Matilda Jane Downs Stewart

I am proud to claim Matilda Jane Downs Stewart as a prominent member of my family tree. She is the sister of my Great, Great, Grandfather James Downs, who is the grandfather of my Grandfather Demar McCracken.

Matilda was born in Crawford County, Indiana, October 20, 1820, the year of the Prophet Joseph Smith's first vision. 

Early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Matilda's parents, Charlotte and Ezekiel, moved their family to Quincy, Illinois, and then to the beautiful city of Nauvoo on the banks of the Mississippi River. 

Just after they completed construction of their eight room home, persecution against the saints in Nauvoo escalated.

Homes burning in Nauvoo

A frenzied mob descended upon the town and Matilda and her family were taken out on the street and with their hands in agony pinned behind them were forced to watch their home burn to the ground before their eyes amid the cheers and curses of the mob. This trial did not sway Matilda's convictions, but served instead to strengthen her faith in her religion from which she never wavered.

Isaac Mitton Stewart

At the age of twenty-three Matilda became the first wife of Isaac Mitton Stewart, a man who shared her great faith. Isaac was well acquainted with the Prophet Joseph Smith and received his patriarchal blessing under the hand of Hyrum Smith, in which he was told that many blessing awaited him, but he would pass through many tribulations. This certainly was fulfilled, as Matilda's history states: 

"The times were trying, but their love for each other and their great faith helped them along their rugged path."

Some histories claim that Isaac was appointed bodyguard over the bodies of the martyred prophet and his brother, but this is as yet undocumented.

Isaac became a captain over a company on the pioneer trek to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake. Supportive Matilda was 'obliged' to drive their team of oxen as her husband 'looked after the long train of weary saints'. Upon arriving in the west, they were very disappointed in finding it so 'dreary and uninviting', as they drove their tired to oxen on to South Willow Creek, the area now known as Draper, Utah.

Matilda was very skilled at carding wool and spinning and weaving it into clothing for the family of two daughters and two sons. She also used flax and hemp for weaving. 

Isaac was sustained as the Bishop of the settlement, which calling he faithfully fulfilled for thirty-nine years, which was undoubtedly shared and supported by Matilda. He and Matilda enjoyed a close association with the Prophet Brigham Young.

Isaac Mitton Stewart home - Draper, Utah (historic photo)

Isaac and Matilda accepted the principle of polygamy and two other wives were sealed to the family. Isaac built a large sixteen room home where he and his three wives and many children lived together harmoniously.  The home still stands in Draper at 12464 South 7th East. Although it is a registered historic site, it is not open for tours.

Current picture of Isaac Mitton Stewart Home

The final tribute to Matilda in her history describes her as possessing jovial Irish wit that intrigued all who came in contact with her. This is the most telling phrase of all to me in the writings about Matilda. She suffered much tribulation in this life, but maintained a happy attitude that was enjoyed by and inspiring to others.

"A Position of Highest Esteem"

The compassionate rescue of Mormon refugees by my Great, Great Grandparents, Ezekiel and Charlotte Rawlins Downs was mentioned briefly in an earlier blog post titled, “A Family Divided”. While that entry focused on later decisions in Ezekiel's life, this entry will highlight his charitable kindness in 1839 to neighboring Mormons  while residing in Quincy, Illinois.

We read in I Peter 4:8: “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” 

President Gordon B. Hinckley said, "In the annals of our Church, the city of Quincy and its citizens will always occupy a position of highest esteem.

We shall always be grateful for the kindness, the hospitality, the civility with which they met our people who were exiles from the state of Missouri."

It is wonderful to know that President Hinckley holds my ancestors in a position of the highest esteem for their participation in this rescue. Ezekiel and Charlotte took in five families of persecuted saints and provided them with everything they needed for survival and with honest labor to help them to get back on their feet.

Lloyd Newell, narrator for “Music and the Spoken Word” read a moving tribute to the generosity of early Quincy citizens:

"Quincy bears a legacy of mercy that ripples down the centuries, reminding us that the milk of human kindness is always more powerful than force or fury.

In 1839, persecution in Missouri forced the departure of nearly 10,000 Latter-day Saints into neighboring states and communities. Large groups began leaving in February of that year, headed for various locations in Illinois and Iowa.

Many came to western Illinois. With a population of about 1,500, Quincy was the region’s principal town at the time. In an extraordinary act of humanitarian service, Quincy’s 1,500 residents sheltered and assisted more than 5,000 Latter-day Saint refugees.

Arriving refugees needed accommodations and jobs. Quincy citizenry provided both. Despite snowstorms, Quincy citizens repeatedly rescued Latter-day Saints stranded without adequate food or clothing on the Missouri side of the river. One observer at the time noted that the citizens "donated liberally, the merchants vying with each other as to which could be the most liberal."

Local groups in Quincy interacted with Church leaders and representatives to carry out successful philanthropic activities. They provided jobs and donations of cash, clothing and provisions to needy Latter-day Saint refugees. They raised money locally and signed endorsements authorizing fundraisers in St. Louis and New York City."

It is wonderful to imagine the Downs family, leading citizens in this community, being anxiously engaged in this rescue. Perhaps Ezekiel vied to be the most liberal in his donations; I hope he won the contest. I am most proud of this couple for their charitable kindness in Quincy in 1839, a Christ like example I will try to remember and emulate.

As mentioned in the earlier post, due to Ezekiel's grief at the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph and his difficulty accepting Brigham Young, he cast off his wife and five of his children, left the church, and eventually remarried. Nevertheless, his wife Charlotte remembered the Quincy time period and knew Ezekiel's heart was one of charity and kindness. Even though she undoubtedly suffered as she crossed the plains as a single parent with five children and raised them on her own in the harsh untamed frontier of Utah, he remained dear to her heart. His name is listed on her tombstone as her husband. I choose to believe this indicates that she always loved him and forgave him. Her example of charity towards her husband is another legacy I cherish.

I hope to learn from the example of these inspiring ancestors, for in the final assessment, "charity covereth a multitude of sins."

Wonderful Mother of Mine

The phrase, "to know them is to love them" is true of the wonderful mothers in my family. Each new glimpse into the lives of my forebears brings inspiration, something to learn and admire. Today I honor these amazing mothers:

The lyrics to the song "That Wonderful Mother of Mine" are read in the background:

The moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of that wonderful mother of mine.
The birds never sing but a message they bring
Of that wonderful mother of mine.
Just to bring back the time, that was so sweet to me,
Just to bring back the days, when I sat on her knee.

You are a wonderful mother,
Dear old Mother of mine.
You'll hold a spot down deep in my heart,
'Till the stars no longer shine.
Your soul shall live on forever,
On through the fields of time.
For there'll never be another to me,
Like that wonderful Mother of mine

A Family Divided

Ezekiel Downs - 1789 – 20 January 1861

Charlotte Rawlins Downs - December 25. 1791 – January 23, 1863

In the early days of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, many of my ancestors were called upon to go through extreme tribulation and persecution, yet somehow found the strength, faith and courage to keep going. This very sad tale of my Great, Great, Great Grandparents, Ezekiel and Charlotte Rawlins Downs contrasts what happens when faith prevails or falters.

Adams County, Illinois

Ezekiel and Charlotte were married in 1814 in Indiana. Their family had grown to include four children by 1828 when they moved to Adams County, Illinois, which Ezekiel described as “one of the most beautiful countries he had ever seen.  The land was rich, the prairie interspersed with beautiful groves of timber, with singing birds and the country abounded with wild game, wild fruit, fish and honey.”

In Illinois they bought and raised calves and hogs for market, acquired and fenced 160 acres of land of which 100 acres were cleared. Their large crops included corn, wheat, oats, beans, potatoes, pumpkins, melons. Their greatest harvest was two more children born to the industrious and successful family.

A pivotal event happened in the spring of 1838

when the nearby Mormon Saints were driven from their homes in Missouri by mobs, leaving them destitute. A large group of these refuges crossed the river near Quincy, Illinois.  Five families stopped at the home of Ezekiel and Charlotte and called upon their mercy, arriving with only one old wagon and a poor span of horses.  Sympathetic to this “poor persecuted people” the family rescued the saints, giving them a place to stay, work, food and clothing.

As they became friends, the saints predicted that the Downs would become Mormons, which caused them great merriment to hear. However, upon listening to the Elders preach, their son John became the first in Ezekiel’s family to embrace the gospel and was baptized in 1840. By 1842 the rest of the family had joined the church as well and the family relocated to Knowlton’s Settlement twelve miles south of Nauvoo. They were acquainted with the Prophet and family lore claims that one of their sons was his bodyguard, although this is not documented.

Prophet Joseph Smith Jr.

After the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. at Carthage Jail, Ezekiel’s faith was challenged and he exclaimed to his family, “Well this is the last, my best friend is gone, surely there is nothing to this after all. I am through.”

In spite of his change of heart, in the spring of 1846 Ezekiel and his family started west. Charlotte held firm to her faith; Ezekiel struggled, as they moved to Winter Quarters. During the journey, Ezekiel grew displeased with the leadership of Brigham Young. Because of his feelings, they did not settle in Winter Quarters, which essentially declared his vote of no confidence in Young’s leadership.

Instead, the family settled along Mosquito Creek, about ten miles northeast of Council Bluffs, where Ezekiel built a flour mill and a saw mill. Their home was the first permanent residence in the area and their industry attracted other settlers. The mill was valuable to incoming Mormons as a means of refining wheat so that it might be sold in Council Bluffs. Soon there were many Mormon and non-Mormon settlers concentrated around a village which became known as Downsville, after the founding family. Once again the family prospered due to their business skills and industry.

This was a temporary respite from tribulation for the family because Charlotte had fully embraced the gospel and desired to continue the trek to the Salt Lake Valley. Ezekiel did not.

It is unfortunate that he did not heed his dream in which he envisioned the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. at the top of a hill beckoning to him. Ezekiel followed until he was exhausted. The dream ended as soon as he stopped following the Prophet.

His faithful son, James, also had a dream. In his he had a vision of the Saints crossing the Mississippi, mob violence in Nauvoo, and their stopping at a great body of water to raise crops and give thanks. The contrast between Ezekiel’s dream and that of his son foreshadowed what would befall the family in Iowa.

The specifics of the turmoil in the Downs family are unknown, but it eventually caused a separation. Refusing to continue west, Ezekiel cast out his wife and the father of the family and the youngest son, Sidney, remained in Iowa, while Charlotte and the remaining five children journeyed on, following the new prophet Brigham Young.

Ezekiel later defied outright the leadership of the Church by marrying Frances F. Graham, who was a mere child of sixteen to his sixty-two. A Frontier Guardian notice dates the marriage, June 15, 1851. The newspaper’s notice also adds that Ezekiel Downs was excommunicated from the Church “for banishing his wife from him, and for bearing false testimony to obtain a marriage license between himself and another woman.”

This division in the leading family marked the beginning of the demise of Downsville. Ezekiel Downs’ disassociation with the Church and its members may have separated them from possible business contacts. As a result, land improvements, including new mills, were built elsewhere, attracting incoming settlers to other places. Downsville slowly lost favor as a place to grind wheat.

Entrance to Downsville Cemetery

The Downsville Cemetery is the only surviving evidence the town ever existed.

Downsville Cemetery

This newspaper article tells the story of the now extinct town from its promising beginnings by the Ezekiel Downs family: