John and Lizzie Underwood
One of the earliest "outsiders" or "Gentiles" as the early Mormon settlers elected to call the newcomers was John L Underwood, a freighter cattle buyer. He was born 15 Jan 1832 in Deposit, Broom Co. New York and as a civil war veteran came west into Montana gold mines shortly after the war ended. He soon learned that freighting was as much surer way of making his fortune than the chances of the gold fields. For two years he worked as a wagon master for Alexander Toponce, making trips from the Montana gold diggings to Salt Lake and to the Oneida Salt Walks below Soda Springs.
During this time he visited the Bear Lake Valley for the first time and immediately liked the area. By 1875 he was making regular buying forages as a freighter and cattle buyer. For four years he continued in and out of the valley. During this time his fortune developed. His shrewd, yet fair minded dealings gained him an early reputation as an honest man among the Mormon settlers and so in 1878 when he elected to settle in the valley there was little said against it by the clanish minded saints. He first chose Paris and spent the late fall and early winter getting ready for his bride to be, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Mason Whitman of Como Illinois. They were married there 14 Feb 1879 and he returned to Bear Lake to look after his business interests and Lizzie followed in July.
Children of John Lorin Underwood and Lizzie Mason Whitman
1. Lawrence John Underwood b-1880 in Paris
2. Florence A Underwood b-7 Aug 1884 in Soda Spring; d-10 Dec 1971 in Payette
Idaho; br-Riverside Cemetery; m-Bernard E Eastman
3. Frank Underwood d-Soda Springs
4. Philip Underwood d-Soda Springs
6. Esther Alice Underwood b-Dec 1886 in Soda Springs; d-Los Angeles Ca. 1936; br-Hollywood
Forever Cemetery; m-Geo Eugene Marks 12 Mar 1907 in Montpelier
Lizzie Underwood was a great asset to her husband. She was well educated, energetic and sincere. It is from her diaries that she kept that we get an insight to much of the early Presbyterian activities . She published a booklet "Early Days in Bear Lake and Oneida Counties" and here we read;
"I found the Mormons friendly, kind and helpful, but longed so much for my own church privileges. I never heard a sermon or attended other than the Mormon church for five years. There, in spite of kindness and smiles, I felt a stranger and totally alone."
Transportation in Bear Lake in 1879 was provided by the Union Pacific Railroad as far as Evanston Wyoming. The Oregon Short Line had not yet gotten underway. Lizzie writes:
"Once we arrived in Evanston, we had to wait a full day before the tri-weekly stage, which ran from Evanston to Paris arrived. By this conveyance arrived, sore of bond and sad of spirit into the sate of Idaho on 9 July 1879. My first inclination was to hurry to my church, fall upon my knees and thank my God for deliverance; it was only then that I remembered my husband said there was no church there. As I waited the day out, I often saw a row of smelly canvas covered wagons, some with three seats, others with one seat an a variety of cages and crates, still showing evidence by odor and sign of having been used to transport animals to marker. Somehow, I became aware that one of these would be my 'stagecoach' to my new home."
Lizzie Underwood proved to be an outstanding observer of the countryside and she later admitted that the journey across the tip of Wyoming, through a corner of Utah and into Bear Lake was one of beauty. When the railroad route was chosen through Montpelier, John and Lizzie had land that did not favor business to the railroad. They sold the land and moved to Soda Springs, thinking it was the logical place for a terminal to be placed. Again they were wrong. It went to Montpelier. During this time two of their sons, Frank and Philip died in a diphtheria epidemic and they wanted to leave Soda Springs. They returned to Montpelier.
John prospered with the new changes brought by the railroad and he expanded his business holdings. Lizzie felt pleased with life which now included other Presbyterians. Soon Lizzie was holding cottage meetings, socials and other gatherings for her people. It was the Underwood home at 10th and Grant that many came to when they visited Montpelier. It had become a meeting place for all non Mormon groups
"...a great many non Mormons had come into the community and with them came many of the features that made life worthwhile; a church, lodges, YMCA and WTCU. We soon founded the first literary club in the community and one of the first in all of Idaho. it was called the 'Gemm of the Mountains.'
Tensions between Mormons and Non-Mormons continued to develop. As a result Montpelier was split into two distinct areas; "uptown or Mormon" along the present 4th street and "downtown or Gentile" near the railroad tracks.
Inspired by the leadership of the Underwood's a petition was submitted to the Presbyterian Home Board of Missions. Because they wanted better schools, many signatures were found on the list. In the late winter months of March in 1884, there came two Presbyterian ladies, both missionaries and teachers to Montpelier. Miss Margaret Jones of Atlanta Georgia and Miss Florence Baker of New York. Temporary residence was secured at the Jones Hotel on Fourth Street. It was Jones who had sold the property to Reverend McMillan a year before upon which the Presbyterians hoped to construct a church and a school.
Funds were raised and a school was built. First enrollment was 11. There were 7 Mormons and 4 non-Mormons. Classes in spelling, ciphers, penmanship, addition and subtraction were taught. During the second year of the school, Rev Robert P Boyd arrived from Pennsylvania to oversee all efforts in Idaho. One of his first actions was to close the school to all Mormons. Those Mormons who contributed to the school and its development felt betrayed. Miss Baker could not face her Mormon friends and requested a transfer to Samaria Idaho.
John Underwood died 18 Feb 1914 in Salt Lake City and was buried in the Soda Springs Cemetery. After John died Lizzie moved back to Soda Springs but died in Payette Idaho 26 Feb 1940 and was buried in the Soda Springs Cemetery.
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Mason Whitman Underwood Obituary
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Children of Florence A Underwood and Bernard E Eastman
1. Philip Eastman b-22 July 1908 in Payette
Idaho; d-22 July 1958 in Los Angeles Ca.
2. Bernard Curtis Underwood b-28 May 1911 in Payette; d-19 Jan 1995 in Nyssa
Oregon
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Children of Esther Alice Underwood and George Eugene Marks
1. Boyd Marks b-9 Nov 1911 in Salt Lake City; d-5 Oct 1940 in Los Angeles Ca.
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Information comes from the 1899 Illustrated History of Idaho, pages 635-636
Hon. John L Underwood, postmaster at Montpelier, Idaho, successful business man, prominent citizen, veteran of the civil war and influential Republican, is a widely and favorably known throughout the state. he was born in Broome county, New York, January 15, 1832 of parents who traced their ancestry to good English families. Jonas Underwood, his grandfather, was a native of Fishkill New York and held a commission in the revolutionary army. He died at Deposit New York, in his eightieth year. His wife, who was of the New York family of Pine, survived him only a few days.
Philip Underwood, son of Jonas and father of John L Underwood, was born in Deposit, New York in 1803 and married Angeline Peters. In 1855 he located with his wife and family near Polo in Ogle county, Illinois, where he bought a farm and lived to attain the ripe old age of seventy-seven years. His wife died at about the same age, a few years later. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he was a local preacher and evangelist. They had eight children of whom seven are living.
John L Underwood, the second of the eight in order of birth was educated in the public school of the state of New York. In July 1861 he enlisted in Company H Fourteenth Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry, to do his part in putting down the slave holders rebellion and was mustered into served November 6, following. He served in the command of General U S Grant and participated in the fighting at Fort Henry, Fort Donnellson, Pittsburg Landing and intermediate points and in the Red river campaign. At Shiloh he was wounded by the bursting of a shell and was made a prisoner of war by the Confederates being held at Tuscaloosa, Alabama, six months when he was paroled. At the expiration of his term of enlistment, late in 1864, he was honorable discharged from service.
In 1865 Mr. Underwood went to Montana and engaged in freighting between Helena and Salt Lake City, Utah. in 1866 he settled down in Montana as a stockman. In 1875 he disposed of his local interests and began driving and shipping cattle east from Montana and Idaho. Continuing this enterprise, he located at Paris in Bear Lake in 1879. He operated there and at Soda Springs until 1885 when he came to Montpelier and still pushing his business of sending cattle east, he opened a meat market.
Almost from the day of his advent in Idaho, he has been known as an active Republican who knew how to deal telling blows in behalf of his party. he became popular personally, as the people came to know him and it was inevitable that he should be singled out for public service. He was a member of the constitutional convention that framed the constitution of the state and was elected to the first Idaho state senate and re-elected to succeed himself. As a senator himself to the people by his championship of the bill to organize the State National Guard and the bill providing for the establishment of the Soldiers Home at Boise. Later he served two terms as United States Commissioner.
At Montpelier he has been justice of the peace, and has ably filled the office of postmaster since his first appointment under President Cleveland's first administration, Harrison and McKinley. He was reappointed early in President Cleveland's second term but declined, though he secured it for his brother in law, Marcus Whitman. Mrs. Underwood is his deputy and they have a post office which is in every way a model.
Mr. Underwood is prominent among Idaho Odd Fellows and Mrs. Underwood is a member of the Women's auxiliary order of the Daughters of Rebekah, of which she is past presiding officer. He was a charter member and first commander of W H L Wallace Post of the Grand Army of the Republic and is widely known and influential in Grand Army circles throughout the sates. Mr. and Mrs. Underwood are very active and useful members of the Presbyterian church of Montpelier and has served the organization in that capacity of trustee, an office which Mrs. Underwood holds at this time.
Mrs. Underwood was Miss Lizzie M Whitman, daughter of E C Whitman of Como, Whiteside county, Illinois and a distant relative of Rev Marcus Whitman, the missionary who was killed by Indians in Oregon in 1847. They have had four children of whom two daughters, Florence and Esther are living.