Fred and Ella - Move to Lehi (Mesa) in 1911

It isn't clear exactly when Fred and Ella moved to Lehi, Arizona. Frederick Kohlhepp Nash reported that his family and his grandparents (Fred and Ella) moved there in the Springtime of 1911. However, there are records that question this timeframe by at least a few months. In 1911, there are a few notes about the Kohlhepp's. One of the Kohlhepp girls was noted as playing in the position of Center for her basketball team. They got shut out by the Pocatello team in February 1911:

Most importantly, a notice appeared in the June 22, 1911 issue of the American Falls Press regarding the timing of the move:

"Mrs. F. J. Kohlhepp left for Los Angeles the first of the week for a short visit, after which she will go to Mesa, Nevada, to make her home. She has been advised to seek a lower altitude on account of failing health. Mr. Kohlhepp will be here for some time yet. Mr. and Mrs. Kohlhepp have resided in this locality for many years, and are classed among the early settlers. It is to be hoped that the change will prove beneficial."

The following is of note:

(a) What would have taken Ella out to Los Angeles?
(b) This places Ella moving down to Mesa in the early summer of 1911, not the spring time.
(c) The move for Ella sounds motivated by personal health reasons. Was this the rheumatism that was often referred to?
(d) Fred is described as still being there (in American Falls) for some time yet, suggesting he perhaps did not go down with Ella at the same time. Yet it's hard to imagine Fred taking the trip himself?

We do see a sales notice in the American Falls Press the next week for items owned by Fred:

Journey to Lehi (Mesa) Arizona in 1911

Document Type: Memoir
Document Date: Approx. Spring 1972
Created by: Frederick Kohlhepp Nash
Addressed to: Funeral Services for Wilbur Roy Nash
People referenced: Wilbur Roy Nash, Mary Ella Hickman Kohlhepp, Frederick Kohlhepp

Frederick Kohlhepp Nash, Fred's eldest grand child via his daughter Marie Elizabeth Nash (although Frederick Kohlhepp Nash was from Marie's prior marriage to Daniel Bertoch), recounted the trek his family (with his step father, Wilbur Roy Nash) took from American Falls, Idaho to Lehi, Arizona (which became part of Mesa) at his father's funeral (1972). His grandparents, Fred and Mary Ella, also made the journey.

"Springtime 1911

Two families decided to move from American Falls Idaho to Lehi Arizona, near Mesa. I had never seen an automobile so teams and wagons did the job in 6 weeks time by driving hard over trails that were not even a wagon track in places.

To save time we went thru Salt Lake City down Redwood road, missing City center. Traveling through Richfield and crossing Lees Ferry was quite an experience for a groupe of strangers. As a kid it was fun to sit [on] the log ferry and dangle my feet in the river as we crossed.

As we approached the Moen[kopi] Wash we saw people camped across the swol[l]en stream. They said there is no chance to cross. We have been here 2 weeks and the high water has not gone down a bit.

Our hay & food supply were very limited so it was necessary for us to avoid delay and hurry to plant Spring crops. Dad took the tallest horse across the river in different places but water was over his back at [e]very crossing. The group called me from playing in the mud to kneel in a big circle and they prayed for the water to go down.

We got in the wagons as the water went down. I sat in the bottom of our wagon and didn[']t get wet. The gentiles saw what happened, rushed to load their outfit but the river was high again before they could harness the teams. Wonder how long they had to waite. I do believe the Lord helped Ancient Israel cross waters too.

We had a donkey that ran loose and followed us like a dog. At times he was ahead but usually tagging. We met some miners using a beautiful sorrell pony as a pack animal. When the two owners met they grinned and one said ["]shall we?["] ["]Yes[,"] said the other, so our burrow go the pack in the hills and I got a pony to ride when [I got] tired s[i]tting in the wagon. Also others rode him at times.

One ni[ght] we camped in the forest and I tagged dad as he unhooked the team. Flies must have bothered the horses as one slapped my face with his tail so hard I still remember the sting. Dear dad was my real pal. He made a swing with his lasso rope and a tall tree.

We stopped at a cattle ranch and the fine lonesome cowboys treeted us like royalty, feeding us like kings. They sure were good cooks. Mashed potatoes with gravy and all the trimmings with beef.
Mother hinted that I would like some milk. They had no milk cow so they threw a wild herford and proudly presented fresh milk.

After crossing the Colorado river we had to go up a LONG steep, narrow dugway out of the Grand Canyon. I sat on the cliff hang over side to see the canyon. After crossing the Colorado river we drove up the LONG Steep narrow dugway out of grand canyon. I sat on the river side of the seat and watched the horse step so close to the edge I was scared every step for miles it seemed. Someone asked[, "]what if we meet a rig coming down on this narrow dug way?["] ["]People have taken wagons apart to pass[,"] they said.

Another thing of interest to a kid was hundreds of prair[ie] dogs in the big petrified forest. Going thr[ough] Flagstaff we passed a saw mill where they pulled logs with oxen. They never heard of oil shortage either. Painted Desert was a sight to remember when you see it at slow wagon speed.

On the farm in Lehi Dad built us a new air cooled home. Walls were 4 ft high boards and screens above on all sides so breezes came from all directions. Grand parents lived next door also in a house with dirt floors."

Observations:

• Fred Nash would have been very young at this time, about 4 years old (he was born in 1907; this journey was in Springtime 1911). It's hard to imagine that he recalled the journey that well; a lot of the story would had to have been filled in by it being retold to him by other family members.
• Six weeks journey; quite the trek. How well known or travelled was the route they took if not even wagon tracks could be spotted in areas?
• The river receding episode has been recounted in another Kohlhepp story, albeit in different circumstances.
• I plotted out the places mentioned in Fred Nash's account. I've been tempted to look for some old Utah trails and try to determine the most probable course the took down to Lehi, Arizona. In the meantime, enjoy the google map.

• Fascinating description of the living conditions in Lehi for both the Nash and Kohlhepp families.

Ella Kohlhepp - Painting in Mesa 1911

Amelia Piquet's letter showed how the Kohlhepps were moving to Mesa Arizona in the Fall of 1911. I'd shared Ella's involvement in the Arizona suffragist movement shortly after arriving in Mesa. Another thing Ella got involved in within Arizona with painting. Both her and Fred had artistic interests, embers which ended up smoldering in Minerva Teichert. A notice in the Arizona Republican on December 2, 1911 for "List of Premiums Won at Seventh Annual Arizona Fair" has an entry for Ella, noted here as "Ell Kohlhepp, Mesa."

It's an "Amateurs Only" category, but she won first place in oil figure painting. I wonder if any of her artistic productions survived?

Ella Kohlhepp -- Suffragist in Arizona

Fred and Ella moved to Mesa, Arizona at the end of 1911. As per usual, Ella kept herself busy after settling down. This included fighting for women's suffrage (the right to vote) in Arizona. An article entitled "The Suffrage Meeting" in the Arizona Republican was published on September 22, 1912. It states:

"The meeting of the Mesa suffragists at the Mesa opera house Friday evening, is said to have been quite harmonious. The ladies perfected a local organi[z]ation by the election of the following officers:
President, Mrs. John T. Vance
Vice-president, Mrs. Dwight E. Huston
Recording secretary, Mrs. Ella Kohlhepp
Treasurer, Mrs. L. E. Irwin
The next meeting will be held Thursday afternoon, September 26, at 2 o'clock at the Vance auditorium."

This snippet is interesting in showing Ella's political activities. The states she'd lived in prior had already secured for women the right to vote -- Utah while she was a child (1870), and in Idaho nearly 2 decades before while she was living there (1895). She was only continuing that expectation in Arizona. At the time of this article, the initiative had already qualified for the ballot on July 5, 1912. When voting occurred in November, roughly two months subsequent to this recorded meeting, voters overwhelming approved the initiative, making Arizona the ninth state to give women the right to vote.

That Ella is voted in (a certain irony in voting for officers for an initiative that focuses on voting) as the recording secretary speaks to her capabilities and presence. She was seen as educated enough at this Mesa chapter to be fit to fulfill these responsibilities.

Beyond this, it's interesting that in this article the other officers choose to be noted by their husband's names, and yet Ella does not have this for her. She is not Mrs. Frederick Kohlhepp.

Mary Ella Hickman's Musical Compositions

I noted in my last entry how I had substantiated/verified that Mary Ella did write musical lyrics, and have noted how her, Fred, and the Kohlhepps enjoyed writing poetry. I thought I would share the two musical lyrics of Mary Ella's that I have located. I found these in the Library of Congress' Catalog of Copyright Entries: Musical Compositions, Part 3. Volume 8, Part 1, No. 1-5. Washington: Government's Printing Office, 1913.

The first is "Where the Climbing Wild Roses Bloom." In the catalog, it is entry #3842 on page 229. The words are listed as being written by Ella Kohlhepp (or "E. Kohlhepp" to be specific) and the music being written by Charles J. W. Jerreld (I do not know who this is). Then, I suppose it lists a company name: Washington, H. Kirkus Dugdale co., inc. The copyright is dated as December 31, 1912 (New year's day bang!). Then there is a "2 c." date (I imagine this is the second copyright) for February 3, 1913. The copyright is stated as belonging to "Ella Kohlhepp," in Misa [today's Mesa], Arizona. The Arizona location might surprise someone, but the Kohlhepps were living in Arizona at this time (another thing I will have to get to posting). Lastly, there is some code: E301766. I do not know what these stand for.



The second is "The Bachelor." In the catalog, this is entry #2328 on page 142. Again, the words are written by Ella, the music by Jerreld, and the same company is listed. The same copyright dates are also written down, so they must have been copyrighted together at the same time. Again there is a code: E301777.



Now, how would one go about finding the actual words that Ella wrote? I don't know. I have wanted to go through the recent Minerva Teichert papers update at BYU, and rummage through the family poetry that I believe is in the new material. Perhaps I will find that in there. Maybe there is a way to find Jerreld's composition or hnt down the company that was listed. Ugh; ths seems quite the amount of work for little pay off! But that is what we family historians do, no?