"LET THEM COME ON FOOT WITH HANDCARTS OR WHEELBARROWS"
One hundred and nineteen years ago, in May 1856, the ship, "Samuel Curling" arrived in Boston,
bringing to America several hundred Saints from Wales. Among those thus arriving were Hopkin
and Margaret Mathews, our Welsh grandparents. Their journey crossing the ocean was one of
illness and discomfort; and yet the journey to Utah which lay ahead was to prove to be far more
uncomfortable and difficult. As they arrived in Boston, however, Hopkin and Margaret were not
thinking too much about the trek ahead. They were thankful just to have arrived in America,
safely. To celebrate, Hopkin purchased bread, cheese and a bottle of Port. It was a moment of
great appreciation to our Father in Heaven for protecting them from the elements and serious
illness during the ship's crossing. It was also a moment of great anticipation for all of the Welsh
Saints. For they were among the first LDS poor who would cross the plains to Utah by handcart.
Most of the Saints traveling to Zion prior to 1856 used oxen and wagons. Many such Saints had
been aided by money from the Perpetual Emigration Fund Company-a fund established to
provide money for those financially unable to travel to Zion by their own means. After arriving in
Utah, each Saint so aided was to pay back to the P.E. Fund Company the money he had used.
Thus, others would also be aided in traveling to Zion from their European homes. However, the
fund soon ran out of money. Many failed to pay back what they had used and other funds-from
crops, tithing, etc., which had also aided the fund, were not available. In 1855, the Church stated
the following: "The aid of the P. E. Fund Company has this year been extended to some thirteen
hundred persons, nearly a fourth of this seasons' immigration. This operation, through the hard
times in the English Conferences, and the great scarcity of money at home, has had tendency to
involve us somewhat in debt. In consumating these objectives we have already extended relief to
the utmost limit, and have almost entirely absorbed every available resource of the Church to aid
in the matter. Measurable curtailments (are) inevitable the ensuing year unless other devices were
adopted. Yet the cry from our poor brethren in poor countries for deliverance is great, the hand of
the oppressor is heavy upon them, and they have no other prospect on earth through which they
can hope for assistance. The thousands and thousands who have means should escape the
thraldom of the ages by immediate migration. Let the poor come also, whether they receive aid or
not from the Fund; let them come on foot with handcarts or wheelbarrows." (1)
In December, 1855, an editorial in the Millennial Star stated, "The system of ox-trains is too slow
and expensive, and must give way to the telegraph line of handcarts and wheelbarrows. In a short
time emigrants will look back and wonder how they could have clung so long to their heretofore
slow and laborious system of crossing the plains..." (1) The editorial enumerated the reasons for
not using oxen and wagons: (a) unpredictable temperament of the cattle, delaying each day's
start; (b) cattle were a temptation of Indians and were thus a hazard to the Saints; (c) dangers of
losing cattle by stampede, poisonous water and exhaustion, etc., (d) the time spent in traveling by
wagon and oxen was much longer; (e) total expenses of the ship's crossing and crossing the
plains were greatly reduced; and (f) not having to wait for grass to grow or to purchase cattle, a
greater number of Saints could make the crossing each year by handcart than by wagon.
The Welsh Saints had to journey from Boston to Iowa City by train to begin their handcart trek.
Hopkin and Margaret were among the many families who were forced to ride part of the way in
the train's cattle cars because there were not enough seats to accommodate all of the passengers.
This train trip of several hundred miles could not have been very comfortable. But each mile put
them closer to their final destination-Zion was slowly becoming a reality. However, there were
among the Saints those who chose to stay behind. Perhaps some of these Saints left Wales fully
intending to make their home in Zion, but the hardships they encountered on the ship or the train
and the hardships they anticipated on the handcart trek made them change their goal. Perhaps
they saw opportunities along the route of the train trip which made them feel they could make
their homes better in another place. Many of them were offered jobs and many accepted. One
such offer was given to Thomas D. Evans, a one-legged iron roller. "I was offered $10.00 per day
to remain but the money was no inducement to me, as I had looked forward for so long to the
time when I would be released to emigrate to Zion. Many of those who had stayed behind to
better their circumstances died of cholera and many left the Church." (2) Joseph Mathews,
Hopkin's elder brother, was one of those who left the main body of Welsh Saints to settle
elsewhere. Together with his wife and children he settled in the mining communities of Ohio and
West Virginia. Although we have been able to trace his family through many records, there is no
evidence they stayed in the Church.
Upon arriving in Iowa City, the Saints found their handcarts were not ready. There were two
handcart companies scheduled to leave before the Edward Bunker Company to which Hopkin
and Margaret had been assigned. The first handcart companies had 200 persons in each and the
Bunker Company had over 300. The Church was faced with the huge task of outfitting not only
these 3 companies but 4 others which were leaving Iowa City the summer of 1856. The first
handcarts were experimental because none had ever been made on such a mass scale. Many of
the Saints helped to construct their own handcarts and tents, thus aiding in their departure.
"The handcart was made of hickory or oak and sometimes both kinds of wood went into its
construction for the axle must be of strong hickory. The shafts were five to six feet long with
three or four binding cross bars from the back part to the fore part of the body. Then there was a
space of three to four feet for the lead man, woman or boy who was to pull the cart. The width of
the cart was that of the usual wagon tracks so that it could follow along the wagon tracks as the
pioneers journeyed through the meadows of Iowa, the long buffalo pastures of Nebraska and
Wyoming, and the mountainous section of country on their way to Utah. Across the bars was
sewn bed ticking or a sort of canvas. On this improvised cart was loaded flour, food, bedding,
extra clothing, cooking utensils and a tent. The family cart was similar in size, but had an iron
axle and which was surmounted by a box three or four feet long and eight inches high. Two
persons were allotted to draw each cart and babies and ill children were given the privilege of
riding. Sometimes the cart was covered with canvas for shade which also formed a covering in
case of rain." (1)
"...four or five wagons were assigned to each handcart company. In most of the companies the
group was organized so that there would be four handcarts to a tent, one heavy cart and three
light ones. Each tent had a captain and twenty tents formed a company with a captain over them.
The duty of the company captain was to look after everything in general, to see that the company
was provided with all provisions that they were able to carry, and to assist in all that would aid
for the betterment of the company. The tent captain was expected to give all (his) time and
attention to his company to make sure that all allotments of one pint of flour for each person
were given at twenty-four hours and to equalize as nearly as possible all labor or to act as the
father over his family." (1)
Hopkin and Margaret remained in Iowa City for three weeks making preparations for their
westward trip. They prepared their handcart which was to carry their cooking utensils and things
of daily use, as well as the youngest children. Just before they left Iowa City for Florence,
(Winter Quarters), Nebraska, Margaret was approached by a richly dressed woman offering to
buy her beautiful son, (Alma). The woman also offered money for the eldest girl, (Elizabeth),
who would care for the baby boy. When Margaret declined the offer, the woman became very
angry. She felt Margaret should have considered it a privilege to get rid of her over large family.
"We began our journey with a handcart for each family, some families consisting of just a man
and wife, and some had quite large families. Each handcart had one hundred pounds of flour, that
to be divided up and we were to get more from the wagons as required. At first we had a little
coffee and bacon, but that was soon gone and we had no use for any cooking utensils but a frying
pan." (3)
After leaving Iowa City, the Saints traveled to Florence, Nebraska a distance of about 300 miles.
This "short" trip helped to harden the pioneers; it prepared them for the walking and pulling or
pushing of the handcart for the remainder of the 1,031 miles to Salt Lake City. After resting in
Florence for about one week, the Saints pushed on. Hopkin and Margaret shared the task of
pushing and pulling their handcart, Elizabeth taking her place beside her mother when her father
became disabled. Mary and little Margaret walked all day and cried at night from hunger and
weariness. Their mother would comfort them by promising them a little piece of bread if they
would not cry.
"Platte River and Liberty Pole 992 miles from City of Great Salt Lake
Plenty of timber, but have to go to river for water - ¼ mi. distance.
"Beaver River 927¼ miles from City of Great Salt Lake
25' wide - 2' deep
2 good fording places, the upper one is good going in, but steep on
opposite side. The lower one not good going down, but good on other side.
"Wood River 861¾ miles from City of Great Salt Lake
12' wide - 1' deep
Plenty of timber and a good place to camp. Banks descending, steep,
and some soft- - but good going out. The road now generally runs
from one to two miles distant from the main Platte." (4)
Margaret and Hopkin had a number of close friends and relatives traveling with them in the
handcart company. One friend was a blind harpist named Thoms D. Giles. When young Joan
Mathews was born in Wales, Elder Giles suggested her name to her parents. Hopkin and
Margaret had planned to name her Emily. Elder Giles had joined the company with his wife,
baby daughter and two sons, ages seven and nine. Soon after starting their journey across the
plains, Elder Giles' daughter and wife died and were buried beside the trail. His two sons,
because of their father's condition, were sent back to join another company which included a
large group of Welsh emigrants. Later, when Elder Giles himself became seriously ill, Captain
Bunker delayed the company for two days and finally ordered the group to continue their journey.
He left behind Elder Giles and two men to bury him as his death was anticipated. Through faith
and the administrations given him, Elder Giles recovered and completed the journey to Utah.
Margaret's sister, Ann Butler, was also among those in the Bunker handcart company. Ann
buried her husband and two small children before leaving Wales. During the trek across the
plains, Ann's daughter, Elizabeth, became very ill. Ann asked for permission to stop and take
care of her daughter or to let Elizabeth ride in one of the food wagons. The handcart captain said
they would have to go on and Elizabeth would have to walk. Ann and her young son, William,
put Elizabeth on their handcart and prayed something would happen to delay the train. The first
supply wagon had scarcely pulled out when one of its axles broke. It took nine hours to repair the
wagon and as night was close, the company delayed its departure until the following morning. By
morning, Elizabeth was better and able to continue walking.
River crossings were difficult for the handcart pioneers. Young Mary Mathews remembered
wading rivers clinging to the sides of the handcart to keep from being swept away by the current.
She would throw her head back to keep the water out of her mouth. Some of the smallest
children were put into the supply wagons for river crossings.
"Castle Bluffs 643 miles from City of Great Salt Lake
You cross no more creeks of water until you arrive at Crab Creek,
25½ miles from here. The road good, except in one place, where you
travel ¾ mi. over sand.
"Chimney Rock 578½ miles form City of Great Salt Lake
The higher land now begins to be sandy and barren. Many prickly-
pears and wild sage, which continues mostly through remainder of
journey.
"La Bonte River 448 ¼ miles from City of Great Salt Lake
30' wide 2' deep
Good place to camp. Plenty of timber, grass and water. There
is also a good chance 1 mi. further. Plenty of wild mint on the
creek." (4)
Although there were five wagons carrying provisions for the handcart company, supplies were
soon cut to half a pound of flour per person a day. "The flour was self-rising and we took water
and baked a little cake. After the first few weeks of traveling this little cake was all we had to eat
and after months of traveling we were put on half rations and at one time, before help came, we
were out of flour for two days." (5)
Sometimes the train would stop for a buffalo herd to pass and some of the buffalo were killed for
food. Priscilla M. Evans related the following experience, "...we had no grease for the wheels on
the handcarts and one day they killed an old buffalo and my husband and John Thain, a butcher,
sat up all night to boil some to get some grease to grease the handcarts, but it was so old and
tough there was not a speck of grease in it." (3)
There was the constant threat of Indians. Some of the Indians they met enroute were friendly, but
many were not. "One afternoon the company was warned of the approach of Indians. The
children became frightened from hearing their parents and the older people tell of the wickedness
of the Indians, and would try to keep from being seen. Margaret was very much afraid. She must
have lain in a cramped position during her sleep that night, it made her leg very stiff the next
morning. During the night she dreamed the Indians caught her and whipped her, which caused
the stiffness. She said the dream was so vivid it took quite an effort on the part of Grandmother
to make her little girl understand her leg was stiff from weariness and not an attack of the
Indians." (6)
"Alkali Swamps and Springs 360½ miles from City of Great Salt Lake
This ought to be avoided as a camp ground. It is a small valley,
surrounded by high bluffs. The land exceedingly miry and smells
bad. Creek of good water north-west. No timber-little grass.
Next mile rough road.
"Devils Gate 327 miles from City of Great Salt Lake
The river here passes between perpendicular rocks 400' high -a
curiosity worthy of travelers notice.
"South Pass 231½ miles from City of Great Salt Lake
This is the dividing ridge between the waters of the Atlantic &
Pacific. Alt. 7085'."
"At one time Mary and a number of young girls walked ahead of the train and when some
distance away, a young man with a wagon asked one of the young women and Mary to ride with
him. He had plenty of room in his wagon but he would not allow any of the others to ride with
him. He left the trail and took them a long distance to his home where he tried to persuade them
to remain. Mary began to cry for her mother, but the people tried to pacify her and told her to go
to sleep. She felt if she did she would be left and never see her parents again. Toward the middle
of the afternoon the young woman prevailed upon the young man to take them back to camp. The
traveled until long after dark before they reached their destination. They found the parents frantic
with fear and they had declared that they would not move from the spot until they found her even
if the train went ahead and left them. Thus ended her first and last ride while crossing the plains."
(7)
CHILD OF THE HANDCART TRAIN
I see her trudging down the dusty trail
Struggling to keep within the handcart's sight,
A girl-child, knowing anguish and travail,
Clasping the hand of her baby brother tight,
Or on her back the loving burden bore,
Her faithful little feet, so tired and sore.
I hear her singing down the silent wind,
Singing to the creaking of the handcart wheels,
Cheering the lagging feet that fall behind,
A song of faith and courage as she kneels
To smile into a little tear-stained face
And heals its heartache with her gentle grace.
I hear her sighing in her bed at night,
Sighing and praying when all is still,
Beseeching God in His mercy and might
To heal her father, stricken so ill;
Dear little body o'erburdened with care,
Tomorrow the weight of the load must share.
I see her lending her childish might,
Pushing the cart on its tortuous way,
For her gentle mother broken and white,
Alone in the traces must toil today.
Dear God, give me just one note of that song
Of the spirit, that led her feet along.
I hear her sobbing by campfire's glare
Piling it higher with trembling hand,
For baby, left to the children's care
Is lost in the treacherous timberland,
And her father, weak from fever and pain,
Is searching and praying and calling in vain.
I see him returning, his face is grim
No sound is heard save the wild wolf's wail.
'Til the captain speaks in the morning dim
"The train must move on-every man to the trail,"
But her father's voice rings out on the plain,
"I'll stay 'til he's safe in my arms again!"
I can see him standing so gaunt and tall,
While her mother pins around him a bright wool shawl,
"If you find him dead-wrap him tenderly,
If alive, a signal wave to me."
And breathing a prayer, "Thy will be done,"
Alone he faces the rising sun.
I see her keep watch by the dimming trail,
Six days have passed and her tired eyes fill.
But the faith within her will never fail,
When lo-from the top of a distant hill,
Glimmering faint, in the sunset's glow,
A bright wool shawl waves to and fro!
I see her kneeling-words cannot tell,
The sweet soul gratitude given birth
Someone is singing, "All is Well,"
And she falls asleep on her bed of earth.
Kind God, I thank Thee that her I can claim,
As my mother, Child of the handcart train.
Camilla Woodbury Judd (1)
"Green River Ford 169 Miles from City of Great Salt Lake Alt. 6000'
16 Rods wide
Good camping anywhere on banks - plenty of timber" (4)
Unseasonably cold weather descended upon the pioneers about the time they forded the Green
River. This crossing was made on a bitterly cold evening. The pioneers were forced to sit up late
into the night to dry their clothing.
"Fort Bridger 113½ miles from City of Great Salt Lake-Alt. 6665'
You cross 4 rushing creeks withing ½ mi. before reaching fort.
½ mi. beyond fort you will cross 3 others, then find a good place
to camp.
Fork composed of 4 long houses and small enclosure for horses.
Land exceeding rich - water cold and good - considerable timber." (4)
About the time the company began running out of food, a supply wagon from Salt Lake City
reached them and prevented further hardship. This gave them not only renewed physical strength,
but spiritual aid as well. Their goal was soon to be realized. Places such as Bear River, Cache
Cave and head of Echo Creek, Weber River, and Kanyon Creek soon fell away under the slow
but determined footsteps of the Welsh handcart pioneers.
"Summit of Mt. 17 ¾ miles from City of Great Salt Lake-Alt. 7,245'
You have view of south part of valley of G.S.L. The descent is steep
lengthy and tedious on account of stumps in the road.
"City of the Great Salt Lake ... The city is located within three miles
of the mountains, which enclose the east side of the valley-within
three miles of the Utah outlet, and twenty-two miles of the Salt Lake.
The land is gradually sloping, from the mountain to within a mile of
the Outlet, and is of a black, loose, sandy nature. A stream of
water rushes from the mountains east of the city, and at the upper
part, it divides in two branches, both of which pass through the city
to the Outlet. The water is good, and very cold, and abundance for
mill purposes, or for irrigation. The air is good and pure, sweetened
by the healthy breezes from the Salt Lake. The grass is rich and
plentiful, and well filled with rushes, and the passes in the mountains
afford abundance of good timber, mostly balsam Fir." (4)
This was the first sight seen by the pioneers as they completed the last leg of their trek across the
plains. They entered the City of the Great Salt Lake on Oct. 2, 1856. Their clothes were almost
rags, the womens' dresses were worn out across the front and back where the handcart handle
had rubbed. Many wore rags around their cracked, sore feet as they did not have shoes.
"The children were given a ride on a wagon load of wood from Echo Canyon into the valley by
one of the settlers. When the company reached their destination they found the children had been
washed and fed by some of the kind Saints. When Heber C. Kimball saw them as they came into
the Valley, singing and so happy, he said, 'If anyone deserves a reward in heaven, it is these poor
Saints who have pulled their bodies without any shoes on their feet all this long way.' President
Brigham Young said, 'I hope they will keep on pulling.'" (8)
Hopkin, Margaret and their children, Elizabeth, Mary, Margaret, Joan, and Alma, were among
the many members of the Third Handcart Company to successfully reach Utah. They suffered
hardships and illnesses in order to reach Zion where they would begin a new life among the
Saints. Theirs was a dream-come-true. They were truly blessed for their efforts and they thanked
their Heavenly Father for His love and strength in seeing them to this journey's end.
Other members of their expedition failed to see the Valley of the Saints. In addition to the wife
and daughter of Thomas Giles, at least four other members of their company died and were
buried beside the trail. Samuel Brooks buried his wife on the plains and successfully brought his
three children to Salt Lake City only to die within a few hours of their arrival. Henry Jenkins died
after a violent storm hit the handcart company. His wife and daughter continued on after burying
him near Fort Laramie, Wyoming. John and Sarah Williams left their tiny son in a stone-marked
grave beside the trail. All were victims of the trek across the plains. And yet, the Third Handcart
Company lost far fewer Saints than did the handcart companies which followed them in the fall
and winter of 1856. Caught by early, severe winter storms, the helpless pioneers suffered death,
illness, and other hardships before they were finally rescued by supplies and men from Salt Lake
City. The handcart experiment of 1856 proved to be very costly in terms of human lives and
suffering. While 1856 was a year of rejoicing for many of the handcart Saints, it was a year of
sorrowing for many others. For the Saints as a whole, it has been described as "a year of
adversity."
Due to crop failures of the last two seasons, food was scarce and many Saints were forced to dig
roots to survive. Those Saints who had been able to prepare for the famine were asked to share
with those less fortunate. The failures of the two preceding growing seasons did not dampen the
spirits of the brave pioneers. "...with calm and steadfast hearts, with a faith in God gained
through courage, the majority of these pioneers fought bravely to make the good earth yield...The
crops did mature and the yield was great enough to feed those already in the valley as well as the
thousands who came to Zion that year...During the year the Saints were admonished to keep
busy, to work hard, and to deal justly with one another with a promise that strength and courage
to build anew would be given to them. Truly this was a year when they learned the greatest of all
lessons, 'Infinite patience and never-ending persistence.'" (2)
For the Territory of Utah, 1856 was the year for creating the counties of Box Elder, Cache,
Greasewood, Humboldt, St. Mary's, Malad and Cedar. It was a year of increased missionary
work. The Twenty-sixth Annual Conference of the Church was held in G.S.L.City. It was also a
year of death: Jacob Whitmer, one of the Eight Witnesses to the Book of Mormon died in
Missouri; and Jedediah M. Grant, second counselor to President Brigham Young, died in Utah.
For the future settlers of Cache Valley, it was the year in which Peter Maughan and others
located in what is now the town of Wellsville.
For Hopkin and Margaret, the arrival in Utah was the end of the pioneer trek but the beginning of
a new pioneer way of living. In Wales, Hopkin had been a coal miner. In Utah he learned the
ways of farming. Many of the Welsh pioneers settled together in the mining communities of
Utah. The mining life had been hard on Hopkin and he looked for a new way to support his
family.
Hopkin and Margaret only remained in Salt Lake City for about one week following their arrival.
They then moved north to Ogden Hole, now known as North Ogden. As it was too late to plant
crops, the Mathews family lived through most of the fall and winter of 1856 on potatoes they
were able to get from other settlers. Margaret's sister, Ann Butler, also settled in the area of
Ogden Hole. She became the housekeeper of a widower, Ira Rice. Later she married him and
moved with him to the Cache Valley area and then to Southern Utah.
The first Utah home for Margaret and Hopkin was a dugout house built on the banks of the
Ogden River. Dugout homes were constructed about four feet underground and were ten to
twelve feel in length. A mud wall projected out at one end. The beds in these rude settlements
were made of poles with raw hide strips laced back and forth. One side of the home had the
fireplace where all of the cooking was done. These houses were the first homes most of the
pioneers lived in after arriving in the Valley or after settling in a new place. Hopkin and Margaret
also lived in a dugout house in Cache Valley.
About the time Hopkin and Margaret settled in Ogden Hole, the Church had begun a program
called the Reformation. "The Reformation was a movement to awaken or reawaken the people to
their spiritual responsibility as members of the Latter-Day Saint Church. It was not a change in
religion as it was sometimes called, but rather a challenge to the Saints to change their practices
and to arouse them from the lethargy into which many had fallen. The movement began in the
autumn of 1856 and continued until the close of 1857, but as early as July 13, 1855 a need of
reform became apparent when Jedediah M. Grant made the following remarks in a sermon at
Provo, Utah: 'I would like to see the works of reformation commence, and continue until every
man has to walk to the line, then we would have something like union...Purify yourselves, your
houses, lots, farms, and everything around you on the right and on the left, then the spirit of the
Lord can dwell with you.'
"President Brigham Young in a Sermon delivered in the Bowery October 8, 1855 recognized
increasingly the necessity of implanting into the minds and hearts of the people a realization of
the weaknesses of human nature and true repentance. He said, 'I have felt like weeping since I
have been in this Territory on beholding the ungrateful feelings of many of this people and their
ingratitude toward their God.'
"The sermons of 1856, which officially began the Reformation, urged a searching or the hearts
and a weighing of personal conduct. Pride, covetousness, contention, physical and moral
uncleanliness were sins that must be put out of their lives. They called upon the people to repent
and be rebaptized for the remission of their sins." (2)
A questionnaire was prepared for the use of those carrying the message into the homes of the
Latter-Day Saints. It included questions about committing murder, lying, stealing, bearing false
witness, coveting, adultery, prompt payment of debts and tithing, teaching the gospel, speaking
against principles of the gospel and Church leaders, personal cleanliness, keeping the Sabbath
Day holy, attendance at Church meetings, honesty, etc. The general call to repentance was
heeded by most Latter-Day Saints and spiritual growth was noted throughout the Territory.
From the histories of the children of Hopkin and Margaret, we have been able to learn a little
about the family's life in Ogden. After living in their dugout home for some time, the family
moved into their new house constructed of willows. Both home, inside and out, were of rather
crude construction; but the spirit within was one of culture, love, and charity. The children
learned early the meaning of providing for themselves, often being forced to make many of their
own necessities of life-from clothing to furniture.
Young Margaret remembered attending school for a short time in Ogden. The school was held in
a small room which did not have any books. To encourage the sixteen pupils under her
supervision, the teacher, Miss Birch, offered a prize to the pupil who could be the first to
correctly spell three words from their lesson, "William Penn's Treaty with the Indians". The
words were Philadelphia, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Margaret secured the coveted prize, part
of a McGuffey's Reader, and thus received her first book.
The Mathews family worked together to make their new way of life successful. With their
parents the children learned to farm and to raise sufficient food to feed themselves and their
animals. They had little or no money for buying what they needed, so they traded what they had
for what they did not have. After living in Ogden for about two years, the message reached the
Saints to move south to avoid the expected confrontation with Johnson's Army. So, Hopkin and
Margaret once again found themselves moving. They took with them everything they could, not
knowing how long they would be gone or if they would even have a home left when they
returned.
A special conference was held on the twenty-first of March, 1858 in G.S.L. City, where it was
unanimously agreed "to abandon their cities to the enemies and move south leaving only enough
men to set fire, if need be, to their homes and farm if the army should come in... 'I have told you
that if there is any man or woman that is not willing to destroy anything and everything of their
property that would be of use to the enemy if left, I wanted them to go out of the territory and I
say so today, for when the time comes to burn and lay waste our improvements, if any man
undertake to shield his, he will be sheared down 'for judgement will be laid to the line and
righteousness to the plummet.' Now the faint hearted can go in peace; but should that time come,
they must not interfere. Before I will suffer what I have in times gone by, there shall not be one
building, nor one foot of lumber, nor a stick, nor a tree, nor a particle of grass and hay that will
not burn, left in the reach of our enemies. I am sworn if driven to the extremity, to utterly lay
waste to this land, in the name of Israel's God, and our enemies shall find it as barren as when we
came here.'" (Brigham Young) (9)
Hopkin and Margaret remained in Provo with the other Saints until August, 1858 when they were
told they could return to their homes. Not long after this, on Sept. 17, 1858, Margaret gave birth
to their first set of twins, David Richard and Hopkin John. Their little willow home did not offer
much warmth from the chills of winter. Margaret remembered she and Joan spent much of their
winter trying to keep the babies warm by burning green willows and sage brush.
For some time prior to the move south to avoid the confrontation with Johnson's Army, many of
the pioneers of the North Ogden area had been looking north to Cache Valley as a place of
settlement. As early as 1847, Brigham Young had sent scouts into this valley to see what the area
was like. He had been told that Cache Valley was a much more desirable place for settlement by
the pioneers. Peter Maughan was the leader of the first group of permanent settlers in Cache
Valley. They settled the area later known as Wellsville.
Shortly after the "Utah War", pioneers of North Ogden once again began looking to Cache
Valley for settlement. "...foodstuffs were gathered during the summer and fall and wagons were
repaired during the winter months. Whenever families came together in Ogden and North Ogden,
the topic of discussion was the trek northward. By the spring of 1859 many of the home seekers
had abandoned their Weber County homes and were enroute to Cache Valley." (10) Among those
making the journey in the spring of 1859 were Ira Rice, Hopkin Mathews, and his daughter
Elizabeth, just fourteen years of age. They selected the land near what was known as "The Big
Spring" and became the first settlers of "Spring Creek".
The first cabins erected in Providence were arranged in a type of "fort" as instructed by Brigham
Young. The cabins were constructed of logs hauled from the canyons and were arranged in two
rows, facing each other. Each end of the "fort" could be closed off in times of Indian trouble. The
Indians were not the only worry of the pioneers of 1856. They hastened the construction of their
cabins and the planting of their crops to protect themselves from the hard winters of Cache
Valley. Peter Maughan's pioneers of 1856 had suffered through severe winter with snow as deep
as eight feet. Around the cabins, it drifted high enough to cover the wagons and wood piles. It is
no wonder the pioneers of 1859 hastened the building of their cabins. They never would have
survived the winter in their wagons which served as their first homes in the Valley.
Young Margaret was living with another family when her parents made the move to Cache
Valley. She was helping to support her family as best she could; but being only nine years of age,
it was hard for her. After her parents moved to Providence, Margaret became very homesick,
wondering if she would ever see her parents or brothers and sisters again. She cried, refused
food, etc., until finally the family she was living with decided it would be better to take her home
than to make her continue living with them.
Mary and Margaret were both called upon by their parents to help earn money, etc. for the
support of their family. Many of the pioneers could not pay with money, so the girls often
brought home wages consisting of tea, calico and sugar. These wages helped their mother to
provide the clothing and food her children and husband needed. The older children not only aided
their parents with wages, but they also learned to do without in order that their younger brothers
and sisters might have more to help them grow strong and healthy.
"To protect themselves against possible Indian attacks, the Providence pioneers, as soon as their
log cabins were ready, began to construct a fort which, however, was never finished.
"The fort covered a little less than half an acre, located half a block east on first north street. It
was built of rocks gathered from the hillsides...The north wall, only partially completed, was
about five rods long, four feet high and two and a half feet thick. Lookout holes, narrow on the
outside but widening toward the inside to that guns could be manned from them, penetrated
strategic places along the walls. On the northeast and southeast corners of the wall, semi-circular
lookout towers had several portholes from which guns could be fired in various directions. The
fort was never used, but Providence did have some Indian scares..." (10)
Joan remembered seeing the Indians come to their fort asking for food. The Indians were wearing
bright paint and breech cloths. The pioneers were afraid to refuse these savages and often gave
them the little they had for themselves. If the Indians received an extra large pail of flour, they
would dance and give a war-hoop. To young Margaret fell the job of keeping a strict vigilance
over the children at all times. If the opportunity arose, the Indians would steal the young children
and raise them as their own.
Even with all of the Indian threats, the hardships of building a town out of the wilderness went
on. Crops had to be planted and harvested, clothing made, food preserved for the lean winter
months, and when sickness came, loved ones were cared for. Margaret had an important part to
play in the role of caring for the sick because Margaret was a midwife. Many of the early
midwives received special callings from the General Authorities. Although we have not been
able to prove that Margaret's was such a calling, we believe she was one of those chosen and set
apart to aid the sick and bring new life into the world. Ann Morris Butler Rice, Margaret's sister,
received a similar calling and was set apart by Heber C. Kimball. Ann and her family journeyed
to Southern Utah after living for a few years in Cache Valley; Ann served many, many years as a
midwife in the communities around Orderville and Escalante. Inasmuch as Ann was set apart in
about 1857 in Ogden, we may be correct in assuming Margaret received her calling at the same
time.
From the book, "Providence and Her People", the following is noted about our wonderful
pioneer Grandmother: "Margaret Morris Matthews served as midwife of Providence for 25 years.
The story that she never lost a mother or a baby in all her years of nursing becomes more
remarkable when it is known that she was an untrained nurse. Only five-feet-two inches tall and
straight as a ramrod, she traveled at a little trot as she went from home to home caring for the
sick. Tradition states she wore a dark brown quilted hood of her own making which she used as a
pin-cushion. No one knows the number of babies she delivered, but in addition to this she had
thirteen children of her own and served ast Relief Society president for thirteen years." (10)
Many of Margaret's daughters in their own histories noted the times their father would say to
them, "Come girls, your Mother has been out all night. Get breakfast and the housework done
today. We must let your Mother sleep." Each daughter said she was glad to help and never were
there any complaints about the extra work to be done. Margaret's service as a midwife ended
with her death. The following poem could very well have been written about Margaret and her
service as a midwife. It was written as a tribute to all midwives following the issuing of the last
midwife license in 1932.
"She calls no hour of the night or day her own
Through heat and cold she goes her way alone,
Here to bring some mortal into being,
There to ease some soul that must be fleeing.
She listens earnestly to tales of grief,
Forgets herself that she may give relief
To bodies suffering or tortured minds,
In service to all men her pleasure finds.
May God forever bless her with His grace,
For now she's gone-oh, who will take her place?"
Along with the births an deaths taking place in Providence, there were marriages. After arriving
in the Valley in 1859, there were two marriages, both taking place in November. On New Year's
Day, 1861, Elizabeth Mathews, the eldest child of Hopkin and Margaret, not quite sixteen years
of age, married Joseph H. Campbell. "Mr. Campbell relates the following story: 'When I came to
Providence to settle, they did not give me the land I had picked out on my first trip but allotted
me another 15 acres. When I was ready to get married, I sold my right to that land and got two
wild Texas steers and five sheep. I took my steers to Salt Lake and sold them. For this I got
enough wool to make a dress, 6 plates, 6 cups and saucers, 6 knives and forks and a small brass
kettle. Our first bedstead was made with one post, then a piece running into the wall each way
with boards across. Then we had a straw tick, three good quilts, sheets and pillows. After I was
married I bought a bake kettle wit the lid broken in several places. The blacksmith strapped them
together." (12) The feeling has been expressed that Joseph and Elizabeth faired better than most
newlyweds.
About five months later, on 8 May 1861, Margaret gave birth to her second set of twins, Annie
Maria and Sara Jane. To help her parents with these new additions to the family, Mary, just
fourteen years of age, made her sisters their first buckskin shoes. She also helped provide their
clothing as she had by this time become a very proficient seamstress.
All of the children learned the value of time and money. The pioneers did not have a plan to
follow. Much of what they learned was done through trial and error. There were inconveniences
and hardships. But, from all of this, Hopkin and Margaret were able to teach their children how
to make do with what they had. Often, for example, their tools for planting and harvesting crops
had to be hand made. Hopkin made much of the furniture which went into their home. Margaret
became an excellent dyer-even before dyeing materials were brought to Utah. She learned there
were herbs, barks of trees, and roots which would aid in the dyeing of material. Often, she would
dye different types of material one color in order to provide for her daughters the dresses they
needed.
Young Margaret told of helping to raise and care for the first flax grown in Providence fields.
"She stood at the side of her mother, hour after hour, weaving linsey-woolsey and canvass.
Grandmother Mathews was the first person in Providence to have a weaving loom. Mother
learned well how to weave and spin..." (6)
Joan told of learning to wash the wool, spin and dye the yarn and then knitting socks for her
father. "She spun yarn for money and gave the money to her father to help build a home. She told
us she planted flax, retted it, which took a great deal of time and pains. Then she spun the flax
then had it woven into twelve seamless wheat sacks for her father. Mother said that grandfather
was very proud and pleased with the gift." (13)
"After the wool was sheared from the sheep the women put it in large willow baskets made by
men of the community. With these baskets suspended from straps or ropes the women stood on
foot bridges over a clear stream of water and dipped the baskets and their contents up and down,
up and down until the loose sand and dirt were entirely rinsed from the wool. At this stage they
were unable to wash the wool with soap and water as the soap had a tendency to knot it thus
preventing it from spinning.
"After the rinsing process the wool was spread to dry, usually on the soft green grass. After it was
spun into skeins of yard it was washed in soap and the softest water obtainable, rain water or
ordinary water softened with a plant called 'oose'. This process was called scouring.
"To make the yarn, they first carded the wool into rolls on what were called wool cards. These
cards had to be purchased from factories. After they had carded the rolls, these rolls were spun
into yarn on a spinning wheel.
"The spinning wheel consisted of a large wheel about 4 feet in diameter and the head, which
consisted of a smaller wheel with a band made of twine and twisted yarn. Projecting from the
smaller wheel was a spindle which turned very swiftly while the large wheel was turned by hand.
The women would take the rolls previously mentioned and while spinning them onto the spindle
with one hand they turned the large wheel with the other, gradually pulling and stretching out the
roll while the spindle twisted it into the yarn. After they did a few rolls this way they would turn
the wheel and wind the yarn back on the spindle near the small wheel. After they had finished
their rolls and their yarn was made they would wind the yarn into skeins onto a frame called a
reel made for that purpose. Then the yarn was used for knitting stockings, mittens, gloves, shawls
and scarfs. This was the finished yarn spoken of above. It was what we would speak of now as
two-ply (two fine threads doubled and twisted) having the double strand. The single fine strand
was used for the making of cloth." (14)
The preceding information describes the method of making yarn in the Orderville Camp #2. It is
the same method, more or less, that Margaret and her daughters learned to use in making their
yarn. Not only did they learn to make their own yarn, they learned to fashion that yarn into a
useful piece of clothing. Even though they were pioneers, the women of Providence were
concerned about their personal appearance. For example, they learned to make their own hats.
"Providence women also made their own bonnets and hats, and some of these creations were
richly shaped and embellished with flowers and lace. Minutes of one Relief Society meeting
record a suggestion that the men plant rye so that the women could have finer straw for
hatmaking. After braiding, the hats were shaped in a barrel of sulphur fumes, then trimmed with
lace, ribbons and flowers. Men's hats were made from the whole straw, but women's hats were
made of finer, split straw." (10)
Work was the order of the day for the pioneers. For the farmer, it truly was a blessing to have
sons old enough to help in the fields, etc. however, there were many like Hopkin who did not
have sons old enough to help support the family. So, he called upon his daughters to assume the
responsibilities he later assigned to his sons. In 1863, Hopkin built a two-room log house. It was
most likely this house that young Joan mentioned giving money for. Her sisters, Mary and
Margaret, also helped their father, but in a different way. When Margaret was fourteen and her
sister Mary was sixteen, they did as much field work as two men. Undoubtedly, they were called
upon to help in the construction of their log home, also.
With all of the work going on, one wonders if the pioneers ever had time for recreation and
relaxation. "In a history of Providence the author wrote: 'No matter how difficult had been the
journey during the day, when dusk came and the camp had been pitched, the evening meal eaten,
the weariness of the day was forgotten in a dance.' This was continued for many years after the
pioneers had settled down. In Providence on Friday night for many years both young and old
gathered for a dance. In almost every community in the valley a dance or grand ball was listed as
the climax of any celebration." (15) In addition to dancing, other activities included: cornhusking
bees, candy pull, sports activities, art, drama and music.
Music had always been a central part of the lives of Hopkin and Margaret. Welsh people love to
sing. The Mathews family were all members of the first choir formed in Providence shortly after
the arrival of the pioneers in 1859. Singing in the home was very much a part of the Mathews
way of living. Even the celebration of Christmas and New Year's was carried out in the Welsh
tradition of songs and serenades. "It created good will and a feeling of fellowship to be invited in
after the serenade to the friendly fire and to partake of gingersnaps, molasses cookies and a
beverage. It was good to greet friends and make merry." (14) There may not have been much in
material gifts at Christmas, (one year only five jelly beans for each child), but there was a love
for each other and for the Gospel of Jesus Christ which had brought them to this new home.
Hopkin and Margaret taught their children the principles of the Gospel. They lived it by example
and their children followed not only their teachings, but the examples of their uncomplaining
parents. Margaret and Hopkin were not spared the hardships of their pioneer living. They passed
on to their descendants a heritage rich in culture, love and down-to-earth living. It was a way of
living that had its happy, fulfilling moments and its heart-rending, sorrowing times, too.
In August, 1863, Margaret gave birth to her eleventh child, a daughter named Louisa. In
December of that same year, her second daughter, Mary, just sixteen years of age, married
George Washington Marler. Mary had met him while she lived in North Ogden. Each child who
left the Mathews home took with him or her not only the knowledge for providing for a family of
their own, but a rich heritage as well. Early in the life of each child, Margaret and Hopkin
instilled a desire to work and a desire to serve-their fellowman as well as in the Church and
community.
Many of the Mathews children remembered their education in the early Providence schools and
how it aided them in their adult years. "...and the first school house in Providence was built on
the northwest corner of the present school block. It was constructed in the latter part of 1859. On
the west of the building the stars and stripes waved from a large flag pole on holiday occasions.
The school...was about 32 feet long and 14 feet wide. Both the west and east sides had two
windows, and a door opened on the south. A rectangular piece of lime served as chalk and a
piece of sheepskin as an eraser for the blackboard hanging on the north wall.
The larger boys and girls had to bring chairs or stools to sit on, while little stools or flat benches
were part of the school equipment. Since there were no desks, the pupils put their slates on their
knees during the writing lesson..." (10) Hopkin was one of several parents who signed a contract
with one of the school teachers to pay him "one bushel and a half of wheat per quarter, or its
value, for the schooling of each scholar we sign for..." (10) In 1866 and the first quarter of 1867,
Hopkin signed the contract for three students. For the second quarter of 1867, Hopkin signed for
five students, undoubtedly being Alma, David R., Hopkin J., Annie Maria and Sarah Jane.
When illness struck, Margaret was prepared, as were most of the pioneer women. Hanging in
their cellars could be found precious herbs, dried the previous summer. Following are a few
herbs, etc. used by the pioneers: Hedge nettle, can be used as a tea for hemorrhages of the lungs
and stomach, or as a poultice, the leaves help to relieve neuralgic pains; red pepper, used a s
gargle for scarlet fever, or curing the grippe; alum, burnt and mixed with egg whites for relieving
eye irritation; or perhaps a little raw potato poultice for an inflamed eye. The pioneers also found
a use for salt as a curative. It could be used heated with water or vinegar as a remedy for
toothache, headache, etc. Sometimes a cup of hot water and salt was used to help control
vomiting when nothing else would work. The pioneers were cautioned, however, about using too
much salt with their food as too much would dry up the blood and give the skin a yellow
appearance. The pioneers also learned to make their own ointments for use on burns, frostbites,
etc. "The pioneers had come a long way from the time when barbers were surgeons and
medicines were dispensed from door to door in huge pots, from which comes our word
'apothecary'- a pot he carried. But their medicines were still crude and some of their cures filled
with superstition. These superstitions gave way to a faith in a personal God who heard and
answered prayers. However, faith without works was not good and each home had remedies for
various ailments." (16)
The greatest part of the pioneer woman's work seems to have been in the spring and summer.
Margaret's daughters remembered that a typical pioneer day for them might mean doing the
family wash all morning. Then their mother would tell them that a change was good for them and
they would spend the afternoon cutting and drying apples. "During the harvest season they kept
busy with their own special brand of food preservation. Green beans were stored in barrels of salt
water; meats were hung in the smoke house or dried (after all the neighbors had been given a
fresh roast). Apples were dried or made into cider, and molasses was made from sugar cane.
Children considered it a game during the winter months to shell out the dried beans that had been
harvested in the fall and hung aside for long evenings. Cows were milked, butter churned,
chickens fed and eggs gathered, gardens weeded and vegetables prepared." (10)
And so we come to the end of a portion of the life and times of Hopkin and Margaret Morris
Mathews. Picture the end of the day for these people. Hopkin unloads the last log from the
wagon, waves goodbye to his neighbor who has been helping him all day and unhitches the
horses. After providing for his animals their evening meal, he wearily walks to the front door or
his house and opens the door. He smells the evening meal his wife and daughters have prepared.
On the floor, the baby crawls towards a toy and a small boy is wrestling with his older brother.
They all greet their father and prepare to sit down for their supper. Their meal is simple, plain
and nourishing. It is all food they have provided themselves and they enjoy eating it that much
more. Hopkin calls upon a child to ask the blessing on the food. The child's simple offering
reflects the training of his parents. Following the meal, the children gather around their parents to
listen to their father's daily instruction fro a principle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Margaret,
having put the baby to bed, pulls up a chair near her husband, and sharing the faint light from
their lamp, she goes on with the sewing she has in her lap. Maybe it is a dress for one of her girls
or a pair of pants or a shirt for her husband or a son. Whatever it is, she takes pride in the work
she is doing and is sure it will not only be sturdy but attractive when she has finished it. Hopkin
announces the nearness of the bedtime hour and the children begin to move towards their beds-in
the corner of the room they are now sitting in. Hopkin speaks sternly to a misbehaving child and
moves to blow out the lamp. Quietly, the family kneels as one and a prayer of thanksgiving is
offered. The family retires, the only noise the crackling of the dying fire in the fireplace. A family
sleeps. Another day has ended. Tomorrow brings new life, a new day, and more work for the
pioneers of Providence.
SOURCES FOR HISTORY
- Treasures of Pioneer History, "The Handcart Pioneers"
- Treasures of Pioneer History, "They Came in 1856"
- Heart Throbs of the West, Vol. 6
- Clayton's "The Latter-day Saints' Emigrants' Guide: being a Table of
Distances, Showing All the Springs, Creeks, Rivers, Hills, Mountains,
Camping Places & All Other Notable Places, From Council Bluffs to the
Valley of the Great Salt Lake"
- Handcarts to Zion, by Hafen
- History of Margaret Mathews Rice, by Margaret E. Fuhriman
- History of Mary Mathews Marler, by Margaret M. Greenwall.
- Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol 7
- Treasures of Pioneer History, Oct. 1957
- Providence and Her People
- Dr. D.C. Budge, Our Pioneer Heritage, Pioneer Midwives, Apr. 1963
- Heart Throbs of the West, Vol. 2
- History of Joan Mathews Johnson, by Martha Moseley and Elisabeth McCallum
- Heart Throbs of the West, Vol. 3
- Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 8
- Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 2
