Our Pioneer Heritage, page 535-536
Tarlton Lewis was born May 18, 1805, at Pendleton District, South Carolina. He was the fourth child in a family of twelve born to Neriah and Mary Moss Lewis. In 1809 the Lewis family moved to Kentucky and here Tarlton grew to young manhood. He married Malinda Gimlin and they became the parents of eight children. The family accepted the teachings of the Latter-day Saints Church and, in 1839, moved to Nauvoo, Illinois where he was set apart as bishop of the 4th Ward by Joseph and Hyrum Smith who also ordained him a High Priest. He was a skilled cabinet maker and carpenter and was also in charge of the large craned hoisting materials for the erection of the temple. On the 26th of June, 1846, the Mormon Battalion was organized and Samuel, their eldest son, being seventeen, signed up and served in company C. Leaving his family in a covered wagon at Winter Quarters after the exodus from Nauvoo, Tarlton came to Utah as one of the original pioneers.
From the writings of Andrew Jenson: "Under the direction of Bishop Tarlton Lewis the brethren of the valley continued their labors on the houses which were being erected in the stockade in what is known as Pioneer Square. Most of the houses were built in the interest of the immigrant trains, soon to arrive from the east."
Mr. Lewis returned to Winter Quarters for his family and brought them to Utah. In December, 1850, he accompanied George A. Smith to Iron county where he later moved his family. He became bishop of Parowan. Excerpts from the writings of Mr. Smith: "January 20, 1851: Bishop Lewis and nine other men started up the canyon to cut timber for the meetinghouse.... May 24th: Tarlton Lewis and Brimhall took a walk up Red Break and took their spades with them. They made an excavation into a mound, found adobe wall and some human bones and timber.... June 16th: Brother Tarlton Lewis went south to examine the possibility of bringing water out of Red Breaks to water our fields. He reported rather unfavorable, then he and Joel H. Johnson and W.H. Dame examined Summit Peak and that was no good. June 27th: Brother Lewis, Grove and Elmer went out to meet their families and returned with them in the evening."
In 1858 Tarlton Lewis, Isaac Grundy, Jesse N. Smith and William Barton were sent to Beaver Valley. While exploring the surrounding territory they discovered rich deposits of lead and iron in the mountains. The specimens were taken to Brigham Young and the discovery caused much excitement. These men were ordered to open the mines and also were instructed to locate a settlement nearby which they did the flollowing year, naming it Minersville. At one time the settlement needed a lead weight for steelyards which were used in weighing their commodities. Several men went to the mountains and were able to get lead so rich that they melted and separated the lead from the rock over a pinewood fire.
The Lewis family lived in Minersville presumable for abut fourteen years; then moved to Joseph City, where they lived in the United Order for a few years. Later they moved to Richfield, Sevier county and on July 16, 1877, Mr. Tarlton was set apart as bishop of Richfield 2nd Ward under the hands of Erastus Snow and Orson Hyde. Ill health forced him to resign a year later. He died at the ranch home of his son Beason Lewis about one and one-half miles from Teasdale, Wayne county, Utah November 29, 1890. He was a colorful figure in the early days of southern Utah and was often referred to as "The Grand Old Man." ---LaVon A. Mons