Midwife Mary Curtis Miller. The Fox Family.

The following items are taken from the book Castle Valley: A History of Emery County, by the Daughters of Utah Pioneers.  I put the first story in because the Mrs. Miller was Mary Curtis who is a daughter of Simmons Philander Curtis.  Her husband Scott was a veteran of the Civil War and I may tell that story in more detail in a later post.  The second story I put in because there was a question or comment about someone wanting more information about the Fox family.  I don't have much but I did find a paragraph from the same book.

     "There were no doctors within a hundred miles or more.  The neighbors took turns caring for each other during sickness.  Mrs. Miller delivered most of the babies.  Strange to say, so far from doctors or hospitals, there were few deaths other than by accident or infirmities subject to old age.  Mustard plasters, onion syrup for coughs, sulphur and molasses for spring tonic, were the usual remedies; but many herbs served too." 

     "For recreation we had country dances in the school house, music being furnished by a fiddle and later on a piano.  Mrs. Hinson played the piano.  The entire family would go.  Children were put to sleep on the floor.  About midnight we would serve lunch and when day break came we would all wend our way homeward to start a new day.  We also went skating and sleigh riding in the winter.  In the summer we had picnics and straw rides.  We had very little money but received our full share of pleasure and enjoyments.  One event we looked forward to was the candy-pull at the home of the Foxes.  We really put on our best social manners as they were considered 'Society.'  They had an upstairs and a  piano and to be invited  there was an event on the social calendar."