Martha Fiske

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: Abt 1750, Greenwich, Fairfield, Connecticut

Notes:

"Clues to the identity of Martha, the wife of Gideon Mead (Enos, Jonathan, John, John), may be found in the journal of her grandson, Reuben McBride, now available in the L.D.S. Library in Salt Lake City; leading to the conclusion that Martha was a daughter of Jonathan and Abigail (Mead) Fiske of Greenwich, Connecticut. Among the relatives listed in Reuben McBride's journal are his great-uncles and great-aunts, i.e. brothers and sisters, with their spouses, of his four grandparents: Samuel and Margaret McBride, who emigrated from Ireland before 1766 to Saratoga County, New York, and Gideon and Martha Mead. By tradition, Margaret's maiden name was Brown, leaving only Martha's surname in question. Two of the great-uncles were Jonathan and David Fisk, which suggests that they were related by blood rather than by marriage, and just might be brothers of Martha. Gideon Mead, born about 1744, belonged to the Greenwich, Connecticut, family, and finding a Fisk family of the same period and area, with children named Jonathan, David and Martha, was not difficult. They were among the six minor children named in the will of Jonathan Fiske who died in Greenwich in 1756, their mother being Abigail Mead, a daughter of David and Abigail (Leosee) Mead. Although there is no birth record or marriage record for Martha, she was a minor in 1756 and apparently of legal age when she sold her inheritance in 1767, signing the documents with her mark. With the sale of her property, Martha Fiske disappears from the genealogical scene, but three years later, Martha, wife of Gideon Mead, gave birth to her second child Abigail in Nine Partners, Dutchess County, New York. Logically, the sale of Martha's property might well have coincided with her marriage to Gideon Mead and their removal to a new home in Nine Partners." [Virginia McBride, "Martha Fiske, the Wife of Gideon Mead." The American Genealogist, July 1969.]

Martha married Gideon Mead about 1768. Gideon (son of Enos Mead and Millicent) was born about 1744 in of Nine Partners, Dutchess, New York; died between 18 Oct 1813 and 29 Sep 1814. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: 13 Mar 1854, Ogden, Weber, Utah

Notes:

"Daniel McBride married Abigail Mead, who was born in 1770 in Dutchess County, New York. She descended from the Quaker Mead and Fiske families of Fairfield County, Connecticut. Abigail joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1833, almost 10 years after Daniel's death, as did most of their 9 children, and, after living in Kirtland, Ohio and Nauvoo, Illinois, emigrated to Utah in 1847, one of the oldest persons to cross the plains to Utah in that first settlement year." [Our Crandall and Beckstead Ancestors]

It's notable that Abigail Mead was descended from Meads on both sides -- her father was a Mead, and her mother's mother was one as well.

Out of all of TNH's Mormon pioneer ancestors, she may or may not have been the first to be baptised into the church, but born in 1770, she was certainly the oldest. She was born before the Revolution and lived to see the Salt Lake Valley.

From Our Crandall and Beckstead Ancestors:

About 1829, Abigail heard of the mysterious visions of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and wholly believed in them. She was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on June 25, 1833. The entire family also joined the church.

In the spring of 1835, they sold their farms at great sacrifices and traveled to Kirtland, Ohio to be with the rest of the Saints. The trip was made by stagecoach and canal boat, which took about six days.

They donated liberally to the building of the city of Kirtland and to the temple. With six of her children, Abigail enjoyed the heavenly manifestations given at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple on March 27, 1836. Her son, Reuben, became the custodian of the Kirtland Temple.

She received her patriarchal blessing from Joseph Smith, Sr. on June 8, 1836. The following is the body of the blessing:

"My aged sister, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world, and by the power and authority of the Priesthood, I lay my hands on thy head; and on the heads of thy posterity, confer a blessing. Thou hast had sorrow and affliction out of which the Lord is delivering thee. He has established thy faith. Thou has obeyed the Gospel of the Savior. Thy name is been written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Thou art of the lineage of Abraham. If thou holdest on thy way, the time will come when thou, like Job, shall see God, in the flesh, standing upon the earth. Thou shalt see angels and receive the communication of the Holy Ghost. Thy children shall stand in the covenant, by the power of God, thou shalt go to Zion, and be in good health. Thy mind shall be strong and rejoice in thy God. Thou shalt not want for the things of this life. Give up thyself to God and thou shalt see they redeemer, who thou desirest to know. Thou shalt be a member of the Celestial World. I seal these blessings upon thy head. I seal these things up to eternal life. Amen and amen."

Abigail endured the persecutions attending the twelve thousand members of the church in their migration to Nauvoo, Illinois. [...]

Abigail assembled with the huge crowd when Joseph led his famous Nauvoo Legion, in their elegant uniforms with their plumed hats, through the streets of Nauvoo for the last time. She heard his famous farewell address, with unsheathed sword, pointing heavenward in defense of his followers, from the top of an unfinished building.

Shortly after the Prophet was martyred, with deepest sorrow, she was able to view his remains, along with thousands of tear-stained companions. [...]

Abigail was present on August 8, 1844, when the mantle of Joseph Smith fell upon Brigham Young. She heard Brigham Young's declaration that he was the rightful leader of the Saints and would lead them safely to the tops of the Rocky Mountains, as predicted by the martyred Prophet.

Abigail was endowed on January 28, 1846, in the Nauvoo Temple. She was among the Saints expelled from Nauvoo, who made their homes in tents, covered wagons, and hurriedly erected log cabins across the Mississippi River.

She joined the first emigrant company to follow Brigham Young, leaving Elk Horn on June 17, 1847. She endured the inconveniences of the long trek in this huge company of fifteen hundred men, women, and children, who were in five hundred sixty wagons, with five thousand head of stock. They traveled between four to eleven miles a day, taking turns by the hundreds in leading the caravan.

On September 4, 1847, they rejoiced in meeting Brigham Young and his party, who had come to lead them into the Salt Lake Valley. Three days later, a great feast was arranged, concluding with a dance; an Indian attack followed. It was the latter part of September when they arrived in the Salt Lake Valley.

Abigail was described as a short, rather stout, fine old lady with a square face and a fair complexion.

Abigail married Rev. Daniel McBride in 1787 in Stillwater, Saratoga, New York. Daniel (son of Samuel McBride and Margaret Brown) was born on 13 Sep 1766 in Stillwater, Saratoga, New York; died on 1 Sep 1823 in Le Roy, Genesee, New York; was buried in Genesee, New York. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Nancy married George Davis on 28 Jan 1795 in Saratoga, Saratoga, New York. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Fanny married Jonathan Westgate on 8 Oct 1817 in Chester, Washington, New York. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Charles Starbuck. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Newcomb Mead. Newcomb (son of Nehemiah Mead and Sarah Newcomb) was born on 12 Nov 1775. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Hannah Wheeler. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Avis. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: 9 Jul 1783, Stillwater, Saratoga, New York

James married Betsy Mead in 1818 in York, Livingston, New York. Betsy was born on 6 Feb 1802 in Chester, Washington, New York; died on 8 Oct 1881 in Hyrum, Cache, Utah; was buried in Hyrum, Cache, Utah. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: 1 Jun 1792
• Alternate birth: 1 Jun 1794, Chester, Washington, New York

Notes:

Baptized into the LDS, along with her husband and some of their children, 16 Apr 1833 in Villanova, New York. [Our Crandall and Beckstead Ancestors]

The baptisms were performed by Amasa M. Lyman and William F. Cahoon. [David Crandall]

In 1842, her sister Martha McBride became one of the plural wives of Joseph Smith.

Margaret married David Crandall about 1810. David (son of Pardon Crandall and Susannah Wells) was born in 1789 in Hebron, Washington, New York; died on 12 Mar 1861 in La Harpe, Hancock, Illinois. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Sally Davis. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Almira Parsons. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: 6 Jun 1803, Chester, Washington, New York

Family/Spouse: Mary A. Anderson. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

From Wikipedia:

Martha McBride Knight Smith Kimball (March 17, 1805 – November 20, 1901) was a founding member of the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which was organized on her birthday in 1842. She was married to early Latter Day Saint leader Vinson Knight, by whom she had seven children. In 1842 she was sealed as a plural wife to Joseph Smith, Jr. In January 1846, she was married polygamously to Heber C. Kimball, by whom she had one child, a son, who was born at Winter Quarters and died there as an infant. She later emigrated to Utah Territory, where she resided in various locations across the territory until her death at age 96. She was a witness to, and in some instances a key participant in, some of the pivotal events in early Latter Day Saint history.

Martha McBride Knight at the Remembering the Wives of Joseph Smith site.

From the Ogden Standard Examiner, November 21, 1901:

Death Of Pioneer Woman -- Was The Wife Of The Prophet Joseph Smith -- She Was Well Known and Esteemed in Weber County -- Identified With The Early History Of The Church.

Kimball, of Hooper, died yesterday, received word that Mrs. Martha Smith Kimball, of Hooper, died yesterday morning at 5 o'clock, of old age. She was one of the most notable women in Utah, having taken a very active part in the early history of the Mormon Church.

She was born in Chester, Washington County, New York, March 17, 1805 and was married to Vinson Knight, July 26, 1826. Mr. Knight was for a time presiding bishop of the church and was one of two men chosen by the church to purchase the townsite of Nauvoo and in Hancock County.

They were baptized into the church in 1834, Mrs. Knight became a member of the Relief Society of the Church which was organized in Nauvoo.

Mr. Knight died July 31, 1842, at Nauvoo and in August 1942, she was sealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Nauvoo Temple.

She came to Utah in 1850, settling in Ogden, where she made her home for a number of years. She went to Hooper in 1869, where she has lived most of the time since, although visiting often with relatives in other parts of Utah.

After the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, she was married to Heber C. Kimball and by him had one child who died in infancy.

She was the mother of six other children by her first husband, Mr. Knight, and three of them survive her, all of them being between 70 and 80 years of age. They are Mrs. Almira Hanscom, who resides near Akron, Ohio; Mrs. Adeline Belnap, Living at Hooper, this county, and James Knight, who resides at Circleville, Piute County.

She had a great many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Pictures of the old lady grouped with four of her direct descendants are to be found in the homes of most of her Ogden relatives.

The physical strength and endurance of Mrs. Knight was well-nigh marvelous. For nearly twenty years she had not used spectacles. Her needlework was a model of fineness amongst all her acquaintances for the past fifty years. She was a great reader, particularly of the daily papers, reading every word of telegraphic news, and during the Spanish-American War she was regarded as one of the best posted persons in Weber County on the military operations of the contending forces.

Two or three years ago at a birthday reunion of the family held in her honor, Mrs. Knight was called on for a speech and prefaced one of considerable length with a recital of the tremendous changes which had taken place in her lifetime, mentioning the steam engine, the modern printing press and the telegraph. To illustrate this latter she described with what slowness news traveled when she was a young woman of 40, and wound up her recital of how on that very day the entire country was able to watch every detail of a little affair at Carson City when Corbett was knocked out by Fitzsimmons.

The Belnap family of Ogden are relatives. The funeral services will take place in the Hooper meeting house at 12 o'clock and the remains will be interred by the side of her mother, Mrs. Abigail McBride. The mother was sealed to Joseph Smith Sr., at Nauvoo.

Martha married Vinson Knight on 26 Jul 1826 in Cattaraugus, New York. Vinson was born on 14 Mar 1804 in Norwich, Hampshire, Massachusetts; died on 31 Jul 1842 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Martha married Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1842. Joseph was born on 23 Dec 1805 in Sharon, Windsor, Vermont; died on 27 Jun 1844 in Carthage, Hancock, Illinois. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Martha married Heber Chase Kimball in Jan 1846. Heber was born on 14 Jun 1801 in Sheldon, Franklin, Vermont; died on 22 Jun 1868 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

His wedding to Tryphena Bisbee was performed by Hyrum Smith, brother of Joseph Smith. He and his family were among the eight families that founded what is now Springville, Utah.

Life sketch of Myron Nathan Crandall, author unknown:

Myron Nathan Crandall, the fourth child of David Crandall and Margret McBride, was born in Genessee County, western New York on 17 Aug 1818. In 1823 the family moved to Villanova, NY where they lived for about eleven years. There they heard the gospel, joined the church and moved to Kirtland, Ohio. Myron Nathan was fifteen years old. The family then followed the church migrations from Kirtland to Missourit then to Quincy, IL and later to LaHarpe, IL, not far from Nauvoo.

On Jan 26, 1841 Myron Nathan married Tryphena Bisbee who had joined the church in 1837 and was living in Nauvoo. They were married in her Uncle Noah Packard's home by Hyrum Smith, brother of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Two children were born to them in Illinois, Julia Ann 26 Nov 1841 and Hyrum Oscar 26 Apr 1844. Persecution was so strong against the church the members were forced to leave Illinois.

In Aug 1844 Myron Nathan's mother died and in 1845 his father married Mrs. Jerusha Smith who was not interested in following the Saints when most of them left Illinois and moved to Iowa. David, his nine year old daughter, Margret Ann, and his new wife, Jerusha, stayed in LaHarpe. Margaret Ann died there at age seventeen.

Myron Nathan, his married brothers and sisters with their spouses and children, and his three unmarried brothers left Illinois about 1847 and settled in Kanesville, Iowa. Myron Nathan built the first dugout in the community. In 1848 his third child, Myron Edgar was born and during this period their first child, Julia Ann suffered a severe hip injury which left her permanetly crippled and they were unable to travel with her for some time.

Early in June 1850 the Crandalls left Kanesville to go to Utah with the Aaron Johnson Company. There were 22 in the Crandall group as follows: Eliza Crandall, her husband John Deal and 4 children; Myron N Crandall, his wife Tryphena Bisbee and 3 children; Spicer Wells, his wife Orinda Spafford; Emiline Crandall, husband Richard Bird and 2 children; Laura Crandall her husband Willis K Johnson; Martin Pardon Crandall age 20 unmarried; Lucien Delancy Crandall age 18 unmarried; Nelson David Crandall age 16 unmarried.

While in Kanesville Myron Nathan owned a six acre farm, had a span of horses, two yoke of oxen, two cows and sufficient provisions to last two years; consequently, they came across the plains with fewer hardships than many of the Saints. Myron's kindness and thoughtfulness for his wife, who was pregnant, was shown by his taking a rocking chair and a small cook stove for her comfort and a hammock for his crippled daughter which swung from the wagon bows and made her journey more bearable.

In the latter part of June tragedy struck the company. Aaron Johnson's wife, Polly Kelsey, Spicer Crandall's wife Irinda Spafford, her mother four of her brothers and sisters and Willis K Johnson, husband of Laura Crandall, all died of Cholera. They were buried near the Platte river in Nebraska.

The Aaron Johnson Company arrived in Salt Lake 12 September 1850. Brigham Young requested the first eight wagons to go to Springville and build a fort there. The teams comprised those of Aaron Johnson, Myron Nathan Crandall, Martin Pardon Crandall, William Miller, John W Deal, Richard Bird, and Amos Warren and his brother.

In November 1850 Myron Nathan and Tryphena's fourth child, Franklin Austin, was born, the first child born in the settlement.

Before the first winter set in a fort was competed and the church organization effected. The Springville fort was built on a rise and covered 1.5 acres of ground. It was located near the northwest corner of Main and Center streets. All the houses faced the enclosure with their doors and window opening into it. For safety measures there were no windows on the outside of the cabins. There were gates on the east and west sides of the fort and bastions at the corners. In times of trouble the cattle were driven inside the enclosure for protection.

Aaron Johnson was the first bishop with William Miller and Myron Nathan Crandall as his counselors. For the first two years church was held in the fort but later Aaron Johnson built a large adobe home with one large room reserved for church, social gatherings and dances.

During the winter of 1851-2 Springville was surveyed and a site chosen for a city square and a school. The rest of the lots which were 12.5 rods square were chosen by drawing a number out of a box. The lot drawn by Myron Nathan is located at what is now the northwest corner of Main street and Second north.

In 1852 the legislature approved a charter for Springville and held an election to appoint a mayor and alderman. Myron Nathan was appointed an alderman and his duties included acting as Justice of the Peace, a position he held until his death.

Myron Nathan had received his endowmnets at Nauvoo but was not sealed until it could be done in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City.

He entered into plural marriage with Susanna Wimmer 9 Dec 1854 and with Mary Hurst 11 Mar 1857. He was a hard worker and a good provider.

While sickling grain Myron Nathan became overheated, contracted pneumonia and died 4 August 1860, age 42. He was survived by his three wives and eleven children, seven by Tryphena, two by Susanna Wimmer and two by Mary Hurst.

Tryphena died in 1863 and she and Myron Nathan are buried in the old Springville cemetery with a suitable marker on their graves. His other wives married his brothers. Susanna Wimmer Crandall married Spicer Wills Crandall and gave birth to seven more children. she died in 1918. Mary Hurst Crandall married Martin Pardon Crandall and had one child. In 1875 she married Amost Maycock and had three more children.

While the life of Myron Nathan Crandall covered only 42 years it was a life filled with hardship, responsibilities and tribulations but also major accomplishments, blessings and rewards. He was a valiant pioneer and a most faithful church leader.

Myron Nathan's father, David, and his mother, Margret McBride, led the family into the church and journeyed together from Villanova to Missouri and Nauvoo. Myron Nathan, his good wife and his brothers and sisters stayed together through the tribulations from Nauvoo to Utah. The Crandall posterity now numbers in the thousands and the benefits of the struggles and hardships their ancestors endured in remaining faithful to the church.

Myron married Tryphena Bisbee on 26 Jan 1841 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois. Tryphena (daughter of James Bisbee and Polly Packard) was born on 4 Apr 1819 in McDonough, Chenango, New York; died on 12 Oct 1863 in Springville, Utah, Utah. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

HYRUM OSCAR CRANDALL
Compiled from The Life Story of Hyrum Oscar Crandall book

Hyrum Oscar Crandall was born April 26, 1844 at LaHarpe, Hancock County, Illinois, the son of Myron Nathan Crandall and Tryphena Bisbee. He was their second child. His parents were a close and faithful family. His father heard the gospel from missionaries in Villanova, New York and was fifteen years old when he joined the church. The Crandall family moved to Kirtland, Ohio, then followed the church migration from Ohio to Missouri, then to Quincy, Illinois and later to LaHarpe, Illinois not far from Nauvoo. Tryphena's family had joined the church in 1837 and were residents of Nauvoo at the time.

Persecution was so strong against the church that the members were driven from Illinois. In 1847 Myron and his family and many of his siblings left Illinois for Kanesville, Iowa. Myron built the first dugout in Kanesville. As a young boy Hyrum lived there with his family in Kanesville on a six acre farm for three years. While living here they acquired a span of horses, two yoke of oxen, two cows and a two year supply of provisions. Consequently, when they left to join the saints in Utah they did not suffer as much deprivation as some other pioneers. While they lived in Kanesville, Hyrum sister Julia Ann suffered an accidental hip injury which left her crippled the rest of her life. This injury kept the family from traveling as soon as they had hoped.

In 1850 that Crandalls left Kanesville with the Aaron Johnson Company. Hyrum was six years old when they left for Utah. The company arrived in the Salt Lake Valley 02 September 1850, in much better condition than most of the trains that had struggled across the plains. They camped at Emigration Square for a few days to let their animals rest, wash their clothes and mingle with the Saints. One morning Brigham Young came into the square and with a wave of his cane, cut out the first eight wagons and told them to prepare to leave at once for their new home about 50 miles south of Salt Lake. The Crandall's were among the eight wagons cut out. Some of the men had scouted the country on horseback and came back with glowing tales of the beauty of the Utah Valley with belly-high grass and a spring of cool mountain water with the lake shimmering nearby.

Captained again by Aaron Johnson, the lead wagon was driven by Martin Pardon Crandall and they traveled three days, arriving at Hobble Creek about 3:00 p.m. on 18 September 1850. The Crandall's were among these and on 18 September 1850 they arrived at what they first called Hobble Creek, because they could hobble the horses and turn them out to graze along the creek. Later they named their camp Springville in honor of the mountain spring which gave them water and afforded power for the gristmill. The next morning the men hung up their grindstone, sharpened their scythes and began to make hay from the wild grasses which grew in abundance. They also sharpened axes and sent groups of men into the canyons for logs to build a fort.

Aaron Johnson's history records, "The following day the men went to the hills for logs from which to build their homes. In the meantime, the women and children picked wild ground cherries, choke cherries and service berries… The first days were full of promise and hope."

The men began to build a fort the second day after they arrived because there were bands of Indians in the area. The village grew rapidly as the wagons arrived. Chief Walker and his parties were troublesome, more from their habit of walking into homes unannounced and uninvited, and their thievery, than threatening life. One day word came that the Indians were on the warpath and all the women and children were gathered into the meeting house to stay while the men joined in repelling the Indians. The day was hot and their supply of water is gone. No one dared go to the creek until Grandmother Guymon took the bucket and ran quickly to the stream, filled the bucket and ran back. It was extremely warm but they had been told to keep the doors and windows closed.

At this juncture 1851, Utah was a young land. American history was still in the making here. An early day log fort arose in "Hobble Creek" almost immediately to afford the first settlers protection from the Indians and from the approaching winter. The area had a bounty of mountains, badlands, canyons, valleys and desert. In short, the area was a geologic showcase. This was the wide open west the Mormons did so much to shape. The experiences of the settlers in Springville were peculiar to the pioneer way of life. Their experiences were accounts of travel in covered wagons, accounts of Indian battles and otherwise the eking out of an existence that at times was barely of subsistence level.

Hyrum received his schooling in Springville schools and grew up in a community that placed great importance on socials, dances and parties. Bishop Johnson, when he built his permanent home, built a large room in which the young people could socialize and dance. They had only to provide the fuel and the candles. When the meeting house was built, socials were held there.

Hyrum married Margaret Elizabeth (Betsy) Guymon who was also a lifelong resident of Springville. They had known each other even across the plains coming to Utah when Betsy was seventeen they married on 06 March 1864. They were later sealed and received their endowments in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City on 14 January 1869.

The Black Hawk War broke out in 1866, lasting two years. Hyrum, 22 was assigned guard duty. Whenever trouble came, the old bell on the church was rung three times, then after a few seconds lapse, three more times. In case of extreme emergency, a drum roll was added to the end of the alarm.

Early in May a courier came dashing into town reporting that some people had been shot near the forks of the canyon. Immediately that bell rang out, "come, come, come – quick, quick, quick," followed by a long drum roll. In half an hour a posse had formed and twenty men left for the crime scene, among them was Hyrum. When the posse arrived, however, no dead were found but the men divided up into pairs and searched all afternoon for signs of Indians. At sundown they met at the Curtis ranch where ten more men joined their ranks. The group held a council of war and decided that the Indians had holed up for the day and would try to escape through a familiar canyon after dark. Ten of young men volunteered to try to head them off. When they arrived at their destination, one of their numbers was missing and they waited fearfully for the confrontation. They descended the trail to return to the ranch for breakfast where they found the missing boy who had become lost during the night. They were relieved that he was alive, as they had feared and dead.

All that summer the men worked in parties of 30 to 40 men when they went for wood, staying close together and keeping armed. A company of minute men was formed and for six months they camped in the tithing yard. Each day a squad was detailed to herd the cattle to feed on the bench and bring them home safely in the evening. During that summer they encountered the Indians several times but the Battle of Diamond Fork in which Hyrum Oscar was involved is worthy of mention.

A band of Indians came down Maple Canyon in June of 1866 and drove off 50 head of cattle and horses. This was the start of the Battle Diamond Fork. The bell rang, the drums rolled and a posse was formed. Only about ten were in the initial group as the other men were working in the fields and it took awhile for them to gather. Another posse from Spanish Fork was scheduled to meet them, hoping to surround the Indians on two sides. The Spanish Fork group met the Indians and engaged them in battle before the Springville group arrived. The skirmish lasted about an hour and a half and two young men were killed. The Indians finally fled, so they picked up their two dead comrades, strapped them to horses and sadly went home. They were met by Bishop Johnson who told them to get a few hours of sleep because one boy hadn't returned. Shortly the bell rang and they were on their way again.

The Diamond Fork Battle was one of the most successful of the Black Hawk War as the Indians lost all of their camp equipment and much of their ammunition and guns. Most of the cattle were found and returned and after 48 hours of continual fighting with little food and water, the Springville men, including Hyrum Oscar, dragged themselves home.

Hyrum and Betsy had been married five years when it was decided that Hyrum would take a second wife, so he chose Betsy's sister, Harriet who was eighteen. They were married 25 October 1869 at the Endowment House in Salt Lake. Betsy worked diligently spinning wool and weaving cloth to make Hyrum a suit to wear for this marriage. Betsy had just had a baby, Franklin Edgar, born 01 September 1869 and could not make the journey, so her mother went with them. Betsy worked all day to prepare a fine supper the night that Hyrum and Harriet got home. When everyone was eating, Betsy slipped out and a friend found her sitting on the chopping block sobbing. Polygamy was probably the hardest principle the pioneers had to live.

In 1879 the two families moved to Huntington, Emery County, Utah in what is known as Castle Valley. The party included Betsy and six children, Harriet and four children. Harriet's fifth child, Adelaide Lucinda was born, en route to Huntington.

The history of Huntington, Utah reveals that Hyrum Oscar arrived with a large group of settlers in late summer 1879. Castle Valley had been settled as early as 1850 but it was not until 25 years later that settlers moved there in any great number. A colony of Mormons had arrived in 1877, building dugouts along the north side of the creek. As they built homes, other settlers moved in and occupied the dugouts. Hyrum arrived with Noah Thomas Guymon, his father-in-law and they helped survey the town of Huntington. As was the custom, lots were numbered and the numbers placed in a hat, then each man drew for lots. Those with plural wives drew a lot for each wife. Noah Thomas and Albert Guymon both drew lots at this time. Hyrum and William Howard were business partners in a saw mill and built identical homes. The old Crandall home burned down later, but the Howard house still stands.

Hyrum was a counselor to the Elias Cox, first Bishop of Huntington, when the ward was organized 07 October 1879 by Canute Peterson, Stake President and shortly afterward the auxiliary organizations were formed, a cemetery designated and an "Old Folks committee" was appointed. Hyrum also filed on 160 acres of homestead land which he improved a great deal. Hyrum and William O. Howard's steam sawmill used the timber that was one of them valuable cash crops in Huntington. Their mill was a shingle and lath mill located in Crandall Canyon found in Huntington Canyon. Another sawmill was located in Rilda Canyon but it later moved to the Forks, also in Huntington Canyon. For the first year there was no drinking water, so the pioneers hauled water from the creek.

While they lived in Huntington, three children were born to Betsy and three sons were born to Harriet. Noah Thomas Guymon, grandfather to all these children, owned the first store, the first grain binder, the first "surrey with the fringe on top." This surrey was used as a hearse in the community for many years.

The year after their arrival in Castle Dale Valley, a big 24th of July celebration was held under a large bowery erected for the occasion. The same bowery was also used as a church until a log cabin, forty by sixty feet, was erected. This log cabin church had a dirt floor, but a wooden floor was added shortly, but the building had a thatch roof and mud filled the chinks between the logs. Doors and windows from Sanpete County were added and when it was finished, of big New Year's Dance was held in it. A new wing was added later, forming a T. A stage at one end of the addition made it possible to hold plays and programs and eventually a coat of plaster and whitewash improved it aesthetically and a new floor over the original improved it functionally. It served the community until it was destroyed by fire in 1918.

The first Thanksgiving celebration was held in this building in 1881. A program of songs, recitations and stump speeches started the day, then a midnight supper and dancing until morning completed the festivities. Dancing was one of the favorite pastimes of the Saints. More men than women were usually in attendance, so the men were given numbers and weren't suppose to dance until their number was called. If they didn't wait, that was called "ringing in," a practice that cause more than one fist fight outside.

Just what prompted Hyrum to pull up stakes and move his two families to Vernal, Utah it is not known for sure. In 1887 Hyrum sold his hundred 160 acres and moved his family to Vernal, Utah where he purchased 80 acres of land and worked as a contractor, building homes. Here Betsy had another daughter and Harriet had her last child. In Vernal, Hyrum purchased a large lot, building one house on one end of the lot and one on the other. Each had two rooms on the ground floor and two rooms upstairs. There was no stairway, but a ladder provided access. The children ran back and forth between the two houses and everyone was congenial with one another.

The family prospered in Vernal but persecution of polygamous families intensified. And it was at about this time that the laws of the land began to focus against those Latter-day Saints who had entered into polygamous marriage relationships. Because of the attacks against the church over this issue the Mormon Church issued its Manifesto suspending the practice of polygamy in the church. This occurred on 06 October 1890. The church had conformed to the laws of the land but the families that had been constituted through plural marriage found themselves in an adverse situation. Hyrum Oscar was already having to evade local and Federal agents bent upon putting him in jail.

Because he was not openly able to be with his two families the way his heart and conscience dictated, Hyrum Oscar Crandall held council with his two families over the untenable situation and both families agreed they should load both families into the wagons and move to Mexico where they can live unmolested.

President Wilford Woodruff, an Apostle and himself a polygamist, became very ill while he was fleeing the Federal officers, so he came to the Crandall Home for refuge. Betsy killed a chicken and made chicken broth to sustain Elder Woodruff and he stayed at their home for several days. He stayed upstairs in the boys' bedroom and when he was better, the children were allowed to go up and visit him. He taught them a little song, "I'll be a Little Mormon."

Because of Federal persecution and after much discussion, Hyrum decided to take his two wives and seventeen children and move to Mexico, hoping to escape constant surveillance of the "Federals." They packed all their necessary furniture to head for the Mormon Colonies in Mexico. Preparations were completed, and on a cold day, 23 January 1891, they said their goodbyes when Franklin, decided to marry before they left. Julia Euzell and Hettie didn't join the family going to Mexico. They also married about this time.

At the last moment Hyrum saw that he needed an extra rope and the only place to buy one was at the hardware store but he was afraid he would run into officers, so he elected to shave off his beautiful beard and mustache. A Deputy Whitaker, who was a "spotter," passed right by Hyrum on the street and didn't recognize him. After Hyrum bought his rope, jumped on his horse and rode away, Whitaker ask the storekeeper if that wasn't Crandall!

Three wagons left Vernal 23 January 1891, one pulled by a four-horse team. In addition to this they had 48 head of loose horses and they trailed a cow. (Some family dispute arises over the existence of a cow). Just how much planning went into this move no one seems to know for sure. In any event Hyrum Oscar Crandall took enough time to sell and dispose of its property. It is recorded that the wagons were well outfitted. The older boys drove the extra stock and the wagons. When evening came they cooked and ate around a campfire. They were entertained by singing and playing the harmonica and recollections of that time were spoken of the beautiful spring flowers, the streams and lovely valleys. The days pass quickly and soon it became warm and sunny and the roads became dusty and dry. The stock kicked up clouds of dust that whirled around everyone.

Finding water was always a problem. In the arid regions when a water hole was located they more often than not found the Indians guarding the water. Hyrum Oscar had to barter a horse to the Indians on one occasion for permission to fill their water kegs and water their stock. On their trip down, many times it passed over large beds of saleratus or alkali, akin to baking soda. They filled all there empty cans with it and used it to leaven their bread. It made the bread very yellow but at least it would rise and they found it very tasty.

The days on the trail passed quickly and soon it became warmer and the road became dusty and dry. One day just before they got to Monticello, a spotter came into camp. All the polygamists' families had been taught to answer all questions from strangers about their family with "I don't know." The spotter asked all the children where their father was and what his name, but all he got was a chorus of "I don't know." He drove out of camp cursing and calling them dumb little brats but the children felt pretty smart. He was not deceived, however because shortly Marshall Whitaker showed up. His jurisdiction was in Utah but he bragged that he was going to arrest Hyrum the next day. Hyrum's friends took the Marshall's group to the saloon and treated them to as much drink as they wanted, while Hyrum and Brother Wrigley herded their horses into New Mexico out of immediate danger.

In some places quicksand made it necessary for the men to drive the horses back and forth until they could find a safe place to cross. Many places were so steep that they had to tie the wheels together with chains in order to let the wagons down slowly enough.

They were glad to cross over into New Mexico Territory to get away from the jurisdiction of the Marshalls and spotters. However, in New Mexico they traveled on Zuni Territory and those Indians were on the warpath. The boys took turns sitting watch night and day.

After five months of travel the families arrived in Deming, Luna County, New Mexico on 05 June 1891, after traveling by wagon for five months. The nearest railroad point to the Mormon Colonies. Margaret was sent to deliver when they arrived here. Hyrum rented a small house for her and the younger children and helped put up tents for the older ones. After getting everyone settled in, Hyrum left with Harriet, her children and all the older boys to look over the colonies in Mexico and see if it was where they wanted to settle. They hadn't been gone long when Margaret went into labor and they came back to help Margaret. She gave birth to their twelfth child.

A few days later the party set out again, leaving Margaret with the small children and a new infant. When Hyrum and the rest of family arrived at the Mexican border, they were told that they would have to pay $5.00 a head to the Mexican Government for all their livestock. The austere conditions of the area had already turned their heads, so the return to Deming convinced that Mexico should not be their destination. Inasmuch as they were not impressed with the country, they returned to Deming. They took a contract to dig a canal to bring water to that thirsty land and they worked all summer only to find that a Mr. Taylor, the bookkeeper had absconded with all the money, leaving Hyrum and his families completely without funds. It was a hard time for all of the family and they decided that Margaret was to return by train to Utah with all of her younger family to a place Hyrum had purchased this was 1892 purchased sight unseen several years before in this small community of Indianola, 50 miles south of Springville. Mr. Black, from whom he had purchased it for span of mules, had represented it as a sound house and everyone was looking forward to living there.

Harriet and her family proceeded on to the Gila Valley in the territory of Arizona. Harriet reportedly had already made friends with some people from Gila Valley who spoke favorable terms about the area. It was decided that Hyrum should accompany Harriet and get them settled and then return to Utah himself and live with his first family. And this is the order of events that finally developed.

Hyrum, Harriet and her family preceded by wagon to Safford, Arizona with what remained of the stock taken to New Mexico. They arrived in Safford (the Layton area) in December 1892. Harriet and her children settled in a temporary house which is now part of the Lawrence Fuller ranch. Their immediate concern of course was a livelihood. Hyrum remained with Harriet less than a year reportedly. A Tax Collector's s Office receipt reflects that on 12 April 12, 1893, one H. O. Crandall paid $24.70 to Graham County, Arizona Territory at Solomonville, Arizona the county seat. It is said that when Hyrum returned to Utah to join his first wife he took one wagon and one span of horses with them. The laws of the land, so to speak, had separated her and her children from Hyrum Oscar Crandall never seeing her husband again. They were left in a two room shack with tents for the older boys. Two wagons and teams gave 17 year old Marcellus the oldest and Mel, teenage sons, means to earn a living hauling and freighting and Harriet served as a midwife.

Hyrum met Margaret and her family in Indianola in 1893. They were thrilled to see their husband and father after nearly a year without him. In 1894, Margaret and Harriet's brother, Ed Guymon wrote about a wonderful place in Wyoming so Hyrum left his family again to file on a homestead there. This was 1894 in the big horn basin of Wyoming in the fall. In 1895 soon he wrote for Margaret and the children, to come and be with him in Wyoming. The family was destitute when they receive the letter but they packed their belongings into two wagons and started out. It was a sad meeting when they met Hyrum headed for Utah. They spent that winter in Otto, Wyoming.

The next summer Hyrum and the boys worked on the Joe Brown's Ranch between Otto and Mormon Bend. Hyrum and the boys contracted to build Cody canal nearby, 1895 – 1896 laid out the city of Burlington Wyoming. So while the rest the family set up housekeeping in Otto, they worked on the canal until the spring of 1897. It was also at that time that Hyrum and Richard Prater laid out the city of Burlington, Wyoming and the family moved there. In the spring of 1897, Hyrum got a contract to build the road through Yellowstone Park. The family lived in tents, cooked over campfires and carried their water up a steep hill to their camp.

The fall of 1897 the families moved out of the park and homesteaded some land in the Teton Valley just south of Driggs, Idaho. Hyrum Oscar and his boys built a two room log house with a dirt roof. A spring of pure water provided plenty of water. The valley was beautiful, nestled just under the Teton peaks. Choke cherries and other berries grew in profusion in the summer. Heavy winter snows cover the trees and meadows but the valley was ready to bloom come spring. Hyrum with the help of his boys farmed the land. He bought cows and chickens to stock the place. Margaret sold butter and eggs to the store. For the first time the family was really settled.

Once again Hyrum contacted from the Utah Construction Company and moved the family to Evanston, Wyoming in 1899 through 1900. That year Hyrum cleared $3,000.00 making roadway for the railroad. The following year he wanted to try "just one more time," and contrary to Betsy's wishes, they stayed in Evanston to build more roadway. The formation of the dirt changed, however and the hills which had to be blasted before the bed could be laid, and weathered and "air slaked," and when the inspecting engineer came, he would not pay them, saying that the bed was dirt instead of rock. They lost all their money.

The family returned to Teton Basin to start over. During those years Hyrum was first counselor in the bishopric under Don Carlos Driggs. The Teton stake was organized later. Bertha recalled it vivdly:

"Joseph F. Smith was the visiting authority. At that time he was an Apostle and I remember sitting by father listing to the conference. The way they had it arranged, we all sat on planks laid over cut-off logs. I remember it being an exciting conference. Thomas E. Rex of the Rexburg stake was there and I remember him reading off the names: Don Driggs, president of the Stake; George Young as first counselor and a fellow by the name of Wingren as Second Counselor. Then they began to read off the names of the high councilmen. As I sat by father, I could see the perspiration running down his neck and it wasn't too warm, at least I didn't think so and I wondered what the matter was. But he knew he was going to be made Bishop and so he was. He was Bishop for three years, until the day he died. He was a wonderful man. A thoroughly honest and good man. A man whose word was as good as gold anytime."

Hyrum had always had bad headaches during his life. He loved to have his hair brushed when his head ached. That spring he got a very severe headache so Margaret got the hairbrush and began brushing his hair. While she was thus engaged, he grew still and died in Margaret's arms. The doctor said it was a heart attack. The date was 30 April 1904. He was just 60 years old. Hyrum was buried in Driggs Cemetery which he and his counselor had laid out just a week before. He was the first grave in it.

Harriet, who never again saw her husband after he left the Gila Valley in 1893, lived in Safford near her children and died there 18 May 1942.

Hyrum married Margaret Elizabeth Guymon on 6 Mar 1864 in Springville, Utah, Utah. Margaret (daughter of Noah Thomas Guymon and Margaret Johnson) was born on 29 Sep 1846 in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa; died on 15 Jan 1929 in Driggs, Teton, Idaho. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Hyrum married Harriet Guymon on 25 Oct 1869 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. Harriet (daughter of Noah Thomas Guymon and Margaret Johnson) was born on 11 Nov 1851 in Springville, Utah, Utah; died on 18 May 1942 in Safford, Graham, Arizona; was buried in Safford Cemetery, Graham, Arizona. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Known as "Cellus." Worked as a teamster; owned his own horse and wagon.

Myron married Clara Mabel Packer on 22 Dec 1896 in Safford, Graham, Arizona. Clara (daughter of Alonzo Hamilton Packer and Lydia Ann Parker) was born on 26 Jun 1878 in Brigham City, Box Elder, Utah; died on 30 Dec 1929 in Gilbert, Maricopa, Arizona; was buried on 1 Jan 1930 in Mesa City Cemetery, Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Myron married Lottie Ethel Noble on 9 Dec 1930 in Lordsburg, Hidalgo, New Mexico. Lottie was born on 15 Aug 1889 in Lake Point, Tooele, Utah; died on 25 Dec 1971 in Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Paul married Barbara Allen on 6 Jun 1924 in Gilbert, Maricopa, Arizona. Barbara (daughter of John Seymour Allen and Barbara Ann Phelps) was born on 5 Oct 1903 in Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona; died on 12 Feb 2003 in Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona; was buried in Mesa City Cemetery, Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: Abt 1923

Notes:

From her obituary at Meldrum Mortuary:

Barbara J. Crandall Nielsen Dowell, age 94, of Mesa, Arizona, died on Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at her home, surrounded by family and friends.

Barbara was the daughter of Paul L. Crandall and Barbara Allen Crandall. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Victor L. Nielsen, Jr., and her second husband, Emery B. Dowell. She is survived by two brothers, Paul L. Crandall, Jr., and Dr. John A. Crandall; five children, Ericka Nielsen Barber, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Victor L. Nielsen III, Matthew C. Nielsen, and Paul M. Nielsen; eight grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren. She loved her family.

She was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona, and received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Arizona State University. There she also met her husband, Vic Nielsen, who had signed up to write sports stories for the university's newspaper, the State Press, which Barb was editing that year. Continuing in their shared love of journalism, she and Vic worked at several newspapers after graduating, including The Superior (Arizona) Sun and the Chamberlain (South Dakota) Record. In Chamberlain they began their family with the first three of their five children; Ericka, Teresa, and Victor III. Having to put three children into snowsuits every day brought them back to Arizona, where Matthew and Paul were born.

After dedicating 12 years to raising her children, she discovered a great talent and new love for teaching. She taught high school English and journalism throughout her entire career, most of which took place at Mesa High School. She loved teaching and loved her students, and was very popular with them as well. Several went on to careers in journalism and other aspects of writing.

Barb had a long family history of membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and served in numerous callings as a teacher. Her extended Mesa family took much of her free time and attention, but she managed to travel with friends through Europe after she retired, and enjoyed playing bridge with old friends and colleagues for many years. She will be missed by all who knew her.

Barbara married Victor Louis Nielsen, Jr. on 31 Oct 1949 in Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona. Victor (son of Victor Louis Nielsen, Sr. and Hazel Ethel Coston) was born on 25 Apr 1927 in Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska; died on 15 May 1985 in Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona; was buried in Mesa City Cemetery, Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Barbara married Emery Bevington "Soap" Dowell on 9 Jun 2007 in Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona. Emery (son of John Emery Dowell, Jr. and LuCrece J. Bevington) was born on 2 Jan 1924 in Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri; died on 21 Nov 2017 in Emeryville, Alameda, California; was buried in Fair Oaks Cemetery, Sacramento, Sacramento, California. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Paul married Eleanor Gay Pew in Nov 1951. Eleanor (daughter of Ellis Harvey Pew and Eliza Roxie Bond) was born on 4 Nov 1929 in Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona; died on 10 Jan 1999; was buried in City of Mesa Cemetery, Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Wilford married Ruth Ann Woods on 18 Jun 1955 in Maricopa County, Arizona. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Founder of the now-defunct Phoenix amusement park Legend City.