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Sketch
of the Life of Annie Augusta Logie Clark
She came to Utah with her parents
In
far away Sidney Australia, May 24, 1853, Charles Joseph Gordon Logie
and Rosa Clara Friedlander were married. A year later, 27 June 1854, a
sweet baby girl was born to them they called her Annie Agusta.
President Silas Farnham took Rosa Clara to his home. The father,
Charles Logie, Joined the church through the teachings of the Mormon
Elders laboring in Sydney. When Annie was 1 year old, they prepared to
come to America with these missionaries, John G. Eldridge and John
Grantham of American Fork, Utah and President Silas Farnham of Provo,
Utah. They took passage on the steamship "Julia Ann" in the late summer
of 1855.
During a terrible storm on the ocean, the ship was wrecked on
the coral reef on the Sicily Islands at about 2 A.M. The father tied
his year old baby, Ann, on his back by means of a large brown wool
shawl, just as Indians carry their babies. (I have that shawl today -
1958) In the confusion he and the baby were pushed overboard and would
surely have drowned, but one of the sailors (Bully Williams) dove in
after them, bringing them to safety by holding on to Charles' long
black hair, which he wore in curls to his shoulders. He was a sailor
himself but could not learn to swim. They were none the worse for the
ducking. The mother, Rosa Clara, only 18 years old, was the first of
the 23 passengers to risk going to the coral reef. Captain Pond of
Boston took her there by means of a thick rope stretched from ship to
reef. He left her alone in the darkness of the night and storm, waist
deep in water while he went back to the ship for another person. Only
one could be taken at a time. Morning found them cast on a lonely
barren uninhabited island. They watched their ship break to pieces and
sink out of sight in the ocean in the cold dawn. They had time to
rescue only one chest of tea, one chest of biscuits, one chest of
carpenter tools and one trunk of fine clothing belonging to an actress.
Large turtles crawled upon the shore to keep them company. They were
too exhausted to push them away. Later they made a small raft of lumber
that drifted ashore from their wrecked vessel. There was no fresh water
on the island so they set our coconut shells to catch the rainwater.
These coconuts were obtained from an island about 3 miles away by means
of the raft. They lived on turtle meat, eggs, and rainwater as a result
of this fare many suffered with boils. Only 5 of the passengers were
lost and that was because they would not obey orders of Captain Pond
and jumped overboard. After six weeks of this terrible ordeal, on the
3rd of December 1855, they were rescued by an American Fruiting Vessel,
"The Emma Packer" on its way to Hawaii, which for some reason had
drifted off its course and sighted their signal of distress.
They were
taken to Honolulu, and after a short time continued their journey to
Utah. They arrived in San Francisco in the spring of 1856. The gold
rush was on in California, but it didn't interest the Logie family.
They were sent to Carson City, Nevada to the home of John C. Nails, a
Mormon, to await further orders. There their second child (my father)
Charles Joseph Logie was born, November 18, 1856. They soon were sent
to Salt Lake City to Join the Saints and to live the religion they had
learned to love. It seems from birth; Ann was destined to be a pioneer.
In 1857, Brigham Young sent the family to Lehi. After a year, they went
to Wallsburg, where friendly Indians visited them often. Their third
child, a boy was born, named Silas. In 1860 they moved to American
Fork. Here Ann grew to womanhood, sharing with her mother Just 17 years
older, all the trials and hardships of pioneer life. She was always a
second mother to the growing family of ll brothers and sisters. She
attended Editha Anderson's school. Let me tell you of this school as
Aunt Ann described it to me in 1934. It was located in a one-room log
house west of the old Hollendrake home on first north between church
and 1st west street. A step stove was on the east side; two beds were
on the west. One for Editha and one for Merilla Murdock, an Indian girl
who lived with her.
A wide shelf was under the window by the door on
which pans of milk were set. Rough tables and slab benches with wooden
pegs for legs filled the center of the room. Ann and Charles made a
small bench Just to fit them. He also cut wood to pay for Ann's
schooling, 3 dollars for 3 months. The boy Charley only went one
winter, as he was needed to help earn the living for the large family
by hauling wood from cedars. Pupils sat in groups according to age.
Each group was named for the smartest pupil. They used slates and
pencils and McGuffie's books later Nelson's books. Editha would say,
"Ben Greenwood's class come forward." They came, copied lesson, and
recited it; then she would say “Now sally back and Hank
Parker's class come forward. As a reward of merit for good behaviour,
or lessons well done, the picture of a bird on a three-inch Piece of
stiff paper was given. Ann received one and was very proud of it, and
kept it all of her life. The better the pupil the bigger the picture.
Ann didn't have any shoes, but went barefoot to school all winter.
Editha carried her home (one block) on her back every night to keep her
out of deep snow. Ester Hindley's father owned a store so she had
shoes. Ben Greenwood carried her home to keep her new shoes from
getting wet. Ann went out each week to do a large family wash on the
board, which took her all day. She had to carry water, chop her own
wood to keep the fire, scrub the floor, black the kitchen stove, then
gather in and dampen the clothes. The family would sit down to supper,
but did not invite her to eat. (I will not tell their name, you all
know them.) For her day's pay she was given a fair sized piece of
bacon. She took it home and her mother fried it all for supper.
In the
Spring her mother came around with sulphur and molasses as a tonic.
When they had whooping cough, granny Johnson's remedy was worm wood
tea, made of molasses, vinegar, pepper and butter. The first Sunday
School Ann and Charley attended was in a log room on the corner lot of
Main and 1st East (north of the Tabernacle). Charley wore a pair of
pants made from his father's old ones. Ann wore a green dress with red
peas printed on it. It was made from a silk skirt given to her by Betsy
Austin, the actress, who was on the ship when it was wrecked. It was in
the trunk saved at the time and used for a tent to shield Ann and her
sick mother, Rosa while on the island. Her second dress was a red
merino wool. Ann could still remember the white embroidered pantaloons
that hung below. These clothes had to be taken off as soon as they
reached home as their parents had lost all their worldly goods,
clothing and money in the wreck. Ann played on the Temple wall when it
was about 3 feet high. Her father worked on the Temple even after
moving to American Fork. He went each week, begging rides on wagons
pulled by oxen. Ann and Charley witnessed the coming of the railroad to
American Fork. It was Sunday afternoon and all the town people were
there. They went down the State Road to Alva Green's place. The men had
brought an engine and movable track from Draper. They would lay the
track down for nearly a block, run the engine along, then take the
track up and lay it down again in front of the engine, and so on into
town. The loud whistle frightened the children. In those early days a
dear sweet lady asked Ann Logie to be her husband's second wife. Ann
said, "No, I want a man of my own." She married Lee Clark in 1878 and
lived in the northeast part of town for a short time. Lee was not a
member of the church. They moved to Fort Canyon, north of Alpine, and
Ann again became a pioneer woman, helping to make homes and settle that
place. Later it became a beautiful district. It is widely known for its
delicious berries and other fruit, much called for on the Salt Lake
market. Five children were born to them: Eoline, Perry, Lincoln, Dora,
and a small son Berrie, who died when very young. Lee Clark and his
brother-in-law, Bob Bennett, took up 160 acres as a homestead in Fort
Canyon. Later a number of families settled there.
They had their own
school and schoolteachers. Mrs. Alberta Bennett has written a history
of Fort Canyon that will be published for the "Mountain Ville Camp." In
it, Lee Clark and wife Ann play an important part. Ann enjoyed her life
and raised her family in this beautiful canyon. Her log house was
always neat and clean. She was a splendid cook and loved to have
company. My first week away from home, at the age of 16, was spent in
this canyon. I loved Aunt Ann next to my own mother. Her husband died
in 1908. Ann went to live with her daughter, Dora Gore in Idaho,
visiting from time to time with her other children. She later moved to
Salt Lake. Her children loved her very dearly. Nothing was too good for
their mother. Her word was thei</p>r law. They always kept in close touch
with her. She shared their Joys and sorrows. The young people loved her
and respected her advice, which is not always true of the youth of
today. Some of her nieces and nephews, with husbands and wives, spent
many a happy afternoon with her in Salt Lake listening to her humorous
stories of the early days in Utah. She was contacted and had given much
help with the history of American Fork, yet I doubt if those writing it
will ever mention her name. Bertha Sager received much information for
which she was deeply appreciative.
When she passed away on the 25th of
August 1938, the whole Logie family knew we had lost the prop we leaned
upon. She was 84 years old, yet her mind was keen and bright to the
last. Before going she asked Bert and I to be there when they laid her
away. She hoped it would be in the summer because she didn't want to
cause trouble to anyone getting her up that hill in the snow. God must
have heard her prayer and granted it. It was a lovely clear, cool day
in August. The Alpine people came to honor her. Edith Young and Darrell
Wanless sang beautiful solos and I gave a sketch of her life, also
wrote and read this tribute to a wonderful person. Aunt Ann Here was
her home in the Alpine hills,
Where flowed the clear deep crystal rills.
Here all nature seemed at rest.
Here her children came to bless.
She braved the trials of the pioneer
This little woman we love so dear.
Dear little mother, sad was the day,
When your sweet spirit went away.
It seems a light has Just gone out
For we stumble, and roam about.
Yours was the strength that held us together
Through sunny days or stormy weather.
Tender, gentle, brave and true,
Loving us what’ ere we do.
Your soul was filled with tender grace,
No one else, can take your place.
You never lost faith in the teaching
of old.
Your trust in God never grew cold.
You came to me in an hour of need
An angel of mercy in very deed.
You closed the eyes of a dying child,
Then looked up at us and smiled.
“Don't worry, dear, he's not far away,
You'll have him again another day."
So to the family who are left,
And of a loved one now bereft,
Keep the memory of her bright,
May it be a beacon light.
Just reach out and find her hand
"Twill lead you to a better land.
And when the gates you enter thru'
May her sweet spirit welcome you.
Laura Logie Timpson
This little card
was given to Annie A. Logie for attendance to Sunday School for 1 year.
She gave it to me in 1937. She received it in 1864. On back is stamped
American Fork Sunday School.
Laura Logie Timpson
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