Transcript

During the six years we were there [San Bernardino], my husband made a trip once or twice a year to Salt Lake to look after his family there. At the end of the six years, President Young expressed himself that he would like to have Amasa Lyman and Mr. Rich come back to Salt Lake, as they had got such a lovely place started and everything in such a flourishing condition in San Bernardino. So my husband decided to take his family back. Amasa Lyman went with us. He, however, left a portion of his family in San Bernardino at that time.

We fixed up our wagons and teams as comfortable as we could get them and left San Bernardino, taking all our effects with us, but leaving our home, furniture and ranch in charge of a Mr. [Ephraim] Hanks, who was then a share-holder with my husband and Mr. Lyman.

We left in April 1857. The road, having been traveled considerable, we had quite a pleasant time coming back in comparison to what we had going down. When we came to the deserts, my husband, who had been over them several times, knew better how to prepare for them, so we did not suffer going back as we did going there. The Indians were not as bad. We let them take our cattle off and herd them, as we were just a small company, and they knew just where the best food was . . . . We trusted them, and they always brought the cattle back. Of course we would pay them for what they did . . . .

My father and brother met me seventy-five miles below Salt Lake City. They knew I was on the road, and as they had not seen me for ten years, thought they could not let me pass without seeing me. They traveled two days and one night with us, and the next day we arrived in Salt Lake City, which was in June 1857.