My father was Franklin Lionel Hancock who was married to my mother Elizabeth Rebecca Tryon at Eden, Arizona in 1893. They were married by the laws of the land, but wanted to be sealed in the temple. This they finally did in 1899, when my father and his oldest brother, Erastus Hancock and a very dear friend, Thomas A. Fuller made plans to go together to the Salt Lake Temple to receive their endowments and be sealed in marriage.
On August15, 1899 those three families left Eden, AZ with covered wagon and horse teams to go on this long trip. It was about 1200 miles the way we went. Erastus E. Hancock's family was his wife, Francis Curtis Hancock; their oldest son, J. Leroy; daughter Eliza; and Melvin M. who was a babe in arms. In Thomas A. Fuller's family was Thomas F., William, Barbara, and Ellen who was a baby. In my father's family was myself, Clarence F. (I was 5 years old at this time) my brother Delbert (3 years), and my sister Martha (8 mo.). This company left Eden on the morning of Aug. 15, 1899. We had plenty of provisions and all that was needed for camping out at night and traveling all day. The first night we camped at Calva on the San Carlos Apache Indian reservation. We watered the horses in the Gila river. The next day we made it to Old San Carlos where Coolidge Lake now is and camped again by the Gila River. They next day we got to old Rice which name was changed to San Carlos after Coolidge Dam, on the Gila River, was built. After leaving Rice we headed up the mountain to Casador Springs, still on the Apache Indian reservation. There were many Indians along the way but they did not harm us. We made about 15 to 25 miles each day depending on the kind of road and mountains.
We traveled up the mountain from Casador Springs to an Indian saw mill on top by White River and Black River and up to Cooley or McNary as it is now called, then to Lakeside and Showlow then on the Holbrook. We traveled all day, would stop at noon, feed water and let the horses eat for a while and then go on until night. We always had to make it to a place at night were we could get water for the horses. After we were camped for the night, the horses all watered and fed, and supper over, we would gather around the campfire, sing songs and tell stories. All were happy on this new venture and all enjoyed each other's company.
From Holbrook we went on to Winslow, and then sometime before we got to Flagstaff, my father knew where there was a cave which had ice in it the year round. I think that cave is still there. My father brought a piece of ice to camp. The road from Flagstaff went by way of Tuba City and on to Bitter Springs, over a large mountain known as Lee's Back Bone. I remember when we went up the mountain I went behind the wagon with a a large rock in my hand and when the horses stopped pulling to rest I would put this rock under the back wheels so the wagon would not roll back. All of us had to walk up this mountain to make the loads lighter on the horses. It took all day to go from Bitter springs to Lee's Ferry which is only about 8 miles. We camped on the south side of the Colorado River that night and the next morning the large raft known as Lee's Ferry was suspended to a steel cable. One wagon and team could cross at one trip. I stayed in our wagon when we crossed the river.
After we left the Colorado, we traveled through a wide valley to a place called House Rock, if my memory serves me right. We stayed there two or three days, as one of Uncle Rast's horses got sick and died, and it took some time to find a another horse. After we got started again his kids came down with whooping cough and he stayed alone away from us so the rest would not catch it and none of the rest got it from them.
We traveled on up to Kanab, Utah and there we met Mosiah Hancock, a song of Levi Ward Hancock. He had one of this sons with him. Mosiah was my father's cousin. They were traveleing through the country doing missionary work. He and his boy had only parched corn for food, traveled on foot, and when his son got tired, Mosiah would carry him on his back. I did not learn which way they were traveling as we went on and left them there.
From Kanab we went over the mountain and down into Long Valley and on to Panguitch. Seems like this was the coldest place we found all the way. From there we went to Payson, Utah. Our family and Uncle Rast's family stayed in Payson with Aunt Alta Davis (she was the daughter of Solomon and Phoebe Adams Hancock), and the Fuller family went to another town to stay with some of their folks. After a few days rest we all got together again and traveled on to Salt Lake City.
On October 4, 1899 we all went through the Salt Lake Temple, a day I will never forget, for that is the day I was sealed to my parents for time and all eternity. This is one of the most important and greatest things that parents can do for their children and themselves on this life on earth.
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