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Show NPS Fo", 10-900-a Utah WordPerfect 5. 1 Fonnat (Revi sed Feb . 1993) (J18 No . 10024 -0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section No. ~ Page-Z- Whitaker, Thomas and Elizabeth Mills, House, Centerville, Davis County, UT A fine specimen of silk was presented to us a few days since by Mr. Whitaker, of Centerville, the production of his stock of silk worms, which are represented as doing as well as any were ever known to in silk producing countries. 17 Brigham Young was so enthusiastic that he encouraged silk production through the Relief Society, the women's organization of the L.D.S. church and one of his wives, Zina Young, established the Deseret Silk Association in 1875 to promote silk manufacturing. 18 In many accounts of pioneer women, however, it was not a popular endeavor and it died out by the tum of the century. In 1869, after eleven years of marriage and six children, Thomas took another wife, Hannah Waddoups, in keeping with the Mormon polygamous practices of the time. This was a devastating blow to Elizabeth, as she had always abhorred polygamy and had exacted a promise from her husband when they married that he would not take more wives. Hannah moved into the Whitaker household, living with Elizabeth for about three years before Thomas built a house for Hannah two blocks east of the stone house.19 Hannah and Thomas had eight children and Elizabeth had six more by him. With the added financial strain of a second household, Elizabeth had to work more to bring in cash. She did an assortment of things, mainly nursing the sick, helping women through and after childbirth , and weaving carpets. 20 Thomas moved to Ogden, where he found more carpentry work. He died on April 28, 1886, after collapsing on Main Street in Salt Lake because of a hernia. Elizabeth lived for over fifty more years. Thomas Whitaker deeded the property to his wife Elizabeth in 1885, who left it to one of their sons, Joseph James Whitaker. According to oral tradition, he and his wife, Florence, and their adopted daughter lived in the home prior to Elizabeth's death (June 7, 1937), with Elizabeth living in a small house to the east and north of the original home (no longer standing). 21 It is also believed that c.1910 he added the brick portions of the structure to the east and north sides of the stone house. Joseph James Whitaker (1869-1954), their sixth child, acquired the house after the death of Elizabeth. He was a lawyer, having graduated from Cornell University School of Law and serving as a judge in Salt Lake as Salt Lake County assistant attorney. He and Florence Mosher were 17 Deseret News, June 11, 1862. 18 Poll, Richard D., et al. Utah's History . Logan, Utah : Utah State University Press, 1989, p. 343. 19 Miles, pp. 250-258 . "Rock Home Both Stately and Old," Lakeside edition of the Deseret News, August 10, 1993 . 21 An account by a fonner owner, Lyle Wright, states that Elizabeth lived in a small home, no longer standing, located northeast of the house after her son, Joseph, inherited it. X See continuation sheet |
