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George Carson, Elizabeth's father, was born July 17, 1794 in Miflin, Pennsylvania. His parents were William and Ruth Carson. According to David H. Carson, he records that William Carson left the Southern part of Ireland in time to fight under General George Washington in the battle of Long Island. He joined the army for the duration of the war. (No wonder he named his youngest son George.) He married Ruth and settled in Mifflin Co. Pennsylvania. Their family consisted of five girls and four boys.
Their youngest boy, George married Ann Huff or Hough around 1817. in 1831 Ann and George were converted to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints through the preachings of Elders David Whitmore and Harry Whitlock at Sugar Creek, Worcester Co., Ohio. They had eight children, six sons and two daughters. Their eldest son,William was baptized and confirmed by Elder Wheeler Baldwin. That same year the youngest child was born on Nov. 16 1833. They went through great trials with the other saints when they were expelled by mob violence from Jackson Co., Missouri.
For the next five years they lived in Clay County, then in Caldwell Co. for a brief period. They were driven and persecuted and went to Adams Co. Illinois. It was in Jackson Co. Missouri that John Carson met and married Elvira Egbert on Dec. 30, 1841. Their journey took them from Kirtland, then on to Missouri and Nauvoo.
It was in the spring of 1851 George Carson and his family set out for Utah. In the family group were: William and his family, John and his family, Elizabeth and her husband Patison Delos Griffith and family, the twins David and George, Washington, Mary Ann and her husband Thomas Bradford Ewings. They were married May 19, 1851
At Winter Quarters they were out fitted with the usual stock of supplies for the trip across the plains. The Mormon emigrant train was under the direction of Captain Harry Walton. There were 60 wagons in the train. William Huff Carson was Captain of ten wagons. The journey was long but pleasant.
There were two deaths on the journey. Mother Thompson and Miss Kingsley were killed by jumping from a run away wagon.
Once the oxen went by a slain buffalo. The oxen could smell the blood of the buffalo, causing the oxen to become mad and stampeding. William's team was the only one who didn't run away. He controlled his oxen by means of a rope line which he had just put on them.
The George Carson family arrived in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake in the later part of September 1851. They went directly to little Cotton Wood. George however, died three months later, on December 20, 1851 and was buried in the pioneer burial ground of Little Cotton Wood. It is near the present area of Union. He had been a great teacher, father, and pioneer. He may be buried in the Union Pioneer Memorial Cemetery in SLC, Utah. George and Ann had eight children: William Huff Carson 01/08/1818 at Greene, Wayne PA; John Carson 11/13/1819 at Wayne, Mifflin, PA; Jonathan Carson abt 1820; Elizabeth Carson 07/07/1822 Wayne, Mifflin PA; George (twin) 10/02/1827; David (twin)10/02/1827 Wayne, Mifflin, PA; Washington 18, April, 1830; and Mary Ann 03/16/1833, Independence Jackson, Missouri.
William's wife died July 7, 1854 leaving a family of five, the youngest being William Harrison Carson who was born in a covered wagon at Loop Fork, Neb. The stop over for the birth of the child was just a half a day. Later William married Sula Goddard which was his wife's choice.
In 1855 the five Carson brothers, the Griffiths, along with William Beardshall, John Clegg, Amon Fielding settled at Fairfield and others came later. They established a fort to protect them from the Indians. The fort was four rods square and was built in 1856-1857. Tragically, on February 21, George was wounded and died by the Tintic Indians on the south side of town. On February 22, the Indians also killed Washington Carson and Henry Moran while they were watching cattle. The Indians had gone over toward Utah lake by way of Soldier Past. The Indians also twisted and destroyed their machinery.
The trials of settling was compounded with the lack of food. At this time, Patison D. Griffeth was out scouting for grain. Elizabeth didn't know if her husband was dead or alive. Patison did arrive home with grain to make bread. The joy in her heart can only by imagined. Read the account of Mads C.
In 1858, 2500 men of the U.S. Army moved through S.L.C. known as Johnston's army. They settled at Camp Floyd, next door to the Carson settlement. Soon more soldiers came and the number rose to 7000. The pony express also stopped there. Elder John Carson kept strict standards at his Inn and only allowed round dancing, no liquor, and was well respected by General Johnston. (See Stagecoach Inn).