Flake, Lucy Hannah White

File — Box: 6, Folder: 1

Identifier: V

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

"To The Last Frontier," the autobiography of Lucy Hannah White Flake. The White family became converts of the Mormon church in 1844 and came to the Salt Lake Valley in 1850. Their first home was in Lehi. In October 1853 they were called to Cedar City with others to help strengthen the settlement. The Flake family were converts in Mississippi. They went to Nauvoo just before the martyrdom. James M. Flake, a man of wealth, immediately returned to Mississippi and contributed generously to the outfitting of other families for the western trek. He brought with him a few of his servants, among them Green, a Black man who had been a part of the Flake family all his life; Liz, the personal maid of Mrs. Flake; and Edie and her family. When the first company started West, Mr. Flake sent Green as a bodyguard for Brigham Young. Green stayed in the valley to prepare for the coming of the Flake family. "He had a house built and a piece of land cleared and planted" in the first town settled outside of Salt Lake. It was called "Amasa's Survey" and was located on the Big Cottonwood. James Flake was killed in 1850 when he fell from a horse while on an exploration to California. William, then ten years of age, became the "man of the house." In 1851 Amasa Lyman and Charles C. Rich led another expedition to California. Mrs. Flake (Agnes Love) with her family accompanied them. Her's was the first home built by whites in the city of San Bernardino, California. Agnes Love Flake died in 1855 in California. William Flake and Lucy Hannah White were married in 1858, and on October 9, 1868, he married Prudence Kartchner. In the winter of 1873 William Flake was called by Brigham Young to explore the Arizona country for possible settlement. Three years later Brigham Young called Flake and others to go to Arizona to settle. Three months of difficult travel brought them to Joseph City. A disagreement concerning the United Order made William move on. He bought the Stinson Ranch for 12,000 dollars. He withdrew from the Order, gathered his stock and other belongings together, and with several other families moved to the Stinson Ranch. The group was organized by Erastus Snow with John Hunt as bishop, William Flake as first counselor, John Kartchner as second counselor, and Jesse N. Smith as president of the Eastern Arizona Stake. Erastus Snow named the town after himself and William Flake. The intervening years were filled with the work of a great man and colonizer and his wives and children. William Flake shared with everyone, obtained work for those in need, and served his church with devotion. The autobiography, a bound typescript, gives a good picture of the early settlement of Snowflake and its growth. It describes the people, the country, the hardships, the sorrows, the sacrifices, and above all else the devotion to the cause for which they were called--settlement of the Little Colorado. 240 pages.

Dates

1857-1986

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.