John Anthony Woolf

This is Peter Anton Woolf's son.  He is one of my many Mormon Pioneer ancestors.  I found this webpage with his history.  It has a lot of information, I'll just post one of the bios but I highly recommend looking at the page for lots more information, letters from John Anthony, pictures, census records etc.

JOHN ANTHONY WOOLF
John Anthony Woolf was born July 31, 1805, in Westchester County, New York. He was the youngest child of Anthony Woolf and Phebe Weeks. Tradition had it that John Anthony’s father was also called John Anthony, but researchers have concluded that his name was probably Anthony. This Anthony was born in Mainz, Hessen, Germany, probably under a different last name. When he was just a young man he was forced to serve in the German army as a Hessian soldier and was brought to America to fight with the British forces against the Americans in the Revolutionary War. He had an argument with his superior officer and so deserted from the British side and joined the Americans, changing his name to “Woolf.”

John Anthony became an excellent shoemaker, making white silk and satin shoes for the aristocrats of New York. At times, before a big ball was coming off, he would have to work very hard to complete the ordered shoes, often working all night without sleep, except a snatch or two while on his work bench. In order to keep from sleeping too long he would place his hammer under his side so that in a short time it would start to hurt and wake him up. When the time came for him to marry his sweetheart, Sarah Ann Devoe, he made her wedding shoes. The couple was married on April 20, 1821.

In the 1830's John and Sarah Ann heard the Mormon missionaries, and they were converted, Sarah, being baptized two months prior to John in 1841. In 1842 he was made president of the branch in New Rochelle, New York. During the time they lived in New York they had six children. Our ancestor, Sarah Ann Woolf, was their second child. ( Not right)

In 1843 John took his family to join the Saints in Nauvoo, Illinois. They bought a farm which adjoined the farm of the Prophet Joseph Smith, whom they saw often. They knew him well and loved him very much. One day their small baby, John Anthony, was very ill. The Prophet came and administered to the child, promising that it would get well, and then he sent a nurse to help care for the child.

A son, Andrew, was born into the family while they were living here in Nauvoo. John Anthony and the prophet often rode together in the same buggy and entered their horses in the same races. On two occasions John loaned money to the Prophet and felt that it was a privilege to do so. Prior to his last imprisonment and martyrdom Joseph came to John Anthony and asked for a loan of five hundred dollars. When the Prophet asked what security he wanted John Anthony said, “None. Your word is all I ask.” The Prophet then turned to Willard Richards, who had accompanied him, and said, “Brother Richards, if I do not live to pay Brother Woolf back I want you to see that he gets his money.” The prophet was martyred soon afterward and the debt was cancelled.

John Anthony and his family of seven children left Nauvoo with the rest of the Saints, moving to Winter Quarters where they spent the winter in a log shack. All but two of them suffered from chills and fever. In the spring of 1847 they joined a wagon train heading west. They had four wagons, one of which Sarah Ann drove. One evening while they were camped down on the Platte River a great herd of buffalo came down on the opposite side of the river. They knew that if the buffalo continued in their course, stampeding across the river, their camp would be demolished. The men fired their guns at the animals with no effect whatsoever, so they loaded the big canon they had with them. When they opened fire with this canon the buffalo turned and ran along the river bank - a happy ending.

They arrived in Salt Lake City on October 6 1847, and John Anthony set to work building an adobe house in the Old Fort. He also helped to clear away the sagebrush and build houses for others. By slaughtering their work oxen the family was able to have enough meat for the winter.

About five years later John Anthony was called by Brigham Young to help settle Iron County. He traveled there and planted grain, planning to return for his family after the harvest. Due to prairie dogs and other pests he was only able to harvest forty bushels, and this he cut with his shoe knife. He came back to get his family, but they were destined not to return to Iron County. While camped on the banks of the Jordan River all their cattle were stolen and could not be recovered. Because of the delay in searching for the cattle and because of Sarah Ann’s poor health they fount it necessary to remain in the area for the winter.

In the spring they moved as far south as what is now called Mona. They built a nice home, but the Indians became so troublesome that they were again advised to move, this time to Nephi, where they would be safer. John Anthony moved his family, but before he could move the furniture the indians broke into the house and used it as a lookout, using it to shoot at people as they passed by. John was obliged to return and tear his house down, in order to prevent this menace.

While living in Nephi, three more children were born (two more having been born in Salt Lake), bringing the total to twelve children. They witnessed much trouble with the Indians during this time, including the Walker War.

Because their family was now large and water was scarce in Nephi, John Anthony and Sarah Ann decided to move to Cache Valley, where water was plentiful. They settled in Hyde Park in 1851 and helped to pioneer that area and to subdue the Indians. The only kind of horses that the settlers in that area had were small ponies, similar to Indian ponies. The first real stallion of any worth was owned by John Anthony Woolf, and it became the sire of quite a number of fine stock horses in Cache Valley, this new breed of horses becoming known as “Woolf Stock.”

Here in Hyde Park John Anthony served in the bishopric as second counselor. He was also Justice of the Peace, and he began again to make shoes for the people of the valley. He was a hard worker, kind and forgiving almost to a fault, and those in need were never sent away from his door empty-handed. He died of pneumonia November 7, 1881, at the age of seventy six, and was buried in the Hyde Park Cemetery.

 

This one is a bit more "fluffy"

 

JOHN ANTHONY WOOLF AND SARAH ANN DEVOE

John Anthony Woolf was born 31 July 1805 in Westchester County, New York. John was the 8th and youngest child of Anthony Woolf and Phebe Weeks. His father, Anthony Woolf, was a naturalized Hessian Soldier, his mother Phebe Weeks, was American born. Few intimate details are known of John’s early life. Much can be deduced, however, from the nature of his environment and his attitude and work in later life. His father became an extensive landowner and prosperous farmer. Westchester County at the time was essentially a rural community; nearby New York City provided a ready market for rural commodities such as grain and beef. The city was near enough to the Woolf home in Pelham to permit, if not to require, frequent visits to the city for business or cultural reasons. Here, one saw in the spacious harbor the ships of all trading nations, and on its wharfs sailors from many foreign lands. Merchandise from the manufacturing centers of Europe and Asia were brought here to exchange for the raw products of fabulous, free America. John’s father, with the advantages of his European background, had made friends in high places; Among those friends were those who had been active in the recent Revolutionary War.

 

Having been raised on a farm, in a farming community, it is to be assumed that John was well trained in the practical methods of farming and stock raising. But also, doubtless under the influence of his prudent German-born father, he acquired a trade. He became a shoemaker of great skill, catering particularly to the trade of the well-to-do in the city of New York. Shoes in those days, like suits of clothing, were made to order, rather than selected from well-stocked shelves containing shoes standardized in length, width, and quality. L Thus, John was not only acquainted with the hard labor of the farm, but knew the skill of a fine trade and enjoyed the acquaintance of men in commerce, banking, and manufacturing at a time when all Americans were imbued with a fervent nationalism, a great passion for liberty, and optimism for the future of America.

 

On 30 April 1831, at the age of 26, John married Sarah Ann DeVoe, the lovely daughterof a former French Huguenot family which had fled France to avoid religious persecution, and had greatly prospered in America. This young couple had much in common. The families of each had suffered European inhumanities. John’s father had been illegally inducted and forced to serve in the Germany Army. Sarah Ann’s family had left a beloved home land and had chosen a strange new untamed country in order to maintain their religious conviction. Both families had not only found freedom in the new land, but had prospered also. In addition, the time in which they lived bred courage and idealism. Nationalism ran high following the Revolutionary War. Liberty was on every tongue and a great optimism gave spur to action.

 

By 1843, John Anthony and Sarah Ann were the parents of 6 healthy children, Absalom, the oldest, was 11, John Anthony II, the youngest was born 27 Feb. Of that year. Though not wealthy, they had not wanted, in fact they had done well, having learned the lessons of thrift and frugality from their respective prosperous parents. In the year 1841, John Anthony and Sarah Ann had listened to the teachings of the Mormon missionaries. In Mormonism, Sarah Ann saw the ideals which her forefathers had fostered for generations. Her ancestors had been devout followers of Jesus Christ as taught by the holy scriptures, but they did not accept the churches that attempted to speak in his name. In Mormonism, she found restored that which had been lost in existing churches through departures from the simple scriptures. Sarah Ann’s religious nature is manifest in the names given their first five sone: Absalom, James, Isaac, John and Andrew. She accepted the teachings of Mormonism with all the deep religious devotion of her Huguenot forefathers.

 

John Anthony, being a little older, coming from a less religious background, and perhaps being more aware of the impact on their future lives of accepting the new religion, took a little longer to accept, but once having accepted, never turned back. They were baptized in 1841 and at once began planning their future as active members of their new-found faith. They planned to close that happy chapter of their lives in Westchester and join the body of the Saints in Nauvoo, Illinois, at their earliest convenience. During 1842, John served as president of the New Rochelle Branch of the Church. In 1843 they, with their 6 children, departed from their home and friends of childhood and set out on the long journey to Nauvoo.

 

The trip to Illinois was made partly by canal boat and partly by river boat. The Woolf Family arrived in Nauvoo in the sporing of 1843. “Nauvoo the Beautiful,” or “Nauvoo, the City of the Saints” was the home of the prophet Joseph Smith; it was already the largest city in Illinois and rapidly growing–a city where righteousness was to abound, and the blessings of the Lord were to be made manifest in abundance. Missionaries were going out and missionaries were returning. Saints were arriving from England and from the Eastern States. The temple was under construction, and new organizations were being formed as needed to perform the functions of a rapidly-growing church and a rapidly-growing city. There was much for the Woolf family to do. A temporary home must be found, a farm purchased and cultivated, new contacts and acquaintances made, and church work done. All this fortunately left little time for John and Sarah Ann to brook over the dear friends and scenes of childhood they had left far behind or to nurse the deep hurt in their hearts over the estrangement that had sprung up between them and their beloved close relatives on the occasion of their joining the church of their choice.

 

The spring of 1843 found Nauvoo in perhaps its most enjoyable era. The efforts of the Missourians to harass the Saints in Illinois had borne little fruit, and the Illinois persecutions had not yet matured. John Anthony purchased a lovely farm 2 miles east of the city, thus preserving the pattern of a rural home, but near a city where its commercial and cultural advantages could be

 

obtained. What pleased John and Sarah even more was the fact that their farm adjoined that of the Prophet Joseph, with whom they became intimately acquainted and whose humanity, simplicity, and intelligence as a friend seemed wholly compatible with his profile as a prophet.

 

Unfortunately , this taste of heaven on earth was not to last. The Illinois persecution burst into flame and the prophet was murdered on the 27 June 1844. The perpetrators temporarily fled for cover, while the city and people fell into a depth of gloom seldom experienced on this earth. However, the gloom was short-lived. The prophet had not only foretold his death, but had provided for his succession. The temple was completed, persecution was renewed, and by agreement, to avoid bloodshed, the saints started leaving Nauvoo in Feb. 1844 by crossing the Mississippi and turning to the vast uncharted wilderness in the West. Andrew, the 7th child of John Anthony and Sarah Ann, was born in Nauvoo on Feb. 15 of that bitter year. As soon thereafter as possible, the Woolf Family also crossed the Mississippi with their wagons and oxen, to be swallowed up, as far as the then settled part of America was concerned or be merged with the coyotes, buffalo and Indians beyond the setting sun. Winter found them at the Missouri River, where at Winter Quarters John built a log house to shelter his wife and 7 precious children. They spent a difficult winter plagued with chills and fever, but their lives were preserved. They were able, as so many were not, to resume their journey in the spring. They continued westward with the Edmund Hunter Co., arriving in Salt Lake City, 6 Oct. 1847.

 

John built an adobe house in the old fort to house his family, and assisted others with their building. They survived the winter by eating the oxen that had pulled their belongings across the plains. They remained in Salt Lake 5 years, after which time they were called by Brigham Young to help settle Iron Co. In the early spring of 1852, John Anthony left for Iron County, where he planted crops and built a house. Due to pests and other adverse conditions, he harvested only 44 bushels of grain. Nevertheless, he returned to Salt Lake for his family in the autumn. At an early encampment on the Jordan River on the return journey with his family, thieves drove away their cattle. So much time was lost in finding and retrieving them that is was impossible to reach Iron Co. Before the winter storms, so John built a house for the winter on the Provo River. But now Indian trouble broke out; Indians stole most of the cattle and sheep. On advice from others, John moved his family to Nephi, returning only to tear down his house, which the Indians were using as a cover from which to shoot at passerby.

 

John Anthony built a new home for his family within the fort in Nephi and lived there during the years 1856-60 inclusive. Indian troubles and drought sapped their strength and discounted their efforts. In 1855 John was set apart as a Pres. Of the 19 Quorum of Seventies. While the family was hard-pressed materially, they were blessed spiritually and enjoyed unity and good health. In March 1858, their youngest child, Wallace, was born; he was their 12th. Because the family was now so large and the material rewards of their labor insufficient to maintain their family (because of Indian trouble, drought, and pests), they moved North in 1861 to Cache Valley, settling in the community which became known as Hyde Park, named after its first bishop and leading citizen, William Hyde. There was virgin land here, a plentiful water supply, and while there were some Indian problems, they were less consuming of the settlers’ time

John Anthony and Sara Ann started all over again, as they had done so many times before, to build a home for themselves and their children. It was now just 20 years since they had joined the Church in New York. They were 20 years older and 20 years wiser, poorer in goods of this earth but blessed with a family of healthy, able and obedient children. Herein was their

 

treasure. Because of the children, the Lord had not let them labor those 20 years in vain.

Farming requires back-breaking labor even on a cultivated farm. It is much more difficult on a new farm where sagebrush has to be removed, fences built to keep the owner’s cattle in and stray cattle out, ditches surveyed and excavated, head gates installed, the land plowed, leveled, cultivated, seeded and irrigated. A farm house has to be built, corrals made, barns and sheds erected and a garden plot prepared and seeded. John and Sarah Ann, with their children, some of whom were now old enough and experienced enough to help, faced this colossal task with courage and with as much vigor as their age would permit. Within a few years, they had another home, a flowing well, barns, pens and pastures, horses and cattle. John introduced a new breed of horses into the community known as the Woolf Stock, a medium-sized horse of great strength and good action what was ideal as an all purpose horse on western farms and ranches.

 

The family was expert and ingenious in making the most of what could be raised on the land or be had in the local area. They made soap and lye from wood ashes, molasses from red beets; they carded and spun wool, and from the yarn made knitted clothing and stockings. From cow and horse hides they made ropes, bridles, harnesses, and, of course, shoes. John was a reliable source of shoes wherever he lived. His granddaughter, Orilla, tells of having many times held a candle for him at night after a hard day’s work while he cut miniature wooden pegs foir tacking on the soles of shoes. They made preserves and jam from berries, from small fruits, and even from vegetables. They maintained a good vegetable cellar and made a smokehouse, where they could smoke dry meats. By their ingenuity and labor they always seemed to manage to have some food on hand. The needy were never turned away empty-handed. Their house was a beehive of activity and a gathering place for their children and their children’s friends.

 

John was spared to enjoy his new home for 20 years. He died 7 Nov. 1881 at 76 years–50 years after his marriage, and 40 years after joining the church. Sarah Ann lived to age oif 90. She passed away 19 March 1905.