JOSIAH MILLER HOYT
Written by Frederick Cross Hoyt

My Father was Josiah Miller Hoyt. He was born April 26, 1863 at Nephi, Utah.

My mother was Ellen Alice Spencer. They were married in the St. George Temple March 10, 1882.
Father married Mary Ellen Meeks the same day. My father died February 21, 1904. [According to his death certificate, he died of Consumption] He was buried at Orderville, Utah.

He was the father of 22 children. My mother's family was seven sons and four daughters. As I remember Aunt Ellen was the same.

He was active in church work.

He helped to keep my grandmother Clarissa and grandmother Hannah Hoyt.

During my life father worked in the Blacksmiths shop. He was a good mechanic and a hard worker.

All of his children were born in Orderville, Utah. At the time of his death mother's family was eight children. Two died before father. My oldest brother Orson died with Whooping Cough. The other, Vincent, he died of Scarlet Fever. That left seven of us in the family. Nellie was married. Harriet was born March 16, 1904 after Father's death.

Just before father died he called Israel, my older brother, who was 15 years old and I was 13 to his bed and talked to us. He knew he was going to die and he told us that he was and we would have to help raise the families. At that time it seemed like a great big job for us, for we didn't have much to make the living on. His estate was appraised at $1500.00. It consisted of Castle Ranch 320 acres-two homesteads. He had four acres of alfalfa land just above Orderville. Just a little above the old Esplin Farm; 25 head of cattle, 30 head of horses and two wagons; four sets of harnesses; four work horses.

We had made our living on the ranch by raising doggie lambs and making cheese and butter. We raised our feed to feed the horses and cows on the ranch. Father worked in the saw mills. He worked on the old "up and down" mill in Main Canyon. He also worked the mill on Harris Claim. We used to raise lots of doggie lambs at Castle. One year we had 75 head to sell. We got $1.50 each for the lambs after raising them. It was lots of fun and kept us busy during the summer. Father had a lot of people to take care of and we lived the old saying "from hand to mouth." Which meant we ate it up as fast as it comes in.

Father used to make a trip down the River, that was down the Sevier River with a load of cheese and butter and trade it for flour, sugar and some money if per chance someone had the money. In those days our money was gold and silver. Once in a while green backs, but later people gave checks instead of gold and silver or green backs. But we could not keep it for we needed it to buy clothes, etc.

We used to go up to Castle the first of April and stay there until the snow drove us out, about November, some times later. It was a hard life and we learned to trust in the Lord for all we had. We believed it was all the Lord's and that he would supply our needs if we worked for the things we wanted. We were taught to pray and pay our tithing. Father and Mother lived in the United Order and believed in that principle. That all of God's children should be equal and if they needed help it was our duty to help those who were poor and had less than we had. They learned to love all people for we were all the Lord's. They knew that the Gospel was true and father often neglected his own family to help others. He believed in prayer and being honest and fair in dealing with his fellow men. He did not like people who lied, stole or was immoral. He and mother tried to teach us these principles. The only spanking father ever gave me was (when) I lied to him. He taught us to be dependable. When we promised to do something we was (were supposed) to do it.