George Wilson Grant: He Carried Pioneers Across the Sweetwater at 17 — And His Heart Broke With Them in Later Life

George Wilson Grant (December 12, 1838 – August 5, 1872) was born in Far West, Missouri, the son of rescue Captain George D. Grant. His family came to Salt Lake City with Brigham Young in 1848. George was just 17 years old when he rode east with his father in October 1856 to find the stranded handcart companies.

After finding and partially settling the Willie Company, the rescue party divided — George rode with the group that pressed further east into worsening winter conditions to search for the Martin Company. When they found the Martin Company near Devil's Gate, the few rescuers were overwhelmed by the scope of need — approximately 500 of the original 622 remained alive.

At the Sweetwater River crossing on November 4, George watched as men and women wept at the river bank, too exhausted and frightened to cross. He stepped into the ice-cold water with C. Allen Huntington and David P. Kimball, and the three young men carried pioneer after pioneer across the freezing river for hours.

Brigham Young later wept when told of the crossing and publicly promised that what those three young men did would ensure them 'an everlasting salvation in the Celestial Kingdom of God.'

George survived the rescue but his life was marked by heartbreak. He married Lucy Curtis Spencer in January 1867 when he was 28. Shortly after their wedding, he was called on a mission while Lucy was expecting their first child. On a Sunday morning, the baby was born healthy — but by noon, Lucy had died. She was buried on what would have been their anniversary.

When George learned what had happened, he returned from his mission a broken man. He survived Lucy by only four and a half years, dying on August 5, 1872, at age 33. George, Lucy, and their daughter are buried together in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. His father's nephew was Jedediah M. Grant, father of President Heber J. Grant.