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Junius Romney

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Junius Romney

1878-1971

Born March 12, 1878, in St. George, Utah, Junius Romney was the son of Miles Park and Catherine Cottam Romney.

Miles Park’s father, Miles, had moved to St. George under the direction of Church leaders and was playing a significant role as a builder, supervising, for example, the construction of the tabernacle.  Miles Park assisted in that construction as head of the carpentry shop.  He had other business interests and civic commitments, most notable in drama, and served in various church administrative capacities.  Catherine, Junius’s mother, was born to a family which had settled in St. George in 1862.  Because Miles Park had five wives, several of whom had large families, brothers, sisters, and cousins abounded.

When he was three years old, Junius accompanied his his family to St. Johns, Arizona, one of several centers of Mormon settlement on the Little Colorado River.  They first settled in town in a log cabin with a dirt floor, later replaced with a nice frame home.  The Romney family was in the middle of an intense anti-Mormon campaign to which Miles P. responded vigorously as editor of a newspaper and which forced Catherine and others to flee their homes periodically.  This persecution became so intense that Junius and most of his family returned to St. George in 1884.

This second period in St. George was temporary while Miles P.  and others investigated places in Mexico to which they could flee for safety.  Junius and his family lived with Catherine’s parents, the Cottams, who at the same time furnished a hiding place for Wilford Woodruff who was being pursued by government authorities.  To help support the family, Junuius tended cows in the surrounding desert.  So hot was the sand at the time that he recollects moving from the shade of one bush to another, crying as he stood on one bare foot and then the other to allow each an opportunity to cool.  When he reached eight years of age, he was baptized in the temple font.  Then in 1886, Catherine and her children were instructed to join Miles P. and others in Mexico.  The Cottams generously outfitted them with clothing and, following blessing from Wilford Woodruff, Junius Romney and the others left for their new home in Mexico. 

During January of 1887, they traveled by train to Deming, New Mexico, then by wagon into Mexico.  ON the way, Junuius was thrown from the wagon and run over.  His ear, torn almost completely from his head, was replaced and bandaged in place by his mother.  On arriving in Colonia Juarez, the newcomers joined two of Miles P.’s other families—Annie’s, who was living in a dugout beside the river in the “Old Town,” and Hannah’s, who lived in a house of vertical poles called a “stockade house.”  Catherine’s house was their wagon box to which were attached a bowery and a small wooden room.

Life was simple and family centered—simple clothes, straw or husk tick on the beds, a diet of corn, beans, molasses, greens and thinned milk, and occasional treats of wheat flour bread.  In his later years, Junius still enjoyed the simplicity of a sweet apple off a tree or a dinner of cheese, bread, and milk.

After about a year in Colonia Juarez, the three Romney wives and the family of Helaman Pratt moved to Cliff Ranch, a small valley along the Piedras Verdes Riverin the mountains.  Here they lived for about two years in seclusion.  This required independence and innovation.  Junius Romney recalls how his mother and the other adults provided religious and intellectual instruction in addition to the necessities of life.  Work included herding cows barefoot in the snow and building irrigation systems.  Natural greens, potatoes, and grains were staples with treats of molasses cake, nuts and potato pie.  In addition to other qualities he may have developed there, Cliff Ranch increased Junius Romney’s appreciation of his family.

In the fall of 1890, the Romney’s returned to Colonia Juarez, and not long thereafter, Junius Romney moved to a farm which his father had purchased about a mile west of Casas Grandes.  There, with his Aunt Hannah and her family, he worked for three years and received the benefit of three months’ formal schooling per year in Colonia Juarez.

In his 16th year, Junius Romney became an employee of the Juarez Cooperative Mercantile Institution.  This led him into his vocation as a businessman and into a close association with Henry Eyring, the manager.  In that occupation, he became acquainted with the Mexican people, merchandising procedures, Mexican law, bookkeeping, Spanish, and the postal service.  He soon became postmaster, a position he held for 13 years.  Junius later observed how much he owed to Henry Eyring, who also taught frugality through making bags out of newspapers in order to save buying them commercially.

It was during this time that Junius Romney became acquainted with Gertude Stowell, daughter of Brigham and Olive Bybee Stowell.  Brigham operated the mill on the east side of the river south of town and owned a cattle ranch north of town.  Gertrude grew up willing to work hard, a trait she preserved throughout her life, and was also interested in intellectual activities and things of beauty. After she broke her engagement to another young man, Junius courted her earnestly.  His correspondence with her progressed from “Dear Friend” to Dearest Gertrude” and culminated in their marriage in the Salt Lake Temple on October 10, 1900. 

Junius Romney continued his work in the Juarez Mercantile as their family began to grow.  Olive was born in 1901, Junius Stowell, called J.S., in 1903, and Catherine (Kathleen), in 1905.  That Kathleen survived, having been born at only two and one-half pounds while both parents were suffering from typhoid fever, is something of a miracle.  Margaret was born in 1909.  Catherine, Junius’s mother, lived with them for a time after the death of Miles P. in 1904. 

The typhoid fever that both Junius and Gertrude suffered was accompanied with pneumonia for Junius, but after limited professional medical care and extensive aid from family and friends, they recovered.

More important, for Junius, was the fact that an early administration by Church Elders did not heal him. He concluded that the Lord needed to impress him that he indeed had typhoid fever and his eventual recovery indicated that the Lord had a purpose for his life, a purpose he saw fulfilled in his role as leader during the Exodus of 1912. Successful healings from priesthood administration shortly thereafter reinforced this opinion.

The young couple lived in an adobe house directly north of the lot upon which the Anthony W. Ivins house once stood and the Ward building now stands. In about 1906, a substantial brick house, which still stands, was built. The bricks were cooperatively prepared with several other families.

The resulting structure with its clean lines and decorative wooden trim was equal to any similar sized house built in Salt Lake City at the time, and, in fact, reflected the strong North American orientation of the colonists.

Junius continued to work in the Juarez Mercantile store until about 1902. He thereafter worked for the Juarez Tanning and Manufacturing Company until about 1907. He continued as postmaster, handling business from a room made on their front porch. In addition to this work, Junius was very much involved in other business activities such as buying and selling animals and land, and supervising some agricultural production. He handled some legal matters for colonists and taught bookkeeping and Spanish at the Juarez Academy.

For two months during the summer of 1903, while Gertrude tended the post office and their two young children, Junius Romney went to Salt Lake City where he attended the LDS Business College. His studies included penmanship, bookkeeping, and typing. Among his extra-curricular activities were attendance at bicycle races at Saltair, as well as visiting relatives. In addition to the three three-month periods of schooling while he lived on the farm near Casas Grandes, and about three years of taking classes at the Academy just before his marriage, this stay at the business college concluded his formal education.

During these early years of marriage, Junius served as Second Counselor in the Stake Sunday School Superintendency. During a very busy January, 1902, he served as an MIA Missionary in which calling he participated in a flurry of meetings in Colonia Juarez. He also served as Stake Clerk, which with his Sunday School calling, led him to visit throughout the colonies and to become acquainted with the conditions of the Church and the people. He also learned much of Church administration.

Two major recreational activities occurred during these years. The first was a visit in 1904 by Junius Romney and a friend to the World’s Fair in St. Louis. The second was a trip in company with the Stake President, Anthony W. Ivins, into the Sierra Madres where President Ivins owned some land. Junius fished and hunted and, more significantly, enjoyed the association of the man whom he was soon to succeed as Stake President.

As the government of President Diaz came under attack and was eventually defeated by the forces of Francisco I. Madero, the Mormon colonies were drawn into the struggle. Junius processed various damage claims submitted by the colonists to contending parties, and, as President of the Stake, he became directly involved in the aftermath of the death of Juan Sosa, which occurred in Colonia Juarez in 1911. In the Sosa matter, he assisted in hiding colonists who, as deputies, had participated in the shooting. He eventually met with a local judge and sent a letter to President Madero on behalf of the fugitives. This letter at last reached Abraham Gonzales, formerly Governor of Chihuahua and then Secretary of the Interior in Mexico City. Gonzales directed that the prosecution of the Mormon deputies be discontinued. Eventually the matter was forgotten as the military struggle increased in intensity.

Soon after President Ivins was called to be a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, John Henry Smith and George F. Richards of the same quorum came to Colonia Juarez to reorganize the Stake. In the meetings of March 7 and 8, 1908, these visiting authorities selected Junius Romney as the new Stake President with Hyrum H. Harris and Charles E. McClellan as Counselors. The visiting authorities indicated that plural marriages were no longer to be performed in Mexico as they had been since 1890. Because he had not been directly involved in these recent plural marriages and was living in monogamy, Junius was a good choice to implement that policy.

As Stake President, Junius traveled to Mexico City to review the missionary work there and at least twice attended general conference in Salt Lake City. He also traveled to Chihuahua City where he talked with the President of Mexico, Porfirio Diaz, who exhibited considerable interest in and affection for the Mormon colonists. The authoritarian government under Diaz and the work of the Mormon colonists were complementary. The government provided the climate in which the Church members could live in relative security with little interference. The colonists contributed to political and social stability and grew outstanding agricultural products, both qualities that Diaz wanted demonstrated to the native Mexicans.

Routine church business was also handled. His correspondence notes action on a possible Branch of the Church near Chihuahua City, operation of the Church auxiliaries with a Stake activity calendar for the four months through August of 1912, concern in one Ward over lagging tithing payments and pride of another Ward over anticipated benefits from a newly completed reservoir. That the Revolution was intruding upon Church work is indicated by the inability of President Romney to obtain signatures of all Ward Bishops on a document, and instructions to avoid purchasing grain from native Mexicans since the soldiers might need it.

Although the tempo of the Revolution demanded increasingly more attention, Junius still pursued his business interests in a way that indicated he intended to stay indefinitely in Mexico. He was involved in agreements to buy and sell land, a proposal to build a fruit cannery in Colonia Juarez, and the purchase of some 715 fruit trees to be planted on his land.

One of the first direct confrontations between the Revolutionaries and Mormons came in February, 1912, with a demand by Enrique Portillo for weapons. Portillo was a local leader of rebels under Pascual Orozco who by that time was opposing Madero. In company with Joseph C. Bentley and Guy C. Wilson, Junius told Portillo that the only way he would get Mormon guns was with smoke coming out of the barrels. After Junius reported this incident to the First Presidency in Salt Lake City, he received a letter from them which he considered very important. The First Presidency approved the action taken, but said that a different set of circumstances might call for a different response. They advised that the foremost concern should be the safety of members of the Church. A letter from Anthony W. Ivins at this time promised no loss of lives if the Saints were faithful. Some, not including Junius, interpreted this to mean that the colonists could always safely remain in Mexico.

Besides the admonition to care for the safety of the colonists, the policy of neutrality urged on the Saints was important to Junius. This policy was directed to all U. S. citizens from authorities in Washington, D.C. Moreover, the General Authorities advocated neutrality for Church members in Mexico. Regardless of personal feelings, Junius and other leaders attempted to be neutral. This was not an easy policy to follow since soldiers from both sides often forcibly requisitioned horses and other supplies. During the early stages of the Revolution, the soldiers were urged to respect neutrality.

While attempting to remain neutral, the colonists recognized a need to obtain weapons equal in quality to those possessed by the warring factions around them. Accordingly, the Stake leaders attempted unsuccessfully to import high powered rifles in December of 1911. Then in April, 1912, after the U.S. embargo was proclaimed, rifles were smuggled in and distributed to the various colonies from Junius’s home in Colonia Juarez.

After initial success against the government, Orozco was defeated in several battles in May, 1912, and retreated northward toward the colonies. At the same time, Mexicans responded to the killing of a Mexican, surprised during a robbery in Colonia Diaz, by killing James Harvey, a colonist. President Romney in company with several Mexican officials from Casas Grandes rode in a buggy to Colonia Diaz and defused the threatening situation. This experience further impressed Junius with the explosive conditions in which they found themselves and the danger of resorting to an armed defense. As a result, he reaffirmed his belief in the policy of neutrality and the necessity of the Mormons getting through the conflict with a minimal loss of life.

Junius wrote to the First Presidency requesting instruction on what to do and asking that Anthony W. Ivins be sent to the colonies to counsel with them. The First Presidency told Junius to do what he thought best after counseling with other Church leaders in the Stake. Elder Ivins traveled to the colonies and returned to El Paso where he remained throughout the Exodus.

After being defeated by federal forces in early July, 1912, the Orozco rebels moved to El Paso where they made their headquarters. This was usually a place where Revolutionaries could be resupplied with arms and ammunition, but because of the U. S. embargo, Orozco was unable to rebuild his army. So the rebels turned to the Mormon colonists who, they believed, had weapons they could obtain.

General Salazar, a local rebel leader, called Junius to his headquarters in Casas Grandes and there demanded a list of the colonists’ guns. After consultation with the leaders in Colonia Juarez and Colonia Dublan, Junius requested the information from each colony.

Faced with this increased pressure, representatives from throughout the colonies met with the Stake Presidency to decide how to proceed. The group decided to continue to pursue a policy of neutrality and to act unitedly under the direction of the Stake Presidency.

On July 13, 1912, when news reached Colonia Juarez that rebels in Colonia Diaz were demanding guns from the colonists, a meeting of eleven local men and two members of the Stake Presidency was convened at Junius’s home. The group sent messengers to Colonia Diaz with letters previously issued by rebel leaders urging respect for the neutrality of the Mormons. Junius Romney and Hyrum Harris of the Stake Presidency were instructed to confer with General Salazar to persuade him to call off the rebels. Junius prepared a letter to General Orozco in EI Paso which he sent with Ed Richardson.

That same night Junius and Hyrum Harris rode to Casas Grandes where they located General Salazar. Having prevailed upon a guard to awake the general, Romney described the crisis. Salazar lashed out at the rebel leader in Colonia Diaz, saying that he should not have made that demand, todavia no (not yet). Junius reports that those last two words caused a chill to run up his back, since it seemed to be the general’s intention to sometime require weapons of the colonists. Such a demand, Junius foresaw, would perpetrate a crisis. Romney and Harris received an order from Salazar which they took to Colonia Dublan for delivery to Colonia Diaz.

The next day, Junius traveled by train to El Paso to confer with Elder Ivins. On the way he had a conversation with General Salazar who said he intended to do something to force the U.S. to intervene militarily in the Revolution. In El Paso, Elder Ivins seemed to think that Junius was overly concerned. Still, they jointly sent a telegram to the First Presidency requesting instructions. The reply said that “the course to be pursued by our people in Mexico must be determined by yourself, Romney and the leading men of the Juarez Stake.” Romney was looking for specific instructions, but received none. He later reflected that if the Lord intended to have his people removed from Mexico, it was better that he, rather than Elder Ivins who had put his life into building the colonies, should lead that evacuation. Although Ivins visited the colonies for several days during the next two weeks, he gave no more specific instructions on what to do.

Orson P. Brown, the colonists’ representative in El Paso, wrote Junius that the State Department had indicated that the Mormons could not expect U.S. governmental support in the event they defended themselves. Brown predicted that the colonists would have to leave their homes.

Fearing the worst, Junius wrote a letter on July 24, advising the mountain colonies to be prepared to leave on a moment’s notice, should the need arise.

Two days later, Junius, in company with four other colonists, traveled to Casas Grandes for a meeting with General Salazar. The general and his aid, Demetrio Ponce, a Mexican who lived among the Mormons, ordered Junius Romney and Henry E. Bowman to deliver Mormon owned guns and ammunition to the rebels. Junius refused to do so and was supported in his decision by Bowman. Bowman’s support was further evidence to Junius that the Lord was directing things since such support was essential to the later evacuation, and the older man had previously been somewhat critical of the young Stake President. Salazar then directed some soldiers to accompany the Mormons to Colonia Dublan where they were ordered to collect weapons, by force if necessary.

In Dublan, Junius Romney conferred with Bishop Thurber and other men. They decided that some compliance was required, so instructions were sent for colonists to bring in their poorest weapons. The rebels were temporarily pacified when these deliveries were made at the schoolhouse.

In the same meeting, it was decided to send the Mormon women and children to EI Paso for their safety. Henry Bowman left at once for Texas to arrange for their arrival and a few colonists departed with him that very day. Junius composed a letter to Colonia Diaz describing what had occurred and directing the colonists in that community to follow the same procedure for evacuation.

That same evening, Romney returned to Colonia Juarez where he joined a meeting of the men already in progress. Bishop Joseph C. Bentley and others were not in favor of anyone leaving the colonies, but after some discussion and a recommendation from President Romney that they evacuate their women and children, he and the others agreed to comply and to urge others to do the same. Those at the meeting also agreed to relinquish their poorest weapons to the rebels.

On Sunday, July 28, some weapons and ammunition from the Juarez colonists were delivered at the bandstand to the rebels. Junius sent messages to the mountain colonies of Colonia Pacheco, Garcia, and Chuhuichupa advising them to be prepared to give up some of their weapons and to send their women and children to EI Paso. He told his wife, Gertrude, that the Bishop was in charge of the evacuation and would help them leave. He bid his family farewell and departed to Casas Grandes to meet with General Salazar.

The actions on July 27 and 28 left the colonies occupied only by adult men. Each town was furnished with a small contingent of rebel soldiers who were responsible for keeping the peace and protecting the colonists who had presumably relinquished their weapons. During the next few days of relative calm, Junius wrote to the various colonies to apprise them of the situation and to advise them to act moderately, with the highest priority being given to safeguarding the lives of the men.

The situation took a turn for the worse when other rebel soldiers began moving through the colonies after having been defeated in a battle with the federals in Sonora on July 31. Uncertain about the intentions of these new arrivals, Junius and other men met in the store on August 2 and decided to call a general meeting for that night. Junius and some others understood that the night meeting was to decide on a course of action. However, as men were notified of the meeting, some understood that they were to leave town that night and go into the mountains.

That night, as Junius started toward the designated meeting place north of town, he was told that some men had already gone into the mountains. He was convinced that the rebels in town would conclude that those who left were on their way to join the federals and any men who remained would be in serious danger. Junius was unable to consult with other leaders as he had previously done, but what he needed to do seemed clear to him. His decision was to have all the men remaining in the colonies congregate at the Stairs, a previously designated site in the mountains farther up the Piedras Verdes River. Then he sat under a lantern in the bottom of the Macdonald Springs Canyon and prepared letters for Colonia Dublan and the mountain colonies, instructing the men to meet at once at the Stairs.

On the other side of the river, a significant number of the Juarez men had met at the designated site north of town, but when they did not find President Romney or the others there, they returned to their homes. When Junius discovered this later in the morning of August 3, he attempted to countermand his instructions to Dublan, but the men had already left. Later, Junius, his brother Park, and Samuel B. McClellan encountered these Dublan men and accompanied them to the Stairs.

The men who remained in Juarez, including Bishop Bentley, initially decided to go to the Stairs, but when the rebels were frightened away by the news of approaching federals, they wrote to those in the mountains expecting that they would return to the colonies. Later, when the men in town received pointed instructions from President Romney that they should go to the Stairs, Bishop Bentley and others complied.

After a preliminary meeting of the Church leaders at the Stairs, a mass meeting of all the men was held on August 5. At that time, those who had most recently arrived from Colonia Juarez urged the men to return to their homes. A majority of those there, including President Junius Romney, favored going to the United States. Junius had several reasons for his decision. He had witnessed the strong anti-American feeling among the Mexicans. He recognized the danger of international repercussions if American citizens were killed in Mexico. He wanted the smuggled guns they were carrying to reach the U.S. A vote to leave was made unanimous. The movement was made under the military leadership of Albert D. Thurber and the men crossed into New Mexico on August 9, 1912.

The fact that the colonists were out of Mexico did not release Junius as Stake President. He continued such functions as issuing recommends, counseling Ward leaders, and gathering information to help him decide what future action he would suggest. He interviewed the colonists themselves, talked with generals of the federal army, and took a three week trip back into Mexico.

The overall supervision of the refugees came under the control of a committee which included various colonists, Junius Romney, Anthony W. Ivins, and other Church representatives. This committee first concerned itself with the evacuation of the colonists in Sonora. Quite independently of the Chihuahua colonists, they evacuated their homes and were in the U.S. by the end of August.

The committee also considered whether the colonies should be reoccupied. Some returned soon after they left, mostly to recover cattle and other property. It was eventually decided that the colonists should be released from any Church obligation to live in Mexico, so that each family could make its own decision. Junius and his family decided not to return.

Gertrude and their four children had initially stayed in a Lumberyard in EI Paso with many others, but they soon moved to a single-room apartment. In the winter of 1912, they moved to Los Angeles with one of Junius’s brothers.

Junius traveled to Salt Lake City where he reported his stewardship to a meeting of the First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve. He reports that he “assured President Smith that I had lived up to the best light that I had been able to receive and consequently if the move was not right I disavowed any responsibility inasmuch as I had lived up to the best inspiration I could get and had fearlessly discharged my duty as I saw it in every trying situation which had arisen.” After hearing this report as well as those of other men and assessing other information they possessed, the General Authorities decided to release Junius as Stake President and to dissolve the Juarez Stake.

While in Salt Lake City, Junius was convinced by Lorenzo Stohl of the Beneficial Life Insurance Company that he ought to try selling life insurance. Junius was dubious about this proposal, but while he traveled on the train back to Mexico, he diligently studied the material he was furnished. Shortly after arriving in El Paso, he was confronted by his brother, Orin, and D. B. Farnsworth, who were looking for a particular Beneficial agent. Junius Romney identified himself as an agent and immediately embarked on a career in which he would be a marked success. During his first year of this work he saw his family only twice, a condition he deplored, but he was determined to succeed. He learned of a contest with a $300 prize for which he would have to sell $60,000 in insurance before the end of 1912. When he won, Junius endorsed the check directly to a creditor to whom he owed money for the purchase of land in Mexico. In the next year, he won prizes totaling $550, which he likewise applied on his debts. Not only did his work help him support his family, but it also resulted in his being given the job of superintendent of agents for Beneficial Life, a position he held for ten years.

By the end of 1913, Junius was able to move his family from Los Angeles to a rented home in Salt Lake City, and six years later, to a home they purchased on Douglas Street on the east side of Salt Lake City. To the four children they brought with them out of Mexico were later added two sons, Eldon and Paul.

While most of Junius’s time during these years after the Exodus was spent in selling insurance, he continued to be concerned with those he knew in Mexico. One project in which he took considerable pride was a resettlement project along the Gila River in Arizona. With Ed Lunt, he borrowed money from Beneficial Life to buy land which was divided into twenty and forty acre parcels and sold with little or no down payment to families from the colonies.

In order to spend more time with his family, Junius left Beneficial Life. Following work in several sales ventures and a few years handling real estate for Zion’s Savings Bank, he became manager of State Building and Loan Association in 1927. He continued in that position until 1957 when his age and ill health compelled retirement. Under his management, the company had expanded to Hawaii and became a leading financial institution in Utah. As part of this work, he sold sufficient insurance to be a member of the Kansas City Life Million Dollar Roundtable three times. He was also involved in various other business enterprises, often in real estate in partnership with others.

He continued to be a faithful Church member throughout his life. He served in various Ward and Stake positions, including the Stake High Council, and as a temple worker in his later years. In later years he suffered from a variety of ailments, perhaps the most serious of which was the loss of his sight. Because he was a man of action, this was especially difficult for him. He was also much troubled by the loss of his wife who served as his companion for sixty-five years in mortality.

He was always very thoughtful of friends and neighbors, as well as his family. As he grew older he expanded his philanthropy. Probably his most noted gift was a rather expensive machine to be used in open heart surgery at the Primary Children’s Hospital.

He kept his sense of humor. For his ninetieth birthday celebration, he appeared in a rather nice hair piece. His family cautiously complimented him on his youthful appearance until the joke became apparent. At that time no one laughed more heartily than Junius.

As his health failed, he began in the late 1950s to talk and write more about the colonies. He dictated and wrote several separate reminiscences about people and events and he gave some talks centering on the Exodus from Mexico to Church groups in the Salt Lake City area. Finally, in 1957, he returned to the colonies. He was interested in reliving that part of his life, but more important to him was explaining it to others, which he did by distributing copies of one of his talks.

When he died in 1971 at ninety-three years of age, he left a significant heritage. His impact on the Mormon colonies was monumental. In business he was a personal success and a builder. In the Church he was a faithful member and significant leader. Among many he was a friend and benefactor.

To his six children, thirty grandchildren, and forty-four great-grandchildren alive at his death, he was a living symbol of much that is good about life.

Joseph Romney, grandson

Stalwarts South of the Border, Nelle Spilsbury Hatch

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Jesse Nathaniel Smith, Jr.

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Jesse Nathaniel Smith, Jr.

1861-1912

Jesse Nathaniel Smith, Jr. was born May 16, 1861 at Parowan, Utah.  He was the seventh generation of an influential family of Smiths who came from England and settled Topsfield, Massachusetts.  From father to son, they are: Robert, who migrated in 1638, Samuel, Samuel II, Asael, Silas, Jesse Nathaniel, and Jesse N., Jr.

Samuel held many positions including that of delegate to the Provincial Congress, and chairman of the “Topsfield Tea Party.”  Asael was a free thinker and predicted that one of his descendants would “promote a work to revolutionize the world of religious thought.”  His grandson, the Prophet Joseph, was that man.

Jesse N., his brother Silas S. and their widowed mother were called to settle in Parowan, Utah.  The boys’ lives were parallel, Silas in Colorado and Jesse N. in Arizona.  Jesse N. held many positions in both state and church, among them legislator and President of a Stake. He married Emma S. West, daughter of Samuel Walker West and Margaret Cooper.  Jesse N., Sr. had five wives and 44 children.  All but two of the children grew to maturity.  Two of them died before marrying.  The other forty all married in the temple.  Their posterity, as of 1967, numbered about 6,000.

Jesse N., Jr. was sealed in infancy.  His life was saved by the administration of the Elders and the application of home remedies He went to school two or three months each winter.

At age 17 he was recommended to attend the University of Utah to prepare to teach.  He returned to his home town to take up his profession.  During his first year he courted Mary Ann Mitchell, daughter of William C. Mitchell and Mary Ann Holmes.  The Mitchells joined the Church in England, migrated to Utah and became community builders at Parowan. They did well, financially.  Mary Ann was born February 10, 1863.  Her mother took sick when she was nine years old and the girl assumed most of her care until she died five years later.

Jesse N., Jr.’s teaching was interrupted when his father was called to preside over the Eastern Arizona Stake.  In the early spring of 1860 he helped his father move the family to Snowflake, Arizona.  While there he worked with her father who had contracted to build a section of the Atlantic-Pacific railroad over the Continental Divide, near Ft. Wingate, New Mexico.  Jesse then returned to Parowan to get his bride.  They were married in the St. George Temple, October 14, 1880.  From there they went to Snowflake where he took up his profession as a teacher, his wife working with him.  Mary Ann returned as her family came along.  Jesse N. III and Elias were born there.  Jesse N., Jr. took up some land nearby which squatters jumped.  Even though he knew there were Texas cattlemen hostile toward the Mormons, he rode up and claimed the land anyway.  By diplomacy he persuaded them of the justice of his claim. 

Jesse N., Jr. fell in love with one of his students, Nancy Ann Freeman.  They were married September 11, 1884.  Her parents, John Woodruff and Sarah Adeline Collins Freeman, were sturdy pioneer stock.  They answered the call of the First Presidency to help colonize the St. George country.  He was called to be Bishop of the Washington Ward until 1877 when he was called to help settle northern Arizona.  He moved to Snowflake and became a prominent citizen of the town.

The Edmunds anti-polygamy law was being enforced with vigor.  Many were being prosecuted.  President John Taylor decided the Saints in Arizona who were vulnerable should go to Mexico to colonize.  He called Alexander F. Macdonald to take charge of the project.  Brother Macdonald took a company, which he located south of the border at Corralitos.  President Taylor also instructed President Jesse N. Smith to warn the brethren liable to prosecution for polygamy to go to Chihuahua, Mexico, on the Casas Grandes River.  He then appointed Apostle Moses Thatcher to be a committee to purchase lands. 

President Smith organized a company to go immediately.  His son Jesse N., Jr. being in a public position, joined the group. They left on February 10, 1885, and after 18 days of hard travel over mountains and rivers arrived at La Ascension, the site of the Mexican customhouse. 

A meeting of the committee was called the next day at Corralitos to plan operations. For months the committee met and made explorations.  Brother Smith was also appointed to preside over the camp at Ascension.  This entailed helping with payment of duties.  The camp entertained customs officials at the best dinner they could prepare.  The officers reciprocated.  Brother Smith signed bonds for the payment of duties by some of the colonists.  He also had to join in giving surety for the payment of double duty imposed by the government in certain cases.  He wrote a remonstrance to the Treasurer General who finally remitted the assessment.

On November 25, a conditional contract was signed for the purchase of 20,000 hectares of land in three locations for 12,000 Mexican pesos.  Three days later Brother Smith returned to Arizona as other members of the committee had done.  Jesse N., Jr. chose to dedicate his life to pioneering in the new country so he remained in Mexico.  During the months he had been active in camp affairs, he rented land which he farmed.  Jesse N., Jr. committed himself to learning the language, customs and legal procedures of this new land so that he could be of service as a mediator between the colonists and the Mexicans.  He learned to speak the language fluently.  He also did a great deal of studying in other fields and came to be known as one of the best-read men of the colonies.

It is unique that with all his training and culture, Jesse N., Jr. turned to raising cattle and horses.  He moved to Colonia Juarez where he taught a class in grammar and raised a crop.  Here he commenced his life as a gentleman-stockman by caring, with Lyman Wilson, for the town dry herd on the Tinaja Wash.  Mary Ann’s daughter, Mary was born there.  After two years the lack of feed and water required them to find new pastures, so Jesse N., Jr. (as he was always known) took the herd up into the Sierra Madre Mountains and located them on a ranch in the Corrales Basin. 

At Tinaja, Mary Ann had made butter from cream that raised on milk set in pans.  At Corrales she also made cheese.  They pioneered cheese-making by using galvanized tubs for vats.  Then Franklin Spencer joined them and they made cheese in shares.  After they moved to Pacheco they continued the cheese-making, using their own cows.  Nancy Ann’s sons, John Woodruff and Francis Clair, and Mary Ann’s son, William Cooke, were born at Corrales. 

On February 12, 1891, Jesse N. Smith Jr. was ordained the first Bishop of the Pacheco Ward.  He had moved into town to teach school.  Mary Ann also taught.  As Bishop, he took the lead in community, as well as church, activities.  Handling tithing was the hardest of his jobs.  Tithing and fast offerings were paid in kind, as with livestock, crops, eggs and butter, all of which had to be sold or consumed. He frequently went to the city of Chihuahua to sell tithing stores as well as his own crops and cheese.

Three sources of anxiety plagued the community:  Indians, Mexicans, and “Black Jack,” the cattle rustler.  Mexicans killed the wife of Brother Macdonald in Garcia.  They also killed Brother Heaton who was guarding his molasses.  Indians killed the wife and shot one of boy of the Thompson family.  Indians annoyed and threatened the colonists in many ways.  Bishop Smith kept horse and Winchester in readiness at all times for an Indian raid.

Eventually, in the interest of the education of his family, he moved them to Colonia Dublan.  There he bought a large farm of about 100 acres.  He bought a home for Nancy and later built a house on the farm for Mary Ann.  Then misfortune came.  The cattle with which he expected to pay for his new home were driven off before he could round them up.  After 16 years of married life he had to start all over again financially with 13 in the family.  But this also meant he had lots of help, and two crops could be raised on the land each year:  grain in the winter and another field crop in the summer.  With family organization and hard work, they managed to survive. 

Jesse N., Jr. was called on a three month MIA mission to the Gila Valley in 1898-1899.  He was called upon to strengthen the faith of the faithful and encourage those of less conviction to increase their activity in the Church.  After his return he moved Mary Ann into a brick home in town.  Before this, the Mexicans stole a great deal of his stacked grain but when he built good stockyards in town and hired Mexicans to work for him they became friendly and trustworthy. 

In 1900 he took a contract to haul lumber from the sawmill near Pacheco to Terrazas.  He moved Mary Ann to Brown’s Ranch.  The two older boys hauled the lumber down the dugway to the ranch where it was loaded onto trailer wagons with two, three, and four teams in tandem.  It was here that Jesse N., Jr.’s life was miraculously saved.  A flying board from a heavy wind struck him on the back of the next at the base of the skull.  Although he was thought to be dead he was administered to and his life was restored.  He related how his spirit left his body and hovered over it.  He saw his wives and little children and pleaded to be able to return and care for them.  He heard the blessings of the Elders and was permitted to return to life.

The contracted completed, Jesse N., Jr. moved his outfits to Naco, in Sonora.  He hauled coal to the mines at Nacozari and brought back ore.  Later, he worked on the railroad.  Here he put to good use his knowledge of Spanish and of Mexican law.  He helped many people to cross the border both ways.  At Colonia Morelos he and the older boys hauled ore from Cananea to Douglas for three months.  He returned to Dublan on the fall of 1901.

On May 18, 1902, Jesse N. Smith, Jr. was set apart as Stake Sunday School Superintendent of the Juarez State, a position he held until his death.  It was said that he was the best Stake Superintendent in the Church at the time.  He traveled much by team visiting the schools, a distance of some 200 miles from one end of the Stake to the other.  He wrote letters of instruction and encouragement.  Another thing that made his ministry successful was his ability to choose men and women of character to serve on his board.  These included Harry L. Payne, Junius Romney, Ben F. LeBaron, Gaskell Romney, Willard Call, L. Paul Cardon, Wilford Farnsworth, Edward Payne, William G. Sears, Ed McClellan, Verda Pratt, Lucile Robinson, Ada Mortensen and Myra Longhurst.

In 1904 Jesse N., Jr. was made superintendent and manager of the Dublan stock pasture.  He fenced around the lakes which furnished water; when the water dried up in the summer he pumped it with a horse-powered centrifugal pump.  His boys did most of the riding and the pumping.  He also imported well-bred horses which he sold.  A proup of men came in from the States and established ranges nearby.  They created problems at times, but he maintained respectable relations with them.  After trying to involve him in a “maverick” incident, one of the men said to Jesse N., Jr.’s son, “Your father is too honest to be a cattleman.”  Mary Ann gave birth to Joseph Holmes and Sara at this time.  Sadie died.  Elias died also.

The Mexican Revolution was a sore trial to Jesse N., Jr. At first he was able, because of his use of their language, to prevent soldiers from taking his horses.  But when sickness came upon him he was forced to watch them ride off on his last horse with his own saddle.  He worried a great deal about the welfare of others.  One Sunday at noon, he suddenly said, “I must go to Diaz; they are having trouble.”  Although he couldn’t get out of bed, he continued to talk about it. Within the hour word came that Will Adams was killed at Diaz. 

His sickness lingered for a year.  He had suffered at intervals form the blow of the flying board.  On one occasion when he was very sick his family in Snowflake called a special fast.  Local Elders were called to administer to him at the appointed time and he recovered.  But gradually his entire nervous system succumbed to the frailty of his condition.  Jesse N. Smith, Jr. died on August 13, 1912, just two weeks before the Exodus.  At the funeral, his remains were carried into and out of the meetinghouse between two rows of Sunday School children.

After Jesse N., Jr.’s death, the wives took their children to the United States at the time of the Exodus.  Mary Ann, with seven children, visited Snowflake, her former home, then moved to Parowan, the home of her children.  There, her sons built her a home near her brothers.  She sold it to follow her boys when they went to college.  She died at Virden, New Mexico, at the home of her daughter in 1949.  Nancy Ann gathered her children at El Paso, then joined them at Virden, New Mexico, a town they helped settle.  They provided her a home in which she lived until her death in 1951.  As of 1967, all but five of the children had passed on – all strong in the faith and activity of the Church. 

William Cooke Smith, son

Stalwarts South of the Border, Nelle Spilsbury Hatch, page 620

Frederick William Jones, Sr.

Frederick William Jones, Sr.

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Frederick William Jones, Sr.

(1842-1921)

Frederick William Jones, son of William Jones and Mary Ann Dovell, was born October 7, 1842 at Appledore, Devon Shire, England. He was the youngest child in a family of three and was called Fred.

While Fred was a very young boy, his parents heard the Gospel and in 1851 his father and family became members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Because of this their relatives turned against them, so they gave up their family ties and came to America. In 1856 they joined a company of Saints and cross the plains to Utah.

During this time our journey, a great sorrow came the family as the father, William Jones, was taken death. He was wrapped in a sheet and buried in a shallow grave near Fort Laramie, Wyoming. At this time, Fred was only 14 years old, but with his father’s death the responsibility of caring for the family fell mostly on his shoulders. His older brother, Robert, was an invalid and was an able to be of much assistance. While crossing the plains, Fred took his turn hurting the oxen at night and then driving during the day.

A few years after the family and settled in the Salt Lake Valley, Fred was called by Pres. Brigham Young to go with a party of young men back to the Missouri River to meet a company of Saints and help them across the plains. During this trip he became acquainted with a lovely well-educated English girl by the name of Ellen Marshall. She and her two sisters had been raised in an aristocratic English home; therefore, it was very hard for them to adapt themselves to the rugged pioneer life. Fred taught Ellen how to cook over a campfire and was of great assistance to them.

As the journey progressed, there developed a romance between Fred and Ellen, and they were married a short time before the company reached the Salt Lake Valley. To them were born six children.

Fred and Ellen lived in Salt Lake but a short time when they were called to join a group of Saints and help settle the southern part of Utah. They help to establish the town St. George where Fred helped to make the first ditches and plow the first land in that area.

During the early years in St. George, Fred had a very severe case of chills and fever which caused him to lose most of his hair. Being a bit proud, he always wore a hat, except in meetings where he had to remove it. He parted his hair low on the left side and let the top grow quite long so he could comb it across his head and thus give the appearance of not being so bald.

In 1867 Fred moved his family to a little settlement called Pine Valley, not far from St. George. Shortly after his arrival there Fred was made Bishop of the Ward and served in this capacity for about 20 years. He had Ellen had the privilege of entertaining some of the general authorities of the church in their home, and Ellen took great pleasure in serving meals to her guests in her dignified English style. Alma was in our church worker, was a good musician and she played the organ or lead the singing in most of the church gatherings. Her son William often spoke of how beautiful his mother’s hands were, oh only shapely and well cared for, and showing the nobility of her birth.

In January, 1874 Fred married his second wife, Eliza Jane Baker, who bore him eight children. Eliza was a good wife and she and Ellen loved each other very much and got along well together.

Ellen developed inflammatory rheumatism and suffered several years of it. Finally, Fred took her to Salt Lake City to seek medical treatment, but she had been there only a few weeks when she passed away on May 10, 1888.

Later, Fred married a widow by the name of Julia Cox and they had this one son named Freddie. Sometime during 1889, Fred left for Mexico with Julia, his daughter Mary, and his mother. His daughter Edith had married before her father and his family went to Mexico.

Upon arrival in Mexico, Fred settled in the little town of Colonia Dublan. Shortly after this, a branch of the Juarez Ward was organized in Dublan and Fred was made the first Presiding Elder of this Branch. About a year later, Fred sent for Liza and her family, and also for Ellen’s two sons to join him in Mexico.

While Dublan was still a branch of the war as Ward, Fred’s mother Mary Ann Devell Jones, died and was taken to Juarez for burial. Sometime later, there was an epidemic of typhoid fever in Dublan and Fred lost two children. Parley, a young man of 18, died September 29, 1893, and on October 4, 1893, 13-year-old Teci May died.

Fred was a kind and loving father and grandfather. He was loved by all who knew him, and was often called in times of sickness to administer to people, as he was blessed with the gift of healing. Although there were trials and sorrows in Mexico, there was also much that brought happiness to Fred his families.

Fred was a very good farmer and he delighted in owning and driving find horses. He kept his team, harness, and wagon clean and often his wagon was used as the hearse in the time of a funeral. It was also used for happy times to carry the band and their instruments as they led a parade. Fred saw the need for bricks in the colonies so he and his sons made and burned a brick kiln. It turned out very well and he soon found sales for them. They made more bricks and helped put many of them into the finest homes built in Dublan. He and some of his boys became efficient bricklayers and work at the trade for many years.

At the time of the Exodus from Mexico in 1912, Fred and his families were forced to leave their comfortable homes and go back to the United States. They stayed a short time in El Paso, Texas, but as soon as he could make preparations for the trip, he moved his families back to St. George, Utah. There they had to begin all over, but Fred was able to do some gardening and raise fruit, so they had a comfortable living again.

Frederick William Jones, Sr. Died in St. George, Utah, July 10, 1921.

No contributor name given.

Stalwarts South of the Border Nelle Spilsbury Hatch, page 365

The Stairs Mormon Colonies in Mexico

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The “Stairs”

The Secret Rendezvous Location Prior to the Men’s 1912 Exodus from Mexico

Rondal R. Bridgemon

As an amateur historian of the Mexican Revolution, I am interested in all aspects of the Revolution. As a part time resident of Mata Ortiz (previously Pearson), I am especially interested in the history of the colonies during this violent period in Mexico.

In the summer of 1912, the Casas Grandes area was firmly in the grip of Orozco forces and under the command of General Jose Inez Salazar who was from the area himself. Being upset with the United States for imposing an arms embargo to Mexico, Salazar sought to seize all arms and ammunition from the local Mormon community.

On July 26, 1912, General Salazar sent a message ordering Juárez Stake President Junius Romney to come to Casas Grandes for a meeting. At this meeting, Salazar informed Romney he was withdrawing all previous guarantees for protection of the colonists and their property. He further ordered Romney to turn over all arms and ammunition held by colonists by July 28. This event and other depredations at the hands of the Red Flaggers let the colonists know it was no longer safe to remain in Mexico.

President Romney agreed to turn over the weapons if Salazar would guarantee safe passage to the United States for the women and children and he agreed. Romney decided only old guns would be turned into Salazar and the best weapons kept hidden for personal protection.

Meanwhile, the women, children, and older men quickly began making preparations for a quick exit to the United States.  Those family members living in Colonia Díaz would head by wagon directly to Hachita, New Mexico. Women and children in Dublán would leave by trains from The Station (Nuevo Casas Grandes), those from Juárez, Garcia, and Pacheco were to proceed to the Pearson (Mata Ortiz) train station, and colonists from Colonia Chuichupa would catch the train at the Chico station some 60 miles south of Pearson. The Díaz group reached Hachita on July 28th and the others arrived in El Paso on the 29th.

While the men were turning in their old weapons, approximately 2,000 women, children, and older men boarded trains headed for El Paso.  Women and children loading onto train, probably at Pearson (now Juan Mata Ortiz).

Women leave Pearson

 

 

 

 

On August 1, 1912, messengers were sent from Colonia Juárez to Dublán, Garcia, Pacheco, and Chuichupa for all the men to meet at the Stairs. The Stairs was a secret location in rugged country a few miles west of Colonia Juárez known to all the men. This narrow canyon derived its name from the bedrock floor that resembled stair steps.

Some of the Colonia Juárez men reached the Stairs on August 1 and the Dublán men arrived the next day. The Pacheco men arrived on August 3 and over the following two days the Garcia contingent arrived along with more men from Juárez. By August 5th the men from Chuichupa had yet to arrive as they had a good 30 miles farther to travel than anyone else.

On August 5th the company of over 230 men and 500 horses broke camp and moved a short distance from the Stairs. On the 6th they moved east and remained that night and August 7th camped in the Tapiecitas arroyo hoping that the Chuichupa men would overtake them. On the 8th they headed north traveling with a white flag ahead of the column assuming a posture of neutrality in case they encountered rebels (Red Flaggers) or federal troops (Maderistas).

The column crossed the U.S. border late on August 9th and set up camp in the dark at Dog Springs, New Mexico, the same day the Chuichupa men finally arrived at the Stairs. The first contingent reached Hachita on August 12th. Finding no one at the Stairs, the Chuichupa contingent pushed on and reached Dog Springs on August 11. All the men were reunited with their families in El Paso a couple of days later.

The search for the “Stairs”

As I had visited numerous sites in the region that were associated with the Mexican Revolution, it was deemed necessary to locate the Stairs and hopefully duplicate the 1912 photograph taken there. The various accounts of the exodus that I had read didn’t provide an exact location and often disagreed on the distance from Colonia Juárez.

Michael N. Landon, archivist for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, comments on this discrepancy in his article on Bishop Sevey’s account of the exodus of the Chuichupa men.  Landon states “that the exact distance and direction to the Stairs from Juárez is not known.”  Sevey’s account in his journal provides perhaps the best information as to the Stair’s location as he gives a fairly detailed description of the route taken from the Stairs to Tapiecitas.

In 2009 and 2010, two unsuccessful attempts were made to locate the Stairs using descriptions from various journals and hiking west up the Piedras Verdes River. Later we discovered that we had at least been to the location where Stair Canyon meets the Piedras Verdes.

We finally connected with Jay Whetten (sadly, now deceased) and he told his we could essentially drive to the Stairs. After a long visit and he was assured our intentions were strictly historical, he graciously gave us the keys needed to pass through the many gates on the way to Stair Canyon. So finally, on December 11, 2010, we drove several miles west of Colonia Juárez and arrived at the cabin Mr. Whetten had described. We even found a large wooden sign on the porch announcing our arrival at “The Stairs.” As promised, the section of Stair Canyon we had been looking for was just a short distance away. While this section was much shorter than we had envisioned, it was much more beautiful than we had anticipated. We were able to take photos at the same location, albeit a different time of year, as the one taken in 1912.

 

Wall photo - 1912

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gate 2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the 100th anniversary of the 1912 Exodus approached, I learned of an event that was to beheld in El Paso that would commemorative the Exodus of the women and children from the colonies. After making a few inquires, I was surprised to learn that no such event was planned for the men’s exodus. So, plans were made to commemorate the event ourselves. On August 3, 2012, we had a wonderful picnic lunch at the Stairs and contemplated on all the hardships these pioneers had to endure.

Lunch at the Stairs, August 3, 2012

Stairs Lunch Commemorating 100 Years Since Exodus of Mormon Colonies in Mexico

 

 

 

 

Landon, Michael N. “‘We Navigated by Pure Understanding: Bishop George T. Sevey’s Account of the 1912 Exodus from Mexico’,” BYU Studies. 2004. Vol. 43, No. 2, pp. 63-101.

Illustration credits: 1912 Stair photos by John Edmund Hall – from Landon; Train photo from Hartley & Call; 2010 and 2012

photos by R. R. Bridgemon

Eli Archer Clayson

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Eli Archer Clayson

(1876 – 1933)

Eli Archer Clayson was born at Payson, Utah, on November 12, 1876. He was the son of Nathan and Annie Harriet Butler Clayson.

Eli’s father, Nathan Clayson, had been baptized into the Church at the age of fourteen.  At seventeen, he had left his birthplace in Northamptonshire, England, and emigrated to America.  After a passage of 46 days between London and New York City, Nathan’s family went by train to Florence, Nebraska.  From Florence, Nathan drove a team of oxen to Salt Lake City, suffering from frostbite and frozen feet on the plains.  They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on December 3, 1864, moving on to Payson, Utah, where the family made its home.  In 1877 the family moved to Lake Shore, where they cleared land for a farm.  They lived in a dugout for years until a home was built.  Eli Archer was one of twelve brothers and sisters.

In 1881, with Eli was 14 years of age, his parents went to Colonia Juarez, Mexico where they were instrumental in colonizing the settlement of the Latter-day Saint Church.  It was there that he met Mary Louise Naegle, who had come to attend school. The Church had an academy in Colonia Juarez.  In 1896 and 1897, Mary attended Brigham Young Academy in Provo, Utah. The following August, Eli went to Utah and they were married in the Salt Lake Temple, August 6, 1897. They then returned to Mexico and made their home in Colonia Juarez.

In 1908, Eli was called to serve a mission in England. He left his wife and four children to give himself to this calling. He returned in 1910.

His father ran a harness shop in the colony. They also have an interest in the local tannery. They were expert in making shoes, harnesses, callers, settled, bridles and other leather articles. Eli also purchased tracks of farming and rangeland and stocked them with valuable cattle and horses. In addition to this, he owned two homes in Colonia Juarez.

In 1912, the Mexican Revolution made the lives of Mormon colonists miserable. The Revolutionary forces hoped to drive Americans from Mexican territory and divide the land among themselves without giving compensation for what they took. During 1912, Mexican soldiers repeatedly invaded the vicinity of Colonia Juarez, trespassing on private property, tearing down fences and pasturing their horses on the lots and fields without the least regard for the rights or objections of the owners. They took anything they wanted from the tannery and other stores, never making payment of any kind. On one occasion, in the latter part of June, 1912, and Mexican army officer entered Eli’s shop and demanded that he produce all the equipment they wanted, saying that they knew it had been concealed. They impressed him with the seriousness of their demand by threats of violence, accompanied by thrusting a pistol in his side. Needless to say, Eli produced merchandise which they took without payment. On another occasion, a group of colonists gathered on Eli’s lawn, discussing the situation confronting the colonies. They were becoming increasingly concerned for the safety of women and children. On this occasion, a soldier walked by the group of men observed a box of crackers that one of them had purchased from the store, yet wrapped in paper.

The Mexican immediately he rushed to the schoolhouse where his officers were holding a meeting and said that they had some dynamite, apparently referring to the box of crackers. He said they were on their way to blow up the schoolhouse where the Mexican officers were located. Immediately one of the officers led troop pf soldiers to the place we the Americans were still discussing and arrested Eli, marching him as a prisoner to the schoolhouse.

Before this happened, Eli had given one of the Mexican officers a saddle horse. When the arresting officer said he was going to shoot Eli at once, the individual to whom Eli had given the horse stepped forward and remonstrated, saying he should not be executed, at least for the time being. They continued to hold the prisoner until one day when Mexican scouts rushed in stating the force of Yaqui Indians under the command of General José de la Luz Blanco, a federal, was approaching town. The rebels lost no time in saddling and packing their horses and departing, leaving Eli behind. But for this occurrence, it is likely he would have suffered the same fate many others had met, that of cold-blooded murder.

Because the help the Americans of hoped for did not materialize it was necessary to leave homes and properties behind and go to the United States. Many years later, in February 1936, the Mexican government made a financial settlement with the people who left Mexico and had been disposed of their properties. Eli had calculated that the total of his expenses due to the Revolution amounted to $10,872. The total value of his property loss was placed at $13,202. The family therefore submitted a claim of $24,074. They received from the Mexican government only a percentage of what was asked, nothing in the actual amount that was lost.

After leaving Mexico, Mary Louisa, with her children and mother-in-law, went to Bountiful, Utah. Eli followed several months later, finally securing a job in a harness shop in American Fork, Utah. His family later relocated in American Fork. Three years later they moved to Spanish Fork, Utah where Eli spent the rest of his life. It was there that he purchased the harness and saddle shop from the Spanish Fork Co-op, and oversaw it until illness forced his retirement in the early 1930s.

Eli Archer Clayson was always active in the Church and was a member of the Bishopric in Colonia Juarez. He was a member of the Superintendency of the Spanish Fork Third Ward Sunday school for an number of years and was the Chairman of the Genealogical Committee until his final illness. He was ill for 16 months, following a stroke. He died on November 27, 1933 in buried Spanish Fork, Utah.

Roslie Clayson Mikkelsen, daughter and Mary Louisa Naegle, wife.

Stalwarts South of the Border, page 111

P.H. Carlin

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The Latter-day Saint colonists had been counseled from the beginning of the revolution to remain neutral and offer no resistance to marauders, rather than retaliate and thus invite a terrible vengeance. The non-Mormon ranchers, however, were much less willing to stand for mistreatment without putting up a fight. One of these was P. H. Carlin, who operated the ranch at San Jose, 4 miles southwest of Colonia Dublan.  (In early August 1912, when the men and boys of Dublan escaped to the United States during the first exodus from Mexico, Carlin had quickly saddled his horse and left with them as they passed by his ranch on their way to the mountains.)  The Deseret Evening News told what happened when half a dozen Red Flaggers attempted to extort money from Mr. Carlin:

Six bandits appeared late Saturday night [December 27, 1913] at the home of P. N. Skousen a “Mormon” farmer living in Casas Grandes, and demanded money. As Skousen had no money he gave provisions instead. After loading up with the provisions the bandits took one of the Skousen boys as a guide and left for the home of Carlin not too far distant.

Reaching the Carlin home, the six Mexicans battered the door down and covered Carlin with their guns, demanding the payment of $500 as a ransom for his freedom. Refusing to comply with their demand, and calling them thieves and cowards, Carlin was led from the house to a grove in the neighborhood, and stood in front of a tree preparatory to being shot.

After having been searched at his house, however, and before leaving for the grove, Carlin managed to conceal a revolver under his arm in such a way that the bandits were unaware that he had it.  As the chief of the outlaws ordered the others to take aim, five gunbarrels were leveled at his breast, and the count, “Uno, dos,” was given when, during a momentary pause after the second count, and just as the leader seemed ready to pronounce the “tres,” Carlin seized the revolver and fired on his assailants, killing two before they hardly realized what was occurring.  The others took flight, but he succeeded in winging two of them. The others escaped after he had chased them a considerable distance.

Elder Anthony W. Ivins, who had known P. H. Carlin for many years, commented that he was “he was of a fearless nature” and that the bandits “got hold of the wrong man.”

Anson Bowen Call Bishop of Colonia Dublan by William G. Hartley and Lorna Call Alder pages 340-341

The Walter J. Stevens Tragedy

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The Walter J. Stevens Tragedy

by Joel H. Martineau

 When the families left Colonia Pacheco in July 1912, at the time of the Exodus, it was with the hope that the federal army, under General Blanco, would arrive soon and the rebels would be driven out of the country and the families could return.

There was one family, however, who did not go, that of Walter J. Stevens. This family lived on a ranch a mile north of town and instead of going to El Paso, they moved into a small cave on the riverbank not far from their home. The mouth of the cave was in a patch of brush and trees and had recently been discovered.  The cave was not known to anyone except the Stevens family.

The entrance was not very large but the cave widened out and extended into the bank about 40 feet. Into this, they brought supplies of food and bedding, and when General Salazar, with his army of 700 men occupied Pacheco for three weeks, they pass the time quietly and were not discovered.

At length, when the rebels had all gone, the family again moved into their home. There is a small creek that came from the west the past near the house. Along its border, for about 195 yards, was a blackberry patch and the berries were ripe. Beyond the berry patch was an orchard of apple trees.

Shortly after they returned to their home, Sextus H. Johnson came from Sonora and visited the family and camped nearby.  The next day he went home and was cleaning out the rubbish and wreckage left in his home by the rebels when Brig, the little Stevens boy, came and told him that his father had just been stabbed by a Mexican and was dead. Hastening to the Stevens’ home, he found the grief stricken family under intense suspense over the terrible tragedy.  Artificial respiration was tried, but to no avail. The husband and father was dead.

There were three big boys in the family but Walter had gone hunting and Alden and Ammon were riding out to locate their horses that had been driven off to a secure place a month earlier.

Events leading up to the tragedy were related by the family. The two girls, Ella and Emma, were picking blackberries near the upper end of the patch when two Mexicans passed near and spoke to them. They did not speak Spanish so did not know what was said. The Mexicans went on across the creek, which is lined with willows, and the girls began working toward the house. Soon the Mexicans came back across the creek and saluted them with “Buenos Dias” and the girls went at once to the house and the men slowly followed them, eating berries as they walked along.

Brother Stevens was in the field a short distance away and little Brig was sent to tell him the Mexicans were coming. He went home at once and got his double-barreled shotgun and met the intruders as they neared the house and ordered them away, evidently thinking they were not there for any good purpose. They evidently did not come to rob them for they knew there was a man and three big boys there and they were unarmed except for a knife.

As the two men retired back the way they came, Stevens followed close behind them and was still talking to them.  The two girls took their pails to again resume their berry picking. Now Stevens is a man unafraid, yet he is a man of peace and may have unwittingly made some remark that cause a burst of passion in the natives, for one of them turned suddenly and plunged a knife deep into the breast of Stevens. The reaction came immediately for Stevens’ trigger finger tightened and both barrels went off, both loads striking the other man in the side making a ghastly wound. He went about 150 yards into the orchard and died.

As soon as the gun discharge, Stevens dropped it and seized the two wrists of the killer and forced him down on his back on top of the gun.  Another girl, Mina, was looking out of an upstairs window and saw her father stabbed and screamed. Her two sisters immediately rushed to the assistance of their father. He was sitting astride the Mexican and grasping his wrists. His face was ashen and he spoke not a word.

Ella pulled the gun from beneath them and Emma struck the man in the face with a stick. Their father weakened and fell over. The Mexican jumped up and made a lunge at Emma with the knife. Ella seized her skirt and pulled her back far enough to miss the knife by a small margin and as she raised the gun, the native fled. As he passed his fallen comrade, he took his hat, having lost his own in the scuffle. The girls then carried the limp body of their father to the house and when halfway there, he gave his last gasp and expired.

As soon as Johnson came, he did all he could for the stricken family and when the sons finally came home, he went at once to Pearson and notified the military then came on, though quite late, and told us in Colonia Juarez what had happened. At daylight next morning, half a dozen of us left on horseback for Colonia Pacheco. You the top of the mountain we met the Stevens family in a wagon driven by Joel Porter on their way to Colonia Juarez.

On arriving in the Stevens’ home I (J.H. Martineau) made two coffins for the dead while the others dug Stevens’ grave in the local natives buried their dead friend. A posse of soldiers came up from Pearson to take cognizance of the tragedy.

The local Mexicans said the two men were employed at the railroad construction camp about 6 miles east of Colonia Pacheco and had come hunting their saddle horses and were on their way to the house to inquire of the boys if they had seen them.

Walter Joshua Stevens was a man of strong convictions. He did not see the necessity of abandoning the colonies at this time as all of the colonists in the mountains had lived in comparative peace. He had many friends among the natives as well as colonists and had scarcely an enemy and felt perfectly safe to remain as he had his hidden cave, if needed.

He was fearless but not quarrelsome; a kind neighbor, honest in his business deals, always ready to aid the sick with his help at the bedside as well as with his means. He left the host of friends among all classes who knew him.. The slayer was unhurt and proceeded to camp, told what had happened to his companion and went on his way.

Taken from Pacheco History and Stories compiled by Sylvia Lunt Heywood