William Haney Hickenlooper (1804 - 1888)

Descendants

Biography

William was born in 1804 in Pennsylvania, United States.

He was the son of Andrew Hickenlooper and Rachel Long.

Marriages He married 29 August 1829 to Sarah Hawkins. He married Sarah Cordelia Ward, 10 Nov 1850 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He married Ann Ham, 16 Nov 1856, Salt Lake City, Utah.

He served in the Mormon Battalion. (Note: William is listed in one source as a member of the Mormon Battalion, with no rank or company designation. He is not listed on the Mormon Battalion Association, Original Battalion Roster - http://www.mormonbattalion.com/Original_Battalion_Roster)

He traveled overland to the Salt Lake Valley with his wife and two children.

Biographical Excerpts: William Haney was the first Bishop of the Sixth Ward, Salt Lake City, Utah. His father was Andrew Hickenlooper, son of Andrew Hickenlooper, who, with his wife, came to York county, Pennsylvania, at an early day, and afterwards moved to the western frontier of Pennsylvania, near the present site of Pittsburg; they were of German descent. His mother was Rachel Long, daughter of John (of Scotch descent) and Rachel Long. His father was a farmer and was a soldier in the Revolution. On Aug. 29, 1837, he married Sarah Hawkins, of Indiana county, Pennsylvania [p.608] (daughter of Caleb and Sarah Hawkings, formerly from Maryland), by whom he had three children—one son and two daughters. In the winter of 1838-39 William and family were residing in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania—at the time that the Latter-day Saints were being so bitterly persecuted in Missouri. At this time many of the Saints who had remained in New York were emigrating to Missouri, going by raft down the Allegheny and Ohio rivers, then traveling up to the gathering place. One of these rafts, containing three families, on its way down, was anchored on the Allegheny river for the night, about two miles from "Williams" farm. Elder Freeman Nickerson was the leader of the detained company, and he at once began to preach the new and everlasting gospel to the people in that vicinity. One day, shortly afterward, William met Father Nickerson at a neighbor's house and invited him home, being anxious to see a "Mormon"—a real, live "Mormon" —and to learn of the principles of "Mormonism," about which so much was being said, and which many thought was a "Yankee Trick".

Eventually Mrs. Hickenlooper agreed to baptism, and William, who had by this time pretty thoroughly investigated the claims put forth, was convinced of the divinity of the message, and the following Sunday was appointed to attend to the ordinance in the Allegheny river, then frozen over. On going down to the river, where they expected to have to cut the ice on Sunday, they found that that very morning the ice had broken, and they, with five others, were baptized. This was in February, 1839. A branch of the Church numbering about forty members was organized, and William was ordained to the office of an Elder by Elder Freeman Nickerson, March 34, 1839, and was appointed to preside over the branch which shortly increased to about one hundred members. In the year 1842, William paid a visit to Nauvoo, purchased a lot, and had a house built on it. Here he first met the Prophet Joseph Smith. In April, 1844, he moved with his family to Nauvoo, Ill., and was there at the time of the martyrdom of the Prophet and Patriarch and during the eventful scenes that followed. Nov. 2, 1844, William was ordained a Seventy, and became a member of the 5th quorum. Aug. 31, 1845, he was ordained to the office of a High Priest, at Yelrome, or what was generally known as the Morley settlement, and was made a member of the High Council of the Stake. In the following spring he was driven with the Saints into Nauvoo, twenty-eight miles, leaving house, lot, farm and all. He left Nauvoo for the west in obedience to Pres. Brigham Young's instructions, and was about thirty miles distant at the time of the battle of Nauvoo; passed through Garden Grove, Mount Pisgah, and crossed the plains in Daniel Spencers hundred, Ira Eldredges fifty, Samuel Ensign's ten, and reached the Great Salt Lake valley, then in Upper California, Sept. 22, 1847, [p.610]. He built a log cabin half a block south of the "Old Fort." near his late residence, into which he moved with his family. At the time of the organization of the forts into five Wards, William was appointed to preside over what was then called the Fifth, having been previously ordained a Bishop by Pres. John Smith—in 1847—by direction of the High Council, with Joseph Stratton and Jacob Houtz as his counselors. In 1848, Pres. Brigham Young organized the city into Wards, commencing at the First, as at present, and William was appointed to preside over the Sixth. That season, when the destitute members of the Mormon Battalion arrived in Great Salt Lake valley, he went around among the people to gather something for their relief; some gave a pint of wheat, and a few gave more; but the people were very poor, and provisions scarce. Nov. 9, 1850, in Salt Lake City, he married Sarah C. Ward, daughter of Wm. and Susanna Ward, of England, by whom he had one son and three daughters. She was born July 8, 1819, in Keyham, Leicestershire, England; emigrated to Utah in 1850. Nov. 16, 1856, in Salt Lake City, he married Ann Ham, daughter of John and Sarah Ham, of England, by whom he had three sons and two daughters; she was born Jan. 1, 1825, in Dundeswell, Devonshire, England; emigrated to Utah in 1856; crossed the plains with Captain Ellisworth's hand-cart company. On March 29, 1866. Sarah, his first wife, died. July 9, 1860, Pres. Brigham Young directed Bishop Hickenlooper to take charge of the Fifth Ward. At the time of his death Bishop Hickenlooper's living posterity numbered twelve children, thirty-six grandchildren and fifty-two great-grandchildren—100 in all,"

He passed away in 1888 in the Utah Territory, United States.

Research Notes

FindAGrave shows three spouses and 12 children. Profiles need to be added.

Sources

• Members of the Mormon Battalion, A Sesquicentennial Remembrance, compiled by Dr. Susan Ward Easton, p. 33. https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE5417209
• LDS Pioneer Overland Travel 1847-1868 web site: https://history.lds.org/overlandtravel/pioneers/741/william-haney-hickenlooper
• LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, Andrew Jenson, Vol. 1, p.607
• Find A Grave: Memorial #30837543 william-haney-hickenlooper