History of Alanson David Allen

Alanson David Allen, father of Sarah Ann Allen Moyes, mother of Elmer Allen Moyes, father of Leon Roger Moyes, father of Michael Verl Moyes.


Alanson was born May 2, 1829 at Deposit, Thompkins, Delaware County, New York. He was the son of Albern Allen and Marcia Allen. He was next to the oldest in a family of nine children. He joined the church in New York when 8 years old. He and his family journeyed with the saints to Missouri.Later, all the family were ready and started to come to Utah. When at Winter Quarters, Nebraska, Albern Allen and his oldest son, Rufus Allen, joined the Mormon Battallion and they travelled across the country in company A, under the command of Jefferson Hunt. They went to California (San Diego), were discharged from there and returned to Utah where Albern later met his family. Alanson Allen stayed on at Winter Quarters with his mother, brothers and sisters. He took responsibility and care of the family.

Late in summer he realized he would have to secure food for the family supply fort the winter. He went back to Eastern Missouri and purchased the crops on a farm still in the ground, harvested them and took them to Winter Quarters which gave the family sufficient supply for the winter. He was just sixteen years of age.Alanson knew the Prophet Joseph Smith and talked with him many times. He was near the scene at the time of his martytrdom and heard the shot that killed him. He was at Nauvoo when they had trouble with the mob who weren't going to let any more of the saints out west. Brigham Young told them to obey the men in charge of their group and all would be alright. This they did and everything did turn out alright. They had many trying hardships on their journey across the plains but they arrived safely in Utah in October of 1849 in George A. Smith's company. They were met in Ogden by their father who had arrived from California before them. They had a little place and lived right in the main part of what became Ogden's city business district.In Sept 1850 Alanson was married to Chastina Hadlock.

They lived in Ogden about 1 year when they were called to go to Willard and from there to what was known as 3 Mi. Then they went back to Ogden and lived about 3 years. He was a farmer and always had several cows. They pastured the cows just across the Weber River in the vicinity of Wilson Lane. They lived in a little log cabin close to where the Union Depot now stands. At this time President Brigham Young called them to go to Hyrum, Cache County and help with the settlement there. This they did and remained there 4 or 5 years. He had a nice, neat, well-kept farm on which he kept cows, pigs, horses and always several head of sheep from which they secured the wool to make their clothing. After living in Hyrum 6 years, they moved to Huntsville, Weber County, where they lived the rest of their lives. In 1857 he and 5 other men, Franklin Cummings, Thomas Bingham, Bill Brown, Nathan Slater and Bailey Lake were sent to Salmon River to help a company of Immigrants who were having trouble with the Indians. Bailey Lake was killed and they all suffered terribly from exposure and Alanson was never well after that. He was made Captain of the militia in 1861 and served in this capacity until 1866 during which time they had the Echo Canyon War in which he took an active part. At this time there were a great many Indians around and the settlers were having a good deal of trouble with them all through the country.

One evening, Sarah Ann went out to the ditch to get some water and an old Indian came up in back of her. She turned and saw him and screamed before he could harm her. The Indian was determined he was going to kill the dog but Alanson talked to him, gave him some food to take with him and he left, never coming around to molest them again. One winter in the month of February, an old Indian came to his home and wanted some flour. Alanson told him that all he had left was two sacks and they needed them. The old Indian said that the snow would soon melt and there was alot of it, but they would be plowing in March. So Alanson shared his flour with him and in March they were plowing which was very unusual because they usually had a late spring. Alanson Allen was very good to the Indians as well as other people. He felt that he would be blessed by sharing with people and I believe he was because they always had what they really needed. When people were passing through Huntsville, they would stop overnight with their families and horses. He would feed and shelter them and take care of their horses. In later years when the Allen childrens' families grew and some moved down to the southern part of the state, going to or from Huntsville, they would stop overnight with their families and horses at another family's farm. In the morning they would go to pay for their hospitality and the family would ask, "which Allen was their father?" They would tell them and they would say, "Oh, I couldn't take anything from one of Alanson Allen's children. I have stayed overnight with your folks and received kind treatment, so you just go on your way and good luck!"

Grandfather Allen was called on a mission to Nebraska. He served for some time but was unable to stay as long as he wanted because of ill health. He was a very fine speaker, had a quick wit and could remember very well. He always gave the 4th of July speech (which was quite an event in those days). He was good at writing poems for special occasions and had a very fine speaking voice. When he wasn't busy farming, which was his work, he would go seek other employment. As a result, he worked on the railroad and was working with the crew that finished the grade into Ogden. He was there when they layed the rails and the last spike was driven. At this time his family was rather low on supplies and one of their sons remembered their diet was mostly bran mush and bran bread. But he and his wife raised a fine family of 14 children, all of them growing to maturity. Happy, good, honest, trustworthy citizens. Some of them filled missions for the church and nearly all of them were active in church and civic affairs. Their boys and girls have been leading citizens in the communities in which they have lived all their lives. The thirteen children who married all have families. Mary, the youngest daughter, was the only one who didn't marry. They had 128 grandchildren in 1946. He passed away March 5, 1887.

Written by Mathel Allen Ridges Sept 26, 1946



Written by Emma Louise B. Allen and David Orlo:

Alanson David Allen was born May 2, 1829 at Deposit, Thompkins, Delaware County, New York and died March 5, 1887 and was buried in Ogden, Utah. Baptized April, 10, 1838 and endowed and sealed to his wife June 13, 1856 when four children were sealed to them who had been born previously. He came to Utah Oct 27, 1849 in Apostle George A. Smith's company. He was a Seventy in the priesthood. Captain of the Utah Militia from 1861 to 1866 and during the Echo Canyon War. He married Chastina Hadlock about 1850, their first child being Emiline Clarissa Allen. They were parents of 14 children, 7 boys and 7 girls. Most of their children had large families. Emiline, the oldest, had 19 children, 14 boys and 5 girls. A remarkable family. Among them 2 bishops, sunday school superintendents, ward clerks, and many other responsible positions. The girls were excellent mothers.

The youngest daughter of Alanson and his wife, Mary Viletta, died Aug 3, 1901, unmarried.He was an affectionate father, a student of the Book of Mormon, almost knowing it by heart. At one time a stranger at the home saw a number of boys around his place and asked, "How many boys do you have?" To which Alanson replied, "Seven." One of the boys piped up and said, "Yes, and each boy has seven sisters." The man took an oath and said, "How many wives do you have?" Another time Lige (Elijah Allen), a man of another family of Allens, was working for Alanson during the day and said, "Say, Lance, hain't we some relation way back?" They said Lance said, "Drop that shovel and get for home!" And he went.Oftentimes, when weary travellers passed by, even though they were utter strangers, he would give the command, "Drive in, unhitch that team and give them some hay!" Keeping them through the night without charge.

Alanson's parrents joined the church and travelled across the plains with the emigrants. When just a boy he was left to care for his father's family at Winter Quarters, Iowa, when his father and older brother Rufus joined the Mormon Battallion. He was dependable and often times overworked to do the job assigned him. As he was cutting wood for fuel one time, he was so tired he became unconscious. In that state of mind, he saw the Great Salt Lake Valley and was acquainted with the road all the way when he came to Ogden. He was a leader among men and had a very commanding figure. In Utah celebrations he was often Marshall of the Day, riding a fine black horse, himself clothed in a fine suit and wearing a long black plume in his hat. Alanson's father was Albern Allen who was born May 22, 1802 at Cornwall, Litchfield, Connecticut. He later lived in New York where a number of his children were born. He married four times. The first time was in 1826 in Harwick, New York to Marcia Allen. Second wife was Jane Elizabeth Hill.

The third wife was Mary Ann Hoops (Yearsly), and the fourth wife was Mary Jane Morris (McCarty). One child of Mary Jane Morris was Albern Allen, who married Elizabeth Evans. She was a sister of David O. McKay's mother, who was also an Evans. Albern Allen, Alanson's father, came to Utah Oct 16, 1847 with the Mormon Battallion from Calif. He was a member of Co. A of the Mormon Battallion. Previous to this, he was chosen to preside over the little town settlement of Genoa, about 100 miles west of Florence, Nebraska where there was a supply depot and an assembling station for mountain emigrants who planned to emigrate to Utah. He labored as a missionary, was preesident and missionary of the 33rd quorum of the seventies at Nauvoo, Ill. In 1849 he settled at Ogden, Utah. He was a member of the High Counsel and in 1857 assisted in bringing emigrants to Utah. At one time, Stephen Hadlock, knowing the fine qualities of Alanson, was praising him and telling of these qualities in the presence of his daughter, Chastina. She said, "Who is this fine young man...and if he is all you say he is (jokingly) I'll marry him." Strange to say she did marry the young man and was a dutiful wife and the mother of his 14 children.

Wife of Alanson, Chastina Hadlock Allen, was a daughter of Stephen Hadlock and Sally Alton. She was born April 2, 1828 in Jay, Orleans County, Vermont and was the 6th of 10 children. A very staunch and sturdy woman and one of unusual strength, the mother of 14 children. After the birth of her babies, she was usually up on the 3rd or 4th day cooking the meals and doing duties. When their son Samuel was born, her husband had gone to the canyon for a load of wood. When he came home, she was getting supper and told him to go to the bed and see what was there. He was very much surprised to find a new son. Her days were filled with taking care of her family and at night she did her sewing by hand and knit beautiful lace for the trimming of the clothing of the expected babies. Her promises were kept to her children even if it was a promise of punishment and she was very firm. At one time a young man attempted to kiss her. She took him by the seat of the pants across her lap and swatted him so hard he couldn't sit down for some time. She could lift a hundred pounds easier than her husband who was not so strong physically. Aunt Marinda said 2 girls were taken by a Methodist minister and separated from the family, never to see them again, raised in the East. Located later by relatives.