James Kirk Sr, son of Phillip & Mary Ann Taylor Kirk was born in Arnold, Nottinghamshire, England on April 11, 1845. During the early part of his life, he worked in a knitting concern, knitting stockings with his father and brothers. Later he spent some time making bricks. He attended school only six months during his entire life.
James and the rest of his family, excepting John, were converted to the Latter Day Saint Church during the Crimean war. Phillip and Mary wanted to come to Utah but lacked the money to make the trip with the whole family, so they decided to send James, Joe and Ann to America in care of James S Brown.
James, Joe and Ann boarded the ship "John J Boyde" on April 17 1862 (a Saturday) but on account of bad weather conditions the ship didn’t sail until Wednesday (April 21, 1862). They spent six weeks and two days on the ocean between Eng & USA. During the trip the children had only sea crackers to eat and many times Joe, who was only ten years old, would wake up at night and cry for something to eat.
A well-to-do young lady, Miss Ann Sererns, who was on the same ship, took a great liking to James and at one time gave him a cake from the maindeck. James hid the cake under his pillow so he would have something for Joe if he happened to wake at night. In the night Joe awoke and when James looked for the cake someone had stolen it. It was a homemade cake and was a great delicacy for a homesick and hungry boy while crossing the ocean.
There were two deaths and burials while the ship was crossing the ocean.
When the ship arrived in New York, the three children were taken to castle gardens where they stayed for three weeks. One night James went for a walk and saw loads and loads of bread, the first he had seen since leaving home, but he had no money to buy any.
The three left New York and crossed the plains in the Joseph Horne Company, an emigrant train of fifty wagons. They arrived in Salt Lake City on Sept 30, 1862. John Rouberry said he would take either on or two of them to live with him and his family. However, Mr. Harry (or Henry) Green took all three so they wouldn’t be separated.
On October 3, 1862, Joe and Ann went to Grantsville to live with Thomas Dew. They stayed with the Dew Family sixteen months when Ann married Richard Henwood. James stayed with the Green family, working and saving his money so he could send for his parents and other sisters.
He went back across the plains to assist in bringing the Joseph S Rawlings Company to Utah. They arrived in Salt Lake City Sept 15, 1866. In this company were his parents and sisters and William Peansall and his family. They all came to Tooele to make their homes.
James assisted in building the Tooele City Hall and the Tooele Meeting Hall in 1867. He was mustered into service during the Black Hawk Indian war but never took up arms. He acted as guard for the protection of the town.
In 1868, he went back across the plains as far as the Platte River for emigrants. He was gone fifteen weeks in Capt. Mumford’s company, the last emigrants to come to Utah by ox team. During the same year he assisted in hauling provisions from Fort Beuton Wyo. to Bitter Creek with Crisman and Wylie. He also hauled cordwood for the government.
He was the first person to plow harrows for the Salt Lake and Pacific Railroad, later known as the San Pedro. He also worked on the Western Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads, being present at the driving of the Golden Spike at Promontory Point in 1869.
On Dec 20, 1869 he was married to Mary Peasnall in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. Mary was the Daughter of William and Eliza Saunders Peasnall of Worchestershire, Eng. She and her parents were in Capt. Rawlings Co, whom James assisted in bringing to Utah in Sept 1866.
Their first home was a little log house built north on first West Street. James built a granary of adobe on the same lot. One day while he was away on one of his freighting trips, Mary moved the family and furniture into the granary, as she figured it was a better place to live than where she was. Later, more rooms were added. The adobe was built in 1872.
Together they raised a family of ten children and hauled ore from Ophir and Dry Canyon to the Half Way House, then the end of the railroad. He also hauled charcoal from Tooele to the smelter at Murray.
He was co-owner with John W Tate of the old Co-op store located where the Tooele Drug Co is now located. For many years he hauled supplies from Salt Lake City to Tooele for the stores. On these trips he used to shop for people who would bring their money to him. He freighted between Salt Lake City & Tooele many years. From April 1904 to June 1905 he worked on the tailing ponds of the Ophir Hill mining Co at Ophir, UT. He returned to Tooele and resumed his freighting when this job was completed.
He was granted his Citizenship papers Mar 24, 1874. Mary died on Oct 5, 1905 and on May 8, 1907 he married Alice Tarrant Spray (daughter of John Robert Tarrant and Eilsee Jarmane of Portsmouth Eng. Born May 24, 1858. Died June 12, 1939, buried in Tooele City Cemetery), widow of Elijah Spray. There were no children of this marriage.
Soon after the smelter began operations, he went there to work. On April 19, 1913, he met with an accident and lost his great toe and part of the next one. He worked at the smelter until 1922 when he was forced to retire because of the loss of his sight.
James and his family were active in civic affairs. For many years he was a member of the community band. He played the cymbals.
He died at his home in Tooele June 2, 1931 and was buried in Tooele City Cemetery.
By Bertha McCuistion
