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Show SHistory History llistory of Moab , Utah UtahBy Utaht Utahr t r By Faun \ McConkie l\IcConkie l IcConkie Tanner Tannerfl TannerCopyright fl flI fls flCopyright I s ( Copyright 1937)la 1937) 1937 1937)HP ) la Chapter 4 . HP HE ELK MOUNTAIN MISSION ( Continued ) \ July the company had builfc built a stockade corral of logsfeet logs logsfeet logse feet in the giound glound ground and sr six c feet above . They had hadin hadin 1 1in , in all their grain , etc . Then they began woik wOlk work on art a art rt , which was finished fimshed July 19 19.3 193 19s . s This fort was su.ty- su.ty sixty- sixty su.tyt sixtyt sixty-t sixty t . - t t ; square and had rock walls twelve feet high . . There Thereveral Thereveral Thereveral veral originallyt rooms inside mside . The fort walls were originally t thick at the bottom , tapeiing tapering tapel ing off to one and a half halfthe halfthe the top . It had a wide gate on the south and a nalon naron nar- nar nal- nal naron ' - on the west . ! ! 1'men 1men ' men were also kept busy planting , cultivating cultlvatmg and andtheir andtheir andJheir ! ; their _ their crops . _ They were visited vlcited ; by many Indians Indiansae Indianse I e friendly'ssionaries to tiade hade trade . Some of the chiefs weie wele were very friendly friendlynissionaries 'ssionaries ssionaries 'ssionaries ssionaries ' . : Many leligious 1elIglOUs religious meetmgs meetlflgs meetings weie wele were held , atgood at atgood atgood good spirit was manifest mamfest , and at which some of thepoke thepoke the thepoke > poke . A number of them were even baptized . interesting mterestmg stoiy stOlY story is told of how at one time theid the theed d ed a meeting meetmg " with "Ith Ith the Indians and told them howcome how howome come ome to live among them in peace , , to be one wIth withwork withvork " , work evidentlyliteially evidentlyMelaIly evidentlyhterally , ork with them and malr malrr mairy marry r . The Indians evidently numberIndian liteially MelaIly hterally and the next net ; . , mOl moinmg morning mng blOught brought bi ought a number number/Indian number Indian / Indian girls to the fort , , all ( chessed clressed h essed and painted In Int int infc t choice.Ited choiceIted . . Th They ey told the " white "hlte hlte men to take their then ' choice . lted in in n some difficulty when "hen hen " the men could not'ac- not'ac notac not'acnvitatIon not'acnvitation not ' ac-nvitation ac nvitation - nvitatIon and it Was Tras ras , only thiough thlOUgh through the influence and ande andie e , inteipieter intelpleter that tiouble houble trouble was avel aveited averted ted . . Ii Iinfirst filst jfhst nfirst attempt at colonization cololllzatlOn failed because theecame theeeame the theecame ecame eeame dangeious dangelous dangerous and killed seveial sevelal several men and fOIC- fOIC forc- forc fOICmamder forcmainder foic-imamder foic imamder - mamder mainder to leave The culmination of the tiouble houble trouble isl is l he IShe Jomnal journal , , as folIo follows " s : feelS - feelr t r , "We We " 'Ve Ve ' changed our heid held herd ground this moinmg mOlnmg morning , , feel- feel feelapPIehensive feelapprehensive feel-iappiehensive feel iappiehensive - $ S . apPIehensive apprehensive of some mischief 1l1lschlef intended mtended by bv thelans thevJ the the"dii , vJ "dii dii " lans fans & . . Eally Early aiiy quite qmte a number ot of of them mem came aClOSS across aClOSSrIver acrossriver aciosss river up into mto the fot foit fort t They weie wele were veiy velY saucy and andudel1t andudent andpudent udel1t udent . On inqumng mqullmg inquiring why we had tuined tUlned turned our cattle cattlea a diffeient dlffelent different couise comse course some of the boys commenced commencedWK bell beto dmg ding commenceddmg commencedding their guns . . Being discoveied discovered dlscovel ed the Indians be- be beitir be - itir ll leftfOlt to cool down a little . Shortly after this they left lefta left11011 1 fOlt fort , letned letlled retired a shot shoit short t distance in fionfc flont front consultmg consulting consultmgether consultingether consultingether a ether . . Soon thiee thlee three of them staited started stat ted for the field in iner er > s dllection dnection indneetion indllection of the cattle . In a few minutes mmutes Blother Brother Bi other , . W . Hunt staited started with a lariat to get his Ius hoiseailes ho.1se ho1se haise ho.1selIes haisej . j l1 l1lles lIes lles , , a son of Suit-sub-soc-its Suit sub soc its Smt-sub-SOc-Its Smt - - - or St . John , , followedi followedon followedat followed at alltime allhme on horseback ; he kept tcllmg telhng telling , Biother Blother Brother Hunt all hme time to go on ahead of him 111m , , askmg what he wasaid was wasaId was"d wasd aId aIdof " of . . Biother BlOther Brother Hunt Htint kept turning his head oc- oc oc-onally oc onally - ion ocion ocTonally Tonally appiehensivelanger , ally towaids towmds towards him , as though being bemg applehensive apprehensive applehensiveanger apprehensiveanger whenrles anger . . They got neaily nemly nearly a mile fiom flam from the fort , , when whenh wheniries h rles told Brother Hunt to look at the stock . . Heso He instantLes 50 so , laislpg raising hImself on tip toe to look . . That mstant instant mstantlIes Les Leslies lIes shot him and then shouting to an Indian not notoff - . entCledther enteredther off to iun lun run and take two tvo , horses . The ball entCled entered enteied'ther enteiedther ' ther Hunt's Hunts ' back ranging rangmg dov downwards , 1wards about one l ; | one-half one half ne-half ne - inches mches fiom flom from the backbone , left side andr andy and ( y r happenedut inches from the small of his back . . This happened ut half past twelve o'clock oclock ' . re re"Brothers . "Biotheis Biotheis "Blothels Blothels "Brothers Brothers " Ephraim Ephrmm ' Wight 'Yight Yight and Sheldon B . , Cutler Cutlere e went'ss wentss herding herdmg the stock . . The Indians left and went wentbet bet ' 58 ss the river . Brother Cutler came running to theon theon the , Brothered on horseback and told what happened . Brother > L ed U N . . BIllmgs Billings Blllinrrc ; Jumped dumped iiiTYinor iiiTYinorm ) on < -m m - behmd behind Tmhinrl hIm Turn . Peter Pof-PT Pof PT - Stubbs Stubbswed StubbshSti Shilihs hSti > ' wed "ea ea " John Clalk Clark and Richard ' W 'V V . . limes Il1nes Ii , > nes followed followedwater followedwater followed1 water Williamsd and leturned returned to the foifc foIt fort . . Clinton 'VIlliamslid Williamssee ' Williams 'VIlliams VIlliams see ' carried"ier carriedier lid lidon ed edon d on horseback after the stock . ' The 'll1e ll1e boys carried carrieder carriedfate fate fateher " ath her er Hunt in a blanket . . Before they got within a a.w aw , . th thof of a mile of the fort , , the Indians reerossed recrossed thee the e r and came chargmg charging toward the boys and stock , ibm ing 1l1g the war-whoop war whoop - . Brothers Wm . W . Sterrett , don B . Cutler and Clark A . Huntington acted as ast asguard asguard guard to the boys who were carrying Brother Brotherand Brotherk k kt I someI t somet and fired upon the IndIans , who had fired some someor someI I t tor or ten shoot- shoot shootPresident shootrresident guns before our boys commenced - passingugh President rresident * * iiv , * Bl11ings Billings .uuuuya uuuuya . was waa wounded vvuuiiut-u vvuuiiut u - . by uy a c * ball uan passing yaiaomt ygh ugh yaiaomtygh his hand The balls ball forefinger of his right . ; Itlor ballstIed ? . _ , , . _ . _ , . . tIed IM ? I-I I - fi 1 I0 .t-- .t .t.C - - - - - --.C .C - - briskly all around . The brethren , arrived safeI safee safe safeel I el elthe e ; the horses and cattle came inside of the corral , pt ,1 1 , a enSoon what " they " " .y y . had iiau run Aim off UIJL . Every vviy man jjicul was r < o en- en t " - " . Soon boon one of the Indians set fire to our hay ha ; 7 7s 8 s which whichwere were adjoining the north orth end of the 1 , which was entirely consumed as also was . theI the I 11 11Continued ( Continued on last page ) A History of MoabContinued Moab MoabContinued ( Continued fiom ftom from first page ) coin corn . . It then took fiom flom from four to five hands steady to tocarry tocarry tocarry carry " water aier to save the coiral corral COlrallogs logs , &o o so & 0 as to keep what whatstock \ whatstock whatstockQ \ hat hatstock stock \\Q Q \ s \ \ \ e had inside ll1slde . The fh filing mg- mg mgwas - : was kept up by the theIndians theIndians theIndians Indians until after daik da1le dark . We W"e " succeeded in saving savmg thecoirals the thecOIrals thecoirals cOIrals , althoughsome although some of the logs \ were \ ere neaily neally nearly con con- consumed consumed consumed - sumed . Seven of the Indians , Chailes Challes at their head headweie , wele were seen to leave for the mountains mountall1s . Soon the leport report leportof reportof leportof of seven gunsas guns \ was \\as as \ heaid heald heard . The day previous ( Satur Satur- Saturday Satur- Satur Saturday Saturday - - day ) two of the boys , viz . Edward Edwards and 'Vm Vm Wm ' Wm.Behunin WmBehunin . Behunin Behuninent \ went \\ent ent \ hunting huntll1g , expecting e\.pectmg e.pectmg e .pectmg pectmg ' \ . to return Sunday Sundayafternoon Sundayafternoon afternoon . Blother Biother Bi other dark Clark A . Huntington Huntll1gton talked to the theIndIans theIndians theIndians IndIans nearly all the time when they commenced commencedmourmng commencedmourning commencedmourning mourmng mourning about their then ' fuends fiiends fi lends being killed lnlled . He did the thesame thesame thesame same telling tellmg them also that it was not good to fight fightto , to shed blood , that we did not come to kill them but butto butto butto to do them good , etc . They answeied answered answel ed him . Soon Cap Cap- Captain Captain Captain - - tain Capsuim , a Tampi , Ute , came down to the corner cornerof cornerof cornerof of the fort and corral where they talked to each other otherfor otherfor otherfor I for some time . Then a few more Indians came . They Theysaid Theysaid Theysaid said we had killed two or orithiee or.thiee orthiee Ithl . ee of them and wounded woundedas as man many ) " and they would not be satisfied until they had hadkIlled hadkilled hadkilled kIlled two more Mormons l\iormons l iormons \ . They denied killing the two twoboys twoboys twoboys boys cming coring down from the mountains . F Finally nally they theysaid theysaid theysaid said they wanted some bread and they would go away awaytalk , , talk the matter over and return in the morning and andsettle andsettle Isettle settle the difficulty . We gave them all the bread we wehad wehad ihad had cooked . They then left . , "During During " the fight , Brother Alfred N . Billings en- en encouraged encouraged en encouraged - couraged the boys as much as he could . He told them themto themto themto to put their trust in God , we were in His hands , and andnot andnot andnot not to fire away our ammunition unless we were certain cer cer- certain certain - tain of doing execution . . . . ! "Monday Monday " , September 24 : Early in the morning morningthe morningthe morningthe the Indians came to the fort , said they were glad gladthree gladthree gladthree three of the MOl Moimons Mormons mons had been killed , acknowledged acknowledgedthat acknowledgedthat acknowledgedthat that they had killed the two boys as they were commgdown comingdown commg coming comingdown down the mountain.1t mountain1t mountain . . . . . .It It . was now thought best for forus forus forus us to move right rig-ht rig ht - away , or we should all die as the In- In Indians Indians In Indians - dians had sent 1 lunners unners runners out into the mountains for forhelp forhelp forhelp help . . . :1'Vithout 1Vithout : Without .Without . ( ' eating bieakfast bleakfast breakfast , we then got our ourhorses ourhorses ourhorses horses into the fOl foit t , packed up what little we could couldand couldand couldand and left about 11 o'clock oclock ' a , . m . . leaving five head of ofhorses ofhorses ofhorses horses and twenty-four twenty four - - head of cattle , with a calf . be- be be - I . ! I i sides six head which we gave the Indians . When 'Vhen Vhen 'Vhenwe ' we wearrIved wearrived wearrived arrIved on the north side of Grand river river/a river a river'a rivera , / I ' Ia a brother of ofSt ofSt ofSt St . John and uncle to Charles came to us . Brother BrotherClark BrotherClark Brotherdark Clark A . Hungtington told him all that had taken takenplace takenplace takenplace place and what we had to leave behind . He said it was wastoo wastoo wastoo too bad , but he was only one against so many nlany ; how how- however however however - ever , we should have our cattle , and he would see that thatthe thatthe thatthe the boys weie were \ \ el e taken care of and buried . He and his hissons hisSons hissons sons started to , ithe the fort , and talked to the Indians , and andafter andafter andafter after some difficulty succeeded in getting the cattle cattleand , and sending them on . " A similar account of the troubles with the Indians en- en encountered encountered en encountered - countered by the early colonists of 1855 , which culminated culminatedin culminated1n attemptto In 1n the killing of three settlers and ended the first attempt to Mc-Ewan Mc Ewan licEwan McEwan colonize the valley , is contained in a letter fiom flom from John l\ic- l ic Mc- Mc \ - Ewan to Henry \ McEwan l\1cEwan l 1cEwan , wiitten wlitten from Manti l\1anti l 1anti \ October 7 7,1855repotting 71855repotting , 1855 , repOl reporting Mission.1This Mission1This ting the unsuccessfulend unsuccessful end of the Elk \ Mountain l\fountmn l fountmn Mlssion.t Mlssiont Mlssion.tThis l\ils l ils \ ion.1 ion1 ion.1This . . This account is practically the same as that contained in the theoffICIal theofficial theofficial offICIal journal of the mission . Today the old fort which the company built bunt has been beendestioyed beendeshoyednothing beendestroyednothing deshoyed-nothing deshoyed nothing destroyed-nothing destroyed - nothing but a pile of rocks is left ofIt of it to malk maik maikthis malkthis | this flist filst first epoch in the colonization of theaIIey the valley \aIIey aIIey \ ? . Theie Thele There is isone isone isone one landmalk landmark , howeverhich hoeverhlch however ho\\ever ho ever \ \ , \\hich hich \\hlch hlch which \ \ has StH suivived survived vivecl , and tells the thestory thestory thestory story of theie thele there having havmg been farming farmmg done here many years ago yearsago . That landmalk landmark is the old irrigation ditch which the ihe men took mentook bythe out of Mill 1\1111 1 1111 hill \ cicek cleek creek . . ' When 'Vhen Vhen the company was foiced fOlced forced by the Indians Inchans to abandon the fort in a hurry they were , of ofcourse ofcourse ofcourse course , unable to turn off this water . As the years passed passedand passedand passedand todaythe and floods came this ihIS ditch wasashed was \ washed \\ashed ashed \ bigger until today the airoyo arroyo al royo which follows its course through the town is theresult theresult the theresult result , beaiing bealing bearing silent evidence of an early peiiod peliod period of the val- val val - ley's leys valley's ' history relative lelabve relative to the he wOlk work voil of man . . _ _ : I I ; I . s :3 3 : The local chapter of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers have ha'e hae hate ' a move mO\e- mO e mote- mote mOement motement movement \ - ment undei undel under " way "ay ay in 111 which they1Il they , will \1Il 1Il \ attempt to restore restqre the folthICh foit folt fort \hICh hICh which whichwas , whichwas \ hICh"as "as as was bmldmgI " destioved destroyed destIo ed and the stones used in m building bmldmg 4 -I I - occunenceAhich 'I I ' I will no now " ende'n enden endeivor |