Comments on: Guest Post: “Down and Back” Immigrant Companies http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2010/09/13/%e2%80%9cdown-and-back%e2%80%9d-immigrant-companies/ Where our past is never very long ago Sun, 19 May 2013 03:09:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Richard McFadden http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2010/09/13/%e2%80%9cdown-and-back%e2%80%9d-immigrant-companies/comment-page-1/#comment-85123 Richard McFadden Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:52:13 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=8455#comment-85123 Thank you Kevin,
My great grandfather Christopher Walton Burton was a down and backer. He went from Kaysville, UT and it was noted that there were two big reasons for going. 1. It gave you a summer without the usual chores and maybe as inmportant, 2. The down and backers had the first shot at the new girls coming to Utah. He was in his late teens or early twenties. He found that the girl of his dreams was his neighbor.
There is a wall size picture a group of down and backers hanging on the wall in the Winter Quarters visitor center.

]]> By: Maurine http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2010/09/13/%e2%80%9cdown-and-back%e2%80%9d-immigrant-companies/comment-page-1/#comment-26672 Maurine Wed, 15 Sep 2010 03:05:16 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=8455#comment-26672 kevinf,

Thanks for the interesting post.

]]> By: kevinf http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2010/09/13/%e2%80%9cdown-and-back%e2%80%9d-immigrant-companies/comment-page-1/#comment-26573 kevinf Tue, 14 Sep 2010 03:28:00 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=8455#comment-26573 Paul,

I was aware that Hartley had published about the 1861 events in BYU Studies, but I had not read the article in the JMH. I’ll have to look it up. And thanks for the note about the Hebron folks. I did not know how far the south or north the calls for teams and wagons extended. That would likely have added an extra two months to the round trip, basically from March to October. Wow.

]]> By: Paul Reeve http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2010/09/13/%e2%80%9cdown-and-back%e2%80%9d-immigrant-companies/comment-page-1/#comment-26571 Paul Reeve Tue, 14 Sep 2010 03:00:56 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=8455#comment-26571 Nice job Kevin. You may be aware that William Hartley also gave his MHA presidential address on the Down and Back system. It was subsequently published in JMH.

When I was doing research in the Hebron, Utah (ghost town today) ward record I was struck by the call that came to the members of this tiny ranching outpost 40 miles northwest of St. George to provide teams and wagons in a given year for the down and back migration. The teams and wagons, in other words, didn’t just come from the SL valley, but those from southern Utah who answered the call added c. 600 miles round trip to an already long journey.

]]> By: David Y. http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2010/09/13/%e2%80%9cdown-and-back%e2%80%9d-immigrant-companies/comment-page-1/#comment-26554 David Y. Mon, 13 Sep 2010 21:27:59 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=8455#comment-26554 Wonderful.

]]> By: Martin http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2010/09/13/%e2%80%9cdown-and-back%e2%80%9d-immigrant-companies/comment-page-1/#comment-26547 Martin Mon, 13 Sep 2010 19:34:59 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=8455#comment-26547 Sheesh. Talk about ward assignments. And to think we had trouble keeping our scouts adequately supplied with leaders for a whole week of scout camp. Can’t imagine having to provide a couple men and wagons for an entire summer.

]]> By: CurtA http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2010/09/13/%e2%80%9cdown-and-back%e2%80%9d-immigrant-companies/comment-page-1/#comment-26546 CurtA Mon, 13 Sep 2010 19:32:40 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=8455#comment-26546 AN ENTRY IN THE JOURNAL OF MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER, ANDREW JACKSON ALLEN:

Feb. 18th 1861
We get newse now from the states each week. There are more of the states withdrawing from the union. Now the emogration from the Urope to Utah ware taken in to consideration and desided on to sent teems and waggeons and teemsters to bring them from the U.S. Willow Creek sent three waggeons and 12 yoak of cattle (I sent one yoak of cattle). This ware a long trip on cattle it ware 1200 miles (twelve hundred). Hostilities had commenced in South Carolina took foart Sumpter Aprel I3th /6l.

Andrew took a second wife in 1868, Louisa Rogers Meek. She was an immigrant with the
1866 Thomas E. Ricks down & back company. Her husband, Benjamin Ennis Meek, had died a few weeks out on the trail in Nebraska. Her small daughter Annie made the trip with her, being raised by Andrew and becoming the ancestor of Jack H. Goaslind.

The Down and Back trains affected many of us.

]]> By: Mark B. http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2010/09/13/%e2%80%9cdown-and-back%e2%80%9d-immigrant-companies/comment-page-1/#comment-26541 Mark B. Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:45:09 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=8455#comment-26541 Having just made a “down and back” trip of my own–flying from NY to SLC and then driving with daughter-in-law and grandsons to Pennsylvania–I’ll shout “bravo” to the men who made those months’ long trips 150 years ago.

And to think that we were concerned about not making the 775 miles that we had planned for the first day of the trip!

Great post, Kevin.

]]> By: kevinf http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2010/09/13/%e2%80%9cdown-and-back%e2%80%9d-immigrant-companies/comment-page-1/#comment-26539 kevinf Mon, 13 Sep 2010 17:36:04 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=8455#comment-26539 Ardis kindly provided all the pictures, which I hadn’t even thought of. She also kept me from a couple of errors, just like any good editor does. Thanks to Ardis for letting me post this here. It’s an outgrowth of stuff I learned while researching my gg-parents 1873 experience in Arizona.

]]> By: Researcher http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2010/09/13/%e2%80%9cdown-and-back%e2%80%9d-immigrant-companies/comment-page-1/#comment-26538 Researcher Mon, 13 Sep 2010 17:28:37 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=8455#comment-26538 Thanks for the interesting post, Kevin. That’s a great review of the topic. My, this blog is educational.

One of my ancestors, James Glade, drove a “Down and Back” wagon in 1863. His passengers on the return trip included Welsh sisters Eliza and Joan Litson. After they reached the valley, Eliza and James were married. She wrote the most amusing letter about her marriage to her parents in Wales.

It must have been quite a romantic trip for many young couples.

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