Archives West Finding Aid

John Franklin Tolton (1861-1950) was born on the 14 November 1861 and died on the 18th of Februrary 1950 in Beaver, Utah. John Tolton, John Franklin Tolton's grandfather, was a Baptist minister from Newbold-On-Avon, Warwichshire, England. John Tolton's family consisted of four daughters, Maria, Hannah, Mercy, and Fannie, and two sons, Edward and John. Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including Heber C. Kimball, converted Hannah and Maria; this brought about a falling away of John Tolton's congregation. John Tolton and his family disposed of their ancestral home and their belongings and left for America on the 15 September 1842. The family reached their destination at St. Louis on the 1 November 1842. John Tolton bought a farm in Illinois, but his family did not like farm life. All six children went back to St. Louis; Edward found work painting and upholstering. John, the son, found work on the railroad, but was killed in a railroad accident on the 15 July 1987.

Edward Tolton married Mary Ann Tomlinson on the 14 December 1847, in St. Louis. Mary Ann's parents and family had come from Yorkshire, England, shortly after the Toltons, and lived near the Tolton farm in Illinois. Mary Ann's father died of cholera in 1849. In March 1849, Edward and Mary Ann moved to the Tolton farm in Alton, Illinois. Here they were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church). They had lived among the Mormons for some time but had not been baptized. In 1853 all the Tolton family joined the "St. Louis Company" to emigrate to Salt Lake City, they arrived there on the 18 September 1853.

John Tolton was soon called to settle in Tooele County, where Ellen Maria and Edward Henry were born. In the fall of 1857 they were called to settle in Willard, Box Elder County. Later they were called to settle in San Pete County with Isaac Morley, Seth Taft, George Thummaway; Frances Elizabeth, John Franklin, and Walter Smith Tolton were born there. The Tolton family was then called to settle Circleville in 1864. Edward Tolton was appointed probate judge of Piute County and officially made head of the colony. The town grew and prospered for two years. When trouble came with the Indians in June 1866, the inhabitants fled, leaving most of their possessions. Some went back to their former home in Ephraim, but the greater number went to Beaver as did the Toltons. John Tolton had died in Circle Valley at the age of 75 and was buried there.

John Franklin Tolton, though four and a half years of age, had memories of some exciting events. One, from the vantage point of the top of the log house, where he saw some Indians chasing his father who escaped across the river holding the tails of his oxen. The Indians then went up the road and attacked a wagon with arrows, killing the man and a boy. This was John's first sight of violent death. Another incident was when he heard whoops of Indians in the block house. He wandered in and saw a wild fight going on between the Indians and the guards. A Mr. Fowler saw him and tossed him out the door before he got killed. The Indians were subdued, charged with treason, tried, convicted, executed, and buried in an old cellar near the entrance to the Fort; this was the final act leading to the Blackhawk uprising.

At Beaver with a wagon for a home the Tolton family camped on the Tithing Office Yard. Edward bought a lot and dug a cellar for their home. At this time, June 1868, Mary Esther was born and died as a small child, but the family was able to move into the cellar abode--eleven people and their belongings. Mary Adeline was born here and Grandmother Tolton died. A terrific cloudburst came and filled their cellar with water. They escaped and lived with friends until the water was gone, but much of their food, documents and papers (claims of estate in England), were destroyed.

The close of the Sixties was very discouraging when grasshoppers and crickets destroyed the family crops; they were reduced to want. But with the coming of the Seventies, mining changed their fortunes. Edward became County Recorder and because of his special talent as a script writer, he wrote "Notice of Location." He was a strict disciplinarian with the family; all had to stay at home every evening and study, they were never permitted to go out on the street or to dances at night. At the age of twenty, in 1881, John was employed by Hyrum A. White to work upon the grading of D&RG Railroad in Emery County. He worked for two months, earned $55 with which he bought a wagon. Then at Bullionville, Nevada, he earned enough to buy a team of horses; he then hauled lumber.

At home he attend school taught by Reinhard Maeser. John attended BYU at Provo under Karl G. Maeser; he did very well. This opened up the imaginings of his mind to greater things of life. It was a wonderful experience. In 1883, he asked to teach in his home town as the extra teacher needed at the high season (too cold to work on the farm). He worked six weeks without pay. All teachers had to accept commodities and occasionally store pay for their services. In December he accepted a call for a mission to Great Britain, and left in April 1874. In England he was welcomed by Elder John Henry Smith, a member of the Council of the Twelve and President of the European Mission, and Elder George C. Lambert. He labored on his mission mostly at Birmingham, England, the same city where Hannah and Maria Tolton first received the Gospel. Because of ill health, John was released form his mission in October 1885, by Daniel H. Wells. He returned to his teaching position and was made president of his YMMIA. In the summer he worked on the farm.

He married Caroline Olivia Hales on the 13 October 1886, in the St. George Temple. They moved into a home he had previously bought. John Franklin and Caroline had several children. John Franklin served in many political, church, and educational positions throughout his life, and was fairly successful. The pages contained in this collection go into greater detail about John Franklins endeavors.