Stillman Pond

Stillman Pond was born Oct 26, 1803 in Hubbardston, Massachusetts to Preston and Hannah Rice Pond. He served as one of the first City Council Members of Richmond from 1868-1872. Stillman is the grandfather of Maria Loenza Kingsbury, and subsequently, the great-grandfather of Joseph F. Merrill.

Early Life

Stillman grew up on his parent's farm for his early life in Hubbardston where he received an education and learned the trade of harness-making, which he would use to make his living. On Dec 22, 1825, Stillman married Elmira Elizabeth Whittemore in Hubbardston. Stillman and Elmira would have five children: Elizabeth Almira, Abigail Augusta, Loenza Alcena, Laura Jane, and Lyman Addison who died in infancy. On July 25, 1833, Elmira died in Hubbardston of Yellow fever. Stillman would marry again on Feb 4, 1834 to Maria Louisa Davis. They would have 6 children together, but all died before the age of 11. During their marriage, they moved to New Salem, Massachusetts.

Early Latter-day Saint

Conversion

In 1841 while in New Salem, Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints paid a visit to the Pond home to preach of the newfound church. The gospel that the Missionaries taught was what the family was looking for and the family was baptized Dec 28, 1841. In July of 1843, Stillman sold all his land and began preparations to move to Nauvoo, Illinois. Stillman purchased a piece of land across the street from the Nauvoo Cemetery. He built a two-story, red brick home, converting the front of the home to a store. Neighbors to the Pond family were Latter-day Apostles Heber C. Kimball, Wilford Woodruff, and future Mayor of Ogden, Utah, Lorin Farr.

Early Priest

Stillman Pond received the Priesthood in July of 1844. A year following, on May 17, Stillman Pond was ordained a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventies. In his journal of Feb 12, 1846 Stillman wrote, 

"I am perfectly satisfied with the authorities of the Church and consider it my indispensable duty to give heed to all things."

A Difficult Westward Journey

On June 27, 1844, Prophet and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith, was assassinated in Carthage, Illinois. The persecutions of the Saints were high, and in 1846, then President Brigham Young announced that the Saints would move west to the Rocky Mountains. The Pond family moved to Winter Quarters for refuge, but with the influx of refugees, it was hardly a place of refuge. While there, most of the Pond family became sick with malaria, cholera, and consumption. On the trek from Winter Quarters to the Rocky Mountains, Maria Louisa Davis, along with four of his six children, died. Not a single child was spared, including his daughters Abigail Augusta and Laura Jane from his first marriage. He was once again a widower, with only two surviving children, Elizabeth Almyra, wife of Newel K. Whitney, and Lorenza Alcena, wife of Joseph C. Kingsbury.

In the summer of 1847, the remaining Pond family joined the John Taylor Company to travel the full length of the Great Planes to live in the Rocky Mountains. The company entered the Salt Lake Valley early fall of 1847, among one of the first companies to do so.

Life in the Salt Lake Valley

After arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, Stillman moved to the west side of Salt Lake City where he began farming. At this time, Stillman was at the age of 44 years. In the following spring, Major Samuel Russell deserted his wife and child Abigail Thorn and Francis Maria to find gold in California. A year later, on Feb 8, 1849, Stillman and Abigail were married in the Salt Lake Endowment house. Together, they had eight children from 1850-1865: Mary Anner, Charles Stillman who died in infancy, Brigham, Lewis Sumner, Abigail, Joseph Thorn, Martin, and Zina Adaline. Stillman began the practice of polygamy on Sep 26, 1852 when he married his fourth wife who later divorced him in 1855, pausing his practice of polygamy. In 1853, Loenza Alcena died in the childbirth of Maria Loenza Kingsbury. Stillman now only had one child left from his first marriage.

After the divorce, Stillman and family moved farther west of the Salt Lake Valley of where current day Garfield, Utah resides. Their neighbor, Beason Lewis, also lived among them on the west side of the valley. The families only lived in this area for just a moment when President Brigham Young ordered all to move south for the arrival of Johnston's army, known for a time as the Utah War. They moved to Spanish Fork, Utah where Stillman was elected Alderman of the city and Supervisor of Streets.

Move and life in Richmond

Sometime in 1859-1860, Stillman was called by President Brigham Young to move to Cache Valley to help settle the area. They began their journey in April of 1860. They arrived a month or two later and moved into the Richmond Fort and acquired three plots in the northwest end of the fort. Today, the plots of land are the north side of 100 West. Frances remembers the time of moving into Richmond with the fear of Native Americans as a "fearful and an annoying period."

After Territorial Surveyor Jesse Fox divided the city into 20 archer lots, the Pond family acquired 5 acres of land and built the first frame home in Richmond. The early days of the Pond family in Richmond were harsh, living on food like boiled wheat and poorly grounded flour. Their farm was located on the north end of Richmond.

After the death of Stillman's father in 1868, Stillman returned to Hubbardston to receive his 'Eldest Son' inheritance that was granted to him by the Court. After, he returned to Richmond and invested all the money into the Richmond Mercantile.

On March 28, 1870, Stillman married for the last time, re-entering into the practice of polygamy to Anna Regina Svensdotter in Salt Lake City, Utah. They had four children together: Lysander Christensen, Noah Seander, Aaron Alphonzo who died in infancy, and Moses Alonzo.

Stillman, along with Thomas F. Dobson, Lewis Petty, Christian H. Monson, and Mathew Bell, helped with the construction of the Saint George Temple, the first Latter-day Saint Temple in Utah.

Member of the City Council (1868 - 1872)

William D. Hendricks served as the first Mayor of Richmond after it was incorporated as a city in February of 1868. He was sworn into office on May 28, 1868 with the first City Council members: Stillman Pond, Henry E. Gibson, David P. Rainey, Neriah Lewis, and Thomas L. Whittle with William Beers as City Recorder. They were in charge of hiring individuals to fill in the necessary appointments for the city. Such were Christopher M. Olsen, City Treasurer; William F. Fisher, Assessor and Collector; William T. Van Noy, City Marshall; Christopher M. Funk, Supervisor of Streets; William H. Lewis and R. Marion Kerr, Chief of Police; David P. Rainey, Neriah R. Lewis, Marcus E. Funk, and George F. Burnham, Deputies of Police. Along with this, they had appointed the city seal, passed the first City Ordinance of constructing bridges across all ditches, and named the streets of Richmond. 

Epilogue & Testament of an Example Today