Stephen Henry Nixon

Notes:

History of Richard Johnson
Contributed By sgreen · 13 January 2015 ·

Author Unknown Richard Johnson was born 10 June 1819 in Leigh, Worcestershire, England. He was the son of William and Elizabeth Johnson Johnson. His mother’s maiden name being Johnson also. Richard came to Utah with the Captain Horne Company and moved to Pioneer Creek June 15, 1855 along with his two families. He married his first wife, Husseler Bevan, then Frances Hart Nixon after her husband, George Nixon, died. Nixon was buried in Fillmore, Utah. George and Richard were great friends. George asked Richard to promise he would marry Frances if anything should happen to him, this Richard did. George died at the age of 36. In the spring of 1855 Richard and William Stevens, Sr. and their families were sent to Millard County to help with the colonization of that part of Utah. Richard and Frances helped with the construction of Buttermilk Fort. It is now called Holden, Utah. Five other families came in the fall and helped with the Fort. The Fort was 150 feet long and 75 feet wide, facing rooms were made from adobe bricks. The Fort was the home of seven families and a great protection from the Indians. The adobes were made from a strip of clay found nearby. Logs used were brought from the canyon east of the Fort and were taken to Fillmore to be sawed into lumber. The Fort was put together with wooden pegs made from oak which was plentiful nearby. The women and children helped gather the oak and make the wooden pegs. The gateways were on the north and south walls. The Fort was finally finished is 1856. Richard and Frances moved into the Fort with their small children. They lived there until 1867, when it was called a village. Richard and William Stevens, Sr. were called by President Brigham Young to go help with the settlement of Fillmore. Here they found the soil very rocky, they obtained a permit from Brigham Young to start a new settlement a ways from the Fort and called it Holden. Before the first fort was settled they were at Pioneer Creek two miles south of where Holden now is. Their first homes were in dugouts and wagon boxes. This location was chosen because of the spring water they found in the foothills. The pioneers in this section of the state were outstanding in dairying. Their cheese and butter was taken in large quantities to mining camps as far south and west as Pioche, Nevada. Their buttermilk, always sweet and cold, was ever on hand for the thirsty travelers going through; thus being called Buttermilk Fort. Later the name was changed to Cedar Springs because of the cool water coming from the foothills. It was officially given the name of Holden in 1858 in honor an army captain named Holden who had frozen to death on the Scipio Ridge. His daughter was the first child to be born, and then died, in Holden. Richard and Frances twin sons were born and died soon after. Hyrum Johnson, lovingly called Uncle Hite, tells of an incident of his father. Richard owned a pair of oxen he had purchased in Missouri to bring a threshing machine to Utah. They were called Prince and Paddy and were fine animals. Briant Stringham, who was over the church stock in Salt Lake City, visited the Fort and wanted these oxen to help with the work on the building of the Salt Lake Temple. He finally arranged a trade with Richard by giving seven head of cattle for them. This was the beginning of Richard’s cattle herd. Many of the homes in Holden were built of adobe brick and consisted of two rooms covered with a dirt roof. Their pig pens and other corrals were made with logs and cedar posts. Fruit trees were planted and soon produced a great amount of fruit. These were hard working people. They cleared the land of brush and bushes, made roads and fences, homes and a school. As there was no post office Richard made a request for one and asked to be the postmaster, a task he held without pay. This didn’t last too long as the Post Office Department was dissatisfied and soon discontinued the service. Richard was acting as the Fort Postmaster at the time he was appointed postmaster. When the saints moved from the Fort, Richard built his son, Hyrum (Hite) Bevan Johnson a home. Hite Johnson lived to the age of 92 and raised a large family in this home. Richard was a Patriarch, a chorister and a very staunch Mormon. Richard and both of his wives are buried in the Holden Cemetery on the hill east of town. Richard and Francis’s children are sealed to her first husband, George Nixon. Richard died 26 April 1878.

George married Frances Hart 26 Sep 1839, St. Mary's Parish, Stafford, Staffordshire, England. Frances (daughter of William Hart and Frances Horobin) was born 9 Feb 1818, Whitgreave, Saint Helens, Staffordshire, England; was christened 15 Feb 1818, Marston, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom; died 6 Aug 1886, Holden, Millard, Utah Territory, United States; was buried Aug 1886, Holden, Millard, Utah Territory, United States. [Group Sheet]

William married Margaret Kinsey 15 Nov 1803, Leek, Staffordshire, England. Margaret (daughter of Samuel Kinsey and Sarah Williams) was born 19 Oct 1781, Leek, Staffordshire, England; died , Of Amherstberg, Essex, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

William married Frances Horobin 30 Jan 1816, Ranton, Staffordshire, England. Frances (daughter of Thomas Horobin or Howrobin and Living) was born About June 1795, Weston upon Trent, Staffordshire, England; died 30 Jan 1862, Whitgreave, Staffordshire, England. [Group Sheet]

Francis married Hannah Shirley 11 Apr 1782, Leek, Staffordshire, England. Hannah was born 28 Jan 1761, Leek, Staffordshire, England; died 31 Jul 1829 or 11 Apr 1791 or 22 Jan 1803, Leek, Staffordshire, England. [Group Sheet]

Samuel married Sarah Williams 4 March 1781, Leek Parish Chapel, Staffordshire, ,England. Sarah was born About March 1753, Leek, Staffordshire, England; died Aug 1831, Overton's Bank, Leek, Staffordshire, England. [Group Sheet]

Martin married Hannah Ford 19 Jan 1790, Ranton, Staffordshire, England. Hannah was born Abt Jul 1767, Ranton, Staffordshire, England; died 15 Feb 1851, Ranton, Staffordshire, England. [Group Sheet]

Thomas married Living [Group Sheet]