The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-10-20
Early Days in Phoebe
NO. 5
By JOSIAH ROGERSON.

years of age and of more than ordinary
Indian intelligence. He had been stolen
by the celebrated Uintah chief Walker,
from the Muddy and sold to the West
family of Parowan, some seven years be-
fore.
He taught us the Pi-eed dialect and in
the spring of 1853 he went with us to
Quannarrah's, or Kannarra's wickiup,
just above the town, and in a CONVERSE
ton of two hours or more, old kannarra,
who was then the chief of the Paro-
wan and Panguitch tribe of Indians, told
us of heap" of bright or white Panacker.
three or four sleeps journey from Par
Owan, pointing to the west and in the
direction of Meadow Valley. His father
knew of the place all his life, and said
in this conversation that when his father
was young man (ans Kanarra at this
time was about COZ. two Spaniards. with
riding ponies and three pack mules or
burros, came across the desert from where
Modena is now to the Rush lake, fourteen
miles southwest from ParOwan; from
there through the gap at the south end
of the lake, and made a straight shoot
to the mouth of Little Creek canyon. That
they made their camp about quarter of
a mile UP, and on the north side of the
canyon, and remained there nearly the
length of a moon lone month";, burning
and roasting white panacker. they had
brought with them, and digging yellow
panacker from Two holes, that the writer
has seen several times, and that were still
visible ten years ago. That they found
gold there is beyond question. and that
they smelted ore from Phoebe is equally
true, for the Did chief said he saw pieces
bigger than a dollar. and when they left
at the end of the month their three pack
burros and mules were loaded with pan
acker. They made a straight shoot for
the mouth of the gap. leaving the regular
Indian and Spanish trail to Los Angeles
to the left, but the Indians were ahead
and attacked them a short distance from
the gap, and in consequence of the shower
of arrows they made shelter of their pack
animals. loosening their sacks of ore and
threw five or six buckskin sacks full into
the lake. thereby making their escape, and
the burros. unloaded. following.
Lewey Simmons. the protege and COM
panfOn of Kit Carson, and Peg-leg Smith,
before he fished with Quill Nebeker for
the bear lake monster, knew of the pan
acker at Phoebe.
In the spring of 1858 The White Noun
tain Mission" was called with picked men
from Ogden, Salt Lake. Nephi. Fillmore
and Parowan, and all the region west in
Willard and Iron county, as far as Osce-
ola, and to the Bennett Springs in Pah-
ranagat valley was explored: Meadow
Valley was settled and pieces of ore were
brought by the Indians from the crop
pings of the Burke mine. the first dis
covery of the Meadow Valley mines
General Conner had heard of them in
1868, and in June, 1854 we camped with
sixty or seventy-five of Connor's Bear
River veterans under command OF Can
tain Price, on the Muddy. Moapa. who had
been there two or three weeks. and thei.
main quest and purpose was the rich ore
and groupings up the Meadow Valley
wash, and Notwithstanding the $1,000 900
that were taken out of the Phoebe mines
In 1SIl-2-3 and 4. there is still a world
of wealth left there yet
In chronological sequence / will now LET
Mr.. Bancroft say little about Phoebe:
Lincoln county cut off from Nye county,
ie afrasra
historic interest. having been first ira
versed by the white race when the Span-
iards. between 1910 and IT'S, made expIo-
ration through the interior of the CONT
nent. In 1884 an Indian brought TO Will
liam Hamblin. in Meadow Valley. a sner
linen of silver ore. which, on being sent
to Salt Lake. caused several expeditions
TO visit that region. the first of which.
under j. NJ. Vandermark and Stenhen
sherwood. organized the Meadow Valley
mining district in April, 1864 Not IN be
d1spossessed by Gentiles. Brigham Young
ordered Erastus Snow from St George 70
MEADOW valley with a company of men,
who in the temporary absence of the
mining recorder, organized a new district
with new rules. A third company COW
sisting chiefly of men from the California
volunteers, followed and the former rules
ultimately restored. Pahranagat district
was next organized in 1865 The co1ntv
seat was first decreed to Se at Crvsta,
Springs, but in 1867 was changed to Hiko
in the same district, and ultimately 10
Phoebe.
The town was first settled in 1865 nv
Joseph Grange and E. NJ. Chubard. The
first quartz mill, five stamps in Meadow
Valley, at. Bullionville. In this wear the
town was laid out and named bv Mrs
Carmichael Williamson after F. +,
Phoebe of San Francisco. who furnished,
the first real and substantial financial
backing and support for Phoebe. In SEN
TENDER, 1871, over half a million dollars
worth of property was DESTROYED bv fire
Thirteen men were killed and forty-seven
others wounded by the explosion of blast
ing powder.
In 1872 and 3. 1t had population of ooO.
but diminished RAPIDLY after the water he
gan to fill the lower levels of the Meadow
valley mine and the rich Lightner shaft
of the Raymond and Ely. That this mine
could pay the dividends that it did. and