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| Jezreel Shomaker |
THE SHOMAKER FAMILY OF KENTUCKY
This brief sketch offered by Roger Miller in 2000,
"Lakey Shomaker (parents unknown, although related to Landers Shomaker of Buckingham Co. Va. and probably has connections in Prince Edward Co. Va.) married Sally Ellis (daughter of Jezreel Ellis and Scytha Honey. Jezreel Ellis, is the son of John Ellis and Sarah Berry of Overwharton Parish, Stafford Co. Va.). Lakey Shomaker and Sally Ellis married in August 1795 in Bourbon County, KY, license in Paris, Ky courthouse records. Lakey and Sally settled first around Ruddell's Mills in Bourbon Co. and then near Butler in Pendleton Co., KY where they spent the rest of their lives. They had a large family of 13 or 14 children. Lakey Shomaker ran a ferry across the Licking River just upstream of present-day Butler. They migrated from Virginia.
Two of Lakey's sons, Jezreel Shomaker (md. Nancy Golden) and Alexander Morain Shomaker (md. Margaret Taylor) were living in Quincy, Illinois at the time of Mormon persecutions in the 1830's. Mormon refugees from Missouri were befriended by the citizens of Quincy, and shortly thereafter the two brothers joined the Mormon church, moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, and from there went west to Utah with the Mormon pioneers in 1847. Theirs was the last company to reach the Salt Lake Valley that first year, having been assigned to bring up the rear with a cannon and the bell from the abandoned Mormon temple in Nauvoo. Alexander Morain settled first near Salt Lake City, but later moved to Plain City, Utah, where he died. Jezreel, one of the early settlers of Bountiful, Utah, went to Sanpete County Utah in 1849, where he helped to establish the town of Manti and became one of it's most prominent citizens".
In the publication "Pioneers of Pendleton County, Kentucky." we learn more of our Shomaker family,
"Lakey Shoemaker was born around 1775 in Virginia and died in September of 1824 in Pendleton County. It would appear that Lakey came to Kentucky from Virginia and he married Sarah Ellis on 13 Aug. 1795 in Bourbon County, Kentucky/Virginia. Sarah was born about 1775 in Virginia and died in Pendleton County in 1833. She was the daughter of Jezreel Ellis and Scytha Honey Ellis. By 1799, the family was living in Pendleton County in the Flour Creek Community. Lakey farmed on both sides of the Licking River, near Harris Creek. The Licking River was the main way for the settlers to get their crops to market. Since there were few bridges in those days, the only way to cross the river was by ferry. After Lakey returned from the War of 1812, in which he served under Captain Thomas Childers in the 4th Regiment of the Kentucky Militia, he was issued a permit to operate his own ferry in March of 1823."
Among Lakey's numerous children, the publication goes on to list an account of Lakey's first son, Jezreel Shomaker, born 29 Oct. 1796, Bourbon County, KY - died 30 May 1879, Manti, Sanpete, UT; married 1 April 1824, Pendleton County, KY to Nancy Golden, daughter of John Golden and Mary Robertson Golden, b. 22 April 1808 - d. 23 May 1870. Jezreel and Nancy moved to Adams Co., IL in 1828. He was one of the first to join Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church, in IL and was there when Smith was assassinated. Jezreel owned a 160 acre farm in IL. He was a man of wealth, but gave (or sold) it all away when he joined the Mormon Church in 1847. He and his brother, Alexander, and their families came across the Great Plains with others traveling with Captain Charles Rich's Company. They arrived in Salt Lake Valley on 2 Oct. 1847, where they settled at Sessions, a settlement near Bountiful. It wasn't until late fall of 1849, that Jezreel ventured on to Manti, where he died. There he served for two terms as Mayor and was a member of the first City Council, besides being a prominent farmer.
1829 Jezreel Shomaker in ADAMS COUNTY, ILLINOIS
"History of Adams County, ILLINOIS. Camp Point derived its name from a point of timber, now within the limits of the village, and known by the early settlers as "Indian Camp Point" being a landmark for the early pioneers, and used in a still earlier day by Indians as camping grounds. Daniel Smith and James Lasley, brother- in-laws, were the first settlers in the township. Smith settled on the south east quarter of section 29, and Lasley on the southwest quarter of section 28, in 1828. In the fall of 1829 Lasley sold his improvements to Jezreel Shomaker, who continued to reside there for several years.
The pleasant, progressive village of 1,200 people, known as Camp Point, northeast of the central part of the county on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, is at the headwaters of the south branch of Bear Creek, and its site and vicinity still bear proofs of the natural charms of the early times which made the neighborhood such a favorite camping ground for Indian and white alike. The point of timber which originally extended into the prairie has been virtually obliterated by cultivated farms and the expanded village, but, even from the landscape of today, it is not difficult to reconstruct the Indian Camp Point of the '20s and '30s. When a petition was circulated to secure a post office at Garrett's Mills, it was thought that the name mentioned was too long and the "Indian" was omitted."
Camp Point Township
Camp Point was originally known as Indian Camp Point. In 1848, when the Post Office was established, the name was shortened to Camp Point. The township was created in 1850. The village of Camp Point was platted in 1855.
Early Settlers in Camp Point Township:
Daniel Smith - 1828
James Lasley - 1828
Jezreel Shoemaker - 1829
Mr. Calley - 1830
Jonathan Brown - 1830
William Wilkes - 1831
Samuel McAnulty - 1832
William McAnulty - 1832
Lewis McFarland - 1832
James A. Wallace - 1835
Adam Rankin - 1835
Rezin Downing - 1835
Peter B. Garrett - 1835
Richard Seaton - 1835
Jezreel Shomaker joins the LDS church
While living in Adams county, Illinois about 20 miles from Quincy, Jezreel Shomaker and Nancy Golden, heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and joined the LDS church. They went to Nauvoo came to Utah in 1847, crossing
the plains in Peregrine Sessions'
company. He lived in the "Old
Fort" over winter, and in the spring
of 1848 moved to Bountiful.
Settling Bountiful, Utah
Bancroft's History of Utah (p. 305) says:
"In the autumn of 1847 one Thomas Grover arrived with his family on the bank of a stream twelve miles north of Salt Lake City, and now called Centerville Creek. His intention was to pasture stock for the winter; and for this purpose a spot was chosen where the stream spreading over the surface forms plats of meadow land, the soil being a black gravelly loam. Here Grover, joined by others in the spring, resolved to remain, though in the neighborhood were encamped several bands of Indians, and this notwithstanding that as yet there was no white settlement north of Salt Lake City.''
Bancroft does not give the source of his authority for this statement, which does not agree with that of Whitney, who says that on September 28, 1847, Peregrine Sessions founded the second settlement in Utah, where the Town of Bountiful now stands. This was known for some years as the "Sessions Settlement," the name Bountiful having been given to it by an act of the Legislature, approved on
February 27, 1855. Some of Mr. Sessions' descendants still reside in the county. The first ground was plowed in the spring of 1848 by Mr. Sessions and Jezreel Shoemaker.
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| Jezreel Shomaker |
SETTLING MANTI UTAH
When the Utah pioneers had secured homes in Salt Lake Valley and were preparing to convert the desert into fruitful fields, a delegation of Ute Indians, under Chief Walker, appeared in Salt Lake City, June 14, 1849, and requested colonists for Sanpitch Valley, to teach the natives how to build homes and till the soil. An exploring party, consisting of Joseph Horn, W. W. Phelps, Ira Willes and D. B. Huntington, left in August, and with Walker as a guide, entered the beautiful Sanpitch Valley, crossing the divide from Salt Creek canyon, and reached the present site of Manti, August 20, 1849. They were royally entertained by the savages, and after a few days returned and reported everything favorable for founding a colony.
A company of about fifty families from Salt Lake City and Centerville was organized and started late in the fall for Sanpitch Valley. The commanders were Isaac Morley, Seth Taft and Charles Shumway, who represented the civil and ecclesiastical authorities and Nelson Higgins the militars'. Among the original pioneers were the following men, some being accompanied by their families: D. B. Huntington, Barnes Ward, John Lowry, Sr., Titus Billings, G. W. Bradley, Albert Petty, O. S. Cox, Albert Smith, Jezreel Shomaker, Cjrenus H. Taylor, Azariah Smith, Abram Washburn, John D.
Chase, Isaac Case, Sylvester Hulet, William Potter, Gardner Potter, James Brown, Joseph Allen, M. D. Hamilton, William Richey, Harrison Fugate, Sylvester Wilcox, Gad Yale, John Carter, Isaac Behunnin, William Mendenhall, Edwin Whiting, William Tubbs, John Hart, John Baker, John Elmer, John Butterfield, Amos Gustin, John Cable and AY. K. Smith.
The company cleared roads, built bridges and successfully passed through Salt Creek canyon without any great hardships, and moved to the south in quest of a suitable location. Some wanted to pitch camp at Shumway Springs, but better counsel prevailed, and the present site of Manti was selected as the frontier town of central and southern Utah. The first camp was made on City Creek on the evening of November 22, 184:9, and temporally houses made of wagon boxes, comprised the town.
In a few days the snow began falling and continued almost incessantly until the ground was covered to a depth of three feet or more, and the colony changed quarters to the south side of temple hill, where some families had dugouts, while others occupied their improvised wagons and tents.
That winter was most severe and the snow fell to a greater depth than ever was known to the Indians, and the equal has never since been recorded. Men and boys were engaged almost daily in shoveling snow to bare the grass and furnish shelter and food for the starving cattle. Even the horns of cows and oxen were sharpened by filing, to give them better means of defense in fighting wild animals, and enable them to break through the crust of the frozen snow in search of the dry grass. Of the two hundred and forty head of cattle brought in by the colonists, only one hundred and thirteen were living the following June. The Indians camped around the colony greedily devoured the dead animals and praised their white neighbors for giving them the beef to ward off starvation.
When the camp was made and all was in readiness for the winter, a company of twelve, under the command of Jerome Bradley, was sent back to Salt Lake City after provisions. TheA' loaded their supplies and started for Manti, but were detained at Provo, on account of reported Indian hostilities. Two friendly Indians, Ammon and Tabinan, a brother of Chief Walker, volunteered their assistance as guides, and the party left Provo and continued on to the "Forks of Salt Creek," where they were forced to camp on account of the great depth of the snow. The next January, Tabinan rode into Manti and informed the people that a white man was lying across the Sanpitch river, almost dead. A party headed by Bishop George W. Bradley, started out on snowshoes and found one of the supply company, trying to wade through the snow, which was three or four feet deep. He reported the company snowed in, and sleds were drawn by hand over the snow, ranging in depth from 8 to 20 feet, to their camp and the supplies brought in during the month of March. Among the people arriving then was Daniel Henrie and wife, she riding on one of the sleds.
In the evening following the first warm day of early spring, the peaceful colonists were startled by a continuous hissing and rattling of myriads of rattlesnakes that made a simultaneous attack upon the habitations, wriggling and writhing about in the boxes, beds, cupboards and everywhere they could get inside the homes of the settlers. A general warfare was inaugurated by the aid of pine-knot torches, and many hundreds of the reptiles were killed, nearly five hundred being slaughtered in one
night. The strangest thing connected with the raid of these deadly serpents was that not one person was bitten, though the coiled enemies were everywhere present, in threatening attitudes, frightening men, women and children on every hand. Notwithstanding the severity of the winter and scarcity of food, on account of supply teams being snowed in at Salt Greek, the people enjoyed remarkably good health and but few cases of sickness occurred.
1850 census (see page 9 for Jezreel Shomaker family)
In the spring of 1850, When time for plowing and planting came there was but one team able to draw a plow through the native desert, until feed was obtained from the growing grass. This team belonged to Jezreel Shomaker, and was used to break small garden patches, while the other poor animals were resting and recruiting. The snow which had lain on the ground all winter to the depth of three feet or more was slow in melting and no crops were sown until June. But, the colonists were fortunate in having a fair supply of seed, and the soil proved very productive, thereby giving some green vegetables for food within a short time after planting. Small ditches were taken from the creek, and the water freely applied to the then parched sand.
The act of Congress organizing Utah Territory was approved September 9, 1850, and Brigham Young was appointed Governor, A provisional form of government was instituted and Isaac Morley and Charles Shumway represented Sanpete county in the first Legislative Assembly. That legislature met in Salt Lake City, and passed an act incorporating Manti City, which was approved February 5, 1851, at the same time Ogden and Provo were incorporated, they being the only cities in Utah, excepting Salt Lake City. During this season the city, comprising ten square miles, was surveyed by Jesse W. Fox, and the people left their camp under "Temple Hill" and moved to their city lots. Titus Billings and Jezreel Shomaker built the first houses, which were followed by others before winter. A city government was formed, and the colony began to give evidences of prosperity.
The Legislature recognized the value of a city organization for Manti, and on February 6, 1851, a bill was passed and approved by the Governor incorporating the city. The area then included ten miles, extending from Six-Mile Creek on the south to Willow Creek on the north, and from Sanpitch river on the west to the Wasatch mountains on the east. In April, 1851, the first city election was held and all "free white male inhabitants of the age of eighteen years" were permitted to vote. The officers elected were: Dan Jones, Mayor; Jezreel Shomaker, Phineas W. Cook, O. S. Cox and James
C. Brown, Aldermen; John D. Chase, Edwin Whiting, Abram Washburn, George P. Billings, Isaac Morley, Jr., S. H. Marble, Newman Brown, John Lowry, Jr., and Cyrenus H. Taylor, Councillors. The bill incorporating the city provided that after the second Monday in February, 1863, the city officials should consist of one Mayor, two Aldermen and three Councillors.
The act of Congress organizing Utah Territory was approved September 9, 1850, and Brigham Young was appointed Governor, A provisional form of government was instituted and Isaac Morley and Charles Shumway represented Sanpete county in the first Legislative Assembly. That legislature met in Salt Lake City, and passed an act incorporating Manti City, which was approved February 5, 1851, at the same time Ogden and Provo were incorporated, they being the only cities in Utah, excepting Salt Lake City. During this season the city, comprising ten square miles, was surveyed by Jesse W. Fox, and the people left their camp under "Temple Hill" and moved to their city lots. Titus Billings and Jezreel Shomaker built the first houses, which were followed by others before winter. A city government was formed, and the colony began to give evidences of prosperity.
The Legislature recognized the value of a city organization for Manti, and on February 6, 1851, a bill was passed and approved by the Governor incorporating the city. The area then included ten miles, extending from Six-Mile Creek on the south to Willow Creek on the north, and from Sanpitch river on the west to the Wasatch mountains on the east. In April, 1851, the first city election was held and all "free white male inhabitants of the age of eighteen years" were permitted to vote. The officers elected were: Dan Jones, Mayor; Jezreel Shomaker, Phineas W. Cook, O. S. Cox and James
C. Brown, Aldermen; John D. Chase, Edwin Whiting, Abram Washburn, George P. Billings, Isaac Morley, Jr., S. H. Marble, Newman Brown, John Lowry, Jr., and Cyrenus H. Taylor, Councillors. The bill incorporating the city provided that after the second Monday in February, 1863, the city officials should consist of one Mayor, two Aldermen and three Councillors.
Jezreel Shomaker Civic Service
City and County Organized, etc. In the spring of 1851 President Brigham Young again visited the valley, and on April 30 a high council was organized; Father Morley was the first stake president and his assistants were Titus Billings and Edwin Whiting.
The people were now moving upon their "city lots" as fast as possible, and our little burg was transformed from the pupae state into a full fledged city, with Dan Jones, Mayor; Jezreel Shoemaker, Phineas W. Cook, Orville S. Cox and James P. Brown Aldermen; John D. Chase, Edwin Whiting, Abram Washburn, George P. Billings, Isaac Morley Jr., Sam H. Marble, Newman Brown, John Lowry Jr. and Cyrenus Taylor, councilors.
In addition to serving on the first Manti City Council, Jezreel also served two terms as it's Mayor according to Andrew Jenson's, Encyclopedic History of the Church, p.472
"Following are the names of the mayors of the city of Manti since the city was incorporated in 1851; Dan Jones, 1851–1853; Jezreel Shomaker, 1853–1855; Albert Petty, 1855–1857; Edwin Whiting, 1857–1861; Jezreel Shomaker (2nd term), 1861–1865;"
THE MANTI, UTAH SHOMAKER HOUSE
the National Register of Historic Places nomination form
SHOMAKER, HON. JEZEEEL, deceased, son of Lakey and Sally Ellis, was born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, October 29, 1796. He was brought up as a frontiersman in Pendleton county, where he was engaged in lumbering and farming. April 1, 1824, he married Nancy, daughter of John and Mary Robertson Golden, born in Pendleton county, Kentucky, April 22, 1808. About 1828 they removed to Illinois and located in Adams county, near Quincy, where he homesteaded 160 acres of land and purchased other claims, having the largest farm in the county. When neighbors settled
around him he donated land for a school-house, which was erected. He became quite a prominent man in Adams county, giving quarters to all religious societies, yet claiming allegiance to none, until in the 40's, when he joined the Mormon Church. This required the selling or giving away of all he had, and in 1847 he fitted up teams and wagons and crossed the plains, arriving in Salt Lake City with the pioneers in Capt. Charles Rich's company. His wife rode in a carriage and drove a horse
team all the way. He first located in Salt Lake City, then removed to Sessions settlement, near Bountiful. In the fall of 1849 he joined the pioneers and came to Sanpete, locating in Manti, one of the first colonists. Here he remained until his death, which occurred May 30, 1879. He had good
teams and plenty of provisions when coming to Manti, and assisted many poor families in getting the necessaries of life. When the church wanted money the leaders called upon Father Shomaker and secured a portion of his savings. If the poor needed grain or clothing they never called on him without getting assistance. He prospered in the accumulation of land and property, and occupied many prominent positions in civil and ecclesiastical matters, serving as Mayor for two terms and being a member of the first City Council.
His children were:
Sally, wife of Harrison Fugate of Emery county;
Jerusha, widow of George P. Billings;
Ezra, a prominent citizen of Manti;
Laura, widow of Joseph Tuttle;
Lakey, a well-known farmer and sheep Owner, of Manti,
John G.,
Theophilus,
Marion
Jeptha,
MANTI TROUBLE WITH THE NATIVE INDIANS
also see picture of indians
Footprints in the Wilderness, THE RHOADES MINES AND TEMPLE GOLD , page 116
Now that the Utes had a cause to war with the settlers, all they needed was the occasion.
According to Indian custom, a brave had the right to beat his squaw and in Springville, a Ute was exercising this privilege when a white settler interfered. Blows were exchanged and the Ute was consequently killed. Here, then, was the occasion.
Chief Walker was encamped at this time on Peteetneet Creek at the mouth of Payson Canyon with his band of warriors. Possibly there would have been no trouble when the word of the wife beater's death reached Walker's camp had not a few of his more impetuous braves stole away that night into Payson where they shot and killed a man named Alexander Keele. (Alexander Keele related to our line, a son of Richard Keele and brother to Dabney Uel Keele)
The death occurred on July 18, 1853 and Walker's brother, Aropene, was attributed with the killing. The next day Walker ordered his band into the mountains for he realized that the settlers would soon retaliate in turn. The same day some of the Indians fired upon the cattle guard at Pleasant Creek (now Mount Pleasant) and the next day a raid was perpetrated against the community of Manti.
On July 23 a full scale battle took place at Pleasant Creek wherein about six Indians were killed and the remainder put to the hills. The settlers of Pleasant Creek moved into the little fort at Spring City which had been attacked twice already by Walker's Indians and where, on August 2, it was attacked again. All of the horses and cattle were driven away in the raid. A witness to these attacks has stated:
Two of the herding ponies eluded the Indians and returned to the fort, thereby giving the settlers a means of communication with Manti, the only point from which relief could be expected. A messenger was dispatched immediately, and by riding across the valley, then south, succeeded in evading the vigilant Indian scouts patrolling the eastern trail. The express messenger reached Manti at three in the afternoon When the news was received, drums were sounded, cattle collected, and sentries posted at all the prominent points, while hasty preparations were made for sending relief to Spring City. Three wagons, with twelve yoke of oxen hitched to each, accompanied by teamsters and twelve mounted guards, left as quickly as possible, reaching Spring City ;It daylight the next morning. The colonists were taken to Manti, and given quarters in a fort that had been built that year.
Another account, this time by Jezreel Shoemaker, a guard at the gristmill near the mouth of Manti Canyon, tells of the preparations against Indian attack during the uprising.
"At night we lay in the brush, near the mill, and listened for any sound that might tell of the approach of Indians. We kept our guns loaded, and were ready at a given signal to protect the building, if need he. The Indians tried hard to darn the stream that feel the mill pond, but were unable to carry out their plans. For over a month the little (hill was never left without a heavy guard. After the grain had been ground into flour, we relinquished the guard, and the mill was burned in the winter.,"
Aropene and his followers had repeatedly made cattle raids against Payson and some of the other southern settlements, but no all out attack had yet been perpetrated. In Payson, it was feared that such ail attack might take place and so men from Payson, Spanish Fork, Springville and Provo joined to form a pursuit posse. From Salt Lake City came an additional 100 armed and mounted men. What came to be known in Utah history as the "Walker War" was about to commence.
It will not be necessary here to record in detail all of the incidents which occurred during this conflict as they have been covered extensively in other sources and except for detouring the journeys of Thomas Rhoades into the Uintah Mountains for gold during the summer of 1 1353 they have no direct bearing on our story, bill suffice it to say that through the summer and fall of 1853 and into the late spring of 1854, the Indian depredations steadily increased.
CHURCH SERVICE:
In addition to his civic service, Jezreel served on the Manti Stake high council according to the newspaper The Deseret News, page 72 reported the following:
"Pres. Brigham Young and company spent this day in Manti. In the morning the Presidency proceeded to organize a high council for Manti as follows: Artemus Millet, Gardiner Snow, Freeborn Demill, Jezreel Shoemaker, James P. Brown, John Lawson, Welcome Chapman, George Pectol and Elijah Everett, and John Carter were set apart as High Councilors by Elders Wilford Woodruff and Ezra T. Benson. . . The congregation was then addressed by Elders John Young and Lorenzo D. Young. In the afternoon the Assembly was addressed by Elder Wilford Woodruff, Ezra T. Benson and Jedidiah M. Grant. The Indian chief Arapeene also said a few words which were interpreted by Dimick B. Huntington. In the evening both places were occupied by the Saints in singing, prayer and dancing until about 10 o’clock when all retired to their homes, highly gratified with the manner in which the day had been spent. source: Journal History of the Church, 30 April 1851."
Jezreel Shomaker's passing
sanpete history book
1879
May 30. Jezreel Shomaker, one of the Sanpete pioneers, died at his home in Manti.
