Warren Foote and Artemisia Sidnie Myers

My great great grandfather, Warren Foote had an amazing life which we know about because he kept a journal.  He also keep a journal of the 1850 Company of covered wagons which crossed the plains from Nebraska to the Salt Lake Valley with Warren as Captain.  He provides an insider's view of history in the 1800's.  His journals are currently stored at the Church History Library in Salt Lake City.  They can be viewed if a personal request is made.  Here is a you tube video made during the viewing by a family descended from Warren.

I found this synopsis of his life on the Washington County (Utah) Historical Society site.

Warren Foote was born August 10, 1817 in the town of Dryden, Tompkins, New York. He was sick as a child and would pray often. He attended school and learned the things that he was taught. He read the Bible a great deal and was fond of reading histories.

In the Spring of 1833 he borrowed a Book of Mormon from his Uncle and read it through. Two Missionaries passed through town and stopped at his father's house and Warren listened to their conversation. He knew the Bible quite well and he knew they spoke the truth.

Only his father was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Warren did not join, his brothers or sisters did not join, nor did his mother. His brother George joined the Methodist Church and became very bitter toward the Church. Warren studied the Book of Mormon and the Bible.

His father decided to travel to Kirtland, Ohio. He wanted to gather with the saints, and meet Joseph Smith. George was headed that way too and so David Foote and his three sons; David, George and Warren traveled together, they split up when they reached Fairport Harbor in Lake Erie. Warren and his father went on to Kirtland. The Temple was already finished and dedicated when they arrived they went there. They met Joseph Smith Senior and they were shown the Mummies and the Papyrus, that later was translated into the Pearl of Great Price.

He followed his father through Missouri, then on to Nauvoo witnessing the great trials and the persecutions that the early Saints went through. On March 24, 1842 he finally was baptized. Some of his sisters had previously joined the church by that time. He went through his own trials as he watched his father pass away, then his mother. His mother was baptized shortly before she passed away. He buried both of them in the Nauvoo, Cemetery, in unmarked graves. He left Nauvoo after he and his wife went through the Nauvoo Temple to receive those Sacred Ordinances.

The path to Winter Quarters was physically and emotionally draining, he wrote, "Although my Grandfathers fought in the army of the Revolution and Grandfather Foote lost his life in the struggle for freedom and religious liberty, yet I am not permitted to enjoy that liberty." The trip took a little over two months. He settled in Kanesville and cut logs to help build the Tabernacle there.

He was elected the Captain of a Wagon Train that reached Utah September 17, 1850.

Throughout his life he did many things. He was a farmer and he kept his own bees, a stage driver, a school teacher, a miller, a post master, a Justice of the Peace, a Major in the Mormon Militia, a Civic Leader. He also wrote much in his journal and correspondence and he was a poet. 

He settled in Union, in the Salt Lake Valley. He married a second wife, later on, this second wife caused many trials and problems and broke his heart with grief when she left him. He always loved and cared for all his children equally, no matter which wife they were born to.

He took both wives and went to the "Cotton Missions of the Church" and settled as a leader of St. Joseph in the Muddy Settlements. His son David and himself, started to plow the ground and build houses. In 1866 because of the Black Hawk war they moved to St. Thomas. In 1870 Brigham Young and a few apostles came to visit. In 1871 due to the State boundaries surveyed, Brigham Young advised them to return to Utah and they settled in Long Valley. Pres. Leithead suggested to name the place Glendale, everybody agreed.


Warren made many trips to St. George for supplies that he bought, sold, and traded. He spent many hours doing genealogical research and spent much time in the St. George Temple. He visited with his many friends that lived around the St. George area.

He helped his children get established. He served as a member of the Kanab Stake High Council and his last years were spent as a Stake Patriarch.

He passed away on July 23, 1903. He was buried in the Glendale Cemetery.

Included in his journals are copies of the letters he sent as well as received from his brothers back east.  Some time after there were trains into Salt Lake City from Michigan, Warren traveled to Salt Lake City from southern Utah to meet with his brother, David, who came for a visit.  They went to a photographer to have their photograph taken with each other.  It was a joyous and one time only reunion.

Warren married Artemisia Sidnie Myers June 8, 1843 when she was just 15 years old.  The following history is found in Warren's journal.

Artemisia Sidney (Sidnie) Myers, was the daughter of Jacob Myers and Sarah Coleman Myers. She was born in Worthington, Richmond County, Ohio, January 24, 1829. Her parents embraced the gospel about the year 1834 and moved to Missouri in 1836 and settled in the eastern part of Caldwell County near Shoal Creek. Her father built the grist mill for Mr. Haun which was afterwards the scene of the massacre of which she was an eye witness. She was baptized in the summer of 1837 when in her ninth year.

Miss Myers was married to Warren Foote in Adams County, Illinois. She was endowed in the Nauvoo Temple, January 23, 1846. She and her husband started for the Salt Lake Valley, June 17, 1850 after living on the eastern side of the Missouri River at Mosquito Creek for a number of years. It was a wearisome journey of hundred and ten days, arriving in Salt Lake City, September 26, 1850.

They moved to Cottonwood in a fort called Union. They lived there until 1863. They were among the first settlers in Scipio, until 1864, when they were called to Salt Lake City, and she was sealed to her husband in the historian's office September 9, 1864 by George A. Smith. They were again sealed over the alter in the St. George Temple, February 21, 1878. 

On the 22nd day of May 1867 they were called on a mission to the Muddy in Nevada. When the Muddy Mission broke up Sister Foote left there with a baby two weeks old. She was in a weakened condition so her husband left her and the children in St. George while he went to Long Valley to get located. They stayed in St. George at the home of Bishop Robert Gardner. In May 1871 she left here for Glendale. Their team gave out at Short Creek, but her son, David, came to their rescue with a team procured from William Swapp. She was glad to reach Glendale and have a place to call home. 

(Note from Warren Foote's journal: Warren and Artemisa found two or three other families from the Muddy, one of whom was Royal J. Cutler, son of Harmon Cutler.) The log cabin left by the former settlers were covered with split cedar, then dirt, when it rained they leaked like a fiddle. These former settlers were driven out of Glendale by the Indians. They left a hand mill and after a little repairing they succeeded in grinding their corn. It was kept in constant use. 

Brother James Leithead, the first Bishop of Glendale, got the basement stones, and water wheel in position ready for the water mill, about January 1872. Although there were no bolts nor smutter it was a great improvement over the hand mill. In 1874 they started the United Order here. Sister Foote was rated as an outsider, as she did not believe it to be a true order, and did not join it. It lasted one summer. After the organization of the Relief Society in the Glendale Ward, Sister Foote was sustained as counselor to three different presidents.

(Note from Warren Foote's journal: "January 24, 1882. This being the fifty third anniversary of my wife's birthday, my daughters, Mary Irene and Artemisia [both married to Morton Brigham Cutler] got up a surprise dinner and a little before noon all my living children with their families [those who were married] began to gather in and to my wife's surprise, my daughters began to set the table, and to put upon it a well prepared and sumptuous dinner. It was a very interesting gathering. There were all my posterity now living, by both of my wives, gathered in my new house, a sight I never expected to see again in this life. There were eleven of my sons and daughters and fourteen grand Children. There were two son-in-laws present, [Oscar Beebe had not yet got home from the Muddy, Castle Valley] and two daughter-in-laws. The time passed off very pleasantly and will long be remembered.") 

Warren indicates in December 1884 Artemesia suffered from poor health as he states: "My wife continued to get worse through this month. She cannot eat anything without distressing her terribly. She is suffering very much and all we can do for her does not seem to do her any good. She worked herself down during the fall, drying fruits. Her ambition would not let the apples go to waste, but how much better it would have been to let them rot on the ground than for her to suffer as she is now suffering "The year 1884 closes with great sorrow and anxiety in my family because of the sickness of my wife. I do not feel to give her up, for I do not think her work in this life is done. We had intended to go to St. George this winter and work in the Temple but this sickness prevents us. I cannot leave her bedside but a few moments at a time day or night. My faith is that the Lord will yet raise her up from this bed of sickness to live many years yet."

Artemesia's poor health continued through 1885; by March "Artemesia continues very bad. We got the sisters to sit up with her nights. I sat in her room day after day watching over her. I could not read a newspaper, for the least rustling of paper or the snapping of the fire would set her crazy. She could sleep but little. Nights, the least noise would startle her. She is nothing but skin and bones. She cannot eat but barely enough to keep her soul and body together. There are but very few that thinks she can live. She has had several bad spells when it appeared as though she was just gone, and some thought she was dying, yet I did not feel to give her up. Her pains were so sever at times she begged of me to ask the Lord to take her. I could not for the spirit and whispered to me at a certain time when I sat at her bedside all alone and meditating on her condition that she should live. Therefore my prayer was continually that the Lord would give her strength to endure and overcome the disease preying upon her. I called the elders in several times to administer to her.  

"May 18th while I was eating breakfast, my wife being left alone in the room took a notion to get up and go out of doors and got a terrible fall in some way. We heard her fall and ran out, and found her lying with her back badly bruised and also her face. We carried her in and put her on the bed, and found that she could not turn herself. On examination we found that she had struck her back across something and bruised her backbone and nearly broken it...Now after her fall my wife became more natural in her mind and was not so nervous, notwithstanding she was badly hurt. "

June. She began to get better from this time, but very slowly. She looked like a living skeleton. August. My wife is till gaining slowly. "September. My wife continues to improve slowly. I can leave her long enough to stir around out of doors, and do some work. She has had a long siege of it and has suffered more than tongue can tell." (Throughout the next three years entries in Warren's journal indicate his wife continues to improve. In January 1888 an entry reads "my wife has continued to improve in health, so that she is able to do considerable work about the house." 

Her son, George Foote, adds: My mother was very industrious, generous to a fault and taught her children to suffer wrong rather than to do wrong. She told me her brothers used to wrestle with the Prophet Joseph and were a good match for him. She was well acquainted with the Prophet in Nauvoo. She was sworn assistant post-mistress. She was also a fine needle woman. Sister Foote was the mother of eleven children, six boys and five girls. She was taken with stomach trouble and was an invalid for eighteen years. During this time she did needle hand work and fancy work, which she gave to her friends and relatives in Glendale. She died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Andrew Olson, in Glendale, August 17, 1915.

Marker at the site of where Union Fort was situated.  It indicates that a Jehu Cox donated 10 acres for the fort. In the Improvement Era, July 1922 there is an article titled "Fort Union" by George Lee Sharp.  From that article I include a paragraph or two.

"I visited the site of the old stockade, formerly known as Fort Union, while seeking direct information on typical 'Mormon' pioneer landmarks, and froms ome of the gray-haired pioneeers I obtained an account of the founding, growth and expansion of the settlement.

Not long after the arrival of the pioneers in Salt Lake Valley, Brigham Young saw the necessity of expansion. Families were, therefore, sent into the outlying districts to make their homes and to till the soil, and it was partly the response to this call for new settlements that led to the founding of Union, now containing a population of about 500.

Some of the most notable settlers in the upbuilding of the colony were:  Elijah Cox, Robert Pate, Silas Richards, Rufus Forbush and his father, Thomas Ferry, Thomas Smart, and Warren Foote.  Several families moved to the place and took unto themselves the task of making the soil productive.  Things were progressing at a rapid rate when the famous Walker Indian War began, stopping the work of industry for the more pressing task of providing protection.

Orders were sent out for the 'Mormons' to construct forts to afford protection from the marauding Indians, and so it was that Fort Union came to be built.

Every able-bodied man put much of his time into building the fort walls which were made of adobes, rock, and mud plaster.  The walls were twelve feet high, four feet thick at the bottom, and two feet thick at the top.  The ten acre tract of land on which the stockade stood was given by Warren Foote, one of the early settlers."

In Warren's journal the following is written:

P. 132, 1852-3

July 24 This is the sixth anniversary of the Pioneers entering this valley.  Had a fine ward celebration consisting of speeches, songs, public dinner winding up in dancing.

About this time Indian Chief Walker commenced hostilities in the south.

Dec. 31st During the latter part of summer and the forepart of fall the Indians were very troublesome.  They stole many horses and killed several whites in the south.  The Southern Settlements were ordered to fort up immediately and also all the settlements in the Territory as soon as practical.  The companies in our Military District were ordered to guard the kanions day and night.  I spent about twelve days in guarding, but saw no Indians.  Our Ward laid out a fort one mile below our mill, west of the county road leading to Utah County.  It contains 10 acres and is laid off in lots containing 18 square rods (3 rods by 6) with two streets running east and west.  This is to be walled in with adobas or earth ten  feet high.  Corral lots are laid off on the out side on three sides.

P. 133, 1854

I took one and a fraction lot inside near the northeast corner, and got a house up of adobas one story 16 feet by 33.  Many have built in the fort and moved in.  It is called Union.

Warren makes no mention of donating any land for the fort.

The marker and monument now stand in a parking lot behind Deseret Book in the shopping center just off Fort Union Blvd.

An overview of the site

This is the sign located on the property with the story and asking for donations.  It seems to support the claim that Jehu Cox donated the ten acres for the fort.

This older building is located on the west side of the small park which marks the area where Warren and Artemisia (called Sidnie) lived on arriving in the Salt Lake Valley.

Warren and Sidnie's home in Glendale, Utah.  This home burned to the ground in the early 1900's.

Warren and Sidnie planted an apple orchard near their home and there are still apple trees on their land which produce apples.

Warren learned about milling from his father-in-law,  Jacob Myers.  He worked at mills near Union Fort and other areas as well as in Glendale.  These are millstones from that mill.

These are the remains of a two story cabin located at the top of Lydia's Canyon northwest of Glendale which Warren, his oldest son David, and other family members built.  It was a summer home with a large meadow where the cows had feed and water.  There was also a spring near the house which helped to cool the homemade cheese and butter they would prepare to trade for other goods in Panguitch, Utah.  They also had their own little piece of what is  found at Bryce Canyon National Park.

Warren and Sidnie are buried in the Glendale Cemetery.

After reading of Sidnie's health issues, it is surprising that she outlived Warren by a dozen years.

Both graves are marked with the special marker designating them as Utah Pioneers.

This memorial is located in the Museum in Logandale, Nevada where St. Joseph of the Muddy Mission was once located.  It shows Warren with both of his wives who accompanied him here.  Both wives also joined him in Glendale.  There were apparently always tensions between the wives and Eliza Maria Ivie left Glendale in 1876 after 20 years of marriage.  It was a very sad time for all involved including their children who loved Warren deeply.

My husband and I are currently working with a committee which is planning a National Foote Family Meeting to be held in Salt Lake City July 23 - 25, 2015.  There are members on the committee who are descended from both wives.

This is picture of my son, David Foote Jensen, holding his new son, Warren Foote Jensen.  We named our son David in honor of the original David Foote who is buried in Nauvoo after finding the David's older daughter, Betsy Clement, was my husband, Glen's, ancestor and his youngest son, Warren Foote, was mine.  My son felt it was important to carry on the tradition of Davids and Warrens.