Henry Rampton, part 3 - Pioneer

Henry's ship, the John W. Wood landed in New Orleans on 2 May 1854.  Sadly, he missed Mardi Gras by 2 months.  By his account, they did not stay in New Orleans long.  Rather they transferred all their belongings onto a steamboat by the name of "Josiah Lawrence" for the trip up to St. Louis where the church actually had an established stake for immigrants on their way to Utah.  When the Josiah Lawrence reached St. Louis 12 days later, the passengers were quarantined on Arsenal Island.  The following is from the account of Daniel, Antoinette and James (Jacques) Bertoch, converts from Italy who had been on the same ship as Henry Rampton from England to New Orleans and New Orleans to St. Louis:

"On May 2, 1854 the vessel reached New Orleans. From there the converts boarded the steamboat Josiah Lawrence which transported them up the Mississippi River to St. Louis. On May 14, shortly before arriving in St. Louis, most of the church members were quarantined on Arsenal Island, an area where immigrants were examined for cholera. That same morning, Marguerite Bertoch died of cholera in the arms of the Cardon sisters. 11 other converts died within a few hours and were buried on the island, with Marguerite."  (I believe Grandma Crockett is related to this Cardon family)

Apparently, Henry only had to stay in quarantine for a day and was then allowed to go to St. Louis to look for work.  Many of the Saints who traveled with Henry kept on up the Mississippi River to Florence, Neb. where they made plans to go west.  Those were the ones who had funds to do so.  Henry Rampton did not have the funds, so he stayed in St. Louis to work and save.  Here his journal begins again:

===================================================

We was 12 days coming to St. Louis from Orleans. We were detained at quarantine 5 days, but we reached quarantine on Sunday, and on Monday I went by permission of the doctor to St. Louis to seek for employment with another Brother by the name of Kempin. We succeeded, and in also getting a room. We returned the same night, but too late to cross the river. We had to sleep by a heap of rocks until the next morning. On the Thursday evening, the ferry boat came for us and we took our luggage from the Lava to the room. So we left the saints. I went to work in Gratroit (Gratiot?) Street on the Saturday, and on the Monday in the Mississippi Foundry. There I stayed two weeks. Then I left and went to work on the Monday as I left on the Saturday night before, so we had the room up over the shop. We had not been there past six weeks before my dear wife was taken sick. The heat was too great for her strength and the state of her body. She continued sick about three weeks. I took her to a more healthy part of the city to a Mr. Patterson in Biddle Street. I took her there on the first day of August and she died on the 2nd of Aug. 1854. Her body lies interred in the Wesleyan Cemetery which is 2 . miles out of St. Louis. Her loss I thought I could not endure, but God in His goodness and mercy, has found me another partner which came in the same ship as ourselves. After the death of my dear wife, I used to frequently go to see Frances Dinwoodey and I spent the greater part of my leisure time at her house for I found in her company was joy to me, and my heart began to feel after her and we mutually agreed to be married and at the expiration of five months or on the 25th of December, we were married by Elder Milo Andrus,  resident of the St. Louis stake of Zion, at a tea party in the church, being Christmas day, and I now thank God that He has so ordered that my dear Frances and me are come together. We live with her father and mother on Washington Avenue.

Nothing of importance transpired for several months. We both enjoyed good health up to the conference when we had a good time of it for three days beginning 6th day of April. In the month of April, I received a letter from Eli Whitear from Salt Lake Valley. All well and prosperous. In the month of June, my wife’s parents emigrated to Salt Lake Valley. Arrived there quite safe, as they informed us by letter. I, myself, during my stay in St. Louis, held several responsible offices, such as counselor to the President of the Priest quorum, afterward called to the office of an Elder, ordained under the hands of

Bishop Chas. Chard on the 25th of June 1855, and acted as his second counselor. I afterward was called to be first counselor to Bishop Lowe, and then the same for President Lees and the same for Bishop Turner. Nothing of importance transpired until my wife bore unto me a son which I am thankful to God for. He was born Nov. 4, 1855. His name is Henry James Rampton. May the Lord God Omnipotent preserve his life long upon the earth to do good. He was blessed by Elder James H. Hart, the President of the St. Louis stake of Zion on the 9th of December, 1855.

Nothing transpired up to this date which is the 5th of May 1856. The little lad is growing fast, and we are striving to pursue our journey across the plains. According to our desires, we endeavored to make a start of the plains and thence the Salt Lake City. We started on the steamboat on the 2nd of June, 1856. Arrived at Florence on the 14th of the same month and laid there until the 6th of July, and then started across the plains, and after traveling some three months, arrived in Salt Lake City 5th of October 1856. All well and glad to see the place after so long and tedious a journey. We attended the conference on the 6th and on the 8th I went and got work at Sessions Settlement for a man by the name of Udy. I worked for him about three months. At the expiration of that time, Henry Dinwoodey, my wife’s brother, bought a set of tools and rented them to me at $95 a year. I bought a dobie house and a lot of Evan Smith for $240 in Sessions settlement and started a shop for myself. We felt it pretty hard. Had to live principally upon bread. Our spirits became dull, but I hope the Lord will forgive us. Our dear little one still grows and is healthy. All goes well and prosperous and the blessing of God attends us.

Nothing more transpired until January 17th 1858, when my wife was delivered of another fine son. I named him William as he was born on my own father’s birthday, January 17. I still live in Sessions Settlement or Bountiful. In February, 1858, Charles Stoddard received a vision which was good. He related it in the school house.

On this, the 20th day of February, 1859, I resume my journal. The Lord continues to help us in my business. I, by degrees, obtained tools of my own and by this date have had a good set of tools of my own. I gave up the first tools to my wife’s brother and paid him for the use of them in the fall of 1859.

The President of the United States sent an army of several thousand men to Utah without apprising Brigham Young, the Governor of Utah Territory. Therefore, he refused their admittance and ordered out some several thousand residents of the Territory in order to dispute the passes into the Territory. Accordingly they took their stand in Echo Canyon and built fortifications there. As for myself, I had to stay at home to shoe cattle and horses for the conveyance of provisions to men in the mountains. The United States Army had to stay at Fort Bridger all winter until three men, commissioners from Congress, could come and make negotiations with the officers of this Territory. The President of the United States sent a proclamation of peace and forgiveness, as he termed it. Then the soldiers entered the Territory and made a military post in Cedar Valley where they are to this date, February 20, 1859. They seem very peaceable. Our prophet is still in our midst, that is to say, he does not preach to the people now so we are left to ourselves, but I pray that we may always have the Spirit of God with us to instruct us in the ways of truth and righteousness. But before the soldiers entered the territory, our

prophet ordered every man, woman and child to go south, with the exception of a few men as guards for each settlement. The year 1858, accordingly, we all packed up and went. The people in our ward went down on Provo Bottoms about 50 miles from Salt Lake City. We stayed there in wagons and shanties for about seven weeks, and then we all had word to return home, which we did. All things are well with us, so I will stop for the present. I built a small addition to my house in the fall of 1859.

Nothing of importance transpired during the summer of 1859. Rather bad crops through the spring opening so late. The winter commenced rather early. It began in November. I received a letter from my father the last of November. We are all well. I thank God at this time being the 5th of December, 1859. The general instruction is for all families that cannot sustain themselves here or at any of the settled wards, to go to Cache Valley. This also in the fall of 1859. The paper called the ‘Mountaineer’ started during the summer of the same year, and Captain Hooper was sent as delegate to Congress the same year for the first time in the place of Doctor Bernhisel.

My son, Charles Hyrum, was born March 30th, 1860, 15 minutes past 10 o’clock in the morning. This same year, we received our endowments in the House of the Lord. Nothing of importance transpired during the year, but threats of war in the States. In 1861, the war with the North and the South, as the Prophet Joseph Smith predicted years before, broke out. Abraham Lincoln, President of the Federal Government; Jeff Davis, President of the Confederate States. The work of death is going on very freely there and their enmity is great, one against the other.

The telegraph was completed this year and a daily mail established. During 1860 and part of 1861, the Pony Express run through here and the theatre was commenced and went up briskly. The same year, an apostate by the name of Morris led off some kindred spirits up to Weber. In 1862 we held a convention throughout the Territory, or rather, we held meetings to appoint delegates to hold a convention and got up a form of State Government, and petitioned Congress for a State Government. Omitted from 1861 was the death of my father, William Rampton, who died March 29, 1861 on Good Friday,

and left me three hundred pounds to be received at my stepmother’s death. I have received several letters from Sarah, William, and Charles. I feel thankful to God for his blessings toward me and my family for God, my Eternal Father has blessed me, and us all up to this time, being the 29th of January, 1862. In the same year on March 29th, 1862, I took Eliza Stratford to wife, a young woman from England, who was born in Malden Essex 20th of January 1838, came to Utah in the fall of 1861. We were married 13 months and on Saturday evening, April 25, 1863, at half past eight o’clock Eliza died in childbed and her baby also, a fine little boy. He was buried with his mother in the same coffin in his mother’s arms, and on the following Friday, May 1st, my dear little James died of inflammation on the lungs (11 months of age, according to Henry’s daughter Catherine in a brief history of her life) and was buried by the side of Eliza and her baby. Brother Henry Lee blessed little James April 30, 1863. 

Time seems to roll along bringing its events. Gold fever raging in the North. New discoveries of the precious metal, panic striking many, even our brethren. Some of them are disposed to dig a bit, consequently leave for that purpose, while in the States, even at this time, the war is raging with the North and the South. Many are leaving there for the gold mines for fear of being pushed into the field of blood and carnage. Even today, this 15th day of May, 1864, the two great armies of the Potomac are contending in a deadly struggle. This same year seems to be memorable for the settlement of a valley called Bear River Lake. A few farmers have gone from here. Grain looks well here, but a rather dry time. Poor prospect for a peach crop. I bought the adjoining lot and-half to mine of William Jackson for one hundred and fifty dollars this spring. This same spring brings also an addition to my family, a little boy which we have named Arthur. He was born March 12, 1864, about 9 o’clock (Saturday) in the morning. May God’s blessings rest upon him that he may live and be a good useful man in the Kingdom of God. I have not received any news from home since I received the parcel last October. I sent my sheep to Bear River Lake with George Davis on shares. Half the wool and half the increase, 12 head.

------------------------------------------------

Called to go on a mission to England on the 29th of November, 1878. To start in one month. I leave Henry to take charge of the shop and to preside over my family in my absence. Charles to help him what he needs and take charge of team and farm. Started January 5, 1879. I labored in the South Coast 10 months, then removed to the Mansfield district, in the Nottingham Conference. Returned in 1880. Enjoyed good health during my mission and had a good time with my relatives.

I have labored in East Bountiful as a Ward Teacher over twenty-five years.

I acted as School trustee several years.

I was ordained Seventy in the 29 Quorum of Seventies, Augustus Farnham, President. Afterwards ordained High Priest and set apart as alternate in the High council of Davis Stake December 11, 1881(2), by Joseph F. Smith, mouth.

Francis Dinwoodey

Francis Dinwoodey

Children of Henry Rampton and Francis Dinwoodey (front row: Arthur, Frederick, Catherine. back row: Charles, Henry, Walter, William)

In the Eternities

Right after Mom (Judy Crocket) and I divorced in 1990, Grandpa (Charles Cash Rampton, Jr.) asked me a question for which I did not have an immediate answer.  His question was:  "Who will David, Travis and Kevin be sealed to in the eternities....will they be sealed to their mother or father?"  The matter had been weighing heavily on him so much so that it would cause him to sit up all night in his rocking chair.   I told him I would ponder the matter and get back to him.  There was nothing dealing with the matter in the scriptures.  There was nothing in any of the conference reports that I had access to.  And, since I still has my copy of the Church's General Handbook of Instructions from when I was Bishop, I checked in there.  Nothing.  (I think I was suppose to have turned that in when I was released.  Oops.)  I pondered and prayed for several weeks and then the answer came.  And then I prayed about the answer as it says in D&C 9:8-9.  I had that burning feeling, a feeling of sweet confidence that I had the right answer.  I went and told Grandpa and he seemed greatly relieved and has been a source of comfort to him ever since in light of the fact that two of his other sons divorced.  Want to know the answer?  Here it is:

In the hereafter we are not sealed to our father or our mother.  Rather, we are sealed to both by being born under the covenant or receiving that ordinance in the temple.  This is the great keystone of temple work.  All the other vicarious ordinances performed in the temple, with the exception of Celestial Marriage, lead up the that single and sometimes final ordinance.  That ordinance is the link in the chain of the family of mankind.  This is what the Prophet Elijah was referring to (all the blessings of the temple) when he said if this did not happen all the world would be wasted.  This is what Family History is all about, to see that one generation of a family is linked to the next.  Before the Millennium is over every soul who has lived on the earth will be linked from beginning to end by this sealing ordinance.  And when the last links have been complete, then, as the Prophet Joseph Smith stated, "...the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done."   Hallelujah!! 

Let me be clear (isn't that what President Obama says all the time), I am not saying that children are not sealed to their parents.  They are and divorce has no impact on that.  Children of divorced parents are not resealed to their father and step-mother who may be married in the temple.  The same with a mother and a step-father.  That initial blessing of being Born in the Covenant will always be in effect.

In church we sing the song "Families Can Be Together Forever."  I remember when that song first came out.  That was one of David's repertoire of Primary songs.  He may not remember this, but I clearly do......him standing in front of the fireplace at my Aunt Janet's house in Salt Lake City for over an hour and singing with all his might all the songs he knew to my Grandma Blanche (Blanche Ruby Worthen)  just a few months before she died.  "Families Can Be Together Forever" was one of those songs along with "A Dog Named Jack."  David was five at the time and I'm sure if we asked him what his concept of being together forever as a family was, he would say it was being with his Mommy and Daddy.  A few years later, his understanding would mature to include his brothers, Travis (who he pushed off the slide) and Kevin.  This is the same understanding that Travis and Kevin also had in their early years.  But as Travis returned from his mission and married Lindsay, his understanding of an Eternal Family matured even further to include his wife.  And when Jude was born that understanding of Eternal Families increased even more.  Since Travis and Lindsay were married in the temple, Jude was thus Born Under the Covenant.  That link between her and Travis and Lindsay will never be broken, no matter what.  The same is true for Kevin and Melissa.

In the hereafter we do not know all of the details of what life will be like in the Celestial Kingdom and its three degrees.  Will I live next door to Kevin and Melissa or will they ultimately have their own worlds galaxies, universes or dimensions away.  Since we have been promised that we can be together if faithful,  then there must be a pretty sophisticated method of travel and communication.  And certainly, there will be communion with faithful step-parents.  Details have yet to be revealed.

In summary, Grandpa was relieved that he was not going to be cut off from any of his grandchildren in the hereafter due to divorce.  Children are not sealed to either a father or a mother.  They will always be sealed to both despite the status of the parents.  Even though a temple marriage sealing can be undone in this life, being born under the covenant where the child is sealed to both parents can never be undone.  Take it to the bank!!!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here are a few more pictures of Grandma (Lois Fae Linnebach)

Neighborhood babysitter



1955 in front of house on 15th East in Salt Lake City.  I'm 3 and Richard, who Grandma is holding is not yet 1





1957 phot taken by the Deseret News announcing the Ramptons were moving to California.  Grandma made the vests.



A Faithful Tithe Payer - the Beginning

Here is part two of the autobiography of Charles Cash Rampton, Jr.  The last paragraph of this part documents the beginning of his life as a full tithe payer.  It was not an easy choice for him, as you will read.  But, he made the right decision and the "Windows of Heaven" continue to bless him to this very day.  Go thou and do likewise.

 I will include a few more pictures at the end.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A True Story

There were a lot of children around our neighborhood to play with.  Also there

were a lot of neat places to play in.  One was the gully in back of our house and

another was a gully northeast of our house.  We liked to play in the second one and walked by it each day going to and from school.  Years later the Bonneville Stake Center was built in this gully.  A small stream ran in the bottom of it most of the year. One spring the culvert under 15th East got plugged and the water backed up in the gully and formed a large lake.  This may not seem very exciting now but back then to a grade-schooler, it was very exciting.

This second gully seemed to have more mystery than the one in our backyard.

We made underground hideaways in our gully by digging trenches and covering

them with wood from nearby building projects and putting the dirt back over the

top to hide them.  The longer the entrance tunnel, the better the underground hut

was.  The second gully was farther away from home and had lots of scrub oak

groves to use as hiding places.  The neighbors near the gully had the city build

two walkways on each side of the gully for easy access.

I can remember one experience that happened when I was about 10 years old.

There were two brothers who had a 22 rifle.  We wanted to shoot it.  Because it

made a loud sound when it was fired, we decided if we shot it in the garage no one would notice.  So we went into their garage and shut the doors.  The garage was next to an alley that ran parallel to Hubbard Avenue.  We obtained 22 short

caliber bullets and commenced shooting in the garage.  We were having a good

time and became bored with shooting in the garage.  We left and went to the

gully with more mystery and began to shoot again not wondering where the

bullets for going.  This caught the neighbors' attention and soon we could see the

police coming on the newly made pathways.  I ran one-way and my friends ran

on the other side.  I got to my bike ahead of my friends and the police.  I went

home and felt safe.  About 30 minutes later, a knock came at the door. It was the

police.  He wanted to know if I was there.  He talked with Dad for a few minutes

and explained what he was there for. He told Dad he wanted to take me to jail.

Dad talked to him and convinced him not to take me.  He told Dad he caught the

other boys and was taking them to the police station.  They told him where I

lived.  He told Dad the dinning room of the neighbor who lived across the alley

from my friends was filled with bullet holes and he was very mad but he did not

know where they came from.  I knew where they came from.  The bullets were

going through the target, through the garage's wood siding, through doors of his dining room, and into his house.  When the people who lived near the gully called about the shooting, the police knew right where to look for the shooters.  The other boys spent the night at the police station.  Thank heavens that my dad was a pretty good talker and I got to stay home.

We had fun shooting, followed by the terror of running away from the police,

followed I by the relief of getting away and home, followed by the fear from the

knock on our door and followed by the comfort that came as a result of my dad's

efforts on my behalf.  From then on I thought more about my actions and what

effect they might have on others.  I am very thankful for a good dad, who would

and could fix my problems.

Mom and dad always had jobs for me to do around the house on 15th East.  I can remember raking the fall leaves into piles and putting them in the garbage or

raking them into the gutter area in front of our house.  When they were in big

piles it was fun to jump or fall into them.  On some fall Saturdays I could hear the

crowd noise from the University of Utah football stadium.  The announcers and crowd noise made me want to be there and see the game.  lf there was a

whole in the fence or an unguarded location we could get in for free and spend

our money on treats.  Mother would plant tulips early in the spring and we never

seemed to know if they were going to grow or be frozen by the snow. There was the gully at the back of our house and our property line went down the gully slope

quite a ways.  I never did no how far back our property line went. Our next door

neighbors, the McAllister's, had some animal cages at the very bottom of the gully as did our other neighbors.  It was always a problem to know how far back the yard had to be cleaned.  Mom always wanted me to do a little bit further down

the slope.  On the other side of the gully the slope was quite steep. We liked to

make "marble runs".  We would try to make a track which would zig and zag

down the slope with jumps, turns and tunnels.  We would put a marble at the top

and see if we could get it to go to the bottom and stay in the track.  Also in our

back yard was a spot of dirt we thought of us as a sandbox.  We would build

roads and tunnels to play with our toys.  It was near the back corner of the

garage and under an old apple tree.  The apples were always very tart to eat.

Near the rear corner of the house in the backyard was an old cherry tree.  It was

so large it overhung the house. We climbed that tree so much that the bark was

polished red by our touching it.  We had a hard time waiting for the cherries to

become ripe before we ate them.  They were the best cherries, even though they

were usually half ripe.  Also on the side of the backyard next to the Jorgensen's

were some very large lilac bushes. Most of the time they had a few blossoms.

But near Memorial Day, I can remember our parents picking them and taking

them to decorate our family graves.  All of this had to be cared for.

I can remember someone gave Janet and I a printing set.  This consisted of

some rubber stamps and an ink pad.  We set about to print a neighborhood

newspaper. For some reason this sticks in my mind as an important event.

The floor of our single story House was about three to four feet above the

exterior grade.  This allowed for large basement windows that could swing

horizontally to open and were easily climbed in and out of.  This made our

basement a light and airy place where we could hang our wet cloths in to dry on a winter day. Also in the basement was "fruit room", in which we stored the jams and jellies along with the peaches and pears mother had put up.  This was also of fun room to play in.  Also in the basement was a finished rumpus room which later became my bedroom.  I always thought it was a strange bedroom because no one ever made the bed.  On the floor in that room I had my Lionel and American Flyer trains set up.  I would cover the floor of the rumpus room/bedroom with their tracks.  I guess that's where I learned to love trains.

Summer Jobs

Shortly after mom and dad got divorced in 1941, I got my first job outside the

home.  I was about twelve years old and worked at the American Paper Company in Salt Lake City.  It was a company that was partly owned by my dad.  One of the big things I had to do was to get my Social Security number. I felt pretty important.  My main job was sweeping up the warehouse floor.  I sprinkled the compound on the floor and then swept it up again.  Later I got to do other things.  The thing I liked best to do was going on the delivery truck to all of our

customers.  One time when we were going south on State Street,  it was

raining quite hard and then all of a sudden it stopped. There was a line across the street, one side was wet the other was dry.  This impressed me very much. Later I got to fill some of the orders when I knew where all the stock was.  When it came time to get my first paycheck, I was going to spend it.  Mother said to me "Are you going to pay your tithing?"  Later Dad asked me what I was going to do with my money.  I told them I was going to pay my tithing.  This upset him very much. He said to me, "Why don't you save your money in the bank?"  He said the church didn't need my money especially when I was twelve years old.  He and mother had some heated words over the matter.  In the end it was left up to me. It was a big decision for me for two reasons.  I had to choose between Dad's advice and Mother's suggestion.  When I chose to pay my tithing, Dad was disappointed.  I did put some money in the bank but it didn't seem to make him feel any better.  But I know now that I made the right choice.  It took quite a while for Dad to get over that.  I have been a full tithe payer ever since.  It was one of those choices you only have to make once in your life.  It is good to start early in your life to make right choices.  I worked at the paper company until the summer of 1943.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next week will be the third and final part.  Check out these photos



Age 4 with sister Janet





Age 12 with sister Janet  (pretty classy dresser)

  

Age 13 with sister Janet and Grammie (Wilda Cash Rampton)





Age 16 (in center) on first date with Grandma (Lois Fae Linnebach) - what kind of car is that?