History of Pinto, Utah

HISTORY OF PINTO, UTAH

BY RULON KNELL

Pinto, with its lush meadows and clear stream of good water, was a natural stopping place on the Old Spanish Trail. The chief products carried over this trail, before the coming of the Mormons, were Indian slaves and peltries. When the Mormons first arrived in southern Utah they found a well-beaten trail through the streets of Pinto.

At the April conference in 1854, President Young called a group of missionaries to the Indians of Southern Utah. Under the leadership of Rufus C. Allen, they commenced operations at Harmony, Utah. About the end of May, the same year, President Young, Heber C. Kimball, Parley P. Pratt and others of the General Authorities, visited there, President Young gave much instruction regarding conducting the mission and building up the settlements in southern Utah.

Thomas Eccles and Alice Hardman Eccles headstone

Richard Smith Robinson history by Harriet Judd

RICHARD SMITH ROBINSON

Written by Harriet Judd; Kanab, Utah.

Richard Smith Robinson was born November 25, 1830, in Upton, Cheshire, England. He was the son of Edward Robinson and Mary Smith. Edward Robinson was born in little Sutton, Cheshire, England, October 16, 1807. He was first a farmer, then Gentleman's Coachman and became the first guard (or conductor) on the first train in the world. Many years later when the worlds far was celebrated at Chicabo about the year 1878, Edward Robinson received a free ticket to attend this fair but was unable to accept because of his old age. So the committee in charge sent him a fine watch as a prize for his services.

The story is told of Richard’s schooling when as a lad of ten years in England, he was standing up for his young sister Elizabeth, whom the school teacher was abusing, and the teacher knocked him down with a heavy mahogany rule, which seems to have practically closed his school activities, for the family came to America in the ship “Henry” in 1842 when Richard was only twelve years of age, and he never went to school again.

Pictures of Pinto

Pinto Church 1865

Pinto Church 1875

Pinto Main Street 1875

Pinto Church 1865