John William Cooley (1811 - 1898) Profile

Individual

death-date-qualifier-death

John William Cooley

birth-date-qualifier-birth

Missionary Department missionary registers, 1860-1959

Missionary Department missionary registers, 1860-1959, Vol. 1,2, Page 15,17, Line 642.

Missionary Department missionary registers, 1860-1959.

Daniel A. Miller/John A. Cooley Company reports and record, 1853

Daniel A. Miller/John A. Cooley Company reports and record, 1853.

Daughters of Utah Pioneers. History of Utah's Tooele County: From the Edge of the Great Basin Frontier (Tooele, UT: Transcript Bulletin Publishing, Inc., 2012

Daughters of Utah Pioneers. History of Utah's Tooele County: From the Edge of the Great Basin Frontier (Tooele, UT: Transcript Bulletin Publishing, Inc., 2012.

Elijah Mayhew diary

Elijah Mayhew diary, June 1853.

Transcript for Elijah Mayhew diary, 1853 June-September

Elijah Mayhew diary.

Farnsworth, Moses Franklin, [Autobiography], in "Utah Pioneer Biographies," 44 vols., 43:44

Farnsworth, Moses Franklin, [Autobiography], in "Utah Pioneer Biographies," 44 vols., 43:44.

I determined on going west and made arrangements with Elijah Mayhew (husband of my sister Lydia) to go with them and help what I could on that long tedious journey of 1700 miles.  He fitted up two wagons and teams and we, being comfortably supplied, bid adieu to our many friends and relatives and stared from Indianapolis, Indiana, Marcy 15, 1853, on our pilgrimage.  Our company consisted of Elijah Mayhew and wife, Lydia, his children, Otto L., Austin S., Caroline A., Walter F., and myself.  I had left Edinburgh, March 8th, so as to help fit up the wagons, and when we started for good we were rather a raw set of teamsters, for Otto and I herded the oxteams through the streets of Indianapolis, attracting considerable attention, as we were so green with our nervous "Gee, Haw, Buck and Berry."  That our cattle knew more than we did is evident from the fact that we struck the center post on the bridge over Pognes, run in the heart of the city, but soon extricating our wagons we were successful in getting through town onto the turnpike on our way towards Terre Haute.  We made ten miles the first day and stopped for the night at a wayside Inn kept by Zimmerman.  The next day we started early and at noon arrived at the terminus of the plank road.  Then our experiences commenced in earnest-mud, slush, and snow gave us all we could desire.  We necessarily had to travel slowly and the journey seemed more serious the farther west we went.  The prairies of Western Indiana and over into Illinois were almost a sea of mud and slush, and as grass had not started to grow we had to buy corn and hay for the animals.  They soon showed the effects of travel.  So with patience and toil until we were almost worn out we finally reached Kanesville, Iowa on the 6
<s xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">th</s>
 day of May.  This was a joyful time for us for we remained in this vicinity until the 7
<s xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">th</s>
 day of June.  On the 8
<s xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">th</s>
 we crossed the Missouri River by ferry and started on the overland journey across the great plains.  Our company had 46 wagons.  John W. Cooley was captain, Daniel Mellor [Miller] assistant.  We had the usual monotonous travel from day to day, resting, shoeing oxen, setting wagon tires, etc., when necessary.  This routine was only enlivened by the sudden appearance of Indians who would come into camp to beg or steal as opportunity presented.  We had to keep strict watch by day and guard by night so as to prevent a stampede of the animals and we had all the experiences of tiresome travel that anyone could desire.  Though the hardships of overland travel may have been overestimated by some, yet we had enough and plenty to satisfy the most ambitious.	
<p xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">In the beginning and following the wake of the pioneers, it was a necessity for the Mormon people that had been exiled and driven, they had no homes wherein they could dwell in peace among their christian friends, and they had to try the realities of life beyond the pale of civilization.  To me this journey caused much serious reflection.  I had left a good home, pleasant surroundings, a good position, and a bright outlook for future success, but having decided to cast my lot among this people no such word as regreat [sic] entered my mind and heart, but to push ahead, taking things as they come, and no matter what it cost.  I was determined to stay with it.  Day by day we continued our journey until finally on the ninth of Sept., 1853, we reached Salt Lake City.</p>

Transcript for Farnsworth, Moses Franklin, [Autobiography], in "Utah Pioneer Biographies," 44 vols., 43:44

Frederick Piercy, Route from Liverpool to Great Salt Lake Valley edited by James Linforth (1855), 81-107

Frederick Piercy, Route from Liverpool to Great Salt Lake Valley edited by James Linforth (1855), 81-107.

Transcript for Frederick Piercy, Route from Liverpool to Great Salt Lake Valley edited by James Linforth (1855), 81-107

"John W. Cooley Dead," Tooele Transcript Bulletin

"John W. Cooley Dead," Tooele Transcript Bulletin, December 16, 1898, Page 4].

"John W. Cooley Dead," Tooele Transcript Bulletin.

Missionary Database

Missionary Database.

Radmall, Henry Bullivant, Autobiography 1903; 1987, 26-28

Radmall, Henry Bullivant, Autobiography 1903; 1987, 26-28.

On the sixt of June we we maid another move to the musery [Missouri] river and crost it in tow [two] or three Days after we all fix our wagens up and and started on our jorney the next day. We [h]ad not gon far befor Brother [Daniel Rapyelle] Alans [Allen's] wagon som think broke and all the Compney went on and left us and we did not no what to do[.] we was Left then Exposed to the Indens [Indians] and nigh Coming on Brother Allen and Me adagreed [agreed] to Com together to Salt Lake City when all [h]ad lef[t] us Brother Allen felt it and so did I. and he wanted to go back and he asked me if I go back with him[.] I told him I did not want to go back as I [h]ad left a good Situation of work I rather go and see the Elfent as that was adain. the[n] about dark som of the Brethren came back to us and we got to the camp that night. Late but we did not get far on our jorney before I got my Leg broke and lade in the Dust on the road till the good old folks fixed it the best they new how but it was verey poley [poorly] fixed as they put the splinters on my bare leg and then bound it up[.] som time after when it was looke at one splinters 
<had xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> worked about Level with the flesh when I picked it out poud flesh was under it that was bad and no thankin the Camp whol doc it aney good some time after another train came up and Dr. Johanor was in it and he let me have som stuff that soon cured it but that not all in our train from Landon[.] his name was F. Den[.]oey he was taking L. Mcat’s He Lorne came in my wagen to see me and he wanted to see my Leg[.] it was in a box taped up when he [h]ad untapt it[.] my foot was loped over it was clean and he said nothink he peated around it till he got fast old of my foot and then he gave it a twist and he put my foot straight as posoble—well I pass on and one Sunday they was goin to hold ameting [a meeting] well at my requst they took me out of the wagon and set me in a Chare and they held a long meeting but it was not a good time for me had I thought or they thought to put my foot up in a Chare it whold been all right as it was not so it was all rong as I have had pain in it more or less from that Day to this. the reason was when my foot anged down the blood on my Legg run down to the foot and when my foot got straight up again the Blood run down to my heel and burnt as if was put on the stove I thought and then it gathered and then I had a bad foot. but the train went on goglin [jogging] along, and I with some trouble and pain. up the Hills and down the dail [dale] till the ninth of September then we Landed in Salt Lake City in the yeare Eighteen Hundred and Fifty three . . . </had>

John William Cooley

Birth Date

Death Date

Gender

Sources