Shadrach RICHARDSON

                   HISTORY: The Richardson Family

HISTORY: 	In the year 1781 in the beautiful Cumberland County of the State of Kentucky, near the boarder of civilization, there resided a Richardson Family, Father Shadrach, Mother Comfort and seven children, Shadrach, Messach, Abednego, George, Morgan, Dellilah and Peggy.  Shadrach, Messach and Abednego were named after Daniels friends in the Bible.

HISTORY: 	In a typical southern home this family played its part in the community life of the early pioneer settlers, working hard, enduring hardships and privations, having their joys and their sorrows, all of which molded them into men and women of sturdy character.

HISTORY: 	In the year 1806 the oldest son Shadrach, was married to a beautiful young girl named Elizabeth Garret, more commonly known as Betsy Garret.

HISTORY: 	Shadrach was a native of Virginia, as was his father.  His grandfather came over from England before the revolution and his father was a soldier in the Revolutionary War.  After the war the family emigrated to Kentucky.  Shadrach was a soldier in the War of 1812.  In fact he was one of the 300 Kentucky Riflemen with Jackson at the battle of New Orleans January 8, 1915.  The Kentucky Rifle, with the shot pouch and powder horn, were brought across the plains by his son Solomon Richardson in 1847.

HISTORY: 	Shadrach and Betsy Garret raised a family of twelve children, seven sons and five daughters, Solomon, Montillion, Shadrach, Thomas, Lorenzo, George, John, Zannastacia, Delila, Comfort, Polly and Betsy.  In the year 1833 they decided to try their fortunes in a new country and moved with their family of twelve children to Illinois.

HISTORY: 	They settled in a little place known as Beardstown in Morgan County.  It is always interesting to be one of a large family, where everyone is expected to share in the responsibilities of the home and work incident to establishing themselves in a new country.  They learn so many useful lessons in unselfishness, self denial, generosity, industry and respecting the rights of others and thereby develop traits of character that can be brought out in no other way.

HISTORY: 	In this new country the children of Shadrach and Betsy grew up and developed strong healthy bodies and sturdy characters.  In this same country lived a gallant little widow by the name of Sarah Scott Stewart.  She had a large family of boys and girls.  The two families were very friendly and the children grew up to maturity together.  They worked and played and took an important part in the civic and social life of the community.  Benjamin Franklin Stewart courted and married Polly Richardson in 1837.  That same year the two families Richardson and Stewart moved to Iowa.  The Stewart Family settled in Fox River, Van Buren County, and the Richardsons in Keg Creek, Mills County.  They did not lose track of one another, however, and in 1839 Shadrach Richardson married Lavina Stewart.

HISTORY: 	In 1847 two sons, George and Solomon and their families, took the long overland trail to Oregon.  About the same time the daughter and her husband joined the Mormon Migration in Utah.  These migrants had all set out from Iowa.  They left behind in Iowa or in Illinois, four brothers and four sisters.

HISTORY: 	It is suspected that a rift developed between Polly Richardson Stewart and her brothers, Solomon & George, because of the fact that she had affiliated with the Mormon Church.  There was no correspondence back and forth.

HISTORY: 	Shadrach and Lavina made their home on Keg Creek where seven children were born to them, five of whom died in infancy.  In the year 1949 like a tidal wave the gold rush to California spread over the country causing people to leave everything and go westward.  By the year 1851 the gold fever had struck the little settlement of Keg Creek, Iowa.  Shadrach and Lavina Richardson felt the urge to try their fortune in this new land and so they made the necessary arrangements to start this long and dangerous journey.

HISTORY: 	After suffering many hardships they arrived in Payson, Utah and in the fall of 1852, weary and foot sore, they rested while visiting Benjamin Franklin and Polly Stewart.  But the trials and hardships incident to the journey across the plains proved to much for Lavina and she passed away in December 1852, leaving her two little boys and their father to the mercy and kindness of the relatives and the good people of Payson. Lavina was one of the first to be buried in the Payson Cemetery.

HISTORY: 	After the death of his wife, Shadrach had no more desire to go on to California so decided to make his home in Utah.  In 1857 he was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.