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Ce Nlenn I A Ce nlenn i a in honor of Utah Pioneer 1850 - 1950 OGDEN GENEALOGICAL LIBRARY Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Sair 378 - 22nd St. - Ogden, Utah 84404 Compded by S)ella <^A. belnap 1S9 GILBERT BELNAP ADALINE BELNAP HENRIETTA BELNAP 2 Preface During the lifetime of Gilbert Belnap he maintained a Journal, also gathered and preserved other bits of information which would be of value to his posterity. Since his death some of his children and grandchildren have similarly carried on. At times one or more thought of publishing some of the infor­ mation that had been gathered, yet this has never been done. Gilbert Belnap and wives Adeline and Henrietta and their seventeen children are now a memory. With the passing of each their notes, records, pictures and clippings have become .more scattered until today only a meager amount of information is available to the family organization. The officers of the Gilbert Belnap family organization feel that it is most unfortunate that records are becoming scattered— some even now being possibly lost or destroyed. Wanting to preserve all those things of value that can be obtained, your officers have brought forth this publication in honor of our noble progenitor, Gilbert Belnap, during this Centennial Year of his coming to Utah. We hope this will be but the first volume of many annual publications until the history of our progenitors, pictures, biographies and genealogies are complete. The possession of the records is immaterial, but their preserva­ tion and availability to our posterity is essential. The coopera­ tion of all is necessary in order to accomplish our objective. We appeal to all who have pictures of old homesites, people, records, documents, genealogies or anything of historical or family value to carefully preserve them. Please advise your future officers of that which you have of interest of value. As fast as funds permit copies or photostatic copies can be made for the benefit of the family organization and future publications continue. The officers are grateful to those who have helped in this, our first publication. Lester Belnap President Volney B. Belnap 1st Vice. Pres. O. Lee Stoddard 2nd Vice. Pres. Delia A. Belnap Sec.-Treas. Mead Belnap Genealogist Marion B. Kerr Historian 3 SYNOPSIS OF THE LIFE OF GILBERT BELNAP BY HIS SON HYRUM BELNAP Born Dec. 22, 1821, Port Hope, Upper Canada. (Province of On­ tario was once called Upper Canada.) Baptized Sept. 11, 1842, into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints. Nov. 11, 1842 Sent on a mission to New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. June 1, 1844 Arrived in Nauvoo, 111. Dec. 21, 1845 Married Adaline Knight. Feb. 1, 1846 Crossed the Mississippi River on the ice, driven by mob. Crossed 300 miles over Iowa to Winter Quarters, Iowa, amidst snow and the blistering winds. Here he established a shop. Jan. 8, 1847 First son, Gilbert Rosel, was born. Spring, 1847 Went with Andrew S. Gibbons to Brigham Young and volunteered to come with him to the West. Young told them only one could come with him, the other must stay and care for the three widows, Martha Knight and their wives. They both desired to come, so Young cast lots and Gibbons got the chance. He chose to come and Gilbert stayed until June, 1850. May 11, 1849 John McBride, second son, was born in Fremont County, Iowa. May, 1850 "About the middle of May, 1850, I bid adieu to Fremont County, Iowa, and made my way to Kanesville, and after a few days respite, crossed the Missouri River below the mouth of the Platte, and was organized in the following order by Orson Hyde. Jonathan Foot was appointed Captain over one hundred and five wagons. Joe Terrill and William Wall, captain of fifties. Utta Perkins, Chester Loveland, Thomas Maun, Abraham Coon and myself were appointed captains of tens in the second fifty. On the 15th of June we left the banks of the Missouri." June 22, 1850 John McBride Belnap died. Sept. 17, 1850 Reached Salt Lake City, Utah. October, 1850 Settled in Ogden. He was selected Marshal by the Common Council that fall. Remained Marshal until 1854. July, 1851 There was an uprising of the Snake Indians against the whites. A number of horses were killed on both sides, also one Indian. Belnap led the whites. He also states that there were frequent uprisings by the Indians until after 1865. 5 Jan. 26, 1852 Married Henrietta McBride. Feb. 5, 1853 He was appointed Ogden City Attorney. Oct. 22, 1853 Gilbert Belnap was elected by the company and appointed. "I, Brigham Young, Governor, do com­ mission Gilbert Belnap First Lieutenant of Com­ pany B of Battalion of Cavalry of Weber Military District." May 16, 1855 Gilbert Belnap went to Salmon River Mission to help establish Fort Limhi in what is now central Idaho. This was first attempt to settle the Idaho region by an agricultural colony. It was a heroic but unsuccessful project. Endured until 1857. Sept. 29, 1857 When Belnap returned from Lot Smith's company, which stopped Johnson's Army, he was again com­ manded by Governor Young to go and relieve the white settlers in the Limhi District, in Oregon. March 9, 1861 Weber County also appointed Gilbert Belnap its Attorney. 1862 Gilbert Belnap was elected Sheriff of Weber County, which office he held until 1869. 1868 Gilbert Belnap moved to Hooper to live. June 27, 1868 Gilbert Belnap was ordained Presiding Elder. Levi Hammon Sr. was first counselor, Orval F. Attwood was second counselor. Henrietta McBride Belnap was Hooper's first schoolteacher. She taught classes in her home be­ fore a schoolhouse was provided. JuneJ&J, 1869 Hooper Precinct and school district were organized. The trustees were Gilbert Belnap, John Hammond and James Hale. I»tv» 1869 He was again appointed County and City Attorney. 1871 He had put in book form all the ordinances of Ogden City. The front part contained a list of officers of County and City. April 6, 1871 Gilbert Belnap organized the Relief Society. Ade­ line Belnap was the first president. April, 1873 He was chosen County Commissioner, which post he held until 1876. 1876 He was appointed the Assessor and Collector for Weber County. This office he held until March, 1882. This year also, the Hooper Irrigation Co. was or­ ganized. Gilbert Belnap was made president of the company. May 28, 1877 Under the direction of Franklin D. Richards the Hooper Ward was organized. Gilbert Belnap was ordained bishop. He selected Charles Parker and John Flinders as counselors. This office he held until 1888. Feb. 26, 1899 He died at Hooper, Utah. Buried in Ogden City Cemetery, Ogden, Utah. Nearly all of his life was spent for the public. 6 CHAPTER ONE GILBERT BELNAP'S JOURNAL* Fort Limhi, Oregon, Monday, December 15, 1856 Private Journal Of Gilbert Belnap, who was the son of Rosel and Jane Belnap. Being born in Port Hope, New Castle District, Upper Canada, December the Twenty-second, Eighteen hundred and twenty-one, being the third son of my Father and the younger of five children. Three sons were born after me making eight in all. When at the age of ten years I was bereft by death of my parents, with but little or no education, although according to the laws of my native country I was bound as apprentice to one Wil­ liam C. More, who was a coach, carriage and sleigh and wagon maker by trade. He through idleness and dissipation was very much involved in debt and accordingly left the country, not however without giving me a few days time to make a visit with my broth­ ers and sisters, although I did not understand the nature of his generosity at that time. Neither was I made acquainted with his intended elopement until the night of his departure. Being young and inexperienced in the world I was soon made to believe that I was, according to articles of agreement between him and me, under obligations to go with him beyond the boundary of my Native Country. Accordingly in 1834 I was deprived of the society of my friends for a season. The first place of my employ­ er's locality was in the town of Wilson, Niagara County, New York, and by constant labour he was soon in the enjoyment of many of the comforts of life. In spite of the determined resolution that he had formed, dissipation like the regular periodic of a fever returned again and with many uncalled for punishments for me. The ardent love that he had for spirits, liquors soon reduced his family to want. The many abuses that I had received from his hand in process of time came to the ears of some of his more humane neighbors. After awhile I was interrogated by one Wilson who was then acting Justice of the Peace in that town. Why I remained with such a drunken tyrant. My answer to him was that I supposed that I was obliged to from the nature of my indenture. He soon informed me that those bonds were not bind­ ing upon me outside of my native country. Satisfying myself still more on that point by inquiring of more experienced practitioners in the law. I was determined to change my place of abode and return to the society of my near relatives, although it was with considerable reluctance that I took the parting hand with the wife of Wm. C. •Original Journal is in the L.D.S. Church Historian's office in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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