Minerva Wade Hickman's Notebook
University of Utah, Marriott Library Special Collections,
Ms 584, Hope Hilton Papers, Box 1 Folder 10
The notebook measures 2.5 x 5 inches. The pages are not numbered,
but here are separated by "========", with line breaks preserved
as they appear in the notebook.
The envelope containing it has the following explanation written on it,
in Hope's handwriting:
"Grandmother's Notebook"
This contains notes written by
Minerva Wade Hickman, 3rd
wife of Wm. Adams Hickman
and there are notes written by
Mary Ella Hickman Kohlhepp
her daughter
Minerva's notes begin on
4th page with words:
"Beadle damn novel
writer---"
Her notes continue for
7 pages -- the rest seems to
be notes of her daughter Mary
Ella Hickman
The piece of red towel like
cloth in the middle I was told
is a piece of the "red-coat" worn
by Benejah Bundy, a drummer
in the Rev. War, Grandfather
of Minerva Wade Hickman.
(Hope apparently never saw another document
her grandmother had written, which explains the
red cloth--and which you can see by clicking here.)
=========================
Mother has a
letter addressed to
Captain Hickman [crossed out]
Capt. W.A. Hickman
Canesville
Potawamie Co.
Iowa
My father was a
Captain under
General Sevrt [or Devil] of the
Nauvoo Legion
========================
Greenleaf Birkhart
my fathers 1st wifes
brother became
enraged because
my father fed the
Mormon emigrants
hirrid it ended in
a fight my father
whipped him
and was then ordered
away from the place
and threatened with
a mob if he did not
leave.
====================
Grandmother was
born in Old Horsie [?]
Mother was born
Farmersville Cattages
Co NY Sep 2nd 1828
Joined Mormon church
when 8 years old
Started to Nauvoo
when 11 years old
Knew polygamy was
preached by Joseph
Smith - Hard
Uncle Irz Hatch
say - the prophet
had a revelation that
would cost him
his life when it
was made known
Prophet said it must
come forth no matter
what it costs me
There was so much
hated already that it
was not preached
=======================
Public for fear of
mob violence
but Joseph Smith
had six wives
sealed to him
besides Emma
Eliza R. Snow
Destimony Fullmer
Lucy Walker
were well known
to my mother -
Lucy Smith said
the prophet said
if she would live
with him as a
wife she should
have a son that
would be a great
man - but he did
not urge her knowy
knowing the persecution
that would follow
After the martyrdom
of Joseph Smith
==========================
These girls were
all working at the
Nauvoo Mansion
A big hotel -
Lucy Walker was
waiting on table
After the martyrdom
of the prophet the
girls decided to go
to St Lewis to work
Heber C Kimball one
of the 12 Apostles, was
sent to tell the girls
who had been sealed
to Joseph Smith
not to leave but to
choose among the
12 Apostles and
remain with the
Church - he told
her she had a right
to make her choice.
He had been so kind
and emphatic
that she decided he
=========================
would be a good
husband and there
and then promised
to marry him which
she did - she regretted
she had not complied
with Joseph Smiths
request he had been
killed and she has
no offspring from
him - so she
made up her mine
such a thing should
not happen again
and she had a child
by Heber C Kimball
in poligamy at
Nauvoo - the babe
was kept in hiding
and my mother nursed it - Lucy
had to appear
Docult 1 [?]
The lady died at
Winter Quarters
when near a year did
========================
First Emigrants crossed
the river on
ice
left Nauvoo April
1846--crossed Mississippi
the boys sang get at [?]
the for California
West make our way
to California" by the
tune of Old Dan Tucks
Parley P Pratt took
other wives before
Joseph Smith died
Mary
Malinda Wood
Huldah Frost
Girls used to go
and see emigrants
come on the corn [?]
up the river on the
boats
boats passed Nauvoo
going further up
the river with
cargo
========================
Feb 46 July 46
Canes V
Council Bluffs was
also called Canes
Ville on account
of Colonel Cane coming
there to enlist
soldiers.
Mother. Mother
died at council
Bluffs
Oct 13 1848
Maried May 1st 1849
Feb 14 1851 [or 1850] Eldist
son was born in
Salt Lake City
Old Fort
=======================
Prairie Fire
ab Dec 1st
Council Bluffs
200 miles above
Canes Ville a
company wintered
Punkhan Dowdim [?] was
away up in Morton
by Swift River
Traveled from Mt
Pisgah in
company
Martha Lewis Bingham
Steps were cut down
to the river to get
water
Oh Lord preserve my
dear child and
give her strength
to carry water to
help put out the
terrible fire
Mrs Dame wrapped
=======================
up the bread in
one bundle and
the baby in another
and if worst came
to worst -- Mother
the strongest was
take one bundle
under each arm
and rush through
the fire
Mrs Dame was in
very poor helath
and never recovered
after the fire died
Died Jan ------------[line drawn to connect with line on next page]
Grandmother was
never able to do
anything apart [?]
Mother had to chop
wood for the fror --
Mr Dame had
gone to to Missouri
to work and earn
something to live
on and go on
=========================
to the west with
next spring
He had left men to
do the chores but they
soon left and
Mother had to do
every thing.
Mother got scurvy
flesh rotted off of
the cords of her
ancles she could
not wear shoes but
with rags tied and
her feet wandered out
in the snow to cut
and carry wood.
--[from previous page]----Mother and
Martha Lewis
who married Sanford
Bingham
aged 14 and 16
laid out Mrs Dane
========================
Prairie Fire
was set by Indians.
A spark was
seen -- in fozon [?]
minutes the
whole country was
in flame
Back fires were
set Watter
carried and fire
put out
only -- damages
One Wagon burned
" load of hay
Every thing was
carried to the bank
of the river for
safety.
========================
Mosquito Creek
Near CanesVille
A temporary bridge
had been laid
by pinning Cottonwood
logst to gether
The ends were hewed
to fit each other, then
holes bored through
the two with a
large augur pins
were made to fit
the holes and then
the stringers of the
bridge were made
These were covered
with brush which
was also pinned down
A heavy rain had
fallen -- Many had
all had passed
safe over the bridge
before -- The stream
was not large in
dry weather but
======================
When Mother's Co
came it had raised
to a torrent the
watter was running
3 ft over the bridge
But the company
was anxious to go
on. So they crossed
the bridge in
spite of the weather
All got safe over
but my grandfathers
last wagon --
The oxen hawed
and the wagon which
was very heavily
loaded with prunes [?]
went off the bridge
Mother with two
younger girls swam
in the back of the
covered wagon.
Horrace Drake
rushed to the
back of the wagon
pulled out his
======================
pocket knife and
while the other
men held the
wagon -- cut a
slit in the cover
and pulled out
the girls -- then
the wagon went
down many things
were carried away
in the stream.
flour siabiskt [?] etc
were damaged
=====================
In 1853 Mother
attended Board
of health in Salt
Lake City and
learned midwifery.
=====about 20 blank pages=====
Sackajuewa
Bind woman
My Sister went to
Montana to live
1871. Met and knew
some of Clark's sons
and grandchildren.
The sons had red
hair altho their
mother was a full
blood Indian squaw
who had been a
guide to the Lewis &
Clark expedition
They is a statue built
to her memory in a
city park in Portland
Lewis and Clark went
there thru Bitter root
Valley when they shot
their guns and made
smoke and killed
game the Indians
thot they were great
spirits not knowing
that a bullet went
with the smoke.
========================
Bannock
Nes pirces
Flat head Indian
swarmed up and
down the valley.
[Other parts of the notebook are genealogy notes, also a collection
of sayings, other misc. notes of the sort one might hear in a sermon.]
