Saturday, September 26, 2009

John Hamilton and Helen Melvina Groesbeck Morgan, Part 11















[Editor’s Note: This post concludes the 5-part journal account of John and Mellie’s, October 23 to November 20, 1883, trip to the East. The 1890 Juvenile Instructor above, with inside title page, and page with “Jno. Morgan, Leather” written on it, belonged to John Morgan. It came to me by course of his daughter Bessie Morgan Rex’s home in Randolph, Utah. The question of whether or not it could have belonged to John Morgan was cleared up when I carefully looked through each front page and found the tattered one with “Jno. Morgan, Leather” penciled in the upper right hand corner. It appears that someone in the Instructor Office, where he frequently called when he was in Salt Lake City, indicated this volume (or set of magazines) was for John Morgan, and needed to be bound in leather.]

1883
November 13
Arrived in Chattanooga at 8:20 a.m. Had breakfast at the Florentine House. Went up to the room and met brother and sister Haws. Afterwards brother [probably B. H.] Roberts returned and brought my wife and child up. Busy during the day, arranging for the emigrants and talking over matters with the brethren pertaining to the mission. In the p.m. drove up on Cameron Hill over to the cemetery and about town considerable. A number o Elders arrived, also a few emigrants.

November 14
Busy during the day telegraphing and getting ready for the company. At 2 p.m. Mr. and Mrs. Sessions called to see us. Met quite a number of acquaintances who treated me kindly. Took the 7:20 train for Louisville alone.

November 15
Arrived in Louisville at 7 a.m. and had breakfast at the 5th Avenue Hotel. Went from there to A. and M. Depot where I met Elder Hampton Beatie and a number of emigrants from Grayson Co., Ky. Attended to obtaining their tickets and at 2 p.m. started for Cincinnati where I arrived at 7 p.m. and met my wife and baby, also Elder Roberts with a small company of saints and Elders.

November16
Arrived in St. Louis at 7:20 and met the party from Louisville, and found that they had lost one of brother Millers boys during the night and that the saints from west Tenn. were 12 hours late. We concluded to wait their arrival, which we did spending the day in the city. Brother Miller’s boy came up early in the evening and the Shawneetern (?) party at 7 p.m. At 8:45 p.m. we all took train for Kansas City.
November 17
Arrived in K. C. [Kansas City] at 8 a.m. and obtained two cars for Pueblo. Bought tickets and re-checked baggage. Met Jerry Toles just as the train was pulling out. During the day we passed over considerable of the state of Kansas.

November 18
Had breakfast at Coolidge [Kansas] and arrived at Pueblo [Colorado] at 3 p.m. Obtained cars for our people going to Colo. And in company with my wife and brother Roberts went up into town and had dinner. After dark a party of us visited the street works and had quite an enjoyable time. Remained up during the night and at 12:40 took train for Salt Lake City. The Colo. Party started south soon after.

November 20
Woke up early. Met N. H. [Nicholas Harmon] Groesbeck at Springville who informed me that Eliza [daughter, born 8 Feb 1875] could not join us on our way home Arrived at Salt Lake at 6 a.m. and drove to brother G’s [Nicholas Groesbeck] for breakfast. Had dinner there and in the p.m. brought wife and children down home. Quite cool. Arranged for the emigrants to continue their journey to Franklin, Idaho.
Elder Hampton Beatie is mentioned here and here.
Cameron Hill, Chattanooga, Tennessee (after clicking on Cameron Hill, scroll down to see two early engravings of Chattanooga and Cameron Hill, Tennessee.)

John Morgan Journal, University of Utah, Special Collections, Salt Lake City, Utah.

2 comments:

  1. I finnished reading Grandma's funeral. It went right along with the message from last nights meeting about a legacy of Relief Society and Charity. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bessie I would like to thank you for your efforts in publishing our family history. My father is Brent and my grandfather was Elmer, I would love to give you a big hug for the information you have shared.

    ReplyDelete