Jacob Hamblin
Jacob Hamblin (born April 6, 1819 in Salem , Ohio , † August 31, 1886 in Pleasanton , New Mexico ) was a Mormon settler in the western United States .
Hamblin was born in Ohio. He and his wife, Lucinda, née Taylor, joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( Mormons ) in 1842 and moved to the denomination's then main settlement in Nauvoo , Illinois the following year . There he married Rachel Judd as the second woman in accordance with Mormon polygamy . He entered into further marriages with Sarah Priscilla Leavitt and Louisa Boneli in 1857 and 1865. With the four women he had 24 children, others were adopted by the extended family.
In the course of the Mormon immigration to what would later become Utah from 1847, he first settled in Tooele there as a settler and became acquainted with the local Indians, with whom he maintained good relationships. Since the Indians trusted him, Brigham Young called him on many missions to the Indians. From 1854 he was to take care of the relationship between the Mormons and the Indians in southern Utah and serve there as a missionary. Therefore, he moved to Santa Clara near St. George in 1855 , where his house can still be viewed as a museum today.
When armed Mormons opposed the US Army in the Utah War in 1857 , Hamblin tried to persuade the Indians of the region to side with the Church and fight the army. In September 1857 the Mountain Meadows Massacre occurred , in which Mormons attacked and killed completely innocent settlers on their way to Oregon. Hamblin's role in it is controversial. One witness specifically named him as a participant, others located him in Salt Lake City at the time of the attack, but pointed out that he had committed other attacks. He himself claims to have met the settlers en route and, without knowing of any plans or dangers, recommended the place of the later attack as a resting place. For political reasons, a detailed investigation was not wanted and did not take place.
From 1882, like other prominent members of the LDS Church of Jesus Christ, he was persecuted by the police for polygamy. Before a multitude of arrest warrants, he and his family fled Utah to northern Arizona , New Mexico and possibly also briefly to Mexico . His wives and children settled in different places, and he himself kept changing his whereabouts until his death in 1886.
His spiritual heritage is shared in Latter-day Saints through a series of anecdotes that illustrate his integrity and excellent relationships with the Indians.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Hamblin, Jacob |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American pioneer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 6, 1819 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Salem , Ohio |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 31, 1886 |
| Place of death | Pleasanton , New Mexico |