Anthony Willis family tree » Lydia Gage Jacobs (1823-1895)

Personal data Lydia Gage Jacobs 

• She was born on December 25, 1823 in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, New York, United States of America.Source 1

  Attention: Age at marriage (July 14, 1837) below 16 years (13).

• Resident:
• in the year 1850: Weber County, Weber, Utah Territory, United States.
• in the year 1860: Washington Township, Alameda, California, United States.
• in the year 1880: Murray, Alameda, California, United States.
• (FamilySearch ID) : L21V-2TL.
• (LEFT HUSBAND ) in BEAVER, PAROWAN, CALIF.
• She died on May 7, 1895 in Livermore, Alameda County, California, United States of America, she was 71 years old.Source 1
• She is buried May 1895 in Livermore, Alameda County, California, United States of America.Source 1

Household of Lydia Gage Jacobs

(1) She is married to Urban Van Stewart.

They got married on July 14, 1837, she was 13 years old.

Child(ren):

1. Edna Ann Stewart  1840-1915
2. Henry Pulaski Stewart  1843-1843
3. Urban Jacob Stewart  1846-1918

(2) She is married to Elisha Smith Allen.

They got married in the year 1852, she was 28 years old.

Child(ren):

1. Edward Lewis Allen  1853-1940 
2. Abbie Sarah Allen  1857-1921
3. Alva Allen  1860-1952
4. Sylvanus Allen  1862-1928

Notes about Lydia Gage Jacobs

Daughter of Henry Jacobs and Maryette Polly Udall

Married - Urban Van Stewart, 14 Jul 1837, Far West, Caldwell, Missouri.

Children - Edna Ann Stewart, Henry Pulaski Stewart, Urban Jacobs Stewart

Married - Elisha Smith Allen, 1852, Placerville, El Dorado, California.

Children - Edward Lewis Allen, Abbie Sarah Allen, Sylvanus Allen, Alva Allen.

History

A tribute should be given to Lydia Gage Jacobs, first wife of Urban Van Stewart. Urban was 20 years of age when they were married; Lydia was only a young girl of 15 years at the time. Lydia should be honored for the hardships and trials she shared with Urban in those early Church years.

On the advice of the Prophet Joseph Smith, they moved to Far West, Missouri. In 1839, 2 years later, they shared in the Exodus of the Saints from Missouri, settling in Quincy, Illinois. Next year they moved to Sugar Creek, Iowa, where fire destroyed their home and every thing in it. All that was left was the running gears of their wagon and one cow. In the Spring of 1841 they moved to Nauvoo.

In 1843, Urban and his brother Levi were called on a mission to Southern Illinois. In 1846 again the Saints were forced to move. This time to leave Nauvoo and their beautiful Temple. Urban and Lydia gave the deed to their home and lot to the Church. They endured the hardships at Winter Quarters, on the west bank of the Missouri River.

In 1847, they left for the Great Salt Lake Valley arriving in 27 Sep 1947. Here again hopes for a home and security was short lived for in two short years the call came to settle Parowan.

Milton R. Hunter's book, Beneath Ben Lomond's Peak, (979.228 H2d, p. 65) states that early in 1848 several families took up permanent resident in Ogden including Van Stewart. On March 6, 1848, the Brown family moved his family to the fort area and a few days later more settlers followed including the family of Urban Van Stewart (A History of Ogden, 979.28 H2h, p. 18).

Urban was good friends with the Indians when he lived in the vicinity of Ogden, Utah, being the sole resident of Harrisville. In 1850 the chief and a few Indians had been over to visit. Urban and Lydia thought they had left but later Urban heard something in his cornfield. Urban, thinking it was someone stealing his corn, impulsively fired a shot into the air to scare them away. Not till later did he find out that he had shot the inoffensive chief and friend, Terrolee, the very man who had stood as a peacemaker between the whites and his own people.

Realizing how disastrous the matter was Stewart at once went to the town officials and told them what he had done. Then leaving his family in the generous care of Lorin Farr, he gave up his claim on Four-Mile creek and left the county.

In Journal History for Sept 16, 1850, there are copies of the actual letters which went back and forth between Lorin Farr and Willard Richards. Farr wrote them to Brigham Young, but Young was in Utah county at the time. In the first letter, Farr quotes the story of the killing of the Chief as told to him by Stewart and states, "He, Stewart, immediately moved his family into this settlement."

As a matter of course, the enraged Indians "went on the war path," and it became necessary for Brigham Young to dispatch troops from Salt Lake City to protect the settlers. Fearing the military men, the Indians retreated to the north immediately.

The 1850 census shows Lydia in Weber County, using her maiden name, Lydia Jacobs, and listing Urban Jacobs Stewart, her son, as "Stephen." This was done undoubtedly to protect their identities because of the Indian incident.

Lydia sent a letter to her brother, Henry Bailey Jacobs, who lived in Placerville California. Henry came and took Lydia and the kids back to California.

In 1851, Terrikee's band, under the leadership of his nephew, Katato, came back and located about ten miles down the Weber river, west of Farr's Fort and began molesting the settlers again. They took stock and killed cattle for food.

Finally, Major David Moore of the Ogden Militia, with a company of sixty-five men, came at daybreak and surrounding the camp, took the Indians prisoners, about fifty in number. Going to Farr's Fort they made peace terms. Not a gun was fired. The Indians signed a document promising to make four-fold restitution for all the animals stolen. The white men of the settlement were to make similar restitution to the Indians if the white men took stock from them. Both parties signed the document. It made a great impression on the Indians. They kept their promise and the treaty became traditional among them.

According to the story of David Tracy, an early settler, the Indians were disarmed at this time. Their bows and arrows and few old muskets and muzzle loading rifles were appropriated by the whites.

After keeping these implements for a short time, the settlers gave a big celebration, inviting all the Indians in the vicinity to come. The feast that was prepared by the whites delighted the Indians. A big fat beef was roasted, and with it was served potatoes, baked squash and sweet corn on the cob, as well as many other dainties of that time, finishing up with plenty of big ripe watermelons for everyone.

The whites mingled freely with the natives in games and in dancing. In the midst of the gala celebration the Indians were asked to spread their blankets on the ground and to line up for a new game. Then to their surprise, the bows and arrows and guns that had been taken by the whites were placed on the blankets and each Indian was allowed to take his own weapons back again. This caused great rejoicing among the natives and greatly reduced hostilities for many a day.

Brigham Young sent a letter to Urban and told Urban to leave and go down south to Parowan. In the book, History of Iron County Mission, Parowan, Utah, (979.247 H2d, p. 39), it states, "the following names new settlers arrived at Center Creek (now Parowan), 8 May 1851... Urban Stewart." Urban lived there for 10 years, marrying Elizabeth Luck in 1854. Elizabeth had arrived in Salt Lake City the previous September, 1853.

Lydia remarried Elisha Smith Allen and lived out her life in California.

Urban never saw his wife and daughter again. But Urban Jacobs, his son, came to see him several times.

Obituary

Livermore Herald, page 3, cols 1 and 3, 7 March 1895

FUNERAL: The newspaper Livermore Herald states: "Just as we were going to press, too late to ascertain particulars, we learned of the death of Mrs. E. S. Allen, which occurred on Wednesday. The funeral will take place at the Presbyterian church at 11 o'clock on Friday.

Terikee, the chief - from the Winslow Farr Organization

Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel, Abraham O. Smoot - George B. Wallace Company (1847); Age at Departure: 23

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