Charles Adams: 1843-1927

I don't think that back in 1843 Ireland there were town signs welcoming tourists into their communities.  But there sure were in 2007.


September 16, 1843, to be exact, was when Charles Adams was born in Banbridge, County Down, Ireland. Now you might wonder why the sign says Hillsborough.  Well, I didn't think to take a picture of Banbridge while we were there, but it is a neighboring village.  And the grass and shrubbery look the same. 

Very likely, this was the actual church that his parents, William Adams and Mary Ann Leech, attended prior to their conversion to the Church of Jesus  Christ of Latter-day Saints just a year before Charles was born. 




And..............this is what the church looks like from a distance.  If you use your imagination, you can picture them walking down the well-groomed pathway every Sunday morning for their worship services carrying their infant son, Charles with them.



In his autobiography, Charles says, "I was brought to America at the age of 3 months by my parents who embarked at Liverpool, January 20, 1844, for New Orleans, arriving in Nauvoo in April 1844."


"Crossing the plains I well remember the herds of buffalo, and at Ft. Laramie I remember seeing the Sioux Indians in all the paraphernalia of war, painted and feathered, going to fight the Cheyennes.  We were 3 1/2 months on our trip across the plains.  The first winter in Salt Lake we lived in the Old Fort.  Father left in December 1850 with a party sent to colonize Parowan under George A. Smith.  In 1851 my mother left Salt Lake with her 3 children, I being 7 years old to join father in Parowan.  When I was 14, my father went to Salt Lake to work on the temple for 6 months.  I took charge of his farm, hauled wood, and had the responsibility of his affairs."


Where do we get our family determination?  Read on...

In 1862, before he was 19, he went as a teamster in a Church caravan.  In March he married Sarah Ann Davenport, and one week later, leaving his young wife behind, started on his 2nd trip across the plains.  He volunteered again in 1866 to make his 3rd trip to Missouri.  He crossed the plains 7 times in the service of bringing pioneers to Utah.


How's this for a real life adventure!!
On his last trip, an accident happened which nearly cost him his life. The ox-team caravan was crossing the Platte River and Charles' wagon was carrying 30 kegs of gunpowder.  He had crossed the river safely and was pulling up the steep bank, when lightning struck his lead cattle, killing them in their tracks.  The electric current followed the hitch chain back to the wagon killing 3 more oxen and set the wagon on fire.  Charles was stunned and was in the gravest danger from the gunpowder.  Another teamster, following close behind took in the scene and rushed to give assistance.  A good shake brought Charles to his senses and then the two worked furiously to unload the powder and extinguish the fire.


Many of us know about Minnie's Mansion at the base of Brian Head in Cedar Breaks.  Minnie was Charles' daughter who took over the wooden building her father built and turned it into a hostelry used for summer social events.  The "Mansion" was popular for several years before it was abandoned in 1934.