George Hind was born at Calverton, Nottingham, England May 23 1843, the oldest child of Thomas and Ann Beeton Hind.

As a boy, he worked with his father, whose occupation was a stocking weaver. As he grew older, he worked in the harvest fields, which he enjoyed because he had always wanted to become a farmer.

Mr. Hind's opportunities for education were very limited; however, his constant struggle for knowledge made him a very learned man. He attended a public school in England, which was endowed by the wealthy people. For a short time he was also a student of the Sunday Schools, being baptized 12 May 1866.

Having a desire to join the Saints in America, he and his sister Ann Hind prepared themselves to travel to America.

In 1866, Elder Brigham Young Jr. was then President of the "European Mission." He appointed Elder Nicholsen captain of a company of 500 Saints. They left London 23 May 1866 (on George's birthday) on a sailing vessel, "American Congress." As they were nearing the Newfoundland they encountered heavy storms. Thick fog prevailed for several days, which prevented Captain Woodward from taking an observation; being unable to see the sun he therefore could not tell exactly where they were.

About this time the Captain and brother John Rider were conversing on the part of the ship called the quarterdeck. Brother Rider happened to turn his face in the direction the ship was sailing. At that moment the fog lifted up from the surface of the sea, as if a veil or scroll had been raised. He saw clearly between the fog and the waters ahead. Suddenly he exclaimed, pointing forward, "Captain, what is that?"

Captain Woodward, who was tall, powerful and active made no answer. With no time for orders he sprang to the wheel house with the agility of a tiger, and knocked the man at the helm "heels over head" sending him sprawling upon the deck. At the same instant he grasped the wheel turning it with the most surprising rapidity. Although his movements were so quick he did not lose his presence of mind a moment. He was busy with his voice as well as his hands. For a while he acted as I have described. He shouted in clear, loud, piercing tones the several orders directing all hands to "About Ship." The sailors sprang to their posts. There were active limbs and busy hands among the rigging. The good ship, American Congress, swayed slowly around and the moment of peril was past.

Had the action been delayed a few moments, the vessel would have been among the breakers, upon the rocks, dashed to pieces and probable not a soul of the nearly five hundred on board would have escaped a watery grave.

The Captain asked Brother Rider and Nicholson not to tell the saints what had happened. (Grandfather knew some thing was wrong and had happened at Newfoundland, as I have heard him say some thing went wrong as the ship reeled in the water.) (This article appeared some years ago in the Church Section of the Deseret News.) The company of saints never knew that Brother Rider saw when the fog lifted that the ship was headed for the rocks or breakers of the Newfoundland Coast line.

Thanking God for his goodness in so manifestly exercising his power in behalf of his Saints, the Lord fulfilled the promises made to his servant at the time we left England for the land of Zion.

Landing in New York six weeks later, they went by train to Wyoming, Nebraska, which was near the city of Omaha. Here George worked in the fields one month while waiting for the pioneers who were preparing to cross the plains. George worked in the fields during their stay.

Among the memories connected with crossing the plains when he drove three yoke of oxen to pay his fare. Arriving in Salt Lake City on 20 October 1866, he secured work in the fields and helped get logs out of the canyon for almost two years. He secured employment with the Wells Fargo Stage Co., who were located out west of Salt Lake. He was a stable manager taking care of the teams as they came from the west and east.

 A cook by the name of Hannah Platt came out to be the cook for the company and George fell in love with her. In the spring George and Hannah were united in marriage in the Salt Lake Endowment House 5 April 1869. They were married by Daniel H. Wells and the witnesses were E. Smith and W. Phelps.

After their marriage, George and Hannah, having a desire for a farm of their own, they moved to Cache Valley settling in Smithfield, Utah. George worked in the canyons cutting and bringing out logs, which were used in building schools and a church. They built roads and bridges of logs. After four years of living in Smithfield, George and Hannah were called to go to Arizona to help settle the Mariapo or the Muddy as it was called.

George prepared his wagon teams and cattle and in the spring, 14 April 1873, they set out with other saints to travel down to Arizona. They arrived at Cedar City and ran out of money, so George stayed there and worked that winter in the sawmills. His wife, Hannah, went out to Pinto Creek to visit an uncle Benjamin Platt and family and while there she gave birth to their third child, Hannah.

In the spring as they were prepared to start for Arizona they met the company coming back who had gone ahead of them (the spring before). Their cattle were poor, the water and feed had all dried up for want of moisture. They could not raise crops, so they all came back to Smithfield. George purchased a two-room log home and took up a section of land at the mouth of Smithfield Canyon. He had to live on the land to prove up on it, so the summers were spent on the section, and the winters they spent in town. George loved cattle, and so with his flocks of cattle and the farm he made a living for his family.

To George and Hannah were born seven children. John Thomas (who died in November 1923) James A., Elizabeth Ann, Hannah, George P, (who died in infancy), Susie, Joseph (who died in November 1925); and a son, Jim, who filled a mission in England in 1910 and a short term in the Eastern States in 1927.

George was a respectable citizen and was active in his church. He was called in 1881 to be Janitor of the Smithfield meeting house which mission he faithfully performed eleven years. He was then called to work in the Logan Temple for one year. He was called to fill a mission to England in Nottinghamshire, the place of his birth. Here he labored during 1895-1896. While on his mission he met many of his relatives and friends who were still living. He returned, leaving on his birthday, 23 May, just 29 years after his first leaving on his native land.

He was identified with civic affairs, serving for two terms as a member of the City Council, in which he exercised his official prerogatives in support of all practical plans and measures for general good.

At about seventy George partly retired to a rest he had earned. In September 1921 he was rendered almost physically helpless by a paralytic stroke and was closely confined to his home. He couldn't drive his favorite pony, Buck, around town as he had done before.

He was always zealous in his quest for knowledge and was able to answer questions or enlighten one on matters of State, Nation, or World Affairs. He read two daily papers every day and his mind was clear to his death. George was a High Priest at the time of his death. He passed away 11 July 1933 at the age of 90 and was laid by the side of his wife, Hannah, in the Smithfield Cemetery.

The kindness of his daughter, Hannah, was shown him by her caring for him in his home for many years. (Hannah never married but gave of herself to be kind and good to her father.) She was a devoted daughter, kept the house clean, prepared his meals, and kept a beautiful garden in the back of the house.