Oliver DeMille Death Certificate

Oliver DeMille Life History

Birth:	Mar. 30, 1830 Colesville Broome County New York, USA
Death:	Jul. 8, 1908 Rockville Washington County Utah, USA
Oliver DeMille is the son of Anna Knight DeMille and Freeborn DeMille. Oliver married Emily Almina Beal May 13, 1855 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah and was living in Sanpete County when President Brigham Young called him to settle southern Utah. To this union they had the following children: Olive Emily DeMille, Oliver DeMille Jr., Ida Sylvina DeMille, Ira DeMille Oscar, Melvina and Benjamin Franklin DeMille. On 13 Jun 1865 at Salt Lake City, Utah he married Fidelia WINGATE. To this union were born the following: Adelia DE MILLEe, Ada Elvira DE MILLEe, Almeda DEMILLe, Jesse DEMILLE, Melbourne DEMILLE, Melvina DEMILLE, Adlinda DEMILLE Oliver DeMille, among others, left Sanpete County and first arrived January 20, 1862 in a place they called Shonesburg named after the Indian chief, Shones. The pioneers built dams and tried to tame the unpredictable Virgin River but it wasn't until 1865 before they finally had a good harvest of corn, cane and cotton. In 1866, the settlement was abandoned due to Indian troubles, but in 1868 some of the original settlers returned. Over the years the flooding of the river washed away farmland and by 1897 there was not enough children to hold school. By the year 1900 only Oliver DeMille was left and then he even moved to Rockville, Utah. The little settlement of Shonesburg was left abandoned with little to show that for fourty years the pioneers had worked and toiled hard on this area. All that was left was a rock house, a few chimney's and a derelict cemetery. Oliver was called to serve a mission in 1893. --------------- Oliver DeMille, about 80 years of age, died at Rockville on the 8th of old age and general debility. He was founder of Shoensburg and was well known in the early days of Dixie. Washington County News July 16, 1908 ------------ death certificate Spouse: Emily Almina BEAL Marriage: 13 May 1855 Endowment House, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Spouse: Fidelia WINGATE Marriage: 13 Jun 1865 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Ut Spouse: Rebecca Jane ALLRED Marriage: 10 Oct 1865 Spouse: Rachel GIFFORD Marriage: 2 Jan 1878 Family links:  Parents:   Freeborn DeMille (1795 - 1881)   Anna Knight DeMille (1804 - 1878)  Spouses:   Emily Almina Beal DeMille (1839 - 1905)*   Fidelia Winget DeMille (1847 - 1931)*   Rachel Gifford DeMille (1829 - 1846)*  Children:   Olive Emily DeMille Stevens (1857 - 1913)*   Oliver Demille (1859 - 1938)*   Orpha Almina DeMille Millett (1862 - 1909)*   Ozro DeMille (1863 - 1942)*   Oscar Demille (1866 - 1946)*   Ida Sylvina Demille Millett (1868 - 1941)*   Ada DeMille Beal (1869 - 1948)*   Ira DeMille (1871 - 1918)*   Melvina Demille (1872 - 1872)*   Benjamin Franklin Demille (1873 - 1944)*   Almeda DeMille Beal (1874 - 1902)*   Melbourne DeMill (1876 - 1950)*   Levi Garrett DeMille (1876 - 1950)*   Anna Mariah DeMille Petty (1878 - 1960)*   Adlinda DeMill Hall (1878 - 1963)*   Jesse DeMill (1882 - 1964)*   Roswell Demille (1882 - 1955)*   Adelia DeMille Petty (1885 - 1906)*  Siblings:   Mariah DeMill Funk (1820 - 1889)*   Lora Ann Demille Gifford (1828 - 1870)*   Oliver DeMill (1830 - 1908)   Adelia DeMille Squire (1832 - 1917)*   Elias DeMill (1838 - 1905)*   Lovinia Esther Demill Beal (1843 - 1880)* *Calculated relationship
Burial: Rockville Cemetery Rockville Washington County Utah, USA

Oliver DeMille Grave Stone 1830-1908

Oliver DeMille purchased land for a community

Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 13, p.542 [p.542] In the year 1861 the land on the south of the stream was owned by an old Piede Indian named Shunes. Oliver DeMille purchased it from him and the town was born. Land was cleared, ditches dug, orchards, vineyards, corn, cane and other crops were planted. In spare time, roads were improved, especially the steep and narrow dugway along the river that led into this promising town. There was enough land to accommodate all who came, and many joined the rounding families. The soil was fertile, yielding abundantly, and they lived in peace and prosperity. If Oliver DeMille's plow broke, there were any number of plows he could borrow. He likewise did the same for his neighbors when they needed help. All banded together to aid in any kind of distress. Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 13, p.542 There were Indian scares; wives and children were moved out and back again, but Shonesburg was never molested. Life was carefree and content. A building was erected about 1868 to serve as church, school and a community center. Oliver DeMille was sustained as presiding elder. School and church convened there for thirty-eight years. But as time passed, the ravaging floods proved to be the determining factor in the destiny of the little town. When the pioneers first settled Shonesburg, the river ran in a deep narrow channel and there was ample land on both sides. But as the precious soil washed away, the settlers were forced to leave. By 1890 Oliver and his family and Alma Beal, Oliver's brother-in-law, were the only ones left. The DeMilles had built a large rock house on the hill sometime around 1880, but in 1903 Oliver, too, had left. In later years the country encompassing Shonesburg was engulfed by Zion's National Park. The lone stone house still stands high on the hill. It and the name are the only reminders of the once thriving little community of Shonesburg. Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 13, p.542

Oliver DeMille Life History

Oliver DeMille

Oliver DeMille was born 30 March 1830, Broom County, New York, seven days previous to the organization of the Church, which his parents joined shortly after (four months after) in 1830. Freeborn DeMille’s father was acquainted with the Prophet Joseph Smith when a boy, and went to the same school. I (Oliver) was nine years old when I was baptized in Quincy, Illinois and I received the Holy Ghost; a bright light came over me and I was enveloped as it were by this heavenly light. On our way home we had to cross over a high hill. I walked along just the same as the rest, but it didn’t seem to me as if I touched the ground and this feeling stayed with me all day and until late bed time; then the light went up, gradually passing out of sight. It was by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost that I knew Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. I once heard the Prophet say; Men can’t comprehend themselves let alone comprehend God. And you don’t know who I am or won’t know until you stand before the bar of God. Oliver said on another occasion, I was present when the prophet was preaching and he said, I had a revelation and commenced to tell it; just then a flock of geese flew over when the meeting was being held, as it was out of doors where they usually held meetings in summer time. The geese made a quacking sound and most of the people turned their eyes to look, I never, I kept my eyes on the Prophet, and Joseph said to them, if you care more for the quacking of wild geese, than the revelations of God, I’ve no more to say to you at present. He sat down and didn’t say any more. One day as I was going through the street in Nauvoo I heard Plaesi Kahoon talking with some of his friends and one says, Plaesi how is it you are blind. And he said, because the Prophet cursed me for going against light and knowledge. This trouble was in relation to the printing press which was declared a nuisance by the city council and destroyed. The lightning struck a liberty pole in Far West and slivered it all to pieces. I heard the prophet say, Just as that has been stricken down, our liberty shall be taken from us, every vestige. This was fulfilled when the Saints were disfranchised and their property confiscated in 1891-1802. One day while the Nauvoo legion was drilling and practicing, a sham battle was instituted in which a conspiracy was planned by John C. Bennett and others to kill the Prophet. Several guns were loaded with bullets, and Bennett, who was one of Joseph’s aids, told the men with the guns to air directly at the prophet. It was revealed to the prophet right there and then, and he told Bennett of it right there in my presence, and Bennett soon made his escape, mounted on one of the fastest horses in the legion. Once Heber C Kimball prophesied that Nauvoo would not long be an abiding place for the Saints. Sidney Ridgon brought him before the Prophet Joseph for prophesying against the interests of the beautiful city. I was at the meeting when the Prophet threw Sidney off. Said he, “I have packed Sidney Rigdon on my shoulders as long as I am going to and now I throw him off. My brother Hyrum is a merciful man, and it may be he will plead for him. But if you don’t throw him off now, you will see the day you will have to” Not long after that the Prophet Joseph was murdered. I was 14 years old when the prophet and his brother Hyrum were martyred. Shortly after, Sidney Rigdon called a meeting, he being first counselor to Joseph. He got up and claimed the right of being guardian to the people. Brigham Young was also there, and b being at the head of the twelve apostles. After talking about a minute, his voice changed to the voice of Joseph Smith, his countenance and every appearance and motion was that of Joseph and his language was so convincing and prophetic, that it seemed to bring conviction to the hearts of all who were present. I was in the meeting and saw with my own eyes, and heard with my own ears all that was said and done, and know of a surety whereof I speak. And I lie not, says Oliver. Brigham Young was a true successor to the Prophet Joseph Smith and a true prophet of God, and presided over the Church in the spirit of his calling for many years, manifesting great wisdom in all his counsel to the people, showing that he was guided by revelation and prospered by the same. He passed through all the persecutions of the Church at Nauvoo and moved with his parents to Winter Quarters, hence to Mount Pisgah, where they resided until their exodus to the Rocky mountains in the year 1849-1850. Oliver being the oldest son of the family and his father being a cripple had the burden of the work of preparing far the journey. Although but 18 years old he accomplished it successfully and manfully, and drove an ox team all the way to Manti, Utah in Sanpete county, where they made their home in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains, here again enduring many hardships and privations; famine, pestilence, Indian wars, the disadvantages of pioneer life, building roads and ditches, clearing land, building log and rock houses, fencing farms etc. Other members of Freeborn’s family were faithful members of the Church.

DeMill family in Shonesburg, Utah

DeMill family in Shonesburg

(SHONESBURG, Utah) - While some people believe Grafton is the most scenic ghost town in Utah, Shonesburg (or Shunesburg) is probably one of the better preserved and one of the least accessible. Located on the Virgin River’s east fork as it flows through Parunuweap Canyon is Oliver DeMille’s two story cut-stone house. Near the abandoned home is a rickety fence surrounding a tiny cemetery. Further north, the fence along Zion National Park’s boundary is visible. In addition, remains of a few chimneys and portions of walls are the only clues that a town once existed here. Long before the white man invaded the Virgin River valley, the Indians lived here, according to Stephen L. Carr, author of The Historical Guide to Utah Ghost Towns. Several of the Indians along the river had tiny farms to sustain them and give variety to their game diet. One Paiute native named Shunes (or Shones) had a little spread in a small valley on the Virgin River’s east fork. In 1861, Oliver DeMille and several other families purchased land from Shones and the settlement became known as Shonesburg. Carr states the settlers paid Shones little for the land, so he accepted it as down payment and continued living among the pioneers, doing some work and begging the rest of the time. Shones may have known more than he let on, as he watched the settlers clear the land, dig ditches, plant crops and orchards and maintained them, so they reaped much larger fruits and vegetables than the old Indian had, and he benefited more than if he had held the land, Carr states. The following information on Shonesburg is largely taken from an article written by Janice DeMille, entitled Shonesburg: The Town Nobody Knows, published in the Winter 1977 issue of Utah Historical Quarterly. She notes that while the neighboring canyons of Zion National Park are yearly visited by thousands, Parunuweap Canyon and remains of the pioneer village are rarely seen. It was LDS President Brigham Young’s call of pioneers for the Dixie Cotton Mission on Oct. 7, 1861 which was the impetus for Shonesburg’s start, DeMille states. Among those called from Sanpete County besides Oliver DeMille, were George Petty, Hyrum Stevens, Alma Millett, Hardin Whitlock and Charlie Clapper and their families. Some of the families spent part of the winter below Rockville where the floods of 1861-62 washed away their farms, causing them to move on to a new location. Traveling two miles up the Virgin to where it forked, they followed the east fork. Once a site was chosen, available land was divided into small lots to accommodate newcomers. Oliver DeMille II stated that 10 families made their homes there at that time. A town site was then laid out on the northwest side of the river. Most residents built log cabins and immediately began working on a ditch to bring water to their farms. The residents also cleared the land, planted orchards and vineyards, planted corn and made the irrigation ditch. Using pick, shovel, crowbar and scraper, they also built dugways along the river for a road into the valley. After all this work, only a small crop was harvested. They also built dams across the river, only to see them washed away by unpredictable floods. Nevertheless, by July 1864, Henry Stevens presided over seven families or 45 persons and 75 acres of cotton. A year later, Shonesburg residents finally had a good harvest of cotton, corn and cane. Cotton was also used by some people for beds. During the southern Utah Indian wars of 1866-67, LDS authorities in St. George advised settlers to gather to Rockville, so Grafton, Springdale, Shonesburg and Virgin residents came with only the basic necessities. Some moved in with relatives, but most camped outside, living in their wagons. While some men kept watch for Indian attacks, others went in groups to farm nearby fields. Following resettlement of Shonesburg in 1868, a windlass was built over the ledge at the head of narrow Shonesburg canyon to take the mail up and down the mountain without climbing the trail. Mail carriers were hired to go from Toquerville to Shonesburg Canyon and back. Lorenzo and Horace Slack, carriers at the time, would leave Toquerville Monday morning, go to Shonesburg the first day and camp there that night. The next day, they went four miles to the head of the canyon, ran the mail up the windlass, took the Kanab mail that came down the windlass and went back to Shonesburg for the night, then returned to Toquerville. They made two mail trips a week. When high water prevented crossing the river, they stationed someone on both sides and ran the mail across on a wire. A mule was used to pack the wire. The only public building in Shonesburg was the old log schoolhouse built about 1870, used for public purposes, including church services. Before 1866, no Shonesburg ward organization existed so residents went to Rockville when they could. Later, an LDS Church branch was formed in Shonesburg with Oliver DeMille the presiding elder. School terms were only three months, because students had to work early in the spring and late in the fall. LDS President Brigham Young had sent the saints to raise cotton and make wine, but the settlers grew all kinds of produce, including cane, corn, cotton, watermelons, peaches, apples, pears, apricots, plums and grapes. Little wheat was grown however. Usable farmland ranged from about four miles up the river from town to two miles below. The produce was then sent north and traded for flour and potatoes. Although life was hard, the settlers were almost self-sustaining. The women and girls corded, spun, and wove the raw cotton into cloth, then made their own clothes by hand because they had no machines. Shonesburg residents also had large families with just midwives and no doctors to help. Several women died in childbirth. Home remedies were used and some of the women used their skills as midwives and nurses. There were other resident experts like Joseph Millett, Jr., a master of basket making. Using willows from above Shonesburg, he made baskets to sell, then later taught others how. He also made shoes by hand for all of his older children. He was a carpenter by trade, but was also a proficient blacksmith, mason, farmer, casket maker and shoe maker. Around 1880, Oliver DeMille and his family moved into the two-story rock house on the hill. Each of the wives had her own apartment and fireplace, while on the upper floor was a large room where dances were held. Building on the hill gave a good view of the surrounding country in case of Indian attacks and was also considered a more healthy spot than the valley, because a breeze kept mosquitoes away. Joseph Millett, Jr., did the masonry, with Christian Larson helping on the carpenter work. The DeMille house however, was never completely finished the way Oliver planned. When Brigham Young came to the southern settlements, he on occasion, stayed at the DeMille home. But very few celebrations were held in Shonesburg; the people usually went to Rockville or other early settlements for holidays. Because it was hard to get around and with not much to do, they entertained themselves. Shonesburg was particularly known for good dances. Folks came from miles around to dance at the DeMille’s rock house while afterwards, the fiddlers would be paid in produce for the dance music. But year after year, floods came and washed away more land. Consequently, families began to leave as their farms were washed away. Because many Rockville settlers at one time moved away, Shonesburg people bought their places. Finally, only a few farms were left in Shonesburg. The year 1897 was the last year enough children were available to hold school. By 1900, everyone was gone except Oliver DeMille and his children. Years before, DeMille wanted to move away, but Brigham Young had told him to stay, saying the day would come when there would be a family for every acre of land. Oliver was obedient to counsel. But conditions did not get better, and the floods washed away enough land that finally there was a family for every acre left. After 41 years of struggle, the DeMilles moved to Rockville in 1902 where they went into the mercantile business with a dry goods and grocery store. Today, Shonesburg is a ghost town. Jim Trees, formerly of New York State, later purchased 1,060 acres in Shonesburg Canyon where the old Shonesburg town site was. At present, the entire town site is on private property and is off limits to tourists. Meanwhile, the only thing running free through the town site is the Virgin River which ultimately was cause for the town’s abandonment.

Oliver DeMille