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History of Eliza Esther Morrison
Eliza Esther Morrison was born 10 June 1820 at Middleport, Niagara, New York, the daughter of Thomas Morrison and Elizabeth Sawtell. Eliza Esther married Henry Shippen 25 Jan 1835, at Pontiac, Michigan, by Reverend 0. Earl. Film # 3592-Marriages from 1 827-1849.
One child, Charles Wesley Shippen was born to this couple, 1 April 1838, in Waterford, Oakland, Michigan.
Henry Shippen died 12 Oct. 1838, 1 understand from a well cave in.
On Film #3592 it records the record of Mrs. Eliza Shippen marriage to Mr. Walter Ostrander, he being 27 years old and she being 1 9 years old, at Pontiac, Michigan by jas. B. Simonson. J. P. on 25 Sept. 1840.
To this marriage two girls were born, this information was taken from the Journal History of the Church Historical Office Elizabeth Ostrander born 13 Sept. 1841 at Waterford, Oakland, Michigan and Carolina Ostrander born 12 July 1842 at Waterford, Oakland, Michigan.
As the story goes, it was a known fact that Walter Ostrander did not want to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and was against his wife joining and leaving him in Michigan. After the wife has left the state and was in Illinois on her way to Utah, Walter Ostrander followed and at a right moment he kidnapped his two small daughters, Elizabeth and Carolina and returned them to Michigan where he was living at that time.
Porter Rockwell was sent to kidnap the girls and bring them back to their mother, Eliza Esther Morrison Shippen Ostrander, and the journey to Salt Lake City was continued.
From the Historical Department Film 165-forms filled out by some of the living pioneers, Charles Wesley Shippen from Menan, Idaho filled out the information and filed with the Historical Society: 24 Sept. 1897: "1, Charles Wesley Shippen arrived in Salt Lake Valley 24 Sept. 1847 in the Daniel Spencer Company with Eldredge as the Captain of 10. " He also wrote this bit of information on the bottom of the page, "My mother's name at that time was Eliza Ostrander, and she afterwards married Robert Green and lived in South Cottonwood ward till she died. She taught the first school in Salt Lake City in the Old Fort, any of the Old pioneers can identify me if necessary." Signed, Charles Wesley Shippen.
Also I found a bit of a biography, which was written and put on file at the Library of the Society, I feel like Caroline Josephine Ostrander Crosby wrote this information.
"Sister Crosby was born 13 July 1842 in Waterford, Oakland, Michigan. At the age of five years she immigrated to Utah with her mother and sister, this being an 1847 Pioneer, arriving in Salt Lake in September of that year. She lived in the Old Fort where her mother taught the first school in Utah. Soon after this her mother married Robert Green who was sent on a mission as a pioneer to Iron County, Utah. He took the family with him and settled in Parowan, where they remained a year, and then moved to South Cottonwood to reside.
This is a list of some of the people who organized in Company’s for crossing the Plains from the Missouri River to Salt Lake in the summer of 1847, not including the first pioneers. M.S. journal Historical 1 August 1846 143 21 July, 1847
Erastus Bingham, CAPTAIN 4th Ten Date of Birth Eliza Ostrander
10 June 1820 Elizabeth Ostrander 13 Sept 1 84 Carolina Ostrander 12 July 1842 Harriet A. Green 9 Mar 838 Robert Green-father 5 Aug 806 Fanny Green-mother 12 Jan 1806 Alvin Green 27 May 828 Austin Green 26 Mar 834 Place of Birth Middleton, Niagara, N.Y. Waterton, Oakland, Michigan Waterton, Oakland, Michigan Waterford, Oakland, Michigan Alesca, Onondage, New York Hampton, Hillsborough, N.H Carlton, Orleans, New York Conawango, Catterangus, N.Y Eliza Ostander (27) Utah Pioneer of 1847, Member of Capt. Daniel Spencer's Hundred (First) which arrived in Great Salt Lake Valley 24 Sept. 1847, Also Elizabeth Ostrander (6) and Caroline Ostrander (5) with the Robert Green Family, members of Captain Daniel Spencer's Ox Train Company, which arrived in Great Salt Lake Valley 24 Sept. 1847
When the Saints first arrived in the valley they set aside property for homes, etc. and a Fort, which was located between third and fourth south and between third and fourth west, that fall in Oct. a school was started in a tent and later a school house, an adobe building about 30 ft. by 40 ft. was built adjoining the North Fort Wall, west of the north gate. The schoolhouse also was used for other civic purposes.
I have a copy of a little paper written by Caroline J. Ostrander Crosby, which states that her mother, Eliza Esther Ostrander was the first schoolteacher in the valley, in the Old Fort. Soon after this her mother married Robert Green.
In the new school building, on March 9, 1849 the first General Election in Western America was held, Regulation voting booths were set up and the following offices were voted on, State Officers, Governor, Sec. of State, Chief justice, 2 Associate Justices and a Marshall, Members of the Senate and Members of the House of Representatives. Also elected were 19 justices of the Peace or Magistrates for the Local officers.
The Old Pioneer Fort was not a battle scarred fortress, not a single shot was ever fired in. its defense. It was not the center of bloodshed and tragedy. On the contrary it was the center of gladness, of hope, of word and worship, of good cheer, of culture and kindness and orderly living, the nucleus of a Great Empire.
In the Biography of Austin Greeley Green, my great Grandfather, the son of Robert Green it states that the Green family arrived in the Salt Lake Valley 19 Sept. 1847. They built a home in the city but afterward took a homestead in South Cottonwood.
It is my belief that Robert Green built the home in the Old Fort, as I read where all the people in the company were living in the Old Fort and by Dec. there were 2000 souls living there. I have the first plat of Salt Lake City, which shows who lived on which lots and nowhere can I find the Green name.
When the saints arrived in Salt Lake they drew up 4 laws to live by, which are: ORIGIN OF LAW AND ORDER IN THE GREAT BASIN, 25 July 1847
I also have the first plats of the county surrounding the Great Salt Lake City, and it shows that Robert Green was given property, which is now East of 13th. East to I 6th. East and about 45 South on the North to Spring Lane, 5000 So. on the So. this is a piece of ground like 140 acres, also Robert Green had another piece of ground where the Cottonwood Theatre now stands, like 14 and one half acres, also another piece of ground a little south and farther east of the theatre ground, like 18 acres. It was here on the biggest piece of land that they chose to build a home, where they lived until he died on 5 July 1884, and she lived on there until she died on 17 Oct. 1894. Eliza Esther's youngest son, Henry Lawrence Green was married to Amerett Lucy Williams on 25 Nov. 1886 and they moved into the Green home and cared for Eliza Esther until she died 17 Oct 1894. 1 understood that most of the property that Robert and Eliza Esther Green owned had been sold before her death.
When the Green's came west in Sept. 1847 they had heard that they were coming to a land of desert and they thought a tree would be a blessing to them so they brought a seed of the Tree of Gilead. The Tree of Gilead is a male cottonwood tree which has no buds and is very rare, and that little seed was planted and grew for over 100 years.
The wind blew the tree over a few years ago, but part of that large tree still remains on the ground where it fell, the tree was so large it is impossible to remove it from the yard, it was like 70 feet tall, and the root system is standing straight up and down, and measures like 15 feet across.
Back in 1960 Edith Boyce Sharipes had an artist go and hand paint the tree on canvas. It now hangs in her front room, still loved and revered. It had large knots and twisted branches, so very graceful and stately, spread out so far as if to protect this wonderful heritage. Only God could make such a tree. Here it was planted in 1848 and stood until March 1972, one hundred and twenty three years old. Some wanted it torn down, Kate Carter of D.U.P. said "Save It". They did.
I often wondered where Robert Green and Eliza Esther Green were buried and I finally met a lady, the youngest daughter of Henry Lawrence Green, who was the youngest son of Robert and Eliza Esther Green, her name is Evelyn Green Richardson and she had a piece of paper, the receipt for the burial lots, showing the ownership of the lots, and that shows that the Green's were buried in the Old Murray City Cemetery, also known as the Old Cottonwood Cemetery...
