Caught the Bug

I did.  I caught the bug.  The family history bug.

So, my Dad and I were sitting around one night while we were up in Utah and the topic of conversation was family history.  He showed me his fan chart (which you can find at familysearch.org) and we got to talking about the Higbee family.  I've learned bits and pieces about my grandpa and his father, but everything really came together that night, and it was AWESOME!  So, if you feel so inclined, you can read further about some of my really neat ancestors.  (Really, this is more for my documentation than anything else.  I won't be offended if you skip this post.)

So my dad is Scott Higbee, and his dad is Arthur Leon Higbee, who comes from Elias Higbee, who comes from John Mount Higbee, who comes from John Somers Higbee.

Let's start with John Somers Higbee, my great-great-great grandpa.  John Somers Higbee joined the church in Ohio, and crossed the plains with Brigham Young, and then was asked by the prophet to settle Fort Utah, which later became Provo, UT.  (What?!?  My ancestors settled Provo?!?)  I'd never heard of Fort Utah, but we looked it up on Google Map.  There's a Fort Utah park with a replica of a fort and a nice plaque commemorating the settlement.  My memories of Provo were a little rusty, but looking at the map, I recognized the location as being a quarter mile south of Mike's grandparents's house.  How many times have I driven past this park and not realized the significance it holds for my family.  Goodness!  

The Fort

The Plaque

Now John Somers Higbee had a brother, named Elias Higbee.  He was a judge, and he went with the Prophet Joseph Smith to Washington DC to help him submit a petition of redress to the US President Martin Van Buren.  (Side note: I live on Van Buren St.)  Elias Higbee is also the same Elias Higbee found in D&C 113:7 where he asks a question about Isaiah and Joseph Smith answers it.  

Alright, so John Somers Higbee had a son named John Mount Higbee (my great-great grandpa).

John Mount Higbee was a major in the 1857 Iron County Militia which was responsible for the awful events of the Mountain Meadows Massacre (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Meadows_massacre).  He is said to have been the one to shout the command "Do your duty!" that started the killing.  He had a warrant out for his arrest, but fled.  Three years later, he married his second wife, Eunice, and had 8 children which included my great-grandpa Elias Somers Higbee.  John Mount Higbee was indicted in 1874 for murder and conspiracy, but the charges were dropped and he died in Cedar City, UT.  

My great-grandpa Elias Summers Higbee ended up moving to Arizona, going by the name Elias Summers due to the negativity surrounding his father, and the Higbee name.  While living in Southern Arizona, he had my grandpa Arthur Leon Higbee, who grew up as Arthur Summers.  After Elias Higbee died, his wife took the kids back up to Cedar City, UT and then eventually my grandpa met my grandma there.  And the rest is history.  

So anyways, I think that's all fascinating!  And that's only a small portion of the stories surrounding one tiny branch of my family tree.  My dad said, "Every person on that fan chart has a story."  I can see why people get hooked on family history.