Oral History Program William Moore Interviewed by Linda Hunter 15 May 1971 i Oral History Program Weber State University Stewart Library Ogden, Utah William Moore Interviewed by Linda Hunter 15 May 1971 Copyright © 2014 by Weber State University, Stewart Library ii Mission Statement The Oral History Program of the Stewart Library was created to preserve the institutional history of Weber State University and the Davis, Ogden and Weber County communities. By conducting carefully researched, recorded, and transcribed interviews, the Oral History Program creates archival oral histories intended for the widest possible use. Interviews are conducted with the goal of eliciting from each participant a full and accurate account of events. The interviews are transcribed, edited for accuracy and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewees (as available), who are encouraged to augment or correct their spoken words. The reviewed and corrected transcripts are indexed, printed, and bound with photographs and illustrative materials as available. Archival copies are placed in University Archives. The Stewart Library also houses the original recording so researchers can gain a sense of the interviewee's voice and intonations. Project Description The Weber State College/University Student Projects have been created by students working with several different professors on the Weber State campus. The topics are varied and based on the student's interest or task for a specific assignment. These oral history assignments were created to help Weber State students learn the value and importance of recording public history and to benefit the expansion of the Weber State oral history collections. ____________________________________ Oral history is a method of collecting historical information through recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account. It reflects personal opinion offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. ____________________________________ Rights Management All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to the Stewart Library of Weber State University. No part of the manuscript may be published without the written permission of the University Librarian. Requests for permission to publish should be addressed to the Administration Office, Stewart Library, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah, 84408. The request should include identification of the specific item and identification of the user. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Moore, William, an oral history by Linda Hunter, 15 May 1971, WSU Stewart Library Oral History Program, University Archives, Stewart Library, Weber State University, Ogden, UT. iii Abstract: The following is an oral history interview with William B. Moore. The interview was conducted on May 15, 1971, by Linda Hunter. Mr. Moore describes his grandfather’s settlement in North Ogden and his family’s personal and communal conflict with Native Americans in the area at the time. LH: Mr. Moore was born in Weber County, in the same locale we are now at, 1000 Gramercy Avenue. In recommendation for this, he was referred to me as one of the well-versed men in Weber County history who is presently living. WM: I am William B. Moore, residing at 1000 Gramercy Avenue, and this story pertains to the early activity of Weber County in connection with... my grandfather, David Moore, who came in October 1849. In January 1850, President Brigham Young sent Lorin Farr up from Salt Lake to preside over the affairs of the settlers who had come to Weber County to makes their homes. His assignment was to direct the people both in their ecclesiastical, as well as their civil affairs. In the fall of 1848, Ezra Chase and Charles Hubbard and their families came to Weber County and settled north of the Ogden River, about a half mile of the present location of Harm Perry's Old Mill on Canyon Road... 200 feet west of Brinker Avenue, and south from Mill Creek and Canyon Road. The winter of 1848 and 1849 was very cold and severe on the stock. These two families were the first families to locate north of Ogden River. This winter was very trying on them. In the spring of 1849, there was an addition to this small beginning of a settlement by the arrival of a family by the name of John Shaw, consisting of his three sons, Ambrose, William and Mattila Shaw. They joined with Chase and Hubbard in opening up farms. That summer they had excellent crops, Mr. Hubbard raising over 100 bushels of 1 potatoes from one-half bushel of seed. They also had a good deal of wheat and corn. They had to get all their milking done at Nep's Mill, seven miles south of Salt Lake City. In the fall of 1849 this little settlement was again increased by the arrival of David Moore, George and Frederick Barker, Francilla Durphy, and Robert Porter, with their families, making some 23 persons in all. They located for the winter in some old log cabins near the junction of the Weber and Ogden Rivers. These cabins were built by a man by the name of Crow, his sons, and sons-in-law, who in the spring of 1849 had moved to Fort Hall, Idaho, leaving their homes empty. The winter of 1849 and 1850 was very long and severe, with deep snow. Several head of cattle and sheep died during the winter. As soon as they could get on the land after the break of winter of 1850, they moved over north of Ogden River. Grandfather Moore located about where 962 12th Street is... The Barkers, Frederick and his wife Anne Bly, became my great-grandfather and grandmother, Grandfather having courted and later married Sarah Barker, daughter of Frederick and Anne Bly Barker. George Barker, with his children, his wife having died on the ocean enroute from their home in England... made their home with his brother Frederick. The Barkers located in the vicinity of my home. Their house lined 100 feet south of my east property line where the upper Lynn ditch intersects with that property. The property is now owned by Robert Shaum. I can remember when a boy when my father showed me some foundation stones that were a part of the foundation of the Barker home. There were two tribes of Indians who were located here. The Shoshones, who were about 85 or 90 braves, under the leadership of Terikee, their chief. He was a fine old man. He was very friendly with the white people and respected by them. This tribe camped at the big bend of the Weber River. The Ute tribes, consisting of about 60 2 braves and their families, under the leadership of Little Soldier, became very friendly with the white people. He and my grandfather became very close friends. He said that grandfather didn't have a forked tongue, meaning that he always told the truth. When he gave his word to the Indians, they could always depend it would be carried out as he agreed to. Little Soldier later in life joined the LDS Church and took out his endowments in the Endowment House in Salt Lake, and had his... wife sealed to him. I have heard my mother say he was very proud of his standing in the church, and that he had gone through the Endowment House. He would unbutton his shirt, showing his garments, saying, "See, me a Mormon." Little Soldier and his band were camped on the south side of the Weber River just below the junction of the Ogden and Weber Rivers. The Indians were very quiet and peaceable during the winter of 1849-50. In the spring the Shoshones moved away to their hunting grounds. The Utes remained and several died with the measles. In February of this year, Lorin Farr organized a military company. C. C. Canfield was made captain, and Francella Durphy was made lieutenant. There were about 35 men in the organization. They included all the men in Weber County and 10-12 of that number were immigrants on their way to California. The spring was late with a big snowstorm on the 16th day of April, which remained on the ground about four days. The crops were late in getting planted. About the first of June, the crickets came down from the mountains in great numbers and got very near the crops when the seagulls came and devoured them. By this act of Providence, the grain crops were saved. In September of 1850 the Shoshones had returned from their old summer hunting grounds. They commenced to plunder off the whites. Their old chief, Terikee, decided to send his braves into the mountains until the settlers had harvested their 3 crops. After they had left, the old chief remained behind with his family to make sure none of his braves returned in the night to plunder again. Old Terikee was a good Indian, and up until his death had been on the most friendly terms with the whites. During the day before the morning on which he was killed, he and his... wife came over to President Lorin Farr, where he was building his mill, and bid he and his wife goodbye. Then they went over to Grandfather Moore, and told him and his wife goodbye. Then he returned to his camp in what is now Harrisville. He staked his ponies out to feed and retired to bed to get his rest so he could get an early start the next morning to join his braves and their families. During the night, one of his ponies pulled up his picket pen and wandered off into the cornfield of Irvin Stewart. Stewart had a farm on Four Mile Creek, now known as Harrisville. His house stood about where the old Pleasant Green Taylor home now stands. Stewart arose this morning of September 16, 1850, just after the break of day. Chief Terikee also arose this morning so he and his family could get on their way to join his braves. He found one of his ponies gone and went in search of it, and located it in Stewart's cornfield. He caught the pony and was leading it out toward his camp when Stewart came to his door. Seeing Terikee in his corn, he thought he was there to steal. He picked up his gun and fired, killing Terikee on the spot. Stewart now realized the seriousness of his rash act, became alarmed, and hastened to the home of Grandfather Moore. He informed Grandfather Moore of what he had done and pleaded with him to help him. Grandfather aroused his stern indignation and severely rebuked Stewart for the killing of the chief, which would result in the certain provoking and the return of the band to take revenge... He wanted Grandfather to hide him or help him escape out of that country, but Grandfather refused to help him and told him he would 4 have to take his medicine. From there he went over to President Lorin Fair's home. President Farr refused, fearing for the safety of his settlers. What became of Stewart, no one knows. He evidently was smuggled out of the country by some friends. Uncle George Barker, brother to my great-grandfather, and Uncle William Barker, brother to my Grandmother Moore, got on their horses and rode out to the Stewart home. When Terikee was killed, his young son was with him. He immediately got on his horse, rode to the Ute tribe, and notified them, under the leadership of Little Soldier, and then rode fast to overtake his band. They were camped on Box Elder Creek on the present site of Brigham City. They were waiting for their chief to come and join them. Immediately the band, in a furious rage, mounted their ponies and rode back to attempt the destruction of the Ogden settlement in revenge for the killing of Terikee. Little Soldier was also in a great rage over the killing of the great chief. Within a short time, they were at the Stewart home. They killed his cows, burned his hay, burned his house and everything in it, killing his cats and dogs and everything that was destructible sic . There were now about 35 or 40 Indians who participated. When Uncle George and William Barker arrived there, they were in the act of doing these things. They tried to talk to them but to no avail. Having failed in their attempt to make peace, they returned to their homes... The Indians followed them in. When they arrived they immediately encircled them, yelling at the top of their voices (this was at the Barker home). Grandfather Moore, as I have also mentioned, lived about 962 12th Street. He heard the noise over at Grandmother Barker's home. He was sitting in his chair in his home. He got up and went to the door and saw the Indians encircling her home with their horses. He got his gun and started out the door. When he got outside, he heard a voice speak to him, 5 which said, "Go and put your gun back in your place. If you go over there with that, they will think you want trouble." So he said he turned about and walked back into the house and put his gun in its place, and then went over to Grandmother Barker's home. When he got there, the Indians still circling her house with their horses and running and yelling like mad. When Grandfather got about 3-4 feet from the home, they left the house and commenced circling him. He said they circled him about 30 to 40 times, yelling and whooping at every jump the horses made. Then all of a sudden, they reigned in their horses and got them to stop in a great line in front of him. Grandfather said he thought his time had come. He stood there, facing them with folded arms, when at a signal from their chief, they raised their guns and in unison they shot over his head. When they had settled down, Grandfather walked over to the chief and said, "Soldier, what have I done to you to receive such treatment?" Soldier replied, "You haven't done anything, but Stewart has killed Chief Terikee and the whites are hiding him. Unless he is delivered into our hands, we are going to kill every white person in this valley, men, women, and children." Grandfather could speak the Indian language very fluently. He tried to reason with Soldier. He said, "Just because one white man had committed a wrong, it isn't right that all should suffer." He told them they were not hiding Stewart. They didn't know where he was, and if any Indians knew, to tell them to find him and punish him, but not to punish the innocent. Little Soldier had great respect for Grandfather, and so finally he was persuaded to go over to President Farr's home and talk it over with him. When they arrived, they went into his house. He had one large room. There were 35 or 40 of these Indians, and they sat in a circle on the floor. Before they would talk, they had to smoke the pipe of peace. Each one present had to take a draw on the pipe, then the 6 conference commenced. After talking for more than two hours, Soldier agreed to wait until the next day before they commenced killing the whites. He pointed to the sky and said when the sun got in a certain position in the sky - which would be about 10 o'clock the next day - if Stewart hadn't been delivered into their hands, they would commence the massacre of the settlers. As soon as the Indians had taken their leave, President Farr instructed Grandfather Moore to get on his horse and go to Salt Lake and get help. Grandfather said he had a race mare out on the range, and if he could get her he would make much better time. President Farr said, "No, you take the horse you have, and don't spare horse or man. Get there as quick as you can." He said he would send men out to gather in the stock on the range, and he would have them bring in Grandfather's mare. So Grandfather mounted his horse and rode in all haste to Salt Lake City. President Farr sent out men to gather in the stock from the ranges, for they knew that was one of the first things the Indians would do. Matilla Shaw, grandfather of Ogden H. Shaw, and Arilla Bischoff, and a man by the name of Campbell, a gentile, went together. Campbell was a millwright by trade and was bound for California. He got short of provisions when he reached Ogden, so he stopped off here to earn some money so he could stock up and proceed on his way. They went out northwest in the county, out northwest of the Utah Hot Springs. They had gathered up a number of stock when a Terikee band coming in from Brigham City overtook them just south and west of the springs. They immediately left the stock and ran for safety. The Indians were gaining on them. Campbell's horse was slow of foot, and could not run as fast as the Indians' ponies. They got close enough so that the bullets commenced flying over Campbell and Shaw. Shaw whipped Campbell's horse and got everything out of it he could. The 7 Indians were getting closer all the time. Finally Shaw told Campbell he would have to leave him, as his horse could not outrun the Indians' ponies and there was no need for both of them to get killed. So he would have to whip up and leave him. Campbell begged Shaw to let him get on the back of his horse, but Shaw told him that his horse wasn't strong enough to carry them both and outrun the Indians. So he said goodbye to Campbell, and said that he hadn't gone 100 yards before the Indians had overtaken Campbell, whom they killed and scalped. Shaw raced the Indians right into Farr's court. His horse was just a little faster. Because of this incident, President Farr decided to dispatch another messenger, Daniel Burch, to Salt Lake for help, as a greater appeal for urgent action; he carried with him the later news of the development of the Indian difficulty. Mr. Campbell was the person who paid with his life for Irvin Stewart's act. He was the principal mechanic in building Farr's grist mill and he was at the time of the tragedy still in President Farr's employment. He had been a very valuable aid to Weber County settlers for his skills and experience as a mechanic. Grandfather Moore arrived in Great Salt Lake just before sundown. He went directly to President Brigham Young, informing him of the terrible tragedy that had taken place in Ogden. President Young immediately issued an order to General Daniel H. Wells, to send out in the county to gather a troop of horsemen with instruction that they would go on this expedition wellarmed and well-equipped with baggage wagons. President Young was very much alarmed with the news that Grandfather had brought to him. Then two hours later, Daniel Burch, the second messenger... arrived with the news of the killing of Mr. Campbell. The occurrence was just such a one that was to call into action the marvelous energy and constitution of this great colonizer, whose chief anxiety was at 8 that point to preserve the infant colonies both north and south from Indian depredations. With that turbulence... the famous Wakara on the warpath in the south would have been only too ready to unite all the Indians of Utah in a general war upon the whites. This difficulty in Weber County was of the most serious consequences. Early this same year, Big Elk, chief of the Timpanogos Utes Indians, with his warriors, had attacked the Provo colony, upon which Governor Young ordered out the whole military force of Salt Lake County, which had just been organized under the command of General Daniel H. Wells. The battle of Provo was fought in February 1850. The Indians were routed and Big Elk was killed. But about a month previous to this in Weber County, Chief Walker Wakara had made a plan to fall upon the Provo settlement in the night. And with his powerful band of warriors they camped close by, they would have massacred a whole colony. This would have been accomplished had not Sowiette, king of the whole Ute nation, threatened Walker that he and his warriors would fight side by side with the white settlers. With Sowiette, then holding at bay this turbulent Chief Walker, Sowiette and Terikee were doing very much to maintain peace with the settlers. This killing of Terikee was of more than ordinary consequence, threatening perhaps a general Indian war on the settlements of both north and south, and perhaps if the Indians of Weber County succeeded carrying into effect their plans for the massacre of the white settlers in the north, and then went south to join their fellow warriors of the Provo district they may have succeeded in destroying the settlers of Salt Lake County and the Provo area, as such was the aspect of the Indian affairs of Utah. On this evening, President Young received the dispatch from President Farr informing his of the killing of Terikee... In a few hours, 150 men under command of Horace S. Eldredge, were riding to the rescue 9 of the Weber colonies, armed with baggage wagons for a vigorous campaign would be required. It was about 10 p.m. when they departed from Salt Lake and marched to Kay's Creek, now Kaysville, before they made a halt where the company took breakfast. A little after daylight, as soon as they had gone on the march, Grandfather being greatly concerned about the safety of his family, wanted to leave them and hasten home. But the general in charge persuaded him to stay with them until daylight as the Indians knew Grandfather had gone for help and may be waiting to ambush him on his return. And so it worked out just as the general had pictured it to him. Grandfather arrived at the Weber River crossing. The bank of the river was covered with footprints of the Indians, walking back and forth waiting for Grandfather to return. And had he left the company in the night, arriving there in the dark, he would have been killed. He said when he arrived on the San Ridge Hill and looked over where his home was and saw the smoke coming from their houses, he gave a sigh of relief, for he knew they were safe. Daniel Burch and G. W. Hill accompanied Grandfather. They reached their homes about 9 a.m. By some means, the Indians learned a company of men were near at hand, so Terikee's band took the body of their chief with his family and fled north. General Eldridge followed their trail as far as Box Elder Creek, now Brigham City, and then sent scouts ahead to follow the Indians to Bear River, about 40 miles from Ogden, but found that the Indians wanted to put a long distance between themselves and the pursuing force. The scouts returned and made their report to General Eldrige who was camped on Box Elder Creek. They then returned to Ogden. The Ute Indians, under the command of Little Soldier, had fled up Weber Canyon. A company of men were sent after them. They overtook them and finally persuaded them to return and then the 10 Indians saw that they were outnumbered. They agreed to be quiet and not molest the settlers. A company from Salt Lake remained in Ogden about four days. Conditions having returned to peace again, they departed to their homes. Thus, because of the influence Grandfather Moore had with Little Soldier, a great tragedy was averted. LH: Mr. Moore, what year were you born in? WM: I was born in May of 1889. LH: And you have lived in Weber County all your life? WM: All my life, right in this area here. I think it would be interesting to give you information about the Goodyear Fort. Too many people don't know about it... When I worked at the Tabernacle, I was amazed at the lack of knowledge people had even about our own Tabernacle. I don't know whether you know it or not, but when Captain James Brown purchased the Goodyear land, it extended to the mouth of Weber Canyon on the south to the Utah Hot Springs on the east, the lake on the west, and the mountains on the east. He purchased it for $1,950 and the stock went with it. There's a lot of our people that don't know these things...Miles Goodyear's Fort, or Fort Buenaventura was located below 28th Street on Pacific Avenue on the Weber River. The Fort consisted of about V2 acre of land enclosed with pickets with a log cabin in each corner, also corrals adjoining for his horse, sheep, and goats. On August 15, 1847, the day before Brigham Young and others left the Salt Lake Valley, Miles Goodyear visited the Mormon colony and offered to sell his holdings on the Weber River. Before Brigham Young left for the east, he instructed his people to buy the holdings of Goodyear. Goodyear offered to sell his property for $2,000 cash. On November 16, 1847, Captain James Brown arrived at Fort Buenaventura on his return from California. He had with him $3,000, part 11 of which belonged to the members of the Mormon Battalion and the rest to himself. Miles Goodyear and his brother, Andrew, accompanied Captain Brown to the Mormon camp, where Brown gave a flattering report to the high council relative to the excellent possibilities of establishing settlements in Weber County. Before taking the final steps on the purchase of the property, the high council sent Captain Brown and Amacy M. Lyman and Jedediah M. Grant and others to visit the Weber River property... They returned and brought back a very favorable report to the high council, which was presided over by Father John Smith, General Charles C. Rich, and John Young. The result was a decision reached by the high council on November 24, 1847, to use the money Captain Brown had brought from California and purchase the Goodyear land and improvements. The deal was completed that day. James Brown paid Miles Goodyear, $1,950. In return he received a deed for the land. Goodyear also turned over to Brown all of his improvements together with 75 goats, 75 cattle, 12 sheep, and six horses. The deed described the property commencing at the mouth of Weber Canyon, running north to Utah Hot Springs, a distance of 14 miles, and from the mountains on the east to the lake on the west, a distance of 15 miles. Miles Goodyear, when he made the sale, claimed his right of ownership to be based on a land grant from the Mexican government. Later evidence seemed to indicate that he never had at any time received this land grant. It was probably a story which he invented in order to sell his property to the Mormons at a good price. Like a true Yankee, he aimed to make a profit on his labor if possible, and to add an extra value to his holdings he invented on the spur of the moment the story of having obtained a grant from the Mexican government, covering practically everything within his vision from his fort. But no record of any such grant has 12 ever been found, and the document itself has never been produced. The territory in which the Mormons have settled was claimed by Mexico at the time of their arrival. Had Goodyear delayed his sale a few months until the title of the land had changed from Mexico to the United States, he might have not been so fortunate. But the improvements on the stock on the place were easily worth the price he received... On January 12, 1848, Captain Brown and his sons, Alexander and Jesse, took over the livestock...Captain James Brown retained only two of 300 hundred acres for himself and the remainder was turned over to the colonies without cost and without question of their rights as fellow settlers. After the purchase, the Mormons changed the name of the fort from Fort Buenaventura to Brown's Fort. Later Brigham Young named the settlement Ogden City. But the post office retained the name of Brownville until 1854. In May of 1850, the water in the Weber River was so high that the ... fort was practically unabated. It was necessary to select a new site for the fort, so the building, the Goodyear cabin, was moved 40 rods southeast from the original fort. It was situated near 29th Street and east of the Union Pacific Railroad line. Today the site is occupied by the Utah Canning Company's buildings and shops owned by the railroad construction company, which is immediately north of where the Ogden track lines cross the Weber River. The cabins erected by Miles Goodyear in his fort were composed of cottonwood logs with roofs of poles, rushes, and dirt...Goodyear and his family lived in one of the cabins. His Indian helpers and a man named Wells lived in the other cabin. He built the fort in 1845. Now if you go down to that cabin, you'll see a plaque there stating that it was built in 1841 or 45...But I agree with Milton R. Hunter of the First Council of the Seventy, that it must have been 1845 when Goodyear built the fort there. Brother Hunter documents pretty 13 good evidence to prove his point. So I always go by 1845 instead of 1841. But there's a lot of people that don't agree. And there's a lot of people that don't know this...In 1857, Amos C. Stone, pioneer father of Minerva Stone Shaw, purchased the cabin and used it as a blacksmith shop. Three years later, he moved it to Mill Creek and placed it about 1440 Washington Boulevard. In 1866, Mr. Stone again moved the cabin to what is now 1342 Washington Boulevard. In 1890 Mr. Stone died, and his cabin came into the possession of his widow Sarah Stone... Minerva Shaw purchased the cabin from Sarah Stone on April 3, 1896. She moved it to her place of residence at 1265 Washington Boulevard. It remained there until 1916 and was used as a granary. In 1960 it was moved to a lot in the rear of the fire station located at 9th Street and Washington Boulevard. On December 26, 1919, President Lewis W. Shurtliff, brought James M. Brown, son of the late Captain James Brown, to the cabin to verify its identity. It was declared by Mr. Brown to be one of the cabins his father purchased from Miles Goodyear, in which his father's family lived. Mrs. Shaw prized it very highly as a relic and presented it to the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers on November 8, 1926. In 1928 the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers had it moved to its site on Tabernacle Square near Pioneer Hall, where it now stands with an enclosure built around it to protect it from the weather. 14