History of Taliesin Hughes
If you will turn to the files of THE
ENTERPRISE, Malad, Idaho, dated November 29, 1930,
you will find the following headline: “TALIESIN HUGHES, SR., 87, PASSES ON
FOLLOWING A REMARKABLE CAREER AS PIONEER OF MALAD VALLEY.”
Taliesin Hughes, Sr., son of James Hughes and
Margaret Jones, was born 13 July 1843 in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorganshire, South
Wales. He had four brothers and three sisters. The children, named in the order
of their birth, are as follows: Maria (3 February 1842 to 18 January 1924, age
82), Taliesin (13 July 1843 to 28 November 1930 age 88), Gomer (28 July 1846 to
13 March 1923 age 77), Mary (5 August 1848 to 5 September 1850, age 2), Mathew
(6 July 1850 to 19 February 1914, 64), Lewis (3 May 1852 to 1 July 1918, age
66), Daniel (24 January 1854 to 25 May 1885, 31) and Sarah Ann (23 October 1856
to 9 July 1917, age 61.) All of the children except Sarah Ann, who was born in
America, were born in Glamorganshire, Wales. Mary died in Wales when a young
child.
Taliesin, in company with his father and
mother, four brothers and sisters (Gomer, Mathew, Lewis, Daniel and Maria) set
sail 17 April 1855 for America. (To learn about the voyage on the ship
CHIMBORAZO, read the account in the history of James Hughes).
Taliesin was 12 years old at the time of their
sailing for America. This must have seemed like high adventure to a young lad,
sailing on a ship to a new land, reported to be flowing with milk and honey.
On arriving in America the family first made
their home in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, where Taliesin’s father worked as an
engineer in the coal mines, engineering having been his trade in Wales. Later,
the family moved to Caseyville, Illinois. Here on September 5, 1858, Taliesin’s
mother, Margaret, wife of James and mother to seven living children, died and
was buried on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River near Caseyville,
Illinois. As related in James’s history, he became very disheartened after the
death of his wife.
Margaret’s parents had apparently crossed the
plains before 1859, and soon after Margaret’s death, William Jones, Margaret’s
brother, traveled to Caseyville, Illinois, to help bring the family to Deseret
(hereafter, referred to as Utah). Taliesin’s father had decided not to go west
at this time, but to continue working and to follow later. The children,
however, wanted to continue on, so with the consent of their father, William
Jones, their uncle, made arrangements for the children to travel in an 1859
company of saints in charge of Captain Horton D. Haight.
The children never saw their father again as he later returned to Wales, his
native land, where he married again and died there 14 January 1879 at 64 years
of age. (Read this account in James’s history).
It is here that we learn of the faith and
commitment of Maria and Taliesin. Maria, seventeen and Taliesin, sixteen, had
the responsibility of caring for their five siblings as they made the tiring
and tedious journey over the plains and mountains across the United States.
They arrived in Utah in the fall of 1859. A
record of their arrival was printed in the Deseret News of Wednesday 7
September 1859. “The Church train, so called, arrived on Thursday last, one day
sooner than expected at the date of our last issue; Captain H.D. Haight and Bishop Kesler, who had
charge of the train, brought it through safely and it arrived in good
condition, no accident worthy of note occurring during the trip, though they
lost about 60 heard of cattle, principally or wholly from disease, out of 448
with which they left Florence. There were not many families with this train was
the wagons were freighted with merchandise, machinery, etc., for President
Brigham Young, HC. Kimball, and D.H. Wells, the Public Works,
Professor Carrington, H. Moon and others, some eight of them being loaded with
paper, type, ink and other materials for the Deseret News Office, all of which was
received in good condition.”
The children lived in Willard, Utah, with
their uncle, William for some years, then moved to Cedar
Fork, now Logan, where they made their home. IT is recorded that Taliesin
worked as a freighter. In Logan some of the children were able to attend
school.
In 1860 the Church sought ways to help the
European Saints who had arrived in America and wanted to immigrate to Utah.
President Young, knowing Utah was cash poor but cattle rich, was inspired to
create a transportation system that proved to be highly successful—a system
whereby Utahans sent wagons down to the Missouri River Valley to pick up needy
emigrants and bring them back to Utah. These were called “down-and-back” wagon
companies. Seventy-five wards, nearly every ward in Utah, donated a fully
outfitted wagon and two yokes of oxen and provided drivers, usually young men
to drive. (This information was taken from the October 1997
Ensign). Taliesin was called to help bring the saints to Utah. He made
four trips with ox team to Florence, Nebraska. On one of the
se trips, he told of a buffalo stampede in which he nearly lost his
life.
Taliesin was an expert swimmer, having swum
Bear River many times before the bridge was built. He said many was the time he
walked to Logan and swam the river when he came to it to get a little boat on
the other side and then rowed back to get his clothes.
The Journal of National Guard records states
that Taliesin and his brother, Gomer, enlisted in the National Guard to protect
settlers in Cache County against the Indians. They were compelled under their
enlistment to train three days every year, to answer calls for guard duty, and
could be called on an emergency an time. They had to furnish their own wagons
and covers, tents, arms and ammunition, etc. It was expensive, but it was the
price of protection and peace. Taliesin is listed in the Company D, 1st
platoon. Required equipment is 1 rifle, 1 lb powder
and 2 lbs lead. There are no records of Cache
Military District after 1866, however, the organization continued for some
years after this or until it was ordered disbanded and a cessation of all
military activities by Governor Shaffer in 1870.
Three of the James and Margaret Hughes’ family
married children of the David and Catherine Roberts, Gomer married Jane
Roberts, and Taliesin married Elizabeth Roberts. Taliesin and Elizabeth were
married 9 January 1867 in Elizabeth’s mother’s home in Logan, Utah, by Bishop
Thomas Tarbet. Elizabeth was born in Llanfrothen, Wales, and had immigrated to America with her
parents. After their marriage, Elizabeth and Taliesin lived in their own home
in Logan, Utah.
In 1868 new was afloat that there was a place
in southern Idaho where wild grass grew up to your knees. Four families, James
Thomas, Thomas R. Roberts, David William Davis, and Taliesin Hughes with his
brothers and sister, moved to Malad Valley in may of 1868 and settled the
village of Samaria. John Evan Price and his son, Daniel, were already living
there.
Samaria is situated on a level tract of
country extending from the Malad River on the east to
the mountains on the west. The town site, which was surveyed into regular
ten-acre blocks with streets six rods wide, is nine miles by the nearest
traveled road southwest of Malad. Most of the early
settlers were Latter-day Saints. The name of this settlement, suggested by
Milton Musser, was a reminder of a province in the Holy Land. Most of the
settlers in Samaria were Welsh converts to the Mormon faith who were very
zealous in practicing their religion. They were industrious and good farmers.
Wanting to have better crops and educational facilities, they surveyed a canal
and organized a school district.
When the settlers first moved to Malad Valley, the grass grew everywhere up to a man’s
waist. The table land, or the land between the meadow and the foothills,
consisted of a deep dark loam covered with a thick growth of sagebrush. The
sagebrush often grew as tall as an ordinary man and six to eight inches in
diameter at the butt. It took four or six good horses to plow the land in order
to clear it from sagebrush and get it ready for planting. It was not uncommon to
have the women go into the fields to help the men with this work. With the land
cleared, they could raise alfalfa hay for the cattle. Grain was also raised
abundantly.
On 11 December 1869, Taliesin applied for
naturalization in District Court. There is no record that he received his
naturalization, he wouldn’t have been able to vote and we know he took that
duty seriously. Some records in the Malad courthouse
have been burned, so it is possible that the records of Taliesin Hughes were
among them. Elizabeth gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl on 11 October 1869.
They were named James and Catherine. The twins were born prematurely as
Elizabeth had a fall while making her brother-in-law’s high bed. The babies
only lived a short time. Elizabeth regained her health excellently. Soon after
the death of her first children, 22 November 1869, Elizabeth and Taliesin made
arrangements to receive their endowments in the House of The Lord in Salt Lake
City. This made it possible for those babies to be sealed to them.
Twin girls were born to the Hughes family 8
February 1871. The girls, named Ann and Margaret, were blessed by Thomas T.
Thomas on 9 February 1871. Margaret was weak at birth and died 18 February. Ann
survived and grew up to marry and raise a family.
On 6 March 1874, a third set of twins was born
to Elizabeth and Taliesin. The twin boys, named David Taliesin and Hyrum Hughes
were blessed by their father and David Davis, 6 march
1874. These little boys thrived, and it looked like they would grow up to be
strong men; however, in June 1879, two years after their mother’s death, they
died from diphtheria within two days of each other. David died 23 June 1879 and
Hyrum died 25 June 1879. They were buried in the Samaria Cemetery, Oneida
County, Idaho.
Elizabeth gave birth to a little girl, 8 ½
pounds, 23 January 1877. She was named Maria and was blessed 18 February 1877
by Owen Thomas.
Elizabeth would not be able to raise her two
daughters, Maria and Ann, as she passed away 16 May 1877. Word was received in
Logan by her family, and they left immediately for Samaria.
The following account was written by Elizabeth’s
brother, Robert D. Roberts: 16 May 1877. Daniel, in Ogden, this morning
received by telegraph from Samaria, Malad Valley,
Idaho, the news of the death of our beloved sister, Elizabeth. He (Daniel) was
the conductor on the train that brought Pres. Brigham Young and company to
Logan to hold conference and to consecrae4 the ground for the building of the
Temple. Between 12 and 1, at noon, he brought the alarming news to the family
in this part of the country. Our dear sister (Elizabeth) parted this life at
six o’ clock in the morning with ease; she had no pain. She desired her
relatives to come to see her remains put in the earth to lie until the Morning
of the First Resurrection.
On the 17th, we started our journey there. We
had a most dreadful storm of snow and wind. We were not able to go any farther
than Square Town (Plymouth). This day (18th) the weather was unpleasant. We
arrived in Samaria a few minutes after 10 a.m. In looking at her husband and
her little children, the house and the surroundings where she had been moving
with joy aiming to maker her little family
comfortable and happy, it was now at an end. Her bosom
was cold, her tongue silent, her lips, eyes and ears closed in death. Her
appearance was changed, the spirit has had to flee.
Now there is nothing to look at but cold earth, or the mortal coil—the
tabernacle where that noble spirit once dwelt, but is now decaying and it is
now time to take it to its resting place before it crumbles to the dust. At two
o’clock, we took her remains to the schoolhouse where we had a good sermon in
Welsh form Own Thomas and a last view of her remains.
Elizabeth had given birth to seven children,
three sets of twins and one single birth, three boys and four girls, four of
whom are alive at the present, two boys and two girls. (Sadly,
as stated above, the two little boys died in 1879, two years after their mother’s
death). On the 20th we started home to Logan arriving the same day.
In Logan City, 23 August 1893, Ann Hughes,
daughter of Elizabeth and Taliesin Hughes was married to John William Crowley
in his Grandmother Davidson’s home in Logan First Ward. They were married by
Edward Smith, the Justice of the Peace. John William Cowley is the son of John Abner Cowley and Jennett Davidson
Cowley. John was born in Logan City. Ann was born in Samaria, Oneida, Idaho.
Maria Hughes, daughter of Elizabeth and
Taliesin, was married 16 December 1896 to Thomas Williams, son of Messach and Elizabeth Lewis Williams, natives of South
Wales. Children of Thomas and Maria Hughes William are Elmer, Elizabeth,
Charles, Thomas, and Blanch.
On 9 September 1877, Taliesin Hughes and his
sister, Maria Roberts, with Taliesin’s little daughter, Maria, and a young
girl, eighteen years of age by the name of Jane Mason, came to Logan. Taliesin
and Jane were married by William B. Preston, on that day, in his home. They
were later sealed in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah 1 December 1881.
Jane Mason was the daughter of Elizabeth Mason
and Thomas Mason. She was born in Dukestown, Mamothshire, South Wales, 22
January 1859. Jane’s parents were converted to the Mormon faith in April 1848,
and like the parents of Taliesin, desired to immigrate to America to be with
the saints. Because the family was poor, it wasn’t possible for all of the
family to secure passage at once, so Jane’s mother, Elizabeth, with her two
little girls, Jane, four years old, and Mary, seven years old, sailed on the
vessel, John Bright, for America. Jane’s father, Thomas, and her brother Dan,
would come later, after they had earned enough money for their passage. Another
daughter, Elizabeth, was married and stayed in England. Four other children,
David, William, Joseph, Ann died in early childhood.
IT was a great responsibility for Jane’s
mother to leave her husband in Wales and travel with two young children across
the ocean. On the voyage, a sever storm came up with
heavy rain, wind, thunder and lightening. The ship
was tossed about like a cork. The captain felt that the ship and passengers
wouldn’t survive, but he saints on board prayed for protection, and during the
night, the storm cease. The captain told the saint that only their prayers had
saved them.
On arriving in America they started across the
plains by ox team, waling most of the way. Jane was very sick with mountain
fever. It was a worry for her mother to have sickness, little food, and to be
among strangers.
Upon arriving in Salt Lake City, Utah, 25
September 1866, Jane, her mother and sister had no place to go. They were truly
strangers in a strange and. They sat on their carpet bags, crying, and
wondering what to do. A very dear friend who had known them in Wales and who
lived in Woods Cross, Utah, had read their name on the emigrant list. He came
and took the mother and two girls to live with his family in their one-room
home until Thomas Mason, Jane’s father, and his son, Dan arrived in Salt Lake
City two years later.
It is remembered that Jane’s family loved tossing
the Welsh songs in the evening, and they always felt grateful to be in America,
the land of plenty, where they could see the glorious sin all day. After Jane’s
father and brother arrived in America, life was a little easier for the family.
They resided in Woods Cross, Utah, for several years, but then decided it would
be wonderful to own a home and land in Idaho, so they moved to Samaria, Idaho,
and bought a home. They enjoyed being among so many of their Welsh friends.
This is where Taliesin and Jane became acquainted.
Twelve children were born to the union of
Taliesin Hughes and Jane Mason: Elizabeth (18 July 1878 to 19 June 1953, age
75) Taliesin (23 March 1880 to 11 January 1956, age 76), Thomas (12 march 1882
to 13 October 1951, age 69), Margaret (15 February 1884 to 12 March 1959, age
66), Mary (3 March 1886 to 21 March 1969, age 83) Jacob (3 December 1887 to 6
June 1964, age 77), Sarah (8 November 1889 to 22 March 1980, age 91) Ada (14
June 1892 to 25 April 1965, age 73) Joseph (5 May 1894 to 26 January 1901, age
7), Edward (1 May 1896 to 6 June 1970, age 76), Eva (19 May 1898 to 8 September
1898, age 4 months), and Isabella (24 February 1900 to 16 December 1984, age
84).
In 1888 the Mormons were being persecuted
because of their belief in polygamy. Unable to halt Mormon expansion into
Idaho, the gentiles resorted to political suppression and economic attack
against such Mormon projects as the Utah Northern and the United Orders. One
last final attempt was made in Malad Valley to
disfranchise the Mormons of their voting powers. Legislation was passed to the
effect that the Mormons, before they could vote, had to take the following
oath:
“You do solemnly swear or affirm that you are
a male citizen of the United States, over the age of twenty-one years; that you
actually reside in this territory for four months last past, and in this county
thirty days; that you are not a bigamist or a polygamist; that you are not a
member of any order, sect, organization or association which teaches, advises,
counsels or encourages its members devotees or any other persons to commit the
crime of bigamy, or polygamy or any other crime defined by law, as a duty
rising or resulting from membership in such order, organization or association,
or which practices bigamy or polygamy, or celestial marriage as a doctrine, or
privately, or in any other manner whatever, teach, advise, counsel or encourage
any person to commit the crime of bigamy, or polygamy, or any other crime
defined by law, whether as a religious duty or otherwise; that you regard the
constitution of the United States and the laws thereof, and of this territory,
as interpreted by the courts as the supreme law of the land, the teachings of
any order, organization, or association to the contrary notwithstanding and
that you have not voted previously at this elections o
help you God.”
With this injunction the Mormons were
helpless, as they believed in polygamy and taught celestial marriage. A real
problem developed, as they could have nothing to say in the political affairs
of the valley, county, or territory even though they had been responsible for
settling the communities. Many Mormons had their names taken off the Church
records so they could exercise their right to vote. To be readmitted to the
Church they had to be rebaptized. Eventually in 1893,
President Harrison pardoned all Mormons who had been convicted under the
Edmunds-Tucker Act and in 1904, in the general election,
the Mormon people resumed their status as citizens with consequent privileges.
Taliesin Hughes was among twenty-six men who,
17 October 1888, had their names removed from Samaria church records so they
could have the privilege of voting and participating in the political affairs
of the valley. Taliesin was baptized again 6 August 1891 by Thomas Thorpe, but
there is no record of his blessings having been restored at that time. In 1980
the Genealogical Library discovered the excommunication of many men in the Malad Valley due to this law. This meant that those children,
born after their father’s names were removed from church records, were not born
in the covenant. A search was made in 1980 by the Genealogical Society to find
out if their blessings had been restored. When it was found that this work had
not been completed, Taliesin’s blessings were restored 27 February 1981 and the
sealing of the children to their parents completed.
In 1890 the pioneering spirit brought the
Hughes family to Pleasantview, Idaho. They were among
the first settlers in that little community, moving their frame home from
Samaria to Pleasantview, a distance of about six
miles. Other settlers there at the time were Lewis Dan Jones, Stephen Wight,
Thomas Davis, Isaac Isaacson, Joseph Thorpe, Jerry Jones, Peter Camp, David
Joseph Davis, Will Wight, Jonah Evans, and Charles R. Thomas and their
families.
In Pleasantview area
the Indians had a hunting ground and there was sagebrush everywhere. Taliesin’s
family helped to build the bridges, burn the sagebrush, build the fences, and
produce the crops. They helped to open up the country and lay the foundation
upon which that small community was built.
Taliesin was an influential citizen in both
religious and civil affairs. He was superintendent of the Sunday School for many years and donated the land where the first
schoolhouse was built. This small white frame building was also used as the
first church house. Later a large three-room brick school was built as well as
a church house to accommodate the growing population of the community.
Taliesin and Peter Fredrickson of Malad owned and operated the first thresher in the Valley
which they operated for seventeen seasons and became recognized experts with
it. They threshed grain all over the valley. Taliesin also owned an old Osmond
binder which he operated for many season.
Jane was a pioneer, along with Taliesin, in
settling Pleasant view. She was a very thrifty person, helping Taliesin build
the home and provide for a large family. Jane did the knitting for the children
as well as all the sewing, washing, and ironing. She was a beautiful seamstress
and did sewing for many people. She was the second postmistress in Pleasantview.
When her daughters grew older, Jane bought a
carpet loom and they wove carpet for people in the valley. This made it
possible for the girls to be able to work at home. They also had bees for many
years and produced several hundred pounds of honey and beeswax each year.
Jane was active in the Pleasantview
ward. When the children’s primary was organized she was called to be the first
president of the association in Pleasantview. She was
also secretary of the Relief Society and always saw that the children attended
church.
Jane’s education was meager, but she read a
great deal and was a beautiful writer, never misspelling a word.
On 11 January 1907, Taliesin and Jane decided
to sell the homestead to the two eldest sons, Taliesin Jr., and Thoams M., and move to Logan, where the younger children
could receive advanced schooling. They lived in Logan for fifteen years but
always had a longing to return to the farm in Pleasantview,
where they had spent so many happy years. In 1922, they moved back to Pleasantview and built a new home just north of the old
home. (The homestead home as destroyed by fire on 24 July
1943). They dug a flowing well and piped water into the house. They
enjoyed their comfortable home for eight years. Jane’s late years were spent
sewing for her grandchildren and doing beautiful crocheting and tatting. Her hand were never idle. Jane died 11 March 1929 and was buried
in Pleasantview, Idaho, cemetery.
Taliesin was a tireless worker. He was always
active and loved to read until his eyesight began to fail him. He was totally
blind the last two years of his life. This was a great handicap to him,
especially since he had lost his hearing a number of years before. He lived the
last year of his life with his children who took good care of him. He was
always patient even in the midst of growing families.
Taliesin was not a man who cared to appear in public nor to give alms to be seen o men. His
gifts in time and means were generous, but always on the quiet. He died 28
November 1930 and was buried in the Pleasantview
Cemetery.
At his funeral, president Louis D. Jones said,
“Tally has raised a fine family. They are a valuable asset to the community
which they reside. Tally has been very active all his life and very ambitious.
He came to Malad Valley at an early date and helped
lay the bridges and build the roads and fences. He owned his own farm in Pleasantview. He had very little schooling, but was an
intensive reader and kept himself well posted on all news; local, state, and
national.”
At the time of his death, he was survived by
the ten children, one hundred and thirty-eight grandchildren and eighteen great
grandchildren.
This great family accepted the challenge given
by Brigham young in February 1846:
“I propose to move forward on our journey—But
I want none to come unless they will obey the commandments and statutes of the
Lord—If you do these things, faith will abide in your hearts; and the angels of
God will go with you.”
