The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-09-05
|LANDON FAMILY
HELD REUNION
One Hundred Fifty De
scendents Honor Chas.
Portor Landon

WESTERN PIONEER
A reunion of that part Of the
Charles Porter Landon family To-
Gated in Idaho, was held on the
twenty-third Of August at Kimball,
Bingham county. Idaho with Charles
Porter himself as the guest OF honor.
About 10 o'clock in the morning
the family began to gather at the
home of C. F. Landon, and in q short
time the yard was full of teams and
buggies and theJrOad in front OF the
house lined with automobiles; while
on the lawn beneath the shade trees
men clasped hands, and patted each
other ON the back, women kissed
each other and children laughed in
youthful glee. While the men talked
Of olden times and condoned youth
full follies the women and girls
loaded the long tables beneath the
trees with the choisest in the land,
till 1t fairly groaned under the
weight.
You should have seen that table
when it was surrounded by the Ian
don families. At the head was
Charles Porter, the father of the
fathers, and the guest Of honor; q
venerable patriach, veteran Of the
Civil war, pioneer of two states, a
man who has sturdily faced the
trials of life till he is seventy-nine
years of age-and kept his integrity.
Along the sides of that table sat his
stalwart sons and their wives, each
an asset to the State of Idaho, and
each husband and wife having a
home of their own, and a bright and
intelligent family. To an outsider,
it was an inspiring scene.
After dinner, while the women and
girls cleared the table, the men took
flying trip to Blackfoot where a
group photograph was taken of the
old pioneer and his eight married
sons. When they returned the table
was set again; this time with ice
cream and cake, and mid the clatter
of spoons many innocent jokes were
cracked and many stories of the past
related. Then came the feast of
water melons, and the way those
emerald cylinders disappeared
showed that the eaters were raised
in the land of the vine.
And next came the program which
was short and to the point. After
a few words by the only outsider III
the party, the guest of honor arose
and gave them sage advice. He told
them to be honest, upright, truthful,
and Industrious; to make their
verbal promises as good as their
notes; to make themselves essential
to the welfare Of the regions in
which they reside, to set good ex-
ample before their families and be
true to each other and their religion,
BY this time the sun was low in the
west and with much handshaking and
many regrets they separated for one
year.
Charles Porter Landon was born
in Pappinsville, Bates county, Mo-,
April Q, 1841. In 1861 he joined
the Confederate army, going with
the second Missouri regiment. Bel
fore year. had passed a bullet had
shattered his left knee and he was
discharged. In August,
1862, he reached Salt Lake City with
an independent Mormon emigrant
company under Louis Brunson and
shortly afterward went to work for |
Brigham Young, president of the
church. Since that time he
has made seven trips across the
plains taking supplies and catching
them on the way and bringing back
freight and emigrants. He worked
On the Utah Central, the first rail-
road built in Utah and helped to
stretch the first telegraph line. He
inally became a stockb older in the
company. He worked on
he Salt Lake tabernacle and has
helped build every Mormon temple
erected in Utah. He was one of the
pioneers of aRockland, Idaho and of
hat part of Malad valley in Boxelder
county, Utah. In the latter region
lie hauled most of the lumber for
he first meeting house in West Port
lge. He assisted in the establish
nent of the Indian mission at
Utah, and taught the
indians how to. operate their farm
Today Mr.. Landon has twenty
hildren, ninety-nine grandchildren (
nd thirty great-grandchildren; {
otal of 149. They are scattered {
rom Fremont county, Idaho to the
part of Arizona; the greater {
lumber of the grand children being
a Utah and Idaho and most of the t
reat-grandchildren in Arizona. May
Q live many years and attend many I
UGH reunions. Contributed by an !
utsider. h
NOTT(yE on cC4OOT. LAW