Harmon Dudley Pierson was born at Clinton (Killingsworth) Middlesex Co. Conn., April 18, 1818, a son of Daniel Pierson and Julia Ann Lester Pierson. He was of old Puritan Stock, among them William Brewster of the Mayflower fame and Gov. John Webster of Conn. Rev. Abraham Pierson, teacher, ministrer, colonizer who founded the town of Bradford, Conn. South Hamton, Long Island, New York, Nework and New Jersey.
Harmon was a descendant of the last named Pierson through his son Rev. Abraham, one of the founders of the Yale College and its first president. He was a descendant of many of the leaders of the Church, among them Prophet Joseph Smith and Emma Hale Smith, Brigham Young, Heber J. Grant, Archibald F. Bennett and others. On his mother's side he came from a religious line, his great grandfather, Rev. Eliphalet Lester was very pious and his grandfather Ebenezer Lester taught the gospel as he understood it, to the Indians. This man died in 1938 before the true gospel was preached to his descendants.
Harmon was raised on a farm and was a great help to the family in his early youth. He loved fishing with a net and kept the farm well fertilized with fish. In looks he was quite handsome and inclined to be portly. From his grandfather Ebenizer Lester, who was a merchant, he learned something of trade and was called a "Yankee Peddler."
When he was 18 years old he went to New York to buy trinkets such as thread, needles, thimgles, etc. While there he tasted his first cup of coffee. He declared it made him feel like he was drunk.
On the winter of 1842, when he was 24 years old, two Latter Day Saint missionaries came to Clinton, Conn. From them Harmon and his family first heard the gospel. The father and mother and most of the children were converted and very soon were baptized. Harmon was baptized August 24, 1842. There oldest daughter, Lucy, who married Henry Harris, was prejudiced and probably remained so until her death.
He was baptized by Elder Daniel Webster. Soon after this, the family left Clinton, wherer the forefathers of the Piersons had resided every since the Rev. Abraham, 3rd greatgrandfather to Harmon, had settled there in the 17th century. Travelling through the Alleghany Mountains westward, they slowly made their way to Nauvoo, Illinois where the Church headquarters were then situated, arriving there sometime in 1842-43.
Harmon worked at Council Bluffs for Parley P. Pratt. He enlisted as a soldier under Prophet Joseph Smith, who had been elected general, as they had to organize to protect themselves. They did all kinds of work, such as making guns, plows, swords, pistols, wagons, and harnesses.
On the 21 of March 1843, Harmon was given a blessing by Patriarch Hyrom Smith. On June 27, 1843, Joseph and Hyrum Smith were murdered. Soon after thus the U. S. Government called on the Latter Day Saints for 500 men to enlist in the war with Mexico. Brigham Young, the leader, replied, "We will send these men. If there is not enough young men, we will send the old, if there is not enough old men we will send the women/" But he said to those who were going that they would never regret their enlistment, that they would be held in honor throughout all time and it would be a matter of regret to those who were not present that they did not have the opportunity of enlisting.
On July 16, 1846, Harmon and his two brothers, Ebenezer and Judson joined the Mormon Battalion, as it was called, leaving their parents and little sister, Abiline, behind, they marched to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. They left their loved ones on the 20 of July 1846. Those who described the scene of their departed tells a remarkable story. There was no sentimentality. What these men were about to do was appreciated. They were sent off rejoicing. "There was a dance," said Colonel Kane, "But not the mincing dance of civilization, but a dance on hard ground, a dance of joy and courage, a dance of wholesom pleasure. There was a song at the close of the dance and tears glistened in all eyes as a stalwart Elder arose and dismissed the congregation, invoking God's blessings on those who were to leave.
These men were instructed by their religious leaders. They were told that they were to be a religious band; to honor their brothern placed as leaders and to be governed by the power of the Priesthood, that they were to refrain from vicious amusements, that they were to be chase, honest and honorable in all their dealings and if they would keep the commandments they would all see the saints again and join their families, and if they met the enemy, they were to act with courage and if successful they were to be merciful to those they defeated. They marched away from Ft. Leavenworth to the tune of !The Girls I Left Behind Me.! After leaving Ft. Leavenworth, several became very sick, and Harmon was sent to Ft. Pueblo, Colo. with the sick to help care for them.
Harmon suffered with rheumatism all that winter. In the spring he was taken down the river, baptized for his health, and walked home. The members of the Battallion, who had gone to Ft. Pueblo, came north and met Brigham Young's company and followed them to Salt Lake City, where they were all discharged by the government a few weeks later.
Harmon was very anxious to see his folks and very soon started east with a number of others. Food became scarce and they lived several days on dried meat. They arrived at Council Bluffs Oct. 21, 1847. Harmon looked forward to a reunion with his parents and planned to help them go to Salt Lake City. One can emagine the sorrow he experienced when upon arriving at his destination he learned that both of his parents had passed to the Great Beyond. His little sister was being taken care of by a friend of the family. He made his home with Daniel Carter during the following winter and rented some land in the spring and put in a crop. While here (Council Bluff, Iowa) he made the acquaintance of Louisa Whitaker, daughter of James and Malinda Fiskel, a convert from North Carolina. Harmon married this young lady Aug. 31, 1849 by Geo. A Smith. He and Louisa left with a company of Saints, about 1,000 wagons, commanded by Captain William Snow. This was in the Spring of 1850. Captain Snow appointed Harmon a captain over ten wagons. His team consisted of one yoke oxen, a cow, & a heifer.
Upon his arrival in Salt Lake City his brother, Ebenezer, who had been with him in the Mormon Battallion, gave him a piece of land in Session Settlement, (now Bountiful) However he was disappointed in his crop that year (1850) so he moved to Ogden, Utah and worked in a blacksmith shop with Merlin Stone.
About this time he homesteaded a place in Willard. He got his claim from a man named Lesh. On it he built a house of adobes, and in the fall of 1853, he raised a good crop. At this time the Walker War broke out. It was between the Whites and the Indians. The people moved into towns or forts and built mud walls around these places for protection.
Harmon was voted as captain of 50 men. He trained these soldiers and they were ready to fight when needed. In 1857 word came that Johnston's army had come west to destroy the Mormons. Brigham Young sent a company of men to stop them at Echo Canyon. Harmon was one of these men. They made it almost impossible for the army to come through this Pass. They eventually did come however, but passed peacefully through Salt Lake City to the west of the valley, to a place called Camp Floyd (now Harriman).
Harmon married his second wife Ellen Felts, Sept. 5, 1857. He married his third wife Mary Henshaw, June 28, 1859. The family home for these three ladies were all located at Willard. At this time a Marshel Band was organized, and Harmon was chosen captain. He did all he could to make it a success and it was the best in the best in the county.
He held many positions of trust both in Churcdh and State. He had several contracts to help build the railroad which came through in 1869.
About 1870 with three other men he took up more land in Bear River Valley, 55 miles north of Willard then built four houses on a square. The names of these men wer Harmon Pierson, Thomas Taylor, Isaac Zundel and Joseph Merrel. This little place had known as "Square Town" and Zerahemla, then in 1874, when the Post Office was established there, it was called Plymouth and has been that ever since. Harmon was named first post-master and also kept a small store.
In 1876 he was called on a short mission to his old home in Conn. His wife Louisa and son, William, went with him to Council Bluff, Iowa. He arrived at his destination Nov. 1876. He went to his sister's, (Lucy Pierson Harrison) home trying to get some genealogy, but she treated him coldly and he was unable to obtain any information. He joined his wife, who had gone to North Carolina, and together with a number of converts, they arrived in Utah in April 1877. By this time he had moved all three of his wives to Plymouth, Utah.
He was a very public spirited man, helping in every way he could. He sent two of his sons with teams and wagons to haul rock for the Logan Temple. Together thses boys put in five weeks on this work.
For a long time he was Justice of the Peace and Branch President in the Plymouth Ward. He was a very religious man, a strict observer of the Word of Wisdom, and a very careful tithe payer.
It was said that he desired to speak in tongues, which desire was fulfilled at a Cottage Meeting, in the home of his wife, Mary, about 1885. May Pierson Joyce heard this talk which was very puzzling to her, then a child of five years. The interpretation was given to Vilate Archibald, wife of the future Bishop, but on account of her timidity she failed to give the interpretation.
The latter part of Harmon's life was made very unpleasant by the U. S. Officers continually arresting him for polygamy. He felt he did not deserve it, as he had broken no law having taken his wives when there was no law against it. He avoided arrest in every possible way, sleeping in old dry wells, in weeds, bushes and different hiding places. He was the father of 31 children, many had married and settled in Idaho. He spent quite a lot of time with them to keep from being arrested.
His testimony was unwavering and he was very desirous that all his children attend religious duties.
He was hale and hardy at the age of 73 when he was kicked by a horse in June of 1891, dying three weeks later. Just before his death he sang "The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning" passing peacefully away immediately after.
He was buried at Willard, Box Elder County, on July 4, 1891.
References:
Family History by Parley L Pierson, son of Harmon
Sermon by Carl A. Bagle, Tabernacle Jan. 26, 1936
Memories by May Pierson Joyce, daughter of Harmon