Agatha Pratt Ridges

compiled by Doratha Rae Pratt Young
September 2007

Agatha Pratt was born the 7th of July, 1848, in Salt Lake City, Utah, daughter of Parley Parker Pratt and Ann Agatha Walker. On January 20, 1866, at the age of 18, she married Joseph Harris Ridges, the builder of the Tabernacle organ. Her mother, Ann Agatha Walker, married Joseph Ridges three years after Parley P. Pratt was killed, but discontinued living with him when he married her daughter Agatha. Agatha was the last of four wives. They had eight children: Florence, born 1 December 1866; Milton, 17 December 1868, Clarabella born 15 December 1870; Agatha Louisa born 16 January 1873; Beatrice born 26 November 1875, Josephine Bernice born 6 July 1879, Joseph Parley born 21 July 1881, Sidney Paul born 17 Jan 1885. They lived in Salt Lake City.

We know very little of her life, but find some glimpses in her mother’s journal, excerpts of which were compiled by Kate B. Carter for the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and published in a pamphlet called “Parley P. Pratt His Twelve Wives”.

“My first babe, Agatha, was born on the seventh day of July, 1848, on Pioneer Square.

Though I had not had scarcely a full enjoyable meal through the nine months previous to the birth of my babe, yet she was a plump, healthy child with apparently no particular craving and has always been a rather small eater”.

Agatha Pratt, at the age of a year and a half, accompanied her parents as they camped in Parley’s Canyon while building a road. They had a small tent to bunk in and slept on pine boughs. After finishing the road, when they reached the head of the canyon coming home, Ann Agatha said “Now let me get out and walk over the bad places”. Parley said, “No, I want to say a woman and baby came down in safety”. I promise you no harm shall happen to either of you”. Ann Agatha did as she was told and he drove the two yoke of cattle with large wagons attached, to the mouth of the canyon and home in perfect safety.

The following are excerpts from the journal of her mother, Ann Agatha:

April 1st, 1893: “I visited and made my home at my dear daughter Aggie’s whom I found not so well and happy as I should like. The cares and perplexities of life weighed rather too heavily upon her”.

May 5th – “Went to Salt Lake City by evening train. Went to Aggie’s, found she was at Claribel’s, who had a young daughter born on April 26th. Left there Tuesday the 8th. Stayed at Aggie’s”.

August 23rd – “Went to the temple with my sister and daughter Aggie. We went to the sealing room and I, my sisters, Mary and Dorcas were sealed to my father and mother, Aggie setting for my mother and Brother Wm. H. Miles for my father”.

February 25, 1896. “In the evening Joseph and Aggie came and had supper with us”.

Feb. 26 – “Went to the Temple. My dear Aggie and sister Mary Morris went with us. Willie and Lettie were married. There were just enough people to make it pleasant. Present were Aunt Mary, Aggie, Joseph, Florence, Beatrice and myself. We all went to Aggie’s and had a most excellent dinner”.

Agatha Pratt Ridges died in Salt Lake City just five months after her husband on the 12th of August of 1914.

-End-

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