Francis Lee

Francis Lee and Jane Vail Johnson, were amongst the very first settlers to Panaca, NV, (May 4, 1864). Until the Lee's made Panaca their home, no permanent settlement existed there. Today, probably half the town is related to them by blood, or more recently, by marriage.

Other early settlers’ family names included Atchison (1864), Barron (1865), Davis (1868), Edwards (1865), Findlay (1864?), Hansen (1866), Henrie (1864?-1871), Hulse (1869?), Jones (1865-1875), Keele (1865) Mathews (November 1, 1866), Nelson (1866?), Rice 1868?), Ronnow (1866), Schow (1864? –1871), Syphus (1867), Wedge (1865), and Wadsworth (1868).

Before the turn of the century the following surnames were also recorded amongst the earliest settlers: Blad (1882), Bond (1898), Callaway (1872), Geary (1879), Gentry (1870), Heaps (1876), Hollingshead (1896), Phillips (1873), Riding (1890), Turnbaugh (1879), and Walker (1896).

Francis Lee was no relation to John Doyle Lee who resided in nearby southern Utah, and who was implicated in the infamous Mountain Meadow Massacre. John D’s story is a colorful one (his father was a 2nd cousin to confederate general, Robert E. Lee), and his descendants are many. Juanita Brooks and Lorrain (Richardson) Manderscheid have written extensive biographies on John D. Lee whose memory is very much alive, particularly in Utah’s Washington and Iron Counties.

Francis Lee was born in 1811 in Wilmington, Clinton County, Ohio. He and two brothers, Alfred and Eli, became converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-days Saints and moved west. On October 24, 1835 he married Jane Vail Johnson in Nauvoo, Illinois. She was born September 30th, 1815 in Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey. They had 11 children together, (nine living to maturity) many of whom had large families and with several children marrying and remaining in Panaca. Eight of their children were sons, so that explains the prominence of the Lee name to this day.

One son and one daughter died while yet children, but the two daughters surviving to their adulthood, Electa Jane Lee and Mary Eliza Lee married into the Panaca Edwards and Atchison lines, respectively, from which many of Panaca’s modern residents can trace their pedigrees.

The Lee Family of Panaca traces its ancestry Francis’s father Samuel Lee, and mother, Elizabeth Gilham, who were married on July 14th, 1801, in Orange County, North Carolina, and who also became Mormons. Samuel’s father, William Lee was born in Carrickfergus, Ireland on August 15, 1745, immigrated to America and died June 26th,1813 in Greenville, South Carolina. Samuel’s mother Susannah CHAFFINGS died after bearing William four known children, but only Samuel came West.

As a widower, William fought in the Revolutionary War and was wounded at the Battle of Guilford County Courthouse on March 15, 1781. He was apparently left for dead on the battlefield, but was later revived and taken to convalesce in the home of Sarah McMullen who is reported to have nursed him back to health. In 1784 they were married and William proceeded to father seven more children, four girls and three boys.

However, news of gold discoveries in California tempted Samuel to leave on an adventure, but in route met up with his three LDS sons and made a stop-over with them in the Slat Lake Valley. The lure of gold seemed to tarnish and Samuel remained in Salt Lake very much attached to his sons and their young families. On April 14, 1859, at exactly the age of 82, on his birthday, Samuel succumbed to the effects of a dog bite in his old age. His three boys had already become prominent citizens of Tooele. Eli, Francis and Alfred served respectively there as a much-respected school teacher, sheriff, and first associate judge then probate judge in Tooele County.

Francis Lee, sadly, only resided in Panaca a couple of years before his death on July 18, 1866. His beloved wife, Jane followed him to the grave not quite nine years later, on July 10, 1875. Both are buried in the Panaca Cemetery.

They and their children, were real pioneers, having endured hardships trekking across the plains. By the time the family had reached Tooele, already seven of the eleven children had been born, four in Missouri and three in Illinois as the saints were driven out of first one place to another. As a result of the hasty moves and poor conditions, the seventh child (sixth son), Jacob Edward Lee, tragically died in 1850 of cholera at age two, and had to be buried on the banks of the Platte River in Nebraska. His little grave was soon abandoned so that the surviving members of his family could push on for the Utah Territory. The last four children (two boys and two girls) were all born in Tooele, but the youngest, Louisa Juliette only survived to the age of four (1864) after the family had undertaken its penultimate move, to St. George where they had arrived in 1861, just three years before. Within a matter of weeks the elder Lee's, together with their unmarried children, moved to their final resting place in Meadow Valley, Panaca, Nevada. Within five months of their arrival, Nevada became admitted to the Union as the 36th state (October 31, 1864). The terrible civil war which had raged during many of their years as residents of the Utah Territory, came to an end. _____________________________________

http://montmorillonite.us/panaca%20pioneers%20cover_files/1-Francis...

http://francisleepioneer.blogspot.com/ ________________________________

FROM ANOTHER SOURCE: http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/FLee.htm

A sketch of the life of Francis Lee and Family

At Wilmington, Clinton County, Ohio, on June 30, 1811, Francis Lee was born. He was one of the family of eight children, son of Samuel Lee, grandson of William Lee.

Of his boyhood days we have no record, but in 1832, when he was twenty-one years old, he and Jane Vail Johnson (who afterwards became his wife) joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Randolph County, Indiana. Soon after joining the church, they with others, were driven to the state of Missouri, where on October 24, 1835, Francis Lee and Jane Vail Johnson were married. At Liberty, Clay County, Missouri, near famous Liberty Jail, their eldest child, William Henry Lee was born, August 9, 1836.

From Liberty they went with other persecuted Saints to Far West, Caldwell County, where on April 25, 1838, Electra Jane Lee (Edwards) was born. Persecution was then raging heavily against the Saints and on October 27th of this year the Extermination Order of Governor Boggs was issued. In the depths of one of the most severe winters ever known there, 14,000 souls, among them Grandfather Lee and family were driven from their homes. They found refuge in Adams County, Illinois at a little town called Payson. Here two other boys were added to the family, Samuel Marion, born 28 January 1840, and John Nelson, born, November 17, 1841. In the fall of 1843 the family was located at Nauvoo, the beautiful city of the Saints and here George Washington Lee was born, April 28, 1844. Jane Vail Johnson and Francis Lee took out their endowments in the Nauvoo Temple on January 22, 1846.

The following June, Grandfather witnessed the martyrdom of the Prophet and his brother. Early in January 1846 at a council meeting held in the Temple, it was decided to leave Illinois and on February 4th, the Saints began crossing the Mississippi River on their journey westward. The Saints left in companies and on June 14, 1846 Grandfather with 225 others arrived at the Missouri River, where a large ferryboat was built. Soon after the Saints began crossing the river.

Next we find the family located in Jamestown, Andrew County, Missouri and on November 13, 1846, Francis Columbus Lee was born and on December 19, 1848 Jacob Edward was born.

Early in 1850, they reached the Platt River at a placed called Platteville, where they crossed and on June 13th, they took up their march again. That very night cholera broke out in their camp. Several of them died, among them Jacob Edward Lee. They were buried on the banks of the Platt River.

While camped at the Missouri River the family was joined by Great-Grandfather Samuel Lee. He had left his company and started to walk to the California gold fields but here he joined with the rest of them and crossed the plains with his son in the company of James Pace and David Bennett.

Salt Lake City was reached on September 17, 1850 and on the 26th of this month they located to Tooele. This was their home for several years. On December 4th of this year Mary Eliza Lee (Atchinson) was born.

The next event of importance was the baptism of Great-Grandfather Samuel Lee in the spring of 1851. Tooele was the birthplace of three other children, Milton Lafayette, born February 4, 1853, Arthur Orson on June 27, 1856 and Louisa Juliette, born January 12, 1859.

After 11 years residence in Tooele, Grandfather Lee’s name was first on the list of names called to settle the Dixie Country. Their first home was at Santa Clara. In 1863 the youngest of the family died and was buried at St. George, Utah. Early in 1864 they moved to St. George but their stay was short, for in two weeks they answered a call to settle a new, and then, Indian Territory. On May 4, 1864 they reached Panaca. Samuel F. Lee, a nephew of Grandfather’s, accompanied them.

In 1864, the old fort was built on a lot now owned by Frank Edwards. Electra Jane Lee had married George W. Edwards before coming to Panaca and William H. Edwards has the distinction of being the first white child born in Lincoln County, Nevada, his birthplace being Clover Valley, and Frank Edwards was the first white child born at Panaca.

The first summer of their sojourn here, the lots now owned by Aunts Mary and Jane Lee were broken up and planted. Potatoes, corn and bout 30 bushels of wheat were harvested that fall. This wheat, which was thrashed by hand, was taken to the Parowan Mill by John W. Lee and was the first flour to be had since the Lees settled in Panaca.

The Indians were a great hindrance to the settlers. On one occasion Grandmother Lee was forced to defend herself and three children from several treacherous Red Men. Several of them were killed before peace was again enjoyed in the little fort. Only two years did Grandfather survive in his new home, for on July 7, 1866, he passed away and after 9 years of hard work and heroic endurance, Grandmother followed him July 10, 1875. With the death of Electra Jane Lee Edwards, eight years ago, passed the last member of the family of Francis and Jane V. Lee, but a numerous posterity lives to perpetuate their sacred memory.

GEDCOM Note

<p>Husband Patr blessing Nauvoo Illinois March 1845 Patr John Smith.</p><p>Born (GE) Ser no 2570 Nauvoo Illinois record of mem-Bapt NV 1832 end NVT 1846</p><p>(GE) ser no 6502 part 112 NV Fifth Ward mem rec--slg rec AI EH p 119</p><p>lic 1478 at 1:30 PM by Pres. John Taylor -</p><p>wife same ref. as husb on patr gl; bapt; end;</p><p>slg - Birth proved by Will Jacob Sx Johnson Sr dated 28 Feb 1780</p><p>Births of Children #1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11 (GE) 1840-1850 ser no 2570--</p><p>1842-1846 ser no 6502 part 112 NV rec of mem Illinois.</p><p>Early 1906 (GE) ser no 1131 part 287</p><p>1855-1913 (GE) ser no 6555 Part 1 Tooele Ward, Utah</p><p> </p><p>Death #2-3-4-6-9-10 (GE) Early 1948 ser no 3647 part 1 Panaca Ward</p><p> Early to 1888 ser no 22690 part 304</p><p> anl rep 1907-1948 ser no 3647 part 2 Panaca Ward Nev.</p><p>End #1-2-3-4-5-6-9-EH rec Salt Lake Temple Archives</p><p> #8-10 St. George Temple Slg #1 LG-Endowment House rec Salt Lake Temple Archives</p><p> #2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11 St. George Temple rec</p><p>Rec S. M. Lee & Temple Index Bureau Apg 1935</p><p> </p><p>Jane Vail Johnson's personal diary</p><p>Ward Records</p><p>Stake Records</p><p>Census Records</p><p> </p><p>Crossed the plains with the James Pace and David Benner Company -</p><p>Arrived in great Salt Lake 17 Sep 1850 -located in Tooele 26 Sep 1850-stayed 11 yrs</p><p> </p><p>Other Marriages:</p><p>#1 William Henry md (2) 22 Aug 1878 BATES, Larona SGT</p><p>#3 Samuel Marion md (2) 29 June 1877 RICE, Mary Jane SGT</p><p>#5 George Washington md (2) 1 Sep 1881 BUNKER, Cynthia Celestia</p><p>#9 Milton Lafayetee md (2) 14 June 1885 COX, Mary Elizabeth</p><p> </p><p>NECESSARY EXPLANATIONS:</p><p>SAMUEL LEE FAMILY ORGANIZATION Kit #2 - - 1967</p><p>#1 Sent by President Brigham Young colonized Bennington, B-Lk-Idh</p><p> Died same place.</p><p>#5 Col. Colonia Morelos, Sonora, Old Mexico Bur same place</p><p>#7 Enroute to Utah with Pioneers Died on Banks of Platte River</p><p> Buried on Plains of Platte River 18 mo. 5 days old.</p><p>#8 35 yr. 8 days, died Springerville, Apache, Arzn,buried at Amity Apache, Arizona.</p><p>#11 Parents sent by President Brigham Young 1861 to col St. George, Utah.</p><p>child died 4 yr. 10 mos. 2 days, Santa Clara, Utah but St. George, Utah Territory.</p>Parents sent to Panaca, Nevada in 1863.