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Eliza Prothero Dunton
James Cyrus Dunton
Born: 19 October 1856 at Parowan, Iron, Utah, USA
Parents: James Harvey Dunton and Martha Jane McKee
Married: 1876 at St. George, Washington, Utah, USA
Died: 17 September 1931 at Teton City, Madison, Idaho, USA
Eliza Prothero
Born: 7 January 1880 in Paragonah, Iron, Utah, USA
Parents: John Prothero and Mary Lewis
Died: 10 September 1940 at Riverdale, Weber, Utah, USA
SKETCH OF ELIZA PROTHERO AND JAMES CYRUS DUNTON
Dorothy Porter’s True Pioneer Stories
Ogden Standard-Examiner, 12 Nov 1939
“When I was young, we did not have automobiles to chase all around the country in — to
dances, shows and to town,” beamed Mrs. Eliza Dunton, 80, of Riverdale, as she marveled
at the modern conveniences of today. “Whenever we went any place, we had to hitch the
horse to a buggy, but I’ll bet we had just as good a time and were a lot safer than these
modern youngsters,” she declared.
Mrs. Dunton was born to John and Mary Lewis Prothero in Paragonah, Iron county, Utah,
January 7, 1880. Her mother and father were Welsh immigrants who came to Utah as Mormon
pioneers in 1854. Her father was one of the original builders of the Union Pacific
railroad in Weber canyon.
Navajos Hostile
When 16 years old, Mrs. Dunston was married to James Cyrus Dunton in the L.D.S. St. George
temple. They were the parents of nine children, five of whom are living, Mrs, Mary Ann
White, Los Angeles, California; Mrs. Cora Crane, Coronation, Alberta, Canada; Mrs. Della
Huskinson, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Mrs. W.F. Roush and Lewis Dunton, Oakland, California.
Mr. Dunton died in Teton City, Idaho in 1931. Since that time Mrs. Dunton has made her
summer residence in Teton City and her winter residence with a daughter, Mrs. Margaret
Roush of Riverdale and formerly of Ogden.
Shortly after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Dunton moved to Bluff City on the San Juan
River in southern Utah.
“There the Navajos were very hostile,” said Mrs. Dunton. “They made their feelings toward
us very apparent by confiscating everything they possibly could. Mr. Dunton operated a
trading post there. The Indians stole quite a bit from him, but he managed to get part of
it back. At one time the braves threatened to cut his hands off, but the chief, in one of
his weak moments, curtailed any such action by ordering us to leave. We took heed of his
warning and we moved to Mancos, Colorado. We didn’t better our position much, though,”
Mrs. Dunton smiled, because the Indians there were so bad we had to build a stockade to
protect ourselves. At one time, I remember, they killed 24 men.”
Founder of Town
After residing in Mancos for seven years, Mr. and Mrs. Dunton went back to Iron county for
a short visit and from there moved to Teton City. Mrs Dunton recalled that the trip from
Iron county to Teton City took three weeks. We can now cover that distance in less than
a day,
“Our first winter in Teton as a cold, dreary one,” said the charming oldster. “We lived
in a log cabin in which the earth served as a floor. Our first years there were indeed
a trial. During our second winter our two eldest sons died, less than a month apart,
from diphtheria.”
After living in Teton City for six years, the family moved to a ranch in Twin Groves.
Mr. Dunton is credited with being the founder of this town and the Duntons were the first
family to live there.
“Jim named the place after two small identical island groves in the Snake River,” said
Mrs. Dunton, smiling, “and oddly enough, every birth in the Twin Groves community in the
year of its founding resulted in twins.”
Mr. Dunton supervsed the digging of the Face river canal in the early 1880s (1890s?) and
served as its president for over thirty years, until his retirement.
From Twin Groves, the family moved to Wilford, which is in Fremont county, as are Teton
City and Twin Groves.There they lived for 35 years, moving back to Teton City 20 years ago.
Lived Rich, Happy Life
As for her ambition in life, Mrs. Dunton smiled and said, “A little of every thing. It
has changed so often that I don’t really remember. If one is really happy, though, he
should be satisfied. And happiness can be reached through service to one’s fellow men.
I really feel that I have lived a rich, happy life.],” said the dear old lady, her eyes
sparkling. “And I am fully satisfied with life and humanity in general.”
Sources:
1 Ogden Standard-Examiner,
November 12, 1939, page 6
Story of Eliza Dunton told by Dorothy Porter
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Eliza Prothero Dunton