Biography of William Pace (1806-1876)

William Pace was born July 3, 1806 (this date is consistent through all research data). to the place of birth there is controversy, therefore, in this history we are including information from all sources so that you might make your own decisions.

In family records his grandson1 John Hardison Pace, has stated that he was born in Rutherford County, Tennessee. We have a letter written by William's son Harvey Alexander e to his grandson, William H. Pace. In this letter we find the following information James was born 23 January 1778 in the state of Georgia and moved to Tennessee in 1803.

In the history of Nancy Pace Anderson, a sister of William, we have the following information: "Sometime after the birth of Nancy's fourth sister, Rutha, was born in 1803, the family answered the call of the Western frontier and moved to Double Springs, Rutherford County, Tennessee. Much is left to the imagination concerning the journey of the Paces to Tennessee with James and Mary Ann in their early twenties and their five little girls, all born within five years.

Details of Nancy's childhood are left for one to ponder but we might assume it was one happiness with so many sisters so close in age, as well as one of hard work and responsibility, learned at a very early age as her father attempted to tame the frontier. Undoubtedly much joy was felt in the family in 1806 as a boy was finally born into the family."

In the book "Prominent Men of Utah 1847-1868" it reads: William Pace (son of James Pace born Jan 23, 1778, in Georgia and Mary Ann Loving, of Pennsylvania), Born July 3, 1806, in Rutherford County, Tennessee. Came to Utah Sept 20, 1848. Brigham Young Company.

In the PACE SOCIETY OF AMERICA bulletin of September 1973 we find this information: James had come from Clark County, Ca., where his family had settled in the first years of the 19th century. His daughter, Rutha, was born there on March 19, 1804. His son, William, was born in Rutherford County, Tennessee, on July 3, 1806. He must therefore have come to Tennessee between those dates. Double Springs, Rutherford County, Tennessee is given as the birthplace of William.

Reva B. Holt, our genealogy researcher, has given us the following information: She says, I have approached the question of the correct birthplace of William Pace, son of James Pace Mary Ann Loving at attempting to find as many records as possible in which he himself gave his place of birth."

1. Nauvoo, Illinois. Patriarchal Blessing by Hyrum Smith 12 Nov. 1843 Vol. 41 P. 5 William Pace, B. 3 July 1806 Clark Co., Georgia son of James Pace and Mary Ann.

2. Nauvoo, Illinois Record of the Washings and Anointings of the Seventies #151 Hiram Pace, B. 3 July 1806 (Someone had written above this name Hiram the name William, Pts James Pace, Mary Anne Loving to Margaret Nichols B. Clark Co., Georgia

3. Nauvoo, Illinois. Sealing Records 1846-1857 Book A p. 441 Pace, William, B. 3 July

1806 Clark Co., Georgia Margaret Nichols, B. 30 May 1808 Logan Co., Kentucky sealed

7 PM Jan. 30, 1846 by B. Young.

4. HIGH PRIEST p. 26 Provo City, Ordained Mar. 1851 William Pace, B. 3 July 1806 Clark Co., Georgia son of James Pace and Mary A. Lovering.

5. Spanish Fork, Utah Territory Patriarchal Blessing by Isaac Morley Vol 15 p. 434

3 Mar. 1855 William Pace, B. 3 July 1806, Clark Co., Georgia son of James Pace

and Mary Ann.

6. 1851 Census Utah County, Deseret p. 128A #138 William Pace, age 44, Male, Property Value 150, B. Georgia with wife Margaret and six sons.

7. 1860 Census Spanish Fork, Utah County, Utah Territory p. 966 #1947William Pace, age 53, Male Farmer, Real Estate 500, Personal Estate 1200, Born Georgia with wife Margaret N. and Margaret E. and three sons.

With the above information one can only ponder as to the place of birth of this man.

Let us now go on with his life story. In this, also, much is left to the imagination, especially his early life. We do know he was born of goodly parents who taught him righteous principles and loved and sacrificed for him. They gave him security and set for him excellent examples to follow.

After having five daughters there must have been joy and rejoicing in the Pace home at birth of this their first son. He was named William after his grandfather and we are sure loved and honored this name.

William's father James, was a farmer, and at this time in history, little was known about practices of rebuilding soil by means of crop rotation, fertilizing etc. and as a result e moved rather frequently because the tobacco plant, which was their main crop, quickly depleted the soil.

When the family moved from Georgia into Tennessee they acquired much land around Double Springs in Rutherford County.

William was only a small boy when his father, James, answered the call to fight for his country in the Revolutionary War where he gave his life in the memorable battle of New Orleans on Dec. 23, 1814.

This young family continued to grow to adulthood under the direction of their mother, Ann Loving Pace. William and his brother James must have learned the value of work and a love for the soil as they were growing up because they both went on to become farmers.

When William reached adulthood he met and fell in love with a kind and loving young woman, Margaret Nichols. (A grandson1 Levi Benjamin wrote this of his grandparents, William and Margaret. "They were of Southern thoroughbred blood. Grandmother was one of superior breeding and an extra-ordinary woman".) William and Margaret were married on Oct. 21, 1828. Margaret, daughter of Daniel Nichols and Margaret Alexander of Kentucky, was born May 30, 1808 n Logan County, Kentucky. Margaret brought much joy and happiness to William's life. To this union were born 9 sons and one daughter.

This young couple followed in the footsteps of their forebears and acquired much land in Rutherford County and became well-to-do.

About this time the missionaries of the Mormon Church were proselyting in Tennessee and contacted William and Margaret who accepted the gospel. Because they wanted to be near the Prophet Joseph Smith and the main body of Saints the Pace family sold their property, which consisted of a beautiful home, negro servants and many acres of land, and went to Nauvoo, Ill.

In Nauvoo William and Margaret secured land and built a beautiful nine-room home. They, lived the gospel and followed the council of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Their trials and tribulations while in Nauvoo were many. The saints and their families were often molested by on-believers and mobbers. They were often forced to sleep in the fields and other hiding places or many nights at a tine in fear of being killed.

On Dec. 29, 1843 the Prophet Joseph selected 40 men to act as city policeman. They met with the council and were sworn into office, to support the Constitution of the U. S. and the state of Illinois and obey the ordinances of the city of Nauvoo, and the instructions of the mayor, according to the best of their ability.

William Pace, along with his brother James, was called as policemen of Nauvoo by Captain Jonathan Dunham to guard and uphold the law as set up under the Constitution.

Along with the work of being a policeman, William, at this period of his life, was also busily engaged in helping to build the Temple of our Lord in the city of Nauvoo.

This family lived through all the perilous times of the saints even to the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum in the Carthage jail on June 27, 1844.

Soon after the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith the saints were forced to leave all they owned and start on the Westward Trek to the promised land of Zion where they would worship as hey pleased.

William and his family were with the saints in Council Bluffs, Iowa when many of the company's men were sent with the Mormon Battalion to war against Mexico. William's brother, James, was selected as first lieutenant for Company E under Captain David C. Davis. William's Son Wilson Daniel, was also called to go on this march. With James gone the added responsibility of caring for his wife, Lucinda Strickland Pace and family were added to William's shoulders. This responsibility he bore nobly.

After the men left with the Mormon Battalion there were only 25 men left in the company. This left them short-handed when it came to fording the rivers and getting over the bad places long the trail Westward.

In Lee County, Iowa, on the 8th of September 1844 son number eight was born to William and Margaret.

The winter ahead of them was hard but they persevered, reinforcing their wagons and replenishing their food supply.

William was one of the signers of a petition to establish a Post Office near the log tabernacle in Pottawattamie in the state of Iowa where many thousands were without this facility.

At Council Bluffs the saints organized themselves to journey West with Brigham Young as president.

The worst trouble they had was that the saints did not understand how to provide for the long journey and consequently they ran out of provisions. With times of hunger, ragged clothing, tired and aching bodies and after all their trials the company that William and family were with, known as the Brigham Young Company, arrived in Salt Lake on Sept. 20, 1848.

They immediately began to prepare houses for winter. Some were huts and most any kind of rude shelter that would get them through the winter.

William and family lived in Cottonwood one year then were sent by Brigham Young to Utah Valley to find and settle new country and establish a place where other saints could be sent as they migrated to Salt Lake Valley. While at Provo, William assisted in building the old Fort as a protection against Indian raids. It was also this year that the ninth son, Eli Nichols, was born on the 18th of Sept. 1849 to William and Margaret.

In 1850 William Pace accompanied by John Holt, John H. Redd, a Mr. Glenn and a Mr. Patrick came to Spanish Fork and settled about one and a half miles above the present sight of Spanish Fork.

In the spring of 1851 the South Ditch was dug, water from the river was taken for irrigation purposes. Fortune seemed to favor the settlers and a good crop was grown the first year.

A branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was organized in Spanish Fork on the l0th day of March 1851, with Stephen Markham as President, and John Holt and John H. Redd as counselors; William Pace, Bishop with John W. Berry and Lorin Roundy as Counselors. Later the offices of President and Bishop merged into one, called Bishop. William was Bishop until he was called on a mission to England in 1856, then John L. Butler, a veteran of the early days

if the church was sustained as Bishop.

August 2. 1852 William was elected a representative to the territorial legislature from Utah County. December the13th 1852 they met in Territorial Assembly in the State house. He was assigned to work on a Committee of Counties with Albern Allen and John Rowberry.

In 1852 troubles were so bad with the Indians that the family of William and Margaret along with other settlers went to the Palmyra settlement to live where they could have more protection from the Indians. Here another child, Mary Ann the only girl was born on the 17^th of Feb. 1852 and great was their sorrow when she passed away on the 24^th of Feb. 1852