Brief Life History of

JOHN MUIR

JOHN MUIR was born on 8 January 1830 in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland. He was the third child of eight born to James Muir and Mary Ann Murray. He was listed as being 10 years of age in the 1841 Scotland Census of Kilmarnock.

When John was 19, being anxious to join the members of his new found religion – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he boarded the ship the Zeatland on 12 Nov. 1849, arriving almost six weeks later in New Orleans on 24 Dec. 1849. Because he had learned to be a shoemaker in Scotland, just as his father had, he was able to find work doing the same thing, making shoes, while there and in St. Louis, Missouri. He was able to apply his trade for several years to help further the migration effort of him and his family. After these four or so years they were able to travel to Utah as members of the Appleton M. Harmon Company. His parents, James and Mary, as well as one sister, Isabella, accompanied John on this journey. This company of almost 300 persons, began their long trek from an outfitting post at either Keokuk or Kanesville, Iowa (present day Council Bluffs) on June 15^th and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on October 16^th, 1853. The Brigham Young Emigrating Companies Reports of 1850-1862 show that John’s father, James, was 60 years of age while his mother, Mary, was 61 years of age at the time of this strenuous expedition. John’s little sister, Isabella, was 15 while John, himself was 22 years old.

The Muir Family settled in among the members of the Church living in the Salt Lake Third Ward until 1858. They lived here for approximately five years and then John elected to move to Southern Utah. However, he soon decided to venture back north where he ended up in the Provo Valley (Heber Valley) as one of the first settlers.

While the Muir Family was living in Salt Lake City John became very interested in a young woman named Margaret Fotheringham Turner. She was the daughter of John Fotheringham and Gavina Inglis Ross. She had been married previously to John Turner, from whom she had a son named John Turner, Jr., born in 1844. Her husband, John, Sr. had abandoned her in 1850 to follow the ‘Gold Rush’ and was never heard from again. She married John Muir on 1 Mar. 1855, living initially in Salt Lake City. They moved to the Heber Valley in 1860 and remained there the rest of their lives. Sadly, the couple never had any children of their own, though they were admired and loved by the community.

John and Margaret’s initial home was located in the southwest corner of Fort Heber at what is currently 200 N. and 300 W. (approximately). John’s younger brother, George Muir, had eventually followed the family from Scotland, including following his brother, John, to the Heber Valley in 1861. By that time most folks were building new homes outside the fort, which meant that George and John never lived in the fort together.

John participated in the Black Hawk and other Indian Wars in Utah, as well as took part in Johnston’s Army escapade, likely in Echo Canyon in 1858 with his brother, George, before moving to the Heber Valley. In 1864, John was elected “Adjutant [of] Company D, Infantry, 1st Battalion, Nauvoo Legion (the Militia of Said Territory) in Wasatch Military District, Utah Territory.” This election was appointed to him by Edwin Higgins, Acting Governor of the Territory of Utah. John was also commissioned as an officer with the rank of 1^st Lieutenant at the same time.

In the Spring of 1863, a cooperative project was established in Heber City for tanning leather with John Muir being installed as the superintendent. The tannery building was located near what is now 565 E. 200 N. in Heber City. John also farmed and raised livestock over the years, as well as being active in politics. He served as chairman of the Republican Party at one time.

By 1877 the Heber Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had grown very large and necessitated being divided into two wards. John was chosen at that time as a counselor to Bishop Thomas Rasband of the newly created Heber East Ward. Later John would also serve on the Wasatch Stake High Council.

John and Margaret were the kindest of people who were known to everyone in the county. John himself was known as a loving, and thoughtful man. He gave his niece, Elizabeth Muir Lambert the funds to pay for multiple operations for her son, Edward Muir Lambert, which were accomplished at the Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City. The surgeries were for his legs as a result of him contracting polio (or spinal meningitis).

Margaret Fotheringham Turner Muir died on 26 May 1897 in Heber City, Wasatch Co., Utah. She is buried in the Heber City Cemetery.

According to his obituary John spent the last few years of his life living in Hayward, Alameda Co., California with his sister, Mary McAuslan. He died on the 25^th of August 1908 in Hayward and was transported to Utah where he was buried in the Turner Family cemetery plots in the Heber City Cemetery.

Obituary

John Muir.

Through a telegram to Wm. L. Turner we learn that John Muir died at Hayward, Cal., and that his body was shipped to Utah, leaving there, at 6 p.m. Wednesday. If connections were made without delays the remains ought to reach Heber by today’s mail, but perhaps they will not arrive until tomorrow. It is too early as yet to say when the funeral will be, but likely about Sunday.

John Muir was born at Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, January 8, 1830. He was a son of James and Mary (Murray) Muir. He came to Utah in 1852. He grew to manhood in his native home in Scotland and at the age of 19 sailed from Liverpool Nov. 12, 1849 on board the vessel Zeatland for America, landing at New Orleans December 21. He worked at his trade as shoemaker about New Orleans and St. Louis for four years when he came to Salt Lake City, reaching there Oct. 10, 1853. He lived in Salt Lake until the spring of 1858 when he moved to the southern part of the state and two years later moved to Provo Valley and located at Heber City.

Although coming here one year after the first pioneers, he may be considered one of the first settlers to the valley.

March 1, 1855, he married Mrs. Govena (Fartheringham) Turner who had one son, the late John Turner of this place, by her former husband. His marriage with Mrs. Turner was not blessed with any children. Mrs. Muir died in Heber May 28, 1898. The deceased has been one of the most conspicuous figures of this valley, being known by almost every man, woman and child here. His life has been a most exemplary one and he leaves a large circle of friends in Utah besides many in California where he has spent the last few years of his life at Hayward with his sister, Mrs. McCauslin. ¹

¹ “John Muir,” obituary, Wasatch Wave (Heber City, Utah), 28 Aug. 1908, p. 5, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 6 May 2024).