Seth Tanner
| Seth Benjamin Tanner | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 6, 1828 Bolton, New York |
| Died | December 3, 1918 (aged 90) Taylor, Arizona |
| Occupation | explorer, settler, prospector, stockman, Indian trader |
| Spouse(s) | Charlotte Levi, Anna Marie Jensen |
| Children | 7 |
| Parent(s) | John Tanner and Elizabeth Beswick |
Seth Benjamin Tanner (March 6 1828 – December 3, 1918) was a Mormon pioneer, miner, and early settler of Arizona. Tanner Trail in the Grand Canyon National Park was named after him.
Tanner was the son of John Tanner and Elizabeth Beswick. He was born in Bolton Landing, New York, and was with his father's family as they were driven across the United States from place to place with the early Mormons. By the time he reached Salt Lake City in 1848, Tanner was 20 years old.
Soon after arriving in Salt Lake City, Tanner left for the California gold rush with his older brother Myron. In 1851, he and Myron joined other family members in helping to settle San Bernardino. For a time, Seth and his brothers made money breaking in semi-wild horses and driving them up from California to sell in Salt Lake. In 1856, he went to San Diego for a while to invest in the coal business with some partners and prospect for coal, although they didn't find much success in this venture.
Tanner married Charlotte Levi in 1858 in Pine Valley, Washington County, Utah, and they settled in North Ogden and had seven children. After Charlotte's death in 1872, Tanner moved his family to Payson to be near other family members. In 1875, he was chosen by Brigham Young to go on an exploring mission with James S. Brown to Arizona, to search out a suitable place for settlement on the Little Colorado River. He later returned to Utah Territory and married Anna Maria Jensen in 1876, then moved his family to Arizona, to an isolated cabin on the Little Colorado River near Tuba City, on the present-day Navajo reservation. Apparently his cabin was on the main travel route and visitors often stopped over there. Wilford Woodruff, fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), mentioned it when on the underground, hiding out from the federal marshals. Tanner's second wife had no children of her own, but raised the children of Tanner's first wife in this lonely cabin in the wilderness.
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