Charles Van Vleet (1820-1897) &

Rachel Black (1831-1908)

Charles Van Vleet

Birth 25 Dec 1820 Truxton, Cortland, New York, United States

Death: 16 Feb 1897 Beaver, Beaver, Utah

Charles Van Vleet

His Parents, John Van Vleet and Hannah Wells, lived in Truxton, Cortland, New York until about

1832-35 when the moved to Ohio. They also spent some time in Indiana

Rachel Black

Birth 19 February 1831 Vermillion Township, Richland, Ohio, United States

Death 8 January 1908 Lyman City Cemetery Lyman, Uinta Co., Wyoming

Rachel Black

Her father, John David Black, was born Near Kings Mount, Rutherford, North Carolina.

Her mother, Mary Cline, was born Wawarsing, Ulster, New York

Married 19 April 1821at Vermillion, Richland, Ohio

Between 1822 and 1837, nine children were born at Vermillion, Richland, Ohio.

During 1840 their tenth child, Catherin Elizabeth, was born at Bridgeport, Lawrence Co., Illinois.

MARRIED: About 1845 at Bridgeport, Lawrence Co, Illinois. NOT DOCUMENTED

Lived in Bridgeport, Lawrence Co., Illinois at least from 1846 to 1862-63

Seven children born at Bridgeport, Lawrence Co, Illinois

Came to Utah 1861-62

Four children born in Utah

Lawrence Co., Illinois

CHILDREN Mary Ann Van Vleet 1846 Bridgeport, Ill. -1936 Manila, Daggett, UT

Martha Jane VanVlee 1849 Bridgeport, Ill -1872 Beaver, Beaver Co., Utah

Lucinda Caroline Vanvleet 1852 Bridgeport, Ill -1854 Undocumented: Bridgeport, Ill

Martin William Vanvleet 1854 Bridgeport, Ill -1857 Undocumented: Bridgeport, Ill

James Nelson Vanvleet 1856 Bridgeport, Ill -1929 Tulsa, Lincoln co., Wyoming

John Edwin Van Vleet 1858 Bridgeport, Ill -1941

Emily Catherine Vanvleet 1861 Bridgeport, Ill -1922

Charles Victor Vanvleet 1863 Utah -1865 Two Years old Utah

Ida May Vanvleet 1866 - Circle Valley, Piute, Utah - 1917

Eugene Russell Vanvleet 1869 Beaver, Utah -1947 Evanston, Uinta, Wyoming

Lottie Ellen Van Vleet 1874 Beaver -1896 Beaver, Beaver Co., Utah

Charles Van Vleet & Rachel Black Van Vleet - Introduction to Mormons

Rachel Black’s brother, William Morley Black, along with a group of neighbors decided during 1848-49

to go to the gold fields of California. They each paid $100.00 which entitled each passage across the plains

to California. On 3rd

of April 1849 along with 75 men and 30 wagons. The Company went north to

Nauvoo, Illinois and rested there. Many of the houses were vacant. They were told the former inhabitants

were a lawless set who had been driven out.

Along the journey the heard more stories about the “demon Mormons”. On Saturday the 24th

of July

1849 they entered Salt Lake City. While resting, William Morley Black made the acquaintance of various

Mormons and was highly impressed with the people, the industry and quality of agriculture. He decided

to forfeit his stake in the Company going to gold fields of California and to become a Mormon.

He worked around Salt Lake City and Sanpete Co. His wife and children were still in Illinois and he

wanted to bring them to Utah. . In Oct 1851 he started east in the company with Apostle Orson Hyde and

others numbering twenty-five men and seven teams. On the 20th

of December 1851 he reached South

Canton, Illinois and found his wife Margaret and the children well.

He was full of love and zeal for Mormonism, but his wife’s parents were full of bitterness toward

Mormonism. He explained that he was returning to Utah, with or without his wife. The next day his wife

had everything packed and on the wagon. He lifted her and the children into the wagon. They stayed with

friends and he spent the balance of the winter threshing wheat fields.

In the spring of 1852 he went down to Bridgeport, Illinois. He was pained that his parents, brothers and

sisters could not see the restored Gospel as he saw it. However, he had joy of seeing my brother Benjamin

and sister Rachael open their hearts to the Gospel. A few years later, Benjamin and Rachel both come to

Utah

When he got home he found a letter a man, Leonard. He had purchased a large stock of goods and

wished William to come to Burlington, Iowa. He needed to freight the goods to Utah. This provided

means for him to emigrate his family to Utah. About the first of April 1852 they started for Zion. It was

the last of May when we reached Omaha, on the Missouri River. We connected with the last, 18th

, train of

the season, Jamel C. Snow captain. Along the way 20 more wagons were added to William’s group then

totaling 40 wagons. On the 2nd

of October 1852 they landed at Salt Lake City, Utah.

Charles Van Vleet & Rachel Black Van Vleet Lived in Bridgeport, Lawrence Co., Illinois at least from

1846 to 1861-62. Then Came to Utah 1861-62. Unable to locate in Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel

Information from: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=103606

The Van Vleet family departed Bridgeport, Illinois and made the trek across the Great Plains and

through the Rocky Mountains to join the other Saints in Utah.

They were called to help colonize a new settlement in the Circle Valley of Southern Utah, now the town of

Circleville, Piute Co., Utah. Circle Valley being about 220 miles south of Salt Lake City, Utah.

As the Van Vleet family and other members of the

wagon train headed for the Valley, they came to the

mouth of the Circleville Canyon and made a base

camp at the edge of the Circle Valley. They pulled

the wagons into a circle and were attacked by Ute

Indians involved in the Black Hawk War During the

battle, two-year-old son Charles Jr.Victor Van Vleet

was scalped and mutilated and died shortly.

Charles Van Vleet and John James, another settler in

the wagon train, built a cabin that is still standing

today, and a ranch at the mouth of the canyon where

the battle took place.

But the Black Hawk War continued to rage on, and

things in Circle Valley soon got hostile again. Later

Charles sold the homestead in Circle Valley to

Maximillian Parker, the father of Robert LeRoy

Parker, who would later become known as Butch

Cassidy, the famous bank and train robber. The Van

Vleet family and Parker family soon became close

friends.

Also during the Black Hawk War the brother of Rachel Black Van Vleet, Benjamin Black, was killed

(1865) by Ute warriors in Ephraim Canyon, near Ephraim, Utah.

During mid to late 1860’s the Van Vleet family moved

to Beaver, Utah, and homesteaded a ranch on Indian

Creek, about 1.5 miles north of downtown Beaver,

Beaver Co. Utah.

Circle Valley (Circleville) is only about 25 miles east

of Beaver. However, travel between the two towns

requires a trip of 80 to 90 miles to get to a pass

between the mountains separating the two towns.

Find A Grave http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-

bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=103606

Charles Van Vleet Death: Feb. 16, 1897, Beaver, Beaver County

Burial: HUMountain View Cemetery UH Beaver, Beaver Co., Utah

Plot: NA527

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=21565001

Rachel Black Van Vleet Death: Jan. 08, 1908, Lyman, Uinta County, Wyoming,

Burial HULyman City Cemetery UH Lyman, Uinta Co., Wyoming

Rachel, who was 66 when her husband died remained in

Beaver for several more years and then went to live with her

son, John and died in her sons cabin on the Smiths Fork

Between Mountain View and Lyman, Wyoming. She died on

January 8, 1908 and was buried in the cemetery at Lyman.

http://www.nauvoologcabins.com/cabin_van_fleet.php

Prepared by J.E.Anderson for Uncle Earl Franklin Baldwin (1909-1970)

Great Grand Son of Charles Van Vleet (1820-1897) & Rachel Black (1831-1908)