Re: Mountain Meadows
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In reply to:
Mountain Meadows
Cathy Vest 9/17/07
The Fancher Train, headed by Alexander Fancher, left from his property in Benton County.Many people have perpetuated bad information, indicating that there was only one wagon train associated with Mountain Meadows and that it left from Caravan Springs, near Harrison, in what was in Carroll County at that time.Boone County did not come into existence until 1869.
There were many different Trains associated with the MMM and they left from primarily Benton County, Carroll County, Marion County, Washington County and Johnson County.I don't list Boone because it did not exist.
Alexander Fancher lived near Metalton, Carroll County.He also had land that he had purchased in 1854 over in Benton County where he kept his cattle.In the spring of 1857, the Georges Creek Train from Marion County came through Carroll County and camped out on James Fancher's land where they had returned his daughter, four grandchildren, and the body of Sarah Fancher Owen's recently deceased husband.He was buried there at the Fancher homestead.The Georges Creek Train included the Woods family who were remotely related to the Fanchers.Alexander was in Benton County by early April where he sold his land.Other Trains, such as the Poteet-Tackett Train were waiting along the Indian line in Washington County, waiting up for others to join to go west.
It is believed that the Baker/Dunlap/Mitchell group left from Caravan Springs along with others.The Campbell and Parker Trains left from Carrollton.
People who have claimed that all the the Trains left from Caravan Springs are incorrect and relied back in the day on partial information from Col. Mitchell have just regurgitated bad information over the years.Also, in 1859, the children were not returned to the Masonic Lodge at Carrollton where certain factions created a monument there over the objections of many family members - but instead, the children were delivered to the Court House in Harrison where the newspapers covered many of the speeches that were given.There is a ton of very bad information out there about the parties involved in the MMM !!