Rachel Richards Baker ~ Index
Rachel Richards Baker was born July 27th, 1846 near Montrose, Iowa under very peculiar circumstances and unfavorable conditions. Her father left Nauvoo, Illinois February 4th, 1846 with the first company of pioneers starting westward for the Rocky Mountains. He had sold his home in Nauvoo for a trifle to a German family with the express proviso that his own family should remain in the home for a certain specified period of time. On the 27th day of July, 1846, this German woman came and ordered the Richards family out of the house. Her mother, Agnes Hill Richards, explained that the time to vacate the house and quit the premises had not yet expired, and that as soon as this time elapsed she would quit possession. Whereupon, the German grabbed hold of an axe lying nearby and chased the pregnant and helpless Agnes from the house with her five little children. They made their exit as best as they could, crossing hurriedly over the Mississippi River into Iowa near Montrose and on the same day, sheltered only by the broad canopy of heaven and while sweltering under the rays of the noonday sun gave birth to a baby girl named Rachel.
When Rachel was about four years old, the family was living near Honey Creek, Pottawatomie County, Iowa. A large tree had fallen across this creek and formed an improvised bridge for pedestrians. One warm summer morning after her birthday, she was crossing Honey Creek on the log with the other children where she slipped and fell into the rushing stream. Her brother John, then eleven years old, skirted the banks of the flowing stream, caught her long black curls as they floated on its surface and rescued her from a watery grave.
She was known to love animals, especially dogs. The family kept a large black dog with a white ring around its neck. As cold weather approached, the dog had to stay outdoors. Rachel would cry with piteous tears, "Co-Ingy! Co-Ingy!" (Cold Ringy).
About April 22nd, 1851 her family left Iowa and wended their way for the Mecca of the Mormons in the Rocky Mountains with the Luman A. Shurtliff's company of fifty ox-teams. They were five months to the day in making the journey. Though but five years of age, she had to frequently walk with her sisters Mary and Agnes to lighten the load of the teams while her father and brothers John and Joseph were engaged in driving the teams. On one occasion, she sat at the front end of their covered wagon. A sudden jolt of the moving wagon precipitated her to the ground behind the wheels of the oxen. The front wheel passed over her right shoulder and head, leaving her in an unconscious condition. Again, her brother John saved her life by snatching her from the crushing blow of the hind wheel.
About June 1st, 1859, Rachel's two brothers John and Hyrum went to Cache Valley to establish a home for the family. They built and completed the first home ever where Mendon now stands. The family arrived to occupy the log home on Christmas night in 1859 and Rachel came with them.
She was a home girl, and became adept with the spinning wheel sometimes spinning as much as nine skeins of yarn per day. Knitting stockings and patching quilts by the dim light of the backlog fire and the candle wick were her delights. Her girl companions were Mary Luckham, Susan Luckham, Mary Willie, and Emma Gardner. Her amusements included spelling matches, dances, horseback riding, quilting, woolpicking-bees. Her satisfying joy was unique, that of doing her duty and attending devotional services.
Notes…
Rachel Richards married Jarrvis Young Baker on December 25th, 1864 in Mendon, Utah.