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Show 2 - VACATION TIMES - FEBRUARY 1998 — The following writing is some of the recorded oral history of the Castle Valley area. Pinhook Valley is directly above Castle Valley. Andy Mesa is on the NW shoulder of the La Sal Mtns., just above Fisher Mesa. acquainted with her brother, Joe, and all the Wilson family and work in the very amyon where the tragedy occurred. ANDY MESA PINHOOK MASSACRE In the 1880’s an event occured at Pinhook in the upper Any Mesa is so called after Andy Swanson, a big Swede, 6’ 4” tall, who used to live there in his ‘Garden of part of Castle Valley and is known as the Pinhook Mass— acre. There are two versions of the tale known to the Eden.’ Andy Swanson was probably the most colorful of all the characters in the [a Sals. He was a religious nut and collector, both of which follow, the first being the most familiar: everywhere. ~ From Lester Taylor: The Indians stole some horses from the settlers in the upper part of Castle Valley. Cow- boys, mostly Texans, from the Pittsburg Cattle Co. and three of the Wilson boys formed a posse and went after the Indians. When the Indians reached Pinhook, some of them went ahead with their squaws and the stolen horses while the rest stayed back and ambushed the posse. When the shooting started, the Texas cowboys took off and two of the Wilson boys were Killed. Their graves can still be seen at Pinhook. The third Wilson, Joe, got the bridge of his nose shot off and was also shot in the foot and left for dead. Next day one of the squaws came back, tied joe Wilson on his horse self—styled prophet. He had a God and believed spirits to be He built rock monuments all around his place for the spirits to live in. The circle was a religious symbol to Andy and be planted flowers and vegetables intermixed in rings and circles surrounded by rock walls to protect the little gardens from animals. Nearby pine trees and brush were kept neatly trimmed and little rock paths led every— where. Water was a real problem, thenearest source being Fisher Point, three milm away. Everyday, Andy made a round trip journey of six miles to get water for the household use and for his gardens, carrying it in two 5-gallon cans hung on each end of a pole across his shoulders. Because the end of the world was coming by flood, and let him loose. Being badly mutilated, he was know as ‘Stuttering Joe’ and lived as a recluse at Looking Glass ' Rock in Dry Valley between moab and monticello. Andy kept a hand—hewn ponderosa pine boat hung by ropes From Wilmer Bronson: Hyrum Allen, a friend went south into the San Juan country in the southeast corner of Mesa, between Fisher and Castle Valleys, lies some 3,000 Utah, where he met and married a girl by the name of Myra Wilson, whose parents lived in Moab, a town on the Color- ado River west of the lofty La Sal Mountains. He brought his young wife back to Huntsville, Utah and soon she became friendly with us and used to spend long evenings telling of life as she lived it in the far away wilds of the" Indian country to the south. This was Christmas Eve, and her husband was away, so she came to us and in the course of the evening told a story that almost froze my blood and left me so scaredI was afraid to go to bed. There were five boys in her family. One day the Indians watched three of those Wilson boys leave the old fort where the early settlers were assembled on their way to the mountain to hunt deer. Stealthily they followed the boys and when they were in one of the wildest ravines leading from the foothills of the mountains, the Indians came upon them, yelling and brandishing their Winchesters. The boys were greatly outnumbered but put up a gallant fight. It wasn’t long ‘till one of them was killed and when his brother, Joe, saw him fall, he spurred his horse straight at the two bucks coming at him, and ws shot in the left ankle and through the bridge of his nose and losing one on the rear of his cabin. Above the boat was a butcher knife to cut the rope in order to make a speedy launch. Andy feet above the valley floors, so old Andy must have expected a real deluge. ' He lived in a well built, thick-walled, rock cabin with a dirt floor and bark and earth roof. His cooking was done in the fireplace by means of pots hung on a metal bar attached to an indoor post then swung over the fire. Helen Taylor and Daisy Allen were horseback riding on Andy Mesa and stopped to visit Andy. He was nowhere to be seen, although something was boiling in a kettle over the fire. Curious, Daisy lifted the lid and found a pot full of chipmunks complete with fur, tails, and innards, lying backs down, feet up, boiling merrily away. Daisy gulped, quickly replaced the lid, ran outside, and threw up. Andy returned shortly, and to make conversation Daisy suggested that he should get some hens for his huge, lone old rooster, who seemed to be a permanent fixture there. Looking at Daisy in pure disgust, Andy remarked, “Lady, that rooster’s got about as much use for hens as I’ve got for women.” The very odiferous Andy Swanson was visiting at the Pace Ranch and Ann Pace suggested he take a bath while she washed and ironed his clothes. Andy replied that he didn’t need to bathe since he was ‘self cleaning.’ Ann informed him that if he was going to stay with her, he was eye by the same bullet. The other boy managed to escape back to the fort. A posse of men formed, rode to the scene of the shooting, but all they found was the boky of the one who going to take a bath. Many tales both real and imagined abounded regarding Andy’s hidden wealth. There was some truth to the stories was killed. Joe was nowhere to be seen. It was later learned in Moab and was paid off in gold. Following his death, treasure hunters dug up his gardens, tore down the rock monuments, and demolished his cabin searching for gold. Some gold was found in two places in the cabin walls by that some friendly squaws had taken Joe Wilson to their camp far into the mountain solitudes and there, nursed him back to life. No skilled help could be had for his woulds and they gealed up in a horrible, misshapen fashion. For a long time Joe was mourned as dead. Then one day he rode back to his people, a horrible sight to see, his eye and nose gone, and his left foot a crooked knot of flesh and bone. Little did I know then that destiny was to take me to this wild land which Myra spoke, and that I would get because Andy, a skilled stonemason, built the old Star Hall Sap Davis and Gil Hammond, of Moab, Utah. Today all that remains of Andy”s ‘Garden of Eden’ is rubble and trees bearing traces of former pnming. (From Lorraine Mitchell’s oral history interviews with Helen Taylor and Lester Taylor. This historical material was made available by the Moab District BLM) |