Family Group Record

I can't post information about Josiah Miller Hoyt without giving credit to my grandpa Marvin Prisbrey Hoyt. Long before I was born Grandpa went around gathering information and photos from relatives and putting family group records together. This is one example of the family group records that he put together. Even though Grandpa is gone I will cherish the many memories I have of sitting down with him and Grandma and talking about their family history.

1880 U.S. Census

(1880 U.S. Federal Census, accessed from Ancestry.com)

Here is the 1880 U.S. Census with the Hoyt family residing in Orderville, Utah. Here you can see that Josiah's father, Israel, is residing with his two wives (two at the time), six of the children, and his brother, Hyrum, who was visiting. It was fun to see that Hyrum Hoyt was visiting at this time. During this time Orderville was living the United Order. From looking at the 1880 census you can see the variety of occupations in Orderville as shown by the Hoyt family with a postmaster, tailoress, weaver, and ranch hand all in the same family.

Podcast

My post this week is a podcast that can be listened to by clicking on the play button on the side of this page. The podcast opens with the opening of "Turkey in the Straw" followed by me reading a history of Josiah Miller Hoyt written by his son, Frederick Cross Hoyt. The podcast then ends with the end of "Turkey in the Straw". I hope you enjoy!

(1870 U.S. Federal Census, accessed from Ancestry.com)

Josiah Miller Hoyt was born April 26, 1863 in Nephi, Utah to Israel Hoyt and Clarissa Amanda Miller. He was their fifth surviving child. His father, and other relatives, had been called to settle Nephi in the early 1850s. Israel was later called to settle in the Muddy Mission at St. Joseph, Nevada. The Hoyt family was living in St. Joseph when the 1870 census was taken.

This census is a great lesson as to why it is so important to know the siblings of our ancestors and potential spelling variations. Josiah was indexed under the name of Jonah and under Utah (St. Joseph was considered part of the Utah Territory at the time) rather than Josiah and Nevada. Had I not searched for other members of the family I would not have been able to find Josiah and his family.

This will probably be the last photo I add for a while. In the front and center you can see Josiah Miller Hoyt surrounded by his friends, all most likely of Orderville. Unfortunately, Hans C. Sorensen (my great-great grandfather through a different grandparent) and David Esplin (a brother-in-law to Hans C. Sorensen) are the only other individuals labeled in this image. I would like to learn more about the individuals in this photo, particularly their names. I do not know the significance of this photo. I love having this image, but it does make one wonder about what was going on behind the scenes and what influenced the circumstances for this shot.

This is a photo of a group of people who were married in the St. George, Utah temple on March 10, 1882. Josiah Miller Hoyt married Ellen Alice Spencer and Mary Ellen Meeks (the young woman with the number five above her head). Lucy Spencer, a sister to Ellen, married William Heaton. I believe that the young man on the front left is William Wallace Adair and the woman behind him his wife, Mary Josephine Hogan (William and Mary were also married on March 10, 1882).

Interesting fact about the wives of Josiah Miller Hoyt- Ellen Alice was called "Nell" and Mary Ellen was called "Ellen".

Josiah Miller Hoyt photo

Photo of Josiah Miller Hoyt born on April 26, 1863. This photo is taken from a family photo (on the header above) most likely taken in 1890. The photo includes his mother, his father's other two wives, his sisters, and  brother. His father, Israel Hoyt, was deceased at this time. If anyone has any info about the Israel Hoyt family photo that they'd like to share it would be greatly appreciated!