The Undaunted : The Miracle of the Hole-In-The-Rock Pioneers Read online

  © 2009 Anchor Point LLC.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, Deseret Book Company, P.O. Box 30178, Salt Lake City Utah 30178. This work is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The views expressed herein are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the position of the Church or of Deseret Book. Deseret Book is a registered trademark of Deseret Book Company.

  Maps by Bryan Beach.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Lund, Gerald N.

  The undaunted : the miracle of the Hole-in-the-Rock pioneers / Gerald N.

  Lund.

  p. cm.

  Includes bibliographical references.

  ISBN 978-1-60641-191-9 (hardbound : alk. paper)

  1. Mormon pioneers—Fiction. 2. Utah—Fiction. 3. Frontier and

  pioneer life—Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3562.U485U53 2009

  813'.54—dc22 2009022805

  Printed in the United States of America

  Bang Printing, Brainerd, MN

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Table of Contents

  Preface

  Acknowledgments

  Book I

  Beginnings 1862-1872

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Book II

  Setting 1873-1874

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Book III

  The Call 1878

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Book IV

  Reaction 1879

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Book V

  Exploration 1879

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Book VI

  Response 1879

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Book VII

  Fulfillment 1879-1880

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Book VIII

  Attainment 1880

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Chapter 71

  Chapter 72

  Epilogue

  Bibliography

  Preface

  This is a true story. It is the true story of real people who undertook and completed what many called an impossible journey.

  It is a story of a group of Mormon pioneers. Unlike earlier pioneers, they were not fleeing persecution or seeking a place where they would have freedom of religion. They were not escaping poverty or trying to join others of their own faith. These pioneers lived in prosperous Mormon communities in comfortable homes. They ran successful businesses or farmed land much more productive and rich than would be available in the place where they were going.

  They went because they were called, and because they believed that call was from the Lord.

  They went because they believed it was necessary for the safety and good of the overall community.

  In short, they went because they believed it was the right thing to do.

  The late David Miller, then a professor of history at the University of Utah, wrote this concerning these pioneers:

  In all the annals of the West, replete with examples of courage, tenacity and ingenuity, there is no better example of the indomitable pioneer spirit than that of the Hole-in-the-Rock expedition of the San Juan Mission. No pioneer company ever built a wagon road through wilder, rougher, more inhospitable country, still one of the least-known regions in America. None ever demonstrated more courage, faith, and devotion to a cause than this group . . . who cut a wagon passage through two hundred miles of this country. . . . Today their feat seems well-nigh impossible. Yet they proved that virtually nothing was impossible for a zealous band of pioneers. (Miller, Hole, ix)

  I was first introduced to these pioneers and their story in the fall of 1996. I was part of a group of Church Educational System administrators who were invited to travel to southern Utah and cross some of the trail these pioneers blazed through the wilderness. I was stunned by the country through which we traveled, and came away completely amazed, deeply awed, and profoundly moved by the story we were told.

  At the completion of that experience, I vowed that someday I would tell those people’s story. It took over ten years to fulfill that vow, but The Undaunted is the result. To be undaunted is “to be unwilling to abandon one’s purpose or effort; to be undiminished in courage or valor.” I can think of no better word to describe the men and women of the San Juan Mission. This book is my tribute to those resolute and indomitable pioneers and their absolutely astonishing feat.

  Although the story told here is true, The Undaunted is a novel. It is historical fiction. The two families who take the central role in the story are entirely fictional. They are the creation of the author, but the story and setting in which they find themselves are not. The events in which they participate and the people with whom they interact are real and true. I have diligently tried to have these fictional creations accurately represent the real individuals and families who took part in the Hole-in-the-Rock expedition. I have even taken the unusual step (for a novel) of documenting what is history in chapter endnotes so the reader can better determine where the line between fiction and history is drawn.

  During the writing of this book, I was often asked by people what project I was currently working on. When I told them I was writing a novel about the Hole-in-the-Rock expedition, the most common response was a blank look. I was amazed at how many people who are members of the Church and live in Utah know nothing about this remarkable story. Another frequent comment went something like this: “Oh, yeah, I’ve heard about the Hole in the Rock (or seen it while boating on Lake Powell), but I don’t know much about it.” So one of my goals in writing the novel was to let more people know this incredible story.

  But another objective began to form in my mind as the project continued. In many conversations, I noticed a disturbing trend. Among the relatively few who were familiar with the Hole-in-the-Rock pioneers—including some descendants—again and again I heard comments about this be
ing a remarkable story but essentially a mistake, a fiasco. Several historians who have written on this subject have drawn similar conclusions. While such individuals are quick to admire the courage and tenacity of those who answered the call, they feel that the very concept was flawed, that it was a serious lapse in judgment to take two hundred and fifty people, including many women and children, into a wilderness as harsh and forbidding as almost any in North America. In their eyes, the decision to take the group over an unexplored route through the torturous red rock country of southern Utah was a serious failure in both Church and expedition leadership. They suggest that well-meaning but overzealous men ignored very real dangers, made decisions based on limited or even erroneous information, and refused to bend in their determination to move the expedition forward. One woman even went so far as to say that, in her opinion, the leaders were despotic in forcing the group forward when they knew it was so dangerous.

  By that point I was well into my research, and everything I had learned about those leaders suggested just the opposite. They were human, of course, but they were hardly religious fanatics or stubborn fools. They were wise, experienced men who were widely respected by their peers for their judgment and leadership abilities. So what went wrong? How and why, in this particular case, did these leaders act so differently from the way they had in other similar circumstances? The more I studied and read and contemplated the situation, the more sure I became that this viewpoint was a misperception and did an injustice to the memories of decent, honest, and faithful men.

  Then one day, I came across a statement by the very popular and eminent historian David McCullough that gave me a new perspective on the issue. Speaking of historical “facts” and “true history” he said:

  If you think about it, no one ever lived in the past. Washington, Jefferson, John Adams, and their contemporaries didn’t walk about saying, “Isn’t this fascinating living in the past! Aren’t we picturesque in our funny clothes!” They lived in the present. The difference is it was their present, not ours. They were caught up in the living moment exactly as we are, and with no more certainty of how things would turn out than we have. . . .

  The truth of history is the objective always. But the truth isn’t just the facts. You can have all the facts imaginable and miss the truth, just as you can have facts missing or some wrong, and reach the larger truth. As the incomparable Francis Parkman wrote: “Faithfulness to the truth of history involves far more than a research, however patient and scrupulous, into special facts. Such facts may be detailed with the most minute exactness, and yet the narrative, taken as a whole, may be unmeaning or untrue. The narrator must seek to imbue himself with the life and spirit of the time. He must study events in their bearings near and remote; in the character, habits, and manners of those who took part in them. He must himself be, as it were, a sharer or spectator of the action he describes.” (McCullough, “The Course of Human Events,” 2003 Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities, http://www.neh.gov/whoweare/mccullough/lecture.html)

  We speak of “Monday morning quarterbacks” or “armchair coaches” who are quick to criticize and second-guess what should have happened from the sidelines of the game. We must be careful that we do not make that same mistake here. This turned out to be a very complicated situation with unattractive choices or, in some cases, no other options. Therefore, I have tried to present the “character, habits, and manners” of these men who “lived in the present” and were “caught up in the living moment” of their situation and not just the limited available “facts.” In doing so, I hope readers can judge for themselves if this was indeed a failure in leadership or simply men making difficult choices in extremely challenging circumstances.

  Let me speak of one last objective I had in writing this novel. President Gordon B. Hinckley once spoke of the importance a study of history has for those of us in the modern world:

  It is good to look to the past to gain appreciation for the present and perspective for the future. It is good to look upon the virtues of those who have gone before, to gain strength for whatever lies ahead. It is good to reflect upon the work of those who labored so hard and gained so little in this world, but out of whose dreams and early plans, so well nurtured, has come a great harvest of which we are the beneficiaries. Their tremendous example can become a compelling motivation for us all. (Hinckley, “Faith of the Pioneers,” 3)

  The story of these early Saints who labored so hard and did so much has become a powerful example and a compelling motivation for me personally. My hope is that it will become so for others as well.

  Acknowledgments

  There are many people who have contributed to this book, and though my acknowledgments here are brief, my gratitude for their contribution is enormous.

  I would first extend the warmest of thanks to LeGrand and Marcia Black and their family. It was LeGrand and Marcia who led us on that 1996 trek, following the road those pioneers had made. Marcia is a direct descendant of Benjamin Perkins, the Welsh coal miner who was instrumental in blasting a wagon road down through the Hole in the Rock. Though he claims to be a “johnny-come-lately” to the San Juan Area, LeGrand did his master’s thesis on the Hole-in-the-Rock trail, and few know it better than he. His and Marcia’s love and enthusiasm for this area and the people who made it famous are so thoroughly contagious that all of us were infected within hours. Thankfully, I shall never recover. In the last year, they and their family accompanied us on three additional exploring expeditions. Curtis and his wife, Kristin; Brent, Jill, and Jodi not only provided delightful company but proved to be expert spotters in helping us less experienced ATV drivers negotiate particularly difficult stretches of slick rock. Thank you, Blacks, for our association and friendship. We are truly in your debt.

  Second, since I am not a professional historian, I owe a great debt to those historians who have done the research and writing upon which I depended so heavily in writing this book. The bibliography cites their works, but I pay particular tribute to the late David E. Miller and the history he wrote. It is almost universally acknowledged as the definitive work on the Hole-in-the-Rock expedition. The number of citations of his work in the endnotes is indicative of the importance it played in my research.

  Others from Blanding joined us in June 2008 for an ATV expedition across the more rugged portions of the east side of the trail. It was arduous and challenging. It was also spectacular and fulfilling beyond our highest expectations. Lynn and Lorraine Laws and David and Ramona Lyman provided guide service and support vehicles, as well as sharing many details about the area and the pioneers who crossed it. Ben and Brett Black, of Blackhawk Transportation in Blanding, not only provided us with ATVs but packed in water, equipment, food, and some of the best Dutch-oven cooking in the state. It is a privilege to call these good people our friends.

  Jerry Roundy and his wife provided important information and warm hospitality in Escalante when we did the west side of the trail. Jerry’s excellent book on the history of Escalante is included in the bibliography.

  The staff at Deseret Book are too numerous to thank by name, for it takes much effort and many hands to bring a manuscript to published book form. But an especial thanks to Cory Maxwell and Jana Erickson. We have now been friends and associates for nearly twenty years and worked on many projects together. My respect and appreciation for them only deepens with the passing years. Emily Watts’s editing work is invisible to readers, but it is present on virtually every page throughout the book. Thank you, Emily.

  Last of all, a big thank you to my family. They have contributed much in planning and carrying out our three separate expeditions to that area, combining their family vacations to help me with much-needed research. To give some clue as to just what kind of effort that represents, on our last trip, completed in April 2009, we took thirty-nine people (including about fifteen children of elementary-school age or younger). We had a grand time, and it thrills me to see them develop their own love for that area and the story of t
he Hole-in-the-Rock pioneers.

  Last, and most important, my wife, Lynn, has been my never-failing supporter, enduring many hours alone while I have been down working on the computer. She is always my first reader, and her critiques carry great weight with me. She provided numerous suggestions, ranging from minor details to important structural issues. I trust her judgment and always look to her first to see if something is really “working.” It has been that way now for nearly fifty years.

  The Undaunted Web Site: Undaunted-TheNovel.com

  I don’t know how many times I have heard myself and others say, after negotiating breathtaking (and hair-raising) portions of the trail, “How in the world did they ever take wagons across this?”

  Trying to describe such places verbally in a way that gives the reader a clear visual image is well-nigh impossible. In addition, unlike the Church history sites in the eastern U.S. or the Mormon pioneer trail, which crosses four states, the Hole-in-the-Rock trail is only about two hundred miles long. Thankfully, much of the trail is easily accessible today. Some portions can be traversed only in ATVs or specially equipped high-clearance vehicles, but large portions of it are either paved or on well-maintained gravel roads. Since a large number of readers come from the western states and are within a day’s drive of this area, it is my hope that many will desire to see these places for themselves and undertake their own exploring expeditions. Therefore, we have created a web site in connection with the novel. Undaunted-The Novel.com includes the following:

  • A large selection of photographs of the area.

  • Maps of the trail and its key sites, with links to photographs and related sections of the novel.

  • General information and resources for those who wish to visit the area on their own, including recommended routes, GPS coordinates to key places, and suggestions on how to find accommodations.

  • Historical information and photographs.

  • Links to other valuable web sites, such as one by the Hole-in-the-Rock Foundation.

  • An interactive feature where readers or visitors to the site can ask questions.