Peter and Mary McFarlane

           "Camp was made by the wagons forming a circle. After the evening meal the saints would gather for prayers and they would sing the songs of Zion.  'Come, Come Ye Saints' was a favorite."[1]

                             

Origins and Children       

           Peter married Mary Clark in Greenock, Scotland. He was from Glasgow and she was from Johnstone. Peter and Mary had 8 children. They lost two sons and their only daughter in Scotland. They all died at a young age. Their other 5 children traveled to Salt Lake with them. They were James, Peter, John, Arthur, and Archibald. In Utah, Archibald died at a young age.[1]

Accepting the Restored Gospel

           Their oldest son James wrote, "My father and mother were converted to the gospel as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in or about the year 1840. I think it was in the town of Greenock, Renfrewshire."[1]

Traveling to America 
and Nebraska Encampment

            The McFarlane family "sailed from Liverpool, England, on May 6, 1862. There were 376 saints on board the sailing ship Manchester." After the McFarlanes made it to America, they "started west, arriving in Florence, Nebraska, on July 7, 1862." Here they waited for saints from the East to join them for the upcoming trek. They also waited for saints coming from the West to assist them on their journey. While they were waiting in Florence, "a terrible thunder, lightening and rain storm hit the camp." James wrote, "The storm broke on the camp with such fury that I marveled that any were left alive." Two of the brothers were killed. "Joseph W. Young was severely hurt" when "lightning struck his carriage."[1]
            Referring to the storms, John Pickett wrote, "We encountered some fierce tornadoes while in Nebraska. The thunder and lightning were so fierce that the cattle were frightened and ran bellowing in all directions. Tents were blown down, and the rain came down in torrents."[2]

The Westward Trek

            Eventually, they "were met...by teamsters and covered wagons...with provisions of food for the trip." The McFarlanes traveled in the Israel A. Canfield Company. The elderly and little children rode in the wagons, while "the men and young people" walked the whole way. "Their shoes were worn out long before the journey was over. They had to wrap their feet in any kind of heavy cloth they could find. At night their feet would be sore and bleeding from thistles, rocks and the hot sand [that] they had to travel over in the long hours of the day. Sometimes it was hard to find water for the people and the cattle."[1]

A Pioneer Train and the Pony Express
By Peter Joseph McFarlane

            "Camp was made by the wagons forming a circle. After the evening meal the saints would gather for prayers and they would sing the songs of Zion. 'Come, Come Ye Saints' was a favorite."[1] A fellow pioneer, Sally Farr, wrote, "It was the custom...during the journey to spend our evenings in dancing and singing when we were not too tired by the day's journey. On the 5th of July we started on our long trek across the plains. The weather was fine throughout with the exception of a few showers. We were very fortunate in having no sickness, deaths or accidents of any kind to mar our journey."[3]
            "Every day after the noon hour, Captain Canfield would ride ahead to find a suitable place, one with plenty of water and wood, where we could make our camp that night. Twice we were stopped by herds of buffalo and we were often visited by Indians, but the captain was familiar with their habits and customs and he made friends with them by giving them trinkets and food."[3]
            "Our journey often took us across the Platte river and those of us that were walking would hold to the rear end of the wagons. We waded right on through the water and in order to avoid delay, our clothing was allowed to dry on our bodies. As luck would have it, no one ever felt any bad effects from these soakings."[3] Louis Munsee said, "At one time the whole train stopped nearly four days to pick wild plums and service berries. Buffalo were very plentiful and they killed all they could use. One man wounded a large buffalo bull and he charged into the camp among the wagons and caused considerable excitement and hurt one ox, but was killed before he did any more damage."[4]
             John Pickett wrote, "Game of all kinds was abundant, buffalo, deer, elk, and antelope could be seen almost anytime. The Indians were very troublesome that year, killing people in trains before us and behind us. They burned the wagons and ran off with the cattle."[2]

Arriving in the Salt Lake Valley

            James wrote, "We arrived in Salt Lake City October 1, and made camp in the Tithing Yard, where Hotel Utah now stands. This was the place where all emigrant trains made their unloading stop. If the saints had relatives or friends in Utah, they were met by them and taken to their homes until places and work could be arranged for them. Those who had no one to meet them were placed in the care of the Church Committee, who helped them to get located.... The covered wagons still provided shelter for them."[1]

Settling in Ogden



            The McFarlanes settled in Ogden. Peter bought land on Lincoln Avenue between 20th and 21st Streets. His sons helped him build a small log home. He "soon found work as he was a first class shoemaker" and "understood the tanning of leather." Peter also owned a store in Ogden.[1]

 McFarlane Home

Church Service & Militia

          Before coming to America, Peter was a Branch President in Greenock. He became a Seventy in 1864. He was a home missionary for four years and a block teacher.[5] A block teacher was a home teacher that watched over all of the members living on a city block [6]. Peter served as 1st Lieutenant in the Utah Territorial Militia.[5] Peter and Mary died in Ogden.[1] Peter died of a heart disease or apoplexy.[7][8]

References

1. James McFarlane Biography.
2. Pickett, J. W. Life sketch, in Mormon biographical sketches collection [ca. 1900-1975], reel 14, box 19, fd. 9, item 2. Retrieved from LDS.org. 
3. Farr, S. M. P. Utah Pioneer Biographies, 10, 9-11.
4. Munsee, L. B. Utah Pioneer Biographies, 20, 183-85. Grammar editing by Devin McFarlane.

5. Esshom, Frank E. Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah. Retrieved from http://www.ebooksread.com/aut hors-eng/frank-ellwood-esshom/pioneers-and-prominent-men-of-utah-hci/page-184-pioneers-and-promine nt-men-of-utah-hci.shtml
6. Sandberg, J. (13 Feb 2013). Personal correspondence.
Thanks to Dick McFarlane who provided James McFarlane's biography and Rick Kilby who provided the picture.
7. Peter McFarlane Obituary. Ogden Standard Examiner.
8. Peter McFarlane Death Notice. Ogden Standard Examiner.
Edited by Devin McFarlane.