Roosevelt Standard | 1922-12-20 | Page 6 | History of the Great Uintah Basin

i history bistor y of the 41 f M k I 1 I 1 great uintah basill IM the following information was taken from records k kept by the chuich of jesus christ of laller day at roosevelt slake sl office at roosebelt utah this was written by the following stake clerks william 11 II nation einert 11 II burgess harden Benzi beumon aula joseph 21 11 alaray and douglas edg al todd early exploration and settlement oi of I 1 tho willain county the lirt hiot chite alte man to enter tile present boull dries ot of the state stale of utah of whom chave eh oh jve ave any accord tame came llast into tile the uintah aiom the southeast after starting arlins st trum irom santa pe fe new mexico alexick in ili tile the month of 0 july 1771 1776 dominquez and ls calante two noted spanish ex e left the spanish town of santa S in fe thou then more than a century old aud with seven followers tet out to imd hod a direct route to the missions that had been established on the pa coast at Mo Alou eKey about six years before hollowing Jol lowing a northwest northwesterly eily course tile the spaniards reach the san juau juan river august eth 1776 crossed tle tie and its tributaries tributa ries the de loius loins and bl mencos aticus and arrived 04 ou white river at a point within the present i of 0 tile the state ol of utah on august augast jtb ath 1770 liene they found signs of 0 bubalo alter aller crosbi crossing ug white river chic bici l they named saint clemente emente Ul tiey hilier blied a buffalo on august they passed on cu to green river which they named buena venturia meaning beautiful or pretty water and the stream on oa august somewhere bome where near babers hand bend as lear us as can call be ba determined fro irom their tl air description they mention the elie laige cottonwood tra trees es aud and in III one ot of them they left a mealia Lalic tablet with the date ol of their visit inscribed thereon this aas as in ili one of a cluster of 0 six large trees that stood on oil the left bank or of the river taking a southwesterly course tha party ascend edan eminence inthe in the lud lad lands north of the cou confluence fluence ot ol the chesno with the green river and front from that point were able to trace the junction of tile the white and Duclie sue rivers with the gheen I 1 aiom their elevated position bere ere atle alle to get glimpses ot of the broad talleys Ll leys or ol the Duclie tue and bivers fivers to tile the wet west and northwest froidl here they chose their course up tip the duchesse Duch esue esile liver anti and ev evidently dently crossed the divide near the head of creek and reached the prova liver down which they traveled to tue tile utah gos lake t aney tarried and leslei tor for some time ralie I 1 he indians indiana they found here informed them ol of a large body 01 0 itry bitter water to the north ot of however the party does not appear to have visited farther bolth triese spaniards ards are ci cie diled edited with haling mapped quite completely the topography ot of tile the country through which they passed and to have named le a streams a and ud prominent laud land maiks so locating them that others lul lowing tle same route might easily discover their course rushing pushing on oil to the southwest tile the travelers traveler visited the moqui ind indan aai villages found there and abandon jig their original intention ju ol of reaching the coast returned to santa ve fe thus ended tle faist invasion ot of tile the alite man bian into tile the wilds of utah vin I tibt l trappers Trapp erb and aul Tia deib half a century after the spanish had sad goodbye to 10 tilt western os ern indians Ind iaus I 1 the llie hudson bludson hay bay and blocky Y A mountain loun tah tur fur companies were PUS idill 4 their trappers and tradesmen nto into every portion or of the great unia ep rorea west W V jf II abilleh balnes Is tile ili ei antl and ashley At liley villey lil y in it tile the spring of 1824 W V 11 II asli ash ysca out cut from st louii with men arid and a large train ol of pack an animals to branic with will tile the indians slid and feck t the och furs of the west fol foi clio rocky mountain fur for company alcy I 1 cy irois cl addie edthe plains or of tte tle platte and mide their way into and acio aatos s tile mountains Mount airs until thy ther caare I 1 to a large river running to all hip P S 11 at II west ashley promptly nyia cj ii it ii crola river alter altel one ile 1 I it an fn train boses boi seb all abid 1 I to 1 alii I C day y tile the liver the boils the llie nai of aleli artea rather tian 0 kan uie je 61 dauti ful liver live j jaeil it ly tile tha ards 1 bierk trapping and exploration yai aleut mu in ILE every biroc kioh liall ashle alile lim him air elf a 1 few amelr is bs f i to have defended des tue the grol aid to tzi the volley valley now bearing ur lie river rv just wilbia tile loe lim of OE th tb name 0 belu here hi croe cro zo elte hesni site andl and following 1 d l to tile du trall trail ot of the elie spaniard closely ly hie clio toy before lie a ot of liall half a cen chesne and follow ended tile du river nver to lo utah la Is ad down lw tile the provo upon i Us its bodae and leclede le erected cled a fot fait rrt jurt ashley 1 il I this furt fort called 3 i loed tte center ot of vear 1 1 abis part of t the e country coa kreell creen rf tb asble abbley Y fork of still V n i 1 7 or il aud ad tile ashley valley su aar 13 r th tho 0 name line of tills this early cap brer aj ain n C ener atall and tile li abin while tr and trappers evi itlY passed through this region tl tile 0 o next mart man to to make mak 0 historical decord ot bf his lit travels tr els was general john C fremont the ilia noted pathfinder returning Ite california il ii 1843 he traveled up the rio virgin in and through tte the valleys of the tha cm martof atall to utah I 1 liae life F from rout hero here lie bo followed the provo river to tile divide arid and came the trail to rock creek at abis point lie he left tile DUCIle suc and took the indian trail to tho the river and entered tl a ashle ashler valley through the gap gal to tile west and twing along alone tile the northern foothills W wit ivest it through broiles brown s part par country I 1 V T into wyoming little lilue was lone done by these carb juames pioneers save to fisli fish trap a and nd ghe aimes to some of 0 the theams arid ami the country just who gate gaic the names to some 6 ol 01 r tile the livers tuo tile basin and at time little wo are not told DUCI LeSUL is id said to be french I aud and to mean tty wilier water a very jery similar tein teiei to tile buena Ventu fla of 01 tile the spin sp in balds for or green liver ais h ili indian name anil and means pill fiut tree at what time this flior I 1 lu its ils name we cannot learn al 11 t it was not however ho until the coming or of the mormon pioneers that thai the filst laist semblance bem blanca of 0 hermancia per mancia settlement and civilization was ab they biou glit with then oman nud and childred child chil drea reil schools church musiu music art and general cul 1018 luie nere ere transplanted front the east to LL the wesl vest and took look firm deel in ili tle the mountain vialle valles s ol 01 utah utah and tile judian I 1 Ci Cleate icI 41 three baars boars alter after the arrival of the elie mormon pioneers pione eis in salt lake valley tho the territory terri lury of utah wat wa created u by act of Congi ebs and brigham I 1 young was appointed the first 0 of the new A ab governor gu vernor of the territory Di ighani young was indian agent over all the indians within its boundaries ou oil july 1 governor Brig haro hara young by official proclamation created three general eo indian reserva lions upon pon which tile the indians were to lie be concentrated one 0 of these was named the uintah reservation He and included the uintah and duchesne vallens val leis tills this part or of the territory was designated as the in fit lure home of tile the Uin tali and yampa means bear arid and was the name implied to the utes which wo we now call white or white river utes and all th tribes in the territory south anu anc east ot of the rim of the great basin it was uius calls early decided that the lintal basin N nas as more rit fit for inmans indians than tor for white people Goc inor young sends exploding baity to lie lintala Lin tali ra cabill bill lu ILI tile the fall of osgi IS 61 governor young ent an exploring party into inlo the basin atey followed up tile the provo IVO liver and kept close to the trail of general fremont of 1843 1343 cros cro s UE over the divide they descended the hie duchesne to rock alock creek fron liere they followed the old indian lia rail it to lake fork creek and on into 1 ilio I uintah valley daliey keeping near tile the ool hills the valley along abis trail ranges fijut to feet feel in elevation aud and is generally covered with cellars cedars it as to 0 o late in the fall ul of the ilia year that it froze every night and tto trot and general dreariness of the country made a bad sion on oil tile the party the eason had been very dry and the that land appeared hard bard and lifeless lif eleis and the climate cold and uninviting th the e party parly never reached the ioner part of the basin they became dis cou ourn raged ged arid and upon their return reported to governor young that the auntry out itry was too high and cold fat 01 earming and fit only for grazing I 1 i part or of the season upon hearing liis his the tl o governor made no attempts at colonization ol 01 lie basin for some tinia thirty five years yeara later late r a visit was in ado by that sinie same early party over lie he atley ot of the basin irom front the wells oil oh the price road to herpal vei Ver nal pal 1 eliis man laau was the ill e lafe L la 14 oli olin n kutil on oil the journey he hb exposes jis surprise dt at t tho yustine VIs ot u tl 11 agricultural land tho mildr ill 0 Q cliffa climate qa and aid the leasy WJ ve ic of the water ot of the bivers fivers if ivers ir jilt laiti purposes 1 it then keif I 1 r arri lie ile facts about eliat tta balty related rela teil at ally ty and pon tit vt thre exploring at it I 1 imi cobrae cour ig onre ons rubs bs tt 0 4 S go et 0 action in iii tle k year nar kisr lis L tiu I 1 iani IA ni i ati i trox IV 11 4 1 the lie general guv gov akin g t 0 we tile alie question ol 01 lo io by tern indians on loser leser 1 lisy an executive or nt lincoln confirmed the alti liba f brigham young in ill tile the cil cie A i clio 01 tah ludian indian alte erva id iud and designated tile tha land include ia i therein lle rein as ali drainage u of tile hie chesne liver in 1865 congress Cun greoS the presidents action by foi mu mutation latiOn a treaty willi the various lauds of 0 utes dies on OIL the terms ot of which he ceded to tile govern government nil all the lands ot of the ilia territory Terji tory ol 01 utah outside ot of tile the des glided gli led under tle heinis ot of this lucity the indians were to repair to lu elie re arv and to it receive au all annuity ot of in ill cash cali annually for tile filst ton text years annually for tile text next twenty years and amoo annually for the nest fifteen years besides these antilli ties the chiefs were to have louses built for them lauds lands cleared cleard and improved and at least spent annually in tile various industries for cor the llie benefit of the indians the reaty or way was based on a scale a and t sw A amounts to be paid were or dilli filis ned lied according accor dlug to 10 the number of indians on nn ilia reservation at the lie time lime ut of making payment while the llie treaty seems to have been approved by the chiefs or head men man the indians indiana were slow 11 W to gather git lier to the new reserves arid and some small tribes have never been placed on oil tile reservation as at that tinie time contemplated during the years GG indians stole horses and cattle aiom tile settlers iu ILL the northern corthel 11 part of tits territory and were followed by the whites whiles into tile the reservation country and skirmishes were frequent between the two S I 1 captain dodds D 0 ids appointed k I 1 I 1 I 1 indian agent lu III 1867 captain pardon dodds was appointed appo anted indian abent over the ile of 0 tile the ho lotina the ji ul jl ill me angelley in tonta coat u daka iiii creek in abe upper Lou country lie the tinier inter alicie und and lit in tits year ul ui kiib he begin to ii hilleg in ill the beak cebea arius to tile reserva nuu lu 10 tham tatna lexe it nias as baut mike til iliac tile noted 1 halt ad cubed c bo much berau dud id lu in utah atau ana L ta leeC lallY the counties as tar far south a as 0 t I 1 dipete was bro ugilt to ali tits va t I 1 0 n captain dadds says that ilat came caille in ill suder ilig clow a gun shot wound rec received elved in ill one ona ol of tho lie battles etli tile willies aud and was very billion aud aua decant lie he died thing dining alie ile aud and was bulled tt at tho ilia uintah agency is 13 known as one ul of tile the ablest and one of oj the of the ute ule tilbe lie is by captain dodds as being small or 01 bla sl lure lura with a deiy luent nose black eyes and general seii erdl features denoting deti oling c LA n n I 1 11 g and treachery it 11 may be ba to 10 know that bucu major bunell putt ell made ins his descent ol of the green liver lit in isa he the skeleton ot of an ail indian to take to to washington to be placed in the institution captain dodds had bad tile the body 01 ol aud and precut id it it to major lowell 10 ell the captain is lila authority aUtUori only ty tor for tile the statement eliat tile alie bones ot of the noted ule warrior tire are now exhibited in the famous at washington U D C moed to u un oil christmas day 1868 captain dodd as indian agent located tile agency at whiterocks it remained there until tile llie summer when it was vias to lo loit foit Duch duchesse esue ilni clio awe having licea been I 1 act ulily lly by clio soldiers eis white loeks locks is therefore ther elore llie ilia oldest town la in the tl o umlah basin upon being as indian agent captala Capt aill to the ashley valley and took up a in the year lati this was tile the dirst huing entered catered in ili the clio blasin basin India indians rib BL coilio ke r etab N lic iyer IS lu in the tall lall of 0 1879 the indians became restless rest lehs and were very to lo all the white while leis uy this lime lima there had been established a loment lu in tile ashley valley and people were gradually coniing coming in ili and taking up the lands and improving them the indians reo re no liu boun S at this time and went into U C burado whenever they choose to ZO no ko io in the tall lall or of this year occurred the Id Leker atia massacre sacre in U which agent meeker deeher visas as hill d hi his s body muti laiad and his 1 v ite ie ud j daughter carrica into cal livley by the utes dies tile the two houi n were rescued rebelled after sev rev bial lari and alter having guttered 6 aery ery indignity at the hands ol at the iho indians sumo some of these very white while river utes lium the reservation have boasted lio asted ol of being there aud and pare ILL tile the nias bacie ouray whilo river kiver utes lived south aud east ol of tile the green river aud and aloag jle banks of the white river A was for their i at ouray on 0 it the west tank ol of the green river all aud tato ju i bovo boro its continence w willi the r henao GIC i Sac this post has been ju tai iid as tile the white river kiver aadil headquarters since I 1 inailau 11 I bior ort E late ili iii the lall lail of oc IF meeker Ala mas sacre acre tile au a attel after the abe barracks government es of 01 greeli r nver I 1 v Q r a ad V on 0 tile east cast side io bott r L tho wilburr it d called the place pring the tha tro 0 the lol jol lowing bild lild d tile lurt lort aps Is were withdrawn