushed in
- The dust of the Tomb.
- Dayton, Leland M. Record of the Posterity of Hiram Dayton and Permilia Bundy Dayton, pp. 192, 193, 247.
