Who We Are and Where We Came From: Archibald and Mary part 3

In 1861, Mary met Archibald McKinnon, a fellow Scottish immigrant, and they were married on August 9, 1861. They had a little house in Salt Lake where they lived for ten years and began their family together. While living in Salt Lake, Archibald and Mary had 4 children: Robert (b1863), Archibald Jr. (b1865), Peter (b1868), and Malcolm (b1869).

In the spring of 1862 he joined the artillery and was a member of the expedition sent to the Morrisite camp, on the Weber, in June, 1862. The Morrisite War, was a short but unfortunate episode in Utah history. The Morrisite camp was a group of Mormon apostates led by a church member named Joseph Morris who believed he was a prophet. Morris taught that Brigham Young was a fallen prophet, about 200 former LDS members followed him. Morris taught that there would be an immediate second coming of Christ. This teaching led his followers to spend their earnings carelessly, and feel as though did not have to heed the laws of the land. They stole cattle, trampled crops and refused to pay taxes. There was a warrant out for the leader’s arrest, but not one surrendered until the Utah militia responded. Ultimately the Morrisites surrendered after about 5 people were killed.

Archibald had the opportunity during perilous times to serve as a body guard for the prophet Brigham young. He also worked as a special policeman in the Salt Lake Theatre for many years. In 1864 he opened a harness shop on Main Street with a friend, and made enough money to build a new home the following year.

Archibald loved music and studied it whenever he had the opportunity. It is told that he had beautiful voice and wrote many songs. A great blessing he felt in his life is when he had a opportunity to study music under the famous George Careless while living in Salt Lake.

When Congress passed the Homestead Act of 1862, Brigham Young became anxious to obtain control of the land before non-Mormons did. In May, 1871, Brigham Young called Archibald, Mary and their children to move to the Bear River Valley. They, along with his sister, Jane, and her son, John M. Baxter, and others with whom he was associated moved to Randolph that late spring. They brought two teams of horses and wagons, milk cows, seeds, plants, and fruit trees. Mary brought along her treasured flowers and rose bushes, but they did not survive the intense winters there. She eventually was able to raise gardens and several varieties of hardy flowers. The trees froze out during their first winter there.

Randolph was a challenging place to live. All the new settlers endured many hardships in the area. The first winter living in Randolph, they lived in a covered wagon and a tent, and had a hard time trying to keep warm. The next spring they began to clear the land and build a house and tried to raise a garden. The season in this valley was very short and they soon learned that fruit and anything that needed a long summer was not for them, and there were many times they were hungry and cold. Harsh winters affected the settlement of the Bear Lake Valley. Randolph and Woodruff (a city next to Randolph) average only 57 frost-free days a year and once held the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in the state (-50 F. degrees on February 6, 1899).

Shortly after settling in Randolph, Mary and Archibald were both called to positions in the church. Mary was called to be a member of the Relief Society presidency, and worked for many years in that position, helping with the sick and sewing for and feeding those in need. Archibald was called to act as second counselor to Bishop Randolph Stewart. He also organized a ward choir and served as its leader. At the same time he organized a Sunday School with George Alma Peart (also in the Byron McKinnon family line) and William Rex. They had 15 members. There was no piano or organ and so they sang a capella.

Randolph’s First Choir

(We have a few direct relatives in this choir whose

names are highlighted in red)

Back Row Left to Right: Sarah Tyson, Mary McKay McKinnon, Comfort Pead, Mary Brough Rex, Sarah South, Jane Peart, Louise Park Harper, Jane Brough McKinnon (Archibald's plural wife - she is also in our Bingham line)

Front Row Left to Right: William Tyson, Sarah Ann Tyson, Archibald McKinnon Sr., Bishop Randolph Stewart, Cornelius Evans, William Rex and George Alma Peart Sr.

Throughout the first decade of living in Randolph, Mary and Archibald had six more children: Randolph Stewart (b.1871), Samuel (b.1873), Lemuel (b.1875), John Francis (b.1877) Donald (b.1879) and Mary (b. 1881). In total, Mary and Archibald had 10 sons, and her last child was a daughter. Mary taught her sons to help her in the three room house built of logs and they each had daily household chores. While Mary worked at home and in the community, Archibald was assessor for Rich County, and later served in other county offices from 1872 through 1878.

Jane Brough

On July 10, 1879, he was called by Brigham Young to obey the law of plural marriage by marrying Jane Brough, who was sealed to him in the Endowment house in Salt Lake City. Jane Brough is related to our family through the EllaMae Bingham side. She had polio when she was a child and as a result walked with crutches the rest of her life. Jane had 11 children with Archibald and lived in the same house as Mary. The house was full but the two families were very close.

Archibald became a member of the territorial legislature in 1880. During his term, the important law was passed that made water rights personal property. That same year, Archibald was called as Bishop in Randolph – which he served for 21 years.

When Archibald became Bishop, Mary’s responsibilities became greater. Her family was gradually becoming larger and she was responsible for entertaining the church authorities who came to visit in Randolph. She was also responsible to take care of the tithing, which was always paid “in kind” by butter, eggs and garden produce and even cattle. They had to all be taken care of. Back in the earlier days of the church tithing which was paid in kind, was collected and stored in local church warehouses and redistributed throughout the area to individuals and other communities in need. Sometimes the item would be sold at market where the money profited would go to the church. Many time it was months before it could be sold or used by those in need, and Mary had to keep the butter in stone jars, clean chickens and ready them for the market as well as go to the sick and dying.

During this time in history, a manifesto was signed seeking out the men who practiced polygamy making it an illegal act. The United States marshals spent a great deal of time after that in searching for those who were polygamist men. Archibald was arrested September 3, 1888, charged with “unlawful cohabitation”, and ordered to appear before the U.S. Commissioner in Logan. He was sentenced to three months in the penitentiary, plus court costs. While he was in jail, he learned of the death of his 2 year old year old son, William George (Jane’s son), sadly he was not allowed to be released for his funeral.

He was released March 9, 1889, and returned home. In October of 1889, he moved Jane and his family to Fish Haven, Idaho to prevent further incarcerations. Jane and the children lived there for 5 years, but Archibald being bishop in Randolph could only spend 1 week out of each month with that family.

Life continued on in the little town a Randolph, in 1900 Archibald was Rich County Treasurer and a year later he was called as the first counselor in the Woodruff Stake Presidency (his nephew was the Stake President). He served as a counselor for almost 14 years.

After his passing, Mountain Home, Wyoming, in the far reaches of old Woodruff stake, changed its name to McKinnon, Wyoming in his memory.

Archibald died April 18, 1915. His Death Certificate states that he died of "Chronic Instestinal Nephritis", apparently brought on by "La Grippe" (the flu). After he died, Mary moved in with her only daughter, Mary McKinnon Rees and lived 10 more years and died on August 4, 1925. Few facets of pioneer life in Randolph were untouched by Archibald and Mary McKinnon’s lives.