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Show 290 Edson Barney, president of the Snake Creek farm, led a far more obscure life than George W. Bean after returning from the desert. He was an original pioneer of St. George in 1861, where he resided for some time. Barney was called to Escalante in 1882, and he later went to Bluff City in southeastern Utah. He returned to Provo late in life where he died in 1905. William H. Dame, the commander of the Southern Exploring Company, discovered upon his return to Parowan, after reporting his explorations to President Young, that charges had been leveled against him by the local High Council accusing him of responsibility in the Mountain Meadows affair. It seems that he adequately defended himself before the investigating committee headed by Apostles George A. Smith and Amasa Lyman, because on August 12 the church exonerated him of all charges. Dame, however, was later indicted along with John D. Lee by a federal court on the charge of murder, but again the colonel was vindicated. Lee was not so lucky. Willam H. Dame was, in fact, the only church leader to be impli- 4 cated in the crime that retained his position in the church. Dame continued to lead a conspicuous life in southern Utah. In i860 he was called by the church as a missionary to England. After serving for two and a half years he was released on account of bad health and returned to Parowan. Dame was appointed an agent for the presiding bishop of the church in 1866. In this capacity he organized the first cooperative store in Utah which he managed until his death in 1884. Although Dame had several wives, no record can be found of any children. Jenson says of him: "There are few men better known in the Church than Brother William H. Dame, being a man of great public worth and notable for his honesty and uprightness in all his business transactions with his fellow man."5 Dame's closest advisor on the White Mountain Expedition, James H. Martineau, became sheriff of Iron County shortly after returning from the desert. In i860 |
