Ephraim George Holding

This is my mother's pedigree chart. Ephraim George Holding (commonly called E.G. Holding) is my great-great-grandfather. He was born on September 15, 1849 in Chester, Cottonwood, Shropshire, England to Daniel Holding and Sarah Middleton. At the age of six he came with his parents, brother, and two sisters to Utah. They crossed the ocean on the ship Elvira Owen and landed in New Orleans, Louisianna where they transferred to a river boat and went to Nauvoo, Illinois. There his father bought a wagon and oxen, and on June 10, 1853, they set out on their trek across the plains. Their food was buffalo meat, greens, and Sego Lily bulbs. The Indians were very troublesome at this time and they stole the children's clothing and food. They tried to get Daniel's watch and chain which his father had given him before they left England, but he refused to give it to them, so the Indians grabbed Ephraim and started off. The other children screamed and cried so his father gave the Indians his watch and he got his little boy back!
They arrived in Salt Lake City on October 6, 1853. Two years later, they recieved word that Daniel's father, Richard Holding, had died and they needed him to return to England to settle the estate. The family returned and four years later Daniel passed away.
While back in Chester, Ephraim became very active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was baptized, ordained to the Priesthood, and traveled with the missionaries preaching the gospel. On July 12, 1870, at the age of 21, he packed his belongings and sailed back across the ocean and landed in Castlegardens on July 26th. He rode the train across the country and arrived in Salt Lake City in August. It was only the second train to arrive in Salt Lake City. He found work as a shoemaker and as a car repairman for the railroad.
He met Mary Jane Clifton who was employed at the Franklin D. Richards home. They were married on October 28, 1872 in the Endowment House. He worked various jobs for the Utah Central Railroad and was in charge of running the first telegraph and telephone line to
Dixie- now St. George, Utah. When this was completed he was superintendent of the Bell Telephone Company and, in 1877, he decided to go into the electric wiring and fixture business. He was the first electrician in Utah. He established his first store at 79 West 1st South and then moved to 55 West 1st South.
Ephraim did all the electrical wiring of the Salt Lake Temple inside and out. He wired many large buildings between Ogden and Provo. His home was the first to have electic lights and this caused great curiosity in the neighbors who came from blocks around. He and his wife lived in a home at 164 South 400 West, where they raised 11 children. They later moved to 177 H Street. He died on July 7, 1927.

Inside of his store, his business card, and an order form.

This photograph of Ephraim George Holding standing on the Temple spire is hanging in the South Visitor's Center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City.

These are the light fixtures that Ephraim installed in the Celestial Room inside the Salt Lake Temple.

This is a four generation photo. The boy in front is William Holding. Behind him is his mother, Olive Holding, next to her is her father, Ephraim George Holding, and sitting is his mother, Sarah Middleton Holding.


(Click on pictures to see them enlarged)