WILLIAM DENTON MOULTON

William Denton Moulton, son of Thomas and Sarah Denton Moulton, was born in Irchester, England, July 17, 1843. His family joined the Church when he was young, sailing soon for America. A brother, Charles Alma, was born on board the “Thornton” just before sailing time. After six weeks at sea, they crossed the country by train and handcart with the Captain James G. Willey Company, arriving in Salt Lake City on November 09, 1856, suffering with cold because of the late date of arrival. Brigham Young had sent help out to meet them. They lived in Provo until 1860, and then moved to Heber. William was a member of the Blackhawk army after growing to manhood. When he was 22 he married Mary Lavina Lee, July 24, 1865, and they were sealed for eternity December 15, 1868, in the Endowment House.

In June, 1868, he, with many others, went to Florence, Nebraska, with ox teams and wagons, to meet LDS immigrants. It was a long trip, because they had to wait six weeks for 700 Danish people who were late arriving at Florence. His group saw the last rails laid on the Platte River railroad bridge and the first train of the Union Pacific to cross over it on July 15, 1868.

The year 1869 was a bad one for crops and living conditions were hard, so William worked, hauling ties for the railroad which was coming to Utah then.

The first home for William and his wife was a little log cabin. A few years later he bought a ranch nine miles north of Heber, on which he built a large rock house, and that section was named Moultonville. A branch of the Church was established and he became presiding elder. He secured a contract to supply beef, milk and butter to the boarding houses of the Ontario mine at Park City. He built up a prosperous business and many young people from Heber had employment on the ranch.

Seven years after his marriage to Mary Lavina Lee, he took Mary Ann Davis as his second wife. Both wives gave birth to five children. One child of each died in infancy. Both families were brought up as one family, eating at the same table and living in the same house.

William Moulton was a good man, influential and respected, but death from typhoid pneumonia cut his lift to only 40, on June 14, 1883.

(“How Beautiful Upon the Mountains” Wasatch County DUP pp. 458-459).