Volume 12 Winter 2006 No. 1

From the Editors all preservationists, we nevertheless Contents need to establish a concerted effort From the Editors ...... 1 The Notice of Intent for the at preservation. We note that the Governing Board ...... 2 Comprehensive Management Plan Oregon-California Trails Association Dorothy Parker Memorium . . 3 for the OSNHT has been published, takes this so seriously that they rank Contributors ...... 3 and a 120-day period of public the Preservation Offi cer high on the Chapter Contacts ...... 4 hearings (“scoping”) has begun. OCTA masthead; and they commit News from the Trail We encourage you to participate in real money to preservation. This Colorado Director...... 4 the hearings in your area and make requires someone with the overview Interpretation ...... 4 your opinions known to the CMP to set priorities. It is not something Vereda del Norte ...... 5 leadership. that can be accomplished entirely on New Mexico ...... 5 the state or personal level. Possibly Nevada Director ...... 5 Simply enjoying historic trails isn’t OSTA is not quite ready for this, but Nevada Chapter ...... 6 suffi cient. Growth and development it should be an important goal. Tecopa ...... 6 along the trails have increased the Workman ...... 6 importance of preservation efforts. We heard several fabulous talks at Arizona ...... 7 President Al Matheson raises the OCTA 2005 Convention in Salt Utah ...... 7 the issue of whether sensitive sites Lake City, including David Bigler’s California ...... 7 should have public exposure, due to presentation on the Mountain Book Reviews: the very real possibility of vandalism Meadows Massacre. We have included by Lawrence...... 8 and destruction. The effort in the talk, together with an interview by Youker ...... 9 Nevada to prevent the Virgin River with on the same topic, Film Review ...... 10 diversion project from destroying a and an article about our recent travels Articles: segment of the trail appears to have to several sites associated with the Mountain Meadows, Bigler . 12 been successful, but new concerns massacre. We realize that these articles Interview, Bagley ...... 18 have been raised about the effect will be controversial and we strongly Sites Tour, Lawrence . . . . . 27 of development in the Las Vegas encourage our readership to send in Flyover, Sedey ...... 35 area on archaeological resources written responses. Death Valley, Krizek. . . .37 in the OST corridor. The question Martin Bode, Parker . . . . 43 of whether OSTA should have a We are looking forward to the annual Board Meeting ...... 46 Preservation Offi cer was brought up conference in Green River and hope to Annual Conference ...... 48 at the Barstow Board Meeting. We see you there. PNTS Workshop ...... 48 hope it will be discussed in greater Public Scoping ...... 48 depth in the future. While we are Deborah and Jon Lawrence

Winter 2006 1 THE OLD SPANISH TRAIL ASSOCIATION Governing Board of Offi cers and Directors The Old Spanish Trail (OST), one of America’s great long distance 2006

trade routes, is now our country’s fi fteenth National Historic Trail. PRESIDENT: Reba Wells Grandrud From 1829 to 1848, the OST took traders and pack mules on a six-week 2322 E. Cholla St. trek from northern New Mexico to Southern California, where New Phoenix, AZ 85028 602-992-0339 Mexico’s woolen goods were swapped for horses and pack stock raised [email protected] on California’s ranchos. Many took the trail—traders, frontiersmen and PAST PRESIDENT: trappers, a handful of hardy families moving West, military expeditions, Steve Heath 207 S 500 W and Indian guides. Cedar City, UT 84720 435-586-9334

The mission of the Old Spanish Trail Association (OSTA) is to study, VICE-PRESIDENT: Wayne Hinton preserve, protect, interpret, and promote appropriate use of the Old 308 East 200 South Spanish National Historic Trail (OSNHT). OSTA promotes public Cedar City, UT 84720 435-586-1021 awareness of the OST and its multicultural heritage through publications, [email protected] a website, and interpretive activities, by encouraging research, and by SECRETARY: partnering with governments and private organizations. We encourage you Judy Knudson 89 Fir Drive to join OSTA, help in its preservation, and increase appreciation of the South Fork, CO 81154 multicultural heritage of the American Southwest. 719-873-5239 [email protected]

TREASURER: Kenn Carpenter PO Box 7 Marysville, WA 98270 360-653-5330 OSTA’s Online Store [email protected] www.cafepress.com/osta DIRECTORS:

Support OSTA! Visit OSTA’s online store and purchase merchandise Paul Ostapuk – AZ (T-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, tote bags, mugs, stickers, and more) with the PO Box 3532 Page, AZ 86040 OST and OSTA logos. 928-645-6577 [email protected]

Doug Knudson – CO 89 Fir Drive South Fork, CO 81154 719-873-5239 Visit the OSTA Website [email protected] Cliff Walker – CA http://www.oldspanishtrail.org 1204 Gen Court Barstow, CA 92311 760-256-5570 [email protected] Spanish Traces is the offi cial publication of Copy Editor: Donna Thune the Old Spanish Trail Association, a nonprofi t Pat Kuhlhoff – NM 501(c)(3) organization, incorporated under the 14 Duende Rd. Santa Fe, NM 87505 laws of the State of Colorado. ST welcomes Membership Dues: 505-466-4877 submission of letters, articles, book reviews, Regular (single or couple) $20/year [email protected] and OST related news. The next deadline for Student (under 18) $12/year submissions is April 15, 2006. Institutional $25/year Carol Corbett – NV Sustaining (single or couple) $30/year 5036 N. Cimarron Rd. Life (single or couple) $ 2 5 0 Las Vegas, NV 89149 All matters relating to Spanish Traces should Corporate $100 min 702-658-0725 be directed to the Co-editors and Publishers: [email protected] Deborah and Jon Lawrence Mail your check to: OSTA Al Matheson – UT 44 Harvey Court PO Box 7 Marysville, WA 98270 8847 West 2200 South Irvine, CA 92617 Cedar City, UT 84720 E-mail: [email protected] 435-586-9762 Telephone: 949-509-1714 [email protected]

2 Winter 2006 In Memoriam: Dorothy R. Parker Contributors Will Bagley is an independent Many trail and Southwestern history buffs joined in a memorial service for historian living in Salt Lake Dorothy R. Parker at St. Bede’s Episcopal Church in Santa Fe on November City who specializes in pioneer 19, 2005. Dr. Parker died in Santa Fe on October 2nd. Mormon history and the history of the overland trails. He is an active Dorothy relocated from California to Santa Fe in 1979. She worked for member of the Oregon-California several years as a tour guide before moving to Albuquerque to pursue Trails Association (OCTA). a PhD in History at the University of New Mexico. After receiving her His book doctorate, she taught at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales. When won the 2003 Western History Dorothy retired, she returned to Santa Fe where she occasionally taught Association Prize. college courses and served as a docent at the Palace of the Governors. She chaired the Docent Council for the David Bigler is an independent Museum of New Mexico system for historian specializing in Mormon two years. pioneer history. He is the author of the award-winning Forgotten An active member of the Salida Kingdom: The Mormon Theocracy del Sol Chapter of the Old Spanish in the American West, 1846-1896; Trail Association, Dr. Parker served the editor of The Gold Discovery on the chapter board and program Journal of Azariah Smith and A committee. She did extensive Winter with the : The research on the horse and mule 1852 Letters of Jotham Goodell; trade on the trail. Her presentation and the coeditor of Army of Israel: on this topic at the Seventh Annual Narratives. He Conference of OSTA was reported is a past president of OCTA in the Fall 2000 issue of Spanish Traces. Her most recent contribution John Krizek is a retired public to Spanish Traces was a biographical relations executive who is sketch of the noted Southwestern currently a member of the historian, Marc Simmons, in the photo used with permission OCTA Board. Recently, he has Winter 2003 issue. been working on an educational supplement to the DVD version of Dorothy herself was profi led in the Spanish Traces “Know Your Historians” his video Forgotten Journey. series by Pat Kuhlhoff in the Spring 2004 issue. Dr. Parker was among those instrumental in securing the location for the Old Spanish Trail marker John Sedey is Trail Boss for the in Abiquiu at Bode’s store. She had fi rst met members of the Bode family Historic Trail Flyers. The group’s when she taught at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California, before recent aerial tour of the OST was moving to New Mexico. their sixteenth trail fl yover.

She is survived by three sons and six grandchildren. Dorothy will be missed Robert Youker is retired in New Mexico and the Southwest by many who respected her historical from the World Bank and is an scholarship and her desire to educate people about the important and independent trainer and consultant. fascinating history of the region. Her passing leaves a leadership void in the He is an OSTA member who has Salida del Sol Chapter of OSTA. contributed to past issues of ST.

Willard Lewis

Winter 2006 3 News from the Trail Chapter Contacts Colorado Director’s Report including Maggie Robb and her children and grandchildren, were North Branch Chapter (CO) Doug Knudson spent a week last present. The memorial resolution Bill Chenoweth July riding horseback on a wagon is very eloquent. The North Branch Grand Junction, CO train ride on the North Branch Chapter (Grand Junction) has 970-242-9062 of the OST. Summit Trails, Inc., erected a monument in a city park [email protected] led the trip along a highland commemorating the contributions Nevada Chapter (NV) route from La Garita (South of to OSTA of Judge James Robb. Liz Warren - Pres. Saguache) over Cochetopa Pass, Goodsprings, NV through the old Ute Agency, and Doug Knudson 702-874-1410 down into the Powderhorn area on [email protected] Cebolla Creek. La Vereda del Norte Chapter (CO) Knudson traveled with Aaron Interpretation and Marking Pat Richmond - Pres. Creede, CO Mahr, Sarah Schlanger, Judy 719-658-2377 Knudson and Forest Service In October, minor adjustments [email protected] archeologists Ken Frye and Vince were made to the outdoor OST Spero to see the Cochetopa Pass exhibit at the Piedra Lumbre- Rancho Chapter (CA) road, topography, and sites along Ghost Ranch Education and Joanne Hinchliff the way. The planning team had Visitor Center. Center Coordinator San Jacinto, CA visited North Pass earlier, when Arin McKenna reported good 909-925-7068 Cochetopa was snowed in. They visitor interest in the exhibit. On Salida del Sol Chapter (NM) saw clear evidence of ancient a visit to Abiquiu to inspect the Pat Kuhlhoff - Pres. Indian (perhaps Ute) campsites, new interpretive sign on Bode’ Santa Fe, NM stage stations, old power wires, store, Knudson talked with Dennis 505-466-4877 and monuments. At the suggestion Liddy, the store’s owner, who [email protected] of Carol Sperling of Great reported on public interest in the Page Chapter (AZ) Sand Dunes National Park, the sign and the OST. The panel is Paul Ostapuk Knudsons accompanied Mahr and beautifully mounted and easily Page, AZ 86040 Schlanger to the park, where trail visible. 928-645-6577 routes and the planning process [email protected] were explained and questions The Trail Partners program now Tecopa Chapter (CA) about interpreting the trail at includes at least 40 organizations Cynthia Kienitz - Pres. the park were discussed. Doug and enterprises, each displaying Tecopa, CA will work with Sperling on a site OST mini-exhibits and/or 760-852-4360 bulletin about the OST. dispensing OSTA brochures. [email protected] California has the fewest William Workman Chapter (UK) The Knudsons attended the participants. William Ramsay - Pres. memorial resolution for and Ulverston testimony about Judge James Doug Knudson Cumbria, England Robb in the Colorado House of c/o david.fallowfi [email protected] Representatives on January 23, 2006. In addition to the full House delegation, about 80 people,

4 Winter 2006 Vereda del Norte Chapter We are determined to identify and Nevada Director’s Report interpret the West Branch whether or New offi cers of the chapter are not it receives NHT status. Signs can The scoping period for the Southern Pat Richmond (President), Max use a mule logo as long as they are Nevada Water Authority’s application Lara (Vice President), Stuart not identical to the NHT sign. The for rights of way to develop and Bryan (Secretary), and Suzie Off meeting demonstrated that the best transport water from the Muddy and (Treasurer). The chapter’s top source of knowledge about the trail Virgin Rivers has been completed. priority is the West Fork of the comes from local chapter members, OSTA’s voice protesting the inundation North Branch, including a search who should be included actively in of a portion of the OSNHT in Halfway for evidence of its use and improved the planning process. Wash was heard loud and clear. The interpretation. The chapter members scoping report included comments are frustrated that the West Branch Pat Richmond sent from OSTA and from concerned has been removed from National members. This insures that the issue Historic Trail status. will be addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement, which is now under In late November, a few chapter development. Unoffi cially, I have been members and fi ve Forest Service and told that the dam will be moved farther BLM employees met with Aaron north in the wash to protect the trail. Mahr and Sarah Schlanger near Monte Vista, CO, to address this My involvement with this issue has led concern. The following issues were New Mexico Report me to become OSTA’s representative raised: Is it appropriate to restrict on the Virgin River Conservation the acceptable dates-of-use to after At the end of September, Claudio Partnership. This group includes 1829, when travel along major Chacón and Pat Kuhloff took the representatives of agencies and portions of the trail occurred earlier Armijo Flyover group on a fi eld organizations who are concerned about in the era of Mexican control? Is the trip to Abiquiu to see parts of the development along the Virgin River. restriction to travel along the entire OST and to view the new wayside We meet every month or two to update length of the trail appropriate? Travel exhibit on the side of Bode Store. On each other on the latest information along the West Branch was part of Saturday evening, Sarah Schlanger from our organizations, as well as to a process where trade goods were from the BLM spoke to the group discuss issues of the day pertaining to taken from Taos to Fort Rubidoux about the trail taken by Antonio the river and surrounding areas. where they were exchanged for furs Armijo from Santa Fe to Farmington which were traded for livestock from in 1829. On October 1, members of On a personal note, I spent fi ve California. Denying the validity the Santa Fe Westerners, the Santa days hiking in the Maze District of of such a pattern for NHT status Fe Trail Association, and the Salida Canyonlands National Park. I had seems arbitrary. Why is the Carson- Del Sol chapter of OSTA jointly rode wanted to see Spanish Bottom (where Brewerton expedition not included the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad some folks say a variant of the OST as documented use of the North from Chama to Osier and back. The crossed the Colorado River). The Branch through the San Luis Valley? Salida del Sol Chapter had their last hiking portion of the trip ended at Why is it that the maps of the area meeting of the year on November Spanish Bottom from where I took a dating from the 1850’s to the 1870’s, 19 with the Santa Fe Trail Chapter. jetboat back up river to Moab. It was a which document the West Branch as John Ramsey gave a talk and a slide wonderful place that has seen a lot of a pre-existing trail, cannot be used as show on the trail between Velarde history, regardless of whether the OST evidence for NHT status? Is it simply and Taos. passed through there. because the maps are later than the 1850 cutoff? Pat Kuhlhoff Carol Corbett

Winter 2006 5 Nevada Chapter Report Tecopa Chapter Report trail. They have been successful in fi lling in some gaps and they Red Rock Learning Center, a The Tecopa Chapter is making an have found several ancient Native BLM sponsored outdoor education inventory of sites along the 30- American footpaths. center, is being created in Red mile segment of the Emigrant Pass Rock National Conservation Area. Corridor of the OST. Our hope is The California Valley grazing Liz Warren is a member of the to get these sites on the National improvements are on the back core planning team for the history Register of Historic Places. We burner. The range conservationist curriculum. The OSNHT is one have come to this conclusion from the BLM-Needles offi ce has of the trails that is incorporated through much discussion with stated that the offi ce is abandoning into that project. The Red Rock the CMP team, Joan Oxendine, a the drilling of wells and will be Visitor Center is installing new retired BLM archeologist, trail piping water from an existing well interpretive exhibits, and Nevada historians, national OSTA board throughout the allotment. chapter members Carol Corbett, members, the BLM-Las Vegas Hal Steiner, and Liz Warren were archeologists and others. There Cynthia Kienitz consulted regarding the proposed is much interest in discovering new wording for the Old Spanish where the trail crossed the Trail component. Amargosa River, and in fi lling William Workman Chapter in the gaps between the sites and The Las Vegas BLM has completed segments cited in the studies The annual meeting of the the text for eight trail kiosks along of Hal Steiner, Liz Warren, and William Workman Chapter of the OSNHT; the kiosks are currently Cliff Walker. According to the OSTA was held in November under construction. archeologists, there are sensitive at David Fallowfi eld’s home in sites and segments that should not Penrith, Cumbria. It was preceded Liz Warren has nearly completed a have public exposure. A thorough by a board of directors meeting. report to the Bureau of Reclamation inventory can clarify which Bill Ramsay, President, and all on the history of the Las Vegas should be promoted to the public. fi ve directors were present. David Wash, with an emphasis on the Although a register listing is not a Fallowfi eld, Secretary, distributed Armijo route of 1829-30. The protection device, it is a start. his written report in which he research will be made available stated that four newsletters had to the Southern Nevada Water The Chapter has received bids been produced during the year, Authority. Hopefully, the effort from the UNLV staff at the Harry one more than last year. He has to control wash erosion also will Reid Center for Environmental continued to maintain contact prevent obliteration of historic Studies and from Discovery with National Offi cers in the U.S. remains. The Clark County Heritage Works, a cultural resources on a regular basis, and members Museum will include information management group based in Long have continued to receive and on the OSNHT in interpretive Beach. We will submit our funding enjoy all issues of Spanish Traces. displays and brochures. request to the Park Service this A project to produce a chapter month. We are pursuing private DVD for viewing in the U.S. is Liz Warren matching funding. unable to go ahead due to area coding incompatibility between Cynthia Kienitz and Travis U.K. and U.S. systems. Ramsay Edwards from the Tecopa chapter, and Fallowfi eld hope to attend the and George Ross, a Native National Conference to be held at American historian, continue to Green River this spring. assist Brad Mastin in obtaining GPS coordinates of traces of the David Fallowfi eld

6 Winter 2006 Arizona Report of the trail, in that they would have been observed by those transiting the The Armijo fl yover group was in OST. I also confi rmed the existence Page in late September. An after- of a “game” rock—a 5x10 foot lava dinner PowerPoint presentation that boulder with inscriptions and an emphasized the unique geography intriguing array of holes ground into of the Colorado Plateau and the the rock. It is near caves and lodging diffi cult nature of crossing the used by ancient natives. The rock’s Colorado River was well received origin may be earlier than the OST. by the group. It is hoped that the upcoming scoping meetings in Page If such artifacts and their location and Kanab will increase interest in were widely known, it could lead formation of an Arizona chapter. to vandalism and destruction. OST near Blue Diamond OSTA needs to address the issue of courtesy of John Sedey Paul Ostapuk preservation and protection. How much information on the location California Report of points of interest and artifacts along the trail can be or should be John Robinson recently was elected Utah Report divulged, and on what basis? to be a Fellow of the Historical Society of Southern California. His Since my appointment as Utah The display of artifacts from the new book, Gateways to Southern Director, my efforts have been to Iron County OST campsite at the California (Arcadia: Big Santa Anita identify sources of information, to Southern Utah University Library’s Historical Society, 2005), is in print survey all known OST locations in special collections has received good and will be reviewed in an upcoming Utah, and to outline concerns about interest. A meeting will be held at issue of Spanish Traces. the physical and environmental the Iron Mission in Cedar City to status of the trail. An initial attempt promote organization of an OSTA We welcome Cliff Walker as our to create a video map of the trail chapter. new state director. on an aerial survey fl ight was not highly encouraging, but with better Al Matheson Deborah and Jon Lawrence equipment and local expertise, I believe such a project can be successful. I have tracked the trail on the ground from the Nevada border through Castle Creek to Gunlock, and from Stevensville through Meadow Creek to Mountain Meadows. An effort was made to locate possible trail markers near Veyo, reported by a Mr. Pymm who had seen them in his youth. Two sets of markers were located; it remains to acquire GPS coordinates and to research the validity of the markers. I confi rmed rumors that dinosaur tracks can be found along the trail. Mule wisdom (sign at Ghost Ranch). courtesy of Pat Kuhlhoff This certainly adds to the mystique

Winter 2006 7 to cattlemen, González argues, at the Indian fi estas suggests the Book Reviews there were farmers, merchants, inadequacy of angeleño life. He craftsmen, teachers, and provincial argues that some angeleños envied This Small City Will Be a administrators. the freedoms of the Indian lifestyle Mexican Paradise: Exploring the and reconciled their envy by Origins of Mexican Culture in According to the author, many mistreating Indians. Additionally, Los Angeles, 1821-1846 angeleños nurtured an affectionate angeleños, many of whom had Michael J González. Albuquerque: attachment to Mexico and desired Indian forebears, were alarmed by University of New Mexico Press, to follow some form of Mexican their own physical resemblance 2005. ISBN: 0826336078. 304 life. They did so, at least in part, to the Indians. They feared that pages. Paperback, $22.95 in order to avoid being like the activities that encouraged Indian- Indians, whom they considered to Mexican intermingling, such as the In This Small City Will Be a be barbaric. By killing or subduing Indians’ weekend fi estas, further Mexican Paradise, Michael the Indians and adopting Mexican threatened to transform angeleño González examines the life of attitudes toward work and restraint, participants into Indians. the inhabitants of Los Angeles angeleños were able to cultivate between 1821 and 1846, the years their ties to the Mexican interior. Next, González examines what that Mexico governed California. the angeleños admired about He structures his book around a González begins with an Mexican life. According to the single document, a petition signed examination of angeleños’ ideas author, the liberals from Mexico’s by twenty-six angeleños, which about work and their perception of interior promoted the virtues of condemns Indian misconduct, the Native Californians. Although “worthy toil.” Instead of bestowing especially during their weekend wealth and aristocratic bearing advantages based on blood or fi estas, and requests Governor were important, angeleños felt that social position, liberals promoted Pio Pico to put an end to their a person’s “usefulness” defi ned his a person who worked hard and debauchery. González argues that rank and privilege. Consequently, showed personal restraint. The this document, one of the last because cattlemen hired others to productive citizen benefi ted the angeleño petitions composed during work for them and, therefore, did country, as well as his own spirit. the Mexican era, reveals how the not evidence personal productivity, In order to prove that work, and angeleños wanted to take on the they were not held in high regard not pleasure, motivated their liberal habits of Mexico and in so by the angeleños. The angeleños actions, angeleños complained doing, stand apart from the Indians. condemned Indians even more about the Indians’ promiscuity. so. During the Mexican era, a According to González, in most To reconstruct the angeleños’ quarter of the population in the angeleño accounts, including the attitudes toward Indians, Los Angeles environs was Indian. 1846 petition, the writers assumed González draws on the recuerdos The angeleños felt that the Indians that Indians always gave in to their (reminiscences the Californios preferred play to work and lacked bodily desires. In contrast to the produced in the late nineteenth the character to apply themselves. Indians’ pursuit of a life without century), ayuntamiento records Supposedly, the Indians staged limits, illustrated by the excess of (municipal council documents), bacchanalian celebrations on drink and sex at Indian fi estas, the the censuses from 1836 and the weekends. Their excesses— angeleños supported the liberal 1844, and letters and statements drinking and partying—violated principles from Mexico, especially of angeleños prior to 1846. In so the modest habits that many as expressed by productivity doing, he revises the traditional angeleños admired and provided and diligence. This allegiance interpretation that cattle ranching temptations to weak-minded enhanced their ties to Mexico’s was the chief occupation of angeleños. According to González, interior and their distance from the Mexican Los Angeles. In addition the high attendance of angeleños Indians.

8 Winter 2006 In order to get rid of indigenous Still, it cannot be denied that readers Spanish period, New Mexico’s chief infl uence and adopt the Mexican interested in this subject should not exports were pelts and hides. When principles that they desired, the neglect This Small City Will Be a Mexico won its independence from angeleños attempted to remove Mexican Paradise. González opens Spain in 1821, New Mexico offi cials or subdue the Indians. Although our minds to provocative ideas about began to allow foreign merchants killing Indians proved the angeleños’ angeleños’ attitudes toward Indians to enter New Mexico. American superiority, it gave them only limited during the Mexican era. trappers and traders began to work satisfaction, whereas, by taking out of Taos. Weber describes many captives, the angeleños were able Deborah and Jon Lawrence different trapping expeditions that left to use Indians to develop the city’s Taos for the area now covered by the economy and improve their own states of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, self image. After they had killed and, of course, New Mexico. Some or subdued the Indians, González The Taos Trappers: The Fur Trade of these groups used the trails that concludes, the angeleños were able in the Far Southwest, 1540-1846 had been blazed in the past and to fashion their Mexican identities. David J. Weber. Norman: University became the various branches of the The fi nal chapter explores how the of Oklahoma Press, 1971, reissued OST. The book includes excellent angeleños used the enlightened, 2005. ISBN: 0806117028. 263 maps and pictures and provides great liberal habits from the Mexico pages. Maps, illustrations, notes, detail on the various well known interior to build a dynamic Los bibliography, and index. westerners, including Kit Carson, Angeles society. “Peg Leg” Smith, James Ohio Pattie, David J. Weber’s The Taos and Jedediah Smith, who was one of While González’s book is Trappers: The Fur Trade in the Far the fi rst trappers to reach California intellectually challenging and Southwest, 1540-1846 has been by a route that was similar to what will fascinate readers with a reissued. Setting the scene for the became the OST. knowledge of the subject, the development of the Old Spanish reader unfamiliar with the topic Trail, the book examines the role of In 1834, after just ten years, will fi nd it hard to follow because Taos, New Mexico, as a center for the beaver fur had fallen out of the arguments are not presented the southwestern fur trade. Because fashion and the role of the Taos in a straightforward manner. In fur trade companies never were trappers started to decline. Weber addition, the interpretation of the successful in the Southwest, the ends the book with the following evidence is not convincing. In Taos-based trappers worked alone or quote: “Though the trapper as part, this is because, as the author in small groups. Using such primary an occupational type had nearly himself admits, his sources are sources as archival records, letters, disappeared in the Southwest by the suspect. Many of the recuerdos diaries, contemporary newspapers, time of the Mexican War, former are testimonies that involved old business receipts, and similar trappers continued to exert infl uence men talking to interviewers about materials, Weber tells the stories of in the region” (229). Many of them events that happened many years the individual trappers in Taos and in followed the OST to California and earlier. González also admits that the southern Rockies. became important settlers there, the accuracy of the ayuntamiento including J. J. Warner, Benjamin D. records and angeleño letters and According to Weber, Spanish trappers Wilson, John Rowland, and William statements are questionable. To from Taos were the fi rst to enter Wolfskill. strengthen his argument, González the Rockies where they trapped for says that he must use “fantasia,” pelts and bartered with the Indians, Students of western history, the Span- or the imagination. He writes: “To especially the Utes. They attempted ish borderlands, and the Old Spanish see angeleño sentiments unfold, we to keep American and French Trail will enjoy The Taos Trappers. look—with the aid of fantasia . . .” trappers from working the area, and (18). Oh? as a consequence, by the end of the Robert Youker

Winter 2006 9 Film Review

Burying the Past: Legacy of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Brian Patrick. (Patrick Film Productions, 2003). 1 hour, 26 minutes.

In his documentary, Burying the Past: Legacy of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, director Brian Patrick investigates one of the worst massacres in American history and the Mountain Meadows Association’s efforts to get a monument rebuilt at the site of the tragedy. For many years, only an obscure marker on a rock cairn Wagon Train (still from Burying the Past) with permission of B. Patrick stood as a memorial to the victims. Patrick examines the controversy about reconciliation: it chronicles Patrick combines reenactments, surrounding this marker and the the attempts of the descendants a fi rst-person testimony of a efforts by the descendants of of the Arkansas victims and the young survivor, and interviews the victims and the perpetrators descendants of John D. Lee, the with three historians—Weber to see that a proper and more only man tried and executed for State University professor Gene detailed memorial be placed at the massacre, to come together in Sessions; Will Bagley, the author the meadows. The fi lm is also the spirit of forgiveness. of Blood of the Prophets: and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows; and Gene Leonard, director of the LDS Church Museum of History and Art, who is currently co-writing a church-sanctioned history of the event. In addition to the thoughtful insights provided by the historians, Patrick incorporates photographs, the opinions of archeologists and forensic anthropologists, and interviews with descendants and church members.

Explaining all of the details surrounding the massacre is challenging because the story is so tangled and complex and most of the information we have today has been provided by the perpetrators. Who’s attacking? (still from Burying the Past) with permission of B. Patrick The documentary does a good job

10 Winter 2006 recreating what we know about recollection was excellently but it is clear from Patrick’s the killings to give the viewer narrated by Jennifer Van footage of family reunions and a visual understanding of the Eenenaam who won an “Accolade interviews that the descendants events surrounding them. Patrick Award” for voice-over. on both sides are still haunted used non-professional actors to by the tragedy. By exploring portray the ill-fated Arkansas A professor of fi lm studies at the massacre’s impact on the travelers, Mormons and Paiutes the , Patrick descendants of the Fancher-Baker in his re-creation of the doomed took six years to make Burying party, John D. Lee’s descendants, wagon train, but by fi lming these the Past, which has won various and the Mormon church, Brian sequences in a grainy black-and- awards at fi lm festivals, including Patrick addresses issues of white, he gives the viewer a strong the Utah “Best of State” 2004 forgiveness, reconciliation, and sense of what the massacre might award, Berkley Film Festival’s religious intolerance. have been like. In the DVD’s “Best of Festival” award, the addenda on the It is not easy to production of reconcile and the fi lm, Patrick forgive—it is contrasts the one of the most fi lmed version diffi cult things with alternate we are called to color sequences, do emotionally. making it Part of the process graphically clear involves the need to how effective uncover the truth is the use of in order to grieve black-and-white properly. Patrick’s photography. documentary is an attempt Patrick uses Nancy to do just that. Saphrona Huff’s Watching Burying 1875-statement to the Past: Legacy the Daily Arkansas of the Mountain Gazette to provide Meadow Massacre narration for the is a sobering re-enactment. experience. Recounted White fl ag (still from Burying the Past) with permission of B. Patrick eighteen years To purchase after the event, Saphrona’s fi rst- Western Writers Association’s the fi lm, visit http://www. person account of the massacre “Spur Awards,” and Park City Film buryingthepast.com/ or telephone is powerful and heart rending. Music Festival’s “Best Musical (801) 554-8640. She was only four at the time of Score.” Most recently it won the the tragedy, one of the seventeen Broadcast Education Association’s Deborah and Jon Lawrence children under the age of eight highest honor: “BEA Best of who were spared because they Festival King Foundation Award were regarded as too young to Winner.” remember what they saw at the meadows. Her entire family It has been almost 150 years since was killed. Nancy Saphrona’s the Mountain Meadows Massacre,

Winter 2006 11 Terror on the Trail: The so white men involved in the Keep in mind something else Massacre at Mountain killing, it would never be over. McCullough said, that there Meadows All belonged to the Church of was never anything like the Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, past. Nobody ever lived in by David L. Bigler the Mormons. Most were God- the past. Our ancestors didn’t fearing men, devoted husbands, go around saying, “Isn’t this September 11 will mark the caring fathers. The wounds they fascinating living in the past?” anniversary of the most horrifi c suffered that day were soul-deep They lived in the present, just terrorist attack in U.S. history. and never healed. Sixty-one years as we do, only it was their No, I’m not talking about 9/11, later, Nephi Johnson lay dying. present, not ours. Just as we 2001. I refer to September 11, In delirium, the eighty-four-year- don’t know how things are 1857. On that day, white settlers old Indian missionary preached going to turn out, they didn’t and Indians in southwestern Utah in native languages, sang hymns either. The two-time Pulitzer deceived, betrayed, and murdered and prayed. Suddenly his eyes prize winner and author of more than a hundred men, women opened wide, staring straight up, 1776 said that it’s easy to find and children at a rest stop on the and he cried, “Blood! Blood! fault with people for why they Spanish Trail to Los Angeles, BLOOD!” Sixty-one years did this, or didn’t do that, known as Mountain Meadows. No before, he had led the Indians in because we’re not involved in one knows for sure how many they killing the women and children. it, we’re not inside it, we’re killed that day because there were He was reliving the horror and not confronting what we don’t no survivors old enough to tell. was afraid to die. know—as everyone who But a good estimate would come preceded us always was. to about forty unarmed men; some Noted historian David thirty women, most of them young McCullough has said that The Arkansas emigrants who mothers; and as many as fi fty nothing ever had to happen the headed west in 1857 surely children, including about twenty way it happened. “History could had no idea of what lay girls between the ages of seven have gone off in any number of ahead. Not only would they and seventeen. different directions in any number be murdered, but forever after of different ways at any point they would also be maligned, It was the most horrifi c terrorist along the way,” he said.1 So why mischaracterized and blamed attack in our nation’s history, not did it go the way it did in this for what happened to them. as fi gured by body count, but in case? How could God-fearing And they would be unable to the way its victims were slain. men do such a thing? A hundred defend themselves. White men and Indians struck fi fty years of obstruction, cover them down one at a time, up up, denial and falsifying have This defamation continues close and personal, with knives, obscured the answers to such today, although we know better. hatchets, pistols, and muskets. disturbing questions. We know that, unlike many of Mercy was shown only to children the parties that passed through too young to testify and young Our limited time today precludes Utah during this period, they enough to come under a doctrinal a detailed examination of the were an orderly train, led by exemption, known as “innocent events and since-forgotten beliefs mature, experienced captains, blood.” Only seventeen children behind the worst atrocity on our 52-year-old John T. Baker and qualifi ed. overland trails. But as I briefl y Alexander Fancher, 45, who recount these events and the surely knew their responsibility For their mothers and fathers, conditions in which they took for the safety of some eighty brothers and sisters, it was all place, you may gain some insight women and children. Most of over in minutes. For seventy or into why it happened. their wealth was tied up in a

12 Winter 2006 large cattle herd, but they also Finally, less than two weeks Mormons then and today believe possessed thirty or forty wagons, before the doomed company that American Indians, known horses, mules, tools, fi rearms and arrived, news had struck Great Salt as Lamanites, are a remnant of cash for expenses. Their picture Lake that an American military ancient Israel in the New World is not one of hell-raisers, but of expedition had marched from from the tribe of Manasseh, the prosperous farm families moving Fort Leavenworth to escort a son of Joseph, son of Jacob. They west to California to make new new governor to Utah to replace also accept as true that most homes there. Brigham Young and assert federal members of the faith also descend authority in the theocratic territory. from Jacob through Joseph’s other After more than four months on son, Ephraim. The conviction of the trail, they arrived in Salt In short, the emigrants came to common Hebrew ancestry made Lake Valley near the peak of the wrong place, from the wrong Mormons and Indians cousins by a fl aming revival, called the place, at the wrong time. Utah blood, and natural allies. Reformation, to purify God’s Territory was a place emotionally people and to merit divine favor infl amed by excessive religious These beliefs appear innocent in an imminent confrontation zeal, by the thirst for vengeance, enough today, but they were with the United States. Mormon and by the threat of war. hardly non-threatening then. For leaders had seen it coming. the Prophet Micah warned that The brief history of this fervent Malinda Cameron Thurston, who when Zion was redeemed the millennial movement had already survived only because her husband “remnant of Israel” would be shown that a people, ruled by decided to take the northern trail, among the gentiles “as a young God through inspired men, could while the rest of her family took lion among the fl ocks of sheep; never live in peace within a Mormon advice and went south, who . . . both treadeth down and republic governed by the elected fi xed the day of the train’s arrival teareth in pieces,” a prophecy representatives of its citizens. as August 3, 1857. From that day, repeated by The Book of Mormon The two governing systems are out of all the companies that had prophet, 3rd Nephi.3 Mormons incompatible. The Reformation followed the southern trail since then believed the “remnant of featured a fearful doctrine known 1849, some with cattle or sheep, Israel” referred to the Indians and as . the company from Arkansas the prophecies to their own time became a marked train, one and circumstances. In addition, some weeks after singled out for special treatment. they left Arkansas, Mormon Today such teaching is not taken Apostle Parley P. Pratt had been Early that same day, Apostle seriously. At that time, it was. brutally murdered in that state. George A. Smith left in a horse- In southern Utah, they took it He was killed by the vengeful drawn carriage on a fl ying visit to very seriously. The Cedar Stake husband of a woman he had the string of Mormon settlements patriarch in a prophetic blessing on taken as his twelfth polygamous along the route that led to the William H. Dame, then commander wife. But to believers, Pratt was Spanish Trail, near Cedar City, of Utah’s Southern Military a martyr of the faith, whose two hundred and fi fty miles to District, prophesied the offi cer’s blood cried for vengeance—not the south. At each settlement he mission. “Thou shalt be called to on the man who had taken his delivered orders from Brigham act at the head of a portion of thy life, but on the people of the Young to sell no food to the brethren and of the Lamanites nation and state, who allowed emigrants and to tell the Indians in the redemption of Zion and him to do it with impunity. The they have “got to help us or the the avenging of the blood of the popular apostle was killed in United States will kill us both.”2 prophets upon them that dwell on the same part of Arkansas the The latter order bore sobering the earth,” he promised. “The angel emigrants came from. implications. of vengeance shall be with thee.”4

Winter 2006 13 Unaware of the danger in their moderate head of the Southern As they neared the Spanish Trail, path, the emigrants followed Indian Mission and to replace Apostle Smith delivered the Paiute Apostle Smith south along the him with frontier zealot Jacob chiefs to Salt Lake where they met route of today’s I-15, but at a much Hamblin, who could be counted on with Brigham Young and his personal slower pace. In a horse-drawn to do as he was told. Smith ordered interpreter Dimick B. Huntington. vehicle the apostle averaged forty him to gather up the Southern Afterward Huntington said he gave miles a day, even after giving Paiute chiefs and bring them back them “all the cattle that had gone to sermons and issuing orders along with him to Great Salt Lake to Cal[ifornia] by the south rout.”5 The the way. Slowed by their herd, meet with Young. gift was an invitation to attack the the emigrants journeyed at a little Baker-Fancher train with the implied more than seven miles a day. Smith had done all this and was promise of help if needed. The Paiute After months on the trail, they halfway home when he and his chiefs knew what cattle he referred needed fl our and fresh vegetables, party, now enlarged by a dozen or to because they had seen them at especially for the children, but so Indians, met the Arkansas train Corn Creek. They left Salt Lake early they could not buy food at any at Corn Creek in central Utah. on September 2 to be at Mountain price. At Provo and Nephi, sharp The apostle camped within forty Meadows when the fi rst volley was words were exchanged because yards of the emigrants who voiced fi red fi ve days later. the settlements refused to permit fear at seeing Mormons and the emigrants’ cattle to graze on Indians together and doubled their Meanwhile, the emigrants passed common fi elds. An infl ammatory guard. Smith later claimed the Cedar City and crossed the gradual rumor spread that some train Arkansans poisoned the Pahvant swell that divides Great Basin waters members had helped murder the Indian band at Corn Creek, but from the head of the Colorado River. Mormon prophets, Joseph and there is no evidence to support On September 6, a Sunday, they Hyrum Smith. this charge. It, like all other camped at the scenic Spanish Trail tales of emigrant misbehavior, is location named Mountain Meadows Ahead of them, the apostle issued patently false, but still repeated, because it was more than a mile instructions, written and verbal, to for no apparent reason than to above sea level and provided ample those who would soon murder the convey the impression that “they water and grass. Here, some thirty- emigrants. He met with Colonel got what they deserved.” fi ve miles from the nearest settlement, Dame, mentioned before; John they felt secure enough to rest and D. Lee, ostensibly a lowly Indian The Corn Creek meeting actually to recruit their cattle for the desert farmer, but an adopted son of had nothing to do with poison stretch ahead after driving them hard Brigham Young under a sealing and everything to do with the for almost two weeks. But the spot ordinance long ago discontinued emigrants’ reaction at the sight of they selected – not close enough to a and a main fi gure in the massacre; Mormons and Indians traveling spring, and too close to the low hills Isaac C. Haight, president of the north together. Up to this point, around it – was indefensible. Cedar Stake of Zion; and Major halfway between Salt Lake and John Higbee, who would give Mountain Meadows, they had Early Monday morning, a deadly the order to kill the emigrants. traveled at less than eight miles a burst of gunfi re out of the pre- Lee later said that he always day. But from Corn Creek to their dawn darkness killed or wounded understood that Smith came to fi nal resting place, they hurried as many as ten men as they stood prepare the people for that bloody up to over twelve miles a day, silhouetted by the campfi re. The work. or about as fast as they could go fi rst volley’s destructive impact with a big herd after so long on suggests the involvement of white If so, an important part of Smith’s the trail. They were not looking Indian missionaries under John D. mission was to carry out Brigham for trouble. They were trying to Lee because the Paiutes had few Young’s order to dismiss the get away. fi rearms and little skill in using

14 Winter 2006 them. But the emigrants chained On Friday, 9/11/1857, John D. Lee away to have their throats cut. As their wagon wheels together, and William Bateman drove two he killed two wounded men in dug rifle pits and fought back. wagons into the little stronghold the wagon with one shot, Samuel Their resolute defense led to one under a white fl ag. Lee said they McMurdy reportedly prayed, “O of the bizarre episodes in this found the emigrants almost out of lord, my God, receive their spirits, story. ammunition, short of water and for it is for thy Kingdom that I do becoming desperate. He told them this.”7 Nephi Johnson later testifi ed Worried by the standoff, the their only hope was to turn over white men did most of the killing. head of Zion’s Cedar Stake their arms, “so as not to arouse Southern Paiute oral remembrance sent a rider to notify Brigham the animosity of the Indians,” agrees. Young that the Indians, real and place their lives under the and disguised, had corralled the protection of the Mormon military Next morning they covered the train. He asked, “What should arm, known as the Nauvoo Legion, bodies with a little dirt, which gave we do now?” Where else on which did double duty as the no protection from the coyotes. the frontier would they send territorial militia.6 They then formed a prayer circle, an Englishman with only one Lee said, and thanked God “for horse on a 500-mile ride to Soon after, the most heartbreaking delivering our enemies into our inquire what to do about Indians parade ever staged on American hands.” And they swore to keep attacking a party of mostly soil emerged from the camp. their role secret from everyone women and children? Anywhere Leading it was a wagonload of but Brigham Young, to always else, they’d know what to do, children under six years old. Then say the Indians alone did it, and to and, without a “by your leave,” came Lee on foot, followed by a kill anyone who broke this oath. do it. And where in western second wagon bearing two or three To excuse their Indian allies, the annals of heroic rides for help wounded men and one woman. initial story blamed the victims for does the hero come back to find Some distance behind walked what happened to them. They had that the settlers have helped the the women and older children. poisoned the Pahvants on Corn Indians kill the emigrants? After them, a quarter-mile or so to Creek, 140 miles to the north, and the rear walked in single fi le the brought it on themselves, the story On Wednesday night two young disarmed men, each escorted by an goes. But no Pahvants from Corn volunteers tried to slip out and armed guard. It was all carefully Creek took part in the atrocity. return to Cedar City to get help. planned. As the women and One had joined the train at Provo children entered a narrow place in Four days after the killing, to get away from Utah. Mormon the hills, heavy with brush, Major Brigham Young declared martial guards shot and killed him at a Higbee called out: “Halt. Do your law. He stamped the U.S. Army nearby spring. They wounded his duty.” expedition “an armed mercenary companion, too, but he escaped mob,” ordered the territorial to alert emigrants to white It was horrifi c. Each of the guards militia, or Nauvoo Legion, to involvement. On Thursday, three shot the man next to him. At the repel an imagined invasion, and other men slipped out after dark fi ring, Indians and painted whites shut down all travel “into or in a desperate attempt to reach swarmed out of the brush to kill through or from” an area of the California on foot. One got as women and children with knives, American West large enough far as Las Vegas Springs before hatchets and guns. The little enclose New England, New York, he was tracked down and killed. valley was fi lled with gunfi re and Pennsylvania, and Ohio, without a Meanwhile, a plan was hatched screams of women and children permit. The massacre and closure that same night to disarm the under murderous attack. Girls of overland trails led California’s Arkansans and decoy them into begged for their lives and cried newly elected fourth governor the open. out loud as they were dragged to voice alarm over the impact

Winter 2006 15 on immigration, “so essential in federal judge, John Cradlebaugh. After the Civil War, pressure developing the state’s resources.” It seemed that everyone west of grew from the outside and from To protect citizens traveling the Missouri River knew the truth, church members, as well, for an through U.S. territory, Governor except federal offi cials in Utah investigation and punishment of John B. Weller said, the “whole and Washington. The California the crime. So it was that one would power of the federal government newspapers had it right almost as pay the price for all. The year should be invoked.”8 soon as the fi rst reports reached the 1870 saw the excommunication West Coast. of John D. Lee. To get him out of Nearly three weeks after the the way, he was sent off to run the crime, John D. Lee reported to Yet for twenty years, only the U.S. ferry at a remote location on the Brigham Young, who undoubtedly Army investigated the massacre. Colorado River, now called Lee’s knew all about it by then. At this In 1859, Major James H. Carleton, Ferry. A year later, guilt-ridden point, a historian meets a familiar who later commanded Union former Cedar City bishop Philip phenomenon. In each of many forces in the Southwest during the Klingensmith appeared before the nineteenth-century confl icts Civil War, led a mounted company district court in Pioche, Nevada, between the Mormons and their from Los Angeles to Mountain and broke the oath of silence. neighbors, one almost always Meadows. He saw at once that “a discovers two squarely opposing, great and fearful crime” had been Still, nothing happened—and mutually exclusive, and highly committed. The offi cer called for good reason. The only man credible versions. the men who did it “relentless, with the power to conduct an incarnate fi ends,” but his report investigation and punish the guilty In his later confessions, Lee said was largely ignored in the events simply chose not to unless he he told Young all there was to tell, leading to the Civil War. Arthur controlled the outcome. Brigham including the names of those who H. Clark has published Major Young took such authority from took part. According to Apostle Carleton’s Report in a blood red a unique legal system created by Wilford Woodruff, Lee only told cover with a map and introduction Utah lawmakers after Congress Young that the emigrants had by Bob Clark. It’s worth much established the territory in 1850. poisoned the Indians who became more than the modest price. In brief, a pre-millennial theocracy enraged and alone killed them, applied democratic processes to sparing only a few children for Carleton and his men of Company create an exclusive legal system sale to the Mormons. Years later, K, collected and buried some of for a people who lived under a Young swore that Lee came two the bones and erected over them a higher law. But it gave little or or three months after the massacre monument of stones twelve feet high no consistent equal protection to and began to tell him about it, but topped by a cedar cross that bore the outsiders. he had stopped him. He’d heard words: “Vengeance is mine: I will rumors about it and didn’t want his repay saith the Lord.”9 The soldiers Not for twenty years did Congress feelings “harrowed up” by a recital had gone off to the Civil War two dismantle the territory’s controlled of the horrid details. years later when Brigham Young judiciary and restore the court visited the site. He read these words system it had meant to create in The end of the Utah confl ict in and said, “It should be vengeance the fi rst place. Six months after it 1858 introduced a period of cover is mine and I have taken a little.”10 passed the Poland Act in 1874, a up, obfuscation, appeasement His escort tore down the cross and federal marshal arrested John D. and bureaucratic bungling. scattered the stones. Three years Lee and others for the massacre. To avoid bloodshed, Young’s later Captain George Price and replacement as governor, Alfred Company M, Second California Lee’s two trials in 1875 and 1876 Cumming, scotched an attempted Volunteer Cavalry, camped there and stand as remarkable examples investigation by the fearless built it up again. of judicial string pulling, fi rst to

16 Winter 2006 exonerate, then to convict the same glory awarded in 1961 when religious zeal, the shedding of defendant. The fi rst 12-member LDS offi cials restored his church human blood for the remission of jury counted one inactive and membership and former blessings. certain sins, justice by inspiration, eight active Mormons and three He now lies under a marker the law of adoption, and others. so-called Gentiles. No faithful enigmatically engraved, “Know Mormon stepped forward to testify the truth and the truth shall make The bones tell of Arkansas farm against Lee, but enough evidence you free.” With that, the book on families who did not come to did come out to convict him. As Mountain Meadows was fi nally torment Utah settlers, but to pass expected, however, the panel closed. through their country on their way deadlocked, nine to three. Only the to make homes in California. The non-Mormons voted to convict. Except for the bones. The bones bones rebuke the slanders and false cried from the ground in 1859 testimony to justify and conceal The wave of indignation that now when Major Carleston buried the involvement of those who swept across the country alarmed many from victims of all ages and killed them. The bones speak of church leaders. Something had erected over them a monument of vengeance that fell on the wrong to be done to close the book on stones and a cross. The monument heads. They tell of innocent men, Mountain Meadows without was later torn down, but the bones women and children, deceived, incriminating anyone else. At the would not keep silent. The men of betrayed and slain for no rational same time, a new U.S. attorney Company M, Second California reason or purpose. was under pressure to gain a Cavalry, heard them and restored conviction. So the two sides struck it. The bones again cried from On the 142nd anniversary of the a deal. The prosecutor agreed not the ground six years ago, when massacre, September 11, 1999, over to implicate Brigham Young and the LDS church, in cooperation a thousand attended the dedication others. In return, Young sacrifi ced with the descendants of John D. of the new monument. In dedicating John D. Lee. He provided the Lee and family members of the it, LDS church president Gordon witnesses to convict his adopted emigrants, began work on a new B. Hinckley said he came as a son and guaranteed a unanimous memorial. A backhoe operator peacemaker. We cannot comprehend verdict. To make it look good, broke the earth and exposed the what happened here so long ago, as well as work, the prosecutor bones buried by Carleton’s men, he said. It was not a time for empaneled Mormon jurors only. uncovering a young woman’s skull recrimination, but a time to leave with a bullet hole in the crown, “the matter in the hands of God,” he As scripted, witnesses appeared broken children’s bones, arm and said. out of the sagebrush at Lee’s leg bones, scarred by coyote teeth. second trial in whatever number A self-disciplined county sheriff The day before the dedication, it took to seal his fate. The all- saw the children’s bones and was several hundred family members Mormon jury took less than four deeply moved. “That was what of the victims—Bakers, Mitchells, hours to fi nd their former friend really hit me hard,” he said.11 Fanchers, Dunlaps, Tackitts and and brother guilty, twelve to zip. It others—came from Arkansas was all neatly done. The bones tell of beliefs, long ago and across the country to attend outdated and forgotten: God’s special services in the valley on the John D. Lee, scapegoat for the kingdom as a sovereign theocratic headwaters of the Santa Clara River. sins of many, sat on the edge of state, the immediate coming of the They came to honor their slain early his coffi n at Mountain Meadows Son of Man, oaths to avenge the relatives and return to the earth their in 1877 and was shot to death by prophets’ blood, unquestioning troubling bones. Reverently, they fi ring squad. “The old man never obedience to religious authorities, bore them in little handmade arks fl inched,” one observer said. His American Indians as instruments to the new monument, where they reward was a passport to celestial of divine justice, uncontrolled placed them in soil from Arkansas.

Winter 2006 17 Afterward a Baptist preacher from Will’s current project is a trilogy the town of Springdale, Arkansas, on the Oregon-California Trails. concluded the services with a Entitled The Long and Perilous lesson from Mountain Meadows Journey, it is based on a historic for the living. It is one that seems resource survey that he has done especially appropriate as we for the Park Service that will come three weeks from today to appear on the internet. The three 9/11/2005, the 148th anniversary volumes are titled So Rugged and of the massacre and the fourth of Mountainous: The Blazing of the the worst terrorist attack in our Oregon Trail and the California history in terms of the number Trace (1840 to 1848); With Golden killed. No one knows the hour, or Visions Bright Before Them: The the way, he will be called home, Oregon California Trails and Reverend Stanton Cram said. If the Creation of the Mining West for you, it would be today, at this (1849 to 1852); and The War for place, as it was for them, he asked, the Medicine Road: The Oregon “Are you ready?” That’s a good Interview with Will Bagley California Trails and the Conquest question to think about, as well as of the American West (1853 to to end my talk on, and I do both [The editors: Will Bagley is 1869). now with thanks to each of you for an independent historian living your kind attention. in , Utah. For a Will describes himself as a number of years he wrote the “heritage Mormon” whose End Notes History Matters column for the ancestors were among the early Salt Lake Tribune. He is series pioneers to Utah. He is a member 1. David McCullough, “Knowing History editor of the Arthur H. Clark of the Utah Crossroads Chapter and Knowing Who We Are,” Imprimis, Company’s Kingdom of the West: of the Oregon-California Trails 34:4, April 2005. The Mormons and the American Association (OCTA). He spoke 2. Young to Hamblin, 4 August 1857, Juanita Brooks, The Mountain Frontier, a prize-winning multi- on Mormon-Indian relations at Meadows Massacre, 34-35. volume documentary history that the 2003 OCTA Conference in 3. See Micah 5:8 and The Book of includes Pioneer Camp of the Manhattan, Kansas, and was one Mormon, 3 Nephi 20:15-16. Saints, Thomas Bullock’s offi cial of the organizers of the 2005 4. William H. Dame Papers 20 February journal of the 1847 Brigham OCTA Conference in Salt Lake 1854, MS 2041, LDS Archives. 5. Dimick B. Huntington Journal, 1857- Young Company, Army of Israel: City. May 1859, LDS Archives, MS1419-2. Mormon Battalion Narratives 6. Lee, Mormonism Unveiled, 240. (with David Bigler), Scoundrel’s We interviewed Will in a telephone 7. Ibid, 241. Tale: The Samuel Brannan conversation between Salt Lake 8. Inaugural Address, Governor John B. Papers, and most recently, City, Utah, and Irvine, California, Weller, 8 January 1858, California State Library. Kenneth Owens’s on October 22, 2005.] 9. Romans, 12:19. Saints. Mr. Bagley’s book Blood 10. G. Kenney, ed., Wilford Woodruff’s of the Prophets, which is the ST (Spanish Traces) What inspired Journal, 5:577. topic of this interview, won the you to take on Mountain Meadows 11. New York Times, 15 August, 1999, 22. 2003 Caughey-Western History as a book project? Association Prize and the Caroline Bancroft History Prize from the WB (Will Bagley) I was actually Denver Public Library for the hired to do it. I had been reluctant best book of the year in western to tackle the subject because history. I knew that the sources were

18 Winter 2006 so problematic. In fact, a lot story beyond two obvious WB That the circumstances of her of the so-called “evidence” interpretations. One, to put it quite arrival were so effectively hidden about the massacre was actually simply, is that it was a conspiracy for generations convinced me her created years later, while solid to murder, and that the Fancher presence in Utah was the catalyst contemporary evidence was party was doomed from the for the Mountain Meadows destroyed, so the problems with moment it came into Utah. The Massacre. The fact that it was the evidence were immense. In subsequent cover-up and all the who brought April 1995 an ad appeared in the brouhaha indicate that. The other her to Utah was so deeply buried Salt Lake Tribune looking for a interpretation is that it was simply that even my dear friend Harold historian to do two years’ research one-damn-thing-after-another. Schindler, who spent forty years on the Fancher party. Thirtyfi ve I’m very much a one-damn-thing- turning up everything available people applied for it and I got it. after-another historian—events on Porter Rockwell, never learned It’s one of the reasons that I think often cascade out of control and about it.4 But when I saw an entry I’m the world’s luckiest historian. what starts out seemingly with in Elias Smith’s 1857 journal that a clear objective often winds noted Rockwell’s arrival on July When I began the research I up a complete muddle. There’s 23, 1857, with the widow Pratt, thought it would be very diffi cult, certainly evidence to support both I was amazed. All of a sudden if not impossible, to go beyond the arguments. I didn’t believe that I knew what had happened. conclusions that Juanita Brooks I would fi nd defi nitive evidence Because that telling fact had been reached.1 The summary of her that would allow me to pick suppressed, had been expurgated conclusions in her book, The between the two alternatives. And from other records and so carefully Mountain Meadows Massacre, I knew that people would say, suppressed, I became convinced is really a masterpiece. Mormon “All the evidence against Brigham that it was a conspiracy. I’m sure historians like to say that she Young is circumstantial. There’s the Mormon church’s historians vindicated Brigham Young, but no smoking gun; there’s nothing will argue it was an insignifi cant she did nothing of the sort—she that proves anything.” Well, in detail, but it wasn’t: it gave away said Brigham Young and George fact, you wouldn’t expect that. the ball game. A. Smith “set up social conditions The orders for such actions were that made it possible.” She generally couched in either code ST So the compelling evidence is believed the evidence indicated words or very ambiguous phrasing. not simply the fact that Rockwell Young had not ordered it and I certainly didn’t expect to fi nd brought her to Utah, but that they would have stopped it if he could, orders from Brigham Young to covered it up. but she stressed that this was based kill the Fancher party. So, I really on the evidence that was at that was very surprised when I learned WB It’s the cover-up. And time available to her, whereas in how Eleanor Pratt got to Utah, and that, I think, is the key to really fact the LDS church had hidden suddenly it was clear to me what understanding the Mountain an enormous amount of material had happened.2 Meadows Massacre. You can from Brooks. As she turned up support either thesis, but when more evidence on her own, she ST At the OCTA 2005 Conference historians try to come up with held Brigham Young directly in Salt Lake City, you stressed the an interpretation of history, it responsible for the massacre. She importance of the fact that Eleanor should be the one that is simplest believed “John D. Lee would McLean Pratt was rushed to Salt and answers the questions most make it to heaven before Brigham Lake in time for the Pioneer Day consistently. Well, the thesis that Young.” celebration by none other than the Mountain Meadows Massacre Porter Rockwell.3 Can you expand was a calculated, ordered mass But I still thought that it would on this; how does it function as murder is easy to support, because be very diffi cult to push the compelling evidence? all the subsequent actions fi t that

Winter 2006 19 pattern. But the thesis that, no, the show. But at the same time, WB The pre-1848 material is one thing led to another, Brigham he somehow manages to make not about mass murder; it is Lee didn’t want it to happen, and he you feel sorry for him. In all of simply telling the chronicle of his sort of sent orders down to stop Lee’s writings, right down to righteous work for the Kingdom it, but then afterwards he had to his journals, it’s always, “Poor, of God. He ran out of time and protect the guys who had done it, pitiful me. I’m such a nice guy, wrote his account of the massacre that keeps raising question after and the world just treats me not long before his execution, question. And the enormous lie badly.” (Laughs) “People are and he wrote several different that was manufactured to protect always taking advantage of me. versions of it. I was able to turn Brigham Young is an indictment Nobody appreciates my true up two basic newspaper accounts, all by itself. His alibi is just too righteousness.” It’s comical—or both of which differ in slight but complicated and convoluted to be at least very black humor—if you signifi cant ways from the one that believable. step back and look at it. was ultimately published in the book. The book’s purpose was to ST Lee’s Mormonism Unveiled ST You suggested that the second create a story that portrayed Lee as is a fascinating account of the book starts in 1848. Did his lawyer a sympathetic, even heroic, victim. early history of the church, the play a big role in editing that part And to do that, he could not admit kinds of religious experience of the autobiography? the most signifi cant fact about the common to LDS and members massacre, that it was organized of other churches of that era, and WB That’s quite controversial, and executed by the Mormons early Mormon history (Haun’s but I don’t believe it for a minute. under the direct command of John Mill, Nauvoo). At the same time, There’s no break in style and I D. Lee. If Lee had told the truth, Lee obviously distorts his own believe that the story in the book and said, “Oh yeah, me and my culpability at Mountain Meadows. is John D. Lee’s story—a lot of it’s friends went out and recruited the How did you use such information? a lie, but it’s the lie Lee settled on Paiutes, then we attacked the party after trying out many alternatives. and killed them all,” it would have WB Lee’s Confessions is really two The notion that it was all made up been an invitation for a lynching. books. Lee’s autobiography, which and inserted by William Bishop Lee had a different purpose: he only runs up to 1848, is one of the is contradicted by the evidence.9 wanted to shift blame to anyone most reliable and excellent sources Juanita Brooks also believed that else who was available. Partly, on early Mormonism. There are Lee wrote the massacre account. he shifted blame to George A. few other documents that capture Apparently the manuscripts were Smith and Brigham Young, but the the feelings and the passions of destroyed in the San Francisco key victims of his blame shifting these people. earthquake, so the actual evidence were the Paiutes. Now, in 1876 that would let us settle the ques- and 1877, when he was being ST He even he talks about the tion defi nitively no longer exists. tried, there was a tremendous Mormon culpability in the Missouri But there were people at the time fear and hysteria about Indians in “Mormon Wars.” who, in response to the charges the United States. Right before that Bishop had written it, did look Lee’s fi rst trial, Custer had died WB And his own culpability. at the manuscript and compare at Little Big Horn. But the notion (Laughs) I stand in awe of the it to the fi nished book; they said that the Paiutes could attack and Confessions of John D. Lee. Here’s that the confession was in John D. overwhelm a wagon train, and a book in which the protagonist Lee’s handwriting. in the meantime intimidate their admits that he engineered the Mormon neighbors into doing murder of 120 people, most of ST Could you clarify the distinc- something the Mormons didn’t them women and children. He tion between the pre-1848 and want to do, is simply preposterous. accepts responsibility for running post-1848 parts of the book? It denies the nature of the Paiute

20 Winter 2006 people, their style of warfare, and about the evil emigrants were WB And I hope that there is also the basic power equation between concocted. The Missouri Wildcats sympathy for the perpetrators. the Mormons and the Paiutes. The do not appear in the historical One of the element of the story I Mountain Meadows Massacre record until 1873. Believe it or was very surprised and pleased to was not caused or directed by not, most of the horrifi c stories of be able to present were the letters the Paiutes. It was an operation the emigrants’ behavior date from from the murderers themselves, organized, orchestrated and the 1890s. This is not credible trying to fi nd some sort of spiritual executed by Mormons. historical evidence. solace. George Spencer, who was a school teacher in St. George, Lee also tried to blame the event The new material that surprised wrote an impassioned letter that on the victims, by suggesting that me most were the accounts of wound up in the Brigham Young they brought it on themselves the surviving children. The best collection to a church leader in by their atrocious behavior. As of them is by Nancy Sephronia southern Utah. In it he pleaded for I began looking closely at the Huff, who was fi ve or six years spiritual advice and help. I later “Evil Emigrant Stories,” as I call old when the massacre happened. learned from Ken Sleight, who them, they became increasingly Her account was published in is a descendant of Spencer, and silly. I once heard a Mormon 1875, which means that it was who is a legendary character in historian do a paper trying to before the Lee trial and before his own right—he is the model for prove that the Fancher party the huge publicity from the Seldom Seen Smith in the Monkey included the Missouri Wildcats.10 trial began to infect the story of Wrench Gang—that Spencer This relied on Thomas Cropper’s the massacre. You can see the killed himself. These men were reminiscence, which was written infl uence of this publicity on the essentially thrown away. They’d seventy years after the event. stories of the other survivors. But done the bidding of their leaders, The memoir, which is quoted by her story is simple and direct and but they were betrayed. Brooks, described an event that powerful. The children’s stories led to the Gunnison Massacre in had something that none of the So, I hope that the book does 1853, not the Mountain Meadows accounts of the perpetuators, justice to three groups of people Massacre four years later. So it or of those that were making who have been vilifi ed and was clear in this particular case up excuses, had. They have abused unjustly—the victims that it was a confl ation. All the consistency. Virtually every one themselves, the Paiute nation, and confl icts that had happened in of the survivors mentions seeing the decent men who got caught up southern Utah between Mormons “Indians” go to the creek at in this event and followed orders, and emigrant parties—and there Hamblin’s ranch, wash off their sincerely believing that they were were many of them—were paint and become white again.11 doing God’s work. confl ated and tacked on to the For me that was one of the most Fancher party. Unfortunately, surprising and satisfying products ST We are curious as to why most of the contemporary of my research. It gives voice to the Fanchers were so unvigilant record of what the party actually these people. It provides evidence when they arrived at Mountain experienced was destroyed. to the surviving families that their Meadows. Didn’t they face a lot The emigrants’ documents were kin had done nothing wrong but of confl ict before arriving there destroyed in the massacre, and the show up in the wrong place at the that would have put them on their Mormon journals that would have wrong time. guard? documented their presence were destroyed. David Bigler found the ST We agree. We think that one WB The contemporary record only one that specifi cally mentions of the strong points of your book makes it clear that there were the Fancher party, the Pitchforth is the sympathy that you show for confl icts over grass, which would diary. All the rest of the stories the Fanchers. be absolutely credible because of

Winter 2006 21 what we know about overland and then to speculate. And I’m later on August 25, they were at travel and conditions in Utah. very adverse to speculating. There Corn Creek near the Indian farm, Every party that went through are real problems in fi guring out which is near today’s Fillmore. southern Utah had a hard time. how the massacre happened. They were traveling very slowly: The journals very consistently As I got more and more into they were going about eight miles express relief to get out of Utah, this research, I learned that the a day. So, we can see how slowly especially when they went Mormons’ initial plan was not they had been traveling from Salt through southern Utah, because to attack at Mountain Meadows, Lake. That would be consistent the hostility was so blatant, but rather to attack the train as it with their desire to get their cattle and the government was so was making the descent from the ready to make the crossing of the authoritarian. Many emigrants Santa Clara plateau down into Mohave Desert, and with the fact commented on how decent the Santa Clara Canyon. You can still that they didn’t want to get there individual Mormons themselves see today where the old wagon in September when it was too were, but complained about how trail went down the hillside; there hot. The later they reached the the authorities would use laws are big switchbacks and it’s very Mohave—ideally in late October— to run the equivalent of a pre- steep and treacherous. I believe the more advantageous it would be automobile speed trap. People that if they’d carried out their plan for them. Based on that, I tried to could be arrested for swearing on and attacked the train when it was fi gure out where they camped as the territorial road, or for letting strung out in that situation, they they went down to southern Utah. their animals graze on private could have started with a party Despite the very contradictory ground, or even on public ground. at either end, and by the time the and sometimes dishonest reports There were many, many ways two attacking parties got to the of when the Fanchers arrived that the Mormons would extort middle, there would have been no in southern Utah, I concluded money out of visitors, and they survivors who could have given that Jessie N. Smith, who was a applied them very cleverly. So, an account. Why did Lee decide Mormon offi cial, was accurate in the confl icts were much more to abandon that plan and do saying that they arrived at Red extensive than the Mormon something else? And why would Creek (present day Paragonah) on records might pretend. the Fanchers not have organized the 3rd of September. some sort of defensive camp? ST Given the hostility they faced The chronology really is an in Utah, why do you think that the Another question was, when did important way to interpret all this. Fancher party was relaxed enough the Fancher party get to Mountain David Bigler did the fi rst real at Mountain Meadows that they Meadows? In the Mormon analysis of “when they got where.” didn’t even bother to circle their accounts, the Fanchers arrived A critical question is when did they wagons or post scouts in the area? there several days before the get to Cedar City. We have many The Mormons were close enough attack. I’m not sure whether this reports that the Fanchers were in to hide in the surrounding bushes inaccuracy was because people’s Cedar City on a Friday, which and watch the Arkansans set up memories were bad or whether would be the 4th of September. their camp. it’s another diversion inserted Cedar City is 35 miles from into the historical record. But, in Mountain Meadows. These people, WB That was something that tracking the chronology of the after they camped with George puzzled me very much. How Fancher party’s locations, there A. Smith and his Indian allies on do you explain the fact that the are two reliable sources on where August 25, suddenly upped their Fanchers hadn’t even formed a they were when. On the 15th of pace from about eight miles a day wagon corral? It led me to do August, they were just north of to about twelve and a half miles a something I’m very reluctant to Nephi, Utah, which we get from day—and that last push was even do, which is to look at the facts Samuel Pitchforth’s diary; ten days faster.12

22 Winter 2006 ST They were frightened. ST You state in your preface that They offered travelers a place the massacre is a “watershed where they could at least take WB They seemed to be very event” and the most disturbing a break. And, for the fi rst time, concerned about what they had episode in the history of the LDS there was a place on the trail seen. When they got to Cedar church. Yet, there seems to be where emigrants could re-supply. City, there clearly was some sort much in the story that is relevant Remember, when early emigrant of confl ict. What exactly it was, I to the more general history of the trains tried to buy fl our at Fort was unable to tell from any of the trails. Can you speak to this? Bridger or Fort Hall, or even Fort sources. The Mormon accounts Laramie, the traders would just of the Fanchers’ depredations WB It’s the singularity of laugh at them because they didn’t in Cedar City are completely Mountain Meadows that makes have any fl our. But, once you had inconsistent; nobody tells the same it such a diffi cult event for an agricultural community of very story. But I think the Mormon historians. Historians are very hardworking, determined pioneers authorities took some hostile reluctant to criticize an ethnic in the Salt Lake Valley, they action that created a confl ict group, or especially a religion. were able to provide pretty much between the emigrants and the The Mormons had such a hard anything the emigrants needed. locals. Again it could have been history of being unfairly treated It was a symbiotic relationship. over the grass, or where they could and even persecuted that it is The Mormons arguably couldn’t camp, or swearing. But, then what diffi cult for historians, especially have succeeded without the happened the next two days? On non-Mormon historians, to step physical, material support that Saturday they pushed hard to back and say, “This confl ict really the emigration brought to them, get as far away from Cedar City was about religion and politics.” especially in 1849. Furthermore, as they could. On Sunday they Nevertheless, the Mormons did the Mormons were very good made a second big push so that something on the trail that nobody pioneers. They opened up several in two days they went thirty-fi ve else ever did. The Mountain trails and were very signifi cant miles. For a well-organized train Meadows Massacre couldn’t in the evolution of the overland in good terrain that would not be have happened any place else. wagon road. a hard pace, but this was tough Where else in the West would terrain, and it’s clear that they a substantial body of white Remember, the Mormons had were making a special effort. I people dress up as Indians and come to Utah to establish a believe that this effort is the key to attack a wagon train? There were Kingdom of God, an independent understanding why there was no white criminals who disguised theocracy. The nature of their wagon corral. Groups of wagons themselves as Indians, but those religious passions and beliefs pulled into Mountain Meadows were simply criminal operations. dictated that confl ict with the late on Sunday, so that it was Furthermore, the action was federal government, which had dark before everybody was into backed up by a state militia. That’s its own notions about who was camp. They felt that at last they what makes it diffi cult to relate going to govern the Great Basin, had gotten away, that they were Mountain Meadows to the broader was inevitable. The Mountain now outside of the main Mormon trail experience. Meadows Massacre was the settlements. They must have felt product of that confl ict. The that they were beyond the main On the other hand, it’s easy to confl icts that you see throughout threat. Because otherwise, they appreciate how important the the trail period, which come to would have made the extra effort Mormons were in the history of a head in 1857 when the federal to fort up. When Lee saw how the trails. Once the Mormons were government felt compelled to send vulnerable they were, he changed out here in Utah, they provided the army to Utah, is a function of his battle plan and attacked the huge advantages as well as big this confrontation—and Brigham next morning. problems to overland emigrants. Young’s decision to close the

Winter 2006 23 overland road and stage a horrifi c ST A book that we really WB Allegedly, Brigham Young Indian “massacre” is part and like is Judith Freeman’s Red concocted it to simplify English parcel of that struggle.13 It’s Water. Based on your research, spelling and make it easier to signifi cant and relevant because how close to reality is Judith teach. Some of the published it shows how diffi cult it is for Freeman’s take on Emma, Rachel academic studies of the Deseret a democratic republic to deal and Ann Lee, the three narrative alphabet raise the possibility that with a religious theocracy. The voices of Red Water? there was another purpose for this consequences of not dealing with besides simplifying spelling, and it can be horrifi c events, like the WB I think the book is inspired. that was to control what people Mountain Meadows Massacre. But that’s not an unbiased could read. If people could only opinion. I helped Judith with read the Deseret alphabet and if all ST It also could be viewed as a the research, and I gave her the that was published in the Deseret precursor to the Civil War, where memoir of Ann Gordge Lee alphabet was the , the we fought over secession. It was (who, I like to say, was the last Book of Mormon and the Mormon really a kind of secession. thirteen year old that John D. Lee scriptures, that would mean you ever married). It’s fascinating wouldn’t have to worry about WB Oh, it was, absolutely. I just to me, because, as historians, people going off and reading a came across a statement by Daniel we’re so constrained by certain bunch of things that might disturb Boorstin, in which he calls it rules. There is a very clear set them, or that might give them America’s unsung and inglorious of boundaries that surround ideas that you didn’t want them to fi rst civil war, which is exactly what we can do. Whenever you have. what it was. speculate, whenever you step over those boundaries, you ST This comes up in academic ST What new information did almost always, almost inevitably, writing? you get from your interviews with get into serious trouble. As a the descendants of the Arkansas historian, you have to stick with WB Often times they’ll say, emigrants? In what ways did they the evidence. You have to seek “People have proposed this, but contribute to your understanding that most consistent, dispassionate it’s just not true.” Well, it is true. of the Fancher-Baker party? answer. But that also tends to Of course it’s true. Brigham discount a lot of life that is Young was defi nitely into control WB The survivors’ families very hard to quantify through and power, and he didn’t put all preserve a feeling and a passion historical evidence: feelings, this cockamamie system together about this that impressed me most social position, the differences just to simplify spelling. It did of all. They still have a sense of between men and women in the have that other purpose. It’s loss about what happened, and a West, the complicated nature of silly to ignore it. But it was only baffl ement as to why it happened. Mormon , the realities when I read Judith’s use of that I once had a Fancher family of how life worked in America’s fact and saw how it shapes Ann member, who was a Disciple of most successful theocracy. One Gordge Lee’s world and world Christ, a very devout evangelical of the revelations in Red Water view that it really came home to Christian, ask me, “What did these that I thought was most revealing me what a potent interpretation people do wrong that God would was that, in the story, Ann Gordge it is. By creating a character that punish them?” I said, “They didn’t Lee only knew how to read the has that limitation, Judith is able do anything wrong, except be Deseret alphabet, the alphabet that to show how real it would have in the wrong place at the wrong Brigham Young created. been. To simply ignore that, as time.” But there’s still, among the one of the historical alternatives, descendants, a puzzlement as to ST We saw the alphabet at This is is dishonest. She also was able how and why this could happen. the Place, in Salt Lake City. to capture the passions and the

24 Winter 2006 feelings and, more than that, the ST was very good WB Mountain Meadows is a struggle between these English at making historically accurate critical example of how a very and American pioneers and their forgeries.15 important historic site is being environment. They had come out threatened by our modern of humid, green climates, and WB But Hofmann didn’t do this. consumer society. There are they were suddenly dumped in the My take on it is, if it’s a fake, vacation homes going up all over middle of the Great Basin in one they’ll prove it. History is too it, and there may be a golf course of the harshest environments in the complicated to create an artifact there some day. It would be a world. It was an incredible ordeal. 150 years later that doesn’t include crime against history to transform some fatal fl aw. The Drake’s Plate that haunted spot into another ST Last June, we visited Lee’s that all the experts in the 1930s trashed American landscape. Here Ferry, Arizona, where we spoke authenticated didn’t stand up to the nation’s obligation to its past with Allen Malmquist, the U.S. modern metallurgical analysis.16 is in danger of being derailed. Park Service employee who And in fact, the Clampers, who Part of the problem is that the discovered the “Lead Scroll” on actually perpetrated the fraud subject makes the Mormon church January 22, 2002.14 What is your had pretty much published and so nervous that they want to opinion regarding the authenticity announced that they did it very control it. They’ve done that in of the artifact? If it is authentic, soon after the joke got out of part by buying up a good bit of what do you think would prompt hand, if anybody had been paying the property. They seem to have Lee to write his confession on lead attention. So if the “Dead Lee control of a signifi cant amount rather than, say, paper? Scroll” is a forgery, it is likely the of the immediate site. What they forgers will be unable to keep the need to appreciate is that this WB Did Allen express an opinion? secret, because otherwise, what’s historical site is important for the point? If they never get credit reasons that extend beyond the ST No, he did not. for it, why go to all that trouble? interests of the Mormon church. If At the same time, I think that the the massacre had never happened WB Well, the problem with text sounds authentic. There are at Mountain Meadows, I think the artifact is that it has no Mormon handwriting experts that it’s entirely likely that we’d have provenance. When I fi rst heard disagree with me, but I think that had a National Monument there, the story, I thought that this was what’s on the scroll itself is exactly simply because it was such a an obvious fraud. We have no what John D. Lee would have signifi cant historical place. It was explanation of how it wound up wanted to leave behind. Using a so important in the history of the on the fl oor in the rat droppings. metal plate is something that would Old Spanish Trail, to the story of Without a good knowledge as to be very attractive to a 19th-century the emigration to California, and how it got there, it’s very hard to Mormon. But until we know where to the pioneering of the Southwest. have any sort of defi nitive opinion it came from, well, we’ll never It was highly praised by John about it. But, despite my initial know. One thing is, you’ll never C. Frémont, it had an infl uence skepticism, when I read the text, I prove it’s authentic. All you can do on trappers and explorers, and it thought, “Oh, my God, that’s John is prove that it’s a fake. But if it is a preserves dozens if not hundred D. Lee.” So far, the hard scientifi c fake, I think they’ll prove it. of ancient archeology sites. The analysis has shown one thing, fact that the largest violent loss of which is that the scroll appears to ST One of the most important goals life in the history of the Oregon- be made using lead that came from of trail organizations such as OSTA California Trails took place at a mine that closed around 1870. and OCTA is to help preserve key Mountain Meadows means that The mine was used again after trail sites. What is the status of the federal government should 1980 or so, but this lead seems to the preservation of the Mountain assume responsibility for the site be an artifact of the 19th century. Meadows site? and should protect it and help

Winter 2006 25 maintain its historic integrity. The 2. Eleanor McLean Pratt was the widow of punished often comes up and seeks in vain LDS church needs to realize that the beloved LDS apostle Parley P. Pratt, for an answer.” it is in its best interest to have who was murdered in western Arkansas in 7. Territorial Judge John Cradlebaugh (1819- a third party manage the site. If May 1857. Vengeance for Pratt’s death was 1872) initiated the fi rst investigation into they simply stand by and let the undoubtedly a motive for the murder of the the Mountain Meadows Massacre. place be trashed, they’ll look as if Arkansas-based Fancher party. 8. An adopted son of Brigham Young, John they’re calloused and indifferent to 3. Orrin Porter Rockwell (1813-1878) was D. Lee was U.S. government Indian anyone’s history but their own. one of the early converts to the Church of Agent in Iron County. He became the Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served central fi gure in the Mountain Meadows ST Do you have anything to say in as bodyguard to both Joseph Smith and Massacre. In October 1870 Brigham conclusion? Brigham Young. A controversial fi gure, Young excommunicated him from the he was the reputed Mormon “Destroying Mormon church for his role in the affair. WB Yes. The inescapable fact Angel,” a notorious gunman, and a In an effort to escape arrest, Lee moved to about the Mountain Meadows religious zealot. a remote crossing of the Colorado River, Massacre is that there’s a big 4. A writer at for over where he established Lee’s Ferry, which dark question that seems to loom fi fty years, (1929-1998) connected southern Utah with Mormon behind all these studies. And the is the author of Orrin Porter Rockwell: settlements in northeastern Arizona. Lee question is, “Did Brigham Young Man of God, Son of Thunder (Salt Lake was arrested in November 1874, and was do it?” But I don’t think that is City: University of Utah Press, 1966. tried and convicted of murder at Mountain the most important question about Second edition, 1983), Crossing the Meadows. He was executed by a fi ring the massacre. The most important Plains: New and fascinating accounts of squad at the meadows on 23 March 1877. question is, what can we learn the hardships, controversies and courage 9. William Bishop was John D. Lee’s from this event about human experienced and chronicled by the 1847 lawyer in both the fi rst and second trial. nature and human life? For me, pioneers on the Mormon Trail (S.L.C: The He was also Lee’s literary executor and the most diffi cult question is, what Salt Lake Tribune, 1997); and In Another was the editor for his autobiography and makes decent men commit horrifi c Time: Sketches of Utah History (Logan: confession, Mormonism Unveiled. crimes? Mountain Meadows is an Press, 1998). 10. Some early writers about the massacre especially troubling example of 5. Former OCTA president David L. Bigler is claimed that a group of young ruffi ans, that because these men were so the author of the award-winning Forgotten known as the Missouri Wildcats, completely convinced that they Kingdom: The Mormon Theocracy in the accompanied the Fancher train. were doing God’s will. I gave a American West, 1846-1896; the editor of 11. Brigham Young appointed Jacob series of talks in Arkansas last The Gold Discovery Journal of Azariah Hamblin to be president of the Southern fall and I fi nally came up with a Smith and A Winter with the Mormons: Indian Mission to the Paiutes on August statement that summarizes my The 1852 Letters of Jotham Goodell; and 4, 1857. Hamblin’s ranch was at the conclusions: “God save us all from the coeditor of Army of Israel: Mormon upper end of the Meadows, about two men doing God’s work.” Battalion Narratives. miles from the site of the massacre. 6. Commanding a troop of U. S. dragoons 12. Mormon apostle George A. Smith End Notes from California, U.S. Army Brevet Major was a cousin of the prophet Joseph James H. Carleton (1814-1873) was Smith and a commander of the Nauvoo 1. A noted Utah historian, Juanita Brooks the fi rst federal offi cer to investigate the Legion in southern Utah. In John (1898-1989) is famous for the integrity massacre. He visited the site in 1859, D. Lee’s version of the story, Smith with which she examined the tragedy two years after the tragedy. In his report brought the orders to kill the Fanchers of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. to Congress, he stated: “In pursuing the to southern Utah. On the 25th of August, Two of her best known books are The bloody thread which runs throughout this Smith camped with a mixed party of Mountain Meadows Massacre (1950) and picture of sad realities, the question of how Mormons and Paiute Indians near the John Doyle Lee: Zealot, Pioneer Builder, this crime, that for hellish atrocity has no Fancher party at Corn Springs, south of Scapegoat (1961). parallel in our history, can be adequately Fillmore.

26 Winter 2006 13. The background to the Mountain Young and the Massacre at Mountain A Tour of Mountain Meadows Massacre was the so-called Meadows. Norman: University of Meadows Sites of 1857, during which President Oklahoma Press, 2002. Buchanan sent federal troops, under the Bigler, David L. Forgotten Kingdom: The by Deborah and Jon Lawrence command of Albert Sydney Johnston, Mormon Theocracy in the American West, to suppress a perceived rebellion by the 1847-1896. Spokane, Washington: Arthur citizens of Utah Territory. The resulting H. Clark, 1998. A few years ago we drove by confrontation was ultimately resolved Brooks, Juanita. The Mountain Meadows Mountain Meadows on our way to peacefully. Massacre. Stanford, California: Stanford Salt Lake City. Not knowing the 14. In January 2002, Allen Malmquist University Press, 1950. Paperback edition history behind this beautiful site, discovered a lead sheet buried under debris with foreword by Jan Shipps, 1991. we bought several books, where in the old fort at Lee’s Ferry. The lead Carleton J. H. The Mountain Meadows we learned that members of the sheet, signed by J.D. Lee, asserts that he Massacre: A Special Report by J. H. Fancher-Baker party, emigrants acted at Mountain Meadows “on orders of Carleton BVT. Major U.S.A. Captain 1st from Arkansas who were traveling Pres Young thro Geo Smith.” Dragoons 1859. Spokane, Washington: The to California in late 1857 via the 15. A disaffected member of the Church Arthur Clark Company, 1995. wagon road from Salt Lake City of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Cates, Nancy Huff. Letter in “The Mountain to Los Angeles, were massacred Mark Hofmann, is a skilled forger who Meadow Massacre: Statement of one of the by a party of Mormons from murdered two people in Salt Lake City. Few Survivors.” Daily Arkansas Gazette, nearby settlements in southern He is currently serving a prison sentence 1 September 1875, 66:240, 3/1. Utah. This was the most violent at the Utah State Prison in Draper, Utah. Fielding, Robert Kent and Dorothy S. incident and, perhaps, the greatest His most famous Mormon forgery, the Fielding. The Tribune Reports of the tragedy associated with the Salamander Letter, was purchased by LDS Trials of John D. Lee for the Massacre at emigrant trails. Bishop, Steven F. Christensen in 1984 for Mountain Meadow. Higganum, Conn: $40,000. Simon Worrall’s book, The Poet Kent’s Books, 2000. The Mountain Meadows Massacre and the Murderer: A True Story of Literary Freeman, Judith. Red Water. NY: Pantheon, can only be understood in the Crime and the Art of Forgery (Dutton 2002. context of the early mistreatment Publishing, 2002), chronicles Hofmann’s Lee, John D. Journals of John D. Lee, 1846-47 of the Mormons by citizens of life. and 1859. Edited by Charles Kelly. Salt Missouri and , the murder 16. The Drake’s Plate of Brass is a forgery Lake City: 1938. of the Latter-day Saint Apostle that purports to be the brass plaque that ————. A Mormon Chronicle, the Diaries Parley P. Pratt in Arkansas, and Francis Drake posted when he landed in of John D. Lee, 1848-1876. Edited by the 1857 “Utah War” wherein northern California in 1579. The hoax, Robert Glass Cleland and Juanita Brooks. federal troops under the command initially perpetrated in 1936 by E Clampus San Marino, Calif.: Huntington Library, of Albert Sydney Johnston were Vitus, a playful fraternity of California 1955. converging onto Utah to suppress history enthusiasts, was successful for forty ————. Mormonism Unveiled or Life a perceived rebellion against the years. and Confession of John D. Lee and U.S. government. The history of Brigham Young. Reprint, facsimile issue. these events is ably and fairly Bibliography Albuquerque: Fierra Blanca Publications, recounted in Will Bagley’s 2001. Blood of the Prophets, the fi rst Abbey, Edward. The Monkey Wrench Schindler, Harold. Orrin Porter Rockwell: major treatment of Mountain Gang. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1975. Man of God/Son of Thunder, 2nd edition. Meadows since Juanita Leavitt Backus, Anna Jean. Mountain Meadows Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, Pulsipher Brooks’ The Mountain Witness - The life and times of Bishop 1983. Meadows Massacre in 1950. Philip Klingensmith. Hurricane, Utah: Worrall, Simon. The Poet and the Murderer: A less scholarly study, Sally AJB Distributing, 2004. A True Story of Literary Crime and the Art Denton’s American Massacre was Bagley, Will. Blood of the Prophets: Brigham of Forgery. New York: Dutton Books, 2002. published in 2003.

Winter 2006 27 We became so interested in the small gift shop/bookstore with a Fort Drive in an attempt to locate tragedy that, following the June good selection of works relating the old Cedar City site-Fort Cedar 2005 OSTA Conference in Las to Mountain Meadows. Before monument, but either the marker Vegas, we toured several key sites leaving the museum, we picked had been removed or it was buried connected with the massacre, up a historical tour guide of Cedar in the tall weeds along the road. including sites associated with City. both the Mormon and non- We successfully located the Mormon participants. Using the guide, we drove 1.6 Pioneer Iron Works marker on miles north of Main and Center the east side of First East at 400 Parley Pratt, one of the original Streets to the Wagon Box Fort North. A large blast furnace and twelve apostles of the LDS marker, located at the site of the foundry were at this site. Next, church, was sent in 1850 to fi rst Cedar City encampment. The we found the site of Chaffi n Grist explore southern Utah. The lack settlement was given the name Mill. Located just north of 200 of iron was a particular concern of Fort Cedar because of the South, between 200 South and to Utah pioneers and when abundance of trees which were Coal Creek, this fl our mill was iron deposits were constructed in the 1850s discovered nearby, and operated for a few Brigham Young called years by John D. Lee. for volunteers to settle Lee, an adopted son of the Iron Mission area. Brigham Young, was an Cedar City was fi rst important and infl uential settled by the Mormons early pioneer in southern in November 1851, and Utah. Born in Kaskaskia, a small blast furnace Illinois, in 1812, he had was constructed ten been an early Mormon months later. In addition convert; he had suffered to being an interesting persecution in Far West area of early Utah and Nauvoo; and he had history, Cedar City helped in the Mormons’ was home to several move west to Utah. of the leaders of and He was devoted to the participants in the church. The signifi cance massacre. We began our Mountain Meadows. photo by Jon Lawrence of his relationship with tour there. Brigham Young is evidenced by the sixteen wives he had been We stopped by the Iron Mission called “cedar” trees, although permitted to marry over the years. Park Museum, located on the west actually they are junipers. As Along with Cedar City residents side of the street at 589 North more iron workers arrived, the such as Isaac C. Haight, John M. Main. The museum has a nice fort became too small, and in Higbee, and Philip Klinginsmith, collection of wagons, small but 1853 a new and larger fort was he was called by the LDS Apostle informative panels on early history built on the south bank of the George Smith to help in the (Escalante, the Old Spanish Trail, stream adjoining the old site to the confrontation with the Fancher including an old Utah highway southwest, but it was abandoned in party, and he played a leading marker full of bullet holes, and 1855 when the present Cedar City role in the massacre. According to the Frémont expedition), an location was established. With the Lee, he received his orders from informative exhibit on the history help of our Cedar City historical Haight at a meeting in Cedar City of the Iron Mission area, plus a guide, we drove along the Old in early September. “[W]e took

28 Winter 2006 some blankets and went over to the On the old Iron Works, and lay there that morning of night, so we could talk in private.”1 September 7, 1857, An unusually large wagon Mormons train, the Fancher-Baker party from Cedar included some 130 emigrants, City and mostly from Arkansas, and over nearby areas a thousand head of cattle and disguised two hundred horses. Taking the themselves southern route to California as Indians from Salt Lake City, through and, together Provo, Nephi, and Fillmore, with their they arrived in Cedar City on Southern Friday, September 4th, where Paiute allies, again settlers refused to sell opened fi re Monument at Mountain Meadows. photo by Jon Lawrence them food. The Fancher caravan on the Fancher then reached the Old Spanish camp from a We walked up the hill to the Trail, their road to southern nearby arroyo. After a four-day overlook where there is a granite California, went through the battle and siege, they pretended memorial listing the names of the village of Pinto and then passed to come as rescuers under a victims and survivors. There are Jacob Hamblin’s crude summer fl ag of truce. With John D. Lee interpretive signs along the way. ranch house on Meadow Creek in the lead, the emigrants were From the top, we gazed out at the at the northern end of Mountain marched into the fi eld. About a open valley. To our left was the Meadows. Here at the meadows, mile away from their campsite, site of the Fancher encampment the weary emigrants intended to all but approximately seventeen near the western spring on the graze and rest their stock before children under the age of seven southern end of the narrow undertaking the long stretch of were massacred. These seventeen part of the meadows. Squinting desert that lay ahead. children were taken into through our binoculars, we tried Mormon homes. The remains to imagine the suffering that had After spending the night in of the victims were hurriedly occurred here in the fall of 1857. Cedar City, we shadowed the thrown into shallow depressions A broad meadow surrounded by Fancher caravan’s route 35 miles and ravines and subsequently wilderness, it is a beautiful and southwest to Mountain Meadows. scattered over the immediate very moving site. Mountain Meadows is in the area by storms and wild animals. southwestern corner of Utah, in On May 20, 1859, Major James To an important degree, the severe the present county of Washington Henry Carleton and his men opposition of most and about eight miles south of buried bones from thirty-four to the Mormon church in the the town of Pinto. About ten skeletons in a grave and erected 1830-1860 period resulted from miles in length and one in width, a rude conical monument. It the LDS practice of polygamy. Mountain Meadows resembles an was surmounted by a red cedar While the mainstream Mormon elongated diamond. It is divided cross with the carved inscription: Church banned polygamy in the into northern and southern halves VENGEANCE IS MINE: I WILL late 1800s and excommunicates by a low bald ridge, which John REPAY, SAITH THE LORD. The those who practice it, several C. Frémont identifi ed as the south U. S. Army forces at Camp Floyd fundamentalist Mormon rim of the Great Basin. Mountains helped return the seventeen settlements continue the practice. surround the meadows. children to relatives in Arkansas. These include the polygamous

Winter 2006 29 towns of Colorado City, Arizona businesses lay before us. This of such authoritarian sects. (called Short Creek until 1962), was Colorado City. We took one We were relieved when we broke and Hildale, Utah. These towns of several unmarked dirt roads free of the town and were back on are home to at least three that led into town. What we saw asphalt again, heading east towards Mormon fundamentalist sects, was jolting—it was backward- Lee’s Ferry. including the Fundamentalist looking and primitive. Girls and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter women wore ankle length dresses For many years, John D. Lee Day Saints (FLDS).2 With a and white stockings appropriate was protected by LDS authorities combined population of about to an earlier era. Conspicuously against Federal investigation for 10,000, the towns sit at the foot unacknowledged, we spotted his role in the massacre. However, of the majestic Vermillion Cliffs. an occasional pickup truck, but in 1870, Young advised Lee to Warren Jeffs is the prophet, or for the most part, the dirt streets move south. Two months later leader of the FLDS. Members of were deserted. Constructed of Lee learned that he had been the FLDS are forbidden to watch particle board, the houses were excommunicated. In November television or read magazines or unusually large and rectangular 1871, he received orders to “make newspapers, and its a Road to the crossing leaders routinely evict of the Colorado River.” those who differ with Accompanied by two of them over religious his wives and thirteen practices. Worth of his children, Lee an estimated $150 went into exile and million, the FLDS established the fi rst trust, commonly known Colorado River crossing as the United Effort near the mouth of the Plan, maintains legal Paria River. According control of all property to Jon Krakaur, “[t]he and buildings. In June polygamous roots of 2005, a Utah probate Colorado City, née Short judge stripped the Creek, lead back to John polygamist leaders D. Lee” and this dismal from fi nancial control outpost (262). Due to of their sect. This the shale deposits which move is expected to Cabin at Lonely Dell. photo by Jon Lawrence slope to the river here, it bring wide changes to the was the only place to cross the community. Colorado River for 260 miles. in shape, and most of them were The settlement is still known as Believing that some exposure to in an unfi nished state. The size “Lee’s Ferry.” When Emma Lee polygamous communities would of these houses and the number saw the isolated valley that was enhance our appreciation of the of cars and pickups in each to be her new home, she cried, early opposition to the Mormons, driveway suggested to us that “Oh, what a lonely dell,” and since we drove east on Highway 389 large families dwelt therein. Only then the ranch has been known as across the Arizona Strip, which a few houses were in good repair, the Lonely Dell. The remoteness straddles Utah and is cut off from probably because only a few of of the area made it attractive to the rest of the state of Arizona by the more powerful members of polygamists and it, along with Short the Grand Canyon. Suddenly, a these sects control the fi nances of Creek, became a haven for men sprawl of houses and a sprinkling the community. Perhaps this is an with plural wives. In 1928 when of not very prosperous looking inevitable result of the lifestyle access to Lee’s Ferry was improved

30 Winter 2006 Malmquist uncovered a twelve- by-eighteen-inch “scroll” of lead with a confession signed J. D. Lee. Malmquist showed us the Johnson House foundation, which overlays Emma’s cabin, and he let us in the Samantha Johnson cabin. He also answered many of our questions regarding Lee’s life at the ferry. We learned from him that Rachel Lee stayed twenty miles up the Honeymoon Trail at Rachel’s (later Jacob’s) Ponds. After John D. Lee died, Emma remained at the Lonely Dell a few years and then moved to Winslow, AZ, where she worked as a midwife. She married Mr. French, a non-Mormon. When With Allen Malmquist at Lonely Dell. photo by Jon lawrence asked about Judith Freeman’s novel Red Water, Malmquist said and the number of outsiders to the built another log cabin in 1881 that many of the locals found it area increased, the polygamous for his wife Samantha Johnson. objectionable.3 families moved to the more A second existing cabin was isolated Short Creek. probably built by Jerry Johnson, Before we returned to the the son of Warren and Samantha. parking lot, we walked down the The hot sun cast its light against In 1886 Warren Johnson built a road a few hundred yards to the the surrounding red cliffs. The large frame house for his families. ranch cemetery which contains sky was cloudless. We straggled They built their wood framed graves dating from 1874 to up the dirt road from the parking house on the site of Emma Lee’s 1933. Four of Warren and area where we had purchased a cabin. In 1926, this house burned Permelia Johnson’s children are “Walking Tour Guide” for $1.00. to the ground. The most modern buried here. After contracting The complete tour of the orchard, building on the Lonely Dell diphtheria from a passing log cabins, stone ranch house, Ranch was built by a Hopi stone traveler in 1891, the four and pioneer cemetery was a very mason, Poli Hungavi, for Leo Johnson children died within a hot one-mile round trip, and we and Hazel Weaver in 1935-36. A period of seven weeks. were grateful that we had bought nearby orchard maintained by the a bottle of water with us. National Park Service continues Since we had business farther the Lonely Dell’s impression of east, we decided to continue We walked to the site that is an oasis in the desert. our investigation by exploring believed to be where John D. the relevant sites in Arkansas. Lee built his cabin. A dugout We circled around the stone Reaching the Arkansas border root cellar is nearby. After the house until we came to the front was far easier now than in the departure of Emma Lee, Warren door. Just inside the screen door Fanchers’ day. Fueled by our $3- Johnson took over the operation stood Allen Malmquist, a Park a-gallon gas, we tooled down the of the ferry. His fi rst wife moved Service employee. We were interstate and took turns reading into Emma Lee’s cabin, and he ecstatic. On January 22, 2002, aloud Blood of the Prophets.

Winter 2006 31 Hector McLean murdered Parley report of the murder to the leaders beautiful and quiet spot. President Pratt, one of the original twelve of the church put the blame on the Hinkley came and re-dedicated it a apostles of the LDS church, near state of Arkansas. She asked them couple of years ago. Van Buren, Arkansas—the same to avenge her martyred husband’s part of Arkansas where the Fancher innocent blood. We drove north, this time stalking train originated. McLean’s wife, the Fanchers. We checked our map Eleanor, met Pratt and converted to When we arrived in Van Buren, and thumbed through Bagley’s Mormonism. She left her husband, Arkansas, we located the Tourist Blood of the Prophets for any who violently disapproved of Information Center at 2915 information on the whereabouts of her conversion. Although legally Interstate 40. Donna House told us the Fancher homestead. We knew married to McLean, she was that Parley Pratt’s gravesite was that the Fancher emigrant party sealed by Brigham Young to Pratt nearby. She suggested we go to the was organized in northwestern for time and eternity, making her Alma police station. At the station, Arkansas and principally in Carroll the twelfth of the apostle’s plural the receptionist made a phone call County. Alexander Fancher settled wives. In 1856, she attempted to to Lieutenant Jayson Peppas. It near Osage. Near the county retrieve her three children, who was Sunday and Lieutenant Peppas line, we crossed the Osage River were staying with her parents was in church, but he was on duty and drove into the small town of in . Enraged at his and took the call. The lieutenant Osage. We stopped for information wife’s betrayal, Hector McClean agreed to take us to the cemetery. at the Osage Clayworks, which had Parley Pratt captured and We met him in the LDS church is located in the Stamps General brought to trial in Fort Smith, parking lot just as the members Store, a three story native stone where Pratt was acquitted. After were fi ling out the door to their building built in 1901. We talked Pratt’s release, the aggrieved cars. to Newt Lale, the resident potter McLean caught up with him and and asked him about the Fanchers. stabbed him to death near Alma, Lieutenant Peppas is a large As so often happened on our trips, Arkansas. This incident happened man; his towering physique is we hit paydirt. Newt walked out in May 1857, only two weeks matched by a warm personality. to his front porch and pointed up after the Fancher party had left Originally from Illinois, he is an the road. “The Fancher cemetery Arkansas for California. Eleanor’s active member of the LDS church. is located about a mile east of Jayson Osage on the Delmar Road on told us that the Benny McCoy place, which “according was the original Fancher place,” to local he drawled. With his directions, folklore, we easily found the Old Fancher Parley Pratt Cemetery. The graveyard occupied was fooling a small, weedy plot behind an old around barn. The fi rst headstone we saw with their marked the grave of Christopher women.” “Kit” Carson Fancher, one of Leaving the the seventeen surviving children parking lot, who were returned to Carrollton, we followed Arkansas, in 1859.4 him to Parley Pratt’s burial As we drove back down the site at the top road toward Osage, we stopped of a grassy briefl y at the New Fancher Parley Pratt’s grave, Alma, AK. photo by Jon Lawrence knoll. It is a Cemetery, which has the more

32 Winter 2006 emigrant wagons headed south. The road party. passed through the small towns of Nephi, Fillmore, Beaver, and Back in the Parowan, Cedar City, and Pinto car, we gave before it crossed the Harmony each other Mountains to Mountain Meadows. high fi ves and boasted Our fi rst stop was Beaver, the of our good birthplace of Butch Cassidy. In fortune. We 1872, the federal government checked intensifi ed their investigation of our map the Mountain Meadows Massacre. and tourist Warrants were sent out for the literature and arrest of nine Mountain Meadows then picked participants, including Lee. At the up the road fi rst trial, the jury deadlocked, and Kit Carson Fancher grave site, Osage, AK. photo by Jon Lawrence to Harrison. Lee was taken to the territorial We drove to penitentiary in Salt Lake to await a the Harrison second trial. According to Juanita recent burials, and then pressed Court House where we found Brooks and Will Bagley, the LDS on towards Carrollton, eight miles the monument erected to the leaders decided to sacrifi ce Lee as east of Osage. This is where the Fancher party. It lists both those a scapegoat, thus allowing others to seventeen children arrived in who died in the massacre and the go free. Carroll County on September 15, children who survived. We then 1859, two years after the massacre. drove approximately four miles The U. S. Army built Fort Cameron We pulled over at a small park south of Harrison to the site near in Beaver City in response to Indian to read the historical markers Crooked Creek where their wagon hostilities and to aid the 2nd District which commemorated the return train assembled in April 1857; a Court in its prosecution of John D. of the orphans. While we were historical marker at the side of the Lee. Lee’s two trials were held in reading the plaque, an elderly road marks this spot. Beaver and for a short time, he was man in bib overalls and a T-shirt imprisoned in the fort. The fi rst trial strolled up and asked us what Five weeks later, we returned to began July 23, 1875, on the upper our interest was in the children Utah. We decided to visit a few fl oor of the Beaver City Cooperative, of the Fancher party. He seemed more sites relating to the Mountain but because of the number of unsurprised to learn that we were Meadows tragedy. spectators, it had to be moved to the following the trail of the Mountain saloon next door.5 Lee returned to Meadows tragedy. At eighty-nine, The Fancher caravan arrived in Beaver for his second trial, which his memory was sharp. He said Salt Lake City in early August opened on September 11, 1876. He that when he was very young he 1857. Where they camped and was found guilty and sentenced to knew an old woman in Harrison, the reception they received from die on October 10, 1876. On March Arkansas, who had been one of the LDS residents continue to be 23, 1877, twenty years after the the survivors. He suggested that subjects of controversy. They had massacre, John D. Lee was executed we see the Mountain Meadows two routes to California to choose by a fi ring squad at the siege site—no historical marker at the Harrison between: the northern trail along other person was ever convicted of Courthouse and then drive four the Humboldt River and the road any role in the Mountain Meadows miles south on Highway 7 to through the southern settlements. Massacre. His last words were, view the jumping off place of the On August 5, 1857, the Arkansas “Center my heart, boys!”

Winter 2006 33 Harvey Lee met the Bibliography wagon carrying Lee’s body at Paragonah and Bagley, Will. Blood of the Prophets: accompanied it to Caroline Brigham Young and the Massacre Lee’s home and then to at Mountain Meadows. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2002. the Panguitch cemetery for Bishop, William, ed. Mormonism burial. According to the Unveiled; or the Life and Confessions owners of the B & B, local of the Late Mormon Bishop, John D. tradition says that the Lee’s Lee. St. Louis: Bryan, Brand & Co., body was reburied in the 1877. Brooks, Juanita. John Doyle Lee: Zealot, basement of Caroline Lee’s Pioneer Builder Scapegoat. Glendale, house because the family Calif.: Arthur H. Clark, 1961. Reprint was afraid that someone Salt Lake City: Howe Brothers, 1982. would attempt to steal the ---. The Mountain Meadows Massacre. body from his frequently Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1950. Reprint Norman: desecrated grave. After we University of Oklahoma Press, 1962. left the house, we drove to Third revision, fourth printing, 1970. the Panguitch cemetery. On Denton, Sally. American Massacre: the stone slab that covers The Tragedy at Mountain Meadows, Lee’s grave is the following September 1857. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003. inscription: “Know the Freeman, Judith. Red Water. New York: John D. Lee grave site, Panguitch, UT. Truth, and the Truth shall photo by Jon Lawrence Pantheon Books, 2002. make you free.” Krakauer, Jon. Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith. New We visited the Beaver Courthouse, On April 20, 1961, John Doyle Lee York: Doubleday, 2003. which was built in 1882. Although was restored to full membership in the courthouse museum was the LDS church. closed, a docent and several of her family members were inside. She kindly gave us a private tour of the exhibits. Afterwards, she stood on For the record the front steps and pointed down End Notes the street to the Lee trial sites. In the Fall 2005 issue of Spanish 1. Bishop, ed., Mormonism Unveiled, 225. Traces, Carol Corbett was the We drove on to Panguitch and 2. The 1953 raid on Short Creek by Arizona state troopers is the subject of author of the article on the Virgin located the home of Lee’s wife The Child Bride of Short Creek, a fi lm River diversion project. Caroline at 185 S 300 E. Here made for television (1981). on November 7, 1874, Marshal 3. Judith Freeman’s Red Water revolves We also apologize to those whose around the Mountain Meadows William Stokes and his agents names we mis-spelled in that found Lee hiding in the chicken Massacre that changes the lives of John D. Lee and his wives. The story is issue. coop. They arrested him and took told by three of Lee’s plural wives. him to Beaver for his second 4. Christopher Carson Fancher, named trial. Today the home is a bed and after the frontiersman, was fi ve years breakfast, the William Prince Inn. old at the time of the tragedy. He died in 1873. 5. For a description of Lee’s two trials, After Lee’s execution at Mountain see Will Bagley’s Blood of the Meadows, William Prince and Prophets, pages 290-297 and 301-306. 34 Winter 2006 Wings Over the Old Spanish Trail

by John Sedey

Seventeen small airplanes and 6 automobiles carrying 47 members of the Historic Trail Flyers met in Santa Fe on September 23, 2005, for a reunion and to travel the Old Spanish Trail. Some of the fl yover planes. used with permission of John Sedey

Our group had its beginnings in Saturday morning started with a After lunch and more trail 1993, when we fl ew the Oregon chartered school bus to Abiquiu investigation, we returned to Santa Trail. For that fl yover we had 42 with OSTA’s Pat Kuhlhoff as our Fe for rest and our fi rst rendezvous aircraft and 90 persons starting guide. After a one-hour drive, we dinner. This meeting is especially in Independence, MO, and stopped at Bode’s store in Abiquiu important because it is where the terminating in Independence, OR. for rest and to place orders for new members and “old timers” The OST fl yover was our sixteenth lunch. Back in the bus we went to meet and fi nd out about each trail air tour. Our members come two spots selected by Pat where other. At this meeting, Pat gave from throughout the U.S., with one we put our feet to the trail. It was us a more in-depth vision of what of our members living in Canada. an awesome feeling to realize that lay ahead for us. Also, we were Generally, our aircraft have only more than a century ago mules, introduced to Sarah Schlanger one engine and from two to six burros and people walked on the of the BLM, who gave a slide seats. Our speeds range from 90 to spot where we were standing. They presentation. After the meeting 200 mph. were making history and didn’t we retired for a good night’s sleep know it. before hitting the trail for our next destination – Farmington, NM.

The weather the following morning was perfect – clear and cool with light winds. We departed to the north, fl ying over Abiquiu and the spot where we stood the previous day. Although we were fl ying at 10,000 feet MSL, we weren’t that high above the local terrain. (All fl ying altitudes are measured in feet from sea level and hence called “Mean Sea Level” or MSL.) The town where we visited was plainly visible, as was Rio Chama Canyon with its imaginary pack train plodding along under the warm spring sun so many years ago. Air view of the Rio Chama nearAbiquiu. used with permission of John Sedey

Winter 2006 35 At Farmington we bused to Aztec Ostapuk, followed by another Canyon, and Blue Diamond, all the Ruins. We were made aware that good night’s sleep to prepare for way to a point where the original the village was not built by the the next day’s departure to Las trail abruptly ended because Aztec, but that it was given its Vegas. of extensive off-road vehicle name long ago in error and the operation. Hal did a great job of name stuck. We now know it was The view of the Glen Canyon Dam, showing and explaining the trail the Anasazi, the local natives, the lake behind, and the beginning sites west of Las Vegas. There was who built it. After dinner we were of the Grand Canyon to the south a large demand for his book about honored with more presentations was inspiring. Flight over the the trail. We really enjoyed him. by OSTA’s Doug Knudson and Grand Canyon requires special James Copeland of the BLM, with permission and fl ight at unusually Friday morning we fl ew to information unique to the area. high altitudes, so we stayed to the Lancaster, CA. We boarded the north of the park boundaries using Metro Link to downtown Los The next morning the weather GPS navigation to insure that we Angeles where the Union Station continued to be fair; in fact, the didn’t violate sacred air space. The terminal is only an easy one-block weather walk to El Pueblo all the way de Los Angeles. I’m to Los hopeful that those who Angeles could not make the was picture train trip will be able to perfect. do so in the future. Our next stop was Our last evening was Page, AZ, our traditional “Last and the Supper” where we Crossing discussed the fun we of the had in the past week Fathers. and planned for our We knew next event. It was the crossing Flyover group with Hal Steiner. used with permission of John Sedey agreed that the next would not be Historic Trail Flyers Air visible, since construction of the regulation protects the solitude of Tour would be The Chisholm Trail, Glen Canyon Dam had fl ooded those enjoying the depths of the the cattle drive trail used in the mid- the area. However, we were canyon. Flying into Las Vegas 1800’s from central Texas to the scheduled for a lake cruise that also has specifi c requirements rail head at Abilene, KS. The time got us close to the actual crossing necessitating special charts, and frame will be late September when area. The cruise was a great radio and radar contact with the the summer heat is on the wane and diversion and enjoyed by all of controlling authorities. the air is smoother. us. Continuing the fl ight we went through Monument Valley among The day in Las Vegas was a free The Old Spanish Trail Air Tour the towering monoliths and day, planned so those who have was a wonderful event with a great passed Goulding’s Resort where never experienced the “Strip” group of people. We couldn’t have we motor-toured a few years would have a chance to try their done it without the guidance and back. What a different perspective luck. Early the next morning we help of OSTA. We offer our sincere from the air! That evening after were joined by OSTA’s Hal Steiner gratitude to all we had contact with. dinner we were treated to another and boarded a charter bus to view We will certainly support your guest appearance by OSTA’s Paul the Old Mormon Fort, Red Rock efforts whenever we can.

36 Winter 2006 Escape From Death Valley Arcan families by by John Krizek Manley and Rogers is one of the [Editors’ note: Because we are truly great fans of John Krizek’s Forgotten stories of the Journey, an award winning American documentary about the fi rst West. It was emigrant party to get wagons documented over the Sierra Nevada (www. primarily thecaliforniatrail.com), we were by Manly, excited to learn that he is making a hunter by a new fi lm. Escape from Death trade. The Valley, currently in production, Bennett is the story of the gold rush family had pioneers who gave Death Valley been his John Krizek at the monument near Enterprise, UT, where the party its name. We attended John’s neighbors left the OST for Death Valley. used with permission of John Krizek talk on the making of the fi lm back in at the September 2005 meeting Wisconsin when the gold bug Angeles. Moreover, they were not of the Los Angeles Corral of bit. Manly and Rogers started interested in hosting such a large Westerners and felt that the history out as teamsters with another crowd of visitors over the winter at of the Death Valley 49ers, which wagon train in Iowa. How they their small new settlement. Captain involves the Old Spanish Trail, re-connected with the Bennetts in Jefferson Hunt had just returned would be of interest to readers of Utah is another story of marvelous from Los Angeles with a pack train Spanish Traces. The quotes in the coincidence, which we will not tell of supplies. Hunt convinced the following article are from the book here. tourists that even though wagons Death Valley in ’49, by William L. had not made it all the way Manly, republished in 2001 by The For the purposes of our fi lm, through to Los Angeles, it was do- Narrative Press, Santa Barbara.] the story starts at a place called able and a far preferable option to Hobble Creek, near Payson, Utah, risking the mountains to the west. Escape From Death Valley is a south of Utah Lake. In the fall of story of character, courage, duty, 1849, several wagon trains arrived And so in October, 1849, a large and triumph over adversity. It’s in the Salt Lake area late in the train of 107 wagons, and all the the story of the gold rush pioneers season. They were aware of what humanity and livestock that went who, thinking they were taking had happened to the Donner party with it, departed for the south. By a short-cut to California, became in the Sierra snows three years the time they arrived in southern stranded in Death Valley and gave earlier, and consequently they were Utah they’d picked up the Old the place its name. It tells of how concerned. They listened when the Spanish Trail. But there were they were rescued by two heroic Mormons told them about a new problems. It was too large a wagon young men, William Lewis Manly road to Los Angeles, which was train for effi cient governance. and John Rogers, who walked a long way around the mountains And there was dissatisfaction all the way to the San Fernando but would get them to the gold with Captain Hunt’s leadership. Mission to fi nd help and then went fi elds without the dangers of the Near Enterprise, Utah—west of back to save the young families winter snows. The Mormons were Cedar City and northwest of St. they had left behind. interested in developing a trade George—word of a new shortcut The rescue of the Bennett and route between Salt Lake and Los to California seized the camp.

Winter 2006 37 Approximate route of the Bennet-Arcan party. used by permission of John Krizek

A pack train had passed by with a decided to take the risk and headed Much of what they traversed is part copy of the map from Frémont’s west, leaving only a small party of today’s Area 51, the huge top- explorations of the West. Over the continuing to the south. secret Air Force testing range that blank space marked “Unexplored” covers much of southern Nevada. and “Great American Desert,” It was now early November. Things At one point when Lewis Manly somebody had traced a trail showing went well for a few days, until they climbed a peak to scan the land plenty of water and camp sites came to an impassable canyon. ahead and saw how bleak it was, he all the way to the southern Sierra There was an overnight dusting was struck with despair. Years later Nevada, around which they could of snow, a hint of winter to come. he wrote: “Prospects now seemed to go through Walker Pass, and wind Most of them decided to go back me so hopeless that I heartily wished up at the gold fi elds of Mariposa. It and catch up with Captain Hunt. I was not duty bound to stand by would save them 600 miles over the But scouts soon returned, having the women and small children who desert route through Los Angeles. found a way around to the north, and could never reach the land of bread There was much heated discussion. 27 wagons continued west across without our assistance. If I was in Captain Hunt said he doubted any today’s Nevada into that “Great the position that some of them were white men had ever been over the American Desert.” who had only themselves to look short cut, and if the pioneers took after, I could pick up my knapsack it, it would be a “road to hell.” It turned out to be as miserable and gun and go off, feeling I had no Nevertheless 100 of the 107 wagons as Captain Hunt had predicted. dependent ones to leave behind. But

38 Winter 2006 as is was, I felt I should be morally Jayhawkers burning their wagons, valley fl oor below sea level, the guilty of murder if I should forsake and preparing to cross out of the Panamints, a terribly imposing wall Mr. Bennett’s wife and children, and valley near the north end, roughly of rock, soar to over 11,000 feet the family of Mr. Arcan with whom where the highway to Olancha goes elevation. Manly said, “We could I had thus far been associated. It was today. see the mountains were lower to the a dark line of thought but I always south, but they held no snow and felt better when I got around to the It was now Christmas, 1849. After seemed only barren rocks piled up determination, as I always did, to staggering into the deepest and in lofty peaks, and as we looked stand by my friends, their wives and most desolate valley of all, the it seemed the most God-forsaken children, come what might.” party, including Lewis Manly, John country in the world.” Rogers, the Bennett and Arcan By the time they arrived at the families, and an old sailor they Of the plight of the families at this eastern approach to today’s Death called Captain Culverwell, headed point, Manly later wrote: “Mrs. Valley, the party had broken up into south along the west side of the Bennett and Mrs. Arcan were in smaller groups. Most of the single jagged alkalai at the bottom of the heart-renting distress. The four men, not wanting to be slowed valley that we now call the Devil’s children were crying for water, but down by the families, went on Golf Course. Another family with there was not a drop to give them, ahead. This group, known as the three children, the Wades, followed and none could be reached before Jayhawkers, came down a dry wash along but kept their distance sometime the next day. The mothers where a faint stream, now known from the rest of the party. They were nearly crazy, for they expected as Furnace Creek, sometimes were all hoping against hope that their children to choke with thirst surfaced. From there they turned the towering Panamint Range in and die in their arms, and they north to the area around Stovepipe front of them would yield a pass would rather perish themselves than Wells. Manly, scouting ahead for they could get through. From the suffer the agony of seeing their little the Bennett/Arcan party, found the ones gasp and slowly die. They

Illustration from Manly’s Death Valley in ‘49, showing the bedraggled party leaving Death Valley, with their wagons left behind. California State Library Winter 2006 39 reproached themselves as being farther to the south were the San Manly hurt his knee, and it slowed the cause of all this trouble. For the Gabriels. They were a long way their progress. They found signs love of gold they had left homes from help. It would be a miracle if of diggings near Placerita Canyon, where hunger had never come, and they could get back to the families the remains of the brief gold strike often in sleep they dreamed of the in time. in that area, and a pack of coyotes bounteous tables of their old homes, howling as they fed on an animal only to be woefully disappointed They crossed the Panamint Valley carcass. They took this as a good in the morning.” By this time they and skirted the Argus and Slate sign, for where coyotes could live, were killing their oxen one by one ranges to the southwest. At one point so could men. to avoid starvation. Manly reported: they went 60 hours without a drop “No fat could be found on the giant of water. Early, on what promised Soon they came to the top of a ridge, carcasses, and the marrow of the to be their last morning on earth, and when they looked over it they great bones was a thick brown liquid they discovered a sheet of ice that saw a sight they would not forget. resembling corruption.” had formed overnight in a pocket of “A most pleasant sight fi lled our rock. They melted it in their pail, and sick hearts with a most indescribable They tried to work their way up their lives were saved. joy. There before us was a beautiful toward a promising pass, but it meadow of a thousand acres, green was no use. It was too steep and They worked their way across what as a thick carpet of grass could the remaining oxen were too weak. is today the China Lake Naval make it, and shaded with oaks, Heartbroken, and at the end of their Weapons Center to Indian Wells, wide-branching and symmetrical, strength, the emigrants returned to a where today Highway 395 joins while all over the low mountains small spring they had found on the Highway 14. They saw smoke that bordered on the south, and over valley fl oor. Here a fateful decision from a campfi re, and fearing it the broad acres of luxurious grass, was made. Lewis Manly and John was Indians, they crept close with was a herd of cattle numbering Rogers, the youngest and strongest guns cocked. They hailed the camp many hundreds, if not thousands. men in the camp, would leave the and were answered in English: All seemed happy and content, in group and try to get through the “Don’t shoot!” It was a group of such a scene of abundance and rich mountains to the settlements that the Jayhawkers, looking much the plenty of comfort bursting thus upon were believed to lie to the west. worse for wear. They were living on our eyes, which for months had seen They would bring back supplies and ox hides and had been without water only the desolation and sadness of fresh livestock. It was believed the for four or fi ve days at a time. It was the desert, that it was like getting families could hold out for 10 to12 impossible to swallow food when a glimpse of paradise, and tears of days, so the young men needed to they were so thirsty. They reported joy ran down our faces.” They were get back in that time or all would be that Mr. Fish and Mr. Isham had describing what is today Valencia.1 lost. And so, on the 12th of January, died along the way. 1850, the two young men started The next day Manly and Rogers out. They left behind a total of 13 From Indian Wells, Manly and came within view of Rancho San adults and 7 children. Rogers headed south. After Soledad Francisco, a kind of satellite of the Pass, the landscape changed. They San Fernando Mission, located When they got to the top of the started to see more brush than cactus on the ridge just north of Magic Panamint Range, they had a and found some small game, which Mountain Amusement Park, stunning view of where they were, they could shoot to avoid starvation. overlooking the Santa Clara River and what lay ahead. It must have They discovered a good stream with Valley. They didn’t know what to been one of those “Oh S___!” fresh water—the headwaters of the expect when they approached the moments. There, off to the West, Santa Clara River, near Acton. They ranch. They’d heard the Mexicans was the snow-capped Sierra range. worked their way down stream, but didn’t welcome strangers, especially They were nowhere near it. Even it was very brushy and diffi cult. American gold-seekers. And they

40 Winter 2006 were especially apprehensive, since children. Manly later wrote: “I shall forever. Such boys should never they were wearing fresh moccasins never forget the kindness of these die!’” made with the help of a cow they’d Californians. We were human beings killed and eaten the night before. But in distress and we represented others It was the 9th of February, 26 days they were in need, so they went up who were worse even than we. And since they left the camp. Manly to the house. A man came out, who those kind acts of great good will and Rogers had covered over 500 spoke only Spanish. They traded were given freely because we were miles on their round trip for help. a patent leather belt for some corn fellow human beings.” Now only the Bennett and Arcan meal. The man pointed to the north families, four adults and four and said, “San Francisco,” and Manly and Rogers managed to children, remained. All the others then he went back inside. Manly acquire three horses and a one-eyed had left, convinced that Manly and and Rogers camped by the river to mule. They loaded up their packs Rogers would be fools to come back contemplate their next move. Eating and started on the trip back to the once they were out of the desert. the corn meal after living so long on families in the desert. By the time Of those who stayed behind, only a “meat-only” diet made them sick. they got to the Panamints, one of the Captain Culverwell died in the horses had died and the other two valley. The Wade family made it out The next day, Manly and Rogers had to be left behind to die. After an the southern end of the valley with were provided with horses, and they incredible bit of rock climbing and their wagons, found the Spanish started out for Los Angeles, some with only the one-eyed mule left to Trail near Baker, and continued 30 miles away. They were hoping carry supplies, they were at last in successfully to California. to fi nd some of their former wagon the deep valley. train compatriots, to help them with Immediately, preparations were emergency supplies. Soon after they Suddenly, they were brought up made to leave. A sling for the passed the San Fernando Mission, short by a sight they didn’t want to youngest children was fashioned they ran into a rancher named see: the body of Captain Culverwell out of two old shirts by sewing French, who was on his way north. stretched out in the sand, with his up the necks and sleeves to make He assured them none of the wagon empty canteen at his side. It looked two pockets. This was slung trains were still in Los Angeles, and like their worst forebodings were across the back of an ox, “Old he told them that their best bet was coming true. How many more Crump,” known to be the kindest to go back to the rancho. He knew bodies would they fi nd? Would and most patient of the remaining the people there and would see that they fi nd the camp deserted? In this animals. Young Charlie Arcan they got help. So Manly and Rogers frame of mind they approached the and Martha Bennett, both under spent the night at the San Fernando lifeless camp. They had left seven the age of two, were placed in Mission—under a roof for the fi rst wagons, now only four remained. the two pockets, facing out, and time in many months—and returned Fearing an ambush, they fi red a shot the other two children—George to the rancho. in the air. “It was still as death and and Melissa Bennett, ages eight not a move for a moment,” Manly and fi ve—rode on Old Crump’s This time the woman of the house wrote later. “And then, as if by back. Led by Lewis Manly and greeted them, and took special pains magic, a man came out from under the one-eyed mule, it must have to help them with supplies of food. a wagon, threw his arms high over made quite a procession. Mrs. Upon hearing of the children in the his head and shouted, ‘The boys Arcan and Mrs. Bennett wore desert, she expressed tearful dismay. have come! The boys have come!’ their fi nest dresses and ribbons She came up with four oranges, The others emerged. It was quite rather than leave them behind. one for each of the small children, some time before any of them could They tried to stay astride the and made sure Manly and Rogers talk before weeping. Finally Mrs. oxen, which were not used to understood they were not to eat the Bennett said: ‘Good boys! Oh, you being pack animals, without the oranges, but to bring them to the have saved us all! God bless you benefi t of saddles.

Winter 2006 41 After an incredibly diffi cult Lewis Manly went on to become journey, at last they reached a successful farmer in the San Jose the safe haven of Rancho area. John Rogers drifted through San Francisco on March 7, several jobs including lead mining 1850—24 days after leaving and wound up in the Merced area. the camp in Death Valley. In 1895, 41 years after they had last Revived by the hospitality met, Manly heard that Rogers was of the Californians, the crippled, half blind and living in Arcans headed for San Pedro poverty in the Sierra foothills, He where they managed to get left immediately to see him, and they passage on a ship to northern had a wonderfully poignant reunion. California. They got as far as In 1906, John Rogers died a pauper, Santa Cruz, where Abigail with only a newspaper clipping took one look at the landscape referring to his role as a pioneer. and the redwood trees and Lewis Manly died in 1903, at the said, “You can go on to age of 83. He married late in life the gold fi elds if you want, and left no children. His account of I’m staying here ‘till I die!” the journey to California was fi rst William Lewis Manly. California State Library And she did. The Bennetts, published in the 1880’s as a series Manly, and Rogers went to Los of magazine articles and then, in Angeles, a dusty village of one- 1894, as the book Death Valley in ’49. When they reached an elevation story buildings, where happily they where they could look back over found a few friends from their cross- He has left us with a treasure the scene of their misery for the past country journey. Rogers and those beyond worldly riches. I hope we several months, someone took off his families together journeyed north. can do his story justice. hat and spoke the words, “Good Bye Manly worked for a time in Los Death Valley.” The name has stuck Angeles to get reconstituted before ever since. heading to the gold fi elds.

Bode’s Store Marker An interpretive panel is now in place on the exterior wall of Bode’s store in Abiquiu, New Mexico. Dennis Liddy, owner of the store, has reported that many people have read the sign and expressed an interest in the OST. The historic marker was supported by a contribution from Dale Querfeld to the OSTA Marker Fund, by funds raised by OSTA’s Salida del Sol Chapter, and by Mr. Liddy, who absorbed the installation and repainting costs. Technical assistance was provided by the BLM and NPS. photo by Kenn Carpenter

42 Winter 2006 Martin Bode of Abiquiu William Merten was no longer in and ranchers in the Hatch-Rodey the area in 1914; he left in 1897, area access to supplies from both by Dorothy Parker and may have died in the Boer Albuquerque and El Paso. The War in South Africa. George, Merten brothers had sensed the [Editors’ note: Dorothy Parker however, continued to prosper. In opportunities that were there, and submitted this article to Spanish addition to the store he and William their merchandising establishment Traces last year. Given the new had established, he had acquired fl ourished from the beginning. interpretive sign at Bode’s store, it considerable land where he grazed George began to lease and buy is a particularly fi tting tribute to her sheep and cattle, and as a cattleman property for raising sheep and other memory.] and storekeeper he provided livestock, and in fi ling his 1905 tax employment for a large number return, he listed 14,850 animals, When Martin Bode fi rst considered of people. He apparently offered in addition to the store, among his emigrating from his native to sponsor his nephew, Martin assets. Germany to the United States Bode, and guarantee him a job, and in 1914, he was facing a hard Martin was more than willing to Thus, when Martin Bode sailed for reality. Germany was entering leave Germany. Without telling his America in 1914, he anticipated a war that would soon envelop father of his intentions, he used his becoming part of his uncle’s thriving much of Europe, and although he cousin’s visa and sailed for America business establishment. He landed had a medical exemption due to and Rodey, New Mexico. in Galveston, not New York, on the loss of his right ring fi nger, a German-registry ship called the Martin was still subject to military Rodey, which was originally called Chemnitz. He did not, however, stay conscription as a reservist. He Colorado, was a small village in Texas. He headed west for Rodey, was a twenty-four-year old, and located in the Mesilla Valley three New Mexico. the prospect of fi ghting was not miles south of the town of Hatch, especially pleasing to him. on the west side of the Rio Grande. Martin was immediately put to work The town was established by forty in the store, where both he and his At the same time, the lure of settlers who had moved south from uncle lived. George had built an America was strong. Martin’s Santa Fe during the Civil War, and adobe pen behind the store for mules uncle, George Henry Merten, by 1880, when George Merten and horses, including his favorite, a had come to America with his and his brother arrived, Colorado large palomino, which was his saddle brother William around 1880, boasted of almost three hundred horse. When Martin arrived, he and they were not the fi rst of residents. It was also the area’s post persuaded George to try to have the the family to cross the Atlantic. offi ce from 1879 to 1886. From Rodey post offi ce moved to the store, Three older half-sisters had come 1886 to 1904, the mail was delivered and in this he was successful. Martin even earlier, before there was to Rincon, on the east side of the was adept at languages; he could read a transcontinental railroad, and river, but in 1904 the post offi ce was both high and low German, French, had traveled to California in a returned to Colorado, which by that Greek, Dutch, Hebrew, and Latin, covered wagon. These relatives time had been renamed Rodey. and he quickly picked up the Spanish had written letters home, of course, and English that were necessary in his and Martin was attracted by the In 1880-81 the Santa Fe Railroad uncle’s day-to-day business activities. possibilities of life in a new land. continued to build south from Although the local people called His uncles’ apparent success Albuquerque to Rincon, and from him “Schultz,” in much the same revealed new opportunities, for the there, one line was built west across spirit that they had named George Merten brothers had established the river which passed through Merten “El Aleman” (the German), themselves as substantial Hatch on its way to Deming. Martin was determined to become an merchants in the town of Rodey, in Another line went south to El American, and he soon took out his southern New Mexico. Paso. These lines gave farmers fi rst naturalization papers.

Winter 2006 43 But southern New Mexico was a But by the time he received his fi nal ten men to disarm the ranchers. The violent place at that time, with the citizenship papers in 1921, the local names of the latter are unknown, but Mexican Revolution spawning unrest hysteria was forgotten. His area- they are suspected of being members below the border that occasionally wide contacts provided the kind of of the KKK. spilled over to the north. Pancho information he wanted, and he went Villa attacked the town of Columbus to work for Miguel Gonzales, who That kind of violence came in 1916 and was still in the area near owned sheep in Rio Arriba County much closer to Martin Bode, the border when Martin and Edward and also ran a general merchandise living in Abiquiu in 1921, than Tittman, George’s attorney who lived store in Abiquiu. Gonzales would he could have imagined. His in El Paso, went as tourists to Juarez. rather be taking care of his sheep uncle, George Merten, was There they came face to face with than the store, and Martin Bode soon killed that same year during the notorious Mexican on the main became the store’s general manager. the night of October 24-25. He street. Unnerved by the encounter, He also, in time, became an integral was apparently struck on the Martin began to consider relocating. part of the local community. head with a blunt object early He had always disliked violence, and in the evening, as he was going after consulting with Tittman, to the well in back of the he decided to move north. store. The intruder was His experience in the retail able to gain access to the business with his uncle postal safe and took a few stood him in good stead, and dollars, but left behind he was soon employed in the stamps and other post Española by Bond and Nohl, office materials. Although one of the largest merchants a $1,000 reward was in the state north of Santa offered, the murderer was Fe. The Bond and Nohl never caught. enterprise consisted of several general merchandise stores, For almost four years, Martin as well as a lumber business Bode dealt with the aftermath in La Madera and large land of this tragedy. He was the holdings used for sheep only family member related grazing. Martin, who worked Bode’s store. photo by Kenn Carpenter to George Merten living in for the company for fi ve years, was New Mexico, and so it fell upon him occasionally “loaned out” to one or to manage the settlement of George’s another of these various operations, But Martin could not totally escape estate. At fi rst Martin’s whereabouts and he soon became acquainted with the violence of the southern area. were unknown—even his name had most of the commercial enterprises In 1921, for instance, the Mesilla been forgotten, if it had ever really in the northern part of the state. He Valley was hit by a dangerous fl ood, been known. The local people only remained alert to other opportunities. and some of the Anglo ranchers who were able to recall that they had lived northwest of Rodey threatened called him “Schultz.”And there were Even in northern New Mexico, to tear down the banks of an rumors that he and his uncle had had however, he could not totally escape irrigation canal, blaming it for their a falling-out. Martin apparently read the passions arising from World War I. problems. This would have fl ooded of George’s death in the newspaper While his English was more than the area to the south, around Hatch and hurried south to inform the adequate by this time, he always and Rodey, which was occupied authorities that he did indeed exist retained a heavy German accent, and primarily by long-time Hispanic and was still residing in the state. there were those who suspected his farmers and sheep-growers. George Although a local lawyer had already loyalty and urged that he be deported. Merten organized a party of eight or been sworn in as administrator,

44 Winter 2006 Martin convinced the Probate Court 1926, almost four and a half years remember that the old road through that, as the only family member after George’s death. Martin received Abiquiu went directly through the in the U.S., he should become the relatively little for his efforts as estate pueblo—the new road was built in administrator, and he was so named. administrator and heir. There were the 1960s, and the store was moved six or seven heirs in Germany, and to its present site at that time. At the time of his death, George when the fi nal settlement was made, Merten was a wealthy man. his share was modest. There are, of course, many Newspapers estimated his estate interesting stories about Abiquiu and at $500,000. Although it was The rest of my story is more Georgia O’Keeffe, Martin Bode, and probably about half that, it was speculative. Martin married Clotilde Maria Chabot, who helped O’Keeffe still quite a respectable sum. He (Tillie) Gonzales from Taos, whose rebuild the house she bought in owned a considerable amount of family had a long and illustrious Abiquiu. That house had been in real property, mostly in Doña Ana history in northern New Mexico. In Tillie’s family for many years, and County, and held mortgages on fact, one cousin still owned what was given to the Catholic church still more. He had decided only the was to become Georgia O’Keeffe’s when there were plans in the making year before to get rid of most of home just off the plaza in Abiquiu. to rebuild the old St. Thomas church his sheep, for which he received He also bought the large house on on that new site. According to the $75,000. Although no one knew the plaza across from the church, family, the gift of the property to for sure, it was believed that he which had been built in the 1880,s the church was restricted for that had invested in still more property, by another storekeeper named purpose. However, the church was perhaps in the El Paso area, so a Douglas. There he and Tillie raised eventually rebuilt on the earlier site, co-administrator was appointed to fi ve children, one son, Karl, and four and somehow, O’Keeffe convinced investigate possible Texas holdings. daughters. I have often wondered the Catholic diocese in Santa Fe to Although Martin claimed that the how Martin’s German customs and sell her the property. The house was so-called “dispute” between him life style managed to accommodate not livable when O’Keeffe bought it, and his uncle had not been serious themselves to old Hispanic customs. and Maria Chabot asked O’Keeffe and had been resolved some time Tillie’s family would probably not if she could restore it for her. ago, Martin knew nothing of his have allowed the marriage if Martin That’s another story, of course, but uncle’s investments. had not been Catholic. Rollshausen, Maria bought most of the building where he was born, is in a section supplies through Bode’s General Part of Martin Bode’s responsibilities of Germany that remained Catholic Merchandise. She and Karl were involved contacting family members throughout the Reformation. both strong-minded individuals, in Germany and obtaining power of and members of the family recall attorney for the administration of the Martin continued to work for Miguel some heated exchanges over various estate. George Mertan had been part Gonzales and eventually bought him transactions. of a large family, as his father had out in 1956. The original Gonzales married twice, and there were nieces store was on the old plaza behind Karl Bode worked in the family and nephews there, potential heirs, the church, and the building and mercantile establishment all his whom George had never met. There Gonzales home are still there. It was adult life, as his father’s sturdy right was even an investigation into the at that store that Martin brought in hand, and when he married, his wife disappearance of his brother William, an electric generator, and the worked as hard as he did. When who was fi nally declared legally dead electricity it produced was used Martin Bode died in 1977, Karl in 1924. Eventually, however, all the at the store and at the Bode home. inherited the business and continued necessary papers were notarized and Shortly thereafter, the pueblo itself to run the store until the 1990s, fi led, and the payment of various gained electric power through the when he fi nally sold it to the present state and county taxes brought the Rural Electrifi cation Administration owner. Martin’s wife Tillie died in entire proceedings to a close in May, during the 1930s. You may the early 1990’s.

Winter 2006 45 Winter 2006 OSTA Board Public Scoping Meetings: The conference will be held June 9, Meeting Sharon Brown, Sarah Schlanger, 10, and 11. The conference theme and Aaron Mahr reported on the will be “Scoping and Interpreting The OSTA board meeting was held progress of the public scoping the Old Spanish Trail.” Leo in Barstow, California, January meetings to help plan the future of Lyman has agreed to be one of the 13-14, 2006. On Friday morning, the trail. (See article on page 48.) speakers. Brad Mastin led the meeting at The goal is to complete the scoping the BLM headquarters. In the and publish a preliminary range of Little Red Rocks and OSTA’s afternoon and on Saturday morning, alternatives for trail administration Involvement with Trail Cliff Walker hosted the board by the end of September. Preservation: Liz Warren reported meeting at the Mojave River Valley that Little Red Rocks, a petroglyph Museum. In addition to Barstow Mapping Meeting: The BLM/ site south of Las Vegas, is in an BLM representatives and museum NPS/OSTA partnership will hold area where a developer wants staff, the meeting was attended by a meeting in Phoenix in late to build thousands of homes. Southern California OSTAns, Jere March to discuss the mapping Plans also call for a hotel with Krakow of the NPS, and the OSNHT of the OST. This will be an gaming and a golf course. Warren Comprehensive Management Plan opportunity to better defi ne the trail encouraged OSTA to get involved team: Sarah Schlanger, BLM, Aaron corridor for the Comprehensive in the protection of this valuable Mahr, NPS, and Sharon Brown, NPS. Management Plan. The goal is piece of history that is within the The following are some highlights a clear understanding of what corridor of the Old Spanish Trail. from the board meeting: “footprint”—corridor, trail or She said that what is needed is a path—should be identifi ed joint effort by private industry, as the trail for management state governments, relevant Treasurer’s Report purposes. organizations and federal agencies to preserve this area. Bank Accounts Green River Conference: OSTA Reg Checking 6,043 Wayne Hinton reported on California Director: Cliff Walker Price Prime Reserve Fund 8.590 the progress of the spring was unanimously elected to be the Total 14,633 conference arrangements. new California Director. Assets Marker Fund Ledger 3,849 STraces Protected Fund Ledger 2,500 Retail Sales Ledger 1,760 Las Vegas 2005 Conf Ledger - 1,931 Estimate owed by PNTS 1,931 General Ledger 6,803 CA FY05-06 Reimbursement Due 1.195 Total 14,576

Liabilities UK Chapter 25 UK John Sharpe Ledger 32 Total 57

Net Assets 14,633

Kenn Carpenter Board meeting at the Mojave River Valley Museum. photo by Jon Lawrence

46 Winter 2006 On Saturday afternoon, OSTAns and friends enjoyed a delicious barbeque at Cliff and Barbara Walker’s Paradise Springs Ranch. Cliff led a fi eld trip to Camp Cady, which is located about 20 miles east of Barstow. From 1860 until its abandonment in 1871, the post served as a base for a series of camps, redoubts, and forts along the Old Government Road to Fort Mojave and the Salt Lake Road.

Paradise Springs Ranch. photo by Paul Ostapuk

Cliff Walker leads the fi eld trip. Looking east from Paradise Springs. photo by Jon Lawrence

Old Mormon Wagon Road, near the Parting of the Ways. photo by Jon Lawrence

John Hockaday examines the walls of Camp Cady. photo by Jon Lawrence Winter 2006 47 PNTS Historic Trails Workshop, May 5-6, 2006, Kansas City

The Partnership for the National Trails (PNTS) will hold a The OSTA 2006 Annual Conference workshop on the national June 9-11, 2006 historic trails on May 5-6, Green River, Utah 2006, at the Quarterage Hotel in Kansas City’s historic Westport OSTA’s 13th Annual Conference will be held in Green River, Utah, June 9- neighborhood. The workshop will 11, 2006. The conference theme will be “Scoping and Interpreting the Old focus on issues of interest to all Spanish Trail.” On Friday, June 9, there will be a board meeting and a the trail organizations, such as reception. Three sessions, with invited speakers, will be held on Saturday preservation, new federal funding in the John Wesley Powell Museum. On Sunday, there will be a fi eld trip sources, and co-ordination of to OST sites in the Green River area. Details will be mailed to OSTA activities between different trail membership in the near future. For further details, contact Wayne Hinton organizations. The workshop will ([email protected]). include a tour of trail sites in the . Kansas City area that will give an on-the-ground look at examples of resource protection, interpretation Public Scoping Period for the OST Comprehensive and working with agencies and Management Plan local organizations. For further information, contact Gary Werner (608) 249-7870 ([email protected]) The Notice of Intent to prepare the Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) for or Travis Boley (816) 252-2276 the OST was published in the Federal Register on January 18, 2006. A public ([email protected]). scoping period has commenced, which will end on May 17, 2006. During this period, the public will have the opportunity to comment to the BLM and the NPS on issues and concerns that should be considered in developing the CMP. The current plan for the public meetings is as follows. February-March: New Mexico (Santa Fe, Taos, Aztec) and Colorado (Durango, Alamosa, Gunnison); Late March: Arizona (Kayenta, Page) and Nevada (Mesquite, Las Vegas, Pahrump); April and May: Utah (Moab, Green River, Cedar City) and California (Barstow, San Bernadino, Los Angeles). Dates and locations for the scoping hearings, which are subject to change, can be found on the NPS website for the OST, www.nps.gov/olsp and on the OSTA website at www.oldspanishtrail.org. Written P.O. Box 7 comments will be accepted during the scoping period; these can be sent to Sarah Marysville, WA 98270 Schlanger, BLM, PO Box 27115, Santa Fe NM 87505 ([email protected]) or to Aaron Mahr, NPS, PO Box 728, Santa Fe, NM, 87504 ([email protected]).

48 Winter 2006