Blythe, John A.

File — Box: 3, Folder: 1

Identifier: I

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

John A. Blythe was born on September 16, 1856, in Nevada City, California. His parents were John Law and Margaret Mitchell Blythe. Mention is made in the diary of a sister,Lizzie, and two half-brothers, David and James. At the time of the journey to Arizona, John A. Blythe was not married as he mentions corresponding with a number of lady friends. In 1860 he moved with his parents to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he lived until 1864. The family then moved to "Rodses" (Rhoades) Valley, Summit County, forty miles east of Salt Lake City. In 1865 he was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1866 the family returned to Salt Lake City, where John remained until called on a mission to settle Arizona in 1876. Prior to leaving for Arizona, John was rebaptized on January 26, 1876. On the thirty-first of the same month he was ordained an elder by Orson Pratt and received his endowments. He left for Arizona on February 3, 1876. The first page of the typescript contains a copy of a short history of John A. Blythe, apparently written on May 20, 1876, while in Arizona. It includes a brief summary of his life. Following this material the diary begins.

February 3, 1876: Started for Arizona.
February 4, 1876: Continued on with partner, Theodore G. Angell. Arrived at Lehi, Utah.
February 10, 1876: Traveled to Taylorsville, Utah, through heavy, drifted snow.
February 20, 1876: Reached Panguitch, Utah, with snow a foot deep.
March 3, 1876: Arrived at Kanab, Utah.
March 8, 1876: Left Kanab, and traveled to Johnson's.
March 15, 1876: Arrived at House Rock Springs, Arizona.
March 20, 1876: Reached the banks of the Colorado River.
March 21, 1876: Crossed the Colorado River at Lee's Ferry.
March 28, 1876: Reached the Little Colorado River, which seemed to be as large as the Jordan River in Utah.
April 6, 1876: Arrived at Sunset Crossing, and crossed the Little Colorado River on the seventh.
April 9, 1876: Reached destination twenty miles above Sunset Crossing.
April 10, 1876: Commenced working on a log house to be used as a dining and storage room for the company.
April 16, 1876: Drew a quarter section of land eleven miles down the river.
April 17, 1876: Nominated night herder along with Theodore Angell.
April 30, 1876: Worked on a dam in the forenoon.
May 7, 1876: Twelve of the boys wrote a letter to Miss Louisa Hill at Lake's camp, asking her to come to their camp if Lake made it too warm for her.
May 26, 1876: Name of Allen City chosen for the camp.
May 31, 1876: Four Navajos visited camp, entertaining the members wich war dances and songs.
June 3, 1876: Visited Lot Smith's camp, and saw Brigham Young, Jr., Daniel H. Wells, and Erastus Snow.
June 13, 1876: Went to lower camp to work on a well which is to be in the center of the proposed fort.
July 4, 1876: Took part in a salute of small arms fire before sunup. Various activities during the day, such as jumping, wrestling, etc. Dance held in the evening.
July 10, 1876: A party of emigrants from Kansas passed through on their way to Prescott, Arizona.
July 13, 1876: Quarried rock for the fort.
July 19, 1876: Dam washed out, the river rising two or three feet in just a few minutes.
July 30, 1876: Brethren unanimously in favor of stewardship, thinking the United Order too far advanced for them at present.
August 5, 1876: Left camp with a sawmill party to locate claims in Paleasant Valley.
August 9, 1876: Reached Pleasant Valley, a marshy meadow six miles long and five miles wide.
August 10, 1876: Commenced laying foundations of houses for the proposed settlement.
August 20, 1876: Left Pleasant Valley, after laying foundations for eleven houses.
August 22, 1876: Arrived at Allen City, found all but three of the families at the fort.
August 23, 1876: Moved into the fort and worked on a room.
September 2, 1876: Started again for Pleasant Valley in the evening.
September 6, 1876: Arrived in Pleasant Valley.
September 20, 1876: Worked on the houses in the valley up to this date and then started for Allen City.
September 22, 1876: Arrived at Sunset Crossing and remained the next few days.
September 25, 1876: Arrived at Allen City.
October 13, 1876: Started with a party of men to set up a sawmill. Arrived at site on the fifteenth and worked on the mill for next few weeks.
November 28, 1876: Started for Allen City, making a very difficult trip to secure supplies for the mill workers, who are running low on food. Arrived at Allen City on the twenty-ninth.
December 10, 1876: Brother Clark arrived in the evening with a load of lumber from the mill.
December 19, 1876: Started to build four additional houses in the fort.
December 25, 1876: Theodore Angell went to Barnarados for a little moonshine. Had a fine Christmas dinner while he was away.
December 27, 1876: Started for the sawmill for a load of lumber.
December 30, 1876: Arrived at the sawmill and started on return trip on the first of January 1877.
January 6, 1877: Arrived with lumber at Allen City.
January 9, 1877: President Allen arrived today. "The prospect of my being able to go home is begining to brighten. The day cannot come any to soon for my purposes."
January 24, 1877: Wrote out agreement for cooperation between Allen City and Obed for sharing certain dam and water ditch.
February 5, 1877: Released from putting in the old dam that washed out.
February 11, 1877: Forwarded a letter to President J. D. T. McAllister, asking that a tithing order be made up, drawable on all tithing offices between St. George and Salt Lake City, Utah.
February 25, 1877: Lonesome Sunday. Little to read.
March 8, 1877: Started to Salt Lake City, Utah, in a company of nine person.
March 15, 1877: Arrived at Moenkopi.
March 20, 1877: Reached Lee's Ferry and crossed the Colorado River.
March 26, 1877: Arrived at Kanab, Utah.
April 5, 1877: Left Kanab for St. George, Utah.
April 8, 1877: Arrived at St. George, Utah.
End of Diary for 1876-77
April 30, 1878: Spent day working on five acre lot. Father John L. Blythe left for mission for the Mormon church to Scotland.
End of Diary

Dates

1857-1986

Conditions Governing Access

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