Nash Draw in the Bookcliffs.

Max begins herding sheep 

The story goes that my dad, Max, went to work herding sheep when he was about 13.  That is when he left school.  Must have been just after the 8th grade.  The school at Woodside must have burned down about that time because he used to joke that they had to burn down the school to get him out of the 8th grade.  He told me this many times.

I guess I never knew where he went to herd sheep at this time.  I thought that he went to Elliott Mesa. My brother Leon told me that he went to the Bookcliffs east of the Green River.  A large part of this area is now part of the Uintah-Ouray Indian Reservation.  They did not always get crummy land. The Bookcliffs here are very beautiful.  It is remote and hard to get to but it is beautiful.  I spent a couple of summers there working for the Utah State Forest Service in the 1970s.

Before it was part of the Reservation it was cattle county and outlaw country.  At least three outlaws met their demise at or near these Bookcliffs.  Joe Walker and Johnny Herring were killed by a posse. Flatnose George Curry was also killed near there along the Green River.  George was a big trophy for the posse.  He was the leader of the Hole-in-the-Wall gang at one time.  He had also just recently participated in the Wilcox Train Robbery.

This was also the domain of the Webster City Cattle Company.  This cattle company was owned by some men from Webster City, Iowa.  There was no Webster City in Utah.  There was a headquarters for the ranch but it was not called Webster City.

Leon told me that about 1957 they went hunting at Nash Draw on a late deer hunt.  Dad was somewhat familiar with the area because he had herded sheep there as a young man.  That's the area he went to when he started out at 14 years of age.  I went with my dad on a deer hunt there a few years later. Probably about 1962.  I love this area and think about it often.  It has a deep and special meaning to me to know that my father and I had been in the same area though at different times and under different circumstances.

I don't know the exact areas where he was but I spent a bit of time on Hill Creek and even met William Cunningham at his ranch in Bogart Canyon.  I believe this was the headquarters for the Webster City Cattle Company.  It fits the descriptions from some of the newspaper articles that I have read.  It seems like Bill Cunningham even said that there used to be a lot of buildings there.  Buildings like bunkhouses for the cowboys. quarters for families, hotel, saloon, school and maybe even a church.

I have other stories that I will post at some future times.  My dad met my mother at Clear Creek when he was herding sheep.  I was deer hunting with him on a late hunt near Scofield.  He spent a month on the Elliott Plateau without seeing another human being.
Nicholas

The Son of the Sundance Kid.

Robert Harvey Longabaugh claimed to be the son of the Sundance Kid and Etta Place.  He lectured at libraries, dropped in on newspaper offices and talked to anyone who would listen in the Western United States during 1970 and 1971.

There are a few transcripts of his lectures available but only one known lecture that is preserved as an audio file.  Robert gave a lecture in Ellensburg, Washington on July 17, 1971 that was recorded and is now available as a .wma audio file.

I'm done with Chemo Treatments.

For now at least I am done with chemo treatments.  On October 27, 1016 I did my last scheduled treatment.  My first treatment was on May 19, 2016.  That makes almost 2 1/2 years of treatments.

When I first started my treatments I was losing weight.  I was down to under 150 pounds with my clothes on.  I white blood cell count was low.  I was bleeding internally and I was pale.

Now I am over 170 pounds with my clothes on.  My blood count is good.  I am not bleeding and I have my color.  I am vibrant.  I exercise daily and much of my weight is muscle as opposed to fat.

Do I dare say that this is a miracle?  Just before I went into the hospital I had a Priesthood blessing.  I used my faith in the blessing and science to get healthy.  I am so thankful to all those cancer patients who went on before me to help improve the science.  My heart goes out to all who get cancer.  More especially young adults and children.  They don't deserve this.

So while I do give credit I fault the Government and the FDA for allowing so many chemicals and additives into our food that causes cancer. diabetes, heart disease, obesity and even dementia or Alzheimer's Disease.

I am so grateful for my health and value my body and my health as among my most prized possessions.  Probably family is the only thing that is worth more than our health.  Being close to God is also up there.  I put God and family as practically the same thing.
Nicholas

The Bookcliffs.

Let's talk about the bookcliff mountains a little bit.

The bookcliffs were named by Lt. John W. Gunnison who was surveying a railroad route for the Government.  He thought that they looked like books so that's what he named them.  The bookcliffs extend from near Helper or Castle Gate in Utah to Grand Junction in Colorado.  All four Joseph's lived at or near the bookcliffs.

Joseph the first was one of the early settlers of Woodside, Utah.  The Price River runs right through Woodside and goes through the bookcliffs in an almost box canyon.  It is even call box canyon on some early maps.  Range Creek is to the north and the Elliott Plateau, Mesa or Mountain is to the south as the Lower Price River empties into the Green River north of the town of Green River.  I believe the the Curtis Formation, which is part of the San Rafael Group of geologic formations, is named after Joe because he was one of the first settlers of Woodside.  The Curtis formation is adjacent to the Summerville Formation.  Summerville was also an early settler of Woodside.

There are a couple of stories in this blog associated with Joseph 2nd or Dode.  One is dated April 16, 2011 and has to do with some claims that Dode had north of the Price River in Park Wash which empties into the Price River.  There is also the story of Dode having a wolf attack a young colt in the Park.  The colt later died from it's injuries.  The Park is in the Bookcliffs just above Horse Canyon and near the head of Park Wash

Joseph 3rd, Max, ranched at Woodside in the 1960s and 1970s.  From his ranch you could see the prominent Beckwith Peak, sometimes called Mt. Elliott, which stands out rather majestically.  I will talk about Beckwith Peak in my next blog.

Finally Joseph 4th, Nicholas, me.  I am rather fascinated with rock formations and geographic locations.  I use the name bookcliff for a couple of email addresses and logins for account on the internet.

Below are some pictures of the Price River and Beckwith Peak.  Beckwith Peak is named for Lt. Beckwith who took the place of Lt. Gunnison who was promoted to Captain and later killed by Indians near Delta, Utah on the Sevier River.

This first picture was taken about 1977.  The beaches along the Price River no longer look like this.  In fact there isn't much in the was of beaches anymore along the Price River.  Willow and other plants go right up to the river along the bank on both sides of the river.  This cabin and the trees were taken by floods in the river.  There is usually at least one big flood a year and sometimes three or four time a year.  These floods can and do change the the course of the river and take objects with them.  My dad has lost pumps in these flood when he did not take the suction hose out of the river.  You don't go against Mother Nature.  

This picture was taken about the same time and of course in black and white.  That is alkali rather than snow in the picture.  John Wesley Powell originally named this river the White River because of all the alkali where the it emptied into the Green River.  

 

This is a more modern picture taken just a few years ago.  It was originally posted to this blog in 2008.  This picture was taken on our property, the ranch, near the pond.  Can you see the Kachina?  It is in all three pictures.  

New Enos Curtis Picture.

This picture is not really new.  It has been around for over a century and a half.  Thanks to the internet it is now out in public view.  When I first saw this picture I was skeptical that it was really Enos.  I mean, where has this picture been.  But I looked at it closely and figured that it looked like family members and what I would picture Enos might look like.  Besides, I figured that there had to be a decent picture of him out there.  Or I hoped that there would be because we didn't have a good picture of him.  So it is like an answer to prayer. 

Here is the website where this picture is and another website of blog that has information about Enos also.  I'm sure that there are countless others.  The first one is the one that had the picture and has over 100 pages about Enos.   The third website is just a google search that has a lot of picture related to Enos Curtis and about half of them are actually our family.  I also added two more websites. 

These first two websites also link to other people of interest and their stories.  All of these links, except the google search, came from the first website. 

http://familyhistory.willowrise.com/enos-curtis-1783/

http://mikeandrhondafamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2011/03/enos-curtis-by-gloria-galloway-and.html

https://www.google.com/search?q=enos+curtis&safe=strict&biw=1280&bih=643&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwjn2pqGirLNAhVNSVIKHaN-Bi4Q7AkIPQ#imgrc=a3wYB6Y0MovmxM%3A

http://firstconvertsinmyancestry.blogspot.com/2010/08/enos-and-ruth-franklin-curtis.html

http://www.familylinks.us/EC-m.html

Benefits of Bee Pollen. How much to take.

http://www.mercola.com/article/diet/bee_pollen.htm 

Bee pollen contains all the essential components of life. The percentage of rejuvenating elements in bee pollen remarkably exceeds those present in brewer's yeast and wheat germ. Bee pollen corrects the deficient or unbalanced nutritioncommon in the customs of our present-day civilization of consuming incomplete foods, often with added chemical ingredients, which expose us to physiological problems as various as they are numerous.

http://www.bee-pollen-buzz.com/how-much-bee-pollen.html 

http://www.secrets-of-longevity-in-humans.com/bee-pollen-benefits.html 

One of the most amazing bee pollen facts is that it takes one bee working eight hours a day, one month to gather just one teaspoon of bee pollen granules. 

~High on the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity) scale due to a wide array of antioxidants (it is scored at 164, while blueberries for example are a 61) 

http://www.bee-pollen-power.com/how-much-bee-pollen/ 

Athletes swear it helps them have more stamina and recover from workouts faster.

Those undergoing cancer treatments state bee pollen helps them to increase their appetite so they can maintain better overall health while fighting the disease.

If you are taking raw or fresh frozen bee pollen then the recommended daily dose is 1 or 2 tablespoons per day.

25 Foods People Over 45 Should Eat.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nutrition/25-foods-people-over-45-should-eat/ss-BBpdjg3?ocid=iehp#image=14

01  Wild Salmon
02  Avocado
03  Green Tea
04  Chia Seeds
05  Oatmeal
06  Blueberries
07  Strawberries
08  Olive Oil
09.  Eggplant
10.  Walnuts
11.  Guava

Get this: Studies suggest that those with high levels of vitamin C in their systems may also have the lowest incidence of diabetes. But before you reach for that orange to stay healthy, consider this: Guava provides 600% of the day’s vitamin C in just one cup! A small round orange, on the other hand, packs just 85%. Although the tropical fruit packs 4 grams of protein per cup, Smith suggests pairing guava with an additional source of protein—like nuts or a low-fat cheese stick—to ensure blood sugar levels remain even keel. 

12.  Beans
13.  Cherries

Cherries are packed with anthocyanins, an antioxidant that helps lower blood sugar levels in diabetics. In fact, a Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry study found that anthocyanins could reduce insulin production by as much as 50%! And get this: Cherries can also help whittle your middle. They’re so efficient at zapping fat that we’ve named them one of the 30 Best Foods for 6-Pack Abs!


14.  Eggs
15.  Unprocessed Wheat Bran
16.  Sardines
17.  Turmeric
18.  Carrots
19.  Leafy Greens

You already knew that nutrient-packed leafy greens like kale, bok choy and spinach should make a regular appearance in your diet, but were you aware that they can help keep you aches and pains at bay? It’s true—and it’s all thanks to their high levels of sulforaphane, a compound that blocks enzymes linked to joint destruction and inflammation. 

20.  Beets
21.  Beet Greens
22.  Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes are packed with potassium, a mineral that can lessen the effects of sodium on blood pressure. They’re also rich in carotenoids, powerful antioxidants which help stabilize blood sugar levels and lower insulin resistance, which prevents calories from being converted into fat. (Woohoo!) Roast them up as a side to grilled meats or fish, or slice and bake them into healthy fries, drizzled with coconut oi;.

23.  Dark Chocolate
24.  Whole Grain Bread
25.  Pork Tenderloins

My mother used to say, "My girl is a bell."

Isabella

Actually my girl is Isabella.  My mother's name is Vesta Isabella Pettersson Curtis.  She was not the first Isabella.  I will discuss here some of her ancestors, and mine, who were also named Isabella.

I believe my mother was named after Vesta Isabella Dixon.  She died at 3 years of age.  Born August 3, 1898 in Coalville, Summit, Utah.  Died January 26, 1902 in Scofield, Carbon, Utah.  Buried January 29, 1902 in Coalville, Summit, Utah.

They were both named after Isabella Pilkington.  Isabella Pilkington was the mother of both Vesta Isabella Dixon and Vesta Isabella Pettersson Curtis.  Isabella Pilkington was born May 16, 1854 in Bolton, Lancashire, England.  She died November 26, 1931 and is buried at Scofield, Carbon,  Utah.

Isabella Pilkington also had a daughter named Miriam Isabella Dixon.  She is the mother of Vesta Isabella Dixon.  Miriam was born April 28, 1876 in Smithfield, Cache, Utah.  She died September 22, 1906 in Salt Lake City and was buried September 25, 1906 at Coalville, Summit, Utah.  This information contradicts the death certificate for Miriam.  The death certificate is wrong.  See below for information on newspaper articles which already have her buried before the date on the death certificate. 

Isabella Pilkington's father was William Pilkington, Sr.  He had a sister named Isabella Pilkington Frost.  She was born January 30, 1925  in Little Bolton, Lancashire, England.  She married Hugh Hilton April 9, 1852 in St. Louis, Missouri.  She died June 5, 1875 in Virgin City, Washington, Utah and is buried there.  She had a daughter named Isabella Jane Hilton born July 21, 1866 and died August 23, 1867 all in Virgin City, Washington, Utah and is buried there.

There is another Isabella.  Miriam Isabella Livsey was born July 22, 1907 in Scofield, Carbon, Utah, a daughter of William Livsey and Anna Elizabeth Eden.  William is the younger brother of my grandmother Ellen Lydia Livsey Pettersson.  Miriam died October 25, 1972 and apparently is buried in San Diego, California. 

Coalville Times, September 28, 1906, page 1.
http://udn.lib.utah.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/coalville/id/29774/show/29659/rec/2

Salt Lake Herald, September 28, 1906, page 7.
http://udn.lib.utah.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/slherald2/id/36211/show/36363/rec/24