When the flu epidemic hit the camp in 1919, and the vain cry for nurses went out, Prince Alexander proved himself one of the Saviors of the camp. Night and day, without thought for himself, he spent his strength nursing the sick who would otherwise have been without help. After that episode the Prince's courtesy was no longer the subject for joking in Castle Gate.
At that time there was much prejudices among the coal camps and black men were not buried inside the cemetery when their life was complete. Prince Alexander due to his Christ like character and service earned the right to be buried inside the Castle Gate cemetery after his death in the Castle Gate Mine explosion.
Thanks to this Christ like man my grandparents lives were saved and enriched by his association and compassion. They were among the many inflicted with the flu. Prince Alexander cleaned their home, gathered their wood and coal and brought them water. He was very good to them. I look forward to meeting Prince Alexander in the eternities!
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Lenora Ward Zobell |
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Jim and Lenora Ward Zobell were married in 1890 on the Provo Bench and had three children born to them before moving to Castle Gate. They made home the first house on the left side going toward Willow Creek before Coke Oven Row. Jim took care of the furnaces in the hotel, the hospital and the amusement hall. He also cared for the filter plant, did plumbing and other fix it jobs for the company. In 1940 the family left Castle Gate and headed for Salt Lake.
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On the left: The home of James and Nora Zobell - location first house below the tipple about 1929. Jack Zobell is in the center. |
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The photo on the left: is the dog owned by Jack Zobell. The Zobell home is on the left and the Jones house is on the right. |
For more information on this family contact Jack Zobell.
The Sun - 17 Jun 1921
Private Zobell is buried at Castle Gate, Saturday
Impressive services were held for Private Rudolph Zobell at the community hall at Castle Gate last Saturday afternoon. The body arrived at that place from overseas on Thursday of last week. Castle Gate post of the American Legion had charge. The funeral, however, was under the direction of Bishop Morgan D. Evans of the Latter-day Saints church. Number were rendered by the local choir under the leadership of Glenn D. Reese and the speakers, C. H. Madsen of Price, and Dr. C. E. MeDermid of Castle Gate, paid tribute to the courage and patriotism of the deceased in leaving his wife and family - he had two children - to fight for his country. The Castle Gate band and members of the American Legion walked to the cemetery, where full military honors were accorded to the departed soldier.
News Advocate - 16 Jun 1921
Body of Hero Now Resting at Home
The body of Rudolph Zobell, son of Mr. and Mrs. James H. Zobell, who died in France after an attack of the flu, was buried in Castle Gate Saturday. He left a wife and two babies to serve his country and had been under fire in the front line before he was taken ill. His wife re-married and is living in California and was not present at the funeral. It was the most impressive ever held in Castle Gate. Engineer Clark of the bureau of mines rescue car which is now in the county was a comrade of Zobell in the army and he spoke feelingly of the service rendered at the front by the young Castle Gate man. The principal addresses were made by C. H. Madsen, formerly of Castle Gate, and Dr. C. E. McDermid. Both paid high tribute to the soldier who made the supreme sacrifice. The amusement hall was crowded with people who desired to show honor to the memory of Rudolph Zobell and fifty members of the American Legion marched in uniform under the command of Lieut. L. W. Kelly. Bishop M. D. Evans had charge of all the service but the Legion accorded the departed soldier full military honors. Pall bearers were three soldiers and three sailors in uniform.
For more information on this family contact Jack Zobell.
When the mine blew up in 1924 John Stagg was working just across the canyon at the gate house where the miners checked in and out of the mine. The doors of the mine were blown across the canyon to the same side as he was on. He was one of the first to go into the mine to try and rescue people and to bring out and help identify the dead.
John Stagg was a butcher at this meat market until he got into a disagreement with his boss over getting a new slicing machine and the ice box fixed. When the boss wouldn't do it John quit.
John was also standing on the porch of the Meat Market and watched Butch Cassidy rob the Castle Gate payroll in 1897. He always said he watched Butch rob the payroll and he was smart enough to let him do it and not interfere and get himself shot or anything else.
Frank E. and Julia Smith were married in Loa, Wayne county, Utah on May 4, 1897. They moved around quite often and spent some time in Joseph, Vernal, Myton and then to Price in about 1900. Frank did not have a regular job but worked where he could. Family lore says that he drove a wagon up Nine Mile canyon to Myton when it first opened along with the outlaws on the trail. He also dealt cards at the Savoy Hotel and Saloon with Matt Warner and was a very good friend of his. Nothing is known about him before he married and very little after. It was said that he was not in good favor with the law.
Julia was the daughter of George Monterville Ames who was the son of Ellis Ames who was in the Brigham Young company when they left Winter Quarters. Her other grandfather was Niles Haskell who was in B company of the Mormon Battalion. She was a very small lady but a friend to everyone. This is a picture the house that we called a tent house. The floor was of hard packed, dirt so hard that she could sweep it just like a wooden floor. Then in 1938 Frank built a new house up closer to the road and it still stands at 500 South and 400 East. Where he got the funds to build it is still a mystery.
Frank E. and Julia Smith are both buried in the Price City Cemetery with other family members.
Funeral Held Yesterday for 81 year old resident
Jan 25, 1945 - Sun Advocate
Funeral services for Frank Smith, 81, who died at his home here Monday, were held in the Mitchell Funeral chapel Wednesday afternoon under direction of the Seventh Day Adventists. Burial was in the Price city cemetery.
Mr. Smith was born January 1, 1864, in Detroit, Michigan. Names of his parents are not know. He had resided in Price for the past 25 years. Surviving are his widow, Julia Smith; two sons, Clarence Smith, Price; and Corporal Lawrence Smith, France; and two daughters, Mrs. Nora Stoffos, Hiawatha; and Mrs. Golda Olsen, Orangeville.
on right:Smith family home from 1937 to 1940. The house is east of town on main street just before you got to the hill that we called Niggerson Hill. There are three houses on the right hand side that where built at the same time and are deserted now. We lived in the one in the middle.
This picture was taken in 1938. The man standing on the Scofield Dam is James Gilbert Austin (Gib). He and his brother, Web, were the owners of what was then called the Austin Ranch about three miles south of Price. Gib was born in Payson, Utah in 1880. He married Mildred Irene Ostler of Springville. Gib and his brother owned 250 acres and were instrumental in the growth of the canals. He was one of the early ditch riders. As a young man I got to go with him. It was fun for me but grandpa had to work.
When they were able to have water they where the first to start raising sugar beets. He was also the biggest contributor to the building of the sugar beet tipple down by the old stock yards.
He had the biggest water wheel in town and with the use of flumes was able to plant 200 acres. There is a page written about him in the Centennial Echoes from Carbon County.
After he was hurt walking behind a plow he sold out and moved to Washington state where he lived out the rest of his life. He died in 1960 just after he had seen his first granddaughter. His wife, Irene, died in 1948. They are both buried in Seattle, Washington.
Written by his grandson,
Loren Lewis Smith, native of Price now living in Washington.
John Hreinson was born 21 Jan 1858 in Brandshusi, Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland. His parents were Hreinn Jonsson and Sigrid Olafsdotter. He married Christine Gudmundsdotter, the daughter of Gudmund Arnasson and Gudney Arnasdotter, on the 17th October 1879. They became the parents of two daughters and three sons.
In 1892 he and his family immigrated to the United States arriving in New York City on July 10th and made their home in Spanish Fork, Utah. On Thursday, May 26th, 1910 Christine died in her home after a long illness. She was buried in the Spanish Fork, Utah cemetery.
John eventually made his way to Carbon County working at Winter Quarters for awhile and finally settling in Castle Gate and worked for the Utah Fuel Company. In his spare time he would do shoe repairing. On the 26th of June 1914 he married Elizabeth Ward in Price, Utah. He retired in 1937 at the age of 79 years old.
In his later years John became blind and unable to live on his own. He had cataracts on both eyes. One eye was operated on but it was unsuccessful so they wouldn't work on the other one. For six months of the year he would live with his son John Sigurmunder Hreinson and the other six months of the year he would live with his step daughter Ann Downy.
On the 7th of October 1948 he died in Castle Gate, Utah at the home of his son. Funeral services were conducted by Bishop Fay Thacker in the Castle Gate Ward Chapel. John was a member of the Lutheran church. He was buried in the Spanish Fork cemetery.
The picture shown here of John Hreinson was taken by Darrell K. Downey of Helper, Utah. It appeared in the August 13, 1942 Helper Journal. It is one of the three prints judged as the best in the July photo show of the Pueblo Camera club. It was to be included in the traveling salon which the Pueblo Club was to exchange with other clubs in the nation.
It is believed that Henry Herman Rolapp is the "Henry H. Rolapp" that purchased the mine at the town of Cameron in 1917 or 1919. If anyone has any information to prove or disprove this belief please e-mail Larry Rolapp.
Henry Herman Rolapp oldest son of Fredrich and Anna (Thiesen) Rolapp was born in Flensburg, Germany on March 22, 1860. He attended the German St. Petri School, Copenhagen. He joined the Mormon Church November 11, 1877 and left for England on a mission for the Church on May 18, 1878, remaining there until the spring of 1880. After his release he came to America and settled in Salt Lake City, arriving on June 20, 1880. He entered the mercantile business and began the study of law. Later he moved to Montpelier, Idaho where he was admitted to the bar and practiced law for a short time.
In the fall of 1882 he entered the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor and graduated in 1884 with an LLB degree. In November of 1884 he entered a law partnership with Charles C. Richards in Ogden Utah.
On December 9, 1885 Henry married Martha Horrocks in the Logan Temple. They had five children, all born in Ogden:
In November of 1895 he became Judge of the Supreme Court, Utah Territory and on January 1, 1896 became the first State District Judge at Ogden, Utah, a position he held until January 1, 1905. Upon retiring from the bench in 1905 he became General Counsel and Manager of Amalgamated Sugar Co. which he retained until the death of David Eccles when he succeeded him as President. In 1914 he was elected President of the U. S. Sugar Manufacturer's Association. In 1915 he became General Counsel for the Great Western Sugar Company and moved to Denver, Colorado.
Upon the outbreak of World War I the government placed him in charge of the Food Administration Sugar Distributing Committee. He held this position until 1919 when he returned to his former position in Denver. In 1921 he was again elected President of the Amalgamated Sugar Co. and moved to Utah.
From 1907 to 1916 he was a Regent of the University of Utah. In 1905 he organized the first Parents Class of the Church; in 1908 he became a member (later chairman) of the Church Auditing Committee; in 1910 he was appointed a member of the Deseret Sunday School Board.
He died in 1936.
Franklin H. Rolapp born and raised in the community of Ogden, Utah, the son of Henry H. and Martha H. Rolapp. Here he spent his young life enjoying athletics and won a medal for his record high jumping. During his school years one of his teachers was Emma Ray, who was being courted by Church President David O. McKay. He was chosen to run love letters between the two of them.
As a young man he was called to serve in the German Mission, where he served under Serge Ballif and Thomas E. McKay.
He assisted his father over an eleven year period in carefully analyzing and studying the scriptures which are accepted as such of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Out of this experience together came a book which is standard in any great Latter-day Saint library. It is called Gospel Quotations by Rolapp.
After his return from a mission he entered into the coal business, which took him many places, including Logan, Utah where he met Louise Thatcher. They were married in the Logan Temple and their marriage kept them together for 64 years. They were proud parents of H. Thatcher Rolapp, Ralph T. Rolapp, Franklin T. Rolapp* and Edgar T. Rolapp.
In 1918 the family moved to Salt Lake City, after acquiring his own coal mine, which he ran successfully until 1928. Just before the market crash, he sold the mine and moved to California where he went into the mortgage business. He also entered into the oil business. A number of his productive years were spent as receiver for Julian Petroleum Company. He was appointed by the Federal Court of Los Angeles. This position brought him a great deal of prominence in Los Angeles.
He later went into subdividing of real estate and construction. He loved to compose music and was an expert fly fisherman and sportsman.
Devoted to the Church, he held many positions and supported the Church leaders. He died in Los Angeles in 1975.
In the Winter Quarters mine explosion there were five Wilsons that lost their lives. I have had several inquires about them and who is related to who. This is the information that I have learned about them.
In the book "History of the Scofield Mine Disaster" by J.W. Dilley, page 91-94 it lists these Wilsons as dying in the explosion.
In the same book, in a biographical sketch of the John Wilson who was injured in the explosion it states: "...His brothers James, Willie and Alexander lost their lives while his father is confined to the hospital, he having sustained serious injuries."
In the "History of the Scofield Mine Disaster" page 49 we read: "...we hastened to the mouth of the mine, where one horse was found dead but his driver could not be seen until someone looking down the gulch saw the form of someone, supposed to be the driver, John Wilson. A few of the men hurried to his side and found that life was not yet extinct, although he had been blown eight hundred and twenty feet, by actual measurement. He was tenderly picked up and conveyed to his home where it was found that the back part of his skull had been crushed, besides a stick or splinter had been driven downward through his abdomen. he was in a critical condition and no one supposed he would live to be carried home, but, strange to relate, he has recovered rapidly and although he will never be able to do a day's work again he is up and feeling quite well at present."
George Law WilsonIn the Castle Gate Mine explosion of 1924 there was also a George Law Wilson who was on the mine rescue team from Standardville. He was the brother of John, James, and Willie Wilson. His father was Alexander Wilson. In the book "Next Time we Strike" by Allan Kent Powell it says: "...As rescue work began, one of the workers discovered he had a faulty breathing apparatus. George Wilson, captain of the Standardville team, attempted to bring the man out of the mine. Struggling for breath, the miner accidentally knocked Wilson's nose clip off causing him to inhale deadly gas. The rescue team took the stricken man from the mine and sent in another team for Wilson. Wilson had begun his mining career at the age of fourteen in the Clear Creek mine and was no stranger to disaster. He had lost three brothers and had seen his father and another brother suffer injuries in the Winter Quarters disaster. Although the rescue workers reached him and had him outside the mine in fresh air within five minutes, George Wilson died bringing the total dead to 172."
A VERY SAD SPECTACLE
Immense Throng of People Assemble in the Inclement Weather to Attest Their Love and Sympathy
The overmastering grief that has hung over ill-fated Scofield for nearly a week, was extended into a few Salt Lake homes, and yesterday the victims were buried, amid the most solemn ceremonies.
The commodious Sixteenth ward hall was filled to overflowing by those who had come to sorrow with the afflicted, and express their heartfelt sympathy for the bereaved.
The obsequies were over the remains of the three Wilson boys - Willie, James and Alexander. The young men were members of the Twenty-fourth ward, but Bishop Ashton, realizing that his meeting house was much too small, secured the more capacious building, but it was not adequate to accommodate the congregation.
The room was draped in white, and a wealth of potted plants and cut flowers literally covered the pulpit and the three caskets. The services were conducted by Bishop Edward T. Ashton, and there were on the stand: President Angus M. Cannon, his counselor Charles W. Penrose, Bishop George R. Emery, and counselors of the Sixteenth ward, W. J. Newman, E. F. Parry, Elder John Nicholson, and the pall-bearers.
The speakers were Pres. Angus M. Cannon, Elders C.W.P. Penrose and John Nicholson.
Elder John Nicholson, the concluding speaker, delivered a most excellent discourse, his words and sentiments striking responsive chords in the hearts of his hearers. He was a personal friend to the family and had crossed the ocean with William Wilson twenty years ago, and he knew him to have been a kind and generous young man, whose hand was always extended to the needy.
After further eulogizing the young men and testifying to the worth of the family, he spoke on the subject of sympathy, characterizing it as the grandest of all qualities; that the man who has no sympathy has no power, that he is wrapped up in himself and is a center without a circumference.
The services were closed by the choir singing, "Oh, My Father," and Elder W.J. Newman pronounced the closing prayer. The flower laden coffins were borne to the hearses by the following pall bearers: A.W. Chiverall, R.E. Currie, Thomas Marnane, Hyrum Myers, F.D. F. Gray, J.W. Sugden, for the local I.O.O.F. lodge; A. Wilson, J. and James Barrell, Charles Dalton, Otto Kurt and R. Norman; J.H. James, E. Fletcher, J.H. Selley, Stephen Ried, Andrew Benson and James Davis, the sextettes bearing respectively the remains of Alex, James and Willie Wilson.
A long cortege followed the remains to the city cemetery, where the graves were dedicated and a quartette, consisting of G.W. Timpson, Alma Vincent, Joseph Winter, and C.J. Winter, rendered a beautiful hymn.
Included in this photo on the left is Joe Cauldwell, bottom left. Second from the left, top row is Peter Douglas Lawson. He married the Wilson boys' sister Elizabeth Wilson. The photos of James Wilson, George Wilson, Peter Douglas Lawson, the Wilson memorial in the Salt Lake Cemetery and the obituary for the Wilson funeral have been donated by Liz McCleery Fullerton. If you are related to this family or would like to know more please contact her.
The McCutchen family from Divide, Colorado.
Joseph White McCutchen, Jr., of South Carolina and Harriet Minnie Margaret Martha Raymond McCutchen were the parents of 16 children. The McCutchen's had lived in Nebraska and Colorado. They had lived in Colorado until circumstances forced Mrs. Harriet McCutchen to come to Utah (about 1913) and adopt (or possibly sell) her children. The older children that were married and could care for themselves stayed behind in Colorado.
Mrs. McCutchen and her children were living in a tent in Hiawatha. She had put the word out she was giving her children away. There were many of the McCutchen children that found homes . There are some we have found and some we have not. We are so very grateful to the wonderful families who took the children in as their own and provided wonderful loving homes for them, the Barney’s and the Larsen’s and the Jensen’s.
We do not know what ever happened with Harriet. We know a few years after she came around to visit some of the children again... but do not know whatever became of her after the last visit possibly took place in 1915.
The following are children that were adopted or possibly sold.
We are so very grateful to any of the people who came into our relatives lives and opened their hearts and homes to them. We know they became better people because of your kindness and love. If you have any information we would greatly appreciate you sharing it with us.
newspaper article about McCutchen family
Three member of a large farm family separated 40 years ago when their widowed mother became ill were reunited Thursday.
Meeting a sister and brother for the first time since 1915 was Mrs. Mary I. Graham, Phoenix, Ariz., who arrived Wednesday in Salt Lake City.
Participating in the reunion were Mrs. Renee B. Harward, 626 Harmony Ct., and Carl V. Barney, Tooele.
Their mother, the late Mrs. Harriet Minnie McCutchen, was left alone with a large family in the ranching community of Divide, Co., 40 years ago.
When she became ill, she was forced to give up her children and place them in adoption in various homes.
"We all grew up under different names and separated." Mrs. Harward explains, "We tried to contact each other but without success."
Mrs. Harward and her brother Carl V. Barney (Barney is his adopted surname), kept in touch with each other since they were adopted by brothers.
Two years ago Mrs. Harward returned to Divide, Colo., and learned that two of her brothers were residing in Colorado-- one at Colorado Springs and another in Denver.
These brothers meanwhile had learned that a sister, Mrs. Graham, was residing in Phoenix.
The sisters, Mrs. Graham and Mrs. Harward, began corresponding. And this spring, Mrs. Graham and her husband decided to use their vacation time to come to Utah and meet the sister and brother she hadn't seen in four decades.
Howard Larsen (birth name was William Howard Taft McCutchen) The Larsen family in Cleveland adopted him.
Samuel James Montgomery of Janesville, Wisconsin and Amanda Jane Mead of Spanish Fork, Utah were married November 10, 1889 in Price, Emery County, UT.
Samuel worked for the railroad. He was an engineer. He later died in Chihuahua, Mexico working for the railroad.
Amanda being left with 3 sons to raise, later married John O. Thompson and Henry Checketts. Amanda is buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. Amanda was the daughter of Orland Fish Mead and Lydia Aby Presley.
The family of Samuel and Amanda consisted of 3 boys:
Harris worked for the D & RG Railroad.
Their children Ruth Fern Montgomery (1915) and Florence May Montgomery (1916) were both born in Helper. Evelyn Amanda Montgomery was born in 1918 in Kenilworth, Carbon County.
The family then moved to Garfield, Salt Lake County, Utah where they continued to have children and raise their family.
Alice died at the young age of 37 years old. Leaving behind a family of 9 children. Harris and Alice are both buried in the City Cemetery in Salt Lake City, UT.
George and his wives never had any children.
He worked as a Customs Agent. He is buried in Salt Lake City, UT.
Burt and his wife had 2 children. Burt and his second wife are buried in Ferron, Emery County, UT.
Sun Advocate - 4 Oct 1960
Funeral services were conducted Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Dragerton Second Ward chapel, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for Howard Edward Perkins, 64, who died Saturday at the Carbon Hospital after a long illness.
He was born May 3, 1896, at Mt. Pleasant, to Daniel H. and Martha Ericksen Perkins. He married Ruth Grames October 9, 1938, at Price. The marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake City LDS temple. He had been employed as store manger for the Spring Canyon - Standardville Coal companies and the Union Supply Company at Dragerton. More recently he had been a car salesman.
Surviving are his widow, sons and daughters; 15 grandchildren, a brother and sister. Burial was in the Price City cemetery.
If you have any information concerning this family please contact Diane
Sun Advocate - 26 Mar 1936
Standardville Woman Buried Tuesday
Funeral services were held Tuesday for Mrs. Maude Larsen Perkins, wife of Howard E. Perkins of Standardville, in Price tabernacle. Mrs. Perkins died Saturday. She had been a resident of Standardville for the past seventeen years, being born at Castle Dale, May 11, 1910, a daughter of Hyrum S. and Dora Acord Larsen. Bishop C. I. Reid conducted the services. Survivors are her husband and mother, five sons and daughters and the following brothers and sisters.
If you have any information concerning this family please contact Diane Perkins
William Keddie Douglas was a son of Thomas Greig Douglas, born 1831 Dysart, Fife, Scotland and Margaret Keddie born 1833 Markinch, Fife. He was one of 10 children. Five of his siblings died young ie John, Alison, James & Catherine and one other. His father was a Flax Worker in Fife. Two of the older children, Isabella and Thomas, stayed in Scotland while three left for America with their parents for a new and hopefully better life. They were Elizabeth Fyfe Douglas born 1861, Coalsnaughton, Tillicoultry, Fife, Janet Keddie Douglas born 1863 (as above) and William Keddie Douglas born 1867 Beath, Fife. He also was a Flax Mill Worker in Kinglassie, Fife. William married Hannah Jane Small Robertson born 1874 in Jarrow Durham, England. They married in 1891 in Utah. They had children Thomas Greig born 1892 in Spanish Fork, George Robertson born 1893, Chase Turnball born 1895 and William Wallace Douglas born 1897. Only the last two boys survived to a ripe old age with descendants. Hannah went on to marry twice following the death of William. Elizabeth Fyfe Douglas married Henry Harrison Wilson born 1858 Scotsdale, Pennsylvania. Their children are John Henry, Lewis Carson and William Douglas. After the death of Henry, Elizabeth, married William L Mathews. William Keddie Douglas and his brother-in-law were both killed in theScofield Mining Disaster of May 1, 900. The father, Thomas Greig Douglas, died in Spanish Fork in 1917 and Margaret died in 1898 in Scofield, Carbon, Utah. They probably never saw their remaining Scottish family again.
If you are related to this family or would like to know more please contact Fiona