I have a lot of relatives who once lived in this small community nestled in the southeast corner of Idaho.
The Chesterfield Foundation has a great website with a lot of amazing pictures - many of the names listed on the restored homes are relatives of mine - Loveland, Call, and Higginson.
We found this treasure hanging up in one of the buildings- Alzina Loveland is my great-grandmother and Hattie Jane Taylor Higginson is my great-great grandmother.
My great-grandparents and my great-great-grandparents are buried in the Chesterfield Cemetery.
My great-grandparents and my great-great-grandparents are buried in the Chesterfield Cemetery. William Thomas Higginson left England and traveled across the country in 1858 to arrive in Utah. Hattie Jane Taylor, his wife, was just 6 years old when her family left England in 1862 and she walked the entire way to Utah. My pampered feet have no reason to complain when I ask them to walk a few miles.
My great-grandmother Alzina died during the influenza epidemic of 1918 - leaving behind her husband and six children. Her husband, George Taylor Higginson, lived to be 100 years old - can you even imagine all the changes he would have seen between 1879 and 1979? Incredible!
My grandma was 13 when her mother died and she had to leave school to care for her younger siblings. This is where she attended school until that time. As we stood in the field near the school, I imagined my grandma and her siblings trudging through the deep snow on their way to school. Do you think she had any idea that one of her daughters would be able to earn a college degree and that all 4 of her children would also earn college degrees? Times have certainly changed and we have much to be grateful for when it comes to our opportunities to receive an education.
My great-grandmother Alzina died during the influenza epidemic of 1918 - leaving behind her husband and six children. Her husband, George Taylor Higginson, lived to be 100 years old - can you even imagine all the changes he would have seen between 1879 and 1979? Incredible!
My grandma was 13 when her mother died and she had to leave school to care for her younger siblings. This is where she attended school until that time. As we stood in the field near the school, I imagined my grandma and her siblings trudging through the deep snow on their way to school. Do you think she had any idea that one of her daughters would be able to earn a college degree and that all 4 of her children would also earn college degrees? Times have certainly changed and we have much to be grateful for when it comes to our opportunities to receive an education.
If you ever find yourself in southeast Idaho, take the time to stop in at Chesterfield and remember the sacrifices that people made to eke out a living in that beautiful but demanding area. I continue to be overwhelmed by all that my ancestors were able to accomplish. I have much to learn from their examples - I better stop my whining and get to work!
Hi. I am trying to find information on my ancestor, Hattie Jane Taylor, who was born in 1761 and also married a Thomas Higginson. Maybe this is a huge coincidence, but I wonder if your Hattie Jane was named after an ancestor who was my ancestor and if you might have any information on Hattie Jane who was born in 1761?
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