Thomas Jarvis Yates was born November 13, 1870 to Thomas and Elizabeth Francis Yates. His parents were immigrants to the United States from England. He grew up in Scipio, Utah. As a child, he had a sense of humor and liked to pull pranks. He was a member of the LDS Church and participated in the church throughout his life. He was baptized in June 1879. His family lived on the frontier and Yates came in contact with Native Americans and stray horses on occasion. Yates also enjoyed riding and racing horses as a boy. However, he got sick frequently, including suffering from typhoid fever.