Thomas Bailey was the third son of John and Jane Allgood Bailey. Thomas and his parents and three brothers--Langley, John, and David--were all survivors of the Martin Handcart Company of 1856. Despite intense suffering and difficulty and against all odds, the entire family survived the handcart journey and settled for a time in Nephi, Utah.
Tragically, young Thomas, who was only 14 years old at the time, froze to death in the mountains four miles south of the Sevier Bridge, close to Holden in Fillmore County. He was accompanying Edwin Holden, whom he was working for at the time, when the two were caught in a terrible blizzard. According to the journal of Thomas's older brother, Langley, "These two started one Sunday afternoon from Nephi[Utah] with a mule team. At Chicken Creek the mules gave out, [and] a storm overtook them. [The two of them] started out on foot and crossed Washboard Valley, [and] reached the Sevier bridge. Brother gave up four miles south, became chilled and tired, and could go no further. How long he lived we have no account. Mr. Holden pressed on, passed on through [what is] now named Cipher Valley, keepted [sic] on untill [sic] a few miles of his home. He gave out [and] afterwards [was] found dead." (Source: The Journal of Langley Allgood Bailey, edited by Allen C. Christensen).
Whether or not a gravestone for young Thomas was placed on his grave is not known, but if it was, it did not survive. In early 2013 we began searching for his gravesite and finally concluded that he was buried in the Nephi City Cemetery. Cemetery officials informed us that there were two unmarked graves in the Bailey family plot. We believe it likely that one of these graves belongs to Thomas. After his death his parents and brothers, John and David, all moved to Moroni, and there is no record of his being buried there with his parents. Accordingly, we arranged to have a stone placed over one of the unmarked graves in the Bailey plot in Nephi City Cemetery, close to his oldest brother, Langley. Since young Thomas has no posterity to honor him, we believe that this small historical record and the formal marking of his grave will serve to preserve his memory (Dale G. Bailey and Lucille Bailey Corfield July 3, 2013.)
Tragically, young Thomas, who was only 14 years old at the time, froze to death in the mountains four miles south of the Sevier Bridge, close to Holden in Fillmore County. He was accompanying Edwin Holden, whom he was working for at the time, when the two were caught in a terrible blizzard. According to the journal of Thomas's older brother, Langley, "These two started one Sunday afternoon from Nephi[Utah] with a mule team. At Chicken Creek the mules gave out, [and] a storm overtook them. [The two of them] started out on foot and crossed Washboard Valley, [and] reached the Sevier bridge. Brother gave up four miles south, became chilled and tired, and could go no further. How long he lived we have no account. Mr. Holden pressed on, passed on through [what is] now named Cipher Valley, keepted [sic] on untill [sic] a few miles of his home. He gave out [and] afterwards [was] found dead." (Source: The Journal of Langley Allgood Bailey, edited by Allen C. Christensen).
Whether or not a gravestone for young Thomas was placed on his grave is not known, but if it was, it did not survive. In early 2013 we began searching for his gravesite and finally concluded that he was buried in the Nephi City Cemetery. Cemetery officials informed us that there were two unmarked graves in the Bailey family plot. We believe it likely that one of these graves belongs to Thomas. After his death his parents and brothers, John and David, all moved to Moroni, and there is no record of his being buried there with his parents. Accordingly, we arranged to have a stone placed over one of the unmarked graves in the Bailey plot in Nephi City Cemetery, close to his oldest brother, Langley. Since young Thomas has no posterity to honor him, we believe that this small historical record and the formal marking of his grave will serve to preserve his memory (Dale G. Bailey and Lucille Bailey Corfield July 3, 2013.)
Thomas Bailey was the third son of John and Jane Allgood Bailey. Thomas and his parents and three brothers--Langley, John, and David--were all survivors of the Martin Handcart Company of 1856. Despite intense suffering and difficulty and against all odds, the entire family survived the handcart journey and settled for a time in Nephi, Utah.
Tragically, young Thomas, who was only 14 years old at the time, froze to death in the mountains four miles south of the Sevier Bridge, close to Holden in Fillmore County. He was accompanying Edwin Holden, whom he was working for at the time, when the two were caught in a terrible blizzard. According to the journal of Thomas's older brother, Langley, "These two started one Sunday afternoon from Nephi[Utah] with a mule team. At Chicken Creek the mules gave out, [and] a storm overtook them. [The two of them] started out on foot and crossed Washboard Valley, [and] reached the Sevier bridge. Brother gave up four miles south, became chilled and tired, and could go no further. How long he lived we have no account. Mr. Holden pressed on, passed on through [what is] now named Cipher Valley, keepted [sic] on untill [sic] a few miles of his home. He gave out [and] afterwards [was] found dead." (Source: The Journal of Langley Allgood Bailey, edited by Allen C. Christensen).
Whether or not a gravestone for young Thomas was placed on his grave is not known, but if it was, it did not survive. In early 2013 we began searching for his gravesite and finally concluded that he was buried in the Nephi City Cemetery. Cemetery officials informed us that there were two unmarked graves in the Bailey family plot. We believe it likely that one of these graves belongs to Thomas. After his death his parents and brothers, John and David, all moved to Moroni, and there is no record of his being buried there with his parents. Accordingly, we arranged to have a stone placed over one of the unmarked graves in the Bailey plot in Nephi City Cemetery, close to his oldest brother, Langley. Since young Thomas has no posterity to honor him, we believe that this small historical record and the formal marking of his grave will serve to preserve his memory (Dale G. Bailey and Lucille Bailey Corfield July 3, 2013.)
Tragically, young Thomas, who was only 14 years old at the time, froze to death in the mountains four miles south of the Sevier Bridge, close to Holden in Fillmore County. He was accompanying Edwin Holden, whom he was working for at the time, when the two were caught in a terrible blizzard. According to the journal of Thomas's older brother, Langley, "These two started one Sunday afternoon from Nephi[Utah] with a mule team. At Chicken Creek the mules gave out, [and] a storm overtook them. [The two of them] started out on foot and crossed Washboard Valley, [and] reached the Sevier bridge. Brother gave up four miles south, became chilled and tired, and could go no further. How long he lived we have no account. Mr. Holden pressed on, passed on through [what is] now named Cipher Valley, keepted [sic] on untill [sic] a few miles of his home. He gave out [and] afterwards [was] found dead." (Source: The Journal of Langley Allgood Bailey, edited by Allen C. Christensen).
Whether or not a gravestone for young Thomas was placed on his grave is not known, but if it was, it did not survive. In early 2013 we began searching for his gravesite and finally concluded that he was buried in the Nephi City Cemetery. Cemetery officials informed us that there were two unmarked graves in the Bailey family plot. We believe it likely that one of these graves belongs to Thomas. After his death his parents and brothers, John and David, all moved to Moroni, and there is no record of his being buried there with his parents. Accordingly, we arranged to have a stone placed over one of the unmarked graves in the Bailey plot in Nephi City Cemetery, close to his oldest brother, Langley. Since young Thomas has no posterity to honor him, we believe that this small historical record and the formal marking of his grave will serve to preserve his memory (Dale G. Bailey and Lucille Bailey Corfield July 3, 2013.)
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Martin Handcart Company Survivor
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Unknown if buried here
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