My family Lived in Grafton, Utah

The adobe home of John WOOD Sr. and Ellen SMITH at Grafton, Utah. Grafton is a Ghost Town near Zions National Park

Before I get too far away from Grafton. I want to list my grandparents that had a part in the founding, development, events and eventual end of Grafton.

Family founders, settlers and builders of Grafton, Utah

1856 Indian Mission, head quartered at Fort Harmony. Old Grafton 1859-1860 (1) Marcy Jane LUCAS WILLIAMS BARNEY and her second husband (B1) Henry Barney. Marcy's daughter Polly WILLIAMS was the wife of James George DAVIS son of Bishop William Reese DAVIES. 1859-1860 (2) William Reese DAVIES and (3) Rachel MORRIS DAVIES William Reese DAVIES was called to the Indian Mission in 1856. He was the presiding Elder over Fort Harmony which included Toquerville and the communities in the Virgin River Valley. The Davies were living in old Grafton seasonally because of William’s health. It is possible some of the DAVIE children were also in old Grafton. Henry Barney was a counselor to Bishop William R. DAVIES at Fort Harmony. Also Uncle John Calvin ENSIGN (brother of Martin Luther ENSIGN the great grandfather of Camilla SMITH - this links both my parents to Grafton) he was in Dixie from 1861 to 1863, moved to St. George in 1862, probably after the flood; returned to Salt Lake City; wife Emma Garn; they had four children: Emma Lavenia, Mary Priscilla, John Calvin, Jr., And Horace Daniel. Dixie Mission 1861 (Cotton Mission). Flood 1862 Grafton moved 1 ½ miles up Virgin River Valley. 1662 -1865 (4) John WOOD Born 1819 in England and 1877- 1911 (5) Ellen SMITH WOOD born 1822 in England. Ellen SMITH WOOD was buried in Grafton 1899. John WOOD died in Hurricane 1911. CHILDREN who lived in Grafton: (4/5a) Sarah Ann WOOD WESTERN Born 1850 in England. (4/5b) Ellen WOOD BROWN Born 1854 in Lehi, UT. 1862-1865 / (6-4/5c) John WOOD Jr., Born 1858 in Lehi, UT, 1877-1906 married a Grafton girl (9-7/8c) Sarah Jane GIBSON. (See details for John WOOD Jr. family below.) (4/5d) George Henry WOOD [Nen] Born 1860 in Lehi, UT, married 1882 a Grafton girl, dd- Emily Louise HASTINGS. Their children were born in Grafton. (4/5e) Emily WOOD Born 1862 in a wagon box in Virgin, UT, married 1883 a Grafton boy (7/8 b) George Andrew GIBSON Their children were born in Grafton. (4) John and (5) Ellen WOOD got to Lehi, Utah in 1853, then were called to the Dixie Mission Oct 1861 they and their children moved to Southern Utah in 1862 they move from Grafton to Long Valley 1865-1866, then to Lincoln county, Nevada 1869 and back to Grafton in 1877. (1862- ) John WOOD Sr. had a Log home. (1882-1909) This home is occupied by son George Henry WOOD Sr. family. (1880- 1911) John WOOD Sr. new adobe home at new location. Emily and George GIBSON live in this home with widowed John WOOD Sr. until 1911. (2007) The adobe home is still standing in the ghost town of Grafton,Utah. From 1863- (7) George Washington GIBSON Born 1800 SC and second wife (8-B7) Ann Elizabeth NEWMAN GIBSON Born 1840 in England. Six children, one born in Big Cottonwood, Grafton, and Duncan’s Retreat. George Washington GIBSON was buried in Grafton 1871. Ann NEWMAN died in 1875 in SLC, UT. George seemed to be living both in Grafton and Duncan’s Retreat. CHILDREN who lived in Grafton: . (7/8a) Ann Elizabeth GIBSON Born 1858 Big Cottonwood, UT, married 1875 a Grafton boy Charles Harvey BALLARD. They had children born in Grafton. (7/8b) George Andrew WOOD Born 1861 Big Cottonwood, UT, married 1883 a Grafton girl (4/5e) Emily WOOD. Their children were born in Grafton. 1863-1909 (9-7/8c) Sarah Jane GIBSON WOOD, Born 1863 in Grafton, married 1882 a Grafton boy (6-4/5c) John WOOD Jr. (See details for John WOOD Jr. family below.) (7/8d) Mary Ardillacy GIBSON Born 1865 Duncan‘s Retreat, UT, married 1883 a Grafton boy William ISOM Jr. a Mountain Dell boy. (7/8e) Joshua Newman Born 1868 at Duncan‘s Retreat, UT, buried in Grafton 1878 (7/8f) James William Born 1870 at Duncan‘s Retreat, UT (7)George Washington GIBSON (see above) and first wife (A7) Mary Ann Sparks. Eleven children born in SC and MS. Mary Ann Sparks may have lived at Duncan’s Retreat not Grafton. Mary Ann Sparks GIBSON buried in Grafton 1871. CHILDREN who lived in Grafton: (7d) Robert Pulaski GIBSON, He had a child born in Grafton. (7h) Laura Arrilla GIBSON, Husband James Andrus called 1861 to the Dixie Mission. They had children born in Grafton. (7i) Moses Washington GIBSON, He had child born in Grafton. 1873 Bishop in Virgin, UT. Had children born in Grafton. (7j) Manomas Levina GIBSON Husband James Andrus called 1861 to the Dixie Mission. (7k) Joseph Smith GIBSON - Had children born in Grafton. (1863-1864) G. W. GIBSON log home, home occupied (1864 -) by Joseph Smith GIBSON. (1880-1899) this log home is being occupied by daughter Ann Elizabeth NEWMAN her husband Charles Harvey BALLARD and her unmarried brother George Andrew GIBSON who married in 1883. 1862-1865 (6-4/5c) John WOOD Jr., son of John WOOD Sr. and Ellen SMITH, / 1877-1906 born 1858 in Lehi, UT, and wife 1863-1906 (9-7/8c) Sarah Jane GIBSON, daughter of George Washington GIBSON and Ann Elizabeth NEWMAN, born 1863 in Grafton, UT. Their nine children were born in Grafton. 1883-1909 (10-6/9a) John Andrew WOOD Born 1883 in Grafton, married (A10) Laura Elizabeth PARKER Kanarraville girl. (6/9b)Ellen May WOOD, child born and buried in Grafton (7 Aug 1885- 23 Apr 1886). (6/9c) Pearl Ann WOOD, child born and buried in Grafton (11 Jul 1887-11 Jul 1887). (6/9d) Ether WOOD, born 1889 in Grafton (6/9c) Ivie WOOD, born 1891 in Grafton, married a Grafton boy Angus Franklin BALLARD. (6/9e) William Erwin WOOD, born 1893 in Grafton (6/9f) Claudius WOOD, born 1896 in Grafton (6/9g) Clarence WOOD, born 1899 in Grafton (6/9h)Josephine WOOD, child born and buried in Grafton (30 Oct 1902-4 Nov 1902). (1900-1909) John WOOD Jr. home was across the street from John WOOD Sr. home. This home and the barn were taken apart board by board by (10-6/9a) John Andrew WOOD and moved to Hurricane, UT. (10-6/9a) Andrew and (A10) Laura WOOD's family lived in that rebuilt home in Hurricane until abt 1933. Note: (A10) Laura Elizabeth PARKER WOOD wife of (10-6/9a) John Andrew WOOD was a great granddaughter of both (1) Marcy Jane LUCAS WILLIAMS BARNEY and the DAVIES' (2) William Reese DAVIES and (3) Rachel MORRIS DAVIES. [Only the husbands are listed in the labels below because there is not enough room to include the wives.]

See also: Life in Grafton, Based on Accounts by Grace Atkin Woodbury and Mary Bertha Wood Hall, by Victor Hall.  https://wchsutah.org/documents/life-in-grafton.pdf