Amenzo White Baker ~ Index
Amenzo White Baker, Sr. son of Simon and Mercy Young Baker was born 9 June 1832, at West Winfield, Herkimer County, New York. Soon after his birth the family moved to Pomfret, Chautauqua County, New York, where they resided until 1839, when they became proselytes of the Mormon faith and moved west to Iowa, which was then a territory. At this place he attended the village school, and assisted in the labor on their new farm until the spring of 1846, when during the Exodus of the Mormons from Illinois, he together with his parents left their new farm and joined the fleeing camps of Mormons. They continued their march to Mount Pisgah, Iowa, where they remained until the following August, when they moved across the river and went into Winter Quarters.
When during the winter of 1846-1847, he went with his father some three-hundred miles into the state of Missouri to work for provisions for their journey to the Rocky Mountains. In May 1847, the family started on their march for the west, Amenzo W. Baker being assigned to drive two yoke of oxen on one wagon, maintaining this position until their arrival in Great Salt Lake City, 2 October 1847, although he was only a boy of fifteen years. He assisted his father in getting material out of the mountains for their house and making preparations for the winter. Being short of provisions and as there was an abundance of thistles in the bottoms about one mile south of the fort, Amenzo W. Baker was assigned the duty of gathering thistle roots with which he supplied the family during the winter of 1847-1848. The following spring he helped his father in putting in some crops and in the fall helped him gather what he had raised, mostly corn damaged by an early frost, necessitating an early harvest.
His father being forced to economize, determined to make the best of his misfortunes, so while the boys were cutting and stripping the blades from the corn stalks, made a wooden mill to press them and from the juice made molasses, which proved to be a great blessing and furnished the family with sweets they would have gone without otherwise. He continued this business until the fall of 1849, attending a winter school. In 1851 he went with his father to work in what was afterwards called Baker's Canyon in Davis County, where he labored until the fall of 1853, when he with his brother George W. Baker and some fifty others, were called on a mission to the Indians. There they built Fort Supply, at what is now called Robertson, Wyoming and labored at farming and preaching to the Indians until the fall of 1856. This year, Amenzo W. Baker raised a good crop and this being one of those experimental years in handcart emigration, several of the rear companies were caught in the deep, early snow in a destitute condition. This being reported to President Brigham Young, a call was made for volunteers with good teams and wagons to go to their rescue and bring them into Great Salt Lake City.
Amenzo W. Baker volunteered and being one-hundred miles east of Great Salt Lake City it gave him and his comrades a one-hundred miles the lead of those who volunteered from Great Salt Lake City. They traveled east until they met the rear companies, bringing them on until they met the next company, etc. Here he experienced the most heart rending scenes of his life; women and children almost naked, in snow to their knees, some with frozen feet and almost famished with cold and hunger. Here he performed the most heroic acts of his life in helping and caring for those unfortunate beings. He seems to have had the courage of a lion to do what he did. Some one or more of those unfortunate died each night, so there was a burial every morning before breaking camp. On one occasion they buried sixteen persons in one grave or pit. He continued his labors with those people until they arrived at Fort Bridger, Wyoming, where he was relieved by fresh recruits from Great Salt Lake City.
During his missionary work among the Indians, he had many narrow escapes with his life, some were very hostile, but it seemed the Lord was with them and they always escaped unharmed. After being released from this mission he returned to his father's home in Great Salt Lake City, 16 December 1857. In 1858 he took an active part in the Move South helping to move poor families from Great Salt Lake City to Provo, Utah County. The spring of 1859 found him preparing for a trip to his native state of New York to visit relatives and collect genealogy, working his way to Omaha by driving a four mule team and returning in the fall working his way back to Great Salt Lake City.
The following winter he assisted in feeding cattle at his father's ranch on the Jordan River. In the spring of 1860 he in company with his brothers George W. and Albert M. Baker started for Cache Valley, 5 April 1860 arriving in Mendon on 18 April 1860. During 1860-1861 he helped to build houses and corrals, also started farming. In 1861-1862, he taught the first school in Mendon, Utah. In 1863 he was called to go to Omaha to assist in bringing some Mormon emigrants to Utah. (P.E.F.) It required five months for the round trip. He was called to make a second trip the next year, 1863, this making him a record of having driven an ox-team at least two-thousand five-hundred miles. He donated all his work, also donated much work on the Logan and Salt Lake temples and many meetinghouses.
On 19 November 1864, he married Agnes Steele Hill a widow with four small children. In later years there were born to them eight children, making a family of twelve. The remainder of his useful life was spent on his one-hundred and sixty acre farm on the northern outskirts of Mendon. He was stricken with pneumonia from which he died 13 July 1907, surrounded by his children and many loving friends. Thus ended the career of a great man, a good christian, kind husband, loving father, patriotic citizen and good neighbor.
Life Sketch
Amenzo White Baker, son of Simon and Mercy Young Baker was born June 9th, 1832 at West Windfield, Herkimer County, New York. Soon after his birth the family removed to Pomfret, Chautauqua County, New York, where they resided until 1839, when they became proselytes of the Mormon faith and moved west to Iowa, which was then a territory. Amenzo was baptized on June 20th, 1840. In Iowa, Amenzo attended the village school and assisted in the labor of their new farm until the spring of 1846 when during the Exodus of the Mormons from Illinois, he, together with his father and step-mother left their new farm and joined the fleeing camps of Mormons. They continued their march to Mt. Pisgah, Iowa, where they remained until the following August, when they moved across the river and went into Winter Quarters. During the winter of 1846-1847, Amenzo went with his father some 300 miles into the state of Missouri, to work for provisions for their journey to the Rocky Mountains.
In May, 1847, the family started on their march for the west, Amenzo being assigned to drive two yoke of oxen on one wagon, maintained the position until they arrived in Salt Lake City, October 2nd, 1847. Here he assisted his father in getting out material for their house and making preparations for the winter. Being short of provisions and as there was an abundance of thistles in the bottoms, about one mile south of the fort, Amenzo was assigned the duty of gathering thistle roots with which he supplied the family during the winter of 1847-1848. The following spring he assisted his father in putting some crops in and in the fall helped his father gather what little they had raised, mostly corn damaged by an early frost, necessitating an early harvest. His father, being forced to economize, determined to make the best of his misfortunes, so while the boys were cutting and stripping blades from the cornstalks, made a wooden mill to press them, and from which he made molasses. This proved to be a success and with Amenzo as one of the chief operators, he continued in this business until the fall of 1849, attending occasionally a winter school. In 1851 Amenzo went with his father to work in what was afterwards called Baker's Canyon, in Davis County, where he labored until the fall of 1853.
Then he, together with his brother, George W. and some fifty others, were called on a mission to the Indians, where they built Fort Supply, at what is now Robertson, Wyoming, and labored at farming and preaching to the Indians, until the fall of 1856. This year, Amenzo raised a good crop and this being one of those experimental years in hand-cart emigration, several of the rear companies were caught in the deep early snow in destitute condition. This being reported to President Young, a call was made for volunteers with good teams and wagons, to go to their rescue and bring them in to Salt Lake City. Amenzo volunteered for the trip, and being 100 miles to the east of Salt Lake City, it gave him and his Fort Supply comrades 100 miles the lead of the Salt Lake City volunteers, so traveling east until they met the rear companies, bringing them on until they overtook the next company, etc. Here Amenzo experienced the most heart-rending scenes of his life: women and children, almost naked, in snow to their knees, some with frozen feet, and almost famished with cold and hunger. Here he performed the heroic acts of his life, in helping and caring for those unfortunate beings. Amenzo seems to have had the courage of a lion to have accomplished what he did.
Some one or more of those unfortunate died each night, so there was a burial every morning, before breaking camp. On one occasion they buried 16 persons in one grave or pit. Amenzo continued his labors with those people until they arrived at Fort Bridger, when he was relieved by fresh recruits from Salt Lake City, and returned to his home at Fort Supply, some twelve miles to the south.
During the early summer of this year, 1856, Amenzo and his companion, Mr. James Brown, were out among the Indians, preaching and traveling from one camp to another, when, in a lonely place, they were surprised by a renegade band of Navajo Indians, who, while they were hostile towards the United States soldiers, were friendly with the Mormons. These Indians were out of their own territory and in the territory of the Snake Indians, to whom Amenzo and Mr. Brown were preaching.
Since Amenzo was wearing a United States soldier coat, the Navajos though the two men were Americans a name the Indians applied to all United States soldiers. The men were surrounded and though they did not speak or understand the Navajos language, after the Indians made an examination of their underwear, they found that the two men were Mormons and they were released. Amenzo had many thrilling experiences while on this mission. He continued his travels among the Snake Indians until the invasion of Johnston's Army in 1857, when the little colony at Fort Supply abandoned their homes, which they had been four years in establishing. They burned their buildings, grain and improvements, to prevent their occupation by the troops.
After being released from this command, he returned to his father's home in Salt Lake City, arriving there December 26th, 1857, making this his home during the winter, and in the following spring of 1858, he took an active part in helping to move the poor families from Salt Lake City to Provo, Utah County, during the exodus of the Saints to the south.
President Young had been giving orders to vacate Salt Lake City, and all the northern settlements in Utah, and to leave their homes ready for the torch. After all the people had abandoned their homes and moved to the south, Amenzo, together with about 200 others, was detailed as a secret guard to keep in hiding, to apply the torch to every house if conditions should require it. Amenzo remained in the city until July, when a treaty was made with the Government Commissioners, and all the people returned to their homes. Amenzo engaged in sundry employments the balance of the summer and the following winter attended school, having had but little opportunity for schooling in earlier life.
The spring of 1859 found Amenzo preparing for a trip to his native state, New York, to visit relatives and to collect genealogy. He worked his way to Omaha by driving a four-mule team, and returning in the fall, he worked his way back to Salt Lake City as a matter of economy. The following winter he assisted in feeding the stock on his father's ranch, on the Jordan River, and in the spring of 1860, having concluded to try and make himself another home, he, in company with his brothers, Albert M. and George W., gathered together an outfit of agricultural implements and started for Cache Valley April 5th, 1860, arriving in Mendon on April 18th, 1860.
These Baker brothers co-operated in their labors during 1860 and 1861, building a company cabin and corrals, all living together as one family. During this time, Amenzo was enrolled as one of the home guards, under military discipline, which was necessary in all the new settlements of the valley at this time, to protect themselves against the Indians, who were much displeased with the white man's encroachments of the valley at this time, taking their land and catching their fish. The Indians gave the colonies much trouble. Amenzo was subject to the military for about two years, working when off duty, in the canyons and on the farm, getting material together to build a home for himself, and was successful in his efforts in procuring a comfortable home. In 1861-1862, Amenzo taught the first school in Mendon, Utah.
In 1862, Amenzo was called to go to Omaha to assist in bringing the Mormon emigration to Utah; driving an eight-ox-team from Mendon to Omaha, returning the same season, which required five months time for the round trip. Amenzo made himself so efficient on this trip that he was called to make a second trip the next year, 1863, thus making him a record of having driven six teams across the plains five times, a distance of 5,125 miles under campaign discipline, besides having driven an ox-team at home, for all of his team work, for a period of forty years. This would give him a record of at least 25,000 miles as a world's record for ox-team driving. The following year, 1864, he worked on his farm and improved his new home, and in the fall, having harvested a good crop, and feeling that he was able to feed and shelter more than himself, and that it was not good to be alone, he married Agnes Steele, daughter of Hamilton Steele and Jane Morton of Scotland. Amenzo and Agnes were married on November 19th, 1864. Together, they had three sons and five daughters. Less than three years after Agnes' death, Amenzo died on July 13, 1907 at his home, surround by his children and many loving friends. Thus ended the career of a great man, a good Christian, kind husband, loving father, patriotic citizen and a good neighbor.