The Hamilton's: A Midway Fort Family
The Heber Valley Heritage Foundation Midway Fort Residents of the week are the Hamilton family researched by Jason Moulton.
On the South side of the Midway Fort there is listing for “David, James and Andrew Hamilton”. These individuals are believed to be identical to Andrew Morton Hamilton KWJR-R6G, David Flemmins Hamilton KWV9-R6G, and James Baker Hamilton KWJ8-T45.
Andrew Morton Hamilton
Andrew Morton Hamilton KWJR-R6G was born on 29 April 1809, in Chillicothe, Ross, Ohio, United States, his father, James Hamilton, was 29 and his mother, Margaret Catherine Baker, was 25. He married Ella Melissa Wilson on 14 September 1830, in Edwards, Illinois, United States. They were the parents of at least 7 sons and 3 daughters. He lived in Nephi, Juab, Utah, United States in 1870 and Gooseberry, Sevier, Utah, United States in 1880. He died on 17 August 1894, in Springville, Utah, Utah, United States, at the age of 85, and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Springville, Utah, Utah, United States.
Ella Melissa Wilson KWJB-JK4 was born on 23 January 1813, in Farmington, Van Buren, Iowa, United States, her father, James Wilson, was 37 and her mother, Eleanor Shelfer, was 32. She married Andrew Morton Hamilton on 14 September 1830, in Edwards, Illinois, United States. They were the parents of at least 7 sons and 3 daughters. She immigrated to Utah, United States in 1852 and lived in Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States in 1850 and Utah, United States in 1870. She died on 10 May 1877, in Richfield, Sevier, Utah, United States, at the age of 64, and was buried in Pioneer Cemetery, Salina, Sevier, Utah, United States.
Children born to this marriage are as follows :
David Flemmins Hamilton KWV9-R6G was born on 28 May 1835, in Quincy, Adams, Illinois, United States, his father, Andrew Morton Hamilton, was 26 and his mother, Ella Melissa Wilson, was 22. He married Martha Ellen Bennett on 18 November 1858, in Springville, Utah, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 8 sons and 2 daughters. He lived in Gooseberry, Sevier, Utah, United States in 1880 and Midvale, Brown, Nebraska, United States in 1998. In 1880, at the age of 45, his occupation is listed as farmer. He died on 18 November 1893, in Price, Carbon, Utah, United States, at the age of 58, and was buried in Price, Carbon, Utah, United States.
David married Martha Ellen Bennett. Martha Ellen Bennett KWV9-S7K was born on 1 March 1840, in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States, her father, David Alma Bennett Jr, was 38 and her mother, Johanna Lovell, was 36. She married David Flemmins Hamilton on 18 November 1858, in Springville, Utah, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 8 sons and 2 daughters. She lived in Gooseberry, Sevier, Utah, United States in 1880. She died on 25 April 1917, in Myton, Duchesne, Utah, United States, at the age of 77, and was buried in Myton, Duchesne, Utah, United States.
Children born to this marriage are as follows:
Rodolphus was born 11 December 1865 in Snake Creek, Wasatch County and died as an an infant on 17 December 1865 also in Snake Creek.
Brigham Hamilton Sr was born 30 March 1867 in Midway, Wasatch County.
Calvin Hamiton was born 20 July 1869 in Midway, Midway.
James Baker Hamilton was born on 2 November 1842, in Hancock, Illinois, United States, his father, Andrew Morton Hamilton, was 33 and his mother, Ella Melissa Wilson, was 29. He married Martha Jane Shelton on 17 December 1864, in Mound City, Wasatch, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 6 daughters. He immigrated to Utah, United States in 1852 and lived in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States in 1839 and Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States in 1850. In 1880, at the age of 38, his occupation is listed as farmer. He died on 13 September 1914, in Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States, at the age of 71, and was buried in Midway City Cemetery, Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States.
James Baker Hamilton Married Martha Jane Shelton 17 December 1864 in Mound City, Wasatch Utah Territory. Martha Jane Shelton KWJ8-4Z8 was born on 22 June 1844, in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States, her father, Stephen Shelton Jr., 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.
Children from this marriage are listed as follows, all of whom were born in Midway, Utah:
Elizabeth Abigail Hamilton
Female 1866–1942
Nancy Jane Hamilton
Female 1868–1936
James Andrew Hamilton
Male 1871–1931
Lovisa Hamilton
Female 1872–1947
Margaret Hamilton
Female 1876–1939
William Baker Hamilton
Male 1878–1933
Mary Pearada Hamilton
Female 1882–1946
Theodore Hyrum Hamilton
Male 1883–1959
David Martin Hamilton
Male 1885–1943
Emma Alvedia Hamilton
Female 1888–1892
The following short article appears in FamilySearch in the memories of Andrew W Hamilton and gives a very brief summary of the three individuals listed on the Midway Fort Diagram.
The following excerpt was found in the memories in Family Search, Ella Melissa Wilson Hamilton – 1813 – 1877 Contributed By Van Wagoner, Donald Eugene
“Provo Canyon
The Hamilton’s along with many new friends and neighbors moved to Heber Valley.
However in Andrew’s Daughter Lovisa’s history she mentioned they lived in Springville in 1861 where she met and married her first husband, so we’re not certain when they moved to mound city in Heber valley but they were there by 1864 or 1865. And we know they moved to Nephi by 1870.
Heber Valley
In Midway there were the warm springs, and the snake creek, which flowed through the area providing the needed water for their crops, the soil at the base of the Wasatch Mountains was rich and fertile. The main problem they fought was the late frosts in the spring and the early frost and snowfall in the autumn and fall. Heber Valley usually has heavy winter snowfalls.
Two communities grew out of this influx of pioneers, an upper settlement, and a lower settlement. Then in 1865 the Indians caused an uproar, and for safety, it was decided the two communities should come together and build a fort. Both communities wanted to stay in their own areas but both areas followed Brigham’s advice and decided to meet midway between and build a fort. It was called Fort Midway, located about a mile and a half from present day city of Midway.
The Van Wagoner’s and the Hamilton’s were neighbors in the new fort, and it seems a
romance between Ephraim and Catherine was in its early stages.
Andrew also became the Miller for the new gristmill built in Midway by the Van Wagoner’s. Andrew was a seventy and later a counselor in the bishopric in Midway. He was a very popular speaker being called as a seventy, he functioned much like the Stake high councilmen of today speaking in many church meetings. He was a veteran of the Black Hawk, Walker, and Tintic Indian Wars.
**The following was submitted by a Great-granddaughter Rosalie Hamilton Milliner, grand-daughter of James Baker Hamilton; Daughter of Theodore Hyrum Hamilton, and Myrtle Myra white.
“Records indicate that the family first settled in the Provo Valley. They then moved to the Heber Valley in Mound City, now known as Midway. Due to the threat of Indian trouble, the town of Charleston to the southwest and the settlement of Mound City to the northwest, decided to meet in the middle and build a fort for protection. They called it Midway since it was mid way between the two settlements. *See attached sketches of the Midway fort taken from “How Beautiful Upon the Mountain” book by the Wasatch Co. DUP. The time of the fort was around 1866. Nothing ever developed into a serious threat from the Indians.
Andrew served as a counselor to bishop David Van Wagoner and was ordained a Seventy. He was a Veteran of the Blackhawk, Walker and Tintic Indian Wars.
Note: As a child, I remember my Dad telling me about and showing me all the property the Hamilton family owned in Midway – it was considerable. He also told me a story of Jim Bridger coming up through the Midway area and asking the church to give him a piece of property that was owned by the Hamilton’s. Being from Scottish stock, the Answer was a firm no to Jim Bridger and to the church.
I also remember that the family owned a gold mine on the mountain between Midway and Park City. The mining companies in Park City were not too keen on this and the mine was sabotaged several times. When I was young, my cousin, Bill Hamilton, bought the mine from the family and worked it for as long as I lived there.”