Archives West Finding Aid

Francis Wilson Gunnell was born March 3, 1831 in Houghton, England the son of Christopher and Sarah W. Gunnell. At age nine Francis was thrown from a horse and his leg bone was shattered, leaving him crippled and on crutches for the next five years. In 1845 Francis' parents sent him to a nearby town to live with his aunt and uncle to obtain better schooling. Prior to his arrival Francis’ aunt and uncle had converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and through this association Francis joined the LDS Church during the winter of 1845.

In the fall of 1848 Francis, along with his aunt and uncle, decided to immigrate to the United States and join fellow LDS Church members gathering in the Utah Territory. On January 29, 1849 they set sail from Liverpool aboard the Hetland and arrived at New Orleans on April 2. In the company of other Latter-day Saints, Francis sailed up the Mississippi to St. Louis before beginning the journey across the plains to the Utah Territory. He arrived in 1850 and settled in present day Tooele. On July 24, 1851 Francis married his first wife, Polly Ann Edwards, in Tooele. During this time Francis farmed and was involved in numerous disputes with local Native Americans, which he described as the Utah Indian War that resulted in the death of one Tooele resident.

In 1856 Francis and his family moved to northern Utah and were some of the original settlers of present day Wellsville. He worked to construct Maughan’s Fort and interacted with the local Native Americans residing in the valley. In 1858 Francis and his family, along with the other residents of Wellsville, fled south to Tooele in response to the pending arrival of Johnston’s Army as part of the Utah War. One year later, after the conflict had passed, Francis and his family returned to Wellsville. Francis later married four other plural wives, Sarah Elizabeth Bickmore (1859), Esther Griffiths Lewis (1864), Emma Jeffs (1869), and Jane McPhail Baxter (1869). He spent the remainder of his life in Wellsville working as a farmer and teacher. Francis died October 20, 1889.

Francis Christopher Edwards Gunnell was born August 4, 1853 in Toole, Utah Territory the son of Francis Wilson and Polly Ann Edwards Gunnell who died in 1862. At age thirteen Francis found work as a mail runner transporting mail between Logan, Hyrum, Mendon, and Wellsville and one year later was transporting mail between Brigham City and Cache Valley. The next year Francis found work on the railroad near Duff Creek. In 1869 he worked for the railroad in places such as Corrine, Utah; Aspen, Colorado; and Fort Bridger, Wyoming. In 1870 he worked for the railroad transporting goods between Ogden, Utah and Bozeman, Montana. From 1871 to 1883 Francis found employment transporting goods to various areas in the West. During this time Francis married Sarah Ann Owens (1872) and Emil Baugh (1878).

In 1883 Francis was called to serve as a councilor to a LDS Bishop and settle in Rexburg, Idaho. For the next six years Francis farmed and engaged in various ecclesiastical duties throughout Franklin County, Idaho. In 1889 Francis decided to leave Rexburg and move to Wellsville, where he farmed until 1907. During this period Francis served as a laborer during the construction of the Wellsville Tabernacle. In 1907 Francis moved to the Naft River Valley and attempted to farm, but met with failure on account of the high alkali content of the soil. In 1914 Francis returned to Wellsville where he remained for the rest of his life. During this time he served as the town mayor of Wellsville for one term. Francis died in Wellsville on March 30, 1926.