James Hill Swapp

James Hill Swapp, son of William Swapp and Elizabeth Hill Swapp, was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, May 10, 1853. In 1861 the family was called to St. George, Utah to assist in the colonization of southern Utah. There he, with the other members of the Swapp family, suffered bravely in enduring the hardships of early pioneer life. Many times was his life endangered by the troublesome, hostile Indians, while carrying the United States mail on a mule from Calsville, on the banks of the Colorado River in Arizona, to St. George, Utah.

With his father's family, he went to the Muddy, in Nevada, in the year 1868. Among other experiences with the Indians, he was a member of Captain James Andrew's company that went to Tuba City, Arizona, in 1875, to aid Indian Agent Jacob Hamblin and a few families that the Navajo Indians had threatened with extermination by massacre. To escape the effects of Indian raids, the family was compelled to go to Long Valley, Utah. While here Mr. Swapp married Margaret Brinkerhoff of Glendale. The issues of this union are twelve sons and daughters, seven of whom were born at Glendale, Utah; Edith, born January 27, 1877, who married James E. Bunting; James W. Swapp, born April 19, 1879, who married Harriet Johnson; Luvinia and Lovina Swapp, twins, born November 3, 1882, who married Leonard B. Pugh and Randall L. Jones, respectively; John Edwin Swapp, born August 30, 1884, who married Winnie Riggs; Elizabeth H. Swapp, born November 6, 1886, who married Joseph L. Ford; Margaret Swapp, born May 13, 1888, who married Alexander S. Cram; George Alonzo Swapp, born in Sink Valley, Utah, August 10, 1891, where the family was sojourning; he married Vera Little.

In the year 1891 the family moved to Kanab, Utah, where the four younger children were born; Loretta Swapp, born January 24, 1893, who married Lorin Little; Donald C. Swapp, born November 25, 1896, who married Lola Findley; Thora Swapp, born September 1, 1899; Viola Swapp, born September 5, 1902, who married Vern Glasier.

The subject of this sketch was sheriff of Kane County, Utah, for twelve years, since which time he has been engaged in farming and stock-raising at Kanab, Utah. I am thoroughly convinced that James Swapp was an honorable, trustworthy man, and a good citizen. A large family survived him, and should emulate his good examples. He died January 17, 1922, and is buried in Kanab Cemetery.

Here is another version of both bios:

James Hill Swapp & Margaret Nina Brinkerhoff By Angus Spencer Swapp

James Hill Swapp was born 10 May 1853 at Salt Lake City, Utah. James along with his brothers was in on all the excitement of settling different places wherever the Church sent the family. He was real young while the family was in Mill Creek, Salt Lake City. He was eight years old when the family left Salt Lake to go settle the area at St. George, Utah. They encountered many hardships in breaking in new lands, clearing it for farming. It seemed like they always had trouble with the wild redskins. The Indians didn't want to give up their lands to the white man and were always striking at them in some way or another. James & his brother were young but soon learned how to help ward off the Indian attacks. They became tough and able soldiers of the communities and none of their families were ever killed by the Indians. Their father William Swapp was a big, heavy, tall man and as true in heart as a man comes. He always tried to make friends with the Indians and taught his sons to do the same. There was always one group of Indians that didn't want to play their game and were always pulling something dirty on the white people. They struggled at St. George for several years and finally the Church called them to go colonize the Muddy in Nevada. This was at Coleville and probably at Moapa Valley, Nevada. The young Swapp brothers probably took turns carrying the mail from St. George to Coleville and also to Cedar City, Utah. They got their farm in good shape and they told later of the beautiful wheat fields waving in the sun. It got so hot and they had so much trouble with the Indians the Church finally released them. They were asked to go to Long Valley, Utah and settle somewhere on the upper Virgin River which ran through Long Valley. The family had worked hard in these hot areas and survived and the boys were grown men by now.

They had spent many days at the saw mill, hauling lumber into the St. George area from Tumble Mountain. They used this lumber in building the St. George Temple. This put a lot of hardships on them and we can be proud of them and what they accomplished. Several of the sons took turns standing guard at Ft. Pierce. This was a stopping point southeast of St. George where was the only water in the area. The men hauling lumber would stop there and camp along the way, both coming and going. James Hill Swapp and maybe some of his brothers went with James Andrews to Tuba City to help Jacob Hamblin settle the Navajos who were getting quite restless and troublesome.

James was married 22 Nov 1875 to Margaret Nina Brinkerhoff. They took up a ranch at Sink Valley near Alton during the years from Glendale and on. They lived there quite a few years and raised most of their family there. Then later they moved to Kanab and built a home and spent their later years there. Here he was sheriff of Kane County for twelve years and a good one at that. He was a man of true character and all loved him that knew him. My father and uncles all said James H. Swapp was a good man as the earth created. They all loved Uncle Jim. James and Margaret had a very large family and they all turned out to be strong, stalwart people. Some of them might not care too much for religion but they were good solid citizens of the world. James and Margaret died leaving a great posterity. James died 17 Jan 1922 at Kanab. Aunt Nine died 6 Feb 1932 at Kanab, Utah. Margaret was known to all us children as Aunt Nine, a lovely person to be around.

Parents:

William Swapp (1820 - 1876)

Elizabeth Hill Swapp (1818 - 1891)

Spouse:

Margarett Nina Brinkerhoff Swapp (1859 - 1932)

Children:

Mary Edith Swapp Bunting (1877 - 1950)

James William Swapp (1879 - 1928)

Luvinia Swapp Pugh (1881 - 1955)

Lovina Swapp Jones (1881 - 1959)

John Edwin Swapp (1884 - 1946)

Elizabeth Rebecca Swapp Ford (1886 - 1968)

Margaret Swapp Cram Farnsworth (1888 - 1968)

George Alonzo Swapp (1891 - 1968)

Donald Clark Swapp (1896 - 1980)

Thora Swapp Enderson (1899 - 1945)

Viola Swapp Glazier Beames (1901 - 1998)

Created by: Jan Dixon

Record added: Jan 18, 2006

Find A Grave Memorial# 13059525