Henry Alexander

Introduction: Stephen SHELTON & Abigail HARRIS' son, Stephen, married Margaret BONNER. Margaret's sister, Dessie, married Alvah ALEXANDER. Henry S. ALEXANDER is Alvah's brother. Margaret BONNER's brother, George III, married Phebie ALEXANDER, daughter of Alvah J. ALEXANDER and Elizabeth SOULE.

H. S. Alexander

Henry S. ALEXANDER is the son of Alvah ALEXANDER & Phoebe HOUSTON. Henry was born on 12 Jul 1823 in Washington County, Vermont. His family converted to the LDS religion in 1841. Henry moved with his parents to Nauvoo, Illinois, until 1846. He was a corporal in the Nauvoo Legion. After Nauvoo Henry lived for a time at Council Bluffs. He came to Utah in 1848 with the freight company of Livingston & Kimball (or Kinkaid). Henry lived in Salt Lake City for a year and then moved to South Mill Creek. Brigham YOUNG sent him there to build and operate a sawmill. He built Utah's first shingles. On 23 Jul 1856 he was asked to go to help colonize Carson Valley, Nevada. On the way, the party experienced great thirst & traveled for three days without water. Enoch REESE, the party leader, turned this responsibility over to Henry. Finally, a kind Native American Indian rescued the group by helping them get water.

In 1857 Henry moved to Lehi, Utah; then he went back to Mill Creek & took over the shingle mill again. Later, he built another sawmill at Wanship and still another on Silver Creek which he operated until 1869. At this (Another source says he built the Wanship mill on Silver Creek.) mill he sawed the timber for the railroad tunnel in Echo Canyon. In 1869 Henry moved to Midway. On 10 Apr 1870 Henry was made presiding elder over the Midway Branch. Then he moved to Heber. In 1871 Henry went to American Fork Canyon where he bought a steam mill and again sawed timber for the railroad. He also had a sawmill in McHenry's Canyon and later another in Daniels Canyon. He furnished most of the timber used at that time in Wasatch County. He was one of the founders of the Wasatch Manufacturing Company. From 1870 to 1901 Henry served as second counselor to President Abraham HATCH. First Counselor was Thomas H. GILES.

The Wasatch Stake extended to the Colorado line, encompassing the counties of Wasatch, Uinta and Ashley Valley. This presidency laid out the town of Vernal. They visited every portion of this large district, wearing out three mountain wagons in the work. For 30 years these three men worked side by side for the advancement of the LDS church. In 1877 Bishop HATCH was called to be the first stake president of Heber Stake. Charles SHELTON was stake clerk. Henry died 6 Mar 1903 at Heber City, Utah. Henry first married Mary MARSTELLA of Harper's Ferry, Virginia. They were married at Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1845. She died in 1847. He second married June HUSTON in 1848 at Council Bluffs, Iowa. She died after childbirth. Henry third married Sarah Simonds MILES 23 Jul 1850. She died 14 Jan 1904. Henry & Mary had Charles M. Arthur. Henry & Sarah MILES had the following children: Henry Miles, Sarah Heneretta, Lelia Naomi, William M., Lilly May, Clara Prudence, Kate Josephine, James Monroe, Orpha Luwella & George Snyder.^{(HOWB,p260-1;p699-700)}

Henry S. Alexander (1823)