Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

Florence Edna Huntsman

Female 1876 - 1914  (37 years)


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  • Name Florence Edna Huntsman 
    Born 28 May 1876  Hebron, Washington, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Female 
    Died 3 May 1914  Tobar, Elko, Nevada, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried 5 May 1914  Clover Valley Cemetery, Clover, Elko, Nevada, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I692  Petersen-de Lanskoy
    Last Modified 27 May 2021 

    Family Daniel Tyler Adair,   b. 3 Dec 1867, Beaver, Beaver, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 19 Sep 1901, New Harmony, Washington, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 33 years) 
    Married 18 Jun 1895  Saint George, Washington, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F506  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • RESEARCH_NOTES:
      1. Censuses:
      1880 US: Gunlock, Washington, Utah per FHL film 1255339, National Archives Film T9-1339, p. 392D:
      David Huntsman, Farmer, Self M M W 29 IA Fa:IN Mo:IN
      Emma D. Huntsman, Keep House, Wife F M W 26 WI Parents:WI
      James W. Huntsman, Son M S W 8 UT
      David L. Huntsman, Son M S W 6 UT
      Florence E. Huntsman, Dau F S W 4 UT
      Tacy P. Huntsman, Son M S W 1 UT

      1900 US: Overton, Lincoln, Nevada; Series T623, microfilm 943, book 2, p. 14, June 6, 1900:
      Daniel Adair, b. Dec 1867, age 32, Married 4 years, b. UT, fa. b. AL, mo. b. UT, farmer.
      Florence, wife, b. May 1876, age 24, married 4 years, 3 total children all living, b. NV, US, MO.
      Tacy V., dau., b. Jul 1896, age 3, b. NV, UT, UT.
      Ruth, dau., b. Jan 1898, age 2, b. NV, UT, UT.
      Leslie, son, b. Dec 1899, age 1, b. NV, UT, UT.

      2. Picture of Daniel Tyler Adair and his wife Florence Edna Huntsman from Robin Adair on file.

      BIOGRAPHY:
      1. Sister of David L. Huntsman who married Daniel Adair's sister Ruth Alice Adair.

      2. Married Thomas Sweeney sometime after the death of Daniel Tyler Adair who died 19 Sep 1901.

      3. Story of David and Florence's mother emailed from Robin Adair 27 Feb 2002 were not like this at all. It is a sticky situation. In order to cope with the overwhelming problems of early day Nevada the first women settlers had to be tough, durable and as capable as any man. Some of these women were hellions and other outrageous by standards today. This is not to say that some were not sweet and gentle, but this kind of woman did not carry and use a gun, ride the range and mine ore. The most interesting of our pioneer women could do all those things and more. They certainly were not all sweetness and light. While many people find some pride in being descended from a bandit or wild grandfather, they are somewhat shy of admitting their grandmother was a hellcat and they become even shyer if she went around obliterating people. Yet we did have quite a few of this kind of woman in Souther Nevada who mostly acted out of necessity. If I were sure I would not have to go into hiding I would like to write about some of them. Fortunately there is a few of our marvelous pioneer women whose backgrounds combined toughness with gentility. Such a lady was Emeline Huntsman of the Upper Muddy who was known as the Lady of the Lantern by the valley settlers. She came first to St. Thomas in 1878 in the resettlement of the Muddy which had been abandoned by the Mormons in 1871. It was the second time around for her husband, David Huntsman, whose first call to the area had been in 1886, but this was the first experience with Southern Nevada for the 23 year old bride. For a while the Huntsmans lived in Mesquite, moving to St. Thomas in 1881, where David Huntsman worked with Harry Gentry and Brig Whitmore. Emeline Huntsman's mother had come from England where she had been a nurse. She had passed on to her daughter all her knowledge of medicine. Emmy soon became the local "doctor" around the country, since there was no permanent doctor and always the need of one. For a while she was the only midwife in the area and she would travel over many lonely miles on horseback, her satchel strapped across her back and her little lantern held high to light the way. Isolated settlers in need of medical care would be cheered to see the light of the lantern across the desert and know Lady Emmy and help was on its way. In 1891 the Huntsmans moved to Kane Springs Ranch on the Upper Muddy above Moapa. When the railroad was built through Moapa to Caliente in 1905 it went through part of the Huntsman property and a railroad camp existed for a time on the ranch. With the railroad, lady Huntsman was even more in demand, for she was as famous for her cooking as her medicine and the trains coming from meadow Valley Wash began to make unofficial stops at the huntsman ranch. When floods down Meadow Valley Wash wrecked havoc not only to the railroad line, but to homes and farms, lady Emmy was the heroine in the valley. She rode up the raging meadow Valley Wash looking for those injured in the flood and she saved many lives. In the disastrous flood of 1910, through she was no longer a young woman, Emeline Huntsman again rode up the treacherous was and delivered the baby of the stranded station master's wife at Elgin. There was nothing the railroad men would not do for their Lady Emmy. They acted as couriers for her, bringing and taking supplies between Pioche, St. Thomas and Las Vegas. After David huntsman's death, she stayed on at the ranch alone. Her son Jimmy had married in 1897 and moved to Overton. Fearing the lonely ranch was too dangerous, Jimmy Huntsman tried to persuade his mother to move there with him, but she would not leave Meadow Valley. She told her son the railroad men would look after her. And so they did. There were many outlaw types and hoboes on the railroad, but Lady Emmy was always safe. Every train going through the valley would make a stop at the ranch to see if she was all right. Emeline Huntsman continued to ride out on the desert to help those in need. The train crews would watch her riding out with her satchel and lantern. She became a legend to those men riding the rails and she never lacked for anything during her lifetime."

      BIRTH:
      1. Date and place per www.familysearch.org, Pedigree Resource File, disc #4, Pin #301506, submitted by Cindy Poole, 9688 S. Hearthstone Cir., So. Jordan, UT, 84 095; 6 Jan 2002.

      2. Death Certificate from Nevada Dept. of Human Resources; born: 29 May 1876.

      MARRIAGE:
      1. Per website ; "Early Marriages (1862-1919) in Washington County, Utah: Male and Female Surname Indexes," compiled by Wesley W. Craig, Ph.D: "Adair, Daniel Tyler, age 27, residing Duncan's Retreat, Wash., UT and Florence E. Huntsman, age 19, residing Overton, Lincoln, NV, Lic. date 17 Jun 1895, mar. 18 June 1895 at St. George, Wash., UT, number A-131."

      2. Per Robin Adair: Married Thomas Sweeney sometime after the death of Daniel Tyler Adair (d. 19 Sep 1901). Location and date of marriage unknown to Robin. Ordinance Index gives no valid date or place.

      3. Website: "Western States Marriage Record Index":
      Groom Last Name: Adair
      Groom First Name: Daniel Tyler (27)
      Groom Residence: Overton, Nevada
      Bride Last Name: HUNTSMAN
      Bride First Name: Florence Edna (19)
      Bride Residence: Overton, Nevada
      Place: St. George; Date: 18 Jun 1895
      County of Record: Washington; State: Utah; Volume: A; Page: 13; Marriage ID: 331973.

      DEATH:
      1. Date per www.familysearch.org, Pedigree Resource File, disc #4, Pin #301506, submitted by Cindy Poole, 9688 S. Hearthstone Cir., So. Jordan, UT, 84 095; 6 Jan 2002.

      2. Death Certificate from Nevada Dept. of Human Resources; died: 3 May 1914, Tobar, Elko, NV. Cause of death was tuberculosis of the lungs which she had for about 2 years. Had lived at Tobar since June 1909.

      BURIAL:
      1. From Robin Adair: Death Certificate from Nevada Dept. of Human Resources; buried 5 May 1914, Clover Valley, Elko, NV. Tobar and Clover Valley are located a few miles due south of Wells, Nevada. Tombstone reads Mrs. T.J. Sweeney. Cause of death was teberculosis of lungs which she had for about two years. Lived at Tobar since June 1909.

      SOURCES_MISC:
      1. Per 3 Jan 2002 gedcom of Robin Adair; email: robadair@thegrid.net. He is descendent through Daniel Tyler Adair.