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History of Slyvia Eliza Sanford Metcalf

Sylvia Eliza Sanford Metcalf was born November 16, 1845 in Hancock County, Illinois, a daughter of Cyrus Sanford and Sylvia Elmina Stockwell. Along with her parents she came to Utah in Captain Snow's company at the age of five years. They crossed the plains driving a team of oxen and a team of cows. The cows were milked and any surplus milk was put in a churn on the side of the wagon where the lurching of the wagon caused the fat to be churned into butter. They also found many uses for the buttermilk which was thirst-quenching as well as nutritious. While crossing the plains the small children rode in the wagon and was nearly always down under cover. If they'd stick their heads out to see where they were to get a little fresh air there was likely to be an Indian close enough to try to grab them and their mother would have to get them back under cover in a hurry.

One incident that remained in Sylvia's memory was a narrow escape from serious injury or death. The lead yoke of cows drawing the wagon in which she was riding plunged over the high bank of the Platte River in their craze for water, and dangled there while the oxen team held back the wagon and gave the men time to cut the straps which held the cows. The cows dropped into the Water, drank their fill, swam out, and were soon caught and hitched to the yoke again.

The Sanford family lived in Salt Lake City for about two years then moved to Springville, where Sylvia grew to young womanhood. Her father taught the first school she attended. In her early girlhood she experienced her full share of pioneer life, herding, cows, helping with the farm work, hauling wood, picking wild berries which were dried and used to supplement the winter food supply. When they went berry picking in the canyons, they'd take their lunch and make a picnic of it. They young people attended dances in their bare feet as they had no shoes; she and her girl friends exchanged dresses so they wouldn't have to wear the same dress all the time. She played with the children from friendly Indian families and learned to speak their language.

In August 1862 she- was married to Anthony Metcalf.' They received their Endowments and were sealed November 2, 1867. They lived in Springville until after their first two children were born. Thereafter they moved to Warm Creek (now Fayette) in 1866 to operate the grist mill built by Anthony's father, John Edward Metcalf. Their first home in Warm Creek was a dugout (see picture on page 31 of the Gunnison Valley Centennial Memory Book 1859-1959, a description of which is included in Anthony's history.) This book also describes some of the furnishings and housekeeping of those days, as follows:

In their dugout homes the women found joy and took pride in their meticulous housekeeping. The dirt floor was sprinkled with water and made hard and smooth with a wooden tamper. The tamper was made from a round of sawed log in which a handle was inserted, much like a churn dasher. When dry, the floor was marked in an artistic design with charcoal or soft limestone. . . . .. . . .

For many years families used straw ticks for mattresses. They were delightfully fragrant when filled with fresh straw. The more fortunate had "feather beds", large bags filled with feathers. Some women had two for each bed, one for the mattress and one in place of quilts. To make such a bed look immaculate was no easy task for the homemaker. With the aid of a stout willow laid across the bed and gently moved from top to bottom, she achieved the desired smoothness.

Sylvia helped Anthony at the flour mill by sewing sacks of heavy factory (muslin) for the flour. They had a tin stamp to brand the sacks. This was done by dipping the stamp in bluing and pressing it on the sacks which were then laid aside to thoroughly dry.

During an Indian uprising in 1867 the Metcalfs moved to Gunnison for a brief time, but returned to Fayette as soon as it was safe to do so. About 1872 the family moved permanently to Gunnison, where Anthony built another grist mill, the rock foundation of which still stands just south of the creek bridge on the east side of the road on the main highway into Gunnison. During the time Anthony operated the grist mill, he sent freight wagons and teams to St. George loaded with flour to be exchanged for fruit and molasses. The fruit was dried and preserved for winter use. This was such a treat the children would come from all over town to ask 'Aunt Lyd" for bread and fruit which she gave with her usual generosity. She always planted an extra large garden each year so they would have all they needed and some to spare for those who did not have gardens. She put up pickles in ten gallon barrels so there would be plenty for everyone. Baking occupied the entire day and was usually done by the dozen: Twelve loaves of bread, twelve pies, and many cakes.

Sylvia Metcalf's philosophy of life was to help others less fortunate than herself. She knew firsthand all the hardships and privations that come with the settlement of new areas and knew the necessity of extending a helping hand. She had learned to do all manner of things without the help of machinery, including wool washing, spinning, weaving, carding, knitting, and many other tasks that today are lost arts to the average woman. Recalling her early days, she said that she made candles, gathered alkali to make soap, and made dye by using ripe walnut shells and rabbit brush blossoms. She was also a great help whenever or wherever there was sickness. For years she was a practical nurse and helped bring many babies into the world, and spent many a day in homes where there was illness. She did all of the sewing for herself and children, even to making suits for her husband. When the Indians were on the warpath she would make a covering like a tent and sit on the floor at the foot of a bed and sew by candlelight. Thus the Indians couldn't see the light and it didn't disturb the sleepers. She pieced and quilted more than a quilt for each of her own children, crocheted innumerable rag rugs for floor coverings, and knitted numberless pairs of socks and stockings, caps and mittens. All of this know-how she taught to her daughters and willingly shared with the women of the community. She was active in church and community affairs, giving generously of her time and energies and serving over thirty years as a teacher in the Relief Society; she was also a member of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers.

She was the mother of fifteen children; more than forty grandsons and great grandsons served their country-in World War II. In the more than ninety-six years she lived in Utah, Sylvia Eliza Metcalf watched the state grow from a dry, unproductive desert to a beautiful and prosperous part of the nation. From homemade candles to electric lights; from fireplace cookery to electric and gas ovens, from clothing made at home, from wool shorn from home-raised sheep, and from flax planted and harvested by hand, to the man-made fabrics of today (nylon, rayon, dacron, etc.); from ice cut from the rivers and stored in sawdust and/or straw, to refrigerators and icemakers; from ox-drawn wagons to trains, cars, and planes; from pony express to telephone, radio, and television, she lived through more than a century of amazing scientific discovery and industrial revolution.

The City of Gunnison honored Sylvia Eliza Sanford Metcalf on her 100th birthday, November 16, 1945. Rodney Hillman, Jr., Vice-chairman of the Old Folks Central Committee, representing presiding Bishop LeGrand Richards, personally presented her with the red, white, and blue rosette with pearls given to all those reaching that advanced age. She was also presented with a bouquet of flowers. A special program from 11:00 A. M. to 12:00 Noon was held at the Gunnison Ward Chapel and the entire public was invited. Most of the program was given by members of her family. A great grandson, Carl Walter Christensen, sang one of her favorite songs "My Grandfather's Clock." He was 7 and a half years old at the time. Following the program a hot dinner was served to the family. The center piece was a beautiful birthday cake with 100 candles on it. Open house was held the rest of the day for all who wished to pay their respects. There was plenty of food for all who called and more besides.

On November 16, 1946 when she reached the age of 101 years, "Aunt Lyd" had become Utah's oldest person. She died at 8:00 P. M. on Tuesday, August 12, 1947, at the family home in Gunnison. She suffered a heart attack about three hours before death. Her husband had died in 1924 and from then on she said she was ready to go also as she had finished her work. And now, at last, she had.

Survivors included five daughters: Mrs. Mary E. Chew, 83, Vernal; Mrs. Sylvia E. Caldwell, 81, Centerfield, Mrs, Emma E. Brown, 72,Springville; Mrs. Ina Nielsen, 58, Gunnison; and Mrs. Jane Ann Nielsen, 55, Salt Lake City. A half-sister, Mrs. Clara Jane Packard, 81, Roy; 60 grandchildren, 125 great grandchildren, and 14 great, great grandchildren also survive.

Funeral services were conducted Saturday, August 16, 1947 at 2:00 O'clock in the Gunnison L. D. S. Ward chapel by Bishop Elmer Nielson. Burial in the Gunnison City Cemetery.

INCIDENTS in the Life of Sylvia Eliza Metcalf, as recalled at a Family Reunion in Springville on July 14, 1956:

EMMA METCALF BROWN:

Told how her mother taught her to wash wool without shrinking it; how to spin the wool into yarn and then to weave it into cloth. Thereafter her mother took a trip with her father and when they returned, Emma had spun so much wool into yarn that her mother wove it into a blanket and gave it to her when she was married.

FERN NAY AMTOFT: Said Grandmother would make them wash their faces before she would let them go to the dance--this was after they had snitched cornstarch and magnesia for powder and dampened a red rose from a hat to use for rouge, for the purpose of making themselves glamorous for the occasion.

LON (ELONZO) NAY: Remembered always having bread and preserves just as they were leaving Grandma's. He said his mother (Melissa) and his sister (Fern) were always fixed up kind of nice and they always tried to get the horse untied and get away before Grandma could get to the buggy with the bread and preserves, but they never made it. He would always lay his piece on Fern's lap.

JEAN CHEW ROBINSON: Remembered one special party at Grandmother's when they had a ,huge dinner. All of the kids were getting pretty hungry and teasing for something to eat so Grandma told them all to line up and come past the buttery door and she would give them some bread and butter. They all wanted lots of butter, but one of Jean's brothers (Harry) went to the end of the line after he had been through once and Grandmother put butter on the other side of his bread also. He said Grandma loved him better than anyone else because she buttered both sides of his bread.

ENOLA CHEW BURDICK: Told of spending a winter with her mother (Mame) in Gunnison with the Grandparents when she was about three years old. With the aid of a small scrap of cloth that barely covered her finger and a tin cup of water, she gave a small kitten a very thorough bath, much to the amusement of Grandmother, who finally said to her daughter: "Mame, that child has washed every inch of that kitten except the spot under its tail! "Sh-h-h!" cautioned Mame. "Don't let her hear you, or she will wash it there, too." The bathing operation completed, Enola, with cat firmly clutched, marched kitchen-ward in search of a suitable towel, found exactly what she wanted in the dish towel her Aunt Jane Ann had just put down. The ensuing melee brought Grandma to the kitchen on the double to find the combatants determined adamant. With fine diplomacy, Grandma persuaded Enola that a nice, soft dust cloth was far more satisfactory for drying a kitten than a wet towel would be. And peace reigned.

BEULAH NIELSEN CHRISTENSEN: Remembered Grandmother telling how it took two days by wagon to go from Gunnison to Springville. They always stayed one night in Nephi. She often told us of her experience at the Dedication of the Manti Temple. She was one of the number that heard the Heavenly Choir.

Contributed by jhammond22@cox.net

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