NOAH THOMAS GUYMON
Compiled by Olive Guymon Stone, granddaughter


This history is taken from histories written from descendents of Noah Thomas Guymon, from ward records, from the diary of Noah Thomas Guymon, the Church chronology, American Fork history and Church History. It is also taken from children's biographies.

Noah Thomas Guymon was the fifth child of Thomas Guymon and Sarah Gordon Guymon. He was born 30 June 1819 at Jackson County, Tennessee. His parents were both descendents of Revolutionary War ancestors. Noah Thomas Guymon was born with the blood of a noble ancestry of courage, devotion and stamina of true Americans of which our Guymon family can be very proud.

Noah Thomas Guymon was fortunate in having a father who was a good farmer and a good schoolteacher. From his father he received a good rounded basic education. He also knew the fundamentals of farming and the raising of livestock.

In the early spring of 1826 the family moved to Edgar County, Illinois. Here they lived a rather peaceful life until James Guymon, a brother just older than Noah Thomas, came home from a trip, which changed the whole course of their lives. This happened during the winter of 1836-1837. James was very excited and told them of a new church; different from any other church they had ever known. When he had finished telling his story, their father stood upon a log and said, "Jim, this is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is just what we have been looking for." Noah Thomas, James, their younger brother and four sisters and their parents soon joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Noah Thomas was baptized 02 March 1836 by Elder Calob Baldwin. From this time on, the family went through much of the persecutions, which had to be endured by the members of the Church.

Noah Thomas knew the Prophet Joseph Smith and acted as one of his bodyguards. He told his children of being in the Sacred Grove and hearing the Prophet Joseph Smith telling the Saints that the time would come when they would be driven to the Rocky Mountains. He bore his testimony in a conference in Orangeville, telling of a meeting conducted by Brigham Young, when Brigham Young was transfigured so that he looked and sounded like the Prophet Joseph Smith. This to him was proof that Brigham Young was chosen by God to lead the Saints after the death of the Prophet.

Noah Thomas married Mary Dickerson Dudley on 24 December 1837 in Caldwell County, Missouri. She was the daughter of James Dudley and Celia Ross Dudley both from Richmond, Virginia. Mary was born 13 August 1814 at Wolf Creek, Hardin County, Kentucky. They were married by Elder Jefferson Hunt. Their first child was born 25 October 1838 at Caldwell County, Missouri, near Far West, on the night of the Crooked River Battle when David Patton was killed. This child was a girl whom they named Mary Jane.
In the winter of 1838 Noah T. and his family with the rest of the Saints, moved to the state of Illinois, where Noah T. helped in the building of the city of Nauvoo. Here on the 10th of September 1840 Noah Thomas' second child Lucinda Harris was born. And 08 July 1842 their third child Emma Melissa was born.

Times were hard and Noah Thomas moved his family out into the country on a small farm. Therefore, they were not living in Nauvoo when the Prophet Joseph Smith was killed; in fact, Noah Thomas was sick in bed with a high fever.

On the first day of March 1845 Mary Dickerson Dudley died from complications due to childbirth. She was taken to Nauvoo for burial. This left Noah Thomas with little motherless girls who needed care and attention. Ten months later Noah Thomas married Margaret Johnson who became a good mother to his little girls.

24th of November 1845, Noah Thomas Guymon married Margaret Johnson, daughter of Edward Johnson and Sarah Brown Johnson. To this union were born four daughters and three sons.

12th February 1847 Noah Thomas married his third wife, Elizabeth Ann Jones at Winter Quarters. She was a daughter of James Nylor Jones and Sarah Ann Manerly. They were married by Brigham Young.
Noah Thomas Guymon and his three little girls from his first wife, his wife Margaret with her first two children and Elizabeth (his third wife) and her little son left Council Bluffs, Iowa in the spring of 1850 to make their long journey across the plains to Utah. They came to Utah in the Aaron Johnson Company. There were other members of his family in the same company. They were his parents and their daughter Melissa who was still single. His sister Barzilla and her husband Matthew Caldwell and their small children. There was his sister Polly and her husband Robert Lewis Johnson and their small children. There were many preparations, which had to be made for so long a journey. Wagons had to be made ready, cows and oxen had to be trained to work on the wagons and clothing had to be made for wearing on the trip. All their belongings had to be packed and those things they could not take had to be sold or given away. There was much work and planning went into the preparations for the long journey to a new home in the wilderness where they would be free to worship God as they wished. They were very happy with the thought of coming to Utah where they would no longer be persecuted by the mobs.

The most pleasant part of this journey was spent traveling along the banks of the Missouri River. The company crossed the river on flat boats and the cattle swam the river. They gathered buffalo chips to make fires on the prairie lands. The company traveled long hard hours but they always took time out at night to sing songs of praise to their God and to enjoy each other's company around the campfire before retiring for the evening.

Three days before the end of their journey, James Guymon the older brother of Noah Thomas came to meet them. James had made the journey a year before and was anxious to see his parents, brother and sisters and their families. The children were driving the cattle a short distance ahead of the wagons and when they saw their Uncle James coming to meet them, they shouted with joy. This was indeed a happy reunion.

Finally, they arrived at Salt Lake City, very tired but happy to be at the end of their journey and with their friends of the Church. One of the things that impressed the children was a red rag on a stick nailed upon a log room to show that merchandise was sold there. Another log room had a tin cup nailed over the door to show that tine ware was sold at the place.

The family had arrived in Salt Lake City 12 September 1850. They spent their first week with James who lived on the Little Cottonwood River. He had a lovely garden, which furnished good eating for these tired and hungry travelers.

Noah Thomas, Matthew Caldwell, Azamiah Adams and Henry Chipman went to American Fork. The history of American Fork says that Noah Thomas Guymon built the first house and his daughter Clarissa Ellen Guymon was the first child born in American Fork.

Noah Thomas with the assistance of his family cleared the brush and willows from a small farm and he built a house, which was built of logs, and the roof was covered with small poles on which cane was laid. When this was finished, Noah Thomas, his brother in law, Matthew Caldwell and Azamiah Adams went to Salt Lake City to work for wheat, potatoes and other supplies they would need to carry them through the winter and to plant in the spring. Brother Adams had left his family in Salt Lake City and intended to move them out on his return. Adams left his young son there with the new settlers. He and brother Chipman were the only male members left to protect their wives and children while they were away.

The day after their departure Chief Walker and a large number of his Indian braves came and pitched their tents or wickieups as they were called, near the little new homes which these new settlers had just finished. The settlers were upset by their arrival so brother Chipman went down and had a talk with the Chief. The Chief said they were friendly and that he and some of his lesser chiefs were on their way to Salt Lake City to see and talk with the Great White Chief, Brigham Young. The Chief said his Indian braves would hunt, fish, gather acorns and turn their horses on the low lands to feed. He told his braves not to molest the white people. Nevertheless, the women and children were very much afraid. Some of the Indians were very annoying. They would come into their cabins and help themselves to whatever they wanted such as milk or anything they could see that they wanted to eat. As the cows had helped pull the wagons across the plains and had given milk all summer, they were about dry now. These settlers needed the little milk they got from the cows to soak the hard bread they had left. Their provisions were getting scarce. They had hauled what they did have over a thousand miles in one wagon. When a big Indian brave would come into their cabin and pick up a pan of milk, drink what he wanted and pass it to another Indian to finish drinking, the Guymon family knew they would have to eat their bread dry. Still they were very thankful to their Heavenly Father for his protecting care over them, for they realized they could all have been killed and their belongs taken or destroyed.

Noah Thomas Guymon was away from his family three weeks. He had got the chance to work for one of his friends, William Casper thrashing out wheat, digging potatoes and hauling some lumber from the canyon. He also sold some things he had brought with him; thus, he was able to obtain enough potatoes, corn and wheat for their winter's needs and enough seeds for their spring planting. This was the last of November 1850. They stayed here that first winter. In the late fall of 1851 they moved to Springville. Here his children were able to attend school in a log house inside the fort.

In October 1852 Noah Thomas attended the General Conference of the Church in Salt Lake City. At this conference he was called to go on a mission to England. As soon as he could get the proper clothing for the journey he left for his mission. He left his home in the company of Elder Spence (? Spicer) Crandall on 09 September 1852 to go to Salt Lake to receive special instructions before starting their journey. There were one hundred elders all leaving for missions to the nations of the earth. They left Salt Lake the 15th September 1852 in five wagons and arrived at Fort Bridger on the 22nd of September. There they joined a company of 22 more wagons. Orson Pratt, one of the Twelve Apostles and Daniel Spencer were in this group.

He had a successful mission. Copies of letters he wrote state how successful they were and how the Lord took such good care of the missionaries that went. Without purse or script, they did not want for food or a place to lay their head. Noah was very grateful for the good care he had had and for the many converts made in England.

In the diary of Noah Thomas Guymon it says, "We have chartered a ship named, ‘Juvants,' and it was to sail 30 March to bring 33 converts to America." On 01 April 1855 Elder Glover, who had been appointed president of the company, called a meeting in regard to the best policy for keeping good order. They divided the passengers on board into twelve wards and Noah Thomas was appointed president of the first ward. On 06 April they held a General Conference on board this ship and sustained the general authorities of the Church. Many were sick during the journey. 06 May 1855 they reached the mouth of the Delaware River and they landed at Philadelphia at 10 o'clock that night. They reached Atchison, Kansas 27 May and 28 May they went to Mormon Grove.

31st May and 01, 02 June they organized for crossing the plains with Noah Thomas Sergeant of the Guard of the 2nd Company. 14 June 1855 they started on their journey across the plains. The 10th of August they passed Fort Kerney and 28th August they camped at Fort Bridger. They arrived in Salt Lake City with many Saints and 58 wagons on 07 September 1855. Noah Thomas reported to the Church authorities and gave a full report of his mission and then hurried home to Springville to his family. He arrived there 10 September 1855 after having been away almost three years. He was sick with Mountain Fever on his return and was ill for several weeks.

Wednesday, 20 May 1857, the 51st Quorum of Seventies was organized at Springville, Utah with Noah Thomas Guymon as the President. In September 1884 the 81st Quorum of Seventies was organized in Emery County by Seymour B. Young with Noah T. Guymon as one of the Presidents. Noah Thomas was a bishop's counselor in Fountain Green for a number of years. Robert L. Johnson, his brother in law was the bishop.

While in England, the Rowley home was always open to elders. Here Noah T. became acquainted with the Rowley family and Louisa Rowley, the oldest daughter. This Rowley family emigrated to Utah in the year 1856. 02 March 1857 Noah Thomas Guymon married Louisa Rowley. She was the daughter of William Rowley and Ann Jewell Rowley. They were married by Brigham Young in his office in Salt Lake City.
In about 1863 Noah Thomas moved his family to Fairview, Sanpete County, Utah. In 1867 he moved his family to Fountain Green, Sanpete County, Utah shortly after he became counselor to Bishop Robert L. Johnson. He held this position until 1879 when he moved his family to Castle Valley.

Noah moved Elizabeth Ann Jones Guymon and her family to Orangeville, Emery County, Utah. He moved Louisa Rowley Guymon and her family to Huntington, Emery County, Utah. He and the boys built Louisa's first home in Mountain Dale. It was clay hills close to the Huntington River. They dug a room or a cellar back in the hill with a lean-to at the opening of the cellar. The lean-to was built by standing poles upright. Willows were put across the top for a roof with leaves and mud on top of the willows for a roof. Small windows were made with heavy greased paper. An old tub was used as stove for cooking and to heat their home. This home was called a dugout. This was a temporary home where they lived while Noah Thomas and the boys hauled logs from Huntington Canyon and built a log house in the northeast part of Huntington. It was nice and comfortable home for those days. Here Louisa gave birth to one more child, Franklin Noah Guymon, born 1883. He was Louisa' twelfth child and Noah's twenty-eighth child.

Noah Thomas spent part of time in Huntington and part of his time in Orangeville with his third wife until the Manifesto. He then moved to Orangeville and made his home with his third wife.

At the time of the Manifesto, one morning a neighbor came and told Louisa that soldier from the United States Army was in town looking for the men that were practicing polygamy. The neighbor said, "You had better keep your children inside so they cannot be questioned." However, Louisa needed something from the store, so she sent her youngest daughter Laura to the store. She instructed Laura to say, "I don't know," if anyone should try to question her. Sure enough, the soldier saw and questioned the child. He asked, "Who is your Dad, little girl?" Laura answered, "I don't know." "Where do you live," he asked. "I don't know," Laura replied. "Where is your father?" he asked. "I don't know." Little girl, what is your name?" Again Laura replied, "I don't know." "Oh, you dumb little thing," the soldier said with disgust and rode away.

When Noah Thomas left his youngest family in Huntington, he left them with stock in the Huntington Co-op Store, a general store where they sold everything from yard goods to molasses, pots and pans to farm machinery. This stock declared dividends each January, which kept the children in clothes. He also left a farm, which the boys farmed.

His declining years were spent in Orangeville, Emery County, Utah. Until a few months before his death he took care of a small garden and milked a cow. He had lived an active life. He had helped organize cooperation stores in Fountain Green, Orangeville and Huntington. He was successful with mercantile business, farming and livestock.

He died 07 January 1911 at the age of 92 years in Orangeville, Emery, Utah. He was the father of twenty-eight children. He is buried in the Orangeville Cemetery.