Sarah Hannah Brown (part 2) The Arizona Years

Sarah Hannah Brown Crosby
in 1868

In 1886 the George Henry Crosby family decided to move to the Round Valley Arizona area from Leeds Utah. This was due to conditions at Leeds and also because Sarah wanted to be close to her Parents and Brothers that had moved to Arizona. Sarah was always close to her family and when her Brothers were called to settle Arizona in 1880 she missed them. When her parents decided to Join their sons in Arizona in 1883 Sarah decided she wanted to be close to her Brown family again.
The trip to Arizona was not an easy one. It involved a crossing of the Colorado River at Lee's Ferry. The family crossed at the lower crossing which had an easier way to get from the river to the Marble Canyon Platform. "The lower crossing led to a steep quarter-mile dugway trail from the landing up the precipice directed to the Marble Platform ... Although the landing was usually muddy and the ascent from it was also terrifying, pioneers hoped to arrive when it was in operation."¹

Lee's Ferry - Lower Crossing Nov. 1892

As can be seen in the picture to the right the steep rise of the land from the edge of the river. After crossing the river "tradition has it George went first and drove his wagon up to the Marble Platform. Sarah and the children then stood by as he took hers up. After watching the ascent of the other two wagons, the hired driver was terrified and refused to make the climb. The story goes that Sarah listened to him only briefly and handed little Charl to her daughter with a quick 'Here, Mema, take the baby.' She climbed onto the high wagon seat and commanded, 'Give me those lines. I can do it.' Then she drove up. This story became a legend."² The Crosby family arrived at Nutrioso Arizona on 17 April 1886. Nutrioso is where Sarah's Parents were living.
Prosecution of Mormons who were practicing pologamy had cause many to flee to Mexico including some church leaders. At the conference of the Eastern Arizona Stake at Snowflake in Jun of 1886 Sarah's Husband was called as Bishop for the third time. It seems that ever since Sarah and George had been married that George was a Bishop in a small town. This added considerably to Sarah's responsibilities.
At the time that George and Sarah moved to the Round Valley area the town of Eagar had not been formed. George and Sarah lived in Springerville for about 4 or 5 years. Sarah gave birth to two children. Albert Walter "Bert" Crosby was born on 25Nov1886 and Helaman Crosby was born on 31Mar1889. Helaman died just a short 6 months later on 2Oct1889.

The Eagar Homestead

Eventually Sarah's husband "traded some teams and wagons for his interest in his Eagar homestead, including his log houses in Robertson Hollow. ... George and his oldest sons dismantled the log houses, moved the logs to the homestead on the bench and reassembled them to build their permanent home."³ This occurred between 1889 and 1891. This homestead is roughly bounded by 4th street on the north, Main street on the west, the line that School Bus road would make if it extended east of main street on the south. The east boundary completes the square but has no road or land feature to identify it. The map below guesses at the eastern boundary.⁴ It is in the permanent home on the homestead in Eagar that Sarah's last two children were born. Frances and Frank were born on 30 Jun 1891 but they both died on 5 Jul after just 6 days. On the plat below it shows the Big Ditch which was built by the community. It also brought sorrow to Sarah when her third son, 17 year old Willie, was fatally injured on the job.

George Henry Crosby Homestead overlaid on present day Eagar Arizona

Eagar School teachers in 1899

Teacher and Leader

Sarah served as the second counselor in the ward relief society from Aug of 1887 to June of 1891. She served faithfully always being present at meetings of the relief society and doing her duty. Sarah also taught in the Sunday School starting in January of 1890. She told her son Bert that she was one of the first teachers, adding "I taught as long as I could go."⁵
Beginning about 1891 the Primary was organized with Sarah as president. She served as president until 1901. Following this Sarah served as the Stake Primary President for 5 years. The stake was  large and she traveled by horse and buggy to all of the ward's primaries to perform her responsibilities. Sarah also served as a teacher of the after school religion class for youth.

As the community of Eagar grew they needed a school and teachers. We know that Sarah was teaching school with two other teachers, Fred Schell and O.P. Greer, starting in the mid 1890s. It is thought that she joined the staff of the Eagar school when it was expanded to three classrooms in 1896. One of Sarah's nieces, Ella Brown Hendricks, remembered her Aunt Sarah as an outstanding teacher, well qualified and a good disciplinarian, facts appreciated by those who truly wanted to learn. Ella also provided an insight into her aunts compassion. Ella explained that Sarah brought a pail of milk for the students that did not have enough to eat. She also assigned others who could to bring beans and bread. On cold days the beans were heated on the potbellied stove in the center of the room.⁶

Sarah Hannah Brown Crosby
date unknown

Years spent alone

In 1916 Sarah's husband George moved to Wyoming and Sarah stayed in Eagar along with all of her children. There is a lot of speculation about why the split happened but needless to say Sarah was left in her home alone. She was surrounded with children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. All who remember Sarah, state that she was a generous person who shared what she had. She kept up her home and her yard. Her yard will filled with arbors and flowers which were donated for funerals. She also had a large orchard and kept a large garden which she planted with corn, potatoes, asparagus among other things.
Sarah suffered with big running sores on her legs, and when she was unable to work outside because of them she crocheted for hours. Sarah also had problems with her feet from when they were burned in  the fire in Hebron. Sarah also wore heavily-boned corsets day and night because of her back pain. Yet with all of these health problems she struggled on to keep the house cleaned the yard in shape to include the gardens and Orchard. Once when a niece went to visit her Aunt Sarah and take her some heads of lettuce she did not find Sarah home. As the niece was leaving Sarah came crawling out of the orchard. Sarah had been pulling weeds and had too little strength in her arthritic knees to get to her feet.
Sarah's home was a comfortable one that was filled with books which she lent out and a well kept yard. Many grandchildren, nieces, nephews and neighbor children loved to visit Sarah and eat one of her molasses cookies or a piece of peanut brittle. Sarah never did accept modern styles, She wore ankle-length dresses, sunbonnets, and aprons as long as she lived. Even in her old age she had long hair that one granddaughter said had very little gray in it.

Navajo Bridge in 1929 when it opened

The Twilight of Mortality

One of the highlights of Sarah's later years was the dedication of the Navajo Bridge, six miles downstream from Lee's Ferry, in Jun 1929. She was almost seventy-nine when she attended with a group from Eagar. Traveling in 1929 was much different when she crossed the Colorado river using Lee's Ferry in 1886. In the last few years of Sarah's life the family took turns spending time with her in her home. The grandchildren took turns keeping her company by spending nights in the high feather bed. Sarah was in pain with arthritis in her knees, hips, hands, and back. Everyone wondered how she struggled on so long. One morning when her son Bert stopped by to check on his mother she said to him "Bert, you haven't even spoken to these sisters here." Bert looked around, "why, Mother, there's no one here." Sarah answered, "Yes, they're here - Sister Sherwood, Sister Noble, Sister Holden, and Sister Lytle. They've come for me." It was not long before Sarah slipped away. The sisters named had served with her during her many years as president of the ward and stake Primaries. Sarah died in her own bed on Saturday, July 30, 1932.7
Many tributes were spoken of Sarah Hannah Brown Crosby at her funeral or later. I share some of them here:

 "Funeral services held at the church house at 2 PM for Sister Sarah H Crosby ... All paid tribute to Sister Crosby, that her memory shall ever be Industry, Economy, and Thrift and an especial friend to the poor. Was a steady worker in the organizations until recent years.  She has passed through many trying scenes of pioneering in Arizona. She was a mother of twelve children, five of whom survive her." (Church Minutes)

"Sarah Hannah Brown Crosby was a beautiful lady, firm as a rock. Her testimony never wavered. She entertained the church authorities in her home long after her husband was released as bishop." (Cleo Greenwood)

"Among the heroines of Mormondom no women had harder lots that the wives of pioneer bishops. The tying and trying positions filled by their husband left them to carry more than their share in the rearing of the families, and each bishop's home was usually a free hotel...One will search far and wide to find one who filled the difficult role better than my mother. Naturally a leader with one of the best educations of any of the daughters of Dixie pioneers...The rain never beat down so heavily, the wind never blew so strong, the mud was never so deep, nor Rocky Mountain weather so cold but what Mother was on hand to leaver her own large flock and go to care for the sick or injured in other homes of Fathers' many wards." (George Crosby Jr)

My parting thoughts - After researching and writing these two blog posts on Sarah Hannah Brown Crosby I have come to respect this great women. Life was not easy for her yet she did not give in or quit. I agree with her son that she was a heroine in a time when they were really needed. Each town she was moved to was an impoverished community that needed great strength and she was able to provide this. I am thankful for her life well lived.
A request - If anyone has other pictures of Sarah Hannah Brown or knows the dates of the ones I have shown, I ask that you please send copies of them or the information to me.


Sources

Pictures of Sarah Hannah Brown Crosby in possesion of David Carl Slade

Lower Ferry crossing Nov. 1892. Image NAU.PH.97.46.112.19 courtesy of Cline Library Special Collections, Northern Arizona University.  http://grandcanyonhistory.clas.asu.edu/sites_coloradorivercorridor_leesferry.html - Yolonda Youngs
1 - page 60 of  The George Henry Crosby Family by Della Crosby Smith
2 - page 61 of  The George Henry Crosby Family by Della Crosby Smith
3 - Quote from Albert Walter Crosby found on page 67 of  The George Henry Crosby Family by Della Crosby Smith
4 - Boundaries shown are taken from a map on page 81 of The George Henry Crosby Family by Della Crosby Smith; the interpretation of land record by Gerol B. Smith 
5 - Quote from Sarah Hannah Brown Crosby found on page 67 of  The George Henry Crosby Family by Della Crosby Smith
6 - from page 95 of The George Henry Crosby Family by Della Crosby Smith
Picture of Navajo Bridge in 1929 - http://www.azcentral.com/centennial/news/articles/2011/02/24/20110224arizona-centennial-1920s.html?page=11