John Brooks Wasden

John Brooks Wasden

• Born 12 May 1844 in Aston, Yorkshire, England 
• Died 7 August 1908 Rexburg, Idaho
• came to America in 1854, settled in Cincinnati
• crossed the plains in 1859 with the Edward Stevenson Company
• was arrested for practicing polygamy
• was known for his devotion as a husband and father

SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF JOHN BROOKS WASDEN

BY

HIS DAUGHTER, MARY L. WASDEN METCALF

John Brooks Wasden, the eldest son of Thomas and Mary Coucom Wasden, was born May 12, 1844, at Aston, Yorkshire, England, being one of a family of ten children, five boys and five girls.

In the year 1847, when my father, John Brooks Wasden was only three years old, his parents were baptized and confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, having formerly belonged to the Church of England of the Episcopalian faith.

In April of the year 1854, the family of Thomas Wasden left the old mother country and came to the United States in order to join the body of the church, and settled first in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the family remained for about five years. Here two of their children died, and were buried in Christ Church Yard, and here also another child was born.  While here the little boy, John, obtained employment in a book bindery, where he labored to help support the large family, and was happy to take home to the mother his small earnings. He entered into this work with his whole heart and the experience was never forgotten by him. Here he probably gained his first love for books, which came to be a great force for good in his life for he always read and loved good books. Many times in his later life he told and retold to his children the story of this period of his life; of the detailed method of binding books at that time and of the hopes and aims of the little boy as he stood on the ferry boat on the Ohio river, which he had to cross going to and from work, as he watched the great flood of water below, sometimes calm and peaceful and sometimes raging and angry.

Early in the year 1859, the family began its overland migration to Utah, leaving behind them in a strange land and among a strange people the graves of their two little children, but with that faith and hardihood which was typical of those dear pioneers, they kept their faces to the west and moved on to Florence, Nebraska, where another child was born on May 22, 1859. Again they resumed their trek and arrived in Utah in the autumn of 1859, in the Immigrant Company of Edward Stevenson, stopping in Ephraim and Provo with Captain Dan Jones, whom the family had known in the old country.  After spending the winter of that year, and the spring of 1860 there, they settled in Gunnison, where the old family home still stands.  It was here that they planted a large crop in the middle of June, and since there were no cattle to disturb it, they went back to Ephraim and returned to harvest a very good crop.

Of the hardships and trials of this trip little need be said, for the story of one of those pioneers is largely the story of all. Father had many tales to tell to his children of fights with Indians, fording of mighty rivers, of terrific storms, of burning suns and drifting sands, of

sickness and death and sturdy courage that transcended all, of the courage which would permit, when the evening camp was made and the frugal meal disposed of, for the entire group to gather round the camp fire and dance and sing and tell stories. Although father was but a boy of fifteen he trudged by the side of his ox team almost the entire distance across those many weary miles, took his turn with the night herders of the cattle and horses and in every way did the work of a man although only a mere boy.

In 1860, father responded to a call to go back to the Missouri river and bring out to Utah other immigrants who needed help, and made this trip in the face of great hardships, bringing back to Utah a group of immigrants. Later in 1863 father went back to Florence on a similar trip with Daniel Thompson as captain, was made to Missouri to bringing back to Utah another group of immigrants, among who was a young lady, recently over from Denmark, by the name of Sophia Olsen who later became his wife. The Indians were very troublesome, committing all sorts of depredations, driving off their oxen and horses, stealing their provisions, setting fire to their wagons and many narrow escapes from death and disaster were had.

On one of these trips father became ill and was suffering severely with chills and fever, with no one to care for him excepting male companions, with no knowledge of medicine or nursing, and one day while he was delirious, heated rocks were placed at his feet to counteract the chills, and not being watched very closely the bedding caught fire and his feet and legs were badly burned before the fire was discovered, scars from which he always carried.

On May 22, 1864, father married Nancy Arrilla Herring, a young and extremely beautiful girl, whom father’s brothers to their dying day call an angel on earth.  They were married at Glen Cove, Utah, the ceremony being performed by Seth Wareham.  On May 17, 1869, they were endowed in the Endowment House, Salt Lake City.   From this union thirteen children were born.

In July 1865, father with seven other men, was called to go out to guard the settlers against the Indians on the Sevier river, between Richfield, Monroe, and Glenwood and here they camped for about six weeks, then moved east of Glenwood, where they camped for another six weeks, and then was called by General Warren Snow of Manti to go up to Circleville, as a raid had been made on the people there.

They found the trail of the Indians and followed them up the east fork of Sevier river, through Grass Valley, over Boulder Mountain and into Rabbit Valley, where they located the

Indians camped at Red Lake. A battle was fought here which lasted from early morn till late at night when the Indians retreated.  From there this little group of hardy and fearless young heroes were called back to Glenwood, remaining there on duty for about a week and finally were released to go back to their homes about October l0th of the same year.

In 1866, father, Seth Wareham, Joseph Herring, and Jeppe Neilson left Glenwood to go up into Montana with flour, etc., to trade for other necessities, when Indians opened fire on them, took all their cattle, flour and everything they had.  They took father’s two pair of oxen and also a cherished pair of red blankets.  The went with all these things a short distance when Black Hawk called, “come and get your blanket Wasden.”  Father took a shot at him from the fort, but to no avail, the blankets were gone.  The men had to run into Salina to save their lives. This happened at the little town now called Aurora or Willow Bend.

In April 1866, father enlisted at Fort Gunnison, Utah, as a private in Co. H. 2nd Regiment of Militia of Utah Territory, Sanpete Military District, under Captain George Gardner. He served through the Black Hawk War and was honorably discharged from this service November 1st, l866.

In 1869, father married the young immigrant girl, Sophia Olson, whom he had brought to Utah in 1863.  She was sealed to him October 5, 1869.  To Aunt Sophia was born two sons, James and Peter, on July 16, 1870; one child Peter died at birth and the young mother also passed away and was buried in Scipio, Utah.  The remaining child James was reared as one of her own children by his first wife, Nancy Arrilla.

It was early in 1870 that father, with John Thueson or Dorchus, went up in the Monroe country and finally located at Brooklyn, which was named for father’s second name, Brooks.

Father married his third wife, Caroline Savage, on August 31, 1877, in the St. George Temple. From this union thirteen children were born.

In 1882, father did some extensive railroad grading on the road through Price Canyon. In 1884 and 1885 father had a partner in this same contracting business who was John Kirkham.  He did a great deal of work on the Oregon Short Line road, and on the Union Pacific road through Echo Canyon, and  in 1888, filled a contract for an immense amount of timber for a sawmill near Leadville, Colorado. In all this work he employed many men and then as in later years showed exceptional ability in handling men.

About 1889, when the persecution of those who in accordance with the tenets of Mormonism, had taken plural wives, was at its height, came one of the worst trials father was called to bear. He was one of those loyal and true men who refused to give up his wives and children and was consequently hounded from place to place and finally arrested, tried and sentenced to serve one year in the State Penitentiary. He was released after having served four

months, but it was a terrible trial to his proud spirit, but he bore it all without, for one moment, giving way to the thought of repudiating his family or renouncing his belief in Mormonism, and how we should honor him for it, for there was an easier way out for him and he refused it.

Nancy Arilla, with her large family being located in Gunnison and whom she daily served for Rose Christensen, receiving 50 a day with which she practically supported her children.  When his parents Thomas and Mary Coucom Wasden died this portion of the family inherited the old home where they continued to lice until the death of his beloved Nancy.

After his release he took his wife, Caroline, and her children and went down into Old Mexico, very shortly returning to the United States and making their home in Thatcher, Arizona, where they lived a very frugal life, father earning a livelihood through freighting, etc. While

living there the sad message was received that his mother had passed away, in Gunnison, Utah.

In the year 1894, he gathered his family and household goods into two wagons and started overland on his return to Utah. This trip may well be likened to the pilgrimage of the pioneers. After many weary weeks, the town of Panguitch, Utah, was reached, where the family stopped for a short time, and here a few days later, on September 7, 1894, another child was born to his wife Caroline. The family then moved on to Salt Lake City, where they remained a few years.

On March 22, 1897, his beloved wife, Nancy Arrilla died and was laid to rest in the Gunnison cemetery.

In the spring of 1902, father began another exodus, but this time by railroad, which took him to Canada, where he purchased farming land and with his remaining wife, Caroline, farmed very successfully for a time. He then took a contract for fencing the Grand Trunk railroad line in western Canada, purchasing two huge pile driving machines, and employing a large force of men. It was such work as father enjoyed and he prospered at it.

After completing this work, he took the first real vacation, or pleasure trip, of his life, with his wife Caroline and baby Fern, he toured Southwestern Canada, visiting Vancouver, Prince Edward Island and other interesting points, and received a world of pleasure and benefit from the trip.

On returning home he became interested in the purchase of a (banana or orange) plantation in California in which he invested practically everything he had, but which proved disastrous as it was all lost through underhand dealings of associates after his death.

In July 1908, he made a trip to California to look after his interests there and on his way home to Canada, he stopped at Nampa and Boise to visit with some of his children who lived there. He was not feeling very well at this time, having had a chill while in Boise, but could not be persuaded to remain, and insisted on going on as he was anxious to get home. He then stopped at Rexburg to visit other children and while there became too ill to go on, and steadily grew worse in spite of his efforts to throw off the trouble.  He suffered from malaria and complications for days and in spite of all that loving hands, science and faith could do, he passed away on August 7, 1908, before his wife could reach his bedside. He was taken back to Gunnison, where at his funeral services his lifelong friend, Thomas Edward Taylor, son of President Taylor of Salt Lake City, spoke highest praises of father’s sincerity in the gospel, and his many accomplishments.  He was buried by the side of his wife, Nancy Arrilla.

The faith displayed by father on his death bed was inspirational to all. A few evenings before he died, when teachers had called at the home of his son, Willard, where he was taken ill, father rose to his feet and bore a strong testimony of the Gospel and sang in that sweet voice we all remember the old hymn. "All is Well”, going right on to the last verse which says, “And if we die before our Journey's through All is well, All is well."

As long as father lived he testified as to his firm belief in the principle of polygamy as taught by our Church at one time.

Father was kind to the poor and the needy and it was once a common sight to see him in the early morning hours with a sack of flour, a ham, or sack of potatoes or other provisions on his shoulder carrying it to someone in need.

Father had a keen mind, a remarkable memory; gained through his own efforts an excellent education; and was an exceptionally fine penman; spoke several languages fluently; was dignified in all he did; had a sincere love for quality in people and things; a deep and abiding love for his wives and children and a constant faith in his Church and his God.

A noble work he accomplished,

To many needy gave aid~

He fed the widow and orphan,

And friends high and low he made.

Choice among great spirits;

He tarried here for a while;

And many gleaned inspiration

From his hand clasp and cheery smile.

John Brooks Wasden signiture

John Brooks Wasden with his beloved Nancy Arrilla Herring