Edwin Thatcher Wolverton and Wilmont Eldridge Sipprell
Husband Edwin Thatcher Wolverton
AKA: Ed Wolverton Born: 4 Feb 1862 - Deer Isle, Hancock County, ME Baptized: Died: 24 Nov 1930 - Fruita, CO Buried: Unknown - Elgin Cemetery, Greenriver, UT
Father: Joseph Wolverton Mother: Sarah L. Stinson
Marriage: 9 Jun 1887 - Redcliff, CO
Wife Wilmont Eldridge Sipprell
Born: 4 Mar 1862 - Somerville, Carleton County, NB Baptized: Died: 19 Dec 1956 - Loma, CO Buried: Unknown - Elgin Cemetery, Greenriver, UT
Children
1 F Maude Wolverton
Born: 1888 - Gilmon, CO Baptized: Died: 16 Mar 1919 - Tulsa, OK Buried: Unknown - Tulsa, OKSpouse: Randall Stivers Marr: 1908
2 M Norville Edwin Wolverton
Born: 30 Jun 1889 - Gilmon, CO Baptized: Died: 25 Sep 1958 - Thompson, UT Buried: Unknown - Elmwood Cemetery, Fruita, COSpouse: Lelia Rosannah Foy Marr: 9 Apr 1914 - Duchesne, UT
3 F Enid Wolverton
Born: 17 Sep 1891 - Gilmon, CO Baptized: Died: 30 Nov 1988 - Paonia, CO Buried: Unknown - Elgin Cemetery, Greenriver, UTSpouse: Fred Burton Marr: WA. (Divorced)Spouse: Jack McGee Marr: 7 May 1916 - St. Joseph, MO. (Divorced on 11 Aug 1927)
4 M Thatcher Siprell (Ted) Wolverton
Born: 9 Aug 1899 - Boulder, Boulder County, CO Baptized: Died: 22 Jul 1970 - Delta County, CO Buried: Unknown - Bethlehem Cemetery, Paonia, COSpouse: Louella Florence (Lue) Woodhouse Marr: 9 Aug 1925 - Elko, NV
General Notes: Husband - Edwin Thatcher Wolverton
FTM BIRT: RIN MH:IF25017
from Carl Wolverton:
Edwin left the River de Chute family farm at an early age to work in Colorado mining camps. There is no record of when he left NB or what enticed him to seek employment so far from home. His younger brother Leonard joined him in 1883 lured by the high wages available for driving horses in the Colorado lumber woods. The following newspaper article in the Woodstock Sentinel indicates that in 1887 Edwin married 'Wilmot E Sipprelle' (Wilmont Eldridge Siprell) from Somerville, NB who was teaching school in Redcliff, Colorado. Another article mentions that Edwin's wife "returned" to her parents home in Somerville NB from Gilman, Colorado in 1890. As no mention was made of her husband or children, it was assumed that they had separated or that he had died. This assumption was proven incorrect in 2003 when information regarding Edwin Thatcher Wolverton's descendants was provided by his great-grandchildren Ruth Linda Granat and Thatcher Edwin Wolverton, Ted Jr. of Colorado.
(NB Vital Statistics from the Woodstock Sentinel: Vol 68 #1192 Dated June 25, 1887)
"m. Red Cliff, Cole, June 9th, at residence of pastor of Congregational Church, E.T. Wolverton of Gilman, Colorado, formerly of River de Chute (Victoria Co.) /Miss Wilmot E Sipprelle of Gilman , Col., formerly of Somerville (Carleton County). The bride and groom were accompanied to their home in Gilman by Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Noble of Leadville, formerly of Blaine, Maine and W. E. Sipprelle, brother of the bride." (Note: Brother of the bride's name was Norville E Siprell not W. E. Sipprelle. River de Chute is in Carleton County, NB not Victoria County.)
Vol 68 #1424 dated Nov 26, 1887. Letter 2 from E. W. Bower entitled 'Letter from Tourist'.
"After taking in all the places at Leadville, I took the train for Red Cliff some fifty miles distant. This is one of Colorado's mining camps. Engaging a pair of horses and a driver we attempt the ascent of the mountain, by a circuitous route with an ascent of several hundred feet and after a tedious upgrade of many miles we reach Camp Gilmor, one of the finest mining towns in Colorado. Here we find a number of New Brunswickers. One Edward Wolverton of N.B. had struck a rich treasure in the person of Miss Wilmot Sipprelle of Summerville (Carleton County). They had been there but a few months previous. This lady taught a day school and organized a Sabbath school. ....I intended visiting Aspen, another mining district, where my cousin G. W. Boyer of Florenceville and family reside. A gentleman who drives a stage to this place informed me that he knew Boyer, who is doing a thriving business cutting lumber and sawing it for building and mining purposes with a portable saw mill. He has spent several years in Kansas where he made a large farm, but having to endure disadvantages on account of distance from a railroad, has moved to Aspen. Now that the railroad has reached his property in the first named place, he will return. His family and son-in-law moved to Aspen this season. On account of having to stage it for fifty miles, I had to abandon my intended visit to Aspen." (Note: The letter from E. W. Bower containes a number of errors but is printed here the way it appeared in the Carleton Sentinel newspaper. Camp Gilmor should read Camp Gilman. Edward Wolverton should read Edwin Wolverton and Wilmot Sipprelle (Wilmont Siprell) was from Somerville, NB not Summerville.)
Vol 71 #906 dated August 25, 1888
"Letter to Carleton Sentinel from Mrs. E. T. Wolverton dated Aug. 15th, 1888 Gilman, Colorado."
COLORADO LETTER
__________________
"MESSRS. EDITORS, - Having just received the latest issue of the SENTINEL, and enjoyed the breath of home, which it always brings, the thought came that perhaps your readers might be interested or amused by a page from our mountain life.
Gilman, the little town in which we are living, is situated on a point of land, which terminates in a bluff, which rises perpendicularly from the Eagle River to a height of 1,000 feet. Winding through the canon [canyon] beside the river is the D. & R. G. which carries away the mineral unearthed here, and brings in the needed supplies.
But I will leave those things for some other correspondent, and confine myself to giving you description of a day's sport which I enjoyed recently with Mrs. Brown, of Kilburn, N.B. who is visiting here at present.
Accompanied by some friends, we left home at 8 a. m. fully equipped with rods, flies, etc., to deal death to the tinny [tiny] tribes which inhabit the mountain streams. At this time in the morning it is delightfully cool here, and the air is so pure and exhilarating that one feels that a tramp over the hills is very enjoyable indeed. The views that lay before us are beyond my power to portray to you in any words; we followed the road over the hills and below us, far beneath, rushed on the river, leaping over huge boulders, charging against impregnable cliffs, then whirling, eddying, flying onward again, while on either side, as far as can be seen, rise the mountains, peak above peak, each one more distant than the other; the lower ones clothed in rich green verdure, with flowers of many forms and colors; the higher ones grim, gray and awful in their sublimity.
One place, which we passed, called "The Hole in the Rock," deserved to be noticed for a moment, so we stop to admire it. This is a strange looking place; several hundred feet back from the river rises an immense boulder resting on a very small base, and shaped very much as the famous balance rock, of which you have no doubt seen many views; through the centre of the upper part of this rock is a large hole, large enough for eight persons to stand in and look down to the depths below; above, the hill slopes gradually so that one can easily walk into it; all around the exterior of this strange opening we could plainly see the action of water at some time and could arrive at no conclusion other than that water had flown through it at some remote period and worn it to its present shape.
But the sun is rising higher and we must hasten as we have considerable hills to descend before we reach Astor Park, where the road will be less difficult; here we joint our rods, get everything arranged for action, and after crossing the park, try our arts to entangle the wary trout. These beautiful creatures in their shimmering coats spotted so beautifully, are not very easily taken; however Mrs. Brown saved the honor of old N. B. by catching several, which with others, served us for a most delicious meal, while I-----well, succeeded in breaking a rod."
Vol 72 #1200 dated April 26, 1890
"Somerville (Carleton County) April 24 - Mrs Ed. Wolverton has returned home from Gilman, Colorado. She has dwelt in Colorado for the last six years"
The following Information is recorded in The Shaw Genealogy at the Walter Chesnut Library, Hartland, NB:
'Wilmotte E Sipperel, daughter of Wilford and Lydia (Magee) b 4 March 1862 m Edwin Thatcher Wolverton, June 9, 1887 in Red Cliff, Colorado'.
(Note: Wilmotte E Sipperel should read Wilmont E Siprell. The 'Shaw' connection is through both of Wilmont's parents who were first cousins. Wilford Siprell's mother Lavina Shaw and Lydia Magee's mother Susan Shaw were sisters.)
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The following articles (provided by Ruth Linda Granat and Thatcher Edwin Wolverton, Ted Jr. in July 2003) indicate that Edwin was from Maine rather than NB. Although Edwin grew up in River de Chute, Carleton Co., NB he was probably born in Deer Isle, ME where his mother's parents lived.
THE CURSE OF THE OLD SPANISH MINE By Barbara Ekker
For generations, legends have existed to the effect that the Spaniards obtained gold in the Henry Mountains more than 300 years ago, "E. T. Wolverton wrote in 1928 in his manuscript, "Legend, Traditions and Early History of the Henry Mountains." Wolverton had some firsthand experience with just such a legend. He came to Green River, Utah, in 1900. He was following his profession of miner and civil engineer. Before his arrival, he worked as a boatman on the Penobscot River in Maine.
Before his interests in the Spanish gold of the Henry Mountains was aroused, he obtained a ranch 25 miles below Green River in Emery County. Wolverton first visited the Henry Mountains in 1900, when he found abandoned camps and old miners hanging on, making lots of claims but doing little or no work in them. The area of the mountains he was most interested in was plastered with location notices. He patiently waited until 1912 to re-evaluate the property, but the location notices were still valid. Finally, late in 1915 the property he wanted was found to be free from claims, so early the next year he made his own locations and claims.
Wolverton had heard the many stories about the old Spanish workings and was determined to prospect the country himself. He'd listened to an Indian boy - who'd been hired to herd cattle during the summer near Pipe Springs on the southwest slopes of Mount Pennel - remark, "Plenty gold up there." The Indian related that his people had told him of these workings. When asked if he'd take a white man to these gold claims, he responded with a dramatic "no." Pressed for his reason, the Indian offered the following statement (retold in Wolverton's book):
"Many, many years ago the Spaniards dug gold out of the side of the mountain. Indians were employed to do hard work and treated shamefully. After laboring from dawn until dark, they were often beaten and kicked like dogs. One morning the surrounding hills were full of warriors. A terrible battle followed, and many Indians were killed, but at the end, all the Spaniards were destroyed, their shelters burned, and their workings carefully filled in. All signs obliterated. As the workings were being filled, the Indian medicine man placed a great curse on the place from which the gold had been taken. To whomever reopens these workings would come great calamity. His blood would turn to water, and even in youth, he would be as an old man. His squaws and papooses would die. And the earth would bring forth for him only poison weed instead of corn."
Wolverton also heard the story about some early prospectors who had located the Spanish mine. In 1868 a man named Burke had appeared at Ben Bowen's stage station at Desert Springs. Burke claimed he'd been prospecting in the Henrys and that the Indians ran off his stock and took drastic measures to get him out of their country. He showed some ore and convinced Bowen of a "Spanish Mine" discovery. Bowen was convinced and sold his stage station. At Minersville the two men hired a man named Blackburn as a guide and started back to Burke's original diggings in the Henrys. They camped their first night on the mountain at Corral Creek. Burke took Bowen directly to his find, which proved to be the outcropping of a rich gold-bearing ledge. They took about 400 pounds of quartz samples from the surface. Bowen, Burke and Blackburn, deciding to go back to Minersville for mining tools, powder and supplies, carefully covered their workings and buried their ore picks at the base of a nearby tree. They had come into the country around the north and east slopes of the Henrys. In returning, they took a different route, and went through the pass between Mount Pennel and Mount Ellen, headed west and north across the desert for Pleasant Creek on the east slopes of Boulder Mountain. From Penn-Ellen Pass the desert had appeared smooth, but upon reaching it, they found deep canyons and steep escarpments. They became bewildered about directions and suffered intensely from thirst. Bowen and Burke drank from a stagnant pool of water despite protests from Blackburn. Within hours, they were desperately ill. They staggered to the ranch at Pleasant Creek and received care. After recuperation, they went to Salt Lake City to have their ore assayed and learned the ore was worth $6,000 a ton, many times more gold than was necessary to start a profitable mine.
But Bowen again became ill and was attended by a physician who advised him not to return to their mining venture. Days later he returned to Minersville with Burke and objected to continuing the mining venture. He felt their "find" was so isolated that a decent wagon road could not be built to haul the ore out. He also felt he'd tempted fate by not heeding the medicine man's curse. But his partners wouldn't listen and all three began planning their return to the Henrys. They left Minersville with a splendid outfit and enough funds to meet expenses. But while waiting at the town of Bicknell for Blackburn to arrange his affairs, Bowen again became ill and died during the night. Four days later, Burke died of undetermined causes. Blackburn was the only one then knowing the location of the gold, and he was leery about returning after the sudden deaths of his partners. But years later, Blackburn decided it was mere superstition, and went back into the Henrys alone. He was just making camp the first night when a rider brought news about a death in his family. In his story, Wolverton quoted Blackburn as saying "Sickness in my family and bad luck followed me for the next 30 years." In 1921, while Wolverton was mining on his Rico claim in the Henrys, a party arrived at his cabin with the aging Blackburn. They'd brought Blackburn into the area to relocate the old Bowen-Burke diggings, but the altitude and poor health had caused him to collapse before reaching the old claim. His friends carried him to Wolverton's cabin for immediate care and rest. After he recovered, Blackburn left and never returned to the mountains.
Wolverton knew his Rico No. 1 and Rico No. 2 claims covered some of the ground once claimed by Bowen and Burke, so he began building cabins, trails and roads. Almost single-handed and with few tools, he built a mill. The large water wheel that furnished power to drive his equipment was built exclusively of wood hewed from pine logs cut on the nearby slope. His two sons, Norvelt [should be Norville] and Ted, were coal miners, and when their work slowed down, they'd help their father. Mrs. Wolverton, a down-east Yankee from Maine, like her husband, was soft-spoken, gracious and frail. Her stays at Camp Rico were limited to the warm summer months.
One day, when none of his family was at the camp, the elder Wolverton was thrown onto the horn of his saddle by a frightened horse and injured. He endured severe attacks from the injury until he was unable to leave his cabin. There were no neighbors for miles, but a young boy from Hanksville, Riter Ekker, decided to ride up to the mountains on the very day Wolverton was suffering. Ekker's dad had suggested to him, "You'd better ride up and see if Wolverton is OK." After a long ride, Ekker found Wolverton crawling toward a nearby creek, dragging a bucket by a rope from his mouth. Ekker took the old man to a nearby ranch for help, and eventually Wolverton was taken to Fruita to a Dr. Orr, who performed needed surgery. Though Wolverton survived the medical treatment, he died from pneumonia a few days later.
Was the Indian curse as potent and far reaching as Wolverton had learned over the years? Possibly. None of the men ever connected with the old Spanish mine ever derived anything from it except hardship, toil and suffering.
[Source: Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, Colorado - June 12, 1983.]
(E. T. Wolverton Obituary - Source: Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, November 28, 1930, page 11.)
E. T. WOLVERTON FUNERAL TODAY IN GREEN RIVER
The funeral of E. T. Wolverton is being held this afternoon in Green River, Utah and burial will be in the Elgin cemetery there beside a brother-in-law, who passed away some years ago. Mr. Wolverton passed away Tuesday morning in the Fruita hospital of pneumonia developed following an operation performed Sunday morning. He had been confined to the hospital for three weeks preceding the operation. He had been in Fruita only a short time.
Edwin Thatcher Wolverton was born on February 4, 1862 and he passed away at the age of 68 years. He had been a mining man the greater part of his life and had lived in Leadville, Breckenridge and other Colorado towns previous to his removal to Utah where he had engaged in mining in the Henry mountains for the past seven years of the 30 years he had made his home there. Surviving him are his widow who makes her home in Tulsa, Oklahoma with a sister (should read daughter), and two sons, Thatcher Wolverton of Sego, Utah and Norville Wolverton of Palisade, Colorado.
WOLVERTON MILL
Shortly after the turn of the century, Edwin Thatcher Wolverton came to Utah to look for gold in the Henry Mountains. The area was covered by previous claims so he returned in 1912. For 12 years he searched for the Spanish Bowen mine and filed several claims. He built a 20 foot water wheel by hand on Mt. Pennel. He also built a shed to house the wheel, a tool house and dwellings. This wheel was used to furnish the power to run the mill and to crush ore which was hauled by sleds pulled by donkeys. His two sons helped him before the mill was abandoned in 1929. Today, the Bureau of Land Management has the wheel. It was carried by helicopter to Hanksville where it was reconstructed under a Historic Preservation Project. The Wolverton Mill is a unique creation because it combines the functions of wood cutting and ore crushing. The restored mill can be found in the southwest corner of Hanksville, Utah behind the BLM office.
General Notes: Wife - Wilmont Eldridge Sipprell
FTM BIRT: RIN MH:IF25018
from Carl Wolverton
Notes: Marriage
FTM
MARR: RIN MH:FF7331
from Carl Wolverton
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