Gunsmoke - Johnson (Shumway Ranch) - (Day 18)

September 19, 1884 - Sink Valley to Johnson 

Day 18 of 44 - Week 3
Sink Valley to Johnson =  26 Miles:* Total Miles = 356
*Miles not reported in journal: Used google maps = 26 miles
Total Trip Average Miles Per Day = 19.8: Average Miles Per Day - Week 3 = 17.5 

September 19 - 20, 1884

Original Journal Entry

"Friday Sep 19th - Hitched up late drove through some very heavy sand - was unacquainted with the road - found no water - drove all day without feed or water - Buggy team run away - Camped at Johnson or Shumwey's Ranch paid 25 cents per span good pasture."

 Final Journal Entry

"Friday Sep. 19, drove through heavy sand all day without feed or water - unacquainted with the road - buggy team nearly ran away.  Camped at Shumway's ranch at Johnson, paid 25c per span pasture."

On this day Charles probably didn't feel "lucky" as Heber J. Grant said the day before.  Everything that could go wrong went wrong. 

• They hitched up late.
• Drove through some very heavy sand.
• Were unacquainted with the road. 
• Found no water. 
• Drove all day without feed or water.
• The buggy team nearly ran away. (and they probably)    
• Arrived at their destination later in the evening.  

At least they had good pasture when they finally got to Johnson.  I believe the were still totally committed to fullfill their mission in Arizona. 

Today this trip is one of the most enjoyable parts of the journey.  Let's get started. About 7 miles after Sink Valley you will see this sign. 

Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument

About half a mile down the road is another sign.  It is difficult to read but says Deer Springs Ranch.  You won't be going there, but make sure you turn left instead of right near that sign where the roads crosses or you will end up on Highway 89 in Glendale.  I know from experience.

Sign says: Deer Spring Ranch 19 Miles

At the next cross roads a few miles down, the dirt road ends and you continue straight ahead on a paved road into Johnson Canyon.  Do not turn left on the dirt road called Skutumpah road.  You are about half way to Johnson, and will enjoy a delightful scenic drive.

You will quickly see why Hollywood used this beautiful canyon as a backdrop for several movies.  The Anderson family had no idea they were in a Hollywood setting when they passed through in 1884 trying to find their way to Johnson.

Johnson Canyon - Set your odometer and look for these sites

About 3 1/2 miles after you  enter the pavement road is Swapp Canyon. 

Swapp Canyon

Shortly after is Escalante Grand Staircase and the canyon to Montezuma's cave 

Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument
The largest National Monument in America

7 1/2  miles down the road is the "Pioneer Billboard" and  "Indian Writings"

Ten miles from the payment brings you to the Gunsmoke movie set for several 'Westerns', including some episodes of the popular "Gunsmoke" TV series.  Many movies were made in Kanab
 and the surrounding area. Click HERE to check out how many you have seen.

"Gunsmoke."  Click for a quick look back, or just turn on for music

in the background as you continue down the canyon.

The movie set (click) isn't the town where the Andersons were going.  Johnson is about 12 miles down the road or about 2 miles from the movie set.  All that is left of the town is the graveyard containing 20-25 headstones.  It is fenced off and is located on an LDS Church farm.  Joel Hills Johnson founded the town and is buried in the cemetery.  The family/caretaker might grant access. The cemetery is not visible from the road but is accessible through a field behind the farmhouse.

front of memorial

back of memorial

When the Andersons arrived at Shumway ranch at Johnson they would have seen this

farmhouse owned by William Derby Johnson.  Johnson was settled in the spring of 1871 by William and his three brothers.  This farmhouse had four rooms above and five below, with a big porch and a store.  Joseph Fish said: "William D. Johnson kept a very good stock of merchandise for the travel considering what a small place it was, and this being the last place on the road where anything could be obtained he did a good business during the fall and early winter when the emigrants were moving to Arizona.  Perhaps the Anderson family purchased some items from him.  They paid 25c per span for pasture - a very reasonable price.

This Adventure Map (click)  (and be patient) goes  up the canyon from south to north. We started from the bottom going from  north to south. Johnson Cemetery is not on the map.

Route A is how the Anderson Family traveled in 1884, and the route followed by this 

blog.  Route B can also be taken to enjoy more of the sights available today.  Then you

can go up the canyon from south to north.

Route A




Route B below (blue part) will be included in a future post.  The road is paved and there are many sights to see along the way.  You also avoid the dirt road between Alton and Johnson.   You can visit Johnson Canyon at the end of this route by using the adventure map from top to bottom so it is easier to follow the mileage.

Route B

The next posting will begin the "Honeymoon Trail" part of the journey at Navajo Well.  This location eluded me for many years.  Finally a local rancher took me to the exact spot.  It is not an easy place to find.  Navajo Well was the first of many watering places  they would stop.  In addition to well these locations are  identified with the last name of spring, pool, or creek.

It was all about finding water back then

I could not thank this local rancher enough
for showing me Navajo Well

We are now following the "Honeymoon Trail

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A Tour of Discovery - Panguitch (Day 15)

September 16, 1884 - Canyon to river (nooned) to Panguich

Day 15 of 44 - (Week 3)
Canyon to Panguich = 18 Miles (Total Miles = 289 Miles)
Total Trip Average Miles Per Day = 19.3: Average Miles Per Day - Week 3 = 12.7

September 15 - 16, 1884

September 16 - 17, 1884

Original Journal Entry

"Tuesday sep. 16 - Started met Johnson's wife (the ____wife that works at the Ferry) she said we could go to the lower ferry so we do not need to _____ Lee's Back Bone.  We drove up the valley till we about noon - turned out by the River - hitched up drove to Panguich camped by Co-op Store - traveled 18 miles that day"

Final Journey Entry

"Tuesday Sept. 16 met Ferryman Johnson's wife, said we could cross lower ferry no need to cross Lees Backbone.  Nooned up the river Alvina De La Mare was sick.  We administered to her.  Drove to Panguich that night camped by Coop. 18 miles."

Note;  At the time Alvina was pregnant with Isabel who would be born the following May.  At that time they had been crossing at the lower ferry, but the Anderson family would cross the upper ferry.. 

Where is the Co-op?

It depended on who you asked.  Everybody had a different opinion.  The locations below were in the running  for the Co-op. 

Was the Co-op here?

According to one source, this is where they
could have camped behind the Co-op

This place was also in the running as well for the Co-op in 1884

And The Winner Is?  None of the above.

The Court House

They camped near here

Now that we have established where the Andersons camped this day

Let's

Quilt Walk Park

 Next to the Court House today is Quilt Walk Park

It has an amazing story to tell.  It is worth your time to watch this mini movie.  The Andersons may have heard about this event which happened twenty years earlier in Panguitch.  Perhaps the story gave them renewed courage for the difficult journey that lay ahead.  My great great grandmother's (Margaret Ann Adair Richey) brother (on the other side of the family), Thomas Jefferson Adair Jr., is featured.    

"The Quilt Walk" - An Amazing Story

The music from the band gives a little history of the  Adair Family before the quilt walk.

At the end places are suggested to noon.  Follow in their footsteps in the movie;
 then walk through Panguitch!  

For more information on "The Quilt Walk" go here

Thomas Jefferson Adair

On a personal note, Thomas Jefferson Adair is featured in this movie with a song about him and his family.  His 1st wife, Frances Rogers Adair, and at least two of their children died before coming to Utah.  His mother, Rebecca Brown Adair, my 4th great grandmother, was buried at Mt. Pisgah and her name inscribed on the monument there.  Click here for a short history of the family.  I know the general area, but am still trying to find Adairville, Utah where Thomas Adair lived about a decade later.  I'll post my findings here if I am successful.  Thomas Adair also lived at Pahreah, a beautiful spot, which will be shown in a future blog.  You are able to drive to it today.  Movies were made there.

I

John D Lee

 This was the first brick home built in Panguitch.  There are many interesting homes in Panguitch which I drove by on my way to this one.   On November 7, 1874, while visiting in Pantguich, John D Lee was placed under arrest by United States Deputy Marshall William Stokes. An account of this can be read here. Rumor has it he was found hiding in a chicken coop or a pig pen behind this home.

This home of William and Louisa Lee Prince was remodeled
and served as a Bed and Breakfast.

I went through Panguitch several times before finding the home where John D. Lee was captured and turned into federal authorities.  His daughter lived here with her husband William Prince.  John D Lee was buried in Panguitch.  He will be mentioned in future blogs on Lee's Ferry,  Jacob's Pool, and Moenave. 

John D Lee was buried  in Pantguich Cemetery

John Doyle Lee

Before the Anderson family arrived in Panguitch, they nooned between milepost 149 and milepost 131.  If they nooned at "noon," then they stopped earlier in the day.  Just past milepost 142 " by the river" (7 miles) of the eighteen miles they traveled that day would have been a picturesque area for them to noon.

They could have nooned near the river in this area past signpost 142

Whenever I passed through Panguitch, I asked questions and eventually found the history you have read about here.  Nobody seemed to know where John D Lee was caught by federal authorities.  The home was behind the school downtown - "hidden in plain sight."  This was also true about the Co-op.  This book was pointed out to me by a lady in one of the Main street shops and gave me more information about the Co-op.  Be persistent and you will usually find what you are looking for.

pg 28-29. The second Co-op was in the
"Old Sow" building near where the
court house is today.

At the time the Anderson Family was in Panguitch, I believe they camped near the second Co-op building. The first one was located in the old fort.  The third one located on Center Street was lost to fire in the early 1900s.  One thing we know for sure is that it was not where many people thought,  on Main Street.  Center Street which runs East and West was where the third Co-op building was located.

Charles said "very ugly place" in referring to Hillsdale.   What a difference a "few" years make.  We will go there tomorrow and see what you can enjoy today.  I received a special gift here on my birthday, and visited with a remarkable family. Hillsdale will always remain a fond memory for me, and today it is a beautiful place.  

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