Hall County NEGenWeb
Reminiscences & Narratives of Pioneers
Sabina Shelton-Eldridge

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Transcribed from
the ©1920 "History of Hall County," by Buechler, Barr, and Stough
by Norman Reese

......a man by the name of Townsley, foster father of Mrs. William Eldridge, with his family, settled on what is known as the Gallup farm. Mrs. Eldridge's parents had died when she was seven years of age, and an aunt took her to raise when she was twelve. This aunt joined a colony of Mormans and left England bound for St. Louis, but died on the way over. The Mormons brought the waif with them on a steam boat bound for Florence, Nebraska, just north of Omaha, where a church train of Brigham Young was waiting for them. A church train consisted of thirty wagons and a Mormon preacher to each train, holding services each evening on the journey. At Florence this orphan child was noticed by Mr. Townsley a government interpreter, who received the consent of the Mormons to adopt her and took her to his home on the reservation. She lived there with the Townsley family among the Indians, learning their language, customs, and tricks. The adopted child moved to Wood River with the Townsley family. There she met William Eldridge, who had settled in that locality in 1858. A romance formed and their marriage was one of the first in the county.

Transcriber's Note: The little "orphan girl" is listed as Sabina Shelton in the 1860 census, Sarah Eldridge in the 1870, and Sarah Shelton in the "History of Hall County."