Joseph Warren Damron KWJ4-LFC a Heber Fort resident. Written by Jason Moulton

The 1860 Census shows Joseph Warren Damron as living in Provo Valley at the age of 18 with the family of G. W. Damron. He is not mentioned in the diary of John Crook but is listed with a cabin on the what is now 1st West . in the Heber Fort. Be sure to read the full story about how Joseph came to know and marry Margaret. A touching and personal story about love and the pioneering in central part of Utah.

Joseph Warren Damron was born on 6 January 1841, in Barry, Missouri, United States, his father, John Damron Jr, was 49 and his mother, Sarah Elizabeth Shultz, was 41. He married Margaret Phoebe Freeman on 14 February 1862, in Parowan, Iron, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 6 sons and 4  daughters. He lived in Henderson, Texas, United States in 1850 and Utah, United States in 1870. He died on 12 August 1922, in Deseret, Millard, Utah, United States, at the age of 81, and was buried in Deseret City Cemetery, Deseret, Millard, Utah, United States.

Margaret Phoebe Freeman KWJ4-LFH was born on 27 September 1840, in Concord Township, Adams, Illinois, United States, her father, John Freeman, was 36 and her mother, Nancy Beal Smoot, was 33. She married William Cochran Adkinson Smoot on 21 June 1857, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States in a plural marriage. They were the parents of at least 1 son. She lived in Salt Lake, Utah, United States in 1860 and Kanosh, Millard, Utah, United States in 1870. She married Joseph Warren Damron on 14 February 1862 in Parowan, Iron, Utah She died on 30 October 1930, in Delta, Millard, Utah, United States, at the age of 90, and was buried in Deseret City Cemetery, Deseret, Millard, Utah, United States.

The following information relates to Joseph Warren Damron Sr. And his family written by Margaret W Hildbrand and is found in the memory section of FamilySearch.

“Joseph W. Damron Sr. was born in Barry County Missouri on 6 Jan. 1841., the last of the 10 children of John Damron Jr and Sarah Elizabeth Shultz. Both the Damron family and the Shultz family were American Pioneers.

The Damron family came to America from England in 1652 and settled in Virginia. Captain John Damron Sr, a descendant, sometime after the war for Independence began to move west with his wife and children. In Franklin County Illinois, the Damron family met up with the Shultz family who were also moving west from Pennsylvania and Kentucky. Both of these families were part of the ever-westward movement that continued most of the 1800’s. They always heard of richer land and there was the lure of the great unexplored west.

One of the sons of Captain John Damron Sr., John Damron married a daughter of the Shultz family named Sarah and they began their married life in Illinois. Two or three babies were born there. Stories of another rich land, plentiful game and opportunities came, and they decided to move. So with members of both families, they packed up and moved to Weekly County Tennessee. Four more babies were born there. The country was not all they had hoped for, and once again they heard stories of a land across the river in Missouri. They decided to move again. They settled in Barry County where their last three children were born., including the youngest, who was named Joseph. This made a total of 10 children for John and Sarah.

Once more John came home excited about a new land. He said a lot of folks were heading for Texas. So again, they packed up and moved. This was the longest journey yet, and traveling conditions must have been very hard and difficult. It was a wild unsettled country they had to cross and it was cold. To add to the problems of travel, the youngest children came down with measles. Because of her skill in nursing Sarah was able to pull them through, but the youngest, Joseph, my grandfather, did suffer some damage to his eyes from the disease, smoking campfires and exposure. He was six years old, and the year was 1847.

They settled in East Texas in what is now Henderson County, on the Trinity River. Texas was a very wild country. Wild hogs roamed the plains, and so did the Indians, the Mexicans, and the white renegades. Our grandfather used to tell us about hunting the wild hogs in Texas.

In 1855 some missionaries from Salt Lake City, Utah, came to this part of Texas preaching a new Gospel. The family, always interested in religion, heard them preach and many heated discussions were held about this new Gospel. In 1856, a branch of the Latter-day Saint church was organized on May 11th. Among the members listed at this organization were “Muther” Damron, George D. Damron and wife, Betsy Damron, Matilda Damron, William Damron, and a William Coldrin and wife who was a cousin to the Damron’s. George Damron was made an Elder that day. Sarah and her five youngest children had believed the message of the missionaries and had accepted the gospel, but the older children, who had married and probably some moved away, did not believe or accept the message of the restored Gospel. There was much anti-Morman feeling and many of the meetings were held in the homes.

Also in 1856, John Damron, the father suddenly became ill and before they could believe it he died. Late in the summer of 1856, without her husband who had been with her on so many journeys, Sarah and her five youngest children joined with a group and started the journey to Utah. This company included several missionaries. Known are the Moody brothers – William Crestfield and John Monroe, Homer Duncan, and a missionary by the name of Morris Snedeker who kept a journal of this trip to Utah.

The two teenage daughters rode horseback all the way. Our grandfather said he was baptized in the “Indian Nation, Oklahoma”, so their probable route was across Oklahoma, the corner of Kansas, and across Colorado to Utah. His baptism record is dated 15 September, 1857 and was probably recorded after their arrival in Utah.

As soon as the company arrived in Utah in the fall of 1857, the two youngest daughters married the Moody brothers. Sarah received her endowments and lived about two years after they came to Utah.

The census records show that George Damron and his family were in Provo in 1860. and Joseph is listed with this family as being 18 years old. Some of the family had moved to the south part of the state, and on a visit with his brothers to see members of their family, Joseph met a young woman with a child. She had rejoined her family after a plural marriage, which did not work out. The Freeman family, her parents, were early pioneers of Utah, and had moved to this new part of Utah and settled in Kanosh, first called Corn Creek. Her name was Margaret Phoebe Freeman Smoot.

My mother told me that grandfather had met her at “Pond Town”, which later became Salem. We do know that Margaret had gone south at the time that Johnson’s Army came to Utah. She drove a herd of cattle for her uncle to Utah County. It is possible they did meet in Utah County at this time.

Many have said that Joseph felt sorry for this young woman, with a child to care for and no means of support except for her family. However, this version has not seemed to me to be the only reason. Pictures show her at a younger age as a beautiful woman with black hair and dark eyes, small and slender. They were married in Parowan, Utah the 14th of February 1862.

Their first child was born in Parowan, but in 1866 another child was born in Kanosh, followed by two other children, the last born in 1870.

In September 1865 Joseph enlisted in the J.L. Dorrity Calvary Co., Utah Territory branch. 2500 men from Sanpete, Sevier, and Piute Counties served in this company. His period of enlistment was from 10 September 1865 until 22 June 1867. 

The so called “Blackhawk War”, which had started in Utah County and spread south, was one of the many Indian Wars in the early settlements in Utah. This war broke out in 1864 and by 1865 had spread south. In 1861 lands had been set aside by President Lincoln in the Uintah Basin for a Reservation for the Indian tribes and in 1864 Congress made provisions for extinguishing Indian titles to agricultural and mineral lands in Utah. A council was called by the Superintendent of Indian affairs and met with the tribes at the Spanish Fork Reservation in June 1865. Brigham Young and other Church leaders attended this council. 

There were about 16 chiefs present, and the terms of the treaty were laid down in plain language. Chief Kanosh made a long speech at this meeting. The treaty was signed- Indians to move to Uintah within a year- and peace was declared in August 1868. The first Blackhawk Reunion of veterans was held in Springville in 1894 and local posts held yearly events for many years after that time. When I was a small child, my grandfather took me and a cousin to one of the meetings.

In September 1872 twins, who died at birth, were born to the Damron’s at Panaca, Nevada, but by 1874 a child was born to them in Deseret, so this family came to Deseret about the time it was re-settled in 1874, which made them one of the earliest permanent settlers.

They chose a farm near the river and built a home of adobe. In my mother’s notes she describes this home. The house in which I was born had two large adobe rooms and a leanto kitchen made of lumber and lined with adobe. It was located near the banks of the river and in the large rooms was a fireplace. The north room had a fireplace in the center of the north wall. This room was used as a bedroom. It was large enough for a bed to be on each side of the fireplace. The south large adobe room had its fireplace in the center of the south wall. Mother used to do a great deal of her cooking over this grate, she had the “dogs” or
irons with a rod across where she would hang her kettles over the fire. I spent many very happy evenings around the south fireplace during my young life as a child with my family.”

Trees and crops were planted. Joseph would go to the hills around Oak City and bring good soil to his fam, and was known as an excellent farmer. He always had many good fruit trees and his winter storage pit was filled with potatoes, carrots, parsnips, cabbage, apples, and etc. He was always able to provide food for his family and was known as a good provider. He has been described by a granddaughter as well read and quiet. He was active in the Deseret Ward all his life and the records show he held many positions there. One of his older sons attended the University of Deseret (to become the University of Utah) and went on a mission to the Tahitian Islands. Another son was also a missionary serving in the southern states.

In 1906 construction commenced on an impounding dam 60 miles up the Sevier River and the first irrigation district was organized. A diversion dam was also built 8 miles up the river. The first two of these dams went out, but the last one held. Many additional dams have been built on the river since then. At the time the second dam went out the Damron’s had moved to the town of Deseret from the farm on the river. My father recorded in his journal “In September  1908 moved to our farm a Burtner (later to become Delta) from Deseret. Sold my former home to my Daddy-by law, Jos. W Damron, Sr.” When the second dam went out in May 1910 my mother recorded this “When the dam went out much of old Deseret was flooded and many old adobe houses went down. The house my parents bought from us was one of them so they built a nice frame house which had three rooms and a back porch boarded in which they used as a utility room, and a nice front porch. The old adobe house I was born in on Dad’s old farm went down.”

The little frame house described by my mother as the one I remember as my grandparents’ home. We climbed the fruit trees, enjoyed grandmother’s flower garden and her pantry and played with many cousins who came to visit. It was always a happy day when my grandparents came to visit us at our farm. We would see their buggy coming down the lane and run to meet them. Grandpa would stop and lift each one of us into the buggy for the ride the rest of the way. He was always kind and gentle. I even liked his big full Mustache. The Damron’s raised 9 children out of the 11 that were born to them, and also the son that my grandmother had when she married him. He died at Deseret the 2 day of August 1922 at the age of 81 years.”

Below are the children of Joseph and Margaret including the John Woodruff Smoot who was the child they raised from Margaret’s prior marriage.

John Woodruff Smoot was born on 18 March 1860, in Parowan, Iron, Utah, United States, his father, William Cochran Adkinson Smoot, was 32 and his mother, Margaret Phoebe Freeman, was 19. He married Catherine Aurella King on 10 October 1884, in Deseret, Millard, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 5 sons and 3 daughters. He lived in Salt Lake, Utah, United States in 1860 and Kanosh, Millard, Utah, United States in 1870. He died on 1 June 1930, in Deseret, Millard, Utah, United States, at the age of 70, and was buried in Deseret City Cemetery, Deseret, Millard, Utah, United States.

George Alfred Damron was born on 18 April 1863, in Parowan, Iron, Utah, United States, his father, Joseph Warren Damron, was 22 and his mother, Margaret Phoebe Freeman, was 22. He married Birgithe Kirstine Erikson on 2 November 1883, in Deseret, Millard, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 4 daughters. He lived in Oasis, Millard, Utah, United States in 1900 and Deseret, Millard, Utah, United States for about 35 years. He died on 30 August 1945, in Delta, Millard, Utah, United States, at the age of 82, and was buried in Deseret City Cemetery, Deseret, Millard, Utah, United States.

Joseph Warren Damron was born on 9 June 1866, in Kanosh, Millard, Utah, United States, his father, Joseph Warren Damron, was 25 and his mother, Margaret Phoebe Freeman, was 25. He married Mary Abiah Kelly on 8 April 1896. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 6 daughters. He lived in Deseret, Millard, Utah, United States for about 20 years and Desert, Utah, United States for about 10 years. He died on 14 April 1951, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States, at the age of 84, and was buried in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States.

Milton Wesley Damron was born on 1 April 1868, in Kanosh, Millard, Utah, United States, his father, Joseph Warren Damron, was 27 and his mother, Margaret Phoebe Freeman, was 27. He married Amy S. Lytle on 23 September 1903, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 1 daughter. He lived in Pioche Township, Lincoln, Nevada, United States in 1940 and Lincoln, Nevada, United States in 1950. He died on 11 May 1956, in Ursine, Lincoln, Nevada, United States, at the age of 88, and was buried in Hollinger-Hammond Cemetery, Ursine, Lincoln, Nevada, United States.

Jemima Chelnecha Damron was born on 13 August 1870, in Kanosh, Millard, Utah, United States, her father, Joseph Warren Damron, was 29 and her mother, Margaret Phoebe Freeman, was 29. She married Jacob Joseph Barron on 23 December 1890, in Deseret, Millard, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 5 sons and 5 daughters. She lived in Inkom, Bannock, Idaho, United States for about 25 years and Inkom Election Precinct, Bannock, Idaho, United States for about 10 years. She died on 5 April 1973, in Pocatello, Bannock, Idaho, United States, at the age of 102, and was buried in Inkom Cemetery, Inkom, Bannock, Idaho, United States.

Charles Shultz Damron was born on 10 September 1872, in Panaca, Lincoln, Nevada, United States, his father, Joseph Warren Damron, was 31 and his mother, Margaret Phoebe Freeman, was 31. He died on 10 September 1872, in his hometown, at the age of 0, and was buried in Panaca, Lincoln, Nevada, United States.
Sarah Elizabeth Damron was born on 10 September 1872, in Panaca, Lincoln, Nevada, United States, her father, Joseph Warren Damron, was 31 and her mother, Margaret Phoebe Freeman, was 31. She died on 20 September 1872, in her hometown, at the age of 0, and was buried in Panaca, Lincoln, Nevada, United States.

William Reed Damron Sr was born on 18 April 1874, in Kanosh, Millard, Utah, United States, his father, Joseph Warren Damron, was 33 and his mother, Margaret Phoebe Freeman, was 33. He married Eliza Orena Duggins on 4 October 1899, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 2 daughters. He lived in Inkom, Bannock, Idaho, United States in 1910 and Salt Lake, Utah, United States for about 17 years. He died on 7 January 1937, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States, at the age of 62, and was buried in Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, Millcreek, Salt Lake, Utah, United States.

Arthur Jedediah Damron was born on 29 August 1876, in Deseret, Millard, Utah, United States, his father, Joseph Warren Damron, was 35 and his mother, Margaret Phoebe Freeman, was 35. He married Vesta Medora Bishop on 3 February 1897, in Deseret, Millard, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 3 sons and 6 daughters. He lived in Inkom Election Precinct, Bannock, Idaho, United States in 1940 and Inkom, Bannock, Idaho, United States in 1950. He died on 14 July 1963, in Pocatello, Bannock, Idaho, United States, at the age of 86, and was buried in Inkom Cemetery, Inkom, Bannock, Idaho, United States.

Luella Beal Damron was born on 13 October 1878, in Deseret, Millard, Utah, United States, her father, Joseph Warren Damron, was 37 and her mother, Margaret Phoebe Freeman, was 38. She married Charles Oscar Warnick on 28 December 1898, in Fillmore, Millard, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 4 daughters. She lived in Hinckley, Millard, Utah, United States in 1920 and Delta Election Precinct, Millard, Utah, United States in 1940. She died on 13 November 1963, in Delta, Millard, Utah, United States, at the age of 85, and was buried in Deseret City Cemetery, Deseret, Millard, Utah, United States.

Lizzie May Damron was born on 3 May 1881, in Deseret, Millard, Utah, United States, her father, Joseph Warren Damron, was 40 and her mother, Margaret Phoebe Freeman, was 40. She married Edward John Whicker on 6 November 1901, in Manti, Sanpete, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 6 sons and 2 daughters. She lived in Delta, Millard, Utah, United States for about 20 years and Salt Lake City Ward 6, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States in 1940. She died on 27 March 1969, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States, at the age of 87, and was buried in Delta City Cemetery, Delta, Millard, Utah,
United State.

Heber Valley Heritage Foundation