John Henry Plumb

John Henry Plumb

John Henry Plumb was born in Keggs Creek, Pottawattamie County, Iowa November 27, 1847. At the age of two years he crossed the plains with his parents, Merlin and Elizabeth Cleopatra Bellows Plumb. They were with the Steven Markham Company of Pioneers. "In the spring of 1850, (Merlin's mother) Sarah (Sally) Roberts Plumb, with her son-in-law, John Bellows, his wife Marilla and baby, her son, Merlin and wife Elizabeth and baby John Henry all left with the Stephen Markham Company, in one wagon. John Bellows and Merlin Plumb with his wife walked most of the way. Taken from the "Bellows History" by Velma and Allen Bellows.

Map of Mormon Settlements

After a short stay in Salt Lake City, they moved to Provo, Utah where they lived for five years. They moved to Payson, Utah where John's father went in to the sawmill business. The sawmill was located in a canyon near Mt. Nebo.

this was Ute Indian country and ever summer the Indians would amp near the mill. Some of them worked for Mr. Plumb. John was seven years old at this time and was not big enough to work so spent most of his time playing with the Indian children. They were the only playmates he had. In the winter the family would move into town and each summer they would move out to the mill. So it was that John spent six years of his young life with the Indians. He learned how to make the bow and arrow and joined them in their hunts. He learned to trail and stalk deer. He learned many other way  an habits of the Ute Indians. He later had many dealings with the Indians, both friendly and unfriendly.

Sawmill

Mount Nebo

Map of Utah

In 1860 they sold the mill and moved to Pond Town, living there until 1866, when John was called to go back to Missouri River to bring out a load of emigrants. Leaving in the spring the company set out with forty-two wagons and drivers. Each wagon had three to four yoke of cattle. They also drove a herd of loose oxen. These were used as extras in case any of the animals driven became sick.

Pioneer Emigrants

They reached the Missouri River in June 1866. The train not being able to return for some time, John got a job on a wheat farm. This was the first time he ever saw a reaper and he thought it was a wonderful invention. This was a small machine and was pulled by four horses. With one man to drive and one to take bundles. As a knife cut the wheat it would fall back on a table and a man rode on the back of the machine and as the pile on the table grew to the size of a bundle he would take it off in piles ready for the binders. He stood on a small platform and was fastened to the machine with a wide leather strap that fastened around the waist.

Reaper

This was John's job for which he received $2.50 a day. One dollar more than the binders got. After being there about two months, the emigrants arrived and they were ready to leave. John had a little cash on hand, bought a cap and ball pistol and broad cloth suit of clothes.

Leaving the Missouri River in July 1866 they started on their eleven hundred mile trip to Utah. The distance traveled each day was from thirteen to eighteen miles. After getting one hundred miles out, they saw large herds of buffalo every day until they got to the mountains. The Indians were bad at the time, never coming in large numbers, but small bands, trying to steal stock and with these they had several skirmishes.

bison

The main fare was bacon and beans. John said the wagon was loaded with thirty hundred of bacon.  They drank out of cans, there being very few cups in camp. The emigrants consisted of Swedes, Danes and English. There were two fiddlers and an accordion player in the outfit. when the day hadn't been too hard and they were camped on hard ground, they would have a dance. John said they had lots of fun teaching the foreign girls how to dance American style.

After traveling about half of the journey, just on this side of Ham's Fork, where the Oregon Trail and Salt Lake crossed, they discovered they had lost an ox and were satisfied it had gotten in with the other trains cattle. The second at noon they decided to send some one back for the ox, and John, being in charge of the ox, it fell to him to go. He chose Lon Clark, an experienced man to go with him. It was nearly sundown when they left. The train going West and North had traveled a day and a half and the train going Southwest had also traveled a day and a half and the trains forty-five miles apart. Using John's own words, he said, "So taking two loaves of bread and a little bacon we set out going a Northeast direction. After a hard day's ride we caught up with the Montana Train just as it went into camp about sundown. We rode up and asked to see the wagon boss. The boss, hearing his name called, came up and asked us what we wanted. We told him about the ox. He got mad right away and asked us if we thought he was stealing oxen. He said, "if you fellows think you can come over here and get off with that stuff, you are badly fooled. I've heard a lot about the Mormons and they are a bunch of crooks, and pulling his gun he ordered us from camp.

We intended camping with them as our chuck was nearly gone, but seeing we were not welcome we pulled out-- going back to the road in a Southeast direction. We traveled about half a mile and camped in the brush, making a  small fire to keep warm by. We ate the last of our bread and lay down to sleep awhile. We were awakened some time later by a herd of oxen grazing up by our camp. I told Lon that I believed we could go out and find the ox and we could drive him off while it was dark. We could hear the guards herding the cattle as they hallowed back and forth, all's well. One of the guards had seen our fire and was coming to where we were camped. As he approached we got our guns ready and I said to Lon, "let's hold him up". When he came up we said, "hello friend" he said "hello".  "Ride right up and keep your hands up" we ordered. "Now we don't intend to hurt you, but we don't know what you want!" "Well, he said, "I heard what the wagon master told you but your ox is here". I told him we were satisfied of that all the time, and I asked him to get down and come over by the fire. "No, I can't he said, I'm on guard." Well, we can't help that,  come on over" and he came and sat by the fire.

The draw where we camped was covered with thick brush about as high as a man's head. So, I told Lon if he would stir up the fire every fifteen or twenty minutes I would go look for the ox. So, I set out and hunted about an hour, but I couldn't find him and I returned to camp. On said "you couldn't tell him if you saw him" I answered that I would know his hide if I saw it in a tannery in Kansas City." The guard spoke up then and said, "Your ox is right over there for I saw him about two hours ago," I set out and sure enough I found the ox and drove him up to camp.

I was lost several times and if Lon hadn't made the sparks fly every once in a while I would never have found the camp. Now I said "Lon, let's saddle up and get out of here." "What are you going to do with this man?" asked Lon. The guard had lain down and was apparently asleep. "Just leave him where he is and when he wakes up he can go on about his business, for I knew he was our friend and wouldn't give us away. So, we saddled up and left, keeping out of sight of the other guards. We finally got our ox to the road and started on the back trail. After leaving the draw, the road led up a slope some two or three miles long, and as we started up this slpe it commenced to get light in the east. We made the old ox go a little faster as we wanted to get over the ridge before it got light, but when we reached the top, the sun was up. We looked back and the camp was astir, getting ready to pull out. We knew they could see us and expected them to follow us, so we went over the ridge. I told Lon to watch one side of the road and I would watch the other, for if they get this ox, they'll have to fight for him. So, we kept a good watch and made the ox go as fast as we could.

AFter traveling som emiles and no trouble coming from the camp, we slowed up. We traveled all that day, stopping now and then to let the ox rest. The grass was good and plaenty of water along the way. We traveled until night when we camped and lay down and slept until the moon came up or nearly morning. Our bread and bacon was gone, so all we had to do was saddle up and go. Along about noon we came to a ranch house. There was a woman and some children in the yard and Lon asked her if we could get something to eat. She said they were out of food, but her husband had gone after a deer and if we would wait till he came back she would fix us a good dinner.

We were anxious to go on. I asked when our train had passed there, and she said about noon the day before. When she saw we were in a hurry she offered us cheese and buttermilk, and brought out a big can of buttermilk and a large piece of cheese. The buttermilk was about three days old and awful sour, but it tasted mighty good to us. The cheese was old and mallow and filled with skippers. We would break a chunk, knock the bugs off, and eat it, but being without food a good many hours it tasted good to us. After thanking the woman we went on our way intending to travel all night so as to catch up with the train in the morning, but in the early part of the night we came to a big bush and decided to rest for a few hours.

The journey all day ha been full of stops to let the ox and horse rest. The night was cold and we built a fire to keep warm by and as the blaze grew into a bright light, we found we camped under a service berry bush and it was loaded with dry fruit. We commenced to eat for we were awful hungry and we ate and filled our pockets. When we had eaten about all we wanted we commenced to feel sick at the stomach. We were two of the sickest men you ever saw and it wasn't any time "till we got rid of the berries we had eaten. After a while we felt better and went to sleep and didn't wake up until sun up.

We got on our way as quick as we could, both feeling weak and sick. I still had my pockets full of berries and couldn't help but eat one once in awhile. Along about eleven o'clock we topped a ridge and there we saw our train camped in Pioneer Hollow. As we came into sight they began to cheer, for they were satisfied we had been killed. They were getting ready to send some men after us. Well, we camped there the rest of the day, killed a fat ox and that night had a big supper and dance, and I could dance as good as any of them.

We started out the next morning with everybody feeling fine. We all rode down the hills and on level ground and walked up the hills, and without any further incidents of any importance, we landed in Salt Lake City in the latter part of September.

After delivering the emigrants to Salt Lake City, John returned to Pond Town, named so because there was a large pond in the center of town. (Its name was later changed to Salem after they asked Lyman Curtis to give the town a better name. He named it Salem after his home, of New Salem, Massachusetts. John later married Lyman's grand daughter, Ada Adeline Elliot.) Sunday came and John put on his new suit and went to church. Now all the clothes the other boys had were home-made jeans and woolen shirts. So, John cut a big shine with his new tailored suit, and by night all the girls in town were after him.

In December 1866, John married Eveline Madora Curtis (also Lyman Curtis' granddaughter) and made Pond Town his home until 1869, when he was called to the Muddy Mission. He stayed there four years and in 1873 moved back to Pond Town and lived there until 1880 when he was called to help settle Aizona. In the fall of the same year, he and his family and four other families moved to Brigham City, located where Winslow, Arizona now stands.

On the way down it was customary to hobble the horse and turn them out at night. Each man keeping a saddle horse tied up to the wagon in case of trouble, and to ride after the other horses in the morning. I got up one morning and went after the horses, I found them all but three and upon investigation I found where they had been unhobbled and driven off and by the tracks I knew it was Indians that did it.

I caught a fresh horse and took a little lunch and set out after them. I followed their tracks all day up through rocky canyon and came upon the Indians about that evening They were making camp, so I hid in the rocks to wait until dark. They built a fire, hobbled their horses and got supper. When they turned the horses out I noticed they were headed down my way so I waited and as the night wore on the horses came closer, and when I thought Indians would be asleep, I slipped out and went up and unhobbled the horses. They were used to following the one I was riding, so I led her out of sight, and had a hard time of keeping her from nickering. When the others saw her they came up to where she was. Leading her and the others following, I made my way down the canyon as best I could in the dark. After getting out of danger of being heard by the Indians I mounted my hourse and rode, reaching camp a little before sunrise.

In the year 1883 I was married to Ada Adeline Elliott. The next Spring I moved to St. Johns, arriving here in the later part of April, 1884. I pitched my camp at Salem, setting up two tents which answered for a home until we could build.

A few years later, I was moving with my family to the Gila Valley. I was driving the wagon and my boy, Willie, was driving some milk cows. My wife and the smaller children were in the wagon with me. Down on the side of Fort Apache at Tuekwy Tanks, about ten o'clock on morning. I had stopped to fill a barrel with water for camp use and was busy with this task when three Chreokee Indians rode up. They said, "you stop here?" I told them when I filled the barrel I would talk to them. Trying to keep cool and think of something for I understood enough of their language to know from their talk that they intended to kill us and take our stock.  "You stop now, we Cherokee!" I said "ther's my cows over there, then they laughed. One of them went after the cows, but the boy said "you wait pa will iet you have themwhen he comes over." They could talk a little English, but I let on that I did not understand and wehn they asked questions I answered something different from what they wante to know. I could tell by their talk that they thought I was crazy.

When we went on a long trip the wife generally cooked upa big box of cookies, and we had one in our wagon and Clara, now Mrs. J. R. Overson, got the cookies, climbed out of the wagon and passed them to the Indians. Well, they took the cookies and ate them and I could see that they had changed their minds about killing us.  The Indians were wearing their war paint and were the most hideous looking creatures I ever saw and the girl then nearly grown, took it upon herself to give them the cookies. Clara was as brave a girl as I ever saw, not only in this case, but in others nearly as bad. She always showed great courage and judgement. I never saw her frightened. Well, the Indians sure left, saying "you go now". That was the narrowest escape I had ever had an I was sure glad to see them ride off."

Mr. Plumb has lived in St. Johns forty-two years, has spent the best of his life here, suffering trials and hardships to help build up this country. He helped build the old school house--hauled lumber for the old Court House and jail. In fact, he helped in everything that went ot make this a better and more prosperous community. He is now seventy nine years old and is the father of twenty-one children; has sixty three grand children and six great grand children. His wife died a short time ago. He is another real pioneer that gave his bit that the West might be what it is today. We wish him happy and prosperous years in our midst.

The above account was published in the St Johns (Arizona) Weekly Herald April 22-29, 1926)

John Plumb died in 1933, when I was 5 years old. We were living on the O'Cote Ranch 10 miles out of the town of Eagar Arizona. My parents felt it a privilege to care for this great pioneer until the time of his death. And at the time of his death I was in his room eating a piece of warm cake that mother had just baked. I was hanging on the bedstead at the bottom of his bed. While eating the cake one of my teeth fell out and I told grandpa. He said, "Go and get your ma to come here." I immediately responded and left the room. When we returned grandpa had passed away (I had swallowed my tooth). My parents put his covered body on a wooden slab across the back seat and through the open windows of our new Model A Ford car. I road under the body, and not being able to sit up I laid across the seat and was soon fast asleep. We took the body to St. Johns to be prepared for the funeral and for burial.

My mother continually spoke with love and honor about her pioneer parents all of our lives. She told of the origin of the Plumb family. The plumbs came from the Island of Corsica off the coast of France. They were ship builders and built a ship to sail to America but were ship-wrecked off the coast of England. So, they lived there several years working and earning money to build more ships. They sailed to America in the 1600s. They were converted to the church by the Prophet Joseph Smith and were scheduled to be baptizd by him when the mobs imprisoned him. His grandfather, Merlin Plumb Sr. was a physician and merchant and spoke 5 foreign languages. The readily accepted the gospel when they first heard it. John's father, Merlin, was a young boy at the time.

When the Plumbs moved to Arizona, having been brick masons in Nauvoo, Merlin and John were the first white men to make adobe brick and the fist white men to build a home from them. They lived in tents and dugout basement homes until they finished building their nice big home from adobe bricks they had made.

Mother said that father always carried a pistol on his hip in a holster with bullets on the belt. He often removed it when he came in the house. He would put it in the wood box or in his chuck box. The enemies of polygamy were continually threatening and he said he would use the gun if necessary to protect his wives and children. When they moved down on the Gila to Eden they were being threatened. One night and informant came to the door and told John they were coming to get him and to prepare to leave. Within a short time he and his wife and family packed up their things and escaped throug a corn field and then in to Old Mexico. They lived in Colonial Diaz for a bout a year. Grandpa didn't like Old Mexico and moved back to the sates. Mother remembered the trip home in the wagon and how kind her father was to the children. When she wanted him to stop he would stop. She loved getting down and picking the wild flowers. However, their trip was saddened when they had drank from a spring where the water was bad and her brother, Orson became ill with diphtheria and died soon after they arrived home. 

Mother, grandfather and some of her brothers were very dramatic and patriotic. They recited poetry. Because of his Corsican origin, grandfather loved to recite poems about Napoleon Bonaparte. For many years they were called upon to recite in public.

Grandfather would grow crops for two years in one place and grow enough food to fee both families. At the end of the two years, he would load up the foods in a wagon and freight it to where his other family lived. He would again grow enough food in that area to feed his families, then at the end of that two year period he would load up all the food stuffs to feed the other family and freight it back.

At one time when he was freighting over the White Mountains, a rider came with a message that grandmother was very ill and close to death. When he received this message, he stopped his teams and went into the forest to pray. He felt that if he made a sacrifice the Lord would spare her life. So, he told Heavenly Father how his wife and wanted him to quit using chewing tobacco. So, he told Heavenly Father that he wanted to quilt and also prayed for his wife's recovery. When he arrived home his wife had recovered and he had already quit using tobacco and never touched it again.

Notes on history of John Henry Plumb family
(Submitted to this blog by Kathryn Burton Castleton)

From notes left by daughter May (May is the second child from John's first wife, Eveline)

These notes on same group as people father, John Plumb was with in Brigham City, Arizona. Speaking of United Order.

Well, I can't think of much.  We'll try and go back to my childhood days for a few minutes as I remember in 1876, Christmas Eve, we landed in Brigham city.  

There was a fort of adobe huts built in a square.  The missionary men had built it before the women and children came.  

The ones I remember were P. Lot Smith, Bishop George Lake, Andrea Anderson (made the bread)  George Skinner (baker) John Simms, William Ballard, blacksmith, Moses Curtis carpenter, Monroe Curtis, Sidney Wilson, Steven Wilson teacher, Ben Nielsen, Sister Bates a nurse, Orve Bates, Adams, John Johnson, Merlin Plumb, Brother Yorgin, Silvester Perry, Gran. F. Morris, three Morris families, Jess Wansley, Mat Wansley, Ovie Overson, John Plumb, Eliger Hancock, W. Woodscandy, Dave Stratten, Heber Reed, Bro. Breman (pottery?)  Bro. Isaacson, Sister Whiting, Christopher christensen, Brother Miras, Billy Ballard, Joseph Ballard, Sully Richardsen, Elwin and Edwin Richardson.

(Other notes on same group of people Father, John Henry Plumb, was with in Brigham city speaking of United Order)

Two or three families lived in one room.  the next year, men got logs from the mountains and built what they called wings on each side of the Fort.  They would build about eight rooms in a string so in case of Indian raids they couldn't get in the fort. The people turned all their horses, wagons, cattle, clothing and food to the store house and kept only just what they had made for change ( I guess money).

(This is a site about the restoration of Brigham City http://brighamcityproject.blogspot.com/)

At that time, there weren't any other towns like Winslow or Holbrook nearby.  All they had to depend on was horses and wagons to go to Utah and sell what was left etc.

They had sheep and would card and spin, make their own stockings also cloth for clothes.  They would buy buckskin from the Indians to fix their pants to make them last longer.  After some time, they got a little card machine and a little grist mill.

After some time they got selfish and greedy so the president called them to other places to build the country up as best they could.

My father, John Henry Plumb, with others, was called to St. Johns on a ten year mission.  Then after ward called to Mexico.  

When they got to St. John's they built houses out of cedar posts.  Would dig trenches, set posts then dob the cracks with mud.  They had dirt roofs.  After they were better financially they bought a saw mill and then a grist mill.

Geneva Plumb tells the following story about her father, John Henry Plumb.  At one time a sheriff by the name of John Picket had an Indian tied up beating him.  Sheriff Picket was known for his bad temper and everyone was afraid of him.  They did not dare to interfere with what he was doing.  Along came John Plumb, he wasn't afraid of anyone.  he was riding in a wagon at the time.  He jerked his team to a stop, got down from the wagon and untied the Indian.  He told the sheriff that was no way to treat another human being.  The sheriff was taken aback by the look in John Henry's eyes and by his voice that rang out loud and clear. After this event many people respected and revered John Henry Plumb.

Geneva said that they passed the word, "Look out for John Plumb."

Story of May Madora Plumb Hancock including some history of her father, John Henry Plumb's life.

In the early 1870's John Henry Plumb, then about 20 years of age, was called by Pres. Brigham Young as a missionary to go settle "the muddy" in Nevada.  Taking his young wife and baby they went in company of a few other families.  Their home consisted of a wagon box, with a lean to built on the side which was covered with sage brush, skins of animals, pieces of canvas and anything that was available that might provide shelter.  Here there eldest daughter May Madora was born 4 June 1870.  

They did not remain there long on account of Indian depredations. The mission failed.  They were released and returned to their houses in Salem, Utah. Seven years later a second call came to go settle Brigham City in Arizona.  

May well remembered all the hardships this move brought.

On their way they found the water hole where they had expected to replenish their meager supply of water dry. Their need was great.  They all knelt in prayer asking the father not to forsake them.  Soon a cloud appeared on the horizon and then it began to rain.  They caught enough water in canvases to last them until they reached water.

At Brigham City May attended her first school, her mother's sister being the teacher.  She longed for her old home in Utah, but most of all she grieved for her doll which she had been compelled to leave behind.  It was a rag doll given by an aunt, but she never had one at Brigham City.

(Brigham City notes. After the family of John H. Plumb left Brigham City, they were called to St John's. We had to pay $10.00 for 100 pounds of flour.  It was really musty, too.  So Papa got some wheat and we ground our flour and mush in a coffee mill.  We would rather grind our flour than to eat the musty.

The Indians got so bad.  They stole our horses and cattle and got on a shooting spree occasionally.  I remember they killed two white boys.  The Indians got more civilized.)

At one time, material for clothing could not be had.  May helped her mother wash and dye pieces of wagon cover from which clothing for the children was made.

After several years of untold hardships they left this locality and went first to St. Johns then to the Gila Valley.

Grave of Eveline M. Plumb in Eden, Arizona

It was on this trip that the greatest test of May's courage came.  The family had just reached Casadore Springs when they came face to face with a band of hostile Indians led by Geronimo himself.

May's father, John Henry Plumb, was at his wit's end for fear for his family. He believed in what Brigham Young had said.  "It was better to feed the Indians than fight them." Then too, he had heard that the Indians were in awe of a person dressed in white.  He told May to put on a white apron and take a pan of cookies and pass to the Indians.  Although she quaked with fear she did his bidding.  

The Indians accepted the cookies and permitted the family to go on their way unmolested.

The family made their home at Eden, Arizona.  Here May spent her young womanhood, being active in all church and other activities.  Here she met Levi Hancock who was freighting from Globe to Wilcox.  They were married in 1893.

Four years later May and Levi, with their two little girls went by team to St. George, Utah to have their temple work done.  

This union was blessed with two sons and seven daughters, two of whom and her husband have preceded her to the great beyond.  At this time she is survived by seven children, 63 grandchildren, 33 great grandchildren, 3 sisters and four brothers.

Her mother died leaving four unmarried children whom May mothered and welcomed to her home as long or whenever they wished to stay.

On account of her husband's health they came to Taylor then to Clay Springs where she has resided for 35 years until the Master called her 14 Jan. 1950.

All her life her most outstanding characteristic has been her great faith in the power of healing. 

While living in Eden an epidemic of typhoid passed through the country.  Most of her children were stricken.  For over three months she cared for them untiringly, night and day, never losing faith that they would be healed even though doctors, nurses and friends told her their was no hope.  They all recovered.

When Eva (daughter of May Madora Plumb Hancock) was stricken, she accompanied her to Gallup, nursing her all of the time and never giving up hope although it lasted for many months.  (Eva was sick for five and a half years.)

The doctor once told her, "there is something more than my skill operating in this case."  After leaving Gallup, New Mexico, they remained in Snowflake for some time.  One day, some of the church authorities came to her and said, "Sister Hancock, we feel you are fighting a losing game. We have come to dedicate this girl to the Lord and let her go in peace."  With fervent faith May answered, "she will get well. Her patriarchal blessing says she shall live to be a mother in Israel."  In answer to that mother's prayer and devotion she is the mother of a fine family, grandmother of three fine babies.

The rest are here as a living monument of her faith and works.  With May, faith without works is dead, for she worked untiringly.  We hope and pray all of her descendants will emulate the beautiful example of their mother.