ELIAS GARDNER
Elias Gardner was born April 2, 1807 in Vernon, Oneida County, New York to William Gardner and Nancy Graves. Elias joined the LDS Church and crossed the plains with the Mormon pioneers, and was one of the first settlers in Payson, Utah.
Elias was a dark haired, handsome man with stern heavy brows over deep, penetrating eyes. He was a carpenter and set up a shop in Payson, where me made furniture. He lived the law of polygamy and had eight wives.
When his fourth wife, Diantha Hanchett, was expecting a baby and had a two year old daughter, President Brigham Young called Elias and the founder of Payson on missions to England. They were gone three years, during which time Elias' wives supported themselves as best they could.
When he returned he resumed his furniture making business and also started a dancing school, of which he was the chief teacher. He was known as a strict teacher, but his classes were always full.
In 1865 Elias moved to Richfield, Sevier County, in southern Utah and he established a little store and ran a sawmill there. While he lived in Richfield, the Black Hawk War broke out. In the spring of 1868 a large force of militia was sent to protect the settlers, they built a fort in which the Gardner family lived for a while. After the war, Elias moved his family to Pondtown, so named because of a big pond in the middle of town. This was later called Salem. Elias chose mates for his children and had a good man picked out for Sarah Diantha, his wife Diantha's second daughter. However, Sarah fell in love with Dode Curtis and Elias made them separate for two years, hoping Sarah would not marry Dode. He finally relented when he figured they would run off and get married if he didn't give them his blessing. When Sarah and Dode received their call from President Young to migrate to Arizona, Elias' daughter Marilla, wanted to go with them. Elias would not let her go unless she was married, so he consented to the marriage of Marilla to Dode Curtis, his second wife.
Elias died on February 15, 1890 in Annabella, Sevier County, Utah, a faithful member of the Church and a community leader.