John Tanner and his family

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238 John Tanner and His Family J. F. Tolton in his History of Beaver, gives the names of the twenty­ four families who moved there from San Bernadino in 1858, and included in the list was Sidney Tanner." many families chose Beaver for their but it was a new settlement, only two clear, excellent grazing opportunities and good prospects some acceptable farmland. Sidney probably settled Why so not future home is years old, with for timber with in Beaver to be the Shep­ his wife's friends and his San Bernardino relatives, among herd family. related to the author that Sidney homesteaded four quarter sections of land by building his home so that it touched each of the quarter sections, and four eligible members of the family filed on a quarter section each. This has not been verified, but his purchase of two city lots in Beaver, one in 1858 and the other in 1872 has been verified. It was When he came to Beaver Sidney was forty-nine years of age, the father of thirteen children three of whom were dead and four of whom were married. But he still had a long life ahead, he would marry for a third time and father a total of twenty-two children. - Sidney became prominent in business, civic and religious affairs. When Beaver was incorporated in 1867, he was elected one of the first councilmen. He also became a counselor to Bishop M. L. Shepherd in the Beaver First Ward, and later a high-counselor in the stake. 21 He when he was was honored at the 1884 Tanner reunion held in Payson made patriarch to the Tanner family and the Beaver area. The Deseret Evening News carried the following story at the time of his death which occurred December 5, 1895, at the age of eighty-six; of marvelous constitutional powers, and endured the to the early settlement of this territory, as well as of southern California. He was one of the earliest settlers of Beaver and has done much to build up that place and he now leaves behind him, a large family of his own, as well as a host of kindred He was a man hardships common numbering more than 600, all descendants of John Tanner who was prominent in the early history of the Church in Kirtland and Nauvoo, and who died after his entry into the Territory.