James Lewis and Emily Jennison Holman

The couple we are speaking of are those to the far right in this cut down photo pedigree. Third (my generation), fourth, or fifth great grandparents depending on which generation you are in.

[Notes: I have the full photo pedrigree picture if anyone wants it. Email me. I wrote a bit about Emily Jennison Holman in this blog way back in February 2009. Check the archive.]
Last Sunday, we in Utah County and atleast some of Wasatch County had a regional conference. Elder Holland (a Southern Utah boy) was one of the speakers. He referred to both the Muddy Mission and the Hole-in-the-Rock story that took place out in San Juan County. I thought it would be a good thing to note that James Lewis, our forebearer in focus today, was in both of these places. In the Lord's work, there is nothing better than being able to be counted on; and you could count on James Lewis, Brigham did a number of times. And Emily supported him every step of the way.
James Lewis' life highlight reel:
As with many of our illustrious ancestors, he came from New England where the Lewis family had been living for around 150 years already when we became a nation. Our New England ancestors were politically and religiously active and although many of the generation immediately prior to those who joined the church were not happy with their children taking up with the 'Mormons' I expect they have in the afterlife seen the light and understood how misguided public opinion [and pernicious disinformation] in their day was. But I digresss.
James wandered out West on his own in his late twenties and ended up encountering the church in St. Loius about the time the Saints were making Nauvoo a going concern. He sympathized with them in their persecutions and "hearing the doctrine taught by them, being the same as taught by Jesus Christ and his apostles for man's salvation, that all men had the right to worship God according to his own conscience, I sought diligently to know the truth, comparing the principals taught with the bible. ... I cast my lot with the Saints and was baptized at Keokuk, Iowa, by Elder McAllister [ed. we do not know which McAllister this might have been, but at this time only John D T Mcallister was a member. James had a granddaughter who became a McAllister in Kanab much later as the pedigree attests.] and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and ordained an Elder at the same time by Bro. Abraham O. Smoot."
James was serving a mission back East and being banned from his father's house when Joseph and Hyrum were martyred. He returned from his mission and worked in a publishing house in St. Louis.
He had not married yet, but before heading West in 1849, in a company headed by Williard Richards, at the age of 33 [almost 34], he married Emily Jennison Holman [Jedediah M. Grant performing the service.]
The year after arriving in the Salt Lake valley, he and Emily were called to go to Southern Utah and helped give Parowan its start. They were making do in a dugout and eating corn and local weed greens in 1852 when James was called to go on a mission to China. He left Emily and the two and one-on-the-way children and answered the call. It did not go well. He and a couple of companions spent a few short months in Hong Kong, but could not communicate with the Chinese (who were also hostile to foriegners) and were totally ignored by the British military and merchants and harassed by both protestants and catholics. He returned home $100 in debt in 1854.
He stayed put for the next ten years while serving as the probate clerk for Iron County. Then he was called again to go to Dixie (hmmm, Parowan is almost there already) and moved the family to Harrisburg. From there he was called to do legal work for the Saints who were getting double taxed and pushed off their land in what was to become Nevada. While there he taught school in Panacha to send money back to the family in Harrisburg.
From there they moved to Kanab in 1871 and traveled back to St George to work in the temple in the winters of 1879 and 1880. During this time he also was elected a County Commissioner for Kane County and worked at the court back over in Toquerville.
Then in 1882 he was called to the San Juan. His son was the blacksmith for the company that created the Hole-in-the-Rock and the famliy followed after James and son had helped create the famous 'road' down to the Colorado River. They lived with hostile indians and meager pickings in Taylor, AZ until 1891 when Erastus Snow released them and they returned to Kanab.
He was made a patriarch in September 1895.
He died and was buried in Kanab in May 1898 [age 84].
A story:
His father was a Methodist minister and greatly opposed to the Mormons.  In June of 1843 James wrote his father giving several reasons for his belief in the Church.  But he also stated in the letter, “I have fancied you will rather consider I am, as it were buried to all my friends.”  He was correct in his fears.  During James’ trip to the east he visited his parents and later told his children and grandchildren of his last visit with his parents with his father shaking his fist and telling him "to never darken their door again."
A better version of the picture:

Leftovers

It seems that the most enthusiastic responses I get on blog posts is from "reminiscences" although I always figured old people rehashing their history is not a great crowd attractant. Here is a little story I have told a great deal over the years, it was a stock part of my remarks anytime I had to say something at an Eagle Court of Honor.
It is possible to draw several morals from this same set of circumstances; another reason for its frequently being pulled from the bag.
I went through my Scouting experience with the Adams twins, Bruce and Brent, Gene Adair, Dave Payne, Dave Remund, and others. Five of us got our Eagle Award together at age 13 and a half (or at least the twins and I were. Dave Payne and Gene were something shy of a year older, and I don't recall where Dave Remund fits in. We had an Eagle board of review the December Bruce, Brent, and I turned 13 (1964), but they felt we were a bit too young, so they made us wait six months. I don't think getting your Eagle even at 13 and a half would be remotely possible today.
Earlier in 1964 as I recall it, we were needing to finish up our Hiking merit badge with a 20 miler. At the time, HG was working out of Emigrant Gap on the final piece of I-80 over Donner Summit. We wanted to do something different and hike somewhere we hadn't been. Dad came up with a great plan (lesson one: make your own plans). On Thursday night he would drop us off and we would camp over at the troop's site at Donner Mine Camp. Friday while he was at work, we would start from there and hike up the valley and over to his office at EGap, or something roughly like that. He told us it would meet the 20 mile requirement. We believed him. He was the one who was going to sign off on it, so good enough. I think it was just the twins and Dave Remund and I, not sure if I remember it totally correct. I know there were only four of us.

We figured we could make pretty good time and that HG couldn't take us home until after quitting time anyhow so we had all day. It was a good thing (lesson two: don't dwadle). We wandered along the bottom of the valley heading East and explored old flumes going to the mine until the valley ended. Then we began an ill-advised climb out supposedly hitting the road somewhere up the slope (lesson three: take a map). Thinking back on it, I am pretty sure HG expected us to simply exit Donner Mine Camp, get on the road, and stay on the road.
The climb out of the valley was arduous, occurred during the middle of a sunny, summer day, was primarily going up a bare, trackless, scree slope, and somehow failed to intersect with the road. Fortunately we still had the presence of mind to calculate that the road was going to be on our left, South of us and head in that relative direction. In the wisdom of youth, we split up into two teams and the first one to find the road would holler to the other (right).
The brothers took off and Dave and I eventually found the road, but couldn't find where the twins had gone. We hoped they too had or would find the road and continued on. No sense all of us wandering around in the woods if that was where they still were. Fortunately they also found the road somewhere and we all met back up at the end, although I am pretty sure it wasn't before that. And it was definitely past quitting time for HG. Perhaps Sabrina should try to verify some of these "facts" with her father. But perhaps he has put it out of his mind.
Sometime, for grins, check out the elevation gain on this 20 miler. Hiking 20 miles is great exercise and a fairly defining moment for a twelve year old. Twenty miles uphill virtually all the way was definitely a character building experience. And that's what it is all about, eh?

Howard Gallatin Hall - February 6, 1928

82 years ago.

For all that you did with us and for us, we are grateful. For what we are we hope you are pleased.

Looking forward to seeing you again. We love you.

Roughly 150 Years Ago

In 1861, John C. Hall, with about 15 other families, including some Terry Crawford folk who were to get mixed up with the Halls in the next generation, settled on land in what was called Adventure, Utah (later Rockville), along the Virgin River. There was nothing there but dirt, muddy water, and indians. Adventure was an appropriate moniker. Beyond the confines of this and the other small settlements in the area there are to this day only dirt and muddy water.
A history of Washington County, written for the 1996 state centennial (sometime between 1991 and 1996), indicates that the US census of 1880 showed approximately 40 percent of those listed in a local census of 1864 were still living in the county. By that time Saint George, actually one of the last cities to be set up in the area, had a large tabernacle and a temple, dedicated in 1877. It surprises me that they managed to stay alive those 15 or so years, let alone thrive. I am not sure I'd have been in that 40 percent.
About 40 years after the Halls arrived, Alf and his large family of mostly boys had helped create the 7.5 mile Hurricane Canal and the family moved onto the land watered by that ditch.Victor still lives in one of the houses. There are still Halls in Hurricane and the surrounding area, although possibly more in the cemeteries than elsewhere.
I suppose that I have always felt the crossing of the plains by my ancestors was relatively easy. One even remarked that it was an unremarkable trip. But when I visit southern Utah and think of what it entailed to make a go of things there, I am truly amazed. In spite of the conveniences of air conditioning and such, I would likely not choose to live there. But it is nice to visit (in the spring or fall).