An undated photograph of William D. Kartchner.

Essentials
Born: 4 May 1820; Hartfordtown, Montgomery, Pennsylvania
Son of: John Christopher KARTCHNER and Prudence WILCOX
Married: 1. Margaret Jane CASTEEL; 21 March 1844; Hancock, Illinois. 2. Elizabeth GALE; 5 December 1862; Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah
Died: 14 May 1892; Snowflake, Navajo, Arizona

Page contents
One-minute history
Early Convert, Pioneer, Postmaster
Autobiography:
      Factory Worker As a Boy
      No Time to Play
      Beaten by His Master
      Escape from Servitude
      Discovery of Mormon Literature
      Helpless with Rheumatism
      Westward Trek
      Reaching Salt Lake Valley
      1878: United Order House
      1879: County Convention
      1880: Found in Bed Not Breathing
      1881: Counsel from an Apostle
      1882: Debilitated by Dropsy
      1883: Vision of Babel
      1884: Public Speaker

BY DARYL JAMES
FROM 'JAMES/HATCH ONE MINUTE HISTORIES' (1994)
     William Decatar (sometimes spelled Decatur) Kartchner was born May 4, 1820, in Hartfordtown, Penn., to John Kartchner and Prudence Wilcox. His parents were so poor they apprenticed him to a local carpenter when he was 7.
     William worked in this home for five years and learned

Elizabeth Gale, center foreground, second wife of William D. Kartchner, poses with her five daughters.

to read from his master's wife. At 12 he set out on his own. On his journey he stopped at an inn and asked the inn-keeper if the innkeeper had anything he could read. Mormon mission-aries had just checked out of the inn and had left the innkeeper with a copy of the Book of Mormon, which the innkeeper gave to young William.
     William read it and became convinced of its truthfulness. He redirected his traveling to Nauvoo, Ill., and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints May 8, 1843, at age 23. While in Nauvoo he served as a guard to the Temple during bitter cold weather and suffered rheumatism as a result. Complications from the disease affected him throughout his life.
     William met Margaret Jane Casteel in Nauvoo and married her March 21, 1844, when she was 18. Because of severe persecution against the Church, the couple left Nauvoo with a company of Saints soon after their marriage and traveled to Iowa City. After a delay, they continued their migration to Pueblo, Colo., where they spent the winter of 1846-47 and had their first child. William and Margaret arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in July 1847, just three days after the company of Brigham Young. The family lived in Salt Lake for three years and then settled in San Bernardino, Calif.
     In 1857 the settlement in San Bernardino closed and the family moved to Beaver, Utah, where they spent eight years. William entered plural marriage with Elizabeth Gale on Dec. 5, 1862, in Beaver.
     The Kartchners moved to Nevada in 1866 and to Panguitch, Utah, in 1871. William took a position as Panguitch's first post-master, but in 1877 the Church called his family to help settle Arizona.
     Some members of William's company warned him he might not reach Arizona in his poor health, but to these people William answered: ``On the day they start for Arizona, I shall arise from my bed. I may fall, but I'll fall with my face toward Arizona.''
     Leaving Panguitch in November 1877, the Kartchners came to Arizona by way of Lee's Ferry over the Colorado River. They moved south to the Little Colorado River and followed it to a spot on the south bank. They camped for six months and then moved farther south to Snowflake, Ariz., arriving in August 1878. William brought to Snowflake a rich tradition of music that has lasted among the Kartchners for more than a century. He and two sons played the violin and his daughter, Alzada, joined in with the accordion. William became the first postmaster in Snowflake and was also Sunday School superintendent. These sidelighted his career as a farmer and blacksmith. William died in Snowflake after 14 years on May 14, 1892, at age 72.

-- Sources: 1. "Margaret Jane Casteel Kartchner." Pioneer Women of Arizona, pps. 291-295. (On record at Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah; BX8670.07.C579p). 2. 1992 interview with Merle Kartchner Shumway, a great-granddaughter of Mary Ann Argyle who helped publish John Henry Standifird's journal (interview took place in Provo, Utah). 3. Descendants of George Palmer and Phoebe Draper, pps. 445-461. (On record at Harold B. Lee Library, BYU, Provo, Utah.)

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Early Convert, Pioneer, Postmaster

SOURCES UNKNOWN
     Hartford, Montgomery, Pennsylvania was the birthplace of William Decatur Kartchner. He was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day

Detail from an undated photograph of William D. Kartchner.

Saints on May 8, 1843. Mr. Kartchner started westward with the Mississippi Saints, and failing to meet the pioneer company under Brigham Young as planned en route, he wintered in Pueblo, Colorado with other members of the company and the sick detachment of the Mormon Battalion quartered there. This group of southern Saints entered Salt Lake Valley a few days behind the vanguard company.
     Mr. Kartchner assisted in the building of the Old Fort where the winter of 1847-48 was spent. In the spring he moved his family to Holladay where he took up land. In 1851, in answer to a call from the Church authorities, William journeyed to San Bernardino, California, to aid in the settlement of that Mormon outpost. When the Saints were called home in 1858, he and his family made their way to Beaver, Utah. Later he spent some time in the Muddy Mission, Panguitch, and Parawan, then went to Arizona. In both Panguitch and Parawan, Iron Country, and Snowflake, Arizona, he answered as postmaster.
     Always an active and conscientious worker in the Church he was ordained a Seventy, served as Superintendent of the Sunday School, ward and block teacher. His first wife, Margaret Jane Casteel, came to Utah with him. He later married Elizabeth Gale, daughter of Henry Gale of Australia, who came to Utah with an ox team company. William was the father of 21 children.
     Five years before his death Mr. Kartchner lost his eyesight. He passed away in Snowflake, Arizona, May 14, 1892.

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Autobiography

BY WILLIAM DECATAR KARTCHNER
EXCERPTS FROM PUBLISHED JOURNAL
     ... I remained with my mother one year (after the death of his father in 1826), and she moved 8 miles southwest to Mill Creek to Telender’s Mill. Peter W. was apprenticed to brother John C., who worked on the mill for wages. My mother also picked paper at a low rate of pay. I was sent to school to a Mr. Hoffman, a Universalist. One evening while coming from school, a young man was imposing on me and plaguing me. I tried to get away from him by running, but my efforts were in vain. At last I fought with him, and he punished me severely. When he arrived at the mill, my brother John C. saw the affair and called him to account for his conduct. The young man answered, saying he would punish him the same if he interfered. They soon came together without much talk. A severe encounter ensued in which both were punished. My brother had knocked out of joint his thumbs, and before the mill hands came to them and parted them they had become desperate, and when parted the young man was carried home and remained in bed some time.
     In the spring my mother took me to Mr. McKnight’s to be his cowboy. I remained during the summer. I thought the days and weeks long and cried to go home, but they were very kind to me and gave me presents, but I suffered in my mind very much. In the course of the autumn Mr. McKnight died of assumption and was buried in the same yard my father’s remains were buried in the year before.
     Soon after James McKnight came to administer the estate. He was very kind to me and petted me, which I was used to at home. He would take me in the old gig to the tavern and give me money to pay the hosteller (hostler) and for drinks. I felt quite at home again until the business was settled and he returned to his home in Buck County and I returned to my mother. My parting with Mrs. Shester, the lady who kept house for the consumptive old bachelor, was tender.
     By this time my Uncle John Wilcox came to visit my mother in Mill Creek. He took me to stay one year as a lay boy, as he had rented a paper mill, seven miles north west of Manayunk. My brother Peter was about to be whipped by Garrett Hender, his master, when he turned on him and tore a large leg from a spinning wheel and went for him. He was sued by his master for assault and battery. He, Peter, soon after ran away and went to the far west, and then south to New Orleans. He came back to Memphis sick and had many warm-hearted friends.

Factory Worker As a Boy

     Next spring my uncle John took me with the family visiting my mother, who had moved to Manayunk. I stayed with her and went to work in a woolen mill the next winter at a very low wage. The next spring she sent me to school to a Mr. Murphy, but I hated the school room and learned nothing. I begged to go to the factory and work. At last she consented and I went to work in a cotton factory. I received two dollars a week, and fifty cents for spending money with which I bought tobacco which I commenced to use before I was five years old. The rest of the money I kept in a small stone jug. I worked in the cotton factory until I was twelve years old, when the little finger of my right hand was caught in the cog wheel. I was laid up six weeks with it. I refused to return to the factory. My mother said I must either return to the factory or go learn a trade, that she could not support me. She wanted me to learn the carpentry trade but I chose the blacksmith trade and was bound by indenture to Benjamin Miles for seven years and six months, with a consideration of receiving one quarter of a day school and one quarter of night school.
     My mother joined the old Baptist church soon after my father’s death. My father was an infidel and would not allow the family to attend sectarian meetings. He and Mr. Lavern once arranged a hogshead for a Methodist minister to stand up and preach, and so fixed the hoops so that a hard stomp would knock the head in the midst of his sermon, he commenced stomping and at once dropped into the hogshead, out of sight of the audience to the surprise of all but my father and Mr. Lavern, who were enjoying a hearty laugh at the experience of Acre Brown, the preacher.
     In 1833 my mother happened to be up in the night and said the stars were falling from Heaven and woke the elder members of the family, she was not excited, but many of the citizens were upon their knees praying and thought the world was at an end. In the year 1834, mother married a Mr. Francis B. Collins, a nephew of Collins the noted axe maker, at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia; they moved to Kensington, Philadelphia County.

No Time to Play

     During this time I was working hard, early and late and did not get enough to eat. Our breakfast was half a mackerel for four large boys, a small parcel of light bread and two cups of water stained with a little coffee. In the winter time I was called at three in the morning to make the fires and then call the cook. We ate breakfast and were ready to work at daylight. We had dinner at 12 and supper at 5 p.m. and continued to work until 8 p.m. In the winter of 1835, we were allowed to go to school from 7 to 10 p.m. five nights a week. I could receive an education easier than at any other period in my life but I was wanted in the shop and taken from school and worked very hard days and occasionally all night, until the spring of 1836.
     As is natural for boys to want to play, I had no other time to play except at night, and on one occasion I stayed until after 9 o’clock and when I went to the house, the door was locked, and I went to the stable and took shelter in the hay mow. The first time I had ever slept out of doors, and I had comfortable quarters; in the morning I went to work as usual in the shop, and as it was customary for the old boss to stay in the house until after breakfast and have family prayers, the other hands worked until 8 o’clock, stopped for breakfast in summer and winter, breakfast before daylight.

Beaten By His Master

     On the above named morning I went with the others to breakfast and, to my surprise, Mr. Miles had in preparation a large tapering stick the size of a rat tail, which he used on my back so unmercifully as to raise a solid scab halfway the length of my back. My cries were heard by all the neighbors. I could not eat but was required to labor just the same. My friend, Mr. Mariwine, advised me to sue Mr. Miles, which I did and went to work as usual. Soon after Mr. Miles came and taking me by the hair pulled and slapped me first on one side and then the other, punishing me severely. Again we notified to attend trial. My statement, and my back made bare to sight, was not seen or heard and I was ordered back to work and to be a good boy. The next morning I rose early and ran away to my mother in Philadelphia, a distance of 6 miles, and stayed with her for two weeks, when she required me to accompany her back to Manayunk, when a new trial commenced before Mr. Murphy.
     As before, a mock trial went on and my mother, having no money to carry on, the suit was dismissed. I was told to go back like a good boy. I told the court I was a poor orphan without money and would submit, but I was not satisfied. I went back but received in my own mind to never do good for the manager.
     I had become very handy in the shop. I took every opportunity of making small irons for the neighbors. One of my friends, being a saddler, paid me in money. This state of things went on for 6 weeks, during which time my elder brother came from the western country. He told me, after hearing my grievance, he wanted me to run away and go with him, which suited my feeling. I had by this time laid up $5.00. I told my brother about the small amount of money saved up and asked him if that was enough to help bear expenses. He said yes I could go without a cent.

Escape from Servitude

     We set the time for 2 weeks to start on a Sunday morning, as I would have one day start before I would be pursued. Meantime I went to Philadelphia the next Sunday, to visit my little sister, Sarah Ann, as my mother had married and moved to Harper’s Ferry, Petersburg, Virginia, and left me with Mr. Miles, and Sarah Ann with a cousin who was keeping a store in Philadelphia, by the name of Myrtle Shay. When Sunday came I put on two shirts and two pairs of pants for a start for I had to go through the room the folks were sitting in, and when I traveled one mile and a half, I met my brother at the bridge, where we had appointed to meet.
     We talked matters over and found that I had left some letters in my old hat box that would reveal my course of travels, and he advised me to return and destroy them. In so doing I worked one more week for my old boss. The next Sunday I started again with my clothes as before. As I arrived at the locks, 1-and-a-half miles above the town, I found a Union Packer ready to start. I made an engagement with the captain, a fine young man, to work my passage. He left me at the helm while he ran to the other end of the boat and found that I was able to steer the boat. After that he took passage on the stage by land, some 20 miles, and left me to run the boat. As I sounded the horn to land at town, I saw the Captain standing on the wharf awaiting the arrival of the boat. He expressed himself well pleased with the hands and I continued as helmsman, crossed the Susquehanna and up the Union Canal.
     As I was running into the locks of Harrisburg I gave the horn to warn the locks man to open the chambers, my brother Peter, hollered, “Is that you, boy?” I answered in the affirmative. Here I met my two brothers 150 miles from home. The good captain took them aboard, we traveled to Blairsville with him, from there to Pittsburgh, 46 miles on foot. I was so tired the last 5 miles I walked between my brothers supporting me with their locked arms.
     In the morning we bought a skiff and hoisted a blanket, at Wheeling we got aboard a flat boat and helped to man it to Cincinnati. Brother John and myself soon found a position in a carriage shop, I received $5.00, my brother $8.00 per week. Brother Peter hired to go to New Orleans. We remained until fall when hearing nothing from Peter, we closed business and took passage on the steamboat William Penn to Clair, then got aboard the Mediator bound for New Orleans, but we landed in Rennessee. Mr. Shaver, of LaGrange was down to purchase Litic Springs for the firm of Colonel Shaver, carrying a carriage shop at LaGrange. He had heard that there were two boys, spring makers from Philadelphia. He made our acquaintance and hired us to go to LaGrange, 50 miles. He purchased spring steel instead of springs. As soon as we arrived we commenced making springs, the shop was visited by many to see the Yankee boys make springs, as they called us. We worked until the next June. A great many were sick with the fever, and we feared the fever and so settled up and went to Memphis, took steamboat United States, for St. Louis and there took a steamboat for the Illinois river.
     Found James Webb, who married my eldest sister, carrying on a wagon shop. He hired us. I took the fire at $12 a month and John was helper at $25 a month. I worked 2 months and demanded $30 per month which was agreed to at once. My brother John fell out and quit and went to chopping cord wood, and made but little, while I became foreman of the shop and got my own price per day.
     Finally brother Peter came to see us, and in a few weeks he and John went down the river leaving me at Napkes, Illinois, the sickest place I have ever seen since. I stayed until the fall of 1830. Brother Peter wrote me to come and bring a set of blacksmith tools accordingly, I settled up, bought the tools, and a wood work of a wagon and iron and steel, and my brother-in-law fitted up a flat boat and put on 6 wagons bound for Alton. I put my tools, wages and things in my yawl and shoved off alone for Illinois town.
     On the passage I met a large steamboat whose waves came near sending my iron to the bottom, with hard swinging and keeping low to the wave I was saved and landed safely. I put my goods in a warehouse and walked to my brother’s. We hired a team, and I went after my things. I set up shop, John-trader, Peter-farmer. We went into co-partnership but my elder brothers could not agree, so we held a council in which I was chosen chairman, and was chosen chief advisor. After that we would council together but my word decided all cases. We prospered and gained property very fast. It was my motto to keep the name of the firm good. We were able to borrow money or buy on credit and became well known in the country as a trading firm. People wishing to exchange animals for wagons must be accommodated if we made good in our business, this brought a great many people to the place to trade and made business in the shop.

Discovery of Mormonism

     I was disgusted with keeping “back” and I went to board at Thomas Nelson’s, 400 yards from my place, and while I was there I was very fond of reading and called for some history to read and he handed me some Latter-day Saints works, Parley P. Pratt’s writings “Voice of Warning."
     I read with increasing interest. Towards the last of April 1842, my brothers Peter and John, came home from St Louis, where they had been at work into bachelor quarters again. Peter was chief cook and we hurried to put in our spring crop. During the summer Peter was courting a Miss Lucinda Herrin and married her in the fall. He brought her to our bachelor home and we lived agreeably for some 3 months. By this time, she, Mrs. Peter Kartchner, showing decided preference favoring myself over John. A disturbance was the consequence. My shirts were washed and ironed and put carefully away, while brother John’s were left in the dirt. I told her it would cause a disturbance and that we would get our washing done elsewhere. But she agreed to do our washing on my account. In the summer of 1842, Peter bought a place 4 miles west of the old place and finally moved to it early in the winter. John and myself took our teams and went and helped improve it by hauling timbers and rails.
     The spring of 1843, John and I put in our crops at our old place and all seemed well until the 7th of May. Thomas Nelson told me there were two Mormon Elders at the Free Settlement 10 miles away. I saddled my horse and rode down, stayed all night and was baptized on the 8th of May 1843. My brother John heard of it before I returned home and met me at our gate and asked me if I had been baptized by them dammed Mormons? I answered to the affirmative--he dammed me and the Mormons. I tried to pacify him to no purpose. This was our first disturbance, and that which was formerly my whole delight for my future home was now loathsome. I bore it one month, during which time my whole faculties were exercised in prayer and study which led me to flee to the Church for peace and safety, which I did in June. I went straight to the prophet’s house and had an interview, which was very agreeable, and counseling. I worked on the temple some time, and was baptized in the river for my father and other dead relatives. I returned home late in the fall. Stayed with John that fall and sold out to him in November, and in December took my blacksmith tools in a small wagon, drawn by my favorite mule, located on Bear Creek, put up a Hickory log shop and worked that winter 20 miles from Nauvoo. During the winter I became acquainted with Jacob L. Casteel’s family and became familiar with Margaret Jane and was married to her in 1844, by Elder James B. Hamilton on the 17th of March. I moved my shop and lodgings to my father-in-laws. The mob was threatening the settlers and I stood guard the greater part of the winter and during the late spring.
     My father-in-law was called on a mission in company with Alfred D. Young to go to Tennessee. About that time I was taken with rheumatism caused by exposure. My brother John came to see me from Maples, Illinois and visited me at Nauvoo. Standing guard at night, with a continual rain for six weeks, on one occasion, we sent express to Nauvoo. Due to the rain most of the small ravines swam horses, and the day the mob was to meet to go to Carthage, an express was sent to Nauvoo from our county to raise a force, but Reynold Cahoon opposed the enterprise, saying Joseph Smith left word for them to stay at home. He advised them to do so and the result is that two of the best men of earth were martyred, the mobbers numbered some over 150, and as soon as this terrible deed was perpetrated, they and the citizens fled leaving Carthage in fright.

Helpless With Rheumatism

     About this time a wagon drove to Carthage from Nauvoo and the bodies were put in and they were placed in the hall of Joseph’s mansion 2 days for the afflicted saints to gaze upon, passing in at one door and out the other. At this time I was helpless with rheumatism and could not move my head or feet. I was laid up until the first of July when I was able to be out again. The Nauvoo Temple was progressing rapidly toward completion. The sisters were called upon to furnish the window glass. Margaret Jane, my wife donated or gave an offering of money for the project. I was unable to work during the summer.
     An expedition was ordered by Joseph Smith the Prophet, prior to his martyrdom; for a few families to emigrate to the Missouri river and put in crops preparatory to the Church moving from Nauvoo westward. Under charge of Elder James Emmett and John L. Butler, his counselor, I was called upon to go, being just married, as they wanted young men mostly, and instructed to keep it a secret as all would want to go if the work went forth that we were going west. This instruction was given me by Zechariah D. Wilson, the presiding High priest of the Liberty Branch, situated at the head of Bear Creek, 20 miles below Nauvoo. We were told by Z. D. Wilson that he was in the highest court on earth and was told at this council in Nauvoo to counsel the company to not ask council of Brigham Young as he would see our faint heartedness and would, of course discourage those asking such advice.
     Sometime in September I sent my blacksmith tools to Nauvoo to be put aboard a small flat boat, which was manned by Captain Emmett Williams and son Simpson and Gardener Peterson and families. It was towed by a rope of men on shore until opposite the Iowa River. They sold their boat while those taking wagons and teams crossed at Curlington, they made a rendezvous about 10 miles above Iowa City and built log cabins and wintered, during which time the men worked in lumber camps for provision. Captain Emmett gathered from the Sisters at this camp their featherbeds and jewelry and sent them below and sold them for grain and other requisites.
     Early in March of 1845, we were ordered to yoke up and move up the river for the teams were mostly oxen; at this juncture our provisions were placed in my wagon and others we could trust and we began to draw rations. As my wagon was loaded heavily on the start, my young wife and others able to walk were compelled to walk, many times in water shoe deep for we had no path and many of us had our feet so swollen we could scarcely put on our shoes in the morning.

Westward Trek

     We traveled slowly up the river to recruit our stock, our rations were reduced to one gill of corn per person, and at this time Brother Hinnan numbered the camp and found it to be 130 souls, but on reduced rations caused complaint and desertion. Captain Emmett appropriated the property left to his own use and discouraged others by starving them, designing to make himself the owner of stock left. By the middle of May we left the Iowa River. Our course was across the large prairie toward the Sioux Indian Country and many became dissatisfied as we were traveling to the north of Council Bluffs, our supposed destination. While on the Iowa River we found Maple trees from which we made sugar. Which we used while crossing the large prairie. At Sioux River, rations were stopped for 3 days, we dug Sioux roots and wild onions and a little maple sugar we had saved. We made a raft of dry cottonwood logs and by means of a rope crossed our wagons, 22 in number. Emmett would traumatize the camp from time to time, saying he had all he could eat and to spare, and I think it true for I had supplied myself with good fat pork before starting and never saw any of it, after putting our provisions in common stock. Emmett was seen cooking port and beans many times while the general camp lived on a gill of corn per head a day without salt. While on the Iowa River, Wilson’s family, President of the Liberty Branch privately told those he had counseled to emigrate with this company, and his advise, as President, was for all to return to Nauvoo. Captain Emmett found out Wilson’s advising part of the company thus, and called a general meeting of the company to investigate. His life guards were ordered to load their guns with powder and ball and be ready at a minute’s warning to form a line and be prompt to execute any order by the Sergeant of the Guard that would be given by the signal. We formed the line, I being one of the aid guards, Captain Emmett formed at the head of the company with a sword and 2 pistols on him and a rifle in hand. He said in an excited tone, “We are called together to investigate this mutiny in camp.” He told the consequence of division, also his decision to put a stop to it by calling these life guards to execute offenders. He talked at length, when about closing, he named Z.D.Wilson as chief offender and thought of executing him at the root of the tree where we were sitting, Wilson sobbed aloud in bitterness of his soul, expecting every moment to receive the death order, when I advanced one step forward and said if Wilson was guilty of a crime he should not be executed without a fair jury trial, every American citizen was entitled to; that I would see he had his rights, which caused quite an excitement in the meeting. It was soon dispersed, all to their several tents and wagons that night. Soon after dark, I was called upon by Simpson Emmett, the Captain’s son, and 3 others, they disarmed me of my weapons, except my butcher knife, and told that I was no longer a Life Guard and my rations would be reduced, which was only one gill of corn without salt. Billy Edwards came to me the next day and slapped me on the shoulders and said. “You are a true Democrat and no coward,” that he was going to crack and wished me to go along. I told him, “no,” that I would see the end of all this. Me, Mr. Russell, wife, and two boys, Thomas Edward, T. Edwards Jr., June Williams Edwards, Chester Loveland and family, Page, Sister Coon and family, Elecsi St. Marie and family, Stephen F. Casteel and his sister Emeline, James Hickman and family, and others with Z.D.Wilson and wife went back down the Iowa River to Iowa City. John Flowers was so starved and reduced he could not walk and undertook to go to a house; when he arrived in the settlement in search of food he gave out and continued going on his hands and knees. After this company had rested for 2 weeks they returned with the sheriff for their property. They looked so fat I thought they must be bloated, but they told me it was solid fat. Captain Emmet fled in haste, the officer arrested John L. Butler, Lyman Hinnan, William Potter and Gardener Potter, Armstead Moffit, and as Enoch Burns passed my tent a man hollered “There goes another damned rascal, catch him,” and he was arrested, taken to Iowa City, and put in jail and tried for their being in with Emmett, depriving the above named of their property. After investigation they were discharged and they came back to our camp. After J.L. Butler visited Nauvoo, he came back and encouraged us to follow Emmett, and we would be alright, he said he had seen an angel in Nauvoo, who had spoken favorably of the camp. We drove out on a very large prairie and came to a small creek. I thought Skunk Creek, traveled on some distance and came to a wide river with steep banks. I thought the Des Moines, with a good rock ford. Traveled northwest several days on the same prairie and came to the Sioux River. We made a cottonwood raft, was 3 days working hard to get across. Our women hunted Sioux roots and wild onions to eat as Emmett stopped our rations while we crossed the river. First day’s travel after crossing the river a few men came to us, said they lived at Fort Vermillion a few miles west and invited us to the Fort. They gave us some dried buffalo meat, too, and I thought it was the best I had eaten, it was very fat and our starved systems seemed to crave grease.

Rescued by 'French and Indians'

     They next day we drove to the fort, camped a little above and Emmett hunted up and down the river for a place to cross. Failing to find one, we moved a little below the Fort and camped in a circle as usual. Captain Emmett rode his horse ahead and made the circle, turned wagon tongues in, so by placing the tongues on the hind wheels made a corral. The French and Indians came and accused us of being starved, which made Emmett mad. They pressed their hands on their cheeks and pointed to our cheeks. I told them I wanted some meat and they brought meat and roasting ears of corn to my father-in-law and me, and those who acted mad like Emmett went without this luxury.
     A steamboat had gone up the Missouri River to trade for furs. This trip was made once a year. I determined if I could get passage on board I would. About the 15th of July, it came down and I went aboard and secured passage to St. Louis. I told Mr. Henry I was going. My wife and I carried our chest to the boat landing. I went back 200 yards for something when I saw Potter coming toward me with a desperate look. I hastened back to the boat, and he ran after me, I believe with bad intent. I ran on the boat, Butler and Holt were searching my chest and took all my valuables even my bullet molds. Butler accused me of stealing a pot. My wife and her mother owned it ever since she could remember. We left everything: team, wagon, and tools, sweet sacrifice compared to the starvation and oppression and abuse we had endured during the past 8 months. We were treated very kindly by the boatmen. Captain Emmett took my wife’s feather bed and wedding gifts and trinkets and so the last search by Bro. Butler left us destitute. No cloths except that which we had on. The boatmen saw our destitute condition and gave us shirts, pants, coats and some calico and sheeting and a rich French gentleman, traveling for his health, gave me 2 blankets and $10.00 in silver, for which I thanked him and blessed him in the name of the God of Jacob.
     We were invited to eat in the cabin where every luxury was furnished and 2 weeks of July were thus passed away and we found ourselves in St. Louis. I found my brother-in-law James Webb, he took us to his hotel and gave us dinner, and gave us a recommend to his place 90 miles down the river to a place called Yankee Town. We took steamboat passage down and after 9 hours ride landed, finding my oldest sister and family well but very proud, we were beneath their notice.
     In one week we were so common and unpretentious, I rented a house of a gentleman by the name of Mr. Powell, a rich southern farmer. My young wife took sick with intermittent fever and was very low. My sister was alone and seldom came to see her, but Mrs. Powell came often to see her and gave us medication and administered to her every wants, for the first time I laid my hands on my wife and prayed for her recovery with all the faith I could muster and the vomiting was stopped gradually. As soon as she was out of danger, I crossed the river, and went on foot 60 miles east to see my brother John who lived in Washington County, Illinois.
     He saddled 2 horsed, we started back to see his sister-in-law. He brought some necessities and provisions and visited 3 days, went back after the wagon and team. He was gone a week and came to the opposite bank of the river and we ferried our things over in a skiff in the latter part of August. We lived with him comfortable and happy that fall and winter. He gave me the farm we were living on, and said after we lived on it 5 years, he would make a deed of it.
     In the spring of 1846, I learned some Mormons were going west from the six mile prairie and John Brown from the 9 mile. My brother had some blood hounds and we did take real comfort hunting raccoons, until this company was making preparations to start to the Rocky Mountains which exercised my mind greatly. Finally, Brother Crow heard that I was used to camp life, and came to see me, and offered me a wagon and half a team and wished me to furnish the other half and haul 1,000 pounds for him, which caused by brother to tremble, fearing that I was going to leave the United States. So on the 1st day of March 1846, we started in what was known as the Mississippi company. Crossing at St. Louis we traveled through Jackson county, Missouri to Independence, and soon after organized our company with William Crosby, Captain. About the middle of June we arrived at Grand Island on the Platte River, where to previous agreement, President Young and the Pioneer Camp were to meet us. Not finding them after waiting 1 week, we concluded to go south west between 200 & 300 miles and wait, for we were at the end of our instructions. When we arrived at Pueblo on the Arkansas River, we found small farms of corn cultivated by Indians mostly and traders, who had Indian squaws or wives, of whom we bought corn and prepared for winter quarters, building a row of log houses on the opposite bank of the river from Fort Pueblo. When we had about completed the houses a detachment of the Mormon Battalion composed of the sick and disabled, under the command of James Brown and Captain Nelson Higgins, hearing of our camp on the Arkansas, was sent by Colonel Cooke to our camp for a change of diet, as we were traveling emigrants and would have cows and plenty of milk, which was advised by the army surgeon, by whom we learned the cause of Brigham Young’s delay. Allow me to retract a little and go back to Camp Pueblo, where it was determined to winter. Brother Crow, by council of his wife, broke his obligation to furnish me and my wife with provisions and turned us out of his wagon and withheld provisions. I made camp under a large cottonwood tree to the mercy of kind friends in an unsettled county. John Brown, a brother of Sister Crow, gave us some flour and bacon and blessed us, and said we should have supplies in some way. On the 17th of August, our first little angel daughter was born, under the tree, under these destitute circumstances, not knowing where succor was to come from to make Brother Brown’s promise fulfilled. When our babe was a week old, a messenger was sent from Bent’s Fort, 80 miles below, for a blacksmith, and the man brought a horse for me to ride. I remembered James Harmon as gunsmith who accompanied me. We started the next day, leaving my young wife and baby to the kindness of Catherine Holladay. It was 2 days hard ride to the Fort. Our first day out we encountered a large grizzly bear and after a shot apiece from J. Harmon and myself, we broke him down in the back. He ran towards us dragging his hind parts, when Harmon drew his pistol and finished him. On arrival at Bent’s Fort we were welcomed by Mr. Holt, the bushway of the fort or boss. I went to work and made what is known in shops by the name of “Stake Horn” in lieu of anvil, on which Mr. Harmon welded the hub-bands and other small works, while I welded the tires and set them, and other heavy work. The work was mostly for the U.S.Army, under the command of General Kearny, then under way for the scene of action, the Mexican War.
     We worked until late in the fall most of the time for $2.00 per day. We lay hard and slept cold, so that I had another attack of rheumatism and returned to Pueblo sick, but with my money with which I was enabled to buy corn and an old wagon.. During my absence the part of the Mormon Battalion who were sick under the command of Captain Brown and Higgins, had come to our camp and built a row opposite our row of log cabins for winter quarters and placed over the doors, signs for the sport. On night an alarm was given that 500 Spaniards was close to marching into camp...the camp of Spaniards turned out to be elk. During the winter my wife went in snow knee deep many times to the grove 600 yards away and carried a limb of cottonwood tree for fuel. During my confinement with rheumatism we received word that President Young and the Pioneers would start from the Missouri River early in the spring and we were to intercept their company at Fort Laramie and preparations for the journey were made, business for all. I repaired my wagon sitting on the bed before I could stand on my feet. My wife carried the parts of the wagon to me needing repairs, although kind friends helped us get ready.
     Sometime in April we were ready to start and Brother Shelton furnished us a second yoke of oxen. I was unable to walk and Jackson Mayfield and his brother John, and Sysander Woodert hunted my team, and yoked them day by day. In a few days I could get out by the wagon tongue and by means of a small vise screwed to the wagon tongue, I, by use of files, did many jobs of black smithing for the brotheren. Also fit up one pair of spurs I had forged at Bent’s Fort. Arrived at the Chahely Poe River, a tributary of the Platte River.
     Amasa M. Lyman, one of the Twelve, and Thomas Woolsey sent from the pioneer camp with a message from President Young, met us on the above river. On meeting them Brother John Hess ran, embraced and kissed Amasa for joy. When our camp arrived at Laramie, the main road, we were 3 days behind the Pioneer camp and traveled about that distance from the main camp until we reached the Salt Lake Valley. President Young’s health was poor. He, his wife and three or four other lingered on the road, so that we caught up with a few miles of camp.

Reaching the Valley

     We traveled a day or two behind the Pioneer Camp and arrived in Salt Lake the 27 or 28th of July, 1847. President Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball and other men were our escorts and bid us welcome. We moved into the Pioneer Camp and soon conformed to the general rule of being baptized for the remission of sins. My wife, Margaret Jane, was sick with mountain fever, when we went to City Creek and was baptized by H.C. Kimball and was confirmed with all our former ordination and blessings bestowed upon us.
     We were directed to build a fort surrounding ten acres of land. We ploughed a narrow strip outside of the line designed for the wall, turned on the water and tromped it with the oven and made adobes and built the outside walls very thick with occasional portholes. We drew our lots or spaces inside to build our houses. My house was the 3rd house north of the west gate of the old fort. A Liberty pole was erected on the east side of the middle of the fort. A short time after its completion, one of the Mormon Battalion boys by name, Daniel Brown, had his hands tied high to the pole and with shirt off had several stripes administered to his bareback for stealing a lariat. Burr Frost was the 1st blacksmith to set up a shop and worked. My shop was the 2nd in the valley, which was on the east side of the fort, and tools furnished by Thomas S. Williams who never paid me a cent for my winter’s work in the shop.
     Spring arrived and we were to farm as we had traveled, by 10's, 50's, and 100's, the land our ten drew was on a high bench 6 miles S.W. of the city, our Captain, John Holladay, Sr., he asked permission from his captain to locate 3 miles farther south at a large spring. It was granted, and soon we moved out there, built a small row of houses and fenced a field. My rheumatism had now settled in my ankles and feet and I stood on my knees to do the ditching, and my portion of the fence.
     During this time our breadstuff gave out. We had our last ox killed, an old favorite of mine. Our last bread was of a bushel of wheat I bought from our beloved Brother Parley P. Pratt, who had refused $10 in gold, and took 1 ton of hay for it. We could obtain no more for love or money. I went to town and bought 4 pounds of flour at 50 cents per pound for our little girl, our only child. One lovely morning, latter part of June, 1848, our Captain John Holladay, came to me holding a 1/4 of a skillet loaf of bread in his hand eating at the same time of it and said, “Brother William, what are we to do for bread?”
     In March was a very pleasant spell of winter. On the 10th, William Matthews planted his corn, urged me to plant my morsel of seeds, but as our year’s bread depended on the good use made of the few kernels of corn, I waited. A cold spell of weather set in, in April, and Mr. Matthews seed corn rotted in the ground. He had other seed corn to supply and plant a 2nd time and a 3rd time, replanted the same patch and he was put out with the slow actions. My corn ground was ploughed ready and waiting for 1 month and on the 10th of May, I planted the long saved seed. It soon sprouted and came up. It grew finally and to my surprise began to shoot near the ground as I never saw Spanish corn grow before, and had from 6 to 8 ears to the hill, and we had enough corn for bread for 3 families.
     In October of 1848, I went back to Emigration Canyon to meet my father-in-law and family. I met them on the Big Mountain. Soon after their arrival we all moved to Amasa’s survey, built a 2 story log house with 2 apartment for the 2 families. We hauled my abundant corn crop and shared equally and had some to spare for others. Next season we made a light crop of wheat and some corn. Winter of 1849 the settling of San Pete Valley was open for immigration and my father-in-law wished to go on account of good range for his cattle, early spring, after a hard winter and deep snow in the San Pete Valley he came to visit us and during his stay one of his oxen was driven to Salt Lake, by some general drive being made. He never did get his ox. The winter of 1850, a project was set afoot by some of the Church authorities to plant a colony in southern California and some of the families were chosen by Amasa Lyman and others by Charles Rich. Myself and family were chosen by the former. I declined, when Amasa heard he said “that if I refused to go he would cause me to have a worse mission,” which scared me as I had not received my endowments. I thought I would be excused on that ground but on February 8th, I was notified to be at the Endowment House for that purpose.
     On arriving, I was ordained into the quorum of the seventies by Jebediah M. Grant, afterwards placed in the 19th quorum and received endowments the 13th of March 1852. I started, and when arriving at Peteetneet, afterwards called Payson, we had organized into 2 companies, known as Parley’s Company and Lyman and Rich Company. It seemed a great many more than was called was moving with us and President Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball called a meeting at this place and Heber preached and discouraged many from going, the teams of our company were mostly oxen, unshod and became footsore when on the desert and many were left behind sore footed and want of water. Brother Parley’s company had mostly horses and mule teams and gained a month on us traveling to California. In order to raise money, 2 wagons of Parley’s company was sent back with light loads of groceries to Mohave to meet us which worked well, they raised considerable money to pay their passage to Valpairise, South America.
     The 1st of July we camped at Cahoon Pass and was counseled to remain there until a place could be purchased. Some disobeyed and went to settlements. We remained in camp until September 1st instead, during which time I worked at black smithing under a sycamore tree, set wagon tires. As no one was making anything, the brethren burned coal for this work and charged 12 ½ cents per tire. During our stay in camp a stake was organized with David Seeley as President, and Samuel Holfe and Simmion Andrews, councilors. Bishop, William Crosby, with A.W. Collins and William Matthews, councilors, so that when we moved to the ranch we were fully organized. The sycamore tree after was known as the “Conference Tree” while it lived. The writer passed there in March 1861, on a business trip returning to Beaver, Utah, and saw the tree was dead, being burned at the roots.
     In October we held the harvest feast in the meeting shed called the tabernacle, where the different kinds of produce were exhibited, corn stalks 16 feet long, melons 38 lbs., and mammoth pumpkins. A public dinner and dance and general good time for all.
     During our 7 year stay, many pilgrims came from Australia, most on their way to Salt Lake City, Utah, the gathering place of the saints. In 1855 the crops of San Bernardino were a failure and Brother Lyman and Rich held a 2 day meeting and concluded to send missionaries to all the counties and principal cities of California, 84 Elders were called to go. I was called to go in the company with John D. Holladay to Santa Barbara on the Pacific Coast. We journeyed with many other Elders en route to our fields of labor, holding meeting in camp every pleasant evening, and enjoying much of the Holy Spirit. Myself and fellow laborers were left at the city of Santa Barbara, our field of labor. We posted notices after obtaining the use of the court house for the next Sunday, but as our meeting in the court house was Sunday, I proposed to Brother Holladay that we spend 5 days in the upper coast of the county. Brother Holladay declined going but blessed me in going, I took a young man with me by the name of John Matthews; next day in a town named Carpentariah, I found a few Spanish settlers, but I could not speak the Spanish language sufficiently at that time to preach to them. A few miles further I found a man from New York State, a farmer who was having his small grain thrashed with a large thrashing machine and about fifteen men were at work. Soon they stopped for dinner and while resting I presented them with the Church works to read. I waited and assisted Mr. Valandingham to unharness, when he asked me if I was a Mormon Elder, I told him I was. He said when he was a boy he lived at the hill where Joseph found the gold plates and wanted to know if the Mormons had increased in number or otherwise. And when I told him the people had grown from a small town in a territory of two hundred and forty cities and towns and an extent of 500 miles of country, he cursed the Mormons for increasing. He asked me if Brigham Young prophesied as did Joseph Smith? I answered yes, and 15,000 Elders also prophesied that if this generation did not give heed to the warning voice of the Elders of the Church the Lord would come out of His hiding place and vex the nations. We loosed the neck yoke and he drew it over my head and said he would kill a damn Mormon anytime. I remarked, looking him in the eye, “You would not hurt me.” He said, “No, I believe you an honest man but damned duped by others.” He said to wait till the second table and he took me in and gave me a good dinner with restrictions not to speak to his woman on no occasion, with drawn fist toward me and I was careful to obey.
     We traveled a few miles south and found very friendly feeling toward us. Preached and left a favorable impression toward the people we represented. Traveled toward Santa Barbara, arriving on a Saturday evening, finding Bro. Holladay down-hearted and lonesome. We met affectionately. Next day, Sunday, we preached in the Courthouse to a large congregation. A very hot day in August, we became very thirsty and seeing one of my upper Coast converts in the congregation was favored by him with pitcher, water and glass. We had a great flow of the Spirit and the services continued two hours, bore a faithful testimony and warned them of judgements to come.
     Returned home in September, 1856, raised a fine crop and paid all our surplus property to Lyman, C.C. Rich and Ebenezer Hanks to pay for the ranch. The summer of 1857, Pres. W.J. Cox received a letter from Pres. Brigham Young for all saints to come home to Utah and a general rush to sell out. We received little or nothing for our places and many could not endure the sacrifice of property and remained there and many died there and all who stayed became cool in the Gospel.
     My self and family arrived in Beaver, Utah, March, 1858. I drew land in the new field and busied myself making a new farm the first year. Sent my team to move the poor from Salt Lake City as Johnson’s Army was at Hams Fork threatening destruction to Mormons. Pres. Young sent the saints to Parowan. The frost killed my wheat three years and I went to the public shop to work to earn bread for my family. Lived in Beaver until 1860. I heard that my father-in-law at San Bernardino was dead, visited that place in December to settle up the estate, returning in March 1861, in company with George Wood, James Whitaker, Silas Harris and Ezra Strong Sr., the last named gave us much trouble as he would get lost from the wagons.
     He was opposed to Brigham Young as President of the Church and generally directed his talk to me as I had one argument with him at San Bernardino soon after my arrival there. I found him at Sister Casteel’s, my wife’s mother, preaching loudly Josephite Doctrine. A few questions quieted him.
     On one occasion while crossing the desert while cooking he and Silas Harris were frying bacon and baking pancakes. I had my meat fried and crackers steamed and was eating out of the frying pan when Bro. Harris turned their meat on their pile of pancakes and placing a pancake over it which Mr. Strong did not see, he became excited about the meat and pan he had set off the fire and claimed my pan and meat, which I gave up and received much abuse from the old men. After the joke was matured, I asked if my name appeared on the pan handle. Bro. Harris said it was there plain to be seen and uncovered the meat and said, “Mr. Strong, here’s our meat. Now after you have accused Brother Kartchner so wrongfully you had better get down and ask his pardon.” and he was about to get down when I forbade him and after the boys recovered from laughing I cautioned the old man to always be sure he was right before he accused the Mormons of things they were not guilty of.
     I returned home to Beaver, found all well and 5th of December 1862, married Elizabeth Gale, who was born 20th of January 1845 in Australia; daughter of Henry and Sarah Gale.
     Myself and family were called 9th of October 1865, by the First Presidency and Twelve Apostles and sent to strengthen the southern settlements. I filled the mission and was released and called north 1871 and settled in Panguitch. In Spring Conference of 1877, was called to go to Arizona. On the 23rd of March 1877, John D. Lee was executed, being shot at Mountain Meadows, Utah.
     We remained in Beaver until 1865 when Pres. George A. Smith called upon me to go to the muddy. I was on the road in two weeks, leaving the farm unsold, leaving Sister Kartchner and children; taking Lizzie with me. We arrived in November, put in fall wheat and in May 1866, wife and children arrived and about every six months moved to a new town site until the winter of 1869 when we moved to Overton, crossed the creek and took out the water to supply the town. Set out vineyards. In the winter of 1869 wife and children visited San Bernardino to see relatives, returning March 1870. Brought vine cuttings and trees. It now began to look like home.
     About 1870, Joseph W. Young brought a letter from President Young instructing us to take a vote of the people whether we would break up the Muddy settlements. The vote carried to break up and we left in February, 18th. We drove through our wheat field, beautiful and green via St. George and Long Valley, arriving at Panguitch 20 March, 1871, where I met George W. Sevy in Old Fort and was invited to stop and settle. Our last cow died on arriving. Put in crop of wheat but the frost killed it, on the 1st day of August.
     I was called upon to organize a Sunday School, which I did and soon had upwards of one hundred scholars and was greatly blessed in my labors. I was counseled to petition for a mail route connection of Maryvale and Kanab, which I did and petitioned for a post office at Panguitch. I was appointed Postmaster and Panguitch was the head of two routes with weekly service and we received our mail matter regular three years when semi-weekly service was put on. The first day of January 1876, a new route became a law established from Panguitch to Paragonah with weekly service and was much an advantage for business, both south and west. Contractor’s name was James W. Parker; carrier’s name A. Lamraux.
     In December 1874, the United Order was organized by Joseph A. Young; Bishop George W. Sevy, Pres; J.H. Impay and John Norton, Vice-Pres. W.D. Kartchner secretary. ...
     I met in Parowan in December to file our bonds and take oath of office. It being the County seat and paid Jesse N. Smith eighteen dollars for two hours service; returned home next day; appointed Board meetings once a week and some times oftener to adopt rules and arrange business.
     At first it was agreeable and a good spirit prevailed but soon contentions arose. George W. Sevy manifested a bad spirit, ordered Joseph Knight to sit down and hush and ordered Allen Miller out of the house. Accused Joseph Knight of being too lazy to work and wanted to buy a cellar of James Henry on credit for which he was to pay seven hundred and fifty dollars. The entire board voted against it when G.W. Sevy became almost mad and declared he would buy it in spite of all of the Board’s opposition; said he had enough property in the Order to support him and his families without his laboring in the Order and he presided over the Order until 1 March, 1875, without doing a day’s labor. Many contentions arose between Ira. B. Elmer and Jesse W. Crosby and abused each other and almost came to blows many times. At one meeting Bishop Sevy admitted M.M. Steele, a non-member, to address the Board and read letters from Pres. Brigham Young to the Red Creek Order and give his construction upon it, at the same time M.M. Steele was not a member of the order but opposed the Order. Bishop Sevy and a small attendance of the Board, with M.M. Steele’s assistance, adopted measures contrary to resolutions of the board and in the next two days thirty members of the thirty-nine withdrew. Kartchner, Knight, and Bunker resigned their offices and also withdrew from the Order this first of March when Bishop Sevy began to work with the remainder hypocritically telling his special friend, Proctor, if he had not been Bishop he would never have joined the Order but remained out of it as he had.
     In a General Conference at St. George in 1877, W.D.Kartchner and sons and son-in-laws were called on a mission to Arizona Territory, starting in the fall, and making arrangements to go, it was thought best to do a work for our dead friends. Accordingly the latter part of May we started for the St. George Temple. W.D.Kartchner and wife, Margaret; Phebe, Mark’s wife; Sarah Emma and her husband, Ninian Miller; and Don C. Clayton, his wife, Mary Marinda; arriving in St. George, 30 May 1877.
     We were called to the Arizona Mission by Daniel H. Wells at the spring Conference and started on the 15th of November 1877, arriving at sunset on the 22nd of January 1878. Sister Kartchner was sick the entire route. John and Alma hunted and found a place afterward called Taylor, which we moved to 22 January 1878.

1878: United Order House

     On the 24th, the company organized with John Kartchner, Pres; W.J. Flake and Albert Minneraly, councilor.; and began cutting timber for a United Order House, Kitchen and corral. A conference was held at Sunset on 3 February, with John W. Young presiding and on the 4th a stake of Zion was organized when our place was called Taylor and held meetings attended with some encouragement. On the 16th Joseph Knight, Jr. fell from the water wagon and tore loose three inches of scalp above the right ear. On the 17th Home Missionaries, Doddin Porter and Fields gave us encouragement; February 21, we dedicated the dining room and kitchen and had the first dance. The 22nd Bro. West and children arrived and wished to join our Order; 26th W.D. Kartchner bought of Bro. Bushman 2 pigs for $12.00 also sent for the Deseret News. March 2nd, first child born to Sarah E. Miller; March 3rd and 4th. Cash called for to buy seed grain of M. Kartchner and Palmer for $45.00, W.D. Kartchner $10.00; N. Miller $5.00. March 1st Bro. Brady and Chalk with families arrived and wished to join; 6th W.J.Flake and James started for grain; 14th Prudence Miller was blessed; 14th Bros. Copelin, Holt, and W. Farnsworth arrived; March 18th Flake arrived from St. John with 7,000 lbs. Wheat; April 8th A. Stewart and family of ten arrived; May 5th Bros. Burnham, Hunt, his wife and two daughter visited Taylor. 13th sowed the first wheat. May 17th water ran in ditch through Taylor. 17th W.J. Flake expressed himself dissatisfied with the Order; May 23rd conference at Sunset; 24th three wagons started to Conference; 25th at noon the flood washed around the dam; 28th Bishop brought Major Ladd to level another ditch four feet below the first one. 31st commenced work on the new ditch. Three men were sent from Woodruff to work on our ditch. St. Joseph sent four men to work. June 6th W.J. Flake withdrew from the Order; Sunset sent two men. June 13th W.D. Kartchner drove to Brigham City for a nurse for Sister Bates; Brother Joseph Knight stayed for two days; 15th Rain came up the river and washed out the dam the second time; 17th the men became dissatisfied and discouraged at Taylor; 23rd Bishop started to Sunset with Bro. Joseph Knight and family; 27th Joseph Knight died. 28th Several of us went to the burial at Sunset. July 13th, Bros. Hamblin and Harris arrived from the Zunis; 14th, Sunday, brethren stopped, went with us to meeting, gave an account of laying on of hands on 406 Zunis in one day for small pox with miraculous results. 15th, Lucy Flake took her things outdoors and out of the Order. 16th, Charles Hall and Woodruff Freeman stayed at Bro. Flake’s camp; W.D. Kartchner arrived at 8 p.m. with 3,200 lbs. of salt. W.J. Flake moved from Taylor 18 July 1878.
     On the 6th of August, we moved from Taylor, on the 9th, met Mr. Clark, arrived at Stinson’s August 10. Mr. Clark found us moving and asked us five hundred dollars more than he did in July. August 11th, we bargained with W.J. Flake for one-fourth part of the Stinson place and to be the upper part. On the 12th we moved to the upper part, east side of the Creek. On the 13th, it commenced raining and rained nearly four weeks. When it cleared up, myself, John, Orin, Mark and Palmer went to the timber for logs. Nowlin was taken sick with chills. We made one trip for logs and were gone three weeks. Bought remainder of logs and 1300 clapboards; sent two teams for remainder. On the 17th of September W.J. Flake and family started to Beaver, Utah. On the 23rd myself, Orin, Aaron went to making adobes.
     We received a letter from Pres. Lot Smith notifying us that Apostle E. Snow and Elder Nuttall, Jesse N. Smith, Ira Hinkley, Ed Noble, and Ollaphant would preach at Sunset 21 September. My son, John and wife went to meet them and returned with them. On the 26th at 5 p.m. Elder Snow and company held meeting at our camp. Apostle Snow gave liberty to all who wished to withdrew from the Order and after supper he sat up with us at the campfire till after midnight. Said this way of running the Order was not right, for the stock was the common stock of the devil. Said the Lord cared no more about the way we ate our food than he did how the squirrels ate their acorns. He answered questions freely.
     On the 27th, stayed counseling until noon and took a note of those present for John Hunt to preside as Bishop at Stinson valley; sent the baggage wagons up the creek when he rode over to Stinsons in company with us and selected a townsite at Stinsons, then bid us adieu on the new townsite. The second day after he sent back the name of the town, Snowflake, and town and farm plot and to send for Bro. Ladd for his surveying instruments; 2nd of October, Don returned with compass and on the third we commenced the town survey; October 13th Bros. Deen and Cording as home missionaries, came to our camp and went over to Snowflake to preach. On the 22nd W.D. Kartchner went over to work on the house; returned to camp on the 28th and moved Sister Kartchner over to Snowflake; November 3rd 1878 moved into the house.
     November 4th Bishop Hunt visited Snowflake and picked his lot and contracted with N. Miller to build him a log house; 5th the Territorial election judges of the poles, James Stinson, Bros. Bagley and Wansley, 13 votes were poled at Snowflake; 6th Minerley and wife, and Ida Hunt started for Utah; 17th Lizzie moved into her house; 22nd Eilliam McGary and half-brother took dinner with us; 23rd a company of Negro Soldiers camped here with a white captain for officer. Traded 100 lbs. of bacon for a beef (Black Steer) to Mr. Stinson. After supper a few Negroes gathered at the U.S. Station tent and gave a volunteer Negro concert; November 29 Brother Hunt, two boys and two girls came. On the 16th of November Sister Hunt and three girls, Bell, Nettie, and Lois arrived.
     December 6th the sisters Organized. December 20th started to Sunset Mill for flour and to get corn ground; 21st Met Brother Flake opposite Taylor town and offered him a twenty-dollar gold piece for canceling my post office debt at Panguitch, Utah, of $19.05; arrived at the Mill at night. 22nd Sunday, got my grinding and bought flour, 400 lbs. of Lot Smith; 24th, arrived home, also Flake arrived, finding all well; took dinner with Daughter P.J. Flake (Prudence Jane.)

1879: County Convention

     On the 17th January 1879, Pres. Jesse N. Smith and company arrived and held first meeting; 19 and 20th, started to St. John Valley to buy a place for his company; 24th, returned, could not buy and did not like St. John Valley; 25th, bought land of Flake and took up city lots; 25th, Bishop Hunt started to Savoy for flour; 26th Pres. Smith held meeting at Walker town, three miles above; 27th, very high wind, Flake started to Sunset for his sheep.
     After some six weeks rumors were going the rounds that Pres. Jesse N. Smith had the right to call for and move the Church steam saw mill to the most central place for convenience of all the settlements. When Lot Smith proposed to furnish the people of Snowflake Stake through Pres. Jesse N. Smith’s order 150,000 ft. lumber free if the mill would be allowed to remain as before. I was going to the Brigham City grist mill to receive 600 lbs. of flour I had bought of Mr. Milligan, through Bro. W.J. Flake, at $6.00 per cwt. At the same time Bishop George Lake asked $7.00 per cwt. for the same flour and being within forty miles to the sawmill I and son, Orin went to the sawmill and obtained 960ft. And came via the flour mill and put on the 600 lbs. Of flour; also Sister Knight and two little girls wished passage with us to Snowflake. We arrived home 8th of March. Bro. Lot Smith loaned to Snowflake Conference 150 bushels of wheat for seed; also some molasses.
     Snowflake was the first County seat of Apache County. The 10th of April a County Convention was appointed at Snowflake, the County seat. Monday the 7th was the worst windstorm, no one could plough or sow, all out-door work ceased the entire day on account of the wind and dust, the wind was from the Southwest. On May 14th the first town ditch was surveyed.
     On the 6th of June, I took sick with a pain in the bowels and dropsy developed. On June 28th, I attended Conference and got worse; kept to my bed for some time; Sept. 4th, I was able to sit up a little. My neighbors and acquaintances proposed several remedies and every one applied seemed to help me, among which was the bitter aloes in whiskey for purgative and wild milkweed root in whiskey, a tablespoon every six hours for a few days then every morning until after I was well, also grapevine bark ashes, a teaspoonful in a little wine every morning. In five days, seven gallons of water ran from me through the natural channel. Up to January 1880 I continued taking the milkweed root which is the best of all other remedies.
     December 14th 1879 W.J. Flake arrived from Utah ahead of the train.

1880: Found in Bed Not Breathing

     January 27th, Snowed all day and all night. The snow was eleven inches deep on the level and turned cold. The thermometer stood at 20 degrees below zero and for three weeks snow remained; good sleighing; February 16th, a south wind blew, the next day it continued and the weather moderated; March 16th, sowed ten acres of wheat.
     March 1st, commenced making a ditch on east side of the creek. Continued through April until the 13th; a terrible windstorm stopped work at noon in consequence. Wind continued bad until five hands worked on 14th and on the 15, only worked and became discouraged. The wind commenced on the 12th and continued to blow very hard a whole week. Tuesday was terrible, no work could be done in or out doors and clouds of dust were driven past the rate of twenty miles per hour.
     On April 23rd W.D. Kartchner started to the mill at Sunset with 29 bushels and 20lbs and several small grists for neighbors; Paid Lot Smith $52.50 tithing money and $30.00 for Bishop Hunt for flour. Lot Smith refused to donate graham for the poor at Snowflake. Returned home on evening of 29th. Met with John W. Young at Woodruff and we met with the ward for payer when J.W. Young gave a statement of his trip to Albuquerque to purchase goods and on return he bought Thompson’s point to put up his goods; 30th J.W. Young went to crossing of Showlow for Bro. James Woods for his clerk. Returned on 30th to Woodruff with Heber Perkins for clerk. Nephi and Allen Smithson passed en route for the Gila River May 8th.
     May 19th high winds moderated; June, wind continued; 9th very high wind; June 26-27 Conference, John W. Young represented railroad business; July 5th; Orin and Aaron started to the railroad to work for J.W. Young and Jesse N. Smith; July 7th, a very good rain; July 16th; started in company with Nowlin to steam mill in Toms forest with two span of horses, one a wild colt, and when opposite the steam mill he scared and ran away into a tree top and I fell under the front wheel, Nowlin stopped them suddenly as the front wheel reached my left arm, which saved me.
     July 5th; Aaron and Orin started, in company with Pres. Jesse N. Smith to beyond Fort Windgate to work on John W. Young’s contract on the railroad of five miles grading and waited three weeks for the tools and provisions at their own expenses. Orin thought best to come home and help harvest and arrived August 4th without clearing expenses. He cut our wheat on the 6th and 7th.
     August 7th; Bishop Hunt caused the trustees to start two schools with his two daughters as teachers, one at Snowflake, with thirty dollars per month and one at Walker with twenty-five per month; thus depriving the boys on the railroad and also the boys on the farm from sharing the benefits of school money, appropriated on our school district quota for 1880 by commencing before fall or winter. (As the funds are exhausted in September.)
     The flies are uncommonly numerous and very annoying in the harvest fields; September 18th Nowlin stated to Globe City, Arizona, driving stock at $2.50 per day, in company with Mark.
     The Southeastern Stake of Zion Conference held at Snowflake September 25-26. Present of the Twelve Apostles, Erastus Snow and Brigham Young. Pres. Jesse N. Smith presented a complete organization of Stake Officers which was effected by calling and setting apart a High Council at the time. I was a Seventy, belonging to the 19th Quorum when I was ordained a High Priest under the hands of Bros. Erastus Snow and Brigham Young. Brigham Young being the mouth, and set apart a High Councilor. William D. Kartchner drawing odd No. 9 in connection with Jesse N. Perkins, Samuel Rogers, E.W. West, Joseph Fish, Noah Brimhall, Bateman Willhelm, Thomas Greer, Charles Shumway, Woodruff Freeman, John A. West, and Mons Larsen. It was ascertained at this Conference that the Eastern Arizona Stake numbered officers and members 1,234. November 27th; met with High Priest Quorum. Had been very sick with dropsy.
     December 5, 1880, a petition for a post route arrived from Sunset asking the P.O.Dept. for a route and service from Holbrook via Woodruff, Snowflake, Taylor and Showlow to Apache Camp Postmasters recommended for Holbrook, Heber R. Perkins; for Snowflake, W.D. Kartchner; for Taylor, Jesse N. Perkins. The above petition was read in Sunday meeting by W.D. Kartchner and signers solicited.
     December 25th at 3 o’clock a.m. I was found in bed not breathing. Don Clayton and family were visiting us and stayed all night. Sister Kartchner raised an alarm. Bro. Clayton raised me up and blew in my mouth and administered the laying on of hands at which time I came to again at six o’clock. I was found to not be breathing and was some minutes again without breath when they sent for John, my oldest son. They again administered and thus I was redeemed from the fit.
     Our Snowflake Conference convened on the 25th of December and continued on the 26th. Much good instruction was said to be given but I was not able to attend the meeting.

1881: Counsel from an Apostle

     January 29, 1881, Met with High Priests, acted as clerk. February 20th Bro. E. Snow of the Apostles, met with us in Snowflake, meeting commenced at 2 o’clock p.m. sang Hymn on page 147; Prayer by Bishop Standifird; Hymn on page 155; Sacrament administered by Bros. Gale and Mineraly. Bro. Snow said, “By the blessings of a kind providence and of our Heavenly Father I am permitted to meet with you, Brethren and Sisters of Snowflake, after parting with you last fall. I made my report to the presiding Presidency at Salt Lake City when I received a new appointment to repair again soon to the territories of Colorado and New Mexico and Arizona and I have been to Manassa, which is in Utah. I see a great many is in that region of country moving who have come without being called and who are in a suffering condition. I advised them to go down the Rio Grande out of the snow and work on the railroad. They are mixed up with rather rough associates. These railroads are no doubt for the more speedy gathering of the Saints but our interest is not is in building railroads but it is in raising grain and children to eat it. The Rio Grande Valley is large and water plenty. It is some fifty miles wide and 150 miles long.” He counciled us to “study the scriptures for is in them you think you have eternal life and they testify of me. But you have the more sure work of prophecy until the day star arises is in your hearts.” We keep warning men of the near approach of the Son of Man.” He said, “Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris saw the Angel, besides a cloud of witnesses by the Holy Ghost testify of the same.” Counseled us to stay to our farms, raise grain. “The railroad is bringing in a rough class, and your boys will be better at home. You have been defrauded in election matters. Your duty is to forestall these wicked men and contend for your rights. It is necessary for you to keep the Faith.” John Allen said, “I live in Colorado territory; it is cold there, the altitude is 7,500. In traveling I find pleasant weather here and the most desirable spot I have seen. The railroad is no doubt for a good purpose, but we better stay to our farms for with it came the toughest kind of men. We are filling up the waste places with our brethren and children.” Bro. Snow arose again and said he was glad to meet the brethren of Taylor but could not meet with them.
     February 26th; Met with the High Priests. The brethren spoke on the indications of the near approach of the Son of Man and of the need of our being united. February 27th; Received a letter from my brother in Iowa who thought of coming to visit us at Snowflake as soon as the cars ran to Holbrook.
     March 20th; the High Council of Eastern Arizona Stake of Zion met at Joseph Fish’s house is in Snowflake with Jesse N. Smith and Lorenzo H. Hatch and Oscar Mann, his councilors presiding. Each member of the Council present expressed themselves willing to act, four being absent, when a united expression to sustain Pres. Smith in counseling Bishop Christofferson of Round Valley to not give recommends to one Joseph Theyne for going to law outside of the Church with Bro. Perkins; also Moses Cluff on fraud in selling and moving to the Gila.
     May 28th met with the High Priest’s Quorum; April 21st; Homesteaded on Section 24 of the township 13, Gila and Salt River Meridian Range 21 E. County of Apache.
     Is in April 1881, Bishop John Hunt came to my house and informed me that I was the choice of him and the people to be the postmaster at Snowflake, and I drew up the petition for a post office with the name of William D. Kartchner for postmaster. Our petition was granted and I received my appointment June 27, 1881 and on August 15th, I filed my bond with Bishop John Hunt and A.J. Stratton as bondsmen under $1,000.00. As no service was ordered, the people of Snowflake carried it one week and Taylor people the next week, alternately volunteer service, it being considerable labor for me to hunt carriers and make a record of the same. Only one refused the first round. U.S. service was commenced Sept. 5, 1882 by W.W. Wall with two trips per week from St. Joseph via Snowflake, Taylor, Show Low to Fort Apache and back, with side mail to Springerville via Erastus and St. Johns. Is in June 1883, by W.J. Flake’s council I resigned the office of postmaster in favor of J.R. Hulett.
     Is in August I was taken sick and unconscious one night and day and the children were called is in, supposing me to be dying but the laying on of hands restored me to consciousness. I gained slowly.
     Conference convened at Taylor September 28th continued until 29-30. A good spirit was enjoyed by all present. I attended on Sunday and also High Council at 5 o’clock p.m.
     The Snowflake mail was the third route I petitioned. The first was on the Muddy, from Call Landing to St. Thomas via St. Joseph to Paragonah. The second mail route was on the Sevier River from Gunnison via Monroe via Panguitch to Kanab. Is in the Snowflake Office I furnished corn and meals to the amount of $105.00. I also went security for #100.00 and he ran away between two suns leaving me to bear the loss but Bro. Ellsworth has been too much a man to push me for the debt. Bro. Stratton has paid him on his hundred dollars $50.00 is in oats. Having had several epileptic fits I resigned the office of postmaster 1 July 1883 is in favor of J.R. Hulett, who soon after, received my mail and kept one suit of clothes addressed to the postmaster. He acted as though he had been the only postmaster is in Snowflake. How soon he forgot the man who promoted him.
     On August 5, 1881 at 8 a.m. Sister Margaret Jane Kartchner took sick with a pain is in her head, also a bad cough. She continued to get worse day after day. All was done that could be by medical aid at hand and gradually declining until the 11th at 11 o’clock when she died without a struggle, with a pleasant smile on her countenance. Her neck was blue with the effect of mortification before death and the coffin was closed at 11 o’clock of the 14th. The funeral services were held at the Snowflake meeting house at 12 noon and Bishop Hunt asked the people to excuse them for not opening the coffin as it was not wisdom to do so. The cortege started from the meeting house at 1 p.m. for the cemetery, with a large attendance of carriages and wagons filled with people to follow the respected dead to it’s last resting place. There were a great number on foot following and while on the move near Bro. Fish’s residence a hard rain commenced and Bishop Hunt called a halt and advised that the coffin be covered with blankets and that the people go to their houses. When the rain had partly subsided the men only finished the ceremonies is in a hard shower of rain. The speakers at the meeting house were Bros. Samuel Rogers, Jesse N. Perkins Sr. and Bishop John Hunt gave her history. From his early boyhood he knew her to be a true Latter-day Saint and to possess all the qualities required of mother, wife, and Sister; that he had traveled is in company with her and her husband from Pueblo, Colorado to Salt Lake Valley is in the spring of 1847. She was the third daughter of Jacob Israel Casteel and Sarah Nowlin; born 1 September 1825, Copper Co., Missouri. A design of the Tomb for Margaret Jane and William Decatur Kartchner. Dig off the loose dirt of her present grave and make it 4'x7' and line it with stone 2' high with flat stone covering the vault and dirt raised to form two graves. Fasten up the ends so as to form a trench. Plant 8 pretty-by-night roots is in the trench and send a keg of water, one is in April and on is in May to keep them growing.
     September 12, 1881 Don C. Clayton and Mary Merinda, his wife; Clarence and Vinnie arrived from Salt Lake City.

1882: Debilitated by Dropsy

     March 15, 1882 Bishop Hunt sent John Oakley for tithing wheat. I weighed out 8 bushels of wheat tithing for 1881 delivered to him. ...
     ... I had been suffering with the dropsy for two years unable to stoop down or walk except occasionally. I would get better and able to go to meeting and is in the month of March 1882. My son John brought some whiskey from St. Johns into which I steeped the wandering milk root and took it six times per day until it acted as an emetic and the swelling went down out of my stomach and bowels into my legs and finally, in a short time of four weeks, left me entirely a very poor object. I had been reduced from 174 pounds, my standing weight, to 145 pounds is in two weeks. I took sick with a strange disease known as the pink eye and became unconscious with severe pain is in my head and fever. Suffered much for two weeks. The last of April I began to walk around again.
     On the first day of May I was called upon to unite in matrimony David V.A. Talley and Sarah Raseltine West. I did so having authority as Justice of the Peace of the Snowflake Precinct, Apache County Arizona. About this time, what was known as the Edmonds Bill became a law in the U.S., whereas, all polygamists were considered criminals and subject to both fine and imprisonment on conviction, and George Q. Cannon was denied his seat in Congress as Delegate for Utah Territory.
     Is in 1882, my team could not be found till very late is in the spring and John proposed to Nowlin and Orin to take his team, Alma Palmer and Miller, and help Aaron put in some wheat for me; the result was I had three acres of wheat is in.
     December 7, 1882, I was taken sick with biliousness and sinking spells and was unconscious. I had prayed to know if my labors had been accepted and was immediately made whole.

1883: Vison of Babel

     Such joy I never had experienced before and on the night of March 19, 1883 I was taken with a sinking and was unconscious part of the evening. I feared to die with great fear and I saw in the vision the great Tower of Babel. It’s center and foundation were solid with brick and lined with winding stairways. I saw the brother of Jared and company travel marks to the seaside and the beautiful mount of white or transparent rock that the brother of Jared asked the Lord to touch that they might shine forth is in the barges while crossing the sea. I saw the place of landing. It resembled the Valley I had seen in a former vision. The gold they found for making the plates of which the Book of Mormon was made. I met persons and pleasant weather but I passed through a troop of demons who held me bound first but passed on to where I was filled with joy and came back filled with joy. I was well and had so good a time I would like to go any time. My work is done. I saw many of the more intellectual and honorable who were much favored.
     May 22,1883, on this day at 5 p.m. our house and kitchen furniture were burned with all our provisions, stove, 1 bed and bedding, all our clothing and provisions, Donations as follows. ...
     ... July 8th; I took sick and became unconscious one day and night. On December 5th, also became unconscious and was sick two days. Dec. 16th, had a fit and was filled with the horrors of the damned; also Wednesday all night, did not sleep; Thursday night had the good spirits and slept soundly and good on Friday. Visited Bishop Hunt as Orin and Annie arrived on the 20th. I embraced Bishop Hunt and kissed him and blessed his family and himself as one of the noblest sons of men that now stands upon the earth. Bishop Hunt put on his hat and handed my hat to me and stood at the door as waiting for me as I blessed Sister Lois and she blessed me is in turn.

1884: Public Speaker

     January 26th, High Priest Quorum met at Taylor. I was permitted to speak and spoke at length. The spirit gave me utterance. I blessed the brethren and encouraged those bearing rule to urge the people is in their several wards to pray mightily to the Lord and He would protect us from our enemies. Pres. Paul Smith was understood to say he wanted the Taylor brethren to make the long ditch for he had lived on a dry lot since he lived here. Bro. Flake called him to explain it and he explained, said he meant the brethren at Snowflake is in the same as at Taylor as he considered us one in this work as being under one head.
     February 2nd; I started to Woodruff for goods for our Co-op store. It rained at night. Sunday morning I met the Saints. At 2 p.m. Pres. Hatch gave account of his mission to Silver City in company with Pres. Jesse N. Smith and then called on me to talk. The good spirit was enjoyed by all present and a good meeting was the result.
     I started home with wife and two children on Monday and found the creek had raised to near the level with its banks. We drove on up to Taylor, stayed with Bishop Standifird, who treated us very kindly and helped me to cross the next day very carefully. Arrived home on the 5th.
     End of his Journal
     William Decatur Kartchner died on 14 May 1892, in Snowflake, Navajo, Arizona.

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