Isaac Motor Bickmore

Isaac was born in Maine on June 6,1797. His parents were David Bickmore (born 18 December, 1768 at Friendship, Maine) and Margaret Dickey (or Dixon) (born 1768 in England). Isaac moved to Sringfield, Illinois as a young man. In 1828 he married Martha Harvell. It is possible that he had an earlier wife too (Mary Cook Herin). Isaac and Martha had had 7 kids. One (Daniel) died at 2 years old but the rest reached adulthood. They were: John Jackson Bickmore, Mary Jane Abbot, Isaac Danford Bickmore, Mary Ann Hardy, Elizabeth Gunnell, David Newman Bickmore, Daniel Marion Bickmore. The family moved from Illinois to Desmoines, Iowa, and then in 1848, to Indian Creek, Iowa. Mormon people were being persecuted at that time. Isaac and Martha decided to leave for Utah. They sold their house and one of their farms (they had several). They were preparing to leave and had the money from the sales stored in their house. A mob went to their house, stole the money, and then burnt the house down. When the other farms were sold, the family joined a wagon train lead by Captain John B Walker on the journey to Utah. A cholera epidemic attacked the people on the trek. Isaac and his mother were both victims. They both died on July 6, 1852 and are buried together at Loup Fork, Nebraska.

Martha and the kids (except for John and his family who turned back) continued on to Utah.

"While crossing the plains an epidemic of "Black Cholera" broke out among the saints and Isaac Bickmore and his mother, Margaret Dixon Bickmore, were afflicted with the dreaded disease. They both succumbed and died a few hours apart on 6 July 1852. There were both buried in the same grave at Loop Fork, Nebraska. Isaac's brothers and their families were in the same wagon train. It was at the time of the "Gold Rush" in California and those families went onto California. "When Isaac and Martha left Iowa, some of their brothers and sisters's families started with them for Utah but became discouraged and turned back. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Issac was 54yrs old when he along with his wife and various other family members joined the John B. Walker Company (1852)

DEPARTURE: 26-30 June 1852 ARRIVAL: 2-7 October 1852 CAPTAIN: John Beauchamp Walker NUMBER IN COMPANY: 290 About 258 individuals were in the company when it began its journey from the outfitting post at Kanesville, Iowa (present day Council Bluffs).