John Conrad Naegle, Sr

OUR PIONEER HERITAGE - Pioneer Midwives pg 494

John Conrad and his half-brother Conrad Kleinman heard the gospel and was baptized in Indiana. They went to Nauvoo, only to find the Saints in deep mourning over the martyrdom of the prophet. This was in June of 1844. The brothers soon found work on the temple by day and often acted as body-guards at night. When the Mormon Battalion was required of the government, John Conrad was amont the first to volunteer, and his brother Conrad would gladly have joined him but he was appointed a scout for the vanguard company to the Rocky Mountains.

John had made a considerable amount of money in the gold fields of California and added to it from the products of a large Spanish grant of land he had purchased in San Jose. He used this means wherever he could to help build up the Church or care for her people. He was especially interested in German emigrants who had no one to cre for them. They were brought to the Naegle home where food and shelter were provided until they found employment and began their own home-building.

Regula and Anna Benz were brought to this home where they found looms and work a plenty for their skilled hands.

In 1864 or 65 John Naegle and Conrad Kleinman were called to move to Toquerville. John had amassed an immense holding in cattle and horses which he now moved to the Kaibab forest, on government reserves, in the Buckskin mountains. The wives took turns in the summer months caring for the Naegle boys and hired men on the ranch. To instruct the people in the skills of winemaking, the authorities called John C. Naegle (Naile) to go to Toquerville during the 1860's .

Naegle was born in the wine-producing area of Germany, so he knew how to make good wine.

The big rock house - built by Naegle to house his polygmous family - stands empty by the busy highway now, a silent reminder of an industry which promised so much and came to so little. (I WAS CALLED TO DIXIE by Andrew Karl Larsen

 1961) John C. Naegle was a member of the Mormon Battalion.-UNDER DIXIE SUN

John's half-brother Conrad Kleinman, who had learned the business in Germany
assisted him in the wine making until Conrad and part of his family went to
Mesa, Arizona. John was noted as the best wine maker in Southern Utah, and his
product was known as "Nails Best".
In the summers of 1917 and 1918 the wine basement was converted into a
cannery for the purpose of preserving figs. Electric stoves were installed and
running water put in. Later it was used to house a grading and defuzzing plant
for peaches. It is owned by the Spilsbury Land and Livestock Co. and is used
to store grains and bailed hay, machinery etc.
NOTE:John Americanized the name Naile to Naegle and in 1873 it was leagalized.
John sealed to Conrad Kleinman. (Anita Kleinman says Naegle is German for
Nail ??) SKETCH OF ANNA BENZ KLEINMAN - PG 2: John Conrad Naegle had amassed
considerable wealth and at one time was the highest tithe payer in the Church.
He went on two missions to his native land, after going to Indiana and bringing
with him, his parents and his boyhood sweetheart, Mary Louise Koppel, and
seeing them comfortably settled in Zion.