She sailed from Liverpool, England March 28, 1857 on the vessel George Washington for America and was six weeks making the voyage. She arrived at Boston, MA in the United States in April of 1857. She would have celebrated her nineteenth birthday during the voyage.
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| Passenger list of the George Washington |
She married Alexander Millar on April 7th, 1860, which was her twenty second birthday, in Omaha, NB.
Their first child, Alexander "Zandy" William, was born June 7th, 1861 in a lumber shack on the bank of the Missouri River.
They left Nebraska in the spring of 1862 when Zandy was an infant. They arrived in Salt Lake City in the fall.
Their second child, Benjamin James, was born on December 28th, 1863 in American Fork, UT.
Their third child, Roderick, was born on January 6th, 1866 in American Fork. He died on October 16th, 1867 at the age of twenty one months.
Their fourth child, Robert Colin "Collie", was born on March 11th 1868 in American Fork.
Their fifth child, Rosehannah, was born on June 14th, 1870 in American Fork.
Their sixth child, Eterick, was born on May 15th 1872 in American Fork.
Young Benjamin died on December 21st, 1872 just a few days before his ninth birthday.
Their seventh child, John Franklin, was born on March 16th, 1875 in American Fork.
Rosehannah died on May 10th, 1877 a month before her seventh birthday.
Their eighth and last child, Theodore Edward, was born on May 20th, 1878 in American Fork.
In 1880 they lived in American Fork, UT with five of their children; Alexander, Robert, Eterick, John, and Theodore, and a domestic servant named Mary Hensen. They owned a successful hotel, and Alexander was also a farmer and ore runner for the mines. He was a tall man, weighing about 240 lbs.
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| Alexander and Rosehannah |
This memorial stands at the American Fork Cemetery where they are buried:
It reads:
Alexander Miller/Millar 1836-1893 Son of William and Elizabeth Cochrane Millar, Alexander was born in Souchie, Scotland, March 7, 1836. He learned to be a weaver in his boyhood, working in the paisley mills until he came to America in 1852. He settled in Omaha, Nebraska and while there he built a flourishing ice business. He cut ice in winter from the Missouri River, stored it and delivered the ice to industries and family users in Omaha. He hired a helper, Joseph Dickerson, who was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Joseph had come to America from Winwick, England and was working to pay his way to Utah. He had a sister in England who had joined the Church and who needed money to come to America. Alexander loaned the money to Joseph Dickerson, enough for her ticket and she arrived in America in 1857. Her name was Rosehannah Mary Dickerson, daughter to William and Francis (Fannie) Dunkley Dickerson. She was born April 7, 1838 in Nottingham, England. She sailed from England March 28, 1857 on the vessel George Washington for America and was six weeks making the voyage. While in Omaha, Alexander embraced the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He and Rosehannah were married on her 22nd birthday, April 7 1860. Their first son, Alexander William Millar was born June 7, 1861 in a lumber shack on the banks of the Missouri River. In the spring of 1862 they sold their ice business and bartered or traded for an ox-team, two cows and a wagon and loaded Rosehannah and infant Alexander for the trek to Utah. They arrived with the Washburn Chipman Company in the fall of 1862. They settled in American Fork on the southwest corner of what is now the Alpine Stake Tabernacle Block in a log cabin supplied with the first matches brought to Utah, a candle mold and Rosehannah’s iron kettle. Alexander was sent back out on the plains by Brigham Young to help a company of immigrants who were having trouble. He made at least three journeys across the plains with his faithful oxen. “Old Babe” obtaining trade goods and assisting immigrants to Utah. He also bought and farmed twenty acres of land in American Fork. On the third trip back to Omaha he bought a train of merchandise and brought it to American Fork, and opened a store on the corner of Merchant Street and First North. When his store did not prove profitable, he changed it to a hotel which Rosehannah ran as “The Millar House”. It was built in the late 1860’s and was built of adobes. Here the stagecoach would drop passengers off. The Millar’s ran the hotel for thirty-two years. Alexander farmed and at one time raised poultry. Alexander teamed with Joseph Dickerson to haul ore from the Yankee and Dutchman mines near American Fork Canyon at one time. They discovered the Miller Mine before 1870. Later the mine name was changed to the Mormon Tunnel and the location was spoken of as the Miller Hill. The mine produced much valuable ore and its name changed several times, but the mountain is still called the Miller Hill after Alexander. Alexander was a tall man and weighed 240 pounds. Rosehannah was a short woman. She had an iron kettle, which people around American Fork borrowed to do their dyeing in. Alexander died at age 57. His wife lived as a widow for 14 years. She died November 7, 1907. Eight children were born to this couple. These good righteous folks contributed to the stability of American Fork by being faithful to their Church duties, raising good, hardworking children, and sharing their worth to assist others to get settled in the pioneer area. They were honest, thrifty and struggled to survive in a harsh land. They are truly the “salt of the earth” in contributing to building American Fork, Utah. • The surname should be spelled Millar. Millar is one of the ten most common names in Scotland. Miller is not a common named in Scotland. Many immigrants could not write or spell well. It is understandable Millar would become Miller and spelled with an “e” rather than an “a”.Children Alexander William (1861 – 1942) Benjamin James (1863-1872) Roderick (1866 – 1867) Robert Collin (1868 – 1845) Rosehannah (1870 – 1870) Eterick (1872 – 1960) John Franklin (1875 – 1958) Theodore Edward (1878 – 1924)
Rosehannah died of gastro enteritis on November 7th, 1907 in American Fork, UT at the age of sixty nine, and was buried in the American Fork Cemetery.
Do you know anything about Rosehannah? Do you have any memories, photos or information to add? I would absolutely love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below to add your information. If you have photos to share, please send them to me along with any other information at tomebug (at) gmail (dot) com.
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