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HISTORY OF THOMAS GOWER

Thomas Gower was born May 23, 1816, near Stourbridge, England. He was the son of Thomas and Catherine Cresswell Gower.

His mother died when he was six years old and his Aunt took him to raise, with his brother and sister also. He went to work with his father on the canal when he was very young and worked there until after his father died. When he was twenty three he went to work for his uncle Richard Cresswell, who was manager of the blast furnace. He worked there until he left England

He married Jane Cresswell (his cousin) May 6, 1838 at Wednesbury, England, when he was 22 years old.

Having joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, his one big aim was to join the Saints in America. He sailed with his wife and three children January 6, 18_50 on the ship "Argo", arriving in New Orleans in March 1850. They went from New Orleans to St. Louis and while there lost his wife and two children with cholera, leaving him and his little six year old daughter Ann alone.

He met and married Martha Ann Tidswell Stockdale, who also lost her husband with cholera. They were married November 4, 1650. Two children were born to them. at St. Louis, but one died there.

He worked at shearing and stock taking in iron mills with his brother John, until he obtained money enough to go to Council Bluffs. Instead of going from St. Louis by ox team as some did, he worked quite a while longer and went down 'by boat and then bought at Council Bluffs. They stayed there just long enough to organize an outfit and crossed the plains with four oxen and two cows in Joseph Fielding's Company.

They endured the many dangers and hardships of those that crossed the plains. At one time they were surrounded by the Shonee Indians with their war paint on. The Indians demanded provisions which of course they gave to them. Father was very useful in repairing the outfits as he had bought a set of tools in St. Louis. They arrived in Salt Lake Valley, the fall of 1854 He bought forty acres of land at West Jordan and two city lots in Salt Lake City in the Eleventh Ward. While they were there another son, Albert Francis was born.

President Young heard that father was an iron worker so he sent for him and had him draft the plans for the furnaces and grounds and then sent him to Iron County. They sold their -property in Salt Lake and moved to the Old Fort, but they didn't buy a home there as the move was to be to Cedar City. They lived in a wagon box that they crossed the plains in, when they did arrive at Cedar City, until they built a small doby house with one side of the roof made of lumber and the other made of willows, straw and dirt. They had a dirt floor.

Father worked most of his time at the iron works. For two years work he received as pay one pound of butter and five yards of calico. They produced some very good pig iron, but being so far from the railroad and the furnaces were smaller than father had planned, they found it was not profitable. Joseph Walker, Joseph Smith and Thomas Bladen and others worked with him. Finally they had to give it up. He then bought some land and went to farming.

George Perry, Jacob Gates, John M. Higbee, Samual Leigh and father built a saw mill on what is now know as Martins Flat in the Cedar Canyon and a griss mill near to town which got burned down. He continued to farm and accumulated a few stock and hauled coal to Pioche and Meadow Valley.

About the year of 1866 the Indians got on the war path and father was called to Long Valley to help protect the settlers. He left, Cedar City on the 12th day of April, 1866 and stayed until late in the fall when the people moved away from Long Valley. He was in Long Valley when the Berry boys were killed near Short Creek, Arizona.

A man by the name of Hanks started to build iron works again on a larger scale and father went to work for him. They did some very successful work, taking more iron than had ever been in Utah, until the Columbus Steel began work.

Some poison in the fumes of the iron made father ill, which finally caused a paralitic stroke, from which he never recovered.

He was an invalid seven years before he died. He died May 1, 1977 in Cedar City, Utah

He was a stock holder in the co-op store, the sheep store, the saw mill and the griss mill. He was the father of 18 children. Four by his first wife, (Jane Cresswell)/ one child was burried in England, two in Missouri and Ann Gower Lunt.

He had eleven children by his second wife, Martha Ann Tidswell. They were John Thomas Gower, Joseph Gower, Albert Francis Gower, Jane Elizabeth Gower Yardley, Martha Ann Gower, Mary Isabell Gower, Betsy Ann Gower, Katherine Gower Urie, Charlotte Gower Rosenberg, Horace Tidswell Gower and Louisa May Gower Condie.

He had three children by his third wife, Ann Williams: David Steven Gower, Jarred Gower and Benjerman Gower.

(This history was compiled by his children)

(The following from Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah by Essholm)

THOMAS GOWER, son of Thomas Gower and Catherine Cresswell of Stourbridge, Worchestershire, England.

Born May 23, 1816, at Stourbridge came to Utah Oct. 1854 in Joseph Fielding Company.

Married Jane Cresswell, who was born July 17, 1817 and died at St. Louis, Mo. Their Children: Thomas born March 17, 1839. Elizabeth born June 7, 1841; Ann born Oct. 10, 1843, married Henry Lunt; Richard Henry born June 2, 1846.

Married Martha Ann (Tidswell) Stockdale Nov. 4, 1850. Their chidren; John Thomas married Harriet Jane Corry; Joseph died; Albert Francis married Mary Grace Condie; Betsy Ann born may 26, 1857 died June 2, 1857; Jane Elizabeth born May 12, 1858 married James M. Hamilton May 2, 1881 divorced 1886, married William E.

Yardley Nov. 12, 1889; Martha Am born April 30, 1860 died Aug. 29, 1861; Mary Isabelle born Jan. 16, 1862, died March 6, 1879; Catherine Katura born Nov. 27, 1863 married Thomas Urie; Charlotte born Nov. 3, 1865 married Joseph A. Rosenberg; Horace Tidswell born Dec. 13, 1667 died Jan. 12, 1901; Louisa May born May 31,1870 married William James Condie April 25, 1899.

Married Annie Williams April 4, 1863. Their Children: David Stephen

born Dec. 17, 1863, died Oct. 21, 1902; Jared died June 28, 1867;

Benjamin born Sept. 14, 1869, died April 10, 1903. Family home: Cedar City, Utah

Called by Brigham Young to go to Iron County to smelt iron. Took part in early Indian troubles at Long Valley.

Assisted in building canals, roads, and sawmills in early days. Farmer. Died May 1, 1877

(From "Argo" Passenger List----microfilmecl in BYU Library)

GOWER, Thomas age 33 labourer

Jane age 33 Elizabeth 8 Ann 6 Richard 3

Booked passage Nov. 11, 1849. Sailed on 6 Jan 1850 to New Orleans from Liverpool, England.