Henry Grow

1817 - 1891  (74 years)

• Photos

  Henry Grow Jr.

  
  

  Histories

  Two biographies of Henry Grow

  
  

• Name	Henry Grow
  Born	1 Oct 1817	Morristown, Montgomery, Pennsylvania
  Gender	Male
  Buried	Nov 1891	Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States
  Died	4 Nov 1891	Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States
  Person ID	I7188	Wagner-Thomas | Hallmark
  Last Modified	11 Jan 2014

  
  

  Father	Henry Grow,   b. 13 Jun 1768, Lower Merion Township, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, United States ,   d. 26 Feb 1826, Ardmore, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, United States  (Age 57 years)
  Mother	Mary Riter,   b. 19 May 1776, Lower Merion Township, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, United States ,   d. 22 Aug 1864, Ardmore, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, United States  (Age 88 years)
  Married	1804	Pennsylvania, United States
  Family ID	F2078	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Mary Moyer,   b. 28 Apr 1817, Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ,   d. 1 Oct 1883, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States  (Age 66 years)
  Married	24 Jan 1834	Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States
  Children	1. Maria Louisa Grow,   b. 10 Sep 1837, Marion, Franklin, Pennsylvania, United States ,   d. 13 Jun 1919, Panguitch, Garfield, Utah, United States  (Age 81 years)   2. Charles Moyer Grow,   b. 7 Jan 1840, Marion, Franklin, Pennsylvania, United States ,   d. 9 Oct 1904, Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States  (Age 64 years) + 3. William Moyer Grow,   b. 30 May 1842, Norristown, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, United States ,   d. 11 Mar 1932, Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States  (Age 89 years)   4. George W Grow,   b. 10 Sep 1845, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States ,   d. 23 Sep 1930  (Age 85 years) + 5. John Wood Grow,   b. 21 Dec 1848, Platte City, Platte, Missouri, United States ,   d. 2 Apr 1916, Huntsville, Weber, Utah, United States  (Age 67 years)   6. Ann Grow,   b. 15 Dec 1851, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States ,   d. 10 Sep 1872  (Age 20 years)   7. Mary Elizabeth Grow,   b. 30 Jan 1854, Brigham Fort, Salt Lake, Utah ,   d. 14 Jul 1900, Dry Fork, Uintah, Utah  (Age 46 years)
  Last Modified	22 Nov 2014
  Family ID	F615	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Nancy Ann Elliott,   b. 25 Dec 1815, Carlisle, Cumberland, Pennsylvania, United States ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	1 Aug 1837	Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States
  Last Modified	22 Nov 2014
  Family ID	F2077	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 3	Mary Elizabeth Veach,   b. 28 Jan 1836, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	20 Dec 1852
  Last Modified	22 Nov 2014
  Family ID	F2368	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 4	Ann Midgley,   b. 6 Apr 1826, Almondbury, Yorks, England ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	9 Nov 1856	Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States
  Last Modified	22 Nov 2014
  Family ID	F2369	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 5	Julia Melville Veach,   b. 10 Mar 1841, Elmira, Washington, Illinois ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	17 Apr 1858	Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States
  Children	1. Sylvester Veach Grow,   b. 29 Aug 1861, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	22 Nov 2014
  Family ID	F2370	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Married - 24 Jan 1834 - Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States Married - 1 Aug 1837 - Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States Married - 9 Nov 1856 - Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States Married - 17 Apr 1858 - Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States Buried - Nov 1891 - Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States Died - 4 Nov 1891 - Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Notes

  1817 BIR,MG,DTH,BUR: TIB, LDS Biog Encyc, Jenson Vol3 pg94, Pioneers & Prom Men of UT, Esshom pg 903, Nauvoo Temple Endow Reg 1845-46, Pers rcds self-AF: bur City Cem 1817-1851HIST: Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, pg 903: Henry Grow, son of Henry and Mary Riter Grow of Philadelphia PA, born 1 Oct 1817 at Norristown, near Philadelphia, and came to Utah 1 Oct 1851, with James Cummings company. He married Mary Moyer in 1834, daughter of Charles and Elizabeth Moyer, born 1818. 1817-1891 HIST: LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, by Andrew Jensen, Vol 3, p 94 (paragraphed by Pam Wagner): Grow, Henry, a prominent Elder in the Church, was bn Oct 1 1817, at Philadelphia PA, the son of Henry Grow and Mary Riter. His great grandfather, Frederick Grow, and his wife emigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania before the war of the revolution, took up a large tract of land and made it into five farms of 60 acres each, dividing the same among his 5 children, 4 sons and 1 daughter. This great grandfather was in the war of the revolution. Henry Grow was the youngest of 7 children, 5 girls and 2 sons. He learned the trade of a mill-wright and bridgebuilder, after which he superintended the bridges, culverts, etc., on the Norristown and Germantown railroads, both in construction and repairing the works. Becoming a convert to "Mormonism," he was baptized in the Delaware river, Philadelphia, in May, 1842, by Wm Morton. He emigrated to Nauvoo, Ill., in 1843, where he worked on the Nauvoo Temple until it was finished. He passed through all the troubles of those days and was one of the members of the Nauvoo Legion. He was one of the remnants that remained at Nauvoo after the departure of the Twelve, with the advance companies of the Saints for the West, but in April 1846, before the vanguard of the pioneers had got barely on their journey, the anti-Mormons began to rise and the mob outrages on the Saints were terrible. Henry Grow was in the famous battle of Nauvoo. While this battle was going on, he heard a voice one night distinctly say: "Get up and get out of here in the morning." He arose in the morning, hitched a yoke of cattle to his wagon, put in utensils, bedding and tent, leaving everything in the house, got his wife and 3 children in the wagon, and had moved about 50 yards from his house when the mob fired a 12-pound ball through the house,which was a frame building. After the entrance of the mob into Nauvoo he crossed over to Montrose, Iowa, where he had his family in a tent during the battle. Starting on his journey westward, he traveled alone with his family across the prairies of Iowa to Winter Quarters and then went to Kimball's 6 miles above, where he built himself a house and settle for a year, but in the fall of 1847, after the departure of the pioneer companies, he moved with his family into Missouri, locating on the Little Platte, 20 miles above Weston, where many of the old Missouri mobocrats dwelt. There he kept the saw and grist mill, called Lester's mill, in repair and did other carpenter work. In the spring of 1851 he and his family again came up the Missouri River, bound for the Valley; he was organized in Capt James Cumming's hundred, Alfred Cordon's 50 and Kishop Kesler's 10. Orson Pratt commanded the other 50. On account of high water, the Sweetwater, below Independence Rock, the company was surrounded by a war party of Cheyennes and had a narrow escape from being destroyed by the savages. The next day, above Independence Rock, they met a 1000 Snake Indian warriors waiting for the Cheyennes. Henry Grow arrived in Great Salt Lake City on his birthday, Oct 1 1851, and located at Mound Fort, north of Ogden. In 1852 he was called to Salt Lake City by President Young to work for him in building mills, bridges, etc. In 1853 he built the first suspension bridge built in Utah across the Weber river. In 1854 he went to work at Sugar House to build the sugar works under Bishop Fred Kesler, and in 1855 he assisted in building the 2 saw mills in Big Cottonwood canyon, known as A and B. In 1856 he moved a saw mill from Cottonwood to the forks of City crek, 7 miles above Salt Lake City, for Pres Brigham Young, and the same fall he went up Big Cottonwood again and framed and put up Mill D, sawed 2 logs and left Dec 17, 1856, with 5 men on 7 feet of snow with snowshoes. It took them 2 days to get out of the snow at the risk of their lives. In 1857 Elder Grow went up and Mill E, at the head of Big Cottonwood canyon, near Silver Lake; in 1858 he went to Provo and put up temporary buildings at the time of the move; he also built the suspension bridge over the Provo river. In 1859 he tore the works out of the old grist mill at the mouth of Canyon Crekks and placed the cotton and woolen machinery in the mill for Pres. Brigham Young. This was the first machinery of the kind put up in Utah, and this machinery was afterwards taken down to St George. In 1861 he built a suspension lattice bridge across the Jordan river. At the time of putting up the theatre he built a water wheel on the water ditch opposite Dr Sprague's house to hoist all the rock and timbers for the theatre. He also made the heavy beams and principal rafters out of plank for the work and fitted up the footlights. During the following years he did a great deal of mill work for Pres Young at different places. In 1863 the Pres called on him in regard to the construction of the big tabernacle in Salt Lake City. Asked him if he could construct a large bowery after the same structural work as the Jordan bridge, drawing the outline on the ground with his umbrella, and he also asked Br Grow how large he could build it. Br Grow replied, "150 ft wide andas long as you want it." Then they figured out the design and the dimensions of the contemplated building and Br Grow built the Tabernacle according to the directions given him by Pres Young; the building was finished in 1867. In 1868 the President called on Br Grow to put up the ZCMI building; the plan was drawn by Obed Taylor and the work of construction was superintended by Henry Grow throughout. From that time till the spring of 1876 he had charge of all the carpentry work on the Temple Block. In 1876-77 he filled a mission to the US, laboring principally in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland, and visited all his relatives and the old family homestead. On his return from that mission he was engaged in tearing down the Old Tabernacle and erecting the Assembly Hall, superintending the practical work under Architect Obed Taylor. It was completed in 1879. Later Elder Grow built 2 block houses for Pres John Taylor and supertended all the buildings and carpentry work for the Church, including the scaffolding and hoisting apparatus for the Temple. In 1880 he was called by Pres Taylor to go east to look at improvements of paper mills for the purpose of putting up a new paper mill at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon. After visiting the principal cities in the east, he returned home and drafted and commenced the building of the new Deseret Paper Mill at the mouth of Big Cottonwood canyon. This paper mill was completed and put in running order in 1883. Br Grow became known as a skilful mechanic and an experienced practical builder and was well liked by all the hands who worked under his superintendency; among all his works the roof of the Big Tabernacle in Salt Lake City is the most unique and stupendous of his works. Soon after he joined the Church Elder Grow was ordained to the Priesthood; he was ordained a Seventy in 1844, at Nauvoo, Ill., and for many years he acted as one of the presidents of the 30th Quorum of Seventy and was a member of the Nineteenth Ward, Salt Lake City. He was also active in military affairs, and served as a member of the Salt Lake City council from 1870 to 1876. In the East he married 2 wives, Mary Moyer, who bore him 6 children and Ann Elliott, who has borned him 7 children. After arriving in Utah he married Julia Veach, who bore him 14 children. Thus he became the father of 27 children. Br Grow died Nov 4, 1891, in Salt Lake City, as a highly respected citizen and a faithful member of the Church. 1817-1891 HIST: Biography of Henry Grow, dictated to Elaine Poulter by her grandfather, Wm Moyer Grow, as a school project in 1928, spellins is as was dictated: Henery Grow, the Superintendent of the Temple Block, was born in Noristown, Phil,Penn, Oct 1, 1817. His parents were Henery Grow and Mary Riter. His grandparents emigrated from Germany to Penn. before the War of the Revolution and took up a large tract of land. He made it into five farms of 60 acres and gave it to his five children, 4 sons and 1 daughter. The estate still remains in the family. Frederick Grow was in the Revolutionary War. The British army camped within a mile of his farm house. Henery Grow, the subject of this sketch, was the youngest of 7 children, 5 daughters and 2 sons, John Wood and Henery. He served his apprenticeship as a carpenter and joiner of his native state Penn. Later he superintended all the bridges, culverts, etc. on the Norristown and Germantown Railroads, both in contracting and repairing the work, under the direction of Geo. G Whitmere, President of the road and Ex Mayor of Phil. Henery Grow was baptized in the Delaware River, Phil. in 1842 by Wm Morton. He emigrated to Nauvoo in March 1843, reached Nauvoo May 15. His first mark there was building a barn for Patriarch Hyrman Smith, then worked on Nauvoo Temple till it was completed. Here they received the endownence. He passed through the trials of those days with the other LDS. He served as a member of the Nauvoo Legion. He was one of the five to remain behind after the departure of the Twelve with the advanced companies of the Saints to the Rocky Mountains. The covenant made between the four comissioners of the state of Ill. namely Gen. Worden of the State Militia, Senator Douglas, W.B. Warren and J McDanyal and the Mormon Apostals gave ample time for the removal of the saints from Nauvoo, but in April, before the Pioneers had scarcely started on their journy west, the anti-Mormons began their horrid outrages on the saints, notwithstanding the fact they were living up to their part of the contract , and W.B. Warren commanding the Ill. volunteers said in a report to Queery Whig on May 20, 1846, "are leaving with all possible haste. during the week 400 teams and 1350 souls have gone and others are preparing to leave as fast as possible. Not withstanding this statement from their commander of the volunteers, a mob marched upon the doomed city Sep 19, 1846 and began the battle of Nauvoo, which lasted 3 days, in which Henery Grow fought to protect his people, under the command of Gen. D H Wells of Col. Butler. The mob of 200 well armed men and 13 pieces of artillery, camped about one block in front of Grows house. The 1st night they were camped there, while Grow was lying on his bed, he heard a voice distinctly say, "Get out of here in the morning." He arose, hitched up a yoke of oxen to his wagon, put in some bedding, a tent and utensels and a few things, leaving all his other earthly possessions, took his wife and 3 children and left. He had gone about 50 yds. from the house when the mob fired a 12 lb. cannon ball at the house. They crossed the River to Montrose, Iowa, where they family remained in the tent during the battle. From the starting point toward the Rockies he traveled alone with his family to Winter Quarters arriving late in October. He built a log cabin in Winter Quarters, then went to Kimbals 6 miles above where he built himself a house and settled for a year, but in the fall of 1847, after the departure of the pioneer companies, he moved with hs family into Missouri on the Little Platt 20 miles above Weston, where lived many of the Mobocrats. While here he kept the Saw and grist mill in repair, and other carpenter work for 2 years for Col. Estel, who later sold out to Halladay and Warner, well known merchants in early history of Salt Lake City. Grow worked with them till spring in 1851 when they made another start toward the Valleys of the Mountains. They were organized in Cap. James Curmings hundred, Alfred Gardens 50, and Bishop Keslers 10. On account of high water the companies headed the Horn river, and came on to the Pratt below Laramie on the sweetwater below Independance Rock, here they were surrounded by a war party of Cheyennes. Keslers 10 became seperated from the other 10. They succeeded in getting a message to Capt Cardon who was camped with the remainder of his 50 at Independence Rock, and sent relief to bring them together again. Next day, they met 7,000 Ssnake Warriors waitin for the Sheyennes. Henery Grow arrived in Salt Lake on his birthday Oct 1, 1851. He immediately went to work, working 1 year on the Public Works under Miles Ronney. He next worked on the old Tabernacle where the Assembly Hall now stands, also building a saw mill, as the winter was mild. In 1853 he built the 1at suspension bridge in Utah across the Ogden river for Jonathan Browning. 1854 he began work at Sugar house to build the Sugar Works under Bp. Kesler. 1855 he built the Sawmills A and B in Big Cottonwood. In 1856 he moved a Saw mill, from Chases Mill in the Big Field up City Creek 7 miles for Pres. Brigham Young. The same fall,[he] went up to Big Cottonwood, fraimed and put put up a mill D, sawed same logs and left Dec 17 in company with 5 other men on snow shoes for home. It took them 2 days to get through as the snow was deep. They had many narrow escapes. 1857 he built Mill E at the head of Canion near Silver Lake. 1858 he went to Provo and put up the temperary buildings for the Moore and also the suspension bridge across the Provo river. 1858 he tore works out of the old grist mill, at the mouth of Canion Creek and placed the cotton and woolen machinery in the mill by request of Brigham Young. Thie was the first machinery of the kind in Utah. It was later taken to St. George. 1861 he build suspentian (Lattices) bridges across the Weber and Jordan Rivers which were still in use 35 and 40 years after. Then he build the first Salt Lake Theatre (which is still good and being used). He put up a water wheel in the ditch, by this the rock and timber was hosted to guild this theater. He also made the heavy beams and principle rafters, out of plank for the building and fitted up the foot lights. In 1863 & 4 he done a great deel of mill work, as the request of Pres Brigham Young, at different places. and next year Pres Young called on him about the contruction of the SL Tabernacle. He designed the shape, planned and put it up and finished it in 1867. It is the largest dome shaped building west of Chicago. The outside dimensions of this Tabernackle are: length 250 ft., width 105. Inside it measures 232 ft by 132 height to ceiling 65 ft. The roof rests on 44 colums averaging 20 ft high and is self supporting. The gallery extending around the building is 18 ft wide. The seating capasity is 9,000. 1868 Pres. Young called on him to build the ZCMI (a large store in Salt Lake). The plan was drawn by O Taylor and superintended by Grow. From this time till spring of 1876, he had charge of the carpenter work on the Temple Block. Then he went to build the ware house attached to the ZCMI. At the Oct. conference 1876 he was called to gon on a mission to preside over the Penn, Delaware, Maryland Conferences and left Salt Lake Nov 1, 1876. During this mission he visited the old homestead and relatives. He left Phil. for Salt Lake June 12,1877 and on his return was immediately engaged to tear down the old Tabernacle and build the Asembly Hall (which is used now), superintending the work. O Taylor was the architect. The Hall was completed in fall of 1878. He built 2 houses for Pres. Taylor and superintended the carpentry for the Church including the Scafolding and hoisting apparatis for the Temple. 1880 he was called by Pres Taylor to go east to look improvements of Paper Mills, with the view of putting up a paper mill a the mouth of the Big Cottonwood which was completed 1883. (the first in Utah) To get this necessary information he traveled through Chicago, Ill, Cleveland, Ohio, Buffalo, N.Y., Sspringfield Mass, Aalbany, Boston, Phil, and Pittsburg. He came back and built same. For over 30 years he was employed in building out of State. He was known as a skilled Mechanic and practical builder. He served as city counslemin with Mayer Daniel H Wells in 1870-1876. He was also active in Church work and social affairs of S L City. He died in Salt Lake Nov 4, 1891. OTHER MGS: Ancestral File ver 4.17 Apr 1997: 1. Nancy Ann Elliott 1 Aug 1837, SLC Utah, SS 9 Jan 1852 2. Mary Elizabeth Veach 20 Dec 1852, no place shown nor sealing 3. Ann Midgley, 9 Nov 1856 (div) SLC Utah, SS 9 Nov 1856 EH 4. Julia Melville Veach 17 Apr 1858, SLC Utah, ss 16 Aug 1858 Pg 21 (Pres. Office is what I showed) CK OUT 5. Sarah Rawlings no date or place; written by side by Pam Wagner is Emily Sarah Rawlings, md 21 Mar 1870 to Henry Grow bn abt 1851 [Upton Noble,Smrset,Eng] ??, submitted by Lorraine Norlund, 532 Joyner, Ridgecrest CA 93555 - only shown in these notes, not added (CK OUT) 6. Amanda Melvina Baker, no date or place nor sealing - just in these notes (CK OUT) c1863 HIST: OUR PIONEER HERITAGE, V10 p99: ..."Along the road thru Stringtown, traveled many wagon trains, bound for California and the gold mines, and farmers going to town (Ogden) had to get across also[Weber River]...about 1863 a bridge was framed at a mill a few miles east of SLC and possibly 50 miles from the river crossing, by a man named Henry Grow.The material used...was 4x12 inch plank, framed up and down the side diagonally and pinned at the crossing with 2-inch wooden pins. It was set upon log abutments and was abt 12 feet high, 14 feet wide, the river between abutments being over a hundred feet wide." V11 p75: "...4 men should share equally in the laurels [of bldg the magnificent Tabernacle on Temple Square]: Brigham Young for his forsight in realizing the need for such a building & his genius in planning it; Wm H Folsom for his masterful handling of the exterior; Henry Grow who directed the building of the unique and distinguished roof, and Truman O Angell, who with great finesse completed the interior."