History of Chastina Hadlock Allen

Chastina Hadlock Allen, mother of Sarah Ann Allen Moyes, mother of Elmer Allen Moyes, father of Leon RogerMoyes, father of Michael Verl Moyes.

Written by Mathel Allen Ridges September, 1946.

Chastina Hadlock Allen; born in Jay, Orleans County, Vermont on April 2, 1828. She was the daughter of Stephen Hadlock and Sally Alton. She was the 6th child of a family of 10 children; 2 boys and 8 girls. I have seen the coat of arms of the Hadlock family. Their motto is: For God. Their name was originally spelled Haidlock, "Haid" meaning head, Lock probably referring to the original seat of the family which was the Scottish Highlands. Later they moved south and became a border family living on the Scotch and English border. The black lion on the coat of arms denotes caution and bravery. The red lines mean courage and the silver is sincerity. The simplicity of the shield denotes antiquity because the shields granted later on were more elaborate in their markings. In the year of 1831 Chastina and her family moved to Welsby County, Vermont. They lived there until the year of 1840 when they moved to Browns County, Illinois. On March 18, 1833 the first presidency of the church was organized with Joseph Smith, President; Sidney Rigdon and Frederick Williams as counselors. On May 6, 1833 Joseph Smith received a revelation to commence work of the laying out and preparing a beginning of a foundation of a Stake of Zion in Kirtland. From this time on until the prophet's martyrdom June 27, 1844, the saints endured many hardships. Chastina was present at the meeting when Brigham Young talked to the people, right after the martyrdom of Joseph Smith.

She remembered the meeting where Sidney Rigdon declared that a guardian should be appointed to build up the church. He stated that he, Sidney Rigdon was the man spoken of by the ancient prophets to be the church guardian. She heard the prophet Joseph Smith speak many times. She commented on how much Brigham Young's voice sounded like Joseph Smith's. She said that the people were amazed at the power; for Brigham Young seemed to have been transfigured before them and they beheld the prophet Joseph Smith and heard his voice as naturally as when he was living. The saints felt that this was a manifestation to them to recognize the correct authority. Chastina's father, Stephen Hadlock, was all ready to come to Utah. He had built himself two fine wagons and had two yoke of oxen for each wagon and had all the necessary equipment ready when he took sick and died. He died at Council Bluffs on September 9, 1847. That left Great Grandmother and her two sons and six daughters to make the trip alone. They started out with the two boys driving the oxen. They hadn't gone far when Orin took sick and grandmother Chastina had to drive the oxen on the one wagon.

As they were going to cross the Missouri River, the oxen didn't want to go across and they started going downstream with the water. Orin raised up from his sickbed which was in the back of the wagon and called to the oxen. They knew his voice and after some persuasion they succeeded in getting them across the river. When Orin improved and was able to drive the oxen, Chastina rode horseback most of the time. She was a very good horsewoman and noone was able to ride her horse. They spent one winter at Winter Quarters. Here they were building themselves a small house. One day when she was helping, a log fell and struck her in the head, knocking her unconscious and causing her to be sick for a long time. While she was, her father came to her in a dream and told her she would get well and come to the valley in the mountains to live. This gave her courage and helped her to get well. Chastina enjoyed many of the evenings they had on the plains too.

She loved dancing and especially enjoyed the square dances. She was a happy sort of person and when there was a little deviation from hard work or other hardships, she took advantage of it. They arrived in Utah in 1849. In the summer of 1850 she met Alanson David Allen. On a lovely moonlit night he asked her to go for a ride on horseback with him. She accepted willingly. When they had ridden for awhile out here on what they called the Sand Ridge, he asked her if she would marry him and she said yes. He said, "why, you hardly know me." She said, "well her father had once said to her that Alanson Allen was such a fine, honest, trustworthy young man," and she had said, "Well father, someday I'll marry him." So they were married in Sept. 1850. They had a family of 14 children; seven boys and seven girls. They lived in Ogden about a year after their marriage, then Brigham Young called them to go to Willard in Box Elder County, then in 1853 to 3 Mile Creek. In 1860 they were called to go to Hyrum to settle a community there. Here she planted the first peach trees that were planted in Hyrum. She also grew some cotton plants, would pick the cotton, cord and spin it into thread and make stockings. Grandfather Allen was a farmer. He always had a good garden and had cows and horses and other farm animals. They lived in a log cabin with a dirt floor and for lights they burned tallow with just a string in it for a wick.

They lived in Hyrum for a number of years and in 1866 they moved to Huntsville, Weber County, Utah. Here they lived the rest of their lives. She was a member of the first relief society that was organized in Huntsville. At this meeting she was set apart as a visiting teacher and in this capacity she served throughout her life. Chastina seemed to be unusually strong. After her babies were born, she would usually be up and around on the third or fourth day cooking meals and caring for the rest of her family. When her ninth child, Samuel, was born, Grandfather had gone to the canyon for a load of wood. When he came home she was getting supper. She told him to go look in the bed and see what they had. He was very much surprised to find a new son. The first house they had in Huntsville was a log cabin with a dirt roof and a dirt floor. It was situated just conner ways to the east corner of the town square. They owned some land in what was known as Middleton Ward. After a few years, they moved up on their farm first living in two log rooms and later building a nice frame house. It was there that my father, the youngest son, was born. Grandmother always loved to work hard; there was a big family to feed and care for. They always had about 20 head of sheep which grandfather and grandmother would shear, wash the wool, cord it into bats and for years she spun the yarn herself to make clothing and stockings.

Later they would bring the wool to Ogden to a man who made it into yarn and so many times, clothes for them. Many a night she would stay up until morning working hard to get new stockings, a pair of jeans or a coat for one of the boys, or a dress for one of the girls, ready for them for Christmas. Their dresses and jeans would be worn for best for a year, then, the second year they would take them for next best. They would only get one new pair of shoes a year and, if they wore them out, they had to go barefoot until the crops were ready in the fall. Then they could sell the crops and buy more. They were among the first people to get a nice new pump from which to get water. This was quite a luxury because they were used to getting water from the ditch or a spring and, just before the pump, a well. My grandmother and grandfather were good to people passing through the valley, giving them a night's lodging, food and shelter and feed for their animals. Grandmother could dress a lamb as good as a man. One time, a fellow tried to kiss her. She disliked him very much so she just grabbed him and turned him over her knee and gave him a spanking. She could lift 100 pounds easier than my grandfather, who was not so strong physically.

When she was 50 years old, she picked up a man (Mr. Sprague) who had hurt his leg and put him on his horse so he could go home. She loved to ride horseback and nearly always had her own horse. When she was 72 years old she had her picture taken on her horse, Old Bell. She rode winter and summer until she was very old. My grandfather died on Mar 3, 1887 leaving my grandmother. She lived in the old home for many years then, she decided to come live with my father and mother. They were very good to her and she lived with them for the last 12 years of her life. In the later years of her life, she made many beautiful quilts, nearly all of them by hand. I have one of the quilts she made...when she was quilting it she let me sew on it. She left the qulting I had done on the quilt and, when I look at it, it brings back many fond memories. Grandmother was always active and enjoyed life. She died at the age of 84 years on Mar 13, 1913. She would have been 85 had she lived until Apr 2 of that same year. Mathel Allen Ridges