Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

William Lothrup Draper

Male 1838 - 1887  (49 years)


Personal Information    |    Notes    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name William Lothrup Draper 
    Born 5 Mar 1838  Kirtland, Geauga (now Lake), Ohio, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died 2 May 1887  Freedom, Sanpete, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried 5 May 1887  Freedom Cemetery, Freedom, Sanpete, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I3404  Petersen-de Lanskoy
    Last Modified 27 May 2021 

    Family Ellen Alvina Wilhelm,   b. 25 May 1846, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 11 Jul 1939, Vernal, Uintah, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 93 years) 
    Married 1 Aug 1863  Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F1137  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • RESEARCH_NOTES:
      1. Censuses:
      1880 US: Freedom, Sanpete, Utah, FHL film 1255337, NA film T9-1337, p. 377A:
      William L. Draper, Farmer, M, 42, OH, Can, Can.
      Ann E., keeping house, wife, M, 45, Eng Eng Eng.
      Elnora H., at home, dau., 14, UT, OH, Eng.
      Loren S., at home, son, 9, UT, OH, Eng.
      Ella M., at home, dau., 5, UT, OH, Eng.
      Willis L., at home, son, 2, UT, OH, Eng.
      Andrew A., at home, son, 2M, UT, OH, Eng.
      Joseph Preaton, Laborer, S, other, 17, UT Eng Eng.
      Next door are polygamous wives:
      1880 US: Freedom, Sanpete, Utah, FHL film 1255337, NA film T9-1337, p. 377A:
      Ellen Draper, keeping house, self, M, 33, IL, NY, NY.
      Susan, at home, dau., S, 11, UT, OH, IL.
      Emma D., at home, dau., S, 9, UT, OH, IL.
      John W., at home, son, S, 6, UT, OH, IL.
      Sarah E., at home, dau., S, 5, UT, OH, IL.
      Ida E., at home, dau., S, 2, UT, OH, IL.
      Minne A., at home, dau., S, 1, UT, OH, IL.
      1880 US: Freedom, Sanpete, Utah, FHL film 1255337, NA film T9-1337, p. 377B:
      Fanny F. Draper, keeping house, self, M, 39, Eng Eng Eng.
      Joseph H., laborer, son, S, 14, UT, OH, Eng.
      Elizabeth E., at home, dau., S, 10, UT, OH, Eng.
      Wilford L., at home, son, S, 8, UT, OH, Eng.
      Laura D., at home, dau., S, 5, UT, OH, Eng.
      Wilmot L., at home, son, S, 1, UT, OH, Eng.
      John E. Brown, Laborer, Sson, S, 19, UT, IL, Eng.
      Amon B. Draper, Laborer, Other, S, Indian, 24, UT UT UT.

      2. Reviewed Rootsweb.com Worldconnect 12 Dec 2002. Parents are William Draper, b. 24 Apr 1807 in Richmond Twp., Frontenac, Ontario, Canada and Elizabeth Staker, b. 25 Feb 1805 in Kingston, Frontenac, Ontario, Canada. First marriage 10 Jan 1857 in Draper, Salt Lake, Utah to Annetta Eckersley, b. 15 Oct 1835 in Oldham, Lancastershire, England and third marriage 13 Aug 1864 in Salt Lake City to Fannie F. Eckersley b. 18 Jul 1840 in Oldham, Lancastershire, England [second marriage to Ellen Williams]. Possible death of 3 May 1887. Also known as "Doc" Draper.

      3. Reference to William in the book "Our Pioneer Heritage," Dau. of Utah Pioneers, p. 451 [Zemira, Sr. was brother to William Draper]: "Zemira Terry Draper was born in Draper, Utah, March 16, 1859, the son of Zemira and Amy Terry Draper who came to Zion as converts of the Mormon Church September 20, 1848. In 1850, Brigham Young requested Mr. Draper and his brother William to settle on Willow Creek. Zemira built the third house and the first adobe one in that section, all other being log cabins. In 1854, the settlement had a Post Office and its name changed to Draperville in honor of these sturdy pioneers. Later the name was changed to Draper..."

      4. Father of William: extensive autobiography of William Draper (1807-1886); Typescript, Harold B. Library at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT. [I include only a partial transcription but the whole is very detailed about Kirtland, the prophet, the mobbings, and the pioneer journey]: "Autobiography of William Draper; A biographical sketch of the life and travels and birth and parentage of William Draper who was the son of William Draper and Lydia Luthdrop Draper. ...I was born in the Province of upper Canada, Township of Richmond, County of Frontanact, Midland District, April the 24th 1807, and in June 1832 for the first time heard the gospel preached by Elder Miller and others in company with him, and in January 1832 I heard Brigham Young preach the same gospel and I believed it... bid adieu to Canada, to my birth place, and to my father and mother, brothers and sisters, for the sake of the gospel and together with the Saints to Kirtland, Ohio, which we reached the 24th of the same month and I was satisfied and rejoiced at meeting some of my old friends, brethren from Canada, and more satisfied to see the face and hear the voice of the Prophet Joseph and from him and his brethren received much valuable instruction... And there in the [Kirtland] temple on the Day of Pentecost of the 6th day of April 1836 there was such a time of the outpouring of the spirit of the Lord that my pen is inadequate to write it in full or my tongue to express it. But I will here say that the spirit was poured out and came like a mighty rushing wind and filled the house, that many that were present spoke in tongues and had visions and saw angels and prophesied, and had a general time of rejoicing such as had not been known in this generation... And I was set apart to go to Illinois the coming spring [1838] to take charge and preside in a branch of the church that had been previously raised up... And I hastened to start on my mission to Morgan County, Illinois, which I accomplished and started April the 16th 1838 only having my family that consisted of a wife and five children... finally reached the place of destination for me, some time in May, namely Morgan County, Illinois. There I stayed finding the place of my appointment filled by previous action of the branch; I was satisfied and concluded to make my way on to Far West... until some time in August when a message came to us to break up our organization and come to Caldwell County as there was strong indications of hostilities by the mob. We hastened to comply with the instructions received from the Prophet and in a few days was on our way for Far West but the mob was getting so hostile that after traveling a day or two we began to feel as though it was not safe to keep on the main traveled road through the settlements as the spirit of mobocracy was opposed to any more Saints gathering to Far West. So we concluded to leave the main road and took a by road that led through a thin settled country for about 15 or 20 miles where the settlement and road ended and we took across an uninhabited country without any road about 40 miles which brought us out at the Rinowaned Hauns Mill; [?] and from there through Caldwell County to within about 4 or 5 miles of Far West, where we concluded to stop and make our home in that place. There was a large branch of the Church here known as the Lay Creek Branch. So I bought me a snug little home consisting of a log house and blacksmith shop and seven acres of good land under cultivation with a good rail fence around it, but that took all of my means to pay for it, but one yoke of oxen, one house and two cows, but corn and pork was plenty, corn being the main bread stuff then, so I set to work at shoemaking and made my family comfortable again. And in a short time I was called upon to take the presidency of this branch being the only high priest in the branch. I accepted the appointment and all things went on comfortable notwithstanding excitement reigned in the country around and hostilities increased daily by the mobs on the out side; still many by the adjoining counties and finally by the middle of October hostilities ran so high that we received another message from the Prophet requesting us all in the out settlement to come in to Far West City. We readily complied with the counsel given and many of the brethren tore down their log houses and moved to the city; but I did not tear my house down, but went into the city with the rest of my brethren from that branch, and took shelter in an old log cabin with three other families which required some little patience, for one family by the name of Fowles did apostatize and went off with the mob and I have not heard from them since. I will here say that after we arrived in the city there was quite a stir among the people for reports were daily and almost hourly that the mob was gathering on every side, so it kept us on the look out all the time, day and night until on or about the 22nd day of October there came a report that the mob was ruining houses, destroying property and killing our brethren that had not gathered into Far West, but lived about in or 14 miles out from Far West. On hearing the report there was a company of about seventy five men raised and dispatched to see what the trouble might be, they traveled on until they came to the place of trouble near Crooked River as it was called. There they came in contact, [Battle of Crooked River] with the mob which opened fire on our brethren and quite a skirmish issued which resulted in the death of David W. Patten one of the twelve apostles, also Simeon Carter and a young man by the name of [Patrick] O'Banion and some more of the brethren badly wounded... But suffice to say that I went to work at shoemaking and pork and corn was plenty and cheap and we had plenty to eat and through the course of the winter traded my horse and cow and some spare clothing for a good yoke of oxen. And through the generosity of a brethren by the name of [Eleazer] Brown I obtained money and bought me another yoke of oxen which made me a good outfit for team and on the 12th day of March 1839, I with my family in company with Mr. Brown and others bid farewell to our Missouri home and started to seek a new home in a more congenial clime. We traveled on without anything of note taking place until the latter part of March, we then landed all safe in a little town by the name of Atlas on the border of the great Mississippi bottom in the state of Illinois. There we met a brother-in-law of mine who beset me to stop with him a few days to which I consented, that separated me and Mr. Brown, we taking the road leading north up the river in the direction of what subsequently became Nauvoo. I stayed a few days in Atlas... I soon moved my family onto it and went to work and put the ground to corn and garden truck which done well and I had plenty the coming year... I was chosen as one of the high counsels, but was subsequently released by telling Joseph what I was doing and what the prospect was in Pike County where I had been laboring during the summer about 80 miles from Nauvoo. He told me to return and continue preaching and when the branch reached the number of hundred he would then come and organize the branch of stake of Zion. I went home to my field of labor, doors were open on every hand, I preached and baptized and in about two weeks the branch numbered 112... and in the spring of 1843 I moved with my family and located in a place called Green Plain in the vicinity of Warsaw in Hancock County, with the notorious Levi Williams for one of my neighbors. I there bought a farm on good terms and went to improving, built me a good house and a small grist mill and put about 20 acres of land in a good state of cultivation with a good fence around it, and was on good terms with my neighbors although the most of them were gentiles. But they professed to be much pleased with my enterprise in the place, and all went on well with me, until some time in June 1844. Then there was frequent reports about Joseph from Nauvoo, that produced some little excitement, for priests and lawyers and apostates had combined together to again make trouble, the men in the neighborhood where I organized, lived to go to Nauvoo and assist Joseph. They came and invited me to go with them to take Joseph, but I refused, they wanted to know if I would go if the Governor order me to go, I said no I would not go if the devil himself ordered me to go against Joseph for his people were my people and where he goes I will go also. This appeared to vex them a little although we had always been on good terms as neighbors and they then said then you will have to leave, for you can't live here although we like you as a neighbor... they did not interfere with me any more until about the 20th of October 1845... left Pike County about the 20th of April 1846 and went to Nauvoo and added some to the family and to the outfit. And on the first day of May crossed the Mississippi River and took the trail to follow those that had started before for the mountains through a wilderness country where no white lived. We made quite a company and I was chosen their captain... And there was immediately a large bowery was erected at a little known as Trading Point settled only be Indians and their traders on the Bank of the Missouri... We built log cabins and brought some from the Indians that was about to be drove from their homes by the government as we had already been. But I will here mention that Brigham and a large number of the Saints crossed the river to the west side onto the Omaha lands not owned yet by the United States... Now it was in the Spring of 1849, I was counseled to immigrate to Salt Lake that season, I responded to the call and made speedy preparation to go with a company that was to immigrate that season. And on the 5th of July I bid farewell to my home and friends at Council Point... which continued until the 26th of October when we arrived safe in Salt Lake City, and broke up camp entirely; having been four months and a half on the plains, but was happy now to meet with our brethren that had also come up through great tribulation and make them a home in the mountains. I then stopped a few days with my brother Zenird in which time I met with a chance to rent a house and lot for one year, my family being large it required some little exertion to provide for their wants for flour raised before harvest to the enormous price of from 75 cents to one dollar per pound, and it was hard to get seed grain, but I succeeded in getting both, so my family did not suffer or do without bread. During the winter I bought me a little farm and rented another about 6 miles south of the city; it being too far to go back and forth to farm it and tend the crop. I bought a small log cabin and some time in February moved a part of my family to Mill Creek where my far? was. I put the city lot in with potatoes and the farm with wheat and corn and raised a good crop of each so I had plenty for the ensuing year and some to spare. In the summer of 1850 there was a new settlement started on what was then called South Willow Creek, about twenty miles south of Salt Lake City. I was invited to come and settle there which I did, and in November 1850 moved my whole family there. I took up land and made me a good farm and raised plenty of grain and cattle and horses, and the settlement increased so it became necessary to have the place organized into a branch of the church. I was called to preside and serve them as bishop, having been ordained to that office before. I served in that capacity until the close of 1857 and in the spring of 1858, I was obliged to leave a good home again, and go south in the general move. I went as far south as Spanish Fork about 42 miles in distance. I there stopped and located. I never expected to go back to my old home again, I there purchased four houses and lots and about 80 acres of land of which over 50 was good farming land and the rest grass land... So in the fall of 1864, I sold out my property in Spanish Fork for less than half what it cost me, and early in 1865 immigrated to Moroni, Sanpete County, where I bought a house and lot and about 15 acres of land for which I paid 900 dollars in property... I will here say that I have lived in Moroni hardly seventeen years, but am sorry to say that in this short period I have suffered more in body and mind than I have all the rest of my life. Although I have spent nearly fifty five years of that time in this church, but when I was about to sink under the weight and influence of temptation, the Lord verified his promise; wherein he said you shalt not be tempted more than you are able to bare, but in every hour of temptation I will make way for your escape; and he did by sending his servant President John Taylor on or about the 18th day of August 1880. He invited me into the house of Bishop J.W. Irons and after being seated he asked me a few question which I answered briefly. He then called upon one of his counsel George Q. Cannon and one of the apostles, Erastus Snow and they laid their hands on my head and reordained me to all the offices and all the various grades of priesthood that I ever had been previously ordained to and confirmed and in addition ordained me to the office of patriarch after the ancient order, and reconfirmed all the blessings that had ever been pronounced upon my head by those that had administered to me before by ordination or otherwise, and that seemed to impart new life and vigor to both body and mind and spirit. But I find that I am on the decline so far as my bodily strength is concerned and must ere long lay off this mortal tabernacle and my spirit go to rest or to join those that have gone before who have passed through great tribulations and have conquered the last enemy. And for this reason I have written this imperfect narrative that my children and grandchildren and finally all my posterity to the latest generation may see what their progenitor, and those that he associated with in this Church, had to pass through for sake of the gospel. And I now feel thankful that I have the privilege of bearing my testimony to the trust of what I have written, although there may be some little errors in dates, but nothing designly or that would destroy the truthfulness of this narrative. And I also feel to bare testimony to the truth of the everlasting gospel as introduced to this generation by Joseph Smith the Prophet, and is now being preached by his successors and the Elders of Israel that are going forth to carry glad tidings of salvation to the nations of the earth. And I also feel to join the labor by calling upon all men, Jew and Gentile, bond or free, priest and people, to home or abroad; all who have not obeyed the gospel to listen and hear and believe and be baptized for the remission of your sins, and have hands laid on you by one who has authority for the gift of the Holy Ghost and you shall receive it, for the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are afar off as many as the Lord our God shall call. Now in conclusion I will say that I have been some two weeks writing this imperfect narrative, and will now come to a close on this eleventh day of December in the year one thousand eight hundred and eighty one; (December 11, 1881) which makes me seventy four years and seven months and seventeen days old, and the husband of five living wives and father of fifty one children and grandfather to about one hundred; and great-grand-father to about twenty more, and I now leave my blessing upon them all, and ask my Heavenly Father to seal the blessing of Abraham and Isaac.

      MARRIAGE:
      1. Was polygamous, wives as follows:
      Annetta Etta Eckersley, b. 15 Oct 1835, m. 10 or 19 Jan, 1857.
      Ellen Albinia Williams [Wilhelm], b. 25 May 1846, m. 1 Aug 1863.
      Fanny F. Eckersley, b. 18 Jul 1840, m. 13 Aug 1864 in Salt Lake City, UT.
      (Fanny and Annetta were sisters.)