Show Robert CROSSED THE PLAINS WHEN HE WAS SIX Mendon mayor Robert was a man not stampeded — not when he was in his 90s not when he was six yean old At age six while crossing the plains with the second company of Mormons to reach Utah he faced down a snorting old bull buffalo threatening to charge (he was really just too scared to run as he tells it) In his 90s he stared down a different kind of threat The Depression had hit American farmers hard and his neigh-bo- n were shutting their operations The banks were on them and otfaen were selling out and moving on Sweeten was blind by then couldn't see what was going on all around him One day his son Coien came np to him and said: Dad if we don't sell now we'U be left alone with the sagebrush the cows and nobody rise” Robert paused thought about the dilemma for a minute then had this answer for his son: "That's the way it was when we came here and we got along just fine” He wasn't moving Sweeten had done his moving already in life He crossed the plains to the Salt Lake Valley He was one of the first settlers in Mendon And his was the first homestead to plow the sagebrush off the Curlew Vdley in Idaho He certainly wasn't afraid of being withom neighbors In fact he kind of liked it feat way his grandson Coien Jc remembers Early fare-dosi- ng "Mendon got kind of crowded for him after a whOe” Coien It says "If he could hear a neighbor's dog bark or see a light he thought it was crowded” Page 26 V 'iH' V ' v ‘ ‘ r ' " © ro aT ittr & vr iwvy ''! v 1 v- ' Mwn pioneers ranched Fort Bridger they know they wore gating does to Uttfi Sweeten served two loins as mayor of Mendon was oo the city council and he served in the militia Sweeten family members became well known for their imiclfaj tiiwm qth Robert's tons and grandsons going on to become nationally renowned musicians (The excerpts that follow detail Robert's memory of his journey across the plains to Salt Lake Gty and eventuidly to Mendon) 1 was bom December 14 1640 cause being the breaking of a Mood vessel About two years had a contract to get out staves and as he was a good worket Ins didn't want him to go with the "Mormons” They foimd excuses for the law to keep him The officers attempted to keep him from leaving with the company but he heard of their plans so he left on foot alone and the officers pursued him to the St Gair River which was covered with flowing ice co-woth-en Ijickham About this time the church entered my life in the form of two missionaries — John Borrowman and Elder Bohon— who converted the whole family (the Gardners his mother’s family) of uncles auntt parents and sister Shortly after our conversion we left Cana-d- a for the West — having no idea where we were going only that we were going "West” and join the Mormons This was in 1846 While we were preparing to leave Canada Uhde Archibald Cwrlafr had an experience I would like to relate It seems he The river was a mile wide at this point but he j umped from one piece of ice to another until he crossed the river to the United See SWEETEN am page 27 |