John D. Lee died before Garfield County was created
and documents filed at the Gargield County Courthouse,
so the exact ownership if his homestead is a mystery.
He gave four wives land and recorded that in Iron County
but the land was in the Utah Territory. I imagined, with his
children's children's children in Panguitch, I could find the spot.
I researched back each spot I was told to find that one of the children
did own the land. I wanted to know where his wife Caroline,
mother of twelve children lived. Caroline had moved to
Scutumpah with John D. before he died. When it was time to
go to Lee's Ferry, she was pregnant and in labor, so went to
Kanab to be with family. She returned to Panguitch.
J.B. Hildbrand, photographer, came to Panguitch May 31, 1934,
to record where John D. Lee was captured. He took the three pictures above..
the original and the add-on? Picture taken at the same time? Both were given to Utah Historical Society under his name. One may be the right house. The top one was chosen to be in the Centennial Garfield County book.
The other two houses, still standing in Panguitch, were suggestions.
I don't think either one is the right one. One of the oldest houses in
Panguitch has been turned into the William Prince Inn. William was married to
John D. and Aggatha Lee's daughter. One story is that John D. was buried in the
basement, not out in the cemetery where he has a hugh headstone. That was the original house, but it is brick which came to Panguitch years after J.D.'s death.
Did they cover the old log house with brick? There is also a headstone in Parowan and one lost up on the mountain, I hear.
I am only trying to finish a small part of my book. Lee's ggggrand daughter was here yesterday. She told me he had four wives. I said...No, 19. 19!!!! Why don't I know that? Four wives stayed with him after Mountain Meadows. Or 5. He had 50 children. Those wives worked hard to keep the children alive.
Since he is well-known in Morman history, I thought to record his part in creating the GSENM!
Nineteen wives and 50 children? Well, the Lees will not soon disappear off the earth. I loved the John D. Lee diaries. You sorta didn't say why he was put to death. Maybe some might not know.
ReplyDeleteI assumed people knew. John D. Lee was put to death for the Mountain Meadow Massacre where 140 members of a train from Missouri were killed. Only children under eight lived. He was the only one who paid for the crime which many were involved, supposedly he was in charge. He was captured at one of his wives home in Panguitch.
ReplyDeleteClose. All children survivors were seven or younger. Several other young children were killed.
DeleteThe wagon train was from Arkansas.
There were 120 massacre victims, but lately historians believe it may be as few as 90.