Family Connections: Legacy of Alexander Beckstead

In 1738, Alexander's grandfather, John Beckstead was born in Germany. He migrated to England where he joined the armed forces. During the latter part of the Revolutionary War, John served as a junior officer, a master of Militia in the Albany, New York area. Following the war, he maintained neutrality and lived in Albany with his family, working as a blacksmith. John gained American citizenship, but British records still recorded him as a Loyalist. Therefore, his children received land grants to Williamsburg and Matilda, Canada. John's son, Francis Sr. married Margaret Barkley and in 1802, she gave birth to their oldest son, Alexander.

When Alexander was five years old, his parents moved to Williamsburg, Canada, where Francis Sr. secured 200 acres of choice farmland. At an early age, Alexander worked with his father on the farm. In 1823, Alexander married Catherine Lince, and farmed his own land. During 1837, three Mormon missionaries, John Goodson, Isaac Russell and John Snider visited the homes of Alexander, his father, Francis Sr. and other members of the family. The Becksteads were religious people and were members of the Lutheran Church. However, after listening to the missionaries and reading the Book of Mormon, the Becksteads were baptized and immediately expressed a desire to join the Saints in Missouri. At a great sacrifice, they sold their homes and well established farms, built their covered wagons and gathered provisions. The company consisted of thirty-five people: Alexander, his wife, Catherine and their eight children, Francis Jr. (Alexander's younger brother) and his family, and the Patriarch of the family, Francis Sr. and other family members.

The three month journey was long and difficult, and the Becksteads experienced sickness and other hardships. As the company approached the state of Illinois, they were surrounded by a vicious mob and held as prisoners for three days at Crooked River. While the mob was gathering help, the women would go for water and the enemy would shot at them. Finally the mob planned to massacre the entire company, when suddenly, rain began to fall in torrents. The storm was so fierce that the mobocrats were compelled to flee from drowning. The Prophet Joseph Smith, having heard of the Becksteads' perilous condition, arrived upon the dreadful scene with fifty armed brethren. They rescued the company and escorted them to safety in DeWitt, Missouri the later part of September, 1838.

In DeWitt, the Becksteads were joined by more Saints and soon the small settlement was under attack by mobs. The persecution increased and cattle disappeared. Food became scarce and some of the Saints died from starvation. Finally, a mob of 150 men rode in among the wagons and tents and demanded the Saints leave by the 1" of October or all would be killed. Soon after, the Prophet arrived with armed brethren and found the Saints in desperate conditions. During these trying times, the Beckstead families escaped to Far West where they settled for the winter. Alexander's wife, Catherine gave birth to her ninth child on December 31, 1838.

Sometime in the spring of 1839, the persecution of the Saints in Far West became unbearable. The Becksteads suffered great hardships and were constantly in fear of being killed.

They finally escaped and began their journey towards Nauvoo. The weather was cold and rainy, and the muddy trails made traveling difficult. After traveling 200 miles in these conditions, the families arrived in Quincy, Adams County, Illinois. Alexander and his family settled in Carthage and Francis Sr. and family settled in Lima, other families lived in Warsaw closer to Nauvoo. A tragedy struck the family in 1841, when Francis Sr., a noble and faithful Saint, died of cholera. His presence was greatly missed by the family, especially Alexander, who assumed leadership of keeping the families together.

In June 1844, while Alexander and his family were living in a humble dwelling in Carthage, the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were imprisoned in the jail. Alexander and a few other brethren were assigned to guard the jail, On June 271h, while Alexander was standing guard, suddenly out of nowhere a frightening mob descended on the jail, overtaking the guards. Above the commotion, and shouting, Alexander heard the murderous act take place and looking up, he saw the Prophet Joseph fall from the jail window. Helplessly, Alexander looked at the lifeless body of his beloved Prophet and was deeply shaken. In his mind, he recalled how the Prophet had rescued the Becksteads in perilous times, and now he had been unable to protect the Prophet. This experience burned deeply in his memory, and in later years, he shared the terrible incident with a granddaughter, who recorded the story. His strength was gone upon arriving home, but his wife, Catherine quickly related what had happened that morning. Wicked men had approached Catherine and asked for Alexander. She told them that he was gone. One of the enemy quickly said, "Oh, he is out guarding Ole Joe Smith." They threatened to return the next morning and burn the dwellings and kill all the children. (There were approximately thirty families in the little village.) She pleaded for more time, because she was caring for a very sick little boy. But totally unsympathetic, they vowed to return with guns. Upon hearing this news, Alexander quickly alerted the Beckstead families in Lima and they all packed their wagons and moved to Warsaw.

The mobs continued raiding the settlements, and in 1845, the Prophet Brigham Young told the Saints that they needed to prepare for a long journey to the west. During this same time, Brigham Young received a request from the President of United States, for 500 Mormon volunteers to serve in the War against Mexico. Three Beckstead boys, the youngest sixteen, were among the first to join the Mormon Battalion. (These young men were not to be seen again for fifteen years.) The Becksteads sadly bid them farewell, and with Alexander's encouragement, busied themselves in preparation for the trek. The children also participated. For example, they parched quantities of corn, which was taken to the mill to be ground up. This parched corn would be eaten with further cooking or even without on stormy days.

Since leaving Canada, the Becksteads had lived in constant fear for their lives, never knowing from one hour to the next if they would be attacked by mobs. They suffered much, but their resilient spirits and strong faith sustained them throughout their trials. The Becksteads were among the first parties to cross the Mississippi River on watercrafts. Reaching the other side, there was sadness in their hearts as they looked back at "beautiful Nauvoo," the city of hope and dreams for the Saints.

The Beckstead wagons had not traveled far into Iowa, when tragedy struck again.

Alexander's younger brother, Francis Jr. became seriously ill and died. This was a great shook and tremendous loss to the family. Alexander was especially sad, losing a dear brother and one who had been a helpful assistant. Finally, the Becksteads arrived in Council Bluffs in 1846, having traveled four-hundred miles from Nauvoo. They settled in this area for several years, raising crops for themselves and others. In September 1849, Alexander and company descended the canyon into the Salt Lake Valley. They settled in Cottonwood area, near friends and helped in providing food for everyone.

In the spring of 1850, Alexander moved to the west side of the Jordan River, where there was nothing but sagebrush. His family settled in an area now called West Jordan, Utah. Alexander purchased 160 acres of land from George A. Smith, who had received this land in a grant from the Mexican Government for use by the settlers. The Becksteads located on what was known as the "River Bottoms" of the Jordan River, which was their only source of water. Alexander worked with pick and shovel and mostly by hand to build the Beckstead Ditch. He also dug wells for drinking water. At first, most of their homes were adobe huts, and some were merely holes dug into the bank along the river bottoms, called "dug-outs." The Indians frequently came through the area and the Becksteads tried to befriend them and offer food, but some were hostile and threatening. Years later, they were to learn that the "Indian Trail" from the east mountains to the west was on Alexander's land.

Alexander was an unselfish and faithful man. In 1861- 63, he assisted materially in sending outfits back to the Missouri River to help the Saints in the movement west. During hard times when flour cost $25.00 a sack, instead of selling his flour, Alexander divided it among the poor. On one occasion, he sent his son, John Alma Beckstead with five thousand pounds of flour to the poor people of St. George area. Alexander erected the first Blacksmith shop in the area and was the main pillar in building the "Old Rock Meeting House" in West Jordan.

Following the Prophet's advice, Alexander entered into polygamy at the age of fifty-two years old. His first wife, Catherine Lince, bore him fifteen children, and his second wife, Keziah Albine Petty, had ten children. His third wife, Clarrisa Mn Gilson, bore him seven children. In DC 124:92-94, the calling of one to the priesthood office of Patriarch, is demonstrated in the prophetic nature of Alexander's patriarchal blessing. After having the blessings of the priesthood "sealed upon thee," he was told that "notwithstanding thou art well stricken in years, thou shalt be quickened.. .and in thy old age thou shalt be blest with a numerous posterity and many shall rise up and call thee blessed in consequence of thy willingness to the will of the Lord." This blessing was received on November 13, 1856, nine months after having received his third companion. According to the available records, sixteen of his thirty-two children were born after this sacred event and before his death, fourteen years later.

Alexander Beckstead passed away at his home in West Jordan on February 25, 1870. Surrounded by his large family and friends, he was buried in the South Jordan Cemetery.

—Written by fourth great granddaughter, Jeanine Eldredge Van Leuven