Riding their dirt motorcycles in Utah desert
Trying to stay awake on New Year's EveMonday, February 2, 2009
The Edler Family
Grandma Nora Edler Reese. Edlers settled in Tooele area and were from Denmark and Sweden.
Langton were from England
Langton family settled Smithfield, Utah. Were prominent in Cache Valley. James A. Langton was editor of the Deseret News during much of WWII
Reese brothers arrived in Utah in 1849
Reese brothers (Col. John and Enoch) arrived in Utah in 1849 and opened one of the first stores in Utah. They were the first settlers of Nevada, first settlers of Spanish Fork, Utah, blazed trails to both Northern and Southern California from Utah. Cardon family were Vaudois from Piedmont, Italy
Want to know about religious persecution- read up on our Cardon family by checking Vaudois on google
History of Col. John Reese
NEVADA HISTORICAL SOCIETY PAPERS
MORMON STATION
By COL. JOHN REESE (1884)
[PRINTER'S NOTE—Under special instructions from the Secretary of the Nevada Historical Society, this article, in regard to spelling, punctuation, and capitalization of words, is printed exactly as written]
I was born Oct. 15, 1808, in the State of New York. I came here in 1849 along with my brother who belonged to the Church, but I did not then & not until I was here. We brought a lot a goods with us. When we arrived here the City was not fenced around in blocks, but every 9 blocks were fenced and fields of corn, wheat, grain &c. were to be seen. Pole ditches were not in the City but just outside. Chase's mill was running which was the only one there was.
F. D. Richard—When we came here there was no fences and we put up these fences. We went to the Canyon and hauled the poles and camped out over night and then brought them in. That is the way the thing stood for a year or two until the people cut roads in the blocks and opened streets. The 9 blocks were not owned by one person. When I came here in 1848 I found the City all laid out in lots and I was told where my lot was assigned me, my brother his and my father his, and I went and camped on my lot.
Col. Reese—Pole fences were up till after 1849. I was here about 40 days and started back on the 19th of October for more goods and my brother remained here. I came back in 1850. My brother had built a store where Wells & Fargo's bank now stands. The name of the firm was J. & E. Reese. I was here till the Spring of 1851, then went to Carson Valley, Nevada. It was then in Utah, most of Nevada being in Utah at that time. I went there and started a store. I took out with me Eggs, Bacon, Flour, Seed grain and seeds of all kinds. I had the most Flour and Eggs. Altogether I had about 13 wagons loaded. this was my own outfit and there was only myself and driver. My brother stayed here.
NEVADA HISTORICAL SOCIETY PA PERS 187
F. D. R.—That was just at the time when the emigrants traveling across to California and other places[1] would give almost anything for something to eat and they would exchange 2 animals for one fresh one that they might not be delayed on their way.
Col. R. No other traders went with me. I went entirely alone. There was some come from California. I got in there the 1st of June. located right in the place now called Genoa. Took up a ranche right there in Carson Valley. Not a single white man was there then. the nearest white man was a man in Gold Canyon who had a trading post there before and he wintered there in a kind of small dug-out, It was impossible almost to get a good yoke of oxen then and you could get almost any price for one. My place was right on the trail. It is not near the railroad. The man who lived in Gold Canyon was nick-named Virginia and it was after him that Virginia City was named. I don't know what his real name was. He discovered those mines there where the Comstock now is. He had a reservoir fixed in the Canyon to wash the gold out. The gold from the Canyon close to the river was about $18.00 to the ounce. When you got up it was only worth $14 and farther up it was worth less, there being more silver mixed with it. Comstock found the ledge and he worked there for some time, and I guess Comstock & his party bought Virginia out. The latter did not live but a little time afterwards. His tent was about a mile above the road that run up & down the river at the lower part of Old Canyon where the emigrants road was. From where I located it would be just about 25 miles. Nothing was built there until it was discovered that there was considerable gold &c. there and then it was all taken up. I know of no other white man that settled within 50 or 100 miles of there before him. There were a great many come afterwards from California and other ways. That was in 1851. Virginia was drunk a good deal through drinking whiskey. His tent was on the side of the hill, half underground, covered over with rags or any old stuff.
The first thing that I done when I got there was to get a ranche just where I thought was the best place and I built a house and it was called the "Mormon Station." It was a kind of hotel or store. I had a store in it and also a dining room. It was built of logs 2 story high and about 50 feet by 30 feet. The greater part of it is up there now. It was not of hewed logs. I afterwards hewed them when it was built. It was divided into rooms. There was a kitchen, dining room and store room, and then upstairs 2 large rooms. I had some 17 men with me and all in my employ. A good many of them worked for me quite a while in chopping timber and building log houses &c. I paid them about $75.00 a month, and they worked well. We got pine there that would make good shingles. That year I fenced a field of some 30 acres and plowed it up ready for the next year. I put in Wheat, Barley, Corn and Water Melons in one side, and mixed things all round. The news came that 1852 was going to be a big emigration year, and I got in a quantity of turnips and I never saw such things to make money on. I could get $1.00 for a bunch of turnips which only cost 10c here, and I sold everything right out. I raised water melons first rate right amongst the corn. The soil is very much like that in this valley—a little of a sandy loom in some places, and some places there is a kind of yellow clay, The teams we went with were mules, horses & oxen but mostly
188 NEVADA HISTORICAL SOCIETY PAPERS
oxen. Took plows & seeds & everything of that kind, and things to sell for the store. I took a great many eggs and sold them very well, and some of them served for us to live on. They kept pretty fair, it being cold weather. Took no pigs. I got them from California. I was pretty near two months going from here to there, starting on the 5th of April and arriving there June 1st. I had learned that it was a good place to sell things, and I thought I would start right in.
F. D. R. One reason why he chose that location is: Those who came through this way refurnished themselves here; but there was a cut-off way running over Bridger and by Fort Hall and for those who went that way this location was just right to refurnish themselves.
Col. R. 1852 was a splendid year. Enough could not be raised to supply the demand. We had blacksmiths there and I put up a blacksmiths shop. At this place in 1850 there was a trading post a little way off mine. The year that I went there there was but little emigration, but in 1852 it was a very good year. H. S. Beatie was there about 1850 with about 1/2 dozen most of whom came from the Batallion. They stopped a while, put up a trading post and went to California. They went with pack animals. They stayed there about two months and put up a cabin. They put in no ground. They came back here and Beatie told me about it, and that was one reason why I went. I do not know of any being there in 1849. I bought the log cabin afterward that they had. I don't think it had any name, it was only about 1/2 mile from mine. (My claim was different from that). I bought it from a man that pretended to own it. I suppose he was one of the party and had come through there on his way back from California. I paid him about $15 or $20.00 for it. Some of that party came home and others went to California. The fence I put round my land there was a pole fence and I afterwards made some log fences in order to tell it from others. These first men that settled with me were I think John and Rufus Thomas, a man by the name of Brown. Thomas' were from here, but Brown was not. They were about a East from me. They took up ground and built a log house. They had no merchandise neither any seed to plant. I was the first of all to have a good crop for 1852 of most everything—turnips, fruit and water-melons. There was a man by the name of Haskell from here, who put up a trading post close by my home—there were two of them. And then a little while Mott came out from American Fork, and I think there was a man by the name of William Thorington who started a rancho, raising stock &c. The next was a man by the name of Williams from here who died after being there a short time. Then there was a man by the name of Job who started a store about 10 miles west of me. There was another one, a blacksmith, by the name of Henry Van Sickle and his brother; and a family came by the name of Crosser, and Dr. Daggett who stayed about 2 miles W. of me. This was in 1851 towards the close of the year. There were a good many went down into Gold Cañon in the winter of 1851. McMarlin had a store down there. The head of it is Virginia City. Almost all of the men came from California. A man by the name of Condi and also Gibson came from here. A man by the name of John Redding stayed over in a place called Jack's Valley about 3 miles from me either in the Spring of '51 or the winter of '52. In 1852 there were a great many ranches took up. James' and Jones' just below me, and up above Smith, Hayward & several others; My place was still called the "Mormon Station." In 1855 Orson Hyde and a party, among whom
NEVADA HISTORICAL. SOCIETY PAPERS 189
was Mr. Jennings and my brother, went out there, and about 50 took up ranches all round.. I was there at the tine. They stayed there about 2 years & were called back. I came back in 1859. During the winter of 1851 mining commenced in Gold Canyon. I can't remember the names of but a few of them. I used to go down there in the winter with beef. It kept up pretty good in 1852 & 3 and paid very good. There was a good deal of gold taken out of it while it was running. The Canyon dried up in Summer therefore there was nothing done only in winter. The miners were mostly from California; some the came from the States would stay there. During these years I was raising grain, potatoes, peas and everything that was wanted. Gradually more settlers came in from all quarters. In 1854 I built a Saw mill & Grist mill at Genoa. Genoa was named by Elder O. Hyde after the name of the Birthplace of Columbus. It was left to O. Hyde to name the place by general consent because he was the head of the party. My mill was the first one there. The Flour before then was brought from here. Ben Holliday came out in 1852 with a train of flour, hams, bacon &c and I bought him out. Then, Flour was worth $25.00 per 100 lb then it got down to $20 & $10.00, and after the mill was up it came down to $6.00.
We had a kind of Court down there. We elected a Recorder to record claims, a justice of the peace and Constable, and good order was preserved. In 1855 Carson was made a County properly organized into Utah and sent a Delegate. There was a School started in 1855, probably there was one in 1854 I am not sure. My brother had some children when he came out. Had no meeting-house till Elder Hyde came out when he established them in our settlements having a meeting house in each one. They had a meeting house & school at Franktown. There was a little hostility with some Gentiles down there but did not amount to much. There was no trouble with the miners at all. There were some men jumping ranches &c; they came in rather late and all the best places were taken up & they did not like it, and therefore they tried to jump the property.
The Comstock Lode was first discovered in 1854, but did not mine much till '56, 7 & 8, then it came out pretty heavy. There was a wonderful excitement over its discovery but it failed about 1858. In 1854 Virginia dug in and found some silver quartz and Comstock & his party bought Virginia out. Comstock came there about '56 or '57, and I think Virginia got about $2500.00 for it.
In 1859 I sold out. Judge Cradlebaugh's brother jumped 2/3 of my ranche that was not fenced and I got into trouble with him over it so I left. I left a Son-in-law there & they had a quarrel about it and he was shot by the man that was building a house for this Cradlebaugh. The Mormons that came back '57 got but little for their places, just taking whatever they could get. There were a few of them stayed there but most of them went back that year.
When I arrived in this City in 1859 I found a wonderful improvement since I last saw it. Mines were springing up all over the Territory The Emma mine was found by Woodman while out prospecting.
My brother had charge of the store here when Johnson's army came, or rather he sold out just before the army came in. He returned from a mission to Wales about the time the army came and he had sold out before that. He did not do anything till I came back in 1849. I wintered here in 1859, and then in 1860 I was engaged by Genl. Johnston
190 NEVADA HISTORICAL SOCIETY PAPERS
who wanted to find a road right across to California by Genoa, Carson City, and that way without going by the Humboldt, and I having come back that way he engaged me. I went with Capt. Simpson taking 10 wagons right through the country to Genoa. When I first came from Genoa I came on horseback on the regular Indian trail, but when I went for the Government we took wagons. That was our overland route for the mail and everything before the express; and afterwards it became a wagon road. The railroad could easily run through there and believe it will yet go that way.
MORMON STATION
By COL. JOHN REESE (1884)
[PRINTER'S NOTE—Under special instructions from the Secretary of the Nevada Historical Society, this article, in regard to spelling, punctuation, and capitalization of words, is printed exactly as written]
I was born Oct. 15, 1808, in the State of New York. I came here in 1849 along with my brother who belonged to the Church, but I did not then & not until I was here. We brought a lot a goods with us. When we arrived here the City was not fenced around in blocks, but every 9 blocks were fenced and fields of corn, wheat, grain &c. were to be seen. Pole ditches were not in the City but just outside. Chase's mill was running which was the only one there was.
F. D. Richard—When we came here there was no fences and we put up these fences. We went to the Canyon and hauled the poles and camped out over night and then brought them in. That is the way the thing stood for a year or two until the people cut roads in the blocks and opened streets. The 9 blocks were not owned by one person. When I came here in 1848 I found the City all laid out in lots and I was told where my lot was assigned me, my brother his and my father his, and I went and camped on my lot.
Col. Reese—Pole fences were up till after 1849. I was here about 40 days and started back on the 19th of October for more goods and my brother remained here. I came back in 1850. My brother had built a store where Wells & Fargo's bank now stands. The name of the firm was J. & E. Reese. I was here till the Spring of 1851, then went to Carson Valley, Nevada. It was then in Utah, most of Nevada being in Utah at that time. I went there and started a store. I took out with me Eggs, Bacon, Flour, Seed grain and seeds of all kinds. I had the most Flour and Eggs. Altogether I had about 13 wagons loaded. this was my own outfit and there was only myself and driver. My brother stayed here.
NEVADA HISTORICAL SOCIETY PA PERS 187
F. D. R.—That was just at the time when the emigrants traveling across to California and other places[1] would give almost anything for something to eat and they would exchange 2 animals for one fresh one that they might not be delayed on their way.
Col. R. No other traders went with me. I went entirely alone. There was some come from California. I got in there the 1st of June. located right in the place now called Genoa. Took up a ranche right there in Carson Valley. Not a single white man was there then. the nearest white man was a man in Gold Canyon who had a trading post there before and he wintered there in a kind of small dug-out, It was impossible almost to get a good yoke of oxen then and you could get almost any price for one. My place was right on the trail. It is not near the railroad. The man who lived in Gold Canyon was nick-named Virginia and it was after him that Virginia City was named. I don't know what his real name was. He discovered those mines there where the Comstock now is. He had a reservoir fixed in the Canyon to wash the gold out. The gold from the Canyon close to the river was about $18.00 to the ounce. When you got up it was only worth $14 and farther up it was worth less, there being more silver mixed with it. Comstock found the ledge and he worked there for some time, and I guess Comstock & his party bought Virginia out. The latter did not live but a little time afterwards. His tent was about a mile above the road that run up & down the river at the lower part of Old Canyon where the emigrants road was. From where I located it would be just about 25 miles. Nothing was built there until it was discovered that there was considerable gold &c. there and then it was all taken up. I know of no other white man that settled within 50 or 100 miles of there before him. There were a great many come afterwards from California and other ways. That was in 1851. Virginia was drunk a good deal through drinking whiskey. His tent was on the side of the hill, half underground, covered over with rags or any old stuff.
The first thing that I done when I got there was to get a ranche just where I thought was the best place and I built a house and it was called the "Mormon Station." It was a kind of hotel or store. I had a store in it and also a dining room. It was built of logs 2 story high and about 50 feet by 30 feet. The greater part of it is up there now. It was not of hewed logs. I afterwards hewed them when it was built. It was divided into rooms. There was a kitchen, dining room and store room, and then upstairs 2 large rooms. I had some 17 men with me and all in my employ. A good many of them worked for me quite a while in chopping timber and building log houses &c. I paid them about $75.00 a month, and they worked well. We got pine there that would make good shingles. That year I fenced a field of some 30 acres and plowed it up ready for the next year. I put in Wheat, Barley, Corn and Water Melons in one side, and mixed things all round. The news came that 1852 was going to be a big emigration year, and I got in a quantity of turnips and I never saw such things to make money on. I could get $1.00 for a bunch of turnips which only cost 10c here, and I sold everything right out. I raised water melons first rate right amongst the corn. The soil is very much like that in this valley—a little of a sandy loom in some places, and some places there is a kind of yellow clay, The teams we went with were mules, horses & oxen but mostly
188 NEVADA HISTORICAL SOCIETY PAPERS
oxen. Took plows & seeds & everything of that kind, and things to sell for the store. I took a great many eggs and sold them very well, and some of them served for us to live on. They kept pretty fair, it being cold weather. Took no pigs. I got them from California. I was pretty near two months going from here to there, starting on the 5th of April and arriving there June 1st. I had learned that it was a good place to sell things, and I thought I would start right in.
F. D. R. One reason why he chose that location is: Those who came through this way refurnished themselves here; but there was a cut-off way running over Bridger and by Fort Hall and for those who went that way this location was just right to refurnish themselves.
Col. R. 1852 was a splendid year. Enough could not be raised to supply the demand. We had blacksmiths there and I put up a blacksmiths shop. At this place in 1850 there was a trading post a little way off mine. The year that I went there there was but little emigration, but in 1852 it was a very good year. H. S. Beatie was there about 1850 with about 1/2 dozen most of whom came from the Batallion. They stopped a while, put up a trading post and went to California. They went with pack animals. They stayed there about two months and put up a cabin. They put in no ground. They came back here and Beatie told me about it, and that was one reason why I went. I do not know of any being there in 1849. I bought the log cabin afterward that they had. I don't think it had any name, it was only about 1/2 mile from mine. (My claim was different from that). I bought it from a man that pretended to own it. I suppose he was one of the party and had come through there on his way back from California. I paid him about $15 or $20.00 for it. Some of that party came home and others went to California. The fence I put round my land there was a pole fence and I afterwards made some log fences in order to tell it from others. These first men that settled with me were I think John and Rufus Thomas, a man by the name of Brown. Thomas' were from here, but Brown was not. They were about a East from me. They took up ground and built a log house. They had no merchandise neither any seed to plant. I was the first of all to have a good crop for 1852 of most everything—turnips, fruit and water-melons. There was a man by the name of Haskell from here, who put up a trading post close by my home—there were two of them. And then a little while Mott came out from American Fork, and I think there was a man by the name of William Thorington who started a rancho, raising stock &c. The next was a man by the name of Williams from here who died after being there a short time. Then there was a man by the name of Job who started a store about 10 miles west of me. There was another one, a blacksmith, by the name of Henry Van Sickle and his brother; and a family came by the name of Crosser, and Dr. Daggett who stayed about 2 miles W. of me. This was in 1851 towards the close of the year. There were a good many went down into Gold Cañon in the winter of 1851. McMarlin had a store down there. The head of it is Virginia City. Almost all of the men came from California. A man by the name of Condi and also Gibson came from here. A man by the name of John Redding stayed over in a place called Jack's Valley about 3 miles from me either in the Spring of '51 or the winter of '52. In 1852 there were a great many ranches took up. James' and Jones' just below me, and up above Smith, Hayward & several others; My place was still called the "Mormon Station." In 1855 Orson Hyde and a party, among whom
NEVADA HISTORICAL. SOCIETY PAPERS 189
was Mr. Jennings and my brother, went out there, and about 50 took up ranches all round.. I was there at the tine. They stayed there about 2 years & were called back. I came back in 1859. During the winter of 1851 mining commenced in Gold Canyon. I can't remember the names of but a few of them. I used to go down there in the winter with beef. It kept up pretty good in 1852 & 3 and paid very good. There was a good deal of gold taken out of it while it was running. The Canyon dried up in Summer therefore there was nothing done only in winter. The miners were mostly from California; some the came from the States would stay there. During these years I was raising grain, potatoes, peas and everything that was wanted. Gradually more settlers came in from all quarters. In 1854 I built a Saw mill & Grist mill at Genoa. Genoa was named by Elder O. Hyde after the name of the Birthplace of Columbus. It was left to O. Hyde to name the place by general consent because he was the head of the party. My mill was the first one there. The Flour before then was brought from here. Ben Holliday came out in 1852 with a train of flour, hams, bacon &c and I bought him out. Then, Flour was worth $25.00 per 100 lb then it got down to $20 & $10.00, and after the mill was up it came down to $6.00.
We had a kind of Court down there. We elected a Recorder to record claims, a justice of the peace and Constable, and good order was preserved. In 1855 Carson was made a County properly organized into Utah and sent a Delegate. There was a School started in 1855, probably there was one in 1854 I am not sure. My brother had some children when he came out. Had no meeting-house till Elder Hyde came out when he established them in our settlements having a meeting house in each one. They had a meeting house & school at Franktown. There was a little hostility with some Gentiles down there but did not amount to much. There was no trouble with the miners at all. There were some men jumping ranches &c; they came in rather late and all the best places were taken up & they did not like it, and therefore they tried to jump the property.
The Comstock Lode was first discovered in 1854, but did not mine much till '56, 7 & 8, then it came out pretty heavy. There was a wonderful excitement over its discovery but it failed about 1858. In 1854 Virginia dug in and found some silver quartz and Comstock & his party bought Virginia out. Comstock came there about '56 or '57, and I think Virginia got about $2500.00 for it.
In 1859 I sold out. Judge Cradlebaugh's brother jumped 2/3 of my ranche that was not fenced and I got into trouble with him over it so I left. I left a Son-in-law there & they had a quarrel about it and he was shot by the man that was building a house for this Cradlebaugh. The Mormons that came back '57 got but little for their places, just taking whatever they could get. There were a few of them stayed there but most of them went back that year.
When I arrived in this City in 1859 I found a wonderful improvement since I last saw it. Mines were springing up all over the Territory The Emma mine was found by Woodman while out prospecting.
My brother had charge of the store here when Johnson's army came, or rather he sold out just before the army came in. He returned from a mission to Wales about the time the army came and he had sold out before that. He did not do anything till I came back in 1849. I wintered here in 1859, and then in 1860 I was engaged by Genl. Johnston
190 NEVADA HISTORICAL SOCIETY PAPERS
who wanted to find a road right across to California by Genoa, Carson City, and that way without going by the Humboldt, and I having come back that way he engaged me. I went with Capt. Simpson taking 10 wagons right through the country to Genoa. When I first came from Genoa I came on horseback on the regular Indian trail, but when I went for the Government we took wagons. That was our overland route for the mail and everything before the express; and afterwards it became a wagon road. The railroad could easily run through there and believe it will yet go that way.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)