Richard Franklin Shumway ~ Index
Richard F. Shumway was born April 10th, 1868 at Mendon, a small town located six miles west of Logan, Utah, in Cache County. He is now seventy-one years old, and has traveled a great deal in his life. He has helped develop several places in Southern Utah. His occupation has been stock raising; sheep being his main interest. Many little spots still carry his name in the territory where he first ranged his herd. At one time he was recognized as one of the wealthiest men in Kane and Garfield Counties.
When he was seven years old his father (Charles Shumway) was called to help settle southern Utah. He remembers plainly how they used to make brick. When the mud was made, he and the other children were allowed to mix it with their bare feet; after which it was put in molds and put out to dry. Later it was burned; and thus they made brick to build their homes. Many of the early settlers had small log cabins with dirt floors, the roof being made of willows covered with dirt. Candles were used for lights until coal oil came. Wood was the fuel because it was easily obtained. The food consisted mostly of potatoes and gravy; with corn meal mush for supper. Nevertheless, Mr. Shumway recalls that the early pioneers were freer from sickness than people are today.
One of the hardest tasks in the early days was making clothing. Night after night Richard remembers seeing his mother (Elizabeth Jardine Shumway) at the old spinning wheel. Often she struggled most of the night so the family would have clothes to wear. His father owned a small flock of sheep. They clipped the wool with scissors, then put it in water to soak and free it from dirt. When it was dry it was carded with old cards used by hand, after which it was spun into yarn and woven into cloth, and finally made into clothes by hand. With this long process it was a long time before each member of the family had a new change of apparel, and they were very careful to make them wear as long as possible. Buckskin was also used by some to make clothing. Mr. Shumway states he was thirteen years old before he had what sugar wanted. He also remembers his parents making sugar from sugar beets when he was a small child in Cache County.
There was always a prevailing pioneer spirit of friendliness among the pioneers. At one time his father owned a few cattle on a range some distance from where they lived. Af man named Gardner was very hungry and killed one of the cows. Later, he told the owner what he had done, and said he would pay for the animal as soon as he had the means to do so. The elder Mr. (Charles) Shumway said, If you get hungry again, kill another cow.
The plow was the only implement they had, other than the crude harrows and rakes etc. which they made after arriving at their destination.
Richard F. Shumway married Margaret Hannah Johnson on October 28th, 1891 at Kanab, Utah. A few years were spent at Kanab, they then decided to move to Tropic and try stock raising in that vicinity. The country was new, and with the few sheep he had, it was not long until he was able to build up a large herd. During the World War he sold his sheep, and with the $30,000 moved to Roosevelt, Utah. He bought a large farm, but he was not a successful farmer so soon lost all he had made and moved back to Tropic again. He tried to start in the livestock business once more, but all the close rangeland was taken up by someone else, and this venture was not successful.
Recently he moved to St. George, Utah to spend the remainder of his life working in the temple. He is the father of thirteen children and twenty-nine grandchildren.1
- Life Sketch of Richard F. Shumway, Interview by Layton J. Ott, 7 September 1939. This was taken as part of the Federal Writers Project.