Lewis Allen (1813 - 1883)

Born 11 Jun 1813 in Somerset, Pulaski, Kentucky, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Alexander) Allen — married 1 Oct 1836 in Far West, Caldwell, Missouri, United States

Descendants

Died 24 Jan 1883 at age 69 in Orderville, Kane, Utah Territory, United States

Biography

Lewis was born in 1813. He passed away in 1883. Life Sketch of Lewis Allen By Maud Bliss Allen & May Black Randall

Information obtained from ‘Heartthrobs’ by Kate B. Carter; ‘Under Dixie Sun’ by Hazel Bradshaw; material collected by pioneers of locality; Prominent Men of Utah Pioneers; Genealogies of Biographies by Eschom; Genealogies in the family; The Book of James McClintock, Historian of Arizona (Maud B. Allen) Lewis Allen, the son of Rial Allen and Margaret Evins was born 18 June 1813 in Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky, in a house made of logs and later clapboarded. It had a window on each side of a large fireplace. It was situated in Fishing Creek about two miles from the home of his grandfather, Samuel Allen. His father built the house on a hill and later decided to move it down by the river and after moving it he sawed the eaves off the house, so that the witches would not molest him for its removal.

In this beautiful surrounding, Lewis grew to manhood. He went to Missouri with his brother James and some cousins. His father also sold his home and moved there.

He married Elizabeth Alexander, daughter of Johnathon Alexander and Tabitha Nix on 10 Oct 1836. She was born 2 March 1819 and died 23 March 1867. Tabitha Nix and Lewis Allen were parents of 13 children.

Lewis was baptized 31 May 1836 probably by Wilford Woodruff, as his brother James was baptized by him. Elizabeth was baptized 10 Oct 1836 and sealed to her husband the same day.

(This next part of history about the children was written by May Black Randall, daughter of Nancy Allen Black.) While living in Missouri they were blessed with two children:

• Tabitha Jane Allen- b. 7 Oct 1838 West Point, Missouri, md. John Woodruff Freeman

• Beaulah Allen- b. 24 May 1840 West Point, Mo., md. William Webb

They went to Tennessee and there had:

• William Allen- b. 12 Sept 1842, died as an infant

• Rial Allen- b. 27 Feb 1844, Parris, Henry County, Tennessee and within two years they moved back to Missouri.

• Johnathon Alexander- b. 30 Jan 1846 at Wales, Caldwell County, Missouri

While still living in Missouri they received seven more spirits to care for.

• Samuel Allen- b. 17 Jan 1848 but died while in infancy

• James Bird Allen- b. 16 Aug 1850, md. Maria West

• Margaret Elizabeth Allen- b. 20 Jan 1852, md. Brigham Young Baird

• Sarah Melissa Allen- b. 30 May 1854, md. Daniel LeRoy, she died 1 Jan 1933

• Andrew Jackson Allen- b. 20 Dec 1856, md. Sarah Pulsipher on 22 Nov 1877. He died in a wagon accident before 1900.

• Martha Permelia Allen- b. 23 May 1859 at Savannah, Missouri, md. ______ Owens and later William Marshall (on rechecking this history I find that both the daughter of Rial and daughter of Lewis by the name of Martha are shown married to the same man or men. Check this for authenticity- Nydda Allen 1963)

• Nancy Easter Allen- b. 15 Dec 1861, md. Feb 1879 Isaac Black, d. 8 Aug 1931 Glendale, Utah

• Mary Ellen Allen- b. 11 Apr 1866 Washington County, Utah, md. Charles Albert Allen (no kin), she was baptized 12 May 1878 and endowed 22 Sept 1882 and she died 17 June 1931

On May 29, 1862 Lewis and his brother James and their families started west happy in the thought that they would be able to make their homes with the Saints and join their brother whom they had not seen for 15 years. There was one horse team in the crowd. Lewis had three covered wagons, pulled by oxen; James had two covered wagons with oxen and a buggy pulled with a span of horses. They had other horses and these were used to drive the cattle. There was about 15 head of milk cows, two young colts almost old enough to wean and provisions for the trip.

Grandfather Rial went over to see them and they all felt like they wanted to stay just one more day with their loved ones they were leaving, but James had gone on one day ahead so they felt that they must go on. Grandfather Rial said that he and Aunt Betsy and Uncle Sprankle Snyder, would go part way with them that day, so it would seem easier to part with them. Mr. Kelly, a sweetheart of Lewis’ oldest daughter Elizabeth, also went with them for a while.

When they came to the Mississippi River they ferried across and also had their oxen taken to the other side, but the horses and cattle were made to swim. Antelope were often seen on the trip, but they only came in contact with one large herd of buffalo. The men in the party followed them in hopes they would be able to kill one, but were not successful as it was just before dark when they first saw them. They traveled weeks before they saw an Indian. He was on a horse and wore a large feather in his headpiece. He tried to carry on a conversation, but it was impossible to understand him. They were able to pick up or buy dried buffalo meat which was for sale at the stores.

When they arrived in Colorado they picked up Uncle James’ oldest son who had been working at Pike’s Peak. They came leisurely across the many miles of country on their long journey to the West. They arrived in the fall when the melons were ripe. When they were about 25 miles out. On the 30th day of August 1861, James went ahead to Salt Lake City where Andrew Jackson Allen had made his home and Andrew came back with James to where the families were camped at the home of Randolph Alexander. Alexander informed them that he knew where there was some fine land about 40 miles away up on Weber Creek, but they found no suitable location on the river so they started back for Andrew Jackson Allen’s home.

In the spring of 1862 Lewis Allen went to the Dixie country and took up land but on account of the lack of water it was unsuccessful. He bought a home in Washington County for his family and lived there for about four years. He then went up to Nevada on the Muddy to a place called West Point. His wife died the first winter they were there—she had a bad delivery when Mary Ellen was born and never got her health back again.

President Young saw what a fight the settlers were having and conditions were unfavorable for agriculture or homemaking. The excessive heat caused many to abandon the mission. There were a few who would have stayed had they not been advised to leave. Lewis stayed about one year after his wife died (23 March 1869). She had been buried at West Point, Clark Co., Nevada.

The government made the West Point section into an Indian Reservation called Yapa and all white settlers had to move out. May Randall can remember her mother talking of the Indians roasting and eating grasshoppers and large worms in order to have something to eat.

In the early part of the about three years after the arrival of the Muddy Settlers into Long Valley, the Latter-Day Saints were counseled by Brigham Young to enter into and practice the principle known among the Saints as the Order of Enoch or the United Order. This organization took place at Mount Carmel, Utah on 20 March 1874. In the fall about half of the number wanted to withdraw. The leader was John R. Young. Actual work of the order began 1 Apr 1874. It was the Muddy settlers who wanted to continue so they moved further up the canyon about half way between Mt. Carmel and Glendale at the cove, as it was called. They changed the name to Order City, and then to Orderville.

Lewis Allen had located in Washington Utah and now moved to Moccasin Springs, Arizona, near the Utah border. He turned the Moccasin Springs Ranch into the United Order when he joined them on 20 Feb. 1875. The town was laid out and building commenced immediately. The streets ran north and south, east and west. A large square was laid out 30 x 30 rods – in the center of town on which was the community dining hall. It was 22 x 40 feet. This was also used for meetings and dancing. The dwelling houses were jointed together to form an enclosure of the square or sort of fort. Each family resided in one room.

The U.S. Topographical survey was made in 1876, and all the land was surveyed at this time by the government. Warner Porter and Thomas Chamberlain took up the land under the homestead act and those desiring lots procured them from these men.

The Orderville dining room was made of rough lumber put together with wooden pegs and lined with adobes made there. Also the Chimney was made of adobes. The walls and ceiling were later lathed and plastered and a kitchen and bakery were built on the north side of bricks made in Glendale, Utah. May Black Randall says, “William M. Black, my paternal grandfather, was placed in charge of the dining room, with seven women to help him.” When the order was in the zenith of its prosperity those eight persons placed the food upon three rows of tables for eighty families. Then men were served first, at 7:00 am, 12:00 noon, and at 6:00 pm regularly. The women and children ate later. Here you could have seen my Aunt Martha and Mary and my mother taking turns as waitresses or dish washers for seven weeks then changing.

The United Order office was built on the southeast corner, also a store room, and a shoe shop. The shoe shop being the domain of my maternal grandfather Lewis Allen, making and mending shoes. He at first made shoes with no right or left foot, but soon began making them in pairs. They also had a bucket factory in connection with the mill. The machinery for it was freighted from Cedar City, Utah.

Red cedar was obtained from the canyons and was made into wooden buckets, tubs, kegs, barrels, and churns. J.S. Allen and my grandfather Lewis were in charge. Lewis Allen and Willis Webb had the first molasses mill in the Order. Later the mill was moved to Moccasin Springs where Christopher Heaton was put in charge. Molasses was the only sweet the people had. In Orderville at the time of its height the industries were a grist mill, blacksmith shop, carpenter shop, broom shop, farming, cattle raising, dairying, a tannery, woolen mill, and many other things.

At this time Lewis Allen also drove the milk wagon regularly. Every day he made the trip from Moccasin Springs Ranch up and back in time for supper. Sometimes he was late, then many anxious little eyes were straining through the gathering twilight for a glimpse of the welcome messenger, as the cart came in sight. Sometimes when terribly hot, the milk was blinky, but mostly it was lovely and fresh. Sometimes when milk was scarce it was little more than bread and molasses for supper. (This information was given by Emma S. Seegmiller Higbee in book, History of the United Order of Orderville pp. 30.)

The Moccasin Springs Ranch is about thirty miles south and west of Orderville, by the Love Springs route and twenty miles west of Kanab and is in Mohave County, Arizona. He turned it into the United Order and it was given back to him. He was commonly called Moccasin Allen (History of the United Order of Orderville p 33). Selfishness began to creep into the Order and it began to break up. It seemed that some of the people who joined do so because of their debts. It was a heavy load for the people to pay them. Others were not satisfied so they wanted to leave. From the records they were paid off in movable property, such as wagons and teams and these things were usually most needed.

Grandfather Lewis could wrestle (rassle) with three Indians at a time. By some flex of his muscles he could shake them all off at once. The Allen family had considerable ability; they could sing, whistle, and also played musical instruments.

In Orderville on 24 Jan 1883 Lewis Allen died at the age of 78 years. He had lived in the Order as a faithful member. He served during his life as a Missionary to Nevada, a ward teacher, seventy and high priest. He was a very fine farmer and he has left a very large and fine posterity. 1880 United States Federal Census Idaho, U.S., Death Records, 1890-1967 Alabama, U.S., Surname Files Expanded, 1702–1981

Information obtained from ‘Heartthrobs’ by Kate B. Carter; ‘Under Dixie Sun’ by Hazel Bradshaw; material collected by pioneers of locality; Prominent Men of Utah Pioneers; Genealogies of Biographies by Eschom; Genealogies in the family; The Book of James McClintock, Historian of Arizona (Maud B. Allen)

Sources

• another great Life Story is from "Lewis Allen in Roots that Nourish Us by Josephine Brinkerhoff Johnson and JoAnn Johnson Hadden" : http://mikeandrhondafamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2012/01/lewis-allen-biography.html

• The above story also posted on Ancestry.com: https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/71611890/person/30241587510/media/25ef478f-4059-4181-a398-54bfa516283b?_phsrc=UXt747&usePUBJs=true

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDZS-ZG4 : 29 October 2019), Lewis Allen, Platte, Andrew, Missouri, United States; citing family 671, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

"Name: Lewis Allen; Event Type: Census; Event Year: 1850; Event Place: Platte, Andrew, Missouri, United States; Gender: Male; Age: 36; Race: White; Birth Year (Estimated): 1814; Birthplace: Kentucky."