PROLOGUE
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| Gordon B. |
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| Brigham Young, cerca 1850 |
“I do not wish men to understand I had anything to do with our being moved here, that was the providence of the Almighty; it was the power of God that wrought out salvation for this people, I never could have devised such a plan," Brigham Young
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| Thomas S. Monson |
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| Alex Haley, author of Roots, based on his own family history. |
“In
all of us, there is a hunger, marrow-deep, to know our heritage — to know who
we are and where we have come from,” Alex Haley
LIFE AND TIMES OF LEVI HUNT,
A MORMON PIONEER
CHAPTER ONE
MY BELOVED ENGLAND
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| Levi Hunt, son of William Hunt |
My name is Levi Hunt. I was born in England but came to America when I was 19 years old. I've lived a long and adventurous life.
I've raced my brothers around and over the green hills of Hertfordshire, England; been surrounded by giant wild beasts with horns in the grasslands of America; and have chased savage Indians in the desolate deserts and soaring mountains of the Utah Territory.
I have been married three times and was a polygamist for a short while. I've helped erect a fort, and I've built several homes in different locales.
I've fought off marauding Apaches, and yet I've tried for a time to live a life like that of the ancient prophet Enoch.
I come from a family of 12 children, and I've experienced the thrill of the birth of eleven of my own.
As a boy, my family belonged to the Church of England, but I have lived all my adult life as a Mormon. At the age of 15, I became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have been ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood, and I currently hold the office of a Seventy, which has special missionary responsibilities in the church.
Despite all my adventures over the years, I doubt you’ll ever read about me in any history
books, but my family has been a part of many of the great adventures
that will some day end up in various historical records related to the settling
of much of the West by the Mormon pioneers.
I've raced my brothers around and over the green hills of Hertfordshire, England; been surrounded by giant wild beasts with horns in the grasslands of America; and have chased savage Indians in the desolate deserts and soaring mountains of the Utah Territory.
I have been married three times and was a polygamist for a short while. I've helped erect a fort, and I've built several homes in different locales.
I've fought off marauding Apaches, and yet I've tried for a time to live a life like that of the ancient prophet Enoch.
I come from a family of 12 children, and I've experienced the thrill of the birth of eleven of my own.
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| All Saints Church, Rampton, England |
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| Book Of Mormon read by Hyrum Smith in Carthage Jail on June 27, 1844. |
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| Reed is a small village in north Hertfordshire, England. |
I pray that as I recount my story you will come to know and understand the answers to these questions!
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| Gainsborough Old Hall tower was built in the Middle Ages. Photo by John Spooner |
To adequately tell my story, I must first
provide some background.
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| The village of Reed is in Hertfordshire, England. |
My father was born July 27, 1783, in the village
of Reed , Hertfordshire ,
England , 40 miles north of London Lincolnshire ,
England , about 125 miles
east of Liverpool and 120 miles north of where
my father was born.
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England from AD 600-900. |
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| Alfred The Great, AD 871-899 |
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| St. Augustine preaches to King Ethelbert in AD 597. |
My parents' path finally crossed, and William Hunt and Mary Ann Holmes’ celebrated a Valentine’s Wedding, though a day
before the holiday, on Feb. 13, 1816, at the All Saints Church of the Church of England in the small village of Rampton Parish, Cambridgeshire.
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| Chancel of All Saints Church, Rampton, England. |
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| Chapel inside All Saints Church, Rampton, Cambrideshire. |
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| Stain Glass Window in Saxon St. Mary's Church, Reed, Hertfordshire, England. |
Sometime after the birth of Mary Ann, between
1823 and 1827, the family moved to my father's home village of Reed, Hertfordshire ,
England , about 16 miles
south of Rampton and 35 miles north of London
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| Saxon Church of St. Mary's in Reed, England. |
Father was a cutler by trade, sharpening scissors,
knives, axes – anything that had a blade. But his earnings were not enough to provide for
such a large brood, so everyone in the family had to help out.
My parents raised us to believe in God and
to pay heed to His commandments. Just call out the names of us children, and
you’ll recite the monikers of a gaggle of Bible heroes.
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| Inside St. Mary's Church, Reed, England |
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| Doorway on the north side of St. Mary's was blocked in Middle Ages to keep the Devil out. |
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| Gainsborough, along River Trent, was at one time important port -- the most inland of England's ports. |
There were also doubts and questions and
heartache about my oldest sibling, William, who was mentally incapacitated and never
married. He died in 1851. Will he have a place at the table with our Father in
Heaven? And what of our family – will we associate
as a family in God’s Kingdom?
CHAPTER TWO
WE ARE REBORN
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| Heber C. Kimball |
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| Orson Hyde |
Fellow countrymen representing what they called
“the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ” came to our area with words that rang
true to our ears. They brought with them a book that they said was a companion
to the Bible and another witness of the Divinity
of Jesus Christ. They taught us
about God’s plan for man and that we are all His spiritual children. They taught that
as his children, we will be given all that He has if we will just follow the example
of Christ.
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| Families can be forever in God's plan. |
But opposition
to this “foreign cult” had been constant from the time Mormon missionaries,
including Apostles Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde, first started preaching in England in 1837.
By the time Apostle Wilford
Woodruff arrived in 1840, there were more than 1,500 members in Britain
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| Wilford Woodruff |
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| Thomas Kington of the United Brothern. |
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| Anti-Mormon flyer from the 1850s in England. |
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| Mormon missionaries in Britain. |
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| Anti-Mormon pamphet. |
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| Missionary tracts used in 1850s. |
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| Mormon missionary group in Liverpool, England, 1855. Edward Martin (middle row far right) later led 1856 Martin Handcart Company. |
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| Isaac Hunt, brother of Levi Hunt. |
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| The Golconda, 1863. |
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| Isaac Hunt sailed away from England aboard the Golconda on Jan. 23, 1853. |
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| Anne Newling was also aboard the Golconda and married Isaac Hunt after arriving in Salt Lake Valley. |
"Yes, Isaac,” she said, “Go to Zion
"Mother,” he told her, “I have worked
long and hard to
get this money, and I feel it is my duty to go."
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| Herefordshire Beacon, where Apostles Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young discussed the future missionary work in England, including the publication of missionary tracts. |
"Mother,” he consoled her, “If you will
let me go, I promise in the name of Israel 's
God that you shall go to America
He unclasped her arms and turned to leave.
She gave a terrible scream and fell prostrate to the floor. Isaac knew that if
he stopped to console her, he would hate to leave her, and the parting would be
harder to bear. He
then
rushed out of the house and headed for Liverpool where
he boarded the passenger ship Golconda America
Isaac met his future bride aboard the
Golconda Salt Lake Valley
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| Pond on Benbow Farm was the site of many baptisms by LDS missionary Wilford Woodruff. |
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Sorry, but I’m getting ahead of myself in my
story!
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| Isaac Hunt worked as a mason on the Manti Temple. |
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| Isaac Hunt worked as a mason on the St. George Temple. |
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| Isaac Hunt worked as a mason on the Salt Lake Temple. |
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| Levi Hunt was the mason on Parowan Courthouse, 1891. |
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| Wilford Woodruff preached often in the Benbow Barn. |
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| Inside the Gadfield Elm Chapel, where many early church leaders, including Brigham Young spoke. |
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| Wilford Woodruff was greeted warmly by Benbow family, who became converts. |
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| LDS missionary group meets in historic Gadfield Elm Chapel in Worcestershire, England. |
CHAPTER THREE
STRANDED IN FRIGID LIVERPOOL
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| Hunt Family would have used rail system in 1855 to go from Royston to the port city of Liverpool, England. |
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His office had booked the passenger ship
Helios for 400 of us Saints as part of the church’s inspired Perpetual
Immigration Fund, which required each who received financial assistance to pay
back that allotted amount once we arrived in Zion
– thus helping other Saints coming to Zion
Pres. Richards also stocked the Helios with
provisions for the Saints that one would describe as "excellent and of a
liberal amount."
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| Franklin D. Richards, president of LDS Church's British Europeon Mission. |
But during the night, a terrible gale came from the Irish Channel and took our ship, anchor and all, over to the New Brighten side of the River Mersey, where our ship collided with a tug boat, damaging the Helios very much. On the morning of the 23rd, we found her to be listing on her side as the tide had gone out. When the tide came back in, a heavy gale once again came from the Irish Channel and took a small ship called a brig loaded with wheat and sent her direct into our ship, breaking our bulwarks. Then, while the two ships were in this condition, another craft slammed into the Helios, trapping her between the two ships. More than
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| Sailing ships docked in modern Liverpool, England. |
Church administrators quickly went to work
trying to find other passage for the nearly 400 Saints thus stranded in Liverpool in the dead of winter!
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| Irish immigrants living above sweat shops in Long's Covent Garden, London, 1871. |
Also, Liverpool
of 1855 was in throes of social upheaval – caught up in what was later called the
Industrial Revolution. Plus, from 1849 to 1852 more than one-and-a-quarter
million Irish immigrants arrived in the city because of famine in their own
country, and most then dispersed to locations around the world. However, many
died despite the help they received within the city. Some 7,000 perished in the
city within one year.
No wonder Liverpool
was not able or willing to find lodging for all those 400 “strange misguided
Mormons.”
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| For many thousands, perhaps millions, of emigrants, the deck of Liverpool Landing Stage was last time they would set foot on English soil, 1872. |
Normally emigrants like us were not allowed aboard our ship until the day before or the actual day of sailing, so most passengers usually spent between one and ten days waiting to board in a Liverpool lodging. In addition, we naive rural emigrants were liable to suffer harassment and fraud by local confidence tricksters, known locally as 'runners,' who frequently snatched one’s luggage and then would only return it if a large fee were paid.
At first we felt we could handle a few cold
nights in our temporary shelter and find some food here and there, but then the
few days turned into a week and then two weeks and then a month – and then two
months. Finally, we received word that our passage had been secured on the clipper
ship Charles Buck, and we were to depart in the middle of February.
But the conditions we were required to
endure during the delay were extremely unhealthy, and we suffered from scanty
rations, poor diet and freezing winter weather.
The truth be said, we at times considered
taking the train back home to Reed, but we would not have had enough money to go
there and then make the return trip back and still have enough for our trip to Zion
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| Queen Victoria, born in 1819, reigned from 1837 to 1901. |
By the time we boarded the Charles Buck,
many of the 400 Saints were suffering in both spirit and general health. But at
least we had a relatively warm place to sleep and more food to eat than we had
had in two months!
So, fair thee well, Queen Victoria!
So, fair thee well, Queen Victoria!
CHAPTER FOUR
LIFE AND PAINS ABOARD A CLIPPER SHIP
We set sail on Jan. 17, 1855, and many of us
lined the ship railings and cheered as we departed that dank, cold Liverpool port!
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| Charles Vickery Golden Age of Clipper Ships Davy Crockett at Daybreak Plate. |
When we had chance to read a newspaper
account of the rioting that occurred specifically on Feb. 19, 1855, we were not
surprised. The account said the rioting was the result of unemployment among
the corn porters and dock laborers in the city, whose usual work and wages had
been affected by the bad weather – especially frost.
A good thing we were able to get on our way
when we did!
However, as soon as the Charles Buck
unfurled her sails, the Saints faced another challenge! Seasickness prostrated
many.
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| Elder Richard Ballantyne, leader of the 403 Saints on the Charles Buck. |
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| William, Mary Ann, Emmanuel, Levi and Stephen are listed as passengers aboard the Charles Buck, 1855. |
Leading the way in the care of the Saints
was the man set apart by Pres. Richards to oversee the group of 403 Saints aboard
the Charles Buck, Elder Richard Ballantyne, who was returning home from a
mission in India
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| Emigrant ship leaving Liverpool port. |
First thing, Elder Ballantyne divided the
passenger Saints into four wards. Two were made up of Saints from Scandinavia,
and two were made up of Saints from England
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| Sleeping and dining in ship's mid-decks. |
Ballantyne appointed the male members of
each ward to take their turn in cleaning out all the filth promptly at 6 in the
morning before any of the families were up. Also, he ordered the wards to
rotate in cleaning and sweeping out the ship each morning, thus requiring each
of us able-bodied men to do an equal share of the work.
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| Diarama of life aboard emigrant ship bound for America. |
In like manner, in the evening, we gathered
separately as wards at 7 o'clock for an evening devotional in which we could
also receive such instructions as might be necessary from time to time, but
always striving to have the Holy Spirit present.
From time to time, Elder Ballantyne gave
detailed instructions on sanitation and cleanliness, moral conduct, and even
group activities. He was at the forefront in blessing the sick and also
prescribing his remedies for dysentery, fevers, and other illnesses.
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| Quarters were crowded between decks on passenger ships like the Charles Buck. |
Cleaning the ship, we found, was a
monumental task – yet one that was essential to our physical and even spiritual
well-being. The Saints religiously kept to established patterns of shipboard
living, including frequent fumigation and sprinkling of lime, which we used as
a bleaching powder, in the living quarters.
The captain of the very first ship chartered by
the church's Perpetual Emigration Fund wrote about his experience with the Saints on
that inaugural voyage: “If such rules and regulations could be followed by all
emigrant ships, we should have less, far less sickness and distress at sea.
Cleanliness is part of your religion, and nobly you have carried it out.”
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| One of the ways to beat the boredom was dancing. |
Often, you could find groups assembled on
the deck, sitting in the sunshine for hours and telling stories, singing songs,
and cracking jokes – and generally with a propriety most exceptional.
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| Ship passengers dancing below deck. |
I read an account, many years after arriving
in Utah
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| Author Charles Dickens |
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| Passenger ship James Nesmith, similar to the Charles Buck. |
CHAPTER FIVE
SAINTS, SINNERS AND MOTHER NATURE
Dickens’ words are nice on the ears, but
the truth is, we did have our challenges aboard ship – not the least of which
was the ship’s uncouth crew members, who were constantly goading the men and soliciting
and pestering our women folk.
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| Imagine being in such crowded quarters below deck when a storm hits, tossing the ship about and making everyone sick. |
The Second Mate was an exception despite our
best efforts. He used the brethren in a rude and tyrannical manner, and used
improper familiarities with the sisters. In various ways he acted in an abusive
manner. Sometimes, when calling the people up, he would put his hands into bed,
around the heads and necks of the sisters. Elder Ballantyne, when he was made
aware of this audacity, counseled the sisters to leave a good mark upon him.
But when the Second Mate got wind of Elder Ballantyne’s counsel, he became
indignant. Subsequently, he left the women folk alone and became less abusive
even toward the men folk.
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| Ship battles through storm as its sails suffer the worst. |
About three weeks into the sailing during a
Sunday morning service, Captain Smalley came out on deck and called
aloud ‘all
hands on deck!’ Only minutes later a black squall hit us with
pounding wind and rain. The First Mate told some of the passengers that it was
as bad a storm as he had ever seen. The storm lasted six days – sea rolling
mountains high and our little craft rolling about like a piece of cork. The
ship’s crew was afraid we were doomed, but the Lord as ever watched over his
people.
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| Painting of the Clipper Ship Cutty Sark caught in a squall, by Eric Bellis. |
Lying in my berth at night – in the dark belly
of the whale – I was inundated with the sounds of the clipper cutting through
the waves, the frantic flapping of the canvas on the masts, the officers
shouting commands and the crew scrambling across the deck. Below deck, all around
me, there was constant crying of babes and young ones, and the vomiting and
coughing of the seasick and sickly. All I could do was pray that the ship would
hold together and that the storm would subside and that my aging parents would
survive these unnatural conditions and not regret their decision to leave their
homeland.
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| Painting of Clipper in Heavy Seas by James E. Buttersworth. |
When the storm broke, we were back to
cleaning the ship – and all the messes below deck.
Looking back at the voyage, undoubtedly the
most tragic event was the loss of a seven-year-old boy who was playing near the
rigging
when a strong breeze sprang up and tightened the ropes. Caught in the
lines, the child was thrown overboard. As the horrified parents and many other passengers
rushed to the rail, sailors lowered a boat and rowed desperately to the rescue.
The boy surfaced for only a few seconds and then disappeared – forever. Also, two
infants were lost to dysentery and malnutrition and had to be buried at sea.
The church leaders, including Elder Ballantyne, comforted the parents as best
they could with words of reassurance and eternal perspective!
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| The eternal persepctive: Christ's Embrace |
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| Yes, there is life after death. What is our goal: Exaltation and Eternal Life, or . . .? |
I suppose I should mention, at least in
passing, that we all survived a piracy scare on the Charles Buck!
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| Piracy was still a major concern for passenger ships in 1855. |
As the voyage progressed, Elder Ballantyne
found himself doing just about everything, including conducting two weddings
and also overseeing the excommunication of two sisters, one who desired to be
cut off so that she might have full liberty to keep company with the First Mate,
the other sister was cut off for general inconsistency of conduct and keeping
company, during untimely hours, with the Second Mate.
CHAPTER SIX
HUNGER ABOARD THE CHARLES BUCK
But the most serious problem with which he
had to contend and which affected us all was a conspicuous food shortage.
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| Porrage is made by boiling ground, crushed or chopped cereal (usually oats) in water and usually served hot in a bowl or dish. It may be sweetened with sugar. |
The best that we could surmise was that when
we had to disembark from the Helios and wait for another ship, our “more than
ample” food supplies aboard the Helios were not all transferred to the Charles
Buck.
Many suspect the captain of the Helios
retained much of the “excellent” provisions and instead provided raw oatmeal,
course biscuit and a little rice and flour.
The shortage was discovered on Feb. 20,
1855, and immediately Second Mate Lewis, and subsequently Captain Smalley,
blamed the Saints for the shortage.
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| Plain oatmeal cake was one of the last remaining food items onboard. |
Most fortunately, Elder Ballantyne was able
to convince Captain Smalley that the Saints were not to blame. Once the
provisions were all measured and the amounts calculated that were distributed
weekly, under the direct supervision of Second Mate Lewis, it was evident that
not enough provisions were brought aboard. As for the distribution of the
provisions, Elder Ballantyne had decided before setting sail that the Saints
would not have any charge over the provisions for this very reason – to avoid any
appearance of evil!
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| A treat to enjoy today: Oatmeal cake with topping. |
Yet, he and his mates required that all the
passengers be brought up on deck for a general questioning, which only proved what
Elder Ballantyne had already surmised.
Nonetheless, we were required to go on short
rations – and we were still at least three weeks from New Orleans
For several days, we had nothing to eat but
oatmeal cakes or porridge. Poor Papa and Mama Hunt suffered greatly in their
advanced age. Then, on top of that, we had to go for three days with our water
rations cut to two quarts per day per passenger.
CHAPTER SEVEN
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| Scene on the levee in New Orleans 1855 from Granger Art. |
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| Sidewheel Steamboat Ben Campbell on the Restored daguerreotype, 1852-1860. Similar to the Michigan. |
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| Ice chunks in the Mississippi River. |
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| The Mississippi Ice Jam of 1868, courtesy of Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. |
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| Steamship Mayflower, 1855, a sidewheeler like the Michigan. |
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| Steamboats in 1852 line up along the St. Louislevee in this daguerreotype image by Thomas Easterly. |
Many were not in very good condition after
having to spend those weeks in the bitter winter months in Liverpool ,
and then enduring insufficient nutrition on the ocean voyage. Their weakened
physical state likely left them vulnerable to all types of illnesses –
including cholera.
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| Kansas, Nebraska, Utah andNew Mexico Territories in 1855. |
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its position as a slave state. The Kansas-Nebraska Act 1854 may have been the single most significant event leading to the Civil War. |
Our stay in St. Louis Golden State
and headed up the Missouri River to our land destination, Atchison , Kansas Kansas
and Nebraska Kansas –Nebraska Act, which established the Nebraska Territory
and Kansas Territory
and allowed the territories to decide themselves whether to be a free state England
During our eight-day trip aboard the
sidewheel riverboat Golden
State
CHAPTER EIGHT
LAID TO REST IN MORMON GROVE
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| A Daguerreotype of Atchison, Kansas, 1860. |
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| Atchison, Kansas, historical marker. |
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| Mary Anne Holmes Hunt is buried at Mormon Grove. |
Within a few days, we set up an orderly tent
city, and Elder Ballantyne assigned the Saints to various tasks, whether it be
plowing the rich farm soil, planting corn, putting up a log fence or digging a
ditch around the farm.
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| Mormon immigrants helped construct buildings and laid out roads in Atchison, Kansas. An 1860 Daguerreotype. |
By July 7th, the Saints at Mormon
Grove had fenced the whole 160-acre Perpetual Emigration Fund farm and had
ploughed and planted 40 acres of crops.
Our vanguard party was quickly joined by
other boatloads of Saints till we numbered more than 2,000 strong. And as soon
as the new immigrants arrived, they
were given work to do. Mormon Grove quickly
became a beehive of activity as the newest outfitting post for Saints crossing
the plains.
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| Atchison, Kansas, around 1860, by C. H. Masters. |
Cattle had to be broken, and teamsters had
to be trained. Many of the men had to learn how to yoke the oxen and practice leading them around camp with logs dragging behind.
And because of Indian hostilities, church
officials decided that the men should have weapons to defend the wagon train.
At this point, my brothers and I knew we had arrived in the Wild West!
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| Missouri mob attacked the Mormon village of Haun’s Mill and killed at least 17 men, women and children, and wounded another 13. |
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| Missouri's Governor Liburn Boggs signed order to exterminate Mormons in the state. |
Those months in Mormon Grove could have been
a time of peace for our family, but it was not to be.
Cholera found its way into the camp, and the
makeshift cemetery outside the tent city became the resting place for a number
of Saints, including our beloved mother, Mary Ann Holmes Hunt.
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| A Daguerreotype taken of the original Nauvoo Temple before the Saints departed. |
She was Father’s loving, inseparable
companion for more than 39 years. She had born 11 (12) children
and had raised them to be
upright and good. She had worked tirelessly to
provide a pleasant and inviting home. Then, when the Gospel of Jesus Christ was
presented to Mother and Father, they were already in tune with the Holy Spirit,
which testified of its veracity. They then led us children in the Light of the
Gospel, ultimately joining the great migration to Zion
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| Daguerreotype of Nauvoo at time of Mormon exodus. |
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| After the Saints fled Nauvoo, the temple was burned by an arsonist. Several years later, a tornado leveled what was left. |
And I was at peace in Father’s words.
In the next few days as we prepared to
depart Mormon Grove and embark on the trek west, my brothers and I wondered how
soon Father might again be by his sweetheart’s side. We feared that he could
not make this arduous journey
across the Plains.
across the Plains.
CHAPTER NINE
THOUGH HARD TO YOU THIS JOURNEY MAY
APPEAR
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| Wagon train heading west to Zion. |
The new trail that we were to blaze was
actually part of the Fort
Leavenworth Military Road Marysville ,
Kansas , the trail crossed the Big Blue River via the Marshall Ferry that was built
earlier in the year. It then joined the Oregon Trail proper, which then followed
the Little Blue toward Fort Kearney ,
Nebraska
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| Replica of rope Marshall Ferry in Marysville, Kansas. |
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| Replica of rope Marshall Ferry in Marysville, Kansas. |
We only had time for a short sad goodbye
before we wrapped him in a blanket and took him back to Mormon Grove and buried
him next to his sweetheart.
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| The Big Blue River, which in 1855 was traversed via the rope Marshall Ferry in Marysville, Kansas. |
While Emmanuel and I were taking care of
Father’s burial, Stephen stayed with the wagon train. When we returned, we had
a difficult time locating our brother.
Finally, we found
him recovering in a wagon from an injury. Because of the injury, he was unable
to communicate who he was and who might be looking for him. The report was that
he (fell under the wheel of a wagon, with one wheel
passing over his head) was kicked in the head by a guide's horse, causing
a deep wound. The Saints, using what skills they had and what little medicine
they had on hand, closed the wound with black sewing thread stitches. The severe
wound left a deep lifelong scar and also caused internal injury to his brain,
which hampered him all the rest of his life.
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| Campfire |
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| Fiddler |
We traveled every day, Sundays excepted, and
we averaged about fifteen miles per day. And for the most part, we all enjoyed
good health. However, there were eight people who were run over by wagons -- including Stephen -- three
accidentally shot, and a total of three who died – our Father on the first day, and two
infants later in the journey.
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| William Clayton |
During our wagon trek and ever since, I
think of my mother and father and our determination to reach Zion
1. Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
'Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this, and joy your hearts will swell--
All is well! All is well!
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'Tis not so; all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward
If we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
Our God will never us forsake;
And soon we'll have this tale to tell--
All is well! All is well!
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| A replica of Clayton's "roadometer." |
Far away in the West,
Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;
There the Saints will be blessed.
We'll make the air with music ring,
Shout praises to our God and King;
Above the rest these words we'll tell--
All is well! All is well!
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| Pioneers dancing round a campfire. |
Happy day! All is well!
We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
With the just we shall dwell!
But if our lives are spared again
To see the Saints their rest obtain,
Oh, how we'll make this chorus swell --
All is well! All is well!
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| Father Lehi and his dream of "Tree of Life" by Lehi Sanchez. |
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| Prophet Nephi by Arnold Friberg |
Look to our words and our actions as
reminders – as a testimony – as a witness!
Even the prophets in Ancient America were
diligent in reminding the generations down from Lehi and Nephi about what great
things their forebears had done in obeying their God and our God. And then at
the meridian, the Nephites and Lamanites witnessed for themselves the
resurrection of their Lord Jesus Christ, and they became one in unity and
faith. But not many years passed before the grandchildren and
great-grandchildren of those who had witnessed these great things began to walk
in their own paths and reject the words of their ancestors.
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| The Resurrected Jesus Christ visits the descendants of Lehi on the American Continent. |
CHAPTER 10
INTO THE WILD WEST
What strange, fearsome-looking beasts!
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| Buffalo on Antelope Island, west of Layton, Utah. Photo by Nancy L. Hunt |
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| A pair of buffalo on Antelope Island. Photo by Nancy L. Hunt |
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| Fort Kearney, Nebraska |
On July 22nd, while crossing the
Big Blue River, near Fort Kearney, Captain
Ballantyne learned that grasshoppers
had again attacked Utah 's crops and that most everything
was eaten up in the Great Salt
Lake Valley
that our company may need to draw but lightly on
the valley for supplies, seeing that the grasshoppers had greatly diminished
the valley’s crops. On that very day, our wagon train, camped by the Platte River
just below Fort Kearney
 |
| The Mormon Grove Trail, 1855-56, |
 |
| The Platte River in Nebraska |
Little time was spent at Fort Kearney Platte
River
 |
| Levi Hunt traveled Mormon Trail with two of his brothers. |
When Brigham Young and the first wagon
trains arrived in the Salt Lake Valley ,
they were actually homesteading in Mexico
Territory U.S. victory in the Mexican-American War in
1848, Mexico succeeded
almost a third of its territory to the United
States , including
what is now known as California ,
Utah , Nevada ,
Arizona and New Mexico
 |
| Windlass Hill leading into Ash Hollow near what is now Lewellen, Nebraska. |
But make no mistake about whose land we were
traveling through at this point in our trek – we were rolling through Indian Territory . From July 28 on, the men carried loaded
guns while on guard duty. Later, Captain Ballantyne ordered all men not
otherwise employed to walk ahead of the company with their weapons at the ready,
and all were admonished to be minutemen. There were a total of 80 armed men
available.
 |
| Ash Hollow, located along the along the Oregon-California Trail. |
 |
| Chimney Rock, Nebraska |
We found Ash Hollow a much-needed respite
from the dust and grim of the previous month on the trail and a renewal of our
strength and spirits for the struggles ahead.
 |
| Scotts Bluff rises more than 800 feet above the Nebraska plains. |
 |
| LaBonte Canyon, Wyoming |
 |
| Little Blue River |
 |
 |
| Ft. Laramie as it is today in Wyoming. |
 |
| Chimney Rock, western Nebraska |
 |
| Photograph of Reshaw Bridge in what is now Wyoming. |
 |
| Re-creation of Reshaw Bridge near Casper, Wyoming. |
 |
| Traveling between Sweetwater River and Independence Rock. |
Near one of the Sweetwater River
 |
| Meandering Sweetwater River |
 |
| Crossing the Sweetwater |
 |
| Chimney Rock, Wyoming |
 |
| Replica of interior of Fort Bridger |
 |
| Ash Hallow Historical marker. |
 |
 |
| Fort Kearney |
 |
| Independence Rock, Wyoming |
 |
| Camp wagon trains below Independence Rock, Wyoming. |
 |
| Aerial view of little Sandy Creek area in what is now Wyoming. |
 |
| Fort Kearney |
 |
| Climbing the cliffs in LeBonte Canyon in Wyoming. |
 |
| Old Fort Bridger entrance gate, photo by John Stanton |
CHAPTER 11
FINALLY, THE ARRIVAL IN ZION
 |
| Pres. Erastus Snow |
 |
| View heading down Echo Canyon, finally in Utah territory. |
After the exchange with the horseman, I, of
course,
expected to see Isaac down in Salt Lake Zion
 |
| Did Isaac Hunt greet brothers in Salt Lake? |
We found out later that once Isaac had received
the news of our parents’ demise and was given mother’s cloak, he broke down in
grief and straightway returned to his home in Sugar House to break the news to
his wife and family – leaving us on our own in a strange new land.
 |
| Pres. Heber C. Kimball |
When we did finally
meet up with Isaac, we greeted each other with bear hugs and with much
weeping. As we talked about mother and father, he recalled his promise to
mother that she would come to America
We told him how they were strong and
faithful to the end but that the delay in Liverpool
and the malnutrition there and on board the Charles Buck
had taken their toll on
them. Thus they had not the strength to fight off the cholera when it struck.
 |
| 'Martin Handcart Burial' on the plains of Wyoming by Clark Kelley Price |
I heard many years later that as many as
6,000 Saints perished crossing the plains before the advancing railroad service
eased the burdens.
 |
| Monument to Utah's State Bird: the cricket-eating Seagull |
Eventually the conversation turned to life
in the valley and the reoccurring plague of grasshoppers. He confirmed the
worst and said it was going to be another rough winter. We supposed that after
all we had experienced with food shortages, we should be prepared for more. But
there was no laughing about it.
CHAPTER 12
COMING TO KNOW MY BONNY LASS
 |
| Jane Gadd, Levi Hunt's first wife, was a survivor of the Willie Handcart Company of 1856. |
 |
| Eliza Gadd survived trek in blizzard and then asked to be baptized. |
 |
| "Handcart Trials" by Clark Kelly Price, a descendant of a survivor of the Martin Handcart Company. |
 |
| "Journeys End" Handcart Pioneer Family Statue by Stan Watts. |
 |
| "When Angels Come" by Clark Kelley Price |
 |
| Ephraim Hanks, one of the first rescuers to reach dying handcart Saints in Wyoming blizzard. Painting by Clark Kelley Price |
 |
| Painting of Elizaand Samuel Gadd. |
 |
| Memorial showing the name of 10-year-old Samuel Gadd. |
 |
| Memorial showing the name of Jane Gadd's brother, Samuel. |
 |
| Eliza Gadd became a midwife and delivered more than 2,000 babies. |
 |
| Shoe belonging to Daniel Gadd, who was about 17 months old when he died on handcart trek. |
When I got up the next morning I said to Brother Brown, `The handcart people are in trouble, and I have promised to go out and help them."
 |
| The Rescue of the Willie Handcart Company in 1856. |
 |
| James G. Willie was leader of 1856 handcart company. |
I was 26 years old when 19-year-old Jane and I married in Nephi on 28 June, 1858. A year later on 26 June, 1859, our first child was born in
Our next son, Levi Alderman Hunt, was born
Dec. 3, 1861, in Fairview
CHAPTER 13
REUNITED WITH FAMILY
 |
| Emmanuel Hunt and wife Phoebe Louisa Fellows Hunt. |
 |
| Phoebe Louisa Fellows Hunt |
Phoebe was born in 1840 in Detroit , Michigan
Albert Fellows purchased a farm about
halfway
between Nauvoo and Carthage , Illinois,
in 1844, and he became closely associated with the Saints in Nauvoo, many of
them stopping to
rest on the way to and from Carthage
 |
| Albert G. Fellows, friend of Joseph Smith Jr. |
 |
| Nauvoo Temple, 2013 Photo by Nancy L. Hunt |
The day before the prophet’s final ride to Carthage, he
stopped at the Fellows farm, at which time Joseph Smith uttered the fateful words: “I
am going like a lamb to the slaughter, but I am calm as a summer’s morning. I
have a conscience void of offense
toward God and toward all men. If they take
my life I will die an innocent man, and my blood shall cry from the ground for
vengeance, and it will be said of me “He was murdered in cold blood.”
 |
| Hunt family on steps of Nauvoo Temple, 2013. |
 |
| Nancy Hunt and daughter Lena Baron with Jacob and Caleb Baron, all descendants of Joseph Noble, the original owner of the restored Lucy Mack Smith home in Nauvoo, Illinois, 2013. |
In 1847, Albert Fellows and his family began
their journey to Utah
 |
| Joseph Smith Jr. visited the home of Phoebe Fellows the day he left for Carthage, Illinois, and his final days. |
 |
| The burial plots for Joseph Smith Jr., Hyrum Smith and several other Smith family members overlook the Mississippi River in Nauvoo, Ill. Photo by W. Lee Hunt |
 |
| Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. was slain June 27, 1844. Photo by W. Lee Hunt |
 |
| Crane on log just below Nauvoo on edge of the Mississippi River. Photo by Nancy L. Hunt |
 |
| Calochortus Nuttallii Sego Lily |
everyone. Also, the Indians told the early settlers about the edible bulbs of the Sego Lily. So men, women and children spent hours on the hillside
 |
| Sego Lily photo by Kim Pierson. |
Phoebe said that one of her greatest experiences in those early years
in Salt Lake
 |
| Kansas City Temple, dedicated in 2013, is just 6 miles from Liberty Jail, where Joseph Smith and others spent five months awaiting trial. Photo by W. Lee Hunt |
Phoebe became very active in church plays,
musicals and other fun activities in Nephi. She was very musically inclined As a teen, she loved flirting with the
boys in her hometown of Nephi. My brother Emmanuel, who at one point was
traveling through Nephi on a wagon freight trip, was invited to dine with her
family. That’s when he experienced first hand Phoebe’s flirting ways. Not long
after, the 17-year-old and my 26-year-old brother were married. The two made
their home in Gunnison .
CHAPTER 14
TRAGEDY IN GUNNISON CANYON
For a time, our new life in Gunnison was centered round family – Emmanuel’s and mine.
Then a tragedy struck that devastated both our families.
 |
| Logging large trees with a whipsaw. |
On this particular day, March 2, 1863, I had
left Jane with our two children at home and joined my brother Emmanuel and
several others on one such trip. During the winter months, we took extra care
in loading the wood to keep it from slipping off on our descent down the canyon
on the bumpy trail, which was that much more unsafe because of all the snow and
partially thawed slippery ice. Ropes
were used to tie down the loads, but they
offered very little support if the heavy logs started shifting. Once the wagons
were loaded, we headed down. Emanuel rode on top of his load of logs in his wagon.
 |
| Transporting load with driver sitting on stack of logs, 1910. |
Suddenly, his wagon began to slide. He
frantically tried to maneuver it to safety, but the trail was narrow at that
point and the wagon slid to the edge. I was in shock as I watched the wagon,
wood, team and Emanuel spill over the edge and tumble down into the deep ravine
next to the trail.
 |
| Snow-covered mountains just west of Gunnison, Utah. |
 |
| Pioneer homes are part of the Gunnison Pioneer Museum. |
I knew Phoebe was a strong woman, but it
still took all of her strength – and mine – to bury our beloved Emanuel. I felt
a responsibility for the welfare of this little family, and felt I must do everything
possible to see that they had what they needed.
CHAPTER 15
MY PLURAL WIFE
In the midst of this tragedy, my sweet Jane
was expecting our third child and was struggling somewhat. Perhaps Jane had a
premonition, but none the less, she expressed her strong feelings that I should
take a second wife.
Now, I must admit that this was
not anything I had
considered or even contemplated, though many of the elders in the church were
asked to do so for the sake of building up Zion
provide and care for the
many unmarried sisters and widows. But considering the circumstances, I
shouldn’t have been surprised when she said I should take Phoebe as my second
wife.
Now, I must admit that this was
 |
| Brigham Young family members; courtesy of BYU Special Collections |
 |
| Hollywood's depiction of Brigham Young and his wives in 1940 movie with Dean Jagger as Young. |
 |
| Salt Lake Endowment House on Temple Square before the completion of the Salt Lake Temple. |
She did admit that my brother and I were
very much alike and had many of the same qualities. Desperate for a livelihood
for her three children, she agreed. So, like
the Israelites in the Bible, I took
my brother’s widow for wife. Jane, Phoebe and I traveled to Salt Lake and on
April 4, 1863, each of us completed our own endowments in the Endowment House
and then first Jane and I were sealed together for time and eternity, and then
Phoebe was sealed to Emmanuel and then sealed to me. Whether Phoebe will be my
wife in the eternities or Emmanuel’s, the Lord or we will work those things
out. Besides, who will be eternally sealed together really will depend on how
well we keep our covenants in this earth life.
 |
| Photograph of the Salt Lake Endowment House. Courtesy of Utah State Historical Society. |
 |
| Women washing clothes on washboard in creek. |
Once our marriages were solemnized in the
Endowment House and we returned to our home and children in Gunnison ,
Jane and Phoebe had no difficulty adjusting to their new lives together.
Being that Jane was quite ill with her pregnancy, Phoebe took over the home and five children despite being pregnant herself.
Being that Jane was quite ill with her pregnancy, Phoebe took over the home and five children despite being pregnant herself.
 |
| Jane Gadd tomestone in Nephi City Cemetery. |
In less than four months, I had lost my
lifelong best friend and my wife of just five years. I mourned Jane mightily,
as did Phoebe for Emmanuel. Phoebe knew how difficult it is to lay your
sweetheart away, and she did everything possible to ease my sorrow. We shared
our grief, shared our lives and looked forward to better times.
 |
| Samuel greeted in Heaven |
Phoebe gave birth on Sept. 4, 1863, to her and
Emmanuel’s third child, who she named Phebe Ann Hunt.
 |
| Jane and her son reunited in Heaven. Photo by Nancy L. Hunt |
 |
| A pioneer loom to make all the clothes for so many children. |
My and Phoebe’s first child, Samuel Isaac
Hunt, was born 29 July, 1864.
CHAPTER 16
WAR WITH BLACK HAWK
.jpg) |
| Chief Walker (Wakara) |
 |
| Chief Black Hawk |
 |
| Marker notes location of Fort Gunnison, which Levi Hunt undoubtedly helped build. |
But the continuous begging by the Indians
strained our resources. The Indians couldn’t understand our unwillingness to
share, and we viewed them as a threat because so many settlers in the area had
been killed previously. Actually, we had a terrible time figuring out which were
friendly Indians and which were hostile.
 |
| Fort Springville in Springville, Utah. |
 |
| Remnants of Fort Deseret near Delta, Utah. |
 |
| An early photo of Cove Fort, which was originally built in 1867. |
 |
| Inside the restored Cove Fort, north of Beaver at the Junction of I-15 and I-70. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints now owns the fort and offers daily tours. |
During the war, 27 settlements were
evacuated, two entire counties and portions of seven others were temporarily
abandoned, and seventy Saints were slain and many wounded.
Finally, in the fall of 1867, Black Hawk
made peace.
We were among those who had fled the
conflict, leaving Gunnison before the peace agreement
came.
CHAPTER 17
THE GOOD LIFE IN PARAGONAH
 |
| Morning mist in Photo by Gorestravels |
 |
| Pioneer Fort Paragonah was built at this site in 1855. It was 105 square and had walls 3-feet thick at the base. |
We also celebrated several marriages while residing
in Paragonah. Phoebe’s oldest child, Salley Maria Hunt, married Orson Talbot on
March 12, 1872. They made their home in Panquitch and then Cannonville.
 |
| Iron Mountain, south of Paragonah. |
 |
| Red Creek Reservoir, 8 miles east of Paragonah up Red Creek Canyon. The area was settled mainly because of the water flowing down the Red Creek. |
During those 11 years, Phoebe and I involved
ourselves in civic and church work. The years together
had developed a deep and everlasting love between Phoebe and I, and the
children from our three combined families were as close as one.
Then a few weeks after Alice
was born, Brigham Young, just before his death in August of 1877, called our
family on a mission to join other Saints and create a
settlement on the Little
Colorado in Arizona Deseret ;
to establish and develop the United Order; to proselytize among the Hopis,
Navajos, and Apaches; and to create settlements that would serve as havens for
polygamous families who were being persecuted by the United
States government in Utah
 |
| Old homestead at 300 West Center Street in Paragonah. |
Without hesitating, we answered the call.
Phoebe once again made her home in a covered
wagon. And once again, she took a little doll with her, our little Alice
Malinda, who was only a few weeks old. But unlike Phoebe’s childhood rag doll,
which she could
The trip to Arizona
CHAPTER 18
HARDSHIPS IN THE UNITED ORDER
The first Mormon settlers arrived at the Little Colorado in the spring of
1876, and they named the settlement where we were headed Ballanger Camp after the settlement’s
first leader, Jesse O. Ballanger. Later it was renamed Brigham
City Salt Lake
Valley
 |
| The Prophet Enoch |
As we were taught, the United Order was our
attempt to live the Law of Consecration, modeled after the New Testament church,
which had "all things in common." The Order's full name invoked the city
of Enoch
established our egalitarian community in such a
way as to achieve income equality, eliminate poverty, and increase group
self-sufficiency. Our experience with the system was run more like a cooperative
and was more family and property oriented.
 |
| "City of Enoch" is taken up into Heaven, by Joshua Cotton |
 |
| Wall of settlement fort at Brigham City, Arizona |
 |
| Gun portal in fort wall where Levi Hunt and his family practiced the United Order. |
As part of the United Order, we deeded or consecrated all our
property to the settlement, which then in turn deeded back to us an
 |
| Walls of the Brigham City Fort are being restored by descendants of the settlement and by city of Winslow. |
 |
| Marker relates the story of the Mormon settlement of Brigham City on the Little Colorado in Arizona. |
The problem with our implementation of the
system was that our community could not seem to produce any excess. The settlement was always coming up short – not for lack of back-breaking work, but because of the
fickle nature in which we were assigned.
 |
| Brigham City Restoration Project is working with the city of Winslow, Arizona, to restore these and other site buildings. |
We had 274 acres of land cultivated, and 142
cows furnished milk. We were busy trying to raise wheat, corn, cane and
vegetables, along with building and running a saw mill and making pottery from
the heavy clay so prevalent in the area. Elder Snow thus reported back to Salt Lake
Brother Behrman was in charge of the pottery shop in the fort, and he said his shop could surpass the quality of any shop inUtah
Brother Behrman was in charge of the pottery shop in the fort, and he said his shop could surpass the quality of any shop in
 |
| Map of the Brigham City fort with names of most of the residents in 1880. Levi Hunt and his family obviously had departed by the time this map was drawn. Courtesy of LDS Church Archieves, Plan of Brigham City, S.C. Richardson, Document X-7. |
In 1878, there were in our settlement 43
men, 46 women, 61 boys and 60 girls, plus two men residing in the blacksmith
shop, 7 men and 8 women at the dairy, one man in the wagon shop, and one family
at the saw mill.
 |
| Sign commemorates Brigham City, established by Mormon settlers in 1876. Levi Hunt and most of his family arrived in 1877. |
 |
| How Brigham City, Apache Territory, may have appeared. |
Too often we would prepare the soil, plant
and water the crops and gratefully watch their growth. Then more quickly than
we could plant, a windstorm would come up and completely cover the cultivated
fields with several inches of drifting sand. Frantically we would try to
uncover the crops, but usually to no avail.
 |
| Volunteers work tirelessly to clean up the property where Mormon settlement was located. Many of the volunteers can trace ancestry back to the settlement along the Little Cororado River in Arizona. |
One of the crops to do well was the sugar
cane, which when it was used to make molasses and then mixed with citron melons
and watermelon rinds, made surprisingly
delicious preserves – a greatly
appreciated addition to the those “big table” meals that were already tasty what
with the excellent butter and milk from our own Mormon dairy and potatoes and
other root crops grown in the nearby mountains. Of course our appetites had
been stretched beyond limits with hard work, struggle and hardships. But those
were the good times.
 |
| Building being restored at Brigham City, Arizona. |
Then we had a poor harvest in 1879 and
almost total crop failures in 1880.
We just could not tame the river or save the
crops. We were constantly needing more food supplies from the other settlements
than we were able to produce ourselves.
 |
| Wall still standing from the Brigham City settlement. |
Amidst all the drudgery, we found time for our
favorite form of recreation – dancing. And I guarantee that Phoebe and I were
in the middle of all that twirling. We danced so often and had so much fun that
I still remember those times with pleasure all these years later. At one
settlement meeting, someone said that some of the elders of the quorum who did
not care to attend meetings were the first to come to a dance.
All of the children living under the United
Order, and that includes our contingent, were required to do their share of
work. The girls would help their mother with the
house work, caring for the
smaller children, and working in the gardens. The boys had their chores
outdoors, and they learned at a very tender age to be strong and not shirk hard
work.
 |
| Original mortar in the wall at Brigham City, Arizona. |
The experience also taught the children to
share what we have with others less fortunate – a lesson I believe they have
never forgotten.
In the middle of our adventures and trials,
we added another girl to our family: little Rosetta, born 9 March 1880. At the time of her birth, our settlement was in the Apache County of the Arizona Territory. Later however, after Arizona became a state, the area became a part of Navajo County.
In addition to Rosetta's birth, we had received word that Phoebe and Emmanuel’s daughter Phoebe Ann Hunt had married Joseph Hadden in Parowan. They lived first in Panguitch and then in Joseph, Sevier. They were married in 1878.
In addition to Rosetta's birth, we had received word that Phoebe and Emmanuel’s daughter Phoebe Ann Hunt had married Joseph Hadden in Parowan. They lived first in Panguitch and then in Joseph, Sevier. They were married in 1878.
Our family in Brigham City
 |
| Restoration work at Mormon settlement along Little Colorado. |
Though the United Order generally gave
satisfaction, there were some of the Elders who taught extreme doctrines that criminalized
intercourse and caused some bad feelings among the settlers.
Families
gradually started moving away. We joined the exodus soon after Rosetta's birth. By the fall of 1880, the majority of the settlers had packed up and moved on. In 1881, we were all formally released
from our missions.
The only Little Colorado settlement to
continue on was Joseph
City
 |
| Volunteers work to restore the United Order settlement. |
The Brigham City
The land upon which our little settlement of Brigham
City was built next to the Little Colorado later became a part of the city of Winslow , Arizona
CHAPTER 19
HUMBLED BY ANCIENT ENGINEERS
When we departed Brigham City, we headed southwest to another church settlement called Utahville in Maricopa, Arizona. We made our way up past the Mogollon Rim and into Green Valley, now known as Payson, in the upper reaches of the Tonto Basin. The area of pines trees and cool mountain breezes was a dramatic welcome relief from the blistering desert we had left behind.
We then made our way down a steep grade down to Cottonwood Basin, then over the saddle of Mount Ord. But as we came down out of the mountains and drew nearer our destination, the scenery became much like what we had left behind in Brigham City, but the heat was even more oppressive.
Can we really survive and flourish in this desert?
Thirty years later, in 1877, Brigham Young sent a group of 85 settlers from Utah to establish "stations on the road" in Arizona supporting the church's planned expansion into Mexico. When they asked Brigham where they should settle, he told them that when they arrived at the right place, they would recognize it.
When the advance party of the settlers reached an area next to the Salt River at McDowell Crossing, Henry C. Rogers recognized the area as the place he had seen in his vision before starting out from Utah.
The Utahville residents lived the United Order, but not as we had experienced it in Brigham City. Still, the colony did share the supplies and food raised. Even before we arrived, they had built a brush shed that was used as a school, church, and meeting place. Then, in July of 1877, they built Fort Utah with adobe bricks.
One of the families living in Utahville had previously lived in Brigham City. In fact, Charles Crismon’s fifth wife, Louise Bischoff Crismon, had a daughter, Louise Alexandra Crismon, who was born 24 December 1877 at Brigham City, during the time my family was residing at the same colony. Then after Crismons moved down to Utahville, Louise and Charles had a son, Charles B. Crismon, born 24 February 1880. Crismon and one of his sons later built a mill near Phoenix and one in the Salt River Valley.
Coincidentally, our daughter Rosetta Hunt, was born 9 March 1880, in Brigham City. Then by June 1 and 2 we were residing in Utahville when U.S. government employees conducted the 1880 U.S. Census.
I was amazed and humbled by the incredible irrigation engineering and the amount of work that those Indians long ago exhibited in cultivating such a vast amount Salt River land. I heard tell those ancient Indians traded cotton cloth for seashells from as far away as the Gulf of California and for exotic birds from the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. But then they disappeared -- more than 400 years ago. We all wondered if maybe they were Nephites and were forced to flee.
Orphaned at the age of 12, he joined a group of volunteers five years later to fight in the Mexican-American War in 1847. Following the war, he remained in Mexico for a number of years, learning Spanish and taking part in many ways in -- what he called -- "the wild, reckless life that was common in that land."
What really caught my ear was when he was telling one of his stories about the time he went on a rescue mission to save two companies of handcart Saints and two wagon trains stranded by a blizzard in the fall of 1856. He said he was in the group that found the Willie Handcart Company near South Pass.
I couldn’t believe it! Here was one of the men who saved the life of my first wife, Jane Gadd, and her mother, Eliza, and several of Jane’s brothers and sisters.
![]()
But, in Utahville, when things got too exasperating between Jones and many of the other settlers – a few months after we had arrived – he decided it would be best to head out. He took his family and what else was his and headed to higher cooler country – Tonto Basin.
CHAPTER 20
 |
| Forested area in Green Valley (Payson), Arizona. |
 |
| Daniel Webster Jones, leader of the Saints who first settled the Mesa, Arizona, area. |
Can we really survive and flourish in this desert?
Back in 1847, members of the Mormon Battalion, which had built a road through central Arizona on their way to California, had reported back to Brigham Young that there was land suitable for agriculture and that the Indians in the area were friendly.
 |
| The Salt River high above Mesa, Arizona. |
 |
| Cornfield in fertile soil of Mesa, Arizona |
Then when the settlers examined the soil near the Salt River, they found it was near perfect for growing crops, so they pitched their tents, started clearing the land and working on an irrigation system.
The settlement was first named Utahville but was renamed Jonesville after their leader, Daniel Webster Jones. Later, it was renamed Fort Utah and then Lehi, which grew to become part of the city of Mesa, Arizona.
 |
| Charles Crismon helped settle Utahville, which later became a part of Mesa, Arizona. |
 |
| 1880 U.S. Census, taken June 1 and 2 in Utahville, includes Levi Hunt family. |
 |
All was going well in the colony until Jones, the leader of the Utahville Saints, met with success in befriending and baptizing the Indians in the area. Many of his fellow Saints became upset with his desire to make the convert Indians part of the settlement. The disagreements became so escalated that a large part of the group left the settlement, taking their cattle and other resources with them and heading
further south where they established their own settlement called St. David, which was near the border of Mexico.
 |
| The Hohokam built the largest irrigation system in the prehistoric New World. Individual canals measured up to 45 feet across and 15 feet deep and used advanced engineering principles. |
The truth is, the Pima and Maricopa Indians living in the area of Utahville actually helped the pioneers carve out a life in the desert, and Tempe founder Charles Hayden loaned money and other resources to help the colony survive.
When the second group of Mormon settlers arrived in 1878 and settled on the mesa top, they discovered ancient Native American canals that diverted the Salt River water to the higher ground.
 |
I found our leader there at Utahville, to be a fascinating man! Jones was a convert to the church, but his life story and conversion were more than unusual.
 |
Then in 1850, he was seriously wounded by his own pistol while it was in its holster. His companions, who were on their way to California, left him, lame but alive, at a Mormon settlement in Provo. There, he studied Mormon doctrine and was baptized by Isaac Morley on January 27, 1851.
 |
 |
| Greater Love (Some Needed Carrying) by Sandra B. Rast |
Jones said that after rescuing the Saints, he and two other rescuers were required to remain behind with the goods cached at Fort Seminoe. During that winter, they endured terrific privations, which Jones said he vowed he would later detail in his own autobiography.
Another time in Utahville, he reminisced about the miracles he experienced when he was commissioned by Brigham Young in 1874 to head the translation of the Book of Mormon into Spanish. He also talked fondly about the time he served a mission in Mexico in 1875 and 1876.
 |
| With the 181st anniversary (2011) of the publication of the Book of Mormon in March came another milestone — the distribution of its 150 millionth copy. |
We were more than weary of the desert life and longed for the cool that we had known back in my homeland, so my family packed up again and also headed for the milder climes of Tonto Basin.
ON OUR OWN IN WILD FRONTIER
 |
| Tonto Basin in Salt River Valley of Arizona. |
 |
| Tonto Creek on the south slope of Mogollon Rim. |
So, ignoring the prospects of the outlaws
who were known to hide out in the area and also the threat of Indians, we
traveled north and built a cabin and planted crops. Though the
cabin protected us from the wind, rain, sun and snow, it was not a fort -- and really could not
be sufficient protection against hostile Indians and roving outlaws,
so we required members of the family to stand watch continually for such
dangers.
 |
| Falls in northern Tonto Basin, Arizona |
By this point, all of central Arizona ’s Indians, including the Tonto Apache Indians, had
been confined on the White Mountain and San
Carlos Reservations.
At times small parties were given “passes” to leave the
reservation to hunt wild game. At other times, renegade bands broke from the
reservation and conducted raids on ranches in the Tonto Basin
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| Four Apache warriors in old photo. |
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| Tonto Apache |
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| Apache tribal members celebrate at the Ndee La'ade (Gathering of the People) at Fort Apache. |
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| Area of Lee's Ferry on the Colorado River in Arizona. |
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| Lee's Ferry was the only way to cross the Colorado in 260 miles. |
We
crossed over the great Colorado by way of Lee's
Ferry, which was established by John D. Lee and is located in northern Arizona at the point where the Paria
River joins the Colorado
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| Colorado River has carved out Glen Canyon. |
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| John D. Lee, founder of Lee's Ferry, was executed for his part in the Mountain Meadows Massacre. |
When we took advantage of Lee’s Ferry, his widow
was running the business, he being executed in 1877 for his role in the tragic
Mountain Meadows massacre on September 11, 1857, in which a group of Mormons and
Paiute Indians attacked a wagon train of emigrants from Arkansas
 |
Brigham Young ordered all the settlements to be
on heightened readiness because of the treat from the government and all the
Gentile emigrant trains coming through the territory.
The Saints feared a repeat
of what happened to them in Missouri and Illinois Cedar City
area who
had deplored vigilante violence against their own people in Missouri and Illinois
followed virtually the same pattern of violence against the wagon train from Arkansas
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| The LDS Church built this memorial in 1991 to the tragedy in Mountain Meadows, which it contiues to maintain. |
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| What's left of homestead at Lee's Ferry along the Colorado River. |
The confrontation between the church led by
President Young with Johnston’s Army was resolved through a peace conference
and negotiation in 1858, but that was months after the massacre of the Gentiles
on the wagon train roughly 35 miles
southwest of Cedar City.
 |
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| Canyon walls along the Colorado River. |
The area has fertile soil, good water –
including hot springs
CHAPTER 21
TOO MUCH PAIN, TOO MUCH HEARTACHE
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| Monroe, also known as Little Green Valley, lies below the majestic Monroe Mountain. |
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| Richfield Cemetery is just north of Monroe, Utah. |
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| Log cabin was built in 1867, long before Levi and family moved into Monroe, Utah. |
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| Monroe Peak above Monroe, Utah. |
I was left with seven children still at home,
including tiny baby Wilford.
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| Eliza Jane Hunt Olds |
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| South of Monroe toward Monrovian Park. |
The first of mine and Jane’s children to wed was
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| Levi Alderman Hunt |
Lucinda’s first husband, Hyrum “D” Paramore,
deserted Lucinda and his two surviving children when he boarded a train and
never returned. Levi Alderman Hunt was good to Lucinda and loved her three
children. The first of their 11 children together was born Dec. 20, 1886, and they
named my grandson Levi Ray Hunt.
CHAPTER 22
NEW BRANCHES ON A LARGE FAMILY TREE
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| Levi Ray Hunt |
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| Ethel Sophia Utley |
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| Harrison Joseph Burgess |
 |
fell to shout "Hosannah," and the spirit of God rested upon me in mighty power and I beheld the room lighted up, with a peculiar light such as I had never seen before; [soft and clear and] the room looked to me as though it had neither roof nor floor to the building and I beheld Joseph [Smith the Prophet] and Hyrum Smith [the Prophet's brother], and Roger Orton
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| Hyrum Smith, brother of Joseph Smith Jr. |
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| Apostle Parley P. Pratt |
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| Joseph and Hyrum Smith's vision in the Kirtland Temple. |
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| Gabriel Marion Utley lost both parents before the age of eight before arriving in Utah. |
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| Members of Zion's Camp walked more than 900 miles to northwest Missouri. |
Burgess was one of those faithful leaders.
His great-granddaughter Ethel Sophia Utley added her great heritage to our Hunt
line.
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| Harriet Temperance Utley cared for Gabriel. |
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| Winter Quarters, Nebraska by C.C.A. Christensen |
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| Lucinda Elvira Hyatt and Levi Alderman Hunt and their children. Levi Ray Hunt is in top row, third from left. |
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| Mineral hot springs in Monroe. |
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| Mineral hot springs in Monroe. |
I carried on with my farming, minding the
homestead, and even enjoyed a soaking now and then in the local hot mineral springs.
CHAPTER 23
A NEW COMPANION FOR AN OLD MAN
Four
years after Phoebe’s death, I found a woman who would marry a 52-year-old
set-in-his-ways farmer. Elizabeth McDonald and I tied the knot on 15 March 1886,
in the home of my daughter Eliza Jane Olds in Joseph, Sevier County Elizabeth was reportedly born in 1837. Can't find record of her birth in Reed, Hertfordshire, England
 |
| Samuel Isaac Hunt |
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| Alice Malinda Hunt Nay |
Less than a year later, on 26 Sept. 1891,
Amelia Emeline wed Charles King Grundy in Richfield Maryville
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| Rosetta Hunt Harmon was born in Brigham City, Arizona. |
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| 1930 U.S. Census shows the family of Joseph William Hunt, living in Huntington, Emery County, Utah. |
My youngest, Wilford, married Annie Pryor Seat on 1
May 1901. They settled in Payson.
My oldest son, Joseph William Hunt, never married until 1911, when he was 51 or 52 years old. He married Marie Katherine Brownmiller, who was 29 years old and was originally from Iowa. They made their home in Huntington. Their first son, Lavon J., was born in 1915.
My oldest son, Joseph William Hunt, never married until 1911, when he was 51 or 52 years old. He married Marie Katherine Brownmiller, who was 29 years old and was originally from Iowa. They made their home in Huntington. Their first son, Lavon J., was born in 1915.
CHAPTER 24
WINDING DOWN IN HUNTINGTON
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| Samuel Isaac Hunt and sister Sarah Suzannah Hunt Chidester. |
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| Huntington Roller Mill, built in 1896, would have been a common site for Levi Hunt when he lived in Hntington,Utah. |
As you no doubt have noticed, I talk about
family constantly, and I have always enjoyed family time. And when the
grandchildren started coming along, I found a new joy – being a kind fun
grandfather and great-grandfather. There’s nothing better than spending time with
my grandchildren.
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| Levi Hunt in later years. |
Too messy – too sticky!
One of my grandsons, Levi Emanuel Olds, was born
in Joseph while I was living in Monroe
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| An example of an ear trumpet. |
But when Jane's family moved to Toquerville,
about 25 miles northeast of St. George, our visits became two few and two far between.
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| Records say Levi's ear trumpet was about the size of phonograph record. |
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| Levi Hunt's marker in Huntington Cemetery, Huntington, Utah. Veteran Black Hawk War. |
In
1921 and at the ripe old age of 88, my posterity has grown considerably – well over 175.
I have plowed enough fields, fixed enough fences, dug enough ditches, built enough houses, and even had to bury five of my grown children: Samuel
Sylvester Hunt, Sept. 11, 1863; Amelia
Emeline Hunt Gundy, Feb. 3, 1911; Wilford Hunt (my youngest), Feb. 12, 1912; Elizabeth Jane Hunt Olds, May 21, 1917; and Levi Alderman Hunt, June 15, 1920.
I have plowed enough fields, fixed enough fences, dug enough ditches, built enough houses, and even had to bury five of my grown children: Samuel
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| The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
I am ready to go home.
On Aug. 2, Levi Hunt returned to his Father
in Heaven and was greeted by so many of his family that he scarcely knew he was
on the other side. His soul was in Heaven, but his worn-out old body was laid
to rest in the Huntington
City Cemetery
A witness of Jesus Christ by Apostle Boyd K. Packer, April 2014:
“… After all the years that I have lived and taught and served, after the
millions of miles I have traveled around the world, with all
that I have experienced, there is one great truth that I would share. That is
my witness of the Savior Jesus Christ.
“… After all the years that I have lived and taught and served, after the
 |
| President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve. |
Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon recorded the following after
a sacred experience:
‘And now, after the many testimonies which have been given
of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he
lives! For we saw him’ (D&C 76:22–23).
“Their words are my
words.
“I believe and I am
sure that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that He lives. He is the
Only Begotten of the Father, and ‘by him, and through him, and of him, the
worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and
daughters unto God’ (D&C 76:24).
“I bear my
witness that the Savior lives. I know the Lord. I am His witness. I know of His
great sacrifice and eternal love for all of Heavenly Father’s children. I bear
my special witness in all humility but with absolute certainty, in the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.”
