Chastina Hadlock Allen

1828-1913

Wife of Alanson David Allen

How we relate:

Mother of Emeline Clarissa Allen (wife to Erastus Perry Bingham)
who was Leonard Bingham’s mother
 who was Ella Mae Bingham McKinnon’s father
who is Don McKinnon’s mother

           Chastina Hadlock was born on April 2, 1828 in Jay, Vermont. She was the sixth child of ten children to Stephen Hadlock and Sally Alton.  The Hadlock ancestors had immigrated to America from England some time before the year 1650.

           In 1831, 3 year old Chastina and her family moved to Welsby County, Ohio. Her family learned of the gospel in 1833 and her parents were baptized that same year. Chastina was baptized on April 10, 1838.  In 1840, the family moved to Illinois to be with the rest of the saints. She heard the prophet Joseph Smith speak many times and remembered when he was killed in 1844.

Chastina's father, Stephen Hadlock, was a hard worker and had prepared to travel west to Zion. He had built two fine wagons and had two yoke of oxen for each wagon with  all the necessary equipment ready when he got sick and died. Cholera was spreading among the saints at that time, and that could have been what he died from.  He died at Council Bluffs on September 9, 1847.  

  Chastina’s mother, Sally, along with her two sons and six daughters were to make the trip alone. The wagon train left in 1849 and Chastina was 22 years old at the time. They started out with the two boys driving the oxen. They hadn't gone far when Chastina’s brother, Orin, fell ill – leaving Chastina to drive the one of the wagons. When Orin got better and was able to drive the oxen, Chastina rode horseback most of the time.  She was a very good horsewoman and no one but her was able to ride her horse.

They spent one winter at Winter Quarters. The saints settled here for a while before heading west. Chastina was helping her brothers build a small house for them to stay in, when one day when she was helping; a log fell and struck her in the head, knocking her unconscious. This caused her to be sick for a long time. While she was unconscious, her father came to her in a dream and told her she would get well and come to the valley in the mountains to live. This gave her courage and helped her heal.

Chastina talked of enjoying many of the evenings they had on the plains. She loved dancing and especially enjoyed the square dances. She was a happy sort of person and when there was a little deviation from hard work or other hardships, she took advantage of it.

They arrived in Utah in 1849. In the summer of 1850 she met Alanson David Allen. On a lovely moonlit night he asked her to go for a ride on horseback with him. She accepted willingly. When they had ridden for awhile out here on what they called the Sand Ridge, he asked her if she would marry him and she said yes. He said, "Why? you hardly know me." She told him, "Well my father had once said to me that Alanson Allen was such a fine, honest, trustworthy young man," and she had said, "Well father, someday I'll marry him."

Alanson and Chastina were married in September of 1850.  They lived in Ogden for the first year of their marriage when Brigham Young, the Prophet, called them to go to Willard, Utah to help settle the area. In 1860, they moved to Hyrum to help settle the community there and they remained there for 6 years and had a farm. They had cotton plants which Chastina would pick, and make them into clothing.  The house they lived in was a log cabin with dirt floors.

In 1866, they moved to Huntsville where they remained the rest of their lives. She was a member of the first relief society that was organized in Huntsville. The first house they had in Huntsville was a log cabin with a dirt roof and a dirt floor and later building a nice frame house.

Chastina seemed to be unusually strong. After her babies were born, she would usually be up and around on the third or fourth day cooking meals and caring for the rest of her family. When her ninth child, Samuel, was born,  her husband Alanson had been gone to the canyon for a load of wood and was not there for the birth. When he came home she was getting supper ready and told him to go look in the bed and see what they had. He was very much surprised to find a new son.

Chastina was known as being a hard worker. There was a big family to feed and care for and she helped Alanson shoulder to shoulder on the farm.  Alanson and Chastina usually had at least 20 head of sheep, she and her husband would shear them, wash the wool and make it into yarn so that clothing and socks could be made from it.  Many nights she would stay up until early morning working hard to get new stockings, a pair of jeans, a coat for one of the boys, or a dress for one of the girls, ready for them for Christmas.

Their dresses and jeans would be worn for best for a year, then, the second year they would take them for next best. They would only get one new pair of shoes a year and, if they wore them out, they had to go barefoot until the crops were ready in the fall. Then they could sell the crops and buy more. They were among the first people to get a nice new pump from which to get water. This was quite a luxury because they were used to getting water from the ditch or a spring and, just before the pump, a well.

Alanson and Chastina were good to people passing through the valley, and many times would give them a lodging, food and shelter and feed for their animals.

Chastina could handle her own. There is a story of a time, a man lodging at their home tried to kiss her. She disliked him very much so she just grabbed him and turned him over her knee and gave him a spanking. She could lift 100 pounds easier than her husband, who was not so strong physically.When she was about 50 years old, there was a man who had hurt his leg and couldn't put weight on it, Chastina picked him up and put him on the horse so that he could go home.

She loved to ride horseback and nearly always had her own horse. When she was 72 years old she had her picture taken on her horse, Old Bell. She rode winter and summer until she was very old.



Chastina on Old Bell



Alanson died on Mar 3, 1887. Chastina lived alone in the old home for many years until she finally decided to live with her then, she decided live with her daughter and her family.



4 generation picture
Chastina is on the left



 Chastina was always active and enjoyed life. Even to the last years of her life, she stayed active by making many quilts - most of them by hand.  She died on Mar 13, 1913 when she was 84. She is buried by her husband in the Ogden, Utah Cemetery.

 

Sources:

·          http://lds.org/churchhistory/library/pioneercompanysearchresults/1,15792,4017-1,00.html

·          http://suplibrary.org/stories/detail.asp?id=288

·          www.Ourfamilyroots.org

·          http://mvmoyes.blogspot.com/2010/01/history-of-alanson-david-allen.html

·          "History of Chastina Allen Hadlock” by granddaughter Mathel Allen Ridges Sept 26, 1946

·          Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah 2 vols, Esshom, Frank, (Salt Lake City: 1913), p 713.

·          http://www.mendonutah.net/history/cache_county/39.htm

·          LDS Biographical Encyclopedia by Andrew Jensen V 2, p 338

Pony Express in my Family

Mary Ann (Minnie) Fisher & Richard Erastus (Ras) Egan

 Parents of Tamson Minnie Egan (wife to William A Marshall)

who was the mother of Minnie Marshall McKinnon

Who was the mother of Byron Eugene McKinnon

Mary Ann Fisher was born at Woolwich, England, May 21^st, 1844. She was the fifth child of Thomas Frederick and Jane Christen Fisher. She had 3 older brothers named Thomas, William and John, 1 older sister named Jane who died at age 3, and 1 younger sister name Georginna. Mary Ann was known by Minnie through her life and while in London attended school and excelled in needlepoint and dancing. While living there, her parents were introduced to the gospel and were baptized. They were faithful followers, her father being a branch president in the area.

When Mary Ann (Minnie) was ten years old, the family left Liverpool in the summer of 1854 and sailed to America.  They landed at New Orleans, Louisiana, where they took a river boat up the great Mississippi to Council Bluffs. They fitted out a wagon and ox team and crossed the plains with the Robert L. Campbell Company.

During the difficult and lengthy journey, Mary Ann's little sister Georginna, who was 8 at the time, was riding on top of a load, evidently fell asleep and slipped to the ground. The wagon wheels ran over her, killing her, and  they had to bury her on the side of the road. This was a terrible blow to the family, since the parents were still dealing with the death of their other daughter, Jane, back in London.

They arrived in Great Salt Lake City, Utah, October 28^th, 1854. Their first home was in East Bountiful, later they moved to South Bountiful. Her family endured hardships much the same as the other pioneers of that day. At one time mother used up the last bit of flour, the only food left in the house to make biscuits. They had no idea where more flour or food could be obtained when the biscuits were eaten. Her father took a sack and went in search of food, when he returned after dark he had a half bushel of wheat to show for his day's labor. They ground the wheat in a coffee grinder and made more bread from the coarse flour, but from this time on, they always had plenty to eat.

Mary Ann (Minnie) had a sweet, loveable disposition, was very popular among her friends and was an excellent dancer and was considered one of the most graceful figures on the floor. She had a very pleasant and happy childhood. She loved dolls, and it has been said that she was interested in sewing for them when she was being courted by Erastus Egan, and would rush to put them away when she would see him coming.

Mary Ann Fisher married Richard Erastus Egan  on January 1, 1861 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. Erastus was 17 and Mary Ann was 15. 

Richard Erastus was the scond son of Howard Egan and Tamson Parshley. He was born on March 29, 1842  in Salem, Massachusetts. Interesting sidenote: Erastus is an unusual name, but is found on both McKinnon and Bingham sides (my dad also named one of his horses Erastus). Known throughout his life as "Ras", he was five years old when he and his family left Massachusetts to travel across the plains to Utah with the Heber C. Kimball company in 1848. 


When word of Johnstons Army  was heard among the settlers in 1858, Ras was left in charge of his father's  home with the orders to set it on fire should the soldiers enter the city. He was just 16 years old.  While he was growing up, Ras had gained much experience in handling horses and cattle when he would frequently accompany his father to California from Utah on his livestock deals. 


That same year in 1858, Ras got a job with the government transporting mail between Brigham city and Salt Lake City.  In 1859 he accompanied the Superintendent of Indian Affairs to make a treaty with the Shoshone Indians that were living in western Utah.  He had various jobs with the Government, all of which included riding his beloved horses.


Six-Mule Supply Wagon

 It was about this time Ras Egan was put in charge of three six-mule trains freighting and carrying mail from Salt Lake City to Carson City, Nevada. His father had purchased a ranch in Ruby Valley, Nevada and also operated stores there and in Deep Creek. Ras hauled the merchandise to stock them.


 In April of 1860, the Pony Express was created and Ras' father, Howard Egan, was assigned as the superintendent over the Utah to Nevada route. Ras was hired along with his brother as a Pony Express riders, his run being between Salt Lake City and Rush Valley, a distance of 75 miles west of Salt Lake. The first mail out of Salt Lake City was carried by him on his sorrel mare "Miss Lightning," making the first station, twenty-two miles, in one hour and five minutes.  Ras was known in the Pony Express for having the fastest ride ever. The President of the US called this section of Pony Express - The Lightening Express.


 



Ras had many harrowing experiences while engaged in his work with the Pony Express. He also had several encounters and some trouble with the Indians. At one time he came upon a stage that he been held up and all the passengers killed and the horses stolen. As Egan pounded along the trail one of the raiders appeared armed with a rifle and bows and arrows and started to chase him. At first, Ras rode just fast enough to keep out of gunshot range; then suddenly he turned and charged straight at the Indian who turned and fled.

Another time his horse fell on him while he was crossing a bridge at night and he was thrown into the icy water, breaking the neck of the pony. Ras was compelled to walk five miles carrying the saddle and heavy express material back to the station where he could obtain another horse.

1860's Melodean

Nine months after starting with the Pony Express, Ras and Minnie (Mary Ann) were married in 1861 and his father presented them on their wedding day with a Melodian - a organ type instrument which was a luxury to have in those days. It was the only instrument of its kind in the community and people in the town would come by to practice on it.  For about two years they made their home in Salt Lake City while Ras continued to ride for the Pony Express. In telling of his experiences as a rider, Ras Egan said:

 "At first the ride seemed long and tiresome, but after becoming accustomed to that kind of riding, it seemed only play, but there were times when it didn't seem so very playful. For instance, I was married January 1^st, 1861, and of course, wanted a short furlough, but was only permitted to substitute a rider for one trip, and the poor fellow thought that was plenty. I had warned him about the horse he would start with from "Rush" on his return trip, telling him that he would either back or fall over backwards when he got on him. 'Oh,' said he, 'I am used to that kind of business.' 'But,' said I, 'Bucking Bally is a whole team and a horse to let, and a little dog under the wagon, so be careful.' So as a precaution, after he had tightened the saddle, he led him out about a quarter of a mile from the station and got on; when the horse true to his habit, got busy, and the next thing the rider knew he was hanging by the back of his overcoat on a high stake with his feet from the ground. He could not reach behind to unhitch himself. He could not unbutton his coat so as to crawl out of it, but he could get his hands in his pocket for his knife to cut the buttons off and release himself; after which a search was made for the horse in the darkness of the night. He finally found him and made the trip, getting a black eye for loss of time. He said to the boys, 'No more Bucking Bally for me'."

Minnie with baby Tamson



 Ras and Minnie had their first child, a girl,  on March 2, 1863. Her name was Tamson Minnie. Tamson Minnie is my great-great grandmother.

While Tamson was still a baby, they moved to Ruby Valley (now in Elko), Nevada, where Ras' father, Howard Egan, was in charge of the Ruby Valley Pony Express Station. While there, Ras worked as a rancher.  The station was a two-room log cabin with a dirt roof. One room was used for the family living quarters; the other part was used for a store and commissary repair shop and mail station. For light they used the home made candles; a very crudely built fireplace furnished warmth and light. Ras took care of this station which was used as a trading post.  On this ranch they raised pigs, chickens, and mostly milk cows. Most of the milk was set in milk pans allowing to stand, then the cream was skimmed off with a hand skimmer. The cream was churned in an up and down churn, and the butter was packed in forty-gallon barrels and shipped to Erueka, Utah andwas sold for 50 cents per pound.



Their home in Ruby Valley



They hired Indians at low wages to help about the ranch. Indian squaws could be hired to wash on the board all day for 50 cents. Two boys were born at Ruby Valley, Erastus Howard (September 10, 1864) and Harry Owen (October 20, 1866).

About 1868, Erastus was called on a three-year mission to England for the L.D.S. Church. When he left they leased the ranch and Mary Ann, being pregnant with her fourth child moved with her three small children  to Bountiful where she lived with her father Thomas Fisher.
Shortly after Erastus left, another son was Minnie's father build her an home on a lot adjoining the Fisher home in South Bountiful, and built a six-room brick home for her. When the home was completed, Mary Ann moved in and waited for Richard Erastus' return.  During his absence, she conducted in her home a class. She taught eyelet work, and the money earned in this way was sent to her husband to help support him while he was in the mission field.

At the end of three years, Ras was released from his mission and returned home as far as Ogden, on the first train that came this far west. He was met by his small son Rass, and  father-in-law, Thomas Fisher, and they drove the rest of the way to Bountiful in a carriage.

Soon after his return they rented out  the home in Bountiful and moved again to the Ruby Valley Ranch where Ras took up farming. While they were in Ruby Valley, they had born in the order mentioned: John Leroy, October 3^rd, 1870; William Fisher and Willard Richard (twins), on April 5^th, 1872; Joseph Ranson, September 7, 1874, who died at Ruby Valley Ranch and was buried there; Ira Irvine, September 17, 1875, was born next.

Soon after this they started to journey back to Bountiful, with teams, wagon and cattle. When they reached Tooele there was such a bad storm that they put Mary Ann and the three small children on the train to go on to Bountiful, while little Rass and Mary, Ras and his brother-in-law, John Fisher, stayed with the teams and cattle. They moved into the new home once more and Ras took up farming and gardening. Soon after they arrived in Bountiful a baby girl was born who died at birth and was buried at Bountiful.

Ras had bought some farming land to the north of Bountiful, the place now known as Clearfield. From this place he received livelihood for his family. At the time of the nationwide diphtheria epidemic, Harry who was then twelve past, contracted the dreaded disease and died. Horace F. also took it but was nursed back to health by his father. Mary Ann fell ill during this time and was never completely healthy again. Due to the state of Mary Ann's poor health and their large family, she had lots of help.

The rest of their family was born in Bountiful as follows: Linnie Jane, February 25, 1878; Mary Adelaide, February 5, 1880; Charles Merritt, August 27^th, 1881; David July 13^th, 1884; a baby boy born December 1887 who died. He was also buried at Bountiful.  Two weeks after giving birth to her last baby - who did not survive - Mary Ann passed away never fully recovering from labor and delivery of the baby.  She was 43 yrs old, had 15 children and had been married for 27 years to Ras.

Two years after the death of wife, Mary Minnie Fisher, he married Mary Beatrice Noble July 10, 1899 in the Logan Temple.  In 1905, he took his second family, also two married sons and families of the first wife, to the Big Horn Basin in Wyoming to establish homes. Soon after, he was set apart as a Patriarch which position he maintained until his death in April 29, 1918. Interment was in Bountiful, Utah.

The Egan Brothers
LtoR: William, Ira, Howard, Ras

Sources:

• http://www.bountifulutah.gov/historicalcommission/eganr01.html
• http://www.bountifulutah.gov/HistoricalCommission/EganM01.html
• http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/ut/2/intro.htm
• http://www.onlineutah.com/ponyexpresshistory1.shtml
• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=12541953

Surnames

The surnames below are direct lineage surnames.



Surnames associated with Byron McKinnon:   
McKinnon/MacKinnon
 Marshall                   Reid
Egan                        Oliver 
Sinclair                    McDonald
Fisher                      Baumberger
Parshley                  Fahrner
Hoffman                  Weber
MacClellan             Aeppli
McKay                   Trub
Meade                    Shields
Christton                 Carswell
Caverly                    Crouthers
Murray                     Campbell


Surnames associated with Ella Mae Bingham McKinnon:
Bingham                        Gates
Brough                          Freeman
McPhail                        Farr
Peart                             Bliss
McKinnon                     Warner
MacClellan                    Hovey
Robson                         Plumley
Liddle                            Winslow  
Milloy                            Allen
Dewey                         Hand
Bott
Horleston
Perry
Parrot
Hadlock
Alton


Surnames Associated with Haven Hampson: 
Hampson
Wilkins
Umpstead/Umstead/Umpstad
Hallman
Huber
Kiter
Gotwals
Custer


Surnames Associated with Veda Marine Selman Hampson:
Selman
Johnson
Anderson
Francom
Harding
Langely
Giles
Fry
Perrin

My Mama's side

Amanda Anderson    and   Olaf Johnson

How we relate:
They are the parents of Lillian Johnson Selman
who is the mother of Veda Selman Hampson
who is the mother of Nany Hampson McKinnon

          Olaf Johnson was born on March 8, 1855 in Norway. Amanda was born January 23, 1857 in Sweden. Interesting side note - from 1814 to 1905, Norway and Sweden had a union and were known as one country called the Kingdom of Norway and Sweden when in 1905 they divided again into seperate countries.  Nothing is yet known about their parents and family. How they met, got married and if they came together or alone to the US is something that we might never know in this lifetime.

         We do know that they ultimately settled in Chicago and had six kids. The first, named Frank, was born in 1880, but died in infancy. Two years later in 1882, they had twins, named Jennie and Minnie. Sadly, the twins died in infancy as well. The last three were named Walter born in 1884, Mabel in 1888 and Lillian in 1891. Lillian is my great grandma.

          During that time period of the 1890's in Chicago, the population was increasing extremely fast, as it was a place that had work for emigrants. Thousands of small houses that were built for one family were now packed with a family in each room - especially in neighborhoods of newly arrived Europeans which is what Amanda and Olaf were. Chicago huge population increase caused many diseases because the vaccination programs couldn't keep up with the overpopulation. Tuberculosis - known as Consumption back then -  was rampant in the area and thousands of people died from it.

          Olaf contracted Tuberculosis and died on September 9, 1895 at the age of 40, leaving Amanda and their three children alone. Amanda had been sick with Tuberculosis along with her husband and was still very ill when he died. Having no family around and no one to come help her due to the contagiousness of the disease, Amanda worried greatly for her children. When Amanda started to get so ill that she feared for her life, she took each child and wrote on a little note their name and birthdate and then safety-pinned it to their clothes. Just a couple days after doing this, the local priest came by the house and saw that Amanda was unconcious. He took her to the nearby hospital where she died a few days later on February 3, 1896. Since there was no family in Illinois with her, there was no one to claim her body, and it was donated to the hospital for science.
     
         The three children were put in an Orphanage and word was sent to the nearest relative about the death of Olaf and Amanda. Unlike today, back then it would have taken weeks and months to notify the next of kin if they lived far away. The orphanage finally got in touch with Amanda's aunt, Caroline Newman, who was living in Minnesota.  Caroline came to Chicago and took 5 yr old Lillian back with her. Mable was sent to live with another relative in Canada, and Walter remained in the orphanage.  Lillian and Mable met up again about 15 years later.

        This story has definitely touched my heart strings. I can only imagine what Amanda had to feel as she knew she was going to die and leave her children all alone. What an amazing woman.

Sources:

• http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/432.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis
• Biographical info told to me by Elma Cherlenko, granddaughter of Amanda and Olaf
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_between_Sweden_and_Norway