Benjamin Franklin Johnson—Born in 1818 in New York, USA. Died 1905 in Mesa Arizona.
Information about him was collected from documents which were available in the Chieftain Museum and on FamilySearch.org.
Ben was directed by Brigham Young to settle the area in 1851. There is far more to this man’s life than fits in this article.
Benjamin Franklin Johnson was born 10th of 16 children. He and all of his siblings were among the first members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1831.
Benjamin became a close friend of Joseph Smith Jr.. He endured the growing pains of the Church in the 1830’s and the persecution that accompanied it.
In 1846, he was made a captain of 50 wagons in the Church’s westward migration.
Upon reaching the Salt Lake Valley in 1848, he set up shop: farming, crafting, and even establishing the first drug store.
At the behest of Brigham Young in 1851, Benjamin took his family—at the time numbering 4 wives and 7 children—and settled with several other families in the area south of Payson known as Summit Creek.
They established for themselves a farming community. Benjamin praised the soil and grazing range for being “the best quality” and “most superior” to that of the Salt Lake Valley.
Unfortunately, many of the Indians resented the settling of their lands and attacked Benjamin’s family and the pioneer community at Summit Creek. Benjamin and the other settlers abandoned their homes, retreating to Payson for several years.
In December 1855, a fort designed by Brigham Young was completed, on the land where the museum now stands. Benjamin returned with his family to restart their lives and the settlement within the fort.
Benjamin didn’t live out the rest of his days in Santaquin, but some of his children did.
In 1859, Ben sold his property and moved to Spring Lake for a time, followed by Tempe Arizona, Mexico, and Mesa Arizona.
Benjamin Franklin Johnson lived for what he believed, even having to live in exile in Mexico for a time in his old age to avoid imprisonment for being a polygamist.
At the end of his life, he had 8 wives and 45 children and his obituary numbers his posterity around 800 souls.