In about 1851 Justus Azel and Hettie, along with James and Elizabeth and William Stewart and his family, moved to Battle Creek [now Pleasant Grove]. In 1851 JW and David and their families went to San Bernardino, California. In 1858 JW returned to Battle Creek. On April 5, 1859, Justus Azel died, and he is buried in the Battle Creek Cemetery. shortly afterward the Seely boys, along with their brother-in-law, James Young, decided to take an exploratory trip down to Moroni, to check out the prospects of settling there. In a speech given at the JASFO Reunion, held on June 26, 1912, Orange Seely, at age 69, gave an account of that trip. [He was 16 years old at the time]. "After arriving at Moroni, they pointed out the land for the Seelys, Tidwells, and Myriks west of Moroni on Silver Creek. After we had examinined the land, it appeared to be nonproductive and did not prove satisfactory. Father made the remark, 'If ther is no other land that I can get instead of this, I will start back for Pleasant Grove in the mroning.'". William Seely then proposed that they take a trip up to Mt. Plesant. The leaders in Mt. Pleasant made these brethern welcome, and they decided to stay. The date was about April 28, 1859. Each family head was given a city lot and twenty acres of land. After they secured their land, they went back to Pleasant Grove and got their wives and children and their aged mother, Mehittabil, and returned to Mount Pleasant.
They immediately "put their shoulders to the wheel" and commenced to clear the land, till the soil, plant their crops, and ehlp build the now-thriving little metropolis of Mt. Pleasant. On May 13, 1859, President James R. ivie called a meting to discuss plans for building a fort. Four men were called to supervise the construction. Each one was assigned a wall. William Stewart was supervisor over the south wall and Wellington was one of the crew members working on the west wall. The fort was 26 rods square (429 feet) ---an area that would cover about one city block. The walls were 4 ft. thick at the bottom, 2 ft. thick at the top, and 12 ft. high.
On July 10, 1859, Apostle George A. Smith and Amasa Lyman visited the settlement and held a conference. After giving much good advice to the people, they proceeded to organize the Saints into a Ward. They ordained William Stewart Seely as the Bishop, with Harvey Tidwell and Peter Jensen as counselors. It appears that it was on that occasion that they chose to call the Ward the Mount Pleasant Ward. The name was later abbreviated to be Mt. Pleasant.
A sawmill powered by a water wheel was built at the mouth of Twin Creek by Bishop William S. Seely, his brother Wellington, and Levi Reynolds. This was called an up-and-down saw because the sawblade went up and down. [All the sawmills nowadays have circular saws, that rotate at high speeds. But this u-and-down saw was on the same principle as a hand saw.]
In June 1861, Bishop seely wrote a letter to Brigham Young asking if a portion of the tithing funds could be used to build a road through Thistle Valley and connect onto the road through Spanish Fork Canyon. That would make a shorter route to S.L.C. by 20 miles, and they would not have to go by way of Nephi and Salt Creek Canyon. Twenty miles was a consederable distance in those days of traveling by horse (oxen) and wagon. It was more than a day's travel. [We today think it's wonderful to spend a million dollars to shorten a route and save ten minutes.]
On July 15, 1861, Brigham Young answered his letter, granted the request, and gave permission to use $4000 of the tithing fund for the proposed road. The following week 28 men went to work. The road was open to the public in 1862. No exact date is given.
On August 2, 1861, Mehittabil (Hettie) Bennet Seely completed her mission on this earth. She died and is buried in Mt. Pleasant. There were not very many graves in the cemetery when she was burried there.
Early in the Spring of 1862 Orange Seely, age 19, and five other men from Mt. Pleasant were called to join a company of brethren who had the assignment to go east and help the poor immigrants who were trying to "gather to Zion."
On Octover 18, 1863, Justus Wellington Seely was appointed as counselor to Bishop William S. Seely, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Perry McArthur.
The Blackhawk War was a conflict between the white men and the Indians that took place in a series of skirmishes over a period of seven years. from April 9, 1865, to the final peace treaty, signed September 17, 1872. The final treaty was signed on the front lawn at the home of Bishop William S. Seely. some of the Seely men were involved in the events of the war, notably Orange, JW Seely Jr. and Moroni.
In 1868 William s. Seely and his son, Moroni, 20, were called to go with a wagon train to assist immigrants coming to Zion.
In May, 1873, the Fairview Coal and Coke Company was incorporated. The mine was located in Huntington Canyon, and a road was built up Dry Creek Canyon and over into Huntington Canyon. [Dry Creek is near Milburn, north of Fairview.]
The same year the first steam powered sawmill was brought into the county; it was owned by William S. Seely. Wellington Seely, Andrew Madsen, P.M. Peel and others. They brought it from Salt Lake City, by ox team, and set it up in North creek Canyon. It replaced the old, water-powered, up and down saw.
The United Order was introduced among the Saints in 1874, and under the direction of Apostles John Taylor and Orson Hyde, was organized in Mount Pleasant on May 28, 1884, with Bishop W. S. Seely as president.
The site for the Manti Temple was dedicated by President Brigham Young on April 25, 1877. Ther were four temples in Utah in various stages of construction. [Salt Lake, St. George, Logan, and Manti] The Manti Temple was dedicated in May, 1888.
July 4, 1877, the Sanpete Stake was reorganized by Pres. Brigham Young. Canute Peterson was made President. At that time the Mount Pleasant Ward was divided into two wards, with William S. Seely bishop of the South Ward. Jacob Christensen and William Reynolds were counselors. Orange Seely, age 34, was ordained bishop of the North Ward, with N. Peter Madsen and P.M. Peel as counselors.
At a meeting in September, 1877, a call was made to settle Castle Valley. there was no response, so Brigham YOung sent a letter to President Canute Peterson, dated August 22, 1877, calling the Saints to go to Castle Valley. Brigham Young died seven days later, at age 76, August 29, 1877. Orange Seely was called to preside over the settlers going into Castle Valley.
Our Seely ancestors who came to Utah during the pioneer era (1846-1869) and are buried in Mt. Pleasant are: Metittabil Bennet Seely, 83, died Aug. 2, 1861; Elizabeth D. Seely, 57, died April 6, 1872; Justus Wellington seely, 80, died April 28, 1894; James Young, 90, died December 28, 1894; William S. Seely, 83,died September 16, 1895; Elizabeth S. Young, 83, died March 30, 1900; Clarissa Jane Seely, 87, died February 5, 1908; John H.O. Wilcox, 86, died Nov. 21, 1909; Mary Young Wilcox, almost 98, died May 16, 1929.
Montell Seely who wrote this history included in an invitation to the Family Conference to be held on Saturday, May 22, 1999. We, Jay and I, Jeanne will be unable to go to this conference held tomorrow.