Out of the Mouth of Babes

Thomas Forsyth.

There are a lot of fascinating stories of the pioneers who settled Utah, early converts of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Among these are many conversion stories, some of them very unique.

The following was written from the pen of Thomas Forsyth recounting his own conversion around the year 1844. He was born in Scotland in 1813 and came to the Americas as a young boy with his family where they settled in Canada. He married Isabella Donald in 1839.

While living near Lake Huron he received a letter from his Uncle James in Scotland. His uncle asked him if he knew anything about the Latter Day Saints. “You will know them. Joseph Smith is the head one of them.”

Thomas Forsyth recounts the rest of the story in his autobiography:

“I had never heard of the Latter Day Saints till he asked me that question in his letter. In order to answer his letter I began to inquire who these Latter Day Saints were and where they were. I could find out but very little about them. But all I found out I wrote to him. But the next year there was a Mormon Elder came to my Mother-in-law's place, about seven miles from my place, and gave out notice he would hold a meeting there. I was at that time very curious to find out whether there was a God or not and if there was any way to worship him, for all I had heard in that line was a mass confusion to me. So when I heard the Mormon Elder was going to preach the next day [Sunday], I said I would go and hear him.

“My wife's youngest brother was at my home that night and was going home the next morning so I made up my mind to go with him and as soon as breakfast was over I went to fix to go. My wife was in the act of putting a necktie on me. Her brother stood close by my eldest and only son [at that time he was 20 months old] who was sitting in his little chair with a piece of pasteboard in his hand. We were not talking about the Mormons, nor about what they preached for we did not know anything about them; yet he held the pasteboard in his hand and moving his head as if he was following a line of reading, he repeated these words, “The Mormons preach Jesus' Gospel.” He repeated these words some three or four times as plain as I or anyone else could say them. When we heard him we were struck with astonishment for we knew he had never heard these words by anyone. When he noticed us looking at him, he laughed and threw the pasteboard away.

“We went to the meeting and heard the Elder preach, and I knew then and there that he preached the truth and I commenced to investigate, and very soon I was convinced that there was a God and that I had found what I had been looking for and praying for, for I had truly been praying for about two years, and no one knows the joy that filled my bosom only these that have experienced the same feeling that the finding of the Gospel brings to them.” 

Thomas Forsyth remained faithful to that gospel message for the rest of his life. ♠

[Source: "Autobiography of Thomas Forsyth" at familysearch.org.] 

Grave of Thomas Forsyth in Toquerville, Utah. He died in 1898.

Shumway, Arizona

Old schoolhouse in Shumway, Arizona.

During the early summer of 1839 Mormon missionary, Elisha Groves, passed through the Wisconsin countryside. He stopped to visit a couple of men working at a sawmill. 

“What brings you to this part of the country?” one of them asked. 

“I'm a preacher,” answered Elisha. 

Half jokingly the other man asked, “What do you preach?” 

In a solemn manner Elisha answered, “I preach Jesus Christ by the power of God.” 

After pondering the preacher's statement, one of the young men replied, “That sounds alright. If you do that, we will listen.” 

Elisha Groves bore witness to them that the gospel of Jesus Christ had been restored to the earth and showed them a copy of the Book of Mormon. They were very interested and asked if they might read it. Elisha said they could, and also invited them to a meeting of the young church. 

Charles Shumway.

One of these young men was Charles Shumway, probably thirty-three years old at the time. He seemed very impressed with the message of Elder Groves and took the invitation to heart. He read and studied the Book of Mormon and prayed about it. He felt it was true, but was not one to accept things blindly.

During one of the meetings held by the Elders, a mob broke in and threatened to kill Elisha Groves. When Charles saw what was happening “it came to him all at once as if someone had spoken to him, that what the missionary was telling him was the truth, and that he must defend him.” 

Charles Shumway stepped between Elisha and the mob and said, “If you commit this terrible crime, it will be over my dead body!” The mob backed away, hindered in their purpose. Those in the little meeting were left in peace. 

Charles Shumway was soon baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and never looked back. He became a strong and faithful member of the church and could be depended upon to carry out many difficult tasks as the young church pioneered westward. 

In the years that followed, Charles became a body guard to the prophet Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, and later led the first group of wagons over the frozen Mississippi River as they began their trek to the West. He arrived in the Salt Lake Valley two days before Brigham Young in 1847. In Utah he helped settle the Sanpete Valley, Payson, South Cottonwood, Mendon, Wellsville, and Kanab. 

In 1880 he moved southward into Arizona, following his sons who had driven a herd of cattle there the previous year. They lived in Concho, a small town west of St. Johns where the church had bought property. They began to have trouble with some of the Mexicans and Indians already living in the area so they decided to move again. 

Silver Creek as it runs through Spring Valley, now called Shumway Valley.

This time they moved further west to a place called Spring Valley, so-called because of the abundance of springs. He purchased land and water rights and this became home to two Shumway families. Charles built a house, constructed a gristmill, planted orchards and remained here the rest of his life. The town would later be renamed in his honor. 

To be sure, Charles Shumway and his family were not the first to settle on the banks of Silver Creek. The towns of Snowflake, Taylor and Shumway are all side by side, and all are along Silver Creek. James Stinson, a non-Mormon, had a ranch at the current location of Snowflake. He was bought out in 1878 by William Flake, a Mormon. James Pearce, also a Mormon, arrived six months prior to Flake and squatted on land at present-day Taylor. 

Old Shumway Gristmill.

Shortly afterward Pearce found some land a few miles upstream on Silver Creek that he felt could be irrigated. A man by the name of Felix Scott had a small farm there and Pearce traded it for two cows. The men labored to till the ground and plant what they could during the last few months of summer. They scooped out dirt and built a dugout. It was in that humble home that Elizabeth Pearce was born—the first baby born in the future location of Shumway, Arizona. 

Undoubtedly, the Stinson's, Pearce's and Scott's were not the first families here either. When the Denham family moved to Shumway a decade later, they lived in an “old rock house for a while which was in the lower part of the field near the old Indian ruins where a number of skeletons and pottery ha[d] been dug up.” 

Another old-timer had this to say about the previous settlers in the valley: “There were several large burial grounds which were the remains of what were undoubtedly fortifications. In the valley were also remains of an old canal along the hillside and ruins of an ancient village which had a considerable population at one time. The possibility has also been advanced that this valley had been a battlefield between warring tribes. The burial grounds had been violated by vandals searching for pottery which the Indians placed at the head of their dead and also by archaeologists who dug up the skeletons and used them for scientific purposes.” 

Concerning Charles Shumway, I couldn't find a lot of detail of his time in Shumway. He remained there for the balance of his life, except for a brief return to the Kanab area. Before his death he was ordained a Patriarch by Apostle Henry Smith. He died on May 21, 1898 and was buried in Taylor (because Shumway didn't yet have a cemetery) alongside his wife, Louisa Minnerly. In later years he would be joined in burial by another wife, Elizabeth Jardine. 

Grave of Charles Shumway in middle.  Wives Elizabeth Jardine on left, Louisa Minnerly on right. Taylor, Arizona Cemetery.

Charles and Louisa Minnerly Shumway.

The little community took on the name of Shumway in 1891. That same year they received a post office and a district school. The town sought to honor the stalwart pioneer that lived in their midst. The year before he died, Charles was celebrated as the oldest living survivor of the first pioneer company of 1847. 

Over the years new families moved into Shumway. Of interest is that of Llewellen and Sybil Harris. In 1895 they planned to move to Old Mexico, but after having issues at the border, they returned to Mesa, Arizona. Sybil's health took a turn for the worse, so they left the heat and headed for the mountains to a town called Linden. They lived there a few years while she regained her health, after-which they moved a few miles north to Shumway. There they built an adobe house and lived until Llewellen's death in 1906. The interesting connection is that Sybil was the daughter of Elisha Groves, the missionary who baptized Charles Shumway in 1839. 

During his time in Shumway, the following story is told of Llewellen: “The Indian missionary, old Llewelyn Harris, probably knew the Indians better than anyone. For many years he had labored as a Mormon missionary to the Navajo and Hopi Indians and was almost like an Indian himself. About once a year he would load his scrawny pony with camp gear, including such items as blankets and food, camp utensils with an axe and shovel and go off into the mountains or desert for days at a time. He would return with a sack filled with roots and herbs and under his direction his wife would concoct a number of tonics, bitters and salves which he had learned to make from the Indians with whom he had labored as a missionary. Many of these remedies were surprisingly effective in curing the aliments of the people.” 

Family of Llewellen and Sybil Harris.

Some of the best descriptions I found of Shumway in earlier days came from Albert Minnerly Shumway, a grandson to Charles. In his autobiography he states: “The small town of Shumway, where I was born, lies in a beautiful valley located on Silver Creek in northeastern Arizona. Unfortunately there is no record, and no one seems to know who discovered this valley. Whoever it was must have been impressed by the many clear sparkling springs of water which lined the stream from the point where it emerged from the canyon at the upper end of the valley to its confluence with Showlow Creek at the lower end of the valley. The length of the valley is approximately one and one half miles, while the width varies from about one half to one mile. Because of the many springs, the valley was first called Spring Valley. The settlement was named Shumway after my grandfather Charles Shumway who settled there in the year 1882.” 

Albert further expounded on the geography: “The town is surrounded on the east and south and southwest by a mesa or flat-topped tableland. This mesa was formed of lava and volcanic ash which ages before had poured from the butte, a small volcanic cone with an almost perfect crater in the top. This butte is located on top of the mesa, about one mile south and west of the valley. Silver Creek rises from a large and beautiful spring located about ten miles southeast of Spring Valley and just above what is now the Bill Bourdon Ranch. This ranch was at one time the headquarters ranch of the old Indian scout Croyden C. Cooley who lived there for three years before returning to his ranch in Showlow. The stream had cut a gorge through the tableland or plateau and the canyon was the part which lies between the Solomon Ranch and our valley. There were many holes in the rimrock on the east side of the canyon. These were called “devil dens” and the big boys loved to scare the small boys by telling them that the devil actually lived there and had been seen by them. 

“Half a mile to the north and slightly to the west on the road to Taylor is what we call Bald Hill, there being no trees on the slope facing the valley. This side of the hill was quite steep and was a good place for sleighing. The road passed over the top of the hill and it was here that we always looked for the first appearance of those whom we were expecting or any other traveler who might be coming our way.”

View of Shumway Valley.

After reading stories from some of the former residents, it was now my turn to give an accounting of Shumway. I have longed to come here. Charles Shumway is my great-great-great grandfather and I have always been interested in places connected with my heritage. 

The small community is located just a few miles south of Taylor. There are no businesses, but ample farmland and green pastures nestled inside a little valley. Silver Creek runs through the middle of the valley providing ample water for livestock and irrigation. 

Old Shumway Schoolhouse.

We stopped at the old schoolhouse. It has been restored in recent years. We peered inside the window and could see school desks and pictures on the wall, but the door was locked and we couldn't go inside. I secretly hoped that someone driving past would stop and offer to unlock the doors and give us insider tips on what to see. But that didn't happen. 

Our hotel in Taylor had an old brochure in the lobby that gave information on the schoolhouse. It gave two contact numbers: one for Barbara and the other for Shirley. I called both numbers, hopeful that they could let us in. Only one of the numbers worked. An old man answered the phone and when I asked for Barbara he paused and then responded, “She's been gone for two years now.” I felt bad and now realized that our brochure was out of date. 

But it gave useful information on the schoolhouse. It is the only brick one-room school still standing in Arizona. Construction began in 1900 and was completed in 1904. The bricks were made locally. The school bell rang three times each morning to announce the beginning of another school day. One teacher taught grades 1-8. The school was also used as a church and hosted community activities. 

Old bridge behind the schoolhouse.  Probably crossed Silver Creek at one time.

The school closed in 1947 and students attended class in Taylor. Over the years it sat in disrepair and it wasn't until 1997 that the process of restoration began. 

We walked around the building and imagined what it would have been like a hundred years ago. On the north side dozens of students have etched their names into the bricks. Some had dates and the oldest I found was from the 1930's. There was a horseshoe pit and old farm equipment set out for display. Behind was an old bridge that I'm sure crossed the creek at one time. A few cottonwood trees provided shade and a white picket fence surrounded the perimeter. 

One of many etchings on the schoolhouse.

Horses across the road.

Across the road some horses fed in a field. They didn't seem to mind when I took their picture. The roads in Shumway (there are only two of them) are narrow and see little traffic. 

We drove to the other side of Silver Creek and up onto the rim. It provided a great view and gave proof that it is a very fertile valley. 

We then took Shumway Road toward Taylor. I knew there was more to the valley that I just didn't know. It was hidden from my knowledge. Where did Charles Shumway live? Were there old buildings still here from the 1800's? Are there names carved into any of the rocks above the valley? 

As we drove past farmland, each was posted as no trespassing. Cattle grazed in pastures. Mailboxes leaned next to the road. A tire swing hung from an old cottonwood tree.—Who lived there? Were they Shumway descendants? I knew they still lingered because I saw the name on a billboard along the highway. Many of these questions I would never know, but was satisfied for now with my visit. 

Old tree with tire swing.

One of the earliest settlers of Spring Valley was Wilson Glenn Shumway, who was a brother to my great-great grandfather, Peter. Wilson moved to Shumway close to the same time as his father, Charles, leaving the little settlement of Concho where they had problems with Indians led by Geronimo.

Wilson raised his nine children in Shumway and remained there all his life. He lived on a small farm of 10 to 12 acres and had an orchard that produced tasty fruit. He was very involved in church and other civic responsibilities. 

Zane Grey, the famous Western novelist, used to be a frequent guest in the home of Wilson Shumway. Grey maintained a cabin under the Mogollom Rim and the stage route from the rail station in Holbrook to the Mogollom Rim passed directly through Shumway, and even more specifically, stopped right in front of Wilson's home. 

By this time Wilson was an old man and Zane was in the dawn of his career. They sat for hours on his front porch, Wilson telling stories of the Old West and Zane intently listening. 

Wilson Shumway and family.

In 1912 Zane Grey published his novel Riders of the Purple Sage, which was very disparaging toward the Mormons. Wilson was furious and felt Grey had betrayed him by misrepresenting the church. All of the kids greatly anticipated Grey's next visit, hoping their father would give him a tongue-lashing he would never forget. 

To their disappointment, the next visit from Zane Grey was a quiet one. They had a friendly conversation on the porch and there was no tongue-lashing to be seen. Wilson later said that Grey apologized to to him for saying so many mean things about the Mormons and promised to never do it again in any of his novels. 

Wilson lived another dozen years. His wife passed away in 1924 and he surpassed her by nine months. The night before he died he asked his son, Wallace, to come and release him with a Priesthood blessing. Three hours after the blessing he said, “Here she is after me already.” He passed away peacefully the following morning. 

Shumway Cemetery.

Grave of Wilson Glenn Shumway.

On the west side of Shumway, across the highway, is a small dirt cemetery nestled among the juniper trees and wild grass. There is a modest headstone which reads: “In Memory of Wilson Glenn Shumway, Born Manti, Utah December 6, 1850; Died Shumway, Arizona, April 19, 1925.” 

Wilson was one of the earlier burials in the Shumway Cemetery. Prior to this era people were interred at the cemetery in Taylor. 

It is interesting to follow the course of a people and of a nation. Small decisions affect an infinite amount of people forever onward. And so it was with Charles Shumway, when in 1839 a Mormon missionary passed through the Wisconsin countryside and stopped to visit a couple of men working at a sawmill. ♠ 

 

Decedents of Charles Shumway in front of welcoming sign at Shumway, Arizona.