Son of Andrew Lytle and Sarah Davidson
Married Christina Diana Wittner, 27 Feb 1827, Norton Twp Summit, Ohio
Children - Daughter Lytle, George Andrew Lytle, John Milton Lytle, Charles Lytle, Alma Lytle, Caroline Elida Lytle, Fannie Lytle, William Perry Lytle, Mary Jane Lytle, Cornelia Lytle
History - John Lytle, first Bishop of the Salt Lake Eleventh Ward (1842-1856), was born August 18, 1803 in Turbot Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. He was the first son and the oldest of the six children of Andrew and Sarah Davidson Lytle. He followed the trade of a blacksmith as did his youngest brother, Andrew, with whom there was a very close association.
John married Christina Diana Whitner (Wittner) February 27, 1827 at Tallmadge Ohio. They were the parents of ten children, eight of whom grew to maturity.
When John Lytle was baptized in May 1836 he truly entered the covenant of a completely new life. His wife joined him in such a covenant, the following year. By 1838 they, with their four children were in Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri – the center community of several Mormon settlements where both Jackson County exiles and Kirtland Saints were gathering. With the arrival of the Prophet Joseph Smith in March of 1838, Far West also became the residence of the leading authorities of the Church. To the Saints Missouri was a Land of Promise where Zion would be built.
Undoubtedly the Lytles participated in the Independence Day celebration at Far West July 4, 1838 and felt the fervor of the stirring oration of Sidney Rigdon with emphasis on the independence of the Saints and their determination to maintain such. That day too the cornerstones were laid for the temple anticipated in this newly founded city which already had a population of between three and four thousand.
Scarcely a month after this joyous day the first blows of the so-called Mormon War struck – first at Gallatin, Davis County, then upon all the settlements. Antagonism of the Missourians increased. Mobs became military bodies under state authority. Governor Lilburn W. Boggs issued a decree that Mormons must either leave the state or be exterminated. The Saints were disarmed and their leaders were imprisoned. Some with Joseph Smith remained in Liberty Jail for several months.
The autumn of 1838 saw the beginning of the exodus from Missouri which would be culminated through the winter under circumstances of extreme destitution and suffering. Under the leadership of Brigham Young, now President of the Quorum of the Twelve, and with other brethren of Far West, John Lytle signed a covenant to "stand by and assist each other to the utmost of our abilities in removing from this State . . .. . and we do hereby acknowledge ourselves firmly bound to the extent of all our available property, etc. . . . for providing means for removing the poor and destitute, who shall be considered worthy, from the country, till there shall not one be left who desire to removed from the State. . . ." (HR. V8 p338)
The following comes from the pen of James A. Little in his story of Far West:
"The misfortunes of a people are often best illustrated by individual experiences.
"With the slender outfit of a wagon and a pair of horses Mr. John Lytle, his brother Andrew and their families, in all ten persons, arrived on the west bank of the Mississippi River, opposite the town of Quincy, Illinois, in the month of February, 1839. In fulfillment of the covenant before referred to, their effects were at once unloaded and the team returned to assist others. After bringing out its owner and his brother, it made two trips bringing two families each time, when the team was too exhausted for further labor in that direction. The Lytles encamped in the timber of the river bottom, with many other fugitives. At the time of their arrival the river was open and no arrangements had been perfected for crossing the people.
Their shelter from the chilling winds of winter was what the timber afforded, with quilts and wagon covers drawn over poles. In a day or two the weather turned severely cold, the river froze over and the people crossed on the ice. Mr. John Lytle and family with five other families, found shelter in a room about 18x20 feet. The only advantage of this crowded condition was protection from the cold. The first and only night this shelter was enjoyed, Mrs. Lytle gave birth to a son. Even in this extreme of destitution they were not permitted to rest, for the following day the owner ordered them to vacate the house as he had an opportunity to rent. A cabin was found barely large enough to shelter the two brothers and their families. To it the suffering wife and new-born babe were removed.
The miserable shelter was occupied but one night for they were again ordered to vacate. Fortunately another shelter was found, but at a considerable distance. To it, families and effects were removed. Under these hardships the tender infant sickened and died. The mother, destitute of every comfort woman is supposed to need in her condition, also sickened but finally rallied and recovered.
Hoping to find some relief and rest, Mr. Lytle and family made a visit to Pike County, Illinois. They found their relations embittered against their people, and a cool reception was the result. In a day or two they returned to the neighborhood of Quincy, and soon after continued their journey to Commerce where their people were already gathering. There they found a hearty welcome from fellow-sufferers as destitute as themselves." (James A. Little (From Kirtland to Salt Lake City")
Upon the drained swamp at the bend of the Mississippi River across Nauvoo the Beautiful through the faith and the united effort of such men as John Lytle under the direction of inspired leaders. Talents and skills were utilized to the utmost as homes were established, community resources developed and both Church and civic organizations developed and functioned. Within two years the temple was begun and hopes were high for peaceful development in the City of the Saints. But outside persecution was soon resumed.
Beyond the labor of his trade, his activity in the Church, and the care of his family, John Lytle served as a policeman along with his brother Andrew. They participated in many of the troubles of Nauvoo from both outside invasion and inside dissention. One of special note was the removal of the printing press for the Nauvoo Expositor by the instruction of the city authorities. It was designated a nuisance. The stated purpose of this paper, directed by men who were apostates from the Church was among other things, to agitate for the destruction of the Nauvoo Charter.
In the Court of Judge Purple, October 21, 1845, John Lytle and Jessie P. Harmon of Nauvoo were charged with having been engaged in destroying the press and fixtures of the Expositor, formerly published in Nauvoo-"A man named Rollison was the principal witness against them. He professed to know all about the proceedings of abating the nuisance and described the manner in which it was done. When asked whether it was Appleton M. Harmon or Jesse P. Harmon who was guilty, he replied that it was the policeman, and on being informed that they were both policemen, he became confused and said he could not tell which it was. He was then asked which of the brothers Lytle-John or Andrew-was the guilty one. He replied again, it was the policeman, and on being informed that they were both policemen, he said it was the blacksmith. It happened that they were both blacksmiths, so that he could not fix the crime upon either of them and the jury acquitted them. This was in accordance with the prediction of the Prophet Joseph, who said, when it was reported to him that the policemen had abated the nuisance, that not one of them should be harmed for what they had done in the matter." (H.R. vol 8, p 827)
John Lytle grieved with the other citizens of Nauvoo when the news came of the tragic death of the beloved Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum in Carthage. With other officers of the city he must help maintain peace and order there. He served as one of the guards at the mansion house while the bodies of the martyred leaders were prepared for burial and were viewed by thousands of the mourning Saints.
Harassment from mobsters and apostates increased in Nauvoo. Plans were underway for the removal of the Saints to the West but much must first be accomplished. Work on the temple was pushed forward with all possible speed that blessings might be received therein before the people were forced to leave. On December 13, 1845 John and Andrew Lytle with their wives received their endowments in the temple and with new fortification were further strengthened to meet the trials ahead. John and Christina Diana were sealed January 21, 1846 in Nauvoo.
With the busiest of people were the blacksmiths, as wagons were readied for the westward trek. Had not their beloved Prophet prophesied that the Saints would become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains?
The first leaders left Nauvoo to chart the Pioneer trail in February 1846. Other companies were being organized to follow as soon as possible. John Lytle left Nauvoo April 26, 1846 as Captain. With him went his wife and seven children to make their home at Winter Quarters, until they continued their journey across the plans to Utah 1849. (See Church Emigration F. 298, 441)
The services of blacksmiths were in great demand at Winter Quarters to repair and make wagons sturdy for a much longer journey than that already made. Perhaps that was a major reason for the continuations of residency in Winter Quarters until 1849. Along with this came the need to plant crops for those yet coming to Winter Quarters and to lay in ample food and supplies to meet the needs of a growing family and others not only to care for the journey across the plans but to carry through to the harvest of the following year.
The family consisting of seven children ranging in age from three to twenty years (a child born at Winter Quarters had died) and the parents joined with the James A. Little Company in June 1849 west of the Mississippi River to make the long trek from Winter Quarters to Utah. The journey was not without romance for the eldest daughter, Mary Jane, captured the heart of the Captain. They were married in Salt Lake City in December of that year.
With the problems and adventures of ox team travel across the streams, plains and mountains, John Lytle had one more problem in embryo. He had been designated Bishop of the yet underdeveloped Eleventh Ward in Great Salt Lake City. He must be prepared to project the spirit and vision of Zion to a flock which was soon to be gathered. Their eyes and hearts must be unitedly directed to the light above, though bodies be chilled and feet struggle through the mire of earthy building and pioneering in the virgin soil of the new Eleventh Ward. Were hours of meditation added to the routine travel duties to ready the man for the responsibility ahead?
The James A. Little company reached Emigration Canyon October 17, 1849. They entered the city the following day. Welcomed and probably greeted with a hearty meal they then met in a council with President Brigham Young and other general Authorities for assignment to an inheritance in a specific locality where a home was to be established. The Lytle lot had already been designated and a cabin built thereon by Andrew Lytle who had preceded his brother John to the valley. Several others of the company were assigned to the Eleventh Ward locality where a few other homes were already established. Families from other companies would join them soon. There were probably ten or twelve families so assigned, several of whom were English emigrants.
The responsibility now rested upon Bishop Lytle to assign each family a lot by their choice or his in the designated area. The blocks had already been divided into eight lots each with frontage areas indicated. Then with Priesthood holders in council a plan must be developed for the individual and cooperative work necessary to first provide shelter for everyone against the rigors of the coming winter. Beyond this they must anticipate clearing of lots, providing corrals and shelters for animals and preparing for gardens. This would mean digging canals and making bridges to provide water for man, for beast and for the development of the soil. Only by intensive individual and cooperative effort could this be accomplished. Bishop Lytle must superintend such and rapidly direct the energy of all to accomplishment.
The chill of October was already foretelling the extra cold winter of 1849-50. Wagon boxes were lifted to the ground and fortified with banks of soil. Tents were set for a supplementary shelter. As soon as possible cabins began to take form on first one lot then another. These were usually of adobe brick but occasionally of logs from the nearby hills.
Now inventory must be made of available food stuffs in this community within a community. Had not the Bishop been specifically counseled "to gather up the poor in his ward and look after their needs – to provide food and other necessities for them and not depend upon the bishops of other wards"? Thus the ward was to be self-sustaining as far as possible under the guidance of the bishop and with the concern and cooperation of the members.
Beyond Priesthood planning meetings, only informal gatherings were held in the ward during the first year and a half. However, there were many foundations to build on aone to one and family to family basis-the level where faith and devotion must always being.
Bishop Lytle worked under the jurisdiction of the Stake Presidency and in conjunction with other bishops of the Stake but he was without counselors until 1851. He was ordained as Bishop June 24 1851 by presiding Bishop Edward Hunter. On July 17, 1851 John H. Rumel and John Gray were set apart as his counselors. The door was now opened for formal organization in the ward.
With the full interest of his flock at heart, Bishop John Lytle accelerated the program of Church and Community activity in his ward. A regular schedule of Priesthood and Sabbath day meetings was established along with attendance at the Sunday services held at the Bowery, then the Tabernacle on Temple Square. At first meetings were held in the Lytle home, then Sunday services were held in other homes. Joseph E. Taylor, later a counselor to Bishop Lytle, said that when he first came into the ward in the fall of 1852, meetings were being held in the home of Richard Hewlett. The next year they were held in the home of William J. Smith and continued there until the meeting house was built.
Bishop Lytle's home was still a center for community action. The citizens of the ward met there October 30, 1851 and again November 6, and resolved by an unanimous vote to rent Brother Atkin's home at the rate of $2.50 per month, then to supply it with seats for school purposes. Here too school trustees were elected. At a later meeting a committee was appointed to superintend the fence of the west half of the ward. (WHR)
It was Bishop Lytle who donated a lot early in 1854 with the proposal that a school house and meeting house be built by united labor in the ward. The location was on first South just west of 8th East. Soon an adobe building 20 x 20 feet was rapidly taking form. It was near enough completed to hold the regular fast meeting there Thursday, February 1855. Although there was only a dirt floor in the schoolhouse for some time, the building rapidly became the center spot of the ward and a symbol of united goals and action.
Bishop Lytle formed the liaison between the Eleventh Ward and the larger community in both Church and civic interests. He met regularly with other bishops of the stake to receive counsel from the Stake Presidency and General Authorities regarding his duties and responsibilities in the development and growth of the ward. He reported on the progress and needs within his ward and helped work out methods and procedures by which gospel principles taught could also be made to function in daily life of the members. Here too were larger community projects considered and work assignments made to be fulfilled by individual wards such as: building the main irrigation canals from City Creek, Red Butte and Emigration canyons must be constructed for the benefit of all, then water masters assigned in the individual wards under the bishop's jurisdiction.
The bishop also stood as a judge and adjudicator among his flock. Thus he carried the responsibility of a civil officer as well as a religious administrator. Tithing in kind must be gathered and accounted for, and provision must be made for those who were in need. Time tithing must also be arranged for and be properly credited on the bishop's record. Development of individual homes and lots must be observed and encouraged. Economic independence for each family must also be the concern of the bishop and in turn of Priesthood members who made up his ward.
A spirit of reformation and re-affirming of covenants was current in the Church in 1855. At a Priesthood meeting, August 22, 1855, Bishop Lytle spoke thus: " We have commenced a reformation in the Ward by being re-baptized and I want that we should continue it, showing by our works that we have increased in wisdom. . . . We have a duty to perform by stretching ourselves and magnifying that portion of the Priesthood resting upon us." He further made appeal that "All be alive to their duty."
As a means to reach goals, the bishop suggested "try to soften hard feelings". He said, "I look upon us as a little family here by ourselves, therefore let us settle our difficulties before the whole family is acquainted with them." (F. CR 2569 (11) #2).
Satisfaction should have filled the heart of Bishop Lytle as the spirit of unity and cooperation was manifest in the Eleventh Ward. This was evidenced by the willingness to share in community projects and also demonstrated in the joyous spirit of social activities in the new school house. Members later recalled that it could accommodate two sets for quadrille at a time for which everyone rejoiced.
With a vision of organized religious teaching in the ward, Bishop Lytle organized a Sunday School in the Eleventh Ward in 1855 with five male and five female teachers. The schoolhouse-meeting house was rapidly nearing completion so this could function smoothly along with other ward activities.
However, Bishop Lytle could not long relish the satisfaction of achievement in his rapidly growing ward. At April conference in 1856, his name was read, among others, as one who was to respond to the call of an official colonizing mission to Carson Valley, Nevada. This necessitated the selling of his home in order to procure the necessary equipment and supplies for the undertaking. The whole of his family must likewise join in the endeavor. Undoubtedly tears of sorrow were shed at leaving their beloved memory filled home. The statement of counselor Joseph E. Taylor indicates that Bishop Lytle left for Nevada in August of 1856, leaving his counselors, Joseph E. Taylor and William A. McMaster with the problems of the ward.
The high hopes for the Carson Valley Mission were crushed with the threat of military invasion in Utah in 1857-58. Missionaries were instructed to leave the location and return to Utah along with those of both state and foreign missions. The Lytle family were thus left to seek a new home and make further new beginnings.
In 1861 Bishop Lytle and his family were called to help colonize and build up Southern Utah. They made their home in St. George. There he held many offices of trust and responsibility, as he saw this community grow through several decades. He died October 12, 1892 in St. George at the age of 89 years.
Married Christina Diana Wittner, 27 Feb 1827, Norton Twp Summit, Ohio
Children - Daughter Lytle, George Andrew Lytle, John Milton Lytle, Charles Lytle, Alma Lytle, Caroline Elida Lytle, Fannie Lytle, William Perry Lytle, Mary Jane Lytle, Cornelia Lytle
History - John Lytle, first Bishop of the Salt Lake Eleventh Ward (1842-1856), was born August 18, 1803 in Turbot Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. He was the first son and the oldest of the six children of Andrew and Sarah Davidson Lytle. He followed the trade of a blacksmith as did his youngest brother, Andrew, with whom there was a very close association.
John married Christina Diana Whitner (Wittner) February 27, 1827 at Tallmadge Ohio. They were the parents of ten children, eight of whom grew to maturity.
When John Lytle was baptized in May 1836 he truly entered the covenant of a completely new life. His wife joined him in such a covenant, the following year. By 1838 they, with their four children were in Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri – the center community of several Mormon settlements where both Jackson County exiles and Kirtland Saints were gathering. With the arrival of the Prophet Joseph Smith in March of 1838, Far West also became the residence of the leading authorities of the Church. To the Saints Missouri was a Land of Promise where Zion would be built.
Undoubtedly the Lytles participated in the Independence Day celebration at Far West July 4, 1838 and felt the fervor of the stirring oration of Sidney Rigdon with emphasis on the independence of the Saints and their determination to maintain such. That day too the cornerstones were laid for the temple anticipated in this newly founded city which already had a population of between three and four thousand.
Scarcely a month after this joyous day the first blows of the so-called Mormon War struck – first at Gallatin, Davis County, then upon all the settlements. Antagonism of the Missourians increased. Mobs became military bodies under state authority. Governor Lilburn W. Boggs issued a decree that Mormons must either leave the state or be exterminated. The Saints were disarmed and their leaders were imprisoned. Some with Joseph Smith remained in Liberty Jail for several months.
The autumn of 1838 saw the beginning of the exodus from Missouri which would be culminated through the winter under circumstances of extreme destitution and suffering. Under the leadership of Brigham Young, now President of the Quorum of the Twelve, and with other brethren of Far West, John Lytle signed a covenant to "stand by and assist each other to the utmost of our abilities in removing from this State . . .. . and we do hereby acknowledge ourselves firmly bound to the extent of all our available property, etc. . . . for providing means for removing the poor and destitute, who shall be considered worthy, from the country, till there shall not one be left who desire to removed from the State. . . ." (HR. V8 p338)
The following comes from the pen of James A. Little in his story of Far West:
"The misfortunes of a people are often best illustrated by individual experiences.
"With the slender outfit of a wagon and a pair of horses Mr. John Lytle, his brother Andrew and their families, in all ten persons, arrived on the west bank of the Mississippi River, opposite the town of Quincy, Illinois, in the month of February, 1839. In fulfillment of the covenant before referred to, their effects were at once unloaded and the team returned to assist others. After bringing out its owner and his brother, it made two trips bringing two families each time, when the team was too exhausted for further labor in that direction. The Lytles encamped in the timber of the river bottom, with many other fugitives. At the time of their arrival the river was open and no arrangements had been perfected for crossing the people.
Their shelter from the chilling winds of winter was what the timber afforded, with quilts and wagon covers drawn over poles. In a day or two the weather turned severely cold, the river froze over and the people crossed on the ice. Mr. John Lytle and family with five other families, found shelter in a room about 18x20 feet. The only advantage of this crowded condition was protection from the cold. The first and only night this shelter was enjoyed, Mrs. Lytle gave birth to a son. Even in this extreme of destitution they were not permitted to rest, for the following day the owner ordered them to vacate the house as he had an opportunity to rent. A cabin was found barely large enough to shelter the two brothers and their families. To it the suffering wife and new-born babe were removed.
The miserable shelter was occupied but one night for they were again ordered to vacate. Fortunately another shelter was found, but at a considerable distance. To it, families and effects were removed. Under these hardships the tender infant sickened and died. The mother, destitute of every comfort woman is supposed to need in her condition, also sickened but finally rallied and recovered.
Hoping to find some relief and rest, Mr. Lytle and family made a visit to Pike County, Illinois. They found their relations embittered against their people, and a cool reception was the result. In a day or two they returned to the neighborhood of Quincy, and soon after continued their journey to Commerce where their people were already gathering. There they found a hearty welcome from fellow-sufferers as destitute as themselves." (James A. Little (From Kirtland to Salt Lake City")
Upon the drained swamp at the bend of the Mississippi River across Nauvoo the Beautiful through the faith and the united effort of such men as John Lytle under the direction of inspired leaders. Talents and skills were utilized to the utmost as homes were established, community resources developed and both Church and civic organizations developed and functioned. Within two years the temple was begun and hopes were high for peaceful development in the City of the Saints. But outside persecution was soon resumed.
Beyond the labor of his trade, his activity in the Church, and the care of his family, John Lytle served as a policeman along with his brother Andrew. They participated in many of the troubles of Nauvoo from both outside invasion and inside dissention. One of special note was the removal of the printing press for the Nauvoo Expositor by the instruction of the city authorities. It was designated a nuisance. The stated purpose of this paper, directed by men who were apostates from the Church was among other things, to agitate for the destruction of the Nauvoo Charter.
In the Court of Judge Purple, October 21, 1845, John Lytle and Jessie P. Harmon of Nauvoo were charged with having been engaged in destroying the press and fixtures of the Expositor, formerly published in Nauvoo-"A man named Rollison was the principal witness against them. He professed to know all about the proceedings of abating the nuisance and described the manner in which it was done. When asked whether it was Appleton M. Harmon or Jesse P. Harmon who was guilty, he replied that it was the policeman, and on being informed that they were both policemen, he became confused and said he could not tell which it was. He was then asked which of the brothers Lytle-John or Andrew-was the guilty one. He replied again, it was the policeman, and on being informed that they were both policemen, he said it was the blacksmith. It happened that they were both blacksmiths, so that he could not fix the crime upon either of them and the jury acquitted them. This was in accordance with the prediction of the Prophet Joseph, who said, when it was reported to him that the policemen had abated the nuisance, that not one of them should be harmed for what they had done in the matter." (H.R. vol 8, p 827)
John Lytle grieved with the other citizens of Nauvoo when the news came of the tragic death of the beloved Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum in Carthage. With other officers of the city he must help maintain peace and order there. He served as one of the guards at the mansion house while the bodies of the martyred leaders were prepared for burial and were viewed by thousands of the mourning Saints.
Harassment from mobsters and apostates increased in Nauvoo. Plans were underway for the removal of the Saints to the West but much must first be accomplished. Work on the temple was pushed forward with all possible speed that blessings might be received therein before the people were forced to leave. On December 13, 1845 John and Andrew Lytle with their wives received their endowments in the temple and with new fortification were further strengthened to meet the trials ahead. John and Christina Diana were sealed January 21, 1846 in Nauvoo.
With the busiest of people were the blacksmiths, as wagons were readied for the westward trek. Had not their beloved Prophet prophesied that the Saints would become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains?
The first leaders left Nauvoo to chart the Pioneer trail in February 1846. Other companies were being organized to follow as soon as possible. John Lytle left Nauvoo April 26, 1846 as Captain. With him went his wife and seven children to make their home at Winter Quarters, until they continued their journey across the plans to Utah 1849. (See Church Emigration F. 298, 441)
The services of blacksmiths were in great demand at Winter Quarters to repair and make wagons sturdy for a much longer journey than that already made. Perhaps that was a major reason for the continuations of residency in Winter Quarters until 1849. Along with this came the need to plant crops for those yet coming to Winter Quarters and to lay in ample food and supplies to meet the needs of a growing family and others not only to care for the journey across the plans but to carry through to the harvest of the following year.
The family consisting of seven children ranging in age from three to twenty years (a child born at Winter Quarters had died) and the parents joined with the James A. Little Company in June 1849 west of the Mississippi River to make the long trek from Winter Quarters to Utah. The journey was not without romance for the eldest daughter, Mary Jane, captured the heart of the Captain. They were married in Salt Lake City in December of that year.
With the problems and adventures of ox team travel across the streams, plains and mountains, John Lytle had one more problem in embryo. He had been designated Bishop of the yet underdeveloped Eleventh Ward in Great Salt Lake City. He must be prepared to project the spirit and vision of Zion to a flock which was soon to be gathered. Their eyes and hearts must be unitedly directed to the light above, though bodies be chilled and feet struggle through the mire of earthy building and pioneering in the virgin soil of the new Eleventh Ward. Were hours of meditation added to the routine travel duties to ready the man for the responsibility ahead?
The James A. Little company reached Emigration Canyon October 17, 1849. They entered the city the following day. Welcomed and probably greeted with a hearty meal they then met in a council with President Brigham Young and other general Authorities for assignment to an inheritance in a specific locality where a home was to be established. The Lytle lot had already been designated and a cabin built thereon by Andrew Lytle who had preceded his brother John to the valley. Several others of the company were assigned to the Eleventh Ward locality where a few other homes were already established. Families from other companies would join them soon. There were probably ten or twelve families so assigned, several of whom were English emigrants.
The responsibility now rested upon Bishop Lytle to assign each family a lot by their choice or his in the designated area. The blocks had already been divided into eight lots each with frontage areas indicated. Then with Priesthood holders in council a plan must be developed for the individual and cooperative work necessary to first provide shelter for everyone against the rigors of the coming winter. Beyond this they must anticipate clearing of lots, providing corrals and shelters for animals and preparing for gardens. This would mean digging canals and making bridges to provide water for man, for beast and for the development of the soil. Only by intensive individual and cooperative effort could this be accomplished. Bishop Lytle must superintend such and rapidly direct the energy of all to accomplishment.
The chill of October was already foretelling the extra cold winter of 1849-50. Wagon boxes were lifted to the ground and fortified with banks of soil. Tents were set for a supplementary shelter. As soon as possible cabins began to take form on first one lot then another. These were usually of adobe brick but occasionally of logs from the nearby hills.
Now inventory must be made of available food stuffs in this community within a community. Had not the Bishop been specifically counseled "to gather up the poor in his ward and look after their needs – to provide food and other necessities for them and not depend upon the bishops of other wards"? Thus the ward was to be self-sustaining as far as possible under the guidance of the bishop and with the concern and cooperation of the members.
Beyond Priesthood planning meetings, only informal gatherings were held in the ward during the first year and a half. However, there were many foundations to build on aone to one and family to family basis-the level where faith and devotion must always being.
Bishop Lytle worked under the jurisdiction of the Stake Presidency and in conjunction with other bishops of the Stake but he was without counselors until 1851. He was ordained as Bishop June 24 1851 by presiding Bishop Edward Hunter. On July 17, 1851 John H. Rumel and John Gray were set apart as his counselors. The door was now opened for formal organization in the ward.
With the full interest of his flock at heart, Bishop John Lytle accelerated the program of Church and Community activity in his ward. A regular schedule of Priesthood and Sabbath day meetings was established along with attendance at the Sunday services held at the Bowery, then the Tabernacle on Temple Square. At first meetings were held in the Lytle home, then Sunday services were held in other homes. Joseph E. Taylor, later a counselor to Bishop Lytle, said that when he first came into the ward in the fall of 1852, meetings were being held in the home of Richard Hewlett. The next year they were held in the home of William J. Smith and continued there until the meeting house was built.
Bishop Lytle's home was still a center for community action. The citizens of the ward met there October 30, 1851 and again November 6, and resolved by an unanimous vote to rent Brother Atkin's home at the rate of $2.50 per month, then to supply it with seats for school purposes. Here too school trustees were elected. At a later meeting a committee was appointed to superintend the fence of the west half of the ward. (WHR)
It was Bishop Lytle who donated a lot early in 1854 with the proposal that a school house and meeting house be built by united labor in the ward. The location was on first South just west of 8th East. Soon an adobe building 20 x 20 feet was rapidly taking form. It was near enough completed to hold the regular fast meeting there Thursday, February 1855. Although there was only a dirt floor in the schoolhouse for some time, the building rapidly became the center spot of the ward and a symbol of united goals and action.
Bishop Lytle formed the liaison between the Eleventh Ward and the larger community in both Church and civic interests. He met regularly with other bishops of the stake to receive counsel from the Stake Presidency and General Authorities regarding his duties and responsibilities in the development and growth of the ward. He reported on the progress and needs within his ward and helped work out methods and procedures by which gospel principles taught could also be made to function in daily life of the members. Here too were larger community projects considered and work assignments made to be fulfilled by individual wards such as: building the main irrigation canals from City Creek, Red Butte and Emigration canyons must be constructed for the benefit of all, then water masters assigned in the individual wards under the bishop's jurisdiction.
The bishop also stood as a judge and adjudicator among his flock. Thus he carried the responsibility of a civil officer as well as a religious administrator. Tithing in kind must be gathered and accounted for, and provision must be made for those who were in need. Time tithing must also be arranged for and be properly credited on the bishop's record. Development of individual homes and lots must be observed and encouraged. Economic independence for each family must also be the concern of the bishop and in turn of Priesthood members who made up his ward.
A spirit of reformation and re-affirming of covenants was current in the Church in 1855. At a Priesthood meeting, August 22, 1855, Bishop Lytle spoke thus: " We have commenced a reformation in the Ward by being re-baptized and I want that we should continue it, showing by our works that we have increased in wisdom. . . . We have a duty to perform by stretching ourselves and magnifying that portion of the Priesthood resting upon us." He further made appeal that "All be alive to their duty."
As a means to reach goals, the bishop suggested "try to soften hard feelings". He said, "I look upon us as a little family here by ourselves, therefore let us settle our difficulties before the whole family is acquainted with them." (F. CR 2569 (11) #2).
Satisfaction should have filled the heart of Bishop Lytle as the spirit of unity and cooperation was manifest in the Eleventh Ward. This was evidenced by the willingness to share in community projects and also demonstrated in the joyous spirit of social activities in the new school house. Members later recalled that it could accommodate two sets for quadrille at a time for which everyone rejoiced.
With a vision of organized religious teaching in the ward, Bishop Lytle organized a Sunday School in the Eleventh Ward in 1855 with five male and five female teachers. The schoolhouse-meeting house was rapidly nearing completion so this could function smoothly along with other ward activities.
However, Bishop Lytle could not long relish the satisfaction of achievement in his rapidly growing ward. At April conference in 1856, his name was read, among others, as one who was to respond to the call of an official colonizing mission to Carson Valley, Nevada. This necessitated the selling of his home in order to procure the necessary equipment and supplies for the undertaking. The whole of his family must likewise join in the endeavor. Undoubtedly tears of sorrow were shed at leaving their beloved memory filled home. The statement of counselor Joseph E. Taylor indicates that Bishop Lytle left for Nevada in August of 1856, leaving his counselors, Joseph E. Taylor and William A. McMaster with the problems of the ward.
The high hopes for the Carson Valley Mission were crushed with the threat of military invasion in Utah in 1857-58. Missionaries were instructed to leave the location and return to Utah along with those of both state and foreign missions. The Lytle family were thus left to seek a new home and make further new beginnings.
In 1861 Bishop Lytle and his family were called to help colonize and build up Southern Utah. They made their home in St. George. There he held many offices of trust and responsibility, as he saw this community grow through several decades. He died October 12, 1892 in St. George at the age of 89 years.
Son of Andrew Lytle and Sarah Davidson
Married Christina Diana Wittner, 27 Feb 1827, Norton Twp Summit, Ohio
Children - Daughter Lytle, George Andrew Lytle, John Milton Lytle, Charles Lytle, Alma Lytle, Caroline Elida Lytle, Fannie Lytle, William Perry Lytle, Mary Jane Lytle, Cornelia Lytle
History - John Lytle, first Bishop of the Salt Lake Eleventh Ward (1842-1856), was born August 18, 1803 in Turbot Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. He was the first son and the oldest of the six children of Andrew and Sarah Davidson Lytle. He followed the trade of a blacksmith as did his youngest brother, Andrew, with whom there was a very close association.
John married Christina Diana Whitner (Wittner) February 27, 1827 at Tallmadge Ohio. They were the parents of ten children, eight of whom grew to maturity.
When John Lytle was baptized in May 1836 he truly entered the covenant of a completely new life. His wife joined him in such a covenant, the following year. By 1838 they, with their four children were in Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri – the center community of several Mormon settlements where both Jackson County exiles and Kirtland Saints were gathering. With the arrival of the Prophet Joseph Smith in March of 1838, Far West also became the residence of the leading authorities of the Church. To the Saints Missouri was a Land of Promise where Zion would be built.
Undoubtedly the Lytles participated in the Independence Day celebration at Far West July 4, 1838 and felt the fervor of the stirring oration of Sidney Rigdon with emphasis on the independence of the Saints and their determination to maintain such. That day too the cornerstones were laid for the temple anticipated in this newly founded city which already had a population of between three and four thousand.
Scarcely a month after this joyous day the first blows of the so-called Mormon War struck – first at Gallatin, Davis County, then upon all the settlements. Antagonism of the Missourians increased. Mobs became military bodies under state authority. Governor Lilburn W. Boggs issued a decree that Mormons must either leave the state or be exterminated. The Saints were disarmed and their leaders were imprisoned. Some with Joseph Smith remained in Liberty Jail for several months.
The autumn of 1838 saw the beginning of the exodus from Missouri which would be culminated through the winter under circumstances of extreme destitution and suffering. Under the leadership of Brigham Young, now President of the Quorum of the Twelve, and with other brethren of Far West, John Lytle signed a covenant to "stand by and assist each other to the utmost of our abilities in removing from this State . . .. . and we do hereby acknowledge ourselves firmly bound to the extent of all our available property, etc. . . . for providing means for removing the poor and destitute, who shall be considered worthy, from the country, till there shall not one be left who desire to removed from the State. . . ." (HR. V8 p338)
The following comes from the pen of James A. Little in his story of Far West:
"The misfortunes of a people are often best illustrated by individual experiences.
"With the slender outfit of a wagon and a pair of horses Mr. John Lytle, his brother Andrew and their families, in all ten persons, arrived on the west bank of the Mississippi River, opposite the town of Quincy, Illinois, in the month of February, 1839. In fulfillment of the covenant before referred to, their effects were at once unloaded and the team returned to assist others. After bringing out its owner and his brother, it made two trips bringing two families each time, when the team was too exhausted for further labor in that direction. The Lytles encamped in the timber of the river bottom, with many other fugitives. At the time of their arrival the river was open and no arrangements had been perfected for crossing the people.
Their shelter from the chilling winds of winter was what the timber afforded, with quilts and wagon covers drawn over poles. In a day or two the weather turned severely cold, the river froze over and the people crossed on the ice. Mr. John Lytle and family with five other families, found shelter in a room about 18x20 feet. The only advantage of this crowded condition was protection from the cold. The first and only night this shelter was enjoyed, Mrs. Lytle gave birth to a son. Even in this extreme of destitution they were not permitted to rest, for the following day the owner ordered them to vacate the house as he had an opportunity to rent. A cabin was found barely large enough to shelter the two brothers and their families. To it the suffering wife and new-born babe were removed.
The miserable shelter was occupied but one night for they were again ordered to vacate. Fortunately another shelter was found, but at a considerable distance. To it, families and effects were removed. Under these hardships the tender infant sickened and died. The mother, destitute of every comfort woman is supposed to need in her condition, also sickened but finally rallied and recovered.
Hoping to find some relief and rest, Mr. Lytle and family made a visit to Pike County, Illinois. They found their relations embittered against their people, and a cool reception was the result. In a day or two they returned to the neighborhood of Quincy, and soon after continued their journey to Commerce where their people were already gathering. There they found a hearty welcome from fellow-sufferers as destitute as themselves." (James A. Little (From Kirtland to Salt Lake City")
Upon the drained swamp at the bend of the Mississippi River across Nauvoo the Beautiful through the faith and the united effort of such men as John Lytle under the direction of inspired leaders. Talents and skills were utilized to the utmost as homes were established, community resources developed and both Church and civic organizations developed and functioned. Within two years the temple was begun and hopes were high for peaceful development in the City of the Saints. But outside persecution was soon resumed.
Beyond the labor of his trade, his activity in the Church, and the care of his family, John Lytle served as a policeman along with his brother Andrew. They participated in many of the troubles of Nauvoo from both outside invasion and inside dissention. One of special note was the removal of the printing press for the Nauvoo Expositor by the instruction of the city authorities. It was designated a nuisance. The stated purpose of this paper, directed by men who were apostates from the Church was among other things, to agitate for the destruction of the Nauvoo Charter.
In the Court of Judge Purple, October 21, 1845, John Lytle and Jessie P. Harmon of Nauvoo were charged with having been engaged in destroying the press and fixtures of the Expositor, formerly published in Nauvoo-"A man named Rollison was the principal witness against them. He professed to know all about the proceedings of abating the nuisance and described the manner in which it was done. When asked whether it was Appleton M. Harmon or Jesse P. Harmon who was guilty, he replied that it was the policeman, and on being informed that they were both policemen, he became confused and said he could not tell which it was. He was then asked which of the brothers Lytle-John or Andrew-was the guilty one. He replied again, it was the policeman, and on being informed that they were both policemen, he said it was the blacksmith. It happened that they were both blacksmiths, so that he could not fix the crime upon either of them and the jury acquitted them. This was in accordance with the prediction of the Prophet Joseph, who said, when it was reported to him that the policemen had abated the nuisance, that not one of them should be harmed for what they had done in the matter." (H.R. vol 8, p 827)
John Lytle grieved with the other citizens of Nauvoo when the news came of the tragic death of the beloved Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum in Carthage. With other officers of the city he must help maintain peace and order there. He served as one of the guards at the mansion house while the bodies of the martyred leaders were prepared for burial and were viewed by thousands of the mourning Saints.
Harassment from mobsters and apostates increased in Nauvoo. Plans were underway for the removal of the Saints to the West but much must first be accomplished. Work on the temple was pushed forward with all possible speed that blessings might be received therein before the people were forced to leave. On December 13, 1845 John and Andrew Lytle with their wives received their endowments in the temple and with new fortification were further strengthened to meet the trials ahead. John and Christina Diana were sealed January 21, 1846 in Nauvoo.
With the busiest of people were the blacksmiths, as wagons were readied for the westward trek. Had not their beloved Prophet prophesied that the Saints would become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains?
The first leaders left Nauvoo to chart the Pioneer trail in February 1846. Other companies were being organized to follow as soon as possible. John Lytle left Nauvoo April 26, 1846 as Captain. With him went his wife and seven children to make their home at Winter Quarters, until they continued their journey across the plans to Utah 1849. (See Church Emigration F. 298, 441)
The services of blacksmiths were in great demand at Winter Quarters to repair and make wagons sturdy for a much longer journey than that already made. Perhaps that was a major reason for the continuations of residency in Winter Quarters until 1849. Along with this came the need to plant crops for those yet coming to Winter Quarters and to lay in ample food and supplies to meet the needs of a growing family and others not only to care for the journey across the plans but to carry through to the harvest of the following year.
The family consisting of seven children ranging in age from three to twenty years (a child born at Winter Quarters had died) and the parents joined with the James A. Little Company in June 1849 west of the Mississippi River to make the long trek from Winter Quarters to Utah. The journey was not without romance for the eldest daughter, Mary Jane, captured the heart of the Captain. They were married in Salt Lake City in December of that year.
With the problems and adventures of ox team travel across the streams, plains and mountains, John Lytle had one more problem in embryo. He had been designated Bishop of the yet underdeveloped Eleventh Ward in Great Salt Lake City. He must be prepared to project the spirit and vision of Zion to a flock which was soon to be gathered. Their eyes and hearts must be unitedly directed to the light above, though bodies be chilled and feet struggle through the mire of earthy building and pioneering in the virgin soil of the new Eleventh Ward. Were hours of meditation added to the routine travel duties to ready the man for the responsibility ahead?
The James A. Little company reached Emigration Canyon October 17, 1849. They entered the city the following day. Welcomed and probably greeted with a hearty meal they then met in a council with President Brigham Young and other general Authorities for assignment to an inheritance in a specific locality where a home was to be established. The Lytle lot had already been designated and a cabin built thereon by Andrew Lytle who had preceded his brother John to the valley. Several others of the company were assigned to the Eleventh Ward locality where a few other homes were already established. Families from other companies would join them soon. There were probably ten or twelve families so assigned, several of whom were English emigrants.
The responsibility now rested upon Bishop Lytle to assign each family a lot by their choice or his in the designated area. The blocks had already been divided into eight lots each with frontage areas indicated. Then with Priesthood holders in council a plan must be developed for the individual and cooperative work necessary to first provide shelter for everyone against the rigors of the coming winter. Beyond this they must anticipate clearing of lots, providing corrals and shelters for animals and preparing for gardens. This would mean digging canals and making bridges to provide water for man, for beast and for the development of the soil. Only by intensive individual and cooperative effort could this be accomplished. Bishop Lytle must superintend such and rapidly direct the energy of all to accomplishment.
The chill of October was already foretelling the extra cold winter of 1849-50. Wagon boxes were lifted to the ground and fortified with banks of soil. Tents were set for a supplementary shelter. As soon as possible cabins began to take form on first one lot then another. These were usually of adobe brick but occasionally of logs from the nearby hills.
Now inventory must be made of available food stuffs in this community within a community. Had not the Bishop been specifically counseled "to gather up the poor in his ward and look after their needs – to provide food and other necessities for them and not depend upon the bishops of other wards"? Thus the ward was to be self-sustaining as far as possible under the guidance of the bishop and with the concern and cooperation of the members.
Beyond Priesthood planning meetings, only informal gatherings were held in the ward during the first year and a half. However, there were many foundations to build on aone to one and family to family basis-the level where faith and devotion must always being.
Bishop Lytle worked under the jurisdiction of the Stake Presidency and in conjunction with other bishops of the Stake but he was without counselors until 1851. He was ordained as Bishop June 24 1851 by presiding Bishop Edward Hunter. On July 17, 1851 John H. Rumel and John Gray were set apart as his counselors. The door was now opened for formal organization in the ward.
With the full interest of his flock at heart, Bishop John Lytle accelerated the program of Church and Community activity in his ward. A regular schedule of Priesthood and Sabbath day meetings was established along with attendance at the Sunday services held at the Bowery, then the Tabernacle on Temple Square. At first meetings were held in the Lytle home, then Sunday services were held in other homes. Joseph E. Taylor, later a counselor to Bishop Lytle, said that when he first came into the ward in the fall of 1852, meetings were being held in the home of Richard Hewlett. The next year they were held in the home of William J. Smith and continued there until the meeting house was built.
Bishop Lytle's home was still a center for community action. The citizens of the ward met there October 30, 1851 and again November 6, and resolved by an unanimous vote to rent Brother Atkin's home at the rate of $2.50 per month, then to supply it with seats for school purposes. Here too school trustees were elected. At a later meeting a committee was appointed to superintend the fence of the west half of the ward. (WHR)
It was Bishop Lytle who donated a lot early in 1854 with the proposal that a school house and meeting house be built by united labor in the ward. The location was on first South just west of 8th East. Soon an adobe building 20 x 20 feet was rapidly taking form. It was near enough completed to hold the regular fast meeting there Thursday, February 1855. Although there was only a dirt floor in the schoolhouse for some time, the building rapidly became the center spot of the ward and a symbol of united goals and action.
Bishop Lytle formed the liaison between the Eleventh Ward and the larger community in both Church and civic interests. He met regularly with other bishops of the stake to receive counsel from the Stake Presidency and General Authorities regarding his duties and responsibilities in the development and growth of the ward. He reported on the progress and needs within his ward and helped work out methods and procedures by which gospel principles taught could also be made to function in daily life of the members. Here too were larger community projects considered and work assignments made to be fulfilled by individual wards such as: building the main irrigation canals from City Creek, Red Butte and Emigration canyons must be constructed for the benefit of all, then water masters assigned in the individual wards under the bishop's jurisdiction.
The bishop also stood as a judge and adjudicator among his flock. Thus he carried the responsibility of a civil officer as well as a religious administrator. Tithing in kind must be gathered and accounted for, and provision must be made for those who were in need. Time tithing must also be arranged for and be properly credited on the bishop's record. Development of individual homes and lots must be observed and encouraged. Economic independence for each family must also be the concern of the bishop and in turn of Priesthood members who made up his ward.
A spirit of reformation and re-affirming of covenants was current in the Church in 1855. At a Priesthood meeting, August 22, 1855, Bishop Lytle spoke thus: " We have commenced a reformation in the Ward by being re-baptized and I want that we should continue it, showing by our works that we have increased in wisdom. . . . We have a duty to perform by stretching ourselves and magnifying that portion of the Priesthood resting upon us." He further made appeal that "All be alive to their duty."
As a means to reach goals, the bishop suggested "try to soften hard feelings". He said, "I look upon us as a little family here by ourselves, therefore let us settle our difficulties before the whole family is acquainted with them." (F. CR 2569 (11) #2).
Satisfaction should have filled the heart of Bishop Lytle as the spirit of unity and cooperation was manifest in the Eleventh Ward. This was evidenced by the willingness to share in community projects and also demonstrated in the joyous spirit of social activities in the new school house. Members later recalled that it could accommodate two sets for quadrille at a time for which everyone rejoiced.
With a vision of organized religious teaching in the ward, Bishop Lytle organized a Sunday School in the Eleventh Ward in 1855 with five male and five female teachers. The schoolhouse-meeting house was rapidly nearing completion so this could function smoothly along with other ward activities.
However, Bishop Lytle could not long relish the satisfaction of achievement in his rapidly growing ward. At April conference in 1856, his name was read, among others, as one who was to respond to the call of an official colonizing mission to Carson Valley, Nevada. This necessitated the selling of his home in order to procure the necessary equipment and supplies for the undertaking. The whole of his family must likewise join in the endeavor. Undoubtedly tears of sorrow were shed at leaving their beloved memory filled home. The statement of counselor Joseph E. Taylor indicates that Bishop Lytle left for Nevada in August of 1856, leaving his counselors, Joseph E. Taylor and William A. McMaster with the problems of the ward.
The high hopes for the Carson Valley Mission were crushed with the threat of military invasion in Utah in 1857-58. Missionaries were instructed to leave the location and return to Utah along with those of both state and foreign missions. The Lytle family were thus left to seek a new home and make further new beginnings.
In 1861 Bishop Lytle and his family were called to help colonize and build up Southern Utah. They made their home in St. George. There he held many offices of trust and responsibility, as he saw this community grow through several decades. He died October 12, 1892 in St. George at the age of 89 years.
Married Christina Diana Wittner, 27 Feb 1827, Norton Twp Summit, Ohio
Children - Daughter Lytle, George Andrew Lytle, John Milton Lytle, Charles Lytle, Alma Lytle, Caroline Elida Lytle, Fannie Lytle, William Perry Lytle, Mary Jane Lytle, Cornelia Lytle
History - John Lytle, first Bishop of the Salt Lake Eleventh Ward (1842-1856), was born August 18, 1803 in Turbot Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. He was the first son and the oldest of the six children of Andrew and Sarah Davidson Lytle. He followed the trade of a blacksmith as did his youngest brother, Andrew, with whom there was a very close association.
John married Christina Diana Whitner (Wittner) February 27, 1827 at Tallmadge Ohio. They were the parents of ten children, eight of whom grew to maturity.
When John Lytle was baptized in May 1836 he truly entered the covenant of a completely new life. His wife joined him in such a covenant, the following year. By 1838 they, with their four children were in Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri – the center community of several Mormon settlements where both Jackson County exiles and Kirtland Saints were gathering. With the arrival of the Prophet Joseph Smith in March of 1838, Far West also became the residence of the leading authorities of the Church. To the Saints Missouri was a Land of Promise where Zion would be built.
Undoubtedly the Lytles participated in the Independence Day celebration at Far West July 4, 1838 and felt the fervor of the stirring oration of Sidney Rigdon with emphasis on the independence of the Saints and their determination to maintain such. That day too the cornerstones were laid for the temple anticipated in this newly founded city which already had a population of between three and four thousand.
Scarcely a month after this joyous day the first blows of the so-called Mormon War struck – first at Gallatin, Davis County, then upon all the settlements. Antagonism of the Missourians increased. Mobs became military bodies under state authority. Governor Lilburn W. Boggs issued a decree that Mormons must either leave the state or be exterminated. The Saints were disarmed and their leaders were imprisoned. Some with Joseph Smith remained in Liberty Jail for several months.
The autumn of 1838 saw the beginning of the exodus from Missouri which would be culminated through the winter under circumstances of extreme destitution and suffering. Under the leadership of Brigham Young, now President of the Quorum of the Twelve, and with other brethren of Far West, John Lytle signed a covenant to "stand by and assist each other to the utmost of our abilities in removing from this State . . .. . and we do hereby acknowledge ourselves firmly bound to the extent of all our available property, etc. . . . for providing means for removing the poor and destitute, who shall be considered worthy, from the country, till there shall not one be left who desire to removed from the State. . . ." (HR. V8 p338)
The following comes from the pen of James A. Little in his story of Far West:
"The misfortunes of a people are often best illustrated by individual experiences.
"With the slender outfit of a wagon and a pair of horses Mr. John Lytle, his brother Andrew and their families, in all ten persons, arrived on the west bank of the Mississippi River, opposite the town of Quincy, Illinois, in the month of February, 1839. In fulfillment of the covenant before referred to, their effects were at once unloaded and the team returned to assist others. After bringing out its owner and his brother, it made two trips bringing two families each time, when the team was too exhausted for further labor in that direction. The Lytles encamped in the timber of the river bottom, with many other fugitives. At the time of their arrival the river was open and no arrangements had been perfected for crossing the people.
Their shelter from the chilling winds of winter was what the timber afforded, with quilts and wagon covers drawn over poles. In a day or two the weather turned severely cold, the river froze over and the people crossed on the ice. Mr. John Lytle and family with five other families, found shelter in a room about 18x20 feet. The only advantage of this crowded condition was protection from the cold. The first and only night this shelter was enjoyed, Mrs. Lytle gave birth to a son. Even in this extreme of destitution they were not permitted to rest, for the following day the owner ordered them to vacate the house as he had an opportunity to rent. A cabin was found barely large enough to shelter the two brothers and their families. To it the suffering wife and new-born babe were removed.
The miserable shelter was occupied but one night for they were again ordered to vacate. Fortunately another shelter was found, but at a considerable distance. To it, families and effects were removed. Under these hardships the tender infant sickened and died. The mother, destitute of every comfort woman is supposed to need in her condition, also sickened but finally rallied and recovered.
Hoping to find some relief and rest, Mr. Lytle and family made a visit to Pike County, Illinois. They found their relations embittered against their people, and a cool reception was the result. In a day or two they returned to the neighborhood of Quincy, and soon after continued their journey to Commerce where their people were already gathering. There they found a hearty welcome from fellow-sufferers as destitute as themselves." (James A. Little (From Kirtland to Salt Lake City")
Upon the drained swamp at the bend of the Mississippi River across Nauvoo the Beautiful through the faith and the united effort of such men as John Lytle under the direction of inspired leaders. Talents and skills were utilized to the utmost as homes were established, community resources developed and both Church and civic organizations developed and functioned. Within two years the temple was begun and hopes were high for peaceful development in the City of the Saints. But outside persecution was soon resumed.
Beyond the labor of his trade, his activity in the Church, and the care of his family, John Lytle served as a policeman along with his brother Andrew. They participated in many of the troubles of Nauvoo from both outside invasion and inside dissention. One of special note was the removal of the printing press for the Nauvoo Expositor by the instruction of the city authorities. It was designated a nuisance. The stated purpose of this paper, directed by men who were apostates from the Church was among other things, to agitate for the destruction of the Nauvoo Charter.
In the Court of Judge Purple, October 21, 1845, John Lytle and Jessie P. Harmon of Nauvoo were charged with having been engaged in destroying the press and fixtures of the Expositor, formerly published in Nauvoo-"A man named Rollison was the principal witness against them. He professed to know all about the proceedings of abating the nuisance and described the manner in which it was done. When asked whether it was Appleton M. Harmon or Jesse P. Harmon who was guilty, he replied that it was the policeman, and on being informed that they were both policemen, he became confused and said he could not tell which it was. He was then asked which of the brothers Lytle-John or Andrew-was the guilty one. He replied again, it was the policeman, and on being informed that they were both policemen, he said it was the blacksmith. It happened that they were both blacksmiths, so that he could not fix the crime upon either of them and the jury acquitted them. This was in accordance with the prediction of the Prophet Joseph, who said, when it was reported to him that the policemen had abated the nuisance, that not one of them should be harmed for what they had done in the matter." (H.R. vol 8, p 827)
John Lytle grieved with the other citizens of Nauvoo when the news came of the tragic death of the beloved Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum in Carthage. With other officers of the city he must help maintain peace and order there. He served as one of the guards at the mansion house while the bodies of the martyred leaders were prepared for burial and were viewed by thousands of the mourning Saints.
Harassment from mobsters and apostates increased in Nauvoo. Plans were underway for the removal of the Saints to the West but much must first be accomplished. Work on the temple was pushed forward with all possible speed that blessings might be received therein before the people were forced to leave. On December 13, 1845 John and Andrew Lytle with their wives received their endowments in the temple and with new fortification were further strengthened to meet the trials ahead. John and Christina Diana were sealed January 21, 1846 in Nauvoo.
With the busiest of people were the blacksmiths, as wagons were readied for the westward trek. Had not their beloved Prophet prophesied that the Saints would become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains?
The first leaders left Nauvoo to chart the Pioneer trail in February 1846. Other companies were being organized to follow as soon as possible. John Lytle left Nauvoo April 26, 1846 as Captain. With him went his wife and seven children to make their home at Winter Quarters, until they continued their journey across the plans to Utah 1849. (See Church Emigration F. 298, 441)
The services of blacksmiths were in great demand at Winter Quarters to repair and make wagons sturdy for a much longer journey than that already made. Perhaps that was a major reason for the continuations of residency in Winter Quarters until 1849. Along with this came the need to plant crops for those yet coming to Winter Quarters and to lay in ample food and supplies to meet the needs of a growing family and others not only to care for the journey across the plans but to carry through to the harvest of the following year.
The family consisting of seven children ranging in age from three to twenty years (a child born at Winter Quarters had died) and the parents joined with the James A. Little Company in June 1849 west of the Mississippi River to make the long trek from Winter Quarters to Utah. The journey was not without romance for the eldest daughter, Mary Jane, captured the heart of the Captain. They were married in Salt Lake City in December of that year.
With the problems and adventures of ox team travel across the streams, plains and mountains, John Lytle had one more problem in embryo. He had been designated Bishop of the yet underdeveloped Eleventh Ward in Great Salt Lake City. He must be prepared to project the spirit and vision of Zion to a flock which was soon to be gathered. Their eyes and hearts must be unitedly directed to the light above, though bodies be chilled and feet struggle through the mire of earthy building and pioneering in the virgin soil of the new Eleventh Ward. Were hours of meditation added to the routine travel duties to ready the man for the responsibility ahead?
The James A. Little company reached Emigration Canyon October 17, 1849. They entered the city the following day. Welcomed and probably greeted with a hearty meal they then met in a council with President Brigham Young and other general Authorities for assignment to an inheritance in a specific locality where a home was to be established. The Lytle lot had already been designated and a cabin built thereon by Andrew Lytle who had preceded his brother John to the valley. Several others of the company were assigned to the Eleventh Ward locality where a few other homes were already established. Families from other companies would join them soon. There were probably ten or twelve families so assigned, several of whom were English emigrants.
The responsibility now rested upon Bishop Lytle to assign each family a lot by their choice or his in the designated area. The blocks had already been divided into eight lots each with frontage areas indicated. Then with Priesthood holders in council a plan must be developed for the individual and cooperative work necessary to first provide shelter for everyone against the rigors of the coming winter. Beyond this they must anticipate clearing of lots, providing corrals and shelters for animals and preparing for gardens. This would mean digging canals and making bridges to provide water for man, for beast and for the development of the soil. Only by intensive individual and cooperative effort could this be accomplished. Bishop Lytle must superintend such and rapidly direct the energy of all to accomplishment.
The chill of October was already foretelling the extra cold winter of 1849-50. Wagon boxes were lifted to the ground and fortified with banks of soil. Tents were set for a supplementary shelter. As soon as possible cabins began to take form on first one lot then another. These were usually of adobe brick but occasionally of logs from the nearby hills.
Now inventory must be made of available food stuffs in this community within a community. Had not the Bishop been specifically counseled "to gather up the poor in his ward and look after their needs – to provide food and other necessities for them and not depend upon the bishops of other wards"? Thus the ward was to be self-sustaining as far as possible under the guidance of the bishop and with the concern and cooperation of the members.
Beyond Priesthood planning meetings, only informal gatherings were held in the ward during the first year and a half. However, there were many foundations to build on aone to one and family to family basis-the level where faith and devotion must always being.
Bishop Lytle worked under the jurisdiction of the Stake Presidency and in conjunction with other bishops of the Stake but he was without counselors until 1851. He was ordained as Bishop June 24 1851 by presiding Bishop Edward Hunter. On July 17, 1851 John H. Rumel and John Gray were set apart as his counselors. The door was now opened for formal organization in the ward.
With the full interest of his flock at heart, Bishop John Lytle accelerated the program of Church and Community activity in his ward. A regular schedule of Priesthood and Sabbath day meetings was established along with attendance at the Sunday services held at the Bowery, then the Tabernacle on Temple Square. At first meetings were held in the Lytle home, then Sunday services were held in other homes. Joseph E. Taylor, later a counselor to Bishop Lytle, said that when he first came into the ward in the fall of 1852, meetings were being held in the home of Richard Hewlett. The next year they were held in the home of William J. Smith and continued there until the meeting house was built.
Bishop Lytle's home was still a center for community action. The citizens of the ward met there October 30, 1851 and again November 6, and resolved by an unanimous vote to rent Brother Atkin's home at the rate of $2.50 per month, then to supply it with seats for school purposes. Here too school trustees were elected. At a later meeting a committee was appointed to superintend the fence of the west half of the ward. (WHR)
It was Bishop Lytle who donated a lot early in 1854 with the proposal that a school house and meeting house be built by united labor in the ward. The location was on first South just west of 8th East. Soon an adobe building 20 x 20 feet was rapidly taking form. It was near enough completed to hold the regular fast meeting there Thursday, February 1855. Although there was only a dirt floor in the schoolhouse for some time, the building rapidly became the center spot of the ward and a symbol of united goals and action.
Bishop Lytle formed the liaison between the Eleventh Ward and the larger community in both Church and civic interests. He met regularly with other bishops of the stake to receive counsel from the Stake Presidency and General Authorities regarding his duties and responsibilities in the development and growth of the ward. He reported on the progress and needs within his ward and helped work out methods and procedures by which gospel principles taught could also be made to function in daily life of the members. Here too were larger community projects considered and work assignments made to be fulfilled by individual wards such as: building the main irrigation canals from City Creek, Red Butte and Emigration canyons must be constructed for the benefit of all, then water masters assigned in the individual wards under the bishop's jurisdiction.
The bishop also stood as a judge and adjudicator among his flock. Thus he carried the responsibility of a civil officer as well as a religious administrator. Tithing in kind must be gathered and accounted for, and provision must be made for those who were in need. Time tithing must also be arranged for and be properly credited on the bishop's record. Development of individual homes and lots must be observed and encouraged. Economic independence for each family must also be the concern of the bishop and in turn of Priesthood members who made up his ward.
A spirit of reformation and re-affirming of covenants was current in the Church in 1855. At a Priesthood meeting, August 22, 1855, Bishop Lytle spoke thus: " We have commenced a reformation in the Ward by being re-baptized and I want that we should continue it, showing by our works that we have increased in wisdom. . . . We have a duty to perform by stretching ourselves and magnifying that portion of the Priesthood resting upon us." He further made appeal that "All be alive to their duty."
As a means to reach goals, the bishop suggested "try to soften hard feelings". He said, "I look upon us as a little family here by ourselves, therefore let us settle our difficulties before the whole family is acquainted with them." (F. CR 2569 (11) #2).
Satisfaction should have filled the heart of Bishop Lytle as the spirit of unity and cooperation was manifest in the Eleventh Ward. This was evidenced by the willingness to share in community projects and also demonstrated in the joyous spirit of social activities in the new school house. Members later recalled that it could accommodate two sets for quadrille at a time for which everyone rejoiced.
With a vision of organized religious teaching in the ward, Bishop Lytle organized a Sunday School in the Eleventh Ward in 1855 with five male and five female teachers. The schoolhouse-meeting house was rapidly nearing completion so this could function smoothly along with other ward activities.
However, Bishop Lytle could not long relish the satisfaction of achievement in his rapidly growing ward. At April conference in 1856, his name was read, among others, as one who was to respond to the call of an official colonizing mission to Carson Valley, Nevada. This necessitated the selling of his home in order to procure the necessary equipment and supplies for the undertaking. The whole of his family must likewise join in the endeavor. Undoubtedly tears of sorrow were shed at leaving their beloved memory filled home. The statement of counselor Joseph E. Taylor indicates that Bishop Lytle left for Nevada in August of 1856, leaving his counselors, Joseph E. Taylor and William A. McMaster with the problems of the ward.
The high hopes for the Carson Valley Mission were crushed with the threat of military invasion in Utah in 1857-58. Missionaries were instructed to leave the location and return to Utah along with those of both state and foreign missions. The Lytle family were thus left to seek a new home and make further new beginnings.
In 1861 Bishop Lytle and his family were called to help colonize and build up Southern Utah. They made their home in St. George. There he held many offices of trust and responsibility, as he saw this community grow through several decades. He died October 12, 1892 in St. George at the age of 89 years.
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