Exodus to Mexico continued -- page two
Exodus story continued....
Page thirteen
The Difficult 1880s
In Luana Bunnell’s history of her grandmother, Mary Whipple Young (May Roberts), we learn of the difficulty and pain that Tamar Black experienced, in rearing for a short time her grandson John Ray Buchanan, and then losing him for good when his father took the child from her. The sheer pathos of this story begs for further information. So here is some background.
In 1883, John R. Young moved his first wife, Albina Terry and his third wife, Tamar Black and their children to Rabbit Valley in Wayne County, Utah. His second wife, Lydia Knight and her five children remained in Orderville. John R. surely would have included her in the move but family records indicate she refused to leave Orderville at a time so harsh. The day they departed was the 25th of February 1883. Lydia’s living children then included one year old Edward Webb, three year old Howard Spencer, six year old Newel K. (my grandfather), 8 year old Vilate and 21 year old Lydia Roseanna who had, three years earlier, married the United Order's cowboy, Henry Thomas Stolworthy of Orderville, had a child of her own and was expecting a second. Grandfather Newel K. Young vividly remembered, until his last years, the image of his father leaving Orderville "for good" with his two other families. Together with his mother they stood and watched the wagons pull out of sight. 1 Upon arriving in Rabbit Valley, the families of John R. Young were put up at two separate pioneer homes owned by younger brother Franklin. Soon, with the labor and help of the older Young boys, homesteads were established; logs were brought from the hills and a small cabin with a dirt roof was built for Albina. An additional property was procured with a cabin already standing. By the mid-1880s John R. had laid down his roots on his spread in Rabbit Valley -- or so he thought. His homestead today remains essentially as it was then—a workable and productive acreage of tillable farmland. The town site of Loa was just two miles northwest and the hamlet of East Loa or Lyman was just over one and one-half miles to the northeast.2
1 Sterling M. McMurrin Remembers Newel K. Young, September 10, 1994, is a composition constructed by my cousin Evelyn Young Jimerson from memories recorded on tape. In this composition Dr. McMurrin, a dear friend of Newel K. Young relates a conversation with grandpa about his Orderville days when as a small boy he remembered his father with his other wives pulling away in a wagon leaving his mother and her children “to shift for themselves.” There is no doubt that grandpa Newel as a very young boy had this memory of his parent’s parting at Orderville etched in his mind. It is less likely, however, that the context of this parting was accurately captured in the way this story portrays. In the accounts by granddaughters Pearl Stolworthy McGee and Wilma Stolworthy Hawkins we are given what is probably the correct context i.e., Lydia felt “duty-bound” to stay behind even if it meant separation from her husband. More importantly, Orderville, at that moment in time, offered Lydia far more security for her tiny children than did the prospects of competing with other wives in the wilderness of what has become today the “Wayne Wonderland!”
2 The memoirs of Albina's sixth son, John Royal Young, entitled "Mother and Me" is the best source we have on the particulars of the family's move to Rabbit Valley.
In Luana Bunnell’s history of her grandmother, Mary Whipple Young (May Roberts), we learn of the difficulty and pain that Tamar Black experienced, in rearing for a short time her grandson John Ray Buchanan, and then losing him for good when his father took the child from her. The sheer pathos of this story begs for further information. So here is some background.
In 1883, John R. Young moved his first wife, Albina Terry and his third wife, Tamar Black and their children to Rabbit Valley in Wayne County, Utah. His second wife, Lydia Knight and her five children remained in Orderville. John R. surely would have included her in the move but family records indicate she refused to leave Orderville at a time so harsh. The day they departed was the 25th of February 1883. Lydia’s living children then included one year old Edward Webb, three year old Howard Spencer, six year old Newel K. (my grandfather), 8 year old Vilate and 21 year old Lydia Roseanna who had, three years earlier, married the United Order's cowboy, Henry Thomas Stolworthy of Orderville, had a child of her own and was expecting a second. Grandfather Newel K. Young vividly remembered, until his last years, the image of his father leaving Orderville "for good" with his two other families. Together with his mother they stood and watched the wagons pull out of sight. 1 Upon arriving in Rabbit Valley, the families of John R. Young were put up at two separate pioneer homes owned by younger brother Franklin. Soon, with the labor and help of the older Young boys, homesteads were established; logs were brought from the hills and a small cabin with a dirt roof was built for Albina. An additional property was procured with a cabin already standing. By the mid-1880s John R. had laid down his roots on his spread in Rabbit Valley -- or so he thought. His homestead today remains essentially as it was then—a workable and productive acreage of tillable farmland. The town site of Loa was just two miles northwest and the hamlet of East Loa or Lyman was just over one and one-half miles to the northeast.2
1 Sterling M. McMurrin Remembers Newel K. Young, September 10, 1994, is a composition constructed by my cousin Evelyn Young Jimerson from memories recorded on tape. In this composition Dr. McMurrin, a dear friend of Newel K. Young relates a conversation with grandpa about his Orderville days when as a small boy he remembered his father with his other wives pulling away in a wagon leaving his mother and her children “to shift for themselves.” There is no doubt that grandpa Newel as a very young boy had this memory of his parent’s parting at Orderville etched in his mind. It is less likely, however, that the context of this parting was accurately captured in the way this story portrays. In the accounts by granddaughters Pearl Stolworthy McGee and Wilma Stolworthy Hawkins we are given what is probably the correct context i.e., Lydia felt “duty-bound” to stay behind even if it meant separation from her husband. More importantly, Orderville, at that moment in time, offered Lydia far more security for her tiny children than did the prospects of competing with other wives in the wilderness of what has become today the “Wayne Wonderland!”
2 The memoirs of Albina's sixth son, John Royal Young, entitled "Mother and Me" is the best source we have on the particulars of the family's move to Rabbit Valley.
Sometime during the 70’s and 80’s John R. became well acquainted with Archibald Buchanan whose family had settled at Manti. In 1870 John R. married his third wife, Tamar Black, and Tamar's father, William Morley Black had deep roots at Manti where he had built the first flour mill. The Buchanan’s had relocated to Glenwood in the Sevier Valley where they too had practiced the United Order. Several members of the large Buchanan family had also relocated to East Loa (Lyman) in what was then Piute County, but would later be Wayne County, and there developed close relationships with the Young brothers, Franklin and John R. Young. It is also very likely that the families had known each other since the Nauvoo and Winter Quarter days where they lived in close proximity. So there were close ties through time between the Buchanan, Young and Black families. |
1888
For the plural wives of John R. Young and Archie Buchanan, the childbearing years were almost over. Of Archie's four wives only Caroline would produce children after 1885. This she did on 10 February 1888 giving birth to Parley Ammon at Glenwood. Parley died one and a half years later of diphtheria while Caroline and Archie were in hiding at Lyman, Utah (see page 7 of "The Crusade" elsewhere on this site). Caroline also gave birth to twins, Archie Earl and Carrie Myrl in Mexico on 25 March 1892. In John R's family, Albina’s six boys were now spread between the ages of 13 and 27. The older boys were starting families of their own. Only Tamar’s family was not yet completed. In this year Martin Ray was just three, having been born in Loa on November 10, 1885. She would have one more child, Daniel Washburn Young who was delivered under desperate circumstances at Huntington on Christmas day 1889. He lived but three weeks. |
To capture the big picture at this point—John R. has his three wives scattered in different locations. According to his Memoirs and other family records we know that Lydia stayed at Orderville until late 1883, but then went to St. George until her mother passed away in the spring of 1884. Now, in the heart of this secretive, crusade period we don’t know where she is but we know from grandpa’s writings that they were reunited for a time. We will hazard a guess that she is probably in Huntington where her oldest daughter Lydia Roseanna lived, and where John R. recorded that he had a “little place.” Tamar is at Wild Cat and Albina is on the farm in Rabbit Valley. John R. has his dairy stock on the mountain and a herd of sheep in the valley at Pleasant Creek where he has either employed or joined in partnership with Eugene Delos Buchanan. There is enough close communication going on to accommodate a courtship between Tamar’s oldest daughter Harriet Amy and Mr. Buchanan.
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The Buchanan family history continues…..1
Eugene arrived at his wife’s grave in Mancos Creek, Colorado a heartbroken young man. He found his father-in-law and his mother-in-law, together with his baby, but they were now ready to go on to Mexico. Eugene, in his grief, decided that he could not leave Hattie there in a grave alone, literally hundreds of miles from those who loved her. He considered settling down where he could live close to her grave.2 1 Ibid, page 103. 2 See http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/co/costones/montezuma/oldmormon.htm for information about the old Mormon Cemetery at Mancos, Colorado. |
Mancos Creek, Colorado was a “jumping off spot” for many Mormon families that were preparing to move to Mexico. During the summer of 1890, as the families were preparing for their difficult trek across the desert to Mexico letters were somehow exchanged with family back in Utah, although ever so slowly. The following letter, covered with teardrops, either Eugene’s or his mother Mary Ann’s, was later kept as a prize possession by Eugene’s son Golden Buchanan. 1 The punctuation and spelling has not been changed: 1 Archibald Waller Overton Buchanan and Family, Introduction. |
Glenwood August 10, 1890
Mr. Eugene
Dear Son I received your most welcome letter last evening and was pleased to hear that you was well. Oh how I would like to see that sweet babe of yours do try and get its picture taken and send it to us. I know he will be of great comfort to you. Eugene put your trust in God and look to him for strength and he will never fail. Do not be in too big of hurry to buy you a home, it seems so hard to think you are so far from home, but it seems that we have got to bear all things with patience.
Times are very dull here. William and Henry are to P V Junction at work and they are going to get me a stove. Billy has let John Anderson have his, and if they can get means so that they can go to school this winter, William, and Maggie have quit so that I hope he will go to the academy. Amy wants to go very bad. There is quite a number going from here to school but money is very scarce.
Dear boy you must cheer up and look at the bright side for God has a great work for you to do. Praying that God will bless you and health and prosperity
from your mother
An undated letter from Mary Ann Buchanan to John R. and Tamar Young was also included in the Buchanan family papers.
Dear Brother and Sister Young
I was so pleased to receive your letter and that you was well. we sympathize very much with you in your trouble for I realize that dear Hattie was a noble girl too good for this earth and has gone to do a better work behind the veil but God is our friend in times of trouble and we must rely on his arm for he is the friend to all who seek him tell Archie and Caroline I will write to them next time hoping that God will keep you all from your enemies
I know your baby is sweet and would like to see it so well
from your friend Mary A. Buchanan
Mr. Eugene
Dear Son I received your most welcome letter last evening and was pleased to hear that you was well. Oh how I would like to see that sweet babe of yours do try and get its picture taken and send it to us. I know he will be of great comfort to you. Eugene put your trust in God and look to him for strength and he will never fail. Do not be in too big of hurry to buy you a home, it seems so hard to think you are so far from home, but it seems that we have got to bear all things with patience.
Times are very dull here. William and Henry are to P V Junction at work and they are going to get me a stove. Billy has let John Anderson have his, and if they can get means so that they can go to school this winter, William, and Maggie have quit so that I hope he will go to the academy. Amy wants to go very bad. There is quite a number going from here to school but money is very scarce.
Dear boy you must cheer up and look at the bright side for God has a great work for you to do. Praying that God will bless you and health and prosperity
from your mother
An undated letter from Mary Ann Buchanan to John R. and Tamar Young was also included in the Buchanan family papers.
Dear Brother and Sister Young
I was so pleased to receive your letter and that you was well. we sympathize very much with you in your trouble for I realize that dear Hattie was a noble girl too good for this earth and has gone to do a better work behind the veil but God is our friend in times of trouble and we must rely on his arm for he is the friend to all who seek him tell Archie and Caroline I will write to them next time hoping that God will keep you all from your enemies
I know your baby is sweet and would like to see it so well
from your friend Mary A. Buchanan
In the Buchanan party were two daughters—nine year old Anna Delilah (Lyle), and 7 year old Mary Ann.
To Lyle we are indebted for giving a detailed firsthand account of the Young and Buchanan Family exodus to Mexico. It is included here for its value on environmental conditions, health problems, difficulties and the dates of travel. Salient portions of text from two separate accounts referenced in the Buchanan family history are repeated here. All of it is from Anna Delilah Buchanan or “Aunt Lyle.” For the rest of the story -- Click Here |