The Life Sketch of Jens Gunderson, Brother of Erick Gunderson ~~~ taken from "Journey of Faith" by David R. Gunderson

Excerpts From Andrew Madsen's Journal

In this segment we learn about water disputes, a post office,  the calling for stone cutters and freighters for the building of the Salt Lake Temple, others being called to St. George to raise cotton.

October 31st 1860 our little baby named Hanna Louisa, took sick and died being a little over one year old.

.............

December 4th,the great noted Indian Chief Arropine, died  in Sevier County.

During this year marked improvements were made in the way of schools.  We had better regulations in governing our affairs, more complete organizations were affected in the Church and A. B. Strickland acted as Church Recorder.

..............

Early in the spring of 1861, my brother, Mads and myself erected a house for him upon his city lot, which house was one of the first white dobes ever built in the city.  The house has since been somewhat remodeled and still stands as a landmark of early days.

A post office was established and Wm. Morrison was appointed postmaster.  He was also Assessor and Collector for the city.

David Candland moved down from Salt Lake City on a spring east of the cemetery.  The people objected because of the scarcity of water and later a compromise was made and twenty acres of land in the field was purchased and given to him in exchange.

In June, Bishop Seely applied to President Brigham Young for the privilege of expending a portion of the tithing fund in building a road north through Thistle Valley and Spanish Fork Canyon, which would shorten the distance to Salt Lake City and the freighters and settlers would then not have to go by way of Nephi.

July 16th, a reply was received from President Brigham Young granting Bishop Seely permission to appropriate $4,000.00 of the tithing fund for the building of the proposed road and for the erecting of good substantial bridges over the river.  After receiving this reply a number of men were at once put to work on the road in order that it might soon be completed.

...............

August 10th, my wife gave birth to a girl,which we named Louisa Bodel Madsen and a short time later, myself, wife and baby made a trip with our ox team to Salt Lake City where I was ordained an Elder and we received our endowments in the Endowment House.

At about this time John W. Dawson was appointed Third Governor of Utah, succeeding Alfred Cummings.  He, however, only held the position a short time and left the territory under peculiar circumstances.  Secretary Frank Fuller succeeded him as Acting Governor.

John W. Dawson
(the following comes from wikipedia)

Abraham Lincoln named him governor of Utah Territory in 1861, but he left the territory and his post as governor after only three weeks due to tensions with the Mormon residents. Dawson allegedly made "grossly improper proposals" to the Mormon widow Albina Merrill Williams, who responded by thrashing him with a fire shovel. When he offered her $3,000 for her silence, she rebuked him and he quickly abandoned Salt Lake City on New Year's Eve 1861. 

Taking a mail coach eastward, he arrived at Ephraim Hanks' Pony Express station at Mountain Dell, Utah. There, Hanks assured Dawson he was now safe. However a group of young Mormon vigilantes named Jason Luce, Martin "Matt" Luce, Wilford Luce, Wood Reynolds, Moroni Clawson,  Lot Hungtington, and Isaac Neibaur followed the retreating governor, and during a night of drinking, they plundered the governor's baggage, and attacked him, beating and kicking Dawson about the head, chest, and groin (and allegedly castrating one of his testicles). The thugs later claimed they were acting under direct orders of the Salt Lake Police Chief. Four of the youths were captured but the other three were gunned down trying to escape from police and sheriffs.

Dawson later became famous as the first biographer of John Chapman, the legendary Johnny Appleseed. Dawson's 1871 article in the Fort Wayne News Sentinel of October 21 and 23 about Dawson's childhood friend is still considered the main source for biographical information on Chapman.

He died on September 10, 1877 and was interred at Lindenwood Cemetery in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

.............

Early in the Fall David Holdaway and Washington Averett built a thrashing machine (separator) at Springville and brought it to Mt. Pleasant. P.M. Peel bought an interest in the machine and it was run for a few years.

A dispute came up among the settlers over the water, the same being settled later by President Hyde who decreed that one half of the water of Cedar Creek was to go to Mt. Pleasant and the remaining half to Spring City and that Birch Creek water should be divided likewise,one half for Mt. Pleasant and the remaining one half for Fairview.

September 8th, the following letter was received by Bishop Seely from President Brigham Young:

Bishop W.S.Seely

Mt.Pleasant

Dear Brother,

"We are preparing for assuming work on the Temple in this city. All the stone-cutters we can engage this winter will be employed this winter in preparing blocks for the building and in the Spring it is contemplated to vigorously pursue the work. We wish all stone-cutters desiring employment to report themselves and the time they will be ready to work. Teams and wagons suitable for hauling large granite blocks from Little Cottonwood will also be wanted. We propose hauling as many blocks as possible this fall and the coming winter.

Your Brother in the Gospel

(signed) Brigham Young

In response to this letter there were a number of Saints who responded. Some left toworksinglehanded while a few others went with their wagons and ox teams.

Sunday, October 28th, a call was made for people to move south into the St. George country in order that the same might become settled and also for the purpose of raising cotton. Those called from among us were: Joseph Clemens, Moses M. Sanders, Christian Widergreen Anderson, Appe Iverson, N.C. Sandberg, James Lemmen, Andrew Jensen, Peter Iverson, Oke Saulsburg and Amos Moss.

March 18th the church authorities made a call for six wagons and twenty six yoke of oxen to go down to Salt Lake City for the purpose of hauling granite stone for the building of the Temple.

April 16th,this request was complied with and the twenty six yoke of oxen were hitched to the six wagons, which were loaded with provisions. They, with six drivers and one guard on horse back, at once started for Great Salt Lake City, arriving there about one week later. 

Building of St. George Temple Work was commenced on the St. George Temple, March II. 1873 (with new pictures attached submitted by David R. Gunderson)

Building of St. George Temple Work was commenced on the St.

George Temple, March II. 1873; as in the past, the citizens of Mt. Pleasant
readily responded to the call. Those at home donated liberally and on December
2nd. the following men and boys left their homes to perform labor on the temple:
Lars Rasmussen, Christian Christensen, Hans Hansen, Soren Jacobsen, Chris Peel,
August Nelson, William Olson, Jacob Jensen, Hans Davidson, Olaf Rosenlof, Thomas
Coates, Christian Madsen, Thomas Fuller, Andrew Rolph, Abraham Day, Ezra Day,
James C. Christensen, Joseph Burton, Fred Mauritz Petersen, Nels Syndergaard,
Frank Keller, with Andrew Madsen (Harbro), Jake Bohne, Bennett Monk and Peter
Rasmussen as teamsters. The four last named soon returned to Mt. Pleasant, while
the others remained until during the spring of 1874. At the present writing,
1939. the only two of the entire party now living are Andrew Rolph and William
Olson. At the time the party left Mt. Pleasant, they were instructed by the
bishop to apply to the bishops of the Wards for shelter and supplies while
camping; however, at Indian Creek or Pine Dug Way they encountered a very severe
blizzard, and after vainly endeavoring to travel on, were compelled to camp in
the open without any shelter whatsoever, and for a time feared they would all
perish. Finally, December 14th, after having traveled in a heavy, blinding
snowstorm most of the way, they reached St. George safely. January 4th, four
loads of sup plies were taken to them by James Larsen, Sylvester Barton, Soren
Hansen Jacobsen, and Christopher Johnson. taken from 
History of Mt Pleasant by Hilda Madsen 

Hamilton Poets ~ Betty Gunderson Woodbury and David R. Gunderson Collection

Help us identify the students please!