|
After working for a few months, he barely escaped a rockfall that killed his
co-worker. The incident gave him an aversion to mining, and he never
returned to the mines. Collecting his wages, he returned to Wisconsin and
paid for the land he had helped homestead.
In the autumn of 1839 he married Lucinda
Taylor and settled down to start a family. However, in February 1842 he
heard that Mormon elders were preaching nearby. After listening to the
Mormon preaching, he joined the Mormon Church on 3 March 1842. Hamblin
started missionary work almost immediately and became known as a faith
healer, showing the signs of "those that believe," in his words. The
next year he moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, where the Mormon Church
headquarters were located.
Anti-Mormon sentiment was building and
Hamblin and his family received their share. At that time he met and
married Rachel Judd as his second (that is, plural) wife. His families
moved west with the Mormons. He settled in Tooele Valley and became
acquainted with local Indians who knew him as a friend. In 1854 Hamblin
was called as a missionary to the Indians in southern Utah.
Again, he became known for his influence
with Native Americans because of his integrity and his willingness to be
friends with them. He had many spiritual experiences that caused the
Indians to consider him invested with godly powers. After serving in his
Indian mission for more than a year, Hamblin moved his family from
Tooele to what is now Santa Clara. He then became president of the
southern Utah Indian mission.
In the fall of 1857 Hamblin went north to
confer with Brigham Young in Salt Lake City. On the way he encountered the Fancher Party of emigrants, California bound from Arkansas and Missouri.
They asked him about the road and places to camp. He directed them to
Mountain Meadows on the old Spanish Trail, about three miles from his
home. He later expressed horror and repugnance at news of the massacre of
the Fancher Party at Mountain Meadows. His wife Rachel helped care for the
massacre survivors at the ranch.
Hamblin continued to serve as a missionary
to the Native American tribes in the Southern Utah area. Following
enactment of Edmunds Act of 1882, an arrest order was issued naming
Hamblin and others known to practice polygamy. Hamblin moved his
families from Utah into Arizona and New Mexico and some even moved into
Chihuahua, Mexico. Until his death on 31 August 1886, Hamblin was
usually moving from one family to another to evade federal officers and
see to the needs of his widespread family. He had four wives: Lucinda
Taylor (married April 1839, separated February 1849); Rachel Judd
(married 30 September 1849); Sarah Priscilla Leavitt (married September
1857); Louisa Boneli (married
16 November 1865). He fathered twenty-four children and had several
adopted children. His lasting legacy was as a missionary and friend to the
Native Americans, helping smooth relations between them and the more
recent arrivals to the land.
Hours are 9 am - 5 pm in winter, 9 am - 7 pm in
spring, and 9 am -8 pm in summer. For more information call 435-673-5181.
Information
Provided by Utah
History Encyclopedia
|
