Ormus Ephriam Bates

Biographical Sketch of Ormus Ephraim Bates, by Ormus A.

     Ormus Ephraim Bates, son of Cyrus Bates and Lydia Harrington, was born 25 March 1815 at Ellisburg, Jefferson County, New York. He married Phoebe Mariah Matteson, born 31 Jan 1817 in (probably) Jefferson County, New York 4 Aug. 1835 at Ellisburg.  They had five sons and four daughters.

• Orson Parley, b. 5 Mar 1836 at Ellisburg, N.Y.
• Erin Lafayette, b. 25 Dec 1838 at Ellisburg, N.Y.
• Loverne Emerette, b. 4 Feb 1841 at Henderson, Jefferson County, N.Y.
• Mart Elizabeth, b. 5 Dec 1842 at Henderson, Jefferson County, N.Y.
• Ormus Elias, b. 11 April 1845 at Nauvoo, Illinois
• ORissa Mariah, b. 8 Jan 1848 at Winter Quarters, Nebraska
• Arlin Henry, b. 14 March 1851 at Council Bluffs, Iowa
• Marintha Altheria, b. 14 Mar 1855 at Batesville, Utah
• Myron Williams, b. 18 Oct 1857 at  Batesville, Utah

     "With his family of wife and four children, he moved from Henderson, N.Y. to Nauvoo, Illinois in 1845. Here he was active in Church affairs, was appointed by proper authorities of the Church, with others to collect as agents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, donations and the tithing for the Temple in the city of Nauvoo, and for other purposes and having complies will all necessary requirements by entering into the bonds to out entire satisfaction." (Ref. Journal History, Jan 31, 1845.)

     He is mentioned as one taking part with a group of 24 elders who met in prayer circle in the temple, March 24, 1845.

     While in Nauvoo he married Morilla Spink, 23 Dec 1844, whose son, Orville Ephraim, was born on Oct 21, 1845.

     The next year, probably the latter part of 1846, he took his family, under the threat of mob violence, to Winter Quarters, Nebraska, where on 24 Jan 1847 he was a member of a company of armed men under Hosea Stout, chosen to participate in an expedition against the Indians. Just what the results of this expedition were is probably recorded in the history of the church.

   During this year, 1847,  he married a third wife, Matilda Reeves, from Rochester or Hartland, New York, at Winter Quarters.

     As the movement was ever westward, we find him next in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Here, he kept cattle and horses for the church, reserved to equip the trains for migrating Saints, and some for Orson Pratt whose first wife was Ormus Bates' sister (Sarah).  He had considerable number of stock of his own.

     Because of this occupation, he remained here about 4 years. In the meantime, the Saints under Brigham Young's counsel were using every effort to leaved the States because of a growing bitterness and restlessness in both North and South, and to gather to Utah to help in the building up of Zion in the tops of the mountains.

 

     Accordingly, the Bateses joined the company under William Cummings, and with his stock left Council Bluffs in the Spring of 1851, arriving in Salt Lake City of Oct. 5.  To be more specific, the Cummings company left the last outpost, Kanesville, 21 June 1851, divided into several units of 50 and subdivided into tens.

     Ormus E Bates remained in the Salt Lake Valley during the winter of 1851 an the spring of 1852 took his family and herds westward, around the point of the Oquirrh Range of mountains to the group of Tule Springs and located a tract of land five and one-half miles north of Tooele and two miles south of the Ezra T. Benson sawmill.

     Here he built a house and began the erection of a fort hear a large spring of pure, clear water that bubbled up through the moving turbulent quicksand. The fort was built of adobe mud laid to a thickness of 2 feet, and 12 feet high, enclosing a court five by six rods in dimension with a gate through which teams could be driven on each side.

     In my memory, it seems the fort was never finished on the side which was flanked by sloughs of standing water, no doubt, a reasonably safe protection against the Indian raids and excellent home or retreat for ducks and mosquitoes.

     Indians, at this time, were not friendly, to speak mildly, and on one occasion at least waylaid and killed a herder who attempted to trail and recover his cattle.  Ormus E. Bates was a believer in the council of Brigham Young, "It is better and cheaper to feed them (the Indians) than to fight them."

     The surrounding tract of land was for many years known as Bateses Ranch, but oftener called "The Ranch" by people on the east side of Tooele Valley. On Nov 1, 1855, the count court set aside another tract to be named the Rose Springs Forting District described as follows:

Commencing at the south-west corner of the Ormus E Bates Forting District, thence North along the county road to the Ezra T Benson District (Head of the Hill Springs) thence East to the foot of the mountains to a point directly east of the southeast corner of the Ormus E. Bates Forting District, thence west  to the place of beginning. The Springs at the foot of the mountains were first called Rose Springs, afterwards the Sellwood Place, and later Bryan's Springs.

     The Batesville School District and Precinct was later established to include these two forting districts, and the east side and west side.  There was, no doubt, an understood line on the south side of these forting districts.

     Ormus was at that time active in civil affairs, Ne was named Orator of the Day at the celebration of the 24th of July 1856 at Tooele City.

     He was appointed to succeed John Rowberry as Probate Judge of Tooele County in 1859 by the Territorial Legislature and was regularly re-elected to succeed himself the next year. The county seat was located at Richville (Milton) the settlement consisting of five families,a gristmill, the remains of a sawmill and a court house. This was 3 miles north of the Ranch.

     During these few years, Bates and his sons built two homes in the fort and one a short distance south neat a small spring which we boys called Grandma's Spring.

     He was set apart Sept 9th and left of a mission on Sept 22, 1860 to the United States with a large group, including Orson Pratt. On this occasion President Young appealed for funds from Bishops and families in Zion to aid these missionaries who were unable to provide for themselves.

March 17, 1862 (From Millenial Star)
     "News from NEw YOrk.  Brother Ormus E Bates who has just returned from the West (perhaps of a special mission to Florence, Nebraska) reported the way open and favorable prospect for our emigration and railroads would provide transportation to Florence."

     The 13th of June 1862, with Elder H,S, Eldridge , he met the Elders and Saints arriving at Castle Gardens on the ship Manchester and arranged for their trip to Florence. He returned, probably, with this company across the plains during 1862.

     Finding a stock range unsatisfactory in Tooele Valley, he moved a part of his family south into Rush Valley, where food conditions were more promising and located on the East Canyon Creek, which was later Bates Creek and now Ophir Creek,a short distance below the mouth of the canyon.  Here he built several cabins to accommodate his now augmented family.

     He had acquired a large herd of sheep, about 3,000 head, with cattle and horses ranging in the hills in summer and out in the valley during winter.  Little snow ever fell in this valley, and white sage and bidsage furnished the finest of winter food.

     Here he prospered with his several wives and families.  The boys herded sheep, tended the cattle, rounded up and "busted" broncos. The girls helped their mothers cook, keep house, scour, card, and spin the wool and make clothing; so Ormus, like Abraham of old, became prosperous, with his flocks and his herds and his wives and children; but, too bad, there came the Ophir mining excitement, right to his door.

     His young son, Cyrus, about 18, discovered a vein of rich horn silver, which he named the Mountain Lion and located with the father as co-owner.  The mountain is still called the Lion Hill. There were taken from near the surface many thousands of dollars of horn silver.  Pockets of almost pure silver were shoveled out without blasting. Excitement ran high and Salt Lake mining men commenced bidding for the property. Cyrun sold his half to the father for $10,000. Ormus held for $50,000. He refused a bid of $40,000.

     In the meantime, much money was spent in development and pockets of ore petered out. In 1872 silver was demonetized and dropped too low for mining, leaving Ormus heavily in debt.  His cattle and sheep helped to ease his finances, but the worry and trouble indermined his health and he was suddenly stricken with heart failure and on Aug 4, 1973, 58 years, 4 months, 19 days of age, he expired leaving 6 widows and 40 children.

     Physically, he was well set up, 6 feet tall, weighing 240 pounds. His complexion was light, eyes grey and piercing, his strength almost prodigious, It was said of him that no man in the country could handle him.

     Yet he was always affable and pleasantly agreeable, when not aroused, but like a lion when attacked.  He was pleasant and affable with his friends, sociable and hospitable with strangers or friends, but firm and forceful when crossed.  His wives, though sometimes complaining, respected him; his sons and daughters loved and obeyed him.

     His was the life of a pioneer, from pioneer stock of Massachussetts, coming from England in 1635 to Boston; and rugged frontiersmen, keeping abreast of the ever westward movement, Massachussetts, Vermont, Western New York, Illinois, thence to the territory of Utah. A colonizer, he, who sought no comfort and ease, but space for expansion. Like Jacob of old, he needed room for his flocks and his herds, his sons and their sons.

     He was always friendly with the Indians when they were not hostile.  He fed rather than fought them, and though they raided the herds of others in Tooele County, no one ever knew of their stealing a horse of steer branded with the familiar "O.B." brand.

     The Deep Creek and Skull Valley Utes, numbers of them, came to the Bates Ranch on East Canyon Creek every fall to gather pine nuts. Every time, they greeted him with, "How Bitch" (Bates) and called hom "Heap Wino Bitch" (Very Good Bates).  Of course, they came to beg something, everything.  "Shay, Gimme biscuit. Me papoose hongry, heap cry. Me wan 'um prow (flour, sugar).  After a time of gathering and roasting the nuts and begging what they could around the country, then perhaps the chiefs came to the house. "Shay, Bitch, we wan'um shiteseh (steer), Tabby?"
     "Me waino heap meat, pixum schmoke. Me squaw (imitated cutting up meat) waino pix um, schmoke, pake um uh; (grunt meaning over mountain). Shkurr warrey (Skull Valley.)"
     "All right, ORmus would agree, "One steer, see? (Holding up one finger) "You ketchum waino pix um."

     That was enough; soon the young braves were astride their mustangs and off they would go into the hills, among the cedars. When the steer was found they herded him out of the cedars into the flat, then--"Yip Yi yu. Yup, round they chased the poor beast until he was hot and winded. Then followed the kill. Squaws were immediately at hand with knives to skin and butcher the carcass, then they cut the lean flesh into narrow strips which were carried to camp, hung onto horizontal willows resting on forked stakes, under which a slow fire was made and the meat was thus dried,as the fire was kept going several days until the meat was hard and black.Then it was packed in blankets of bags, packed on ponies, then camp broke up and the company "pikeway" for their wickiekups over the mountains to the west.

     Grandma Bates (Phoebe Mariah) told this story in which it is evident Grandpa was not always mild where the Indians were concerned.

     "One day an arrogant buck came into the fort in Tooele Valley from a band of Indians camped some distance from the fort, He strutted around asking and demanding everything in sight, and picked up some articles as though to take them away. Ormus waddled up to him, "You pike way! Git!"  Then, seizing by the shoulders and legs, boosted him high.  It was done so suddenly that the Indian had no time to get out of the way or defend himself. Grandma chuckled and laughed in her reminiscence.

     Another  similar case occurred not far from Kanesville. A band of warriors appeared one morning before the train had started, probably to beg and to size up the company. The young leader, evidently a chief, rode forward to "Pow-Wow."  Some of the leaders of the company stood a short distance from the camp to size up the braves and find out what they wanted.  Ormus E Bates was one of these men.  A circumstance or which the following scene was the sequel occurred a month or so earlier while Mr Bates was gathering up the cattle.  In his absence from his herder's cabin, one day, some Indians broke in and stole everything they could carry off, among which were some clothes.
     Ormus now discovered this young chief had on one of the shirts. Without further par, he stepped up to the Indian with the command, "Give me my shirt." Then he seized his leg, jerked him from his pony, tore the shirt from his back, cuffed him several times, then throwing him back on the horse, gave the pony a slap on the gip with, "Now Git, pike way and stay away."  The other braves sat on their horses and laughed and jeered as their leader was being man-handled, seeing it great sport to see their young leader get what was coming to him.

     An incident about the journey across the plains was told us by Grandma.  Ormus was driving ahead pf the train one day accompanied by his youngest wife, Matilda, in the open carriage.  They had gotten perhaps a half a mile ahead of the train over a hill, when suddenly two Indians rode down from ambush upon the couple in the carriage.  Ormus was surprised but not unprepared. As the Indians dropped from their ponies, one on each side of the team, hunting knives in hand about to be used to cut loose the team form the wagon, Ormus drew his two "six shooters" called "Pepper box", held them forward, one pointing to the left and one to the right.  He had some knowledge of the Indian tongue and threatened to kill if they cut the harness. As they remounted their ponies, Bates turned back to the company saying, "Forewarned is forearmed" and the train passes unmolested.

     Ormus E. Bates became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, being baptized by Orson Pratt July 4, 1836 at Henderson, Jefferson County, New York, and held the office of Elder until his death.