Copied from the History of Kane County.
On April 2, 1870 President Young accompanied by leading men in the church [among them was Levi Stewart] made a visit to Kanab area. On the return of the party to Salt Lake City, President Young called Levi Stewart to form a company of men selected and effect a settlement on the Kanab Creek. In this company were 52 individuals. The families of the following men made up this company: Levi Stewart, T.J. Stewart, Moses F. Farnsworth, a family f rom Big Cottonwood, John R. Rider, Edward A. Nobles, Al I en Frost, Edward Cooke and William Thompson. John Morgan's family also joined the party.
With about twelve wagons, loaded to the brim, this company left Big Cottonwood on the first day of May.
On this trip south Levi Stewart had brought only part of his family. Those who accompanied him were his wife Margery, a son, William T., and a small daughter Lucinda. (PP 20-2l)
P 72 A number of homes were built during the time they were in Kanab. Levi Stewart built a two-story, six-room home which was completed in 1872. He had previously dug a well and fenced his lot. His son Tommy later built a home near his father's.
P 35- The first summer in Kanab, passed with some promise of success for the new community, was followed by a tragedy that saddened the entire State of Utah. On December 14, 1870, a fire broke out in one of the rooms at the fort where six of Bishop Stewart's sons were sleeping. The Bishop's wife Margery, mother of three of the boys, and Eke Stout rushed into the room in an effort to save the boys. A moment later young Stout stumbled from the blazing room with little Alonzo Stewart. Moses Frank Farnsworth, as eye witness to the tragedy, related that Stout was a mass of flames and that his head looked like a big ball of cotton fire. His clothing was like a wick holding the flames. His back and face were severely burned, but he escaped the fate of the courageous mother who perished with five of the Stewart sons. They were still in the cabin when ten gallons of kerosene and five gallons of turpentine, which had been stored there, exploded causing the dirt roof to fall in and bar their exit.
P 36- Those who lost their lives in the fire were: wife Margery Wilkerson Stewart, 38, born November 16,1832; Levi H. Stewart, 22 year-old son of Malinda Howard Stewart, (Bishop Stewart's first wife who died 16 years before); Charles C., 13, born Feb. 8, 1857; Urban Van, 13, born Dec. 30 1857, Heber Carlos, 9, born Sep. 25, 1861; and Edward L., 7, born Feb. 23 1863. Three were the sons of Margery Wilkerson Stewart, the other the son of Artmacy Wilkerson Stewart, Bishop Stewart's living wife. The origin of the fire was never determined.
A stone schoolhouse was built where the debris of the fire had been cleaned up.
P 551 Levi's health had never been good since the fire. In 1877 he was further pained at the death of his beloved friend and leader, Brigham Young. He told his family that he would not live long, although he was then only 66. In June of 1878 he left home for Salt Lake City. He had leased his sheep to James A. Little on a share basis and was on his way to sell wool, which he hauled to Nephi. He was riding in his spring buggy with James A. Little. He told Brother Little that he felt tired and wished to lie down on his bed, which was in the back of the buggy.
Brother Little looked back to see if Levi was all right and saw him sitting, swaying unnaturally with the motion of the buggy. By the time he got back to Levi, he was dead. The little cavalcade of wool teams and buggy turned sadly back to Kanab.
Levi Stewart died 14 June 1878, in Johnson Canyon, near the Black Ridge. He was brought to Kanab and buried in the new Kanab city cemetery, he was the first person to be buried here. His wife Margery and sons, who died in the fire, were moved to the new cemetery.
Levi Stewart born 28, Apr. 1812
Married Malinda Howard 12 Feb. 1833. age 17 Levi 21
Malinda died Nov 1853
Married Margery Wilkerson. 13 Dec 1852 age 20 Levi 40
Margery died Dec 14 1870 age 38
Married Artmacy Wilkerson 23 or 31 Dec 1854 or 1855 age 20 or 21 Levi 43
Artmacy died 1914 in Nev. age 60
Levi died Jun. 14, 1878 age 66.
Artmacy lived 36 years after Levi died.
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