Biographies
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William "Billy" Gibson first saw the virgin Ashley
Valley in 1869 from a hill that stretched along the north rim of the
valley northeast of Ashley town. He would build a cattle ranch that
could be viewed from that ridge. Many years later he later choose a
family cemetery site and "dug his own grave in the brow of a rocky ridge
a hundred above the valley floor and lined it with six inches of
concrete." When Gibson finished his tomb, he took his bed roll and spent
the night in the grave. He arose the next morning, stretched the kinks
out of his aging muscles, looked up at his three grandsons who stood by
the graveside and announced, 'It's a good fit. I slept fine all night.'"
"As he stood on the ridge, Gibson could see his ranch buildings below, his herd of cattle grazing in lush meadowns where he had grubbed head-high sagebrush, bush by bush. He declared, 'That's the view I want to see first come resurrection morning and I want you boys to see that this grave stays where it is after I'm in it.' Fixed with a commanding gaze from the old man's piercing blue eyes, the boys made a promise that they were destined to break thirty-seven years later when the site became part ot Steinaker Dam. Gibson's grandsons, by then prominent men in the community, were forced to exhume the remains of their grandfather and seven other relatives who lay buried in the tiny Gibson graveyard and re-inter them in the Vernal Cemetery."1
In 1898, when the American battleship Maine was blown up in the Havana, Cuba harbor, "Gibson, then a member of the Utah House of Representatives from Uintah County, conceived the idea to paint the motto [Remember the Maine] high on an Ashley Canyon cliff as an enduring tribute that also represented the sentiment of the citizens of Ashley Valley at the time." He paid Leo Voight a sum of fifty dollars to paint the motto on the steep 400 foot cliff. His theory was that if it were high enough off the ground, it would be safe from vandals. Voight, with the help of volunteers who lowered him about 225 feet over the edge of the cliff, painted Remember the Maine using a mixture of lamp black and linseed oil. They thought they had created a memorial that was higher than the Washington Monument which was at that time the highest in the world. But it was later measured and determined to be no more than 400 feet.2
1Burton, Doris Karren, Settlements of Uintah County: Digging Deeper, Uintah County Library, 1998, p. 52.
2 Ibid., p. 143.
Contributed by Marilyn Hersey Brown
Cora Isabel Johnson was born Oct. 25, 1847, in Bolton, Warren County, New York. During childhood she moved with her parents to Council Bluffs, Iowa. Her parents later to moved to Salt Lake City when she was thirteen years old. After six years they moved to Idaho where she married Lycurgus Johnson March 1, 1867.
Cora moved with her husband and family to Ashley Valley and lived in Ashley Town for nine years. For eight years she acted as postmistress, then moved to Maeser (or Millward) for twenty years. From there to Vernal City she assisted in the store of L. Johnson and Sons. She was the mother of eleven children, and died Feb. 10, 1926.
Lycurgus Johnson was born in Washington, Texas, August 25, 1844. He came with his widowed mother to Idaho in Rich County in 1846. After several years they moved to Spring Creek, Wyoming, from there to Ashley Valley on October 15, 1878.
In Old Ashley Town he became the second postmaster in the valley. He was also elected as the first sheriff, and built the second flour mill in the valley in 1885. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention in Salt Lake City in 1896. He was a representative for Uintah County for two terms and was appointed a member of the Continental Congress from Utah to Texas in 1884. He was one of the early merchants in the valley. Died June 29, 1908.
~used with permission, from the "Builders of Uintah", compiled by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers
Lycurgus Johnson "Lycurgus "Curg" Johnson was a Texan whose family had migrated to Bear Lake, Idaho. In 1878 LDS Church officials asked the Johnson clan to resettle in Ashley Valley. Besides operating several businesses in the valley, Johnson also served as the first elected sheriff of Uintah County, a selectman and a deputy U.S. Marshal. He represented the county in the 1890 territorial assemble, attended the Constitutional Convention in 1894 and was elected Vernal City mayor in 1905. Johnson also served as Ashley's second postmaster.1 "Johnson, a well-known entrepreneur opened a general merchandise store with two of his sons, Alfred and Snellen." About 1880 he purchased the Hatch store in Ashley Center, located on the southeast corner of the town's main intersection. He also owned and operated a flour mill, which he built in 1885...2 and one in Maeser in 1888.4 "In the fall of 1893 the Uintah Milling & Flume company was founded by Dry Fork and Ashley Valley water users. The company was begun with $26,000 in their coffers" and with Lycurgus Johnson as president.3
1Burton, Doris Karren, Settlements of Uintah County: Digging Deeper, Uintah County Library, 1998, p. 41.
2 Ibid., p. 39.
3 Ibid., p. 158.
4 Ibid., p. 189.
2 Ibid., p. 39.
Contributed by Marilyn Hersey Brown
Caroline
(Carolyn) LeBeau, Caroline was the daughter of Somene and Hans
Nielsen, born in Mt. Pleasant. She married Naploean LeBeau in March,
1883. He drowned May 29, 1881, and she married Antoine Leoni, and later
married Samuel Radmall.
Note: dates above are obviously incorrect but have not been changed from the original text of the book
-From 'The Builders of Uintah' courtesy of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers
Transcribed by Lori Reynolds Weinstein
Earl A Linderman. TWO BOYS THAT RAN AWAY. In the year 1890, I was nine years old and I was staying with myGrandparents, the well known Fairchilds Family, in Ashley Valley three milesfrom Vernal, Utah. They lived on a ranch and had cattle, horses, pigs andchickens. I was helping to do the chores and went to school.
My Mother, Mrs. Rene Jones, was left a widow with nine children, five boysand four girls. I was the youngest boy. Mother and all the rest of herfamily had moved to Rangely, Colorado on the White River, 100 miles away.
Ashley Valley and the surrounding country was really a wild and tough placeat that time. There was many miles of open range and many cattle weregraising on it. Our nearest Railroad Town was Price, Utah 130 miles away.Everything was freighted in from there with horses. The Ute Indians wouldbreak out now and then and kill some of the setters, before the soldierscould get them rounded up again.
I grew up in this wild country and although I was very young then, I hadlearned to tough it with the rest of them. I had slept out in the open manytimes in the winter when sometimes it was from 30 to 40 below zero. In thesummer we boys slept out every night, except when it rained. So I was stoutand healthy and had so much energy sometimes that I did not know what to dowith all of it.
I would work hard all day, then at night after supper I would go outside toplay. If I couldn't find anything else to play with, I would take the oldwheelbarrow and see how fast I could make it run around and around thehouse, for an hour or so. Grandpa would say, how can you do that afterworking hard all day? A few miles from us was a boy whose name was ClideSeshings. He would come to see me quite often. Clide was two years olderthan me, I was nine and he was eleven, but he was quite large for his age. Iliked him real well. Then every time he came to see me I would neglect mywork for awhile and we would play, then after he left Grandfather would say,one boy is a boy, two boys is a half a boy and three boys is no boy at all.
Then in July I began to get home sick. I wanted to see my Mother and be withmy brothers and sisters. I knew if I told my Grandfather that I wanted to gohome, that he wouldn't take me or let me go, so I decided to run away. Soevery time Clide came to see me, I would coax to run away and go with me.But I couldn't get him to say he would go. He was afraid of the Indians,wild bulls and animals. I was determined to go, even if I had to go alone.For I was awfully home sick. So the next time Clide came I told him, if youwill go with me will sure have alot of fun when we get there. We will go inswimming every day in the river and we can fish and hunt rabbits and justhave lots of fun. I ain't afraid of the Indians, they won't bother usbecause we are just boys and I know how to sneak around the wild bulls sothey won't see us and we can learn to be tough like the cowboys. Well hesaid alright, I'll go. So we planned to hide our clothes out in a sack eachand meet at a certain place early the next morning. Everything worked outalright so we met and slung our sacks over our shoulders and were on ourway. We had seven or eight pounds of clothes in each sack.
At the lower end of Ashely Valley about 20 or 25 miles, was a ferry onGreenriver and my greatest worry was how we could get across the river forneither of us had a cent. The ferry was owned by a man whose real name wasJensen, but everybody called him old Mabee. He was a tough man to deal withif you didn't have any money. I told Clide we might have to make a raft ifwe could borrow an axe and find some wire, I know how to make one. Well wegot to the ferry about 4 or 5 o'clock in the afternoon. It was about themiddle of July and it was awfully hot and our shirts were wet with sweat.Old Mabee said where in the world are you boys going. I told him we weregoing to Rangely, Colorado to my home and asked him if he would take usacross the river, but we haven't any money to pay you, but some of mybrothers will pay you the next time you ferry them across. He asked me whattheir names were. After I told him he said oh yes, I know them, well alrightbut I don't think I should. You boys are too young to hike through this wildcountry. but he took us across in a little row boat.
Now from there on there was only two places where anyone lived. The firstwas Rolstons cattle ranch, 7 miles from the ferry and we got there justbefore dark. I wasn't tired, but Clide was about all in. They were very niceto us and the lady got us a fine supper and of course asked us where we weregoing and where we had come from. But we did not tell her that we had runaway. then the cowboys began to come in from out on the range and they had agreat time joking with us. One cowboy told us we were the youngestdesperados he had ever seen and the bravest, for you ain't even got ashooting iron. What sha gonado if ya meet up with some Ingins? Well I toldhim we would talk nice to them and maybe they would let us go. He said wecowpokes ride fast horses so we can outrun Ingins and wild bulls.
Well the lady got us an early breakfast and gave us a lunch to take with usand two beer bottles of water and warned us to be very careful with ourwater and make it last, for we wouldn't find any water until we got to the KRanch about 15 miles. This was another cattle ranch. They told us we wouldhave to walk through about eight miles of fine sand and it is so hot that itwill burn your feet. So we left there just at the break of day. After we hadgone a few miles we struck the sand and now the Sun was really pouring downon us and our feet felt like they were burning up. Every step the sand wouldgive away under our feet and we would slip back a little. Clide had drankalmost all of his water. I kept telling him to take just a tiney swallowonly when he thought he had to, for we had got to make it last or we willperish, and it is getting hotter. Then Clide began to complain and said if Ihad known it was it going to be like this, I sure wouldn't of come. I triedto encourage him and told him we will soon get through this sand and then wewill be o.k. But before we had got through that hot sand, Clide had drankall of his water and part of mine. He laid down and said he was give out andcouldn't go any farther and would die if he did not have water. So I gavehim the last I had, which was only a tiney swallow and I said, Clide you aretwo years older than me and you have drank a lot more water than I have, youhave to learn to be tough. We can only go without water just so long and wehave got to keep going. Now get up and I will pack your clothes and thatwill make it easier for you, for I am not tired. I wasn't tired but I surewas suffering for water and from the heat, but I wouldn't admit it. So wemoved on and soon were out of the sand and what a relief it was to walk onfirm ground.
Off to the right we could see a little clump of Box Elder Trees. they lookedso healthy, pretty and green and I told Clide surely there must be waterthere. So we started to go over to them. I said, Clide you stay here andrest and if there is water there, I will fill the bottles and will soon beback. But I had to come back with empty bottles, there was no water. Now ourtongues were swelling and we could hardly talk. But we mozied on. Clidewould lay down every few hundred yards and I would have a hard time to gethim up. I could see he couldn't go much further and I knew that I couldn'teither, without water. I told Clide to take hold of my arm and maybe thatwill help you some.
Just then we came to the top of a little hill and what we saw just a littleway beyond was sure a delight to us, for it was the K ranch, a big cattleranch. We could hardly talk our tongues were swollen and our feet also, andthey hurt so bad that we could hardly walk. Well now we had got to thespring just a little ways from the house and that water looked more preciousthan gold or any thing that we had ever seen before. I told Clide we willhave to be careful and only drink just a few swallows, then wait awhile andthen drink a little more. For if we drink too much all at once, it mightkill us or make us sick. We stayed at the spring quite awhile and washed ourfeet, hands and faces. Then we went to the house. We were about starved, sothey got us a lunch, but they didn't treat us very good there, which wasvery unusual at that time, especially on a cattle ranch. I looked at thetime and it was 3 o'clock in the afternoon. There were three women and oneman at the house, the cowboys were all out on the range. They didn't evengive us a lunch to take with us and there was not another place where anyonelived until we got home at Rangely. Well anyway we thanked them for ourlunch and went out in the shade to rest. I told Clide that we would take agood long rest and start out again when it got cooler and we will try to getto Willow Creek 12 miles from here, then tomorrow night we will be home.
At Willow Creek there was just an old deserted house and the creek was dryin the summer. There was no more water, except some poison water until wegot to Rangely. I had been over the trail once before in a wagon and I knewthe way. There wasn't ant road, just wagon tracks through the sage brush.Sometimes you wouldn't see a wagon traveling through for two or three monthstime. Well we had a good long rest now and we found two more bottles andfilled them all with water and were on our way again. We were almost surethat we wouldn't have another bite to eat until we got to my home. We werein Colorado now and about half way of our journey.
We saw some Indians quite a distance from us. Gosh Clide said, do you thinkthey see us? Well, I said, if they do they won't harm us, but I wasn't toosure about it. We had to sneak around wild steers and bulls several times.Then in the distance we seen a team and wagon coming toward us and when wemet, he said, for the love of mike, where in the world did you young scoutscome from and where do you think you are going. I told him I was going hometo Rangely on the White River. He said, don't you know that a man isn't safegoing through this wild country on a horse or in a wagon, let alone littleboys on foot, with these Ingins on the war path and wild bulls and steersand wild animals everywhere, I am going to put you right in this wagon andtake you back. Well, I said, if you do I will only come right back again,for I am not afraid. Indians won't bother us for we are just boys and I knowhow to sneak around cattle so they won't see us, I am used to them for Ihave been raised among them. So when he saw that I was so determined to goon, he said, well I just don't feel right about letting you go, you hadbetter change your mind and go back with me. I could see that Clide sure didwant to go with him, but I didn't give him a chance to talk. Well anyway helet us go on.
Now it was getting dark and Clide would sit down every few minutes to rest.I had to keep urging him on and told him we will soon be to Willow Creek.But pretty soon he laid down and said he couldn't go any farther, so I said,well lets get out of the road for someone might come along and run over us.But there wasn't a spot anywhere around that was free from rocks, we spreadour clothes on them and laid down for the night. Just at the break of day, Igot up and went a little ways and looked down over the hill and there wasthe old deserted house. We had gotten to Willow Creek. So I went back andwoke up Clide and told him we had gotten there and now we can make it to myhome sometime today.
We didn't have a thing to eat, but we had water, so we hiked on and saw someIndians at a distance. Then we went down a long steep hill to the bottom ofa deep gulch, they called it Stinking Water gulch. It had a little seepageof poison water here and there, and now and then an old sign which read, "Donot drink this water, it will kill you." The road followed in the bottom ofthis gulch for miles. Then we heard a scream just a little way behind us andit sounded just like a woman in distress. Then we heard it again and we surethought it was a woman. So we started to go and see, then we heard it again.this time I knew what it was, so I said to Clide, that's a panther and he isfollowing us. Well, that was one animal that I was really scared of for Iknew what they would do. Sometimes they would lay for you and then springonto you. So we sure got in high gear for several miles and that thingfollowed us for at least ten miles, for we could hear him scream now andthen. Sometimes close to us and then farther away, then finally we didn'thear him any more.
We were getting weak now and we were awfully hungry. I had packed Clidesclothes all the way from the hot sand and also my own. So we would sit downand rest quite often. Then after we had gone a few more miles, Clide beganto complain again, and I said, don't you know these kinds of hardships arewhat makes us tough? Tough he says, you are always talking about how to gettough. Well, I said, wouldn't you like to be real tough like, well like somefellows we hear about? He said not, if I have to keep walking through 8miles of sand so hot that you could fry eggs on it, and have to go withoutwater until your tongue hangs out, and you have to pant like a dog and can'ttalk and then expectin some old bull to gore you or some Indian to get yourscalp, that at night lay down on sharp rocks and try to sleep, get up at thebreak of day and start hiking without my breakfast. Then have an old cougarfollow you for about 10 miles and you thinking any minute now you will makehim a nice meal, Then on top of all that, you have to go more than a wholeday and night without a bite to eat and keep hiking. If you have to keepdoing all of those things to get tough, I don't want to be tough.
Well, we hiked on and soon we could see the old White River winding it's waydown through that baren country. I said, it won't be long now and my Motheris a fine cook and we can soon eat now and then eat some more. That man wemet in the wagon that wanted to take us back, was the only person that wemet on our journey, that is from the ferry. Well we got to my home just alittle before sun down and my Mother sure was surprised to see us and shesaid, if I had known that you boys were on the road coming afoot and alone,I would have worried myself sick, but I would have sent some of yourbrothers to meet you.
Well we got fed up and rested up in about two days. Then I was making mypromise good to Clide and we were having a swell time. But it did not lastvery long. Early one morning a man on a horse and leading another horse,rode up to the house and he was tired, hungry and mad. It was Clide'sFather, he had rode all day and all night and had to leave his tired horsesat the K Ranch and take fresh ones and come on. He said, if I had more timeI would make Clide walk all the way back. So I said, Mr. Seshings, it wasn'tClide's fault, it was all my fault, for I had to coax Clide for a whole weekbefore I could persuade him to come. Well he stayed with us that day andnight and rested up, then early the next morning my pal was on his way back.
This story was probably written about 1954, by my Grandfather, Earl A.Linderman.
Compiled Dec.10,1996, by Forrest D. Linderman
Isaac T. Luckey & Eliza Taylor Luckey. ISAAC THOMAS LUCKEY And Family
Isaac Thomas LUCKEY was born 25 Dec 1819, in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. His actual birth date is questionable as is his birth location. Some records show him born in Wayne County but the majority shows him born in Jefferson County. Based on Solano County Land Records, the date on his tombstone (1819) and the 1870, 1880 and 1900 censuses, his birth date ranges from 1819 to 1832. His parents are believed to be Neil Lyle and Elizabeth Byers LUCKEY.
Little is known of his childhood though it is rumored that he left home after the Civil War destroyed his father's plantation and livelihood. In around 1863, he was in the area of Virginia City, Madison County, Montana when he met and married Eliza Jane TAYLOR in about 1865. Isaac was 46 and Eliza was 16. To date, no record of their marriage has been located. Eliza was born 16 Dec 1849 in Pertinalis Valley, Williamson County, Texas, to John TAYLOR and Nancy Eleanor BURKETT.
In the 1850 Census for Texas, Milam County, Milam/Williamson Precinct, the John Taylor family is shown with seven children, however Eliza Jane is not one of them. Yet in the 1860 Census for Utah, Weber County, Ogden, Eliza Jane is show as being eleven years old, in the 1870 Census for California, Solano County, Denverton Twp, she is show as 21 years old and in her obituary she is shown born in 1849, thus pretty well confirming her birth in 1849.
Eliza's family moved to Ogden, Utah in 1852 when she was about three years old, then in about 1862, at the age of thirteen, the family moved to Madison County, Montana where she met and married Isaac LUCKEY in about 1865. In 1865 or 66, Isaac and Eliza moved to California to the Sacramento Valley, where they took up a homestead in Denverton, Solano County, California. Land records for Denverton Township show Isaac LUCKY as a farmer with a 160 acre section in the southeast corner of the township. These same records show his name spelt Lucky, without the "e". The family farmed here for some 16 years, during which time they had eight children, Nellie Eleanor, born 29 Feb 1868, Minerva Jane, born 29 Jan 1870, William, born 26 May 1871, Annie, born 26 Mar 1873, John "Johnny", born 26 Apr 1875, James Thomas, born 7 Nov 1877, Lillie, born 18 Jun 1879 and Rose, born 29 Jul 1881. (Note The Luckey children may have been born in Rio Vista which is about ten miles east by south east of Denverton, which was quite a small town with a population in 1878 of about 54 families in the total Denverton Township.)
The 1870 Census for California, Solano County, Denverton Twp. shows Isaac (42) and Eliza (21) with two children, Nellie (2 yrs) and Minerva ( 5 mos). The 1880 Census for California, Solano County, Denverton shows Isaac T. (50) and Liza Jane (29) with seven children, Nelly (12 yrs), Manerva J. (10 yrs), William (9 yrs), Hannah (7 yrs), Johny (5 yrs), James T. (2 yrs) and Lilly (11 mos).
In 1882, the family began a long trek to Vernal, Uintah County, Utah. They drove a herd of cattle the 800 miles with several of the children helping out. Here in Vernal, they had four more children, George, born 18 Apr 1884, (Note the 1910 census shows George born in California?) Sylvia Laurel, born 2 Jul 1886, Edna Marie, born 13 Jan 1889 and Forest David, born 12 Jul 1894.
The 1900 Census for Utah, Uintah County, Vernal, shows Isaac (79 yrs) and Liza (54 yrs) with four children, Rose (18 yrs), Sylvia (15 yrs), Edna (11 yrs) and Forest (6 yrs).
They settled first in Stienaker Draw, later moving to a claim on Taylor Mountain and then back to Ashley Ward. Isaac Thomas LUCKEY died on 4 Nov 1904 and he was buried in the Vernal Memorial Cemetery on 6 Dec 1904. In the interim, several of the children had married.
Nellie Eleanor married William Swinford POWELL, son of Charles Kelly and Elizabeth Ann Ellington POWELL, on 1 Feb 1887 in Vernal. They had five children, Minnie Eleanor, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Ann, John "Johnny" Asahel, William "Bud" Swinford and Nellie Elaine. Early in 1907, Eleanor and William S. POWELL were divorced and within the next thirty plus years, Eleanor had married four other husbands. She married John HARPER on 23 Aug 1907. John died 4 Jun 1910 in Jensen, Utah. She then married Francis "Frank" FAIRCHILD on 12 Sep 1910. The 1920 Census for Bernalillo, New Mexico shows Nellie and Francis. George Emery STONE was Nellie's husband some time during the late 1920's. He died and she then married Erastus "Doc" SAVAGE, a well-known veterinarian from Colorado in about 1930. Doc died in Deep Creek, Colorado on 12 Feb 1943. She was known to many of the grand children as "Grandma Savage" Her first husband William died in Jensen, Utah on 23 Jun 1923 and Nellie died in Vernal, Utah on 23 Nov 1952.
1910 Census for Utah, Uintah, Riverdale shows John Harper (55) and Nellie (41) with three children from her first marriage, John, William and Nellie Powell. 1920 Census for New Mexico, Sandoval, Bernilillo shows Francis FAIRCHILD (71) and Nellie (51). 1930 Census for Colorado, Routt, Steamboat Springs shows Erastus SAVAGE (68) and Nellie (58).
Minerva Jane married James Samuel MILLER, son of Samuel Robert and Patrina Christine Larson MILLER on 25 Mar 1887 in Salt Lake City. They had eleven children, James Samuel, Leroy, Agnes May, Jesse Lawrence, Ethel, Guy, Aaron Parley, John LaVere, Alford, Goldie Louise and Minerva Jane. The family is shown in Starr Valley, Wyoming in the 1900 Census and in Jackknife, Idaho in the 1910 Census. Minerva died 3 Jun 1914 in Freedom, Wyoming and James remarried an Alice "Allie" SHAW and is shown in the 1930 Census in Jackknife with two of his children from Minerva and one child of Alice's from her previous marriage. James died in Freedom, Wyoming on 21 Oct 1944.
William married Sarah Ann JOHNSON, daughter of Snellen Marion and Sarah Hunt Greer JOHNSON on 30 Dec 1895 in Evanston, Wyoming. They had six children, Vivian W., James H., Lester, Marion G., Sarah A. and Afton. Of interest, there is two 1930 censuses for this family, the first in Lonetree, Wyoming, taken 30 April and showing William and Sarah and six children, and number two in the Wyoming State Training School in Fremont, Wyoming, taken 30 April and showing Sarah and five children. (No William or James). No death date is available for William. Sarah died in Evanston, Wyoming on 31 Jan 1953.
Annie Luckey married Christian A. STRASSER in Dry Fork, Utah on 1 Jan 1893. From the 1900 census, they had four children, Clarence A., Arthur, Rosa and Dewey G. It appears that Annie died sometime prior to 1910. Christian took the children and moved to Delta, Colorado, placing the two youngest, Rosa (12) and George Dewey (10) in the home of Benjamin and Mary LAYCOCK in Delta. Clarence became a hired hand on the ranch of Wilbur WEBB. In about 1920, Christian married a Mary H. (LNU). (Mary had immigrated to America from England in 1919 and she and Christian had just married.) The 1920 Census shows Christian A. (52) and Mary H. (40) and Christian's fourth child from Annie, Dewey G. (20).
Rose married Joseph Nathaniel WALKER, son of James Nathaniel and Rosanna Francis Eskelson WALKER on 16 Jun 1902 in Vernal. They had three children, Joseph Darrel, Ilta Rose and Voyne Oden. Rose died in a rest home in Roosevelt, Utah at the age of 97 on 18 Nov 1978. Joseph died 23 Feb 1946 in Roosevelt, Utah.
As for the balance of the children, John "Johnny" LUCKEY moved to Starr Valley, Wyoming prior to 1900, purchased a ranch and then died in Wyoming sometime before 1910. He never married.
From his obituary, James Thomas LUCKEY spent considerable time in the area of Soda Springs and Swan Valley, Idaho, and Starr Valley Wyoming, before moving to Colorado sometime prior to 1920. The 1910 census for Oxford, Idaho, shows him living with a "housekeeper", Hannah KENT, however it shows James as single and Hannah as married with two living children. He is shown as single and operating a boarding house and/or hotel in the 1920 census for Denver, Colorado. In about 1922, he married a widow, Mary J. (LNU) with two daughters, Lillie and Dorothy and settled in Arvada, Colorado. James died 11 March 1931 in Denver, Colorado. His wife Mary's death date in unknown.
Lillie Marion's life is a real quandary. She moved to Southern California, and then apparently married a SMITH and then a SOLIVAN. (There is a Marion SMITH mentioned as a sister in the obituary of James T. LUCKEY in Mar 1931 and a Marian SOLIVAN listed as a daughter in the obituary of Eliza Jane Taylor Luckey MORRIS seventeen years later, in May 1948.) To-date, no census information has been located.
It appears that George LUCKEY never married, though he lived to be about 64 years and died in Irwin, Idaho sometime before 1948.
Sylvia Laurel at the age of 16 went to Boise, Idaho where she finished high school and worked as a telephone operator. In about 1904, she traveled to her brother's homestead in Freedom, Wyoming where she met and married Jesse Benjamin BROMLEY on 30 May 1906. They had four children, Perry Deloss, Ted Clinton, Carl Dennis and Leo L. The family moved to Idaho Fall, Idaho prior to 1930 and spent the rest of their lives there. Sylvia died 23 Oct 1956 and her husband Jesse died 9 Mar 1962, both in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Edna Marie appears in the 1910 Census for Jerome, Idaho, working as a stenographer. Records show she worked as a Secretary/Stenographer in Boise, Idaho and Chicago, Illinois where she was employed by the "W.H. Miner Co." "Ted" as she was now known, became fast friends with the vice-president of the company, Mrs. Nettie M. GOLDSMITH. Moving from Chicago to New York City at the time when America was fast becoming involved into the entrance of World War I, she was selected to go to France to become secretary to the American in charge of France's Civilian Relief of the American Red Cross. She worked much too hard and long because of her energetic nature and by that fall, her health had broken and she was sent to the Riviera of Southern France to recuperate. Then as the War ended, she returned to America, to Los Angeles, California to regain her health. The 1920 Census shows Edna, age 30 as a boarder in the home of Eliza W. HARTMAN. Here she met and married Glenn David ROBERTSON, son of David Edward and Rhoda Emily Snell ROBERTSON on 10 Feb 1921 in Los Angeles, California. They had two children, Glenn David Jr. and Don Luckey. Edna died in Laguna Beach, California on 5 May 1971. Her husband Glenn remarried a Madelyn GALLEY in 1973 and he died 11 May 1982 in Los Angeles, California. ;
Forest David married Verna Marie CLARK, daughter of George Washington and Isabelle Foster CLARK on 27 May 1920 in Idaho Falls, Idaho. They had three daughters, Dorothy S., Eleanor M. and Betty R. Forest and Verna and their three children are all shown in the 1930 Census for Idaho Falls, Idaho. Then they were either divorced or Verna died and on 25 Aug 1946, Forest married Dora Ellenor LARKIN in Idaho Falls. Forest died 23 Aug 1959 in Boise, Idaho. His wife Verna's death date is unknown, Dora Eleanor died 2 Aug 1960 in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Several years after Isaac's death, in about 1909, Eliza Jane packed up her belongings and with two of her sons, George A. and Forest D, in a one-horse buggy, headed for Starr Valley, Wyoming, where another of her son's, Johnny, had died leaving a homestead. She not only proved up on his homestead but also took up another homestead of 320 acres of land in the wilderness of Swan Valley, Idaho.
The 1910 Census for Idaho, Bingham, Higham shows Eliza J. (57) with two sons, George A. (26) and Forest D. (15). (This census shows Eliza widowed, with 12 children, 10 living, Annie and Johnny having died before 1910).
On 16 Jun 1917, Eliza married William "Billie" MORRIS in Freedom, Wyoming. William was born in Sussex, England in 1861 and first immigrated to Canada in 1907, then across the U.S. to Wyoming. In 1920, Billie and Eliza sold out their holdings and moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho where they spent the remainder of their lives.
The 1930 Census for Idaho, Bonneville, Idaho Falls shows William (67) and Eliza Morris (79).
Billie died 9 Apr 1946 and Eliza Jane died 18 May 1948 at the age of 98. They are both buried in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Sources
Taylor/Luckey Families by Shari Frank
Glenn Robertson Biography (Tawna Marsh & Don Robertson)
William S. & Nellie E. Powell Biography (Christine Hinkley)
Solano County Genealogical Society
US Federal Census 1850 to 1930
Obituary of Taylor, Eliza Jane
Obituary of Luckey, Nellie Eleanor
Obituary of Luckey, James Thomas
Obituary of Luckey, Rose
Obituary of Luckey, Sylvia Laurel
Obituary of Luckey, Edna Marie
Obituary of Powell, William Swinford
Uintah Basin Pioneers Builders of Uintah by DUP 1947
Ancestral File and IGI Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
This is a work in progress and contains some information that may not be verified. Written by - Robert D Walker 1021 E Cambridge Rd Kaysville, UT 84037 reklaw2@comcast.net
history submitted by Bob Walker
| On-Site Biographies arranged by surname, click on coresponding letter range | ||||
| A through F | G through L | M through R | S Only | T through Z |
G
"As he stood on the ridge, Gibson could see his ranch buildings below, his herd of cattle grazing in lush meadowns where he had grubbed head-high sagebrush, bush by bush. He declared, 'That's the view I want to see first come resurrection morning and I want you boys to see that this grave stays where it is after I'm in it.' Fixed with a commanding gaze from the old man's piercing blue eyes, the boys made a promise that they were destined to break thirty-seven years later when the site became part ot Steinaker Dam. Gibson's grandsons, by then prominent men in the community, were forced to exhume the remains of their grandfather and seven other relatives who lay buried in the tiny Gibson graveyard and re-inter them in the Vernal Cemetery."1
In 1898, when the American battleship Maine was blown up in the Havana, Cuba harbor, "Gibson, then a member of the Utah House of Representatives from Uintah County, conceived the idea to paint the motto [Remember the Maine] high on an Ashley Canyon cliff as an enduring tribute that also represented the sentiment of the citizens of Ashley Valley at the time." He paid Leo Voight a sum of fifty dollars to paint the motto on the steep 400 foot cliff. His theory was that if it were high enough off the ground, it would be safe from vandals. Voight, with the help of volunteers who lowered him about 225 feet over the edge of the cliff, painted Remember the Maine using a mixture of lamp black and linseed oil. They thought they had created a memorial that was higher than the Washington Monument which was at that time the highest in the world. But it was later measured and determined to be no more than 400 feet.2
1Burton, Doris Karren, Settlements of Uintah County: Digging Deeper, Uintah County Library, 1998, p. 52.
2 Ibid., p. 143.
Contributed by Marilyn Hersey Brown
H
Reverend Milton Hersey, By Grant M. Ford
St. Peter's Parish, May 1925 - August 1934
The Rev. Milton J. Hersey, Rector
Following the death of the Rt. Reverend Bishop Hunting, D. D, Bishop of Nevada, the District of Nevada was placed under the jurisdiction of the Rt. Reverend Arthur W. Moulton, D. D., Bishop of Utah. Due to the vast distances to be traveled in both Nevada and Utah, this was a very difficult undertaking for any bishop. St. Peter's Parish, during that period and for some time prior, was having many difficulties. The Church and Rectory were badly in need of repairs and there were other accrued debts. There was no available money to take care of it. Many mines in adjacent areas had closed, and younger people had moved away. The Vestry wished to leave the Church closed until they could get out of debt and get some vital repairs to the property made. Bishop Moulton felt that this period should not extend too long as people were apt to lose interest, and not attend services. He felt that the best clergyman for the Parish would be someone who could fulfill the religious needs of the people, and at the same time be able to take active leadership in reconstruction of the property. It would, also, be necessary to give some inspiration in raising the necessary funds and establish friendship and good Public Relations with the townspeople in general. Early in September of 1924, Bishop Moulton sent the Reverend M. J. Hersey to Carson City to hold services, meet the people, and become familiar with the Church problems of Carson City, Virginia City, and the surrounding area. He found the architecture of St. Peter's charming and friendly.
Excerpts from a letter to Sr. Warden C. C. Taylor, in Carson City, Nevada:
"I want to thank you for being so kind to Mr. Hersey. He returned today and informed me of the fine time you had given him and how much he enjoyed the little trip to Nevada. He liked the Church and people at Carson very much... " am confident that such a man as Mr. Hersey, for example, could reconstruct the Parish and give it a great boost, but I might be able to send other men from time to time, in order that you may have a real choice in the matter...."
Background of St. Peter's new Rector: Milton J. Hersey was born in Holton (should be Houlton), Maine, June 10 1866. He was the son of Elizabeth and Ira Hersey. He spent his early childhood in Holton and then moved with his family to Waupaca, Wisconsin, where he attended school and grew to manhood. After some years, his father, who was a lumberman and carpenter by profession moved his family to Tacoma, Washington where there was a thriving lumber business. The family was never able to attend regular Church Services, due to frontier distances, but his mother, being a devout Methodist saw that her family had religious training. Son Milton worked with his father and at various other occupations, but finally decided he wanted to go into the grocery business. He took a job as clerk and delivery man, for one of the grocery stores in Tacoma. Strangely enough this led to his becoming a lay reader, Missionary, and a Priest in the Episcopal Church.
(The following is a quote from a Sermon by the Reverend Buzzelle of Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 12, 1936); "A Mission that Failed?"
"The opening session of the General Convention at Denver was a most impressive occasion, and I mingled with the huge crowd leisurely pushing its way into the auditorium. I became conscious of a man by my side who seemed especially interested in me. Presently he turned about with the question, "Are you Buzzelle?" I admitted it. And then he threw his arms about me and kissed me on the cheek, much to my astonishment, and the interest of those in the crowd who noticed the incident. "Forty years before this, as a young priest, I stepped from the train at Tacoma, Washington. Looking about, after learning that the Bishop of the District was ill in the east, I found the south end of the City and its adjacent suburb, Edison, site of the N. P. B shops, uncared for and proceeded to preempt the same, conscious that it was somewhat uncononical proceeding, I went to work at once securing the use of an old store building, and making a few rude benches, with a box for an altar, and prayer books and hymnals secured in the same way. A mission was duly organized (strenuously objected to by the then rector of the adjacent parish of the Holy Communion) and named Grace Church. From this place as a center of the whole county and surrounding country was worked, a number of laymen being pressed into Service.
"At Grace Church, someone was needed to build the fire and light the lamps for the evening service upon my return from Puyallup, where I held service in the afternoon. A rather likable young fellow delivered groceries at the house, and I made bold to ask him. He readily consented, and for some weeks, the building was lighted and warmed, but the young man was no where to be seen. On Sunday, the jerkwater train was ahead of time, and I arrived before he had made his getaway. He did not have the nerve to leave then, and remaining to the service, never missed another one. He was baptized and in due time confirmed. I taught him to read the service and used him in church school, and left him to close the service, when I had to exit to Edison.
"Dr. and Mrs. Paul Carter left Edison to take a position on the Mojave Reservation in Arizona. Shortly a letter came from the Doctor asking to send a Missionary, saying the people had never heard of God. Milton Hersey seemed to fill the bill. I wrote to Bishop Kendrick of Arizona and New Mexico, giving a full account of the matter and waited. In due time, a reply and a check for expenses and a request for Mr. Hersey came. "Forty years passed in fruitful work in Parker, Arizona. Years so fruitful that the late lamented Bishop Spalding of Utah, shortly before his tragic death, told me that he considered Milton J. Hersey the best missionary to the Indians he had ever known.
"Some day perchance I shall stand before the great Judge of all to give an accounting- so much left undone, so much wrongly done. As I crowd towards the Judgment seat, perhaps a stranger will walk by my side, and looking into my face will ask again the question asked at Denver. "Are you Buzzelle"? and hand in hand we will go forward, and with Milton Hersey will come the long train of the little ones of Christ, the simple souls who saw but dimly perhaps, but who learned to love God through him. Much I failed to do, of so much, but by the help of God I who learned to love God through him. Much I failed to do, of so much, but by the help of God I won a man to the Cross, whose faith and zeal and life has blessed, and will still bless thousands. A Mission that failed! Hardly!"
Mr. Hersey found the Mojave Indians to be a kindly, loving people eager to learn and receptive to the Christian teaching, after some time given to religious instruction and overcome the language barriers. An unusual result came on Sunday morning. Mr. Hersey was proud to have the Tribal Chief come with the wish to be baptized and he came to the Church Service, bringing his family and most of his tribe with him.
That morning before the outdoor Altar and Font, placed in the shade of one of the buildings, Mr. Hersey baptized almost one hundred persons, men, women, and children. Many of these people continued to attend Services as long as Mr. Hersey remained there.
The happiest event during Mr. Hersey's life in Parker, Arizona, was his marriage to Miss Ruby Buckles, a teacher in the Parker schools. They were married in Needles, California. Shortly after this, they were transferred to Randlett, Utah. Five children two girls and three boys came to brighten the household. After many years of help and companionship, Mrs. Hersey died and was buried in the church yard cemetery at Randlett.
Following the Meeker Colorado Massacre by the Ute Indians, the United States Army moved the Tribe to the Uintah Indian Reservation in eastern Utah and established Fort Duchesne nearby, with an Indian Agent and a Cavalry division to control their warlike tendencies and to keep them on the Reservation. The White River branch of the Tribe refused to be relocated and continued their raids and wanderings.
In 1898, the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, D. C. asked the Episcopal Church to build churches and send a Missionary for the Indians, hoping that teaching Christianity might civilize them where the Government had failed. Knowing Mr. Hersey's success with the Mojave Indians, he was asked to undertake this rather dangerous task.
In addition to his work with the Indians, Mr. Hersey held services for the white people living in the area and the Army personnel at Fort Duchesne. Monthly services were held at St. Paul's church in Vernal, Utah. The last few years before coming to Carson City, Mr. Hersey moved to Vernal to have regular services. Working with primitive people and raising a family left no opportunity to attend a seminary, so Bishop Leonard, then in charge of the Missionary district of Utah, advised a reading and study course under his direct supervision. After due study and examination, Mr. Hersey was ordained to the Deaconate by Bishop Leonard. After more private tutorage by the Reverend Olin Ostenson, a seminary instructor and clergyman, who came west for his health, Mr. Hersey was ordained to the priesthood of the Church, at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Ogden, Utah, on June 2, 1909, by the Rt. Reverend Franklin Spencer Spalding, D. D., Bishop of Utah.
On May 4, 1925, Mr. Hersey and Miss Anna g. Higley were married in the Episcopal Church in Provo, Utah, by the Ven. Wm. F. Bulkley, a long time friend and co-worker of Mr. Hersey. At the invitation of the Vestry and Congregation of St. Peter's Church, Bishop Moulton arranged to have Mr. Hersey take charge of St. Peter's Parish. He and his family arrived in Carson on Sunday morning, May 10, 1925, and the first service was held that evening. The Choir had arranged special music and the service was well attended. The Bishop had arranged for St. Peter's Clergyman to take on the added task of having regular Sunday Services at Silver City and Dayton. It became his duty to have one monthly service at the Nevada State Prison. On several occasions condemned prisoners requested to have Mr. Hersey with them during their last hour of earthly life. In most cases he was able to help them to sustain their faith and courage to meet their punishment bravely.
During the school year, weekly religious instruction classes were held at Stewart Indian School for the Episcopal children in attendance. Once each month, the children who had been confirmed were brought to St. Peter's for a Communion Service. This extra work was a heavy load for any clergyman, but since this work came under Missions, it made it possible for Bishop Moulton to use missionary funds to help pay the Clergyman's salary, travel expenses and to use other discretionary funds to help in other ways. Bishop Moulton was such a dedicated, sincere, understanding person, that all Nevada people loved him and cooperated with him to their utmost ability. Carson City people were no exception. After establishing regular religious services, the next urgent need was to find means of starting on vital repairs. The Vestry, Ladies Guild and members of the Congregation were all wonderful, and eager to help. The Ladies Guild began an active campaign with dinners, bazaars, card parties, etc. The Vestry and Mr. Hersey went back over old records to find members who had been connected with St. Peter's and had moved away, and who might be interested in helping in restoring their former place of worship. Many personal friends of all interested persons were contacted. Many of these people responded with gifts large or small to help preserve the historic Church.
One interesting sidelight was that the very first gift of one hundred dollars came from a Roman Catholic lady of New York City, who was a friend of the Rector. This hundred dollars made it possible to start putting on a complete new roof for the Church. The roof had been in such a bad condition that water had leaked into the lovely old pipe organ, and soaked loose several feet of the historic plaster of Paris molding. Other gifts and contributions were received and soon the roof was finished and painted. St. Peter's was taking on a new interest in the community. Many Church people felt that with the interior protected by a new roof, the rest of the repairs might be left a bit longer. However, the south and west sides of the Church, being exposed to winter storms and hot sun were badly in need of paint, if the siding was to be saved. One evening while discussing the need for painting and the lack of funds, the Rector said, "I don't know what the rest of you are going to do, but I am buying a gallon of paint and putting it on." This started a campaign of sanding and painting. Men stopped on the way home from their businesses to work for an hour. Even a group of Carson's socially prominent ladies, including the Governor's wife, came one morning, and selecting easily visible portions of the building, painted for a time, as an inspiration to the men. Since the steeple was not a safe place for an unskilled workman, a regular painter was hired to do that part, for which the Vestry and Ladies Guild were able to pay.
The Church interior was eventually repaired, reconditioned, including papering of the Church proper, painting woodwork, replacing sections of the plaster of Paris molding, and replacing sections of windows that had been broken. The original color scheme was carefully adhered to, as many of the older members wished to maintain the original appearance of the Church, so that they might feel at home there. The pews had originally been placed so close together that there was little room for kneeling. During his ministry the Rector personally took up all the pews and reset them at a wider space and made a number of kneeling benches that older people might be more comfortable. In a few years, a friend from the east, who was a builder of organs, cleaned and repaired the pipe organ as his contribution during his stay in Carson. The Rectory, also, needed much repair and Mr. Hersey personally sorted out any reusable shingles from the Church and Rectory roofs and reshingled and painted the Rectory himself with the Guild and Vestry furnishing needed materials. Financially, these were the "lean years," but people of the Vestry, Guild, and congregation and townspeople in general were wonderful, kind and encouraging and to the utmost of their ability very generous.
In spite of handicaps, the comparatively limited population including Carson City and townspeople, St. Peter's grew and at the time of Mr. Hersey's retirement, the property was in good repair. There was an active and interested Sunday School, for religious instruction, also a summer School with the added crafts and games carried on for several years, two weeks in summer.
After retirement, Mr. Hersey conducted occasional Church Services at the invitation of the Vestry at Trinity Church, during sickness or vacation of the Rector. A great deal of time was given to Civic and Community affairs. Mr. Hersey was a member of the City Council and an active member of the Lion's Club. Much time was given to Lodge work. He was a member of many branches of Masonry and was Chaplain and Prelate of the Grand Lodges in the State [of Nevada]. He enjoyed his association with men.
Mr. Hersey died at his home December 5, 1948. Burial Services were held at St. Peter's Church with Bishop Wm. Fisher Lewis officiating, assisted by the Rector, the Reverend Arthur Kean and others. The Church was well filled with friends and the floral offerings were beautiful. he was buried in the Masonic cemetery in Reno, Nevada, with Bishop Lewis conducting the Committal Service.
The Knights Templar in full uniform, formed an escort of honor both at the Church and Cemetery. Thus another beloved pioneer priest and friend was laid to rest beneath the sunny skies of northern Nevada.
(Author not identified but probably Bishop Wm. Fisher Lewis or Reverend Arthur Kean at the funeral service.)
-Contributed by Marilyn Hersey Brown
For more information on Reverend Milton Hersey, see also An Indian Christmas
St. Peter's Parish, May 1925 - August 1934
The Rev. Milton J. Hersey, Rector
Following the death of the Rt. Reverend Bishop Hunting, D. D, Bishop of Nevada, the District of Nevada was placed under the jurisdiction of the Rt. Reverend Arthur W. Moulton, D. D., Bishop of Utah. Due to the vast distances to be traveled in both Nevada and Utah, this was a very difficult undertaking for any bishop. St. Peter's Parish, during that period and for some time prior, was having many difficulties. The Church and Rectory were badly in need of repairs and there were other accrued debts. There was no available money to take care of it. Many mines in adjacent areas had closed, and younger people had moved away. The Vestry wished to leave the Church closed until they could get out of debt and get some vital repairs to the property made. Bishop Moulton felt that this period should not extend too long as people were apt to lose interest, and not attend services. He felt that the best clergyman for the Parish would be someone who could fulfill the religious needs of the people, and at the same time be able to take active leadership in reconstruction of the property. It would, also, be necessary to give some inspiration in raising the necessary funds and establish friendship and good Public Relations with the townspeople in general. Early in September of 1924, Bishop Moulton sent the Reverend M. J. Hersey to Carson City to hold services, meet the people, and become familiar with the Church problems of Carson City, Virginia City, and the surrounding area. He found the architecture of St. Peter's charming and friendly.
Excerpts from a letter to Sr. Warden C. C. Taylor, in Carson City, Nevada:
"I want to thank you for being so kind to Mr. Hersey. He returned today and informed me of the fine time you had given him and how much he enjoyed the little trip to Nevada. He liked the Church and people at Carson very much... " am confident that such a man as Mr. Hersey, for example, could reconstruct the Parish and give it a great boost, but I might be able to send other men from time to time, in order that you may have a real choice in the matter...."
Background of St. Peter's new Rector: Milton J. Hersey was born in Holton (should be Houlton), Maine, June 10 1866. He was the son of Elizabeth and Ira Hersey. He spent his early childhood in Holton and then moved with his family to Waupaca, Wisconsin, where he attended school and grew to manhood. After some years, his father, who was a lumberman and carpenter by profession moved his family to Tacoma, Washington where there was a thriving lumber business. The family was never able to attend regular Church Services, due to frontier distances, but his mother, being a devout Methodist saw that her family had religious training. Son Milton worked with his father and at various other occupations, but finally decided he wanted to go into the grocery business. He took a job as clerk and delivery man, for one of the grocery stores in Tacoma. Strangely enough this led to his becoming a lay reader, Missionary, and a Priest in the Episcopal Church.
(The following is a quote from a Sermon by the Reverend Buzzelle of Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 12, 1936); "A Mission that Failed?"
"The opening session of the General Convention at Denver was a most impressive occasion, and I mingled with the huge crowd leisurely pushing its way into the auditorium. I became conscious of a man by my side who seemed especially interested in me. Presently he turned about with the question, "Are you Buzzelle?" I admitted it. And then he threw his arms about me and kissed me on the cheek, much to my astonishment, and the interest of those in the crowd who noticed the incident. "Forty years before this, as a young priest, I stepped from the train at Tacoma, Washington. Looking about, after learning that the Bishop of the District was ill in the east, I found the south end of the City and its adjacent suburb, Edison, site of the N. P. B shops, uncared for and proceeded to preempt the same, conscious that it was somewhat uncononical proceeding, I went to work at once securing the use of an old store building, and making a few rude benches, with a box for an altar, and prayer books and hymnals secured in the same way. A mission was duly organized (strenuously objected to by the then rector of the adjacent parish of the Holy Communion) and named Grace Church. From this place as a center of the whole county and surrounding country was worked, a number of laymen being pressed into Service.
"At Grace Church, someone was needed to build the fire and light the lamps for the evening service upon my return from Puyallup, where I held service in the afternoon. A rather likable young fellow delivered groceries at the house, and I made bold to ask him. He readily consented, and for some weeks, the building was lighted and warmed, but the young man was no where to be seen. On Sunday, the jerkwater train was ahead of time, and I arrived before he had made his getaway. He did not have the nerve to leave then, and remaining to the service, never missed another one. He was baptized and in due time confirmed. I taught him to read the service and used him in church school, and left him to close the service, when I had to exit to Edison.
"Dr. and Mrs. Paul Carter left Edison to take a position on the Mojave Reservation in Arizona. Shortly a letter came from the Doctor asking to send a Missionary, saying the people had never heard of God. Milton Hersey seemed to fill the bill. I wrote to Bishop Kendrick of Arizona and New Mexico, giving a full account of the matter and waited. In due time, a reply and a check for expenses and a request for Mr. Hersey came. "Forty years passed in fruitful work in Parker, Arizona. Years so fruitful that the late lamented Bishop Spalding of Utah, shortly before his tragic death, told me that he considered Milton J. Hersey the best missionary to the Indians he had ever known.
"Some day perchance I shall stand before the great Judge of all to give an accounting- so much left undone, so much wrongly done. As I crowd towards the Judgment seat, perhaps a stranger will walk by my side, and looking into my face will ask again the question asked at Denver. "Are you Buzzelle"? and hand in hand we will go forward, and with Milton Hersey will come the long train of the little ones of Christ, the simple souls who saw but dimly perhaps, but who learned to love God through him. Much I failed to do, of so much, but by the help of God I who learned to love God through him. Much I failed to do, of so much, but by the help of God I won a man to the Cross, whose faith and zeal and life has blessed, and will still bless thousands. A Mission that failed! Hardly!"
Mr. Hersey found the Mojave Indians to be a kindly, loving people eager to learn and receptive to the Christian teaching, after some time given to religious instruction and overcome the language barriers. An unusual result came on Sunday morning. Mr. Hersey was proud to have the Tribal Chief come with the wish to be baptized and he came to the Church Service, bringing his family and most of his tribe with him.
That morning before the outdoor Altar and Font, placed in the shade of one of the buildings, Mr. Hersey baptized almost one hundred persons, men, women, and children. Many of these people continued to attend Services as long as Mr. Hersey remained there.
The happiest event during Mr. Hersey's life in Parker, Arizona, was his marriage to Miss Ruby Buckles, a teacher in the Parker schools. They were married in Needles, California. Shortly after this, they were transferred to Randlett, Utah. Five children two girls and three boys came to brighten the household. After many years of help and companionship, Mrs. Hersey died and was buried in the church yard cemetery at Randlett.
Following the Meeker Colorado Massacre by the Ute Indians, the United States Army moved the Tribe to the Uintah Indian Reservation in eastern Utah and established Fort Duchesne nearby, with an Indian Agent and a Cavalry division to control their warlike tendencies and to keep them on the Reservation. The White River branch of the Tribe refused to be relocated and continued their raids and wanderings.
In 1898, the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, D. C. asked the Episcopal Church to build churches and send a Missionary for the Indians, hoping that teaching Christianity might civilize them where the Government had failed. Knowing Mr. Hersey's success with the Mojave Indians, he was asked to undertake this rather dangerous task.
In addition to his work with the Indians, Mr. Hersey held services for the white people living in the area and the Army personnel at Fort Duchesne. Monthly services were held at St. Paul's church in Vernal, Utah. The last few years before coming to Carson City, Mr. Hersey moved to Vernal to have regular services. Working with primitive people and raising a family left no opportunity to attend a seminary, so Bishop Leonard, then in charge of the Missionary district of Utah, advised a reading and study course under his direct supervision. After due study and examination, Mr. Hersey was ordained to the Deaconate by Bishop Leonard. After more private tutorage by the Reverend Olin Ostenson, a seminary instructor and clergyman, who came west for his health, Mr. Hersey was ordained to the priesthood of the Church, at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Ogden, Utah, on June 2, 1909, by the Rt. Reverend Franklin Spencer Spalding, D. D., Bishop of Utah.
On May 4, 1925, Mr. Hersey and Miss Anna g. Higley were married in the Episcopal Church in Provo, Utah, by the Ven. Wm. F. Bulkley, a long time friend and co-worker of Mr. Hersey. At the invitation of the Vestry and Congregation of St. Peter's Church, Bishop Moulton arranged to have Mr. Hersey take charge of St. Peter's Parish. He and his family arrived in Carson on Sunday morning, May 10, 1925, and the first service was held that evening. The Choir had arranged special music and the service was well attended. The Bishop had arranged for St. Peter's Clergyman to take on the added task of having regular Sunday Services at Silver City and Dayton. It became his duty to have one monthly service at the Nevada State Prison. On several occasions condemned prisoners requested to have Mr. Hersey with them during their last hour of earthly life. In most cases he was able to help them to sustain their faith and courage to meet their punishment bravely.
During the school year, weekly religious instruction classes were held at Stewart Indian School for the Episcopal children in attendance. Once each month, the children who had been confirmed were brought to St. Peter's for a Communion Service. This extra work was a heavy load for any clergyman, but since this work came under Missions, it made it possible for Bishop Moulton to use missionary funds to help pay the Clergyman's salary, travel expenses and to use other discretionary funds to help in other ways. Bishop Moulton was such a dedicated, sincere, understanding person, that all Nevada people loved him and cooperated with him to their utmost ability. Carson City people were no exception. After establishing regular religious services, the next urgent need was to find means of starting on vital repairs. The Vestry, Ladies Guild and members of the Congregation were all wonderful, and eager to help. The Ladies Guild began an active campaign with dinners, bazaars, card parties, etc. The Vestry and Mr. Hersey went back over old records to find members who had been connected with St. Peter's and had moved away, and who might be interested in helping in restoring their former place of worship. Many personal friends of all interested persons were contacted. Many of these people responded with gifts large or small to help preserve the historic Church.
One interesting sidelight was that the very first gift of one hundred dollars came from a Roman Catholic lady of New York City, who was a friend of the Rector. This hundred dollars made it possible to start putting on a complete new roof for the Church. The roof had been in such a bad condition that water had leaked into the lovely old pipe organ, and soaked loose several feet of the historic plaster of Paris molding. Other gifts and contributions were received and soon the roof was finished and painted. St. Peter's was taking on a new interest in the community. Many Church people felt that with the interior protected by a new roof, the rest of the repairs might be left a bit longer. However, the south and west sides of the Church, being exposed to winter storms and hot sun were badly in need of paint, if the siding was to be saved. One evening while discussing the need for painting and the lack of funds, the Rector said, "I don't know what the rest of you are going to do, but I am buying a gallon of paint and putting it on." This started a campaign of sanding and painting. Men stopped on the way home from their businesses to work for an hour. Even a group of Carson's socially prominent ladies, including the Governor's wife, came one morning, and selecting easily visible portions of the building, painted for a time, as an inspiration to the men. Since the steeple was not a safe place for an unskilled workman, a regular painter was hired to do that part, for which the Vestry and Ladies Guild were able to pay.
The Church interior was eventually repaired, reconditioned, including papering of the Church proper, painting woodwork, replacing sections of the plaster of Paris molding, and replacing sections of windows that had been broken. The original color scheme was carefully adhered to, as many of the older members wished to maintain the original appearance of the Church, so that they might feel at home there. The pews had originally been placed so close together that there was little room for kneeling. During his ministry the Rector personally took up all the pews and reset them at a wider space and made a number of kneeling benches that older people might be more comfortable. In a few years, a friend from the east, who was a builder of organs, cleaned and repaired the pipe organ as his contribution during his stay in Carson. The Rectory, also, needed much repair and Mr. Hersey personally sorted out any reusable shingles from the Church and Rectory roofs and reshingled and painted the Rectory himself with the Guild and Vestry furnishing needed materials. Financially, these were the "lean years," but people of the Vestry, Guild, and congregation and townspeople in general were wonderful, kind and encouraging and to the utmost of their ability very generous.
In spite of handicaps, the comparatively limited population including Carson City and townspeople, St. Peter's grew and at the time of Mr. Hersey's retirement, the property was in good repair. There was an active and interested Sunday School, for religious instruction, also a summer School with the added crafts and games carried on for several years, two weeks in summer.
After retirement, Mr. Hersey conducted occasional Church Services at the invitation of the Vestry at Trinity Church, during sickness or vacation of the Rector. A great deal of time was given to Civic and Community affairs. Mr. Hersey was a member of the City Council and an active member of the Lion's Club. Much time was given to Lodge work. He was a member of many branches of Masonry and was Chaplain and Prelate of the Grand Lodges in the State [of Nevada]. He enjoyed his association with men.
Mr. Hersey died at his home December 5, 1948. Burial Services were held at St. Peter's Church with Bishop Wm. Fisher Lewis officiating, assisted by the Rector, the Reverend Arthur Kean and others. The Church was well filled with friends and the floral offerings were beautiful. he was buried in the Masonic cemetery in Reno, Nevada, with Bishop Lewis conducting the Committal Service.
The Knights Templar in full uniform, formed an escort of honor both at the Church and Cemetery. Thus another beloved pioneer priest and friend was laid to rest beneath the sunny skies of northern Nevada.
(Author not identified but probably Bishop Wm. Fisher Lewis or Reverend Arthur Kean at the funeral service.)
-Contributed by Marilyn Hersey Brown
For more information on Reverend Milton Hersey, see also An Indian Christmas
I
NONE
J
Cora Isabel Johnson was born Oct. 25, 1847, in Bolton, Warren County, New York. During childhood she moved with her parents to Council Bluffs, Iowa. Her parents later to moved to Salt Lake City when she was thirteen years old. After six years they moved to Idaho where she married Lycurgus Johnson March 1, 1867.
Cora moved with her husband and family to Ashley Valley and lived in Ashley Town for nine years. For eight years she acted as postmistress, then moved to Maeser (or Millward) for twenty years. From there to Vernal City she assisted in the store of L. Johnson and Sons. She was the mother of eleven children, and died Feb. 10, 1926.
Lycurgus Johnson was born in Washington, Texas, August 25, 1844. He came with his widowed mother to Idaho in Rich County in 1846. After several years they moved to Spring Creek, Wyoming, from there to Ashley Valley on October 15, 1878.
In Old Ashley Town he became the second postmaster in the valley. He was also elected as the first sheriff, and built the second flour mill in the valley in 1885. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention in Salt Lake City in 1896. He was a representative for Uintah County for two terms and was appointed a member of the Continental Congress from Utah to Texas in 1884. He was one of the early merchants in the valley. Died June 29, 1908.
~used with permission, from the "Builders of Uintah", compiled by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers
Lycurgus Johnson "Lycurgus "Curg" Johnson was a Texan whose family had migrated to Bear Lake, Idaho. In 1878 LDS Church officials asked the Johnson clan to resettle in Ashley Valley. Besides operating several businesses in the valley, Johnson also served as the first elected sheriff of Uintah County, a selectman and a deputy U.S. Marshal. He represented the county in the 1890 territorial assemble, attended the Constitutional Convention in 1894 and was elected Vernal City mayor in 1905. Johnson also served as Ashley's second postmaster.1 "Johnson, a well-known entrepreneur opened a general merchandise store with two of his sons, Alfred and Snellen." About 1880 he purchased the Hatch store in Ashley Center, located on the southeast corner of the town's main intersection. He also owned and operated a flour mill, which he built in 1885...2 and one in Maeser in 1888.4 "In the fall of 1893 the Uintah Milling & Flume company was founded by Dry Fork and Ashley Valley water users. The company was begun with $26,000 in their coffers" and with Lycurgus Johnson as president.3
1Burton, Doris Karren, Settlements of Uintah County: Digging Deeper, Uintah County Library, 1998, p. 41.
2 Ibid., p. 39.
3 Ibid., p. 158.
4 Ibid., p. 189.
2 Ibid., p. 39.
Contributed by Marilyn Hersey Brown
K
Thomas
Karren, A son of Thomas Karren and Ann Ratcliff, he was born
Dec 22, 1839 at Liverpool, England. He came to Utah in 1852 and married
Sarah Garrett. Mr. Karren came to Vernal in the fall of 1879 for the
purpose of securing a farm and raising sheep. He played and active part
in preparing the fort at Vernal. He was chosen high councilman. Uintah
stake was organized in 1887. Went on a mission to England '91-'93. Died
in November, 1903.
-From 'The Builders of Uintah' courtesy of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers
Transcribed by Lori Reynolds Weinstein
-From 'The Builders of Uintah' courtesy of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers
Transcribed by Lori Reynolds Weinstein
L
Note: dates above are obviously incorrect but have not been changed from the original text of the book
-From 'The Builders of Uintah' courtesy of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers
Transcribed by Lori Reynolds Weinstein
Earl A Linderman. TWO BOYS THAT RAN AWAY. In the year 1890, I was nine years old and I was staying with myGrandparents, the well known Fairchilds Family, in Ashley Valley three milesfrom Vernal, Utah. They lived on a ranch and had cattle, horses, pigs andchickens. I was helping to do the chores and went to school.
My Mother, Mrs. Rene Jones, was left a widow with nine children, five boysand four girls. I was the youngest boy. Mother and all the rest of herfamily had moved to Rangely, Colorado on the White River, 100 miles away.
Ashley Valley and the surrounding country was really a wild and tough placeat that time. There was many miles of open range and many cattle weregraising on it. Our nearest Railroad Town was Price, Utah 130 miles away.Everything was freighted in from there with horses. The Ute Indians wouldbreak out now and then and kill some of the setters, before the soldierscould get them rounded up again.
I grew up in this wild country and although I was very young then, I hadlearned to tough it with the rest of them. I had slept out in the open manytimes in the winter when sometimes it was from 30 to 40 below zero. In thesummer we boys slept out every night, except when it rained. So I was stoutand healthy and had so much energy sometimes that I did not know what to dowith all of it.
I would work hard all day, then at night after supper I would go outside toplay. If I couldn't find anything else to play with, I would take the oldwheelbarrow and see how fast I could make it run around and around thehouse, for an hour or so. Grandpa would say, how can you do that afterworking hard all day? A few miles from us was a boy whose name was ClideSeshings. He would come to see me quite often. Clide was two years olderthan me, I was nine and he was eleven, but he was quite large for his age. Iliked him real well. Then every time he came to see me I would neglect mywork for awhile and we would play, then after he left Grandfather would say,one boy is a boy, two boys is a half a boy and three boys is no boy at all.
Then in July I began to get home sick. I wanted to see my Mother and be withmy brothers and sisters. I knew if I told my Grandfather that I wanted to gohome, that he wouldn't take me or let me go, so I decided to run away. Soevery time Clide came to see me, I would coax to run away and go with me.But I couldn't get him to say he would go. He was afraid of the Indians,wild bulls and animals. I was determined to go, even if I had to go alone.For I was awfully home sick. So the next time Clide came I told him, if youwill go with me will sure have alot of fun when we get there. We will go inswimming every day in the river and we can fish and hunt rabbits and justhave lots of fun. I ain't afraid of the Indians, they won't bother usbecause we are just boys and I know how to sneak around the wild bulls sothey won't see us and we can learn to be tough like the cowboys. Well hesaid alright, I'll go. So we planned to hide our clothes out in a sack eachand meet at a certain place early the next morning. Everything worked outalright so we met and slung our sacks over our shoulders and were on ourway. We had seven or eight pounds of clothes in each sack.
At the lower end of Ashely Valley about 20 or 25 miles, was a ferry onGreenriver and my greatest worry was how we could get across the river forneither of us had a cent. The ferry was owned by a man whose real name wasJensen, but everybody called him old Mabee. He was a tough man to deal withif you didn't have any money. I told Clide we might have to make a raft ifwe could borrow an axe and find some wire, I know how to make one. Well wegot to the ferry about 4 or 5 o'clock in the afternoon. It was about themiddle of July and it was awfully hot and our shirts were wet with sweat.Old Mabee said where in the world are you boys going. I told him we weregoing to Rangely, Colorado to my home and asked him if he would take usacross the river, but we haven't any money to pay you, but some of mybrothers will pay you the next time you ferry them across. He asked me whattheir names were. After I told him he said oh yes, I know them, well alrightbut I don't think I should. You boys are too young to hike through this wildcountry. but he took us across in a little row boat.
Now from there on there was only two places where anyone lived. The firstwas Rolstons cattle ranch, 7 miles from the ferry and we got there justbefore dark. I wasn't tired, but Clide was about all in. They were very niceto us and the lady got us a fine supper and of course asked us where we weregoing and where we had come from. But we did not tell her that we had runaway. then the cowboys began to come in from out on the range and they had agreat time joking with us. One cowboy told us we were the youngestdesperados he had ever seen and the bravest, for you ain't even got ashooting iron. What sha gonado if ya meet up with some Ingins? Well I toldhim we would talk nice to them and maybe they would let us go. He said wecowpokes ride fast horses so we can outrun Ingins and wild bulls.
Well the lady got us an early breakfast and gave us a lunch to take with usand two beer bottles of water and warned us to be very careful with ourwater and make it last, for we wouldn't find any water until we got to the KRanch about 15 miles. This was another cattle ranch. They told us we wouldhave to walk through about eight miles of fine sand and it is so hot that itwill burn your feet. So we left there just at the break of day. After we hadgone a few miles we struck the sand and now the Sun was really pouring downon us and our feet felt like they were burning up. Every step the sand wouldgive away under our feet and we would slip back a little. Clide had drankalmost all of his water. I kept telling him to take just a tiney swallowonly when he thought he had to, for we had got to make it last or we willperish, and it is getting hotter. Then Clide began to complain and said if Ihad known it was it going to be like this, I sure wouldn't of come. I triedto encourage him and told him we will soon get through this sand and then wewill be o.k. But before we had got through that hot sand, Clide had drankall of his water and part of mine. He laid down and said he was give out andcouldn't go any farther and would die if he did not have water. So I gavehim the last I had, which was only a tiney swallow and I said, Clide you aretwo years older than me and you have drank a lot more water than I have, youhave to learn to be tough. We can only go without water just so long and wehave got to keep going. Now get up and I will pack your clothes and thatwill make it easier for you, for I am not tired. I wasn't tired but I surewas suffering for water and from the heat, but I wouldn't admit it. So wemoved on and soon were out of the sand and what a relief it was to walk onfirm ground.
Off to the right we could see a little clump of Box Elder Trees. they lookedso healthy, pretty and green and I told Clide surely there must be waterthere. So we started to go over to them. I said, Clide you stay here andrest and if there is water there, I will fill the bottles and will soon beback. But I had to come back with empty bottles, there was no water. Now ourtongues were swelling and we could hardly talk. But we mozied on. Clidewould lay down every few hundred yards and I would have a hard time to gethim up. I could see he couldn't go much further and I knew that I couldn'teither, without water. I told Clide to take hold of my arm and maybe thatwill help you some.
Just then we came to the top of a little hill and what we saw just a littleway beyond was sure a delight to us, for it was the K ranch, a big cattleranch. We could hardly talk our tongues were swollen and our feet also, andthey hurt so bad that we could hardly walk. Well now we had got to thespring just a little ways from the house and that water looked more preciousthan gold or any thing that we had ever seen before. I told Clide we willhave to be careful and only drink just a few swallows, then wait awhile andthen drink a little more. For if we drink too much all at once, it mightkill us or make us sick. We stayed at the spring quite awhile and washed ourfeet, hands and faces. Then we went to the house. We were about starved, sothey got us a lunch, but they didn't treat us very good there, which wasvery unusual at that time, especially on a cattle ranch. I looked at thetime and it was 3 o'clock in the afternoon. There were three women and oneman at the house, the cowboys were all out on the range. They didn't evengive us a lunch to take with us and there was not another place where anyonelived until we got home at Rangely. Well anyway we thanked them for ourlunch and went out in the shade to rest. I told Clide that we would take agood long rest and start out again when it got cooler and we will try to getto Willow Creek 12 miles from here, then tomorrow night we will be home.
At Willow Creek there was just an old deserted house and the creek was dryin the summer. There was no more water, except some poison water until wegot to Rangely. I had been over the trail once before in a wagon and I knewthe way. There wasn't ant road, just wagon tracks through the sage brush.Sometimes you wouldn't see a wagon traveling through for two or three monthstime. Well we had a good long rest now and we found two more bottles andfilled them all with water and were on our way again. We were almost surethat we wouldn't have another bite to eat until we got to my home. We werein Colorado now and about half way of our journey.
We saw some Indians quite a distance from us. Gosh Clide said, do you thinkthey see us? Well, I said, if they do they won't harm us, but I wasn't toosure about it. We had to sneak around wild steers and bulls several times.Then in the distance we seen a team and wagon coming toward us and when wemet, he said, for the love of mike, where in the world did you young scoutscome from and where do you think you are going. I told him I was going hometo Rangely on the White River. He said, don't you know that a man isn't safegoing through this wild country on a horse or in a wagon, let alone littleboys on foot, with these Ingins on the war path and wild bulls and steersand wild animals everywhere, I am going to put you right in this wagon andtake you back. Well, I said, if you do I will only come right back again,for I am not afraid. Indians won't bother us for we are just boys and I knowhow to sneak around cattle so they won't see us, I am used to them for Ihave been raised among them. So when he saw that I was so determined to goon, he said, well I just don't feel right about letting you go, you hadbetter change your mind and go back with me. I could see that Clide sure didwant to go with him, but I didn't give him a chance to talk. Well anyway helet us go on.
Now it was getting dark and Clide would sit down every few minutes to rest.I had to keep urging him on and told him we will soon be to Willow Creek.But pretty soon he laid down and said he couldn't go any farther, so I said,well lets get out of the road for someone might come along and run over us.But there wasn't a spot anywhere around that was free from rocks, we spreadour clothes on them and laid down for the night. Just at the break of day, Igot up and went a little ways and looked down over the hill and there wasthe old deserted house. We had gotten to Willow Creek. So I went back andwoke up Clide and told him we had gotten there and now we can make it to myhome sometime today.
We didn't have a thing to eat, but we had water, so we hiked on and saw someIndians at a distance. Then we went down a long steep hill to the bottom ofa deep gulch, they called it Stinking Water gulch. It had a little seepageof poison water here and there, and now and then an old sign which read, "Donot drink this water, it will kill you." The road followed in the bottom ofthis gulch for miles. Then we heard a scream just a little way behind us andit sounded just like a woman in distress. Then we heard it again and we surethought it was a woman. So we started to go and see, then we heard it again.this time I knew what it was, so I said to Clide, that's a panther and he isfollowing us. Well, that was one animal that I was really scared of for Iknew what they would do. Sometimes they would lay for you and then springonto you. So we sure got in high gear for several miles and that thingfollowed us for at least ten miles, for we could hear him scream now andthen. Sometimes close to us and then farther away, then finally we didn'thear him any more.
We were getting weak now and we were awfully hungry. I had packed Clidesclothes all the way from the hot sand and also my own. So we would sit downand rest quite often. Then after we had gone a few more miles, Clide beganto complain again, and I said, don't you know these kinds of hardships arewhat makes us tough? Tough he says, you are always talking about how to gettough. Well, I said, wouldn't you like to be real tough like, well like somefellows we hear about? He said not, if I have to keep walking through 8miles of sand so hot that you could fry eggs on it, and have to go withoutwater until your tongue hangs out, and you have to pant like a dog and can'ttalk and then expectin some old bull to gore you or some Indian to get yourscalp, that at night lay down on sharp rocks and try to sleep, get up at thebreak of day and start hiking without my breakfast. Then have an old cougarfollow you for about 10 miles and you thinking any minute now you will makehim a nice meal, Then on top of all that, you have to go more than a wholeday and night without a bite to eat and keep hiking. If you have to keepdoing all of those things to get tough, I don't want to be tough.
Well, we hiked on and soon we could see the old White River winding it's waydown through that baren country. I said, it won't be long now and my Motheris a fine cook and we can soon eat now and then eat some more. That man wemet in the wagon that wanted to take us back, was the only person that wemet on our journey, that is from the ferry. Well we got to my home just alittle before sun down and my Mother sure was surprised to see us and shesaid, if I had known that you boys were on the road coming afoot and alone,I would have worried myself sick, but I would have sent some of yourbrothers to meet you.
Well we got fed up and rested up in about two days. Then I was making mypromise good to Clide and we were having a swell time. But it did not lastvery long. Early one morning a man on a horse and leading another horse,rode up to the house and he was tired, hungry and mad. It was Clide'sFather, he had rode all day and all night and had to leave his tired horsesat the K Ranch and take fresh ones and come on. He said, if I had more timeI would make Clide walk all the way back. So I said, Mr. Seshings, it wasn'tClide's fault, it was all my fault, for I had to coax Clide for a whole weekbefore I could persuade him to come. Well he stayed with us that day andnight and rested up, then early the next morning my pal was on his way back.
This story was probably written about 1954, by my Grandfather, Earl A.Linderman.
Compiled Dec.10,1996, by Forrest D. Linderman
Isaac T. Luckey & Eliza Taylor Luckey. ISAAC THOMAS LUCKEY And Family
Isaac Thomas LUCKEY was born 25 Dec 1819, in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. His actual birth date is questionable as is his birth location. Some records show him born in Wayne County but the majority shows him born in Jefferson County. Based on Solano County Land Records, the date on his tombstone (1819) and the 1870, 1880 and 1900 censuses, his birth date ranges from 1819 to 1832. His parents are believed to be Neil Lyle and Elizabeth Byers LUCKEY.
Little is known of his childhood though it is rumored that he left home after the Civil War destroyed his father's plantation and livelihood. In around 1863, he was in the area of Virginia City, Madison County, Montana when he met and married Eliza Jane TAYLOR in about 1865. Isaac was 46 and Eliza was 16. To date, no record of their marriage has been located. Eliza was born 16 Dec 1849 in Pertinalis Valley, Williamson County, Texas, to John TAYLOR and Nancy Eleanor BURKETT.
In the 1850 Census for Texas, Milam County, Milam/Williamson Precinct, the John Taylor family is shown with seven children, however Eliza Jane is not one of them. Yet in the 1860 Census for Utah, Weber County, Ogden, Eliza Jane is show as being eleven years old, in the 1870 Census for California, Solano County, Denverton Twp, she is show as 21 years old and in her obituary she is shown born in 1849, thus pretty well confirming her birth in 1849.
Eliza's family moved to Ogden, Utah in 1852 when she was about three years old, then in about 1862, at the age of thirteen, the family moved to Madison County, Montana where she met and married Isaac LUCKEY in about 1865. In 1865 or 66, Isaac and Eliza moved to California to the Sacramento Valley, where they took up a homestead in Denverton, Solano County, California. Land records for Denverton Township show Isaac LUCKY as a farmer with a 160 acre section in the southeast corner of the township. These same records show his name spelt Lucky, without the "e". The family farmed here for some 16 years, during which time they had eight children, Nellie Eleanor, born 29 Feb 1868, Minerva Jane, born 29 Jan 1870, William, born 26 May 1871, Annie, born 26 Mar 1873, John "Johnny", born 26 Apr 1875, James Thomas, born 7 Nov 1877, Lillie, born 18 Jun 1879 and Rose, born 29 Jul 1881. (Note The Luckey children may have been born in Rio Vista which is about ten miles east by south east of Denverton, which was quite a small town with a population in 1878 of about 54 families in the total Denverton Township.)
The 1870 Census for California, Solano County, Denverton Twp. shows Isaac (42) and Eliza (21) with two children, Nellie (2 yrs) and Minerva ( 5 mos). The 1880 Census for California, Solano County, Denverton shows Isaac T. (50) and Liza Jane (29) with seven children, Nelly (12 yrs), Manerva J. (10 yrs), William (9 yrs), Hannah (7 yrs), Johny (5 yrs), James T. (2 yrs) and Lilly (11 mos).
In 1882, the family began a long trek to Vernal, Uintah County, Utah. They drove a herd of cattle the 800 miles with several of the children helping out. Here in Vernal, they had four more children, George, born 18 Apr 1884, (Note the 1910 census shows George born in California?) Sylvia Laurel, born 2 Jul 1886, Edna Marie, born 13 Jan 1889 and Forest David, born 12 Jul 1894.
The 1900 Census for Utah, Uintah County, Vernal, shows Isaac (79 yrs) and Liza (54 yrs) with four children, Rose (18 yrs), Sylvia (15 yrs), Edna (11 yrs) and Forest (6 yrs).
They settled first in Stienaker Draw, later moving to a claim on Taylor Mountain and then back to Ashley Ward. Isaac Thomas LUCKEY died on 4 Nov 1904 and he was buried in the Vernal Memorial Cemetery on 6 Dec 1904. In the interim, several of the children had married.
Nellie Eleanor married William Swinford POWELL, son of Charles Kelly and Elizabeth Ann Ellington POWELL, on 1 Feb 1887 in Vernal. They had five children, Minnie Eleanor, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Ann, John "Johnny" Asahel, William "Bud" Swinford and Nellie Elaine. Early in 1907, Eleanor and William S. POWELL were divorced and within the next thirty plus years, Eleanor had married four other husbands. She married John HARPER on 23 Aug 1907. John died 4 Jun 1910 in Jensen, Utah. She then married Francis "Frank" FAIRCHILD on 12 Sep 1910. The 1920 Census for Bernalillo, New Mexico shows Nellie and Francis. George Emery STONE was Nellie's husband some time during the late 1920's. He died and she then married Erastus "Doc" SAVAGE, a well-known veterinarian from Colorado in about 1930. Doc died in Deep Creek, Colorado on 12 Feb 1943. She was known to many of the grand children as "Grandma Savage" Her first husband William died in Jensen, Utah on 23 Jun 1923 and Nellie died in Vernal, Utah on 23 Nov 1952.
1910 Census for Utah, Uintah, Riverdale shows John Harper (55) and Nellie (41) with three children from her first marriage, John, William and Nellie Powell. 1920 Census for New Mexico, Sandoval, Bernilillo shows Francis FAIRCHILD (71) and Nellie (51). 1930 Census for Colorado, Routt, Steamboat Springs shows Erastus SAVAGE (68) and Nellie (58).
Minerva Jane married James Samuel MILLER, son of Samuel Robert and Patrina Christine Larson MILLER on 25 Mar 1887 in Salt Lake City. They had eleven children, James Samuel, Leroy, Agnes May, Jesse Lawrence, Ethel, Guy, Aaron Parley, John LaVere, Alford, Goldie Louise and Minerva Jane. The family is shown in Starr Valley, Wyoming in the 1900 Census and in Jackknife, Idaho in the 1910 Census. Minerva died 3 Jun 1914 in Freedom, Wyoming and James remarried an Alice "Allie" SHAW and is shown in the 1930 Census in Jackknife with two of his children from Minerva and one child of Alice's from her previous marriage. James died in Freedom, Wyoming on 21 Oct 1944.
William married Sarah Ann JOHNSON, daughter of Snellen Marion and Sarah Hunt Greer JOHNSON on 30 Dec 1895 in Evanston, Wyoming. They had six children, Vivian W., James H., Lester, Marion G., Sarah A. and Afton. Of interest, there is two 1930 censuses for this family, the first in Lonetree, Wyoming, taken 30 April and showing William and Sarah and six children, and number two in the Wyoming State Training School in Fremont, Wyoming, taken 30 April and showing Sarah and five children. (No William or James). No death date is available for William. Sarah died in Evanston, Wyoming on 31 Jan 1953.
Annie Luckey married Christian A. STRASSER in Dry Fork, Utah on 1 Jan 1893. From the 1900 census, they had four children, Clarence A., Arthur, Rosa and Dewey G. It appears that Annie died sometime prior to 1910. Christian took the children and moved to Delta, Colorado, placing the two youngest, Rosa (12) and George Dewey (10) in the home of Benjamin and Mary LAYCOCK in Delta. Clarence became a hired hand on the ranch of Wilbur WEBB. In about 1920, Christian married a Mary H. (LNU). (Mary had immigrated to America from England in 1919 and she and Christian had just married.) The 1920 Census shows Christian A. (52) and Mary H. (40) and Christian's fourth child from Annie, Dewey G. (20).
Rose married Joseph Nathaniel WALKER, son of James Nathaniel and Rosanna Francis Eskelson WALKER on 16 Jun 1902 in Vernal. They had three children, Joseph Darrel, Ilta Rose and Voyne Oden. Rose died in a rest home in Roosevelt, Utah at the age of 97 on 18 Nov 1978. Joseph died 23 Feb 1946 in Roosevelt, Utah.
As for the balance of the children, John "Johnny" LUCKEY moved to Starr Valley, Wyoming prior to 1900, purchased a ranch and then died in Wyoming sometime before 1910. He never married.
From his obituary, James Thomas LUCKEY spent considerable time in the area of Soda Springs and Swan Valley, Idaho, and Starr Valley Wyoming, before moving to Colorado sometime prior to 1920. The 1910 census for Oxford, Idaho, shows him living with a "housekeeper", Hannah KENT, however it shows James as single and Hannah as married with two living children. He is shown as single and operating a boarding house and/or hotel in the 1920 census for Denver, Colorado. In about 1922, he married a widow, Mary J. (LNU) with two daughters, Lillie and Dorothy and settled in Arvada, Colorado. James died 11 March 1931 in Denver, Colorado. His wife Mary's death date in unknown.
Lillie Marion's life is a real quandary. She moved to Southern California, and then apparently married a SMITH and then a SOLIVAN. (There is a Marion SMITH mentioned as a sister in the obituary of James T. LUCKEY in Mar 1931 and a Marian SOLIVAN listed as a daughter in the obituary of Eliza Jane Taylor Luckey MORRIS seventeen years later, in May 1948.) To-date, no census information has been located.
It appears that George LUCKEY never married, though he lived to be about 64 years and died in Irwin, Idaho sometime before 1948.
Sylvia Laurel at the age of 16 went to Boise, Idaho where she finished high school and worked as a telephone operator. In about 1904, she traveled to her brother's homestead in Freedom, Wyoming where she met and married Jesse Benjamin BROMLEY on 30 May 1906. They had four children, Perry Deloss, Ted Clinton, Carl Dennis and Leo L. The family moved to Idaho Fall, Idaho prior to 1930 and spent the rest of their lives there. Sylvia died 23 Oct 1956 and her husband Jesse died 9 Mar 1962, both in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Edna Marie appears in the 1910 Census for Jerome, Idaho, working as a stenographer. Records show she worked as a Secretary/Stenographer in Boise, Idaho and Chicago, Illinois where she was employed by the "W.H. Miner Co." "Ted" as she was now known, became fast friends with the vice-president of the company, Mrs. Nettie M. GOLDSMITH. Moving from Chicago to New York City at the time when America was fast becoming involved into the entrance of World War I, she was selected to go to France to become secretary to the American in charge of France's Civilian Relief of the American Red Cross. She worked much too hard and long because of her energetic nature and by that fall, her health had broken and she was sent to the Riviera of Southern France to recuperate. Then as the War ended, she returned to America, to Los Angeles, California to regain her health. The 1920 Census shows Edna, age 30 as a boarder in the home of Eliza W. HARTMAN. Here she met and married Glenn David ROBERTSON, son of David Edward and Rhoda Emily Snell ROBERTSON on 10 Feb 1921 in Los Angeles, California. They had two children, Glenn David Jr. and Don Luckey. Edna died in Laguna Beach, California on 5 May 1971. Her husband Glenn remarried a Madelyn GALLEY in 1973 and he died 11 May 1982 in Los Angeles, California. ;
Forest David married Verna Marie CLARK, daughter of George Washington and Isabelle Foster CLARK on 27 May 1920 in Idaho Falls, Idaho. They had three daughters, Dorothy S., Eleanor M. and Betty R. Forest and Verna and their three children are all shown in the 1930 Census for Idaho Falls, Idaho. Then they were either divorced or Verna died and on 25 Aug 1946, Forest married Dora Ellenor LARKIN in Idaho Falls. Forest died 23 Aug 1959 in Boise, Idaho. His wife Verna's death date is unknown, Dora Eleanor died 2 Aug 1960 in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Several years after Isaac's death, in about 1909, Eliza Jane packed up her belongings and with two of her sons, George A. and Forest D, in a one-horse buggy, headed for Starr Valley, Wyoming, where another of her son's, Johnny, had died leaving a homestead. She not only proved up on his homestead but also took up another homestead of 320 acres of land in the wilderness of Swan Valley, Idaho.
The 1910 Census for Idaho, Bingham, Higham shows Eliza J. (57) with two sons, George A. (26) and Forest D. (15). (This census shows Eliza widowed, with 12 children, 10 living, Annie and Johnny having died before 1910).
On 16 Jun 1917, Eliza married William "Billie" MORRIS in Freedom, Wyoming. William was born in Sussex, England in 1861 and first immigrated to Canada in 1907, then across the U.S. to Wyoming. In 1920, Billie and Eliza sold out their holdings and moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho where they spent the remainder of their lives.
The 1930 Census for Idaho, Bonneville, Idaho Falls shows William (67) and Eliza Morris (79).
Billie died 9 Apr 1946 and Eliza Jane died 18 May 1948 at the age of 98. They are both buried in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Sources
Taylor/Luckey Families by Shari Frank
Glenn Robertson Biography (Tawna Marsh & Don Robertson)
William S. & Nellie E. Powell Biography (Christine Hinkley)
Solano County Genealogical Society
US Federal Census 1850 to 1930
Obituary of Taylor, Eliza Jane
Obituary of Luckey, Nellie Eleanor
Obituary of Luckey, James Thomas
Obituary of Luckey, Rose
Obituary of Luckey, Sylvia Laurel
Obituary of Luckey, Edna Marie
Obituary of Powell, William Swinford
Uintah Basin Pioneers Builders of Uintah by DUP 1947
Ancestral File and IGI Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
This is a work in progress and contains some information that may not be verified. Written by - Robert D Walker 1021 E Cambridge Rd Kaysville, UT 84037 reklaw2@comcast.net
history submitted by Bob Walker