1858, the year that Hans C. Davidson and his family came form Denmark to Utah, was a most unusual and tumultuous year. The Mormon immigration from Europe was almost halted; there being only 229 Immigrants or returning elders that year. Some of the condition of that year are recalled in volume two of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers publication Our Pioneer Heritage pages 36- 41; the following quotes are from that publication.
p. 36. Currency Association—1858 Great Salt Lake City, U. T,. April 5, 1858
Elder T. B. Stenhouse,
Dear Brother:
Governor Young recently seeing the necessity of a circulating medium throught the territory, established a Currency Association based upon livestock capital; and the matter of beneficial effects are already realized, and trade is more brisk that usual at this season of the year. Specie being very scarc, on account of no exportations, and the importation of the country having drained the country dry, and Uncle Sam refusing to ppay the ex-officials’ drafts, something was necessary to keep trade alive; and this Association was instituted in time to spread faith and confidence among the men of business who experience it salutary results. Some thousands of dollars in circulation.
Yours in the Gospel of Christ., G.W. Mills
—L.D.S. Millennial Star, July 17, 1858
P. 37
CHRONOLOGY OF 1858
Awaiting the arrival of the Federal Army from the East, the Saints in Utah abandoned G.S.L. City and all their northern settlements and moved south, but most of them returned after peace was restored. Nearly all the Elders who had been on foreign missions returned home. Joshua T. Willes settled at Toquerville, and in the fall Nephi Johnson and six others located Virgin City, Washington County. San Bernardino, California was vacated by the Saints, who removed to Utah. Most of them settled at Parowan and Beaver. An edition of the Book of Mormon was published by James O. Wright and Co., 337 Broadway, New York, for speculative purposed and unauthorized by the Church.
January, Wed. 6—A memorial from the members and officers of the Utah legislature to the President and Congress of the United States praying for constitution rights, etc., was signed in G.S.L. City.
Sat. 16—A lage mass meeting of the citizens was held in the Tabernacle, G.S.L. City. A Petition and resolution, setting forth the true state of affairs in Utah, were adopted, and on motion, sent to the U.S. government at Washington
p. 38
Tues. 19—Apostles Orson Pratt and Ezra T. Benson, and Elsders John Scott and John M. Kay arrived in G.S.L. City from missions to Europe, and Geo. Q. Cannon, Joseph Bull and three other Elders from California.
Fri. 22—The Utah legislature adjourned, without the occurrence of a negative vote on any question or action during the session.
FEBRUARY. Friday 19—Ssixty-four Saints, mostly returning Elders, under the direction of Jesse Hobseon, sailed from Liverpool, England, on the ship Empire, which aarrived in New York March 20th.
Wed 24—Col. Thomas L. Kane arrived in G.S.L. City by way of Southern California. He came voluntarily for the purpose of bringing about a peaceful solution of the existing difficulties between the United States and Utah. After conferring with Governor Brigham Young, and other leading citizens, he went out to the army which was encamped at Fort Scott [near Fort Bridger]. There he had an interview with the new Governor, Alfred Cumming, who concluded to accompany him to G.S.L. City.
Thus. 25—George McBride and James Miller were killed and five other brethren wounded by a large party of Bannock and Sshoshone Indians near Fort Lehmi, Oregon [now Idaho]
March Sunday 21—The citizens of G.S.L. City and the settlements north of it agreed to abandon their homes and go south, all the information derived from Eastern papers being to the effect that the approaching formidable army was sent to destroy them. Their destination, when stating, was by some supposed
to be Sonora.
Monday 22 —The ship John Bright sailed from Liverpool, England, mostly Scandinavian Saints, about ninety in number, under the direction of Iver N. Iverson. The Company arrived at New York April 23rd and at Iowa City May 1st. [this was the immigration company of the H. C. Davidson family]
April Mon. 5—Gov. Alfred Cumming and Col. Thos. L. Kane, with a servant each, left the army at Ft. Scott for the valley. They arrived in G.S.L. City on the 12th . The new governor was kindly received by pres Brigham Young and other leading citizens and treated everywhere with “respectful attention”.
Mon. 19—Governor Alfred Cumming and Col. Thomas L. Kane examined the Utah library, where James W. Cummings showed them the records and seal of the U.S. District Court, alleged to have destroyed by the Mormons. This accusation was one of the reasons why the army was ordered to Utah. A few days later the governor sent a truthful report to the government in relation to the affairs in the Territory.
May The citizen of Utah, living north of Utah County, abandoned their homes and moved southward, leaving only a few men in each town and settlement to burn everything, in case the approaching army, on their arrival in the Valley should prove hostile.
Wed 5—The Deseret News having been removed from G.S.L. City to Fillmore, Millard Co., the first number of the paper published at that place was issued.
Thurs. 13— Governor Cumming left G.S.L. City for Camp Scott for the purpose of removing his wife to the city. When he returned June 8th, he found the city deserted by its inhabitants.
June Fri. 4—Jens Jorgensen and wife, Jens Terkelson and Christian E. Kjeluf were murdered by Indians in Salt Creek Canyon, while traveling unarmed on their way to Sanpete Valley.
Mon. 7—Ex. Gov. L. W. Powell, of Kentucky, and Major Ben McCulloch of Texas, sent as peace commissioners by the Federal government, arrived at G.S.L. City.
Fri. 11—The peace commissioners met with Pres. Brigham Young and others in the Council House, G.S.L. City, and the difficulties between the United States and Utah were peaceably adjusted.
Tue. 15—Commissioners Powell and McCulloch visited Provo. The next day Mr. Powell addressed and audience of about four thousand person in the Bowery at Provo, Utah Co.
Sat. 19—Col. Thomas L. Kane arrived in Washington, D.C. Soon afterwards he reported the situation in Utah to President Buchanan.
Mon 21—A company of Elders returned to G.S.L. City from the mission in Europe, Canada and the States. A number of these had sailed from Liverpool on the ship Underwriter, Jan 21st and others on the ship Empire, Feb. 19th.
Sat. 26—The Army under Col. Albert Sidney Johnston, passed through G.S.L. City and camped on the west side of the Jordan River. It subsequently marched to Cedar Valley, and there located Camp Floyd, about forty miles from the city.
July. Thurs. 1—The First Presidency and a few others returned to their homes in G.S.L. City, from Provo. They were followed by most of the people, who likewise returned to their deserted city and settlements in the north, and resumed their accustomed labors.
Sat. 3—Commissioners Powell and McCulloch left G.S.L. City en route for Washington D.C.
Friday 9—A party of elders, accompanied by a few immigrating brethren, arrived in G.S.L. City, under the leadership of Horace S. Eldredge.
August Mon 16—Wm. Evans was killed by lightning near Beaver Utah.
September. Mon. 20—Iver N. Iverson’s company of immigrating Saints arrived in G.S.L. City. [This was the company of Saints in which the Hans Christian Davidson family traveled.]
Hans Christian Davidson
from an 1886 family photo
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Hans Thomas Davidson, son of Hans Christian Davidson, brother of Amasa
MY GRANDFATHER, HANS THOMAS DAVIDSON
Son of Hans Christian Davidson
(brother to Amasa Davidson)
by Jeanette Davidson Hopkinson
Hans Thomas Davidson was born in Maybelli Alsen, Schlesvig, Holstein, Denmark on Oct 24, 1855. He was the son of Hans Christian and Anna Marie Jensen Davidsen. At the time of his birth he weighed two and a half pounds. He lived to increase his birth weight by more than one hundred times. He had a sister Mary who was two and a half years older than he. Hans parents joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and began to make preparations to leave their homeland. They wanted to be with the body of Saints in Utah where they could worship freely and become a part of the rapidly growing church.
The little family spent most of the winter of 1857-58 in preparation for their journey, mostly in secret in order to not arouse the suspicions of neighbors and those who were unfriendly toward the Mormons. By pre-arranged plan they gathered at a small port on the North Sea together with other saints and crossed by small boat to England. On March 22, 1858 they boarded the ship, JOHN BRIGHT, in Liverpool and became a part of a company of about ninety Saints, mostly Scandinavians, under the guidance of Iver N. Iverson. They set sail the same day and after a tortuous thirty one days under the most severe circumstances they arrived in New York on April 23, 1858. There were a few days of emigration procedures and additional preparation before they were ready to start their journey westward. They arrived in Iowa City on May 1st.
There were about fifty of the group, who by July had found means to travel on to Utah. The Davidson family were impatient to be on their way so arrangements were made that Maria would take the two children and a few possessions and necessities in a handcart along with a few other saints and accompany the few wagons which were making the trip. The father, Hans Christian had discovered that there was an army detail also going west at the same time and there was a job herding mules for which he could receive a small fee and his food. He knew very little English and nothing at all about mules, never having seen one before. However he was brave and applied for the job. The result was that in the little family, although they knew that each parent was bravely struggling toward their goal, each had to bear their own burden and anxiety. They left Florence, Nebraska in July and arrived in Salt Lake City September 20, 1858. Enroute Maria endured the many hardships of the road and grew weary almost beyond endurance. She had to swim the Platte River with the handcart containing the children floating, however many possessions were soaked and had to be dried out. Mary by now was five years old and Hans was nearly three.
The family was happily re-united in Salt Lake City and were shortly dispatched along with other Danish pioneers to the south. They first settled in Pleasant Grove where four brothers and sisters were born in the family. They were Elizabeth (Belle),Lorenzo, Amasa, and Sara, who died in infancy, aged six months. In 1865 the family moved to a farm near Mt. Pleasant in Sanpete County.
Hans grew to manhood on the farm and as his younger brothers grew up and could take over the work on the farm, he sought employment away from home to earn a living and help with the family finances. There were four more brothers and sisters born into the family in Mt. Pleasant, namely: Twins--Ephraim and Sarah, Lucinda and Joseph. His father opened a print shop in Mt. Pleasant and did job printing as well as printing the first newspaper to be printed south of Salt Lake City.
When Hans was about twenty years of age, he and some of his friends went to St. George to work on the construction of the temple. Hans was a large man, having grown to three inches over six feet and weighed well over 200 pounds. He was agreeable and friendly in Nature but because of his size a few men attempted to arouse his anger. One man at the temple construction site was Quarrelsome and provoked Hans to fight. This man attempted to gouge the eyes of Hans but the tables were turned when Hans quickly set his teeth into the man's thumb. This was the only altercation that Hans (my grandfather) ever related. His size continued to be a discouraging deterrent to contend with by any would-be trouble makers.
I'm not sure how Hans met Elizabeth (Lizzie) Robertson, who became his wife. About that time Lizzie was cooking at a camp in Cottonwood Canyon. I do not know if it was a logging camp or a quarry camp where stone was being cut for the construction for the Salt Lake Temple. Hans became acquainted with the dark-haired Scottish Lassie from Midway and they were married October 20, 1878 in Spanish Fork, Utah. Hans always introduced Lizzie very proudly as his first wife. They lived in Mount Pleasant until late in 1886. Hans worked away from home a great deal at various jobs and Lizzie, being a beautiful seamstress had a dress-making shop in her home. They had three children born to them while living in Mt. Pleasant: Emmery Hans, Elizabeth Maud and Mary Jennett (Jennie). Maud developed meningitis as a baby and became a deaf mute as a result of the disease.
When Hans and Lizzie and their three children left Mount Pleasant, they went to Frisco, a mining camp. It was here that Hans suffered lead poisoning and nearly lost his life. From Frisco they moved to the Cave Mine near Minersville in Beaver County. In the little town of Bradshaw, near the mine their youngest daughter, Dora Elsie was born.
Hans worked at the Cave Mine a number of years. He had the responsibility of drilling a tunnel into the face of the mountain and this tunnel remains today a testimony to his skill and engineering ability. Hans had meager schooling, he often told his wife Lizzie helped him to learn to read with the use of a newspaper and her bible. Lizzie boarded the miners and teamsters, often cooking for thirty men at a time with the help of her younger sister who came to live with them.
Hans became interested in sheep-raising while at the Cave Mine and acquired a sizeable herd. He really was a farmer at heart and eventually bought a farm in Greenville where he moved his family and gave up mining as a career. In Greenville they were faced with having to part with their oldest daughter, Maud who was badly burned when her clothing accidently caught fire. She died October 19th, 1894 when twelve years of age.
He continued to farm and raise sheep and cattle until 1902. He was destined for further pioneering. At this time a group of people he had known in Minersville were leaving for Wyoming to homestead in the Bridger Valley. In fact some of the colony were all ready settled and had promising crops. They persuaded him to dispose of his holdings in Greenville and move to Wyoming to build a flour and grist mill. By this time Emmery and Jennie were both married. Emmery decided to join his father in this venture. Hans and Lizzie with Emmery, his wife Lennie and their baby daughter Elizabeth along with Elsie the youngest daughter all began to make preparations to go to Wyoming.
Hans made a trip out to look over conditions in Wyoming and also make arrangements in Salt Lake City for building the Mill. (Years later Mr. Will Harvey who had a store in Mountain View and Later a store in Ft. Bridger told me of the time grandfather came to make preparations for living and for building the mill. He said everyone was saying one to another "Have you seen the big man who is coming to build a flour mill?")
The family left Milford with Emmery riding in a chartered freight car with a team of horses, a saddle horse, two cows and various needed articles of furniture, tools, etc. The rest of the family traveled in passenger cars. They arrived ar Carter, Wyoming, about fourteen miles from their destination on Apr 29, 1903. Del Watson who was to be their neighbor met them with a team and wagon to transport them to their new home. Del had a log cabin, dirt roofed and dirt floored which he generously let the family live in until their home could be erected.
The mill site was selected to be on the Black's Fork river, six miles south of Fort Bridger. Emmery filed on a homestead adjacent to the Mill site and property through which a mill race and spill-way was to be constructed. The home would be built on Emmery's homestead across a roadway from the mill. Later another house was built on the mill property.
Construction on the mill got underway within a short time. Rock was quarried within two miles of the site to the west near Three Mile creek, for the foundation. The mill, three stories in height was constructed of lumber and painted a deep red color. The Davidson home was built of Lumber and painted the same color as the mill. The power to run the three floors of machinery of the mill was obtained by a water powered turbine. The intake pipe from the pen-stock to the turbine was two feet in diameter. My father, Emmery who was the miller said there never was it necessary to turn on the full power. The officers of the milling company which was officially known as the Lyman milling company were: Hans T. Davidson, President; Samuel R. Bough, vice president; Emmery H. Davidson, Secretary and treasurer. The flour was called "Blue Ribbon Flour" with a picture of a big bow of Blue Ribbon printed on each sack. Other products were Ger Made, graham flour and bran and shorts.
Hans was a man who loved nature and growing things. He immediately set out to prepare and plant a garden and ultimately an orchard, the only orchard ever set out in Uinta County. Many homes in Bridger Valley were enriched by starts of currant and gooseberry bushes as well as Davidson peas from his yard and garden. It was an eventful year that saw the first apple produced in the orchard.
Before the construction of the mill, the area had been known at one time as Riverside. A branch of the L.D.S. Church there was known as the Bridger Butte Branch. With the operation of the mill there was the need for a post office so Hans made an application for one. The name selected was influenced by Lizzie's ancestry. Burn is Scottish for creek so thinking of the mill race or mill creek the name of Millburne was given the community and Hans became the first Post master. He continued in that position for many years.
Their daughter Jennie and her husband Will Barton with their three small boys came to Wyoming five years after Hans and Lizzie and the rest of the family. Will homesteaded near. There were many happy years for Hans with his family about him. Emmery's family enlarged to a total of seven, Jennie's family became eight and Elsie, now married had three children, making a total of eighteen grandchildren to bless him before he became ill and passed away at the age of 65 of Uremic poisoning. He died on Nov. 6, 1920 in his home in Millburne and was buried in Evanston, Wyoming. His wife, Lizzie was laid to rest beside him when she passed away on October 14, 1939.
Son of Hans Christian Davidson
(brother to Amasa Davidson)
by Jeanette Davidson Hopkinson
Hans Thomas Davidson was born in Maybelli Alsen, Schlesvig, Holstein, Denmark on Oct 24, 1855. He was the son of Hans Christian and Anna Marie Jensen Davidsen. At the time of his birth he weighed two and a half pounds. He lived to increase his birth weight by more than one hundred times. He had a sister Mary who was two and a half years older than he. Hans parents joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and began to make preparations to leave their homeland. They wanted to be with the body of Saints in Utah where they could worship freely and become a part of the rapidly growing church.
The little family spent most of the winter of 1857-58 in preparation for their journey, mostly in secret in order to not arouse the suspicions of neighbors and those who were unfriendly toward the Mormons. By pre-arranged plan they gathered at a small port on the North Sea together with other saints and crossed by small boat to England. On March 22, 1858 they boarded the ship, JOHN BRIGHT, in Liverpool and became a part of a company of about ninety Saints, mostly Scandinavians, under the guidance of Iver N. Iverson. They set sail the same day and after a tortuous thirty one days under the most severe circumstances they arrived in New York on April 23, 1858. There were a few days of emigration procedures and additional preparation before they were ready to start their journey westward. They arrived in Iowa City on May 1st.
There were about fifty of the group, who by July had found means to travel on to Utah. The Davidson family were impatient to be on their way so arrangements were made that Maria would take the two children and a few possessions and necessities in a handcart along with a few other saints and accompany the few wagons which were making the trip. The father, Hans Christian had discovered that there was an army detail also going west at the same time and there was a job herding mules for which he could receive a small fee and his food. He knew very little English and nothing at all about mules, never having seen one before. However he was brave and applied for the job. The result was that in the little family, although they knew that each parent was bravely struggling toward their goal, each had to bear their own burden and anxiety. They left Florence, Nebraska in July and arrived in Salt Lake City September 20, 1858. Enroute Maria endured the many hardships of the road and grew weary almost beyond endurance. She had to swim the Platte River with the handcart containing the children floating, however many possessions were soaked and had to be dried out. Mary by now was five years old and Hans was nearly three.
The family was happily re-united in Salt Lake City and were shortly dispatched along with other Danish pioneers to the south. They first settled in Pleasant Grove where four brothers and sisters were born in the family. They were Elizabeth (Belle),Lorenzo, Amasa, and Sara, who died in infancy, aged six months. In 1865 the family moved to a farm near Mt. Pleasant in Sanpete County.
Hans grew to manhood on the farm and as his younger brothers grew up and could take over the work on the farm, he sought employment away from home to earn a living and help with the family finances. There were four more brothers and sisters born into the family in Mt. Pleasant, namely: Twins--Ephraim and Sarah, Lucinda and Joseph. His father opened a print shop in Mt. Pleasant and did job printing as well as printing the first newspaper to be printed south of Salt Lake City.
When Hans was about twenty years of age, he and some of his friends went to St. George to work on the construction of the temple. Hans was a large man, having grown to three inches over six feet and weighed well over 200 pounds. He was agreeable and friendly in Nature but because of his size a few men attempted to arouse his anger. One man at the temple construction site was Quarrelsome and provoked Hans to fight. This man attempted to gouge the eyes of Hans but the tables were turned when Hans quickly set his teeth into the man's thumb. This was the only altercation that Hans (my grandfather) ever related. His size continued to be a discouraging deterrent to contend with by any would-be trouble makers.
I'm not sure how Hans met Elizabeth (Lizzie) Robertson, who became his wife. About that time Lizzie was cooking at a camp in Cottonwood Canyon. I do not know if it was a logging camp or a quarry camp where stone was being cut for the construction for the Salt Lake Temple. Hans became acquainted with the dark-haired Scottish Lassie from Midway and they were married October 20, 1878 in Spanish Fork, Utah. Hans always introduced Lizzie very proudly as his first wife. They lived in Mount Pleasant until late in 1886. Hans worked away from home a great deal at various jobs and Lizzie, being a beautiful seamstress had a dress-making shop in her home. They had three children born to them while living in Mt. Pleasant: Emmery Hans, Elizabeth Maud and Mary Jennett (Jennie). Maud developed meningitis as a baby and became a deaf mute as a result of the disease.
When Hans and Lizzie and their three children left Mount Pleasant, they went to Frisco, a mining camp. It was here that Hans suffered lead poisoning and nearly lost his life. From Frisco they moved to the Cave Mine near Minersville in Beaver County. In the little town of Bradshaw, near the mine their youngest daughter, Dora Elsie was born.
Hans worked at the Cave Mine a number of years. He had the responsibility of drilling a tunnel into the face of the mountain and this tunnel remains today a testimony to his skill and engineering ability. Hans had meager schooling, he often told his wife Lizzie helped him to learn to read with the use of a newspaper and her bible. Lizzie boarded the miners and teamsters, often cooking for thirty men at a time with the help of her younger sister who came to live with them.
Hans became interested in sheep-raising while at the Cave Mine and acquired a sizeable herd. He really was a farmer at heart and eventually bought a farm in Greenville where he moved his family and gave up mining as a career. In Greenville they were faced with having to part with their oldest daughter, Maud who was badly burned when her clothing accidently caught fire. She died October 19th, 1894 when twelve years of age.
He continued to farm and raise sheep and cattle until 1902. He was destined for further pioneering. At this time a group of people he had known in Minersville were leaving for Wyoming to homestead in the Bridger Valley. In fact some of the colony were all ready settled and had promising crops. They persuaded him to dispose of his holdings in Greenville and move to Wyoming to build a flour and grist mill. By this time Emmery and Jennie were both married. Emmery decided to join his father in this venture. Hans and Lizzie with Emmery, his wife Lennie and their baby daughter Elizabeth along with Elsie the youngest daughter all began to make preparations to go to Wyoming.
Hans made a trip out to look over conditions in Wyoming and also make arrangements in Salt Lake City for building the Mill. (Years later Mr. Will Harvey who had a store in Mountain View and Later a store in Ft. Bridger told me of the time grandfather came to make preparations for living and for building the mill. He said everyone was saying one to another "Have you seen the big man who is coming to build a flour mill?")
The family left Milford with Emmery riding in a chartered freight car with a team of horses, a saddle horse, two cows and various needed articles of furniture, tools, etc. The rest of the family traveled in passenger cars. They arrived ar Carter, Wyoming, about fourteen miles from their destination on Apr 29, 1903. Del Watson who was to be their neighbor met them with a team and wagon to transport them to their new home. Del had a log cabin, dirt roofed and dirt floored which he generously let the family live in until their home could be erected.
The mill site was selected to be on the Black's Fork river, six miles south of Fort Bridger. Emmery filed on a homestead adjacent to the Mill site and property through which a mill race and spill-way was to be constructed. The home would be built on Emmery's homestead across a roadway from the mill. Later another house was built on the mill property.
Construction on the mill got underway within a short time. Rock was quarried within two miles of the site to the west near Three Mile creek, for the foundation. The mill, three stories in height was constructed of lumber and painted a deep red color. The Davidson home was built of Lumber and painted the same color as the mill. The power to run the three floors of machinery of the mill was obtained by a water powered turbine. The intake pipe from the pen-stock to the turbine was two feet in diameter. My father, Emmery who was the miller said there never was it necessary to turn on the full power. The officers of the milling company which was officially known as the Lyman milling company were: Hans T. Davidson, President; Samuel R. Bough, vice president; Emmery H. Davidson, Secretary and treasurer. The flour was called "Blue Ribbon Flour" with a picture of a big bow of Blue Ribbon printed on each sack. Other products were Ger Made, graham flour and bran and shorts.
Hans was a man who loved nature and growing things. He immediately set out to prepare and plant a garden and ultimately an orchard, the only orchard ever set out in Uinta County. Many homes in Bridger Valley were enriched by starts of currant and gooseberry bushes as well as Davidson peas from his yard and garden. It was an eventful year that saw the first apple produced in the orchard.
Before the construction of the mill, the area had been known at one time as Riverside. A branch of the L.D.S. Church there was known as the Bridger Butte Branch. With the operation of the mill there was the need for a post office so Hans made an application for one. The name selected was influenced by Lizzie's ancestry. Burn is Scottish for creek so thinking of the mill race or mill creek the name of Millburne was given the community and Hans became the first Post master. He continued in that position for many years.
Their daughter Jennie and her husband Will Barton with their three small boys came to Wyoming five years after Hans and Lizzie and the rest of the family. Will homesteaded near. There were many happy years for Hans with his family about him. Emmery's family enlarged to a total of seven, Jennie's family became eight and Elsie, now married had three children, making a total of eighteen grandchildren to bless him before he became ill and passed away at the age of 65 of Uremic poisoning. He died on Nov. 6, 1920 in his home in Millburne and was buried in Evanston, Wyoming. His wife, Lizzie was laid to rest beside him when she passed away on October 14, 1939.
Hans Thomas Davidson, son of Hans Christian , borther of Amasa
MY GRANDFATHER, HANS THOMAS DAVIDSON
Son of Hans Christian Davidson
(brother to Amasa Davidson)
by Jeanette Davidson Hopkinson
Hans Thomas Davidson was born in Maybelli Alsen, Schlesvig, Holstein, Denmark on Oct 24, 1855. He was the son of Hans Christian and Anna Marie Jensen Davidsen. At the time of his birth he weighed two and a half pounds. He lived to increase the weight of his birth more than one hundred per cent. He had a sister Mary who was two and a half years older than he. Hans parents joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and began to make preparations to leave their homeland. They wanted to be with the body of Saints in Utah where they could worship freely and become a part of the rapidly growing church.
The little family spent most of the winter of 1857-58 in preparation for their journey, mostly in secret in order to not arouse the suspicions of neighbors and those who were unfriendly toward the Mormons. By pre-arranged plan they gathered at a small port on the North Sea together with other saints and crossed by small boat to England. On March 22, 1858 they boarded the ship, JOHN BRIGHT, in Liverpool and became a part of a company of about ninety Saints, mostly Scandinavians, under the guidance of Iver N. Iverson. They set sail the same day and after a tortuous thirty one days under the most severe circumstances they arrived in New York on April 23, 1858. There were a few days of emigration procedures and additional preparation before they were ready to start their journey westward. They arrived in Iowa City on May 1st.
There were about fifty of the group, who by July had found means to travel on to Utah. The Davidson family were impatient to be on their way so arrangements were made that Maria would take the two children and a few possessions and necessities in a handcart along with a few other saints and accompany the few wagons which were making the trip. The father, Hans Christian had discovered that there was an army detail also going west at the same time and there was a job herding mules for which he could receive a small fee and his food. He knew very little English and nothing at all about mules, never having seen one before. However he was brave and applied for the job. The result was that in the little family, although they knew that each parent was bravely struggling toward their goal, each had to bear their own burden and anxiety. They left Florence, Nebraska in July and arrived in Salt Lake City September 20, 1858. Enroute Maria endured the many hardships of the road and grew weary almost beyond endurance. She had to swim the Platte River with the handcart containing the children floating, however many possessions were soaked and had to be dried out. Mary by now was five years old and Hans was nearly three.
The family was happily re-united in Salt Lake City and were shortly dispatched along with other Danish pioneers to the south. They first settled in Pleasant Grove where four brothers and sisters were born in the family. They were Elizabeth (Belle),Lorenzo, Amasa, and Sara, who died in infancy, aged six months. In 1865 the family moved to a farm near Mt. Pleasant in Sanpete County.
Hans grew to manhood on the farm and as his younger brothers grew up and could take over the work on the farm, he sought employment away from home to earn a living and help with the family finances. There were four more brothers and sisters born into the family in Mt. Pleasant, namely: Twins--Ephraim and Sarah, Lucinda and Joseph. His father opened a print shop in Mt. Pleasant and did job printing as well as printing the first newspaper to be printed south of Salt Lake City.
When Hans was about twenty years of age, he and some of his friends went to St. George to work on the construction of the temple. Hans was a large man, having grown to three inches over six feet and weighed well over 200 pounds. He was agreeable and friendly in Nature but because of his size a few men attempted to arouse his anger. One man at the temple construction site was Quarrelsome and provoked Hans to fight. This man attempted to gouge the eyes of Hans but the tables were turned when Hans quickly set his teeth into the man's thumb. This was the only altercation that Hans (my grandfather) ever related. His size continued to be a discouraging deterrent to contend with by any would-be trouble makers.
I'm not sure how Hans met Elizabeth (Lizzie) Robertson, who became his wife. About that time Lizzie was cooking at a camp in Cottonwood Canyon. I do not know if it was a logging camp or a quarry camp where stone was being cut for the construction for the Salt Lake Temple. Hans became acquainted with the dark-haired Scottish Lassie from Midway and they were married October 20, 1878 in Spanish Fork, Utah. Hans always introduced Lizzie very proudly as his first wife. They lived in Mount Pleasant until late in 1886. Hans worked away from home a great deal at various jobs and Lizzie, being a beautiful seamstress had a dress-making shop in her home. They had three children born to them while living in Mt. Pleasant: Emmery Hans, Elizabeth Maud and Mary Jennett (Jennie). Maud developed meningitis as a baby and became a deaf mute as a result of the disease.
When Hans and Lizzie and their three children left Mount Pleasant, they went to Frisco, a mining camp. It was here that Hans suffered lead poisoning and nearly lost his life. From Frisco they moved to the Cave Mine near Minersville in Beaver County. In the little town of Bradshaw, near the mine their youngest daughter, Dora Elsie was born.
Hans worked at the Cave Mine a number of years. He had the responsibility of drilling a tunnel into the face of the mountain and this tunnel remains today a testimony to his skill and engineering ability. Hans had meager schooling, he often told his wife Lizzie helped him to learn to read with the use of a newspaper and her bible. Lizzie boarded the miners and teamsters, often cooking for thirty men at a time with the help of her younger sister who came to live with them.
Hans became interested in sheep-raising while at the Cave Mine and acquired a sizeable herd. He really was a farmer at heart and eventually bought a farm in Greenville where he moved his family and gave up mining as a career. In Greenville they were faced with having to part with their oldest daughter, Maud who was badly burned when her clothing accidently caught fire. She died October 19th, 1894 when twelve years of age.
He continued to farm and raise sheep and cattle until 1902. He was destined for further pioneering. At this time a group of people he had known in Minersville were leaving for Wyoming to homestead in the Bridger Valley. In fact some of the colony were all ready settled and had promising crops. They persuaded him to dispose of his holdings in Greenville and move to Wyoming to build a flour and grist mill. By this time Emmery and Jennie were both married. Emmery decided to join his father in this venture. Hans and Lizzie with Emmery, his wife Lennie and their baby daughter Elizabeth along with Elsie the youngest daughter all began to make preparations to go to Wyoming.
Hans made a trip out to look over conditions in Wyoming and also make arrangements in Salt Lake City for building the Mill. (Years later Mr. Will Harvey who had a store in Mountain View and Later a store in Ft. Bridger told me of the time grandfather came to make preparations for living and for building the mill. He said everyone was saying one to another "Have you seen the big man who is coming to build a flour mill?")
The family left Milford with Emmery riding in a chartered freight car with a team of horses, a saddle horse, two cows and various needed articles of furniture, tools, etc. The rest of the family traveled in passenger cars. They arrived ar Carter, Wyoming, about fourteen miles from their destination on Apr 29, 1903. Del Watson who was to be their neighbor met them with a team and wagon to transport them to their new home. Del had a log cabin, dirt roofed and dirt floored which he generously let the family live in until their home could be erected.
The mill site was selected to be on the Black's Fork river, six miles south of Fort Bridger. Emmery filed on a homestead adjacent to the Mill site and property through which a mill race and spill-way was to be constructed. The home would be built on Emmery's homestead across a roadway from the mill. Later another house was built on the mill property.
Construction on the mill got underway within a short time. Rock was quarried within two miles of the site to the west near Three Mile creek, for the foundation. The mill, three stories in height was constructed of lumber and painted a deep red color. The Davidson home was built of Lumber and painted the same color as the mill. The power to run the three floors of machinery of the mill was obtained by a water powered turbine. The intake pipe from the pen-stock to the turbine was two feet in diameter. My father, Emmery who was the miller said there never was it necessary to turn on the full power. The officers of the milling company which was officially known as the Lyman milling company were: Hans T. Davidson, President; Samuel R. Bough, vice president; Emmery H. Davidson, Secretary and treasurer. The flour was called "Blue Ribbon Flour" with a picture of a big bow of Blue Ribbon printed on each sack. Other products were Ger Made, graham flour and bran and shorts.
Hans was a man who loved nature and growing things. He immediately set out to prepare and plant a garden and ultimately an orchard, the only orchard ever set out in Uinta County. Many homes in Bridger Valley were enriched by starts of currant and gooseberry bushes as well as Davidson peas from his yard and garden. It was an eventful year that saw the first apple produced in the orchard.
Before the construction of the mill, the area had been known at one time as Riverside. A branch of the L.D.S. Church there was known as the Bridger Butte Branch. With the operation of the mill there was the need for a post office so Hans made an application for one. The name selected was influenced by Lizzie's ancestry. Burn is Scottish for creek so thinking of the mill race or mill creek the name of Millburne was given the community and Hans became the first Post master. He continued in that position for many years.
Their daughter Jennie and her husband Will Barton with their three small boys came to Wyoming five years after Hans and Lizzie and the rest of the family. Will homesteaded near. There were many happy years for Hans with his family about him. Emmery's family enlarged to a total of seven, Jennie's family became eight and Elsie, now married had three children, making a total of eighteen grandchildren to bless him before he became ill and passed away at the age of 65 of Uremic poisoning. He died on Nov. 6, 1920 in his home in Millburne and was buried in Evanston, Wyoming. His wife, Lizzie was laid to rest beside him when she passed away on October 14, 1939.
Son of Hans Christian Davidson
(brother to Amasa Davidson)
by Jeanette Davidson Hopkinson
Hans Thomas Davidson was born in Maybelli Alsen, Schlesvig, Holstein, Denmark on Oct 24, 1855. He was the son of Hans Christian and Anna Marie Jensen Davidsen. At the time of his birth he weighed two and a half pounds. He lived to increase the weight of his birth more than one hundred per cent. He had a sister Mary who was two and a half years older than he. Hans parents joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and began to make preparations to leave their homeland. They wanted to be with the body of Saints in Utah where they could worship freely and become a part of the rapidly growing church.
The little family spent most of the winter of 1857-58 in preparation for their journey, mostly in secret in order to not arouse the suspicions of neighbors and those who were unfriendly toward the Mormons. By pre-arranged plan they gathered at a small port on the North Sea together with other saints and crossed by small boat to England. On March 22, 1858 they boarded the ship, JOHN BRIGHT, in Liverpool and became a part of a company of about ninety Saints, mostly Scandinavians, under the guidance of Iver N. Iverson. They set sail the same day and after a tortuous thirty one days under the most severe circumstances they arrived in New York on April 23, 1858. There were a few days of emigration procedures and additional preparation before they were ready to start their journey westward. They arrived in Iowa City on May 1st.
There were about fifty of the group, who by July had found means to travel on to Utah. The Davidson family were impatient to be on their way so arrangements were made that Maria would take the two children and a few possessions and necessities in a handcart along with a few other saints and accompany the few wagons which were making the trip. The father, Hans Christian had discovered that there was an army detail also going west at the same time and there was a job herding mules for which he could receive a small fee and his food. He knew very little English and nothing at all about mules, never having seen one before. However he was brave and applied for the job. The result was that in the little family, although they knew that each parent was bravely struggling toward their goal, each had to bear their own burden and anxiety. They left Florence, Nebraska in July and arrived in Salt Lake City September 20, 1858. Enroute Maria endured the many hardships of the road and grew weary almost beyond endurance. She had to swim the Platte River with the handcart containing the children floating, however many possessions were soaked and had to be dried out. Mary by now was five years old and Hans was nearly three.
The family was happily re-united in Salt Lake City and were shortly dispatched along with other Danish pioneers to the south. They first settled in Pleasant Grove where four brothers and sisters were born in the family. They were Elizabeth (Belle),Lorenzo, Amasa, and Sara, who died in infancy, aged six months. In 1865 the family moved to a farm near Mt. Pleasant in Sanpete County.
Hans grew to manhood on the farm and as his younger brothers grew up and could take over the work on the farm, he sought employment away from home to earn a living and help with the family finances. There were four more brothers and sisters born into the family in Mt. Pleasant, namely: Twins--Ephraim and Sarah, Lucinda and Joseph. His father opened a print shop in Mt. Pleasant and did job printing as well as printing the first newspaper to be printed south of Salt Lake City.
When Hans was about twenty years of age, he and some of his friends went to St. George to work on the construction of the temple. Hans was a large man, having grown to three inches over six feet and weighed well over 200 pounds. He was agreeable and friendly in Nature but because of his size a few men attempted to arouse his anger. One man at the temple construction site was Quarrelsome and provoked Hans to fight. This man attempted to gouge the eyes of Hans but the tables were turned when Hans quickly set his teeth into the man's thumb. This was the only altercation that Hans (my grandfather) ever related. His size continued to be a discouraging deterrent to contend with by any would-be trouble makers.
I'm not sure how Hans met Elizabeth (Lizzie) Robertson, who became his wife. About that time Lizzie was cooking at a camp in Cottonwood Canyon. I do not know if it was a logging camp or a quarry camp where stone was being cut for the construction for the Salt Lake Temple. Hans became acquainted with the dark-haired Scottish Lassie from Midway and they were married October 20, 1878 in Spanish Fork, Utah. Hans always introduced Lizzie very proudly as his first wife. They lived in Mount Pleasant until late in 1886. Hans worked away from home a great deal at various jobs and Lizzie, being a beautiful seamstress had a dress-making shop in her home. They had three children born to them while living in Mt. Pleasant: Emmery Hans, Elizabeth Maud and Mary Jennett (Jennie). Maud developed meningitis as a baby and became a deaf mute as a result of the disease.
When Hans and Lizzie and their three children left Mount Pleasant, they went to Frisco, a mining camp. It was here that Hans suffered lead poisoning and nearly lost his life. From Frisco they moved to the Cave Mine near Minersville in Beaver County. In the little town of Bradshaw, near the mine their youngest daughter, Dora Elsie was born.
Hans worked at the Cave Mine a number of years. He had the responsibility of drilling a tunnel into the face of the mountain and this tunnel remains today a testimony to his skill and engineering ability. Hans had meager schooling, he often told his wife Lizzie helped him to learn to read with the use of a newspaper and her bible. Lizzie boarded the miners and teamsters, often cooking for thirty men at a time with the help of her younger sister who came to live with them.
Hans became interested in sheep-raising while at the Cave Mine and acquired a sizeable herd. He really was a farmer at heart and eventually bought a farm in Greenville where he moved his family and gave up mining as a career. In Greenville they were faced with having to part with their oldest daughter, Maud who was badly burned when her clothing accidently caught fire. She died October 19th, 1894 when twelve years of age.
He continued to farm and raise sheep and cattle until 1902. He was destined for further pioneering. At this time a group of people he had known in Minersville were leaving for Wyoming to homestead in the Bridger Valley. In fact some of the colony were all ready settled and had promising crops. They persuaded him to dispose of his holdings in Greenville and move to Wyoming to build a flour and grist mill. By this time Emmery and Jennie were both married. Emmery decided to join his father in this venture. Hans and Lizzie with Emmery, his wife Lennie and their baby daughter Elizabeth along with Elsie the youngest daughter all began to make preparations to go to Wyoming.
Hans made a trip out to look over conditions in Wyoming and also make arrangements in Salt Lake City for building the Mill. (Years later Mr. Will Harvey who had a store in Mountain View and Later a store in Ft. Bridger told me of the time grandfather came to make preparations for living and for building the mill. He said everyone was saying one to another "Have you seen the big man who is coming to build a flour mill?")
The family left Milford with Emmery riding in a chartered freight car with a team of horses, a saddle horse, two cows and various needed articles of furniture, tools, etc. The rest of the family traveled in passenger cars. They arrived ar Carter, Wyoming, about fourteen miles from their destination on Apr 29, 1903. Del Watson who was to be their neighbor met them with a team and wagon to transport them to their new home. Del had a log cabin, dirt roofed and dirt floored which he generously let the family live in until their home could be erected.
The mill site was selected to be on the Black's Fork river, six miles south of Fort Bridger. Emmery filed on a homestead adjacent to the Mill site and property through which a mill race and spill-way was to be constructed. The home would be built on Emmery's homestead across a roadway from the mill. Later another house was built on the mill property.
Construction on the mill got underway within a short time. Rock was quarried within two miles of the site to the west near Three Mile creek, for the foundation. The mill, three stories in height was constructed of lumber and painted a deep red color. The Davidson home was built of Lumber and painted the same color as the mill. The power to run the three floors of machinery of the mill was obtained by a water powered turbine. The intake pipe from the pen-stock to the turbine was two feet in diameter. My father, Emmery who was the miller said there never was it necessary to turn on the full power. The officers of the milling company which was officially known as the Lyman milling company were: Hans T. Davidson, President; Samuel R. Bough, vice president; Emmery H. Davidson, Secretary and treasurer. The flour was called "Blue Ribbon Flour" with a picture of a big bow of Blue Ribbon printed on each sack. Other products were Ger Made, graham flour and bran and shorts.
Hans was a man who loved nature and growing things. He immediately set out to prepare and plant a garden and ultimately an orchard, the only orchard ever set out in Uinta County. Many homes in Bridger Valley were enriched by starts of currant and gooseberry bushes as well as Davidson peas from his yard and garden. It was an eventful year that saw the first apple produced in the orchard.
Before the construction of the mill, the area had been known at one time as Riverside. A branch of the L.D.S. Church there was known as the Bridger Butte Branch. With the operation of the mill there was the need for a post office so Hans made an application for one. The name selected was influenced by Lizzie's ancestry. Burn is Scottish for creek so thinking of the mill race or mill creek the name of Millburne was given the community and Hans became the first Post master. He continued in that position for many years.
Their daughter Jennie and her husband Will Barton with their three small boys came to Wyoming five years after Hans and Lizzie and the rest of the family. Will homesteaded near. There were many happy years for Hans with his family about him. Emmery's family enlarged to a total of seven, Jennie's family became eight and Elsie, now married had three children, making a total of eighteen grandchildren to bless him before he became ill and passed away at the age of 65 of Uremic poisoning. He died on Nov. 6, 1920 in his home in Millburne and was buried in Evanston, Wyoming. His wife, Lizzie was laid to rest beside him when she passed away on October 14, 1939.
Amasa Davidson of Sanpete, Utah, and Bridger Valley, Wyo.
Life History of Amasa Davidson, author unknown
Amasa Davidson was born in Pleasant Grove, Utah Co., Utah March 29 1863 His parents were Hans Christian Davidson and Annie Marie Jensen. His father was born at Hørup, Alsen Island, Schleswig, Holstein, Denmark (Also known as Aabenraa-Sønderborg district, Danmark) and his mother was born at Mommark, Lysabild Church District, Denmark. They came across the plains to Utah September 20, 1858. They had two small children at that time. Amasa was the fifth of nine children having four brothers and four sisters. Their names were: Mary, Hans Thomas, Isabell, Lorenzo, Ephraim, Sarah, Lucinda and Joseph.
When Amasa was a very small boy, about two or three years old, he would take his bowl of bread and milk outside to eat it. His mother wondered about this and sent an older sister to find where he had gone. She saw him sitting on a low rock feeding a snake with his spoon. If he didn’t give the snake the food soon enough, the snake would stick its tongue in the bowl of milk. Amasa would hit the snake on the head with his spoon and then continue taking a spoonful of bread and milk and then giving one to the snake. After learning of this incident, Amasa’s mother made sure that her little boy ate his bread and milk in the house.
Amasa had a twin brother and sister who were born on the 4th of July in 1866 when Amasa was three years old. Sometime between the birth of Amasa and his twin brother and sister the family moved to Mt. Pleasant, Utah where Amasa’s father, Hans Christian Davidson, was the first dentist and also the first newspaper editor. He studied astronomy, also, and made a perpetual calendar.
When Amasa was a young boy, he herded cows for the towns people; as many of the other young boys did. Many times the Indians would drive the cows a number of miles away and the little boys would follow to get their cows and it would be late at night before they would finally get back home. Sometimes the Indians would only take the little boy’s lunch and scare them.
One day, while Amasa was herding cows, he painted his legs with the juice from some wild berries. He wasn’t allowed to lie on the ground while he was herding cows because of snakes and such things so he used to lie on the fence poles. And so lying on the fence in the hot sun the poison from the berries was driven into his legs and he was poisoned. He became violently ill and nothing that was done for him seemed to help. Finally the doctor pronounced him dead and wanted to have his body taken away. His mother didn’t want to give him up and she asked to keep him a little longer. She tried different ways to see if there was still life in his body and at last she held a mirror to his lips. A tiny bit of steam came on the mirror so his mother breathed into his mouth and worked with him until his breathing was restored. Surely a mother’s faith and prayers were answered when Amasa began to improve. It took a long time for him to fully recover however and he walked on crutches for seven years. As soon as he was able to use his crutches fairly good he went back to his job of herding cows but of course he couldn’t run and play like the other little boys.
He wasn’t able to go to school very much when he was a boy but he had a strong desire to learn and he used to study by himself. He felt bad because he didn’t know his multiplication tables and had a rather unique way of learning them. When he would be talking to another boy, he would say, "I’ll bet you don’t know 5x5, etc." The boy would tell him the answer and in that way he learned them.
When Amasa got a little older, but while he was still using his crutches, he began herding sheep. The sheep camps were often located a great distance from his home and he would be away herding sheep for almost a year at a time. He used to study his arithmetic and spelling while he was at the sheep camp. He wanted to get a herd of his own so he used to get a few sheep at a time until he finally had enough for his own sheep herd.
When he was a young man he became engaged to Celestia Hansen but she died a short while before they were to be married, and he grieved her passing very much. A few years later on June 12, 1889, he married her sister, Annie Elizabeth Hansen at the Manti Temple. They made their home at Fairview, Utah where ten children were born to them. Their names were Amasa Alonzo, Hans Arthur, Peter Edward, Emery Labanon, Beatrice Marie, Marion N., Vennes Kercil, Vay Anna, Amber C., and Kermit.
During the first few years of his married life Amasa Davidson was away from home a lot with the sheep but he finally sold most of them and bought some farming ground near Fairview. He had two pieces of property called the north field and the south field and he also rented a farm on shares. There was a pond at the south field and it was so well stocked with fish that often the relatives would come for a fish fry. He bought a binder and cut grain for different farmers; he hauled coal; and also had some bees and extracted honey.
In the spring of 1910, when his youngest son was one year old. Amasa Davidson and his family moved to Fort Bridger, Wyoming where they bought a 320 acre farm. Amasa felt that he needed more land with such a large family so he went to Milburne, Wyoming to the home of his brother Hans and made arrangements to buy the farm. Later he took his two oldest sons to Wyoming with him to start the spring farm work. On May 3, 1910, the rest of the family left Fairview to go to their new home. They went on the train as far as Carter, Wyoming; where they were met by the eldest son Amasa who took them the remaining 12 miles in a buggy. The cattle, horses, farm equipment and household belongings also had to be taken the twelve miles from the railroad station at Carter to the new farm; and it was quite a job for Amasa Davidson and his sons to get everything transferred.
There was a great deal of work to be done on the new farm; especially since the greater part of the ground had never been tilled before and was still covered with sage brush. Each year Amasa Davidson would clear more ground and of course his children all had to help. They would grub out the sage brush and put it in large piles during the day, and then have big bon fires at night; carrying torches from one row to another. The children considered these bon fires as a reward for working so hard to get the brush piled up.
The ground was extremely rocky and each spring there were rocks to be picked up. They were put in big piles and then put in the wagon and hauled away. The job of picking up rocks went on for years and years and for a long time it was entirely the job of the three girls of the family.
Amasa Davidson raised cattle and usually had a large herd of dairy cows. At first, milking was almost a family affair; with Amasa, his wife, and the older children all helping with the milking. Later, the milking was mainly the job of the three girls. Sometimes there were as many as thirty cows to be milked night and morning.
There were many experiences on the farm and one concerned a neighbor who lived on an adjoining farm who came and accused Amasa Davidson of leaving his gate open and letting his cattle out. The neighbor was a quick tempered man and he had been drinking. He came with a gun and two or three other men and he threatened to kill Amasa Davidson. His companions kept urging him to shoot and they wouldn’t believe that the gate had not been opened by their intended victim but had been closed whenever he saw that it had been left open by someone else. The family was terrified and Annie Davidson prayed silently but earnestly that the men would leave without harming her husband. Eventually they did go and a few days later the neighbor returned and said he was sorry for his actions. "It was the drink, Mr. Davidson," he said, "and you will never have any more trouble from me."
Another experience was in 1917 when two Federal men came to arrest Amasa Davidson and his son Edward on a false charge. They were accused of threatening the life of President Wilson. They were taken for questioning and then released on bond but had to appear in court at a later date, to answer the charges against them. When they went to court, the man who had made the false charges against them failed to appear; so they were released. Annie Davidson had prayed earnestly for the safety of her husband and son and once again her prayers were answered.
One of the exciting experiences was when Amasa Davidson bought a car. It was the first car the family had ever owned; the horse and buggy had always been their mode of transportation before this time. He bought a new Dodge in 1917 for $1000.00 and was able to pay cash for it.
Amasa Davidson was of slight build, about 5’8" in height and usually weighed about 150 pounds. His health was generally good but shortly after he moved to Wyoming he had Mountain Fever and was very ill for a long time. He finally recovered from the fever but it left its effect upon him and his general health was greatly impaired.
In February 1929 he and his wife left the farm in Wyoming and bought a home in Mt. Pleasant, Utah. He lived here until his death January 5, 1930 which was less than a year. He was buried at Mt. Pleasant in the same cemetery where his parents had been buried many years before.
Amasa Davidson was baptized August 3, 1873 when he was ten years old, by J. Christisen. He was ordained an elder June 2, 1889 by Christian Cruser.
He had worked hard during his life and provided well for his family.. He always thought of his wife and children before he thought of himself. He had sent two of his ten children on missions; Hans Arthur to France on a mission in 1913 and Kermit to the Northern States in 1931.
Amasa Davidson was born in Pleasant Grove, Utah Co., Utah March 29 1863 His parents were Hans Christian Davidson and Annie Marie Jensen. His father was born at Hørup, Alsen Island, Schleswig, Holstein, Denmark (Also known as Aabenraa-Sønderborg district, Danmark) and his mother was born at Mommark, Lysabild Church District, Denmark. They came across the plains to Utah September 20, 1858. They had two small children at that time. Amasa was the fifth of nine children having four brothers and four sisters. Their names were: Mary, Hans Thomas, Isabell, Lorenzo, Ephraim, Sarah, Lucinda and Joseph.
When Amasa was a very small boy, about two or three years old, he would take his bowl of bread and milk outside to eat it. His mother wondered about this and sent an older sister to find where he had gone. She saw him sitting on a low rock feeding a snake with his spoon. If he didn’t give the snake the food soon enough, the snake would stick its tongue in the bowl of milk. Amasa would hit the snake on the head with his spoon and then continue taking a spoonful of bread and milk and then giving one to the snake. After learning of this incident, Amasa’s mother made sure that her little boy ate his bread and milk in the house.
Amasa had a twin brother and sister who were born on the 4th of July in 1866 when Amasa was three years old. Sometime between the birth of Amasa and his twin brother and sister the family moved to Mt. Pleasant, Utah where Amasa’s father, Hans Christian Davidson, was the first dentist and also the first newspaper editor. He studied astronomy, also, and made a perpetual calendar.
When Amasa was a young boy, he herded cows for the towns people; as many of the other young boys did. Many times the Indians would drive the cows a number of miles away and the little boys would follow to get their cows and it would be late at night before they would finally get back home. Sometimes the Indians would only take the little boy’s lunch and scare them.
One day, while Amasa was herding cows, he painted his legs with the juice from some wild berries. He wasn’t allowed to lie on the ground while he was herding cows because of snakes and such things so he used to lie on the fence poles. And so lying on the fence in the hot sun the poison from the berries was driven into his legs and he was poisoned. He became violently ill and nothing that was done for him seemed to help. Finally the doctor pronounced him dead and wanted to have his body taken away. His mother didn’t want to give him up and she asked to keep him a little longer. She tried different ways to see if there was still life in his body and at last she held a mirror to his lips. A tiny bit of steam came on the mirror so his mother breathed into his mouth and worked with him until his breathing was restored. Surely a mother’s faith and prayers were answered when Amasa began to improve. It took a long time for him to fully recover however and he walked on crutches for seven years. As soon as he was able to use his crutches fairly good he went back to his job of herding cows but of course he couldn’t run and play like the other little boys.
He wasn’t able to go to school very much when he was a boy but he had a strong desire to learn and he used to study by himself. He felt bad because he didn’t know his multiplication tables and had a rather unique way of learning them. When he would be talking to another boy, he would say, "I’ll bet you don’t know 5x5, etc." The boy would tell him the answer and in that way he learned them.
When Amasa got a little older, but while he was still using his crutches, he began herding sheep. The sheep camps were often located a great distance from his home and he would be away herding sheep for almost a year at a time. He used to study his arithmetic and spelling while he was at the sheep camp. He wanted to get a herd of his own so he used to get a few sheep at a time until he finally had enough for his own sheep herd.
When he was a young man he became engaged to Celestia Hansen but she died a short while before they were to be married, and he grieved her passing very much. A few years later on June 12, 1889, he married her sister, Annie Elizabeth Hansen at the Manti Temple. They made their home at Fairview, Utah where ten children were born to them. Their names were Amasa Alonzo, Hans Arthur, Peter Edward, Emery Labanon, Beatrice Marie, Marion N., Vennes Kercil, Vay Anna, Amber C., and Kermit.
During the first few years of his married life Amasa Davidson was away from home a lot with the sheep but he finally sold most of them and bought some farming ground near Fairview. He had two pieces of property called the north field and the south field and he also rented a farm on shares. There was a pond at the south field and it was so well stocked with fish that often the relatives would come for a fish fry. He bought a binder and cut grain for different farmers; he hauled coal; and also had some bees and extracted honey.
In the spring of 1910, when his youngest son was one year old. Amasa Davidson and his family moved to Fort Bridger, Wyoming where they bought a 320 acre farm. Amasa felt that he needed more land with such a large family so he went to Milburne, Wyoming to the home of his brother Hans and made arrangements to buy the farm. Later he took his two oldest sons to Wyoming with him to start the spring farm work. On May 3, 1910, the rest of the family left Fairview to go to their new home. They went on the train as far as Carter, Wyoming; where they were met by the eldest son Amasa who took them the remaining 12 miles in a buggy. The cattle, horses, farm equipment and household belongings also had to be taken the twelve miles from the railroad station at Carter to the new farm; and it was quite a job for Amasa Davidson and his sons to get everything transferred.
There was a great deal of work to be done on the new farm; especially since the greater part of the ground had never been tilled before and was still covered with sage brush. Each year Amasa Davidson would clear more ground and of course his children all had to help. They would grub out the sage brush and put it in large piles during the day, and then have big bon fires at night; carrying torches from one row to another. The children considered these bon fires as a reward for working so hard to get the brush piled up.
The ground was extremely rocky and each spring there were rocks to be picked up. They were put in big piles and then put in the wagon and hauled away. The job of picking up rocks went on for years and years and for a long time it was entirely the job of the three girls of the family.
Amasa Davidson raised cattle and usually had a large herd of dairy cows. At first, milking was almost a family affair; with Amasa, his wife, and the older children all helping with the milking. Later, the milking was mainly the job of the three girls. Sometimes there were as many as thirty cows to be milked night and morning.
There were many experiences on the farm and one concerned a neighbor who lived on an adjoining farm who came and accused Amasa Davidson of leaving his gate open and letting his cattle out. The neighbor was a quick tempered man and he had been drinking. He came with a gun and two or three other men and he threatened to kill Amasa Davidson. His companions kept urging him to shoot and they wouldn’t believe that the gate had not been opened by their intended victim but had been closed whenever he saw that it had been left open by someone else. The family was terrified and Annie Davidson prayed silently but earnestly that the men would leave without harming her husband. Eventually they did go and a few days later the neighbor returned and said he was sorry for his actions. "It was the drink, Mr. Davidson," he said, "and you will never have any more trouble from me."
Another experience was in 1917 when two Federal men came to arrest Amasa Davidson and his son Edward on a false charge. They were accused of threatening the life of President Wilson. They were taken for questioning and then released on bond but had to appear in court at a later date, to answer the charges against them. When they went to court, the man who had made the false charges against them failed to appear; so they were released. Annie Davidson had prayed earnestly for the safety of her husband and son and once again her prayers were answered.
One of the exciting experiences was when Amasa Davidson bought a car. It was the first car the family had ever owned; the horse and buggy had always been their mode of transportation before this time. He bought a new Dodge in 1917 for $1000.00 and was able to pay cash for it.
Amasa Davidson was of slight build, about 5’8" in height and usually weighed about 150 pounds. His health was generally good but shortly after he moved to Wyoming he had Mountain Fever and was very ill for a long time. He finally recovered from the fever but it left its effect upon him and his general health was greatly impaired.
In February 1929 he and his wife left the farm in Wyoming and bought a home in Mt. Pleasant, Utah. He lived here until his death January 5, 1930 which was less than a year. He was buried at Mt. Pleasant in the same cemetery where his parents had been buried many years before.
Amasa Davidson was baptized August 3, 1873 when he was ten years old, by J. Christisen. He was ordained an elder June 2, 1889 by Christian Cruser.
He had worked hard during his life and provided well for his family.. He always thought of his wife and children before he thought of himself. He had sent two of his ten children on missions; Hans Arthur to France on a mission in 1913 and Kermit to the Northern States in 1931.
Life Story of Hans Christian Davidson, Author unknown
LIFE STORY OF HANS CHRISTIAN DAVIDSON
Hans Christian Davidsen was the son of Hans Davidsen, who was the son of Christian Davidsen, who was the son of David Jørgensen. He was born on the peninsula of Kegnæs,per Alsen Island in the Ducy of Schleswig Holstein in North Prussia, (Denmark, it is also referred to as Aabenraa-Sønderborg amt, or district), on March 28, 1820. On November 2, 1852 he married Miss Anne Maria Jensen. Five years later on the 16th of November he was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, through Ivan N. Iverson, missionary of the church.
Anne Maria Jensen of Mommark, Lysabild church district, was born February 14, 1828.
Mr. and Mrs. Davidson lived in Mommark, home town of Mrs. Davidson for six years after their marriage. During this time two children were born to them, Mary and Hans.
Mr. Davidson was a draftsman, drawing maps and sketches of land. In this way he was able to have a home of his own and provide well for his wife and family so that they lived happily and comfortably.
Shortly after their baptism and uniting with the church, their people and relatives became angry with Mr. and Mrs. Davidson and turned against them because they wanted to give up their home in Mommark to go on what seemed a foolish trip filled with many sufferings and hardships, to make their home in a far away country that they knew but very little about.
Not withstanding the fact that their people did not want them to go, Mr. and Mrs. Davidson made arrangements soon after their baptism to leave for America on the first boat carrying emigrants. It was not until the following year that they learned of a ship that was to leave Liverpool, England for American, transporting Scandinavian emigrants.
What property and furnishings they could not sell they gave away and left immediately for Liverpool. There they made their departure for American, setting sail on Monday, March 22, 1858, on the ship John Bright. They took with them just what food and clothing needed until they reached their new home across the sea. They helped make up a party of emigrants of about ninety Scandinavians under the direction of Ivan N. Iverson. While on the ocean their supply of drinking water, which was boiled and stored in forty gallon barrels, ran short and because of this many suffered badly and some died. After six weary weeks of tossing and shifting about on the water they arrived in New York on May 8, 1858. From there they began another long and toilsome journey to Iowa City. Here they remained for a period of six weeks. Resting themselves and preparing for the longest and most dangerous part of their journey, west across the plains. The oxen, cattle and other stock were turned out upon the hills and mountains to feed.
Mrs. Davidson led Captain Iverson’s horse and cart while she herself walked the entire distance, over a desert waste of sagebrush, sand and rocks, moving steadily into a wild uncharted country. H.C. Davidson took his turn with the other men, herding and standing guard at night. When they camped in the evening, they drove wagons and carts into circle formation, the tongues on the outside and the fore wheel of each cart or wagon locked in a rear wheel of the one in front of it. Both man and beast were made to stay inside the enclosure for protection against the marauding Indians.
At times it was difficult to find a camp with sufficient grass and feed in the enclosure to graze the cattle and stock, then it was necessary to stake some of the stock outside the circle with vigilant guard.
All the wagons and carts carried their own water tanks and barrels, usually lashed to the outside, with buckets and tubs and kettles swung from the end-gate or axel. They did all their cooking, eating and sleeping inside of the circle. Frequent night attacks were made upon the caravan by the Indians, throughout their long journey, but the men pretty well stood their ground with their guns and crude barricade. After every evening meal the company always united in prayer to thank God and ask Him for their safe deliverance and guidance along the trail to their destination.
The journey lay along the Platte River to the North Platte, then along close to the Sweetwater, following that to its head. When the rivers were left behind, mountain streams and springs were found from time to time. Never was there a time when the caravan was more than ten miles from drinking places. Barrels and kegs on the wagon sides provided ample reserves between these waterholes.
On one occasion Davidson turned back on the trail, and traveled one whole day, a possible fifteen miles to recover a hatchet that had been overlooked at the last camp. He was obliged to swim the Platte River to secure it, and swim back again carrying the hatchet between his teeth, then doubling his efforts in order to catch up with the ever moving caravan.
The women who came on the long journey were not afraid to live the rough life of pioneers nor did they go about their daily tasks and privations with any reluctance. Every struggle, sorrow or accident, they considered God’s will as they passed slowly over the rude paths beset with hunger and risk toward the vision of a better country. To the assemblage of men busy with the hard earned rewards of the day, they brought the three sterling qualifications of endurance, faith, gentleness and home with the nurture of children. Due to the fact that the children were distributed among the wagons to equalize the loads and care, the mothers seldom saw them except at morning and night.
And it was, while traveling thus that Mrs. Davidson led Captain Iverson’s horse and cart across the plains while she walked, finally reaching Salt Lake City in September, Monday the 20th, 1858. After a brief stay in Salt Lake City, they traveled southward with Captain Iverson to Battle Creek, now know as Pleasant Grove, where his home was located.
The first dwelling place of Mr. and Mrs. Davidson was in a cellar given them by Mr. Iverson. The Davidson family endured a very severe winter the same year in their cellar-home. Many times they had to go to bed to keep from freezing to death. Mr. Davidson’s heels were frozen and became swollen and raw, with sores the size of dollars on them.
The next spring Mr. Davidson worked hard, and received one ham valued at fifteen dollars on one occasion, and by careful portioning of it, the ham lasted them all summer. He cut hay for the first cow they had after coming to Utah. In the summer when she was dry they turned her on the mountain to feed, but she died.
During the time the Davidson family lived in Pleasant Grove, four children were born: Lorenzo, Bell, Amasa and Sara. The latter, born September 9, 1864, died at the age of six months, eleven days. Mr. and Mrs. Davidson were very poor while living in Pleasant Grove and when the second child was born they had no clothing for it. A neighbor lady called to see Mrs. Davidson and seeing the destitute condition of the family, went to a daughter, who had previously lost her child, and they immediately brought some of the baby’s clothes to her.
The fall after the baby Sarah died (1864), Mr. Davidson borrowed old man Bacon’s new wagon to haul hay to Salt Lake to sell. He had made several trips previously, before this time. There were two roads at the point of the mountain, and Mr. Davidson was on the upper road with two yoke of oxen hitched to his wagon. The head team somehow became unhitched, exciting the rear team. They became unruly, the wagon tongue slipping out of the ring in the yoke and Mr. Davidson, wagon, hay and oxen rolled off the dug-way, landing at the foot of the mountain near Jordan River. Mr. Davidson was badly injured and was brought home late that night. One ox came home later with a jaw bone broken. The other three had been killed. Mrs. Davidson fed the crippled ox mush, using a long handled wooden spoon to do so.
Flax was raised quite extensively during the year of 1864 at American Fork, where Davidson worked and received flax for his pay. He and his wife made ropes, kite strings, candle wicks and shoemaker’s thread from it. Mr. Davidson made the rope that was used to raise the first flag at Pleasant Grove, Utah.
Davidson became acquainted with Peter Godferson, Sr. who urged him to sell out in Pleasant Grove and move down to Mt. Pleasant in Sanpete County. The Davidson family did so in 1864, buying a farm of twenty-seven acres of Godferson in the North Field, at Birch Creek.
Due to Davidson’s ambitious nature, when he left Pleasant Grove he was able to pay for his farm in full, $1,000.00 in all; some in money, but the biggest part was in stock. Later he bought the home and lot now owned by Andrew Norman, in Mt. Pleasant (1932) which was closer into town. At the time of his purchase, the place had a small log house with one room and a rock cellar on it.
While living here, five children were born to them; twins, Sarah and Ephraim, another baby girl dying at birth and Lucinda and Joseph.
One Sunday afternoon, a small band of Indians came and made an attempt to take Bell away with them. A neighbor, Rastmus Mickelson was sent for help and in the meantime Bell was hid until the Indians left.
In the years 1876-1877, during which time E.A. Day was teaching in Mt. Pleasant, Davidson, who was also an astronomer, was asked to lecture to his pupils. His talks and illustrations proved very interesting and beneficial. Mr. Davidson was always eager and willing to be of help at any time. In another instance he was the means of S.H. Allen becoming the doctor that he was. He loaned money to him, enabling him to acquire the necessary education for his vocation.
Lorenzo and Amasa Davidson attended the first Presbyterian school, now known as Wasatch Academy, founded here in 1875 by Dr. Duncan J. McMillan. The school was first conducted in an old dance hall which was converted by McMillan into a school and church. This building still stands on Main Street as one of the land marks of the early pioneer days, and is now the meeting hall of the Masonic Lodge.
They moved to Birch Creek in 1879 and lived there until Mrs. Davidson died, May 2, 1886, after which they moved back into town. The farm was sold to James C. Meiling of Mt. Pleasant. Davidson remarried a few years later to a widow from Ephraim.
During these early years, there was no dentist of course, so Mr. and Mrs. Davidson did their best to take one’s place and pulled teeth for people, using the old fashioned turn-keys, which we still have with the relics. Mr. Davidson was also the first printer in Mt. Pleasant, and did job printing up until the time of his death in 1891, making him seventy-one years old.
We all know the long trek across the plains was anything but a pleasure trip – surely no picnic – for these pioneers, but it is hard to realize the actuality of the dangers and hardships with which they had to put up. On they came to an unknown wilderness, with but little food and no homes, with starvation and massacre ever threatening. These intrepid people did not give up but fought on, conquered a wilderness, and gave us our towns and cities, the conveniences of which we enjoy today. Can we sufficiently appraise the great, splendid service our pioneers have rendered? May the good God give us a determination to be more like them in spirit, thrift and industry. We need more of their dauntless courage to face the ever present trials and hardships surrounding us in our present day and age.
The IGI on the computer in "Family Search" has Hans being born March 20, 1820 in Schleswig, Holstein,, Germany, and his baptism as November 16, 1858 just a year later than what I have from my family records. Ann Buhr
Hans Christian Davidsen was the son of Hans Davidsen, who was the son of Christian Davidsen, who was the son of David Jørgensen. He was born on the peninsula of Kegnæs,per Alsen Island in the Ducy of Schleswig Holstein in North Prussia, (Denmark, it is also referred to as Aabenraa-Sønderborg amt, or district), on March 28, 1820. On November 2, 1852 he married Miss Anne Maria Jensen. Five years later on the 16th of November he was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, through Ivan N. Iverson, missionary of the church.
Anne Maria Jensen of Mommark, Lysabild church district, was born February 14, 1828.
Mr. and Mrs. Davidson lived in Mommark, home town of Mrs. Davidson for six years after their marriage. During this time two children were born to them, Mary and Hans.
Mr. Davidson was a draftsman, drawing maps and sketches of land. In this way he was able to have a home of his own and provide well for his wife and family so that they lived happily and comfortably.
Shortly after their baptism and uniting with the church, their people and relatives became angry with Mr. and Mrs. Davidson and turned against them because they wanted to give up their home in Mommark to go on what seemed a foolish trip filled with many sufferings and hardships, to make their home in a far away country that they knew but very little about.
Not withstanding the fact that their people did not want them to go, Mr. and Mrs. Davidson made arrangements soon after their baptism to leave for America on the first boat carrying emigrants. It was not until the following year that they learned of a ship that was to leave Liverpool, England for American, transporting Scandinavian emigrants.
What property and furnishings they could not sell they gave away and left immediately for Liverpool. There they made their departure for American, setting sail on Monday, March 22, 1858, on the ship John Bright. They took with them just what food and clothing needed until they reached their new home across the sea. They helped make up a party of emigrants of about ninety Scandinavians under the direction of Ivan N. Iverson. While on the ocean their supply of drinking water, which was boiled and stored in forty gallon barrels, ran short and because of this many suffered badly and some died. After six weary weeks of tossing and shifting about on the water they arrived in New York on May 8, 1858. From there they began another long and toilsome journey to Iowa City. Here they remained for a period of six weeks. Resting themselves and preparing for the longest and most dangerous part of their journey, west across the plains. The oxen, cattle and other stock were turned out upon the hills and mountains to feed.
Mrs. Davidson led Captain Iverson’s horse and cart while she herself walked the entire distance, over a desert waste of sagebrush, sand and rocks, moving steadily into a wild uncharted country. H.C. Davidson took his turn with the other men, herding and standing guard at night. When they camped in the evening, they drove wagons and carts into circle formation, the tongues on the outside and the fore wheel of each cart or wagon locked in a rear wheel of the one in front of it. Both man and beast were made to stay inside the enclosure for protection against the marauding Indians.
At times it was difficult to find a camp with sufficient grass and feed in the enclosure to graze the cattle and stock, then it was necessary to stake some of the stock outside the circle with vigilant guard.
All the wagons and carts carried their own water tanks and barrels, usually lashed to the outside, with buckets and tubs and kettles swung from the end-gate or axel. They did all their cooking, eating and sleeping inside of the circle. Frequent night attacks were made upon the caravan by the Indians, throughout their long journey, but the men pretty well stood their ground with their guns and crude barricade. After every evening meal the company always united in prayer to thank God and ask Him for their safe deliverance and guidance along the trail to their destination.
The journey lay along the Platte River to the North Platte, then along close to the Sweetwater, following that to its head. When the rivers were left behind, mountain streams and springs were found from time to time. Never was there a time when the caravan was more than ten miles from drinking places. Barrels and kegs on the wagon sides provided ample reserves between these waterholes.
On one occasion Davidson turned back on the trail, and traveled one whole day, a possible fifteen miles to recover a hatchet that had been overlooked at the last camp. He was obliged to swim the Platte River to secure it, and swim back again carrying the hatchet between his teeth, then doubling his efforts in order to catch up with the ever moving caravan.
The women who came on the long journey were not afraid to live the rough life of pioneers nor did they go about their daily tasks and privations with any reluctance. Every struggle, sorrow or accident, they considered God’s will as they passed slowly over the rude paths beset with hunger and risk toward the vision of a better country. To the assemblage of men busy with the hard earned rewards of the day, they brought the three sterling qualifications of endurance, faith, gentleness and home with the nurture of children. Due to the fact that the children were distributed among the wagons to equalize the loads and care, the mothers seldom saw them except at morning and night.
And it was, while traveling thus that Mrs. Davidson led Captain Iverson’s horse and cart across the plains while she walked, finally reaching Salt Lake City in September, Monday the 20th, 1858. After a brief stay in Salt Lake City, they traveled southward with Captain Iverson to Battle Creek, now know as Pleasant Grove, where his home was located.
The first dwelling place of Mr. and Mrs. Davidson was in a cellar given them by Mr. Iverson. The Davidson family endured a very severe winter the same year in their cellar-home. Many times they had to go to bed to keep from freezing to death. Mr. Davidson’s heels were frozen and became swollen and raw, with sores the size of dollars on them.
The next spring Mr. Davidson worked hard, and received one ham valued at fifteen dollars on one occasion, and by careful portioning of it, the ham lasted them all summer. He cut hay for the first cow they had after coming to Utah. In the summer when she was dry they turned her on the mountain to feed, but she died.
During the time the Davidson family lived in Pleasant Grove, four children were born: Lorenzo, Bell, Amasa and Sara. The latter, born September 9, 1864, died at the age of six months, eleven days. Mr. and Mrs. Davidson were very poor while living in Pleasant Grove and when the second child was born they had no clothing for it. A neighbor lady called to see Mrs. Davidson and seeing the destitute condition of the family, went to a daughter, who had previously lost her child, and they immediately brought some of the baby’s clothes to her.
The fall after the baby Sarah died (1864), Mr. Davidson borrowed old man Bacon’s new wagon to haul hay to Salt Lake to sell. He had made several trips previously, before this time. There were two roads at the point of the mountain, and Mr. Davidson was on the upper road with two yoke of oxen hitched to his wagon. The head team somehow became unhitched, exciting the rear team. They became unruly, the wagon tongue slipping out of the ring in the yoke and Mr. Davidson, wagon, hay and oxen rolled off the dug-way, landing at the foot of the mountain near Jordan River. Mr. Davidson was badly injured and was brought home late that night. One ox came home later with a jaw bone broken. The other three had been killed. Mrs. Davidson fed the crippled ox mush, using a long handled wooden spoon to do so.
Flax was raised quite extensively during the year of 1864 at American Fork, where Davidson worked and received flax for his pay. He and his wife made ropes, kite strings, candle wicks and shoemaker’s thread from it. Mr. Davidson made the rope that was used to raise the first flag at Pleasant Grove, Utah.
Davidson became acquainted with Peter Godferson, Sr. who urged him to sell out in Pleasant Grove and move down to Mt. Pleasant in Sanpete County. The Davidson family did so in 1864, buying a farm of twenty-seven acres of Godferson in the North Field, at Birch Creek.
Due to Davidson’s ambitious nature, when he left Pleasant Grove he was able to pay for his farm in full, $1,000.00 in all; some in money, but the biggest part was in stock. Later he bought the home and lot now owned by Andrew Norman, in Mt. Pleasant (1932) which was closer into town. At the time of his purchase, the place had a small log house with one room and a rock cellar on it.
While living here, five children were born to them; twins, Sarah and Ephraim, another baby girl dying at birth and Lucinda and Joseph.
One Sunday afternoon, a small band of Indians came and made an attempt to take Bell away with them. A neighbor, Rastmus Mickelson was sent for help and in the meantime Bell was hid until the Indians left.
In the years 1876-1877, during which time E.A. Day was teaching in Mt. Pleasant, Davidson, who was also an astronomer, was asked to lecture to his pupils. His talks and illustrations proved very interesting and beneficial. Mr. Davidson was always eager and willing to be of help at any time. In another instance he was the means of S.H. Allen becoming the doctor that he was. He loaned money to him, enabling him to acquire the necessary education for his vocation.
Lorenzo and Amasa Davidson attended the first Presbyterian school, now known as Wasatch Academy, founded here in 1875 by Dr. Duncan J. McMillan. The school was first conducted in an old dance hall which was converted by McMillan into a school and church. This building still stands on Main Street as one of the land marks of the early pioneer days, and is now the meeting hall of the Masonic Lodge.
They moved to Birch Creek in 1879 and lived there until Mrs. Davidson died, May 2, 1886, after which they moved back into town. The farm was sold to James C. Meiling of Mt. Pleasant. Davidson remarried a few years later to a widow from Ephraim.
During these early years, there was no dentist of course, so Mr. and Mrs. Davidson did their best to take one’s place and pulled teeth for people, using the old fashioned turn-keys, which we still have with the relics. Mr. Davidson was also the first printer in Mt. Pleasant, and did job printing up until the time of his death in 1891, making him seventy-one years old.
We all know the long trek across the plains was anything but a pleasure trip – surely no picnic – for these pioneers, but it is hard to realize the actuality of the dangers and hardships with which they had to put up. On they came to an unknown wilderness, with but little food and no homes, with starvation and massacre ever threatening. These intrepid people did not give up but fought on, conquered a wilderness, and gave us our towns and cities, the conveniences of which we enjoy today. Can we sufficiently appraise the great, splendid service our pioneers have rendered? May the good God give us a determination to be more like them in spirit, thrift and industry. We need more of their dauntless courage to face the ever present trials and hardships surrounding us in our present day and age.
The IGI on the computer in "Family Search" has Hans being born March 20, 1820 in Schleswig, Holstein,, Germany, and his baptism as November 16, 1858 just a year later than what I have from my family records. Ann Buhr
Biography of Hans Christion Davidson by Daughter, Sarah Davidson Wilcox
BIOGRAPHY OF HANS CHRISTIAN DAVIDSEN & WIFE By his daughter Sarah D. Wilcox Written by her daughter Vennes Jensen Father was the son of Hans Davidsen. He was born on the peninsula of Kechnes ,per Alsen Island in the Duchy of Schlesvig, Holsten in North Prusia on March 28th,1820. And was married to Annie Maria Jensen, November 2nd, 1852. Father was baptized into the Church of Latter Day Saints on November 18, 1857. Father lived in the same town of his wife in Momark for five years during which time 2 children were born to them, Mary and Hans. They were comfortably situated and had a nice little home of their own. Father was a draftsman and drew plots of land, Valleys and various buildings. After father and mother were baptised their folks all turned against them and felt vexed to think that they would leave their home and position to suffer hardships and go to a strange country far away and which they knew nothing about. Shortly afterward they made arrangements to leave with the first ship that carried emegrants to America and it was not until late fall that they learned of ship that would carry Scandanavian Emegrants. They sold as much of their property and things as they could and the rest they gave away or left. And made ready for departure to Liverpool, England, from which they were to sail. They carried with them only what food, clothing and bedding that would be necessary until they reached America. They soon reached Liverpool and set sail with about ninety Scandanavian emegrants in the ship John Bright and under the direction of Iven N. Iversen on March 22nd 1858. While on the water the emegrants suffered great hardships for the lack of drinking water. As their water was boiled and stored in 40 gal barrels before they left England gave out, and because of this many suffered and died. After 13 weeks on the dreary tossing water they arrived in New York on April 26, 1858 and then after another long and tedious journey they reached Iowa City on May 1st. From there they started on their long and toilsome journey to the West acrossthe Plains. Mother led Capt. Iversen's horse and cart while she herself walked the entire distance. Father took his turn along with other men at night herding. And also standing guard or sentinel every evening when they camped for the night. They drove the wagons and carts into a large circle each night and the people camped and cooked within this circle. After Supper they all turned out in praise of God for his guidance so far along the way. So passed many weeks of journey like this and they finally reached Salt Lake City on Monday September 20th 1858. After stopping for some time in Salt Lake City they traveled on with Mr. Iverson to Pleasant Grove (Battle Creek) where Mr. Iversen lived. Mr. Iversen owned a house and some land and had a cellar which he was not using and in this he let Father and Mother live the first winter. The next spring father worked and cut hay for the first cow they had. The next summer she was turned on the mountains and died. Four children were born to them while they lived in Pleasant Grove. Bell, Amasa, Lorenzo, and Sarah. Sarah a mere babe died at the age of 6 months. Father and Mother were very poor while they lived at Pleasant Grove. And when the fourth baby was born Mother had no clothes for him. A neighbor lady happened in and seeing these poor conditions, immediately sent down some of her daughter's baby clothes. Her daughter had recently lost her own baby. The Fall after the six months old baby died, Father borrowed Old Man Bacon's new wagon to haul hay to Salt Lake City to sell (or for tithing. It is not clear) Father had made several trips before this one. There were two roads at the Point of the Mountains and Father took the upper road. He had two yokes of oxen hitched to his wagon, the head team someway became unyoked and ran away. The other team became unruly so Father's wagon, hay and all went rolling off the dugway and landed at the foot of the Mountains near the Jordan River. Father was quite badly injured and 3 oxen were killed. The other ox walked home with a broken jaw. Father was picked up and carried home late that night (He too had a broken jaw). That year flax was raised quite extensively at American Fork. Father worked there and received flax for his pay. He brought it home and the rest of the family made ropes and kite lines out of it and Mother made thread to sew with. Also shoen [Shoe laces], A spers thread and candle wickem. [Candle wicks] Some time later Perry McArthur talked to Father and wanted him to sell out in Pleasant Grove and move to Mt. Pleasant in Sanpete County. Father did this and bought 27 acres of land of Peter Godfersen in the North Field (Birch Creek) and later bought the home and lot that Andrew Norman is living on. When Father bought the place it had a small log house and a rock cellar out side. While they were living there two Indian Bucks came one Sunday and made an attempt to take my sister Bell. Mother sent for one of her neighbors, Rastus Mickelson, and in the meantime hid my sister until the indians left. This was my sister Bell. There were no dentists in those days here yet, and Father and Mother both took the place of one and pulled teeth with the turnkeys for people. Father was also the first printer here. Mother died on the 2nd of May 1886. Father did job printing up until the time of his death in 1891, making him 71 years old. He was the first dentist in Mt. Pleasant and in Sanpete County, and he read in German and Danish and kept 3 papers and he never went to school here in America. by their daughter, Sarah D[avidson]. Wilcox. These papers found by her daugher Vennes Jensen at the time of the mother's death. Note added by Vennes [Wilcox] Jensen Grandma & Grandfather were 13 weeks on the water crossing the ocean and suffered many hardships. Grandfather was the first to bring Alfalfa (hay) (Lucerne) to Utah. At first everybody was angry at him for it. It didn't turn out very good at first but later it grew good and everybody thought that it was wonderful. He made a perpetual (calendar) too. When they came to Utah they were very poor and had two children, Mary and Hans. At one time they had only 2 crusts of bread in the house; They gave these to the children and then sat down and cried when the children asked for more. They had nothing in the house to eat. The oxen that fell off the dugway when Grandfather was coming home from Salt Lake City. The ring broke in the yoke and the wagon tongue slipped out of the ring. Of the two head that run away, one was killed and the other walked home with his jaw broke. They fed him mush with a paddle and boiled potatoes.(Note Spelling and other things as found in old papers.) Note 2 Shoe laces Note 3 Candle Wicks HANS CHRISTIAN DAVIDSEN & FAMILY HISTORY by Sarah D. Wilcox Hans C. Davidson, our progenitor was the son of Hans Davidsen who was the son of Christen Davidson, who was the son of David Jorgensen. He was born March 28, 1820 on the Peninsula of Kechenes on Alsen Island in the Duchy of Schlesvig, Holstein in North Prussia. (Note: Denmark at that time) and was married to Miss Anne Maria Jensen, of Momark, Lysaple Church District, on November 2, 1852. They resided here for five years and he made a comfortable living as a Draftsman. Here two children, Mary and Hans Thomas were born. He and his wife were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on November 16, 1857. His parents and relatives turned against him and he was imprisoned for joining the Church. He was kept in Jail for a week living on bread and water. While here he asked for a Book of Mormon and was refused but he was allowed a hymn book. Not long after the Hans C. Davidsen's joined the Church they made plans to emigrate to the United States. In the fall they learned of a ship, the John Bright, which was to sail in the Spring from Liverpool, England, carrying Scandinavian emmigrants. Suffering the ridicule of relatives and friends they sold their nice little home and disposed of their household goods as they could, either selling or giving them away and taking only clothes and bedding and food enough for their immediate use, they set sail from Liverpool on March 22, 1858, in company with some eighty or ninety other emmigrants under the direction of Capt. Iven N. Iversen. They suffered many hardships while crossing the ocean. The most serious of which was the shortage of water. The drinking water was carried in 40 gal. barrels from Liverpool, but the supply gave out and sickness prevailed and some few deaths occurred. After six long weeks on the ocean they landed at New York on April 26th, 1858 and then took their Journey on to Iowa City. Arriving there in early May. Here they secured the equipage necessary for crossing the Plains and commenced their great trek. Mrs. Davidsen led Capt. Iversen's horses and cart across the plains, walking all the way, while Mr. Davidsen took his turn, with the other men, at night herding and also on sentinal duty. Every evening they formed in a circle as the first pioneers and hand cart companies had done before them and cooked within the circle. After the evening meal they sang and praised God for his blessings and mercies. They traveled their weary way for some five months and landed in Salt Lake City on September 20, 1858. We may get a personal glimpse of Hans C. Davidsen in the following story: Onone occasion he turned back on the trail and one whole day's journey, a possible 15 miles, to secure a hatchet that had been overlooked at the last camp. He was obliged to swim a river to secure it and to swim again on his return carrying the hatchet in his teeth and then he was obliged to double his efforts in order to catch up with the moving caravan. After resting in Salt Lake City for a while the Davidsen family went to the home of Capt. Iversen in Pleasant Grove and lived the first winter in an old rock cellar. The next spring Mr. Davidsen worked hard and began to accumulate the makings of a home. He secured a cow also and worked to cut hay for winter feed, but alas the cow died when turned out on summer range. Thru the many trials of making a new home in a strange country they remained faithful and five children were born to them in Pleasant Grove, Isabel, Lorenzo, Amasa, and Sarah (who died at the age of six months) and Sarah (Now Mrs. Wilcox. Note:Ephraim should have been listed as he was a twin of Sarah). They were very poor and had a hard time to make a living. When one new babe arrived they had no clothes for it. A neighbor woman happened in and seeing these poor conditions, Immediately sent some of her grandchild's clothes and thus the baby was provided for. Mr. Davidsen borrowed a wagon of Mr. Bacon to haul hay into Salt Lake City for sale. He had made several trips before but on this occasion as he rounded the Point of the Mountains on a high grade his oxen ran away. Possibly the pressure (weight) of the loaded wagon was to blame but the lead team came unhooked and the others rolled down the dugway, taking wagon and all and landing on the banks of the Jordan River. One ox was killed, another had a broken jaw. Mr. Davidsen was carried home late that night. He suffered intensely for weeks. This year flax was raised quite extensively at American Fork. Mr. Davidsenworked in the flax fields and received flax as pay. He invented a machine to break the flax and the family made it up into ropes, Kite lines, thread for sewing and shoe thread. Also candle wicking. Later at the instigation of Peter Godferson, Sr., Mr. Davidsen sold out at Pleasant Grove and moved to Mt. Pleasant in San Pete County, buying 27 acres of land from Mr. Godferson; later on he bought the home and lot that Andrew Normon now owns. At that time the 27 acres had a small log house and a rock cellar. One time two indian bucks came one Sunday while Mr. Davidsen was away and attempted to carry Isobel off. A neighbor, Rastus Mickelson, came to help at her call and frightened them off. Then the children were taken from their hiding places. Both Mr. & Mrs. Davidsen took the place of dentists and pulled many teeth for neighbors. Also for the indians. He was the first printer in Mt. Pleasant and did much job printing. He invented a perpetual Calendar, which is still to be found in several of our homes. Also a sorghum mill and a player piano. After the death of his wife on May 2nd 1886. He did printing till the end of his life on Aug. 23, 1892. Mr. Davidsen wrote and spoke fluently three languages, American, Danish, and German. He gave lectures on science and especially in Astrology. [astronomy?] He was a great student, caring more for studying than the more material comforts of life. We are told on good authority that he was a professor in the University of Copenhogan but have no positive proof. However we know several prominent men of Utah who tell us that it was Hans C. Davidsen's lectures that inspired them to make great efforts for success. It remains for us as his progeny to carry on the work that he started, honoring and revering him for his high faith and courage to battle against big odds. May we not be found wanting. COPY OF "FAMILY RECORD OF HANS CHRISTIAN DAVIDSEN" Of Mount Pleasant Sanpete County, Utah Ter.born in Kekenes a Peninsula to Alsen Schleswig, Germany, on March 28, 1820. Married Anne Maria Jensen, Daughter of Thomas Jenses and Catrine Margretha Jensen of Momark, Alsen, Sleswig Gr. emigrated to America in 1858. Located in Pleasant Grove, Utah County, came to Mount Pleasant in Sanpete co. in April, 1864. At the present writing, 1889, we have 9 living children, The two oldest Hans, and Maria was born in Alsen, before we came to America. SOLI DEO GLORIE.MY GENEALOGY AS FAR AS KNOWN TO MEI, Hans C. Davidsen, was the son of Hans Davidsen, who was the son of ChristenDavidsen, who was the son of David Jorgensen. I was born on the peninsula of Kecknes per Alsen Island in the Duchy of Schleswig Holstein in North Prussia, on March 28th, 1820. Was married to Miss Anne Maria Jensen of Momark, Lysaple Church District on November 2nd, 1852. Was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on November 16th, 1857. Emigrated to America and came to Utah in the year 1858.Besides the six children mentioned above, they also had the following children: 7. Sarah (twin) 8. Ephraim (twin) 9. Lucinda 10. Joseph
Thursday, June 19, 2008
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