Anders Peder Andersen

Anders Peter Anderson dictated the following autobiography to his granddaughter, Nina Anderson Pope.

I, Anders Peter Anderson, was born 10 Dec 1847 at Taarnborg, Denmark. My parents were Jens Andersen and Ane Pedersen. Anders Peter Anderson some time in his life Father was a wagon maker and owned a small farm.

In 1853 three Mormon Missionaries came to our home where we received them gladly and embraced the Gospel. Soon father sacrificed home and business and emigrated to America with his family. We left Copenhagen, Denmark, 22 Dec 1853 and crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the ship, "Jesse Munn", and arrived at New Orleans 16 Feb 1854. We were on the water 8 weeks. As the ship passed the West Indian Islands everyone looked eagerly to see the green landscape of the Islands. After traveling up the Mississippi River some of the people died with Yellow Fever and Cholera.

We arrived in Kansas City, Missouri and stayed one month, then we crossed the plains in Hans Peter Olsen's Company. During the journey part of father's wagon making tools were thrown away to lighten the load. He carried a shotgun with which he killed animals and birds for food.

We arrived in Salt Lake City, 4 Oct 1854. After a few days stay there. President Brigham Young asked father if he had a trade. Father replied that he was a wagon maker, a wheelwright by trade. President Young said, "They need you at Fillmore, Millard Co., Utah". So we went to Fillmore with Bishop Bartholomew, the first bishop in Fillmore.

Father built a frame house for us in the east part of Fillmore in the Old Fort under the hill near the Lovell and Carting homes. He worked at furniture making, building house and wagon repairing.

Father died of an intestinal disease, (possibly appendicitis) on 21 October 1855 and was buried on 24 October 1855. This left mother without support and with three small boys, myself, Christian, and Joseph Smith who was 18 days old. We were the only Scandinavian family in Fillmore and being unable to speak the English language, mother passed through experiences which were calculated to test her faith to the utmost. Through all this she remained faithful to the church all the years to follow. The burden of the young widow was lightened a great deal through the kindness shown her by the good friends of the family, Lewis Brunson with the aid of the Lovells, Carlings, Melvilles, and other families assisting her.

On the 4th of April 1857, with the permission of President Brigham Young, John Lovell and mother were married in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. John Lovell stood in proxy for father and had mother sealed to father, she and John were then married for time. He was a wonderful and a good man.

In 1860 we moved to Deseret and were some of the first of that place. As a small boy I herded a small band of sheep. On one occasion when I had no shoes, I went bare footed on the frozen ground, became very ill, and almost lost my life. I went to school bare footed and would have to run fast in the snow more than a block. At one time I had a pair of rawhide (cowhide) trousers and after being in a big storm they shrunk until they had to be cut off with a knife.

At the age of 13, my brother, Christian, and I hauled cedar wood from the clear lake cedars with oxen. Being scantly clad we suffered many hardships with the cold. We also went 8 to 10 miles to clear lake bottoms and cut wire hay and grass with a scythe, gathered it with a two tined pitch fork, and piled it on a knoll above the water's edge. They hauled it to Deseret when the ground had been frozen. One cold night we made our bed near the stack and laid, our heads uncovered, listening for the Turner boys. My head became chilled and as a result, I contacted a lingering fever and the measles. The fever continued and took off part of my hair. The fever lasted a long time until I went to Oak Creek. If it had not been for the change of location it would have finally wore me out. For some time I was worried for fear I would lose my mind.

I served in the Black Hawk Indian War two years, helping build the fort and serving as night guard with Nicholas Paul and others. This service entitled me to be on the Black Hawk War Veteran's Pension Roll. At this time Nicholas Paul was living in polygamy and later he left the church and became deputy U. S. Marshall. He tried to get me on a polygamy charge and failed. One of the brethren told him if he continued persecuting the church he would die with his boots on and the birds would devour his body. He later went to visit a member of his family, his horse got away on the desert and his remains found months later.

Our farming was done with oxen. In the spring the cattle were driven to Oak Creek from Deseret to keep them off the grain as there were no fences. If a milk cow was needed we would walk to Oak Creek 20 miles away and hunt for it. When finding the cow we wanted, her calf would be wild and would have to be run down. Being tired they would have to be driven slow. We could not leave them or they would go back on the range. I have made the 20 mile drive on foot without food or water. Sometimes we went bare footed because we could not secure shoes.

After building dams in the Sevier River several years and having them taken out by the high water and losing their crop, Deseret was abandoned. My step father, John Lovell, was given the ward records and sent to Oak Creek to make a settlement. He was called to serve as Presiding Elder in the spring of 1868. By fall the houses had been built and the families were ready to move in.

The first winter in Oak City, dances were held in private homes. The music consisted of Alvin Roper being leader and using wooden clappers between his fingers, Harry Roper with the tin pan, Charles Green hummed and sang the tunes, and I beat time with a large brass stirrup used as a triangle and a bolt for a beater.

My education consisted of six weeks schooling and from what few books were available by greasewood fires for light. I taught one year. Most of my education was obtained through the University of Hard Knocks.

In the spring the main crop, sugar cane was planted from which molasses was made. It was taken to Sanpete County and traded for wheat.

On 30 April 1869 Joseph Lovell, Ole Jensen, and I left home to find work. We went over to the dry fork of Fool Creek Pass as the snow was too deep on Oak Creek Pass. We walked carrying our bedding and food to where Sevier Bridge Dam now is. We crossed the river and went to Payson, rested at the home of Richard Rosse and regretted having started, just as Joseph's father had predicted we would. He told us before we left that three days after leaving home we would regret it. We went on to Promontory, north of the Great Salt Lake, were we found employment with a Cache Valley company at $2. 00 a day and room and board. We worked at leveling railroad grade with pick and shovel. After working 11 days the east and west met, the Golden Spike was driven, and the road was finished. All work was closed and nothing was left for us to do but to go home. We returned with bedding and provisions, walking the whole distance, about 520 miles and arriving home on the 30th of May. I have never had the desire to leave home since.

I was elected secretary and manager of the Co-op store in 1870 at the age of 23.

John Lovell and his first wife, Ann Parsons, had a family of five children before she died; namely George, Sylvia, Edmund, John, Joseph Hyrum, William, and Martha Ann.

On 14 April 1873, Martha Ann Lovell and I received our endowments in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. We were married that same day for time and all eternity. At the age of 27, I acted as treasurer of the United Order for one summer.

Bishop Platt Dealton Lyman and I formed a partnership and built a water powered saw mill in Oak Creek Canyon in 1875. After completing the mill, Bishop Lyman was called on a mission leaving me in charge of the mill. After two years it was sold to Fredrick and Walter Lyman, and I went back to farming and working in the store.

I was ordained Bishop of the Oak City Ward 1 December 1880 by Apostle Francis Marion Lyman with George Finlinson and Christen H. Jenson as counselors. Brother Jenson moved to Provo and Fredrick R. Lyman was put in as second counselor. I held this position as Bishop until 1907. (27 years)

On 9 October 1882, I married, for my second wife, Annie Lyman, the daughter of Amasa Mason Lyman and Caroline Ely Partridge. I was ordained Patriarch 27 December 1914

One day while riding for cattle, John E. Lovell picked up an odd colored rock in Wild Horse Canyon, which proved to be galena or lead and silver ore. A company was formed with John E. Lovell, Anders Peter Anderson, Fredrick Lyman, Walter Lyman, Ole H. Jacobson, and Charles W. Rawlinson. They made claim on the property and found a pocket or ore at the grass roots. We took it to Salt Lake City and received $225.00 for it This caused quit a bit of excitement. Experienced miners came and advised us to go to the foot of the hill where the formation dipped to the west expecting to find the vein much deeper where we could get the ore by stopping it down and wheeling it to the surface. The vein of ore on top of the hill was a pocket and pinched out. The stock holders soon became discouraged and I bought them out until I was the sole owner. We had a tunnel large enough to use a mule and car holding about half a ton in hard limestone rock. The tunnel was on an incline one foot to 16 feet, and going in about 700 feet.

I had great faith and hope of finding something good with plans and hopes to educate all the children and send them on missions also. I found traces of ore but not enough to pay."

At 2 P. M. on 9 April 1932 Anders Peter Anderson died at the home of his son John Lee Anderson. Soon after he was buried the powder and other mining material was sent back to the companies. Everything of value was moved from the mine and sold to pay off his obligations. He spent more than 40 years in his mining operations using all his surplus.

He always had a sack of lemon drops in his pocket and when he visited the grandchildren he always gave some to them.

(From Andrew Jensen's Biographical Encyclopedia) Patriarch Anderson is one of the strongest and most influential men in Millard County, and has gained a great reward for usefulness, stability, and honesty. His occupation has been that of farming, fruit raising, stock raising, and mining. From the time he first set foot on the soils of Utah, he has been in the foremost ranks laboring for the upbuilding and improvement of the country.

Scanned by Joseph F. Buchanan - 12 June 1996 - better picture added 6/28/96

Histories of my ancestors (index)