INTERESTING FACTS & QUESTIONS

William & Elizabeth Swapp were sealed in the Nauvoo Temple. Glen & Naureen Swapp and three of their children visited Nauvoo soon after the rebuilding of the Temple was announced.


Apparently, our William Swapp (who joined the Mormon Church) had a brother named John born either 2 years before or after him about whom we know nothing else. And when his father remarried in New England and had more children, he named one of William's half-brothers William H. Swapp. When our William was 51 years old and living in St. George, he received a letter from this half-brother, who was in New Brunswick between sailing voyages around the world. Another half-brother, Bradford, died five years earlier at the age of 28 in Burma (now Myanmar).


The John Addison Swapp Family lived for several years in Luna Valley, New Mexico, beginning in 1882. Descendants of his brother Melvin still live there (population 200), and the new temple planned for Snowflake, Arizona will be the closest temple when it is built (about 90 miles). The home they built for their widow mother Elizabeth still stands (unocuppied), although she later returned to Glendale, Utah, where she died and is buried next to her husband.


Tropic was founded after Rose Etta was born. That's why she is listed as having been born in Cannonville (perhaps outside of Cannonville in unincorporated Loseeville?) and not in Tropic, which is now closer to her family's one-time home.


Alex smoked before he married Etta, and he had to quit the habit to get married in the temple.


Alex had to be rebaptized outdoors in the middle of the winter so he could marry Etta. His original baptismal records had been lost in all of his family's many moves.


Alex & Rosetta (with her sister Lizzie & Emory Mecham) traveled 5 days each way to the St. George Temple to get married. Apparently, their parents were not able to be there.


In 1902 after returning from a trip to Colorado Springs, Alex almost packed up Etta and baby Ether to move to Idaho! But they never went. 65 years later, Etta couldn't remember why.


William Swap worked on ships carrying goods across the ocean, and his son William hauled his family's possessions across the plains. John Addison hauled wood for the construction of the St. George Temple in the 1870s, and he later hauled freight between Moapa Valley and various destinations. Alex worked the Summer of 1895 for the Pony Express delivering mail and started freighting about 1906, Ether went with his grandfather on freighting trips and later took over his father's place on the freighting team when he became ill, and Glen is still hauling construction equipment around the country in the year 2000. Sherrena and Mike have Commercial Driver's Licenses, although they're not currently working hauling anything. That's seven generations of haulers!


Our Family's History in Moapa Valley
Spring 1868 The William Swapp Family, having settled the Dixie Mission only seven years earlier, was among those called to settle the Muddy Mission. Can we locate their homesite?
Spring 1871 Because of the intense heat, high taxes, and the hostile Indians of that area, the colonizers of the Church were released from their labors in the Muddy Mission. The advice from the authorities of the Church was for these families to locate elsewhere in Southern Utah, especially on the Kanab and Long Valley Creeks in Kane County. The Swapps moved to the small town of Berrysville (now Glendale) on the Long Valley Creek.
Fall 1894 The John Addison Swapp Family moved to Moapa Valley, 23 years after the Swapps had left there the first time. Alex was 17 years old. Can we locate their homesite? Do we know why they returned to Moapa Valley?
Summer 1895 The John Addison Swapp Family back in the Kanab area because they couldn't find work in the Muddy Valley.
About 1905/06 The John Addison Swapp Family returned to Overton. This was the third time Swapp family members had located to Overton, and there would always be Swapps in Moapa Valley from then on. Do we know why they returned? Can we determine the date more precisely?
Jan. 1907 Alex decided to buy his own team and work as a freighter out of Overton. It took the family a full week to travel down the Meadow Valley Wash from Caliente to Overton. Alex & Etta pitched a tent close to his parents. His first freighting job was to Rhyolite, Nevada, and he was gone three months. Upon returning, he camped out at the junction and flipped a coin to decide whether to continue to Overton or go back to Utah. Because of that coin toss, our family's roots are still in Moapa Valley. Because of that coin flip, we had our family reunion 92 years later at the Valley of Fire. Because of that coin flip, we are still burying our loved ones in the rocky Overton Pioneer Cemetery.
May 1908 Kenneth Arthur Swapp (son of Alex & Etta) born in his family's tent in Overton, the first member of our family to be born in Moapa Valley.
23 Feb 1948 The last member of our family to actually be born in Moapa Valley was Katy Earl (Rosenhan).
1970s After Ether died in 1969, his mother Etta died in 1973, and his brother John died in 1974, that left only his daughter Nelda and grandson Matt Messer living in "the Valley."

The first Swapps laid eyes on Moapa Valley 132 years ago, and members of our family have now lived in Moapa Valley without a break for more than 93 years even though nobody has been born there for over 50 years. We have been having our yearly reunions in the mountains for good reason!


SPECIAL INVITATION

There will be another Swapp Reunion this summer! The descendants of Ed Swapp, who was a descendant of William & Elizabeth's son James and who built the Swapp Ranch home in Sink Valley (north of Kanab) in the early 1900s, will be meeting at that home on July 15th. They are expecting about 100 members of their part of the family and have invited any of us who would be interested to attend. If you are interested, you can get more information and directions from our Steve Swapp at (435)652-3668.