Showing posts with label Indianola. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indianola. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Caratat C. Rowe and Mary Napier Row ~~~ Pioneers of the Month !~~~ February 2022

 


 Way back in 2009  we posted Caratat Conderset and Mary Napier Rowe As Pioneers of the Month.  I have found so much more information on them and have had a lot of requests for more information on them.   You can read the original post here: 

 https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2217707143168230507/8499223279971595742

 










BIOGRAPHY OF CARATAT C. ROWE BORN 1823, PERRY, DELAWARE COUNTY, INDIANA Arrive in Utah, July 29,1847 Written by a Granddaughter, Candace B. Michelson  

  Grandfather Caratat Conderset Rowe, a son of William Niblo Rowe and Candace Blanchard Rowe was born in Perry Delaway County, Indiana in 1823. When young Tat was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints the family moved westward. When the Mormon Battalion was organized Tat and his brother William enlisted and he was a member of Company A. However, the Rowe brothers were with the "Sick Detachment" under Captain James Brown which was compelled to winter during 1846=1847 at Peublo, Colorado. The main body of the battalion continued the journey into California, to San Diego. Among these latter were some friends of the Rowe brother, James, Riley, Alfred and Reddick N. Alfred later of Spring City. During the travels toward Utah, brother William Rowe became very ill and was unable to travel. He lay down on the ground and his brother Tat was tenderly watching over him. As the others of the company were passing by one of the Captains said to Tat, "We must move on, it seems that your brother will live but a short time. You had better come along with us." Tat sat beside his brother, cross-legged with his gun across his knees. "I am staying here," he said to the Captain. Then the Captain turned to several of his men and told them to place the dying man in the wagon. The men did so and the company moved on slowly. The group consisted of besides Captain Brow, Captains Nelson Higgins, and William W. Willis. There were 140 of the sick detachment and 40 of the Mississippi Saints also bound for Utah. There were only 29 wagons, 1 carriage, 100 horses and mules, and 300 head of cattle to make the journey. This company arrived in Utah just five days after the arrival of the original company on July 29, 1847. The sick were cared for by the Brothers and Sisters who had arrived there previously. When President Brigham Young and a few companies returned to the Missouri River where the most of the Saints were, a number of the Battalion Boys in Iowa had returned from California and some of the Pueblo detachment who had recovered from illness also went back east with President Young to be with their families. In this group were William and Caratat Rowe. Tat's wife, Grandma Mary Napier Rowe while living at Fremont, Iowa gave birth to a daughter, Candace Blanchard, born July 24, 18_. Mary was a Scotch lassie, who joined the Church and came as a young girl to America. In 1852 the C. C. Rowe family came to Utah in the company of Captain B. M. Jolley's train of covered wagons. They left Kanesville, Iowa in 1852 and arrived in Utah September 15, 1852. There were 340 people in the pioneer company. After a while at Salt Lake City the family located at Payson where a daughter Janette Sterling Rowe was born on August 24, 1855. She was baptized in 1864. When the Walker Indian War was raging in Utah County grandfather C.C. Rowe served his part being commissioned a Second-Lieutenant was on of "The Silver Grey's, a member of Company B of the Nauvoo Legion of the Payson Post. They removed to Sanpete County and in 1860 settled in Mt. Pleasant. He served in the Black Hawk Indian War, for which service he received his old age which is a pension from the U.S. Government. He was very grateful. For sometime grandfather C.C. Rowe did farming and herding in Thistle Valley at Indianola in early times. Others were Aaron, Joseph and Nathan Staker, later of Mt. Pleasant. Later he removed with his sons, Con and Allen to the "Round Hills," or Mountainville, north east of Mount Pleasant, where they did farming. Each of them reared a good sized family of line healthy children who were well respected. Uncle Con Rowe went back East to help bring in the Mormon immigrants. Uncle Allen "Lene" Rowe, filled a mission for the Church, all of these men were firm in the Faith. Grandfather Rowe was always concerned over the welfare of his family and friends. When people were ill in Mt. Pleasant he would go out with another Elder into the homes of the sick and administer to them in the authority of the Holy Priesthood. He always exercised Faith, and was rewarded in that the sick were healed, etc. and his family received many blessings as a result of the faithful devotion of this great and good man. Tat was not wealthy in his worldly goods and he had suffered much privation in pioneer days but he enjoyed the peace of mind of a good conscience and the happy association of his large family and many many friends. He kept a weed less vegetable garden. He was witty, and full of fun. He enjoyed singing jolly songs to his children and grandchildren. It is a family tradition that Grandpa Rowe was one possessed with power over sickness, doubtless because of his authority in the Holy Priesthood, and his pure life of service. At one time he was called for by someone who told him of someone else who was bleeding excessively. Grandpa told them that the bleeding had stopped, though he did not go to their home. No doubt, he offered a silent prayer to our Heavenly Father, for the one afflicted and the prayer was answered as desired.


BIOGRAPHY OF MARY NAPIER ROWE BORN MARCH 30, 1823 at KILSYTH, LARRACK, SCOTLAND ARRIVED IN UTAH SEPTEMBER 15, 1852 


By Mary Loretta Rowe Burnside  
 Mary Napier was born March 30, 1823 in Kilsyth, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Her parents were Janette Gillis and John Napier. Mary is descended from the Royal family of Scotland and of Ireland. Genealogists have traced her linage back for many generations, on one line to 1700 B.C. she is of the Royal line of Judah through King Zedekiah according to Church records. Many interesting facts are thus brought out concerning her ancestral lives and their history. Of her parents family we have the names of five other children, her sisters, as follows: Jean, Christena, Agnes, Nesbit, and Isabella. The parents probably were in humble circumstances, as Mary worked in a textile mill in the city of Glasgow.

 When missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints preached the gospel there, Mary and her sister Isabella were converted. They were baptized, though it is not known if at the same time. Mary and Isabella were the only ones of their family to come to America. It is not known if the sister Isabella ever came to Utah as she was not known by her sisters family. Elder Franklin D. Richards was one of the missionaries who preached the gospel to Mary. It was in the fall of 1847 when Mary was reunited with her husband who had been gone for more than a year with the Mormon Battalion. It was September 15, 1852, when Mary and her family came to Utah. Mary did not have the funds to come to Utah immediately. After her marriage to Caratat Conderset Rowe, she lived at the home of her husband's parents William Nible (he held the public office of a judge) and Candace Blanchard Rowe. Mary's very great faith and the friendships she gained kept her happy. She seemed to enjoy the spiritual gift of vision or prophecy. Many times she knew of coming events before they actually occurred. She told of seeing a light which filled the room. Within this light, sat her sister who lived in Scotland. WTien Mary saw her sister sitting in a rocking chair, she spoke the sister's name. It was not long until she heard of the passing of her sister.


 While living at Payson, Mary gave bread to two girls who were survivors of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. An Indian whose name was James Onuph used to come to the home of Mary and Caratat Condrset Rowe quite often when they were living at Mountainville. Once when he was visiting with them "Indian Jim" as he was called, was talking with Grandma Mary. He asked her a question pertaining to a principle of the gospel, restored, and Mary was attempting to answer the question. She started to speak, then said, "I wish that I could answer your question so that you could understand. I would like to have the language to explain it to you, and make it clear to you. Then the Indian said to her, "Stand Up", She began to speak. Again he said, "Stand Up". Mary stood up and began to speak to him. Onuph nodded his head because he understood what she was saying. She continued to speak and Onumph again nodded his head. It was plain that he knew what she meant. But no one else in the room could understand, even her sons and daughter-in-law, my uncle and my father and mother who were there, did not know what Mary was saying, because she spoke in a language which her children did not understand. But James Onumph or 'Indian Jim", clearly understood what she said. Grandma Mary Napier Rowe had spoken with the spiritual gift of tongues. James blessing was in fulfillment of the Lord's promise; and this great blessing was in fulfillment.

 From the History of Indianola we read the Onemph learned to speak the English language quite well. Our Uncle Con Rowe, among other settlers there, learned to speak the Indian language, to make himself understood by the Indians. The Bishop of Indianola, John Spencer, a former resident of Payson, also learned to speak Indian. Bishop John Spencer, chose Indian Jim to be his second counselor in the Bishopric there. Indian Jim was very faithful in his calling. Other Indians who were active in Indianola were Moroni and Ephi. Indian Pennywatch was a frequent visitor there. At one time, or for some years about the only shite people there were the Danish Indian Missionary, Elder August A. Hjorthand and his wife. Hjorth taught Indian Santaquin how to make ditches on Santaquin's farm which was north of Indianola, between there and Clinton. Indian Jim's wife, Phoebe, was of high rank among the Indians there. It seems that whenever Phoebe spoke to the other Indians, they all listened attentively, and obeyed her instructions. When James Onumph was just a young lad, he warned the settlers of Mt. Pleasant of impending attack by the Indians. A lumber saw mill was burned but no settlers were slain. Grandma Mary Napier Rowe passed away March 4, 1902. She is buried at Mt. Pleasant City, Cemetery.



Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Andrew Martin Peterson and wife Mary Susannah Dalley ~ Pioneers of the Month ~ September 2015





Mary Susannah DALLEY
Birth:
10 Feb 1857
Mt. Pleasant, Sanpete, Utah

Death:
26 Apr 1922
Fairveiw, Sanpete, Utah

Father:
Charles Edward DALLEY
Mother:
Elsie Ann ALDRICH






Attack On A Fairview Cow Herd 

https://books.google.com/books?id=FUd0AAAAMAAJ&q=Fairview+cow+herd#v=snippet&q=Fairview%20cow%20herd&f=falsehttps://books.google.com/books?id=FUd0AAAAMAAJ&q=Fairview+cow+herd#v=snippet&q=Fairview%20cow%20herd&f=false

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Biography of Caratat Conderset Rowe ~ taken from History of Mountainville compiled by Melba Shelley Hill





[Composite++Caratat+and+Mary.png]
   Caratat Conderset Rowe                                   Mary Napier Rowe
     


Home of Conderset and Mary Rowe
photos courtesy of Mt. Pleasant Relic Home




Sunday, March 1, 2009

PIONEER OF THE MONTH, APRIL: Caratat Conderset and Mary Napier Rowe

Caratat Conderset and Mary Napier Rowe sitting on the front porch of their home at an unknown location. (probably Mountainville)



Excerpts taken from histories by Loretta Rowe Burnside and Jennie Allred Brotherson which can be found in "Mountainville History" by Melba Hill.Caratat Conderset Rowe, son of William Niblo Rowe and Candace Blanchard Rowe, was born in Perry Township, Delaware County, Indiana on May 11, 1823. The family had migrated from the northeastern states. He often told his grandchildren that his name was Caratat Conderset Nichols John Rowe. The grandchildren thought this was just another joke that their witty and fun-loving grandfather was telling them. But he may have been named for the Marque de Jean Marie Antione Nicholas Caratat Condercet. Caratat was of medium height and had dark brown hair and brown eyes.




It seemed that the Rowes lived near the Latter Day Saint Church headquarters and were acquainted with the early church leaders whom they respected. As a youngster, Caratat heard the gospel from missionaries. It was not until he realized how much the “Mormons” were being persecuted for their faith that Caratat became interested. He was baptized August 12, 1842. As a young man he married Mary Napier, a lovely blue eyed, red haired Scotch lassie who was a “Mormon” convert immigrant.




Mary Napier was born March 30, 1823 in Kilayth, Lanarkshire Scotland. Her parents were Janette Gillis and John Napier. Mary was descended from the royal family of Scotland and of Ireland. Genealogists have traced her lineage back for many generations; on one line to 1700 B.C. She was of the royal line of Judah through King Zedikiah according to Church records. Many interesting facts are thus brought out concerning her ancestral lines and their history.




When missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints preached the gospel in Scotland, Mary and her sister Isabella were converted. They were baptized, though it is not known if at the same time. Mary and Isabella were the only ones of their family to come to America. It is not known at this time if Isabella ever came to Utah. Elder Franklin D. Richards was one of the missionaries who preached the gospel to Mary.




Mary’s great faith and the friendships she gained kept her happy. She seemed to enjoy the spiritual gift of Vision of Prophecy. Many times she knew of coming events before they actually occurred.




Shortly after their marriage came the call for enlistments in the Mormon Battalion. Caratat joined with his two cousins, William and Manning Rowe. The Battalion left Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and marched toward the southwest to prevent further trouble between the United States Government and Mexico. The trials and hardships the men endured are well known. A sick detachment of men were sent to Pueblo, Colorado to spend the winter of 1846-47.

During the journey William Rowe became very ill and was unable to walk. The officer in charge thought this poor sick man would die. He advised the company to leave him there and move on. Caratat sat cross-legged on the ground beside his sick cousin. With his musket across his lap, he refused to leave. Finally, the officer in charge gave an order and William was lifted into a wagon. He recovered and was able to endure the journey into Utah.
Bound for Utah with the sick detachment, which included 140 members of the Batallion, were 40 Saints, 29 wagons, one carriage, 100 horses and 300 cattle. This company arrived in Utah just five days after the arrival of the first company of pioneers. (July 29, 1847).
Caratat traveled east to meet his family. He left Salt Lake Valley on August 26, 1847. During the journey his feet were frozen.


While Caratat had been away with the battalion, his wife, Mary, lived with Caratat’s parents in Iowa. Caratat Conderset Rowe, Jr. was born in Iowa on August 10, 1848/49. Candace Blanchard Rowe was born July 24, 1851 while the family was still in Iowa.


The family were members of a wagon train company which left Kanesville, Iowa in 1853 headed by Henry B. Jolley. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on September 15, 1852. Caratat and his family settled in Payson in Utah County.
Here three children were born: William Napier, born 15 September 1853; Jennett Sterling, born 24 August 1855; and a son, Ilinian (called Allen, Lin or Leen) born 12 July 1858.


When the Walker War was raging, Caratat served under the rank of Second Lieutenant. He was a member of Company “B” of the Payson Post of the Nauvoo Legion and also a member of the “Silver Greys”.
In 1860 the family moved to Sanpete County and settled at Mt. Pleasant. On April 23, 1861, a daughter Mary was born.


For several years Caratat and his sons did farming and stock raising in Thistle Valley at Indianola. Here they were active in defense of this summer settlement when Indians were on the war path. Both Caratat and his son “Con” were active in the Blackhawk War. Whenever possible, they tried to remain on friendly terms with the Indians. “Con” learned to speak the Indian language and had many friends among them.


A more detailed description of those early days is given in the history of Indianola from Centennial History of Sanpete County, “These Our Fathers”.
Indianola, originally called Thistle Valley, is located in the northern end of Sanpete County on Highway 89. As the name indicates, it was once the home of a tribe of Indians. They settled in a protected cove in the southeast part of the valley, called “Indian Hollow”. Here their horses and stock could feed throughout the winter among the cedars and in the ravines of the canyon. A large part of the valley consists of grass meadow land. It was for this reason that the early colonists of Fairview and Mt. Pleasant, among them Caratat Conderset Rowe, used this valley and Milburn Valley as summer pasture for their beef and dairy heads, their sheep and pigs.


They constructed small movable buildings called “herd houses” or “dairy houses”. The roofs of these buildings were somewhat in the manner of our sheep wagons of today and were covered with canvas. They could easily be moved about on wheels and follow the herds. In those the “herd boys” lived.


One year a herd of pigs had been brought to Thistle Valley for the summer. When they were being driven back to town, the men who were driving the pigs tgried to make them travel a little faster. As a result they all died from becoming overheated. The particular spot on the road about half way between Indianola and Hilltop is still known as the “Hog Dugway”.


Peter Gottfredsen, Caratat Conderset Rowe, Coderset Rowe Jr., Nathan Staker and his sons, Aaron and Joseph, were some of the herders of these flocks. Peter Gottfredsen in his book, “Indian Depredations in Utah” notes that after the close of the Tintic War in 1856, the Indians were comparatively peaceful until 1863. They again became dissatisfied, thinking that their hunting grounds were being taken from them by the white settlers.


In June 1866, Captain Albert P. Dewey of Colonel Kimball’s command was ordered to establish a key post in Thistle Valley. There were 22 cavalry and 35 infantry, the latter under Captain Jesse West. A few days later, they were attacked by a band of Indians under “Chief Black Hawk”. The battle lasted all day and Charles Brown of Draper was killed. If help had not arrived from Mt. Pleasant, there is no doubt that the Indians would have taken the camp.


The mountain now known as “Blackhawk” was used by Chief Black Hawk and his warriors as a signal point. Just east of this peak, in the Red Cliffs, is an old Indian burial ground. Undoubtedly, the Indians killed during the Blackhawk War were buried there. Many of the older Indians were buried here after they made peace with the whites.


One of the most horrible deeds committed during the Blackhawk War by the Indians was the massacre of the John Given family in the Thistle Valley on the morning of May 26, 1865. John Given, his wife, son and three small daughters were killed instantly. Two men, Charles Brown and Charles Wager Leah, who lived with the Givens, were able to escape and go down the canyon to a small settlement and report what had happened. After the massacre, the Indians gathered up the possessions of the family and killed or crippled the calves, and drove off with between one hundred and two hundred head of horses and cattle into the mountains.



While Caratat was living in Indianola, he built a wagon. The wheels were sawed off log ends reinforced with pieces of iron nailed around the outside edge of the wheels. Later, Caratat, his sons, Con and Allen moved their families to a valley east of the “Round Hills” in Sanpete County. They acquired farming land. The little settlement became known as Mountainville. Caratat was presiding Elder of this branch of the Mt. Pleasant North Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for many years.



An Indian whose name was James Onumph usedto come to the home of Mary and Caratat Rowe quite often when they were living at Mountainville. Once when he was visiting with them, "Indian Jim" as he was called was talking with Mary. He asked her a question pertaining to a principle of the gospel and Mary was attempting to answer the question. She started to speak and then said, "I wish that I could answer your question so that you couyld understand. I would like to have the language to explain it to you, and to make it clearer to you". Then the Indian said to her, "Stand Up" She began to speak. Again he said "Stand Up". Mary stood up, began to speak to him. Onumph nodded his head because he understood what she was saying. She continued to speak and Onumph again nodded his head. It was plain that he knew what she meant. But no one else in the room could understand, even her sons and daughter-in-law. She spoke a language which her children did not understand. But "Indian Jim" clearly understood what she said. Grandma Mary Napier Rowe had spoken with the spiritual gift of tongues. Later, "Indian Jim" became a second counselor to Bishop John Spencer of Indianola


Caratat Conderset Rowe died February 10, 1904

Mary Napier Rowe passed away March 4, 1902. She is buried in the Mt. Pleasant City Cemetery

Monday, January 26, 2009

Pioneer of the Month --- February --- Andrew and Johanna Anderson Madsen

Johanna Anderson Madsen --------------Andrew Madsen Sr.


Andrew Madsen was born on March 3, 1835 on his father's farm, located near the little village of Svinninge, Osherred, Denmark. His fathers before him had been free men of the soil, holding their land in every sense of the word: ambitious, clean, hard-working, kind, honest and deeply religious. Young Andrew assimilated these traits. Of his early childhood, he later wrote, "I received my education in a village school house and worked upon the farm, assisting my fater in earning a livlihood. Later, I worked for my uncle two years at a salary of $1.25 per month, including my board. For one year I then worked as a carpenter's apprentice and received no pay other than learning the trade, and boarding myself."



With his parents and brothers and sisters he joined the Mormon church in 1854, he being baptized on December fourth. Andrew's conversion was very real. After the family unanimously decided to gather to Zion, Andrew, with his brothers, Niels Peter and Niels and sisters Margrethe and Jacobena left their home on November 23, 1855, they began their journey to Utah. They set sail from Liverpool, England, December 6, 1855, in a company of 508 converts. Andrew recorded "Many of us became seasick. The voyage was not a pleasant one and our vessel was not equipped for so many people, so we suffered many disadvantages. We had tiers of bunks aroound the sides and boxes in the center. We were all compelled to eat off the boxes we had to sit on ... our rations were very coarse and simple, and our water supply became low, owing to the long journey."



On the nineteenth of that month a bad storm developed and continued for several weeks. On the first day of the new year, 1856, the storm became much worse and a mast cracked under the violent force of the wind. It was wrapped tightly with a chain so it could serve for the rest of the voyage. Then fire broke out under the captain's cabin and filled passenger quarters with thick suffocating smoke. With extreme effort it was extinguished. under pressure with these troublesome events, the Captain forbade all praying and singing of hymns. Andrew later wrote in his journal "This did not prevent us from fasting and praying in secret, and afterwards, better weather prevailed." On February 24, 1856, after eleven seasick weeks, filled with the dangers of storm and fire, with nearly sixty dead, they thankfully landed at New York City.



Andrew and his party proceeded to St. Louis, arriving there March 1, 1856. None of his family could speak English and it was difficult to get along. Those able to work did so when worked could be had. Andrew found work on a steamboat and was paid $2.50 per day; later he worked on a farm for $15.00 per month. About June first, President Knute Petersen gathered a company and they went to Winter Quarters (now Florence, Nebraska) where they organized to continue on to Utah. Their outfit consisted of sixty wagons with two yoke of oxen, andsix to ten persons to each wagon.



On September 16, 1856, nearly ten months after leaving their home in Denmark, Andrew and his brothers and sisters arrived in Salt Lake City. Andrew had the thrill of his lifetime when he met Brigham Young, and he was especially thrilled to realize he could understand many of the words of the Prophet.



Andrew and his family were poor when they arrived in Utah, having "one dollar in money between them." according to Andrew. However, when Lorenzo Snow was to build a fine home in Brigham City, Andrew and his brothers presented him with a keg of nails, which they had brought all the way from St. Louis. In pioneer Utah, a keg of nails was truly a rich gift. The Madsens stayed in Salt Lake only briefly, then moved to Kaysville where they divided their remaining posessions. Andrew received a pair of young steers as his share of their common property, and moved to Brigham City, where he worked as a carpenter. He was paid twelve bushels of wheat and his board, for his winter's work.



On December 21, 1856, the brothers and sisters learned that their mother, Bodil, and brother Christian had arrived in Utah and that their father, Lars, had passed away in Devil's Gate, Wyoming, when traveling with the Hodgetts oxen company. After Bodil and Christian were with them, the brothers and sisters all moved to Brigham City, a devoted and happy family. The following September 13, 1857, their brother Mads reached Salt Lake City, safely. There was a great rejoicing, for the whole family had completed the journey to Utah.



In 1857 when the United States government sent troops to the Territory of Utah, Governor Brigham Young declared the territory under martial law, and forbade the troops to enter Utah. Andrew's brothers andsisters were by then married and in March of 1858 they moved to Fort Ephraim, but Andrew stayed in the north to help the militia. They planned to burn their homes and destroy their property if thearmy actually threatened the people. While in the militia Andrew did some trading with the Indians, obtaining a red flannel shirt andsome buckskin trousers, his first suit of clothes purchased in Utah. By June the difficulties between the United States and Utah were peaceably adjusted, and the militia disbanded. Andrew took his gun, his knife and blanket and walked from Brigham City to Fort Ephraim,a distance of about two hundred miles, where he was reunited with his mother, brothers and sisters.



On December 26, 1858, Andrew was married to Johannah Elizabeth (Widergreen) Anderson. Johannah was born 15 December 1840. To them were born ten children. They were:



Hannah L- - - - - Born: September 27, 1859


Louisa B. - - - - - - - - - - August 10, 1861


Andreas- - - - - - - - - - - September 15, 1863


Annie- - - - - - - - - - - - - October 20, 1864


Emma - - - - - - - - - - - - July 15, 1866


Andrew C.- - - - - - - - - May 4, 1867


Lawritz L.- - - - - - - - - - August 2, 1869




Neil M.- - - - - - - - - - - - September 21, 1873


Hilda E.- - - - - - - - - - - - November 28, 1877



About the last of February, 1859, Andrew and a venturesome group of people left Fort Ephraim and moved north. They finally camped on the present site of Mt. Pleasant, March 20, 1859. there they built a good substantial fort to live in, following the counsel of Brigham Young. The fort walls were twelve feet high, made of good stone,andenclosed five and one half acres. Very little farming was done that first year, according to Andrew, for first the land needed to be cleared of giant sage brush and fields needed fencing.



From 1865 to 1868, Andrew participated in the Black Hawk War, and his history of that Indian uprising has been a reliable source of information.



Andrew and his brothers worked tirelessly for then common good of the community and became interested in the first steam powered saw mill, mowing machine, hay bailer, threshing machine, binder and reaper, molasses mill, and piano brought to their valley. Recognizing their need for fuel, Andrew also become interested in opening the first coal mine eat of Mt. Pleasant. Realizing the benefit a retail establishment could be to the community he helped organize the Mt. Pleasant Z.C.M.I. and was its first superintendent. When it was later dissolved, Andrewtransferred his holdings to the newly formed Union Mercantile Company, which later became the Madsen Mercantile Company. Seeing the value of rapid communication, Andrew and his brother, Mads sub scribed stock in the new telegraph line in 1865. They cut telegraph poles, transported them to and erected them on the proposed sites, to pay for their stock.



Andrew owned a two thousand acre ranch at Indianola and a twenty-five thousand acre ranch at Scofield, Utah. He owned several herds of sheep and cattle. He helped organize the first Sanpete County agricultural association and was its first treasurer. He served on the Mt. Pleasant City Council for twenty four years and acted as the first city treasurer.



In 1909 the citizens of Mt. Pleasant held a big celebration honoring their pioneers, on the fiftieth anniversary of the city, and Andrew originated a movement to erect a monument honoring the settlers of the city and preserving their names on it. He was always interested in preserving history and tradition and to this end, wrote extensive personal and community accounts in his records. They became the basis for the Mt. Pleasant book, compiled later by his daughter, Hilda. That the fellowship of the pioneers and their descendants might be preserved, Andrew organized the Mt. Pleasant Pioneer Historical Association in 1909, and served as the first president until his death six years later. In recognition of his outstanding leadership and community service he was especially honored by the Association on March 13, 1915, on his eightieth birthday, and he was presented with a gold watch, in appreciation.



Andrew was a tall, well proportioned man, his hair, light brown and eyes a gray-blue, with a clear tanned complexion and ruddy cheeks. He was strong and healthy and enjoyed wrestling with his sons. Even when grown men, they were unable to overcome him in their bouts. His active, long and eventful life closed when he passed away December 6, 1915.


(excerpts taken from the Madsen Family History)

Andrew Madsen Home

(also, Hilda Madsen Longsdorf Home, a daughter)