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This pioneer history was submitted by Cailyn Bringhurst, a student at Washington Elementary School in Washington, Utah.
I was lucky to be able to learn about my heritage through my great great great great grandpa, William Augustus Bringhurst, Sr. He lived an interesting life, and I am going to tell you a little about it.
William was born on January 26, 1839 in Lionville, Pennsylvania to Samuel and Eleanor Bringhurst. When he was eight years old, his family and he used oxen and a wagon to travel across the plains to get to the Salt Lake Valley. They got there in September.
When he was in the Salt Lake Valley, he worked at his father’s shop when he was sixteen years old. He learned how to repair and build wooden wheels. His dad and he were wheelwrights. William couldn’t go to a regular school but he was a boy who liked to study a lot and he wanted to make things better for the future.
When he was 23 years old, William married Selinda Palmer, He later married two more women, Susanna Steele and Mary J. Stapley, and had 25 kids altogether. The same year he married Selinda, he helped to stop trouble with the Indians. He also was a volunteer for the U.S. to guard the mail. President Lincoln called to Governor Brigham Young for volunteers and William was happy to help.
In 1866, he was called to serve at the Dixie mission. He ended up in Toquerville where he and his family stayed. He became the bishop for his ward and had many important state positions like High Sheriff, County Judge and Assessor of Taxes. He was a bishop until he died on March 8, 1912 in Toquerville.
These are some facts about my great great great great grandpa. I learned he was a good and caring man who was selfless and loved helping others. I hope to work hard and care for other people like him.
Brother Joseph
