*Charles Eugene Walton, Sr.*

Charles Eugene Walton, Sr.

Born: 24 August 1847 in Paw Paw Grove, Lee, Illinois
Parents: William Henry Harrison Walton and Frances Newell Taylor
Married: Jane McKechnie, 16 February 1867 at Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah
Died: 14 December 1923 in Logan, Cache County, Utah

JANE MCKECHNIE WALTON -- A LIFE SKETCH
Charles E. Walton Sr. was born on the 24 of August 1847 at Paw Paw Grove Lee, Illinois to William Henry Harrison Walton and Frances Newell Taylor. He came to Utah with his parents in the Harry Walton/Garden Grove Company (his fathers company). The company left Kanesville (Council Bluffs) Iowa on May 17, 1851 and arrived in Salt Lake on the 24-25 September 1851. There were 21 families and 60 wagons when they left Kanesville, Iowa.
When he was living in Bountiful, an interesting experience came into his life. His diary relates: “In the spring of 1866 I was called to go to Nebraska and bring accompany of immigrants to Salt Lake City. I drove a four-mule team to Omaha then went south to Nebraska City where the company was waiting to be picked up. I got home in October of that same year.”
The wagon train Charles Eugene was called to help consisted of travelers who were very poor and were assisted under the Perpetual Emigration Fund Company. Milton R. Hunter (Utah, the Story of Her People, p. 268) wrote: “The largest wagon train assisting immigrants to Utah was organized in 1866. Ten separate companies including 456 teamsters, 3,042 oxen, 397 wagons, 89 horses, 134 mules besides 49 mounted guards are said to have assisted that year in bringing settlers to Utah.”
On February 27, 1867 Charles E. Walton married Jane McKechnie. For nearly four years they lived in Bountiful, Utah where their three children, Charles E. Jr., Magnolia, and Leona were born.
In June of 1870 Charles Eugene and Jane moved to Bear River Valley seeking land for a new home. In 1871 they, along with their three children and his parents (William Harrison and Frances Walton) moved to a place in the valley where they helped establish the settlement of Woodruff, Utah. On March 4, 1872 Charles Eugene was appointed road supervisor. He was apparently a storekeeper as he mentions in his diary that in 1876 his store was organized into a co-operative. In the summer of 1878 he recorded in his diary: “Father and I went to Ogden to work on Uncle Andrew Walton’s threshing machine. We arrived the first of August and commenced work that day. We threshed around Ogden and Plain City all fall and then returned to Woodruff.”
In the fall of 1879 the Charles Eugene family was one of 80 families called by President John Taylor to go to San Juan County to settle that part of Utah. They sold all their property and made preparations to go. On October 1, 1879 about 3 P.M. they started the journey south in company with Samuel Bryson. He wrote: “Our outfit consisted of a pair of wild bulls, a yoke of wild steers, four horses, a mare and colt and 30 head of stock.” (2 other accounts indicate 11 head) After traveling many days they reached what was then known as Forty-Mile Springs where they joined the company that had been called from other districts to colonize the San Juan Mission. While camped at Forty-Mile Springs explorers were sent ahead to lay out a route for the continuance of the journey. They returned with the disheartening report that “a bird couldn’t fly over the route; it looks impossible to take a team over it.”
Only men of great experience, men with faith, determination, and with a real willingness to co-operate could have accomplished the task of building a road through the dangerous rocky terrain that lay sbetween them and their destination. Levi Edgar Young in The Founding of Utah, p. 236 said, “It is probable that no colonizers of the West ever had greater difficulties in building roads than had the pioneers of San Juan.”
In Charles E. Walton Sr. diary it says that the wagons began pouring out of Forty-Mile Spring toward the Hole-in-the-Rock itself some seventeen miles away. They left Forty-Mile Springs, and after weeks of hard travel, battling storms, cold and hot winds, mud and dust, they reached the great Colorado River, or rather reached the edge of the plateau above the river chasm. On the Slick rocks at the top of the chasm the people danced to the fiddles of Samuel Cox and Charles E. Walton Sr. They sang their inspired songs and discussed the new country they would soon be colonizing. They spent the “coldest Friday in history” at the Hole, according to Mary Jane Wilson, one of the youngsters there. There, on the windy desert near the edge of the canyon wall, these weary pioneers camped six weeks with only the shelter of tents and wagon covers to protect them. They gathered the desert brush to keep their campfires burning. Water was scarce as evidenced by the notation in the journal of Kuman Jones: “We rejoiced when the early wet snow fell. As it melted it filled the holes in the rocks and furnished culinary water for sat least a day.” On December 13, the traveling organization was organized and Charles E. Walton Sr. as called as Clerk.
Some nights they danced in the moonlight, with happier hearts than they had had for a long time. Charles Eugene and a few others in the company tuned their violins and played. The next morning at sunrise the camp was bustling with preparations for the crossing of the Colorado. In their hazardous zigzag down the steep incline, nine horses were lost but the feat was accomplished without the loss of one human life. In January, 1880 they crossed the Colorado River.
They arrived at their destination on April 6, 1880 at a place they called Bluff. Charles Eugene wrote in his diary: “We raised the crop that year that Bishop Nielson promised we would raise.” The next project swas building the fort in which they lived during 1880 and 1881.
In the book, Saga of San Juan, It says on December 13, 1880, Charles E. Walton, Sr. was appointed the first postmaster of Bluff. On May 31, 1881, the post office was discontinued and mail was sent to McElmo. (p. 63)
In 1880 less than three weeks after they had settled there, the governor and legislature of Utah Territory designated Bluff as the seat of San Juan County. In addition, a selectman, superintendent of schools, and other officers were chosen. Charles Eugene Walton, was appointed as county clerk, and he was also sustained as stake clerk when the first LDS organization was effected. He was one of the directors (vice president) in the San Juan Co-operative Company organized in 1882, which paid an annual dividend of forty percent and continued in business until January of 1920 when it was bought out by John L. Hunt. (Andrew Jensen, Church Historian) It was indicated in Saga or San Juan that C.E. Walton, Sr. hauled freight from the Blue Mountain. They often freighted over the roads from Colorado and camped with other freighters at Fiddler’s Grove. He taught school for several years, presented many home dramatic plays, and played the violin for numerous dances and parties. C.E. Walton, Sr. records in his diary that he “directed plays, built the scenery, helped gather costumes and cleaned the hall before many of the plays were produced.”
The people suffered many hardships and severe losses to property due to the overflow of the San Juan River. Because of this the people decided to break up the mission and move to a more favorable location. The President of the Church sent Joseph F. Smith of the Council of the Twelve to Bluff to investigate the situation. President Smith came to the conclusion that the people should remain in Bluff and hold the mission intact. Nevertheless, those who wished to move away were released with the blessing of The First Presidency, but he promised that those who would remain would be doubly blessed. A few left, but Charles E. Walton elected to cast his lot with the majority who accepted their leader’s decision. Joseph F. Smith, personally, had asked him to stay. In his diary he wrote: “I told him I would, and I have never regretted it for the Lord has prospered us as Brother Joseph F. said He would.” An entry in his diary seven years later, March 9, 1887, concerned a settlement in North Montezuma. At that time he, with a few other men and families were called by Church leaders to open up that part of the country for settlement. In the book Utah Since Statehood, vol 4, an article on Charles Eugene Sr. and Charles Eugene Walton Jr. reads, “In 1888, Mr. Walton moved to Monticello, having laid out the town site secured the previous year.” This statement concurs with the entry in his diary of March 9, 1887. Additional excerpts from the diary of Charles E. Walton provide a picture of the journey from Bluff to Monticello and the conditions surrounding its settlement during the first few months.
BLUFF, March 5, 1888 - I attended meeting in the interest of the Blue Mountain Mission. I helped to write the Articles of Agreement. At night we organized into a company. (evidently referring to the Blue Mountain Irrigation Company), I was elected treasurer.
Monday, March 12, 1888. Charley failed to find the horse. We could not start for Blue Mountains.
March 14—Cloudy—camped within 4 miles of Alkali, camped all night.
March 15—Started out and traveled through snow nearly to the top of the hill and nooned and wallowed through snow to the top of the hill and four miles down and we finally reached South Montezuma (Verdure) about sundown. AT South Montezuma we rested our horses. We divided up our grain and found some of it had been stolen.
Saturday, 17—Hitched up and drove to North Montezuma (MOnticello). Fixed up a shanty and hauled some wood.
Sunday, 18—It being Sunday we rested.
Monday, 19—The wind blew fearful. It blew so hard we could not do anything but stay indoors.
Sunday, March 25—Stormed all day and night. We saddled up and started to Bluff.
March 29—Ready to start to the Blue Mountain.
March 30—Camped at Fiddler’s Grove for the night.
March 31—Nooned on top of Recapture Hill and then drove to the Carlisle fence and camped.
April--Windy. We hitched up and drove to the pines and struck mud. We had a fearful time we had to leave our wagons and go to South Montezuma on horseback.
Monday—We went back and got our wagons, then drove over to Monticello.
April 2—We fixed up the shanty and put up the stove.
April 6—Put in some garden.
April 26—The Water Commission gave us all the South Fork and three-fourths of North Montezuma
Monday—We set out trees in the forenoon.
Sunday, May 20, 1888—I attended Sabbath school, the first one held in Monticello.
July 12—The folks went gooseberrying.
July 17—Charley went to Verdure to fix up election papers.
An entry in Charles Eugene diary reads: “On the 10th of June I worked on the irrigation ditch and went to singing school at night. I attended Board of Directors meeting in the evening and had a spelling school.
At school this evening I lectured on ancient history.”
Another entry he wrote: “I went to Bluff to attend Court. Jane accompanied me. I went through the records books and found I was in debt to the County for seventy-three dollars. I cut Lucerne hay for John Rogerson, we cleaned out the stables and next day I fixed up the threshing machine. I fixed fence, built a counter and helped mark goods for the mercantile store. I attended and paid thirty-five dollars of the money I owed the County.” They were living in Monticello when Jane went with her husband to Bluff to attend Court.
A contract was let, the record stated, “Superintendent Charles Eugene Walton to complete the road from Verdure to the wash in the bottom of Devil’s Canyon.”
Jane Walton became the first Stake President of the Relief Society. Her work carried her all over the area, which included Moab, Mancos, and part of New Mexico in buggy or wagon, in heat or cold. In 1888 the family moved to Monticello.
Jane had a joyous disposition and loved dancing. A letter written by her to “Dear Sarah” told of good times at a bow dance and picnic, a cap dance and picnic, an oyster supper and a dance when a glittering Christmas tree was the focal point of the festivities. The picnic was always a favorite on such occasions.
During the 24th of July celebration in 1891 just days after her 45 birthday she was killed by drunk cowboys in a shootout. The “hardtime” dance was held that evening. Charles E. Walton, Sr., played the fiddle, her son Charles corded on the organ and John E. Rogerson called the square dances. See accompanying story “Jane’s Vision”
Two years after the tragedy of his wife’s death, Charles Eugene accepted a call from the presidency of the Church to fill a mission in the Southern States. This was the first call for missionaries from San Juan Stake. He served two years, from 1894 to 1896. In 1904 he moved to Logan to be near the temple, where he served for many years. He died on December 14, 1923.
(NOTE: This sketch was written by Pearl Walton) Grandma Ila’s sister. - Contributed By HuntJoyceAnn1 to FamilySearch 16 August 2013

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