Sunday, August 18, 2013

Abraham Chadwick Jr.


Abraham Chadwick Jr.

  • Born March 30, 1845 in St. Louis, Missouri
  • Died October 28, 1929 in Payette, Idaho
  • his mother died when he was 5
  • fell from a wagon and his leg was run over by the wheel
  • was an excellent businessman dealing a great deal with sheep













The restored gospel of Jesus Christ had been preached in England for four years when it finally reached the receptive ears of a young tailor whose name was Abraham Chadwick.  In 1840 he accepted the gospel and in the same year married a lovely English girl, Mary Burton, who was a competent weaver and who also possessed a beautiful singing voice.  Mary also accepted the gospel and together in 1842 they immigrated to America, settling with other saints in the city of St. Louis, Missouri where they remained for some six years.
At St. Louis three children were born to them:
                Mary Jane – April 29, 1843
                Abraham – March 30, 1845
                Annie – May 18, 1847
Following the expulsion of the saints from Nauvoo and the building of a settlement at Council Bluffs the Chadwick’s joined the saints there in preparation for their trip westward to join the main body of the Church.  At Council Bluffs, Sarah was born October 16, 1849.  However, at that place tragedy also struck the little family when the mother (Mary Burton) became ill with Cholera and died July 14, 1850.  Four small children were a handful and Abraham Sr. felt the compelling urge to continue westward.  Six months after the death of Mary Burton, Abraham Sr. married Mary Foxall who mothered the four little ones.
Young Abe was wide-eyed with the excitement of the westward trek and was as curious as any little six year old boy would be.  They left Council Bluffs in the summer of 1851. Of course little Abe was big enough to walk much of the time until the day when he fell beneath a moving wagon.  The wheel rolled over his leg and young Abe rode the rest of the way to the Valley.  However, as the journey progressed, it was noted that his leg was growing crooked.  Consequently it was necessary for several of the men in the company to work with the little boy.  With their own strength, they rebroke the leg, pulled it straight until the bone snapped into place.  Needless to say without any sedative or anesthetic this was a most excruciation experience for a lad so young, but his leg thenceforth mended properly and his activity was not impaired.  He related to his children how his father rolled up the side of the wagon cover so that he could watch the countryside as they lumbered along.  He watched the buffalo and the Indians and found the long journey quite exciting even from a prone position.
Arriving in Salt Lake City in the fall of 1851, the Chadwicks remained in Salt Lake City some three years before settling in North Ogden at the foot of the majestic Ben Lomond Mountain.  Abe’s stepmother, Mary Foxall, had four children, bringing the total number of the children to eight.  Then his father married a third wife, Mary Ann Newby had six children.  Consequently Abe never lacked company.
Young Abe learned the meaning of honest toil as did most pioneer boys.  He grew up much the same as other boys of that time with little schooling but knowledge gained through experience and work.  For over two years Abe courted a neighbor girl, Mary Marinda Garner, the daughter of David and Dolly Durfee Garner.
Abe and Mary were married December 13, 1866 in North Ogden.  Abe built a small log house on the farm adjoining his father-in-law.  At the suggestion of Mary, Abe took a second wife, Olive Ann Cazier.  After Mary had three babies, her husband took her and his new bride-to-be to Salt Lake City where they were sealed in the Endowment House November 21, 1870.
Larger quarters were soon needed and Abe built a two-room brick home near the log house.  Mary’s family lived in one room and Ann and her family lived in the other room.
In addition to his farming Abe worked in a sawmill at Liberty.  He was also a railroad laborer.  In the summer of 1875, Abe took his families and went to Park Valley in Box Elder County where they spent the summer looking over prospects of settling there.  In the fall they returned to North Ogden.  The spring of 1877, Abe sold the farm to his father-in-law.  His payment was received in horses, cows, mules, oxen, and sheep.  Abe and his family were not alone in this settlement venture.  Others who also accompanied them were a brother –in-law, Andrew Rose, William Godfrey, Will Meacham, Bishop Meacham, Ron Coleman, George Godfrey, Alf Odd and their families.  At first Abe took up a homestead just below the north mountains where he built two log houses, one for Mary and on for Ann.  He later connected the two houses by putting up slabs which made a third room.  This became Mary’s kitchen, her family being larger.
In less than three years he sold that property to Rastus Carter.  Then he took up another homestead on the flats of Park Valley and built a four room frame duplex.  Mary lived in one side and Ann lived in the other.  After all his work he learned that he could not procure the deed to the property because it was railroad land.  At any rate they remained there for some eight years.  Then he took up a third homestead just below Dave James’s property.
Again Abe built two homes, a three room home for Mary and two rooms for Ann.  These were considered very nice homes with shingled roofs and papered pasteboard walls.
Even though Mary had twelve children (two having died in infancy) and Ann had nine children, there was a minimum of confusion.  Each child had his own work to do, each knew it was to be done, and did it without argument or contention.  Abe would not tolerate laziness nor disobedience.  When he spoke he was obeyed without question and without raising his voice.
Although his older children remember Abe as being extremely strict, his younger children verify the fact that he had a sense of humor and enjoyed playing with them.  In that day most of the women and girls wore their hair pulled very straight back.  Abe would not allow his girls to wear bangs or curls on their foreheads.  After their marriage several of the girls did wear band and curls.  One day Isabel washed her hair and made curls on her forehead.  The next morning when she awoke and tried to comb her hair, she was shocked to find that her curls were too stiff to be combed.  Her father had starched them while she slept!
During the later years of polygamy the “law” did everything possible to arrest those who lived the principle.  As soon as the warning came that the Marshall was on his way, Abe jumped on his horse “bird” and was gone off into the cedars so fast that no one could catch him.  He would remain away from home for a few days until the “Heat was off” and then would return home again.
On one particular occasion Abe was working in the field with his brother-in-law Will Cazier.    A man drove up on horseback whom Will knew to be a marshal.  Ne nudged Abe and whispered, “You’d better get on your way.  He’s a Marshall.”  Abe jumped on his horse and they dashed through the field to the house.  The children, knowing that something was not right, were all standing outside in the yard.  Abe shouted, “One of you children, let the bars down!”  Emily hastened to obey.  As soon as he got through, he added, “Put them up again quick!”  As soon as Emily had the bars of the gate back in place the marshal arrived and ordered, “Put them bars down!”  Emily only walked away.  This brief delay gave Abe the time to escape in another direction.  The marshal was very angry and threatened; “I’ll arrest you when you come back.”
As soon as the marshal was gone Emily hurried to the home of Lische Meacham and stayed there for the night.  Abe’s wife Ann went to Ad Larson’s home to stay for the night.  That night the marshal also sought lodging at the Larson home.  Next morning at breakfast he said, “If I could just get my hands on that little second wife of Abe Chadwick what I wouldn’t give!”  Ann almost choked on her food as she sat across the same breakfast table.  The marshal had no idea of her identity.
However, the marshal did arrest Mary and Will Cazier and they were taken to Ogden to stand trial.  Nothing serious resulted from the trial, probably due to lack of witnesses.  Emily had gone to Ogden to visit with her Grandfather Garner and Aunt Lydia where she remained for several months until the trouble was over.
Abe’s livestock business took him away from home considerably and he even traveled to Chicago a few times.  Abe could now afford some of the luxuries and nicer things of life.  He enjoyed the comforts and sociability of city life.  He bought a lovely home in Salt Lake City at 922 East 2nd south where he intended to give Mary and the children remaining at home the advantages of city life.  However, this did not appeal to Mary and she refused to stay longer after spending a winter there.  Mary much preferred the simplicity and work of farm life.  No one knows the other elements which entered into the separation, but Mary returned to Park Valley alone and Age remained in Salt Lake City.
It is not fully known why Abe left his wives and families and married a beautiful young girl.  On December 6, 1899, he married Anna Siebenaller of Chicago at Provo, Utah with J.E. Booth officiating.  Anna was only 23 years of age at the time and was extremely beautiful.  She had previously lived at Park Valley for two or three months helping Mary when a skin disease on Mary’s hands prevented her from working much.
Abe and Anna moved to Snowville with the sheep.  In Later years, Emily and some of her children visited Abe in Payette.  Will and his family also visited him at Boise at the small home in 1925.  Even at that time he was still neatly and tastefully dressed.  His home and yard were immaculate and lovely.  His hair was snow white as was his mustache.  In each case he received his family cordially and seemed most happy that they had called.  Anna had apparently been devoted to him through the years and although she remained very formal, she was pleasant and hospitable.  Even as an older woman she was very beautiful.  The years seemed to have dealt kindly with them both.
In Idaho, Abe first and a small home with a garden spot and an orchard.  It was at this home that Will and some of his children visited.  Later he had a ranch at Eagle where Emily visited.  Then still later he had a ranch at Payette.
The morning of October 28, 1929, Abe was doing a little work in the yard with Anna.  He started for the house but collapsed before he reached the door.  He apparently died of a heart attack.  He was buried at Boise, Idaho.

Mary Marinda Garner (1st wife,to the left) and Olive Ann Cazier (2nd wife, to the right) and families.



Abraham Chadwick and 1st wife Mary Marinda Garner

The following is an exeprt from a book titled History of Idaho: The Gem of the Mountains; vol. 3, pages 515 and 516

Abraham Chadwick Jr.
Abraham Chadwick is a retired sheepman and rancher who now resides at Ivywild, about three miles from Boise, but who for five years prior to March, 1919, made his home on a ranch south of Eagle. He had lived In Boise for seven years prior to that time.  Having taken up his abode in the capital city in 1906. In fact much of his life has been spent in the west. He made his way to Utah in 1861 In company with his parents, Abraham and Mary (Burton) Chadwick. He was then only seven years of age, his birth having occurred In St. Louts, Missouri, March 30, 1844. When he was quite young his parents went to Council Bluffs, Iowa, and in 1861 resumed their westward journey with Salt Lake City as their destination, for they were converts to the Mormon faith. . The son was reared and educated largely in Utah and -was married in Provo on the 4th of December, 1899, to Mrs. Anna Wilson, the widow of Theodore Wilson. She bore the maiden name of Anna Siebenaller and was born at Decada, Sheboygan county, Wisconsin, March 4, 1877, being a daughter of Nicholas and Mary Siebenaller, the former a native of Brussels, Belgium, but of German descent, while the latter was born in France and belonged to one of the old families of that country. Mrs. Chadwick's father and mother both came to the United States with their respective parents in childhood and were married in Wisconsin. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Chadwick was Peter Siebenaller, who was one of the pioneer settlers of Wisconsin. Her father, Nicholas Siebenaller, was a farmer and followed agricultural pursuits throughout his active life. At the time of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Chadwick he was extensively engaged in sheep raising and continued in active connection with the sheep industry for many years, both in Utah and in Idaho. He remained a factor in the business until 1906, when he retired from active life and removed to Boise. He had at times thousands of sheep and was one of the well-known sheepmen of the state. The careful conduct of his business won him substantial prosperity, and he felt at length that he had reached a point where he could retire from business and spend his remaining days in such pursuits as his taste and judgment approved. For a period of seven years after their marriage Mrs. Chadwick was with her husband constantly in the sheep business and during that time they never lived nor slept in a house, their home being a covered sheep wagon as they traveled over the range, superintending the work of the -men who had charge of their flocks. Mrs. Chadwick had been reared and educated in Wisconsin, but she chose to be with her husband in his active work during these seven years of their early married life. She was an expert shot and amused herself much of the time by hunting small game in the vicinity of the camps, using a fine miniature double-barreled shotgun, which was engraved and was a wonderful creation. It weighed only two and a halt pounds and was made by the Royal Gun Works of Belgium, being presented to her by Mr. Chadwick.  Both Mr. and Mrs. Chadwick have been married twice, but Mrs. Chadwick has no children by either marriage. In his younger years in Utah Mr. Chadwick, in common with the custom of the Mormon church, to which he belongs, had wives and reared several children. His wife adheres to the Roman Catholic faith, in which she was reared, but the difference in their religious views has never caused the slightest friction between them, each respecting the other's opinion. When a young maiden Mrs. Chadwick became the wife of Theodore Wilson, who died six months later, and it was some time afterward that she became the wife of Abraham Chadwick. Both Mr. and Mrs. Chadwick have a wide acquaintance and enjoy the warm friendship and high regard of all who know them.

Abraham Chadwick and 3rd wife Anna Siebenaller


No comments:

Post a Comment