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(Last updated April 17, 1999)

Nephi Packard

1832 - 1921

by Richard G. Packard

Stores, Mining & Bishop

Nephi Packard was born in Parkman, Geauga County, Ohio, July 1, 1832. His parents were Noah Packard and Sophia Bundy. Nephi was only three years old when, in September, 1835, the family sold their farm in Parkman and moved to Kirtland, the headquarters of the Latter-day Saints, with whom they were connected. There Nephi became acquainted with the Prophet Joseph Smith and many of the first Elders of the Church. In the fall of 1838 his parents with their children started for the State of Missouri, but wintered at a place called Wellsville, on the Ohio River, fifty miles below Pittsburgh. The cold winter weather having closed the Ohio River to further travel. In the spring they continued journeying to Missouri, but on arriving at St. Louis, learned that the Saints had been expelled from the State. They joined the main body at Quincy, Illinois, where they remained a short season, and then moved to a farm near Carthage. There they resided until May, 1839, when they moved to Nauvoo across the street from the Prophet Joseph Smith and his family. Nephi joined the Church by baptism just after becoming eight years of age there in Nauvoo.

He was almost fourteen and still living with his parents, when the exodus of the Saints from Illinois began. The family was not able to go west with Brigham Young and the rest of the saints, because of his father Noah's poor health, and the fact that Noah gave all the money which he had to his three oldest sons (Noah III, Orren, and Henry), so that they could help the saints move to the West. Later that summer the family moved up the Mississippi River to a place called Hazel Green, in Grant County, Wisconsin. At Council Bluffs, Iowa, his brother Henry joined the Mormon Battalion and Noah III returned to join the rest of the family at Nauvoo. Later that year Orren rejoined the family in Wisconsin. There in Hazel Green, Nephi worked in the lead mines, continuing in that employment until April 22, 1850, when they started for Salt Lake City. At Kanesville they were organized in the Jonathan Foote Company of Captain Pfoutz's "hundred," Captain William Wall's "fifty," and Peter Maughan's "ten." On the plains the cholera attacked the company, which arrived at its destination of Salt Lake City on September 17, 1850.

Young Nephi Packard's first employment in these parts was in digging a mill-race for Archibald Gardner, on the Jordan River, fifteen miles south of Salt Lake City. The work was completed before Christmas. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to Hobble Creek (soon called Springville), where they arrived on the 5th of February, 1851. He labored hard in the building up of that settlement and passed through all the Indian wars of this region. He served in Captain Matthew Caldwell's company of mounted minute men during the Walker War, and under call of U. S. Marshal Heywood in the Tintic War. The greater part of his time was spent in farming and freighting. As a freighter he crossed the plains four times, making five trips in all with teams.

Nephi married Elizabeth Clucas the daughter of Henry Clucas and Elizabeth Martin, November 10, 1861. Together they had five sons and four daughters; Lucy Elizabeth, Nephi Henry, David Hyrum, Sophia Amelia, George Washington, William Otto, Pearl Shale, Earnest Walton, and Jessie Marie. The final two having died as children.

Next came the opening of the Utah mines. Mr. Packard followed mining and merchandising until 1883, when on the 4th of March he was called to preside as Bishop of Springville, being ordained under the hands of Presidents Joseph F. Smith, Wilford Woodruff, A. O. Smoot and David John. He continued in that position until 1892, when the ward was divided into four wards; namely, the Springville 1st Ward with John Tuckett as Bishop, the Springville 2nd Ward with Loren H. Harmer as Bishop, the Springville 3rd Ward with George R. Hill as Bishop, and the Springville 4th Ward with Joseph Loynd as Bishop. After that he devoted himself to the labor of mining. Nephi Packard was an amiable gentleman, of unusual intelligence, and a man of strict honesty and integrity. His wife Elizabeth, was 2nd Vice-President to Zina Huntington Young, wife of President Brigham Young, in the presidency of the sericulture or silk industry of Utah for many years. In the years 1897 and 1898, the production amounted to 4,769 pounds of cocoons. For her 80th birthday they made Susan B. Anthony a silk dress made from Utah silk.

Sources:
Personal records of Bliss R. Packard, Springville, Utah.
Computer database records of Richard G. Packard, Mesa, Arizona.
History of Utah, by Orson F. Whitney, Vol. 4, p. 518-519.