Thursday, June 11, 2015

Law Man


                        Sunset on Robber's Roost, looking west toward the Henry Mountains


This chapter on George Armstrong Chappel, law man, is chronologically out of order with the rest of the book,  but it was such an interesting subject I couldn't resist researching and writing about it.  I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Jeff Chappell


As George and Aurilla became established members of the community, George was very active in public service. He had no large cattle herd, no flock of sheep or large crazing allotment – no, George, like most who came and stayed in Wayne County then and to this day – worked a variety of jobs in varied areas of employment. One of these was Wayne County Sheriff, a position he held for most of the 1890’s.   As early as the spring of 1892, George was working as the Loa town constable. (1)   In addition to town constable, he was also the acting Wayne County Sherriff. The court records of August 1892 referred to him as Sheriff George Chappell and for his services to the court he was paid $35.40. (2) The court officially identified George Chappell as Wayne County Sherriff in their March 6, 1893 meeting. (3)  For unknown reasons, the Wayne County commissioners appointed Wilber Wilson as County Sherriff in February 1896.(4)  It’s unclear when Sherriff Chappell was relieved of his duties in that the County Sheriff is not mentioned in the Wayne County Court records from March 6, 1893 until the new appointment of Mr. Wilson in February of 1896.

Whatever the reason for this hiatus in law enforcement, come the fall of 1896, George Armstrong Chappell was on the ballot, Democrat, running for sheriff against Mr. Wilson. Carrying almost every town in the county, he won handily by a vote of 315 to 166.  (See Appendix A: Election results) It would appear the people of Wayne County approved of the work he had done in the past and provided him the opportunity to serve them again.

Wayne County Court House Commissioner minutes give us some idea of the work of the local sheriff.  In August of 1892 we have the following:

Account of Justice Court of Loa precinct received being the case of the people vs Neils Johnson and John Johnson of Junction(Fruita), Gilbert Adams complaining witness.  Complaint (charges) that on or about the 22nd day of May, Defendants took the water from the complainant to his injury.  Witness “used by both parties”.  Les Holt and Elias Johnson, a jury called.  Attorney for Defendents Wm McCarty.
Country Attorney for the people, M. W. Mansfield
Verdict of Jury Not Guilty
The case was called by the Sherriff, “G A Chappell”
The court considered the case, and ordered that the following costs be allowed, as per bills presented
To Allen Russell, for expenses of Justice of the peace court, Loa   12.70
Geo A Chappell, Sherriff  35.40
6 jurors, day each  9.00
Witness Holt       7.00
Witness Elias Johnson  11.00 (5)

In addition to water issues and minding the court, the sheriff would have been involved with law enforcement topics common to humanity such as petty theft, drunkenness, disorderly conduct, civil disputes, etc.  Another problem of the day was the issue of roads, private property, and individual vs community rights.  A frequent problem noted in the Commissioner’s notes was individuals closing “public” roads that crossed their lands.  Surely the sheriff would have been involved in much of this.

While most of his work was likely routine and often mundane, Wayne County, Utah, near the turn of the century was, unlike most of the West, still very much untamed.  The great cattle drives out of Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma had ended over a decade before.  The wild west of Dodge City and Tuscon had been replaced by a more gentile society where six shooters and Winchesters were no longer a necessary part of a man’s outfit.  Doc Holliday and Earps; the Clantons and Mclaurys; were fanciful stories of an era now passed.  While it would be another 40 years before the image of the cowboy and the great America West would be immortalized on John Ford’s epic film “Stagecoach” staring the young John Wayne, by the mid 1890’s the legend of the western outlaw for most was just that –  a romanticized past.  But not in Wayne County, Utah.

Despite the changes elsewhere, the drama between the western outlaw and the brave men wearing a badge continued to play out in the remote regions of southern Wyoming, eastern Utah and western Colorado. As Sheriff Chappell assumed office in late 1896, Wayne County, Utah was at the epicenter of what remained of the old “Wild West”.  Seeking out the most remote and geographically isolated areas of the United States, the cowboy-outlaws of the late nineteenth century continued their dark trade in an area known as The Outlaw Trail.  While this area extended from Canada in the north and Mexico in the south and from Colorado to Nevada, the extreme remoteness of central Wyoming, northeastern Colorado and eastern Utah provided the sanctuary needed for men running from the law.  

Initially a loose band of ruffians guilty of crimes ranging from small scale cattle rustling to murder, by the mid 1890’s the activities of the outlaws were coalescing around a handsome young man from southern Utah.  Known as a creative and daring outlaw worthy of emulation and respect from his peers, with each successful bank or train robbery, Robert Leroy Parker, alias Butch Cassidy, was fast becoming the leader of this “Wild Bunch”.

Sheriff Chappell and Butch Cassidy were similar in many ways. Both were children of early Mormon pioneers, raised on the farm, and both as teenagers set out to make a go of it – become their own man.  But while George Chappell was busy working on the railroad, freighting across the west desert, punching cows in the Tintic mining district, marrying his sweet heart and beginning a family, Robert Leroy Parker was pursuing a different course.  Influenced by a rough element living near his home in Circleville, Utah, some 60 miles southwest of Rabbit Valley, young Parker pursued a seedier path of thievery, gambling and, ultimately, robbery on a grand scale.

George Armstrong Chappell, Sheriff and family man, contemporary and 13 years older than the brash young outlaw, would never be celebrated in print or film.  But like so many other honest, hardworking folk, he was caught in the wake of events surrounding this large group of cowboy-outlaws with whom they shared a majestically remote and spectacularly difficult land.

By the summer of 1897 Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch had reached a climax in their illegal activities. On Apri21, in the middle of the day, the gang robbed the payroll of the Pleasant Valley Coal Company in Castle Gate, Utah.  The daring heist, considered by many the most daring and spectacular job every pulled off in Utah quickly made Butch Cassidy “the undisputed king of all bandits then on the Outlaw Trail”. (6) With over $8000 in stolen gold, silver and receipts, the bandits made their quick getaway. Splitting up, with at least two of the fugitives passing through Torrey and Hanksville, (7) the group rendezvoused at Robbers Roost.

Robbers Roost, Brown’s Hole and Hole in the Wall were the three principle hang outs of the bandits riding the Outlaw Trail. Robbers Roost, in extreme eastern Wayne County, was the most southern of the three principal hang outs.  In extreme northeastern Utah along the Green River near where Wyoming, Colorado and Utah come together, Brown’s Hole was near the center of the outlaw trade.  Its geographic isolation combined with its proximity to three states, made this a favorite abode for those running from the law.  The third principal station, Hole-in-the Wall, was in distant north-central Wyoming Big Horn Mountains.

Unlike the other two hideouts – located in river valleys - Robber’s Roost was on the high plateau country. With only a scattering of juniper and pinion across a relatively flat terrain, from this high country, the rolling desert of scrub sage and stunted grass rolled off in all directions.  To the north, some sixty miles away, the Book Cliffs formed the skyline marking the location of Green River, the closest town to the north.  Far to the east, the peaks of the LaSalle and Abajo mountains marked the edge of Utah and the eastern most border of the rugged Colorado Plateau.   To the southwest, the impressive
Henry Mountains rose abruptly from the desert.  Hanksville, located near the junction of the Muddy and Fremont Rivers, just a few miles north of the Henrys, was the closest town to the Roost at some 40 miles away.  Charles Kelly in his book, The Outlaw Trail, sums it up nicely, “The view from the summit of the Roost Country is either sublime or depressing, depending upon the amount of water in one’s canteen and one’s knowledge of the waterholes.” (8)


                                        One  of the few springs in the Robbers Roost area

The wide open desert made it impossible for anyone to approach the hide out without being found out hours before arrival.  Making it even more difficult for the traveler, the deceptively gentle terrain was carved and cut  by deep red rock canyons that to the uneducated could appear out of nowhere making it impossible to proceed.  This geography combined with very few water sources limited access points. “There are only three trails into the Roost: one from Green River, one from Hanksville, and one from Dandy Crossing” (near Hite on the Colorado River). “It has no timber except an occasional grove of mountain cedars, and no vegetation other than stunted sagebrush and scattered tufts of sand grass.  Except for three of four small springs, it is absolutely arid…It was difficult of approach and more dangerous to enter than any other section of the state.”(9)

Following the Caste Gate robbery in the spring of 1897, it was common knowledge the outlaws were hiking out at Robber’s Roost and the citizens of the state wanted something done.  The Utonian, a newspaper in Beaver, Utah had the following in April, 1897:

“Something must be done to break up the gang of robbers and murderers now ensconced in the San Rafael mountains, and the state will have to do it…For many years it has been known that if a desperado reached the mountain fastness in that region he had entered the “City of Refuge”.  No officers  have ever gone there, for the reason that for a small company of officers to do so would simply be to go into a trap where death would be as certain and swift as if they plunged into the mouth of a volcano.  Officers have followed desperate fugitives to the canyons which are the gateways to the Robber’s Roost, as that country has lately been called, and found that when they arrived there all they could do was to become targets for the rifles of the outlaws” (10)

Surrounded by the desolate safety of Robber’s Roost, Butch Cassidy and his gang settled in.  Rather than holing up in the well-known caves or old cabins in the area, they prepared a “deluxe” tent encampment in Horseshoe Canyon not far from original Roost headquarters.  They were well supplied with food, drink and ammunition and spent their time in “eating, drinking, target practice, horse racing, and gambling, principally the last.  Everyone was welcome to camp”. (11)  With the help of three ladies who had joined the “Wild Bunch” at the Roost, they resupplied in Green River and Price.  “In August they appeared in Price and bought all the ammunition in town….These large purchases of ammunition served two purposes:  they helped the boys kill time in target practice, and they served as a warning to all officers that they had best keep away from the vicinity of Robber’s Roost.” (12) Butch Cassidy and other residents of the Roost also made frequent trips into Hanksville creating not a small amount of business for local merchants.  (13)

Popular lore has Butch Cassidy as a western “Robin Hood” and the “Wild Bunch” as his “Merry Men”, but to the majority of people in Wayne and other surrounding counties, their presence was known and unsettling.  That Butch Cassidy was a gentleman and friend to the common man may or may not be true, but there is no doubt many of his associates were not nice people. Travel through Rabbit Valley, down the Fremont River and through its associated communities was a major route into the Roost.  Any stranger passing through, especially with livestock, may well have been a dangerous man. The story of Lizzie Golding, resident of Blue Valley is telling:

“When Lizzie Golding and her mother heard the nighttime silence broken by the rumbling of hooves, they ‘would pull the organ across the doorway and hide in the closet until long after the clatter of fleeing horses and their riders had died away.” (14)

While the Golding women of Blue Valley were never bothered, the same cannot be said for Golding livestock. Sebron Johnson Golding had a prize racing horse come up missing after he refused to sell the animal to Butch Cassidy.  He also lost a team of horses.  Local stock was constantly being taken. Chapman Taylor Duncan’s herd was “decimated” by the Robbers Roost gang after he moved from Fremont to Caineville in 1895. (15)  The local people upon whom the outlaws preyed were not large cattle barons. These were poor families, trying to make a go of it in difficult circumstance made much worse by evil men. Ultimately, Governor Heber M. Wells posted a $500 reward for the capture of any Robbers Roost outlaw. (16)

As the conditions in the eastern part of the county worsened, it became clear Sherriff Chappell needed more help.   On February 7, 1897, minutes of the Wayne County Court state the following:  E.A. Brown of Loa and John Cottrell of Hanksville were duly appointed deputy sheriffs in and for Wayne County. (17)  John Cottrell was a very good choice for deputy in that he had lived at Robber’s Roost while acting as foreman for J. B. Buhr and the 3B outfit.  He built a home just above the Roost Spring where he, his wife and three step-sons resided. Originally from Pennsylvania he had worked for the circus until suffering a serious head injury from an elephant.  He was described by Pearl Baker in her 1965 book, “The Wild Bunch at Rubber’s Roost” as: “big, dark complexioned man, nice looking, with blue eyes, slightly curly dark brown hair and a prominent nose.” (18) This is in startling contrast in how he is described by Charles Kelly in his 1939 book.  Mr. Kelly says he came from Texas by way of southern Utah and describes him as “one of the most successful cattle thieves in the Roost”. (19)  Whatever his origins, it’s clear he had an excellent knowledge of the land and the men who lived there.

$150.00 a year; $12.50 a month; Wayne County Sheriff salary for 1897-98 as stated in the June 30, 1896 minutes of the Wayne County Court Records.(20).  Never intended to provide a full time living, George A. Chappell was busy hauling manure and preparing to plow as May, 1897, moved toward June.   The nights were still frosty - as usual, spring comes late to the upper valley of the Fremont - but summer would eventually come and there was work to do. Ditches needed attention and equipment repairs.  He knew Butch Cassidy and his gang was hiding out in his county, but he had a family to feed and he couldn’t do it on Sheriff’s wages. While never having actually been in the Roost, (Kelly, p.155 – quoting the Beaver Utopian that no officer had ever gone there) he was familiar with his county’s high desert country and it’s almost numberless locations for hiding and ambush. Just weeks before, Sheriff Tuttle of Emery County had been shot in the leg while pursing outlaws into the San Rafael Desert. (21)  While brave, George was not stupid.  The forty-three year old father of 6 had a family beholding to him.  Aurilla, expecting another child in August, wanted nothing of her husband in harm’s way.  A comment by Pearl Baker in her book, The Wild Bunch at Robbers Roost, provides interesting insight into the situation:

…posses had come and gone, being careful not to get too close. Although they were a nuisance, the boys didn’t pay much attention to them. (22)

In early June, Deputy U.S. Marshal Joe Bush, headquartered in Salt Lake City, rode into town looking for Sherriff Chappell.  Funded by the Ireland Cattle company of Carbon County, Marshal Bush had been given the mission of cleaning out the cattle thieves. He was putting together a posse to go into the Roost, making final preparations in upper Wayne County. (23). Joe Bush, by all accounts, was one tough character. Described as fearless, tough and hard-drinking, he armed himself with a sawed-off shotgun and various other weapons.  (24) Chappell family records relate that Sherriff Chappell did go with Joe Bush into the Roost country in pursuit of the outlaws, but it is hard to say if he joined him on this expedition.  Kelly reports in his book that at the conclusion of this expedition, Blue John, captured at Granite Ranch, was turned over to Sherriff Chappell:

To the Sheriff of Wayne County, Loa, Utah:
Dear Sir:  This is a bad man.  Better send him to Salt Lake City or Provo for safekeeping.  He is the one that informs the entire Roost gang by carrying mail and other information.  He has lots of backing on his line and may get away from you or be taken from you. Better make sure and put him in a good place.
John Cottrell, Deputy Sheriff of Wayne County (25)

Blue John had been in the Roost country for many years before being captured that summer of 1897 - a canyon at Robbers Roost still bears his name. Originally John Griffith, Pearl Baker describes Blue John as not much of a cowboy and one who preferred a team and a wagon to a saddle horse.  In addition to carrying mail and information, he hauled supplies, cooked, ran errands and was a general handyman around camp. (26) When Joe Bush’s posse had arrived in Hanksville, word was that Blue John was working at Granite Ranch.  Led by John Cottrell, the ranch house was surrounded in the predawn hours and the unlucky captive was taken when he come outside in the early morning to relieve himself. (27)  Not having a facility in which to keep a prisoner (the year before, the Wayne County Court had discussed the purchase of a jail cell, but to date one had not been installed - Feb 10, 1896, p. 65, The matter of purchasing a cell for criminals was discussed.  The Clerk was ordered to send for a price list of iron cages.) Blue John was sent on to Richfield for safe keeping.   Expenses to Wayne County indicate Blue John was kept in the Sevier County Jail for almost a year between 1897 and 1898. (28). In June 1898, Sheriff Chappell traveled to Richfield and brought Blue John back to Loa for court. His expenses were listed as follows:

$2.50 per day - $7.50; 7 meals @ .25 each – 1.75;  Lodging 3 nights @.25 - .75; Returning Blue John to Richfield – 1.50; Serving summons on 18 jurors @.10 – 1.80; Serving subpoenas on 8 witnesses @.10 - .80; Jacob Ostbert, tending Lee – 1.00;  Total - $15.00  (Signed, George Chappell) (29)

Other expenses listed in the county commissioner minutes in September of 1897 were:

Sept 6, 1897, p.94
Bills allowed:
Bill $48.95 of Geo. Chappell, Sherriff expenses, $41.55 allowed
Bill $47.00 of Deputy Sherriff C. A. Brown, $42.00 allowed
Bill $18.00 of Wilford Pace bailiff and Deputy Sherriff, $16.00 allowed
Bill $15.00 of Julette Blackburn
Bill of $12.50 of WS. Rush, for bringing Blue John to Loa. $10.00 allowed.
Bill of $16.75 of W. E. Sandford for bringing Blue John to Loa, $14.25 allowed

That law enforcement was very active in 1897 is reflected in additional bills submitted on December 6 of that year: 

Dec 6, 1897, p. 99
Bills Allowed:
Claim $10.00 of John Cottrell Deputy Sherriff, $6.00 allowed.
Claim $15.10 of Geo. Chappell Sherriff
Claim $19.75 of C. A Brown for services as Deputy Sherriff and Bailiff, $18. 75 allowed.
Claim $53.25 of J. W. Coons of Sevier Co. for boarding Blue John in County Jail at Richfield. 
Claim $35.00 of John Cottrell Deputy Sherriff.

The summer of 1898 brought more of the same on the east desert.  Ultimately, Blue John had been acquitted and was back at the Roost resuming his bad habits.  Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch were still free planning their next train robbery or bank job.  Joe Bush had proven the Roost was not impenetrable, or at least the surrounding hide outs were vulnerable but few arrests had been made. Cattle rustling were up across the whole region and the cattlemen were getting ancy.  On March 6 the Denver News called for an all-out war against the outlaws.

“The gangs have almost depopulated the ranges within 200 miles of their retreats, and travelers, farmers and freight wagons have been robbed so frequently as to cause little comment.  Murder has been frequent.  The large cattle companies have been almost driven out of business…Thieves, murderers and burglars from all over the country have joined the gangs and radical measures are needed to get them out.  Ordinary measure will not do and much blood will undoubtedly be shed before the three states are rid of the pests….(reports have indicated) a state of terror existed, the like of which does not bear a parallel in western or eastern history.” (30)

Before a full scale military operation could be organized to rid the country of the criminals, on April 25, 1898, war was declared on Spain.  Soon the energy aimed at the Wild Bunch was shifted toward the Spanish menace in the Caribbean. (31)  All major operations were postponed and the task of maintaining law in the region was again turned over to the local law men.

In Wayne County, the citizens wanted something done and Sherriff George Armstrong Chappell was the man responsible. While still making just $150 a year as sheriff, the $500 reward for the capture of any Robbers Roost outlaw posted by Governor Heber M. Wells did add some incentive. (32)  In the early morning cool, Sherriff Chappell secured his saddle straps, checked his pack horse, gave last minute instructions to his teenage sons, kissed Aurilla and swung into the saddle. He reined his horse to the south and gave a gentle nudge.     

Heading south along the gentle slope of the western Thousand Lake and on to Thurber he was well on his way by mid-morning. Joining him along the way was his deputy, Charles Brown.  Chasing desperate men was a risky business best not taken on alone.  They would be joined by others.  Moving southeast the road brought him to the Fremont River where it left behind the broad upper valleys and entered the majestic red rock country.   A nice place to rest a horse and get a drink, the small party stopped for a bit.  Moving east along the river bottoms, red cliffs loomed to the north and black rock hills rose to the south.  Arriving at Cigarette Hallow they turned briefly south and up a draw a bit before crossing the small stream and east up a wash that led them up onto the gentle Teasdale Bench.  Flat topped and rugged, to the south the mid-summer thunder clouds were building over the Boulder Mountain as by early afternoon they approached Poverty Bench (Torrey). 

Well supplied and wanting to get a good start on their excursion, they moved on from Torrey.  Just east of town, the rode moved up an incline and topping out, the vista before him was at the same time breath taking and sobering. Cliffs, canyons, ridges, peaked mountains and varied colors of red, orange, pink and grey spread out in every direction.  Looking to the south, the blue/green Boulder Mountain, imposing and rugged, dominated the horizon flattening out at over 11000 feet. The pinion covered rise of Miner’s Mountain softened the transition from alpine forests to desert.  The peaks of the Henry Mountains in the distance formed the back drop to the magnificent formations of the Water Pocket Fold and future Capital Reef National Park.  The layered red rocks immediately ahead were carved and cut into a myriad of washes and canyons of varying depth and width.  Further ahead the down sloping terrain suddenly rose to vertical red rock cliffs several hundred feet high. This ancient Wingate formation swung to the north then west climbing toward Boulder’s little sister, Thousand Lake, burying itself into the mountain’s base.

Moving off the ridge, the riders moved down through the scattered pinion and juniper. Mixed with the red shale and sand stone slab, large black lava rocks lay scattered a long side the road.  Originating in the Thousand Lake foothills to the northwest, Sulfur Creek bubbled over the rocks in the narrow stream bed below.  Crossing Sulphur Creek the riders followed the stream east past a small ranch until the valley began to narrow and the road turned northeast away from the deepening gorge.   Moving away from the docile brook, the impressive canyon through which it flowed toward the Fremont betrayed the water’s fits of angry flash floods suffered each summer in late July and August. Turning up a dry wash the road moved toward the cliffs and then southeast toward the formation known, for obvious reasons, as Chimney Rock.

The shadows in the desert were growing long as they made their final descent down red clay ridges into Junction, the small village nestled among the cliffs where Sulphur Creek joined the Fremont River.  Known today as Fruita, the area was first settled by ancients who had long since left their primitive irrigations works noted by the first Anglos visitors who arrived in the 1870’s.   Nels Johnson was the first white man to homestead the area but was soon joined by the Behunins, Sorensons, Holts and Pierces.  Some 2000 feet lower than Rabbit Valley, by 1898 orchards were abundant as were nut trees and grapes.  Several homes were scattered among the small farms and a school house had been constructed north of Sulphur Creek just above its confluence with the larger Fremont River.   (33) Ten years previous, lawmen frequented the area looking for Mormon polygamists who were known to hide in the area – hence Cohab Canyon – an almost invisible canyon just east of town known to be a hiding place for the reluctant fugitives. In 1898, it was a different kind of outlaw using the obscure side canyons.

It’s hard to say if the travelers would have found accommodations among the locals – or if they would have made a bed among the apple trees.  The fact that George Chappell did not receive a single vote from the citizens of Junction in the November 1886 elections, would suggest it was the later. (Appendix A) The many grapes grown in the area had given rise to a small but thriving bootlegging business. (34) Perhaps Sherriff Chappell on a previous visit had created some grief for the local entrepreneurs and had thus fallen from favor.    

In any case, having cared for his animals, he settled in for the evening.  In the dancing fire light, he cradled his rifle across his lap and inspected the fine piece.   While the county may not have been paying top wages, they had provided him with the best rifle of the day.  His Winchester Model 1895 was different from previous Winchester models in that it contained a box magazine under the action rather than the traditional tubular magazine which had been standard on Winchester rifles since their inception in 1866.  Designed by the legendary John Browning, this lever action rifle was designed not only to safely chamber military and hunting cartridges with spitzer (pointed) bullets, but also tolerated the increased pressures generated by the more powerful smokeless powder cartridges entering common use at the time of its introduction. (35)

Shooting the relatively new .30-.40 Krag cartridge, this smokeless powder round not only delivered a larger bullet, it arrived 25% faster than the more common black powder .32-40 commonly used with the 1884 Winchester. (36) It also had better range than the newly released smokeless 30-30.  The better rifles carried by the law men had already shown their advantage when the year before, in pursuing Rooster resident Joe Walker in the desert east of Hanksville, the longer range firing had convinced the outlaw to abandon the fight and instead ride away. (37)  In later years, former Wayne County Attorney Joseph Eckersley related the following:

“Sheriff George Chappell was a very brave and courageous man, who on several occasions invaded their (Cassidy’s gang) hangout area. He had a gun issued him by the United States Government, a 30 U.S., that would outshoot their 30-30 Winchester rifles.  The sheriff with this gun put fear into the gangsters.  Many left the area.”(38)

Of interest, in later years this prize gun, having suffered the effects of 2 decades of use and abuse was in a state of disrepair when George’s son Lee returned from World War 1.  Having been instructed in the proper care and maintenance of fire arms in the military, Lee took the old gun and returned it to its former self.  Later, George gave the gun to Lee among whose descendants it remains.

Leaving Junction the next day, the road turned south paralleling the cliffs of the Water Pocket Fold. This impressive formation near 100 miles long extends from Thousand Lake Mountain to the North, to the Colorado River in the south. Named after the many “water pockets” found in its eroded sandstone, the “Reef” as it was known by early Mormon settlers, created a formidable barrier to travel between western and eastern Wayne County.   The “colorful cliffs, massive domes, soaring spires, stark monoliths, twisting canyons, and graceful arches” (39) would attract tens of thousands of tourists not many years hence, but before the days of hydraulic drills, diesel engines and Caterpillar, getting from one side to the other was a problem.

Passage through the Reef was possible only through one of several canyons.  Native Americans, on foot or horse most commonly used trails through Spring Canyon on the north or through Pleasant or Oak Creek to the south. Access to Spring Canyon was either north of Torrey or over a ridge just north of Chimney Rock. The trail then followed Spring Canyon east to the Fremont River and then on through the Reef. (40)  In 1882, Elias H. Blackburn, Mormon bishop of the Fremont Valley Ward obtained a $1000 dollar grant for a road between Loa and the Colorado River. (41) In March of that year he and several others took a trip down the river in search of a rout suitable for a wagon road.    Looking for the most direct route, following the Fremont through the Reef seemed to make the most sense, but this would require crossing the large winding stream some 50 times.  To the north the difficult access and narrow width eliminated Spring Canyon as an option. Moving south, Grand Gulch passed through a section of the Reef but then joined the Fremont River with its associated drawbacks.  Further south in Capital Wash the party found a route that while passing through a very narrow gorge, did provide a route amenable to wagons.

It was along this road pioneered some sixteen years previous that the riders followed south out of Junction, the tall cliffs of the Reef to the left and the gradual red rock incline of Miner’s Mountain to the right.  Along the way, they passed the entrance to Grand Gulch, a sometimes hideout for those avoiding the law,(42) but having no reason to expect anyone hiding in the rugged canyon, the party continued on to Capital Wash, several miles south of Junction.  As they approached the entrance to Capital Wash, the riders studied the western horizon intently.  Thunderstorms which built over the Boulder Mountain were known to move east into the desert causing flash floods that could be deadly to those passing through the 6 mile long canyon.  While most commonly a risk to late summer travelers, it was just second nature for those familiar with the desert to always be aware of the weather.  You didn’t need to get rained on to be in trouble – you just needed to be downstream.

Emerging from the canyon, the riders passed the small cluster of farms along Pleasant Creek known as Notom. Riding northeast they followed Pleasant Creek to the town of Aldridge established where the stream joined the Fremont River.  From there, the road took a more easterly direction into a completely different world than the one they had left on the west side of the Reef.  Red rock, cliffs and pinion pine were replaced by barren rolling blue clay and flat topped grey mesas. Other than the plant life along the streams, the terrain was so void of plant and animal life it would be used in future movie sets to represent otherworldly places such as Mars.  While relatively easy to transverse when dry, the clay could become so sticky when wet, that travel could be near impossible. One particularly precarious location through the blue clay country was Blue Dug Way.  Carved in the side of a steep formation, the ascent and descent were always an adventure and at times a hazard depending on the moisture content of the clay road base.

Beyond the Blue Dug Way, the road settled alongside the Fremont River where it would continue for most of the remainder of the trip to Hanksville. Along the way, they passed the towns of Caineville, Elephant, Giles, Blue Valley, and Clifton.(43)  It’s likely Sherriff Chappell and his companions would have spent their second night in one of these communities along the river still west of Hanksville.  Unhappily within fifteen years, the only remaining towns east of the Reef would be Notom, Caineville and Hanksville – all the others having been abandoned when repeated heavy floods made continued irrigation of farms impossible.

Arriving in Hanksville, the up-county lawmen were greeted by their local counterpart, John Cottrell.  Experienced not only with the territory but pursuing the Wild Bunch, Deputy Cottrell was an invaluable asset to Sherriff Chappell.  His knowledge of trails, water holes and likely patterns of movement among the outlaws was essential information for any successful foray into the Roost country.

Unfortunately, information on the whereabouts and movements of the desert fugitives from the community of Hanksville was hard to get.  Many of the local residents and businessmen had regular interaction with the cowboy outlaws and for most, the interactions had been positive.  Being the closest community to the Roost, residents of Robber’s Roost regularly came to town, bought supplies, exchanged pleasantries with the people and provided an added economic boost to one of the most geographically and economically isolated locations in the United States. (44)

South of Hanksville, the impressive Henry Mountains with peaks rising to over 11,000 feet dominated the view.  (The fact that these somewhat mysterious mountains were the last mountain range to be added to the map in the lower 48 states points out just how wild this land was at the turn of the century. (45)) To the east, the land was flat and rolling.  Void of trees and with only scattered vegetation, very few dominant landmarks defined the land. Far in the distance, the La Sal Mountains directly east and the Abajo further south, marked the eastern edge of the rugged canyon country of the Colorado.    Somewhere out there, lost in this wild country, rugged men who did not want to be found, lived among the deep canyons and dry plateaus.

There were only three routes into Robber’s Roost. One from Green River to the north, another from Dandy Crossing to the south (this crossing was later named Hite, after Cass Hite, the prospector who established the ford of the Colorado River here in 1880.  (46)  The third route was out of Hanksville and was a relatively short, but rough and dangerous, forty-five miles to the Roost. (47)  Traveling to the Roost from Hanksville, the trip is initially across the sandy, relatively level terrain of the Burr Desert. However, the Dirty Devil River – created from the combination of the Fremont River and Muddy Creek at Hanksville - flows in a south, southeast direction cutting a deep swath through an otherwise gentle landscape.  The deeply carved sandstone canyon along with its accompanied side canyons created a natural barrier crossable at only one place. Traveling down Beaver Box Canyon a man on foot or horse could drop off the canyon rim into a steep gravel drainage, cross a fairly level bench and descend into a series of massive sandstone bowls before crossing the river and ascending the other side along the Angle Trail and out onto the Roost country.  The loose trail across mostly open sandstone both down to the river and back out created a dangerous exposure problem for anyone coming through who may have others wishing he wouldn’t. 

As Sherriff Chappell and his small posse headed out of Hanksville that day in 1898, we can only guess their destination, route and encountered difficulties.  His son, George A. Chappell, in a 1953 interview, reported that his father was in eastern Wayne County in 1898 and that he was on the trail of Butch Cassidy:

“Sherriff Chappell told of the time in 1898 of having Butch Cassidy trapped on a narrow trail on a ledge.  The Colorado River was a hundred feet below and the ledge was extended several feet above.  The sheriff was well concealed and knew that Cassidy had not seen him.   After waiting several minutes longer than it would have taken Butch to reach that spot, Sheriff Chappell started to look for him and discovered that somehow Butch Cassidy had lowered his horse into the river and was safely past.  He never knew how Cassidy found out that he was on the trail that night.” (48)

The description of this event would suggest the pursuit was more likely in the area of Dandy Crossing than out on the Roost.  A possible scenario is that upon arriving in Hanksville, John Cottrell or some another informant, made the lawmen aware that a group of outlaws, including Butch Cassidy, were planning to move a herd of stolen cows or horses southeast to Colorado.  Rather than trying to move on the Roost directly, a very dangerous proposition as has already been described, the posse would have headed directly toward the Colorado River and the Dandy Crossing ford. 

The many canyons, cuts and gorges of the Colorado River and tributaries put all the advantage to those who wait. The near limitless locations for ambush were ideal for the holed up robbers, but turning the tables, lawmen could also use the topography to their advantage.  Having what they thought was a good idea of the trails the outlaws would use, the lawmen set their trap – a location in which the ruffians would have to pass directly between them and the river below.  Without an escape route and with their pursuers having the surprise, Butch Cassidy and his riders would have no choice but to relinquish or face certain death from the guns of the well concealed posse. Unfortunately, and consistent with the legend surrounding Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch, the dark riders of Robber’s Roost slipped by and quietly evaporated into the night.

Returning home, the Wayne County posse had stories to tell, but no criminals to prosecute.  Resuming the more routine duties of a small town sheriff - not to mention full time farmer – George Armstrong Chappell was busy as fall elections approached. Whether he knew it or not, support among the citizenry had slipped.  Facing a tough challenge from J.D. Pace, Sherriff Chappell won re-election by only 14 votes. Interestingly, support among his former neighbors in Loa was weak in both the 1896 and 1898 elections. Perhaps some were disappointed in his inability to bring more of the outlaw element to justice. It’s hard to say.   His support in the communities most affected by the cowboy outlaws was mixed. While he gained more votes among the communities east of the Reef than his challenger, the results varied widely depending on the community.  He won Cainesville easily, but did not do well in Hanksville.  Considering the fickle nature of politics it’s hard to say what this means. But given the close association of the Wild Bunch with the citizenry of Hanksville, loss of popularity may have been a good thing for a lawman. (Appendix A) 

In the spring of 1899, more than just the usual cold winds of spring were blowing in the Roost country.  The law was on the move.  Pursuing Blue John and Silver Tip, Sherriff Jesse M. (Jack) Tyler of Moab along with several deputies rode south out of Green River and into the Roost. It was early March and several prize horses had come up missing in Moab.  Blue John and Silver Tip had been seen in town and they were assumed responsible for the missing mounts.  One of his deputies was familiar with the country and led the posse to the outlaw’s camp in Roost Canyon.  In the early morning hours of March 5, 1899, a gun battle ensured in which the lawmen had Blue John, Silver Tip, Indian Ed and one other unnamed outlaw pinned down for a time. The battle of Roost Canyon, as it was later called, was by all accounts an intense exchange of gunfire that eventually resulted in a leg wound to Indian Ed, but no other casualties.  Depending on the reference, the battle ended with the outlaws escaping out the other side of the canyon (49); or the lawmen making a hasty retreat when the outlaws’ strategically placed bullets began hitting a bit too close (50).  Regardless of the immediate outcome, the battle did demonstrate to the desert refugees the Roost was no longer a safe haven.   Leaving Robbers Roost for good the four split up.  Blue John was last seen at Hite headed down the Colorado River in a boat. (51).  Indian Ed spent some time with a sheep camp outside of Hanksville until he was well enough to ride then left the country to never return. (52).   Silver Tip headed south toward Arizona where his adventures with the lawmen continued.

Being considerably older than the rest of the Wild Bunch riders, Silver Tip was near 50 years old when he left the Roost for the last time. He had first become acquainted with the country when he was hired on as a cow hand around 1890.  Shortly after, he had met Blue John and Indian Ed Newcomb with whom he had done most of his outlawing.  In the words of Pearl Baker, “The three, Blue John, Silver Tip and Indian Ed, circulated with the Wild Bunch, lending a hand wherever it was needed, whether in bank robbery, horse stealing or whatever was under way.”  He had dark brown hair, blue eyes and always wore a large mustache. The silver grey hair around his temples gave him the name of Silver Tip. (53)

While Sherriff Tyler was coming from the north, the irrepressible Joe Bush was in the west outfitting in Torrey for another push into the desert hideout. While Kelly and Baker make no mention of Sheriff Chappell joining the excursion, Chappell family history states that George A Chappell did, indeed, join Marshall Bush in pursuing the outlaws and was involved with Bush in the apprehension of both Blue John and Silver Tip. (54)  Moving east the posse was joined by Ott Thompson and Jack Contrell (55). 

While stationed at Granit Ranch, the lawmen received word that Silver Tip was headed south with a herd of stolen horses.  Picking up the trail, the posse followed Silver Tip across some of the most spectacular and rugged country on earth eventually catching up with him on the Pariah River about 20 miles above Lee’s Ferry. 

The Grand Valley Times, June 9, 1899, states:

Howells, alias Hawkins, alias ‘Silver Tip’, one of the party that made the fight on Sheriff Tyler and posse in the San Rafael country last March has been captured by Joe Bush and posse about 40 miles north of Lee’s Ferry near the Colorado River…Silver Tip had with him a .30-.30 Winchester believed to have formerly belonged to Moab Parties.  He had 10 head of horses with him when captured.  (56)

While the newspaper article provides the facts of the apprehension, in his book, The Outlaw Trail, Charles Kelly provides a more colorful account (albeit with some artistic liberty):

“The posse made a dry camp and prepared for an early morning attack.  Silver Tip was camped in an abandoned cabin just above the Wash.  Bush ordered two men to approach the front and shout.  He and Ott Thompson hid themselves in a wash below.  With guns drawn, the first two men leisurely began closing in.  At their shout, Silver Tip jumped out a back window, lit out down the wash and ran plump into the arms of Joe Bush.

Bush had drawn his six-shooter; but when he tried to cock it the hammer stuck, because of a defective primer. Thompson, scared half out of his wits, was trembling like a leaf.  In his excitement he accidentally discharged his gun, narrowly missing Bush.  Silver Tip was armed with a very fancy gun but did not have an opportunity to use it.  Bush stepped up and relieved him of the weapon, then snapped on the handcuffs.” (57)

According to Charles Kelly, the posse returned to Wayne County where Silver Tip was left in the care of the local Sheriff.  In his book, he mistakenly names John Hancock as sheriff of Wayne County, (58) but it would be another year and a half before Sheriff Chappell would lose the election to Mr. Hancock.  Chappell family history relates that Sheriff Chappell kept Silver Tip at his home in Lyman for several days while awaiting an officer to transport him to Provo. It’s said the prisoner resided in the granary and that Aurilla put him to work peeling potatoes.  This would seem to corroborate with Mr. Kelly’s comments about Silver Tip being kept at the home of the local sheriff for several days – and that he made no effort to escape. (59). 

Wayne County Commissioner minutes from June 6, 1899 report the following:

June 6, 1899, p.127
Sherriff George Chappell bills 7.50, 4.00, 10.00, 125.00;  $146.50

While not itemized, the amount of money paid to Sheriff Chappell (the largest single payment noted on the Commissioner’s minutes in the several years he served) would indicate he had had a very busy spring and is consistent with a prolonged excursion on the desert and extended care of a prisoner.

Wayne County Commissioner minutes would suggest Silver Tip was not the only prisoner Sheriff Chappell cared for.  On October 2, 1899, George Chappell Sheriff, was paid $47.00 for boarding a Peter Neilson. (60)  And again on March 5, 1900, he was paid $40.00 for care of a prisoner. Interestingly, during this same March meeting of the county commissioners, the following resolution was passed:  “All persons who may hereafter be convicted of crime and placed in the custody of the sheriff or other officers of this county be forthwith transferred to the county jail of Sevier County at Richfield, Utah for safe keeping.” (61) 

Silver Tip was brought back to Wayne County in the fall of 1900 to stand trial for attempted murder relating to the early spring 1899 gun battle with Sheriff Tyler in Roost Canyon. (62)  Ultimately convicted he was sentenced to 10 years in the state penitentiary. The trial and its outcome were reported in the Grand Valley Times on September 29, 1900. (63).  Sheriff George Chappell was paid $16.00 that month for taking a prisoner to Richfield. (64)

A prime example of the difficulty in teasing out fact from folklore as it relates to the Wild Bunch is illustrated in the case of what happened to Silver Tip after his conviction.  Joseph Eckersly, prosecuting attorney of Wayne County at the time, related the following to Jack Chappell, grandson of George A Chappell:  

“Silver Tip was turned over to me to be prosecuted.  He was hand cuffed to the buggy and I was to deliver him to Price for trial.  We came to a wash in Emery county to go through that was filled with rushing flood water.  Fearing for the safety of the prisoner in crossing, I removed his cuffs.  When in the middle of the flood water, he jumped into the flood and escaped.  I reported back to Sheriff Chappell the incident.  His name was put on the wanted list to be captured again.  Two months later he was reported killed in a gun battle in Denver, Colorado and his case was closed.” (65)

Charles Kelly writes that Silver Tip petitioned for and received a retrial. He was at that time acquitted after which he gathered up his stolen horses, changed his name and resumed his journey to Arizona.  Later in Arizona he was killed by an Arizona sheriff. (66).

Pearl Baker in her book quotes a newspaper article from the Sun-Advocate of Price dated January 19, 1901:

“Silver Tip Howells, or Hawkins, Wayne County’s noted criminal, released from the pen recently on writ of Habeas Corpus proved too foxy for Sheriff Hancock at Torrey last week and is now at large.  While awaiting a preliminary hearing, the sheriff allowed Howells to occupy a room by himself overnight, and found next morning his bird had flown. Howells had served less than two years of a ten year sentence. He has not been recaptured.”

Baker goes on to say he drifted north eventually settling in Wyoming where he lived quietly the rest of his life never again having any trouble with the law. (67)

A full listing of the charges submitted by Sheriff Chappell during the year 1900 included:

March 5, 1900: Geo Chappell taking care of prisoner 40.00 (March 5, 1900, p. 132)
June 6, 1900: Geo. Chappell Sheriff 13.00 (June 6, 1900, p. 138)
September 4, 1900: Geo. Chappell Sheriff for taking prisoner to Richfield $16.00 (Sept 4, 1900, p. 143)
November 12, 1900: Geo. Chappell Sheriff expense 9.00 (68)

As he approached elections in the fall of 1900, things had settled down in the county.

In November 1900, Sheriff Chappell lost re-election to John A. Hancock, 291 to 317.  In 1902 he would run again and lose again. (Appendix A) Times were changing and at near 50 years of age, maybe it was time for him to change, too.  With the law now roaming the Roost, its fame as a hide out for outlaws was fading.   While still occasionally inhabited by a few rowdies, the Wild Bunch had moved on.  Butch Cassidy and his gang would continue to rob banks and trains but by 1902 he’d left for South America.  Joe Biddlecome was soon to settle at the Roost and make a place of it – Robber’s Roost Ranch - and access had improved. (69) No longer were night riders terrorizing the town folk east of the Reef.  It seemed with the turn of the century even Wayne County, Utah was leaving behind the Old West of legend.

 That George Armstrong Chappell was involved in the conflict between lawmen and the outlaws at Robber’s Roost is certain. He was the sheriff with jurisdiction over Robber’s Roost at its high point in history.  Butch Cassidy, Harry Longabaugh – the Sundance Kid, Matt Warner, Joe Walker, Indian Ed, Blue John and Silver Tip – famous names from a time still growing in fame were his contemporaries.  Wayne County Court House records indicate he was involved in the care and transport of the criminals. Unfortunately, he left no written record of his adventures into the eastern desert and what oral histories we have are brief and non-specific. The many legends and contradicting stories relating to this colorful time in the history of the United States have created people and places larger than life.  The facts are about as clear as murky water in a horse tack in the bottom of Roost Canyon.   These were times of legend.  Perhaps in telling the story of Sherriff George Armstrong Chappell, rather than try to dissect and clarify, the better approach is to feed the fame and let the character ride into the Burr Desert, tall in the saddle, Winchester at his side, a lone ranger on the trail of bad men in an unforgiving majestic land.

References Chapter 18

1.            Wayne County Commissioners Minutes Book A, Wayne County Courthouse, Loa, Utah; p. 5
2.            Wayne County Commissioners Minutes Book A, Wayne County Courthouse, Loa, Utah; p. 11
3.            Wayne Commissioners Book A; p. 26
4.            Wayne Commissioners Book A; p. 69
5.            Wayne Commissioners Book A; p. 11
6.            Charles Kelly, The Outlaw Trail; A History of Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch, 1938, 1959, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln and London; p.139
7.            Kelly, p. 139
8.            Kelly p. 142
9.            Kelly, p. 141-142
10.         The Utonian, of Beaver, Utah, as quoted in Kelly, p. 155
11.         Kelly, p. 152
12.         Kelly, p. 152
13.         Kelly, p. 154
14.         Miriam B. Murphy, A History of Wayne County, 1999, Utah State Historical Society, Wayne County Commission; p.183
15.         Murphy, p. 183-84
16.         Murphy, p. 184
17.         Wayne Commissioner Book A; p. 90
18.         Pearl Baker, The Wild Bunch at Robbers Roost, 1965, 1971, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln Nebraska; p.31
19.         Kelly, p.148
20.         Wayne Commissioner Book A; p. 76
21.         Kelly, p. 155
22.         Baker, p.136
23.         Kelly, p. 156
24.         Murphy p. 185
25.         Kelly, p.157
26.         Baker, pp.133-34
27.         Kelly, p. 156
28.         Wayne Commissioner Book A;  pp. 96, 99, and 105
29.         Chappell Family History, Blue Book; p. 14
30.         Kelly, p. 209
31.         Kelly, p.212
32.         Murphy p. 184
33.         George E. Davidson, Red Rock Eden; The Story of Fruita; 1986, Capital Reef Natural History Association, pp. 15-16
34.         Davidson, p.18
35.         Winchester Model 1895, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_rifle, March, 2013
36.         Wikipedia, March 2013
37.         Kelly, p. 173
38.         Chappell Family History, Blue Book; p. 14
39.         Capitol Reef National Park web site, http://www.nps.gov/care/naturescience/geology.htm; March 2013
40.         Rosemary Sucec, Fulfilling Destinies, Sustaining Lives: The Landscape of the Waterpocket Fold; An Ethnographic Overview and Assessment of American Indian Histories and Resource Uses within Capital Reef National Park, Utah, and on Lands Surrounding It; 2006,  National Park Service, US Department of the Interior;  p.22
41.         Voyle L. and Lillian S. Munson; A Gift of Faith – Elias H. Blackburn; 1991, Basin/Plateau Press; p. 201
42.         Kelly, p.143
43.         Davidson, Red Rock Eden; p.20
44.         Kelly, p. 154
45.         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Mountains, March, 2013
46.         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hite_Crossing_Bridge - March 2013
47.         Kelly, p. 142
48.         Aldus D. Chappell, The Settlement and Development of Wayne County, Utah, to 1900;  p.39
49.         Kelly, p.218
50.         Baker, p. 142
51.         Baker, p. 144.  Kelly, p. 219
52.         Baker, p. 145
53.         Baker, pp.132-33
54.         Chappell Family History,  Blue Book, p. 14
55.         Kelly, p. 220.  Baker, p. 146
56.         Baker, p. 147
57.         Kelly, pp. 221-22
58.         Kelly, p. 222
59.         Kelly, p. 222
60.         Wayne Commissioner Book A;   p.128
61.         Wayne Commissioner Book A; March 5, 1900, p. 132
62.         Kelly, p.222
63.         Baker, p. 148
64.         Wayne Commissioner Book A; Sept 4, 1900, p. 143
65.         Chappell Family History, Blue Book; p. 14
66.         Kelly, p. 223
67.         Baker, p. 148
68.         Wayne Commissioner Book A; Nov 12, 1900, p. 146
69.         Baker, p. 2

Appendix A: Election results
Nov 3, 1896, pp. 84-85
(Election results) Sherriff
George Chappell (Dem) 315; Fremont-51, Loa-61, Lyman-30, Thurber-49, Teasdale-21, Grover-19, Dale-9, Cainesville-35, Burgess-23, Hanksville-17, Junction-0
Wilber J Wilson (Rep) 166; Fremont-19, Loa-73, Lyman-7, Thurber-15, Teasdale-22, Grover-5, Dale-3, Cainesville-4, Burgess-2, Hanksville-4, Junction-17

Nov 14, 1898, pp. 116-117
For Sherriff
Geo Chappell (Dem) 248:  Fremont-41, Loa-53, Lyman-32, Thurber-45, Teasdale-26, Grover-10, Dale-6, Caineville-22, Burgess-9, Hanksville-4, Junction-0
J.D. Pace (Rep) 234:  Fremont-34, Loa-83, Lyman-11, Thurber-17, Teasdale-36, Grover-7, Dale-4, Caineville-7, Burgess-6, Hanksville-16, Junction-13
Nov. 12,1900 election returns, pp. 150-51
For county Sheriff:
Geo. Chappell (D) Fremont 33, Loa 68, Lyman 29, Thurber 45, Teasdale 17, Grover 17, Dall 5, Cainville 33, Burgess 23, Hanksville 5, Fruita 0, Torrey 16.  Total: 291
John A Hancock (R) Fremont 49, Loa 87, Lyman 21, Thurber 34, Teasdale 31, Grover 14, Dall 9, Cainville 10, Burgess 9, Hanksville 15, Fruita 12, Torrey 26. Total: 317

November 4, 1902, pp. 196-97
Election results for County Sheriff
George A Chappell, D: Fremont 22, Loa 72, Lyman 43, Thurber 40, Teasdale 16, Grover 8, Torrey 5, Fruita 23, Notom 32, Caineville 1, Giles 2 , Hanksville 1: Total 265
John A Hancock, R:  Fremont 58, Loa 80, Lyman 19, Thurber 17, Teasdale 30, Grover 11, Torrey 6, Fruita 10, Notom 7, Caineville 19, Giles 10, Hanksville 29. Total: 296

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Chapter 12: A New Home in a Far Away Place


As summer approached in 1886, George Armstrong was busily making plans for his move to what was then eastern Piute County.  While his efforts at homesteading in Juab County had not gone well, he had acquired enough means to join with partner, Robert Pope, in purchasing a horse powered threshing machine. Upon arriving in Rabbit Valley, he would not only homestead 160 acres (1), but would also do custom threshing in the fall.

While George Armstrong saw this move as a chance to start over – an opportunity and an adventure - it’s hard to imagine Aurilla being enthused.  Nephi was the “gathering place” for her family – both the Sperrys and the Sidwells.  Even though it had been over 10 years since the first permanent settlers had made their homes along the Fremont River, Rabbit Valley was still a faraway place in a relatively unknown part of Utah Territory.  One hundred and twenty miles in our day of smooth highways and comfortable automobiles does not seem like a long distance, but in 1886, this was at least 10 days of hard travel –  rough roads in an even rougher wagon, riding a horse, or walking. While the Indian threat was minimal, travelers were still vulnerable to the rouge outlaw – be it white man or brown – not to mention the ever changing weather.  Reluctant to take his family into such an unknown situation, the summer of 1886, George left Aurilla and the kids and went to Rabbit Valley to get a start on their new home.

 Having been unsuccessful in their attempts to make a home in Chicken Creek, it seems likely that Aurilla (pregnant with a baby girl – Margaret Myra – due in September)  would have taken her 4 small children, George Alvin age 7, William Lamont, 5, Mary Leerolen, 4 and Thomas Edwin, 1, and moved back to Nephi to be close to friends and family during the months that George A. was gone.

The slow thrashing process may well have kept George away until late fall or early winter. I know of no record that mentions rather he was present for Margaret's birth on September 20th, but surely it was a happy day when he arrived back with his family in Nephi.  While Aurilla may not have been an enthusiastic listener, not wanting to think about the move, George surely would have had a lot of information to share about their new home and what the family could expect when they all moved south the following spring.  Eager to hear the news was his side kick half-brother, Peter James Christensen.   Even though he was five years younger than George, Peter was at a similar place in his life - married with 4 small children.  While Aurilla may have been hesitant, Peter wanted to know more. While Peter did not join George immediately, three years later, in 1890, he also left Nephi and moved to Rabbit Valley.  (Peter’s 5th child was born in Nephi in the fall of 1889, and his 6th child was born in April, 1891, in Loa, Utah. Considering the snow on the mountain passes, the family must have been living in Loa by the fall of 1890 at the latest)

As spring of 1887 approached, Aurilla and George prepared to leave.  It must have been a tearful good-bye as the Sperry, Sidwell, and Peterson families gathered around the small family as they headed south out of town with their one wagon, 4 horses and a cow headed to a faraway place in what was then one of the most remote parts of the Utah Territory. (Chappell family history has it that the family left Nephi with one wagon, four horses and a cow – History of George and Aurilla Sperry Family, Blue book p. 13) Surely there were tears.  Nephi, their beloved home looked over by the towering Mt. Nebo, would forever be a special place for George and Aurilla.  Considering the annual return visits to Nephi that were so much a part of the lives of this couple, it is very possible that George’s bride refused to make the move until George had promised he’d bring her back each year to spend time with dear family and friends.

Traveling with his wife and 4 small children, it is unlikely the young family averaged more than 15 miles a day.  Having lived in Chicken Creek southwest of Levan, the first miles of the journey between Nephi and Levan would have been a road familiar to everyone in the family.  However as the trek headed south the dry, sagebrush wilderness between Levan and Gunnison was surely lonely.  The 40 miles between Levan and Gunnison would have taken a couple of days and the family would have camped along the trail for at least two nights.  The Sevier River meandering through the bottom country would have provided water and forage for the animals and maybe a chance for the young boys to catch a fish.

From Gunnison south to Salina and on to Sigurd, the well-established communities along the Sevier River would have provided well maintained roads and plenty of resources for the immigrants.  However, as they left the Sevier and turned up Kings Meadow Canyon and headed southeast into the mountains, the wagon trail would have become much more primitive and the way more difficult.  After several miles of steady climb to near the top of King’s Meadow Canyon, the road turned south towards Bear Valley.  The narrow, winding canyon surrounded by dense pinion and juniper forest eventually gave way to a broad sage brush valley just below the quaking aspen and pine forests of the eastern slope of Monroe Mountain.  Soon the difficult climb ended and a welcome descent led them out of Bear Valley into Burrville nestled on the northern edge of Grass Valley. 

Just south of Burrville, a favorite camp site was Cedar Grove.  This somewhat unusual collection of mountain juniper grouped into a well-defined grove of trees near the valley floor provided protection from wind and storm but was also close to the stream flowing through the valley and its associated animal forage.   At near 7000 feet in elevation, their camp in Grass Valley would have been cool at night even in mid-summer.   While Grass Valley sloped gently south along Otter Creek, their destination was even further east – further away from what little civilization existed at the time in south Central Utah!

Fish Lake Mountain rose in impressive fashion to the east and north.  The western edge of the Parker Mountain, while not as high as its neighbor to the north, had steep slopes that rose up quickly providing an imposing obstacle of their own.   As they worked their way along the rough road toward the top, George knew this would be the last real challenge in their journey.  Topping out at near 8500 feet the view was magnificent.  Mountain ranges rising up to the brilliant blue sky could be seen in all directions.  To the west, the plateaus of the Monroe; and beyond, the jagged peaks of the Tushers.  To the north, the Fish Lake High Tops with their few scattered pine, sloped steeply to the east suggesting the mountain bowl holding the lake for which the mountain was named. To the north, on the distant horizon, much to their delight, Mt Nebo!  Familiar friend!  Maybe they were not so far away as they had thought!

Looking south, the rolling sage brush hills seemed to go on and on until the distant pine forests turned the horizon navy blue.  Moving east, the dark horizon rose quickly to a flat topped mountain – the imposing and impressive Boulder Mountain.  Looking directly east, another flat topped mountain – smaller but just as tall – stood separated and alone - the gap between the two suggesting they were part of the same until separated by millions of years of erosion.  The red, yellow and white foot hills of the Boulder and the imposing red cliffs of the southern Thousand Lake foreshadowed the rugged canyon country of the Colorado Plateau.  Even further east, the land of John Wesley Powell and the still relatively unknown Henry Mountains completed the vista.  At the base of the Thousand Lake Mountain, they could see a suggestion of a valley.  Following one more night camped on the rolling Parker; the family would have gotten their first good look at their new home.  An article that appeared in the evening copy of the Deseret News dated April 2, 1880, written by a Mr. Wheeler provides a contemporary opinion of what the Chappells found as they descended  the western hills: 

This valley is said to be bout seventy-three hundred feet above the sea level.  It is a new moon shaped basin surrounded by high mountains.  The north, east and sought mountains are covered with pine and quaking asp, while the foothills in every direction are covered with nut and pinion pine and volcanic rock.  The most excellent dry pinion-pine fires enjoyed here by the poorest family would break the wealthy in Salt Lake. 
The people here are living in a very scattered condition, each family on their respective quarter section.  There are sixty or seventy families in the valley and we heard of only one forty-acre man, and they say he is looking for more.  A town has been laid out on the west side of the valley on a beautiful, dry gravelly bench, but as all are quarter section men, they are following the dictates of the law to secure their titles…
There are two sawmills in running order with extensive groves of the very finest timber in Utah inviting us to bring our axes and use them as it requires no great strain of foresight to see that not far distant an extensive business will be done here in making and hauling lumber…
The valley is very well watered and Fish Lake, now frozen over is a natural reservoir on a large scale and abounds with trout, great quantities of which are caught every spring by the Indians. 
Elias H. Blackburn has recently been appointed Bishop in place of George S. Rust and with his first counselor, Franklin SW. Young, is trying to get the Ward organized… the people have built two school houses and two more are talked of…
Wheat, oats and barley have been raised and ripened three years now, also potatoes, turnips, beets, etc.  Many of the people are jubilant over the prospects of huge copper works as copper is said to exist by the acre about thirty miles below the valley on the Fremont River.
We have located our quarter section of land, and as you, the reader can’t all do the same, and as we have to go clearing of the sage brush lest we get too far behind those who have already gotten from five to thirty acres of grain, we best be obliged to go. (Deseret News, (Salt Lake City), April 2, 1880, p.2, as quoted in Chappell, Settlement and Development of Wayne County, Utah to 1900)
View of Rabbit Valley from foothills east of Lyman. Looking Northwest with Loa across the valley. 

The sage brush valley was several miles across and perhaps 15 miles long.  At over 11000 feet, the surrounding mountains obscured the fact that the valley floor was over 7000 feet and one of the highest locations in Utah to be cultivated. Dominating the western half of the valley were two large streams of water.  Meandering through the more middle part of the valley, surround by willows and meadows flowed the Fremont River.   Bubbling out of the ground to the northwest, Spring Creek paralleled the Fremont on the west until the two streams joined several miles south.  Road Creek, while smaller than the other two, entered the valley from the west, its deep canyon suggesting the quite stream was not always so passive.    Leaving Rabbit Valley, the reinforced Fremont carved a winding canyon through the encroaching Parker Mountain foothills before opening up into another flat valley at the base of the Boulder.  Red Lake (shallow precursor to the Bicknell Bottoms) was a temporary resting place for the Fremont where it gathered more strength from several springs, Pine Creek and Government Creek before plunging into rugged red canyons on its way to the Colorado.
Looking across the valley toward Thousand Lake Mountain - view from south of Loa 

To the east and the west of the streams, the sage brush flats, home to the many jack rabbits for which the valley was named, were in the process of being converted into checkered farms of barley and hay. The valley floor was void of any trees other than a few willows along the streams. While in many ways windswept and desolate, the valley did have the luxury of a generous and constant water supply.  The abundant water and forage had attracted the cattlemen who first built permanent dwellings in the valley in 1875 (2)  

When George and Aurilla arrived the spring of 1887, the local communities were still in their early stages of development.   Unlike other Mormon settlement operations in which individuals and families were called by church leaders to colonize specific locations , those who settled the towns along the Fremont came on their own.  Like the young Chappell family searching for a new start, people had come from all over Utah to settle this new and wild local.  Initially spread out and hap hazard, the early settlers homesteaded and built their homes on the part of the valley that was most pleasing to them. (See Appendix A)  

Most early settlers were members of the LDS Church and in December of 1877 there were enough people living in the area to establish the Fremont Valley Branch of the Grass Valley Ward of the Sevier Stake of Zion of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (3) Concerned about the scattered nature of the early settlements, as early as 1878 LDS leaders out of Salt Lake City began encouraging the people to establish themselves into organized communities (4) Later that year the scattered members of the area were organized into the Fremont River Ward and as the people began to come together in communities other wards were formed.  The Thurber Ward was organized in 1882 and the Loa and Fremont Wards were organized in June of 1887 (5), likely not long after the Chappell family arrived. 

Having spent a good part of the previous year in Rabbit Valley, it’s likely George had already had filed on the land that would be his homestead about three miles directly east of Loa at the edge of the Thousand Lake foothills.  With a farm under way, he now needed a home for his family.  Loa seemed to be the best option.  By 1887 the town of Loa was well established.  Fremont, to the north, was the largest town in the upper valley – and would remain so until about 1895 (6) – but Loa was fast becoming the economic hub of the upper Fremont.   The town site had been surveyed in 1880 and dedicated in 1885 and many families were settling on its five and six acre blocks. (7)  Having come from an established Mormon community, it’s likely Aurilla preferred living in a town rather than settling on the homestead as so many others had done.   While not Nephi, Loa did provide some of the amenities Aurilla had left behind such as established streets and lots, schools and neighbors, and proximity to church activities and stores.  Another important factor in 1887 would have been the lack of a clean, consistent water source on the east side of the valley.   No perennial streams flowing off the west side of Thousand Lake Mountain reached the valley floor and irrigation ditches had their obvious draw backs.  Loa would be their home for the next 8 years.
View from Thousand Lake Mountain - Loa is on far side of the Valley
Current areal view of Rabbit Valley 

1.      Summary of The Homestead Act of 1862:  The Homestead Act of 1862 was a law passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862.   It provided for the transfer of 160 acres (65 hectares) of unoccupied public land to each homesteader on payment of a nominal fee after five years of residence.   A homesteader had  to be the head of a household or at least 21 years of age to claim a 160 acre parcel of land.  Land could also be acquired after six months of residence at $1.25 an acre. http://www.homesteadhomemaking.com/the-homestead-act-of-1862/
2.      Aldus Chappell, The Settlement and Development of Wayne County, Utah, to 1900; Master’s Thesis, Brigham Young University, 1975, pp. 11-12
3.      Loa Utah Stake 1893-1993, published 1993, p. 3
4.      Miriam B. Murphy, A History of Wayne County, 1999, Utah State Historical Society, p. 108
5.      Loa Utah Stake 1893-1993 p. 4
6.      Anne Snow, Rainbow Views: A History of Wayne County; Daughters of Utah Pioneers of Wayne County; 1953, Art City Publishing Co., Springville, Utah; Fourth Edition, 1985.  p.177
7.      Snow, p. 197

 Appendix A,
Aldus Chappell, The Settlement and Development of Wayne County, Utah, to 1900; Master’s Thesis, Brigham Young University, 1975, pp. 21-22
In analyzing the settlement pattern of these early pioneers to Rabbit Valley, several interesting points became apparent.  For one thing there was no pattern of system to their settling.  Each came to build a home and looked for the most attractive (to him anyway) place to build.  The things that each looked for were fertile land, plentiful water supply, and suitable appearance.  As nearly as can be ascertained, these early settlers were live stock men and were attracted to the abundant forage and adequate water supply, so each chose the place that suited him best.
Another point that indicated a lack of an organized system is the fact that very few came from the same place.  Thurber came from Spanish Fork, McClellan from Payson, Allreds from Spring City, Morrells, from Emery County, Blackburn from Minersville, Paces from Dixie, and so on, each coming to make a home because the outside was getting too crowded, and each coming irrespective of the others.  For some it was the spirit of adventure and pioneering, others had experienced failures and were looking for new opportunities, a chance to “start over”. For some it was a combination of reasons. 
There was really no need of an organized settlement with a fort and people banding closely together, as was usually the case.  In most places in these early days a Fort was necessary for protection against the Indians but there was no serious menace here.  The families were scattered throughout the valley and it wasn’t until a few years later that townsites were surveyed and people started moving closer together. 

The Navajo Indians generally did not come this far north in their raids, and the Utes were so weakened after the Walker War that they did not operate in this valley.  There was only one band of Piutes, under the leadership of Tueank and these were peaceful.