ALLEN FAMILY RECORDS OF JOY MAY ALLEN THOMASON
Granddaughter of Conrad S. Allen and Annie Emelia Anderson Allen.
Daughter of Narvel Leslie Allen and Margie Thorp Allen, written 1995
Rial Allen and Margaret "Peggy" Evins
Now on to my Great, Great, Great Grandfather. His name is Rial Allen, the 3rd child of Samuel and Nancy Easter Allen. Margaret was between 6 and 7 years his senior. This was not too unusual an occurrence after a great war like the Revolution when marriageable men were not very plentiful, so many women took husbands much younger than themselves. Rial was 15 when he married Margaret on October 21, 1806. In 1808, he bought a place about two miles west of his father's place. There on a hillside he built one of the most pretentious homes of that period. It was so far away from the water that it was decided it would have to be moved down near the river bed. When they moved it, they sawed off the corners of the house so that the witches would not molest them because of the new location. It was a home made of great logs with a window on each side of the fireplace which was the style at that period. It was here their 7 children were born.
Like his father, Rial was a farmer and breeder of beautiful thoroughbred horses. He was well off financially. His wife died in 1843 and when his children made up their minds to go to Missouri as pioneers to that state he sold his home and went with them. He settled in Savannah, Andrew County, Missouri and again none surpassed him in raising high grade cattle and horses. These were his delight, and up to the time of his death in 1865, he possessed the finest stock in his vicinity.
Four of his children had embraced the gospel of Latter-day Saints. It was a source3 of much grief to him that they would desire to go farther west and pioneer and unknown wast when there were such prosperous farms in Missouri. His youngest son Andrew Jackson Allen went with the pioneers to Utah in 1847. Rial offered him $600. if he would return to St. Joseph, Missouri. He did not return. On May 30, 1862 two more of his sons, James and Lewis started on their journey west to join the Saints. He also offered them $600.00 to return to Missouri to live near him but they also chose to remain in the west. At that time $600.00 was a lot of money.
In 1862 he built a fine new home for his daughter and her husband, who were childless, and he lived with them until his death in 1865. He had been a widower for twenty-two years. Rial Allen was not a big man, but stood very straight. He was of medium weight, not very heavy, of medium complexion and was getting grey in 1862. He had blue eyes, was of a kindly disposition, and gentle in his ways. Of his sons, James was most like him in build and disposition.
[Also see Rial Easter Allen history page in Leslie Mikesell Wood's Allen family gedcom]James Allen and Nancy McDaniel Allen
Now that brings me to my Great, Great Grandfather, James Allen. He was the oldest son of Rial and Margaret Evins Allen. James grew up nine miles out of Somerset, Kentucky. He fell in love with his cousin Nancy McDaniel Allen, daughter of his father's brother John and Rachael McDaniel Allen of the same place. She was born in 1809. The parents of both were very concerned about this marriage and in every way tried to dissuade them, but they were determined to wed, and finally the parents gave their consent so they were married January 20, 1831 and moved to Waitsboro, Calloway County, Kentucky. This is a station on the Columbia River and is situated on the Cumberland Pass. It is very beautiful country, the mountains of which are covered with a dense folliage. In the summer wild Honey-suckle vines cover the hills so thick that the perfume is wafted through the breeze all along the highways.
James and Nancy had 8 children, 3 girls and 5 boys. All of the children except Samuel Jackson Allen were born at Waitsboro, Callaway County, Kentucky. Samuel was born at Far West, Missouri. James and his family belonged to the Baptist church. The LDS Elders had taken the gospel to James and his brother Andrew Jackson Allen in 1835. James and Andrew went to Illinois to see the Prophet Josep Smith. A terrible gloom was over the city as the Prophet had been killed and the people were in mourning. They were very disappointed they were never to see him.
James settled in Savannah, Andrew County, Missouri until he was in a financial position to make the trip west. In May 1862 James and Lewis and their families started west. They were happy in the thought they would see their brother Andrew Jackson Allen, whom they had not seen in fifteen years. They had one horse team with them. Lewis had three covered wagons driven by oxen. James had two covered wagons with oxen and a buggy with a span of horses. They had other horses and these were used to drive the cattle. There were about fifteen head of milk cows, two young colts, almost old enough to wean, and provisions for the trip.
The weather was wonderful. When they came to the Mississippi River, they ferried across, they also had their oxen taken to the other side, but the horses and cattle had to swim. They saw antelope quite often but only one large herd of buffalo which they were in hopes of killing one, but were unsuccessful. They traveled weeks before they saw an indian. He was on a horse and came up to them. He wore a large feather in his head piece. He tried to talk to them but it was impossible to understand him. From that time on they saw many Indians. Squaws carrying their babies came up and begged from them. When they arrived at Ft. Laramie, they were able to purchase a quantity of buffalo meat, called dried venison. When they got to colorado, they were met by Francis Marion Allen, James and Nancy's son, who had been working in a mine at Pike's Peak. He joined his family and proceeded west with them.
On the 6th of September 1862 they arrived at their brother, Andrew Jackson Allen's home where they spent the winter. The following spring they settled in Cache Valley where he farmed and raised his family. Cache Valley was so named because on the long trips from Salt Lake to Idaho and the North, they head to have some place to cache provisions that they could replenish their supplies on these long trips. Here they cached supplies out of reach of the Indians and travellers and the valley became known as Cache Valley. Here and through Idaho are a great number of James Allen's descendants.
Soon to be continued on next page, James and Nancy McDaniel Allen's son Samuel Jackson Allen>
[Also see James Allen's history page in Leslie Mikesell Wood's Allen family gedcom]
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