Abigail Harris Shelton: A Midway Fort Family
Abigail Harris Shelton, (KWVS-MKB) a Midway Fort Resident. The Midway Fort was started in 1866 because of Indian troubles in Heber Valley. Abigail’s Midway Fort cabin was on the east side of Fort Midway which is now approximately the town square block. Abigail Harris was born on 6 May 1818, in Knoxville, Knox, Tennessee, United States, her father, John Harris Jr., was 42 and her mother, Abigail Gragg, was 38. She married a man with the last name of Goforth about 1836, in Knoxville, Knox, Tennessee, United States. They were the parents of a daughter, Nancy Serilda Goforth.
From the records in Family Search, it appears that Abigail she was divorced from her first husband who’s last name was Goforth. In 1838 she married Stephen Shelton in Missouri. Stephen’s wife had died in 1832. He was a widow and had three surviving sons and a daughter. There are no records that show when Stephen and Abigail joined the LDS Church in Missouri. It is clear however, that they moved from Missouri to Nauvoo and were active in the Nauvoo Stake in 1942. Abigail was sealed to Stephen in the Nauvoo Temple 10 January 1846. The Shelton’s were among the last families to leave Nauvoo. In 1850 they moved from Iowa to Utah by Wagon and settled in the Provo, Valley. Stephen died 22 August 1855 and was buried on the bench in Provo, Valley. Stephen’s daughter, his only child from his first marriage to make the move from Nauvoo to Utah, Mary Ann Shelton (Polly) married John Mckee Fausett 28 July 1852. On March 13, 1856, John Mckee Fausett also married Abigail Harris Shelton, his wife’s stepmother, as a plural wife. There was one child from this marriage. Charles Edward Fausett was born on 10 December 1856, in Provo, Utah, Utah, United States, his father, John McKee Fausett, was 51 and his mother, Abigail Harris, was 38. He died on 6 April 1927, in Duchesne, Duchesne, Utah, United States, at the age of 70, and was buried in Vernal Memorial Park, Vernal, Uintah, Utah, United States.
Shortly following the plural marriage to Fausett, the Fausett family moved to Mound City (Snake Creek), and began farming and sheep ranching in Snake Creek. Fausett became a Counselor to Sydney Epperson who was the presiding Elder in the Mound City (Snake Creek) Branch. With the Indian trouble starting in 1866, both the Faucett and Shelton families moved to the Midway Fort for safety living in separate cabins.
Abigail Harris Shelton’s stepchildren and Children.
William Allen Shelton was born in 1825, in Washington, Missouri, United States, his father, Stephen Shelton, was 16 and his mother, Nancy Brown, was 17. He married Caroline Arilla Ellis about 1845, in Greene, Illinois, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 2 daughters. He lived in Jackson Township, Lee, Iowa, United States in 1870 and Warsaw, Hancock, Illinois, United States in 1880. He died in 1905, in Westport, Mendocino, California, United States, at the age of 80.
Jewel Shelton was born about 1826, in Missouri, United States, his father, Stephen Shelton, was 18 and his mother, Nancy Brown, was 19. He died in 1827, at the age of 2.
Mary Ann Shelton (Polly) was born on 25 December 1827, in Harmony Township, Washington, Missouri, United States, her father, Stephen Shelton, was 18 and her mother, Nancy Brown, was 19. She married John McKee Fausett on 28 July 1852, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 10 daughters. She lived in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States in 1842 and Utah, United States in 1850. She died on 29 July 1901, in Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States, at the age of 73, and was buried in Midway City Cemetery, Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States. Following are the 12 children of John McKee Fausett and Mary Ann Shelton. Many of the prominent families from Midway are descendants of this family.
Female
1853–1870
KWVC-71C
Female
1854–1923
KWCP-WNQ
Female
1856–1922
KWJ8-W8M
Female
1858–1940
K2Q6-9J1
Female
1860–1880
KWVC-W9Q
Female
1862–1929
KW8S-HS7
Female
1865–1944
KWCH-9P3
Female
1867–1867
KWVC-WHN
Female
1867–1867
KWVC-WHX
Female
1868–1950
KW83-TJ3
Male
1872–1939
KWCT-C74
Male
1874–1874
KWVC-W94
Samuel Shelton was born in 1829, in Jackson, Missouri, United States, his father, Stephen Shelton, was 20 and his mother, Nancy Brown, was 37. He lived in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States in 1842 and San Joaquin, California, United States in 1852.
Andrew Jackson Shelton not further identified.
Nancy Serilda Goforth was born on 2 February 1837, in Washington, Missouri, United States, her father, Goforth, was 23 and her mother, Abigail Harris, was 18. She married Thomas Mantle on 27 February 1857, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. She lived in Utah, United States in 1870 and Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States in 1880. She died on 1 December 1899, in Vernal, Uintah, Utah, United States, at the age of 62, and was buried in Vernal Memorial Park, Vernal, Uintah, Utah, United States.
John Shelton was born on 4 December 1839, in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States, his father, Stephen Shelton, was 30 and his mother, Abigail Harris, was 21. He married Mary Jane Morton on 30 March 1868, in Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 3 daughters. He lived in Utah, United States in 1870 and Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States in 1880. He died on 6 March 1900, in Vernal, Uintah, Utah, United States, at the age of 60, and was buried in Vernal Memorial Park, Vernal, Uintah, Utah, United States.
Elizabeth Shelton was born on 13 July 1842, in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States, her father, Stephen Shelton, was 33 and her mother, Abigail Harris, was 24. She died on 28 August 1843, in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States, at the age of 1, and was buried in Old Nauvoo Burial Grounds, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States.
Martha Jane Shelton was born on 22 June 1844, in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States, her father, Stephen Shelton, was 35 and her mother, Abigail Harris, was 26. She married James Baker Hamilton on 17 December 1864, in Mound City, Wasatch, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 6 daughters. She lived in Provo, Utah, Utah, United States in 1860 and Elkhorn, Wasatch, Utah, United States in 1900. She died on 17 March 1927, in Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States, at the age of 82, and was buried in Midway City Cemetery, Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States.
Joseph Shelton was born about 1846, in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States, his father, Stephen Shelton, was 38 and his mother, Abigail Harris, was 29. He lived in Utah, Utah, United States in 1850. He died about 1867, in Provo, Utah, Utah, United States, at the age of 23.
Hyrum Shelton was born on 10 March 1848, in Mount Pisgah, Union, Iowa, United States, his father, Stephen Shelton, was 39 and his mother, Abigail Harris, was 29. He married Emmaline Sulzer on 6 November 1879, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 6 daughters. He lived in Provo, Utah, Utah, United States in 1860 and Utah, United States in 1870. He died on 3 November 1901, in Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States, at the age of 53, and was buried in Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States.
Stephen Shelton was born on 5 August 1851, in Provo, Utah, Utah, United States, his father, Stephen Shelton, was 42 and his mother, Abigail Harris, was 33. He married Margaret Bonner on 11 September 1876, in Provo, Utah, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 5 sons and 4 daughters. He lived in Utah, United States in 1870 and Wasatch, Utah, United States in 1910. He died on 19 July 1925, in Duchesne, Duchesne, Utah, United States, at the age of 73, and was buried in Vernal, Uintah, Utah, United States.
Abigail Shelton was born on 5 January 1854, in Provo, Utah, Utah, United States, her father, Stephen Shelton, was 44 and her mother, Abigail Harris, was 35. She married Adelbert DeEston Hullinger on 6 January 1873, in Provo, Utah, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 7 sons and 2 daughters. She lived in Mountain Dell, Uintah, Utah, United States in 1900 and Uintah, Utah, United States for about 10 years. She died on 6 July 1929, in Vernal, Uintah, Utah, United States, at the age of 75, and was buried in Vernal Memorial Park, Vernal, Uintah, Utah, United States.
Heber Valley Heritage Foundation