Show History P of Manti EDITORS NOTE NOTE NOTE-A A A good man many years ago Mrs Adelia Cox Sidwell produced a n splendid account of the advent of the Pioneers into this valley She was a member of that first company and and had it published publish publish- ed in the columns of what was then called The Tine Home Sentinel the ancestor ancestor- of the thc Manti 1 l Messenger nger in year 1881 We Ve are reproducing it again feeling that it is a splendid effort and that it is timely for our ourI younger readers Other attempts I at the history of Manti Mant and Sanpete 1 I were also produced by other writers and we may In time produce some someI I j of them People who are descendants descendants descend descend- ants from these pioneer stock will find Ind it worth while to clip these history writing and preserve them In your our scrap books Chapter 1 O 0 yes oh yes es everybody yoke oke up yoke up and prepare to start were the tile words of command issuing from the lips of Captain Higgins and greeting the ears of a small smaIl band baud of that were in inthe inthe inthe the m month nth of November 1849 encamped encamped encamped en en- camped in Salt Creek Canyon working road waiting and hoping for the recovery recover of a suffering ch child of our captains captain's and also sister Mary Lowry who had on on this camping camping camp camp- ing lug ground sustained the Injury of ofa ofa ofa a badly broken ankle Journeying whither Through an unbroken en wilderness with the Wasatch Mountains l frowning down on every olY side edging edging edging edg edg- ing and walling in tho leaden green of tho the lifeless sage flats and the naked limbs of tree and bush de do I of their foliage Grand old Neho around whose whoso western base wo we had been winding stood with his I I i snow capped peaks s like a sentinel above aboyo us Rain Hain that most dispiriting of fell feIl thick thic and chill making the road if road it could be called j i of this sturdy little band more difficult difficult dif dif- and dangerous than it otherwise otherwise otherwise other other- wise would have been Every abrupt turn of the tho canyon appeared to bo be Continued on page pago 4 4 I i r History of ManU Continued from Page 1 the end yet they cheerfully journeyed journeyed journ journ- journ-I journ I eyed on their destination being I to them like the tho garden II of Hesperides to the ancients ancients ancients-a a fabled land Jand I I These undaunted travelers were both a military and a a civil body I Nelson Higgins representing the military authority and Isaac Morley Morley Mor- Mor le ley Seth Taft and Charles Y I k the and civil power With pick and shovel in hand filling a gully hero here smooth smoothing Ing a a. projection there and often walking all day while tho women drove the teams these hardy pioneers made their way through Salt Creek Creole Can Can- yon i IThe i i Iy 1 The company consisted besides those named above o of or Dimmick B. B Huntington and anti Barney Darner Ward Vard our invaluable Indian Interpreter and guides John Lowry Sr Titus Titu's BillIngs Billings Billings Bill Bill- ings Goo Ceo W. W Bradley Albert Petty Albert Albort Smith 0 O. S. S Cox Jezreel or C Cyrenus II Taylor Azariah Smith Abram John D. D Chase Isaac Case Sylvester Hulot William Villiam Potter Garnder Potter Potter Potter Pot Pot- ter Jas Brown Drown Edwin Whiting D. D B. B Funk Joseph Allen M. M D. D I Hamilton V Win Richey Harrison Fugate Sylvester Wilcox Gad Yale Yalo Win Win Elmer V W. K Parshall John Cart Carter Win Wm Tubbs or Butterfield Butterfield Butter Butter- field Philip K Smith John Hyatt John Hart and John Baker Daker While encamped in this can canyon on Chas Huntington Taft and quito quite a number of the lime boys hoys went ahead to look at the tho road and observe the lay of time the country Be Do- Being Dogo tug ing go gone no longer than was deemed doomed necessary for the purpose great intense anxiety began to be ho manifest mani- mani I fest feet in camp regard their safety i t knowing owing they were in the Indian I country far from home lionie and from all hope hOlle of help hehl when this feeling had reached a n. pitch where almost an any certainty would have been heen better better hettel bet het- ter tel than suspense just after darkness darkness dark darl- ness thick black and impenetrable had settled down clown over this solitary camp every persons person's thought on our absent scouts scouts scouts-a a happy heart hearty laugh clear and resonant suddenly I. I broke the gloomy silence and fell foIl upon our listening ears there was no mistaking the broad good humored humored hum hum- ored guffaw of Thop and we knew that all was well with I lour our scouts a a. part of whom had re returned returned returned re- re turned while the rest had continued their exploration and gone on to some sp springs that they called Shumway Shum- Shum wa way proposing to make this time the permanent stopping place of or the time oncoming oncoming oncoming on on- coming company On the tho arrival of or time the last detachments father Morley Mor- Mor loy ley being among mong that number being detained a council was held relative to the advisability of or remaining there and thou then encamped Father Morley felt folt constrained to proceed about three miles southward and pointing with prophetic finger to toan toan an eminence rising in time the distance said said- There is tho the termination of oC our journey in close proximity to that hi hill l God willing wo we will build our city Arriving on tho the nineteenth da day of November at the tho present site of or Manti the entire company camped on City Creek Another council was then held Taft Higgins nn and 1 several being boing desirous of oC continuing the tho as far tar south as where tho the fair tall city of or Gunnison now stands Taft Tart gave way to his feelings feelings feel feel- ings by hy uttering his oft ort t Speech This Is only a long narrow canyon and not oven even a jack rabbit could exist on all its it's desert soil proving pro the sincerity of his belief by leaving as early as practicable In the time spring some others following following following follow follow- ing his example but with that steadfast resolution characteristic of or the man Father Morley 1 opposed the time long of the journey saying in his usual terse way wayVo Wo We behold the stake slake driven on by bJ P. P P. P Pratt in his exploration of this valley this is s our God appointed abiding place ind 1111 stay slay I will although but ton ten men stay slay with mo me And viewing past events in tho time If light ht of or the tho pres nt as we behold the time beautiful building that now crowns the brow f the hill beneath whose whoso massive walls of or solid oolite the time little band found round shelter from the time inclemency of the time season which was just bursting bursting bursting burst burst- ing upon Ullon their devoted heads one cannot avoid believing that Father Morley's determination to remain was little less than inspiration The first death among those isolated pioneers was the time sick child of Capt Higgins Biggins mentioned mentioned mentioned men men- in the first paragraph A Ayoung Ayoung Ayoung young man of sterling qualities whose hearty laugh langh wafted to our listening ears by the chill breezes of that November November Novem Novem- ber her night in Salt Creek canyon announcing announcing announcing an an- the time safety of our exploring exploring ing scouts followed tho time little girl To Be Do Continued |