James Hennefer Jr. biography by Lucy Brown Archer

James Hennefer Jr.

Born: June 2, 1820 at Wardsley, Staffordshire, England

Died: August 22, 1897 at Henneferville, (later Henefer), Summit County, Utah

Compiled by Lucy Brown Archer

James Hennefer Jr. is the son of James Hennefer Sr. (1791-1862) of Worcestershire, England, and son of Charlote Hicken Hennefer (1793-1832) of Walsal, Stafford, England.

On August 30, 1846, James married Sarah Ann Hulks (1823-1880). The couple had twelve children, including a set of twins and a set of triplets (the triplets died as infants). James and Sarah died and are buried in Heneferville (now Henefer), Summit County, Utah.

James Hennefer Jr. and wife, Sarah Ann Hulks Hennefer 1823-1880

In the year 1853 two brothers, William Hennefer and James Hennefer, received a call from Brigham Young asking them to take their families to start a settlement along the Weber River in the valley, which was then known as Indian hunting ground.
Upon the advice of Brigham Young, they gathered their meager belongings together, placed them in two covered wagons and made the hard journey over the mountains into the little valley now known as Henefer. They took up forty acres of land on the sage-covered flats and lived in their wagons and fortified themselves against the Indians while they cut and prepared logs to build their cabins. Each night one of the men would keep the fires burning to frighten away wild animals or unfriendly Indians. The first cabin finished, which consisted of one large room and a lean-to, was occupied by both families until a second one could be built.

They brought with them two cows, two pair of oxen and different kinds of seeds. At this time the valley was covered with sagebrush and a great deal of hard work was required to prepare the soil for planting. The Hennefer families endured many dangers, sacrifices and hardships. Often they would find a brown bear in the lean-to of the house calmly licking the cream from the milk or eating wild honey, which the men had gathered.

During the next few years, two more children were born to William and his wife Rebecca, and three weeks after the birth of Edward, the second child, his wife passed away from complications of childbirth.

On January 13, 1854, when Summit County was organized, William Hennefer was appointed a Selectman of the county.

After the death of his wife, William Henry Hennefer returned to Salt Lake City where he was employed on the City Police force. It was at the time that Johnston’s Army was quartered at Camp Floyd and it was a difficult job to keep the peace in Great Salt Lake.

On one occasion the soldiers made a great disturbance and some shots were fired at the policemen during the fracas. Assistant Surgeon Edward N. Covey, who was in the group, was injured. The men who were arrested swore vengeance on William Hennefer.

In 1861, William Hennefer returned to Henefer and was chosen by Brigham Young as Presiding Elder of the Henefer Branch, with James Hennefer and Abraham Hays as counselors.

On one occasion William Hennefer, accompanied by his brother James, made a trip by oxen and wagon to Evanston, Wyoming on business. Two days were required to make the trip, so they camped about a mile east of Castle Rock in Echo Canyon.

Johnston’s Army was in the process of evacuation at this time and by an act of fate the same Dr. Covey and his party of soldiers was camped near by. Some of the soldiers recognized William, the ex-policeman, and under the command of Dr. Covey they tied him to a wheel of his wagon and flogged him with a bullwhip until he was very near death. Large bits of clothing were flogged into his flesh. Stripped and bleeding, he was then driven from camp to die. James, although innocent, except for being a brother of William, was beaten, kicked into a stream of water and nearly drowned, but he escaped. He walked a distance of several miles to a mail station at the entrance of Echo Canyon to get aid for his brother. William was near death when they reached him. The clothing was soaked out of his wounds with sagebrush tea and whiskey. He was very ill for a long time. Their wagon and oxen were recovered by a friendly soldier who had been treated kindly by the Hennefers earlier in his travels.

[1] Source: Moorman, Donald R. and Gene Sessions, Camp Floyd and the Mormons, The Utah War, University of Utah Press, 1992.

In another account, Ena Hennefer Mitchel wrote:

I feel I should tell you a little about my grandparents who were adventurous and courageous individuals, each taking their place in helping to develop our great country in its early years, going through danger and many hardships, as other great Americans in our country did. My grandfather, James Hennefer, was born in 1821 in England and was baptized into the church when he was 23 years old. He married Sarah Hulks who was born in London, England in 1823. To this union 12 children were born, including one set of triplets and one set of twins. They endured many hardships crossing the great Atlantic Ocean and coming to Zion to make their home in Utah.

My grandfather, James Hennefer, and his brother, William Hennefer, were called by President Brigham Young to take their families and start a settlement along the Weber River in the Valley that was then known as an Indian hunting ground. Upon the advice of President Young, they gathered their meager belongings together, placed them in two covered wagons and made the hard journey over the mountains into the little valley now known as Henefer. They took up 40 acres of land on the sage-covered flat and proceeded to organize a make-shift home. It was necessary for them to live in their wagons to fortify themselves against the Indians while they cut and prepared logs to build their cabins. Each night one of the men would keep the fires burning to frighten away wild animals or unfriendly Indians. The first cabin finished, which consisted of one large room and a lean-to, was occupied by both families until a second could be built.

They brought with them two milk cows, two pair of oxen and different kinds of seeds. At this time the valley was covered with sagebrush. The Hennefers endured many dangerous sacrifices and hardships. Often they would find a brown bear in the lean-to of the house, calmly licking the cream from the milk or eating wild honey they had gathered. In 1861 my grandfather’s brother, William Hennefer, was chosen by Brigham Young as Presiding Elder of the Hennefer Branch, with James Hennefer and Abraham Hays as counselors.

The Hennefer brothers planted and thrashed the first grain in the Valley. They used oxen and the grain was cut with a sickle and they thrashed it out with sticks on a large canvas.

Sarah Hulks Hennefer, my grandmother and the wife of James Hennefer, was a schoolteacher, seamstress and glove-maker. She made the first American flag by hand that was raised in Henefer. Mrs. Jessie Foster helped her put the stars in the field of blue. My grandmother made gloves for the officers in the Army and for the Indians. The Indians paid her for making the gloves by trading her buckskin and beads. She made beautiful beaded designs on the gauntlet of the gloves. (I saw these patterns for her gloves still in the Hennefer Family Bible in 1941 when I took my mother Rachel and sister Mae to Henefer.)

Grandfather Hennefer gave the land for the Church house to be built. This land still belongs to the Church and they are using it. Grandfather Hennefer was a blacksmith by trade and always had a shop he worked in.