TITLE PAGE Charles W. Richins 17 Aug 1829 Gloucesthire, England 27 Aug 1903 Colonia Diaz, Old Mexico Richard Richins Charlotte Pricilla Wager (1)Louisa Schill (2)Esther Stowe Ovard (3) Agnes Wilmot Oct 1853 LaRue Richins Waldron PIONEER (full name) BIR TH (date and place) DEATH (date and place) PARENTS MARRIED (who and date) ARRIVAL IN UTAH (date) (Company arrived with) HISTORY (who wrote) (date written) (who submitted) (address) 68 S. State Morgan, Utah CAMP & COUNTY SUBMITTING South Morgan D.U.P. Camp Morgan County (Camp Historian & address) Lois B Peterson 82 W 200 N, Morgan, Utah 84050 County Historian & address) Dena C. Rich 1266 n Morgan Valley Dr., Morgan, Utah SOURCE OF INFORMATION & PAGE NUMBERS: 2 pages A SHORT HISTORY of CHARLES W. RICHINS Charles Richins was born Aug. 17, 1828 at Gloucestahire, England a son of Richard Richins and Charlotte Priscilla Wager. There were five boys and one girl in this family. Charles, by nature was a religious man which resulted in his conversion to the Church. He married Louisa Shill. In England. They left Liverpool on February 28, 1853 and arrived in New Orleans, Louiana April 23rd of the same year. It was in Iowa that they joined an oxteam arriving in Salt Lake in October of 1853. On March 9, 1861 Charles married his second wife, Esther Stowe Ovard who was my grandmother. About this time Brigham Young called Charles to go out on the Weber River to Henneferville (located on the Pioneer Trail) to help settle and organize a branch of the church. When they arrived there they pitched 2 tents and spent a great deal of time digging three dugouts where they spent the first year. By the next year two brick rooms were built over the dugouts and the following year three more rooms were added. By the time the house was finished it had15 rooms and was thus called "The Big House". Charles was listed as a laborer with real estate valued at $500.00. There is a document in the Church Historian Office stating he moved to Summit County, Henneferville in 1860. During the early days of Henneferville (Henefer) Charles had many narrow escapes of his life. At one time he had a severe attack of inflamation (tory)/rheumatism lasting 6 weeks. The pain and fever was so intense that it turned his hair completely white. One time Charles took Esther and her three boys to American Fork. They went by way of Kamas. As they came to the crossing of the Provo River the team and wagon was washed down stream for quite some distance, Charles finally got control of the horses and quieted them and guided them back up the bank. Charles was known as a friend of the Indians. Their leader, Chief Washakie came to Henefer often. At one time he had 1500 of his Tribe camped near the Weber River just a little distance from the Big House. One time some of the Indians got drunk and were rather hostile. In order to save trouble Charles told them they could have their choice of any beef in his herd. You guessed it. They chose a new prize bull that he had just purchased to sire his herd, which they killed and prepared for their eating. Charles did not marry his third wife until 1878. Her name was Agnes Wilmot, a very "beautiful girl, very frail and delicate. She was 20, while Charles was 50 years old. In the fall of 1879 because of persecution Charles and Agnes went to Kaysville to stay and from there to Mesa, Arizona. While crossing the Big Colorado, Charles had to bring his team and wagon out at a certain spot to avoid quick sand. Agnes laid in the bottom of the wagon with her baby but providence was with them and they made it. They arrived in the Mesa River area April 1880 staying until the fall then made the return trip to Henefer. But peace was short lived. One day in April 1887 he was arrested in Pleasant Grove and placed under $1,000.00 Bond and Agnes's Bond was $200.00 as a witness against her husband (through trickery). In the meantime the prosecutors searched for Esther so they would have a case against Charles and his wives in Court, Louisa was living in Mesa, Arizona. Esther took her small children and moved from place to place to escape the Bondsman. Inasmuch as the prosecutors lacked enough witnesses evidence for the case against him which took two years to come to court and he had been true to his Bond, the case was dismissed. Charles, Agnes and family moved to Old Mexico, where he purchased a ranch just two and 1/2 miles from Colonia Diaz. Louisa, still living in Mesa made several trips to Mexico to visit Charles. She traveled by train to Dublan where she was met by one of the boys. One time she was met by Parley, my father, with only a small picture for identification. As Louisa stepped off of the train, Parley recoanized her and escorted her to the wagon. After being freed at his trial, Charles visited his second family for a while before returning to Mexico where he had left his thrid family. And there the fmaily suffered through many hardships, that of a frontier life, but through their perseverance life became a little easier. Charles was a man of great spirituality. In colonia Diaz he served as a second councelor to the Bishop. In May, 1901 he was ordained a Patriarch by John Henry Smith. This position he held until his death. He died August 27, 1903 after an illness of two weeks. He was buried in Colonia Diaz. Noone knows where because the Mormons were driven out of that area in 1912 and the Mexicans plowed up the cemeteries. Though I never knew my grandfather, his desire to serve his Lord and Church, and his honest unselfish way of living has been an inspiration to many people and because of the esteem my father always showed for him life, has made an impact on my life as a guide for good living.