Martha Ann Price was born in Merthyr, South Wales, December 12, 1854. Youngest twin of thirteen children. Her father, Jeremiah Price, was a foreman in a coal mine, employing five hundred men-the job being handed down from generations back.
Her mother, whose maiden name was Jane Morgan, was the youngest of seven children. Her rearing was on a farm. Jane Morgan’s father was a stone mason. Of the thirteen children born to Jeremiah Price and Jane Morgan, five died in Merthyr, South Wales and all were buried in one grave. Jeremiah Price, the father, owned a dry goods and general merchandise store besides seven brick houses which he rented out.
The buying of merchandise was done by the mother in Bristol. Mother’s education was limited but the father had been educated for the ministry, although he was never ordained.
In February 1857, after selling all his interests in Merthyr, father and family left for Liverpool, a distance of eighty miles and there they departed for America.
The trip from their home to Liverpool was made in a caravan in company with others going to America. Five hundred Welsh people came on board the Chimborazo, a sailing vessel, when they got to Liverpool. The trip to America consumed six weeks.
During the voyage, Martha Ann’s twin sister, Mary Ann, was killed on board the ship, falling down a slanting ladder from the upper deck to the lower deck. Her death came twenty-four hours later. She was buried in the sea. Her body was placed in a box with weights attached to the sides. One of the pallbearers was Martha Ann’s future husband, Thomas Jones. One other fatal accident occurred during the voyage–the death of a widow’s only son who was washed overboard. A fierce storm arose during the voyage. The ship was anchored for three days. Landing was made at Philadelphia where the family lived in company with other Welsh families for three months.
One oxen team and wagon were purchased to carry the family across the plains. Only one piece of furniture was brought across the ocean–a large hardwood chest. The majority of the five hundred who crossed the ocean together continued on together.
One of Martha Ann’s brothers, Josiah, and a sister, Sarah, being 21 and 11 respectively, had come to America two years previous, and were in North Ogden when the mother and father arrived in Philadelphia.The trip across the continent consumed three months and was a succession of hardships.
Their destination was North Ogden, since the eldest son and daughter were already there and had taken up a tract of land and had built an adobe house.
With the Prices came Josiah’s betrothed, Rachel. Rachel and Josiah were married a year later, living happily together for fifteen years, till she was forced to leave him by the Mormons since he refused to embrace their faith. No children were born to them. Rachel married again, but was very unhappy. Josiah married a widow with one child. They had nine daughters.
Martha’s oldest sister, Ann, was married shortly after the family arrived, to Roser Jenkins, a Welshman to whom she was engaged prior to his leaving Wales two years previous to the time the Prices sailed.
Martha’s father purchased a small home in North Ogden and later a ranch in Pacen (Payson) City. At the age of 15, a sister of Martha’s, Sarah Ann, married Joseph Godfrey.
Martha’s father drowned on March 18, 1860 or 1861 in Utah Lake. The morning of his death his wife, on bidding him goodby, told him she would never see him alive again. He and his son, John had started across the lake for their sheep. The men had gone four miles on the ice and were within the width of a house from the shore when the ice broke and the two went down. The boy succeeded in getting out but the father, being less active, tried time and again until his fingernails had almost worn away and gave up. He refused to allow the son to aid him further for fear they would both be lost. The father talked to the son during his remaining time, entrusting the son’s mother, sisters, and brothers to the son’s care. The father told him of the life he would have him lead and asked him to promise to care for his mother as long as she lived. The son knelt down and offered a prayer to God for his father, bade him goodby and awaited until the end. When the mother heard through one of the neighbors of her son’s return, she told them she knew her husband had drowned.
The family then moved from Payson back to North Ogden to live with the oldest son, Josiah. Not until three weeks after their father’s death did some of his children receive word.
The family lived in Ogden for only one summer. The next spring the three sons, John, Josiah, and Isaac took up land in Malad Valley, Idaho, taking their mother and sisters with them. The men bought and sold stock, using the land they had taken up as grazing land and prospered. They remained on the farm for three years. At the end of that time, they sold and bought a larger farm ten miles up the valley and nearer to town. They had forty or fifty acres of hay land. All lived together in town. Isaac married one year later to Sarah Thomas and left for Montana, making his home in Deer Lodge County near the city of Deer Lodge. Jeremiah was married in North Ogden to Meronia Colman–went to Canada–farmer.
Nine months after Isaac’s marriage, Martha Ann was married in Malad City to Thomas Jones. They started on the second day of November for Gold Canyon, Montana. They were married October 27, 1870.
She first met him when they were living on Henderson Creek, nine miles from Malad. Came to visit his brother, William, whom he thought was dead. Thomas had been living in California. The Prices were neighbors to William Jones.
The first place they went was to a country dance and dinner–winter time. She wrote to him while he was in Montana. Bought up claim in Montana next spring. Gave the horse and saddle he had ridden from California for the mine. Took thousands of dollars of ore out of the mine. William, another brother, and he ran the mine. One of the Jones brothers was a disabled soldier.
On Thomas’ return to Malad, he and Martha Ann were married. They left immediately for the mine in Gold Canyon. Married at home–thirty guests–large supper. John and mother were the only relatives there. Edward Evans, Justice of the Peace, performed the ceremony. She was married in a street dress–plain waist trimmed with beads, hoop skirt–material small blue plaid. Three rows of trimming around the skirt. They had wedding pictures taken.
Drove to Gold Canyon in a spring wagon–covered–new harness, good driving team. Bought dishes, bed, chairs which they took with them. Mat Hughes, Grandpa’s nephew accompanied them to the mine.
Lived at the mine for five years. Little log cabin in mining camp. Nearest town was Blackfoot City, eight miles away. George was born at Gold Canyon on December 18, 1871 and Mary Jane was born on October 5, 1873. When Mary Jane was about one year old, they were attacked by Indians but no one was hurt. They gave them something to eat and they went their way. First trip made to town when George was four months old on snow shoes. Grandpa carried George. William Jones’ ranch was four miles from the mine. They went to visit Isaac whose farm was about four miles distant from the farm of William Jones. Children did not want to go back to the mine so they continued to live with Isaac. Built an addition on his house from the lumber from one of the cabins at the mill. Trapped that winter and helped Isaac care for his cattle. Terrible storm during the winter that lasted three days. Could not go out of doors. Men started to town during the storm. Hands and ears frozen after going only two miles. Sold all furniture. Moved to Snowshoe Camp in the spring. Worked for wages at the placer mine. They were there for only two months. Sold mine in Gold Canyon to brother.
From the mine at Snowshoe Camp, they went to Malad and thence to Mother’s home in Elkhorn, a distance of 750 miles. Brother John gave Martha 55 acres of his farm so they might live close to him. Thomas improved the land, built a two-room cabin and stable, and dug a well that fall. Mother gave her three cows, two pigs and some chickens. They bought some new furniture–chairs, one rocker, stove, and new dishes. The cabin was well-made, with large windows, a wood floor and the woodwork was painted.
Maggie and Carrie were born here. The family lived for seven years in the same place. They moved to Oregon because a neighbor influenced our father, Thomas Jones, to come to Wallowa County. Caroline was about 1 year old. We lived there for nine years on a farm that had been bought from a bachelor.
Birthdates of Thomas and Martha Jones Family:
Daddy, 17 March 1838
Mother, 12 December 1854
George, 18 December 1871
Mary Jane, 5 October 1873
Daniel, 16 November 1875
Margaret, 17 March 1878
Caroline, 2 November 1880
William, 1 January 1883
Annie Maud, 22 July 1885
Leonard, 8 June 1893
1. Mary Jane Price B. 12/31/1870 D. 3/18/1961
2. David Josiah Price B. 10/15/1872 D. 6/12/1941
3. Isaac Reese Price B. 10/29/1874 D. 7/15/1946
4. Alice Miriame Price B. 1/11/1877 D. 3/25/1961
5. Grace Price B. 4/29/1879 D. 10/24/1979
6. Murcy Grace Price B. 10/8/1881 D. 6/7/1973
7. John Gomer Price B. 1/4/1884 D. 11/12/1965
8. Homer Henry Price B. 1/27/1886 D. 12/10/1962
9. Sarah Ann Price B. 5/11/1889 D. About 1 yr; smallpox
(Picture of four women: Left Back: Merle Jones married to Warren Jones. Right Back: Mary Jones married to Parry Jones. Left Front: Lottie Williams, sister to Morgan Williams, father Jenkins Williams. Right Front: Jennette Daniels married to Frank Thomas, brother of Sam Thomas. Father of Jennette Daniels–Henry Daniels, mother–Elizabeth Williams). See writing on back of photo.