UINTAH COUNTY LIBRARY REGIONAL ROOM FILE FOLDER NO. 806 My Carroll Historical Sketch Through the Years 1765 – 1893 By Iva Carroll Gray Compiled by Kay Beers http://www.myfamily.com/isapi.dll?c=site&htx=main&siteid=Rxc*CQ Armagh is the capital of Armagh County, Province of Ulster, head of the primacy of all Ireland, indebted for its origin to St. Patrick by who it was built. In the early 1760’s, my great-great grandfather, James O’Carroll, was born in Armagh, Armagh County, and grew up there while his country was invaded and conquered, the land confiscated and redistributed many times. He owned property in Tyrone County; it was confiscated and he was forced to leave Ireland when about twenty years old. He went to St. John’s, Newfoundland, where he acquired a large shipping interest, met and married Margaret Pottle. To James O’Carroll and his wife, Margaret, was born a son, Patrick O’Carroll. Patrick O’Carroll, my great-grandfather, was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland. He grew up in Newfoundland and New Brunswick. It was in New Brunswick that Patrick met and married Ann Negus in 1811. They had both been deprived of financial aid which they should have received and the love and protection of their own parents. They settled at a place called Carroll’s Ridge, about four miles from Canterbury Station, the nearest post office. The nearest large town, Fredericton, was about forty miles away. It was here that eight children were born to this couple - three boys, William, Charles, and Patrick, and five girls, Isabella, Margaret, two Sarah’s, and Elizabeth. The first Sarah died when she was ten months old. Having a home and children of their own brought pride and joy to this couple. Their love for each other and their children grew very strong as the years passed. There in the southwestern part of New Brunswick, where timber was plentiful, Patrick and his three sons and son-in-law cleared timber for their farm lands. My grandfather, Patrick Carroll, was the third son of Patrick O’Carroll and his wife Ann Negus. He was born in New Brunswick on November 25, 1827. Having the Irish sense of humor, he was always good company. His daily plans, even to the small details, were always carefully worked out before undertaking a task. His wonderful gifts of kindness, consideration, and love for others were outstanding characteristics throughout his life. I loved to hear Mother tell the stories of early days, and always Grandfather Patrick was one of her most loved and distinguished characters. Growing up with the members of his family, Patrick learned to work in the timber and on the farm, to build, to share and help others. I am certainly grateful to Willard, the oldest son of Charles (Grandfather’s brother) for his memory picture of their old Canadian home. The adjoining farms where each family had pride and joy in making a home of their own – the large log houses with the other buildings in the distance for the animals and necessary farm equipment. Willard remembers that their house had a front porch facing the east, the stable north toward his grandfather’s place, a meadow surrounding the house, and a spring house at the foot of a small hill. I was intrigued at the mention of the ladder which enabled them to reach the upper room, and the lumber cradle where Willard slept as a small child. In those days, tools and manufactured materials were scarce, and it was amazing what was accomplished with an axe, a saw, hammer, pocket knife, and native material. Eating plenty of wholesome food, daily exercise in fresh air, they grew in stature and wisdom as the years passed, learning the many lessons of life by faith, love, experience, and hard labor. It was in New Brunswick that Grandfather met and married my grandmother, Margaret Euphemia Robinson. She was born in Raphoe, Donegal, Ireland, March 27, 1832. Her mother, Euphemia Robinson, died soon after she was born. Her father, Henry Robinson, remarried, and a few years later he died. In 1839, when she was seven years old, Margaret’s stepmother brought her to America to live with her uncle, George Robinson. She was only a small child, still her aunt expected her to earn her keep and worked her very hard. She was deprived of school and social advantages. They lived in Philadelphia, but later moved to New Brunswick where she met and married Patrick Carroll. She was a thrifty, efficient, and conservative homemaker. Many are the incidents related how particular she was to have a clean, neat house and yard at all times. She was kind and considerate of everyone, giving and receiving love and respect. In later years, she was known as one of the most loved and most faithful church workers of the Ashley Valley pioneers. Then came the Mormon Elders, and they formed the Northumberland Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in New Brunswick. It was here the Carroll family first learned truths that were to make their lives more complete with joy and happiness everlasting. William, Charles, and Sarah, with their families, were converted and baptized in 1853, and left New Brunswick for Utah in 1854. On the way, the wife of Charles, Lucy Elizabeth, and two of their children died of cholera and were buried at Fort Leavenworth. Later, on the plains, another child died leaving only one son, Willard. Charles was then President of the South Hampton Branch of the Church. He was to lead the group of 57 converts to Utah. They started out on the 10th of May, 1854, and arrived in Salt Lake City in October of the same year. When Patrick and Margaret’s first child, Euphemia, was 15 months old, they were baptized as members of the L.D.S. Church, and soon after left New Brunswick for Utah. The father, Patrick Sr., was not converted but after his wife, Ann, died in 1858, he also left New Brunswick to join his children in Utah. He died on the way near Pike’s Peak in Colorado. It took quite some time for Patrick and Margaret to make the long rough tip to Utah. Like so many engaged in the same cause, they had to leave behind their worldly possessions, and with courage of their convictions, bravely face the trials ahead. In Nebraska, Patrick purchased land and built a house at a small place called Wood River. Here their second child was born; it was another girl and they named her Emily Jane. Later, the Government took over the land, including Patrick’s home at Wood River, for an Indian reservation, and again they started out with a few possessions in a wagon. It was August of 1860 when they caught up with the Frances Brown Company at Florence, Nebraska, and traveled with them for some distance on their way to Utah. In the company were two young girls, Margaret and Mary Jane Threlkeld, traveling alone. “The sisters comforted each other and were deeply grateful to those who were kind to them. Patrick Carroll and his good wife, Margaret, were particularly kind, and their daughter Euphemia proved a devoted friend throughout the years.” - Merle Coleman, “Our Pioneer Heritage”, page 293. There were other stops along the way. At Green River, Wyoming, Patrick helped some men harvest their wild meadow hay. He was experienced in this manner of labor, and the methods he used were greatly appreciated by both Bill Asthon and Mr. Burton. The next stop was at Millerville, on the Black Fork River in Wyoming. At the Pony Express Station, Patrick took care of the horses and Margaret cooked for the Stage Coach drivers and their passengers. It was a long, cold winter, and they had many exciting experiences but were glad when Spring came so they could be on their way to Utah again. The girls, Euphemia and Emily were five and seven years old, and their parents were anxious to get settled in a home of their own. With their winter’s wages and an early spring start, the rest of the trip to Utah for Patrick and Margaret seemed to pass quickly and they soon arrived at Heber Valley. They were happy to see such a prospective place for their new home, and also to see Charles and Willard. Charles had remarried and had two children by his second wife. They had been among the first families to settle in Heber Valley in 1859, a very difficult and trying year. The snow came early and fell deep, food was scarce, and it seemed such a long time until spring finally came. When the snow began to melt in answer to their prayers, the first of April, new hope and determination awoke with the spring. Crops were planted, and by July 24th, a church and schoolhouse was erected. Most of the settlers belonged to the L.D.S. Church. They had named their settlement for Heber C. Kimball, Councilor to President Brigham Young. The Heber Ward was organized in 1861. That fall, when Patrick and Margaret Carroll’s first baby boy was a month old, they proudly took him to Church and there he received a name and a blessing. John M. Murdock gave him the blessing and his name was Patrick Henry Carroll. Patrick had built a two-room house and later he built a sawmill. The logs for lumber were hauled from the mountains east of Heber. He was handy at carpenter work and enjoyed building on new rooms and adding new pieces of homemade furniture for their new home. Here, as in Canada, he learned many new methods of working at the trade he most enjoyed. By the time Euphemia was old enough to go to school, Wasatch County Seat was located at Heber; there were four districts of school in the county, and school conditions had been greatly improved. The same year, a grist mill was built at Snake Creek’s lower settlement. As the years passed and Heber settlement grew, Patrick and Margaret Carroll’s family grew in numbers. Charles Edmond, the second son and fourth child, was born in May of 1864. The third girl and fifth child, Margaret Isabel, was born 14th of May, 1866. In 1867, Margaret and Patrick went up to Salt Lake City, had their endowments, and were sealed to each other for eternity in the Salt Lake City Endowment House. Later, the first five children were sealed to their parents, and the other five were born in the covenant. My father, William Carroll, was the sixth child born April 15, 1868. At this time, there were three children going to school and three at home. Robert, the seventh child, was born May 25, 1871 and Joseph Hyrum, the eight child, was born June 4, 1873. In September 1874, Euphemia, the oldest girl, married James Heber Moulton. The Moultons came to Heber a year before the Patrick Carroll family. The two families lived near each other and the children went to school together. Heber Moulton was always active in civic and church affairs. Much of his success he claimed was due to the help of a loving and devoted wife. They were the parents of thirteen children. Within the next four years, two more sons were added to the Patrick Carroll family. Heber was born June 10, 1875, and Fredrick Robinson was born September 11, 1877. Home duties and Church responsibilities increased, and every hour was filled to the very brim with tasks that had to be accomplished. Margaret kept a clean, neat house, yet at the birth of her first child came the realization that the most important thing was to be busy about the proper care of her most precious possession. As each new life was entrusted into her care, she was ever ready to care for its daily needs. Her desire was to help in every way she could to build strong characters as well as strong bodies. The building was undertaken with a kind, firm guidance and by example she taught each one lessons of true worth. With ten children, seven of which were boys, she usually went at a very rapid pace to keep up with their needs. About the only way they could slow her down was to tie her apron strings to the round of a chair. (Uncle Joe tried this often.) Sometimes the chair would be across the room before she discovered the joke. Patrick was a builder by trade, and taught his children important building lessons of life. His love and protective care gave each member of his family a desire to make of the world a better place in which to live. After his oldest child was married, he became more concerned than ever of his responsibility to help his children become independent and settled by having a home of their own. He realized that to do this, they needed more land than he could acquire in Heber. Several of his acquaintances were moving from Heber to Ashley Valley, a place to the southeast of Heber but in the same county. After careful consideration, he filed on 160 acres of land in this valley. He saw the possibilities for a sawmill on the mountains surrounding the Valley and ………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………………. About this time, Patrick’s brother, Charles, and his nephew, Willard, became interested in the United Order, and with their families, moved from Heber to Orderville. The year before Patrick moved his family to their new home, he took his sawmill and farm machinery with other belongings out to Ashley Valley. It was a difficult task taking such heavy machinery over the rough roads which were scarcely more than trails. However, they followed the paths of least resistance that were first traveled by the Indians and explorers. The old road went most of the way north of the present highway. In those days, it took about three weeks to make the trip; now it takes about three hours. In 1878, the Hatches and other families moved from Heber to Ashley, so Patrick and his two older sons joined the party, driving oxen teams hitched to heavy, high bed wagons. Winding their way from Heber up Daniels Canyon, they crossed creeks dozens of times as there were no bridges, down the Strawberry Valley about midway toward the present dam, east up Coal Creek Canyon, and down Soldiers’ Creek across the divide to where the present road runs along Deep Creek. Then they continued east a few miles north of Fruitland and far above the present crossing, striking Duchesne River several miles north of Duchesne City, then across Blue Bench reaching Lake Fork, continuing east to the North Myton benchland. There they turned northeast near the present site of Roosevelt. They crossed the Uintah River near the old Daniel’s crossing in LaPoint vicinity, across Deep Creek bench, over Blue Hill through the old Dodds Twist, then through the gap west of Maeser. There had been many stops along the way. Some hills were so steep that four and sometimes six oxen had to be hitched to one wagon at a time in order to make the grade up to the top. Going down the steep mountain sides, the men often walked along the sides of the wagons in an effort to help hold them from tipping over. Stops for noon and night camping were when the boys went climbing or exploring, especially after the evening meal. They little realized when they looked down and saw across the bench land, miles away, which is now Vernal City, that they would have children who would live in modern homes with more luxuries than they ever dreamed about. Now all they could see was barren desert land, about the same view Escalante’s party had a hundred years ago. It was here on the bench land that the Hatches and most of the party that traveled from Heber with them intended to settle. As Patrick and the boys drove on and turned north toward the creek and Old Ashley Town, their hopes raised and the boys were happy their father had chosen this site for their home along the creek. Here was evidence of growth and prosperity. Stacks of meadow hay and a number of the Gibsons’ cattle grazed along the way. There were even small stacks of straw. Bill Bealer had brought out a threshing machine fed by hand and driven by horsepower. He had used it to thrash the grain along the creek bottom, but now the master wheel was broken so it just stood by the wayside. Soon Patrick pulled up the team of oxen he was driving and they stopped near the place he had chosen for their house. The boys soon had the tired oxen turned loose to quench their thirst at the creek bank, then graze on the meadow hay which grew in abundance on various brush-free spaces on the homestead. Soon two happy boys were exploring places which were to mean so much to them later. The sound of the water rippling over the stones, little green spikes showing through the fertile soil at their feet, was so restful in comparison to what they had been accustomed to the past few weeks. After the evening meal and beds were prepared, they all three sat together and watched the full moon come up over the eastern hills, casting shadows on Green River Gorge. A prayer of thanks was given for their safe arrival. Then came the restful sleep with the feeling of peace and security with each other at their new home. The next morning, they were up early, ready to clear the space where the cabin was to be built. As the days passed, they worked diligently and accomplished more than they had expected – a large log cabin built, ground cleared for spring grain and garden, meadow hay harvested, and many rods of fencing around the lot and field. While Patrick was doing some carpenter work inside the house, the boys went through the brush up toward the foothills to gather wild berries. While running a race to the berry patch, they were going around a large chokecherry bush when suddenly they encountered a big black bear. They were so frightened they did not know what to do, but luckily for them, the bear was frightened too and made his exit as fast as he could in his awkward, wobbling way. When they realized the bear did not intend to attack but only wanted to get out of their way, they both sat down and laughed all the while he was getting out of sight. When they had enough berries for supper they hurried home to tell their father the bear story. The summer passed, and their work on the homestead was finished until spring. Henry, the oldest son, filed on 160 acres and later Edmond (known as Ed) also filed on a homestead. Patrick was pleased with the boys’ work, and they all felt paid for the time and effort spent. Knowing the boys were pleased with their new home made their father happy; his dream and plans for more land had come true. The machinery and equipment was stored away for spring and they were ready to return to Heber. The return trip did not take so long, even the road seemed shorter and not so rough. The oxen were rested, well-fed, and there was no heavy load on the wagons. When they stopped at night to camp and firewood was plentiful, they would chop a few extra loads and put them in the wagons for their winter wood. Margaret and the rest of the family were happy to have them home safe and listened with interest to the stories about the new home. There were times that winter they looked with regret on the spring move because they had become attached to this home, their friends and neighbors, but most of the time it was anticipated with joy. Emily and Henry were not in school, and to them spring seemed a long time coming. Little Margaret had been ill most of the winter, and when spring came it was decided that she should stay in Heber with the married sister, Euphemia, and go to Ashley Valley later. There had been extensive planning and packing, the wagons were filled high above the sideboards when the day finally arrived to begin the long looked-for trip. Margaret rode in the light wagon with Patrick and the younger boys, and with a courageous heart said goodbye to her precious little daughter and to the older entrusted with the child’s care. Waving farewell to neighbors, friends, and the home they had become so fond of, she and Patrick bravely faced their journey to achievement and the future. Their greatest desire and aim was to help their children find those worthwhile things in life that would build strong characters and bodies. The two wagons pulling up the rear each had a frequent change of drivers. The traveling and camping was enjoyed by all, so were the tasks. Soon it was time for Margaret, Emily, and the five younger boys to have their first view of the new home. As on the other trip, the enthusiasm ran highest as they reached their own homesite. In answer to their prayers, there had been no accident, only a few scratches and bumps. Spring was in the air and joy filled each heart as they pulled up and stopped at the new cabin. For the Carrolls, life in the log cabin on this side of the creek in Ashley Valley was a happy and busy one. The older boys helped with the spring planting and more building. Margaret and Emily arranged the belongings in the rooms of the new house with pride and joy. Patrick had made a few pieces of furniture, which, added to what they could bring from Heber, made a very comfortable and neat house inside. Margaret had a way of adding touches that made any home she lived in always bright and cheerful. Outside the new buildings, a fence was neatly arranged, the dark, rich soil of the garden was marked off in even furrows. The markers and levelers had been made from small logs not used in building the house. The headgates to control the flow of water from the creek to the garden and grain field were also made of hand-sawed lumber. Now the spring planting was finished, Patrick and the older boys erected the sawmill up by Rock Point about where the new Canal comes out of the creek, just west of Docks Beach. They hauled the logs down Spring Creek. Like bringing out the heavy machinery, getting the logs to the mill was a difficult task, some places it was even necessary to take the wagon apart to get it up the hill. Because of the effort and time it took to erect the mill and bring down the logs, not a great deal of sawing was accomplished during the summer. However, there was enough material to do a lot of finishing jobs around the house. Patrick taught the boys how to select trees that would make the best lumber, and how to operate and take care of the machinery. Henry had been helping in this kind of work for several years and was very efficient in every way. The other members of the family had learned to depend on him a great deal. He was kind and considerate of the younger boys, and always showed respect and deep affection for his mother. While the older boys were at the sawmill, the younger ones helped with odd jobs around the house and yards, keeping the garden watered and the weeds pulled out. They played in the brush or climbed the hill where they could see for miles around. They would look for Indians as they came into the valley, which was often. Large bands in the spring and fall were on the move, and a few were often seen coming and going at all times between moves. Not only could the boys look for Indians, but outlaws also visited the valley frequently. In fact, further up on the mountains to the northeast was where many of the outlaws had their hideouts. Emily often went to the Old Ashley Town and soon made friends with the young folks. Britt’s had a store and post office with extra attic rooms for boarders and cattlemen who came to town. Gibson’s also had a store and Bently’s a saloon. The fall before, a log schoolhouse had been built near Nathan Davis’ farm, and William Britt had taught a three-month term of school. The people held church in their homes. Thomas Bingham was chosen as the first Presiding Elder in 1878. Patrick and his boys harvested a good crop of wild meadow hay, the grain was turning, and they had a good garden. Word came by one of the settlers that had been to Heber that Little Margaret was very ill. By the time her parents could get there, she was very weak and lived only a few days. She passed away on September 6, 1879, and was buried at Heber. With sad hearts, Patrick and Margaret returned to their home and other children. All summer the boys had planned things to do when Little Margaret came, but when they saw how hurt their parents were, they tried to help by not showing how much they would miss her. As the family prayed together, they asked for strength to bear this ordeal with faith and courage. They all knew it was time to finish the harvesting and prepare for winter, that helping each other would bring fulfillment of each one’s desire. The Meeker massacre happened on the 29th of September, near Meeker Colorado. It was reported that the Indian agent, Meeker, was unfair and stubborn in his dealings. The Indians lassoed and dragged him until almost dead, and then staked him to the ground and left him to die. His wife, daughter, and the agency employees were forced to watch, then the women were kidnapped and some of the employees were killed. While this Indian excitement was on, the settlers in Ashley Valley were advised to move in close together for protection. So many new families had moved in during the summer that now there were more than two dozen on the Bench. Sixteen of them built a fort about where J.C. Penney Store now stands. The ones at Jensen and Old Ashley Town made preparations to get together if necessary. Emily Carroll married Charles Bentley November 2, 1879. They lived in Old Ashley Town, and were prepared for Patrick’s family to move in with them if necessary. The younger boys had located a cave in the hill on the other side of the creek, and insisted that if the family would go there in case of an attack that they could ward off any size band of Indians. At the Carroll homestead, the harvest was gathered and stored. The Bealer threshing machine had been repaired and what grain was saved from the grasshoppers on the Bench was threshed first, most of it was “smutty”. The grain on the Creek ripened later but produced more bushels per acre and was free from smut. The potatoes were gathered last and stored deeply in what was called a potato pit. The log cabin had been redaubted making sure there were no cracked places, and sod piled around the foundation. ………… ………………………in the wood shed near the house for the cold weather. The snow came early and fell deep; the temperature dropped and stayed low all winter. There was no way in or out of the valley to get needed supplies. So many families had moved in late on the Bench with scant food supplies that many suffered from hunger. One party came as late as December, and after a trying experience over the rough snow-packed road, they all (19 in number) had to live in a one-room log cabin with a dirt floor and roof. There were no trees on the Bench or wind breaks for the stock, and many perished. When the scant supply of flour was used, there was no way to grind what little wheat they had except in coffee mills. Bill Reynolds, a former miller, made a pair of stone burrs to grind what wheat they had. A sweep was cleared and the stones were turned by manpower for what animals were left were too weak to do the work. The flour was nothing but chopped wheat, but it kept many people alive. The Carroll family did not suffer from hunger or cold, and were ready and willing to share with those in need. But one thing they were not able to cope with was the dreaded diptheria epidemic. It struck the valley in the winter of 1878, and now again in ’79. The neighbors had told Margaret how most every family had lost one or more members; one family lost six. She had kept a close watch on the three boys attending school for any sign of sore throat, but Henry was the first victim. He had worked hard all summer and when Ed, Will, and Robert had started to school, he was anxious to make his father’s work lighter by doing most of it himself. Working at chores that exposed him to the winter weather all hours of the day left him with little resistance to disease. He went often to Old Ashley Town in the evenings to visit his sister and friends there, and he was also interested in getting started on the homestead he had filed on so he could prove up on it. He finished some lumber they had sawed at the mill by using a hand plane. He intended to make furniture out of the finished material. When Margaret was aware of his condition, she was greatly concerned and did everything she could to counteract the dreaded disease. As time wore on, it became worse. On the 16th of January, after fighting for his life’s breath for so many days, he passed away. Again the family faced an ordeal almost beyond their ability to endure. This was their oldest son, and the brother who had accepted responsibilities willingly. He was their mainstay in so many ways, how could they go on without him? The shortage of food, the fear of Indian attacks, the bitter cold weather, were all forgotten as Patrick made a casket for Henry out of the material he had so carefully finished. Margaret, stricken with grief, but always deft with the needle, used some prized white material, saved for Emily, and lined the casket. It took long hours to remove the snow and dig the grave on the plot of ground in what is now the Rocky Point Cemetery. Because the disease was so contagious, only a few people attended the burial. (Mark M. Hall dedicated the grave.) Henry was 18 years old in October, and died three months later. The dreaded diptheria claimed as its next victim in the Carroll family, Little Freddie. He was only two years old, and resented the throat swabbing. He was the one they had always tried to please, and he asked so often to take the hurt away. Soon his little throat was so thickly coated with the white membrane that he could not breathe. He passed away on the 24th of February, 1880, and was laid to rest beside his brother, Henry. Now there were only five children at home, where in 1874 there had been ten.