Anson Call facts for kids
Anson Call (born May 13, 1810 – died August 31, 1890) was an important pioneer and a founder of many communities in Utah and nearby states. He is well-known in history for writing down a special prophecy from Joseph Smith about the Rocky Mountains. Anson Call was also the father of Anson Bowen Call, who became a leader in the church and helped settle communities in Mexico.
Contents
Anson Call's Life Story
Anson Call was born in Fletcher, Vermont. He joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1836. At first, he wasn't sure about the missionaries. But after reading the Book of Mormon and comparing it to the Bible, he decided to join. Some famous church leaders like Brigham Young taught him.
Anson lived in Kirtland, Ohio, for a while. In 1838, he moved to Missouri. He faced some difficult times there, including violence from mobs. In 1839, he moved to Illinois, living in places like Ramus and later Nauvoo.
In 1844, Anson Call saw Brigham Young take over as the leader after Joseph Smith passed away. Anson wrote about this important event in his journal. He had helped Joseph Smith before, even getting him out of jail once. Anson also visited Carthage Jail after Joseph Smith's death. He wanted the bloodstains there to stay as a reminder of the event.
In 1846, Anson sold his farm in Nauvoo. He and his first wife, Mary Flint, traveled west. In 1848, they crossed the plains as pioneers. They settled in Bountiful, Utah, where Anson became a church leader in 1850.
Helping Settle Utah
Anson Call was a key figure in settling many parts of Utah.
- In 1851, he led the first group of pioneers to settle Fillmore, Utah.
- While in Fillmore, he served in the Utah government.
- In 1855, he started a fort called Call's Fort, which is now Harper Ward, Utah.
In 1856, Anson Call bravely helped rescue the Martin and Willie handcart companies. These groups were stuck in early snows while traveling to Salt Lake. Anson led teams to find and save them. He later married two of the women he helped rescue, Margaretta Unwin and Emma Summers.
Exploring and Founding Communities
Anson Call helped settle other areas in the West too.
- He helped in Iron County, Utah and Carson Valley in what is now Nevada.
- In 1864, he led a group to establish Callville in Arizona Territory. This place was along the Colorado River and is now under Lake Mead.
Some people say he helped settle Tooele County, Utah. However, his own journal and biography don't mention him settling there. He likely helped his brother Josiah gather firewood in a nearby canyon. Josiah did help settle Tooele.
Anson Call held many important positions in the church. He is most famous for writing down Joseph Smith's Rocky Mountain prophecy. He also helped quarry stone for the Nauvoo Temple and guarded it. Later, he was part of a special group sent to the Holy Land in 1872. They went to dedicate the land for the return of the Jewish people. Anson even gave his own money so that the leader of the group could finish the journey to Jerusalem. He stayed behind in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. He never complained about this sacrifice. He even helped nine people in England move to Utah.
A historian named Juanita Brooks called Anson Call "one of the great frontiersmen." Even though he helped found many settlements, he always kept Bountiful, Utah, as his main home. He passed away peacefully there in 1890, at 80 years old.
Anson Call's Family
Mary Flint
Anson Call married Mary Flint on October 3, 1833. They had six children together, and three lived to be adults. They also adopted two Native American children. Mary passed away in 1901.
Ann Mariah Bowen
Ann Mariah Bowen (1834–1924) was Anson Call's second wife. She was born in Bethany, New York. When she was a little girl in Nauvoo, Joseph Smith knew her. He would hold her on his lap and call her "his little black eyed girl." When she was 15, Mariah traveled west with the pioneers. She was known as a great wagon master because she drove the teams the whole way herself.
Anson Call married Ann Mariah Bowen in 1851. They had six children. They later separated in 1867. Mariah lived to be 90 years old. She was buried next to Anson Call and his other wives in the Bountiful City Cemetery.
Mariah Bowen Call was a strong pioneer who helped settle many places. These included Call's Fort, Bountiful, Parowan, St. George, Carson City, Callville, and Fillmore. She was even the first postmaster in Fillmore.
Her son, Anson Bowen Call (1863–1958), was also a colonizer. He was called "Bowen" to tell him apart from his father. Bowen helped settle communities in Mexico. He served as a church leader there for over 40 years. When he was young, he helped build the Salt Lake Temple, just like his father helped with the Nauvoo Temple. Bowen also became a school teacher.
In Mexico, Bowen Call helped his people through the dangerous Mexican Revolution. He used his faith to protect his family and friends from rebels. He also prayed for rain during a drought. He even forgave a man who murdered two of his sons. Bowen himself was miraculously saved from a firing squad.
Bowen Call lived a long life, passing away at 94. He saw many changes in the world. He was a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ. Today, his descendants number in the thousands.
Margaretta Unwin Clark
Anson Call married Margaretta Unwin Clark in Salt Lake City on February 2, 1857. Margaretta was a British immigrant and a handcart pioneer. They had six children together.
Emma Summers
Anson Call married Emma Summers on February 24, 1857, also in Salt Lake City. Emma was also a British immigrant and a handcart pioneer. They had five children, including Lucy, who was Anson's last child born when he was 60 years old.
Other Marriages
Later in his life, Anson Call married two other women who did not have children with him. These were Henrietta Caroline Williams, his brother Josiah's widow, and Ann Clark, who was his third wife Margaretta's sister.
See Also
- Mormon pioneers
- Mormon corridor
Images for kids
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Bishop Bowen Call, a colonizer in Mexico
