The courtship of Elias Cox and Mary Elvira Sherman

In the spring of 1880 the Sherman Family and others moved to the site on the Huntington creek and a courtship began between their oldest daughter Mary Elvira and Elias Cox. In later years Mary Elvira Sherman related this story to her daughter Grace. "When your father and I were courting he came to see me where I lived in a dugout with my folks on the north side of the river. The mice and rats were coming in from the fields as the cool weather began to set in and we could see their shining eyes once in a while as they darted here and there in the candle light across the dirt floor. We sat across the room from each other and tilted our chairs back against the wall to keep our feet off the floor while we carried on some sort of conversation."

"There were no houses yet on the townsite, but your father was appointed with William H. Avery, David H. Leonard, Sr. and W. Albert Guymon, Sr. to survey the townsite. The site was nothing but a bed of prickly pears with scarcely a cow trail in sight. Your father had his store in a dugout. He had a son, lacking 6 months of being the same age as I and I had a child old enough to go to school. It wasn't long until a school was organized, for there were several children who were of school age.


"The work of surveying progressed and the townsite was divided into blocks; each block divided into four parts. The settlers then drew lots to determine ownership of each fourth of a block. Each man received a lot, with those who had two wives receiving two lots. We danced in larger dugouts and went to picnics, programs and church in the bowery. (The bowery was built on a site just west of the house on what is now known as the Murray farm. It was built in time for the celebration July 24, 1880). Elias was bishop so we always attended church. At last the day came when we thought we could take the time to get married. All the plan's were made, we hitched up old Bolly and Nell and were on our way to the Endowment House in Salt Lake City which took two or three days to drive." Elvira told her daughter Blanche: "On the way to be married we stopped overnight at Richards' home in Union. Mrs. Richards watched me very closely. When we left, Mrs. Richards said to me, "You must have noticed how I've been watching you. I want you to know that there couldn't be two young women whose actions and movements were more alike as yours and Martha's."

There in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Elias Cox and Mary Elvira Sherman Gillespie were married on November 10, 1880. Instead of giving bride an engagement ring, Elias gave her a golden watch and a chain.