Life History of Stewart Tefft Tanner (1856–1931)

Stewart Tefft Tanner was born June 4, 1856, in Salt Lake City, Utah, the youngest child of Nathan Tanner and Rachel Winters Smith Tanner, both early pioneers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Being the youngest, Stewart was cherished by his older brothers and sisters, and his natural warmth and cheerful personality drew others to him. His father had several wives, but Stewart never distinguished between his half-siblings and full siblings—he loved them all as one family. Some of his happiest childhood memories were weekends spent on the Tanner farms with his brothers and sisters.

Education and Early Career

Stewart attended school in Salt Lake City, and later enrolled at Morgan’s Business College. For a time he accompanied his father back to the family’s original home in New York, where he also attended college for a year. While his parents hoped he would follow a professional path in business, Stewart longed for the outdoors.

As a young man, he went to Cottonwood Canyon, joining his brothers in the general mercantile trade. This business also involved handling ore, and Stewart took charge of hauling from the mines. He is remembered as hauling the first load of ore ever brought from the famous Emma Mine. For five years he managed heavy shipments of ore and minerals—at the time, the largest volume handled by any single concern. In addition, he carried the mail from the mines, a hazardous duty in winter. With deep snow and rough trails, horseback and sled travel were impossible, so he tied himself and the mail into a buckskin sling fastened to a horse, enduring bone-jarring trips but ensuring the miners received their letters.

Marriage and Building a Home in Granger

On June 4, 1877, his 21st birthday, Stewart married Janet Coats, daughter of William and Elizabeth Dick Coats, Scottish converts who had immigrated to Utah. Together they built their first home in Granger, a one-room log house made cozy with curtains and homemade rugs. By 1880, Stewart had molded his own adobe bricks to expand the home with two more rooms. He dug one of the earliest wells in Granger, hauling stone from the dry farms to line it, though the water had a brackish taste.

Granger was sparsely settled at the time, with only a few families west of the Jordan River. Stewart hauled logs with oxen from Cottonwood Canyon to build, then later upgraded to mules, and finally to horses. For 25 years he farmed and raised livestock, becoming known for always driving a fine team of horses. In 1889, he began building a larger brick home on 3300 South. A devastating loss of $1,000 worth of livestock to disease nearly ruined his plans, but with determination he finished the home, which became one of the first in Granger with indoor water.

Community Leadership and Farming Innovation

Stewart was a builder of both land and community. He helped dig and manage the canals that made farming possible in the valley, serving as a director of the Utah and Salt Lake Canal Company for many years. He planted orchards, shade trees, and one of the first raspberry patches west of the Jordan River. For years, his farm’s spring served as the only watering place for livestock in the area.

He was also an innovator in farming. With his brother William, Stewart operated one of the first threshing machines on the west side. The work was grueling, with sagebrush and grass roots tangled in the grain, but they traveled widely, threshing for farmers across the valley.

Civic-minded, he served as a trustee of the 59th District School Board for ten years, overseeing the building of the first two-story brick schoolhouse in Granger. He also helped bring electric lights and telephone service to the community. Though naturally quiet and not drawn to public speaking, he served two terms as Justice of the Peace in Granger, where he was respected for his fairness.

Generosity and Faith

Though reserved, Stewart was a man of great faith and generosity. Each winter, when butchering livestock, he would prepare an extra pig to be quietly given to struggling families in the ward. His apple orchard was open to all, especially schoolchildren, and he never sold from those trees—preferring to give freely. He and Janet polished and boxed apples as gifts for friends and family in the city.

Later Years

In 1914, Stewart sold his Granger farm and moved to the Poplar Grove neighborhood of Salt Lake City. There, with his son Stewart Jr., he ran a grocery store, where his cheerful manner earned him the affectionate nickname “Daddy Tanner” on the city’s west side. When poor drainage made life difficult, he organized neighbors to petition for sewer lines and sidewalks, improving the quality of life for many families. He and Janet cultivated a beautiful flower garden and enjoyed their later years together in Poplar Grove.

Handy in carpentry and painting, Stewart often spent time repairing not only his own home but those of his children. He also donated his skills to maintaining the local meetinghouse, painting and repairing furniture.

In declining health, Stewart and Janet returned to Granger, where they lived with their daughter. The last year of his life was spent in a wheelchair, which he endured with patience and without complaint.

Death and Legacy

Stewart Tefft Tanner passed away on July 23, 1931, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Edgar Hill, in Granger. He was 75 years old. Funeral services were held in the Granger Ward Chapel, and he was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.

Stewart Tanner’s life was one of hard work, innovation, service, and quiet generosity. From hauling the first load of ore out of the Emma Mine, to digging canals that watered the valley, to giving apples and meat to neighbors in need, he embodied the pioneer virtues of industry and kindness. His legacy lives on in the community he helped build and the family he loved so dearly

From Ore to Orchards: The Life of Stewart Tefft Tanner