Rebecca Hannah Hawk Brinkerhoff
Written by Delna Swapp Winton, her great grand-daughter
Revised by Tracie Winton Robbins, her third great grand-daughter

William and Margaret Hawk with four daughters and one son were among the first pioneers to begin the journey across the plains. This journey was rudely interrupted by an oxen stampede, which caused the death of Margaret and she was buried on the plains. Then, a call for men to fill the ranks of the Mormon Battalion took the son and father, so the four daughters were left to continue their journey of refuge into Salt Lake Valley among friends.

Rebecca Hannah Hawk was born, the second daughter, on August 12, 1835 in Parke County, Indiana. She married James Brinkerhoff September 28, 1852. Of this union came nine children, 5 boys and 4 girls; Clark James (1854-1915), Mary Caroline (1856-1889), Margaret Nina (1859-1932), Samuel William (1863-1928), Alonzo (1864-1922), Jesse (1867-1936), Ira (1870-1950), Sally Edith (1873-1937) & Loretta (1875-1961).

In 1863, James Brinkerhoff was called to leave Centerville and aid in the settlement of Dixie, at St. George, Utah. The family lived in St. George for six years. Their first home was of sawed-dirt blocks, built with mortar. Later a board floor was an added luxury to it. Wool and cotton were corded, spun and dyed to make clothing. The dyes were made from various weeds and chaparral.

In the October 1869 Conference, James Brinkerhoff was summoned to go to the Muddy in Nevada to further the work on the Mormon Pioneers. This small settlement on the Muddy was made under constant fear of an Indian uprising. The Indians resented these new settlers and constantly harassed either by stealthy thieving or boldly demanding food, clothing and horses. At one time their demands became so hostile that men were called from the lower settlements to aid in quieting them. It was decided to hold a meeting to treaty for peace with the Indians. About forty men gathered at Bishop George Leavitt’s home. The coming of these men incited the Indians suspicions and the multiplying of their hostile faces cast a dark cloud over the threatened village.

The palely of the Indians was continued all day with three interpreters, two of which were John Young and Andrew Gibbons. At sunset a treaty of peace was signed, and the Indians and men returned to their camps and homes.

Margaret Brinkerhoff Swapp, a daughter of Rebecca, stated that this incident made a lasting impression on her mind as she remembered distinctly the recurring visit of the painted Indians with their bows and quivers of arrows as they demanded bread from her mother and threatened to kill all the pale faces before night. It was under these conditions the village sought to maintain itself on the Muddy. At the end of two years the authorities of the church gave the pioneers permission to abandon the mission, because of Indian interference.

In 1870, James Brinkerhoff and family returned to St. George, but remained only a year, for in the spring of 1871 they were called to Long Valley and settled in Glendale, Utah. Arriving at Glendale they moved into the old log for which had been abandoned seven years before by Mormon settlers because of Indian trouble. The family began once more to secure the necessities of life by building a home and beginning to farm. The nearest store from which to secure supplies was in St. George.

Obituary:
Rebecca Brinkerhoff succumbs to pleurisy ----
Mrs. Rebecca Brinkerhoff Garner, a Utah pioneer resident of Emery Co., passed peacefully away at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec 22 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Joseph A. Young at Price, Utah. For the past six months or more Mrs. Brinkerhoff suffered terribly with pleurisy of the lungs and during that time underwent several surgical operations.

Mrs. Brinkerhoff was born in Park City, Indiana on August 12, 1835, being the daughter of William and Margaret Hawk. In 1849 she started on the long journey across the plains to Utah with her parents. She witnessed the tragic death of her Mother in a run-away by a team of oxen. Her father settled in Salt Lake City, Utah.

On Sept 28, 1852, she became the wife of James Brinkerhoff. They lived in Centerville, Davis County, Utah. Later they responded to a call to go to the Dixie County, being among the earliest pioneers to settle in St. George. Still following the star of the empire, they moved west to the Muddy River, in Nevada, thence to Long Valley, in Kane County, Utah, and to Glendale, where Mr. Brinkerhoff died in 1875. Shortly after the death of her husband, Mrs. Brinkerhoff, then the mother of a large family, moved to Huntington, which place has been her home ever since, although she did live from time to time with her children located in various other places. Out of nine children the surviving ones are: Clark, Mrs. Margaret Swapp of Kanab, Bishop Alonzo of Emery and Mrs. Loretta Young of Price.

Rebecca Hawk Brinkerhoff was my Great Grandmother. My Grandmother was Margaret. My father was George Alonzo Swapp. He was Margaret’s seventh child. I’m Delna Swapp Winton, second child of George.