16373497 the Franklin Idaho Story

nie Laura Lowe. The parents of both William and Annie Laura were among the original thirteen families that settled Franklin in 1860. When William wa boy his family moved up the road to Whitney whehe and Annie grew up, married and raised their famiTo tell the story of Franklin and Whitney is to tell thstory of William and Annie Laura.

Franklin & whitney Idaho Franklin & whitney Idaho

F ranklin and Whitney, Idaho, are small, neighboring agricultural communities in northern Cache Valley near the Idaho/Utah border. A deep, historic connection runs between these places and the family of William Job Dunkley and his wife, An-

WH

IT N E Y, i DAHO

WH

IT N E Y, i DAHO

•

FRANKLIN •

FRANKLIN AND WHITNEY, IDAHO Both communities

ouspoiand

fiveFraEzr

His

WILLIAM JOB DUNKLEY, center, with his par-
ents, Margaret Wright and Joseph Dunkley.
Founded in 1860, Franklin is Idaho’s oldest continly inhabited town. It became an important suppnt for goods and materials flowing north into Idah Montana. Whitney began as a community of farming famili miles northwest of Franklin and half way betwee

nklin and the town of Preston. Mormon Presidena Taft Benson, was born and raised in Whitney.

tory of Franklin & Whitney, Idaho • Introduction

as re ly. e

�

were established by Mormon settlers from Utah.

u-ly o

es n t,

Quick Connection

■ A Franklin Timeline

■ The Franklin Story, from The History and Development

of Franklin, Idaho During the Period of 1860–1864

■ The Franklin Story, from The Trail Blazer

■ The Whitney Story, from The Trail Blazer

■ Entries from the Journal of Edward Kingsford

CLICK on a heading below to go to that section

History of Franklin, Idaho • Franklin Timeline �

1847 Brigham Young sends an small team headed by Jesse C Little to explore the much talked of Cache Valley north of Salt Lake City, Utah. They report on a beautiful valley.

1849 Captain Howard Stansbury and Colonel Por-ter explore Cache Valley with a contingent of soldiers. The colonel likes the valley so well that he sends all of his cattle and mules there to stay the winter. The winter proves severe, however, and half of the animals die, persuading the colonel not to establish a military outpost there.

1855 Brigham Young directs that the Elkhorn Ranch or Church Ranch be established between Logan and Wellsville in what will be the first of several ranches set up in Cache Valley. By the end of the year there are about 3000 head of cattle and horses in the valley. The same year, a group of settlers is sent to colo-nize the Salmon River Country in Idaho and achieve initial success.

1856 Peter Maughan and his group are sent to settle what will become Wellsville, Utah, the first permanent settlement in the valley. The following year, elections establish a govern-ing structure for the region.

1857 Difficulties with the local Shoshone Indians and the impending approach of Johnston’s Army from the US Federal Government prompt the recall of both the Salmon River group in Idaho and the Wellsville group in Utah back to Salt Lake City.

∙ The Franklin Story ∙

a timeline

of EARLY

• Franklin •idaho

•


1859 With the easing of tension with Johnston’s Army, Brigham Young directs that the re-settlement of Cache Valley begin in ear-nest. Wellsville, Providence, Logan, Mendon, Richmond and Smithfield—all in Utah— are started. Peter Maughan is called as the Bishop of Cache Valley. The following year, Apostle Ezra T. Benson is called to preside over the Cache Valley Stake.

1860

Hyrum, Paradise, Hyde Park, Utah are started. At the suggestion of Brigham Young, five groups from various towns in Utah set out for Muddy River in northern Cache Valley.

1860 April 14 Thirteen families enter an area called Green Meadows—that will later be renamed for Mormon apostle, Franklin Richards—and build a temporary fort us-ing the boxes from their wagons arranged in a circle.

1860 April 17 Jesse Fox comes from Salt Lake City to survey Green Meadows into one- and ten-acre lots.

1860 April 19 A vote is taken allowing the unmarried men in the group to draw lots for land along with the married men. Work begins immediately on clearing land and planting fields.

1860 June 4 Brigham Young and a sizable group traveling in thirty carriages begin a tour of the settlements in Cache Valley, eventually reaching Franklin. President Young calls Pres-ton Thomas to be the bishop in Franklin.

1860 June 24 The settlers begin work on ditches to bring irrigation water from the canyon down to their fields. Roads are constructed to the canyon, opening the way for cutting timber used in constructing log cabins.

1860 July A fort comprised of log cabins orga-nized in a large rectangle begins to take shape.

1860 August The first crops of grain are har-vested and threshing begun.

1860 Fall Hannah Comish opens her home to children of the settlement as a school. Bish-op Thomas initiates construction of a log school house.

1861 The school house is completed. On Sundays it is used as a meeting house for worship services. Mail service begins between Utah and Franklin. A wet fall leaves the settlers’ living quarters unpleasant and the flour from the harvested wheat, musty.


1862 The Homestead Act of 1862 opens the way for each man to legally claim 160 acres of land. James Haworth and John Goaslind build a flour mill, powered by water coming from the canyon.

1863 January 29 The growing settlement ex-periences escalating tensions with the local Shoshone Indians. Armed California Volun-teers under the command of Patrick Connor are called in from Salt Lake. Colonel Connor is less accommodating of the Indians than the settlers and orders the massacre of the entire Indian village twelve miles northwest of Franklin. While isolated acts of Indian aggression continue for several years after-wards, Indian violence against the settlers soon fades away altogether.

1863 Samuel R. Parkinson and Thomas Smart build the first sawmill in the area, provid-ing lumber for new homes and a new school house.

1863 After three years of service as bishop in the settlement, Preston Thomas is replaced by Lorenzo H. Hatch as bishop of the Mormon congregation in Franklin.

1863 Franklin emerges as a point of entry and supply for the gold and silver mining boom taking place in central and northern Idaho.

1864 January Work begins on a Mormon meet-ing house made of sandstone. As it nears completion, the roof collapses under the weight of winter snow and remains unfin-ished for another nine years.

1864 In another tour of the small, outlying Mor-mon towns, Brigham Young again visits Franklin. At his recommendation, Jesse W. Fox and J.M. Martineau do a new survey of the land in the Franklin area. A ditch is constructed from Cub River to the Franklin farmland which greatly improves the yield of the crops.

1865 The townspeople move out of the original fort into city lots.

1868 February Franklin is incorporated as a city under the laws of Utah Territory.

1869 The Deseret Telegraph line is extended to Franklin, bringing near instantaneous com-munication to the town in the form of Morse code messages. The telegraph office is set up in a corner of the stone Co-op building.


1868 The Relief Society—the women’s charitable organization of the Mormon Church—is or-ganized in the local congregation. Through selling eggs, butter and quilts, the women support a wide variety of community causes. In 1877 the Relief Society begins gleaning grain from the local fields, a program which brings in enough revenue to let the women pursue medical charities and support the war effort in WWI.

1869 The Franklin Co-operative Mercantile In-stitution is organized, with John Doney Sr. as vice president. The Co-op starts doing business in the vestry of the meeting house, later to be moved to the stone building that stands next to the Franklin Relic Hall.

1870 Candles and bitch lamps are replaced by Kerosene oil lamps

1870 Thomas Lowe constructs a water-powered shingle and lath mill. Sod roofs all through the valley are replaced by shingled roofs using shingles from this mill.

1871 Brigham Young has machinery for a steam sawmill purchased in the East and shipped to Franklin. John Biggs’ sawmill goes on to produce a large amount of lumber includ-ing 300,000 feet of lumber used in build-

ing the Z.C.M.I. department store in Salt Lake City.

1874 A mail stage is set up to run between Franklin and Helena, Montana.

1874 The Utah Northern Railroad begins operation of a narrow gauge line from Ogden, Utah to Logan, and connects with Franklin in May of 1874. Most of the men in town participate in preparing the local grade and laying the track. Franklin becomes an important supply point for moving goods north into Montana and northern Idaho.

1875 When the telegraph in Idaho Falls breaks down, a rider brings the news of Custer’s Last Stand to Franklin where it is telegraphed on to Wash-ington D.C.

1875 to 1877 Thomas Lowe Sr. serves as bishop of the Mormon congregation in Franklin while Bishop Hatch is in Arizona.

1878 Edmund Buckley heads a group that constructs and runs he North Star Woolen Mill, bringing a wide variety of woolen goods to the local economy.

1888 William Woodward starts the first herd of Hol-stein milk cattle in Idaho from purebred stock brought over from Holland. J.J. Flack intro-


duces the first herd of pure bred Jerseys to the area in 1889.

1890 Idaho becomes the 43rd state of the Union.

1890 The population of nearby Preston, Idaho, surpasses the population of Franklin, 1504 to 1330.

1894 The Oneida Mercantile Union records sales of $95,000 for the year. Items sold include furniture, saddles, harnesses, boots and shoes, clothing and meat from the company butcher shop.

1897 Franklin is incorporated as a village under Idaho law.

1898 The Oneida Mercantile Union builds the Union Creamery to commercially produce butter and cheese. By 1910, the creamery is replaced by a condensed milk factory operated by the Utah Condensed Milk Com-pany.

1898 A four-room brick school house replaces a rock school house built in 1867. The brick schoolhouse stands until 1916 when it is replaced by an eight-room school house de-signed to also serve the neighboring com-munities of Cherryville and Nashville.

1905 Electricity comes to Franklin; electric lights gradu-ally replace Kerosene lamps.

1906 Telephone service and a city water system are installed.

1910 In honor of the pioneers who founded the town of Franklin Idaho, Governor James H. Brady proclaims June 15th as Idaho Day. The first cel-ebration draws dignitaries and large crowds. Highlights include the unveiling of a pioneer monument and a mock battle staged with 75 Shoshone Indians. The tradition of Idaho Day continues enthusiastically for another 50 years.

1912 Dr. States owns the first automobile in Franklin, followed shortly by G. L. Wright and S. J. Han-dy.

1918 Elliot Butterworth begins the Franklin Relic Hall in the old stone Co-op building. Realizing that the pioneers are all passing away, he begins at-tending local estate sales and buying up their old items.

1923 Lester Lowe brings home a wild pair of wild mink from Oregon, starting will grow into a local fur industry. The following year he brings in 15 more animals from a fox rancher on Prince Edward Island in Canada. Soon, backyard mink pens show up in all over town until Franklin becomes

His

known as much for its mink farming as for its Idaho Day Celebration.

1930 Headed by Mary B. Lowe, the Franklin County Daughters of the Pioneers publish “The Trail Blazer, History of the Development of South-eastern Idaho”. The Trail Blazer will stand as the definitive history of the area. In 1976, local historian and publisher, Newell Hart, will update the volume.

tory of Franklin, Idaho • Franklin Timeline �

History of Franklin, Idaho • The Franklin Story, from “The Mormon Settlers”

WILLIAM J. DUNKLEYANNIE LAURA LOWE

•

History of Franklin, Idaho • The Franklin Story, from “The Mormon Settlers”

• �

CHAPTER IIIThe Mormon Settlers

1860-1864From the dissertation, Xxxxxxxx Xxx Xxxxxx

by Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx,

used by permission

A s the first members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints crossed the plains, they came in contact with the frontiersmen who knew about

the West. Previous to their coming West, the Mormons, as they were sometimes called, had read and had stud-ied Fremont’s reports; and they had “looked into” the possibilities of making a home for themselves in other localities. But, they headed for none of the locations ex-cept the Rocky Mountain area. Brigham Young seemed to know where he wanted to lead his people, and the place was the Great Basin.

Early enthusiasm for Cache ValleyMajor Harris, who had been in the Rocky Mountain

valleys before 1847, met Brigham Young and gave his opinion to the effect that Cache Valley was a more de-sirable place to live than the Salt Lake Valley.

At different times they met Charles Beau-

mont, Moses Harris, and James Bridger, trappers

and traders, of whom they obtained much valu-

able information regarding the country ahead.

Harris and Bridger drew extremely dark pic-

tures of the Salt Lake Valley . . . though they

spoke very highly of a valley northward called

Cache.1

William Clayton in writing his journal gives Jim Bridger’s description of Cache Valley as told to Brigham Young and the Saints.

In Bear River Valley there is oak timber,

sugar trees, cottonwood, pine, and maple. There

is not an abundance of sugar maple, but plenty

of as splendid pine as you ever saw . . . . . There

was a man opened a farm in the Bear River Val-

ley. The soil is good and likely to produce corn

were it not for the excessive cold nights which

he thinks would prevent the growth of corn.2

But Brigham’s faith told him, although he

had never seen the “Great Basin” that Bridger

was wrong. Brigham had a certain knowledge

built upon his mighty faith, that the people of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

over whom he presided, would not perish, but

would grow and become strong in the recesses

of the Rocky Mountains.3

Even with the glowing reports of Cache Valley and of the Bear River that Brigham Young received from time to time, he would not go there. He was strong enough

∙ The Franklin Story ∙

DUNKLEY HISTORIES LOWE HISTORIES FRANKLIN & WHITNEY, IDAHO CHARTS & MAPS

PHOTO GALLERY

8

FROM“The History and Development of Franklin, Idaho

During the Period of 1860–1900”

By James Ira YoungMasters Thesis, Brigham Young University, 1949

to stay with his course, where weaker men might have gone to Cache Valley. Thus the settlement of the valley awaited future years, and the outlook of the Franklin area was different than if Brigham Young had decided to go to Cache Valley first.

The companies of Saints reached the Salt Lake Val-ley and were dispersed up and down the mountain valleys of the Rockies, as directed by Brigham Young.

an exploring party to visit it and report its condition. The party left on the 9th of August 1847 under the direction of Jesse C. Little and went as far as Garland, Utah with Samuel Brannan and Captain James Brown who were on their way to San Francisco. Mr. Little and company went eastward into Cache Valley, then southward, and back to Salt Lake Valley through Sardine Canyon. They reported to Brigham Young that the valley was beautiful.4

President Young wasn’t quite ready yet to send set-rs into this valley, which is one of the best watered lleys in the Utah Rockies, for there are springs, creeks, d rivers everywhere, leaving no part of it lacking for ter. Brigham Young was pressed with other problems ch as emigration and statehood. Cache Valley was e-stepped for awhile.

In October, 1849, Captain Howard Stansbury visited che Valley from the north with Colonel Porter and a ntingent of soldiers.

I was desirous of ascertaining whether a

shorter route than either of these could not be

CokevilleSaint Charles

0 50 Miles25 Miles10 MilesPreston

tlevaanwasusid

Caco

Great Salt Lake Emory

AltamontPiedmont

WahsatchMarriott-Slaterville

Promontory PointLakeside

Sage

Blue Creek

Woods CrossWest Bountiful

Sunset

Pleasant View

Morgan

Kemmerer

Coalvil le

Randolph

Willard

Henefer

WoodruffMantua

LaketownHowell

Garden CitySnowville

Centerville

FarmingtonKaysville

Clinton

Evanston

South Ogden

North Ogden

Brigham City

Bountiful

Clearfield

Roy

Layton

0 50 KM25 KM10 KM

WhitneyFranklin

Richmond

Smithfield

Logan

ParadiseHyrum

Ogden

Providence

History of Franklin, Idaho • The Franklin Story, from “The Mormon Settlers” �

SETTLEMENTS FROM SALT LAKE CITY TO PRESTON, IDAHO Mormon settlements pushed north from Salt Lake City along the east side of Cache Valley, reaching Green Mead-ows or Franklin, Idaho in 1860.

Within two weeks after the first company of Mor-mons reached Salt Lake Valley, Brigham Young, who was now curious about the much talked of Cache Valley sent

obtained by pursuing a direct course to the head

of the lake or to the point where Bear River en-

ters its basin through the Wasatch Range from

Cache Valley, if practicable, such a trace would

save the emigration the great detour that has

to be made by either of the present routes, and

could have a direct bearing upon the selection

of a site for the military post contemplated for

this region.5

Timpie

Low

South Salt Lake

North Salt Lake

Park City

OakleyMurray

West Valley CitySalt Lake City

History of Franklin, Idaho • The Franklin Story, from “The Mormon Settlers” �0

The Colonel liked the valley so well that he sent nearly his whole number of mules and cattle to be win-tered in Cache Valley. The winter was severe and they lost about half of their herd. This winter had a decided effect upon the establishment of a military post. It was first thought that the valley would be ideal, but the decision was reversed.6 Captain Stansbury stated that facilities for irrigation would be splendid.

The Church RanchAs the cattle herds increased in Salt Lake Valley, Pres-

ident Young investigated Cache Valley for a ranching area for them. This was approved, and the first ranch was established in 1855. The headquarters were located between where Logan and Wellsville are now situated. It was called “Elkhorn Ranch”, the “Church Ranch”, or

“Church Farm”. By fall in 1855 there were around three thousand head of cattle and horses in the valley. So began the colonization of the valley, for cabins were built and supplies “laid in” for the ranch.

The first permanent settlement in Cache Valley was that of Wellsville. In 1856 Peter Maughan and his group were sent to settle there. Cache County, of which Franklin became a part, began on April 4, 1857 as a tem-porary organization, with a general election scheduled to follow in August of the same year. Two council men, three selectmen, a sheriff, a recorder, and a treasurer were elected from an area consisting of Cache, Box Elder, Malad, and Weber Counties. For the precinct a Justice of the Peace, Constable, two fence viewers, and a pound

keeper were elected. All territorial taxes could be paid in cash or in territorial scrip. All county taxes were to be paid in cash, county orders, or wheat at one dollar and a half per bushel. All funds not otherwise appropriated should be expended on roads and bridges.7

In 1855, along with the Church Ranch, Brigham Young reached out in his expansion policy and placed a colony of Saints in the Salmon River Country on the Lemhi River, now in the State of Idaho. This colony was hundreds of miles away from the nearest other Mormon community. They seemed to have success for awhile, for they were irrigating the land and had built a flour mill and had established a mission school. In the winter of 1857–1858 Indian troubles and the Utah War forced them to come back to Utah.8

Peter Maughan and his group also had to leave be-cause Johnston’s Army was on its way to Utah. All the Saints headed southward from Salt Lake City. When the army came into Salt Lake City, Johnston was looking for a place of encampment for his men. He held a peace conference with Brigham Young.

During the peace conference, Cache Val-

ley, about 80 miles north of Salt Lake City, was

urged upon the attention of the commissioners

by the church leaders as the most desirable

place for the permanent location of the army;

but it was rejected because considered too far

removed from the center of population, and

Cedar Valley, 36 miles distant from Salt Lake

City. . . . was selected instead.9

History of Franklin, Idaho • The Franklin Story, from “The Mormon Settlers” ��

With the peaceful settlement of the War, a coloni-zation period began again. President Young felt that the Saints would do well to return to their homes. In the spring of 1859 resettlement of Cache Valley began. Cache County officers resumed their official duties. Calls were made by Church leaders for the settlement of other sections of the valley, and the rush was on. Wellsville began again in April 1859. Providence be-gan in April 1859. Logan began in the summer of 1859. Mendon began in May 1859. Richmond began in July 1859. Smithfield began in August 1859.

Alma Taylor, Leancum Taylor, Samuel Hiatt,

John Knight (junior), and Samuel Rose Par-

kinson were among the very first pioneers to

take up land claims in that district of country

of which Franklin now constitutes the center.

They began to make improvements in the latter

part of 1859.10

Hyrum began in April 1860. Paradise began in April 1860. Hyde Park began in April 1860. Franklin began as one of the many settlements in April 1860.

Brigham Young could not afford to send colonies far away from the center of population any more as he once had done with the Salmon River Mission group in 1855. The colonization this time was a gradual working northward through the valleys. On the 14th of Novem-ber 1859 Peter Maughan had been appointed Presid-ing Bishop of Cache Valley, and George L. Farrell was selected as Secretary. In March of 1860 Apostle Ezra T. Benson was called to move to Logan and to preside

over the Cache Valley Stake of Zion, along with Bishop Maughan.

Irrigation as practiced by the Saints was a must in every new community. As each new settlement was established water from the newly dug ditches and the creeks was turned out upon the land. School houses, grist mills, molasses factories, tanneries, and carding mills all were developed with the new settlements, for they had come to stay this time. Entertainments and socials began as soon as the people were settled on the land and able to enjoy them.

Dugouts were used in many settlements for homes, and were extremely damp and dismal. Along with the trials of home building came the trials of Indian menace. The people of this string of settlements through Cache Valley were constantly menaced by their red brothers. Fights and killings took place in every community. Frank-lin was the outpost to the north on the finger-like string of settlements and took the brunt of the Indian visits.

But the virtues outshone the detriments and soon the word was noised about that the valley was a pleas-ant one in which to live. More settlers came.

Few white settlers in IdahoAt this point we must deal a little with the country

north of Franklin, the present State of Idaho. The State of Idaho as we know it today was part of the Washing-ton Territory. In 1860, this area of Idaho was virtually abandoned by the white people. All of the settlements and missions that had been established there had ei-


ther been abandoned or were later abandoned Idaho, through which thousands of emigrants had passed on their way to Oregon and California, was now barren of white people, except for a few white trappers.

There had been so much trouble with the Indians, and travel on the Oregon Trail had grown so small, that the Hudson’s Bay Company had abandoned both Fort Hall and Fort Boise.

We have no record that there was a single covered wagon or any living white person on the Oregon Trail in Idaho, on August 12, 1860; the broken and burning wagons, and the dead mangled bodies of the Otter Emigrant train were lying scattered along the south side of the Snake. There vas no real government any-where in Idaho, there were few white people to govern or protect.

There may have been here and there a lone white trapper with an Indian wife and half-breed children. . . . In the old mission on the Coeur d’Alene River, the missionaries were carrying on their work; the only other white men in Forth Idaho were down where the waters meet, where the Clearwater flows into the Snake.

Spaulding and his family and their white

helpers were all gone from Lapwai; the govern-

ment was putting up some rough buildings at

the Lapwai Agency; there may have been a few

white workmen there. The Indians did not want

any white people on their reservation, and the

government had promised to keep them off.11

There were only three white men in Idaho on August 12, 1860 whose names have come down to us. These men were William Craig, John Silcott, and Thomas Beall. Other than the few mentioned white people Idaho was a lonely and silent area, so far as white people were concerned except for the Mormon “invasion”.

Five groups called to Muddy RiverIn the spring of 1860 President Brigham Young

suggested to some settlers to journey northward and settle on the Muddy River in Cache Valley. The groups mustered their belongings together and journeyed northward. Five groups started out. Many of these set-tlers stopped at other settlements along the way. And of course, there were the stragglers and the families that came with the five original groups.

From Slaterville, Utah came John Reed, Thomas Mc-Cann, Joseph Chadwick, William Corbridge, J. Hutchens, George Foster, William Garner, Henry Wadman, John Ekins, John Frew, James Cowan (senior), James Cowan (junior), and Thomas Slater.

From Kays Creek (Kaysville), Utah came Samuel Rose Parkinson, Alfred Alder, M. Lynex, Peter Pool, E. C. Van Orden, W. Harris, William Comish, John Comish, Shem Purnell, George Alder, W. H. Rogers, James Oliverson, James Harris, A. Goodliffe, and William K. Comish.

From Provo, Utah came Thomas S. Smart, Samuel Handy, William Handy, Enoch Broadbent, Joseph Perkins, Joseph Dunkley, William T. Wright.


From Payson, Utah came T. C. D. Howell, W. H. Head, D. Reed, Dabner Keel, John Doney, Edward Kingsford, William Patten, and T. M. Bennett.

From Bountiful, Utah came William Woodward, James May, William Fluett, J. Vare, Mark Preece, Peter Preece, George Shields, Brother Woodhead, William Goforth Nelson, E. Nelson, Joshua Messervey (junior), William Hull, G. Mayberry, C. Olsen, Peter Dowdle, N. Hansen, James Sanderson, Leroy Holt, Andrew Morrison, George Mendenhall, N. W. Packer, Isaac Vail, John Smith, James Lofthouse, Preston Thomas, James Nelson, Joshua Messervey (senior), Thomas Hull, Peter Lowe, Thomas Mayberry, Alexander Stalker, E. W. Hansen, Richard Coultair (Coulters), G. W. Crocheron, J. Morrison, Thomas Mendenhall, James Packer, Nephi Packer.12

In March the group left from Slaterville and slowly made their way through Cache Valley and stopped at Coveville (Cove) until others could join them.13

An eyewitness descriptionA correspondent writing from Logan, Cache

County, under date of March 21st, gives a very

graphic description of that valley, for the ben-

efit, as he says, of the hundreds of emigrants

who are making arrangements to go there this

season. The communication is an interesting

document, but not being in proper shape, we

cannot give publicity to it entire.

He says that the first advantage that pres-

ents itself to the emigrant is the “abundance of

snow” there being a sufficiency “to ensure good

sleighing from four to six months each year.

There is plenty of good water for agriculture and

manufacturing purposes, plenty of timber in the

mountains, and abundance of grass for hay and

pasturage in the valley, the lime and building

stone abounds in all or most of the canyons. The

soil is represented as being very good and the

productions similar to the other valleys in this

mountainous region excepting that it is a little

too cold there for Indian corn.

Most of the people that have settled there,

according to our correspondent, “profess Mor-

monism” and many are striving to honor their

religion, but if there are not some who have

gone there this spring who would not prefer get-

ting a living by stealing, to obtaining a livelihood

by honest labor, we are much mistaken. It will

do no harm at least for honest men to keep a

good watch for such scamps and their wonderful

zeal for religion and honesty, especially when

among those who are unacquainted with their

true character and proclivities.

Public and private improvements are being

made in all the settlements, school and meet-

ing houses have been built or are in progress

of erection; bridges have been made over the

streams on all the principal thoroughfares and

other necessary things provided for the accom-


modation of the settlers, who are represented

as being very industrious.

That Cache Valley is a good enough place

for farming and grazing operations there can

be no reasonable doubt and if the reports con-

cerning the country are not somewhat exag-

gerated, those seeking homes there, and there

are many who are doing so, may soon become

wealthy by proper industry and economy and

live more contented and happy that they did

before going to that part of the Territory.

Most of the communications received from

that valley speak highly of the presiding of-

ficers there as though they were something

extra and perhaps they are. With most of them

we are personally acquainted and know that

they are good men, but not being given to

personal laudation, we seldom speak approv-

ingly of any person who faithfully performs the

duties required of him in any official station,

as every man who does so only discharges a

duty which he contracts to perform when he

accepts of the office, and as a general rule, it

is always safe for men in whatever situation

they may be placed to be on their guard when

all persons speak well of them.14

William Woodward’s accountThe Provo group of settlers had arrived in Wellsville

early in April 1860; and after a few days of resting and

awaiting orders from the leaders of the Church in Cache Valley, were given the order to proceed to the east side and the north end of Cache Valley and locate on what was then called the Muddy River.

On Friday, April 6. 1860 the Bountiful group

began moving northward. The following is a

sketch of the journey of the group by William

Woodward,

Friday, April 6, 1860. Left Bountiful camped

on sand ridge.

Saturday, April 7. Drove over sand ridge over

Weber River, camped near Ogden.

Sunday, April 8. Drove near Hot Springs.

Monday, April 9. Drove near Box Elder (Brigham

City).

Tuesday, April 10. Drove near Box Elder Can-

yon.

Wednesday, April 11. Drove to Cache Valley.

Thursday, April 12. Walked to Logan.

Friday, April 13. Walked to Richmond.

Saturday, April 14. Walked to Franklin and

explored and so forth. 13 men on the ground

they were John Reed, Richard Coultoure,

Thomas Slater, William Fluett., Alma Taylor,

William Woodward, Thomas Comm, James May,

Joseph Chadwick, James Packer, James Sand-

erson, James Lofthouse, Brother Woodhead.

April 15. Thomas S. Smart, William T. Wright,

Sam Handy, Joseph Perkins, Joseph Dunkley.


April 15. Returned to my wagon near Black-

smith Fork Canyon.

Monday, April 16. Hunting my cattle.

Tuesday, April 17. Drove to Richmond, 21

miles.

Wednesday, April 18. Drove to Franklin.15

On April 10, 1860 the Provo group left Wellsville for northern Cache Valley. They reached Coveville and camped for three days. On the 11th of April they looked over the Franklin area and built a bridge over a creek (Spring Creek) to be used when the other settlers would join them.16

On the 12th of April,He (William G. Hull) says they were about

three miles from Richmond, they came to a

small stream of water, his father (Thomas

Hull) made him take his breeches off and wade

through to see if they could take their oxen and

wagon through alright. It was nearly dark then

and by this time they had traveled north about

three miles farther; it was very dark when they

decided to camp for the night. It was about

nine o’clock. Father sent me out to try and find

some water to make bread for our supper. I

went on my hands and knees down a hill. Next

morning found I had gotten water from a slue.

That Morning (13th of April) I went east of camp

to find some game for our breakfast, could see

quite a company camped to south and east of

where our camp was. That same afternoon a

company of people came in from the east of us.

We pulled up camp and joined them.17

In the month of March, 1860, (William Go-

forth Nelson) we started to move to the much

talked of Cache Valley. My mother, Jane Taylor

Nelson, my brothers, Joseph, Edmond, and Mark,

also Isaac and Mother Vail, James Packer and

family all came with us. We found the roads

muddy and when we crossed the divide be-

tween Brigham City and Cache Valley we found

a few families living at Mendon, Wellsville, Lo-

gan, Smithfield, and Richmond. I stopped at

Richmond and the rest of the company came

to Coveville, just south of Franklin.18

Reaching Green MeadowsOn the 14th of April, as has been stated in Mr. Wil-

liam Woodward’s Journal thirteen men walked from Coveville about two miles distance to the designated area to explore their new home site. “As they crossed the bridge, which had already been made a day or two before, they were confronted by a group of Indians. After some discussion the settlers were allowed to pass unmolested. They drove to the present town site near the east end of Main Street at about ten o’clock that morning.

Because of the abundance of vegetation,

they first called the spot “Green Meadows”, but

later changed the name to Franklin in honor of

Franklin R. Richards (Franklin D. Richards).19

The men were well pleased with “Green Meadows” and proceeded to bring their wagons and families, those who had brought them along, onto their newly found home.

A temporary fort of wagon boxesOn the following day, the 15th, they placed the

wagons in a circle. The wagon boxes were taken from the running gear of the wagons and placed upon the ground close together. These wagon boxes served as homes and a temporary fort for a number of weeks. The running gear of the wagons was useful in gather-ing wood from the mountains.

I (William Goforth Nelson) had only been

there a few days when Peter Maughan came and

located the present site of Franklin, as a place

for the Saints to settle.20

As Bishop Maughan was the presiding authority in Cache Valley, he appointed temporary leaders for the new “Green Meadows” settlement. Thomas S. Smart was chosen as leader, with Samuel Rose Parkinson and James Sanderson as assistants. Alfred Alder was chosen as clerk. This leadership had charge of the affairs of the colony. They had charge of the public works; they presided over meetings and supervised everything of a public nature.21

James Sanderson was Captain of the Minute Men. E. C. Van Orden was Captain of the Infantry. James May was

e road supervisor. All of these functions were vital for e strengthening and protection of the group.

Cooking, was done over the campfire. Life was out the open for the Mormon settlers again. Whenever

ere was singing to be done W. H. Rogers or John Frew uld lead the songs, for these two men were the prin-al singers of the group.

On the 17th of April, Jesse W. Fox, government sur-yor from Salt Lake City, surveyed the land around the ttlement and in the “South Fields” and “North Bottom nds”. The land around the settlement and on the east

thth

in thwocip

veseLa


bench was surveyed into one acre lots for cane plants, and the “South Fields” were laid off in ten acre lots.

And still they go—Emigrants have been

constantly passing through this city, for two

WAGON BOXEven with the canvas still attached, a wagon box would have been a small dwelling in which to live.


or three months, on their way to Cache Valley,

and more especially since the wintry season

ended. How many have gone there this spring

is not known, at least no definite report of

the number has yet been made, but judging

from the hundreds of wagons and teams that

have been moving in that direction, some of

the cities, settlements, towns, and villages in

Utah County and perhaps some settlements in

the southern part of Great Salt Lake County

must have materially decreased in population,

in consequence of the great rush northward

by those in search of new homes and better

locations.

Only a few days since, a company number-

ing some twenty wagons with flocks and herds

sufficient to make an imposing show, passed

our office going into the north country. On

stepping into the street an old acquaintance

was recognized in the company as it was pass-

ing, from whom, on inquiring, we ascertained

that they were from Payson, one of the most

thriving towns, in Utah County, and that their

destination was “Cache” which place though

within the Territory is a long way from that

portion of it where most of the wheat and other

grain was raised last summer.

Those going there have probably taken

the precaution to carry their breadstuffs with

them; otherwise they may see the want of it

before harvest.22

Balloting for the first landApril 19th was a big day for the men, for on this

day they balloted for their land. A discussion arose as to whether the unmarried men should join with the married men in drawing lots for the land. A vote was taken in which there were only three votes against let-ting the unmarried men draw. The ballots were marked with numbers as to choice for the land. William Hull, an unmarried man, drew number one. Peter Lowe an unmarried man drew ballot number two. The ballots were drawn and the land issued. Friends tried, and many succeeded, to get property near each other.

A road was constructed to the canyon. Wandering cattle were a drawing card for Indians, so the men first cut poles for a corral. The cattle would be herded in the daytime, but at night they were placed in the corral. Wil-liam Hull contracted to herd the horses and cattle in the daytime. He in turn hired Indian Jim to help him.23

“Green Meadows” was located on an old and direct Indian trail through Cache Valley, and the people of the settlement had their generous portion of Indian visits and incidents. 24

Land in the “South Fields” was prepared for seed. All of the people worked cooperatively together in their projects. When Sundays came around, church meetings were held around the campfire.

The work in the canyons continued. The men soon found that mountain lion, prairie wolves and snakes were plentiful. The lowlands were covered with wild hay. The higher lands were covered with a large deep rooted stand of sage brush. On April 25th boundaries were defined. Grass was burned to make way for plow-ing. No fences were erected for years. Oxen were used to draw the plows, so that it was necessary to stop early to give the oxen feeding time for awhile before being enclosed in the corral for the night. The men could

plow about two acres a day. On April the 26th, according

ournal,

crude n iron f iron rrows

shape, These red in wood-

I D A H O

Frank l in W Y O M I N G

C O L O R A D

O R E G O N

N E V A D A

C A L I F O R N I A

A R I Z O N AN E W

M E X I C O

U T A H

to William Woodward’s jthey began to plow.

The plows were pieces of board with apoint, or an old piece obeaten into shape. Hawere made in an “A” with a frame of poles. poles had holes auguthem and sharpened


en pegs driven through the holes. The pegs were made of the native hardwoods such as hawthorn or maple. To sow the wheat a man would carry a sack of grain suspended over his shoulder. He would scatter the grain by the handful upon

REDUCTION OF UTAH’S TERRITORY

Even though these reductions were made in Utah’s Terri-tory, no government survey of the division line between Utah and Idaho had been made until 1872, Franklin was considered a part of the Utah Territory. Map after M. R. Hunter, Utah, the Story of Her People p, 296.

HOLD your mouse over an entry to show that map. Try starting with the top entry and working downwards.

IRON BLADED PLOW

Until a blacksmith be-came established in the settlement, a plow like this would have been shipped in from Salt Lake City.


the plowed and harrowed ground. His scattering would be in a half circle motion. Then a drag, consisting of an eight foot pole with brushy twigs and bushes attached, pulled over the ground covered the grain.25

It snowed on May the seventh and twelfth which slowed the work for a short time. The plowing and sow-ing went right ahead. Broken plow blades were mended and used again, for this first year’s crop meant much for the settlers. On May the 26th some land south and west of the fort was plowed and planted in grain, but was killed out by the over abundance of sunflowers.26

The Deseret News seemed to be quite concerned about the welfare of these people of the new settle-ments in Cache Valley.

The late hostile demonstrations of the In-

dians in the north has induced the people in

Cache to complete their military organizations

so as to be ready in the event that a war cry

was raised by their savage neighbors; and from

the muster reports, those ready for war in

that county number one thousand men—about

half of them horse men—who are ready at a

moment’s notice, to take the field against the

enemy if an attack should be made or threat-

ened by the aborigines in that region. That is

right and as it should be, and no doubt has

had a beneficial influence with the Indians, in

disposing them to peace, which seemed to be

the universal desire of these wanderers at lat-

est dates.27

The first summer was one of exhaustive work and tireless perseverance. The Franklin settlers were only doing what their friends were doing in other parts of Cache Valley. Now they were part of Franklin Village, part of Cache Valley, part of Utah Territory, and part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They weren’t worrying who had seen the land first, or who had put his foot on Franklin soil first, or who had done the washing first, or who had tasted the water first. All they knew was that Brigham Young had asked them to come and settle on the Muddy River, and they came. The area was new land, but so far as they were concerned it was Utah Territory, and so Franklin, Utah it became. The settlers sere busy worrying about life. They were helping each other with living and with security. They were out fighting against nature and Indians. They knew it, and they also knew that they were the extremity of northern Mormondom. They had a challenge and they took it willingly.

Brigham Young comes to visitPresident Brigham Young accompanied by

a large group of his brethren, “in 30 carriages”,

began on Monday the 4th of June, 1860, his

first trip to visit the settlements of the Saints

in Cache Valley.28

President Young had seen the valley once before when it was selected as a wintering ground for cattle.29 He stopped at Wellsville on the 7th of June, at which time he spoke to the Saints.

History of Franklin, Idaho • The Franklin Story, from “The M

This is a splendid valley, and is better

adapted to raising Saints than any other article

that can be raised here . . . 30

After a night’s rest at Wellsville, the breth-

ren were up early, and by forcing their teams

along, they reached Franklin, a distance of 30

miles. This is at present the frontier settlement

of the North, wrote the News correspondent,

and as yet is but in the course of formation.31

Great rejoicingGreat rejoicing filled the temporary homes of the

Saints, because of the visit of their Prophet and leader. Brigham Young spoke to the assembled Saints on the 9th of June.

I understand that no Bishop has yet been

appointed for this place. I would like to learn

the feelings of the brethren here, in regard to

this matter, and will be pleased to have you in

form us. (Bishop Maughan moved that Brigham

Young nominate the man to be Bishop, and the

would say amen.

(This unanimously met the feelings of the

brethren—reporter) The instructions to the

people of this settlement will be committed

to paper, that they may be constantly before

them. I propose that Brother Preston Thoma

be ordained Bishop of this settlement. He i

residing in Lehi, but came with us intending

to visit Bear Lake and Soda Springs, but ha

since concluded to settle here. I propose that

he settles here, and that we make him your

Bishop and presiding officer.

It is understood that Brother Peter Maughan

is Presiding Bishop for this valley, and Elder

Ezra Taft Benson, one of the Twelve has been

appointed to be one of his counselors, and prob-

ably he will choose me for the other.

If it meets your minds to have Brother Pres-

ton Thomas settle here, and you feel that you

can hearken to his counsel, raise your right

hands. (The vote was unanimous—reporter).

Brother Preston Thomas will select his own

counselors. I have no question

but that there are excel-

here,

illing

his

e to

here,

m to

el, to

trong

e not

-

y

lent, good men

and they will w

to hearken to

counsel.

I propos

the brethren

and wish the

take my couns

build a good, s

fort. If you hav

ormon Settlers” �0

s

s

s

material for build-

ing a wall, you can

make a strong stockade by putting pickets into

the ground, which will answer a good purpose

against Indian attacks. The stockade can be

BISHOP PRESTON THOMAS


easily repaired by replacing decayed pickets.

I wish you to build a stockade large enough

for corralling your cattle outside the town. Let

your grain also be stacked away from your

buildings, and so arranged that if one stack

takes fire all of the stacks will not necessarily

be destroyed.

You are very much exposed here. The set-

tlements in this valley are as it were, a shield

to the other settlements. You must, therefore,

prepare as speedily as possible to make your-

selves secure. You have a beautiful location,

and plenty of excellent water.

This valley is capable of sustaining a multi-

tude of people—it is the best valley we have.

“Strive to stop the thieving”Strive to stop the thieving that is carried

on by some renegades who have been in this

valley, and do not in the least suffer stealing to

be practiced in any of your settlements. There

is, probably, not a man here but that if he saw

an Indian taking his horse, and had a loaded

rifle, would kill the Indian. That Indian has been

taught from his youth, to steal. His fathers be-

fore him taught their children to steal—it is in

their blood, bone, and flesh. But there is not a

white man or woman here but what has been

taught that it is wrong to steal, and I want an

end put to stealing. The boys who are brought

up in our communities know better than to steal.

They have been taught the principles of life and

salvation; and the people from the Christian

world have been taught better than to steal.

Do right, be just, love mercy, hearken to the

Spirit of that gospel that you have embraced,

keep the Spirit of the Lord with you, and you will

be very apt to be lead right and do right.

We have come to see you; we will leave

our blessing with you, and will pray for you

constantly. I heard the prayer just now offered

in your behalf. It is the constant prayer of the

Saints that they may be preserved.

Serve the Lord, and try not to find fault with

each other. Live so that you will not have any

faults to find with yourselves, and never mind

the faults of your brethren, for each person has

enough of his own to attend to.

I bless you in the name of the Lord Jesus

Christ, Amen.32

While in Franklin, Brigham Young changed the name of Muddy River. Owing to its nearness to Bear River, he called it the Cub River.33 This name has remained with it since then.

The work of the community went forward. Thomas Mendenhall, senior, was a traveling merchant for the village. He would take the produce of the people to Salt Lake City and trade it for articles that the settlers wanted. French Joe, a traveling store-keeper would come through Franklin once in awhile and peddle his wares.

On June 24, 1860 the settlers began their work on ditches which were to bring the water from the canyons to their farm lands. These were not the first irrigation ditches in Idaho. Previous to this in 1855 the people of the Salmon River Mission had constructed ditches. The Franklin settlers constructed one ditch from High Creek to the South Fields. One ditch from Ox-killer and South Canyons was dug to the northeast of the South Fields. This was called Sanderson’s Ditch or the Lower Ditch. Another ditch was dug from Spring Creek to the fort area. Men owning land on the ditches were required to work on them.

With the coming of July came the “getting out” of logs for cabins and the fort. Roads had to be constructed to the canyons and in the canyons for this purpose. Men traveled in groups for protection.

A bowery was built in the fort area. It consisted of poles upright in the ground with an overhead framework of lighter poles covered with brush and rushes. It was used for meetings, at which everyone was required to bring their own stools and benches to sit on. Dances were held in it. Some dancing was held around the campfires.

With the end of July many of the cabins in the fort were under construction. They all faced toward the

er of the fort, which was constructed in the shape rectangle, ninety rods long by sixty rods wide. The was supposedly constructed to be true with the r directions of the compass, but was actually built a ee or two off in the process construction. The men surveyed it used a carpenter’s square, the north star, a piece of measured rope.

Pioneers who went thru this first season

say that some of the men made as high as four

trips during the spring and summer of 1860 [to

Salt Lake City]. They walked every step of the

way there and back. On their return trip each

centof a fort majodegrthat and

History of Franklin, Idaho • The Franklin Story, from “The Mormon Settlers” 22

man carried a fifty pound sack or more of flour

on his back—this was necessary “to keep the

wolf from the door.” Men and women would also

walk to Salt Lake City to attend the spring and

DIGGING THE ONEIDA IRRIGATION CANAL

The horses are dragging a wide metal scraper bucket through the dirt. This photo was taken circa 1902—about forty years after the settlers started digging the first ditch-es in the Franklin area.


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93 Alec Lowe

92 Thomas Hull, Jr.

91 W. H. Head

90 W. T. Wright

89 Owen Roberts

88 Joseph Perkins

87 Mrs. Mayberry

86 George Alder

83 C. R. Hobbs

81 Thomas Bennett

80 Nephi Packer

79 Ephraim Ellsworth

78 I. H. Vail

77 William Pratt

76 William Whitehead

75 Charles Spongberg

74 Thomas Slater

73 James Cowan Jr.

72 Mrs. Hampton

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� Franklin Fort

23 • Franklin Fort

For more

information

about the

location of

the well from

the Franklin

fort, place

your mouse

over the well.


fall conferences [of the Church of Jesus Christ

of Latter-day Saints .34

Boiled wheat, milk and sego rootsOften whole families lived on boiled wheat and milk

and sego roots while waiting for the men and supplies. John Reed was traveling to Smithfield to get some sup-plies, and was set upon and killed by Indians. He was the first casualty by Indians. He was buried on the 24th of July southwest of the settlement about half a mile. This was the beginning of the Franklin Cemetery.

Potatoes and turnips were planted in the middle of July. At the beginning of August wheat was har-vested.

We had tramped out 48 bushels of wheat

and on August 2 took it to Farmington and

got it ground; brought it back and divided it

among the camp. We were a happy and united

people.35

The canvas from the wagons was spread and stretched out upon the dry ground. People trampled on the bundles of wheat. The chaff was fanned away by hand, and the grains of wheat were then sacked.

Indian dogs were vicious and killed chickens and sheep. The Indians would come in on Sundays, before meeting. On August 13th an Indian and his squaw came into the settlement. Their dog had been killed acciden-tally, and they proceeded to break up the meeting. An ox was given them in payment. Jim Bowington and William Hull killed fifty dogs in one day by poisoned

meat. They were extremely careful not to be discovered by the Indians.

On Saturday, August 12, 1860, gold was discovered at Pierce, Idaho. This news spread rapidly, and though it did not effect the Franklin settlement too much at first, it did in a few years.

Salt Lake City was noticing the little northern group of settlers at Franklin, and was watching the develop-ment of the area.

At Franklin the most northern settlement,

one of the streams on which the people were

depending for water to irrigate their fields failed

to that extent, some weeks since that, before

a canal could be completed to bring water from

the main creek, which is said to be of sufficient

size to water a large tract of land, the growing

wheat and other crops suffered materially; but

since the completion of the ditch, and the ap-

plication of a sufficiency of aqua to the parched

fields, the grain had revived, and there was a

fair prospect of a good yield of wheat, although

it will be late in ripening, and may possibly be

nipped a little by frost before it comes to ma-

turity.36

August was spent in getting ready for the winter to come. Some of the people moved into their newly constructed cabins, but the fort was not actually com-pleted until 1863. The people in general were caring for their crops. They especially nurtured their wheat fields. The grain was usually cut with a cradle. One man would

History of Franklin, Idaho • The Franklin Story, from “The Mormo

cut the grain and place it in a swath, while another fol-lowed behind and raked it and bound it into sheaves. In the latter part of August a small grain separator was constructed. A horse placed on a treading machine provided the turning power. The separator had a small head cylinder where the bundles were pushed in, and the grain and chaff would fall below in a pile. At first fanners had to separate the chaff from the grain, but later a straw carrier was added and this carried straw away. Sometimes it took most of the winter to fan the grain from the chaff. Piles of wheat and chaff were protected until crews could work at them. The sdry. Awas chay fiin theproduvery lit necean extother

Putting on government shinglesOnly a few dugouts were built by the people, and

these were only temporary. Mainly cabins were built of pine logs, sometimes cottonwood logs were used. They were usually of a one room construction. Clay was used for chinks to fill up the cracks between the logs. The roof was constructed of saplings placed close together, then covered with smaller twigs or rushes and in turn covered with straw or wild hay. About ten or twelve inches of dirt was then placed on top. A board of about ten inches was placed around the eves to hold the dirt

CRADLE SYTHE

Displayed at the Franklin Relic Hall

eason was very little wild hay

ut from the wild elds and put up fort area. The ce raised was

ight. This made ssary to carry on

ensive trade with communities.

n Settlers” ��

in place. Putting on a dirt roof was usually called “put-ting on government shingles.”37 During the summer the dirt roof would become a veritable flower garden,

LOG CABIN WITH A SOD ROOF

Mercy Roselpha Kofoed and her family’s log cabin in Weston, Idaho, 1900. From Hometown Album


usually of wild mustard plants.38 Brigham Young told the settlers to build their homes close together in the form of a fort for protection. Practically all of the first settlements in the valley did this until lots could be surveyed. An adobe yard was planned and started in one corner of the fort area. As the town grew out of the fort, the adobe yard area retained the name of

“Adobie Town.”

Forts usually began with rows of cabins Forts usually began with rows of cabins facing

each other with an adequate space between. Back of each row of houses was a roadway, beyond which was garden space, hay stacking yards and sheds.

The cabins were furnished very plainly. An ado-be fireplace was usually situated in one end of the cabin. Split logs with pegs for legs made up stools and benches. Window glass was expensive, so the windows were covered with heavy brown paper that had been oiled, or factory (cloth) was sometimes used. The ground floors care covered with straw in the early days of the settlement. Later on, floors were made of rough hewn floor boards. The insides of the cabins were whitewashed with water-thinned white clay from Soda Springs. This process was repeated twice a year at fall and spring house cleaning time. Sometimes lime would be used instead of the white clay. There were no brushes with which to apply it, so pieces of wool were used. This left the hands and arms in a sore condition for weeks because of the exposure to the lime. Rugs

and carpets were woven and braided from rags. The “Mormon bedstead” consisted of two holes bored into a wall of a home. Poles were placed in the holes. The other end of the poles was supported by posts. Slats or pieces of wood and rawhide were the cross pieces. The mattresses or ticks were made of canvas bags filled with straw, hay, or cattails. When cattails would get ripe in the fall, the people could hang a sack at their side, and collect the down from the head of the cattails. The head of the cattail would be placed in the mouth of the sack and firmly held. Then the stem would be pulled out leav-ing the broken downy head inside the sack. Mattresses of cattails would become matted and lumpy in a short while, and would be refilled nearly every year.

A strong high pole fence was the outer protection and the stack yards and corrals were placed against it. When Indians threatened, minutemen or guard picket-men were stationed at each corner on ends of streets just outside the fort. There was a public corral inside the fort and at night the cattle and horses were placed in the one corral and guarded.

Vegetables were put away in pits and surrounded with stray to keep the frost out. Cabbage was usually made into sauerkraut. Beef was placed in a strong brine solution, and when completely saturated it was then smoked and dried for winters use. When obtainable, rabbits were raised. Some flax had been raised by Wil-liam Hull, senior. It was made into thread and Mrs. Hull made the thread into cloth. Candy was made from the skimmings of molasses. Haw candy was made from

haw berries that had been gathered and had the seeds removed.39

Brigham Young called Samuel Whitney to carry mail in and out of Cache Valley in 1860. Mr. Whitney received his pay in flour, bacon and other produce from the Tithing Office in Logan, Utah. Whitney provided himself with horse, saddle, and mail pouch. All the mail, for the first year, was taken to Logan and picked up at Logan.

Even education wasn’t beyond the reach of the Franklin people. Hannah Comish, wife, of William Com-

ish, opened her home as a school in the fall of 1860.

ut twenty- under her bout three ioneers be-cation and ing it had

st school in the Bishop e the best

was hauled fifty miles from the Bear Lake Mountains. A school house was necessary for the advancement of a community which had now grown to about sixty families.

A pit saw had been constructed in the northeast corner of the fort by Joshua Messervey.

A pit saw . . . . was constructed by digging

a hole, or pit, in the ground deep enough for a

man to stand in. The logs, or timbers, that were

to be cut into lumber, were then rolled over

the pit, and with one man under the logs and

another on top with a large saw with handles

on each end, the log was slowly ripped into

lumber.40

Mr. Messervey manufactured furniture, wash-tubs, washboards, buckets, and barrels. The churns and buck-ets and other vessels were held together by bands made from green birch twigs. It was necessary to keep the wooden vessels damp or they would fall apart. Mr. Mar-tin Lundgren did cabinet work for people of the fort.

Producing linsey cloth from wool

She had aboone childrendirection for amonths. The plieved in eduwithout knowstarted the firIdaho. Usuallywould choos


suited persons to be the teachers. Next to the Bish-op in influence in the com-munities were the teach-ers.

Late in the fall of 1860 Bishop Thomas had logs cut and hauled from Deep Creek Canyon for the pur-pose of building a school house. Some of the lumber

HANNAH COMISHIdaho’s first school teach-er taught classes in her home.

Thus closed the first year that the pioneers had lived in their new home. With the coming of 1861 we find the Mormon Saints still at their tasks of taming the wilderness. The settlers had a few sheep. After the shearing in the spring, the women would take the wool, and wash it, and dry it. Groups of women would then get together and pick it over. It was then taken and carded, first in the homes and later in mills. Martha Vail

and Mrs. Kingsford were two of the first to have looms. s spun on a wheel and made onto a spindle.

l yarn was then reeled on two large reels about s around. It took forty threads to make one

d ten knots to make one skein. It took fifteen yarn to make one yard of linsey cloth. Linsey s then used for skirts, shirts, waists, and other for the settlers. The men usually wore “jeans”. d buckskin, which was alright until it got wet. e buckskin would get wet, it would stretch; when it would dry out, it would shrink to a

ize than the original garment. When spinning e the yarn had to be washed and colored. Red

Wool waThe wootwo yardknot, anknots ofcloth waclothingSome haWhen thand thensmaller swas don
colors came from soaking bran until it was sour. This was strained and mixed with madder root. Yarn was placed in this mixture. After it had been taken out and
hed clean, the color was set with alum. Blue color e from indigo mixed with a “liquid known princi-

y by the women, ask them”41 The yellow color was ained by boiling the blossoms of rabbit brush or ow dock in water and then straining the mixture. en color was made by placing yarn in the liquid of mbination of the yellow and the blue dye. Black

obtained by boiling the bark of the alder tree. This set in the cloth by blue vitriol or copper. The cot- yarn for the warp, which cost five dollars a pound, had to be colored.

WOOL CARDS Wire teeth mounted on the cards helped align the fibers for spinning.

wascampallobtyellGrea cowaswastonalso


Straw hats were braided for the men and the boys. The women and the girls wore sun bonnets.SPINNING WHEEL Owned by Thomas G.

Lowe. Items from the Franklin Relic Hall

Some flax was grown, cured, and spun almost the same as wool. From the flax came some rough linen towels, and shirts. The women also made blankets.

First school house completedLate in the spring of 1861 the school house was

completed. It consisted of one large room with a large fireplace in the east end. It had a sod roof. The door was on the west end. There was one window on both the north and south sides. The window frames were hand-sawed and trimmed by the use of pocket knives. Little eight by ten inch glass panes were brought from

Salt Lake City. Benches were split logs with the flat side used for the sitting part. These benches were made from either maple or birch logs. Each Saturday the straw was removed from the floor. The building was swept out with brooms made from sagebrush or flax tied onto a stick in bunches. After the sweeping was done clean straw was placed over the bare earth. The Relief Society (women’s organization of the Mormon Church) teachers did the cleaning of the school house each week. Friendly competition was used to see which pair of teachers could make it look the best for the Sunday meetings. When the weather was bad and it rained, the children were excused until the rain stopped, because the roof wasn’t quite water proof. This building was used as the chool house, meeting house, and amusement hall. In

the early spring a steer fell into the community well. It as quite some time until it could be removed. Men

took turns rubbing the animal until it could get back its circulation.

Shoes were scarce and expensive. If a person were fortunate enough to have a pair of shoes, he would remove them at any time when it wasn’t necessary to

ear them in order to save them for special occasions. sually a person would take them off as he entered his

home. The boys and girls would go without shoes much

s

w

wU

A MODEL OF IDAHO’S FIRST SCHOOLHOUSE


of the time. Cloth was expensive. Factory sold for one dollar a yard. Calico sold for seventy-five cents a yard. Blue denim sold for one dollar to one dollar and twenty-five cents a yard. Indian head sheeting was one dollar a yard. Thread was thirty-five cents a spool.

From an accompanying plaque: “This is a model of the first school house in the state of Idaho. The east half was built first, and later, an addition was added to the west end, and the partition was taken out.” Rain coming through the sod roof would prompt the closing of classes. Displayed in the Franklin Relic Hall.

History of Franklin, Idaho • The Franklin Story, from “The Mormon

Soap was usually made at home by a leaching pro-cess. The leach was a large square box which drained to a point at one end. At this draining point was

When it had been cooked and had cooled it made a soft or liquid soit was usually molded and scented for the soap.

“Bitch lights” were used almost exclusiThe settlers made their own wicks. Theseplaced in a little pan or dish of grease. Whegave a feeble light. As candles could be mada potato with a hole cut in it on one side usuas a candle holder. Many of the people mown candles when they could get the tallo

Some materials could be purchased in Salt Lake City. If the person had the necessary money for the articles, or

HOUSEHOLD
ITEMS FROM FRANKLIN
an opening which could be opened at the time of draining. During the win-ter months ashes from the fireplace are placed in the leach. In the spring, water was poured slowly through the ashes. As it filtered it collected in the bottom of the leach. This was strong lye water. It was then mixed with beef tallow, hog fat or other grease and cooked.

ap. Some of use of hand

vely at first. wicks were n used they e and used, ally served

olded their w.

Far Left: CANDLE MOLDS. Top: Old style SQUARE NAILS. Left: MOLASSES GUAGE. All items displayed at the Franklin Relic Hall.

Settlers” �0

History of Franklin, Idaho • The Franklin Story, from “The Mor

if he could trade something for what he needed. Nails were sixty cents a pound. An eight by ten inch windoglass was sixty cents.

Sugar was scarce. Molasses was the substitute. Thsettlers each had a small cane patch. Juice was squeezefrom the cane to make the necessary molasses. Alonwith the cultivated crops of grains, vegetables, rasberries, currents, gooseberries were usually dried fwinter’s use. In the earlier years of the settlement molases was made from table beets and squash butter wmade from squash. Wild hops were used in making teand yeast. Women who made yeast would give staraway to other women for flour, molasses, or sugar. Bewould be cured for winter and hung from the rafteof the homes. Also, squash would be cut into rings anhung from the rafters.42 Saleratus was used insteaof soda in soda biscuits. It was gathered from the toof the ground in alkaline area. Salt was cleaned bdissolving water from Great Salt Lake in non-alkalinwater. This was strained, boiled down, and evaporateThe salt residue would dry in large pieces. These piecwere ground up in a coffee grinder. Later on salt coube obtained from Willow Creek, Utah.

Mr. Merrick and Mr. Duffin began a little store othe north side of the fort area. William Whitehead bcame the clergy. The supplies and stock were limite

Delivering the mailIn 1861 Ben Holliday and Egan and Company r

ceived a contract for carrying mail to Utah. They

w

e d g p-or s-

as a

ts ef

mon Settlers” ��

rs d d p y e d.

es ld

n e-

d.

e-in

turn sublet the carrying of the mail in and out of Cache Valley to three settlers. Frank Gunnell of Wellsville con-tracted to take the mail from Wellsville to Brigham City. W. H. Maughan, also from Wellsville, contracted to carry the mail from Wellsville and all intermediate points to Logan. Mr. Peter Maughan of Logan contracted to carry mail from Franklin and all intermediate points to Logan. These three men in turn hired other settlers to carry the mail for them. Peter Maughan hired Joe Maughan. Mr. Gunnell hired Dick Gunnell. Mr. W. H. Maughan hired Robert Baxter. Mr. Gunnell started from Wellsville Mon-

THE FRANKLIN POST OFFICE, 1914

Ellen Nash helps her sister, Laura Nash, the Franklin Post-master at the time. In 1874 the mail stage came to Franklin, connecting Salt Lake City to Helena, Montana. Some of the early mail carriers were Thomas G. Lowe, William Woodward, Edmund Buckley & Charles Fox & William Pierce.

in dry weather, but in the winter weather would stretch because of the moisture. When the once moistened leather could be dried out, it became brittle. 44

There is only one reference to a change in the shape of the fort before the settlers began to build on their surveyed land outside the fort.

Our fort was remodeled in the shape of a

“T”; some houses were built on the new survey,

but most lived in their old places.45

Building up the new home landThe settlers were quite active in building up their

new home land. The hours of labor were long and some-times tiresome, but they were a happy people. Gardens were planted on the west side of the fort area. These gar-dens were of great benefit to the settlers. They planted cabbage, potatoes, lettuce, onions, cucumbers, peas, melons, corn, squash, and many other things. Good crops were raised in 1861. The grain was not threshed in the fall but placed in stacks. The fall was very wet and the stacks of wheat became damp and musty. When the grain was made into flour and bread, it had a musty taste. The cellars of the settlers on the south side of the fort were full of water. Even the houses were wet nearly every day for a long time, due to the sub-surface water.

Fall time is school time, and the school opened with Mr. G. Alvin Davy as the teacher. There were about sev-enty students who attended. Slate rock east of Franklin

day morning and would make it to Brigham City and back by that evening. Mr. Baxter would leave Wellsville and travel through Hyrum, Millville, and Providence and arrive at Logan by noon of the next day, Tuesday. Mr. Maughan would leave Logan at noon on Tuesday, and travel through Hyde Park, Smithfield, and Richmond and arrive at Franklin that evening. He would remain over night, and return to Logan by Wednesday noon. Baxter would leave Logan at noon and make it to Wellsville that evening. On Thursday morning Mr. Gunnell would start out again. Two mail deliveries were possible in one week.43

Men tarred and prepared their own leather for shoes. Each home was a shoe shop. The hairy side of the leather was used either on the inside or the outside of the shoe according to the weather. Strings of hide laced the pieces together. Shoes made this way would last

SHOES FOR A CHILD

What looks at first glance like green trim is actually rows


was made into writing slates and pencils for the students of weathered nails. Displayed at the Franklin Relic Hall

There was just one reader for each class, and just one speller for use by all of the students in the school. The students would take turns reading, by standing in rows in front of the teacher. During the spelling exercises the teacher would pronounce the word, and the students would write the word on their slates. Each student would study the words from the writing on his slate.

Verbal arithmetic was given in the same way. Tuition was paid by the parents to the teacher. The tuition was any kind of produce, cloth, meat, or molasses. The “Almanac” was used as a study book.

After most of the work of gardening had been done for the summer and fall in the year of 1861, the men of the settlement again turned to the work of making more permanent homes and better irrigation ditches. They worked on the Thomas Ditch which was north and west of Cub River. It took a long time to get the water to run in the ditch because the land was so level. A hill which they had to cut through also obstructed their path for awhile. Later, this ditch became known as the Lewiston Canal.

The Homestead Act opens opportunitiesThe winter of 1861-1862 was a very wet and dismal

one for the people. With the coming of spring again, the

HOMEMADE BENCHs of Franklin, o public gath-chool classes tings brought es and stools

made from e. Bench and at the Frank-

In the early daysettlers going terings such as sand church meetheir own benchto sit on.

SCHOOL SLATEPencil and slatelocal slate stonslate displayed lin Relic Hall.

Franklinites were ready for another try at making their ea productive. The Homestead Act of 1862 enabled en to obtain one hundred and sixty acres of land, if the

erson wishing the land would live on it for five years d make some improvements.46 This the Mormon set-

ers did, for before this they had just been considered squatters.

The hay lands southwest of the town were known the new fields for they were just being developed.

room corn was now raised for the making of brooms stead of using flax.

armpantlas

asBin


When women were incapacitated and not able to work, either a friendly neighbor could help with her friends work or be hired by the sick neighbor for around one dollar a week. This was a standard wage for housework.

The first Sunday School of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was held in the school house. Samu-el Huff was chosen and sustained as the Superintendent with William Wright as an Assistant, William Whitehead as Secretary, and William Rogers and Samuel Handy, Senior, as teachers.

William Woodward taught school this year. School opened with prayer each day. The children that recited

to the class came to the front while they recited. Tuition this year, 1862, was on the basis of forty to fifty dollars per pupil. This, of course, could be paid in produce.

This year one big-hearted lady of Franklin sent thirty-four pounds of butter to Salt Lake City with Thomas Mendenhall to pay for one pound of tea, which was an extreme luxury. When it arrived in Franklin, she ex-tended invitations to all of the older ladies of the town to come to her home and enjoy the tea with her as long as it lasted.47

Many of the older women did nursing and acted as midwives. Some of these ladies were Mary B. Hull,

“Grandmother” Mayberry, “Grandmother” Gilbert, “Grand-mother” Nelson, “Grandmother” Adamson, Deborah Wright, and Elvira Wheeler.48 These women performed

eat service to the little community.On the 8th of July 1862 the Congress of the United es of America enacted the Poland Anti-Polygamy Law ch was signed by President Abraham Lincoln. This defined polygamy as bigamy and provided a fine ive hundred dollars and imprisonment of five years violation. It was declared constitutional, but nothing med to be done about the matter of polygamy until r around the year of 1882.49 Southern Idaho was still a quiet place, for up to this

e nothing much had changed except the little that been done by the Franklin people. North of the on River thousands of people began to pour into
ENGLISH TEAPOT
a gr

Statwhilawof ffor seelate

timhadSalm


This teapot was brought to Franklin by William Whitehead. Displayed at the Franklin Relic Hall.

the valleys and mountains, as gold was a great draw-ing card for all types of people. All this new northern

population needed supplies. Franklin became one of pply stations. Flour was sold for a good price.

ught clothing, guns, tools, and also traded vari-icles. Indians became unbearable in their demands

he settlers. The settlers would give a portion of odstuffs for the sustenance of the Indians. The

ness to give probably made the Indians feel that ould demand more and more each time. The

g point had to come sometime. In the year of ere were ninety cabins in the fort, while there

inety-six families living there. Lorenzo Hill Hatch e Bishop.

the suMen boous art

Theupon ttheir fowillingthey cstrainin1863 thwere nbecam

OLD COOPERATIVE MERCANTILE STORE

Franklin gets a flour millJames Haworth and John Goaslind built a flour mill.

They were helped by Lorenzo Hill Hatch and Alexander lker, Senior. All of the machinery for grinding the ur was made of wood, with the exception of the tur-e wheel which came from the East and the grinding ne which was made of Utah granite. A ditch out of River was used as power to run the mill. Mr. James

worth was a miller by profession. The three other n were just stock-holders. Mr. Haworth ground forty-r pounds of flour, fourteen pounds of bran, and two nds of shorts from every bushel of wheat. The wheat ing to the mill was sometimes worth five dollars

ushel. Each man got the flour from his own wheat. flour was always put in two bushel sacks and tied

After the store closed it was used for a relic hall for many years. It is now owned by the Daughters of the Pioneers.

StaflobinstoCubHamefoupoucoma bTheHOME OF JOHN AND ANN DONEY


with buckskin strings. It is said that Mr. Haworth could In 1864 the Doneys left the fort area of Franklin and built this home out of sandstone quarried east of town.

History of Franklin, Idaho • The Franklin Story, from “

tell if the grinding was just right by the sounmachinery and the smell. Mr. David JensenFolsom sometimes helped him when he wasto a full capacity, night and day. Bitch lamps wfor night lighting. Indians would come to thetrade buckskins, elk hides, and buffalo robesSometimes there were as many as fourteenoxen with wagons waiting to freight flour to and northern Idaho. Bagley and others from Bregion and would bring wheat to have grouwould stay until the wheat was processed.50

This year, 1863, Samuel R. Parkinson andSmart built the first sawmill in the area, wwas the first in southeastern Idaho. Lumber mill was used in building homes on the survearound the fort. A joke was made about the mstated that Joshua Messervey and the men wthe saw pit could out-cut the new sawmill.51

With the growth of the community it was nto enlarge the log school house. A stage waone end of it, besides enlarging it. This wouopportunity to develop the talents in the com

The Battle of Bear River In January the Indians became extreme in

mands. This led to the bloody battle of the BColonel Connor’s soldiers from Fort Douglas, to be called.

The one hundred forty-three of his

mand and killed, wounded, or frozen

d of the and Mr. running ere used mill and for flour. yoke of

Montana ear Lake

nd. They

Thomas

SITE OF THE BEAR RIVER MASSACRE

Responding to complaints of hostilities by the local Sho-shone Indians, Colonel Patrick Edward Connor and his force

The Mormon Settlers” ��

hich also from this yed land ill which

orking in

ecessary s built in ld be an munity.

their de-ear River. Utah had

com-

were

of 200 California Volunteers attacked a Shoshone winter village twelve miles northwest of Franklin.

Connor and his men reached the encampment of 450 people in the predawn darkness of January 29, 1863. After an initial frontal sortie on the camp failed, the soldiers re-grouped and pressed the attack from two sides.

After a couple of hours of fighting the Indians ran out of ammunition. The soldiers pursued everyone they could find into the thick willows along the creek and shot them with their revolvers. When the shooting was over as many as 350 men, women and children lay dead and dying in the snow. The soldiers burned the Indian’s homes and carried off 1000 bushels of wheat and flour and 175 horses.

For many years the incident at Bear River was portrayed as just another battle with the Indians in an expanding Western America. It wasn’t until late in the 20th Century that the incident came to be recignized for what it was: a massacre. On March 23, 2003, The Trust for Public Land and The American West Heritage Center presented the 26-acre site of the Bear River Massacre as a gift to the Shoshone tribe. The two groups had purchased the land privately and helped to plan a Shosone cultural and interpretive center.


brought back in wagons to Franklin. Many were

cared for in the settlers’ homes; others in the

Franklin schoolhouse, and when transportation

was secured, all of them were carried to Salt

Lake City. The sufferings of the men and of-

ficers were terrible; barely a man came out of

the fight without being permanently disabled.

Those who were not hit by bullets lost feet and

arms by freezing.52

“Fetch the poor Saints”After the battle of Bear River was over the com-

munity settled down once again to its normal proce-dure. On April 7, 1863 five young men were called to go to Omaha, Nebraska to help “fetch the poor Saints to the valleys.” Oxen were loaned to them by friends. These five men furnished their own food. On the way to Omaha they would stop at various trading posts and leave a portion of their foodstuffs. This food was used on the way back from Omaha.53 Mr. William G. Nelson writes:

In the spring of 1863 I was called by the

Church to drive a team back to the Missis-

sippi River after emigration. In company with

three others I started from Franklin on April 14

and went to Hyrum where we organized into a

company, there being fifty teams with William

B. Preston, Thomas Ervin, and Alma Baker as

Captains. 54

The call to make this trip came quite frequently for some to help the poorer Saints. Edward Kingsford and John Doney donated their teams for two years to help in this adventure.

National holidays were celebrated with as much vigor and fervor in the outlying settlements as in any other place in the Union. A news report of July 8, 1863 has this to say about the Fourth of July:

We submit for insertion in your columns a

condensed report of our proceedings on our na-

tion’s birthday. A detachment of infantry, com-

manded by Captain James Packer announced the

break of day by the firing of musketry; when

the hoisting of our stars and stripes immediately

followed. At nine o’clock a.m. a procession was

formed at the school house, under the direction

of the Marshal of the day, William H. Head, and

proceeded to the residence of Bishop L. H. Hatch

where the committee in waiting escorted him to

a place at the head of the procession. After hav-

ing promenaded through town, the procession

was seated under a spacious bowery, suitably

prepared for the occasion, when the band struck

up the lively and familiar air, “The Star Spangled

Banner.” The remaining part of the forenoon

was devoted to speeches, songs, toasts, and

so forth. The most prominent of our speakers

was Bishop Hatch. When he got through speak-

ing, he was enthusiastically greeted with loud

and prolonged cheers. The after part of the day

History of Franklin, Idaho • The Franklin Story, fro

was devoted to dancing, in which all seemed to

participate with that mirth and hilarity usual

on such occasions.55

This article was signed by John Laird, Alexander Bothwick, and Alexander Stalker who composed the Committee of Arrangements for the celebration. Most of the celebrations of the early years followed the same pattern. There was no real need for too much change, because the people liked this type of celebration, and it satisfied their patriotic needs.

Franklin expands out beyond the fortAll of the normal activities continued

William Woodward still continued to teathe people. Little by little the people left ththe fort area. Some of the more adventurespread out into other little communitiescourse between these small communitieswas infrequent, at first, especially in the wOccasionally trips had to be made. There wcoaches as yet and the people either rode wagons, or walked.

Each year an account was made o

nations given to the Indians and the po

the Franklin Ledger Book we take the

amounts: thirty-four and one half bu

wheat, one thousand pounds of hay, a

seven bushels of potatoes.56

1863 was the high point of placer minBy this time all of the large fields had op

were being mined. Some of these were yielding less and less each day. By 1863 there were twenty-five thousand people in Idaho. About five thousand were miners; the rest were there to do other kinds of work. Miners came mostly from California, but they were there from almost every state in the Union. The Civil War had been on since 1861, but this did not stop the miners from coming. Also, there were Englishmen, Germans, Frenchmen, Italians, Spaniards, Mexicans, and many Chinese.57 Franklin was one of the main points of entry and supply to the people of northern Idaho.

in the village. ch school for e confines of

some people . Social inter- and Franklin inter months. ere no stage

horses, drove

f the do-

or. From

following C O L O R A D O

W Y O M I N G

M O N T A N A

C A N A D A

I D A H O

N E V A D AU T A H C O L O R A D O

Frank l in

Oneida County

O R E G O N

m “The Mormon Settlers” ��

shels of

nd forty-

ing in Idaho. ened up and

IDAHO TERRITORY

In 1864 the Idaho Territory encompassed the current states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, including Franklin. Although Franklin was thought to be in Utah Territory at the time, it was in Oneida County, Territory of Idaho. Map after C. J. Brosnan, History of the State of Idaho, p. 94c.

The saga of the first church meetinghouseIn January of 1864 work began on a meeting house

for the Church. This building was to be forty feet wide and eighty feet long, and constructed of stone. The Catholic Church had already built a church building in Idaho City in the year of 1863. The Protestants had also built a church building in Idaho City. Actually the Mormon Church was behind in building their church building, but they had been busy building other things, so far as Idaho was concerned.58 The Franklin settlers had built their school house which had served as a community center, recreational center, church house,

and school house. When the new meeting house was nearing completion the roof fell in, due to faulty archi-tecture. The people were disheartened. It stood in that condition for nine years before it, was repaired and completed.59

Because most of the little communities that were being established in southern Idaho were of Mormon extraction, this does not necessarily mean that other people were not moving the communities. Oxford, which had been established at the extreme end of Cache Valley to the north, had a radical anti-Mormon paper called the Idaho-Enterprise. This newspaper caused much trouble for the Saints in this region.60

, as always a problem with the settlers. No ny large amounts of it. e circulating medium in Cache and Bear

ettlements was mostly by scrip. Cash

scarce that a substitute token made of

s used in lieu of money; in fact, it was

, as it passed quite freely from hand to

ithout reference to the honesty or sol-

of the offerer. Of course, cash was given

ercent advantage over scrip. It remained

until 1899. 61

ttle banking was done. Money, if any was had, t home. In the spring of 1864 many of the re living on their city lots. The lots had been

Moneyone had a

Th

Lake s

was so

tin wa

money

hand w

vency

a ten p

in use

Very liwas kept asettlers weTHE FIRST PERMANENT MORMON CHAPEL IN IDAHO


surveyed so that there were eight lots to a city block of ten acres. Thus each lot was one and one-fourth acres in size. The streets were six rods wide.

The church was constructed from local sandstone under the direction of Bishop L. H. Hatch. After sitting empty with a caved-in roof for nine years, the chapel was reconstructed in 1874 and used for another nine years.

History of Franklin, Idaho • The Franklin Story, from “Th

Town site was city lots of one and one-

fourth acres each. They were drawn for. I dr

lot number four in block ten, just east of

public square.62 (sic.)

These are the remarks of Joseph Younger Maon the drawing of city lots.

There seemed to be an article of Morm

faith which demanded the planting of tre

Gentile towns, for the first few years after th

founding, are usually marked by environme

of squalor and filth. The outskirts of the tow

are indicated by heaps of refuse, the impr

sion that the town isn’t a town, but an abo

of campers. When the Mormons located th

planted trees, not solely, for beauty a

shade, but also for windbreaks and future f

use. Cottonwood a hardy, quick-growing tr

seemed to be their favorite.63

Brigham Young’s 1864 visit to FranklinBrigham Young, President of the Mormon

made many visits to the outlying districts of the He was very conscious of the necessity of theand even though he was getting older, made thto keep the Church informed. He wanted to fpulse of the members. The following is an accoone of Brigham Young’s trips. This version was in 1907.

The rising generation know but little of

hardships endured in early days by the lead

ew

the

yberry

on

es.

eir

nts

ns

es-

de

ey HOME OF DR. ALLEN CUTLER IN PRESTON, IDAHO, 1903

e Mormon Settlers” �0

nd

uel

ee,

Church, Church. visits; e trips

eel the unt of

written

the

ing

men of this church, while were helping the poor

Saints to establish themselves in these valleys.

In order to make plain to them at least one

phase of this subject it will only be necessary to

give a brief account of President Young and his

party’s first visit to the Bear Lake country.

On Monday morning, May 16, 1864, at 8:80

o’clock, this little company drove out of Salt

Lake City on its journey. It consisted of six light

vehicles and a baggage wagon, occupied by

the following persons: Brigham Young, Heber

C. Kimball, John Taylor, George Albert Smith,

Wilford Woodruff, Joseph Young, Jesse W. Fox,

Dr. Cutler and his family stand among the cottonwood trees that surround their home. In 1927 the home was sold and turned into a mortuary.


Professor Thomas Ellerbeck, George D. Watt,

reporter, and seven teamsters. They reached

Franklin, Idaho on the afternoon of the third

day, and by that time had increased their num-

ber to one hundred and fifty-three men, eighty-

six of whom were riding in vehicles, the balance

being picked men, mounted on good horses for

assisting the company on the way. There were

no houses between Franklin and Paris, Idaho,

consequently the program was to drive directly

to Paris in one day, if possible.

GETTING UP THE MOUNTAIN

The fourth morning they got an early start,

and drove almost to Mink Creek without ac-

cident. Here brother George Albert Smith’s

carriage broke down, but as good luck would

have it, the brethren from Cache Valley had

brought a light wagon along in case of such an

emergency. The company were soon on the way

again, as though nothing had happened.

They reached the foot of the big mountain

which divides Cache Valley from Bear Lake

Valley, and here is where the tug-of-war be-

gan. The mountain was so steep that all the

men were compelled to walk except Apostle

Smith who was so heavy that it would have

been dangerous for him to undertake it, as he

weighed not less than three hundred pounds.

The mounted men soon had extra horses har-

nessed and hitched to single trees, and Presi-

dent Young and others, who were too heavy

to help themselves, took hold of these single

trees with both hands and were helped up the

mountain in this way.

Apostle Charles C. Rich and others, who

had settled Bear Lake Valley the fall before,

came to their assistance with all the teams that

could be mustered. Several yokes were hitched

to Brother George Albert Smith’s wagon, and

he was hauled up the mountain, but before he

reached the summit his wagon was so badly

broken that he was compelled to abandon it.

Everybody had a good laugh over the incident,

being the second vehicle broken down under

his weight that day. With careful management

under the supervision of President Young and

Council, the brethren managed to get him onto

the largest saddle horse that could be found.

The next morning at five o’clock they con-

tinued their journey homeward. Brother Rich

had more than kept his promise. He furnished

two yoke of oxen for President Young’s carriage

and four yoke for the baggage wagon, the latter

being solely occupied by Brother George Albert

Smith who had a smile on his countenance that

made all who beheld it feel good through and

through. These were the only vehicles drawn

by ox teams. They followed the road through

the mud, while the lighter vehicles, drawn by


horses, hugged the side hills, which were so

steep that the brethren had to lash poles to

the carriage beds, and bear down on the upper

end of the poles to prevent the carriages from

tipping over. This plan worked like a charm,

and by nine o’clock the company had reached

the summit of the mountain. Not withstanding

it rained hard all that day, the party reached

Franklin about five o’clock that evening, and

three days later they arrived home.64

Brigham Young spoke to the people of Bear Lake Valley when he visited them and told them some im-portant things which relate directly to Franklin.

The people here need a surveyor. We have

young men who can learn in one week to survey

this valley sufficiently to be agreeable to all

parties, and assure every purpose that can be

desired. As to whether we are in Utah Territory

or Idaho Territory, I think we are now in Idaho.

I have no doubt of it, and the greater part of

those who settle this valley will be in that ter-

ritory; the snow lies too low on the mountains

here for Utah. . . About cattle, butchers who

want to get away from the law and the Church

and keep moving to outlying lands—butcher the

beeves on the range. I know what those people

are here for, and their object has been to come

to this valley for an impure purpose. You will

know it, and if they are not here yet, they will

come and settle on your borders from Franklin,

Weber, and Box Elder, and other places.65

The Franklin survey of 1864This year, 1864, another ditch had to be dug from

Cub River to Franklin. Jesse W. Fox surveyed the ditch in the canyon. J. M. Martineau surveyed it from the canyon to the town. As the water had been scarce the year before nearly all the men of Franklin turned out to work on the ditch. It was about four feet wide on the bottom and brought a great deal of water to town for irrigation. With this added amount of water the crops were good.66

Traders came to Franklin from the northern part of the Territory and bought up produce, to the advantage of both the traders and the settlers. Wheat was five dollars a bushel, flour was twelve dollars per hundred pounds. Butter was fifty cents per pound. Eggs sold for fifty cents per dozen. Cows sold for forty dollars.67 This added business made Franklin a growing place.

New Post Offices - The Postmaster General

has ordered the establishment of the following

Post Offices in Cache County: Franklin, L. H.

Hatch, postmaster . . . 68

As new people came into Franklin to settle, either from the request of the Church officials or of their own accord, they were taken into the community. Some were sent to a community because of their talents.

It was customary for people who came into

Franklin as settlers to be given an allotment of

Histor

J. M. MARTINEAU’S 1864 SURVEY FROM THE CAN-YON TO FRANKLIN

Since Franklin Township was on the other side of the Cub River, most of what Martineau surveyed was the townspeople’s farmland.

The farmland was desig-nated in three broad cate-gories as Plow Land, Mead-ow Land or Hay Land. The location of the original fort would have been northeast of where Maple Creek joins the Cub River.

Estimated location of the original Franklin fort

y of Franklin, Idaho • The Franklin Story, from “The Mormon Settlers” ��


FRANKLIN TOWNSHIPThe town of Franklin is situated in Sections 20 and 21, Township 16 South on Rage 40 East, Boise Meridian.

LOC AT ION o f bus i-ness establishments and industries in the early years of Franklin. Numbers correspond to the list on the following page.

A number of FAMILY BUSINESSES and busi-ness that were impor-tant to the family are noted here.

HOLD your mouse cursor over each highlighted square to bring up a photo of that building


hay or grain lands. When Isaac Nash, James

Hibden, George and Alfred Hansen, E. Nelson,

Peter Pool, Dickey Colter, William Handy, John

and Nephi Comish, William Rogers came to

Franklin they were each given five acres in the

section now known as Whitney.69

Great strides, great expansion had taken place in three and one half years since the founding of the settlement, considering its location and its humble beginning. The Indians still came for food and the ac-count book for the year says that the settlers gave to them twenty dollars worth of wheat, seven dollars and fifty cents worth of potatoes, fifty dollars worth of oat feed (during Indian trouble), and sixteen dollars worth of hay (during Indian trouble). This was expended by the settlers for keeping peace with the Indians.70

Location of Business Establishments and Industries of Franklin

1. Location of Old Franklin Fort.

2. Old Franklin Cooperative Mercantile Store - 1869, used for awhile by citizens of Franklin as a Relic Hall, now used by the Daughters of the Pioneers.

3. Relief Society Building (torn down), now in this location is a park and a new Relic Hall.

4. Old Tithing Office (torn down).

5. City Hall and jail (in basement).

6. Opera House (torn down).

7. Stone Meeting House (a well was on the north side), now a modern Latter-day Saint chapel and recre-ational hall.

8. Old Stone School House (torn down), Red brick School House (four rooms), The School house has been renovated as a gymnasium.

9. Present Elementary School House, High school stu-dents go to Preston, Idaho.

10. Old Oneida Mercantile Union Butcher Shop, later the Princess Theatre, now used as a garage and for storage.

11. Berryman and Laverberg, two Jews, owned a mer-cantile business. Merrick and Duffin owned this and ran a store, then, the Oneida Mercantile Union, later Elliot Butterworth Cooperative. Now a tavern.

12. I. B. Nash’s Blacksmith shop, now an ice cream and light lunch parlor.

13. Post Office here first, then Thomas Lowe, Elliot But-terworth and J. A. Head opened a store. Later J. J. Hill’s store, and above it was T. G. Lowe’s Dance hall. (burned)

14. Location of the “One-eyed” Cooperative Store, now Post Office. Lad been used also as a candy shop.


15. Enoch Broadbent Butcher Shop, then P.B. Dunkley’s Grocery Store, now William Waddoups Grocery Store.

16. Little shop, where the first picture shows were held, has been a series of little shops, now a garage.

17. Goldman’s and Bergman’s Saloon just after the rail-road came to Franklin. Thomas Smart and Compa-ny’s Farmers Union, then part of the Oneida Mer-

1. John Johnson

2. Joshua Messervey Sr.

3. Joshua Messervey Jr.

4. John Laird

5. Alexander Bothwick

6. Ameleous Hansen

7. Thomas Lowe

8. William Garner

9. Martha Howland

10. Thomas Smart

11. W. G. Nelson

12. James Packer

13. George A. Davey

14. Robert Dowdle

15. Alexander Stalker

16. Shem Purnell

17. Alfred Alder

18. Moroni Bishop

19. Sarah Marshall

20. Joseph Chadwick

21. Mary Chadwick

22. Ben Chadwick

23. George Foster

24. W. L. Webster

25. Preston Thomas

26. Jane Nelson

27. A. M. Neeley

28. Joseph Dunkley

29. William Howell

30. C. H. Poulsen

31. John Doney

32. Edward Kingsford

33. T. C. D. Howell

34. Andrew Morrison

35. William Fluett

36. Nathan Packer, Sr.

37. L. H. Hatch

38. Leonard Smith

39. Thomas Mendenhall, Sr.

40. Evert Van Orden

41. W. R. Comish

42. C. W. Fox

43. William Lynex Sr.

44. John Morrison

45. Dabner Keel

46. John Frew

47. John Goaslind

48. Richard Colter

49. James Oliverson

50. James Sanderson

51. Peter Preese

52. George W. Crocheron

53. Wm. Woodward

54. William Comish

55. Robert Cox,

56. (?) Lundgren

57. Charles Olsen

58. Samuel Handy

59. Thomas McCann

60. Elvira Wheeler

61. Store

62. Sr. Parkinson

63. Mother Pool, Peter Pool, and I. B. Nash

64. Arnold Goodliff

65. George Lee

66. Enoch Broadbent

67. Henry Hobbs

68. Thomas Ball

69. I. B. Nash, (blacksmith)

70. Robert Gregory

71. William Corbridge

72. Mrs. Hampton

73. James Cowan Jr.

74. Thomas Slater

75. Charles Spongberg

76. William Whitehead

77. William Pratt

78. I. H. Vail

79. Ephraim Ellsworth

80. Nephi Packer

81. Thomas Bennett

82. John Biggs, W. C. Patten

83. C. R. Hobbs

84. Charles Thornberg, (blacksmith)

85. Nathaniel Parrott

86. George Alder

87. Mrs. Mayberry

88. Joseph Perkins


89. Owen Roberts

90. W. T. Wright

91. W. H. Head

92. Thomas Hull Jr.

93. Alec Lowe

94. Peter Lowe

95. Thomas Hull Sr.

96. Allan Ranken

97. Shem Purnell, (black smith)

98. Wm. Garner

Footnotes 1. John Henry Evans, One Hundred Years of Mormon-

ism (Salt Lake City: Deseret Sunday School Union, 1909), p. 441.

2. Preston Nibley, Brigham Young, the Man and His Works (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1937), p. 96.

3. Ibid., p. 97.

4. Hunter, op. cit., pp. 97-98.

5. Andrew Jensen, “Ogden’s Hole”. Improvement Era, July, 1934, pp. 414-448. This is the only reference made to this source. All other Andrew Jensen ref-erences relate to his compilation of Franklin ward records.

6. Hovey, op. cit., p. 8

7. Hovey, op. cit., pp. 10-13.

8. Beal, op. cit., p. 139.

9. B. H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, IV (Salt Lake

City: Deseret News Press, 1930), 446-447.

10. Andrew Jensen (ed.), Franklin Ward, Franklin Stake, p. 2 (typewritten)

11. Defenbach, op. cit., pp. 150-154.

12. Bertha Woodward, Personal Notes on Franklin Settle-ment, ca. 1920—1949 (typewritten and handwrit-ten)

13. Hovey, op. cit., p. 107.

14. Deseret News, April 14, 1860, p. 56.

15. Preston High School Seminary Students (compilers), Mormon Trail Blazers, p. 7. (typewritten)

16. S. P. Morgan (ed.), Official Program, Idaho Semi-Cen-tennial Celebration (Salt Lake City: Skelton Publish-ing Co., 1910), pp. 18-19.

17. Robert Hull, Notes on the Life of William G. Hull and Incidents in Franklin, p. 1. (typewritten)

18. Jensen, op. cit., p. 3.

19. Deseret News, June 15, 1939, p. 3.


21. Morgan, op. cit., p. 21.

22. Deseret News, April 18, 1860, p. 52.

23. Marie Danielsen (compiler), “The History and De-velopment of Southeastern Idaho”, The Trait Blazer (Published by the Daughters of the Pioneers, 15 June 1930), p. 21.

24. Hovey, op. cit., p. 106.


25. Josephine Mayberry Brayley (ed.), Life Sketch of Joseph Younger Mayberry, p. 48. (typewritten)

26. Hull, op. cit., p. 3.

27. Deseret News, May 23, 1860, p. 92.

28. Nibley, op. cit., p. 356.

29. lbid. p. 357.

30. Ibid. p. 96.

31. Ibid., p. 360.

32 . Deseret News, August 1, 1860, p. 170.


34. Danielsen, op. cit., p. 21.

35. Serena Lowe (compiler), Biographies and Life Sketches of Franklin Pioneers, p. 32. (typewritten) These biographies and life sketches have been col-lected by the Ellen Wright Camp of the Daughters of the Pioneers. Serena Lowe is Historian of the Camp. They have been collected over a period of many years, and were taken from personal inter-views or written material.

36. Deseret News, August 15, 1860, p. 192.


38. Braley, op. cit., p. 51.

39. Danielsen, op. cit., pp. 29-30, 32, 37-33.

40. Morgan, op. cit. p. 28.

41. Hovey, op. cit., p. 131.

42 . Hovey, op. cit. , pp. 131-132.

43. Hovey, op. cit. , pp. 135-136.

44. Braley, op. cit., pp. 56.

45. Lowe, op. cit., p. 5.

46. Beal, op. cit., p. 325.

47. Danielsen, op. cit., P. 39.

48. Ibid., p. 37.

49. Beal, op. cit., p. 301.



52. Donaldson, op. cit. p. 308.

53. Hull, op. cit., p. 2.


55. Deseret News, July 28, 1863, p. 27.

56. Franklin Account Ledger, p. 195. (handwritten)

57. Defenbach, op. cit. , p. 195.

58. Ibid., p. 210.

59. Morgan, op. sit. , p. 28.

60. Beal, op. cit., p. 171.

61. Ibid., pp. 35-39.

62. Braley, op. cit., p. 48.

63. Donaldson, op. cit.,

64. Solomon F. Kimball, “President Brigham Young’s First Trip to Bear Lake Valley”, Improvement Era, 1907, pp.


296-303.

65. lbid., pp. 296-303.

66. Danielsen, op. cit. , p. 21.

67. Lowe, op. cit., p. 55.



70. Franklin Account Ledger, 1864, p. 203. (handwrit-ten)

�0

E N T R I E SR E F E R R I N G

T O

J O H ND O N E Y

F R OM T H E

J O U R N A LOF H I S F R I E N D

E D W A R DK I N G S F O R D

•

I N t h e y e a r s

18 6 0 T O 18 64

¯ 1860¯I sold my little property for an old wagon, a yoke of

cattle, some flour, a plow and some leather. I left Pay-son in March with my family, and some twenty families, some staid in Ogden, some in Logan. The rest of us came to Franklin, vis. TCD Howell and sons, TM Bennett, D Keel, WH Head, W. Patten, J. Doney and myself with our families.

We obtained some land, plowed, and put in some crop. Bro. John Doney and me generally worked to-gether. When I came to Franklin I had two yoke of cattle one cow and calf and some chickens. Provisions were not very abundant, we were short of clothing and bed-ding. I had a wife and two children.

¯ 1861¯This year Bro. John Doney and me worked together

a great deal. Through the winter I worked a great deal on a water ditch.

Bro. Doney and me rented land from A. Stalker which we put into grain. Busy this season, I was never idle.

**** During harvest time, I had the privilege of going to Salt Lake City with my wife and getting my Endow-ments. Bro. Doney and Jas. Perkins went along also with their wives. I owned an old wagon. I borrowed a wheel of Mark Nelson before I started but this gave out on the way. I wove sticks in it and got to Willard. We traveled nearly night and day, when near the Hot Springs my wife was taken sick, she said she was struck with death.

History of Franklin, Idaho • Entries from the Journal of Edward Kingsford

��

We bathed her with Hot Spring water, and did what we could for her.

We got our endowments next day. I was ordained an Elder in the Endowment house, my wife was sealed to me. We traveled as rapidly as we could go back to Franklin as our grain was in the fields, in the shock.

When we arrived at Logan my wife said she had lived as long as she wanted to and requested me to bury her as decently as I could, to have her washed with soap and laid peacefully away. She died a week from the day she made the request of me, October 26th. I had been to Logan grist mill and staid away one night, and when I returned she was making pancakes, she said she could not make any more. Sisters Howell and Doney sat up that night with her, she died next morning.

I could not go to the funeral, as I had to stay at home with the baby nine months old. No ceremony was said at her funeral. I was lonesome and desolate and filled with grief.

The next day I went and saw Sister Halgar Poulsen whose husband had died this year; she was left with two children. I asked her to come and keep house for me and I would look after her things. Sister Poulsen enquired of the neighbors about my character, and the next day I moved her things to my house and she kept house for me. She had not been to my house but a few days before I asked sister Poulsen to be my wife. She said she would not be married before Christmas to anybody. On Christmas Eve I asked her and she said

“I guess so”. [The hard pioneer life made for marriages of necessity].

¯ 1862¯The winter was wet – our houses were mostly cov-

ered with willows, rushes, and dirt and they were not waterproof. The sacks of grain were wet and people had musty grain and flour til harvest. I had bought an Indian pony and Bro. Doney had another, and we had a team between us of horses.

¯ 1863¯[Due to money earned by feeding and clothing

the army sent to subdue the Indians, Edward and John rented 10 more acres of land together.]

¯ 1864¯This spring we moved onto our city lot. I lived near

Spring Creek and had John Doney as a near neighbor. [After a visit from Brigham Young, there was a good year of crops]. [While in the fields a drunken Indian attacked Mary Ann Alder]. As soon as the Indian commence his deviltry a man shot the Indian with a revolver. I had a pitchfork, Bro. Doney a rake and we tried to defend the woman.

The Latter-day Saints have been in the habit of send-ing teams to the States to bring on the emigrants from the Missouri River. I put one ox and Bro Doney another, this we did for two years. Prosperous times – traders from the north came to Franklin and bought up our pro-duce to our and their advantage. Wheat was $5 a bushel.

History of Franklin, Idaho • Entries from the Journal of Edward Kingsford

History of Franklin, Idaho • “Franklin Idaho”, from The Trail Blazer ��

• Franklin •i da ho

F r om

T H E T R A I L B L A Z E R

History of the Development of Southeastern Idaho

•

P u bl i s h e d i n 1930 b y Daugh t e r s of t h e P ion e e r s

R e v i s e d a n d u p dat e d i n 19 76 b y N e w e l l H a r tRMISSION

•

Early History of Franklin County

IntroductionOut of the early history of what is now known as

Franklin County, there has come to this generation and the generations to follow, a heritage which can scarcely be equaled in any other part of the country.

The subject of this sketch, as the title suggests, is to be a part history of Franklin County, that includes of course, the beginnings and developments of the vari-ous communities. However, in order that the reader may more fully understand and appreciate what it is all about and the foundation thereof, it will not be amiss to give here a brief sketch concerning the earliest history of the territory that is now known as Cache Valley, and an ac-count of the Battle Creek Massacre, the results of which afforded the settlers much relief from Indian troubles and made it possible for home seekers to locate in the more remote parts of this section of the country.

It is not very often that historians can get a definite account of the very earliest history of some particular re-gions, however, we are quite sure that the historians are right when they tell us that it was not until 1821 that the solitudes of Cache Valley were broken by the coming of the first white men. But long before this, the valley had been a favorite hunting ground for the Indians, among them were members of the Shoshone, Blackfoot and Ute Indian tribes. The streams were the homes of all kinds of

valuable fur-bearing animals such as, the beaver, mink and muskrat. The elk, deer, mountain sheep, bear, wolf, mountain lion, coyote and lynx roamed freely about in the hills and mountains. The streams were well supplied with a variety of fish. This place was first called “Willow Valley” and it was to this rich hunting ground that, in 1824, the first white men came. These white men were a company of trappers working, doubtlessly, for the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, which later proved to be a powerful rival to the Hudson Bay Fur Company in the Oregon country. According to the recordsome historians, James (“Jim”) Bridger was the leor captain of this early fur company. Kit Carsonfamous frontiersman, and William F. Dranan weremembers of the party.

The stories of these good hunting grounds soon reached other trappers and Willow Valley became the meeting place for those who trapped for furs. The name

“Cache Valley” of course came naturally, due to the habit of the trappers caching their furs here.

James P. Beckwith, who came to this valley in 1825, later helped to explore and survey a prospective route for a transcontinental railroad.

In 1860, Idaho was still a vast wilderness

only to the few rs, the hunter, spector and the

lic missionary. tent of its wealth esources were ught of as sav-dians and others

made their trails along the streams, across the plains and through the mountain passes.

Just at this time, that is early in the spring of 1860, a small

band of pioneers and trail blazers wended their way into the Northern part of Cache Valley. They came because

JIM BECKWITH was one of the few black mountain men. dmont

r

CokevSaint Charles

0 525 Miles10 MilesPreston

CACHE VALLEY runs north and south from near the north-

Great Salt Lake Emory

AltamontPie

WahsatchMarriott-Slaterville

Promontory PointLakeside

Sage

Blue Creek

West Bountiful

Sunset

Pleasant View

Morgan

Kemmere

Coalville

Randolph

Willard

Henefer

WoodruffMantua

LaketownHowell

Garden CitySnowville

Centerville

FarmingtonKaysville

Clinton

Evanston

South Ogden

North Ogden

Brigham City

Clearfield

Roy

Layton

0 50 KM25 KM10 KM

WhitneyFranklin

Richmond

Smithfield

Logan

ParadiseHyrum

Ogden

Providence

History of Franklin, Idaho • “Franklin Idaho”, from The Trai

east tip of The Great Salt Lake to just over the bordIdaho. The valley is about 40 miles long by about 10 wide. Mormon pioneers colonized Cache Valley in a sof settlements running up the east side of the valley

Timpie

Low

South Salt Lake

North Salt Lake

Park City

Woods Cross

OakleyMurray

Bountiful

West Valley CitySalt Lake City

s of ader , the also

knowntrappethe proCathoThe exand runthoage In

i l le0 Miles

l Blazer ��

of their having heard of the rich fertility of this soil and thought it a good place to build homes. They selected a spot on the banks of the Cub River and began imme-

er in miles tring .


diately to build homes and plan for a permanent settle-ment. That was the beginning of the first permanent white settlement in Idaho, now known as Franklin. (A more detailed history of these early settlers and their affairs will be given in the history of Franklin.)

These early settlers did not fail to realize that they were located on the extreme outskirts of civilization and that the least awkward move they made would mean starvation or annihilation by the hostile Indians that roamed at will over the South Eastern part of the territory. As we shall learn later, the Indians were not loathe to kill and destroy as they chose from time to time.

Settlers continued to come to increase the size of the settlement and build up fortifications against the prowling, hostile Indian marauders.

Increasing Indian TroublesThe Years of 1862 and 1863 found the Indians grow-

ing more and more troublesome to the people of the little settlement. They stole many horses even growing so bold as to take them from the stables of the pioneers. They became very exacting of the people, demanding grain and other foods on their own terms. But believ-ing In the opinion of their leader, President Brigham Young, “that it was better to feed the Indians than to fight them,” the pioneers freely gave to the Indians even though the giving became burdensome. Some of the grain was also given to the Indians. Not only did the Indians do a great deal of begging in the settlement

but it seemed to be a common occurrence for them to attack the emigrant trains and small parties separated from the settlements.

Soon after Christmas in 1862, David Savage and Wil-liam Bevins with a small company of men came down from Leesburg, a mining camp on the Salmon River, to get supplies and cattle. They lost their way in a blinding snow storm in the north end of Cache Valley and kept on the west side of Bear River. When the storm cleared off, they found themselves about west of Richmond, Utah. The party made a boat of some of the wagon boxes and attempted to cross the river. While the last boat load was crossing the river, some of the Indians who had been camping up on what is now known as Battle Creek, and had been following the party, came upon the men rather suddenly and began shooting at them. One man of the party was killed and several others wounded. Then too, the Indians proceeded to destroy the wagons and supplies, while they were doing this, the men hid in the brush until the Indians were gone. During the night they made their way to Richmond, six miles south of Franklin and told their story. Mariner W. Merrill, the Bishop of that town, immediately sent Mr. Bevins and his companions to Salt Lake City where the report of the actions of the Indians was given to the commandant at Fort Douglas. The news was sufficiently important to arouse the officials to immediate action. So Colonel P. Edward Connor with two hundred soldiers from Fort Douglas was then sent into northern Cache Valley to settle the Indian trouble.

William Hull’s accountContinuing on with a brief summary of some of

the Indian troubles and the Battle Creek Massacre, Wil-liam Hull, now of Hooper, Utah relates the following interesting incidents, the account of which seems to be about the most accurate obtainable relative to the massacre and events.

“About five o’clock in the evening, January 1863, three Indians, belonging to Chief Bear Hunter’s tribe, who were camped on Bear River, came to my father’s home with three pack horses and an order from the Bishop for nine bushels of wheat. I was sent to the granary to sack the wheat; the Indian boys went with me and helped.

We had two of the three horses loaded, having put three bushels on each horse (one and a half bushels in each sack) when I looked up and saw the soldiers approaching from the south. I said to the Indian boys

“Here comes the “Toquashos” (Indian name for soldiers) “maybe Indians will all be killed, maybe Touquashos killed too,” Not waiting however, for the third horse to be loaded, they quickly jumped upon their horses and led the three horses away, disappearing towards the north.”

Mr. Hull proceeds: “That night the soldiers (Colonel Connor and his men) camped outside the Fort.

The next morning about three o’clock the soldiers left for the Indian camp on Bear River. Jim Henry and I followed the baggage wagon all the way to the scene of the battle. We arrived there about nine o’clock, just

e sun was throwing its faint rays upon cold, white er Nature. The air was crisp and clear. The voice

d be heard plainly at a great distance.s the soldiers came in sight of the Indians, on the s above the Bear River, Chief Bear Hunter swinging uffalo robe in the air came forward and shouted, e on you California , we’re ready for you!his threat made the Colonel very angry and he

ed his cavalry pell-mell down the hill and across the . The fight began at once. The Colonel discovered istake when he saw many of his men killed by the na and ordered his Cavalry back.

as thMothcoul

Abankhis b‘Com

Trushriverhis mIndia

SHOSHONE INDIAN CAMP, circa 1870. At one time the Sho-


The company was then divided and sent down upon the Indians from two different directions; the soldiers on

shone tribe was a very large, extended group that lived throughout much of California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and Idaho.

History of Franklin, Idaho • “Franklin Idaho”, from The Trail Blaz

foot were ordered to cross the river when the Cavalry were in position north and east of the Indians.

The Colonel commanded, “Kill everything-Nits make lice.”

The fight began again In earnest. The soldiers used their bayonets; the Indians swung their tomahawks. The soldiers who crossed the river were forced to fight in their wet clothes, many fell wounded, and were frozen to death.”

William Hull says, “The scene was terrible when hand to hand fighting began. In the midst of the fight, we saw seven young bucks each take one of the soldiers’ horses, (the soldiers having been killed by the first vol-ley) and gallop toward the northeast.

The fight lasted about two hours, it was found that more wounded soldiers had been frozen to death, than had been killed in the fight. From our position by the baggage wagon, it appeared that the Indians had been entirely annihilated.

The soldiers returned to Franklin about seveno’clock that evening. The people under the directionof Bishop Thomas prepared places to make the soldierscomfortable for the night. Straw was hauled to themeeting house, beds were made and fires were builtSome of the soldiers were given beds in the homes othe people, in fact, a united effort was made to administer comfort to the weary, wounded, fighters.

The next morning, sleighs and teams were providedto help take the dead and wounded soldiers back toCamp Douglas, Salt Lake City, Utah. At the same time

Bishop Thomas called William Head, (Captain of Militia) William Nelson and William Hull to go to the scene of the battle to ascertain If any of the Indians were still alive.

Mr. Hull describes it as follows: “We drove our sleigh as far as the river and rode our horses through the river. The first sight to greet us was an old Indian walking, slowly with arms folded, his head bowed in grief, la-menting the dead, he didn’t speak to us, and soon left, going toward the north.

“Never will I forget the scene”Never will I forget the scene, dead bodies were

everywhere. I counted eight deep In one place and in several places they were three to five deep; all In all we counted nearly four hundred; two-thirds of this number being women and children.

We found two Indian women alive whose thighs had been broken by the bullets. Two little boys and one little

.

f -

AT THE POST OFFICE A mural of the attack at Bear River in-

er ��

, stalled at the Preston, Idaho post office. To see an enlarged image of the mural, hold your mouse cursor HERE.


girl about three years of age were still living. The little girl was badly wounded, having eight flesh wounds in her body. They were very willing to go with us. We took them on our horses to the sleigh, and made them as comfortable as possible.

When we arrived in Franklin, Nathan Packer, with the help of others set the broken bones of the Indian women. The squaws were taken care of by the people; soon afterwards they joined a tribe of Indians that came to Franklin from Bear Lake.

The boys were given good homes, one of them known as “Shem” was cared for in the home of William Nelson over a period of two years after which he was taken into the Samuel R. Parkinson home. The wounded girl was nursed back to health by Mary Benson Hull, a nurse. This Indian girl grew up as a member of the Hull household and later when she became a young woman, married a white man from Ogden and reared a family of boys and girls. She was dearly loved by a great number of people. Her girls are splendid housekeepers, clean, neat and thrifty. The youngest daughter is a graduate nurse of the Dee Hospital located in Ogden, Utah; at the present time she has charge of a hospital in Nevada.

It is claimed that there were other survivors from the battle, but these five were all who were brought to Franklin by William Hull and his two companions.

A few years ago the above article was read to John Corbridge of Preston, Mrs. William Nelson of Riverdale and Mrs. R. M. Hull of Whitney. Their testimony was what the above article is true, from their knowledge of

this battle. These three mentioned above are the only ones that are living in this community who were over twenty years of age in 1863.

Few Survivors FoundThere is quite a discrepancy between the number

of Indians killed as reported by Colonel Connor and the number of dead Indians actually counted by men who live today, but the difference may be accounted for when we consider the Colonel’s haste to get his men to shelter In his report, Colonel Connor reports 221 dead Indians, but, that the number was very much greater is certain. The Colonel reported that one hundred and sixty squaws and children were taken captive, whereas, a number of living pioneers declare that the number of living souls who came through the bloody conflict was very small. The women fought as desperately as the men.

Chief Sagwich was not killed on the day of the battle as Colonel, Connor reported but was shot many years later near Brigham City, Utah. The son of Chief Sagwich was in the battle and escaped in a most daring fashion. He ran toward the river during the engagement with several soldiers in hot pursuit. Upon reaching the bank he fell into the water as though dead, while the soldiers’ volley whistled harmlessly overhead. He floated under the ice and made for an air hole where he clung with his head just out of the water far enough to allow him to breathe freely. While in this position, the soldiers sighted him and fired upon him. He withdrew momentarily from the opening, receiving only a wounded thumb. The sol-


diers returned to the battle field and the courageous young fellow swam to a bunch of willows where he lay hidden, by the natural Hot Springs. This man was interviewed at his home in Washakie a few years ago by S. P. Morgan. He told Mr. Morgan that twenty-two young bucks escaped in various ways from the vigilant Connor. He also stated that the Indians had planned to raid the white settlements as soon as spring should open up.

Bear Hunter, the leading chief and as villainous an old fox as ever wore buckskin, was found dead by his fire. Evidences pointed to the fact that he had been engaged in moulding bullets when death came.

This massacre at Battle Creek was one of the ap-parent barbarisms which history has to record, show-ing that there was much brutality and poor judgment manifested on each side. However, the battle was a very important one to this state, as it marked the close of the real Indian troubles of this section of the territory. The Indians were taught a lesson that remained with them for many years and the pioneers were more free to spread out and locate on new territory.

Today Franklin County, once the scene of that bloody Indian conflict, is a most thriving section of Idaho, located in the southeastern part of the state, bordering the northern boundary line of Utah.

When the state was first segregated into counties, this section was a part of Oneida County. However, on January 30, 1913, it was divided and this eastern section ,has since been known as Franklin County.

Because of the irregularity of the boundary line and the broken surface of the county, we cannot accurately estimate the area in square miles; it is about twenty-five miles long and fifteen miles wide. It is interesting to know that this northern part of Cache Valley—now Franklin County—was once a part of the territory cov-ered by the famous “Lake Bonneville,” which at one time covered a large part of the present state of Utah. It seems that the lake was seeking an outlet to the sea and finally found it through what is now known as “Red Rock Pass” twenty-five miles north of Preston.

There is not an abundance of natural resources such as lakes or mines. However, there are two rivers and some smaller streams which supply water for irrigation and water power. Bear River the largest stream wends it’s way down through the “Narrows” and out through the County, passing through some of the towns. It is - sup-posed that this river was named by the return party of the Lewis and Clark Expedition who, somewhere along the stream shot and killed a bear. The Cub River on the east is a tributary of the Bear River. Some of the other streams are Mink Creek, Birch Creek, Deep Creek, Spring Creek, Worm Creek, Station Creek and Battle Creek.

Franklin County includes the following towns or vil-lages and some smaller places: Preston, Franklin, Whit-ney, Dayton, Weston, Fairview, Treasureton, Mink Creek, Clifton, Riverdale and Mapleton.

Franklin

There always has to be a beginning for everything. These beginnings are the items that make interest-ing history as we shall discover during the reading

of the following article which gives an account of the early history of Franklin, (the first permanent settle-ment in Idaho).

In fancy follow the trek of the “Trail Blazers” as they worked, laughed, and fought and prayed through the days of wresting a civilization from a trackless wilder-ness.

ColonizationIn the early spring of 1860 five companies, from

Provo, Payson, Slaterville, Kayscreek and Bountiful, left Utah and came to Franklin in search of new homes. Most of these people belonged to The Church of Jesus Christ

of Latter-day Saints, one of the policies of which was to expand and settle new territory.

Many of them had been advised by Brigham Young, their leader, to settle on the “Muddy” now Cub River, in the northeastern part of Cache Valley. This was then thought to be part of Utah. The first company came in the first part of April, they camped for a time in Camp Cove and explored around to see where best to settle. While there their numbers increased, as others came to join them, on the 14th of April, they broke camp and moved to the present site of Franklin, Idaho, which is located one mile north of the Utah-Idaho State line, on the Yellowstone Highway.

The names of the heads of the first families who came to this section are: Alfred Alder, Geo. Alder, Enoch Broadbent, Wm. Corbridge, Wm. Cornish, Wm. K. Comish, Richard Coulters, James Cowan, Sr., James Cowan, Jr., G. W. Crocheron, Joseph Chadwick, Robert Dowdle, John Doney, Wm. Fluitt, John Frew, Geo. Foster, Wm. Garner, Samuel Handy, T. C. D. Howell, James Hutchins, Thomas Hull, E. W. Hanson, James Harris. W. Harris, Leroy Holt, W. H. Head, Edward Kingsford, Peter Lowe, James Loft-house, Thomas McCann, Thomas Mendenhall, Sr., Joshua Messervy, John Morrison, Andrew Morrison, James May,

homas Mayberry, Wm. G. Nelson, J. S. Nelson, James Oliverson, Joseph Perkins, S. R. Parkinson, Shem Purnell, Peter Preece, Peter J. Pool, James Packer, Sr., Wm. Patten,

T

FRANKLIN HERITAGE L to R: John Doney emigrated from England and settled in Franklin in the first group of settlers;


John Reed, D. Reed, Thomas Smart, James Sanderson, Thomas Slater, George Shields, John Smith, Alexander Stalker, Alma Taylor, E. C. Van Orden, Isaac N. Vail, Wm.

his daughter, Mary Jane, married Robert G. Lowe and raised a family in Franklin; their daughter, Annie Laura, was born in Franklin and raised her family in nearby Whitney.

History of

T. Wright, Wm. Woodward, Mr. Woodhead, Henry Wad-man.

Peter Maughan, the presiding Bishop of Cache Val-ley, appointed Thomas Smart, S. R. Parkinson and James Sanderson to take charge of affairs in the colony while in Cove, both temporal and spiritual.

The Indians in the vicinity of Franklin at the time of its settlement were uKittemecomed tthe landtimber. great bbecamedensomdemandIt was ththis peorather tthe India

Thewere vto one peace-aindustriTheir firsground logs fromwas don

grouped together as a means of protection from the Indians, as the camps had to be guarded constantly because of Indian hostilities.

There was a meeting called April 19, 1860, for the purpose of land allotment. (There was some discussion as whether unmarried men should be allowed to take part in the drawing. The decision was in their favor as there were only three dissenting votes.) The numbers

ten acre lot, and placed in a hat. rst choice of lots and so on. Wil-r one and Peter Lowe number o of the unmarried young men.

lose together, near the center of

homesteaders selected their ten ield.ring, the public meetings were

fire; In the summer they built a

ings were held in it.s the twelfth of May. However, men had their land ready and

nder Chief re, who wel-he whites to , water and They were

eggars and quite bur-e in their s for food. e policy of

ple to feed han to fight

ns.

were cut, one for each Number one had his filiam Hull drew numbetwo. These two were twThey chose their land cthe plot.

On April 22nd, the acre lots in the South F

During the early spheld around the camp

bowery, then the meetIt snowed as late a

by the first of June, the

Franklin, Idaho • “Franklin Idaho”, from The Trail Blazer 61

se pioneers er y loyal another, a biding and ous people. t homes were in wagon boxes placed on the

while the running gears were used for hauling the canyons. The cooking that first summer

e over the campfires. The wagon homes were

planted to oats, barley and wheat. Later in the reason they planted their gardens. The next labor was to get water on the land. (This project is described under ir-rigation.)

As soon as possible the men brought poles from the canyon to make corrals for their animals. The houses erected during that first summer were built with round logs. The roof was made of dirt and there were no floors, other than “Mother Earth.” An adobe or rock fireplace

CAMPFIRE COOKWAREThis cast iron cooking pot would have been useful in cooking over a campf ire. Displayed at the Franklin Relic Hall


was in one end of the cabins. The logs were split with an axe to make the doors and coverings for the windows. During the winter time, they depended on the glow from the fireplace or tallow bitches for lights.

The houses, or cabins as they were called, were built along the sides of a rectangle with the fronts all facing the inside. The corral, school house, and public well were inside the enclosure. This arrangement was made in order to protect the colonists and their cattle from the Indians. The place was known as the “Fort.”

The people began moving into their cabins in Au-gust 1860. The Fort was not completed until 1863. The Fort wall was never completed.

Speaking of some of the things that the people did during the first year or so, Samuel Handy’s journal reads:

“We tramped out 48 bushels of wheat on August 2nd, William Woodward and James Sanders took it to Farm-ington and got it ground into flour. It was then brought back to Franklin and divided among the people of the camps. We were a happy and united people.”

Another extract from Samuel Handy’s journal reads, “In 1861 we had gardens on the west side of the fort which were a great benefit it to us, potatoes, cabbage, lettuce, onions, cucumbers, peas, melons, squash and other things were raised, which made our meals more agreeable. We raised good crops that year but did not thresh the grain in the fall of the year. The winter of 1861–62 was very wet; our cellars on the south string of the fort were full of water and our houses were wet nearly every day for a long time. The grain in the stack

became wet and it wasn’t threshed until March. Many of the people had to eat musty bread until the next season.”

In the spring of 1864, the pioneers moved onto their city lots. Lots were surveyed off, one and one-fourth acres each, with eight lots on a block, having streets six rods wide. Each block contained ten acres.

Every man in the Fort had a cane lot East of town, on which he raised sugar cane. Thomas Lowe, Sr., had a sorghum mill out on the river by James Howarth’s farm.

Later broom corn was also grown east of town and it was made into brooms.

The hay lands which lay south and west of town, near the cemetery, were known as “New Fields.”

Jessie W. Fox from Salt Lake City was called to sur-vey the land known as “South Fields,” and each family was given ten acres. This ten acres was all the land each family was given the first year.

The Minute Men of Little MountainAll of the older young men and young married men

were responsible for the guarding of the settlers and their property. They were known as “Minute Men.” Each man took his turn standing guard on Little Mountain, west of Franklin, spoken of as Mt. Lookout.” It was his responsibility to warn the settlers of the approach of any hostile Indians. The watcher’s knapsack was never permitted to become empty and his gun was kept in perfect order to be used if necessary. These Minute Men

were called to Bear Lake a few times to stand guard at night when the people there had trouble with the Indians.

The first summer that the settlers came to Franklin was a very dry season so they started making ditches in order to irrigate their land to enable them to raise crops.

Wm. Nelson and James Packer surveyed the first irrigation ditch built in Idaho. This first ditch brought water from Spring Creek into the Fort. They next worked a ditch from High Creek down to the South Field; an-other ditch was made from Oxkiller and South Canyon.

his was northeast of the “South Field” and was called the “Sanderson Ditch,” because James Sanderson was the contractor. Still another ditch was made called the Upper Ditch,” which came from High Creek. All the

T

“LITTLE MOUNTAIN, viewed from the northwest side of the mountain in nearby Whitney. In 1871, the US Geological


Some of the men belonged to the Militia. They went to Logan once each month and received their training at the headquarters stationed on Logan Bench.

The winter of 1873-74, before the railroad came in, was very cold, snow was on the ground six months. Nearly every one in the town was out of hay; oat straw sold for five dollars a ton, wheat straw at one dollar a load, and hay sold for one dollar per hundred pounds.” In 1878 Franklin was organized into a city with the fol-lowing officers: Mayor, Joshua Hawkes; Councilmen, L. C. Meacham, Wm. Woodward, Wm. Whitehead and Robert Lowe; A. P. Shumway, Marshal and Thomas Dur-rant, Clerk.

people owning land under the ditch were required to work on it. This ditch was finished about the middle of July, 1860.

The next ditch they started was called the “City Ditch.” It was started by G. L. Wright’s home. Since then it has been enlarged until it furnishes water for the City of Franklin. Through the winter of 1861-62, they worked on a water ditch called the “Thomas Ditch.” it was on the north and west side of Cub River. They had a hard time to get the water to go where they wanted it to because the ditch was so level and they had a hill to go through just before they got the water out on the flat. Water was not in this ditch until about 1873. This afterwards became the Lewiston Canal.

Plows and shovels were their only tools, therefore, it meant rather slow progress. 1864, a water ditch was surveyed from Cub River to Franklin. Water was very

Survey stopped to camp near the trees in the center of the photo. View from the hill of the Glen Tanner farm.

History of Franklin, Idaho • “Franklin Idaho”, from The Trail Blaze

scarce the year before. When this ditch was completed it was about four feet wide on the bottom and broughtwater to town, with the help of this water the next yearthey had good crops.

There were no fences in South Fields nor any otherplace for a number of years. This made it necessary toherd the cattle and horses. Mr. White looked after thecattle herd first R. M. Hull had the contract for the careof the horses and hired Indian Jim to help. Extractsfrom Wm. Nelson’s journal, say that he raised thirty-three bushels of potatoes the first year the settlerscame to Franklin, (1860). That was all the potatoes thatwere raised that first year. A few onions were raised bysomeone else.

Government surveyors came through Franklin in1873 and made the first survey of these lands. Wm. E.Corbridge was one of the surveyors.

Trips to Salt Lake City In most cases where families were called by the

Church to settle new sections, other members of thefamily were given employment on the Salt Lake TempleWith this money, those in the city would maintain theothers who were out trying to wrest a home and livingfor the family from the wilderness. It was because ofthis condition that many of the pioneers of 1860 wereobliged to go to Salt Lake City for their food stuffs, adistance of 110 miles.

Pioneers who went through this first season saythat some of the men made as high as four trips dur-

TICKET TO THE DEDICATION OF THE SALT LAKE TEMPLE

r ��

.

ing the spring and summer of 1860. They walked every step of the way there and back. On their return each man carried a fifty pound sack or more of flour on his back—this was necessary “to keep the wolf from the door.” Men and women would also walk to Salt Lake City to attend the Spring and Fall Conferences.

Often the whole family at home would have to live for days and weeks on nothing but boiled wheat and sego roots, while waiting for the men to return with supplies.

Wages during those early years were very low. Fre-quently girls went into the homes and did most of the housework for less than a dollar a week. One girl worked fourteen weeks to pay for a linsey dress.

The temple—one of the most remarkable construction projects in 19th Century America—was completed in 1893, thirty-three years after the settlers came to Franklin. Ticket displayed at the Franklin Relic Hall

History of Franklin, Idaho • “Franklin Ida

These sturdy pioneers believed in education. Even before they could build a school house, Hannah Comish taught school in her home.

Her home was located on the east side of the Fort where she had about twenty children under her direc-tion for three months. This was the first white school taught in the State of Idaho.

The first school house The Late in the fall of 1860, under the direction

of Bishop Preston Thomas, logs were cut and hauled from Deep Creek Canyon, for the purpose of building a school house, by the late spring of 1861 the house was completed. It was a large room, with a large fire place in the east end. The fireplace was made of soft white sandstone and was the only meanprovided for the building which floor. The building faced the west wand one window on each side, and aby the door. The door was made frbroad axe. The window and framehand saw and pocket knives. The glass were brought from Salt Lakewere made of slabs, (flat side up)and birch. This school house servemeeting house and an amusementhe straw was removed from tie flooon the floor as a protection from thso that everything would be fresh a

Whenever it rained the children were excused until the storm was over-the roof was not waterproof.

When the school opened in the fall of 1861 G. Alvin Davy was the teacher. He had about seventy (70) pupils in attendance, and some of their slates and pencils came from the slate rock which was found on the mountains east of Franklin. In this first school there was just one reader for each class and one speller in the school; the Almanac was also used. The pupils would take turns reading, as they stood in straight lines or rows before the teacher. In spelling, the teacher would pronounce the words, the children would write it on their slates, then study the words. They were also given verbal arithmetic in the same manner.

s of heat which was had a dirt roof and ith a door in the end, small window close

om logs, split with a s were made with a little 8x10 inches of City. The benches

with legs of maple d as a school house, t hall. Each Saturday

r, (straw was placed e cold, damp earth) nd clean for Sunday.

ho”, from The Trail Blazer ��

SCHOOL SLATE

Displayed at the Franklin Relic Hall

History of Franklin, Idaho • “Franklin Idaho”, from The Tra

The National 5th Reader by P. and W. Series No. 6 was used in the Franklin school in 1878. The Appleton’s Standard High Geography, Utah edition and published by D. Appleton and Company in 1882 was also used later.

The tuition was paid to the teacher with any kind of produce or cloth, molasses or meat.

In 1863–64, William Woodward taught school for $40.00 a mouth, collecting his pay from each pupil. Thomas Smart, William Woodward and S. R. Parkinson were the school trustees in 1865.

Some of the other early school teachers were: Wil-liam T. Wright, Henry Howell, William Howell, L. C. Me-cham, (also Justice of the Peace,) William Davis, JHobbs, Robert Stalker, William Fancher (also hoteler), Miss Fancher and Joseph S. Geddes, (now Judthe Probate Court in Preston), L. A. Mecham, (City Jof Preston), George C. Parkinson and many other

Stone schoolhouse completed in 1867The log school house was enlarged and a stag

in about 1863. The rock school house was start1865 and completed in 1867. It was a good sandsstructure, twenty-five by forty feet with a goodshingle roof and accommodated the town for atime as a school until a four-room brick structureits place in 1898. The lumber that was used in theslier buildings was hauled from Bear Lake with ox tover a round-about road some fifty miles in leng

The latest school, an eight-room structure, was built in 1916. At this time the district decided to centralize and have a large graded school. Cherryville and Nash-ville schools were discontinued and the children from that section were brought in horse-vans, (1917) to the Central School at Franklin. Regular school auto-buses started in 1928 to convey the students to a high school as well as the elementary school.

A community church school was taught by Charles England, now of Logan, Utah, with Miss Lucy Parkinson as assistant in 1887. In 1879 there were three schools in Franklin, one in the school house, one in the vestry of

ames keep-ge of udge s.

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FRANKLIN’S FIRST TWINS, JOSEPH & HYRUM FREW


the L. D. S. Church and a Presbyterian school taught in William T. Wright’s home.

Note: The Oneida Academy started in Franklin with Mr. Cornwall as the teacher in 1888.

In 1880 the Presbyterians built a frame structure north of Wm. Cottle’s. This was used for church and school purposes. The Reverend Calvin Parks of Logan came at intervals to deliver the sermons. Later Reverend Renshaw. Miss Hodge taught about three weeks, then Miss Maggie Shirley, daughter of Reverend Parks taught for awhile. Some of the teachers were Mr. Martin, Miss Noble, Miss Simons, Mrs. Tillie Stalker, Miss Clark and Miss Elliot. This school and church was discontinued about 1908.

Early Marriages, Births and DeathsAmong the first marriages were Mary Hull and Peter

Lowe, Jason Howell and Jane Thomas, Matliada Patton and Joseph Nelson. They were all married by Bishop Preston Thomas.

John Reed was the first boy born in Franklin, in June 1860. Thomas Slater, July 2nd, and the twins of John Frew, Joseph and Hyrum, the 10th of July. Ellen Wright was the first girl born, October 6th, 1860. These children were born in wagon boxes.

John Reed was the first man buried in Franklin, July 24th, 1860. His death was a most tragic one, to satisfy Indian revenge. It seems that some white man had killed or offended an Indian and in order to get revenge a band of Indians dashed down from the hills east of

Smithfield and killed this young man, an innocent trav-eler who had just stopped along the highway, near the creek which runs through Smithfield. He had stopped, in company with others, to repair a wagon reach, and among whom was James Cowan, who received a seri-ous wound.

Samuel Sanderson died three months later.

Church OrganizationsBrigham Young and Company came to Franklin,

June 10, 1860, and appointed Preston Thomas as Bishop of Franklin. He served until the spring of 1863, then Lorenzo H. Hatch was appointed to take his place with T. W. Wright as Clerk.

From 1875 to 1877, Thomas Lowe, Sr., who was Presi-dent of the Teachers quorums served as acting Bishop while L. H. Hatch was in Arizona.

June 11, 1877, Lorenzo Lafayette Hatch was appoint-ed Bishop with Samuel R. Parkinson and Thomas Dur-rant as counselors. They served the people faithfully thirty years and on July 7, 1907, Samuel C. Parkinson was sustained as Bishop with Isaac H. Nash and Hyrum Hatch as counselors. Isaac Nash moved away and John Lowe was appointed counselor. Hyrum Hatch died in the summer, and on December 1, 1912, Cecil Woodward was appointed counselor. Jane Woodward was the first lady missionary from Franklin, Oneida Stake. She filled a mission in England in 1901.


Relief Society Organization SERVICEWe cannot all be heroes And thrill a hemisphere With some great, daring venture. Some deed that mocks at fear; But we can fill a life timeWith kindly acts and true: There’s always noble service For noble souls to do.–(C. A. Mason).

The Franklin Female Relief Society was first orga-nized April 22, 1868, with Sarah Bothwick as President; Ann Smart and Ortensia Stalker, Counselors; Martha D. Howland, Secretary; Aides—Elvira Nash and Mary Head. A little later during this same year the Society was com-pletely organized after the pattern of the General Relief Society in Salt Lake City. Out of this humble beginning, there has grown a membership in the county of over eleven hundred women.

Extracts taken from early Relief Society record books, show: In 1868 they donated liberally for pay-ment for lime and also for material for quilts and for the seating of the vestry. July 16, they quilted five quilts. In their meetings they usually bore their testimonies, pieced and quilted quilts, knit socks and spun yarn.

Their donations consisted mostly of butter and eggs. On February 24, 1869, $78.00 was collected from selling quilts, socks, etc. This was used to buy a carpet for the vestry circle room.

May 9, 1868, a special Relief Society meeting was held. Eliza R. Snow from Salt Lake City gave a most inspirational talk. She urged more sisters to learn to braid and make their own hats. It was also suggested by Mrs. Snow that the settlers cultivate the mulberry tree and start up a silk industry. Following her sug-gestion, hundreds of mulberry trees were planted. At a recent meeting In Preston, an authority on silk work culture made the statement that if the women of the community had continued to follow the advice of Eliza R. Snow, there would have been a thriving silk industry in Franklin County today.

In 1868 they bought shares in the co-operative store in the name of the Relief Society; the sisters donated fifty cents each. In 1872 this Society belonged to Cache Stake. In June 1872 a fund called the Perpetual Emmigration fund started. Some members of the bishopric usually attended the Relief Society meetings.

In 1874 July 17, Elizabeth Fox was appointed as Presi-dent, with H. Fuller and Sylvia Hatch, counselors. They donated means to help build the Logan Temple and paid for a stove, also a pump. Annie Hatch, Jane R. Biggs and Susan Goaslind were aides with Hester Elvira Nash acting as secretary.

In 1875–6 donations were given freely to support the poor and build the Relief Society meeting house.

In 1877 they started to save grain. This was the be-ginning of a very important enterprise on the part of these Relief Society women. The saving of the grain which gradually amounted to hundreds and thousands


of bushels made it possible for the women of this orga-nization to help look after child and welfare work at all times and to render invaluable assistance to the nation during the World War.

Some of this grain was gleaned from the fields by our mothers and grandmothers and little did they real-ize the extent of the good that would be accomplished. The interest alone coming into this county amounts to over twelve hundred dollars each year making it pos-sible to provide medical aid for those who couldn’t have it otherwise.

The following is an account of a special jubilee meeting. The program indicates that on March 17, 1892, a Relief Society Jubilee was held. President Sophia Merrick Mecham presided. Prayer by Joshua Hawkes. Remarks by Bishop L. L. Hatch. Stake President Elizabeth Fox gave a general report of the society. A poem was read by I. B. Nash written for the occasion by Elvira Nash. Talk by George C. Parkinson. Mary Hawkes made re-marks. Recitations by Eliza D. Lowe and Mary A. Hensen. Remarks by William Webster, Hannah Jolly, Sarah Both-wick and Andrew Shumway. Singing by Hannah Handy, age 70. Singing by James Hurd and Thomas Durrant. Song by Smith Gumersoll and wife. Song by I. B. Nash,

“The Kingdom of God or Nothing for Me.” Recitation by James Hurd. Remarks by Polly Packer, Robert Lowe, John Jolly and Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Hawkes. Dinner was served to all present. Eleven speakers, four songs and three recitations.

Sunday School The first Sunday school was held in the log school house about 1862 with Samuel Huff, Superintendent, William Wright, Assistant, William White-head, Secretary, William Rogers and Samuel Handy, Sr., teachers. I. B. Nash was the superintendent from 1865 to 1885.

The Young L adies’ Associ ation Was first organized October 30, 1877, with Mary Ann Hawkes, President; Clara Hatch and Sarah Ann Smart, Counselors. Zina D. Young, from Salt Lake City was present.

On October 27, 1880 Lucy Doney was appointed president, with Ruth Hatch and Nellie Parkinson, Coun-selors.

The Primary Association Was organized in 1878 with Elvira Nash, President. Later Alice Fordham and Agnes Durrant served as Presidents.

The Young Men’s M.I.A. The Young Men’s Mu-tual Improvement Association was organized in 1876 with Thomas Durrant, President, William Parkinson Coun-selor and L. A. Mecham, Secretary. William Parkinson was the second president with Elliot Butterworth acting as counselor.

MusicThe first to furnish music were Isaac Vail and Dabner Keel, who played the violins; Wm. Hill of Richmond played the accordion and John Corbridge did the calling.

The first Fife and Drum band was led by W. E. Cor-bridge and Thomas Johnson.

John Albiston led the second Fife and Drum Band. Some of the players were J. B. Scarborough, T. G. Lowe, George Wright, Joseph Wright and Wm. E. Corbridge

The first orchestra we have any record of was made up of William Nelson, Wm. Davis and George Marshall (concertina.)

First Brass Band: Wm. Chatterton, cornet; James Handy, cornet; Edward Gamble, cornet; Wm. Edward

Corbridge, bass drum; George Wright, snare drum and Charles Peterson, bass horn.

Later another orchestra was lead by Dan Thomas who played the violin; Seth Thomas, violin; Tom Kel-ley, cornet and G. L. Wright, violin. Another orchestra was composed of G. L. Wright, leader who played the violin; George Handy, cornet; Sam Handy, clarinet; S. B. Wright slide trombone; H. B. Hawkes, piano and Abe Whitehead, caller. This orchestra played together for eighteen years.

The Fife and Drum Band was composed of the fol-lowing members. George T. Marshall, leader, Seth Thom-as, Mr. T. C. D, Howell, Robert Gregory, George Wright

d James Handy.Tom Kelley’s Brass Band was composed of the fol-

wing: Tom Kelley, leader, Laud Wright, Joe Stalker, drew Flack, H. B. Hawkes, W. L. Wickham, John Jolly,

mes Handy, Will Lowe, Ivan Woodward, Fred Hawkes d Theopholous Frances. Frances acted as leader after lley’s retirement.

Some of the Choir Leaders were: John Frew, W. N. gers, Wm. Whitehead, Isaac Nash (1861-1892) Edmund ckley (1892-1898) and James Hurd.

Some of the early Music Teachers were: Edmund ckley, violin; Ruth Hatch, organ; Ada Parkinson, organ

an

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RoBu

BuTOM KELLEY’S BRASS BAND, circa 1895

At the time of this photo, Tom Kelly had retired, passing

History of Franklin, Idaho • “Franklin Idaho”, from The Trail Blazer �0

and Mary Smith, organ.

IndustriesThe saw mill business of Idaho had its beginning

at Franklin in the year 1861 by Joshua Messervy in the

the band leadership to Theopholous Frances, second from the right on the front row.

Identify the members of the band by HOLDING

your mouse cursor over each person.

form of a pit saw, which was a sawmill constructed by digging a hole, or pit in the ground deep enough for a man to stand in. The logs or timbers that were to be cut into lumber, were then rolled over the pit with one man under the logs and another man on top, who used a large saw with handles on each end. The log was slowly ripped into lumber. Mr. Messervy manufactured the furniture, wash-tubs, wash-boards, buckets and barrels that were used in Franklin and surrounding settlements. Martin Lundgren also did cabinet work.

In 1863 Samuel R. Parkinson and Thomas Smart built a more modern mill near the brush on the river bottom, west of the farm of the late S. C. Parkinson. It was run by water power and was an up and down saw which was run until 1867. Wheeler’s mill was built up

Muddy River where most of the ties and timbers were cut for the railroad and bridges.

JOHN BIG GS’ MIL L About the year 1871 Brigham Young bought the machinery in the East for a steam sawmill and had it shipped by boat up the

ri river to Fort Benton, Montana. Flavious Green, o others, brought it overland to Franklin and

p in Maple Creek Canyon. Quite a large amount ber was sawed at that time for various purposes. there was a boom on at Soda Springs; a large as built there as many invalids came to be cured e wonderful water; so the mill was moved to

prings. However, It was brought back and again in Maple Creek canyon. John Biggs and Elijah ran it for years. This mill sawed three hundred

Missouwith twset it uof lumIn 1872hotel wwith thSoda Sput upSteers

History of Franklin, Idaho • “Franklin Idaho”, from The Trail Blazer

STEAM ENGINE that powered a steam sawmill in the Maple Creek Canyon south of Franklin. Displayed at the Franklin Relic Hall

LATH made in the Thomas Lowe Shingle and Lath Mill, lo-cated east of Franklin. Displayed at the Franklin Relic Hall

��

thousand feet of lumber for the big building of the Z. C. M. I. in Salt Lake City, also for the Rolling Mills on the Union Pacific Railroad at Laramie, Wyoming, and a large

History of Franklin, Idaho • “Franklin Idaho”, from The Trail Blaze

amount of lumber was sawed and shipped north and south on the railroad.

In 1876, Thomas Durrant worked for them and helped get out the ties for the railroad when it was extended north. It was finally taken to the Franklin Ba-sin where it was run until about 1900. It is now located there, standing as a relic of bygone days.

SHINGLE MILL About 1870 Thomas Lowe, Sr., bought a shingle and lath mill for $1,000 and located it two miles east of Franklin, below where the Woolen Mill was afterwards located. It was run by water power. The dirt roofs all over the valley were replaced by shingles from this mill. In 1874 shingles cost $4.50 a thousand.

GIBSON MILL About this time Amos Hawkes and others put in a water power saw mill at the inter-section of Maple Creek which sawed a great deal of lumber from Crooked canyon. It was afterwards known as the “Gibson Mill.”

MONSON LUMBER MILL Monson Brothers brought a mill from Richmond and placed it down by the river and railroad bridge; but soon moved it to the flat, south of the present depot west of the railroad. It was operated there for a number of years.

ClothingIn the early days, clothing and blankets, stockings

and other domestics were made by the women in their homes by using hand cards; rolls were made, then spun in a spinning wheel. Yarn was made and woven into cloth on hand looms. Wool bats w ere also carded

for quilts and carpets were woven from rags on hand looms.

Little does the woman of today, with all her silk lingerie and selected wardrobe realize that many of the pioneers of the early Sixties, in Cache Valley, grew their own flax and made their own garments.

Some, according to old timers, grew flax for linen.

HANDMADE CLOTH

r ��

The flax was cut with a scythe while it was in full bloom. After being tied in bundles, it was submerged in water for a period of three weeks or more. The flax was then taken from the vats and beaten with flails until the coarse fiber was separated from the fine. At this stage the fine fiber was spun into skeins and hanks on the old

Other examples of cloth made by Ann Doney that are dis-played at the Franklin Relic Hall include a sample from the lining of a coat; a sample of a quilted petticoat and a set of four plaid swatches.


time spinning wheel. To Thomas Hull and Peter Lowe, master weavers, from Scotland, who were engaged in that business in the old country before coming to America, is accredited the honor of having built the first loom in Franklin. To this loom came much of the finished product of the spinning wheel which was to be woven into yards of material. From this linen, many choice towels were made, table cloths, the men’s best shirts as well as many other articles. Pioneers say that this material was of such good quality that water could be carried in it without its leaking out. Martha Vail and Mrs. Kingsford were very fine weavers, they each owned a loom and helped to supply the cloth and carpets for the public.

It might be interesting right here to give some of the information which the earlier pioneers have given us concerning the malting of dresses and dying cloth with dyes made from raw materials.

The wool was cut from the sheep’s back, spun into fine threads and these fine threads were made into skeins. After these skeins were thoroughly washed, the wool was dyed many beautiful colors.

The following dye recipes were taken from a “grand-ma’s” scrap book:

• Blue dye was made from Indigo blue in the rough.

• Red dye was made from madder (pioneers grew this in their gardens). Enough madder root and top to give the desired shade was boiled.

• Green was made by boiling the flower of the yel-low dock, found in abundance nearby. Indigo blue was added to form the desired shade.

These materials, after their being dyed, were woven into the desired patterns upon the loom of the village weavers. The warp as well as the materials were made from the wool of the family flock.

Pioneers say that these patterns made up very beau-tifully into chic dresses with their various colors and plaids.

Most of the photographs of the girls of those earlier days (that is, after the time of extreme hardships) give us the impression that they were well dressed and as proud and happy as any girl of our modern day. They also braided and made their hats from the wheat or oat straw.

The following copy of a little song, given at a pioneer party in Franklin a few years ago, gives us a very charm-ing picture of a dear lady and how she dressed. (This probably refers to a time after the settlers had been in Franklin for a few years). The words were composed for the occasion by Miss Maggie Hill, to the tune of “Ben Bolt.” The words are as follows:

OH! DON’T YOU REMEMBEROh! don’t you remember that queer little hat, That your grandma wore long, long ago? How it sat on the top of her dear little head While the ringlets danced quaintly below,Her dress, full and ruffled, reached

clear to the floor,

History of Franklin, Idaho • “Franklin Idaho”, from The

And her shoes had such long pointed toes,With an air of such modest repose.

Oh! don’t you remember the way that she danced, How her feathery step held such graceAnd when some bold youth whispered

flattering words, How the blushes would creep o’er her face,And her little white hands in their

black silken mitts, In her lap would be folded so tight.No wonder your grandpa fell madly in love, When he saw such a feminine sight.

Oh! don’t you remember the service she gave, And the hardships she patiently bore,That you and I in these valleys might dwelWith a chance to advance evermore.Now, alas, she is old and the hardships of Have made her unsteady and frail,Let us give to the future as nobly as she, And God helping, we never will fail.It seems that in every age when colonists

establish themselves, there is always some ocomes forth with some industry which especiathe needs of the people in one way or anot

“North Star Woolen Mill” was a good illustratioEdmund Buckley came to Franklin in 1878 asix others, formed a company and obtained aBusiness was begun northeast of town. He co

this for three years and in 1881 the plant was sold to the Franklin Co-operative Company. At that time S. R. Parkin-son was President of the Co-operative Co., and Edmund Buckley was Superintendent of the new company. These two made a trip to St. Louis to procure machinery for a woolen mill. They purchased a duster, a picker and two spinning jacks.

The building which Edmund Buckley and company had for a roll mill was made of logs. It was enlarged and the machinery was installed. In 1881 they began operat-ing. They manufactured flannels, jean, linsey and wool blankets, also yarns. They employed about fifty men and women when the mill was operated at its full capacity. In 1897, Mr. Buckley bought out the other partners and

l,

youth

begin to ne who

lly meets her. The n of this.

NORTH STAR WOOLEN MILL

Trail Blazer ��

nd with roll mill. nducted

Soap to wash the wool was made at the mill. If colors were desired for the woolen goods they were dyed at the mill as well.

conducted the business successfully alone. About 1908, he sold it to his son John, who afterwards, moved to Logan, Utah.

Soap MakingLye in the Sixties at Franklin was a rare article, but

soap was as necessary as lye was scarce, so a substitute was found for it in the ash of the maple from Maple Creek canyon. Soap was made from the burned maple wood ashes and the ordinary fat from the hog or sheep. The ashes were carefully kept in a dry leach. A leach was made by digging the inside out of a large log; the log was placed on four legs, the two front ones were shorter than those in the rear. This was kept well under cover. A layer of straw was first put into the leach, then the

ashes. This was covered and kept dry until soap making time in the spring. When the time came to make use of this material, water was added and the mixture was al-lowed to stand for a short time, after which the liquid was drained off. This strong ash water and fat made a most excellent soft soap.

White-washingThe people did not have regular white-wash brushes

but used pieces of wool. This manner of white-wash-ing left the worker’s hands and arms in a bad condi-tion which lasted over several weeks. Clay was brought from Soda Springs and the salt came from Willow Creek, Utah.

The First Flour MillThe first flour mill built in the state of Idaho was un in the year of 1863 at Franklin by James Howarth John Goaslind, who later were joined by L. H. Hatch Alexander Stalker, Sr.All the machinery for grinding the flour was made ood, with the exception of the turbine wheel which e from the east, and the grinding stone which was

h granite. A ditch cut from Cub river conveyed the er which was used as power to run the mill. James arth was the miller; the three other men were stock-ers. Mr. Howarth ground 44 pounds of flour, 14

nds of bran and 2 pounds of shorts from every bush-f wheat. The wheat coming to the mill sometimes

begandand

of wcamUtawatHowholdpouel o

MILL STONE USED FOR GRINDING FLOUR


was worth $5.00 per bushel. Each man got the flour Displayed in front of the Franklin Co-op Relic Hall

from his own wheat. The flour was always put into two bushel, seamless sacks. Mr. Howarth could instinctively tell by smell as well as by the sound of the machinery if the mill was grinding right. Mr. David Jensen and a Mr. Toolson sometimes assisted Mr. Howarth when the mill was running full capacity. Indians came and traded buckskins, elk hides and buffalo robes for their flour.

T. H. Howarth, as a boy, has seen around the mill many times, as high as fourteen yoke of oxen hitched to four wagons; the wagons were being loaded with flour to be freighted to Montana.

Many people from Bear Lake Valley brought their wheat to the mill and would stay until the wheat was ground into flour.

The mill was run successfully for eighteen years and then Goaslind (having died, the other three could not come to an agreement, so it was discontinued.

Mr. James Mack of Smithfield started the second mill in Franklin, March 1888, and had it completed and

running in November of the same year. The first story of the building was made of cobble rocks taken from Rocky Bench. The rock in the main part of the build-ing came from the Little Mt. or Mt. Lookout. Mr. Hill and two sons Joseph and William from Smithfield and John Nuffer from Preston were the masons. Mr. Joseph Chatterton did most all of the carpenter work ready for the machinery. Nearly all of the timber used in the mill came from Gibson’s saw mill in Deep Canyon. Mr. Barnes from Logan was the first miller and worked in the mill until 1892.

Before these mills were established, the people had to go to High Creek and Muddy Mill for their flour.

Butter, Cheese and Condensed Milk FactoryUntil about 1898, the farmers’ good wives made

their own butter and many of them made cheese. About that time the Oneida Mercantile Union organized the Union Creamery and built their plant a short distance West of the present Oregon Short Line Station: William

irkup who had been with the O. M. Union for some me as butcher and other positions was made manager f the creamery. They operated this plant for a number f years then sold it to the Utah Condensed Milk Com-any who continued to make butter and cheese at the ld location. Sometime later the Utah Condensed Milk ompany moved their buildings up to the site that later as made into a condensed milk factory. During the year f 1910, the “Booster Ticket” was elected with James J. obinson as chairman. Mr. Robinson, assisted by other

KtioopoCwoRTHE SEGO MILK CONDENSARY AND CHEESE FACTORY


members of the city board launched a move to have a condensed milk factory built at Franklin. At that time Sol. Hendricks was president of the Utah Condensed Milk Company. Mr. Hendricks gave the board to under-stand that if they could get the people to support the move by guaranteeing a certain number of cows, they would build at this point. After a great deal of hard work,

and all the machinery etc. was moved to Richmond, Utah.

William Woodward has the distinction of introducing Holstein cattle into the State of Idaho. Wm. B. Preston of Logan sent to Holland for a carload of purebred Hol-stein cattle in 1888. Wm. Woodward had him send and get two for him. J. J. Flack imported the first pure bred

Jerseys in 1889.February 6, 1874 trains

of the Utah Northern Rail-be-n.

Mr. am en- all ut

for un-ril,
ENGINE TERMINAL CREW, THE UTAH & NORTHERN RAIL-
History of Franklin, Idaho • “Franklin Idaho”, from The Trail Bla

this was done. In the fall and winter of that year, thUtah Condensed Milk Factory plant was completed anbegan operations the following spring with about 2employees and about 15 milk wagons. Victor Johnsowas manager until 1919. Ernest Johnson took Victorplace as manager. In 1922, the Franklin plant was close

wn ROAD, circa 1883. The U. & N. operated a narrow guagtrain in Cache Valley and had engine terminals at Logaand Battle Creek.

road started to operate tween Logan and Ogde

February 19, 1874, Hatch appointed WilliWoodward superintdent to take charge ofthe work of getting oties and other materialthe railroad. From then til the latter part of Apnearly all the men in toe

n

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e d 5 n ’s d

and vicinity were very busy handling this work. May 1, 1874, the railroad cars were in sight of Frank-lin. May 4, 1874, Brigham Young, Erastus Snow of the Twelve and others left Logan to come to Franklin on the first train, however,

RAILROAD ITEMS

Above the railroad tie: a pair of oil cans. The pear-shaped plate resting against the tie is one of the first fish plates used on the Union Pacif ic railroad, 1874. To the right of the fish plate: A pair of rail-road bridge spikes. Displayed in the Franklin Relic Hall

History of Franklin, Idaho • “Franklin Idaho”, from The Trail Blazer

their train got off the track and they were compelled to return to Logan and the first train to really come to Franklin was a freight train, which arrived the morning of May 4th. As Franklin was the end of the line, it was necessary to build a wye for turning the engines. This wye and the freight station were down near where the Franklin County Beet dump now stands. After the line was completed to Franklin, all freight for Northern Idaho and Montana was freighted with teams from here. Many large warehouses, dwelling houses and stores were erected near the station. During the year 1890, the freight station was moved to its present site and the narrow gauge was changed to the present standard. (*Wm. Woodward’s Journal)

The first section men were: Elliot Butterworth, George Wright, Alfred Hensen and Edward Clayton. The railroad was extended north about 1876.

Some of the warehouses and stores near the station were: A bog red warehouse of Kennedy’s.

• Freight Forwarding Company.• Kinney’s Hotel for board and room.• Wells Fargo and Company, Express—Tim Hender-

son was their agent.• Uncle Jeffs’ grocery store and saloon.• George. A. Lowe had a wagon and freighters sup-

ply house. William Woodward sold Shettler wagons for them; also a wagon repairing and livery stable owned by a Mr. Nelson of Logan.

• The first black-smith shop was owned and op-erated by Shem Purnell and Alfred Alder; Isaac Nash

worked for them. Kon Orum, a prize fighter, owned a blacksmith shop just east of Kennedy’s warehouse.

Wagon roadThe first permanent wagon road entered the South

West corner of the Fort, crossed diagonally and passed out at the Northwest corner. From there the road went on down the hill by the old Broadbent home. It then ran north and a little west across the Muddy River; from there it made a direct line to the point of Little Moun-tain.

The TelegraphIn December 1868, The Deseret Telegraph line was

extended to Franklin. It was installed in the Southeast corner of the Co-op and Alma Hobson was the first op-erator, L. E. Hatch was the operator in 1875 (he sent the first complete message to the government, concerning the Custer Massacre which took place in Montana. A rider brought the message from Fort Hall to Franklingraph instrument wato that locality.) It wamoved to the home Hatch and Annie S. Hsecond operator. Insold to the WesterCompany.

The Mail Service

, as this tele-s the nearest s afterwards

of Bishop L. L. atch was the 1900 it was n Telegraph

TELEGRAPH HAND SET Words were spelled out in Morse

��

Code clicks and sent over wires to the next station.

Samuel Howe had a contract from the government to handle the mail for Cache Valley, It was brought from Salt Lake and Ogden first, then when the railroad come to Corinne, it was carried from there by Leonard I. Smith. This was called the Pony Express and it was quite irregular at first. Isaac Duffin looked after the mail at his home. It was later brought to the Co-op store. Then Alexander Stalker was appointed postmaster by the government. He had the post office in his store. Some later postmasters were: Thomas Durrant, James Oliverson, George and A. P. Fordham, J. B. Scarborough

L. L. Hatch, Ezra Monson, Laura Nash, Vinnie Perkins and Maggie Hill.

On May 22, 1874, the mail stage came to Franklin to run between Franklin and Helena, Montana.

The mail was carried from Franklin to Bear Lake by way of Cub River Canyon, in summer time where the carriers would stay all night and go on the next day. Some of the mail carriers were: Thomas G. Lowe, Wm. Woodward, Edmund Buckley and Charles Fox and Wm. Pierce.

At one time Edmund Buckley and his uncle nearly lost their lives by freezing as they were near Soda Springs traveling to Bear Lake while carrying the mail.

inessWhile the settlers were living in the fort, Thomas denhall Sr. was a traveling merchant. He would the settlers products to Salt Lake and trade them

whatever they asked him to bring back.French Joe was also a traveling store-keeper. After settlers moved out of the Fort in 1865, Merrick and fin put up a store where Frank Olsen’s house is now ted. Wm. Whitehead was a clerk in this store.The Franklin Co-operative Mercantile Institution organized in 1869 with the following officers: L. H.

Bus

Mentakefor

the Dufloca

was


Hatch, president; John Doney, Sr., vice president; Wm. Woodward, William Tweede Wright and Charles Fox, directors. The business was carried on first in the vestry of the meeting house. Later it was moved to the rock building where the Relic Hall now is. S. R. Parkinson was

THE FRANKLIN POST OFFICE, 1914

Ellen Nash helps her sister, Laura Nash, the Franklin Post-master at the time. In 1874 the mail stage came to Franklin, connecting Salt Lake City to Helena, Montana. Some of the early mail carriers were Thomas G. Lowe, William Wood-ward, Edmund Buckley & Charles Fox & William Pierce.

president for a short time and manager for a number of years at one time.

In 1869, Alexander Stalker and Sons had a store in the east room of the rock house, now owned by J. J. Hill. Later Stalker built a store and saloon.

Enoch Broadbent had the first meat market; it was located where P. B. Dunkley had his business.

In 1870, Smart, Chadwick and Hull had a store which the people called the One-Eyed Co-op, but after the Railroad came in the year 1874, a number of stores were built. This being the terminus of the railroad many freighters going to the mines in Montana, received their supplies here.

Goldman and Bergman, two Jews erected the build-ing where Cottle’s afterwards had a store, and operated a wholesale liquor company. Where Robert Lowe’s fur-niture store stood, there was another wholesale liquor house.

Berryman and Laverberg started a mercantile busi-ness in the Merrick store where Leonard Butterworth has his business. When the railroad extended on north, most of these sold out and followed the railroad terminus.

About 1876, W. L. Webster operated a store in a little frame building north of the rock store first, and then in the rock building on the west side of town. Wm. L. Webster and Smith opened up a shoe repairing shop in the ‘60’s. Wm. L. Challis and P. Wm. Cottle each had a shoe repair shop.

. B. Parkinson, a doctor from Logan, opened up st drug store.hn Doney and Robert Lowe owned a store east of ros. Drug store.

1874 Sill Worneth owned and operated a brewery nder the hill by Websters. He also had his beer ed, bearing the trademark “Sill’s Beer.”muel Swarner had a harness shop down by Web-

art and Company had a general merchandise on the east side of the street where the whole-quor company was. It was called the “Farmers’

Wthe fir

JoRiter B

Injust ushipp

Sasters.

Smstore sale li


Union.”The 0. M. Union consolidated with Websters, Doney

and Lowe, the Farmers’ Union and the Co-op and estab-

T

After the store closed it was used for a relic hall for many years. It is now owned by the Daughters of the Pioneers.

lished their place of business. The store was located where Butterworth Co-op store is at present.

Thomas Lowe, Elliot Butterworth and J, A. Head opened up a store about 1889. J. J. Hill afterwards bought this business. It was located under the T. G. Lowe dance hall.

On March 18, 1890, Riter Bros. Drug Co., and Web-ster were succeeded by Riter Bros. Drug Co. This busi-

1896 until February 1921, when the Riter Bros. Drug Co., discontinued their business in Franklin and moved to Richmond, Utah. In August, 1921, S. J. Handy opened up a business known as the “Handy Pharmacy.’ He sold this business to his son S. R. Handy, in August, 1928.

Some of the men who served as Justice of the Peace and City Marshall in the early days were: Wm. T. Wright, L. C, Mecham, Thomas Durrant, James Oliverson, James Howarth, W. L. Webster, Wm. Woodward, Clinton Me-cham, Joseph Pear and Andrew Shumway.

ome of those who did early doctoring and nursing Mary B. Hull, Elvira Wheeler, “Grandma” Gilbert, rah Wright and “Grandma” Adamson.

eations we look back over the years and compare those forms of recreation with modern pleasures, it

seem that their days would be rather dull, but s not so. Those early pioneers, to spite of their hips, had many jolly pastimes. Neighbors would

one another spin their wool into yarn. On the day

Swere:Debo

RecrA

earlywouldit wahardshelp ROBERT G. LOWE’S FURNITURE STORE

Annie Laura Dunkley’s father, Robert G. Lowe, began a

History of Franklin, Idaho • “Franklin Idaho”, from The Trail Blazer 81

ness was carried on under the management of Paul Van Orden until April 1894. Mr. Van Orden was succeeded by J. A. Rostan. George Jordan was appointed as manager in October 1895. S. J. Handy was manager from October,

appointed for the big event, many of the young women could be seen making their way, with spinning wheels, to the home of the one inviting them. As soon as all the women were assembled, there would be a race on to see who could spin the most skeins of yarn—six skeins were considered a good day’s work. The hostess would provide a good dinner.

Dances were held in the Bowery during the first summer and fall. When it became too cold to dance in

long, successful business career in Franklin working in his father-in-law’s store. From there he moved to the furniture department of the Oneida Mercantile Co-op and finally opened his own store.


the open, quilts and clothes were hung up at the open-ings in the partly finished school house. This building as has been stated before in this history, consisted of one room with a dirt floor and a sod roof. Water was sprinkled over the floor to pack the earth for dancing. Many good and enjoyable evenings were spent in this house, both before and after it was finished.

The tickets for the dance were paid in produce by the young men. They paid a squash, a peck of wheat, some potatoes, meat or anything along that line which would amount to the value of twenty-five cents. If the young man was a little proud or shy, he would make arrangements with Dabney Keele and Isaac Vail, the two musicians, and John Corbridge the caller, to bring his offering the next day.

As a general rule the boys and girls all danced in their bare feet. Their feet were so calloused on the bot-tom, so the pioneers tell us, that they could slide on rough pine floors without a sliver entering their flesh.

Bread, knitted lace, butter or meat was traded to the Indians in exchange for moccasins. Speaking of shoes, one young lady had a pair of shoes which she brought with her from Pennsylvania, but they were worn only on special occasions, such as when going to the canyons after service berries or to meetings.

If any of the girls could get some moccasins from the Indians, they thought that they were very well dressed along with their home-made linsey dresses which they wore to public gatherings.

Sometimes the refreshments at these dances would be service berries and later in the season “haw” candy was served. This candy was made by mashing the ber-ries and removing the seeds. The pulp was then put in the sun to dry, cut into small pieces and served by the girls who took turns serving at these parties.

One of the amusements that stands out in the mem-ories of the early pioneers was the “Seventies” Parties. Each man was allowed to take two or three ladies with him to these parties. Tables were set and a regular meal served, which consisted of chickens cooked in various ways, also vegetables along with the wonderfully decor-ated pies and cakes made by Margaret Dunkley.

Oxkiller Canyon, southeast of Franklin provided an abundance of service berries. The girls of the community thought it one of their happy days to be allowed to ac-company the young men up the canyon; while the men cut the wood the girls would gather berries. It is needless to say that the girls had taken delicious lunches which they shared with the men. At the close of the day, the girls would ride or walk home with their best beaux.

One generous-hearted woman sent thirty-four pounds of butter to Salt Lake City with Thomas Menden-hall to pay for one pound of tea. When the tea arrived, she invited all the old ladies in the Fort to come over afternoons, and enjoy tea with her as long as it lasted.

A man by the name of Jake Brom, introduced the game of card playing among the local boys. Whenever the girls caught the boys playing cards, they would gather dead chickens or anything else they could find

History of Franklin, Idaho • “Franklin Idaho”, from The Tra

to put out the fire. They would climb upon the roof of the house, drop these things down the chimney into the fireplace and stop the game of cards. The boys would race out to chase the girls which would break up the party. There were some dramatic organizations effected in the ‘60’s, with John Thompson and John Frew as leaders. A new organization was formed in 1876 with Joshua Hawkes appointed as President and I. B. Nash, stage manager.

The old log school house and meeting house was the scene of many unusual incidents or experiences. It was in that log structure that a group of girls met and decided what to do with an undesirable character who had drifted into the Fort. It seems that he had insulted several of the girls. They decided to run him out ofand were successful in doing so by tying him to aand giving him a good strapping.

Then came the soldiers who took part in the BCreek Massacre. The Franklin people, under the tion of Bishop Thomas, hauled loads of straw tschool house. A big fire was made in the fireplace waltogether made a warm welcome for the soldiernight they returned from battle.

In September 1864, when the trouble was hadthe drunken Indian, the entire community was ordto this meeting house. The women and childrenthere that night (or as Mr. Corbridge says, “If therany sleeping done that night by anyone”) whilmen stood guard outside. A rather amusing incoccurred that night, too. During the night while

Mayberry was guard at the door (he was very tall with extra long legs) one of the young women dashed out between his legs in order that she might find out about her husband, who had been captured by the Indians.

It was in this log school house that a special fast day service was held. The service was called as a means of asking for Divine help to rid the community of grasshop-pers. The fast day services lasted for most of two days. For several years the grasshoppers had destroyed the crops until the people were fearful of starvation. The leading men of the Franklin area called a fast in which the people did not eat nor drink for nearly two days;

town post

attle direc-o the

hich s the

with ered

il Blazer 83

slept e was e the ident Tom

MORMON CRICKET

Like the settlers in the early years of the Salt Lake Valley, the pioneers in Franklin were plagued at times by swarms of shield-backed katydids or Mormon crickets. An inch long and brown or black in color, Mormon crickets are still a seri-ous pest in the Great Plains of North America.

History of

while they were in sessond dao’clockbecameboy camand saihoppersThe peooutsideseemed grasshothey obsun for The semuch hturned twhere ttheir Maing and

Somalmost tHowarthment. Wlength breachedday andenvied b

The diphtheria plaque of 1879 that the settlers tried in many ways and many hardships but there was one tragic that seems outstanding: The diphtheria plague lasted over a period of three years to reach the climax during the year of 1879 y as from one to five children died in some . The members of the community seemed

less to cope with this dreadful disease.sad affair among the many, was the tragic liam Fluitt who was frozen to death while oot from Oxford to Franklin. Apparently, he

ion the sec-y about 12

, the house very dark; a e running in

d the grass- were leaving. ple all rushed and the air jammed with ppers, in fact

It seemsput up with experience plague. This but seemed when as manof the homesto be power

Another death of Wiltraveling on f

Franklin, Idaho • “Franklin Idaho”, from The Trail Blazer �4

structed the a short time. ttlers, very umbled re-o the house

hey thanked ker for hear-granting their petitions.e of the apparently humorous situations were ragic. A pair of buckskin pants worn by James afforded the people a great deal of amuse-

hen the pants were wet, they were just the right ut they shrunk as they dried and frequently

just to the knees. The pants were worn “every Sunday too”—Mr. Howarth was very much y the other men.

had become exhausted while driving his herd of sheep over the cold, desolate, snow covered flat The sheep were rescued, but Mr. Fluitt’s body remained buried in the snow for four months before it was found.

John Boyce and Rubin Bargee were feeding cattle the winter of 1863 In Round Valley (now Oxford, Idaho). It became necessary for them to go to Franklin for sup-plies Owing to the long walk and cold weather, their bodies were found, frozen sitting upright by some rocks, on the slope of little mountain near the ranch of Peter G. Whitehead.

The Indians’ dogs frequently killed the settlers’ sheep, chickens and young calves. This annoyance and destruction reached a stage that was unbearable, so three or four young men were called by those in charge to get rid of the dogs. The young men armed themselves with guns and poisoned bait was fixed in the chicken coops. Each time the Indians came to town the men

SPINNING WHEEL

The caption notes that this spin-ing wheel was owned by Thomas G. Lowe and was used for spin-ning flax. Displayed at the Co-op building of the Franklin Relic Hall


would get a few more dogs. It is not unlikely that the men were careful about being caught—their lives would have been a forfeit if the Indians had ever guessed at what they were up to.

The Buttermilk WarIt Is interesting to read between the lines of early

history and feel the spirit of unity which existed among the people. If there was sickness in a home, many of the neighbors unselfishly rendered every possible as-sistance. Every public enterprise was loyally supported by the colonists. They fully realized that whole-hearted cooperation and loyalty to one another was absolutely necessary, when a call was made by those in charge in the settlement, every man and boy would turn out; men would have to be detailed to stay at home to protect the women and children from the Indians. At one time when a call was made to work on the irrigation ditches, every man and boy who was large enough went to work except William Garner, and a few boys who were appointed to stay at home as guards. During the day to the terror of all in the settlement, several Redskin warriors, decorated in war paint and feathers came to the settlement. Mr. Garner ordered the women to bring all the buttermilk they had and some bread. He stood at the entrance of the Fort and entertained the Indians with buttermilk and bread until one of the boys could make the ride of about four miles on horse back and notify the men, who were working on the ditch; the kindness of the people seemed to satisfy the Indians;

when the men arrived on the scene, the Indians were riding peacefully away. The pioneers enjoy telling us of this incident as a war won or prevented by “buttermilk” in 1860.

While the Battle Creek massacre had but very little effect on the northern part of the state, it was every-thing to Southern Idaho, as it has been said, “It put the quietus,” on the Indians in this section of the state.

Two more passes occurred with the Indians at Frank-lin. The first of a revengeful, cowardly and treacherous nature happened the first day of May, 1863. While in the canyon for firewood, about three miles northeast of town, near where the home of Wesley H. Gibson now stands, Andrew Morrison and William Howell were attack-ed by three buck Indians. Just about the time they were getting ready to leave with their loads an Indian came upon them and began to talk with them. After discover-ing that Morrison and Howell were unarmed the Indian called to his comrades, who had remained behind on the hill. At once they gave a murderous war hoop and came running down to the assistance of their comrade. Morrison, being able to speak the Indian language, tried to talk and reason with them. They said that white men killed Indians at Battle Creek, and they were going to kill every white man they could. Morrison offered them the horses if they would let them go unharmed, but it was scalps the Indians wanted, rather than horses.


Attacked at the CreekHowell wanted Morrison to run while there was but

one Indian near them, but he said: “No, I will not run from an Indian.” They invited the Indians to get on their loads and ride down to the town with them, which invi-tation the Indians accepted. They had proceeded but a few rods when Howell’s team got stuck in the creek crossing. While the two white men were working to get the stalled team liberated, the Indians caught them off their guard and shot at them with arrows. Howell was missed and Morrison received an arrow just under the left collar bone. As he fell, he called to Howell to run as he was shot and there was no need of both being killed if he could get away. Morrison received another arrow a few inches below the heart. He pulled both the arrows out, but the spike came loose from the lower one and remained in his body, lodged in one of the lower ribs of his spine. Howell made good his escape and being a very fast runner got out of reach of the arrows before one of them took effect on him. He ran all the way to town and gave the alarm. A posse of men were at once sent for Morrison’s body, but when they found him he was still alive. He was brought to Franklin and S. R. Parkinson was sent to Salt Lake City for medical aid, making the trip of one hundred and ten miles with a span of mules and the front wheels of a wagon in forty-eight hours. When the doctor (Dr. Anderson) came, he made an examination, but found that the arrow head was so close to the heart that he dare not take it out. The doctor said Morrison could not live. He filled the

wound with cotton, leaving a cut of about three and one-half inches, open. Morrison recovered however, and lived for twenty-seven years, carrying the arrow head to his grave with him.

The Minute Men were called out and went after the Indians, but before they overtook them, they had joined a band of several hundred strong. The Minute Men fol-lowed them into Gentile Valley, some forty miles north of Franklin, but had to come back without either the horses or Indians.

In the latter part of September, 1864, an event oc-curred that nearly cost the lives of the inhabitants of Franklin. About five hundred Indians that were on their way to Bear Lake, after having a fight with a band of Indi-ans on the Platte River, camped on Muddy River bottoms, north of Franklin. Some of the Indians procured liquor, became drunken and rode their horses wildly up and down the town. One drunken Indian began breaking the windows in the home of George Alder, who with others had moved from the Fort by this time, north on Muddy river. When Mrs. Alder remonstrated with him and tried to drive him away, he picked up a large willow stake and began whipping her and tried to trample her under his horse’s feet.

The screams of Mrs. Alder and the strange actions of the Indians attracted the attention of some men who were threshing at Samuel Handy’s place, a short distance from Alder’s. They ran to the rescue with their pitchforks. Ben Chadwick, who was feeding the threshing machine when Mrs. Alder’s screams were heard, came running

up with a butcher knife in his hand, (he had been using the knife to cut the bands that bound the sheaves of wheat). Ben gives his experience as follows:

“I ran at the Indian with my butcher knife, my only weapon, he struck my father down and continued to race after Mrs. Alder, striking her down and trying to trample her under his horse. As fast as the men came up, the Indian would knock the pitchforks out of their hands with his long club. William Handy came running up with a pistol and all the men shouted, ‘Shoot! shoot! shoot him!’ Handy seemed to hesitate and I said, ‘Give me the pistol! I can shoot! I took the pistol from his hand and shot. The Indian fell from his horse, wounded In the neck.

“I disguised myself” “My father and the other men urged me to leave im-

mediately. I rode Wm. Davis’ horse to the home of John Lard on High Creek. I disguised myself by shaving and cutting my hair. (Previous to this time Ben had worn a long beard and hair to his shoulders). I also changed horses and came back to Franklin about 12 o’clock that might with some of the Minute Men.”

When Chadwick fired the pistol, the shot was heard by Indians who witnessed the scene from a distance. They uttered their wild war cries, and pioneers tell of the awful feeling that came over them at the sound of this cry. The whole heavens seemed to echo the screeches of the maddened red men.

Just about a quarter of a mile east of where the Indian was shot, another scene was enacted. Robert

ull and Howard Hunt were on their way to the Indian amp at 5 o’clock in the evening, to try to recover the nsey skirt that had been stolen that morning from ary Whitehead, by two Indian women. Not knowing hat had happened, Mr. Hull and his companion were atching Mr. Handy running with something in his arms.

hey wondered why he was running. Suddenly Mr. Hull lt someone grab him; in another moment he found

imself staring into the barrel of Chief Washakie’s pistol. he Chief snapped off the trigger three times, but the un didn’t discharge. Then he pointed the pistol away

HcliMwwTfehTgPITCHFORKS


from Mr. Hull and fired. This time the shot exploded. The Indians who had immediately gathered and witnessed the scene must have thought Mr. Hull a spirit, when the

George Lee dug up the three-tined hay fork on his property in Franklin.


Chief could not shoot him. Mr. Hull was unarmed, hav-ing left his pistol at home that noon. This was fortunate, for the Chief would very likely have been killed, and the people of Franklin would have been massacred as a result.

Like being surrounded by snakesWhen Washakie grabbed Mr. Hull, Howard Hunt es-

caped and gave the alarm. Mr. Hull, after being dragged to the Indians’ camp, was surrounded by young bucks who danced about him. Squaws prodded him with butcher knives. Chief Washakie would say: “White man killed Indian” and Hull would answer, “No!” They contin-ued to persecute him, the squaws joining in with their painful prodding. While Mr. Hull was surrounded by the dancing warriors and knife-armed squaws, he recalled a dream that he had had three nights before. This gave him courage to endure the torture inflicted upon him. He had dreamed that he was completely surrounded by snakes that would dart at him from different parts of the circle. One big snake came up and struck at him with its fangs, three different times but didn’t touch him. None of the snakes bit him. He asked for Chief Alma, (who could talk English). The Indian answered, “Chief Alma dead, (meaning drunk), on White Man’s fire water.” Several times during the night the Indians forced Mr. Hull to go closer to town and call for the Bishop. He knew they wanted Bishop Thomas and he could not make them understand that Bishop Thomas had moved away. It was a bright moonlight night. The

Indians saw the glittering of hundreds of fire-arms in the distance. The Minute Men were gathering and had been since 9 o’clock that night. They ceased to prod him with the knives after this.

About 11 o’clock that night, Bishop Maughan, Ezra Benson, Bishop Hatch. A Neeley and Wm. Hull went down to the Indian camp and conferred with the Indians. The Indians finally agreed to let Hull go if they would find the man who had shot the Indian.

They returned from the Indian camp about 1 o’clock that morning. After Mr. Hull had greeted his loved ones, he asked about Ben Chadwick. Upon finding that Chad-wick was in town, Mr. Hull found him and warned him to leave, and said, “The Indians are determined to get you.”

“I do not believe my friends will give me up to them,” said Mr. Chadwick.

Here are the words of Mr. Chadwick recalling this incident: “William Whitehead, my wife and sister came and begged me to leave again, so I ran to the home of the Wheeler’s where I had left my horse, then made my way to Slaterville.”

Next morning Apostle Ezra Benson and Bishop Maughan called a meeting at 10 o’clock. The Indians, including Chief Washakie and some of his braves were invited. They were given places at the front in the bow-ery where the meeting was held. While speaking to the people, Bishop Maughan turned to Washakie and said,

“What would you do if one of our men should go to


your camp and start whipping and killing one of your women?”

Washakie answered, “We kill him!”Bishop Maughan then said: “That is all we have

done.” Then he continued speaking to the people. “Talk about giving a man up that would save a woman’s life! If you want to give anyone up to the Indians, give the ones up that sold the liquor to them!”

To make peace with the Indians, they were giv-en oxen, flour, cheese and other food by the people of Franklin. It seemed that some of the Indians of Washakie’s tribe still had revenge in their hearts, as the following incident will prove:

About two weeks after peace had been made with them, Mr. and Mrs. Hull were visiting with one of their relatives who lived about two blocks from the Hull home. They were asked to stay over night. “I do not know why we accepted the invitation to stay all night,” says Mrs. Hull, “but it must have been the hand of Provi-dence that kept us from going home that night. The next morning when we returned home, we found that the chinking had been removed from the wall and two shots had been fired where our heads would have lain. One bullet lodged in the stock of the gun that lay at the head of the bed.”

Accidental death of Alexander Bothwick One of the outstanding incidents of the year 1866, connected with the early settlement of Cache Valley and the pioneers of Franklin was the tragic death of

Alexander Bothwick. It came as a thunder bolt to the tiny colony and was the result of a pure accident: Eye witnesses recall that one day preceding, May 17, a large company of eastern freighters, en route to Montana, through Cache Valley, camped for the night on the out-skirts of Richmond, Utah, a short distance from Franklin, Idaho.

After the departure of the company, Mr. Eskelson, a farmer near whose place the travelers had camped, no-ticed that a large portion of his fence had been hauled down, burned and otherwise destroyed. Fences at this early date were rare possessions, owing to the scarcity of suitable fence material and it was a severe blow to this pioneer. Enraged, he at once set out for Franklin to overtake the marauders and to exact justice at the hands of Franklin authorities. After the necessary papers had been made out the sheriff and his client hastened on to serve them. The captain of the company agreed to return after they had made camp for the night, but Mr. Eskelson insisted that the sheriff take the man at once. This angered the teamsters, who evidently were already fed up on anti-Mormon propaganda, and fearing what they called a “job on them” soon followed, rather look-ing and hoping for trouble.

The settlers, seeing them parading the streets heav-ily armed, thought they had come to take them captive, so they, in turn, formed a posse in self protection. In these moments of excitement the pistol of Andrew Mor-rison accidentally discharged—how, even he is unable to say—hitting and mortally wounding Bothwick. In the


midst of sorrowing, a grave in the Franklin cemetery became Bothwick’s final resting place—a good man and neighbor.

This, as a climax, brought the case to sudden ter-mination and the freighters gladly paid their fine and continued their journey northward.

Another Interesting Indian experience, but not a tragic one, might be given a title:

In 1866 while John Corbridge and wife were on their way to Richmond, Utah, an Indian hailed them for a ride. They were rather slow answering his request but finally consented to let him ride As he jumped into the wagon, the Indian immediately began to sharpen his long hunting knife. It is easy to imagine how Mr. and Mrs. Corbridge felt, but they tried to appear very much unconcerned. Once when Mrs. Corbridge looked cautiously around, she noticed that the Indian’s blan-ket had caught in the wagon wheel and was gradually falling off. They had not gone very much farther until she noticed that the blanket had fallen to the ground a few yards back. The Indian had been so busy sharp-ening the knife that he did not notice the falling of the blanket. Mr. Corbridge drove on until the blanket was some distance behind; he then made signs to the Indian, which told them to wait for him while he went back after his blanket. They waited until he was some distance behind them, then Mr. Corbridge whipped up the oxen, making them run for the settlement. When the Indian saw them driving away, he ran after them

a long distance, shaking his fist and was very angry because he had lost two good scalps.

As the years rolled on the Indians were crowded back and were known only as having been connected with unpleasant memories.

The settlers continued to build up the community and expand into new territory, making possible the mod-ern comforts and possibilities which we have today.

Franklin incorporated in 1868Franklin was first incorporated as a city under the

laws of Utah Territory, February 19, 1868, and is de-scribed in the act creating it as follows: “Commencing at a point eighty rods east from the northeast corner of Lorenzo H. Hatch and Co.’s grist mill, thence west four miles, thence south four and one-half miles, thence east four miles, thence north four and one-half miles to the place of beginning.” Franklin at that time covered eighteen square miles or sections, or eleven thousand five hundred and twenty acres. The village boundaries today embrace about six hundred and fifty acres or a little more than one square mile.

The size of the town has not yet reached the expec-tation of its founders. It has a population of about 1000, has two fine schools, some up-to-date business houses and a number of very interesting old pioneer homes. A small but active flour mill is also located there.

Mr. Elliot Butterworth started a relic hall during the year 1910. It contains some very interesting relics of


pioneer days, among them some miniature models of the old fort and the railroad district.

LightingThe the early days, the pioneers first depended

on the fireplace for light; then the bitch lights and candles which served until about 1870. Kerosene oil lamps were used in Franklin until 1905, when electric-ity was installed.

Modes of travelIn 1860, the people had the ox team and covered

wagons, then followed horses and wagons, carts and buggies. For many years any man was proud to have a fine span of horses and a buggy to go driving with. April 1, 1912, Dr. States brought the first automobile. Mr. G. L. Wright and S. J. Handy each had an automobile soon after. The fine Union Pacific bus came through in 1929.

MiscellaneousThe telephone was installed in September, 1906;

the city water system was also completed that year.The Utah Packing company is now erecting a

canning factory on the old condenser site. The can-ning company purchased this property at a cost of $125,000.00.

Idaho DayThe outstanding yearly event in Franklin is the “Ida-

ho Day” celebration in June.The first proclamation declaring June Fifteenth as

“Idaho Day” in honor of the pioneers and the town of Franklin, was issued April 26, 1910, by Governor James H. Brady. June 14 and 15 of that same year the first

“Idaho Day” celebration was held. Each year since that first celebration and proclamation the Franklin people have been genial hosts to thousands of people and will continue to welcome them each succeeding year.

HAIL TO THE BIRTHPLACE OF DEAR IDAHO

Dedicated to “The Daughters of the Pioneers”

(Composed by Z. Mae Nelson for Idaho Day, June 13, 1924)

Come friends, and listen to the storyOft told by aged pioneers. How Idaho, our state of glory, Was settled in by-gone years,By pioneers whose hearts were true Who loved their God and Country too, Who came and found a home so blest In the “Gem State” of the West.In Eighteen Sixty, in the springtime The first home-makers of the state Lived within the fort at Franklin While they toiled from dawn ‘til late To plow the soil and plant the grain And bring the water to the pain


Kind Providence their labors blestIn this garden of the West.

A log school house was soon erected Which served as church and social hall By willing hearts were plans perfected To train the children all.To climb the rugged path of truth Find knowledge in their tender youth That they might future patriots be, From ignorance be free.

The Indians ever bolder grewWhen winter came with ice and snow Through green grain and cattle too They were still the white man’s foe: In Sixty Three-O, dreadful sight At Battle Creek-that awful fightOld Bear Hunter’s tribe was lost that day Connor’s men the debt did pay.

“The Gem of the Mountains” now is sparkling With countless towns and cities fair.Her farms now help to feed the nation Of wealth she has her shareO, Let us ever revereThe memory of our pioneers,Who served the Lord with hearts sincere And Smiled e’en through their tears.

T H E T R A I L B L A Z E RCommentary & Corrections

Newell Hart, 1976

■ Page 10: As of the 1860-63 era discussed here this area was in Washington Territory; Idaho Territory was created on March 3, 1863.

■ Page 11: The oft-quoted Savage-Bevins incident near Richmond did not necessarily prompt Col. Connor to send troops to Bear River. It did, however, give him added rationalization to attack and nearly annihilate the Shoshones at their winter camp. Evidence indicates he was planning the campaign prior to this incident.

■ Page 12: The drawing shows four mountain howitzers, two on each side of the river. Accounts state that the two howitzers brought up from Camp Douglas were snow-bogged and never reached the battlefield.

Col. Connor sent a small detachment of foot soldiers, with 15 baggage wagons, a week before the attack on January 29; they traveled by day. The main force, the cavalry, waited until four days before the attack; they traveled by night and kept out of sight by day. Thus the Indians never knew of the full force of the invasion un-til it was too late. Connor’s policy of methodical anni-hilation of Indians, in this as in subsequent campaigns throughout the west, was severely criticized—though praised in some quarters. One military historian stated


there was no “moral way” to justify his ruthlessness. (A complete bibliography of this affair is under prepara-tion and will be included in a future edition by the Cache Valley Newsletter Publishing Co.)

■ Page 14: Sagwitch was shot near Brigham but did not die from the wound; he was saved by a friend, David Reese, and was nursed back to health.

■ Page 34: The Utah and Northern railroad began its northward push in 1878-79

■ Page 35: Most accounts say the Deseret Telegraph line was extended to Franklin in 1869. The Custer battle was on June 25, 1876; the Franklin telegraph opera-tor is usually listed as Hezekiah or H.E. Hatch (rather than L.E. Hatch).

■ Page 36: The Samuel Rose Parkinson diary states that he began running a store in Franklin in 1861. Parkinson family histories say that when the Church suggested it be made into a cooperative (1869) he readily con-sented. In 1872 the stockholders put him in as super-intendent of the store.

■ Pages 40-45: Most of the intense White-Indian con-frontations occurred after January 29, 1863. The chiefs couldn’t control their younger bucks many of whom after the slaughter on the river, “wanted to kill any whites they could find.”

■ Page 47: Elliot Butterworth’s memoirs indicate that he started the Relic Hall in 1918.

■ Page 49: The pioneer poem “Hail to the Birthplace of Dear Idaho” by Z. Mae Nelson was at first sung to music, according to the 1924 DUP records.

■ Page 65: According to the memoirs of Josh Rallison among those who organized the Whitney coopera-tive were James Chadwick, J.A. Head, and Robert Hull. Rallison said it was called the Whitney Equitable Co-operative Association and that he served as clerk; he also managed it for a short time.

The first known contract for sugar beet raising was drawn up in 1898 between Austin Hollingsworth of Preston and the Ogden Sugar Co. Hollingsworth agreed to raise two acres at $3.00 per ton, deliver them to Ogden, and accept their decision on which beets could be rejected. Job Pingree signed for the company.

■ Page 67: Dennis Winn is listed as John Winn’s father; they were brothers.

■ Page 69: Additional Information on Irrigation

In or about 1927 Serge C. Ballif wrote a brief history of the Cub River and Worm Creek Canal Co. The following has been excerpted from Ballif’s work-which he took directly from the minute books. First recorded action in the minute books was the filing on the water April 11, 1880. First intention: to build a ditch 10 feet m the bottom. Articles of Incorporation were filed in the Territory of Idaho, county of Oneida, by 36 members-


May 5, 1880. Names listed in the Articles were: Nahum Porter, F.L. Wilcox, William H. Head, David Jensen, W.C. Garrison, I.A. Canfield, and J.J. West.

At first they set up strict rules. No man could be ad-mitted as a member of the company that had entered land any way except by the homestead and peremp-tory right. No man was allowed to sell his capital stock in the company to anyone that was objected to as a member. Many were unable to get stock in the com-pany until contracts were let for the enlargement of the ditch in 1884.

The original 10 foot ditch seemed too large an un-dertaking and it was reduced to six. Solid rock was a problem for which blasting was the only solution.

In 1883 they voted to make the ditch 10 feet wide in the bottom; all contract work was to be done by May 10, 1884. New stockholders gained membership at this time. Contracts were let to stockholders and outsiders as well. The work was divided into team work and pick and shovel work. A contract was com-prised of 50 feet. Each man who took a contract was compelled to take as much pick and shovel work as he did team work. One man found it advantageous to use one horse and a slip scraper on his pick and shovel contract. He was made to discontinue using the horse and informed it was a pick and shovel job. The pay was either in cash or irrigation stock.

History of Franklin, Idaho • Minutes of the Franklin Ward Relief Society, 1868 & 1869 �5

Organization &

Minutesof

T H E F R A N K L I N W A R D R E L I E F S O C I E T YAs found in original records

•

C om p r i s i ng t h e y e a r s18 68 A N D 18 6 9

Franklin Female Relief Society was first orga-nized April 22, 1868. Meeting opened with prayer

by Bishop L. H. Hatch. The following named sisters were presented for acceptance as officers in the Franklin Ward and unanimously sustained: President, Sarah Borthwick; directors, Elvira Nash, Ortencia Stalker, Ann Smart and Mary Head; secretary, Martha D. Case Hickman; treasurer, Catherine Mendenhall. Bp. L. H. Hatch reminded the sisters he had planted mulberry trees according to instructions, to feed the worms to make silk that it may be possible to manufacture articles we wear and adopt our own fashions. The sisters had a great work to do, they were capable of get-ting at things that men could not. Prayer by Alex Stalker.

When the Female Relief Society met. Hymn sung “Hail to The Brightness.” Prayer by S. Parkinson. The sec. read an address by Pres. Young. The bishop said he wished the sisters to perform their duties in this Society without fear. Said it was a society organized by Joseph Smith, the Prophet. Said the sisters held the Priesthood in connection with their husbands. There were many light duties they could perform instead of the brethren while they were engaged in more arduous tasks such as laboring in the fields, etc. He is much pleased with the donations, sisters all willing to pay for the pump, some objected paying for the telegraph instrument. Remarked that when the sisters fully


understand the importance of the telegraph they would cheerfully respond to every call concerning it. Remarked there were some sisters knew their duties and cheer-fully performed them, while others did not realize their duties. He does not want the sisters to wear themselves out, but to do the best they can in every good work. He said everyone did not come in the Church for the love of the Lord, but other motives actuated them. He read over the names of the subscribers for the pump, he was much pleased with the pump. Invited the sisters to see it. Par-ticularly requested the sisters to attend all the meetings. He says business before pleasure. He said we were none of us very good, wished us to feel so, but try and improve. Bro. Smart made a few remarks, said we should be very careful about the remarks we made about each other, etc. The bishop asked the sisters to speak. Sister Smart said she knew this to be the work of the Lord, wished to do all the good she could, etc. Pres. Borthwick said she knew this was the work of the Lord, that she would do the best she could in her office. She showed a block of patchwork she had done, requested the sisters to fetch one each and they would then sew them together and make a good warm quilt for the poor. She spoke concerning the clean-ing of the schoolhouse. Said if it met the bishop’s mind she thought it would be a good thing for the sisters on the several blocks as it came in turn for the teachers to administer the Sacrament, to see to the cleaning of the schoolhouse, which fully met the bishop’s approbation. Adjourned until the 19th of May.

The names of the teachers on the several blocks, also the sisters which are appointed to superintend the clean-ing of the schoolhouses:

Isaac Nash - 1st block - Mary A. Hull

Robert Dowdle - 2nd " - Sister Kingsford

Thomas Low - 3rd " - Eliza Low

John Doney - 4th " - Mary Vail

George Lee - 5th " - Louisa Purnell

Charles Fox - 6th " - Elizabeth Fox

James Packer - 7th " - Mary Head

Samuel Parkinson - 8th " - Arabella Parkinson

Thomas Mendenhall 9th " - Catherine Chadwick

John Frew - 10th " - Sister Comish

Nephi Comish - 11th " - Elizabeth Ellsworth

Andy Morrison - 12th " - Sarah Borthwick

David Jenson - 13th " - Sister Londengreen

Samuel Huff - 14th " - Mary A. Huff

Names of donators for the pump:

Harriet Kingsford - 2¼ lb. butter Sarah Mayberry - 1 lb. butter

Anna Doney - 1 " " Mary Collins - 1 " "

Elizabeth Comish - ½ " " Hannah Handy - 2¾" "

Rebecca Rumsey - 2 " " Margaret Bennett - 1 " "

Sarah Woodward - 1 " " Sister Adamson - 1 " "

Sarah Poole - 1¼ " " Anna Olsen - 1 " "

Sarah Chadwick - 1½ " " Mary Whitehead - 1 " "

Ester Dowdle - 1 " " Sophia Merrick - 1 " "

Ellen Corbridge - 1 " " Jane Clayton - 1 " "


Hannah Corbridge - 1 lb. butter Catherine Mendenhall - 1 lb. bt

Jane Hull - 1 " " Anna Londengreen - 1 " "

Mary Head - 2 " " Mary A. Handy - 1 " "

Ann Smart - 2 " " Mary Chadwick - ½ " "

Louisa Mendenhall - 1 " " Louisa Mayberry - 2 " "

Betsy Low - ½ " " Charlotta Mayberry - 1 " "

Selina Gregory - 1 " " Elizabeth Ellsworth - 1 " "

Names of donators for the telegraph instrument:

Ann Smart - 1½ lb. butter

Sarah Borthwick - 1 lb. butter

Catherine Mendenhall - 1 dzn. eggs

Arabella Parkinson - 1½ lb. butter

Sarah Morrison - 2 dzn. eggs

Jane Clayton - 1 dzn. eggs

Ellen Clayton - 1 lb. butter

Benia Spumberg - 1 lb. butter

May 19, 1868

The Female Relief Society met at schoolhouse at one o’clock. Prayer Sis. Handy. Report of the butter and eggs was read by Bishop Hatch after which the bishop spoke for sometime. He spoke of Brother Mendenhall taking the butter and eggs to the city to pay for the nails for the meeting house. It was moved and seconded that a subscription be taken for the boys that cross the plains. A number of the teachers (brethren) were present at said meeting. The members of the Society busied themselves

with putting a quilt together with linsey (coarse linen and wool fabric) which had been donated. The bishop blest the donations received, blest the subscribers, also encourages the sisters to go ahead.

In original records names were given, but the following lists number of donators and variety of articles donated: For the nails 65 sisters donated eggs and butter and 1 sister donated a pair of men’s sox; for the calico (cotton cloth) quilt 25 sisters donated eggs and butter, 9 sisters donated yarn and 1 sister donated a pair of knitting needles.

June 4, 1868

The Society met at 3 o’clock. Sewed wagon covers, quilt pieces, and knit stockings until the bishop, Bro. Stalker and several of the teachers (brethren) came. The meeting was opened by prayer by Sister Smart. The sect. read the min-utes of the two preceding meetings which were accepted. The bishop made a few remarks. He wishes the sisters to attend the fast meeting. Said he was well pleased with the spirit of the Society. Said there were a few brethren engaged on the meeting house. Hoped the sisters would sustain their husbands in their duties, for an encouraging word done so much good. Said the sisters should uphold the brethren in every good work. Didn’t care how much influence a wife has over her husband in a good cause, she should be blest for it. There were some of the brethren go-ing on the railroad, there were many duties sisters would have to perform in their absence. Wished the sisters would take hold and do the best they could for the upbuilding of


their own families and Kingdom of God. Wishes the sisters to attend to prayers in their homes in the absence of their husbands. Bless the brethren and sisters. Bro. Stalker then made a few remarks. Said the bishop had the sisters in a capacity where he could talk to them. Wishes his family to attend to prayers in his absence. He said we all had a great warfare before us for we had no good thing, but we had to strive for to obtain it. Said that when the brethren had the good feeling of their wives they could do so much better, as an encouraging word done so much good, the contrary so much hurt. Said he felt a good spirit here, hoped we would go ahead and prosper. We had his good feelings. The sisters that were appointed to support the cleaning of the schoolhouse were also appointed to act as teachers in collecting contributions. Prayer Pres. Borthwick.

June 18, 1868 Alex Stalker read a copy of the First Organization

of The Female Relief Society, organized by the Prophet Jos. Smith in the Lodge Room, March 1842, in the city of Nauvoo. It was moved and seconded that we organize according to instructions received from Prest. Maughan of Logan. Bp. L.H. Hatch and Alex Stalker then proceeded to set apart the following sisters: Sarah Borthwick, presi-dent; Ann Smart, first counselor; Ortencia Stalker, second counselor; Elvira Nash and Mary Head to act as aids.

July 2, 1868

Society met. Opened with singing and prayer by Sis. Handy. The preceding minutes and list of donations and such were read by the sect. Then the sisters busied them-selves in sewing on quilts, carding wool bats for wadding the quilts and knitting sox and edging. Bro. Stalker and Jenson came in and had a very pleasant time chatting with us. Closed with prayer by Sister Huff. Adjourned till July 16th.

List of donations for lime and getting material for quilts: The Society furnished 16 lbs. of butter for the men that brought the lime for the vestry, and for quilts yarn, butter and wool were donated.

July 16, 1868 The Society met at 8 o’clock. Prayer by the president.

Sec. read the copy of The Organization of The Female Re-lief Society. Sisters busied themselves quilting, the presi-dents giving talks. Sist. Smart took the floor, expressed her thankfulness for donations given in cheerfulness. Said we should not have malice towards each other, said if she had any towards anyone she would make it right before night. Remarked that we should be industrious and economical and teach our children to be so also. Said we should not oppose any principle taught in the Church, polygamy in particular as that was a great principle. She had two daughters in it and was willing her other should go in it likewise, etc. The sect., being unwell all day, fainted, was

Augu t 13, 1868


administered to by Sisters Borthwick, Smart, Stalker and Huff. There has been five quilts quilted today. Adjourned until the 30th of July.

July 30, 1868

The Society met at two o’clock. Opened by prayer by Sister Corbridge. Sisters busied themselves binding and piecing quilts until the bishop and Bro. Stalker came. The bishop asked the sisters what they wished to do with their quilts. Said whatever the majority said was law. Some proposed selling them to help about the meeting house. But he said he did not wish to take their labors for that purpose as there was abundance of means in the hands of the brethren, but if they felt disposed to make a carpet for the vestry he would gladly accept it. Said whatever they saw fit to do with their quilts would suit him. He thought if they could sell some of them and thus augment the funds of the Society so to have money to buy necessar-ies for the poor, it would be a good thing as it was warm weather and the poor did not need the quilts at present. Br. Stalker said he thought the sisters had done well, very well indeed. Fully agreed with the bishop’s remarks. He thought it a good thing to sell or raffle the quilts and if they decided to raffle it would be perfectly right. Said the sisters should talk the matter over and agree what to do. Said he was much pleased with the spirit of the Society, blest us. The presidency made a few remarks. Said she was not particular what was done with the quilts, what-ever the majority concluded to do with them suited her.

She wishes to get some means in shape to handle for the relief of the poor of whatever nature, but now especially for sickness. Remarked a case of sickness a few days ago and nothing comfortable, etc. Sister Smart said she was at Logan last week, saw Sis. Maughan, said they were going to raffle theirs. Said Sister Maughan preferred evening to give us some instructions. Favored by Sister Merrick and seconded by Sister Borthwick that we raffle the quilts. Sister Smart proposed the bishop and Br. Stalker be present at the raffling. The bishop left their blessing with us. Benedic-tion by Sister Frew.

The Society met at 2 o’clock. Opened by prayer by

Sister Huff. Sisters busied themselves sewing carpet rags. Sister Eliza Low in made a few very appropriate remarks. Said she knew this to be the work of the Lord, always felt well in bearing her testimony, etc. Sister Elizabeth Packer she always responded to every call. Said she wishes to at-tend all the meetings, but through the press of business she could not always come. Remarked that the bishop said at the third or fourth meeting that the sisters then present would attend as a general thing. Wishes to do all the good she could, etc. Sister Mary A. Morrison said she wishes to do the best she could. She did not want to hold back on account of her youth. Exhorted her youthful sisters to practice speaking in public, etc. Sister Corbridge said she felt well desirous to do all the good in her power. Said we should sustain our sisters in office, pray for and

History of Franklin, Idaho • Minutes of the Franklin Ward Relief Society, 1868 & 1869 100

uphold them. Said this work was organized in the days of Joseph that we should learn everything that was good and useful. Said we should try and get things in shape so as to get some medicines for the poor in case they be needed now, etc. Sister Alice Pratt of Oxford remarked that she wants to talk a little. Said she felt well. Would be glad when they had a Society organized at their place. Hoped we would be blest, etc. Sister Smart said she felt like talking a little to express her gratitude for the great blessings of having her friends around her. Said she had been very much blest since she was engaged in this work, especially since this Society was organized, and since her husband had been absent she had been particularly blest, etc. The president said she would like to see more present, but was thankful to those that were present. Said that we had thought of raffling, but had been informed that there had instructions been given by Eliza Snow against raffling and if that was so we would not raffle, but would do the best we could for the good of the Society, etc. Sister Parkinson made a few very appropriate remarks. Said she wished to do all the good she could, etc. Benediction by Charlotte Parkinson until 27th.

The Society met at 2 o’clock. Opened by prayer by Sister Eliza Low. Sisters busied themselves piecing quilts, knitting, sewing carpet rags. Privilege been given to speak. Sister Kingsford that she felt glad to be a member of the Society, felt it would be a great blessing to the poor, etc.

The sec. bore her testimony to the truth of this work. Said we are living in a great day, an age of the world. Exhorted the sisters to live so that we could feel to administer to the sick for the brethren might not always be present. There were many duties dissolving upon the sisters, more so now and would continue to increase than ever before. She was glad this Society was organized, that we should throw away all bashfulness and fear and nobly do our various duties even as the brethren did theirs. Then we should do all we could to comfort the poor and sick, leave our own work, come to meeting, pray for the blessings of the Lord to rest on all our efforts. She also told her experience of the day. Said there were a few sisters met at Sister Head’s, that she was taken very sick with one of her bad spells and requested the sisters to administer to her, but they declined through bashfulness. She continued to get worse, finally told the sisters she could not live long in that situation. Requested them to administer again (sisters Molen, Mer-rick and Read) which they did, she was healed immediately. Said she had after been healed under the administration of the sisters. Requested the sisters to pray for and up-hold her so that she might be enabled to perform her various duties, especially as the teacher of the school for she could do much more good when the sisters upheld her to their children. Prayed for the spirit of God upon us too. The foregoing minutes were taken by Sister Molen of Hyde Park, she being here on a visit, the sect. took the remainder. Sister Head said she wished to do all the good she could, that we should pray for each other especially for those in office, that we all know this to be the work of

History of Franklin, Idaho • Minutes of the Franklin Ward Relief Society, 1868 & 1869 101

the Lord and should act accordingly, etc. Sister Molen said she was glad to meet with us in this place, that she felt a good spirit here, that we should uphold and sustain all the sisters in office for they needed it, that she had a little experience in office, felt her weakness. Said we should be careful not to speak evil of each other especially those in office. Said we should visit the sisters in sickness, that a kind word done so much good. She knew that by experi-ence for she was a sickly woman herself. Prays the Lord to bless and prosper all our efforts in this Society, left her blessing with us. Sister Corbridge said the counsel of the sisters was good, hoped we would all profit by it. She felt well in donating. She would try to do all the good she could, would visit the poor and sick and comfort them all she could. Sister Mendenhall remarked she felt to do all the good she could, etc. Sister Merrick gave a few very appropriate remarks. The presidency gave us some very good instructions. Benediction by Sister Susan Gosland.

The Society met at 10 o’clock. Quilted one quilt.

The Society met at two o’clock. Bound quilt, sewed carpet rags, knitted sox. Benediction by Sister Londen-green.

Doubled yarn. Sister Stalker presided. On the 18th a

few sisters met at Sister Smart’s and quilted one quilt which was donated to a Mary Poole.

The presidents and sec. were absent during these meetings. The meetings were discontinued until the 27th of February.

·1869 ·

February 27, 1869 The Society assembled at the vestry. The bishop, Br.

Stalker and several of the teachers were present. The sec. being sick, there were no minutes kept of meetings.

There were 4 quilts sold for 10 dollars apiece, two quilts for 9 dollars apiece, one linsey quilt for 18 dollars, 15 in money the remainder in calico which was used for Sister Poole’s quilt, 3 pairs of sox sold for 3 dollars. Total amount 78 dollars which was sent to Salt Lake City by Br. Stalker to purchase a carpet for the vestry.

March 11, 1869

The Society assembled at the vestry. Opened by sing-ing. Prayer by Sister L. Mayberry. Braided mats for the vestry. The bishop and Br. Jenson came. The bishop said he was very much pleased with what the sisters had done, felt thankful for their help. Said we should be blest for all the good we done or would do. Told us to speak and act freely.


Said we should pray for and uphold the officers and not have a spirit of jealousy among us. Wishes us to pray for him. Said the sisters had great faith, etc. Said we should try to use a good influence over our husbands and help him, etc. Said we should attend our meetings punctually and try to influence all our sisters to come for great blessings, awaited us if we faithful. Spoke of the organization of the Kingdom of God. Said some come into the Church half hearted, others with all their hearts. Saw when there was a dance. It was generally attended, should like to see as much interest in these meetings. Yet, he did not wish to find fault with us, but the Lord was not well pleased when we cared more for dancing than we did for our meetings. He felt very thankful for what the sisters had done to help complete the vestry. Said he had paid a great deal out, had done it cheerfully. Blest us, said he would find a place for us to meet. Br. Jenson said he well remembered when this Society was organized by Joseph Smith, the Prophet. Said the blessings of the Lord would attend our efforts. Said we were greatly blest and would be more so hereafter. Said when the brethren assembled in this room we would be remembered. Said everything we undertook we should accomplish. Said we should uphold and sus-tain the bishop, that we could be a great help to him, etc. Spoke of the organization of the Kingdom of God. Sister Handy was administered to. Benediction by Jane Clayton. Adjourned until 27th of March.

March 27, 1869

The society assembled at the vestry. Opened by sing-ing. Prayer Sister Ellen Corbridge. Mary Mayberry being invited to speak. Saw the Prophet Joseph. Said this society was organized before this world was created, said it was especially for the benefit of the poor to build schoolhouses and educate poor children, etc. said Joseph. Great bless-ings would follow those that were faithful in this Society. Prays for the blessings of God to rest upon us. Sister Laird of Richmond said she was glad to meet with the Society of this place. Felt a good spirit here. She wished to do all the good she could, etc. Blest us. Sister Green said she would say whatever the Lord gave her. Said the Lord was well pleased with us, the angels were around us, etc. Blest us. The president, she was thankful for what the sisters had done. Felt happy when she and the teachers went around to be received cheerfully whether they could donate or not. Requested the sisters to attend their meetings punc-tually, did not like to have a black mark put against them, but the bishop required it. Blest us. Benediction by Sister Sylvia Hatch.

April 8, 1869

The Society assembled at the vestry. Pieced quilts. The sec. being sick no minutes were taken.


April 22, 1869

The Society assembled at Br. Stalker’s. Quilted one quilt. The sec. being sick no minutes were taken.

May 6, 1869

The Society assembled at the schoolhouse. Opened by Prayer by Sister Ortencia Stalker. Made carpet for the vestry and knit stockings.

In the year 1869 the sisters were counseled to put money into the Cooperative Store in the name of the Re-lief Society. All the sisters responded cheerfully donating 50¢ each, the following is a list of those sisters:

Sarah Borthwick - 50 cts. Jane Frew - 50 cts.

Ann Smart - " Elizabeth Fox - "

Ortencia Stalker - " Hannah Corbridge - "

Martha D. Hickman - " Hannah Holhem - "

Catherine Mendenhall - " Elgin Clayton - "

Mary Ann Morrison - " Elvira Nash - "

Hannah Handy - " Martha Nash - "

Eliza Hull - " Ellen Priest - "

Margaret Bennett - " Martha Biggs - "

Elizabeth Ellsworth - " Lucy Bennett - "

Sarah Ann Mayberry - " Jane Nelson - "

Mary Mayberry - " Mary A. Huff - "

Mary Collins - " Elizabeth Kirkham - "

Charlotta Mayberry - " Jane Hobbs - "

Louisa Mayberry - " Mariah Wright - "

Amanda Stalker - " Serena Jensen - "

Emily Stalker - " Hannah Olsen - "

Ellen Stalker - " Mary Ann Hull - "

Elizabeth Packer - " Mary Whitehead - "

Margaret Taylor - " Selina Gregory - "

Mary Ann Hobbs - " Margaret Dunkley - "

Margaret Smart - " Louisa Mendenhall - "

Eliza Low - " Christina Stones - "

Elizabeth Comish - 50 cts. Hannah Londengreen 50 cts.

Mary Head - " Elizabeth Laidon - "

Harriet Kingsford - " Sylvia Hatch - "

Ann Doney - " Catherine Hatch - "

Ester Dowdle - " Alice Hatch - "

Jane Hull - " Louisa Purnell - "

Margaret Whitehead - " Arabella Parkinson - "

Martha Vail - " Mariah Parkinson - "

Ellen Corbridge - " Charlotta Parkinson - "

Susan Gosland - "

History of Whitney, Idaho • “Whitney, Idaho”, from The Trail Blazer �04

• Whitney •i da ho

F r om

T H E T R A I L B L A Z E R

History of the Development of Southeastern Idaho

•

P u bl i s h e d i n 1930 b y Daugh t e r s of t h e P ion e e r s

R e v i s e d a n d u p dat e d i n 19 76 b y N e w e l l H a r t

•

Just midway between Franklin and Preston on the Yellowstone Park Highway is the town of Whitney, which has a population of about three hundred and

fifty. This town like many others had a very humble beginning. It was customary for people who came to

Franklin as settlers to be given an allotment of hay or grain lands. When Isaac Nash, James Hebdron, George and Alfred Hensen, E. Nelson, Peter Pool, Dickey Colter, William Handy, John and Nephi Cornish and William Rogers came to Franklin they were each given five acres in the section now known as Whitney.

This was really the beginning of Land ownership in this section of the country.

At that time the Indians were very troublesome, so much so that the men were advised to work in groups and never without their firearms.

It must have been an interesting sight in the late summer to see a large group going with their wagons and oxen, scythe and home made rakes to harvest this precious hay.

Those who really wanted to keep their hay lands had to build homes in order to protect their holdings because of an influx of cattle and sheep. In the spring of 1869, Ephriam Ellsworth and William Handy each built a cabin on their claims. (One of Mr. Handy’s daughters still lives on the old homestead.) That same summer, James Chadwick and R. M. Hull formed a partnership and bought out some of the above named hay land claims and built them each a home. The next year William Head built a log cabin for his wife Sarah E. The Franklin County Sugar Company is built on part of this claim. In 1876, this land claim of 160 acres was sold for a big grey riding horse and a little money.

Thomas Bennett and his son William each built them-selves a log house in 1870. Others, including the Joseph


and George Foster Families, followed until there was quite a little colony of settlers.

From the time the railroad came through 1878 until the place was given the name of Whitney, It was known as “Hulls’ Crossing.”

Some of these early settlers used their rights as first locators and claimed a share in the Worm and Spring Creeks. From these streams, they brought early spring water to irrigate their lands.

A ditch company was organized in 1881, the mem-bers of which worked together to bring water from the Cub River. This company joined in with Harrison Thomas.

Half-wild Texan cattleThis early pioneer group had many difficulties

which were most trying. On account of the roads be-ing impossible to travel most of the year, the men folks would ride horse back to Franklin for their meetings. The women and children would remain at home and keep the range cattle back from their growing crop. It was almost Impossible to fence against the half-wild Texan cattle that freely roamed over this country. Many interesting stories are told concerning encounters with these cattle and their enormously long horns. At one time a pioneer woman went in search of her own cattle and while searching for them, a herd of these cattle completely surrounded her and were making ready to charge just as she threw her full gathered apron up

over her head and caused the animals to race away in a wild stampede.

Some so-called white men were more trouble than either the Indians or wild cattle.

A number of men, headed by a notorious outlaw leader, Bob Tarter would help themselves to the set-tlers’ horses and cattle, drive them to Corinne, Utah and from that point ship them East and West. Occasionally the band of thieves would drive cattle up into Montana, where they sold them for a good price.

The outlaws not only took the cattle, but they were so bold as to kill the animals in the vicinity and take the beef to the homes of the owners and offer it for sale.

The settlers were quite sure, or at least suspected who the marauder’s were but were afraid to say or do anything about it because members of the robber band would not hesitate to kill anyone who interfered with them.

George Sharp tells us that his brother Orson was one of the men sent up here by the United States officers from Salt Lake City to run down the cattle thieves. How-ever he was killed by a member of the gang as he trav-eled with them along the Portnuef River. It seems that he got in with the band somehow and had planned to get some evidence against them, but they got him first; his body was never found. Hen Holt was also treated in the same manner. He was buried in the vicinity of Preston.

When the railroad was later built and passed through Whitney, the people were very much annoyed by tramps


and hoboes of all kinds, as many as fifty would pass thru in one day.

Thirty Chinese tramps come to visitProbably one of the most exciting experiences was

with a band of thirty Chinese tramps that came up the track near Hull’s. There were just Ann Hull, her friend and some children at home when the Chinamen were seen. These children hastened to lock all doors as a tem-porary protection at least. The cellar door however, was not locked; the Chinese just walked into the cellar and helped themselves to the milk, cream and eggs, they also killed some chickens after which they proceeded to make a bonfire in the yard and prepare their midday meal. In the meantime, while the Chinamen were busy on the south side of the house, Ann put her brother out through the North window and sent him post haste to get help from the neighbors.

It was not long before Ephraim Ellsworth, a neigh-bor, appeared with a black whip, as soon as the China-men saw him; they began to shout, “Me go! Me go!” The tramps were mostly unemployed men who were seeking work.

The trains were a determinant as well as a help to the community. Frequently, grass fires were caused through ignition from sparks, which poured from the chimneys of those old-style locomotives. The women and children would watch the fields along the train route and put out the fires as soon as they were started, whenever it was possible. They fought the fires with

willows and sacks were used as beaters. Sometimes a fire would get a start of them and many of the willow fences were destroyed as well as the summer hay crop.

Alfalfa was not cultivated during those first few years; the settlers depended on the native grasses as food for the animals until after 1880.

If you were looking down from Rattle Snake Point, could you, dear reader, in your imagination picture one little patch of about ten acres of green grain, growing inside of a frame of sage brush and dry native grasses, if you could, you would have seen the only green patch which had been planted by R. M. Hull. This lonely grain patch was growing on present farm of Roy Tanners, during the summer of 1873. This place of 160 acres was bought in 1872 from Martin Higley for a span of mules.

There was an abundance of butter and cheese pro-duced, the butter brought an average of fifteen cents per pound during the year and eggs brought about ten cents a dozen in exchange for merchandise.

Occasionally a merchant could be induced to pay a little money in exchange for produce to buy postage stamps with.

During the summer time, the people had to take care of their produce the best that they could because the store refused to take it. Soap was made from the surplus butter.

When the roads were too bad for horse or wagon travel, the people would often walk to Franklin and carry huge buckets of butter in exchange for store goods.


However, at other times when they could ride, the ever present knitting needles clicked merrily together as if they were trying to keep time with the turning and squeaking of the wagon wheels. It was impossible to buy hose ready made at that time so we can readily see why the women had to keep the knitting needles so busily clicking.

Much sugar cane was grown and molasses by the hundreds of gallons was made by Samuel Clark and others.

Foods: The people had plenty of cattle, pigs and chickens to furnish their meats; their problem was what to do for fruits and vegetables.

Serviceberries, gooseberries and currantsEach fall, some of the men would go to other towns

to get some dried fruit and molasses. Serviceberries were gathered and dried or boiled and stored away in five-gallon jars without sugar but sweetened with a little molasses. Wild gooseberries and currants were cared for in a similar manner. Fortunate indeed was the family that had a good supply of this fruit to give the variety necessary for the winter diet. Native currants were sometimes obtained in Franklin but these were a real luxury.

It was possible in the spring of the year to get rhu-barb at some of the homes in Franklin. One pioneer woman tells us that she has many times walked from Whitney to Franklin and back to get some of the trea-sured rhubarb. It was such a treat that the mother would

clean even the large veins in the leaves and cook them. The children were so hungry for something green or fruity, that they would chew what was left of the leaf and spit out the pulp when all of the juice was extracted.

Later corn and melons were successfully grown in the gardens below the Thomas ditches.

The settlers were tried almost beyond endurance with cattle thieves, droughts and grasshoppers, but the most of them proved to be men and women of great strength and endurance so much so that they stayed with their land possessions. However, they were just human enough to welcome every little ray of sunshine, which came in the form of a diversion or amusement of any kind.

A ray of sunshine, which they appreciated very much, came once in a great while, when the Mormon missionar-ies would hold meetings in the homes of the people.

At one time there was one man brave enough to bring a lantern slide into the community. The lantern-slide was shown in the log house of Wm. Bennett and the entire community was present. Each one gladly paid his ten cents, the price of admission.

When the people were baptized into the “United Order” in 1878, there was a great celebration and feast-ing. Many came to be baptized in the pool, which had been formed by building a dam across Spring Creek the night before the baptismal ceremonies.

A beef was killed for the occasion and many were put early to greet the authorities that came from Franklin to take part on this wonderful occasion. Many people


came from great distances among them David Jensen who was one of the acting officials during the baptis-mal ceremonies.

Special programs and all day celebrations were some of the other diversions. This generation seems to be such a busy, restless group that we are wondering what would happen if a group of modern people were expected to sit still and listen to a program as length-ily as the one following which consists of forty-three (43) numbers presented at a Fourth of July program in 1889.

Orator of the Day, George T. Benson, Sr.; Chap-lain, Bishop James Chadwick, Sr.; Singing, Choir; Prayer, Chaplain; Singing, Choir; Address of Welcome, Alvin Hull and Pearl Weaver; Speech (5 minutes) Wesley Beckstead; Song, Mr. and Mrs. G. E. Weaver; Reading, J. Rallison; Recitation, Eva Holden; Speech (5 minutes) Herbert Rallison; Accordion Music, Amasa Beckstead; Song, Presidency of Primary Organization; Negro Story, E. R. Lawrence; German Song, Mr. and Mrs. Eulgster; Dialogue, Amy, Elise, Mary and Lela; Recitation, Sarah Lawrence; Song, Nephi McLeary; Recitation, Rudolph Dursteller; Speech (10 minutes), Louise Benson; Song, Mr. and Mrs. John Holden; Speech, Grandpa Ashton; Recitation, Hattie Greaves; Song, Sunday School; Song, Abbie Lundegren; Speech, A. H. Head; Song, Joseph S. Wright; Story, Joseph Dunkley Sr.; Stump Speech, Andrew Beckstead; Recitation, Frank T. Benson; Song, Samuel Clark; Speech, William Handy; ‘Step Dance, Elton Beckstead; Reading, George Foster; Recitation, Arthur

Chadwick; Dialogue, R. M. Hull Jr., Albert Chadwick and Serge Bensoll; Song, Joseph Beckstead; Recitation, Jen-nie Weaver; Speech (five minutes), R. M. Hull, Sr.; Mouth Organ Music, Riley Clark and Joe Beckstead; Reading. Catherine Winwarn; Song, Bishop Chadwick and G. T. Benson; Recitation, Serge Benson; Song. Fred Rallison; Speech (5 minutes) James Hebdon; Dialogue, Sarah and Kittie Dunkley; Song, Lizzie Beckstead.

Eight dozen eggs donatedEight dozen were donated, eggs selling at thirteen

cents a dozen were donated by the people to pay for the prizes offered to the children who took part in the sports. Three dollars worth of scrip was also donated: this scrip served as an exchange for “store goods.”

The title of the first play produced in the “School House.” was “He was Never Known to Smile.” Fred Olsen and Elise Benson took the leading ‘parts.

Other amusements and forms of recreation were similar to those described in a part of the history of Franklin.

The first Primary was organized May 8, 1885 with Sarah T. Clayton appointed to act as president, Elizabeth Eardly and Annie Hull as Counselors. Sunday School was organized July 8, 1888 with Joseph S. Sharp as superin-tendent and Joshua Rallison Secretary.

The Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association was organized in 1888. Herbert Rallison as president, Gaston Brawley and Jasper Head as counselors, and Arthur Chadwick as secretary.


The Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Association was organized February 17, 1889. Mary A. Weaver was appointed to act as president with the two counselors, Hannah P. Head and Gretta Hull. Elise Benson and Amy Chadwick were secretary and treasurer. At this time this district belonged to the Preston ward.

Just before the L.D.S. ward organization was ef-fected, some of the leading men of the community met at the home of J.A. Head, finally Mr. Head offered the name of Whitney which was accepted in honor of Orson F. Whitney, now an Apostle in the L. D. S. church.

The organization of the Whitney ward effected June 9, 1889, with James Chadwick as Bishop. George T. Benson first Counselor, Joseph S. Wright second counselor and Herbert Rallison as Clerk.

Births And MarriagesAmong the first births in this districts were: Drusilla,

daughter of William and Ester Booth Bell, born No-vember 7, 1873; Charles Bell Jr., born September 1874; Pleasant Williams Bell born December 1875; Sadie Ells-worth born January 13, 1976, daughter of Ephraim and Elizabeth Ellsworth.

The first births after the ward was organized were Lester Dunkley and Ruby Chadwick.

Charles Morris Bell and Jane Panton were the first people married; they were married December 11, 1873.

Rudolph Dursteller and Maria Bauman were the first ones married after the ward was organized.

MissionariesJoseph S. Wright and Andrew Beckstead were the

first male missionaries sent out from Whitney; they both served as missionaries in Europe.

The first lady missionaries were: Martha H. Dunkley and Florence Benson. James Chadwick was the first public officer.

SchoolsThe people built a district schoolhouse in 1884. It

is the north part of the present home of F. W. Rallison. Annie Hull was the first teacher in this school. She held a first grade certificate and was paid just fifteen dol-lars ($15.00) a month. The county officials at Malad had charge of the school and paid Miss Hull’s salary.

Florence Holland, a Logan girl, recently from Eng-land, taught the girls domestic arts along with all the other subjects.

Other teachers were: Annie Hopkins, who married Henry Lamoreaux; Mary Flack, another teacher, taught for $35.00 per month and quit because the school board would not pay her forty dollars ($40.00) a month. Geo. E. Crockett also taught in 1889-90.

HighwayThe first stagecoach road or highway ran almost in

a direct line from the point of “Little Mountain” to the present site of the Franklin County Sugar Factory. It crossed the Worm Creek at the present south crossing, then passed on up over the old “Oregon Montana Trail”


which is now marked by the railroad. When people began to build their fences, that placed the road east and it crossed Spring Creek near L. H. Ballif’s store.

RailroadOne of the outstanding events in the history was

the building of a narrow gauge railroad. In the fall of 1877 the road was completed as far as Spring Creek, coming, by the way of Franklin. By January 1878, the Spring and Worm Creek bridges were completed. Early in the spring the road was built on over the flat, now Preston.

In 1876 a railroad grade was built on the east side of Whitney. It ran north from Buttermilk Curve (Now Nashville) as far as the Bear River Narrows. Engineers found it to be too expensive to build through that way so made a new route, which is followed by the present railroad system.

While the railroad was under construction, Jay Gould, the great financier and Mr. Huntington visited this locality, they were seen picking up loose spikes and bolts along the track, early in the morning. When asked about it, Jay Gould said, “That is the way we have laid our foundation of great enterprise.”

BusinessThe first, business establishment was the Equitable

Co-op in 1887, located near the present site of the Pea Vinery. The Co-op was built and owned by a group of men who finally had to sell it at a great sacrifice

because of so many bad, outstanding debts. Different parties owned it until finally it was burned down.

In the northeast corner of this store was a flourishing shoe mending department supervised by Nephi McLeary. Mr. McLeary mended shoes six days of the week then lead the choir on Sunday. A blacksmith shop was owned and operated by Joseph Simons it was located near the Pea Vinery.

During the years of 1888-89 J. W. Windward sold all kinds of farming implements for the George A. Lowe Company.

The first postmaster was Albert Chadwick with his sister Amy who acted as assistant. Sometime later the post office was taken care of in the Equitable Coop Store.

Joseph Simons hauled the first load of rock for the construction of the rock-meeting house in 1891.

Whitney has some very productive farming land, most of which is used for sugar beets. The Franklin County Sugar Factory, which takes care of the beets, is located here.

In comparison to the present methods of handling sugar beets, it might be interesting to relate the way in which the first beets that were grown in Franklin County were handled. They were planted in the spring of 1899; the tool for thinning was an iron from an old wagon box, bent and sharpened. They were gone over four different times before they were thinned satisfactorily.


Cultivation was with a hand pushed cultivator, and the topping was done with a butcher knife. A shovel or hand plow was used for digging them.

The first crop was loaded on a flat car, which held fifteen tons; the grower and agent estimated the weight. They were shipped to Weber County, Utah, to the Amalgamated Sugar Co. and the price paid was $4.25 per ton. The first car shipped out was grown by John A. Dunkley.

A Pea Vinery was built here in 1926.This community has a very fine modern school

building and gymnasium, which were erected in 1924.

As transportation, the people of the town are served by the bus lines and Oregon Short Line Railroad.

Generally speaking, the great aim of the parents in this community has always been to give their children the best educational opportunities available. Out of this ward have come many leaders, doctors, lawyers, churchmen and statesmen who have made renowned successes in their chosen fields of activities.

Russell Maughan, the “Dawn to Dusk” flyer received his agricultural training in this little town of Whitney.

Much of its well-known musical talent had its foun-dation in the early ward choir, which won first place in a choir contest, including all of Cache Valley. Elsie B. Alder was the choir leader and she was assisted by around twenty other talented singers. Riley Clark was assistant chorister and John A. Dunkley was president of the choir.

The people here get behind public enterprises, knowing that cooperation is necessary for the devel-opment of community welfare.

The true spirit of the people in Whitney is possibly best expressed in the following little refrain:

“The more we get together, together, together,The more we get together the happier we will be.For your friends are my friendsAnd my friends are your friendsthe more we get together the happier we’ll be.

Standing about eight inches tall, the sego lily is a small wildflower ranging from the dry open grasslands to the sagebrush hillsides of the west. In California it is called the Mariposa Lily. The sego lily has three tulip-like petals that range in color from white to pink. The sego blooms from late spring to early summer.

The walnut-sized bulb of the sego lily is edible, having a some-what sweet taste. Sego bulbs are eaten by rodents and bears. Native American peoples held the sego lily as sacred and gath-ered the bulbs then ground them into meal which they baked into a bread. Mormon pioneers dethe bulbs ofor food dufew uncertin the Salt L

Based on aamoung thedren of Utalily was chstate flowe

Sego lil�

History of Whitney, Idaho • Sego Lily

pended on f sego lilies

ring the first ain harvests ake Valley.

poll taken school chil-h the sego

osen as the r in 1911.

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Making butter

Butter starts with cream. Fresh milk is poured into pans and put aside to cool for several hours. A layer of thick, yetop of the milk an

When enough crethe butter churn cPouring hot watethe wood fibers othat the churn is down the hot waand then emptied

The cream is pourehalf full, the dashslid over the dashtop of the churn. Twith a flat piece o

The dasher is worcream until it sepaof white butterfatWater is poured into wash out any tr

The butter is scooand placed in a bTo insure that theis pressed againstlast traces of buttbutter along withas desired.

History of Whitney, Ida

llow cream is skimmed off the d stored in a container.

am is collected to make butter an be prepped with hot water. r into the butter churn causes f the churn to swell, insuring

watertight. To cool the churn ter is replaced with cold water out.

d into the churn until it is about er placed down inside, the lid er and pressed tightly into the he dasher is a long wooden rod f wood attached to the end.

ked up and down through the rates into buttermilk and a mass . The buttermilk is poured off. and the dasher moved around aces of buttermilk.

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ped out with a wooden ladle owl or wooden butter mold. butter won’t spoil, the butter the sides to squeeze out any ermilk. Salt is worked into the

any coloring such as beet juice

BUTTER MAKING TOOLSTop left: A butter churn. Butter churns are still used throughout the Third World. Pioneers would make butter by placing cream in a container attached to the bouncing of the wagon. Top right, a butter ladle. Churn and ladle displayed at the Franklin Relic Hall. Bottom right: Wooden butter molds.

ho • Making Butter

Telegraph service comes to Franklin

later moved to the home of L.L. Hatch. It was from there that the biggest news story of the

cross the country. “George , on June 25, 1876 attacked n the Little Big Horn. Custer ere destroyed.

o Mr. Hatch, because the nnecting Montana with the

tal lines failed. Dispatchers f the battle were rushed by gle Rock (Idaho Falls), then atello) and then by rider to

egraph was sold to the West-pany in 1900.”

ION: “Samuel Morse’s first ented in 1840. It produced n paper.

era was flashed aArmstrong Custerthe Sioux Indians oand his 261 men w

The task fell ttelegraph lines coeast-west continencarrying details ostage coach to Eato Ross’s Fork (PocFranklin.

The Deseret Telern Telegraph Com

SHORT CAPTtelegraph was patV-shaped marks o

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LONG CAPTION: “In December 1868, the Deseret Tele-graph etended its lines to Franklin. It was installed in the Southeast corner of the Co-op building. [shown above] The first operator was Alma Hobson. The telegraph was

Later Morse developed a telegraph like the one shown, with a sounder to click out coded messages.” • From a display about Franklin history in the old city hall building.

History of Whitney, Idaho • Telegraph Service In Franklin

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A R I Z O N AN E W M E X I C O

O K L A H O M A

K A N S A S

T E X A S

C O L O R A D O

U TA H

I D A H OS O U T H

D A K OTA

N E B R A S K A

M I N N E S OTA

I O WA

M I S S O U R I

A R K A N S A S

W I S C O N S I N

I L L I N O I S

Nauvoo

FortKearny

PlatteRiver

ConfluencePoint

ChimneyRock

FortLaramie

Devil’sGate

FortBridger

TheNeedles

IndependenceRock

Martin’sCove

SouthPass

RockyRidge

EmigrationCanyon

CouncilBluffs

MountPisgah

WinterQuarters Iowa

City

LocustCreekCamp

GardenGrove

SugarCreek

W Y O M I N G

GreatSalt Lake Valley

N

0

0

500 miles

500 kilometers

F rom 1846 to 1869, as many as 70,000 mem-

bers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-

day Saints walked across the plains, through the

rivers and over the mountains between Nauvoo,

Illinois and Salt Lake City, Utah in search of re-

ligious freedom. While this vast stream of Mor-

mon families sought to escape the persecution

of American society, the Mormons were part of

a larger American movement west that included

hundreds of thousands of Americans westering

to Oregon and California.

Instead of blazing new trails through the wil-

derness, the Mormons followed the same trails

used by Americans who went before them on

military and economic trips.

A number of historians have noted how unlike

other western pioneers the Mormons were. For

instance, most Mormon pioneers came as families.

Unlike other groups of Americans heading west

the Mormons crossed the country (Continued)

1846 1869

MOUSEOVER the named places along the trail for more information

History of Whitney, Idaho • The Mormon Trail

without the help of professional guides. In the

process of relying on maps, reports and guide-

books, the Mormons became experts themselves

and put that expertise to use over the twenty-

two years the Mormon Trail was in use.

Unlike other trails west, the Mormon Trail was

a two-way stream of travelers. Along with the

experienced men who were assigned to go back

east on a regular basis to guide new groups of

emigrants west, there was a steady stream of

missionaries and “go-backs” or Mormons who

decided to return—traveling east.

Unlike many American pioneers of the 1800’s

who came from hardy frontier stock, large num-

bers of Mormon pioneers were poor city dwellers

from Europe without any practical experience

living in and traveling through the wilderness.

As expansion continued west the Pony Express,

transcontinental telegraph line and the Union

Pacific Railroad often followed the Mormon Trail.

The Mormons not only watched these new enter-

prises emerge but often helped build them.

uring the Mormon exodus railroads graually

ended farther and farther west. In 1856 the

r emigrants from Europe were able to ride the

ns to Iowa City, Iowa where they were outfit-

with handarts for the trek west. By 1867 a

up of 500 emigrants rode the trains to North

tte, Nebaska where they continued west in

ons. Finally, when the Union Pacific Railroad

ched Utah in 1869, the days of walking to

h came to an end.

D

ext

poo

trai

ted

gro

Pla

wag

rea

Uta

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A memorial created by Annie Laura Dunkley’s

maternal grandfather, John Doney, and his

friend, William Whitehead. This is reminiscent

of the messages left on buffalo skulls during

the crossing. See the message HERE

History of Whitney, Idaho • The Mormon Trail

Gooseberries

History of Whi
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A hardy fruit bearing bush native to the Northern Hemisphere that is related to the currant. Goosebery flowers are greenish to greenish-pink; gooseberry fruit are oval shaped and may be white, yellow, green or red. Gooseberries are somewhat tart and are eaten raw, made into jellies, pies and preserves.

tney, Idaho • Gooseberries

16373497 the Franklin Idaho Story

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Transcript of 16373497 the Franklin Idaho Story