The following account is abridged from the record "Artemus Millet: Builder of the Kingdom," by Josh E Probert and Craig K. Manscill. It is a well documented book or article, with over 100 footnotes of documentation.
Youth in Vermont and Labors Near Lake Champlain
Artemis Millet was born 1 Sept. 1790 in Westmoreland, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, to Ebeneezer and Catherine Dryden Millet. Westmoreland, a post town on the Connecticut river, is a small village located in southwestern N.H. In a contemporary gazetteer, Westmoreland was described as "a very excellent farming town." Ebeneezer was a soldier in the British army who eventually became a captain under General Woolf in the French and Indian War. Captain Millet suffered some injuries while in the service. Most dramatically, he took nine balls in his right arm in June 1758 and lost the use of it. After recovering from his injuries, Captain Millet witnessed the famous turning point in the war, the Battle of Quebec. He was on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City during the battle that won Canada for the English. Years later, as a patriot in the Revolutionary war, Ebeneezer Millet contended against the English in Captain Davis' minuteman march from Holden to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Once there, the field officers chose Millet as their quartermaster.
When peace ensued, Ebeneezer engaged in profitable commercial trade with American Indians and accumulated considerable wealth. He moved his family from Brooklyn Vermont in 1794, Then, in the fall of 1800, the family to Stockbridge, Vermont. Artemus was then ten years old. Here, Ebeneezer Millet became ill and died of apoplexy on his birthday, 22 November, of either 1806 or 1807. Upon his father's death, at the age of 16, Artemus became the "man of the house." Over the next two years, he took charge of the family farm and cared for his mother and sisters.
At the age of 19, Artemus let out the family farm and went to Shelbourne, Vermont to learn mason work. His mother and sisters stayed behind. In Shelbourne - a harbor town on Lake Champlain - Artemus spent a year learning masonry skills. From Shelbourne, Artemus moved to Louisville, New York, where he did "lumbering" on the St. Lawrence. This experience exposed Artemus to different types of architecture and the large number of buildings constructed of stone masonry that would later influence his building style.
The next year, Artemus returned to his family in Stockbridge, where his mother and one of his sisters were still residing. The other sister had married while Artemus was away. He sold the Stockbridge farm collected the families belongings, and returned to Shelbourne, the town where he had previously studied masonry, around 1809. He recalls: "The next summer my brother, his wife, and child and my mother and sister were taken sick. Two of them died, the unmarried sister and brother's oldest daughter. When I moved from Shelburn I gave up my mother and sister will all their property to my brother. I then went to mason work and continued laying stone for about 2 years, during which time I accumulated $500."
Artemus abandoned masonry as a full-time means of income and became a huckster (a peddler) during the War of 1812, presumably peddling goods to those involved in the war. troops were stationed throughout northern Vermont and upstate New York, and considerable fortifications were undertaken at Sackets Harbor and Oswego, New York. Although plenty of soldiers were nearby, business was not good. In Millet's own words, he "lost everything."
in 1815, Artemus found a companion in life, a young woman named Ruth Grannis. Ruth was from Milton, Vermont, a township just north of Shelburne. They were married on 17 May 1815. The young couple settled in Drawland, Lake Champlain. Ruth gave birth to a baby girl, Colista, in March 1916. Artemus continued masonry during the summer, In the fall of 1816, Artemus and Ruth moved to Volney, Oswego County, New York. Their home began to fill with more youngsters: their first son, Nelson, was born in 1818, and a daughter, Emily was born in 1820. Sadly, the same year Emily was born, 4 year old Colista died. Two years later another girl, Maria, was born.
New York: Volney, Gravelly Point, and Long Island
After abandoning agriculture for 7 years, Artemus came back to it and purchased a farm in Volney, New York. Owning the farm, however, did not keep him from his masonry work. Millet evidently was using money he earned from masonry contracts to pay off a loan he had taken out to pay for the farm. He writes, "I continued the mason trade building bridged, foundations, etc. for 6 years. About 1822, in September, I was stoning a wall when the man who was attending me let a stone fall on my head and fractured my skull, which laid me up for 2 months. Then, not being able to pay for my land it was taken from me."
An important point here is the fact that Millet's future friend and leader, Brigham Young, was living in Oswego Township, with his wife Miriam, and their daughter, Elizabeth, during the same time that the Millets were living in nearby Volney.
Researchers can only guess whether the Youngs knew the Millets at this time, but such a relationship is possible. As a stone mason, Millet was perhaps working on the same "large tannery" as Brigham Young.
Artemus soon abandoned his property in Volney, New York, and moved across the state to Gravelly Point, another town on Lake Champlain, where he worked as a mason. He did not stay there long, moving to Long Island, New York, soon thereafter, where he worked on a large stone brewery. "I was sick most of two years. My acquaintance administered to our wants, brought us many comforts of life, and let us have hands to help us work.
Stone Masonry and Mormonism in Upper Canada
Millet was becoming well known for his masonry skills. While working in New York he was recommended to a British officer in Canada for "a certain job." It is not known what he was doing specifically for the British Crown, yet it is known that he built a house in June 1829 and two large flour mills in 1830, both three stories high, "besides considerable other work." Millet's arrival in Canada became a turning point in his financial status. He was no longer the huckster loosing everything, nor was he the man forced to leave his farm because of his inability to pay on a loan. He recalled that "my work increased as my acquaintance increased. And I put up building after building, built chimneys, laid foundations, etc. until it seemed I was to become a Canadian citizen and bought a farm in Ernestown, Ontario."
Most biographical histories of Artemus Millet cite his first meeting with Mormonism as a January 1833 visit from Brigham and Joseph Young. Actually, his first contact with Mormonism came earlier, in August 1832, A group of Mormon missionaries, including Joseph and Phinehas Young, spent the summer of 1832 in upper Canada, the first official missionaries to preach the Restoration in Canada. During their journey, the band of men spent 6 weeks preaching in Artemus' township, Earnestown. Eleazer Miller recorded, "Here are thousands flocked to hear the strange news; even so that the houses could not contain the multitude, and we had to repair to the groves. Hundreds were searching the scriptures to see if these things were so. Many were partly convinced, and some were wholly so, when we left."
Millet, apparently impressed by the missionaries message, received a blessing of healing at their hands. He later wrote, "I took cold, which settled in my breast, and I did not get over it until the next August (1832) when I recieved a witness of the Latter-day work in a manifestation of the healing power. This event set the stage for Millet's baptism and following January at the hands of Brigham Young.
Ruth and Artemus had two sons born to them while in Ernestown: George Jefferson in 1825, and Hiram Grannis in 1827. Ruth also gave birth to a stillborn son in 1828. Millet's joy over this young family, his business success, and his miraculous healing in Canada were suffused with sorrow when his wife Ruth was "taken sick of consumption, and after suffering two years died." He soon remarried. Susannah Peters, daughter of Joseph and Jamima Peters, of Ernestown, "became his new bride."
Artemus and Ruth had both been close to the Peters family before Ruth's death. Artemus had built a stone house for Susannah's father, Joseph Peters, during June 1829. Susanna had taken care of Ruth's children while Ruth was sick. A descendant of Artemus and Susanna Millet wrote of their relationship:
Susanna was acquainted with Ruth Grannis Millet and her husband Artemus Millet Sr. in Ernestown, Upper Canada where they all lived. She consented to work for them, helping to take care of the children and the mother, as Ruth had poor health. She because attached to these children and their parents, and they loved her. Ruth's mother, Grandma Grannis also thought a lot of Susanna and was very willing for her to marry Artemus and take Ruth's place as she requested. For Ruth died in March 1931, leaving 5 children living: Nelson- 13, Emily-11, Maria 9, George- 6, and Hiram - 4. At this time Grandma Grannis said, " I know of no one I would rather have to care for Ruth's children and take her place than Susanna." So, as Susanna was willing, she was married at the age of 27 to Artemus Millet Sr. on 15 Jan. 1832.
Conversion of Artemus Millet
In the winter of 1832-33, the newly converted Brigham Young set out on foot from Mendon, New York to upper Canada with his brother, Joseph Young, who had been there the previous year with Phinehas Young and others. Brigham and Joseph continued preaching throughout the area during the wintery months of 1832-33. Brigham had a burning testimony of the restored gospel and desired o share it with others. Later in his life, Brigham said, "When I came into this Church, I started right out as a missionary, and took a text, and began to travel on a circuit." He further described his desire " I wanted to thunder and roar out the Gospel to the nations. It burned in my bones like fire pent up, so I commenced to preach the Gospel of life to the people...Nothing would satisfy me but to cry abroad in the world, what the Lord was doing in these latter days...I had to go out and preach, lest my bones should consume within me."
It was during this time that Susanna gave birth to her first child, Joseph.
Artemus Millet was still living in Earnstown, Ontario, where he was contacted by the Youngs and acted on the previous manifestation he had received. He was baptized by Brigham Young and confirmed by Joseph Young in January 1833. The baptism took place in Loughborough, a township north of Kingston. Millet was one of a large body of converts baptized by the Youngs in Loughborough.
The Kirtland Temple
In June 1833, the Church began in earnest to build the temple in Kirtland. The previous winter, while Brigham Young was in Canada, the Lord instructed the saints to " build a house of prayer, a house of fasting...a house of God." The Saints were later chastened for not building the temple with haste. A revelation received by Joseph Smith stated, "Wherefore, ye must needs be chastened and stand rebuked before my face; For ye have sinned against me a very grievous sin, in that ye have not considered the great commandment in all things, that I have given unto you concerning the building of mine house." That same day the Prophet wrote, "Great preparations were making to commence the house of the Lord; notwithstanding the Church was poor, yet our unity, harmony, and charity abounded to strengthen us to do the commandments of God. The building of the house of the Lord in Kirtland was a matter that continued to increase in its interest in the hearts of the brethren.
Five days later, in a council of high priests, the conference voted "that committee proceeded immediately to commence building the house; or to obtaining materials, stone, brick, lumber, etc. for the same." Hyrum Smith began writing letters to members of the Church in solicitation for Kirtland Temple donations. Artemus Millet received such a letter, which included a different, though sizable, request. He wrote, "In the summer Brother Hyrum Smith wrote to me that it was the will of the Lord that I should go and work on the temple in Kirtland." Artemus acquiesced to Hyrum Smith's request and soon traveled to Ohio. Of this Artemus said, "I had 36 Scotch-masons working under me at this time. I turned the work over to them to finish and left my family in Canada, and went to Kirtland."
The Kirtland Temple would have been a unique project for any contractor. The dimensions of the building were given in a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith on 1 June 1833, indicating that the temple should be built after the manner which I shall show unto thee."
Artemus brought his family to Kirtland and obtained property across the street from the temple sight, where he was easily able to oversee the construction efforts. He soon ran into difficulty, as much of his laor force was drained by men who left Kirtland as part of Zion's camp - a preliminary endeavor to reclaim Church property in Missouri. The Zion's camp exodus left Millet with limited manpower. Yet he was resourceful and accomplished much while the men were gone. Women and children stepped up to fill the men's placed, driving cattle to haul rock, etc.
Artemus went beck and forth between Canada and Kirland a few times during the construction of the temple, so as to keep all his affairs in order. He was partners with Lorenzo Young to build the temple for $1,000. During construction he became ill with cholera and was given a blessing by Joseph Smith, upon which he began to heal immediately.
Much has been said concerneing the exterior stucco of the Kirtland temple. The common story is that the women of Kirtland donated their fine china to be crushed and mixed in with the stucco, thereby adding a shimmering surface. That glass was put into the plaster is true, yet there are no records that tell of any fine china. Artemus' journal says that "he sent men and boys to different towns and places to gather old crockery and glass to put into the cement." After the stucco completely covered the exterior, Joseph Young painted faint blue lines to make it imitate cut stone masonry.
The temple was a beautiful structure - different from the building that visitors see today, however. Millet's original plaster in no longer on the building, as it was replaced in 1955, and of course it has been re-roofed and painted.
In 1834, during all this temple construction time, Susanna had a baby boy whom they named Alma Millet (Sr.) who is your Great x 4 Grandfather. Then in 1836 her 3rd son, Artemus Jr. came to join the family. They now had 7 or 8 living children: Nelson (18), Emily (16), Maria (unknown if she was still living, but if so would be 14), George (11), Hiram (9), {all born of Ruth Grannis} then Joseph (4), Alma (2) and baby Artemus {born to Susanna}.
Artemus in Kirtland: Loyalty, Mission, and Financial Contributions
Like many men in Kirtland, Artemus Millet served a mission in 1836, following the dedication of the Kirtland temple, laboring with Oliver Granger, another of Brigham Youngs converts. Granger had labored on the temple with Millet, even though he had lost most of his eyesight in a gun accident.
In 1837-8 a great falling away from the church occurred in Kirtland. The failed Kirtland Safety Society Anti Bak=nking Company was one of the main catalysts of the criticism of Joseph Smith's leadership. Artemus remained supportive of the Mormon leader throughout this tumultuous time. A good example of this support occured on May 29, 1837 during a meeting of the Kirtland high council Artemus, along with 4 others, brought charges against Presdents Frederick G. Williams and David Whitmer and Elders Parley P. Pratt, Lyman Johnson, and Warren Parrish. Besides defending the prophet and contributing to the construction of the temple, Artemus was financially charitable. A wealthy man, Millet was likely a donor to the temple funds, although there are no records of such. Yet some of Millet's other financial contributions are well documented. A leger book from the Newel K. Whitney store reveals Millet's incredible generosity. There are at least 53 instances between Nov 1836 and April 1837 when Artemus paid for someone else's order.
Interim: Canada and Chargrin Falls, Ohio
We do not know when Artemus left Kirtland, but it was some time after the Kirtland Safety Society officially closed. Most who remained faithful throughout the Kirtland apostasy moved to Missouri to join with the rest of the Church Yet Artemus did not go to Missouri. He returned to Canada, not meeting up with the Church again until April 1843 in Nauvoo, Ill.
Even after making the 1833-4 and 1835 trips to collect money owed him, Millet continued to have debtors. He said that in 1833 he had "sold out on credit." In light of the fact that he had 36 employees at that time, Artemus owned a formidable organization and was expecting remuneration for his property. Yet he was unsuccessful in collecting money owed him. Describing the endeavor, he tersely said that he "failed." Furthermore, Millet's private property, presumably his home and farm, was taken from him. Joseph Millet recalled that "As soon as we got back into Canada, the war broke out. My father known to be a Yankee, had to flee from Canada and went back to his brother William Millet at Stockbridge, Vermont. Father had taken no hand in the rebellion, ignorant of the movement, but his property was confiscated." Having lost his property and masonry business, Artemus took up employment with the Canadian government, He worked "or two seasons on arched bridges for the government...and was an overseer of projects for a part of the time."
In November 1839, Susanna gave birth to William, a new son who died at age 2. For unknown reasons, Susanna Peters, Millet's 2nd wife, died in 1840 or 41. Artemus was single for a few years, which was a tragic time for him. The Kirtland apostasy fresh on his memory, he returned to Canada only to lose his business and property, the his wife dies and leaves him with 8 children to take care of, one of whom would die shortly.
After all these events, Artemus returned to Kirtland, Ohio. Being single and without means, he sadly recalled of his children, "I was not able to take them with me." His son remembered that after their mother died, "my father hired the children taken care of and six boys boarded out until he could go to Ohio and get means to take care of us there, but as soon as father left, my mother's relatives had us all bound out."
Deed records show that Artemus still owned his Kirtland property, whereas many members of the Church had lost theirs or sold out for a minimal price. Apparently, Artemus' oldest son, Nelson, had stayed on the property, not going west with the saints or back to Canada with the family. He was married and took care of the place. Later Artemus deeded the property to Nelson.
While in Kirtland Artemus, now around 50 years old, worked to gain money to move to Illinois through masonry work in Chagrin Falls, a town aprox. 30 miles south of Kirtland.
Artemus regained his children in the summer of 1842. His oldest daughter Emily and her husband William MacDonald boarded a steamer at Fairport Harbor and headed toward Buffalo, NY, where they continued to Lewiston, Ontario. William, apparently a generous man, visited all the children and dressed them in new clothes. He arranged to "kidnap" the children form those whom Susanna's family had indentured them to. Joseph Millet recalls,
"William prepared an entertainment a the hotel for the children and friends. Buggies were sent for the children early in the morning, and invitation to those whom they lived with to be there at 3 p.m. They all came and got their dinner. They found their dinner waiting, but the children were not there.
Then the buggies drove up to Grannis Hotel, the children were put into a 4 horse coach. The driver cracked his whop, no time to delay. The fastest the driver ever made between that place and Kingston, so he said.
As we stopped, the Captain (of the steamer) said, "Mack, what kept you so long? We came as soon as the children arrived."
Then the driver says to the Captain, "Sir, look at my puffing horses."
When we were half or three quarters of a mile from the shore, "Boom," spoke the cannon, and up signaled the flag for the steamer to come back. We went on, the captain says, "Can't go on that side this time, Mack," and smiled, Macdonald commenced to lay his plans with the captain on the Lake Erie steamer and at the hotel in Buffalo, then with the captain on the Ontario steamer, then with friends in Canada. All worked out well, didn't know as anyone ever prosecuted or not for the kidnapping,...
We arrived in Kirtland safe, then I could remember when we lived there before and of taking father's lunch to him while he was working on the temple.Artemus left Kirtland in the fall of 1843, this time with his children. Nelson, Emily and their spouses remained in Ohio. (George - 18, Hiram - 16, Joseph-11, Alma - 9, Artemus - 7)
Nauvoo
Artemas said that he left for Nauvoo in the fall of 1842. It took a long time to get there, because he did nto arrive until April, "just in time for conference." The Church had progressed rapidly since Millet was last with them. The Nauvoo temple was under construction, many important doctrinal developments had occurred, the Quorum of the Twelve had been to the British Isles and back, and Church membership had grown considerably. The same month that he arrived in Nauvoo, Artemas Millet remarried on 20 April 1843. He was wed to Almira Prichard Oaks, called "Widow Oaks," in his reminiscences. Brigham Young performed the ceremony.
Millet said that while he was in Illinois, he "worked on the Nauvoo temple more or less for 2 years." Yet he was kept from being as fully immersed in the work as he had been in Kirtland becasue he "was sick a considerable about of the time."
Hancick County records do not show Artemus owning land in the Nauvoo area. Nelson, the son who stayed in Ohio, however, had many holdings throughout the county. Nelson had become "an eminent lawyer and owner of the Steamship Erna, which sailed on the Missouri River." A family history tells that upon coming to Nauvoo, Nelson and his brother George, out of sympathy for their father, brought a boat loaded with food. We do not know whether Artemus lived on property purchased by his son for him. None of Nelson's holdings were in Nauvoo itself but were in surrounding townships. It was not uncommon for Church members to live outside of Nauvoo proper, so Artemus likely was living on property his son had purchased.
The Millet family was one of the first to know of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in the Carthage Jail. Artemus' son recalled this time:
We were in Nauvoo 4 years and mobbed and drove with the Saints. I have seen the Carthage Jail and saw the martyrs on the day after the martyrdom. Vasco Call, meyself, my brother Artemus, and another boy were at the old jailhouse on the Lahash Road where the Carthage and Pontoosuc roads cross...when William and Wilson Law and Doctor Foster drove by from Carthage on their way to Pontoosuc. Their horses were going as fast as they could travel. One of the Law's hollered out, "Dig a grave for Joe Smith for he is dead."
We gathered our cows and ran them nearly all the way to Nauvoo, (6 miles) and told the folks what we had heard. Some believed it; others did not. But the messenger in the night confirmed out statement.After the death of the prophet, Artemus sustained Brigham Young and the Twelve as the successors to Joseph Smith. His support is evidenced not only by his removing to the Salt Lake Valley, but also by his participation in priesthood ordinances in Nauvoo under their direction. He was ordained a high priest and received his ministry license in 1844 and 1845. On Dec. 24, 1845, he and Almira were endowed in the Nauvoo Temple. The attic story of the temple had recently been dedicated for ordinance work the month before on Nov. 30, 1845. They received their endowments during the well-known period when the Church leadership was working long hours into the night, hoping to endow all who desired to be endowed before abandoning Nauvoo and removing to the Rocky Mountains.
The Exodus: Millet on the Mormon Trail
Artemus Millet left Nauvoo sometime in the summer of 1846. He recalled that he was "sick all summer on the prairie near Bonaparte (Iowa). Bonapart was a ferry-crossing point on the Iowa trail approximately 30 miles from Nauvoo on the Des Moines River. Becasue of illness, Artemus had to travel slowly through Iowa even in the summer months. Fox River is only 80 miles from Nauvoo, yet he did not reach that point until October. Here Almira became ill and passed away. Of that time, he wrote, "My wife was taken sick and I had her taken up on Fox River, Iowa, where she died in October."
Artemus was without a wife until he remarried one year later in 1847, a marriage that would last only one year. He recalled, "The next October I married Triphenia Booth, sister to Brigham Young's first wife. After living with me a year she left me at Council Point." It is not certain if by "she left me" Artemus meant that Triphenia died or just abandoned him in western Iowa, but it appears to be the latter.
In March 1848, Artemus remarried yet again. He married a woman named Nancy Lemaster in Kanesville, Iowa, March 11, 1849. Elder Orson Hyde performed this marriage. Artemus had moved into Kanesville, presumably from Council Point which was southwest. It was common during htis time for member to cross into northern Missouri where they could find work to gain money to get supplies for the trek to the Great Salt Lake Valley. Millet did this, leaving his family in Iowa and traveling into Missouri to work. He was there for an unknown amount of time "working for an outfit."
Artemus returned to Kanesville in July 1849, gathered his family, and took them with him back to Missouri. He continued working there until 8 June 1850 when the family departed from Oregon, Missouri, to rejoin the Saints on the banks of the Missouri River and head west. It is unclear with which company Millet made the 3-month journey, and there are conflicting reports. Suffice it to say that Artemus said, "We arrived in G.S.L. City on 2nd of October, 1850."
The journey would have been particularly difficult for the Millet family. Artemus's new wife Nancy was pregnant during their travel from Missouri to Iowa and from Council Bluffs to Utah. Nancy gave birth to a son on 22 September, "11 miles this side of Fort Bridger (Wyoming) at 4 o'clock in the morning."
Manti Days
The day after arriving in Salt Lake, Artemus called on Brigham Young. Surely it was a joyful reunion for both of them; they had not seen each other for some time. While in Salt Lake City, Artemus helped build a barn for President Young. Another event on note is that Church Patriarch John Smith named Millet's newborn son, Liberty, who had been born on the trail.
President Young instructed Artemus to take his family to Manti and settle there, a new settlement in Sanpete County. Always faithful, Artemus heeded PResident Young's counsel and after spending a month in the Salt Lake Valley headed south to Manti. Manti, known for it's large population of Scandinavian immigrants, was also the home for many of the Saints Millet had known and worked with in Kirtland and Nauvoo. These included Issac Morley, Titus Billings, Dan JOnes, and Orson Hyde. Artemus and his family arrived in Manti November 1850.
Millets time in Manti was fruitful. He served in civic and ecclesiastical positions, helping direct the arrairs of the new settlement. As always, he consecrated his talents for construction to the kingdom, supervising the construction of many structures in Manti. The spring following Millets arrival brought a visit from the leadership of the Church, including President Young. Their business included issuing a new call to Artemus. Elizabeth Crawford Munk wrote of the visit:
"On April 29, 1851, PResident Young, Apostles Kinball and Woodruff and others started from Salt Lake City to visit the settlements in southern Utah, and to explore the valley of the Sevier and other places. They spent a few days in Manti. A meeting was called in the school house and the visitors organized a high council for Manti. In the evening of the meeting day, both the Bowery and the log school house were occupied. Singing, prayer, and talks, were followed by dancing until 10 o'clock when all retired to their homes highly gratified with the manner in which the time had been spent."Artemus Millet was one of those appointed to the high council by the visiting leaders on 30 April. He was additionally called to serve as the president of the council the next day. He served in that capacity for about 5 years.
A history of Manti by the Daughters of Utah Pioneers tells of Artemus's also being nominated to be a referee, or selectman, along with Titus Billings, Edwin Whiting, and several others. This event took place during "a meeting of the citizens of Sanpete County, in the fort of Manti City." Serving in both ecclesiastical and civic positions , Artemus Millet was involved in the decision making circles of Snapete COunty. He worked with Manti Stake President Issac Morley and counselors Titus Billings and Edwin Whiting, Mayor Dan JOnes, and Manti militia commander Nelson Higgings. Millet's leadership in Manti was important. In most literature, Millet is noted only for his architectural contributions, especially as the builder of the Kirtland Temple. Yet his time on the Manti High Council and other positions shows that Millet had leadership ability, which was recognized by his priesthood leaders and fellow saints. In this way, he built the kingdom, using means other than spade and mortar.
Indian Trouble and the Walker War
Brigham Young intended to have peaceful relations with the Native Americans among whom he settled the Rocky Mountains. On June 14, 1849, Chief Walker and a delegate of Ute Indians called on President Young in Salt Lake. At that time, Walker requested that a group of settlers settle in "Sanpitch." The Indians hoped for the settlers to teach them how to build homes and farm the soil. Chief Walker had even served as a guide for a Mormon exploration party and had treated then with respect. Despite early desires for camraderie and their wish to have the Mormon immigrants settle in their land, the Indian's feeling turned on the settlers.
"In the middle of the summer of 1850, Chief Walker and a band of 700 Sanpitch warriors with their squaws and papooses returned froma successful foraging expedition against the Shoshones and camped in a semicircle around the Manti colonists, remaining during the rest of the summer. They proudly exhibited their trophies of was, held frequent scalp dances and forced their prisoners to dance with the scalps of their kindred attached to poles. Chief Walker and his leading warriors would worry the colonists and threaten to treat them in a similar manner...The Indians under Chief Walker continually gave indications of a desire to stir up trouble, and in spite of his pleadings for white neighbors to settle among his people and teach them the way of peaceful and happy government, this treacherous chief made efforts to use the colonists to feed and support him and his band.During the mentioned hostilities, Artemus Millet was enrolled in the Sanpete County Militia. The Manti Siants relocated their settlement south, with the present-day Manti Tabernacle as the center block. They did this in consideration of the Indian threat and the desire to move their settlement away from the hill. This move occurred in 1852, beginning the first organized deed records in Sanpete County. The records show that Artemus Millet owned four lots on block 180 in Manti City. Later, in 1858, the Church consecration records show hi owning the following property: "four city blocks in block 180, four lots in the big field, a house within the big fort, and one calf, total value $1,448."
Millet's Construction Efforts in Manti
The relocated Manti settlement was walled in and called the Little Stone Fort. Millet supervised the building of the fort in the summer of 1852 as well as the later additions to it. THe fort, like its later addition and other buildings Millet worked on in Manti, was built of stone. Construction began on 27 May and was completed June 28. A dedication service was held on 3 July 1852.
Millet was 62 years old when we was working on the Little Stone Fort. Either Millet was in great shape for a man of his age or he delegated much of the manual labor to others. A record of those who built the fort says that Millet contributed 16 days to building the fort and one team of oxen. A Deseret News article dated 17 June 1852 described the fort's construction as employed by Millet. "It has a gate on the west side int he center of the wall, and round bastions at the north, west and south-east corners,: the reporter stated. :The wall is 8 feet high and 2 feet thick and is set upon a foundation of stone 3 feet wide."
No records document who lived inside the Little Stone Fort. Lg cabins wee build close to one another with their backs against the fort walls. As much space as possible was left in the center of the block. It is assumed that Millet had a log cabin inside the fort, as the other settlers did. He may have later moved into the Log Fort, an 1853 addition to the Little Stone Fort.
By 1854, the Manti settlement had grown considerably. A wave of Scandinavian immigrants had settled nearby in Spring City during October. President Young soon ordered then to remove themselves to Manti where they would be safer than in Spring City. These immigrants were extremely poor upon thier arrival, but the Manti saints provided for their needs. One Scandinavian immigrant, Christian Munk, recorded his journey and Artemus's generosity upon Munk's arrival. "December 15th an order came from Brigham Young for us to go to Manti as soon as possible. Friday 16th, prepared ourselves and moved to Manti, arriving late in the evening. On the 17th of December moved into the Millet home."
Because of the growing population of Manti, the Little Stone Fort and the Log Fort were no longer sufficient to house everyone. To remedy the need, the settlers built a larger fort called the Big Fort. Artemus Millet "labored as a mason on the fort wall in 1854 and 1855." The Big Fort covered 17 acres, or 9 city blocks, fully enclosing the original fort. A Manti history described the structure as being built "chiefly of rock, though part of it was built in the old Spanish style, by making a frame of wood and filling this with mud, and some of it was built of large adobes." Records indicate the walls were 12 feet high, 3 feet wide and the bottom and 2 feet wide at the top.
Artemus said that in 1852 he built a house for Brigham Young, Further research might identify which house this is. Artemus also said that Bishiop John Lowery appointed him "overseer of the Tithing House in the Little Stone fort and in 1855 he put me in superintendent of the Council House." More research is needed to discern whether Millet was the overseer of construction and/or the overseer of the buildings after they were built. This was the year the building was rebuilt so it seems likely that he as involved in its construction. Furthermore, the stone building style resembles his previous work.
In 1858, Artemus married Sanna Stout int e Endowment House in Salt Lake City. Anna was the sister of the Salt Lake City Sheriff and Mormon old-timer Hosea Stout. Hosea recorded the marriage in his journal, which places the marriage on Nov. 24. In a journal entry dated the following day he wrote, "I forgot to mention that on yesterday Anna was married to Artemus Millet. Started home with him to San Pete Co." Because Nancy Lemaster was still with Artemus, it apprears that Anna Stout was a plural wife.
Shonesburg and Spring Valley
In OCtober 1861, President Brigham Young called for pioneers to settle in the Dixie Cotton Mission. It was the third wave of calls to Dixie that had been issued. A group of Sanpete County settlers were among the 28 families called, including Alma Millet. Artemus and Joseph accompanied Alma, along with their families. One settler recalled, "The Lord is kind in calling us to this wonderful mission. I like a warm climate better than a cold one," Little did they realize the difficult task ahead.
Artemus and Joseph settled in Shoneburg, a settlement near Rockville, north of the north entrance of Zion's National Park today. The Millets would have been in familiar company, as other families from Manti moved south and settled the desert with them. These included the families of Oliver Demill, George Petty, Hyrum Stevens, Hardin Whitlock and Charlie Clapper. The settlement in Shonesburg had to be temporarily abandoned because of Indian trouble in 1866. Several men were killed in Arizona, jsut south of the Utah border and the Shonesburg settlement. Artemus recalled that "the people of Shonesburg, Springdale and Grafton were called to gather to Rockville for safety. My son, Alma moved my wife and me to Rockville then moved our house there from Shonesburg."
Not long after settling Rockville, Alma was called to oversee the Church's cooperative cattle heard at Desert Springs in 1867. Alma moved to the nearby settlement of Spring Valley, Nevada about 40 miles west of Desert Springs. Two years later, in 1869, Artemus also moved from Rockville to Spring Valley. Elder Erastus Snow of the Quorum of the Twelve had called him "to help strengthen the settlement there." The 1870 census shows Artemus and most of his family living in Iron County at this time. Iron County would have extended into today's Nevada before the border changes between Utah and Nevada were delineated. Alma, Joseph, and Artemus Jr. were all there with their families.
While in Spring Valley, Artemus, now in his 70's, continued doing masonry work. He did work "helping to build chimneys, etc." His age and many mishaps were waring on him by this time. His grandson records that Artemus was "not able to do any heavy lifting, as he had been badly crippled up in his younger days." In Spring Valley Artemus also "engaged in dairying and assisted his wife Annie in milking the cows, making butter and cheese, and raising chickens. In reminiscence, Joseph Jr. remembered those days:
" I tended mason for him when I was 12 year old and plastered his fireplace and chimney place, under his directions and tended him while he walled up a well for my uncle Artemus (Jr.). He made an octagon frame, placed it where the well was to be dug, and commenced his wall on it, after it had been lowered to the surface of the ground. And Uncle Artemus would dig inside and lower it as the wall was being built, and Grandfather to lay the rock from the top of the ground as I would hand them to him, and mix and hand him mortar.
When it got too deep to throw the dirt out, Uncle Alma came and helped. They put up a tripod, fastened a pulley, in the top, and put a bucket on each end of a rope which ran through the pulley. While one was being filled, the other was being emptied. And thys when the well was dig, it was also walled clear to the top.Scipio: The Last Days of Millet's Life
Whn Alma Millet was released from his superintendence of the Church cattle heard, he sold his property in Spring Valley and moved his father and his family to Scipio, Utah, and 1860 Millard County pioneer settlement that sits in a valley across the mountain from the Millets former home in Manti. By this time, Artemus was becoming quite feeble. In November 1874 Alma wrote to Joseph that their father wanted him and Artemus Jr. to come to Scipio "at once." Coincidentally, his son Hyron Grannis (son of Ruth) had recently arrived in California along with his family. He was staying with Joseph Millet at the time Alma's letter arrived. Artemus had not seen Hyrum for 30 years. The three brothers "soon arrived at their father's bedside in Scipio. Joseph Millet Jr. described the poignant scene:
Artemus was so overjoyed to see them, and especially his unexpected son Hyrum, whom he had not seen for so many years. He was greatly animated and seemed to revive at the moment, although his demise had been daily, and almost hourly expected. There was a brief time of weeping with father and sons, mingled with joy, sorrow, anxiety, hope, fear, and doubt.
A photographer was brought and grandfather was dressed in his best suit of clothes, sat up in bed, and had his picture taken, the only one taken of him. Outlines looked very natural, bu his eyes sere sunken and his eyelids drooped.
The strain seemed to have been too much for him. He went peacefully away in the 19th of November, with a satisfied expression on his face.
Artemus Millet was 84 years, 2 months, and 8 days old, clear from any bad habits or profane language or expressions prepared to meet those loved ones who had preceded him...and to meet with the prophets and apostles he had been so intimately associated with and labored with in the cause of truth and of redemption for the living and the dead.
Great be his glory and endless his priesthood, ever and ever this robe he shall wear, crowned in his glory to sit in his kingdom to reign supreme and triumphantly there.
Other notes about Artemus Millet Sr.
Artemus is mentioned in a speech given by M. Russel Ballard entitled "What Came From Kirtland."
The Mormon Myth about Artemus Millet
