1

OLIVERCROMWELLHOSKINS,PIONEER OLIVERCROMWELLHOSKINS,PIONEER OLIVERCROMWELLHOSKINS,PIONEER OLIVERCROMWELLHOSKINS,PIONEER

CompiledandwrittenbyDonnaHoskinsHigley,gggranddaughter,
Andbyhermother,EllaNielsenHoskins

OliverCromwellHoskinswasborn17May1827inGeorgetown,VermilionCounty,Illinois.He
was the son of Elza and Mary Hall Hoskins. His grandparents were Jeremiah and Mary Scott
Hoskinson and William and Anna Copeland Hall. He had one brother, Isom, and two sisters,
LevinaandElizaAnn.

In1831whenOliverwasfouryearsoldhisfatherlefthomeandservedintheBlackHawkWar
until 1832 when the war ended. After the war they moved 10 miles west of Georgetown and
lived here until May 1839 when they moved to Missouri. In 1847 they moved to Lee County,
Iowa.Iowa,Missouri,andIllinoisbeingnewterritories,Oliverhadlittlechanceofschooling.He
attendedschoolduringtheshortwintermonths.Spring,summer,andfallhehelpedhisfather
onthefarm.Hismotheralsotaughthimathome.Hewaseveralertandanxioustolearnand
improvehismind.Asayoungman,hehadadesiretobecomeadoctor.Inthoseearlydaysa
doctorcompoundedhismedicine.Heborrowedabookfromadoctorinthevicinity.Thisbook
had many formulas which could be made from herbs, roots, leaves, and bark of various trees,
shrubs,andplants.However,thestressoftimeandtheneedofhislaborspreventedhimfrom
accomplishingthisdesiredvocation.

WhenaladofnineteenhemarriedLucindaHowellon18January1846.Shewasthedaughter
ofJamesandJaneCopelandHowell.Shewasborn6August1825inGreeneCounty,Indiana.
(His grandmother, Anna Copeland Hall, was a sister to Lucinda's mother, Jane Copeland
Howell.)

ThefirstyearsofLucinda'slifewerespentonthefrontier.Shelearnedhomemakingskillsfrom
her mother and helped whenever she could on the farm. As children they played under the
trees gathering nuts and berries. One day when she was about nine years old, as she was
caring for the younger children, they were alerted there were Indians in the vicinity. Lucinda
gathered the children and hid under the bed with them. This incident is taken from James
Howell'sjournal.WehavenotbeenabletofindanythingmoreofLucindaHowell'searlylife.

Inthespringof1846heleasedatractoflandandwithhisoxteamhepreparedandplantedthe
ground.Themaincropwascornwithsquashplantedinthecornrows.Whenthecropripened
and was harvested there was no market for the produce. He was quite resourceful. He
purchasedaherdofswineandfedthemthecornandsquash.

TogetthepigstomarketitwasnecessarytocrosstheMississippiRiver.Atthistimetheriver
wasfrozenenoughtocarrythepigs.Earlyonemorninghestartedtocrosstheriverontheice,
driving the pigs ahead of him. When in the center of the river the ice started to crack. Oliver
urgedthepigstogreaterspeedandhefinallyarrivedontheoppositebank.Duringthiscrossing
hewasfearfuleverymomentthatthepigswouldgothroughtheiceintotheriverandallofhis
hopesforhisreturnonhislaborswouldbeshattered.SilentlyinhishearthepromisedtheLord
ifheandhisherdweresaved,hewouldmorefullyserveHim.

The following year, 1847, finds the young couple in Montrose, Iowa. They homesteaded one
hundredandsixtyacresoffertilefarmland.TheirfarmjoinedthebankoftheMississippiRiver
on the west side. Montrose is across the Mississippi River from Nauvoo, Hancock County,
Illinois.
2

Justafewyearspriortothistime,Nauvoohadbeenabeautiful,growingcity.Infact,oneofthe
most thriving cities in the United States, but when the Latter-day Saints were compelled to
leave, the city was left desolate, many of the homes having been burned and much property
destroyed. According to tradition, Lucinda saw the Nauvoo temple burn in November 1848.
There was turmoil and confusion in the hearts of many. Indecision and fear played upon the
mindsofthepeopleanditwashardtomakeapermanentsettlement,especiallyforanyonewho
wasinclinedtowardstheMormonfaith.

Duringtheyear1849missionariesvisitedthissectionofthestate.AtfirstOliverdidn'tpaymuch
attention. One day he heard their message and the more he thought about it the more
interestedhebecame.Hisinterestandsympathymusthavebeenwiththedrivenpeopleofthe
churchbecausehegatheredwiththegroupinGardenGrove,DecaturCounty,Iowaintheyear
1849.Heretheirfirstson,Josiahwasborn28April1849.

In1849OliverandLucindamovedtoFranklin,DecaturCounty,Iowa.Aneat,hewed-loghouse
stoodinthecenterofthefarm.Ononesideofthehousetherewerebeautifulgrovesoftimber,
and on the other side were large, cultivated green fields. The timberlands provided excellent
fuelforthefireplacesandlogsforbuildingpurposes.Therewerecrabapple,plum,andwalnut
trees,andanabundanceofhickorynuts,wildstrawberries,dewberries,andblackberries.The
nutsweregatheredandstored,andonlongwintereveningstheywouldsitbythefireplaceand
eatnutsandpopcorn.Sometimestheneighborswereinvitedtospendeveningswiththem.

Corn was the principle crop raised and was planted in furrows behind a small shovel plough.
The shovel plough was used to cultivate the corn, and the horses wore long, hickory-bark
muzzles to prevent them from eating the tender green corn. Watermelons and muskmelons
wereplantedwiththecornandgrewtoanenormoussize.

Duringharvesttimethecornwasstoredinloghouses,calledcorncribs,andmuchofitwasused
tofeedhogs.Someofthecornwastakentothemillandmadeintocornmeal,whichwastheir
principal flour. Corn bread was baked in an iron spider over the coals, and corn pones were
bakedonboardsplacedinfrontofthefireplace.Wheatflourwasseldomusedthen.

Inthespringeachfarmermarkedhishogsandturnedthemouttogetherontherange.Inthefall
theywerefattenedonthenuts.Whentheywerereadyforsale,theyweretakeninbigdrovesto
amarketatLeonandsold.

OliverandLucinda'slastthreechildrenwereborninFranklin,DecaturCounty,Iowa;JaneAnn,
11February1851;Emma,18January1853;andTheodoreAndrew,28July1856.

While residing at Franklin, Oliver was baptized in the Welding Fork of the Grand River by
CharlesHaleandwasconfirmedandordainedapriestthesamedayinApril1851.

One day while Oliver was working in the timbers, a stranger approached him and said, "The
LordwantsyoutogotoUtah.Hehasagreatworkthereforyoutodo."Hethendisappeared
among the trees. Oliver had never seen him before nor did he ever see him afterward. This
was a testimony to Oliver, as he always believed the personage to be a divinely inspired
messenger,andhebeganthinkingaboutgoingwestwiththesaints.

In the fall of 1861 Oliver sold his home in Decatur County,Iowa, and moved to Council Bluffs,
Iowa, where he stayed that winter. Oliver had decided to follow the saints west. Although he
met opposition from his family, he did not hesitate a moment. Lucinda was a faithful wife and
3
devoted mother. Although she had not yet joined the church she desired to accompany her
husband and the other saints to Utah. Her family was very prejudiced against this new cause
and her coming to Utah. They argued with herand tried every wayto persuade her to remain
there with them. They even told her if she went to Utah with Oliver, he would leave her in a
strangelandheartbroken,deserted,andalone.Butherfaithinherhusbandneverfalteredand
she believed him whenhe said, "IfI evermarryanother woman, you will be just as willing and
anxiousasIwillbe."

In the spring, on 25 May 1862, the family crossed the Missouri River enroute to Utah. They
camped three miles west of Florence, Nebraska, and a company of saints was organized.
Everyone furnished his own outfit, so it was called the "Independent Train." There were fifty
teams. Horses, mules, oxen, and even cows were used to pull the covered wagons. Louis
Brunson was made captain over all, and a minor captain was placed over every ten teams.
Oliverwasmadecaptainoveroneoftheteams.

On 10 June 1862, they began their long, tedious thousand-mile journey across the desolate,
sage-covered plains. These people were in better financial circumstances than most of the
pioneers, so they did not suffer as many hardships. Oliver drove the team of horses on the
wagon.Lucinda,JaneAnn,andEmmarodewithhim.Josiahdrovethetwoyokeofoxenonthe
oxcart.Josiahhadnamesforhisoxen:"Tom"and"Jerry,""Bill"and"Berry."

As time went on they moved northwestward until they reached the North Platte River. They
campedhereforseveraldaystoresttheiranimalsandthemselves.Whiletheywerehereone
ofJosiah'soxendied.TheywerenowinthestateofNebraska.TheyfollowedtheNorthPlatte
Riveracrossthestatesotheyhadwaterandgrassforthelivestock.

After many days they were in southeastern Wyoming, arough andrugged country. The again
found a good camp here and rested for a few days. After leaving this place they followed the
Platte River. The Old Oregon Trail was along the south bank of the Platte River. They had
rememberedthecounselofBrighamYoungtostayonthenorthsideofthePlatteRivertoavoid
runningintoIndiantroublesandalsotherewasplentyofgrasstofeedtheirstock.Theyarrived
in Fort Laramie. From here they crossed the river and followed the Oregon Trail along the
SweetwaterRiverandcrossedtheContinentalDivideatSouthPass.TheycrossedtheGreen
River and arrived at Fort Bridger, Wyoming. Here they rested again for several days before
continuing on their journey. After leaving Fort Bridger they traveled southwest through Echo
Canyon,theneastthroughEastCanyon,overmountainsintoEmigrationCanyon.

On 29 August 1862 they arrived in Salt Lake City. For a few days they camped on the public
square.OliverboughtahomeintheSouthCottonwoodWard(nowMurray)whereheengaged
infarming.InOctoberofthatyearOliverwassetapartasanactingteacher.

In October 1863 they moved to Kaysville, Davis County, Utah. Their home in Kaysville was a
two-room adobe house. Oliver participated in civic activities. He played the violin in the
communityband.Thisgroupwasorganized in1864.Foranumberofyearsthisbandplayed
forallpubliccelebrations,especiallytheFourthandTwenty-fourthofJuly.

During 1863 Lucinda's brother, James, and his family lived in one of the rooms in their home.
ThenextsummerJamesbuilthimselfahousenearby.

Themaincropwaswheat.Thegroundwasploughedwithahandploughandayokeofoxen.It
washarvestedwithacradle,andwasrakedandboundbyhand.

4
The women were also kept very busy. After the necessary housework such as cooking,
cleaning, mending, and canning was done, they spent much of their time at their spinning
wheels. In the evening during cold weather they built a cheery fire in the old-fashioned iron
stove.TheyremovedthefrontdooroverthehighhearthandbytheflickeringfirelightLucinda
would knit a complete stocking in one evening. Some of the stockings were sold for a good
price.Partoftheyarnwasdyedandtakentotheweaverstobewovenintoprettymaterialfor
dresses, which were very nice when finished. Lucinda's brother, James Howell, and his wife,
Rosannah,wereexpertweavers.

The cook stove that they used was called a "step" stove. They brought the stove with them
across the plains. Although they paid $25.00 for it they were offered over $400.00 for it after
they arrived in Utah. They were also offered a yoke of good oxen for their shotgun, but they
would not part with their possessions. While living here, Oliver sold a pair of mules for
$575.000.

On 8 July 1865 Josiah decided to go out on the range to find his pony. He borrowed a pony
fromEnochHarristoride.Hefoundhisponyandreturnedquiteearly.Hesenthislittlebrother,
Theodore,totaketheborrowedponyhomewhilehewenttotheneighborstowatchthemkilla
beef. Theodore returned from taking the pony home and followed Josiah to the neighbors to
watch.BysomeaccidentTheodorewasshotandkilled.Thiswasaverysadoccasionandone
thatleftanacheinOliver'sheartfortherestofhislife.

One day in 1866 Bishop Layton came over to Oliver's and said, "We need a team of mules to
sendbacktoCheyenneaftersomesaints."ItwasharvesttimeandOliverneededhisteamvery
badly, but he indicated a large, fat team that Josiah was leading out and said, "Well, there's
one." Then Bishop Layton said, "You can send your boy along to drive them, if you want to."
Oliverthoughtofthestandingcropsandthevastamountofworktobedoneandfeltthathejust
couldnotdowithoutJosiah,too.ThenthecallcameandJosiahhadtogosouthtoparticipatein
theUtahBlackHawkWarandOliverwaslefttomanageasbesthecould.

Oliver and Lucinda were sealed in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah, on 16 April
1864.On31December1866JaneAnnwasmarriedtoEnochHarrisbyBishopLayton.They
werelatersealed intheSaltLakeEndowmentHouseon3January1868.Emmawasmarried
andsealedtoJosephHalfordon27February1868.JosiahmarriedCharlotteLorettaLishon25
February1875.TheywerelatersealedintheEndowmentHouseon11October1875.

Oliver must have possessed a little of the roving spirit, because once more he packed his
belongingsand,firedwithambitionandthespiritofpioneering,headedforthenorthernpartof
Utah.

In 1868 he moved to Portage, Box Elder County, Utah, settling on the east side of the valley
knownasOregonSprings.OnceagaintheOliverC.Hoskinsfamilywasfoundclearinglandso
theycouldfarm.Hereheplantedsomefruittreesandcottonwoodtreesforshade.Henamed
hisplace,"TheOregonSpringsRanch."

PortagewasanotherMormonsettlementbroughtaboutbythecolonizationprogramofBrigham
Young.Itwasfirstsettledin1855whenaninfantsettlementwascommencedontheeastside
of Malad River, lying on the mail route to Virginia City, Montana, from Salt Lake City. This
settlement was nearly opposite the present site of Washakie. The settlers built an adobe fort
enclosingaboutanacreofground.Insidetheforttheydugcellarsanderectedlogcabins.The
first attempt at farming was unsuccessful because of the large number of grasshoppers. This
little settlement was broken up in 1858 because of Indian trouble. The actual settlement of
5
Portage took place in 1867 by Thomas Green. Lorenzo Snow named the town after Portage
County, Ohio, where he was born. Up to this time the people had called the settlement "Hay
Town." This new settlement was one mile and a quarter south of Oregon Springs, Idaho, and
onemilesouthofthepresentIdahostateline,ontheeastsideoftheMaladRiver.In1872most
of the settlers moved to the west side of the Malad River and located on the present site of
Portage.Themainreasonwastheavailabilityofwater.

The first houses were log cabins nestled near the foot of the eastern mountains and located
alongtheoldfreightroadtoIdaho,Montana,andOregon.Manyrefreshingspringsofclearpure
water were one of the chief attractions of the new settlement. They were called the Oregon
Springs because of the many weary, thirsty travelers on their way to Oregon who made these
springstheircampinggrounds.

In June of 1869 Oliver organized the "Fast Freight Company." Josiah became one of the
company. They hauled freight from Corinne, Box Elder County, Utah (the railhead) to the
miningtownsinMontana.EarlysettlersoftheMaladValleysufferedgreathardships,asthere
wasnoreadymarketforthecropstheyraised.Perishableshadtobehauledagreatdistance
byteamandwagonsohayandgrainwerethemaincrops.

On 12 July 1869 Oliver was set apart as Presiding Elder over the Portage Ward by Apostle
LorenzoSnow.Heservedinthisofficeuntil1877,whentheBoxElderStakewasorganized19
August1877.PresidentLorenzoSnowsethimapartasthefirstbishopofthePortageWardon
23October1877.PortageWard,atthattime,includedPortage,Washakie,Plymouth,andwhat
waslaterknownasWoodruffWard.

They brought logs down from the hills to construct a building in which to hold church, school,
andsocialevents.Thebuildingwasfortybytwentyfeetwithanine-footceiling.Thelogswere
hewnontheinsideandtheroofwasoflumber.In1872thebuildingwasmovedtothewestside
of the valley and located on the church lot where it served for both church and school for the
next14years.

Oliver was instrumental in surveying and laying out the village of Portage into lots and streets.
The land surveyed and laid out as a village was on his homestead entry. He also assisted in
dividing the water coming from the canyon commonly called "South Canyon." There weretwo
streamsarrangedsothewaterwouldcomeinthewestsideofthevillagewhereitwasdivided
intotwostreams,onegoingtothenorthandeast,andtheothertothesouthandeast,covering
thecitylotsinthevillage.

The river bridge was the starting point to survey the town of Portage. They used a post and
shadow to lay out the streets. The main streetwas straight with theriver bridge. Some years
laterthecountydecidedtoputinanewbridge.Theysurveyedagainandmovedthebridgeto
whereitistoday.Thisiswhythereisajogintheroad.ErvinHoskinstoldusthisbitofhistory.

OliverhelpeddigacanalontheeastsideoftheMaladRiver.Heandthesettlerswenttowork
with shovels, spades, ox teams, and skips to bring the water down the canal. After spending
$3,000inlaborandcash,theyfoundthesurveyorhadthewateratthewrongendofthecanal.
Thiswasverydisappointingtothesettlers,astheyallhadbuiltuphighhopesforsufficientwater
fortheirfarms.ErvinHoskinssaidthecanalcouldstillbeseeninthefields.

Oliverwasambitious.Heworkedhardandexpectedallotherstodothesame.Theidlerfound
nofavorwithhim.AbranchofZCMI,knownasthePortageZCMI,wasorganizedon6January
1870.Oliverwaschosenaspresident.
6

Hewasafarmerandmerchant.HeoperatedasawmillatElkhornfortheIndianfarm.Thismill
was located in the mountains east of Malad Valley. He also owned and operated a sawmill in
SpringCreekjustnorthofMaladCity.Healso laidbrickand wasamailcarrier.Honestyand
thriftweretwoofhisoutstandingqualities.Hewasgenerouswithhistimeandmeans.

He was a large man in stature, carrying his two hundred pounds or more in a very manly and
stately manner. He was kind and thoughtful in his home life. Two of his favorite dishes were
clabberedmilkandhotbiscuits.Nomatterhowbusyortiredhemightbe,ifoneofhischildren
desiredinformationfromhim,hetookthetimetogiveittothem.Everyonehassomeweakness
or peculiarity. Oliver's was minor, yet distinct. His path could be traced by his dragging
shoelaces.Hewasalwaystoobusyorintoobigahurrytotiethem.

Hefoundrealdelightduringtheeveningsinentertainingnotonlyhisownfamily,butalsoothers,
by playing the violin. His sense of humor often helped him over some very difficult situations,
butsometimesitwouldgetalittleoutofhandandcauseanembarrassingmoment.Inaplayful
moment he accidentally pushed his wife, Lucinda, into the river. Naturally he had to jump in
afterher,inhisbestclothes.Atonetimeoneofhisgrandsonswastravelingaroundthestake
with him. In the course of their travels they encountered the company of some young ladies.
Oliver'sintroductionofhisgrandsonwas,"Hereheisgirls,nowgrabhim."

Hewasadevotedanduntiringworkerinthechurch.Heheldpositionsofresponsibilityandof
trust, and gave his time and talents for the growth of the church. Flowery speech and large
words were not a part of him, but he was an interesting speaker, and could expound on the
gospelverywell.Hisaccomplishmentshavebeenmany.Hedidnotmaketheworldricherina
monetarysense,butinservicetohisHeavenlyFatherandfellowmen.

WhileservingasbishopofthePortageWardhewascalledupontoworklonghoursofmanual
laboraswellasforthespiritualsustenanceofhispeople.Peoplepaidtheirtithingwithallsorts
ofproduceandlivestock.Inthefallheoftenhadtoslaughterfromthirtytosixtyhogs,takecare
of the meat, and distribute it among the poor in the wintertime. All the vegetables and fruits
weretakencareofinalargecellar,whichheprovidedforthatpurpose.

OnewinterOliverandLucindawereindirecircumstances.Lucindahadjustmixedbreadusing
the last flour in the bin. Later, when she needed to mix bread again, out of habit, she opened
the flour bin. There was just enough flour to mix bread oncemore. Sheshook the bin forthe
last bit of flour. This procedure continued all winter. As spring came, Oliver went to the
mountainsandcutaloadofcedarpoststosell.Lucinda,asbefore,checkedtheflourbintofind
it completely empty. The Lord provided for them until such time as they could provide for
themselves.

On5May1873OlivermarriedEllenEvansJonesofMaladCity.TheyweremarriedinSaltLake
City, Utah. Lucinda not only agreed to this marriage, but she chose Ellen as Oliver's second
wife.

Ellen was born 29 August 1850 in Llangbyther, Carmarthen, South Wales, to Richard Thomas
and Mary Evans Jones. She was the second of nine children. The oldest, Alexander, died in
Wales. When Ellen was five weeks old her parents booked passage to America. During the
crossingEllencrieddayandnightmakingitverydifficultforhermother.

Ellen spent most of her childhood in Brigham City, Box Elder, Utah, where five brothers and
sistersjoinedthefamily.Sheattendedschoolandlearnedhomemakingskills.Herfatherwas
7
anexcellentweaverandfromhimshelearnedspinningandweaving.Sometimebetween1864
and1866thefamilymovedtoMalad,OneidaCounty,Idaho.

She was a hard worker, having a big garden and fruit trees. She canned and prepared the
produce for winter use. She knitted sweaters and socks beautifully, quilted, and did other
handwork.Shewasactiveinchurchandheldleadershippositions.

SevenchildrenwereborntoOliverandEllen.Theywere:ThomasElzaborn10August1875in
Malad,LorenzoEzraborn10August1876inPortage,Utah,MaryLucindaborn22August1878
in Portage, Richard Smith born 18 January 1881 in Portage, Elijah born 9 September 1882 in
Portage, David Marion born 9 September 1883 in Portage, and Rachel Leona born 12
September1885inPortage.Thomasdiedthesamedayhewasborn.LorenzomarriedMinnie
Isabell John on 19 April 1899. He married second Clara Susannah Kemp on 21 December
1910. Mary married Joseph Edward Gibbs on 11 October 1898. Richard married Ladetha
Parkinsonon21December1910.Elijahdiedthesamedayhewasborn.DavidmarriedMary
Elva Morris on 28 March 1914. He married second Cynthia John Halford on 19 August 1959.
RachelmarriedJamesAlbertEtheringtonon26February1908.

During the years of 1876-77 Oliver filled a mission laboring mostly in the states of Iowa,
Missouri, and Kansas. He also filled several missions in the different stakes of Zion, also
missionstotheIndiansindifferentlocalities.

In1888aspecialconferencewasheldinPortage.AtthistimetheMaladStakewasorganized,
andOliverwassetapartbyLorenzoSnowaspresident.Thestaketookinalargearea,asfar
north as American Falls, Idaho, and as far south as Fielding, Utah. Portage was the
headquarters.Thetripsaroundthestakerequiredseveraldays,travelinginbuggiesdrawnby
sleek,fathorses.WhenstakeconferenceconvenedinPortage,heassumedtheresponsibility
ofseeingthatallconferencevisitorswerefedandmadecomfortable.

Oliverwasapolygamist,havingtwowives.Manytimeshewashuntedbythemarshalandoften
hadtohidebecausehecouldnotrenouncethatprincipleofthegospel.TheLordhadgiventhe
commandment and, until revoked, Oliver lived it honorably. Finally, figuring that it might be
easierforallconcerned,hegavehimselfupwhichresultedinaprisontermofthreemonths.He
wasintheUtahPenitentiaryfrom25Januaryto10April1889.

On22March1902Oliverwasreleasedasstakepresident.Atthistimehewascalledtobethe
stakepatriarchbyElderRudgerClawson,apositionhehelduntilhisdeath.

Hehadanabidingfaith intheteachingsandprinciplesoftheChurchofJesusChristofLatter-
daySaints.HewasaclosefriendofLorenzoSnow.Hehonoredandrespectedallthegeneral
authoritiesofthechurchaswellasallwardandstakeofficerswhereheresided.

ChiefPocatelloandhistribelivedinavalleyjustoverthehillsonthewestsideofthetown.One
morning,afterthemenhadallgoneoutintothefieldstowork,LucindaandJanewerealonein
the house. Chief Pocatello and some of his warriors came to the door, and the old chief
demandedbreakfast.Lucindatriedtoconcealherfearandquicklypreparedbreakfastforthem.
Theyategreedily,thenwentoutintothefieldanddemandedabeeffromtheworkingmen.The
menstoppedwork,killedabeef,andgaveittothem.Theywentontheirwaypeacefully.

During his lifetime of church activity, Lucinda always supported him and participated in many
positioninvariouschurchorganizations.

8
WhentheVanHalefamilyhadsmallpoxandwaslivinginArizona,Vanandfourofhischildren
died.OlivercollectedapurseinPortageandsentWillardGibbstobringMarthaandherthree
remainingchildrentoPortage.OliverthengaveMarthaajobinhisstore.

In 1889 Oliver underwent an operation in the Holy Cross Hospital that left him an invalid. He
died 30 May 1905 and was buried in the Portage cemetery where Lucinda and Ellen are also
buried.

Lucindawassetaparton17June1888astheStakeReliefSocietyPresident.Shelivedtobe
eighty-sevenanddied29April1912.Ellenwasactiveinchurchorganizationsuntilthetimeof
herdeath,19January1925.

PEDIGREEOFOLIVERCROMWELLHOSKINS:
Oliver Cromwell HOSKINS (1), Elza Ebray HOSKINS (2), Jeremiah HOSKINSON (3), Azariah
Thomas HOSKINSON 4), James HOSKINSON (5), Thomas HOSKINSON (6), John
HOSKINSON(7),JohnHOSKINSON(9)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AHISTORYOFOLIVERCROMWELLHOSKINS
ByConleyL.Hoskins,sonofJosiahHoskins,andgrandsonofOliverC.Hoskins.(Originalcopy
was on large orange sheets of paper. Added corrections and comments by original typist,
whosenameisunknown.)

OliverC.HoskinswasborninthestateofIllinoisintheyearof1827,inVermilionCounty.The
name of thetown in which he was born is not known (Georgetown), but it was near the city of
Chicago.Hespenthisinfantandboyhooddayslivingwithhisparents.Hereceivedmuchofhis
education while living with his goodly parents. He lived a family home life with them until the
year1847.Hethenstartedworkingforhimself.Heworkedseveralyearsinthegreatstateof
Illinois.

Itwasintheyearof1848(18Jan1846),whilehewasworkinginIllinois,thathemethisnoble
wife-whosenamewasthenLucindaHowell,adaughterofJamesandJaneHowell.Shewas
born in the state of Indiana on 26 August 1825 in Green County. In the year of 1848 (18
January1846)shebecamethewifeofOliverC.Hoskins.Aftertheirmarriage,theysoonmoved
toMontrose,Iowa.

After they moved to Montrose, they homesteaded 160 acres of fertile soil in the state of Iowa.
Here they began their family home life. They began to farm and they also built them a home.
ThefarmlayalongthebanksoftheMississippiRiver,almostduewestofChicago,Illinois.They
had lived only a short time on their Iowa farm when their first son was born. His name was
Josiah.HewasborninthetownofMontrose,LeeCounty,Iowa.

ForseveralyearstheO.C.Hoskinscoupleploddedonwardatfarmingandstockraising.They
raisedcorn,hogs,andcattle.Whilefarming,theyalsobuiltthemselvesatanyardandtanned
some hides. Here they learned the tanning business. In the year of 1851, they were blessed
with a daughter. They called her name, Jane Ann. During these trying years at farming, it
becamenecessaryforthemtodootherwork.SoOliveragreedwithhis wife,Lucinda,thathe
would go away and find some workto provide a little more moneyfor them. So he went back
intothestateofIllinoisandtookajobworkinginthetimber.

9
It was during this time in the timberland that he met two Mormon missionaries. After he had
heard theirmessage, he said to himself,"I haveheard enoughthat I know what to do." Afew
shortweekswentonandOliverreturnedtohisfamilyandfarminMontrose,Iowa.Hethentold
the story to his wife, Lucinda. In a few more short months, Oliver and Lucinda obtained
membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This great event added much
happiness to their family life. Again, in the year of 1853, they were blessed with another
daughter.Theycalledhername,Emma.

As time went on they added many improvements to their farm business. Again, in the year of
1855, another son was born to their union (28 July 1856). They called his name Theodore
Albert (Theodore Andrew). This fourth child made up the total number of their family. Their
family consisted of two daughters and two sons. Stepping back just a few short years to the
yearof1849,Lucindawitnessedasadevent.Shewashomealone,asOliverhadgoneawayto
work.Josiahwasathomewithher,buthewasasleep.Hewasonlysixmonthsofageatthis
time.Lucindastoodinthedoorwayand,lookingeastacrosstheMississippiRiver,shesawthe
NauvooTempleburntoashes.Sherelatedthatitwasasadsighttobehold.Asweallknow,it
wasanevilactofthemobtoburndownthatgreattemple.Astimewenton,thefamilymembers
became old enoughto give some help totheir father and mother. The children were taughtto
carrytheresponsibilitiesofhomelife.

In the coming year of 1857, Josiah was old enough to give help to his father. He was taught
how to help with the cattle and hogs, and throughout his life he knew how to raise good hogs
and cattle. While on the Iowa farm he learned how to plant corn, tocultivate the corn, and he
learnedsomeabouthowtotanhides.

Duringtheyearsfrom1857to1859,theycontinuedfarmingandstockraising.Itwasintheyear
of1859(8July1965atKaysville-fromPortageWardRecordandfromthelifesketchofOliver
C.Hoskinswrittenbyhimself)thatmoresicknesscameintothefamilylife.Oliverandoneofhis
neighborswerepreparingtobutcherabeef.Oliverhadastockcorralmadefrompoles.While
they were getting ready to get the cattle into the yard, young Theodore, only a boy, came into
theyardwithsomeofhisboyfriendsandstartedclimbingandplayingonthepolefence.While
playingonthefence,youngTheodorecameoverwherethegunhadbeenlaidagainstthefence
tobeusedinthebutchering.YoungTheodorejumpeduponthepolefencewherethegunwas
leaning and the gun discharged and shot Theodore - killing him instantly. This brought much
sadnessintothefamily,buttheyhadthefaithandcouragetotrytocarryon.

Fromtheyearspast,theyhadaddedmorecattletotheirnumber;alsomorehogsandtheyhad
builtalargecorncrib,astheywereraisingapproximately40acresofcorneveryseason.

In the early spring of 1860, Oliver traveled around to the small towns in Iowa. He thought he
mightbeabletoselltheirfarmandgotoUtahinthevalleysofthemountains.Inashorttimehe
foundasaleforthefarm.Therewerelotsofgamebirdsrightonandaroundtheirfarm,andall
kindsofnutsgrewinthatpartofthestateofIowa.Inthefalloftheyear,alloftheneighborhood
wouldturntheirhogsouttoeatthenuts.Thatisthewaytheywouldfattenthem.Theyraised
plentyofcorntofattentheircattle.

Intheearlyspringof1860,amancametothefarmandboughtit;orhetradedthemanicespan
ofbaymaresforthefarm,thetanyard,thecattle,thehogs,thecorn,andthecorncrib-buthe
letOliver'sson,Josiah,havehischoiceoffouroxenfromthecattleherd.Josiahpickedoutfour
very good steersto pull his wagon acrossthe plains. He gave each oxa name. Their names
were:TomandJerry,BillandBerry.Josiahgothisoxwagonreadyandhisoxyokesothathe
10
could get the oxen ready forthe long trip across the plains. Oliver, Lucinda, Jane, and Emma
gottheirwagonpackedtostartontheirjourney.

EarlyinthemonthofMay1860,theystartedacrosstheprairieofIowa.Josiahhadjustpassed
his11thbirthdayashestarteddrivinghisoxteamstowardtheRockyMountains.Oliver,Cindy,
and their daughters went in the wagon, while Josiah followed behind with his ox teams and
wagon. It was in Mid-May when they started westward across the plains. They had to travel
very slowly, as the ox teams were much slower to go than the horse team, and they had to
dependuponthegrassandthewateringplacesfortheirstock.Theywouldstopatnoonandat
evening for their stock to graze and to have something to eat. A lot of their moves were
guesswork, andthere were noroad signs. Sometimes it would becomenecessary forthem to
makecrossingsoversmallstreamssothattheycouldgettheiroutfitsovertocontinueonward.
Theytraveledformanydaysinasouthwesterlydirection.Finallytheycametothebanksofthe
Missouri River. Here they loaded their wagons on the ferryboat and went across the Missouri
River. Oliver related that they all enjoyed their ride on the ferryboat. On the west side of the
rivertheyunloadedtheiroutfitsandagainstartedtheirjourneysouthwesterlytowardapromised
westernhome.

They had traveled many days along the grassy prairie and they finally arrived at Counsel
(Council) Bluffs, Iowa. At Council Bluffs they stayed to rest themselves and their horse team
and their oxen. During this rest period at Council Bluffs, they met many other wagon trains
headed for Utah. It was at this place and at this time that they met many new acquaintances
andheretheymademanyfriends.AfterleavingCouncilBluffs,Iowa,theyenteredthestateof
Nebraska.ItwasnowsoutheasternNebraskawheretheycampedforgrassandwater.

TheirjourneyacrossthestateofNebraskawasalongandtiresomeone.Lateinthemonthof
July found them landed at the North Platte River in the southern part of the state and about
three-fourthsofthedistanceofthelengthofthestateofNebraska.Onceagaintheystoppedfor
some time to rest from the same routine of their journey. They continued their journey almost
straight westward, seeking for the best trail to travel, and to find suitable grass and camping
placeswherewoodwasalsoavailable.InthisareatheyfoundafewIndiancampsatdifference
places.MostoftheIndianswerefriendlytotheemigrantsthattraveledthroughthatarea.

Aboutthreeweekslatertheyfoundthemselvesenteringinthesoutheasterncornerofthestate
of Wyoming. Cheyenne, Wyoming, was situated quite close to the emigrant trail into the
western desert of Wyoming and Utah. Here they camped again for a short time as feed was
plentifulandalsowater.AttimestheywereincloserangeoftheCheyenneRiversotheycould
find water. Here again they found some more Indian people. Their acquaintance with the
Indians and their customs was interesting. They related the counsel of President Brigham
Young,thatitisbettertofeedthemthantofightthem,sotheytradedfoodswiththeIndiansat
times when it was permissible. During their travels across the grasslands of Wyoming, they
foundmanybuffalo.TheIndiansgavethemsomebuffalomeatattimesandtheywerealways
happy to get it. At this period of time, they felt much encouraged, as they knew they were
gettingmuchnearertheirdeserthomeintheRockyMountains.

After leaving this campground in southeastern Wyoming, they changed the direction of their
travels. They began to go in a more northwesterly direction across the remaining distance of
Wyoming. During their stop while going on to the northwest, some people who were going on
their return into the east stopped at their camp and visited and ate dinner with the Hoskins
family. While visiting with them, they said that they had been clear across the wilderness and
theysaidthattherewasnothingoutthereforanyhumanbeing.Thissadstorythattheytolddid
not dishearten them. These visitors also related the saying of Captain Jim Bridger, that the
11
entirewestwasworthless.Atthistimetheyseemedsomewhatdiscouraged;but,withaprayer
intheirhearts,theymovedonward.

AftertheyhadreachedsouthwesternWyoming,theyfoundsomemountainroadstotravelover,
alsosomefertileprairielands.TheyalsolearnedmoreabouttheactivitiesofJimBridger,and
they learned of the historic Fort Bridger, and some stories of the gold rushers, and of the fur
traders and trappers. In this area of Wyoming, they made camp for another short time. They
sawsomegamelife-buffalo,deer,andothergamelife.Whilecampedhere,theyhadbuffalo
meatattimes.TheirnextmovefoundthementeringtheGreatDivideintheWasatchMountains
where they viewed the Great Salt Lake Valley for the first time. They soon began to descend
fromthetopoftheWasatchMountainsintoagreatpromisedland.Theyhadtakenitslowdown
throughEmigrationCanyon.TheirlongjourneyfromtheirIowafarmhadtakenawayalloftheir
spring and summer days. Early October of 1860 found them camping in the mouth of
EmigrationCanyonintheSaltLakeValley.Here,atthisplace,theybegantopreparetostayfor
thefallandwinter,whichtheydid.Astimewenton,theyworkedtogether.Oliver'sson,Josiah,
foundthattherewasmuchwood inanearbycanyon,which iscalled BigCottonwoodCanyon;
so,Josiahriggeduphisoxwagonandhehauledwoodbyoxteamaslongastheylivedinthat
partofthecountry.

While living in this place, they saw some of the people that were hauling granite rocks for the
buildingoftheTemple. FromwheretheHoskinsfamily lived,theycould seetheframeworkof
thetabernacle.Itwasnotlongbeforetheyfoundoutaboutthiswonderfuledifice.

Theysoonbecameacquaintedwithmanypeople.Intheearlyspringof1861,theymovedfrom
theirpresentandfirstlocation.TheymovednorthwardintotheareathatiscalledLayton.Here,
closetothetownofLayton,theymadethemselvesanewcamp.Itwasatthisplace,inthetown
ofLayton,thattheymetBishopLayton.Hewasaprominentmanatthattime.Itwasherethat
Oliverandhisson,Josiah,boughtafreightoutfitfromBishopLayton.

Before leaving their first location in the mouth of Emigration Canyon, they lost another one of
theiroxen.Atthisevent,theywereleftwithoneyokeofoxenandonehorseteam.Duringthis
time, Oliver had sold the horse team. He sold them to a gold-seeker who was going to
California.Oliverreceivedfourhundreddollarsforthehorseteam.

While living at Layton, they ran their freight business; also they purchased some land over
where the town of Kaysville now is. During the spring of 1863, early in the spring, they again
moved over to Kaysville. Here they build a small home and began farming and clearing the
brush from the land. Here they farmed and also operated their freight business. They had
mulestoputontheirfreightwagons,butJosiahstillhungontohisoxteam.Intheearlyspring
of1864,theyagainmovednorthward.TheysoldtheirlandandtheirhomeinKaysvilleforone
dollarperacre.Theyreceivedgoldforthisland.Josiahrelatedthathewassohappytogetthe
moneyforhislandthathehadashortcry.

Their next move was also northward- into Box Elder County, about 40miles north of Brigham
City. This location was in northeastern Box Elder County. Here at this new location, they
bought 160 acres of unimproved sagebrush land. Here they resumed their farming activities
again.Hereonthistractoflandtheyfoundasmallspringofwater.Withpickandshovel,they
dugasmallpondandcaughtthespringwater.Thespringandpondarestilltheretothisday.
Theybuildahomeofdouby(adobe)brick.Thereatthisplacetheybegantoraisesomewheat,
hogs and cattle, as there was much grass at this place. They called the farm, "The Oregon
SpringRanch."Someothersettlersmovedinduringthefewshortyearswhiletheylivedonthis
12
Ranch. At this time, they established a town site called, "Portage," but later the name was
changedto"EastPortage."

During the short time that the Hoskins family lived here on the East Portage Oregon Spring
Ranch, they spent many happy days. Oliver and Josiah related a few of their thrilling events.
Oneniceeveninginlatespring,Josiahtookanotiontosleepoutsideonthegrass.Soheasked
hisfathertosleepoutwithhim,buthisfatherdidnotfeelinclinedtodoso.SoJosiahsleptout
on the grass alone. At about 1:30 in the morning, a bear came down out of the small canyon
adjoiningthefarm.HecamestraightacrossthegrassandwalkedovertoJosiah'sbed.Whata
scare!Josiahjumpedupandranonewayandthebearwentanother.Josiahjumpedthrough
the closed door of the room where Oliver and Cynda were sleeping. He lit upon the floor and
wasmuchfrightened.OliverandCyndawereasfrightenedasJosiahandthebear.Janeand
Emma, who were sleeping in an adjoining room, were also frightened. The family had many
good laughs about this scary event while they lived together as a family. During these happy
daysonthefarm,thefamilyworkedtogetherasusual.

Fromtheyear1863until1866,theyhaddonemuchhardworkonthefarm.Theyhadcleared
manyacresofsagebrushfromtheland,andtheyhadmademanyotherimprovements.Inthe
early spring of 1866, they witnessed another event in their lives. It was at this time that the
federalgovernmentswasaskingforvolunteerstogointoservicetosettletheIndianuprisingin
SouthernUtah.Josiah hadalreadybeenaskedtogo.Inthisdifficultdecision,Josiahwentto
his father for some advice. His father's advice was, "You go and be loyal and serve your
country,andwewilltrytodothebestwecanwhileyouareintheservice."SoJosiahenlisted.
Itfell to Oliver tofinance him into theservice. He joined the cavalry. Oliver bought his horse,
saddle,gun,anduniform.Josiahreceivednopayforhisservice.Alsoatthisevent,Josiahhad
two friends that also enlisted in the service. The names of the friends that enlisted with him
wereEnochHarrisandJosephHalford.Thesetwostaunchfriendslaterbecamethehusbands
ofhistwosisters,JaneandEmma.

Thesethreeyoungmenreturnedfromtheserviceinthespringof1867.Again,theywentback
totheirusualroutine.JosiahwentbacktotheOregonSpringRanchandhelpedhisfatherwith
the farming. During this time, from the Layton freight business, Oliver kept some mule teams
andhisfreightwagons.Inthespringof1868,JosiahtookajobwiththeUnionPacificRailroad.
This again left Oliver, Cynda, and adn the two daughters to do the farming. Josiah worked on
therailroadjobuntilitwasfinished.Therailroadconstructionjobthatheworkedonwaslocated
at Corrine, Utah. They worked ten hours a day and six days a week. When Saturday night
would come, he would walk from Corrine to the Oregon Spring Ranch, a distance of about 30
miles. He would rather do that after working than to stay at the railroad camp, and he would
say, "I get enough of the railroad during the week." As time went on, they got father into the
west,astherailroadcompanywasheadedintothestateofCalifornia.Thisrailroadconstruction
work lasted all through 1868 and until May 1869. The railroad company finally moved their
constructioncampintothePromontoryMountainarea.Whiletheyworkedatthiscamp,Josiah
wouldwalkhome,afterworkingallday,onSaturdaynights-adistanceofabout35miles.On
Sunday,hewouldleavequiteearlyinthedaytobethereforMondaymorning.Finally,thejob
hadneareditsend.

Onthe10thdayofMay1869,atPromontoryPoint,theUnionPacificandtheSouthernPacific
met in their building of the railroads. A few weeks before May 10, 1869, they had merged
together.Onthishistoricdaythecompanyhadacelebration.ThiswastheeventoftheDriving
oftheGoldenSpike.Thereweremanypeoplethatattendedthiscelebration-alsotheOliverC.
Hoskins family. The driving of the Golden Spike still holds a strong memory in the history of
today.Aftertherailroadjobwascompleted,JosiahsettleddownontheOregonSpringRanch
13
withhisdadandmotherandhistwosisters.InaveryshorttimeJosiahfoundworkagain.He
took a job with the surveyors who were surveying the Utah-Idaho State Line. The surveyors
werecampedneartheOliverHoskins'ranch.Josiahwouldgettobehomeintheeveningsfora
fewweeks.Thentheymovedwestwardwiththeirsurveywork.Latein1870,theyfinishedthe
survey work. All of the workers that worked on the job were called together by one of the big
bosses. He told them to stay at camp while he went to the Pay Station in Nevada to get their
pay.This,alloftheworkersagreedto.Thepaymastersaddleduphismuleandrodeawayto
catchastagetogotoNevadatogetthesurveymoneyforthemen.Timewentonand itwas
four or five days that the men stayed in the camp. They became uneasy and worried. They
thought that the paymaster would not return with the money, so they were harnessing up their
mules one morning to go home, when, to their surprise, he came riding into the camp on his
mule. He said to the men, "You men all join in the camp circle for pay day." He paid the
workersingold.Itwasaboutathree-days'journeywithmuleteamfromtheNevadalinetothe
OregonSpringRanchinUtah.Josiahrelatedthatthedistancedidn'tseemfarashehadsome
moneytotakehomewithhimforhisfatherandmotherandhistwosisters.Soonafterarriving
home from the Utah-Idaho survey job, Oliver and his son, Josiah, organized a fast freight
company.Theywerepartnerstogetherinthefreightbusiness.Theybuiltasmallfreightdepot
ontheOregonSpringRanch.AlsotheybuiltasmallfreightdepotontheOregonSpringRanch.
Also they built a barn to provide shelter for the freight mules. Josiah had become one of the
driversofthefreightwagons,ashehadprovedtobeagoodhandwithoxen,horses,andmules.

Oliver's son, Josiah, would drive the freight wagons both ways. He drove one trip into Idaho,
and then he would drive on the next trip into Utah. Josiah told of the rough country on these
freight runs. He said that he would find camping places and watering places along the Snake
River. While crossing Idaho territory he would say that some of his worst dread would be a
stretchofroadfromFortHallintoBlackfoot,adistanceofabout12miles.OntheUtahrun,he
saidthatsomemoredisagreeableroadwasaboutnineor10milessouthoftheOregonSpring
Ranch.ItwasontheoldMaladRiverhillandtheriverbottomsoftheMaladRiver.Inashort
time, there was a passenger stage line organized by some Utah people. Their route of travel
wasthesamewayastheHoskinsFastFreightroute.Thepassengerstagelinecompanybuilta
neathousesothepassengerscouldhaveagoodcookedranchmealbeforeleavingtogoonthe
stagecoach. It was at this time that Oliver and Cynda's two daughters fit in. Jane and Emma
became the managers of the Stage House, and also the chief cooks. The meals were very
good,andtheyhadmanyhungrypassengerstofeed.

(Pages 7 and 8 of the original copy are missing, so have used the following paragraph from
anotherofConley'shistoriestocompletethestory.)

In about the year of 1889, shortly after the stake was organized, the people began to put up
some small buildings, so Josiah hauled some lumber for the ward. They gave him a twenty-
dollargoldpiecetobuysomelumberatthesawmill.Thesawmillwaslocatedafewmileswest
ofPortage.Onthewaytothesawmill,acreekcrossedtheroad.Josiahbecamethirstysohe
stoppedtogethimselfadrinkofwater.Hehadatwenty-dollargoldpieceinhis(shirt)pocket.
Helaydowntogethimselfadrinkfromthecreek.Whilehewasdrinking,thegoldpieceslidout
ofhispicketadnintothewater.Hewentontothesawmillandheloadedsomelumberonhis
wagon.Hewenttopayforthelumber,buthediscoveredhehadlostthemoney.Thesawmill
man told him to take the lumber, and that he could pay him when he came for more lumber.
(Continued on page 9 of the original copy): Josiah became disappointed, but said to himself,
"Oh, I will be coming back through here tomorrow, and I have strong hopes of finding that lost
money; andIrolled on home to Portage with the load of lumber." The next day he related his
storytoCynda,"Say,Cynda,Igotthisloadoflumberfree."Cyndasaid,"Howcomeyougotit
free?"Hesaidtohismother,"It'salongstory.IwilltellittoyoutomorrownightwhenIcomein
14
with the next load of lumber, so do not worry, mother. You women folks have at least some
lumbertostartworkingon."

Josiah went early the next morning and soon he came to the creek where he drank the day
before. He spotted the twenty-dollar gold piece in the edge of the creek. He said he could
hardlybelievehiseyes.Heputthemoneyintohispocket,andsoonarrivedatthesawmillagain
for another load of lumber. After he had returned home, the next morning, he told Cyndy the
story.Cyndyrelates,"Howluckyweallare!"SoonthenewReliefSocietyHallwasallfinished
and ready for use. Another important step in the affairs of the ward was that they had built a
new tithing granary and had installed weighing scales to weigh tithing grain and other
commodities.Afterthistaskwascompleted,theybuiltatithingbarnthatwouldhold75tonsof
hay. They also built feed mangers for many teams to eat from. Also, they had built a tithing
office building, also a women's hall. Some of these historic buildings are still there in good
shape.

Thehistorictithingbarnwasfinallysoldmanyyearsagotoaprominentrancherinthearea.His
namewasJohnF.Conley,Sr.HewasthehusbandoftheoldestdaughterofJaneAnnHoskins
Harris.Mr.andMrs.Conleywereprominentpeopleinthatarea.Theyrearedanhonorableand
industriousfamily.Mr.JohnF.Conley,Sr.filledamissiontotheSamoanIslands.Healsowas
the Bishop of the Portage Ward for many years, also County road supervisor for many years,
also he served well as County Assessor of Box Elder County, also he served as County
Commissioner for many years. John F. Conley, Sr. was a staunch pillar in helping to build a
goodward,agoodtown,agoodcounty,andagoodstate.Hehadmanyfriendsthroughoutthe
county,thestate,andinthemissionfield.Also,hewasanexcellentswimmer.AlloftheJohn
F.ConleyandLenaConleyfamilyweretypicaloftheteachingsoftheirfatherandmother.

In the year of 1875, Oliver and Ellen Hoskins were the parents of their first child, a boy. They
calledhisnameLorenzo.(ThisfirstchildwasstillbornandtheycalledThomasElza.Lorenzo
wasthesecondchildandwasborn10Aug1876.)Lorenzolivedtoagoodoldageandraiseda
noblefamily.Lorenzomarriedthesecondtime.HisfirstwifewasthedaughterofJamesJohn,
aprominentmaninthearea.Hewasafarmerandastockman.Lorenzo'sfirstwife'snamewas
______ (Minnie Isabell John). She passed away. Lorenzo later married Clara Camp, a very
truecompaniontohimandhisfamily(ShewasClaraSusannahKEMP-divorcedfromWilliam
Dayandhadasmallson,James,whowassealedtoherandLorenzo.)Lorenzofilledamission
fromthePortageWard.Hespentallofhisyearsintheserviceofhisfellowmen.Alsohewas
engaged in farming. Lorenzo and his good wife were custodians of the Portage Ward chapel.
(Lorenzowasappointedtokeeporderinthebuilding.)LorenzoandClaraalsocarriedthemail
(from the train to the post office) for some time. There were good servants in many other
capacities.DuringalloftheseyearsinthesettlingofPortage,thingswereimprovingalongquite
well.

In theyear of 1877, Oliver C. and Ellen were blessed with a daughter. They called her name,
Mary. (Mary Lucinda was born 22 Aug 1878 -PortageWard Record.) Mary (Mayme) grewto
womanhood and was married and reared a good family. Mary and her husband lived to a
goodlyoldage.MarywasmarriedtoJamesEdwardGibbs.(IntheSaltLakeTemple,11Oct
1898)Herhusband,Edward,wasthesonofWilliamH.Gibbs,whobecameacouncilorinthe
(Malad)StakePresidency.JamesEdwardGibbs,thehusbandofMaryHoskinsGibbs,wasalso
a prominent man the area. He was a farmer, a businessman, and a schoolteacher. Edward
taught school in a Lamanite school at Washakie, Utah, a small Indian town near Portage, for
many years. While teaching at the Washakie school he would ride to his work and back on
horseback,adistanceofthreemilesorbetter.Edwardwasafaithfulworkinginthewardandin
thestake.MaryHoskinsGibbswaslovedbymanyfaithfulfriendsandrelatives.
15

Intheyearof1879,(18Jan1991-PortageWardRecord)OliverandEllenJonesHoskinswere
blessedwithanotherson.TheycalledhisnameRichardS.Hoskins.Richardgrewtomanhood
and was married and reared a goodly family. Richard was married to Ladetha Parkinson, a
daughterofHenryandMaryJaneJohnParkinson.Richardandhisfaithfulwife,Ladetha,lived
toagoodoldage.Theyrearedanoblefamilyinandthrough,andbytheteachingofthegospel
tothem.RichardandLadethawerefarmersandRichardwasabusinessman.Hewasastore
manandheownedameatmarket.RichardandLadethawerefaithfulworkersinthewardand
in the stake work. They were very hard-working people. Richard was also very concerned of
hismotherinherdecliningyears.Hewouldalwaysseethatshewasprovidedfor.Intheyear
of 1882, Oliver C. and Ellen Hoskins were blessed with another son. They called his name
DavidMarion.(ThelittleboybornSep9,1882,wascalledElijah.OliverC.wrotethathelived
three weeks, other sources say he died on the day of his birth, no death date given in ward
record.) David Marion was born just a year later (9 Sep 1883 - ward record). David grew to
manhoodandwasmarriedtoElva(MaryElva)Morris,agranddaughterofJohnS.Morris,who
wasaStakePatriarchformanyyears.DavidandElvarearedaverynicefamily.Theyareall
faithful workers in the welfare of mankind. David and Elva also lived to a goodly age. They
werefaithfulworkersinthewardandinthestake.

In the year of 1884, (12 Sep 1885 - ward record) another daughter was born in the home of
Oliver C. and Ellen Hoskins. They called her name Rachel (Rachel Leona). She grew to
womanhoodandwasmarriedtoJamesEtherington.(MarriedintheSaltLakeTemple26Feb
1908-MaladStakeformE.)
They lived to a goodly age. They were farmers by trade. They lived at West Warren (West
Weber-obit),Utah,nearthecityofOgden.Theywerefaithfulworkersintheteachingsofthe
gospel.

ThisisthetotalnumberofchildreninthefamilyofOliverC.HoskinsandEllenJonesHoskins-
threeboysandtwogirls(whogrewtomaturity).Fromtheyearof1884totheeventfulyearof
1888, many changes came about in the whole Malad Valley. During a period of 20 years, the
townofMaladbecamequiteaprosperoustown.Thetowngrewsofastthatitsoonbecamea
city.Farmingandstockraisingbecametheirmainbusiness-farming,sheep,andcattle.

In a few short years, a railroad was built from Brigham City to Malad - a distance of 55 miles.
Passengersandfreightwereitsbusiness.

OnFebruary12,1888,theGeneralAuthoritiesoftheChurchorganizedtheMaladStake.From
thenon,thePortageWardbelongedtotheMaladStakeandstillisatthispresenttime.(Itwas
previouslypartofBoxElderStake.LorenzoSnowwasthenPresidentoftheChurch.Lorenzo
Snowwasanapostleatthistime.PresidentWilfordWoodruffdiedinSanFranciscoSeptember
2, 1898, and Lorenzo Snow was sustained as President of the Church on Sunday, October 9,
1898, during the 69th semi-annual conference of the Church - Church Chronology.) Oliver C.
Hoskins became the first President of the Malad Stake. At this time Josiah and Charlotte
Hoskins were still working at the farming business. They had accumulated a few sheep and
cattlebythistime.AfewyearsbeforetheorganizingoftheMaladStake,thefirstsonofJosiah
andCharlottewasborn,1May1876.TheycalledhisnameWilliamOliver.HemarriedNellie
(MaryEllen)Moon.Theyrearedfourchildren-twoboysandtwogirls.WilliamandNelliewere
farmers.AlsoNellieoperatedasmallgrocerystore.Williamlovedtotillthesoilandheraised
very good crops (and a large vegetable garden). William also filled a mission to the Southern
States.TheirfamilywastruetotheteachingoftheGospel.WilliamandNellieworkedfaithfully
tomakeabetterlifeforthosewhofollowedafterthem.

16
Duringthetryingyears,thesettlershadverylittlefarmmachinerytoworkwith,sotheydiditthe
hard way. They would hand-seed their grain or broadcast it by hand. When the sowing was
finished,theyhadtocoveruptheland.Thiswasknowntothemasthebrush-drag.Whenthe
wheat was ready to harvest, they would cut the wheat with a scythe. Also they would put an
attachmentonthescythetokeepthewheatstrawstraightandtogether.Whentheyhadmade
twoorthreestrokeswiththescythe,theywoulddropoffthewheatandtieitintoabundle.They
would use wheat straw to tie the bundles. When threshing time came, they had no threshing
machine. They would lay a canvas down uponthe groundto lay the wheat bundles on. They
wouldtakeaclubandpoundthebundlestoshellthemout.Thentheywouldpickoffthecoarse
straw.Whenthewindblew,theywouldcleanoutthechaffbylettingitfalluponanothercanvas.

During these eventful years from 1875 and many years ahead in the settling of West Portage
andthedevelopingofthePortageWardandtheMaladStake,allofthepeopleworkedunitedly
together. Oliver C. Hoskins and his wife, Cynda, had built them a home on the town site of
Portage.Oliveralsohadbuilthimamercantilestore.Theyhadbuilttheirhomeononeblockof
the town site and their store on another block, as they owned several blocks on the town site.
They had also built another home on a third block in town for Mrs. Ellen Jones Hoskins, he
secondwife.Theoldhomesarestillstandingthereatthepresenttime.(Ellen'stwo-storyhome
was later destroyed by fire and was replaced by a smaller frame home.) In the following later
years,thePortageWardtookthestoredown,anditisonthisspotofgroundthatthe(new)ward
tabernacle(meetinghouse)wasbuilt.(DedicatedSunday,May28,1939,byPresidentHeberJ.
Grant.)Itisstillinusebythewardatthepresenttime.

During the administration of Oliver C. Hoskins, the stake was quite scattered, and means of
travel was by team and wagon. Oliver and his councilors, Abraham Zundel and William H.
Gibbs, would load up a wagon with food necessities, and they traveled throughout the ward
(stake),findingandhelpingpeopleinneed.Oliverandhisfaithfulcouncilorsservedinthestake
formanyyears.OliveralsoservedasStakePatriarchforseveralyears.Duringtheseyearsof
activity,Oliverhadbuiltupaverygoodstorebusiness.AlsohewasestablishedwiththeZCMI
ofSaltLakeCity,Utah.Thepeopleofthevillagehadverylittleincomeinthosedays,sohedid
businessonthecreditsystem,andallofthiscustomerswerehonestonesastherecordshows.
(Mostofthemwerefaithfulandactivechurchmembers.)Thisrecordwastakenfromoneofhis
accountbooks.

ThissketchwasdigitizedintothisdatabasebyLouiseWheelerHorman,gggranddaughterofO.
C. and Lucinda Howell Hoskins, with its original spelling and punctuation from a copy given to
herbyMarjorieHarrisWardon24Jan2006.(CoraMaeHeatonWheeler-1,AnnieJaneHarris
Heaton-2,JaneAnnHoskinsHarris-3,andOliverC.HoskinsandLucindaHowellHoskins-4)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF OLIVER CROMWELL HOSKINS (by himself). Typed by Eva
HoskinsHoltmanfromacopyloanedtoherbyLeonaZundelJohnson

ElzaHoskins(sonofJeremiahandMaryScottHoskins)wasbornAugust13,1801,inBelmont
County,Ohio.OliverCromwellHoskins(sonofElzaandMaryHallHoskins)wasbornMay17,
1827,inGeorgetown,VermilionCounty,Illinois.

In1833,fatherlefthishomeandservedintheBlackHawkWaruntilpeacewasmadein1836.
(Note by Eva Hoskins: Error in dates - - war commenced in June 1831 and ended July 31,
1832.)Hemovedtenmileswestandmadeanewfarmandhomeonwhichheremaineduntil
1839. In May of that year, we left our home forthe state of Missouri. We made another farm
17
wherewestayeduntil1847.Fromthere,wemovedtoLeeCounty,Iowa.Iowa,Missouri,and
Illinoisbeingnewcountries,Ihadlittlechanceofschooling.

On January 18, 1846, I was married to Lucinda Howell. My father's family consisted of four
children:OliverC.,Levina,Isom,andElizaAnn.

We had a son Josiah, born to us on April 28, 1849. In November 1849,we moved to Garden
Grove, Decatur County,Iowa. There we made a new farm and home. (Note by Eva Hoskins:
This must have been the town of Franklin, near Garden Grove, which Oliver surveyed and
started.) On February 11, 1851, a daughter, Jane Ann was born. On January 18, 1853, a
daughter, Emma, was born. On July 28, 1856, a son, Theodore Andrew, was born. He died
July8,1865.(AccidentallyshotatKaysville,Utah.)

In April 1851, I was first baptized in the Weldon Fork of the Grand River by Charles Hale and
wasconfirmedthesameday,alsoordainedaPriest.

In1861,IsoldmyhomeinDecaturCountyandmovedtoCouncilBluffs,Iowaandstoppedthere
allwinter.(NotebyEvaHoskins:ThiswasnearCrescent,PottawattamieCounty,Iowa,where
Oliver's parents remained until their deaths.) In the spring, on May 25, 1862, I crossed the
Missouri River enroute to Utah. Camped three miles west of Florence. A company of Saints
wasorganized.IwasmadeCaptainofTen,andonJune10,westartedforUtahandcampedat
SaltLakeCityonAugust1862.

IboughtahomeinSouthCottonwoodWard.InOctober(1862)wassetapartasacting-teacher.
In October 1863, we moved to Kaysville, Utah. In December 1863, was set apart as acting-
teacherthere.In1864,wassetapartCounselortothePresidentoftheElder'sQuorum.

In 1868, removed to Portage Ward. In July 1869, was set apart as Presiding Elder in the
PortageWard.In1877,wassetapartasBishopofthesameWard,byLorenzoSnow.In1888,
was set apart as President of the Malad Stake of Zion, and was released from that office on
March22,1902.

In1876,wassentonamissionintheU.S.A.Ivisitedmyfatherandmotherandagreatmanyof
myfriends.

In 1882, I filled a mission to Indiana in company with President Lorenzo Snow, Isaac Zundel,
_____Jensen,andJohnJones.

In 1873, I married Ellen Jones. Her children were: Lorenzo E., Mary Lucinda, Richard Smith,
DavidMarion,andRachel.(Elijahdiedwhen3weeksold,andThomaswasstillborn.)

Ihavelivedwithmyfirstwife56yearsandwith mysecondwife30years.In1889,Iserveda
sentenceof3monthsandpaida$100.00fineforconsciencesake.(Forpolygamy-UtahState
Penitentiary.)

My life has been fraught with difficulties and disappointments, but with all these, I have had
much pleasure in my labors at home, and also in public among my brothers and sisters.
Although it has taken some courage, by the blessings of the Lord, I have been able to stand
faithfultothetruth.

Oneday,whilesittingintheshadeofmyhouseatOregonSprings,PresidentSnowexplainedto
metheOrderofCelestialMarriageandboreafaithfultestimonytothesame,andadvisedmeto
18
enterintothatorderassoonasIcouldmakeitconvenient.ItisbyhisadviceandcounselthatI
nowbeholdmyfamilywhonumbernearly100.

OnSeptember14,1902,IwasordainedaPatriarch(Stake)underthehandsofApostleRudger
Clawson.

NOTE:TypedbyEvaHoskinsHoltmanfromacopyloanedtoherbyLeonaZundelJohnson.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FROMTHEBOOK:"SKETCHOFTHELIFEOFOLIVERCROMWELLHOSKINS"
(Frominformationfoundat<freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com>)

By family, he married Lucinda Howell when he was 19 years old. In 1847 the young couple
wereinNauvoo,Illinois.Oliver'ssympathymusthavebeenstrongtothepeopleofNauvooand
theturmoiltheywereunder.HeandLucindawerenotmembersofthechurchatthistime,but
hisinterestwassuchofthefaithandpeoplethattheygatheredwiththeSaintsatGardenGrove,
Iowain1849.

In November 1849 they moved to Franklin, Iowa where their last three children were born.
Oliverwas interestedinjoiningtheMormonChurch,buthisfamilywasagainsthis joining.He
couldn'tmakeuphismind.WhileinGardenGrove,heborrowedmoneytoplantcorn.Hehada
good crop but the price dropped until he could not meet his debt. So he borrowed enough
moneytobuyahundredheadoffeederpigs.Hehadabeautifulherdreadyformarket.Inorder
to get them there he had to drive them across the Mississippi River. The ice was tested and
foundthickandreadyforcrossing.Whentheyhadthepigsabouthalfwayacrosstheicebegan
tobendinthemiddlealmostreadytogiveway.Oliverthoughtofallthefailureshehadthepast
fewyearsandhisindecision.Hedroppedtohiskneesandprayedthathemightbeabletoclear
hisdebts.Heknewnowthatjoiningthechurchwastherightthingandmadeuphismindthat
he was going to do it. The ice straightened and he marketed the pigs and paid his debts.
CharlesHalebaptizedhiminAprilof1851.

LucindawasverymuchagainsttheirmovingtoUtahbecauseofthepracticeofpolygamy.One
daywhenOliverwasoutinthefieldamanspoketohimandtoldhimtogotoUtahastheLord
hadimportantworkforhimthere.Heneversawthemanagain.HepromisedLucindathathe
wouldnevermarryanotherwifeuntilshewantedhimto.

They traveled with the Lewis Bronson ox company with 57 wagons. He was a man large in
stature, carrying his 200 pounds in a very manly and stately way. In his home life he was
thoughtful. He played the violin, was ambitious, and was a hard worker. Her served as a
BishopandasthefirstStakePresidentfortheMaladStake.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FromTheBiographicalEncyclopedia,Volume1,Biographies:
Hoskins,OliverCromwell,firstpresidentoftheMaladStakeofZion,isthesonofElzaHoskins
and Mary Hall, and was born May 17, 1827, at Georgetown, Vermilion county, Ill. He was
married18Jan1846andtheyearfollowingtheymovedtoNauvoo,Ill.,arrivingthereaftermost
oftheSaintshadmadetheirexodustothewest.In1849hewenttoGardenGrove,Iowa,where
he was baptized into the Church in April 1851 by Chas. Hale, and on the same day he was
ordainedaPriest.

He immigrated to Utah in 1862 and located in South Cottonwood, Salt Lake County, where he
labored as a Ward Teacher. In 1863 he moved to Kaysville, Davis County, where he took an
19
activepartinChurchwork.HewasordainedanElderinthespringof1864byWilliamFolsom,
and a High Priest in 1873 by Pres. Lorenzo Snow. In 1868 he moved to Portage, Box Elder
county, and in 1869 he was set apart by Pres. Lorenzo Snow to act as presiding Elder in the
PortagebranchoftheChurch.On23Oct1887hewasordainedaBishopandcalledtopreside
over the Portage Ward, which position he held till Jan. 12, 1888, when he was set apart as
president of the Malad Stake, by Pres. Lorenzo Snow, in which capacity he served till March
1902,(14years).

During 1876-77 he filled a mission to the United States, laboring mostly in the States of Iowa,
MissouriandKansas.PresidentHoskinshasalsofilledseveralmissionsinthedifferentStakes
of Zion and among the Indians in different localities. For braving yielded obedience to the
principleofpluralmarriageheservedatermofimprisonmentintheUtahpenitentiaryfromJan.
25,1889,toApril10,1889.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OliverCromwellHOSKINSandLucindaHOWELLhadthefollowingchildren:

i Josiah HOSKINS, b 28 Apr 1849 in Montrose, Lee, Illinois, md Charlotte Loretta LISH 25
Feb1875inSaltLakeCity,SaltLake,Utah,d15May1933inPortage,BoxElder,Utah

iiJaneAnnHOSKINS,b11Feb1851inDecaturCounty,Illinois,mdEnochHARRIS31Dec
1866inKaysville,Davis,Utah,d20Oct1938inRirie,Jefferson,Idaho

iiiEmmaHOSKINS,b18Jan1853inFranklin,Decatur,Illinois,mdJosephHenryHALFORD
22Feb1868inSaltLakeCity,SaltLake,Utah,d7Sep1927inPortage,BoxElder,Utah

iv Theodore Andrew HOSKINS, born on 28 Jul 1856 in Franklin, Decatur, Iowa. He died at
ageeighton8Jul1865inKaysville,Davis,Utah,fromanaccidentalgunshotwound.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OliverCromwellHOSKINSandEllenJONEShadthefollowingchildren:

iThomasElzaHOSKINS,b10Aug1875,Malad,Oneida,Idaho,stillborn

iiLorenzoEzraHOSKINS,b10Aug1876,Portage,BoxElder,Utah,md(1st)MinnieIsabell
JOHN,md(2nd)ClaraSusannahKEMP,d24Feb1963inOgden,Weber,Utah

iii Mary Lucinda HOSKINS, b 22 Aug 1878, Portage, Box Elder, Utah, md James Edward
GIBBS 11 Oct 1898, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, d 1 Jul 1969 in Twin Falls, Twin Falls,
Idaho

iv Richard Smith HOSKINS, b 18 Jan 1881, Portage, Box Elder, Utah, md Ladetha
PARKINSON,d18Jul1943inPortage,BoxElder,Utah

vElijahHOSKINS,b9Sep1882,Portage,BoxElder,Utah,diedat3weeksofage

viDavidMarionHOSKINS,b9Sep1883,Portage,BoxElder,Utah,mdMaryElvaMORRIS,d
24Aug1959

vii Rachel Leona HOSKINS, b 12 Sep 1885, Portage, Box Elder, Utah, md James
ETHERINGTON26Feb1908,SaltLakeCity,SaltLake,Utah,d25Aug1966