OCR Text |
Show i A ilistoryofMoab History of Moab , Utah UtahBy _ _ By Faun McConkie lUcConlde McConlcie Tanner TannerCopyright TannerCopylight ( Copydght Copyright 1937)Chapter 1937) 1937 1937)P ) ! \ P Chapter 5 ( Continued ContinuedUTER ) LATER LITER SETTLEMENTS ; THE TOWN TO\VN TO VN \ IS NAMED NAl\IED NAl IED \ mailto Moabtiias Moab NAMEDMoab ! oab oabas \ was \\as as tiias fust fhst first put on the map " when "hen hen a legular regular mml mail mailpevas te to teas \\as as iias \ established estabh5hed fiom f10m from Salma Sahna Salula to Ouray . . Accoidmg AccOldmg Accordlno to toAd toF Ad . ! ! dl dlrecoids Moabestablished } l recoids recOlds in 111 iii ' Washington 'Vashmgton Vashmgton , , D . . C . . the postofhce postofrice at Moab IVloab Moabestablished PcirceWmaster PeIrcefoJ.tmaster Peirce1Otmaster establishedon established on Maich Match Dlaich 23 , . 1880 with w'lth wlth ' William WIlham A . . PeIrce foJ.tmaster foJtmaster 1Otmaster , . . . At that time Moab l\Ioab l Ioab \ was a pait part pm t of EmeryPreilous Emery Emrry i1llt ! . [ Plainthe Plainilthe Pre\10US Pre 10US Preilous \ sto to the establishment of the post postoffice offIce at Plain- Plain Plain-lne Plain lne - ; ; ilthe the Element settlement of Moab had been 1 lefened iefeiied efell ed to and even evenS evenrated andi1rand cated rated catedon ratedon on i1) i1 ) some maps , > varIously "ously ously " as "MoinTon MoinTon "l\lo1111'On "l l lo1111'On lo1111On "Mormon Mormon " \ : ' FOl Foit Fort t " " andad and i\1rand i 1rand \ ad Valley V . " Onp Onf b bcould > could not wiite wute write a history of Moab l\Ioab l Ioab \ and not lelate ielate ielateits i elateK elateKT theoriessauced Its T name was selected ted . _ , There have been two theoriesul"anced theories theoriesaced ul"anced ulanced sauced ul"ancedm saucedIn > " aced ln m In thIS "is is " connection comnectlon . . One contention is that the name name"i namei Staken nameStaken taken " en from " " . an Indian woid wOld word "Moapa Moapa "l\Ioapa "l l Ioapa \ meaning mosqUIto ff ffPropoIlel1ts , ipropofents PropoIlel1ts mosquitoPropojieuts , of this theory SUPPOI suppoit support t their claim by stating stating- statingjIQ statingi - jIQ Ete statingEte i the name " was in use by the Indlans IndIans and wel1 well chosen chosen.L chosenL . . O\\'eHr O 'eHr eHr oreler \ ' subnbate subutlate ( el > 'there there ' , there does not seem to be much evidence to sub- sub sub'ffctn - fer 'ffctn ffctn ' byer nbate utlate t1us this theory i t-ory t ory - , whIch wmcn is is advanced advanced in in every case by oyhitlers er settlers . It is possible ssible that the Indians may have used usedijJg.term usedHp ijJg.term ijJgterm 8 . term ln In leferrme 1ef.errmg 1eferrmg referring . to the e vicinity , but it did not seem seemhoabnypalticular seemn ioab hoabnypalticular ! rve . any yP pal ticular beal beaiing bearing ing upon the selection of the nameioab name Jt theethenostoffce ete name was Gvidently evidently given to the settlement at thetro the theinn UponLhouing ethenostoffce e postoffce ce was.estabhshed wasestabhshed was . + established estabhshed in the lower valley . Upon UponTenT8 besew Lhouing tro troe inn : for a postoff1ce postofflce P0 0 " " a satisfactory name must be sew . committeeiii ng the "e e " e settlement . So , at a social SOClrtl gathering a committeee committeeConsIStIng committee committeeconsisting iii 1l , , consisting couslstlng of Fied Fled Powell Powel1 , . A . GTIlson G . ' Wilson \TIlson TIlson \ , . ' William 'VIlliam VIlliam A . _ tnt nl apnl e , Jtmes James PeIrce , Jeremiah and Lorenzo Hatch were ap- ap apa - iam studentapparently to 0 select a name- name namew ame - . , ' w- w 'V V wA - _ . A A- A Apeirce - . peirce was a Bible student studentot studentpparently ot otparently a apparently parently he was the one to suggest the name of Moab lVroab , l Other if ifiimbels f . niembeis members iimbels embeis of the committee agreeing to his choice . red M b"nnb\\C b"nnb bnnb C pimber writerpimber " Poseli \ ft "lwhen lwhen " ] when Hrh Hrhli aPPioached apploached approached ? ? _ , ---l--i l i - - - - - on - - this jf jfTI subject --T----I T I - - - - - - . I by , , . 4-1 4 1 the - , writerIi , writer writerw , , H-w H w HwJt - Ii reThis Ttf w ! of yeais yea1s years befoic befOle before his death , gave the story as re- re reV re-y re y - V { 1.A 1A son1.A This sas ISas IS s \ \\as as was \ \ verified by sons of A . . G _ . . Wilson and a son son'all sona-aii sona aii 'all all 'allPelrc ' . A AIS Pelrc Pelrce thIS thISVia thisi ce- ce ceel's . - Others el's els ' of the earliest settlers concur in 1n rall thisrall ralla8aeeing significanceAS611 - Via Viat Viaeemg Ras significanceRas ' t a8aeeing Geing eemg that the name had a religious significance significanceEd taken ' realand re- re re"as re-vasai re vasai Ed t hen flom f10m from the Bible- Bible BibleThe - . , ' The 'l'he lhe people of Bethlehem - "as as ' " aO aland ou1tryland e ? og ogcient ancient a cient ient Biblical Moab lfoab as "The The " . Far : Country ou1try- ou1try ! t tvi vi . - ; : " ' d land land of flat at topped mountains . . The similarityJ similarity 1S is eVIJkYl'um evi- evi eviiJ - J JkYl'um JkYlum iJ ' rum Taylor , a resident re'3Ident re3Ident ' of the valley from about 1881 1881ed 1881"i 1881Aft edI -"i "i i - " I vhen when interviewed erviewed , stated that the settlement waslh'bf wasWhen was lh'bf lhbf lh'bfen Idle fromIdle ' ed When en he arrived . . He He e said the name 'ya ya ' was take taken from fromtak fromkairpn e and andwhen when of its berd be- be be'A - tak take taken betaken .c c . questioned as to the possiblity possIbhty i neveri rd ofnttrom rdofnttrom 'A A ' from " the Indian word he stated that he l1e had never neverB1Sh neverof neverBis1 menr B1Sh B1Shat is hop hopat ? of ofis ' " at ? theory ' theory l 0 . , Many others report hearing suc sucmen such men men menI menMho- menMho menMhort op Stewart earlyname early setters settlers settlersl'ye I r th thop the theStewart - " rt , , William Peirce and other " - name me was taken from , the Bible . Thus , , this last lastof lastOf lastvi l'ye lye ' may ay be of the namoab nam- nam - of Of Ofmay . accepted ceptcd as the authentic story . . M - oab T . - . . - " / tt13 onl onlS onlt onlher Silly PeirceSilly It " ] is S t rather ? her interesting to note , note tha that that ; 'Villi Villi ' William am A . Peirce PeirceI Peircehe Peirce46 had hada ad of Moab lfoab , he " a great S afc deal to o dwith do with the naming IfatheS fatheS lather andlather ff Was w wa ; ? } the heh hehfirst first Postmaster , , the first fast ward clerk and andijkh and'rfffi andrfffi ' ijkh 0 0bt of the e first st white child born in Moab ; ; namely , , f 'In In " ' l h Peirc 188e i f fborn $ ce e , bt born orn December 4 , 1879 . , . - ( the tte tt 188 1880 0 0) 0 p . ' W 'V V . . ' Warner 'Varner Varner , Thomas Pritehett Pritchett ( first justicevalley justice justicellS e peace ea e ) others came intoand intondelibblelocated into llS ? ' , Henry W Penney Peney and some valleye valley " * UeV nvi 1 I I.LI --.LI .LI - - . T t " n - - > o/\ o oA / \ Amasa A- A A.nr.n - .nr.n nr.n nrn . . , Thomas yrVirtwiac ; , located . , In November 1880 ndelibblelocated and Libb 1880Aso Aso that thatsame same , samearses Ie Larsen arses came into the valley . Also that same sameContinucd ( Continued Continucd on last page ) I I ( I A History of MoabContinued Moab Moabyear ( Continued from first page ) year came N . EVilson E . . \ Wilson 'VIlson VIlson \Vilson ' and family fan1Jy ] . , L . . L . Giapo Clapo Ciapo and tmd famiJy family familyChus , Chus Chiis Boien BOlen and and the Gibson family . During Durmg part of or that thatwinter thatwinter thatwinter winter the follo following foJImvmg n1g lived at the Foil Fort FOl i : the Negro , \ Mr 1\fr 1 fr . and andMrs and11Irs andAirs Mrs 11Irs . . Billy BIUy Bellan BeHan , Tom Pntchett Prltchett Pritchett and the Larsens . . In July of 1880 J . T . . Lovcudge LovclIdge Loveiidge went through Moabvalley l\Ioab l Ioab Moab lIoabvaHey \ Moabvalley vaHey valley , driving drivmg cattle catOe . He and his 111s party went aiound alound arouird the side sideof sideof sideof of the valley vaHey and he hc did not know theie thele these was a settlement settlementl1ere settlementhere settlementliere l1ere here until his letulnvhen letuin letuln ietuin , \ ' when \vhen vhen 'Then Then , on stopping at Coyote he hap hap- happened happened happened - pened to be theie thele these at the time Joe ' Wilson 'VIlson VIlson was shot by In- In Indians Indians In Indians - dians and his blother brother bi other Ervin escaped and made his way to toCoyote toCoyote toCoyote Coyote . The year 1880 seems to have ha\"e ha "e e \ " been lather eventful . . In Inthe Inthe Inthe the latter part of August a sad incident mCldent occurred as a & a result resultof resultof resultof of Indian b tiouble trouble ouble . . Joe and El Elvin Eivin Vln were taking takmg some stock to tothe tothe tothe the mountain on the morning mornmg mormng of the 26th of August . It Itseems Itseems Itseems seems that that day two of the Maxwells l\la\.wells lla.wells l la .wells wells \ : \ . had taken some someof someof someof of their horses from the Indians earlier in the day . This ap- ap apparently apparently ap apparently - - parently had angered the Indians and whether they mIstook mIstookthe mistookthe mistookthe the theVllson \ Wilson \Vllson Vllson Vilson boys for the other whites or whether they wele were welejust werejust weiejust just out for revenge on anyone is not known . At any late rate latethey ratethey latethey they fired upon the Wilson boys , and Joe's Joes ' horse was shotfrom shot shotfrom shotfrom from under him , Joe receiving receivmg a bullet buIIet through his left foot foot.Ervin footErvin . Ervin escaped and made his way for Coyote , afoot . He had hadnever hadnever hadnever never been to Coyote before but knew the general direction directionin directionn directioniyi in , : n which it was located , and with his dog he started for the thesettlement thesettlement thesettlement settlement . The shooting happened at the headof head ' of the valley up upPack upPack upPack Pack Creek . . Joe lay as if dead , unable to get away because becauseof becauseof becauseof of his injured foot . . One of the Indians came up to him , said said"bueno said"bueno said"bueno saidbueno "bueno bueno " " as he tuined tUlned turned Joe over and shot off his nose . The Theball Theball Theball ball passed through the bridge of the nose and the left eye.The eyeThe eye . . The white boy was then left for dead . . He lay there all night nightand nightand nightand and until late the next moining mOlning morning . Then two friendly IndIan IndIansquavs Indiansquaws Indiansquaws squa\vs squa vs squaws \ found him ( a friendly band of Indfans Indians under the theleadership theleadership theleadership leadership of Little Chief weie wele camped near by ) . They Theycaught Theycaught Theycaught caught one of theVllsons the W \ Wilsons \Vllsons Vllsons Isons ' ' old woik wOlk work horses , put Joe on It Itand itand itand and started him home , accompanying him for some dis- dis distance distance dis distance.1 - - tance tance.1 tance1 . ! . ' tance.1Meanwhile \ Meanwhile l\feanv.hIle lfeanv.hIle l feanv.hIle feanvhIle . Ervin arrived at Coyote the next ne\.t ne.t ne .t t nett : \ . morning m moining.But moiningBut lning ) . . But an Indian had followed foIlowed him all the way and had neatlycaught neatly neatlycaught neailycaught caught up with him when Ervin reached safety . Neal Ray Rayand Rayand Bayand and Philander Maxwell IYla.weIl IYlaweIl . were riding tiding and saw Elvin Eivin El vin come infollowed in infollowed infollowed followed closely by the Indian who left after exchanging e"changingo echangingo e"changingoa e"changingofew } " ' ' a afew afew few shots with them . \ Mrs 1\11's 1 11's 11s ' . Gr Grimm 1nnl ( Louise Powell ) was piobably Plobably probably the first firstwhite firstwhite firstwhite white person to see Joe after he was shot . He stopped at ather ather ather her camp as he came to town . She has told how Mis 1\flS 1 flS Mrs \ . Wil 'VIl- 'VIl VIl Wilson 'VIlson Wil- Wil Wilson ' - - son prepaied prepmed her own salve for treating the wounds . She Shegathered Shegathered Shegathered gathered prickly pears , roasted them , scraped out the In- In Inside inside in inside - side , mixed mi.ed mied mired . it with tallow and soft pine pme gum . This made a asalve asalve asalve salve to doctor the wounds . Simple though it may sound , it itproved itproved itproved proved effective effectlve , as is evidenced by the fact that Joe JoeVIlson Wilsonlived \VIlson VIlson Wilson Wilsonlived \ VIlsonlived lived many years , dying of natural causes . At the visit of Erastus Snow at this time , A . . GVII G . Wil \VII- VII Wil- Wilson \ Wilson VIIson - - son was appointed as pl piesiding presiding eSIding elder over an ecclesiastic ecclesiasticbranch ecclesiasticbranch ecclesiasticbranch branch of the L . . D . S . church at Moab l\10ab l 10ab \ . , In January or February of 1881 Bill B111 Gibson and hisfamily his hisfamIly hisfamily famIly came into mto the valley and took up their then abode in the theFortthe theFortthe theFort Fort-the Fort the - the Laisens Lalsens Larsens having moved out by then . John Tescher Tescheralso Tescheralso Teseheralso also came in about , that tune . . During Durmg the winter of 1880-81 1880 81 - the Taylors ( Lester , Bud Bud- Buddy Buddy Buddy - dy , , Cns CrIs and Charles ) , wintered wmtered their cattle in the valley valley.Lester valleyLester . Lester letuined lettuned retuined to the settlements , but the otheis othels others lemainedwith iemainedwith lemained iemained with the cattle . . The winter was very mild mlld and they camped campeddown campeddown campeddown down near the Fort . Some time during durmg that winter wmter or or.spungplobably orspiingprobably orspung .spung-plobably .spungplobably .spung spung plobably spiing-probably spiing probably . - piobably in m the spung spimg of 1881-Chmles 1881 Chmles 1881-Charles Charles 1881 - Chailes Taylor and andLuanne andLuanne andLuanne Luanne Gibson were mauled married man led by Justice of the Peace Tom TomPrItchett TomPritchett TomPntchett PrItchett . Accoiding AccOldmg Accoidmg to all available mfoimation mfolmation infoimation this was wasthe wasthe wasthe the fust fist nurnage mdruage marriage ceiemony celemony ceremony performed in the valley . Thele These Thesehas Thele1ms Theiehas 1ms has been some question laised raised regaidmg loegaldll1g regarding this but it seems seemsevident seemsevident seemsevident evident that the T Taylor-Gibson Taylor Gibson ylor-Glbson ylor Glbson - maniage marriage was the fust filSt fist . LIb- LIb LIbbie Libbie Lib-bie Lib bie - - bie Laisen Lalsen lepoited iepoited lepOl ted that the wedding weddll1g ' took place not long longafter longafter longafter after HyrumTaylor her alllval-plobably alllval plobably arirval-probably arirval probably amval - piooably about Feblualy Febiuaiy Febl UalY of 1881 . . Hyrum Taylor stated that thai the couple coupleeie \\eie eie were \ \ ele maincd mall"led mallled married " when he first firstcame firstcame firstcame came to the valley in the spung spring of 1881 . . Piobably Plobably the thesecond thesecond thesecond second mamage mmuage mailiage mmuageas \ was \\as as \ that of Louise Powell Po\\ell Po ell \ \ andValter and \Valter Valter Walter WalterMoore \ WalterMooie Valterlfoole l\foole l foole Moore \ September 4 , 1881 . . . In 1881 Bishop Randolph H . Stewait Stewal Stewart t of Huntington was wascaned wascalled wascalled -caned caned called - ofthe to locate at \ Moab 1\foab 1 foab for the puipose pUlpose purpose of taking takmg charge of atthe the settlement and at a meeting held Febl Febiuaiy umy 15 , 1881 , at G.Larsen GLarsen the home of A . |