Haun's Mill
by Becky Cardon Smith

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In the early 1830s, a German immigrant convert from Wisconsin named Jacob Haun built a mill on the north banks of Shoal Creek in Caldwell County. By October 1838, there were as many as 75 Mormon families living in and around the area. About 30 of those families formed a tiny settlement around Haun’s mill. Many of them had recently arrived and were living in wagons or tents until their cabins were built. The settlement consisted of the grain mill, a blacksmith shop, and fewer than 10 actual homes.

Tension was increasing, as threats against the Saints became more vocal. On Sunday, October 28, 1838, Colonel William Jennings, leader of a mob in Livingston County, sent a message to the small community offering peace. The Saints were hopeful that peace could be restored and gladly accepted the proposal. Monday passed without incident. Tuesday, October 30, 1838, started out peacefully. The day was sunny and by 4:00 p.m. children were playing by the creek, mothers were busy with their work, and men were out in the fields harvesting crops. A few men still kept guard at the mill as a precaution. What happened next was a brutal and unprovoked attack.

PLANNING YOUR TIME

We previously suggested that you read about the area but avoid going to Haun’s Mill as access to the area was difficult. Recent road improvements have now made it much easier to drive and to locate. Though nothing remains of the mill or cabins, the meadow along Shoal Creek is a visual reminder of a long ago tragedy. Allow one hour to make the round trip detour from either US 36 or State 13 and to visit the area. There are no restroom facilities located here.

GETTING THERE

Haun’s Mill is located less than 15 miles east of Far West. Traveling on US 36, turn south onto Highway 13. Turn left on U Street heading east. Continue east on U Street for about 12 miles until the road becomes a less traveled gravel road. (When the road bends left to K Street, continue straight on gravel to U Street.) Stay on this gravel road (still U Street) as it curves to the south. Signs have been put up to help you find your way, but unfortunately some have been vandalized. Continue south for about 1 mile before coming to a bridge. DON”T cross the bridge. Turn right just before the bridge and follow the winding road for ½ mile to its end. You are now at the general area of Haun’s Mill. If the roads are muddy, you may want to just stop on the bridge for a general overview of the area.

Coming from Far West, on State 13, turn right onto U Street and follow the previous directions.

THE HAUN’S MILL MASSACRE

Joseph Young, First President of the Seventies and brother of Brigham Young, was at Haun’s Mill at the time of the attack and gave a first hand report. Brother Young was in his cabin holding his baby when he saw a company of about 240 armed men ride towards the mill. Women and children ran for safety behind the thick vegetation by the creeks’ edge. Many of the men and boys ran to the blacksmith shop near the mill. Captain David Evans ran out to the mob swinging his hat and calling for peace. But the mob had come to murder. They brutally shot every man and boy they could find. Surrounding the blacksmith shop, they fired their guns through the cracks in the logs. Those not immediately wounded or killed ran for their lives with the mob still shooting at them. The mob rushed into the blacksmith shop to finish their work. A young boy named Sardius Smith was found hiding under the bellows; one of the men put a gun to his head and fired. His younger brother Alma, his hip shot off, lay terribly wounded. Thomas McBride, 62 years old, handed his gun over to the mob. They used his own gun to shoot him and then hacked his body with a corn knife. Jacob Haun was injured but survived; both Joseph Young and Captain David Evans were able to escape without injuries. In all, over sixteen hundred shots were fired at about 30 men/boys, killing 17 and seriously wounding 15 others. Before leaving, the mob plundered the small community, taking livestock, bedding, and clothing from the dead.

Willard Smith was one of the first survivors to enter the blacksmith shop after the massacre. He discovered the body of Warren Smith (his father), his brother Sardius, and the almost lifeless body of his little brother Alma. Willard carried Alma outside to his mother, Amanda Smith. She knelt down by her severely wounded son and pled with the Lord for help. She was prompted to cleanse the wound with lye from the ashes. With a poultice made from slippery elm, she filled the gaping wound left where the hip and joint socket had been. With the faith that he would be healed, Alma lay on his stomach for five weeks scarcely moving. Within that short period of time, a flexible gristle grew to fill the large hole left by the musket blast. Alma Smith had a full recovery!

For Amanda and others, there were loved ones to bury. Because there were so few able men left to help bury the dead, the bodies had to be placed down into a newly dug well and then covered with straw. Fearful that the mob might return, the survivors were forced to flee to Far West without being able to give their loved ones a funeral or proper burial. (For a more detailed account of the Haun’s Mill massacre, read Joseph Young’s account in HC 3:183-186.)

Tragically, the entire incident could have been avoided if Brother Haun had followed the counsel of Joseph Smith. Philo Dibble recorded, “Brother Joseph had sent word by Haun, who owned the mill, to inform the brethren who were living there to leave and come to Far West, but Mr. Haun did not deliver the message” (Philo Dibble, “Early Scenes in Church History,” in Four Faith-Promoting Classics p. 90, see also Church History In The Fullness of Times p. 204). The Prophet also referred to this tragic event and how it could have been avoided if his counsel had been taken. “Up to this day God had given me wisdom to save the people who took counsel. None had ever been killed who abode by my counsel. At Haun’s Mill the brethren went contrary to my counsel; if they had not, their lives would have been spared” (HC 5:137).

SITES TO SEE

• This area is now owned by the Community of Christ. Although the exact location of the mill is unknown, the meadow area at the end of the road is the general area of the early settlement. Shoal Creek is located just south of the meadow. We were present during a dig when pieces of glass and other artifacts were excavated. Notice the large tree standing near the parking area and next to Shoal Creek. This tree dates from the period of the Haun’s mill massacre. Standing in this area and discussing the events that occurred is a sobering experience.

Editor’s Note:
For additional information on these church historical sites see The LDS Family Travel Guide – Independence to Nauvoo by Becky Cardon Smith. Also now available: The LDS Family Travel Guide – Sharon, Palmyra and Kirtland.

© 2003 LDS Family Travels. All Rights Reserved.