Chief Walkara (Walker) and the Walker War

   

Settling of Sanpete County

After coming to Utah, prior to coming to Mount Pleasant, many of the pioneers located in and about what is now Salt Lake, Utah and Cache Counties.

In June of 1849, scarcely two years after the arrival of the first company of pioneers in Utah, Chief Walker (Walkara, mean­ing yellow) and Chief Sowiette with a band of Ute Indians visited President Brigham Young in Great Salt Lake City, and asked that colonizers be sent to the San pitch valley, named after an Indian Chief, Sanpitch, a brother of Chief Walker, to locate there and teach the Indians how to till the soil, and to build their homes and become civilized. This valley was described by them as "good land having much water." An exploring company with Chief Walker  as guide was sent out to investigate. They camped on the present site of Manti, August 20th, where they were kindly received and entertained by the Indians. After remaining there a few days, they returned to Great Salt Lake City and reported conditions favorable for settlement.



Although Chief Walker and Chief Sowiette, who was the older chief, with a band of Indians had visited Great Salt Lake City, and had asked that settlers be sent to Sanpete, Chief Walker proved to be a treacherous, blood-thirsty Indian, always stirring up trouble that he might have victims to slaughter; and seemed to regret the white man being there, as did a number of the Indians who were his followers and who plainly showed that they resented the presence of the pale face. Had it not been for the great and good Chief Sowiette who with his policy of peace proved to be a friend of the white man, the people in the little colony of Manti would have been massacred during the first winter.  About July 1, 1850, Chief Walker, with a band of 700 San pitch Indian warriors with their squaws and papooses, returned from an expedition against the Shoshones. They camped in a semicircle about the settlement of Manti where they held frequent war scalp dances and proudly exhibited their trophies of war; forcing the squaws and papoose prisoners to dance with the scalp of their kindred attached to poles. While they were thus amused, Chief Walker, with his leading men, would tantalize the colonists and threaten to treat them in a similar manner. The fiendish actions would sometimes keep up all night long; occasionally a shriek or a blood curdling yell would burst forth from the Indian camp, and the small colony of pioneers would lie on their beds, not knowing what minute their lives would be taken by the hands of the blood thirsty Indians.

Walker Indian War

At Manti, in the early summer of 1853, while most of the able bodied men were away, some at Hambleton at work, among them being James C. Meiling who later pioneered at Mount Pleas­ant, and some in Salt Lake City for supplies, Chief Walker and a band of painted warriors, demanded that Charles Shumway and others, against whom Walker had grievances, be delivered to them that they might be tortured and put to death. When this demand naturally was not granted, Walker threatened to massacre all the people then in camp, mostly women and children and old men.



Preparations were made to resist the attack. However, the aged Chief Sowiette pleaded with his people to let the white man alone, and his policy of peace again prevailed. Chief Walker, humiliated at what he termed cowardice of his tribe, mounted his pony and rode off to the mountains to hide; no doubt thinking Sowiette's followers would come to him. He and his followers remained surly, and frequent pow wows were held in the mountains. On the 18th day of July, Arropine, a brother of Chief Walker, enraged at being caught stealing cattle, killed Alexander Keel, a guard at Payson. This act, it is said, was the beginning of the noted Walker Indian War which lasted three years. On July 9th, a band of blood thirsty Indians fired upon guards at the Hambleton and Potter saw mill, but were forced back. Before this they had made many attempts to take the stock belonging to the Hambleton settlement. Once they tried to take them out of the corral, which, however, was well guarded. On this occasion they had crawled in the bed of the creek until they were opposite the corral which stood on the bend of the creek. They then jumped in and attempted to stampede the cattle, but the guards discovered them in time and the Indians fled. During the night of July 19th, they again made an attempt to make a raid on the corralled cattle but they were fired upon by guards, and two of the Indians were killed. The other Indians made their retreat, carrying with them their dead comrades and leaving behind them a gun, and a blood-covered blanket. On July 20th, in a raid made upon the cattle at Manti, several head were stolen. An attack was also made on the range near Nephi. At Springville, after the Indians had wounded William Jolly, the people became alarmed and in order to protect their homes and families, they were at once organized. Captain P. W. Conover, with a company of fifty men, was sent from Provo to assist the settlers at Hambleton, and on July 23rd, the troops met the savages at Hambleton's and Potter's mill, where a fierce and bloody battle followed, resulting in the death of six warriors, while the others fled to the mountains. The few settlers at Ham­bleton were not considered strong enough to protect themselves against the savages, and the following morning the veterans and their families, cattle, and provisions were moved to Allred's Settle­ment, about six miles south, where about fifteen families had settled and built a fort in 1852. While the settlers were rushing to Allred's Settlement for shelter, their wagons, homes, saw mill, and lumber at the mouth of the canyon were burned and destroyed by the raging Indians who were on the war path. The Indians did not wait long before making another attack, and on Sunday, August the 2nd, they attacked Allred's Settlement; they rounded up all the cattle, leaving only a few calves which had been cor­ralled, and drove them towards the mountains. The herders were fired upon and forced to flee to the fort for protection, while the Indians with loud shrieks and yells, waving their arms and red blankets, rode away in defiance. 

For the purpose of recovering their cattle and horses, a posse was at once organized and was soon upon the trail of the Indians. When they neared the herd, a number of Indians rushed with Indian strategy back toward the fort as if to attack the wives and children left there, and the posse was compelled to return to protect their families. When they neared the fort, the Indians fled towards the mountains, joining those of their tribe who were rushing on with the cattle. Two of the herding ponies escaped from the band and returned to the fort. This gave the settlers means of communication with Manti, the only point from which they could hope to obtain help.

A messenger was immediately dispatched and by riding west and then south across the valley, succeeded in evading the Indian scouts. The messenger reached Manti at three o'clock in the after­noon, having made one of the quickest trips so far recorded. When the news reached Manti, drums were beat and the cattle were rounded up at once. Sentries were posted at all important points, while hasty preparations were made to send relief to
All­red's Settlement. A number of good wagons, drawn by ox team, accompanied by teamsters and twelve mounted guards left as soon as it was possible, arriving at the little settlement at daylight the following morning. The settlers were then taken to Manti and given quarters in the fort, which had been erected there that year. From here, with the aid of the militia, some of the settlers re­turned to their farms at Hambleton, to irrigate their lands and harvest their crops which turned out quite well considering the circumstances. January the 6th, 1854, Allred's Settlement was burned by the Indians. The entire population of Sanpete County

numbered at that time 765 men, women, and children, all of whom remained and fortified themselves at Manti until the spring of 1854. September 30, 1853, four ox-drawn wagons loaded with grain left Manti for Great Salt Lake City. A few hours later, under the leadership of Isaac Morley, they were followed with twelve wagons drawn by horses. These wagons were loaded with provisions and feed, as well as a number of Saints enrooted to at­tend the semi-annual conference. Arrangements had been made for camping at Shumway (Duck) Springs, near Moroni; from there they were to travel together through Salt Creek Canyon. For some reason, the first teams kept going until they reached Uinta Springs (Fountain Green) where they camped over night and the horse teams did not overtake them as planned. Early on the morning of October 1st, the Indians made an attack and all four drivers, James Nielson, William Lake, Thomas Clark, and William Reed were killed and their bodies so badly mutilated they could scarcely be recognized. The grain was emptied from the sacks, which the savages took possibly for clothing. When Morley's company came along, they found the three bodies; later Clark's body was found in the bottom of a wagon box, covered with wheat emptied from the sacks. He had been scalped, his head crushed, his body cut open and his heart taken out.

The bodies were taken to Salt Creek (Nephi) for interment. Several Indians were seen watching from among the trees and bushes making gestures of joy over the massacre. When the wag­ons bearing the bodies reached Nephi, seven Indians who had followed at a safe distance were captured and shot. Although guards had been kept at the little grist mill at the mouth of the canyon, east of Manti, until sufficient flour could be ground for the winter, on October 1st, the Indians killed the miller, John F. Warner, and the guard, William Mills, whose bodies were found a short distance from the mill. Their clothing had been removed; their faces badly disfigured. The mill was left undisturbed; how­ever, the Indians returned and burned it. Indians were later seen wearing the clothing that had been taken from the bodies of the two men. Cattle about there were killed with poison arrows. The Indians claimed these acts had been committed because of the shooting of five Indians, alleged to have been killed by a company of immigrants enrooted to California.

In the spring of 1854, R. N. Allred and R. W. Allred, together with fifteen families left the Manti fort, having remained there over the winter after they had been driven away from Allred's Settlement by the Indians the fall previous. They located on Pine Creek, seven miles north of Manti. Isaac Behunin had built a home on this creek as early as 1851, but he had been forced to return to Manti for protection from the Indians. The site after­wards was called Fort Ephraim, which was really the first success­ful attempt towards forming a colony outside of Manti. During the fall of 1854, Fort Ephraim was substantially strengthened by the arrival of several Scandinavian families sent by President Young from Salt Lake City, to strengthen the colony in combating the Indians. During 1854, the Indians confined themselves mostly to Southern Utah. Yet often they invaded the herds of Sanpete County, stealing horses and cattle and making their escape in safety.

January 26, 1855, Walker, the great Indian Chief, who had caused so much sorrow and bloodshed in Utah, died at Meadow Creek, Millard County, Utah, and was buried with high honor. Peter Gottfredson, in his Indian Depredations in Utah writes, "Ac­cording to the cruel customs then in vogue among the savages, an Indian boy and an Indian girl and thirteen head of horses were buried alive with Walker's corpse, being secured near the corpse of the chief at the bottom of a deep pit or enclosure and left to suffer until death brought relief. It is said that two Indians passed by the place and the boy begged to be let out, but the Indians laughed and passed on. The boy said that 'Walker was beginning to stink.' " Walker had three brothers, Arropine, Sanpitch and Tabby. Arro­pine was made chief of his tribe and he with other Indians made a treaty of peace, a copy of which is found in Book B. Church Transfer and is as follows: "Be it known by these presents, that I, Siegnerouch (Arropine ) of Manti City in the county of San­pete, and Territory of Utah, for and in consideration of the good will which I have to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, give and convey to Brigham Young, trustee in trust for said church, his successors in office, all my claim to and ownership of the following described property, to wit: The portion of land and country known as Sanpete County together with all material and timber on the same, valued at $155,000, ten horses, valued at $500; four cows, $120; one bull, $40; farming tools valued at 810; in all 8155,765 together with all rights, privileges and appur­tenances there unto belong or appertaining. I also covenant and agree that I am the lawful claimant and owner of said property, and will warrant and forever defend the same unto the said trustee in trust, his successors in office and assigns etc.

"Siegnerouch (Arropine) His X Mark"

"Witnesses: George Snow, R. Wilson Glenn, John Patten."

This ceded to Brigham Young and the people of Sanpete County, which at that time comprised an unknown area, including all of southeastern Utah, and no well-defined description was given until an act of the legislature, approved January 10, 1866, gave the following boundaries: "All that portion of the Territory bounded south by Sevier County, west by Juab County, north by the summit of the range of mountains between Sanpete Valley, and the Spanish Fork river, thence by a line drawn due east from said intersection to the thirty-second meridian. Provided that the hay ground in Thistle Valley shall be included in the county." Thus ended the so-called Walker Indian War which had lasted three years.

Although a treaty of peace had been made by Arropine, some­times called Siegnerouch, the Indians could not be trusted, for even Arropine, hard-hearted and cruel, finding that he could play upon the fears of the "pale face" by his fine oratory, compelled them to pay tribute in the form of provisions.

At a general conference held in Salt Lake City, April 1855, a party of forty men from Sanpete were called to settle Elk moun­tain country. Leaving Manti May 23rd, after a hard trip they ar­rived at Grand River, crossing the stream on June 12th. The Indians were friendly and welcomed the "White Man." Corrals were built of logs and the Mormon Fort at Moab built of stone was finished July 19th. It was not long, however, until there was some feeling that mischief was meant by some of the Indians. On September 23rd, Wiseman Hunt, Edward Edwards, and William Behunin were killed and Captain A. N. Billings was wounded. The settlers entered the fort and it was at once surrounded by Indians, who gave notice that they intended to kill all the inmates. However, some of the friendly Indians interceded in behalf of the white man, and the imprisoned colonists were allowed to return to their homes with the understanding that the Settlement should be abandoned and that section be left undisputed property of the Utes. The colonists then returned to Manti.

The grasshoppers invaded the farms of Sanpete in 1855, and destroyed almost all the crops. However, in December 1857, there was much rejoicing and a general jubilee prevailed because of the abundant crops which had been harvested.

History of Mount Pleasant by Hilda Madsen Longsdorf pp:15-25

City Begins by Indian Request ~ by Fern M. Jacobs

In the beginning, there was a beautiful little valley tucked between high mountains of the Wasatch Range.  The Indians and wild animals  had been its only occupants.  Several sparkling mountain streams flowed down the face of the mountains giving life to the land it touched.  Then came the white men and civilization as it is called.

It is impossible to separate the migration from almost every nation of Europe, from the Latter-day Saint Church......especially in the beginning.  They were attempting to escape the persecution of men not believing in the "inalienable right" to worship as they pleased given in the first documents written up by the founding fathers of this new nation.  So it was decided to come west to a spot no one else would want in the dessert surroundings of the great salt sea.

So as the migration continued, there were many who found land and built homes in the Salt Lake and Cache valleys.  After Chief Walker, Chief Sowiette and a band of Ute Indians went to Salt Lake to urge President Young to send "pale faces" south to this Sanpitch Valley to teach the Indians how to build their houses and till the soil, a group of men journeyed down into this valley and were entertained by the Indian tribe.  It was decided that Manti be the first settlement.  They came on November 22, 1849, about 43 families making shelters in dug-outs, wagon boxes, or whatever could be found.  After a terrible winter and infestation of rattle snakes in the spring, they began the arduous task of clearing land, planting crops and building homes.

Among the group who first settled Manti were two men, Madison D. Hambleton, Gardner Potter and their families.  These two men, in 1851, came north to Pleasant Creek Canyon and found desirable timber to be cut.  So they brought out timber, cut shingles and furnished lumber for building the first homes in Allred Settlement ( later called Spring Town ).

In the spring of 1852, under the direction of these two men, a settlement was made on Pleasant Creek about a mile west of where the town of Mt. Pleasant is not situated.  About six families made their way here, built homes and began to till up the soil on the south of the little settlement.  There was plenty pastureland as well as the creek and the sawmill which he and Potter built.

It has been found through research and the stories of a great-granddaughter of Madison Hambleton now living in Mt. Pleasant, that Mr. Hambleton was born Nov. 2, 1811 in Erie, New York, and died July 1901 in Nephi.  He and his family, consisting of a wife and two daughters, had been in Nauvoo when the expulsion took place and came west to Salt Lake and lived there in Cottonwood for a time before coming to Manti with the first group.

Their sawmill was located in Pleasant Creek Canyon just west of the present site of our power plant and supplied lumber for much of the building in the valley.  These two men saw the great possibilities of what was to become one of the big enterprises of the community later on.  At one time, many sawmills dotted our mountains and gave employment to many men with their teams and wagons.

The site was chosen near the slaughter house used for many years by Erickson Meat Co.  This to many seems the most logical place, from the scant information give of our early history.  If anyone knows more about this matter, we would greatly appreciate additional data.  Around this spot are many trees  .... not necessarily the local type.  One can recognize Russian Olive, ash, box elder and the more common poplar, willow and oak.  This suggests these trees having been planted for shade trees.  Also the site was on the bend of Pleasant Creek as it turns north to join Sanpitch River.

Early in July, 1853, the Ute Indians went on the war path because of some killings  the Indians thought unjust.  Chief Walker had changed his attitude toward the whites shortly after they had arrived in the Manti Valley and had been stealing cattle.  Chief Sowiette tried and was successful in subduing Chief Walker many times on behalf of the white men.  But this time the Indians got out of hand so to speak, and word was passed down through the state to expect trouble.  A posse was dispatched from Provo on July 23, 1853 and  after a bloody fight at Hambleton, the posse assisted the settlers to get to Spring Town.  As they left, they turned to watch the flames from Indian torches lay to ruin their little settlement and the sawmill.  Some of the men later returned to harvest what they could salvage of their crops.

The stay at Spring Town (or the Allred Settlement) was brief as they also had been threatened.  As a result, all was moved to Manti.  Here 765 men, women and children lived that winter.

In 1857, as Johnston's Army threatened the "peace to destroy,"  President Brigham Young urged the people to move farther south.  Thus, many more found their way to our little valley of the Sanpitch.  Also, there was a great migration about this time from the Scandinavian countries of LDS converts.  Many came to Ephraim, Manti and Sanpete.  By February of 1859 permission had been granted by President Young to resume a settlement on Pleasant Creek while urging extreme precaution to be taken and a fort built immediately to protect the people in case of another fierce Indian attack.  That spring, a larger group numbering about 20 families  lead by James R. Ivie, Joseph Clement and Isaac Allred left Manti.  The men had come up previous to this time to cut cedar posts and see the lay of the land.

The question was arisen as to why Madison Hambleton's name was not on the list of those who came in the second group. The answer has been found  through research that he and his son-in-law, Abraham Bosworth, had contracted to deliver mail from Manti to Nephi and up to Salt Lake once every week.  So he moved to Nephi and lived there the remainder of his life.  Just another side issue , Abraham Boswell had come over from Nephi  to purchase lumber from the Hambleton-Potter Sawmill and had met and fallen in love with Gerusha Hambleton.  They married in 1853 and lived in Hambleton Settlement until they were driven out with the rest.

As was suggested, a fort was one of the first considerations and was duely built of stone with native rock and mud mortar.  It was 26 rods square, with the walls 12 feet high ~~~ four feet at the bottom and graduated to two feet at the top with port holes to fire at the Indians if need be.  On the inside the fort walls were used as one wall for houses built about 18 feet square.  There were two large gates on the north and south with smaller ones on the east and west, leaving space for Pleasant Creek to flow from east to west through the fort to supply water for them.  This fort was located on the intersection of what is now Main and State Streets;  East about a block, north to about first north, west 40 rods, and south the beginning.

Many lived in the fort for a time until a dugout or houses could be built.  Then they would move out and others would come and take residency in the Fort until their abodes were ready.  Many families came and the town grew rapidly.  Soon there were about 800 inhabitants with about 1200 acres of ground under cultivation.  There was great rejoicing as the fort was completed in July 1859.  When the drums would beat, it was a signal for all to run for the fort as the Indians were coming.

In the center of the fort was built the first community building.  It was used as the very first school house with A.B. Strickland and Mrs. Oscar Winters as teachers.  It also served as meeting house, theater, dance hall and for church services.

There were difficult times but everyone had to be united in the effort of self protection, preservation from cold, hunger and lack of means.  It was a time of bartering....not much money changed hands.  Each one in turn would trade what he had, could raise or could make for something he needed, that someone else could furnish.  The United Order was begun but did not survive long, although in one sense of the word, the exchanging of services, handmade products and food was the basis for their survival.

There was much to do to get everything started.  City lots and farming land were divided and the settlers drew their land by number.  Irrigation ditches and canals had to be dug and rights established which stand to this present time.  We can stand in awe and amazement at the system organized with little or no understanding of the principles of irrigation.

Homes had to be built, trees, gardens and grain planted after the arduous task of clearing the high sage brush and rocks from the land.  Women set up looms and spinning wheels in their homes to make clothes from scratch; that is they would shear the sheep, wash and card the wool, spin and dye it, weave it and then cut and sew it by hand to make wearing apparel for their families as well as knitting stockings and sweaters.

I wonder in this day and age just how many of us would survive long if we had to grow or produce all we had to eat.  It gives us a deeper appreciation of our progenitors the work and diligence they demonstrated.

William S. Seely was appointed the first bishop which also entailed being the mayor and judge, but the town prospered.

They couldn't have all work and no play.  Not long after the fort was completed, there were theater performances staged with wagon covers used as curtains.  There were dances, weddings to celebrate, quiltings and celebrations to liven things up.

Five languages were spoken in Mt. Pleasant, so there was much confusion in understanding each other, but each group studied the gospel in his own tongue and was united in one cause .....their religion.

The first school established outside the fort was "Aunty Hyde's" school, located about one half a block west of the present high school.  She would call "to books ... to books" to begin the day in lieu of a bell.

The town was incorporated on February 20, 1868.

Many businesses needed to be established and all followed in the course as the needs arose such as a printing press, blacksmith shop, shoe makers, dentist shops, doctors' offices, hotels, post offices, banks, leather tanneries, adobe kilns for making bricks, sawmills and flour mills. Space will not permit a detailed outline of each of these projects and names of those responsible given credit.  I hesitate mentioning names for fear of deleting some more important than others.  All assisted each in his own way to make our town a better, more desirable place to live.

President Young sent word for a brass band to be established.  John Hasler, a musician from Switzerland brought instruments from his native land and established the first brass band.  For playing in this band each man was given a ten acre field in the northwest part of the community fields.  It is even yet referred to as the "brass band field".

The different auxiliaries of the church were organized and eventually the town was divided into wards and churches were built.  Dr. McMillian came and established Wasatch Academy in the year 1875.  A school house was built and called the "Simpson School" as Hans Y. Simpson had contributed generously to its being built.  It was located on 200 West and about where the Wasatch Academy tennis court now stands.

In 1889 the Deseret Telegraph branch line was completed to Mt. Pleasant.  1872 found the Indians and white men signing the Black Hawk War peace treaty in Bishop Wm. S. Seely's home which is now our Pioneer Museum on State Street.

The D&RG Railroad started its run from Salt Lake to Mt. Pleasant in the year 1890 as well as the telephone system from Fairview to Mt. Pleasant the following year.  Thus distances and communication brought the world closer to our fair, becoming city.

Mt. Pleasant erected a three story brick school house in the year 1898.  Its bell tolled curfew at nine o'clock each night and again in the morning, people could set their clock by the 8 o'clock bell ringing loud and clear with precise regularity.  The school was to have been named Hambleton in honor of Mt. Pleasant's first leader, but somehow it was changed to Hamilton.

The North Sanpete High School was completed in 1912.  This gave students a chance to continue their education beyond elementary school.  Wasatch Academy now included instruction for children kindergaarten through 12th grade as well.

Mt. Pleasant weathered three major floods in 1893, 1918, and 1946.  All went roaring down through the main section of town distributing mud, rocks and debris on each side of Pleasant Creek, through houses, stores and streets.  In 1918 one life was lost.  A flood dam has now been built to catch the quick run-off so we are hoping the problem is solved permanently.

For many years the sheep industry was the main way of making a living here.  First came the more common variety of sheep which would be taken to the west desert in the winter, returning in the spring to be traded to the mountain tops to graze on the high green grass.  Later, the Ramblette was brought from Russia.  This breed had long wool fibers and were much sought after.

In 1872 Mt. Pleasant boasted of a population of 3000 but times change and many sons and daughters reluctantly left home to make more lucrative living elsewhere.  Lately, many are moving back and the town population is increasing.  Several land development companies are selling lots for homes.  Many people have found out clean clear air, our desirable climate, cool mountain setting very desirable.  As you can tell, I for one, love our fair little city.

Fern acknowledges the book of  "Mt. Pleasant", compiled by Hilda Madsen Longsdorf; "These Our Fathers", compiled by Florence Bagnall and the family of Madison D. Hambleton, Mrs. Thomas Milburn a great granddaughter of Hambleton and "History of Sanpete and Emery Counties".  as her sources for her excellent report.