William Russell Archibald was born 16 March 1840 in Scotland

                                       WILLIAM RUSSELL ARCHIBALD BORN MARCH 16, 1840 IN SCOTLAND.


William Russell GeLinas

 William Russell Archibald is Lanny’s grandmother Loretta’s grandfather. I think Richelle and Gary remember Great Grandma and Grandpa Henry and Loretta Starr and our visits to their little farmhouse with the geese and cows, Grandma’s famous chocolate cake and chocolate pie. We would see Grandpa sitting by the kitchen window as you walked up to his house or out on the porch with his dog, and he would be happy to see us. He was a great big tease just like his sons and their sons are. Stefanie and Angie may also remember the visits. I know they remember Grandpa Carl, and he too would be sitting in his chair by the window, and he also loved to tease. That adage, "like father like son" plays real well here. And the kids remember so fondly the stash of candy Grandpa Carl Starr had hidden around. Richelle looked for names for her sons from family names and for her youngest she found William Russell. Willy is sharing William Russell Archibald’s name as well as Russell Smith's name. We talked about Russell Smith in December as he was born on Christmas day.  Today we will focus on another great man, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandpa William Russell Archibald.  Read on about him and you will find that he was an interesting and trustworthy man and one you should be proud to carry his name.

This sketch was found at the D.U.P. central company in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was written by Blanch Nielson, historian of Camp Windsor of Orem, Utah.

William Archibald came to Utah in 1863. He was born 16 March 1840 in Scotland.

(Birthday place was Harthill, West Lothian, Scotland. This sketch said Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland.) As a boy he tended his father’s sheep and was trustworthy and dependable as David of old. Married at the age of 17 years to

Elizabeth Halliday at Harthill, Scotland.

Fourteen boys and girls were born to this couple, three born in Scotland and eleven in Utah. Cottage meetings held in their home in the spring of 1863 convinced them of coming to Utah. So they sold home and with family went to Liverpool, England and sailed for America on the sailing vessel "Cynosure". It took eight weeks to reach New York. The civil War was raging. People refused to give food or shelter to the immigrants. William and Elizabeth and three children were tucked in a cattle car with others like sardines. They went to Florence, Nebraska. William stood all the way holding one child. After arriving in Florence and waiting several days, the family was assigned to journey westward in the company of CaptainThomas E. Ricks, which consisted of 60 wagons-two yoke of oxen hitched to each wagon. Fishing and hunting supplied food to the travelers. William loved to hunt and anxiously waited his turn to go out hunting. They arrived in Salt Lake in October 24^th 1863. A small adobe home in the second ward was their first home. He helped haul many loads of rock for Salt Lake temple from the canyon. Times were rugged and food scarce. The hides of the cattle were scraped and boiled to make a clear soup-it was very tasty and helped to fill many an empty stomach. He and his family were among the home seekers to go to Northern Utah and settle at Wellsville, Utah. Wellsville was first settled by Peter Maughn family. In 1876 William Russell moved his fast growing family to Clarkston. He hauled lumber from the canyon to build a small log house where they all lived. He helped to build a small fort and a one room school house where church services were also held. William Russell Archibald was called to teach the Indians "Mormonism". His eldest son became bishop of the early Plymouth, Utah church. William supported and helped him in every way possible.

Added note: On 9 Feb 1866 in the Endowment House he entered into a plural marriage by marrying Agnes Stewart and on March 1872 he married her sister Catharine Stewart. They all lived on the same farm in Clarkston.
Note from Elizabeth’s records: All three families lived in the same house until it became too small, then each wife had a house of her own. It is easy to see why they needed more room, as Elizabeth had fourteen children, Catharine eleven children, and Agnes nine children, 34 in all. Yet, one child remarked years later, "All the children got along well and we always felt that we were brothers and sisters."
In April of 1903 William Russell died. Elizabeth followed that same year, December 29, 1903 in Clarkston and was buried near him in the Clarkston cemetery.
This account was taken from Lanny's Genealogy book which was compiled and edited by his mother, Nola Starr.  We thank her for the endless hours she put into providing each child a book packed with family genealogy.
LOL, Lanny and Arlene