Porter Lyman Wight

Porter Lyman Wight

Porter, Lyman Wight, a Patriarch in the Church and a Utah pioneer of 1847, was born May 5, 1833, in Jackson county, Missouri, the son of Sanford Porter. With his parents he shared in the persecutions of the Saints, being driven from Jackson county, later from Clay county and still later from Caldwell county, Missouri. He located with his parents at Montrose, Iowa, where he was baptized in 1841. At the time of the exodus of the Saints from Nauvoo, in 1846, he traveled with his people to the Missouri river and spent the winter of 1846-1847 at Winter Quarters. In 1847 he continued the journey to Great Salt Lake Valley, crossing the plains in Chas. C. Rich's company. In 1848 the family located in Mill Creek, Salt Lake county, but moved to Salt Lake City soon afterwards. In 1851, with his father's family, Lyman moved to Centerville, Davis county, which became his home for a number of years. While residing there he took part in the Indian troubles, and in 1857 accompanied Orrin P. Rockwell to the mountains to watch the movements of Johnston's army. In 1856 he was called to go with others to help the belated handcart companies into the Valley. In 1862 he settled in Porterville, Morgan county. In 1867 he was appointed to preside over the Porterville branch and under his direction the East Porterville townsite was laid out. He made the first brick and built the first brick house in Morgan county. In the spring of 1869 he resigned his position as president of the branch to go to Missouri to assist in bringing his kinspeople to Utah. Returning by way of Chicago, he purchased wagons, machinery and cattle. In 1880 he was chosen as a member of the High Council of the Morgan Stake and later ordained a Patriarch. He also acted as sheriff, selectman, road commissioner, etc., in Morgan county. Leaving a numerous posterity, Patriarch Porter died March 31, 1914, in Porterville.