On the McKinnon, Wyoming website (the city McKinnon being named after Archibald McKinnon Sr.), there are some memoirs written by the Stake President of the stake that was being formed there. Archibald was the 1st counselor and accompanied the stake pres on many occasions to the city - which is why they named it after him. Anyways, I will post every now and then a memoir written that has Archibald in it, or one that he was present for as he accompanied the author of the memoir.
Below is a memoir written by Archibald Pullham - the first bishop of the McKinnon ward.
Writes President John M. Baxter, "In the spring of 1905, President Archibald McKinnon, Thomas Tingey, George A. Neville, and I made a tour of the state. We spent two weeks making this visit. While on this tour after leaving Milburn, we went to Mountain View, where we found the people in a state of excitement. A woman and a little boy undertook to cross Smith’s Fort River. The melting snows had swollen the stream, and the current was very swift. The party drove a team into the river, and the current took the team and wagon down the stream. In some unaccountable way, the little boy got out, but the woman and the horses were drowned. The boy had just reached the store at Mountain View when we arrived there, and we joined in the search for the woman. We found the horses and wagon some distance below where they went into the stream, but the woman was not with the outfit. The horses were both dead when we found them. We kept up a search for the woman all day—without success. The next day her body was found—some two miles below. This was the same woman who came to the meeting at Lone Tree last year with her little boy on the night we had organized the Sunday School among the cowboys."
I thought this would be of interest as we remember Mountain View—a mail station during the years of our sojourn in McKinnon. It was one of the central exchange stations on the old-type telephone, the handle of which we turned and rang for various stations outside of Mountain View.
Many similar experiences were had by President John M. Baxter in organizing the outlying areas of his stake. He had many wonderful experiences. Archibald McKinnon, his uncle, accompanied him throughout all of those early experiences.
We come now to April 22, 1915—and the death of Archibald McKinnon. Writes President Baxter, "Archibald McKinnon, my uncle, and first counselor in the stake presidency, died at Randolph April 22, 1915. His funeral was held in connection with a stake conference which was held on April 24 and 25 at Randolph. President McKinnon was like a father to me when I was a child, and I grew up under his care and instruction. In my young manhood he was my bishop and directed my spiritual activities. When I became a man, my uncle and I became companions and were very much attached to each other. When I was chosen bishop of Woodruff Ward, we became more closely associated than ever. We traveled together to conferences in the Bear Lake Stake and discussed the problems of our respective wards. With our unity and affection, the people of Randolph and Woodruff became very closely united. When I was called to be president of Woodruff Stake, he was still bishop of Randolph Ward and fully sustained me as his president.
"Nothing of any importance was done in the Woodruff Ward on which I was not counseled. When President Byron Sessions was released as my counselor, my uncle was chosen to succeed him and continued in that position until he died.
"President McKinnon was faithful unto the last moment of his life. He never shirked any duty that was required of him at any time. He was wise in counsel, kind to everyone, honest in his dealings with his fellowman, strict in obedience to the commandments of God, and devoted his life freely to the service of the Lord. The speakers at his funeral were Apostle Heber J. Grant, Joseph W. McMurrin, George A. Peart, and Bishop . Many beautiful floral offerings and manifestations of esteem were attendant."
Continuing the history which President Baxter has written, I quote another passage:
"We had called our settlement "Mountain Home" for many years. The name "Mountain Home" was changed to "McKinnon" on September 8, 1922, in honor of President Archibald McKinnon."
Then President Baxter relates in his history that on one of his trips to Manila, Brother McKinnon accompanied him and they camped on the spot that I had previously mentioned—where the McKinnon Ward is now located. "He reiterated by saying to me, "John, you will see that day when there will be a settlement of Latter-day Saints on this spot, as I have predicted in the past." A few years later this prediction was literally fulfilled. He little thought then, however, that the settlement would be named after him."
http://www.mckinnonwyoming.com/the_wyoming_woodticks.htm
Below is a memoir written by Archibald Pullham - the first bishop of the McKinnon ward.
Writes President John M. Baxter, "In the spring of 1905, President Archibald McKinnon, Thomas Tingey, George A. Neville, and I made a tour of the state. We spent two weeks making this visit. While on this tour after leaving Milburn, we went to Mountain View, where we found the people in a state of excitement. A woman and a little boy undertook to cross Smith’s Fort River. The melting snows had swollen the stream, and the current was very swift. The party drove a team into the river, and the current took the team and wagon down the stream. In some unaccountable way, the little boy got out, but the woman and the horses were drowned. The boy had just reached the store at Mountain View when we arrived there, and we joined in the search for the woman. We found the horses and wagon some distance below where they went into the stream, but the woman was not with the outfit. The horses were both dead when we found them. We kept up a search for the woman all day—without success. The next day her body was found—some two miles below. This was the same woman who came to the meeting at Lone Tree last year with her little boy on the night we had organized the Sunday School among the cowboys."
I thought this would be of interest as we remember Mountain View—a mail station during the years of our sojourn in McKinnon. It was one of the central exchange stations on the old-type telephone, the handle of which we turned and rang for various stations outside of Mountain View.
Many similar experiences were had by President John M. Baxter in organizing the outlying areas of his stake. He had many wonderful experiences. Archibald McKinnon, his uncle, accompanied him throughout all of those early experiences.
We come now to April 22, 1915—and the death of Archibald McKinnon. Writes President Baxter, "Archibald McKinnon, my uncle, and first counselor in the stake presidency, died at Randolph April 22, 1915. His funeral was held in connection with a stake conference which was held on April 24 and 25 at Randolph. President McKinnon was like a father to me when I was a child, and I grew up under his care and instruction. In my young manhood he was my bishop and directed my spiritual activities. When I became a man, my uncle and I became companions and were very much attached to each other. When I was chosen bishop of Woodruff Ward, we became more closely associated than ever. We traveled together to conferences in the Bear Lake Stake and discussed the problems of our respective wards. With our unity and affection, the people of Randolph and Woodruff became very closely united. When I was called to be president of Woodruff Stake, he was still bishop of Randolph Ward and fully sustained me as his president.
"Nothing of any importance was done in the Woodruff Ward on which I was not counseled. When President Byron Sessions was released as my counselor, my uncle was chosen to succeed him and continued in that position until he died.
"President McKinnon was faithful unto the last moment of his life. He never shirked any duty that was required of him at any time. He was wise in counsel, kind to everyone, honest in his dealings with his fellowman, strict in obedience to the commandments of God, and devoted his life freely to the service of the Lord. The speakers at his funeral were Apostle Heber J. Grant, Joseph W. McMurrin, George A. Peart, and Bishop . Many beautiful floral offerings and manifestations of esteem were attendant."
Continuing the history which President Baxter has written, I quote another passage:
"We had called our settlement "Mountain Home" for many years. The name "Mountain Home" was changed to "McKinnon" on September 8, 1922, in honor of President Archibald McKinnon."
Then President Baxter relates in his history that on one of his trips to Manila, Brother McKinnon accompanied him and they camped on the spot that I had previously mentioned—where the McKinnon Ward is now located. "He reiterated by saying to me, "John, you will see that day when there will be a settlement of Latter-day Saints on this spot, as I have predicted in the past." A few years later this prediction was literally fulfilled. He little thought then, however, that the settlement would be named after him."
http://www.mckinnonwyoming.com/the_wyoming_woodticks.htm
1 comment:
Archibald McKinnon, Sr, is my husband's great great grandfather. We appreciate very much your posting about his life, the first time we heard any of that! First we heard of his 2nd wife, too. Would like to contact you to see if you can tell us where to get updated Mormon/LDS pedigree charts. Have the old one 1978 done by Gay Cole, descended from Archibald McKinnon, Jr.
Bev and Eric in Canada
pondcats@yahoo.com
please use this, not gmail one, as i can't always access that one. thx.
Post a Comment