The Hyer Family

In 1842, the Hyer family moved from Norway to the United States to find better wages and lower taxes. They set sail on June 3, 1842 on the Washington from Larvik, Norway, and arrived in New York City, New York on July 30. They sailed by river and the Great Lakes until they reached Wisconsin and settled in Rock County where some other Norwegian immigrants lived.

The Hyer family continued to live Illinois until 1849 when Christian joined the Ezra T. Benson Company to move to Utah. He lived in Salt Lake City, Utah until 1850 when he moved to Bountiful, Utah. He met and married Caroline Ericsen Hogan on Nov 23, 1850 in Bountiful. Christian joined the practice of polygamy by marrying Lavina Ericsen Hogan on March 7, 1854 and Elizabeth Hogan in 1858.

In 1855, Christian was called to serve a mission to the Eastern States, serving as a Seventy. How long he served his mission is unknown, but he returned home before 1858.

In 1859, Church President Brigham Young sent Church Apostles Orson Hyde and Ezra T. Benson to survey Cache Valley, as it was prime real estate. During their return, the Apostles encouraged the Hyer family and their neighbors the Merrill family to move to the new valley. The Hyers, Hogans, and Merrills made a small company and began travel to Cache Valley on March 11, 1860. They arrived in Richmond soon after.