David Carson

David Carson was born Oct 2, 1827 in Wayne County, Ohio to George and Ann Hough Carson.

History

The Carson family was converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1831. The family moved to Nauvoo, Illinois around the time when Church President Joseph Smith was killed. In 1851, the Carson family began to move west with the Harry Walton Company. After arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, David began working as a freighter to take supplies from Salt Lake to San Bernardino, California where missionaries were working to help boost the economy of Utah.1

David Carson married Millie Jane Rawlins on July 31, 1853 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The family moved from place to place from 1855 to 1864 before church leaders asked the family to help settle Cache Valley. While doing so, David and his brother-in-law brought the first threshing machine to the valley.1

On July 1, 1866, David decided that Cache Valley would become the family's new home and moved them to Richmond. On June 10, 1874, the family built a farm south of Richmond and dealt with much of the harsh realities of farming and pioneering life.1

According to family accounts, David was a big man at a height of 6' 4", and in his later years needed help moving his large body around as he could no longer do it by himself.2 When asked in his later years about his experience pioneering and crossing the plains, he said "My dear, we didn't live, we just stayed."3

Epilogue