Evidence from genealogical and church ordinance records proves that James traveled to Utah in 1851 or 1852. He does not appear on the 1850 Utah census, which was taken in the Spring of 1851. The first documentation to place him in Utah is a church ordinance performed 19 Sep. 1852. He also married in Utah 22 Oct. 1852. Further research is needed to determine the year he came to Utah and the name of the company he traveled with.