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.
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| Mary Marinda Garner (1st wife,to the left) and Olive Ann Cazier (2nd wife, to the right) and families. |
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| 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.
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| Abraham Chadwick and 3rd wife Anna Siebenaller |
