Octavia Jacosa Sims - Family and Life Styles
Contributed By: Charlene Olson · 26 January 2015 · on familysearch.org
The Gospel of Jesus Christ alters the lives of its members – especially the newest ones. In the times of Octavia Jacosa Sims, they traveled thousands of miles to places they had never see, and in some cases, places they had never heard of, at the request of their Prophet, Brigham YoCung. Even as far away as England, the saints sold all that they owned in order to book passage on a ship and sail for America. Jacosa and her family were no exception – at the age of five, her family crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Liverpool, England. After their arrival to New York City, 2 July 1863, (while the Civil War was raging), the Sims family made their way to the mid-west where they embarked on crossing the great plains of the United States in a covered wagon. They had a burning testimony that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was true, and they wanted to heed the call of a Prophet of God, and help settle the Great Salt Lake Valley and the West. There, the saints could rest from the torment of constant persecution. But the Salt Lake Valley was not the end of Jacosa’s pioneering experiences – nor did reaching the Salt Lake Valley end her desire to follow the call of a Prophet of God. Later in life, she and her husband, Parley Pratt Sabin, and their three children, were called by another prophet of God, President John Taylor, to travel again, again by covered wagon, and help establish a Mormon settlement in the forbidden, dry and desolate territory of Southern Arizona.
Octavia Jacosa Sims was born 17 October 1857, in Cheltenham, Gloucester, England. Her parents were George Sims, born 4 April 1817, and Caroline Gill, born 1 May 1822. She was the fifth in a family of seven children. Her siblings were Martha born, 12 June 1844; Mary, born 28 January 1846; Hannah Maria Septima, born 20 July 1848; Samuel John, born 18 April 1850; Priscilla, born 21 October 1852; and, Lorenzo Obostick, born 3 September 1861. All family members were born in Gloucestershire, England.
Five Generations of Sims 1.Joseph Sims, christened 1706 in Wotton-Under-Edge; Gloucester, England, married Mary Laird; 2.John Sims, christened 13 May 1744 in Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucester, England, married Elizabeth Ponting; 3.Samuel Sims, christened 8 January 1782 in Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucester, England, married Sophia Cousins; 4.George Sims, christened 4 April 1817 in Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucester, England, married Caroline Gill; and, 5.Octavia Jacosa Sims, born 17 October 1857 in Cheltenham, Gloucester, England, married Parley Pratt Sabin. The first four generations of the Sims family members listed above, were all born in Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire, England. The people of Wotton-Under-Edge were largely involved in either raising sheep for wool, or making wool into useful items such as cloth for clothing. Jacosa’s great-great-father, Joseph Sims was a weaver by trade, he wove the woolen threads into fabric as a cottage industry – this was commonly done during that time period. His son, John (Jacosa’s great-grandfather), born at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in England (which took place during (1740-1850), learned this artisan trade of weaving from his father. This skill was handed down from industrial revolution and likely wove fabric on a loom at home. With the passing of time, the industrial revolution transformed England into a world power. This event caused many people to leave their quiet, rural settings, where weavers and other artisans worked in their cottages or small businesses making cloth and other necessary goods, for the big cities – people flocked to the large industrialized centers. There, they worked on Giant looms, in cloth making factories. The men were generally the engineers, the women and children were needed to thread the machines and count the number of threads per inch. (Tightly woven cloth, with many threads per inch, is better quality and longer lasting fabric.) The factories required the people to work long, tiring and monotonous hours. Wotton-Under-Edge was famous for its wool production, and later, its clothing factories. Due to the time period of Jacosa’s grandfather, Samuel Sims, and her father, George Sims, likely wove cloth on giant industrialized looms found in factories, or left the trade all together for new employment. George moved to a larger city, Cheltenham, which is about 30-35 miles north from Wotton-Under-Edge, where Mary, Hannah Maria Septima, Samuel John, Pricilla, and Octavia Jacosa Sims (five out of his seven children). Shortly after the Industrial Revolution, Octavia Jacosa Sims was born 17 October 1857, in Cheltenham, Gloucester, England. Cheltenham was not a manufacturing town, but a marketing town; it was also a place for the “Respectable” class of citizens (or the wealthy) to visit and relax. It had fine hotels, a railway system and five newspapers. Evidence indicated that George Sims left his weaving trade to pursue a new vocation, because in the 1851 English Census he is listed as a paper hanger. This skill was an asset in a city with fine home and hotels.
Octavia Jacosa Sims - Religious Persecution - The Gospel of Jesus Christ
Contributed By: Charlene Olson · 26 January 2015 · on familysearch.org
Before the 18th century, citizens of Britain belonged to the Church of England, (there were a few who attended the Catholic Church.) By the latter part of the eighteenth century religions reformers were creating congregations of people who had formerly belonged to the Church of England. These were called nonconformists. The working class, or the artisan class (weavers, bakers, shoe-makers, blacksmith, tailors and etc.) were generally the most eager to join these nonconformist congregations- they were enthused to attend the religion of their choice. In the beginning, these people were heavily persecuted by those belonging to the Church of England, but as time passed they were just considered second class citizens, and thus they did not receive the opportunities to progress socially or economically in English Society.
Nonconformists were the first to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in England. So the church of nonconformity was a stepping stone from the Church of England into the Lord’s Church. Jacosa’s great-grandfather, John Sims, and his wife Elizabeth Ponting, were both christened and married in the Church of England, and their records are housed in the Wotton-Under-Edge Bishops’ Transcripts. However, after their marriage, they joined a nonconformist religion – the Wotton-Under-Edge Tabernacle Calvinistic Methodist Church. There, they had their children christened, beginning with their son James who was christened in 1777. Consequently, the Sims family, beginning with John, then his son, Samuel, and grandson George, first endured the heavy religious persecution that evolved into second class citizenship that suppressed their social and economic opportunity to develop and grow.
Sometime prior to 1850, while living in England, Jacosa’s family was introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first missionaries representing the Mormon Church were called to preach the Gospel in England in 1838. By 1841 there were 6,000 members of the Mormon Church in England. George Sims, Jacosa’s father was baptized 16 February 1850. His wife, Caroline Gill was baptized 28 February 1850. George and his family were not the first in England to join the Church, but likely knew some of the earliest converts who embraced the precious blessings brought about by the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Octavia Jacosa Sims - The Call To Gather
Contributed By: Charlene Olson · 26 January 2015 · on familysearch.org
The movement of the Mormons from the Old World to Zion was challenging. Complex planning was necessary in order to cross thousands of miles of water and land to settle in Utah. As a consequence of baptism, this family heeded the call of the Prophet Brigham Young to join the Saints in the Rocky Mountains of the Salt Lake Valley. Though a widow, and being without the help, support and protection of a husband, Caroline Sims, in 1863, with courage and a testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ in their heart, booked passage for she and her family on the ship Cynssure, and boarded in Liverpool, England. Listed on the passenger list is: mother Caroline age 41, Mary age17, Septima age 16, John age 13, Priscilla age 10, Jacosa age 5, and Lorenzo age 2 (who died and was buried at sea). Besides George (Caroline’s husband who died 3 March 1862), Martha (their oldest daughter), is not included in this passenger list.
What did the passengers experience as they crossed the Atlantic Ocean? Mormon Emigrants were organized into companies, both on ship and in wagon trains. There were leaders of companies and one leader over all the companies. Often Emigrants were organized by language, with English on one side of the ship and other language speaking Saints on the other side. They were extremely organized. The Liverpool port was crescent shaped, and nearly 20,000 ships entered and left each year. All departures took place from Liverpool; even those from southern England would venture to Liverpool for their journey by ship to America. In bad weather hatches were battened down, and one reporter wrote that men, women, and children screamed all night in terror. William Clayton said: “The wind blew hard….many were sick all night…Such sickness, vomiting, groaning and bad smells I never witnessed before and added to this the closeness of the births (built in beds) almost suffocated us for want of air.”
Burials at sea were common. The Sims, like most passengers had never traveled by sea before, so burials at sea were a frightening thing. Jacosa’s youngest brother died at sea in 1863. There is no record as the cause of his death. One can only imagine the difficulty in traveling by ship and being tossed about a constant movement on the Atlantic Ocean – the suffering being compounded by the death of a loved one, and then witnessing the lifeless little body of a two year old being thrown overboard into the debts of the ocean’s deep. This must have been a devastating event for the Sims family. But the Gospel’s message of the eternal potential of the family must have been comforting as the Holy Ghost witnessed a new to them in their time of devastating grief.
One passenger, a Mormon said her six weeks at sea was the most miserable of her life, including the trek to Utah. The journey across the ocean from England to New York generally took from four to six weeks. When the ships landed in the New York harbor, it was necessary to quarantine all on board. Passengers had to remain on board until medical authorities cleared passengers to leave ship.
On 2 July 1863, the Sims family landed at Castle Garden, New York. Castle Garden was a small inland just off Manhattan, very near the location of the Trade Towers which one day would be destroyed by terrorists. At Castle Garden, emigrants were cleared by authorities. They had to be cleared medically and financially to be permitted to leave the island. Emigrants had to be very careful of scam artists who would take advantage of them. An example was lodging, if the emigrants were staying in New York for any length of time, there were economical lodgings available, but scam artists would try to lure them to very expensive accommodations further in the city. Generally, companies on board ships stayed together as they disembarked and made their way west.
Octavia Jacosa Sims - Arrived During the Civil War
Contributed By: Charlene Olson · 26 January 2015 · on familysearch.org
The American Civil War was raging during the summer of 1863 in the eastern part of Pennsylvania – just one day before the Sims family arrived in New York City. This bloody battle was the consequence of General Robert E. Lee deciding to take the war north “to the enemy” but the Confederacy never penetrated that far north again, thus this was the high point of the Confederate army. A chance encounter between Union and Confederate forces began the Battle of Gettysburg. During the fighting that followed, General Meade had greater numbers and better defensive positions than Lee and his rebels. The Union forces eventually “won” the battle. This battle had the highest number of deaths of any battle during the Civil War – nearly 50,000 American soldiers lost their lives during three days (about the same number American soldiers died at Gettysburg as during the almost 14 years of the Viet Nam War.) This was a low point for President Abraham Lincoln who later penned the Gettysburg address and on 19 November of that same year, he dedicated a portion of the battlefield as a national cemetery.
Were these emigrants away of the Civil War’s devastation? While Jacosa and her family were waiting at Castle Garden, did they know that 160 miles to the southwest, 50,000 Americans were being slaughtered? One must wondered if there was any discussion amongst the saints about:
Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls.” (D & C 87:1)
After leaving the island, it is very likely that Jacosa and her family traveled by train up the east side of the Hudson River to near Buffalo, New York, to cross a suspension bridge at Buffalo. At that particular time, the Civil War likely hindered, to some degree, their ability to travel in this part of the country – but how much we do not know. There was also the expense involved with travel and moving belongings from the train, across the river to the next train station. Really poor families might even travel in drafty, sometimes open cars to the “jumping off point west.” One emigrants states, “after a long hard journey we landed in New York and went from there to the Mississippi River in cattle cars on account of the Civil War. The doors had to be kept shut and everything still so the enemy would think the railroad car was empty. Often, members of the Church took the train to Winter Quarters, now known as Florence, Nebraska. Here they were outfitted to cross the plains.
The American Civil War was raging during the summer of 1863 in the eastern part of Pennsylvania – just one day before the Sims family arrived in New York City. This bloody battle was the consequence of General Robert E. Lee deciding to take the war north “to the enemy” but the Confederacy never penetrated that far north again, thus this was the high point of the Confederate army. A chance encounter between Union and Confederate forces began the Battle of Gettysburg. During the fighting that followed, General Meade had greater numbers and better defensive positions than Lee and his rebels. The Union forces eventually “won” the battle. This battle had the highest number of deaths of any battle during the Civil War – nearly 50,000 American soldiers lost their lives during three days (about the same number American soldiers died at Gettysburg as during the almost 14 years of the Viet Nam War.) This was a low point for President Abraham Lincoln who later penned the Gettysburg address and on 19 November of that same year, he dedicated a portion of the battlefield as a national cemetery.
Were these emigrants away of the Civil War’s devastation? While Jacosa and her family were waiting at Castle Garden, did they know that 160 miles to the southwest, 50,000 Americans were being slaughtered? One must wondered if there was any discussion amongst the saints about:
Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls.” (D & C 87:1)
After leaving the island, it is very likely that Jacosa and her family traveled by train up the east side of the Hudson River to near Buffalo, New York, to cross a suspension bridge at Buffalo. At that particular time, the Civil War likely hindered, to some degree, their ability to travel in this part of the country – but how much we do not know. There was also the expense involved with travel and moving belongings from the train, across the river to the next train station. Really poor families might even travel in drafty, sometimes open cars to the “jumping off point west.” One emigrants states, “after a long hard journey we landed in New York and went from there to the Mississippi River in cattle cars on account of the Civil War. The doors had to be kept shut and everything still so the enemy would think the railroad car was empty. Often, members of the Church took the train to Winter Quarters, now known as Florence, Nebraska. Here they were outfitted to cross the plains.
Octavia Jacosa Sims - Crossing the Plains
Contributed By: Charlene Olson · 26 January 2015 · on familysearch.org
In Florence, Nebraska, wagon companies were organized in groups of fifty wagons each. There were captains over groups of hundreds, fifties and tens. One company after another moved out for the purpose of bringing the poor Saints across the plains who were immigrating to the Salt Lake Valley. Those who were able walked most of the way, resulting in very sore feet, but happy to heed the call of the prophet to Zion. If their shoes wore out along the way, the remainder of the journey was made with bare feet. The Mormon Trail is 1,032 miles from Winter Quarters (Florence Nebraska) to Salt Lake City, Utah. This trail was used from 1846 – 1869.
Everyone was expected to follow their leader and to obey the rules. The wagon companies had a daily routine. There was discipline, hard work, each member was expected to assist another, and devotional practices were held. As a rule, they did not travel on Sunday.
Included in this paper are details from journals written by pioneers from other companies, who journeyed west in wagon companies to Salt Lake City during the late summer of 1863. These will enlighten the reader about similar experiences endured by Jacosa Sims and her family as they made their way west to Salt Lake City, Utah.
It was a long and tiresome journey – over a wild stretch of prairie and desert, and among bleak and snowcapped mountains, a journey memorable for its hardships including fatigue, hunger and sickness – occupying four months of the lives of the pioneers, but every day bringing new adventure. Six thousand people died on the trail during the years the Mormon Trail was used. The greatest threats to life were illness and accident. They suffered from poor nutrition and exposure to the elements.
They feared attack from Indian bands that roamed the plains through which their route lay. The Indians were frightening because they were governed by no law, save that of the strongest arm. In 1863, (the years the Sims family was crossing the plains) the Indians were on the war path, killing people in many private companies as they crossed the plains, but they did not molest the Latter-day Saints. One pioneer found out later that the eighty Indians who stopped him were “Paunese” (Pawnees), and were after a band of Sioux to fight. Afterwards, he traveled rather nervously, knowing that the Indians were also on the war path against each other, and perhaps the next band of Indians would not let him off so easily.
“One evening we were camped not very far from some brush. Just as we were finishing up our evening meal and it was starting to get dark a big Indian came out of the brush. He looked up and down the group of people. I suppose he was looking for an animal to steal to slaughter. I tried to get right underneath my Dad when he lay down to sleep so the Indian couldn't get me.” During this time period, Jacosa was only five years old while crossing the plains – she must have felt similar fear and a longing for protection.
Long and dry stretches of prairie was tiresome and hot, but when the pioneers arrived at a river the children (for protection) would get into a wagon or on a horse. Sometimes the men would throw three or four children on the back of a horse and they would “hang on for dear life” while the company went through the river – this would nearly frighten the mothers to death. “I was scared of the horse and scared of the water too. Some waded in water up to their mid-chest – if the current was very strong they would hold hands. Some adults held a child in one arm and another child in the other arm. The summer being hot, when the pioneers got wet they let their clothes dry on them so they could stay cool.
“When the wagon company passed near the Sweet Water River there were a large number of cattle dead all at one time, and they were lying in the center of the path and there were seventy-five or eighty large prairie wolves eating the carcasses, and about one hundred coyotes waiting until the wolves were satisfied. These wolves were large ones and could easily have attacked our teams. We did not feel afraid of them as they had plenty to eat and we knew they will only attack a man if they are wounded or hungry. It was a sight to see their long hair and bushy tails shining in the sun, with their red mouths open and their teeth snarling at us as we passed through them, some of them not more than twenty-five feet from our team. It was quite a relief when we got passed them and out of sight. Few men have seen such a large number of grey wolves at one time.”
At night when it was time to sleep if there was not room in the wagon I would lay down by our camp fire and attempt to sleep but it was not uncommon to hear wolves howling around us all night long.”
Day after day they journeyed westward with their minds and hearts set on the goal of entering the Salt Lake Valley, where they could be safe from the persecution they had endured for so long. “One day towards evening our captain told us to prepare for a big wind storm. All the fires were put out and the wagons were put in a circle, the wheels of each wagon fastened together with heavy log chains, and the cattle all inside of the enclosure. Just as we finished getting ready the storm came, such a piercing and stormy wind, which is seemed to almost take our breath away. We had to hold on to the wagons less we be blown away. After it was over I don’t think there was one wagon cover left all had been blown to pieces.”
The pioneers continued their journey day after day about the same routine – one continuous stretch of country. Their journey took between ten weeks and three months. Jacosa and her family arrived in Salt Lake City in October or November of 1863.
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| Octavia Jacosa Sims (Sabin) with Pearl Elizabeth Sabin (McRae) |
Octavia Jacosa Sims - Settling Mission
Contributed By: Charlene Olson · 26 January 2015 · on familysearch.org
In 1877, Parley was called by President John Taylor on a settling mission to Arizona (Church Historian’s Office dated 7 April 1877). During Brigham Young’s and John Taylor’s ecclesiastical administration, it was very common for the Prophet to stand at General Conference and announce over the pulpit the names of men who were called to settle various parts of the western United States territory including, Canada and Mexico. In Utah alone there were new Mormon settlements or communities about every fifty miles. This act of relocation required great faith in the prophet of God, for these missionaries to take their families in covered wagons, with only the bare necessities, to the various parts of the remote and desolate country in order to start a new settlement. Included in each Mormon settling party were a blacksmith, carpenter, farmer, cattleman, shopkeeper, those with masonry skills, a doctor, midwives, and all those who would aid in the formation and development of a new settlement. These men were equipped with an assortment of talents that could provide the needs for a Latter-day Saint community. (Parley, fit the mold perfectly – he, like his father, was very skilled, inventive and hard working.) These communities provided space where the saints could thrive, raise their families and live the commandments of God. As interpreted by Daniel, the Biblical dream seen by King Nebuchadnezzar, where a rock (Gospel of Jesus Christ) rolled forth and filled the entire world had its beginnings with settling missions. To prepare for the trip, Jacosa and Parley made butter crackers which had to be pounded with a wooden mallet. Neighbors brought in food to help with the trip. Covered wagons carried their few but necessary belongings. Jacosa packed such things as: bedding, clothes, flour, a little sugar, molasses, lard, and water (the dry and desolate desert territory between Utah and Arizona did not have an abundance of water). Parley packed tools, a gun, and ammunition. When possible, the children were allowed to ride in the wagon, but most often they walked. With less weight, the wagons traveled faster and arrived sooner to their destination. The group traveled over seven hundred miles to southern Arizona. Jacosa’s brother, Samuel John Sims, with his family, were part of the settling party that left Payson, Utah County. Also, in the group were her mother and her step-father, Caroline Gill Sims Cochrane, and John Cochrane. It was early spring when the settling party started this journey – mud and snow were still on the ground. They crossed the Colorado River on a ferry boat. When the family reached the Black River, the water was very high, even up to the banks of the river. Their only means of crossing the river was a small raft which would only float two wagon wheels at a time. The wagons had to be taken apart to be ferried across. The raft landed about a half-mile downstream. It took two or three days to cross in this manner. When the task of crossing the river was completed, two soldiers met them and warned them to return to Fort Apache because a family in the area had been killed by Indians. It would take three days to go back and it was three days onto the Gila River Valley Fort, so they decided to go ahead and try to reach the Gila River Valley Fort. They hid in the willows during the day, traveling only at night. They never made a fire and always erased all signs. Jacosa drove while Parley sat with his rifle across his lap. When they reached the Gila River Valley Fort, the people were surprised that they arrived without harm. On the way to Arizona, John Cochrane became ill. When the group reached a small settlement in the northern part of Arizona, where one of the Cochrane children lived, John remained there while the pioneers traveled south. John intended to join them later when his health improved, but he never made the trip. He died shortly after the others left. The hand of God protected these pioneers. The Indians were experts at tracking wagon, human and animal trails – they could have brought death and destruction to these weary emigrants – but God guided and protected these pioneers to arrive at their destination and establish and carry out His great and marvelous work to establish the Kingdom of God here upon the earth. Jacosa and her family lived in the southwest corner of the fort, which was rounded and had port-holes for guarding the surrounding country. They were always on the alert and watching for Indians. While living there, they had one little room and their wagon-bed to live in. From there they moved into the town-site, a place called Curtis – after Parley’s brother-in-law, Monroe Curtis. Parley was discouraged with what he found in Curtis and openly remarked: “So this is the Garden of Eden,” and the name remained. The place was no longer called Curtis, but Eden. When the Post Office was built it was called the Eden Post Office. Today the community is still called Eden.
In 1877, Parley was called by President John Taylor on a settling mission to Arizona (Church Historian’s Office dated 7 April 1877). During Brigham Young’s and John Taylor’s ecclesiastical administration, it was very common for the Prophet to stand at General Conference and announce over the pulpit the names of men who were called to settle various parts of the western United States territory including, Canada and Mexico. In Utah alone there were new Mormon settlements or communities about every fifty miles. This act of relocation required great faith in the prophet of God, for these missionaries to take their families in covered wagons, with only the bare necessities, to the various parts of the remote and desolate country in order to start a new settlement. Included in each Mormon settling party were a blacksmith, carpenter, farmer, cattleman, shopkeeper, those with masonry skills, a doctor, midwives, and all those who would aid in the formation and development of a new settlement. These men were equipped with an assortment of talents that could provide the needs for a Latter-day Saint community. (Parley, fit the mold perfectly – he, like his father, was very skilled, inventive and hard working.) These communities provided space where the saints could thrive, raise their families and live the commandments of God. As interpreted by Daniel, the Biblical dream seen by King Nebuchadnezzar, where a rock (Gospel of Jesus Christ) rolled forth and filled the entire world had its beginnings with settling missions. To prepare for the trip, Jacosa and Parley made butter crackers which had to be pounded with a wooden mallet. Neighbors brought in food to help with the trip. Covered wagons carried their few but necessary belongings. Jacosa packed such things as: bedding, clothes, flour, a little sugar, molasses, lard, and water (the dry and desolate desert territory between Utah and Arizona did not have an abundance of water). Parley packed tools, a gun, and ammunition. When possible, the children were allowed to ride in the wagon, but most often they walked. With less weight, the wagons traveled faster and arrived sooner to their destination. The group traveled over seven hundred miles to southern Arizona. Jacosa’s brother, Samuel John Sims, with his family, were part of the settling party that left Payson, Utah County. Also, in the group were her mother and her step-father, Caroline Gill Sims Cochrane, and John Cochrane. It was early spring when the settling party started this journey – mud and snow were still on the ground. They crossed the Colorado River on a ferry boat. When the family reached the Black River, the water was very high, even up to the banks of the river. Their only means of crossing the river was a small raft which would only float two wagon wheels at a time. The wagons had to be taken apart to be ferried across. The raft landed about a half-mile downstream. It took two or three days to cross in this manner. When the task of crossing the river was completed, two soldiers met them and warned them to return to Fort Apache because a family in the area had been killed by Indians. It would take three days to go back and it was three days onto the Gila River Valley Fort, so they decided to go ahead and try to reach the Gila River Valley Fort. They hid in the willows during the day, traveling only at night. They never made a fire and always erased all signs. Jacosa drove while Parley sat with his rifle across his lap. When they reached the Gila River Valley Fort, the people were surprised that they arrived without harm. On the way to Arizona, John Cochrane became ill. When the group reached a small settlement in the northern part of Arizona, where one of the Cochrane children lived, John remained there while the pioneers traveled south. John intended to join them later when his health improved, but he never made the trip. He died shortly after the others left. The hand of God protected these pioneers. The Indians were experts at tracking wagon, human and animal trails – they could have brought death and destruction to these weary emigrants – but God guided and protected these pioneers to arrive at their destination and establish and carry out His great and marvelous work to establish the Kingdom of God here upon the earth. Jacosa and her family lived in the southwest corner of the fort, which was rounded and had port-holes for guarding the surrounding country. They were always on the alert and watching for Indians. While living there, they had one little room and their wagon-bed to live in. From there they moved into the town-site, a place called Curtis – after Parley’s brother-in-law, Monroe Curtis. Parley was discouraged with what he found in Curtis and openly remarked: “So this is the Garden of Eden,” and the name remained. The place was no longer called Curtis, but Eden. When the Post Office was built it was called the Eden Post Office. Today the community is still called Eden.
Octavia Jacosa Sims - Life in Eden
Contributed By:Charlene Olson 26 January 2015 · on familysearch.org
Eden was a forbidding place. The ground was full of alkali; the water was brackish (not fit for human consumption.) The air was filled with mosquitoes. Many of the people suffered from malaria. The scorching heat of the summer was unlike anything they had experienced before. There was little water for crops, the land was desolate, and everywhere was void of lush greenery. There was a constant fear of Indians attacks. There were Gila monsters, scorpions, and rattle snakes – these poisonous critters brought pain, suffering and death to many who encountered its sting or bite. To compound the challenges, Arizona did not become a state until 1912. When Jacosa, Parley and their family arrived in about 1881, the area was part of the United Sates Territory. There was no form of U.S. law enforcement, and with no recognized authority, it was a ruthless and lawless environment. Marauders and bandits escaping the United States law were often in hiding in the territorial deserts, ready at any moment to flee into Mexico to escape the law. Scoundrels from Mexico hid in this desolate territory, hoping to evade the Mexican government. With all the difficulties and concerns, Jacosa and Parley were determined to follow the prophets and to fill the mission he was assigned. He was inventive and found solutions to the problems. When the chills and fever of malaria occurred, he mixed up a dose of his “Kill or Cure.” This concoction never killed anyone, but cured those who had the courage to take it. Many thought the cure was as bad, or worse, than the dreaded malaria, Parley was called “Doc” from then on because of his remedy. Four years after arriving in Eden, another child was born, a daughter named Irene Mae. She was born 23 May 1885, in Eden, Arizona. When the baby was ten months old, Jacosa died of pneumonia on 14 March 1886, in Eden, Graham County, Arizona, leaving her husband, Parley, with four small children, the oldest less than ten years old and the youngest a small, sickly baby a little over nine months old. As stated above, Octavia Jacosa Sims was born 17 October 1857 in Cheltenham Gloucestershire, England and died 14 March 1886 – she lived only twenty nine years. During that time she married Parley Pratt Sabin, gave birth to five children, and spent a great deal of time traveling because of her love for the God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and her family. She was committed to follow a prophet of God. Jacosa’s travels: 1.Cheltenham to Liverpool, England 129 miles 2.Liverpool England to New York City, New York 3293 miles 3.New York City to Florence, Nebraska 1079 miles 4.Florence to Salt Lake City, Utah 1032 miles 5.Salt Lake City, Utah to Safford Arizona (Eden) 711 miles Total 6244 miles Many people traveled from Europe to the United States, and their children were converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ on American soil, and traveled to Salt Lake City at the request of a prophet. Their grandchildren were called on settling missions, and started new communities under difficult circumstances. But Octavia Jacosa Sims did it all. She traveled from England to the United States and then to Salt Lake City. After marring, she and her husband were called to settle southern Arizona. Again she traveled, this time to the Arizona territory. Jacosa did it all. She traveled by ever mode of transportation possible during her life time, and suffered as emigrants suffer with hunger, exposure, exhaustion, inadequate accommodations, and death of loved ones, fear, pestilence and enemy encroachment. She died at the age of twenty-nine in a little settlement called Eden, in southern Arizona. “It is good to look to the past, to gain appreciation for the present, and perspective for the future. It is good to look upon the virtues of those who have gone before, to gain strength for whatever lies ahead for us. It is good to reflect upon the work of those who labored so hard and gained so little in this world, but out of whose dreams and early plans, so well nurtured, has come a great harvest of blessings of which we are the beneficiaries. Their tremendous example can become a compelling motivation for us all, for each of us is a pioneer …..and many of us pioneer daily”. The above quote by President Gordon B. Hinkley Information and footnotes, Charlene Olson, Parley Pratt Sabin 20 October 1848 – 12 August 1924, (Genealogical Library, Salt Lake City, Utah), FHL, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Eden was a forbidding place. The ground was full of alkali; the water was brackish (not fit for human consumption.) The air was filled with mosquitoes. Many of the people suffered from malaria. The scorching heat of the summer was unlike anything they had experienced before. There was little water for crops, the land was desolate, and everywhere was void of lush greenery. There was a constant fear of Indians attacks. There were Gila monsters, scorpions, and rattle snakes – these poisonous critters brought pain, suffering and death to many who encountered its sting or bite. To compound the challenges, Arizona did not become a state until 1912. When Jacosa, Parley and their family arrived in about 1881, the area was part of the United Sates Territory. There was no form of U.S. law enforcement, and with no recognized authority, it was a ruthless and lawless environment. Marauders and bandits escaping the United States law were often in hiding in the territorial deserts, ready at any moment to flee into Mexico to escape the law. Scoundrels from Mexico hid in this desolate territory, hoping to evade the Mexican government. With all the difficulties and concerns, Jacosa and Parley were determined to follow the prophets and to fill the mission he was assigned. He was inventive and found solutions to the problems. When the chills and fever of malaria occurred, he mixed up a dose of his “Kill or Cure.” This concoction never killed anyone, but cured those who had the courage to take it. Many thought the cure was as bad, or worse, than the dreaded malaria, Parley was called “Doc” from then on because of his remedy. Four years after arriving in Eden, another child was born, a daughter named Irene Mae. She was born 23 May 1885, in Eden, Arizona. When the baby was ten months old, Jacosa died of pneumonia on 14 March 1886, in Eden, Graham County, Arizona, leaving her husband, Parley, with four small children, the oldest less than ten years old and the youngest a small, sickly baby a little over nine months old. As stated above, Octavia Jacosa Sims was born 17 October 1857 in Cheltenham Gloucestershire, England and died 14 March 1886 – she lived only twenty nine years. During that time she married Parley Pratt Sabin, gave birth to five children, and spent a great deal of time traveling because of her love for the God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and her family. She was committed to follow a prophet of God. Jacosa’s travels: 1.Cheltenham to Liverpool, England 129 miles 2.Liverpool England to New York City, New York 3293 miles 3.New York City to Florence, Nebraska 1079 miles 4.Florence to Salt Lake City, Utah 1032 miles 5.Salt Lake City, Utah to Safford Arizona (Eden) 711 miles Total 6244 miles Many people traveled from Europe to the United States, and their children were converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ on American soil, and traveled to Salt Lake City at the request of a prophet. Their grandchildren were called on settling missions, and started new communities under difficult circumstances. But Octavia Jacosa Sims did it all. She traveled from England to the United States and then to Salt Lake City. After marring, she and her husband were called to settle southern Arizona. Again she traveled, this time to the Arizona territory. Jacosa did it all. She traveled by ever mode of transportation possible during her life time, and suffered as emigrants suffer with hunger, exposure, exhaustion, inadequate accommodations, and death of loved ones, fear, pestilence and enemy encroachment. She died at the age of twenty-nine in a little settlement called Eden, in southern Arizona. “It is good to look to the past, to gain appreciation for the present, and perspective for the future. It is good to look upon the virtues of those who have gone before, to gain strength for whatever lies ahead for us. It is good to reflect upon the work of those who labored so hard and gained so little in this world, but out of whose dreams and early plans, so well nurtured, has come a great harvest of blessings of which we are the beneficiaries. Their tremendous example can become a compelling motivation for us all, for each of us is a pioneer …..and many of us pioneer daily”. The above quote by President Gordon B. Hinkley Information and footnotes, Charlene Olson, Parley Pratt Sabin 20 October 1848 – 12 August 1924, (Genealogical Library, Salt Lake City, Utah), FHL, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Octavia Jacosa Sims - Death Comes Unexpectedly
Contributed By:Charlene Olson · 26 January 2015 · on familysearch.orgParley Pratt Sabin married Eliza Jane Bates, 6 January, 1872, in Payson, Utah. She was a sickly girl and did not live long after their marriage – she died while trying to give birth to their first child. The child was never born.
Parley Pratt Sabin and Octavia Jacosa Sims were married in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City on 16 January 1874. She was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England on 17 October 1857. She was an “English Lady” and the daughter of George and Caroline Sims. She came to America after the death of her father with the rest of the family, on the ship Cynssure. They arrived in New York City on 2 July 1863. Her older sister, Martha, had come a year earlier. The family settled in the town of Payson, Utah County, Utah.
Four children were born to them while living there: Octavia Caroline, born 7 October 1874 and died 7 August 1875; Pearl Elizabeth, born 6 August 1876; Parley John, born 28 September 1878; and, Florette Mable, born 6 October 1880.
Short story of her husband: Life Story of P.P. Sabin
Contributed By: GeneS · 3 April 2013 · on familysearch.org Parley is born in Clinton county Illinois as given by his parents. The year after he is born his father buys land in Clinton county Illinois. Then in 1850, he travels with his family in the William Snow / Joseph Young wagon company to Salt Lake City. Baptized there on 1 January 1856. Took part in Utah war. Moved to Payson UT in 1858. Took part in Black Hawk Indian war. Hauled lumber to build St. George Temple. Married in 1871 (Eliza Jane Bates), but she died in childbirth the next year. Married again in 1874 (Octavia Jecoza Sims), four children born in Payson (Octavia, Pearl, John, & Florette) oldest died. Moved to Eden AZ in 1882, one child born (Irene). Then second wife died. Married a third time in 1887 (Sarah Cecilia Smith), adopted previous child (Alice). Moved to Wilgus AZ, one child born (Walter). Moved to St. David AZ in 1889, Walter died and six children born (Joe, David, Sarah, Dewey, Theresa, & Roger). Moved to Pomerene AZ in 1911, helped build the Pomerene canal. He died and was buried in St. David Cemetery.
Contributed By: GeneS · 3 April 2013 · on familysearch.org Parley is born in Clinton county Illinois as given by his parents. The year after he is born his father buys land in Clinton county Illinois. Then in 1850, he travels with his family in the William Snow / Joseph Young wagon company to Salt Lake City. Baptized there on 1 January 1856. Took part in Utah war. Moved to Payson UT in 1858. Took part in Black Hawk Indian war. Hauled lumber to build St. George Temple. Married in 1871 (Eliza Jane Bates), but she died in childbirth the next year. Married again in 1874 (Octavia Jecoza Sims), four children born in Payson (Octavia, Pearl, John, & Florette) oldest died. Moved to Eden AZ in 1882, one child born (Irene). Then second wife died. Married a third time in 1887 (Sarah Cecilia Smith), adopted previous child (Alice). Moved to Wilgus AZ, one child born (Walter). Moved to St. David AZ in 1889, Walter died and six children born (Joe, David, Sarah, Dewey, Theresa, & Roger). Moved to Pomerene AZ in 1911, helped build the Pomerene canal. He died and was buried in St. David Cemetery.
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