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- NAUVOO RECORDS:
70's Record p 692-693
Members, LDS, 1830-1848, by Susan Easton Black, Vol 40, pp 650- 653
Kirtland Member p 67
HISTORY:
LDS Biographical Encyclopedia Vol 4, p 691
ZION'S_CAMP: Member of Zion's Camp (Backman, "A Profile of Kirtland Saints..." Appendix E, p. 93
THE_FIRST_SEVENTY_ELDERS: Kirtland, Ohio, 7 Apr 1836
The Snow Family, Boston Transcript, Note 2685 pt I, gives his b.date as 20 Mar 1809 and d. date. p. 10 says he had two sons.
BIRTH: 3 MARRIAGE: DEATH: Valiant in the Faith, p. 642.
"Ancestry of Erastus Snow" in Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine 3 (Jan 1912) 33-37 says "He joined the Church in the spring of 1832 with his brother William and performed much missionary work. He was a member of Zion's Camp. On the organization of the Territory of Utah, in 1850, he was appointed one of the first associate justices by President Fillmore, and was prominent in the early history of the Territory for his legal ability and many sterling qualities."
1850 CENSUS: Canton, Stark, Ohio (FHL Film #1011814), page 499, dwelling 50, family 50, lists Zerubbabel Snow, 41, M, lawyer, real estate value 1000, born Vermont; Mary Snow, 27, F, born New York, Susan Snow, 9, F, born Ohio, attended school; Georgiann Snow, 7, F, born Ohio, attended school; Augusta Snow, 5, F, born Ohio; Delia Snow, 1, F, born Ohio; Anna B. Bonfuld, 35, F, born Maryland.
Member of the 70's in Nauvoo
Mission to PA, NY, VT, NH, Canada
ZERUBBABEL SNOW
When the Snow family left Ohio in 1836 and Came to Missouri, Uncle Zerubbabel remained in Kirtland with his family. He taught school, engaged in business, failed and with difficulty paid his debts in full. He studied law and October 1839 he was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of Ohio. After the death of his first wife, Susan, on March 14,1841, he married Mary Augusta Hawkins on August 25,1841 She was an 18 year old pupil in his school.
September 9,1850 the Territory of Utah was formed. So Uncle Zerubbabel applied for a judgeship in the Territory. September 30,1850 President Fillmore appointed Lemuel G. Brendebury of Penn. Chief Justice, and Perry E.Brocchus of Alabama and Zerubbabel Snow of Ohio as Associate Justices. They were the first Federal Judges in the State of Utah. Uncle Zerubbabel and his family Came to Utah by ox team and were a little over four months on the way, They arrived in Salt Lake July 19,1851, and he took his oath of office. He opened the first court held in the state.
Soon after their arrival, Brandebury and Brocchus deserted their posts and returned east, so for some time Uncle Zeruobabel was the only Federal Judge in the Territory.
Creer's History of Utah says' "Sept. 22,1851 President Young (Gov. of the Territory called the legislature to assemble. The roll was called and the members qualified before Judge Snow. At the first session of his court in Oct. 1851, Judge Snow reviewed the proceedings of Governor Young and declared them"legal" though somewhat informal." Judge Snow reported his findings to Sec. Webster of the Department of State."
Creer's History of, Utah says: "March 1852 a party of Mexican traders came into the SanPete Valley, trading horses for Indian children and firearms .By virtue of his authority as Governor and Supt. of Indian affairs, Brigham Young forbade all such trading and told the Mexican leader, Pedro Leon, that their license from New Mexico wasn't valid in Utah Territory and ordered them to leave the Territory. Leon and his men ignored Gov. Young, whereupon Leon and seven of his men were arrested and tried before a justice of the peace at Manti. Subsequently they were brought before Judge Snow in the District Court in Salt Lake. Judge Snow decided against the Mexicans, and a squaw and eight children were set free."
Uncle Zerubbabel was reelected to the same office again in 1852. Sept, 1854 his Commission expired. He presided at the first murder trial held in Utah. This was held Oct. 18 Howard Egan one of the pioneer band, returned from Cali fornia to find that his wife had been seduced by James Monroe, formerly a Mormon. Egan a typical frontiersman, proceeded eastward to settle the score, as best he could, by putting a bullet through the wrongdoer, who was returning with a load of merchandise for John and Enoch Reese. United States Attorney Seth M.Blair conducted the prosecution in this first murder trial, while the defendant was representby George A. Smith and W.W. Phelps. The following is an excerpt from Smith's address to the jury. " I argue that in this territory, it is a principle of common mountain law, that no man can seduce the wife of another without endangering his own life. . . .The man that seduces his neighbors wife must die for it
Uncle Zerubbabel was a member of the first Boar Regents of the University of Deseret chartered Feb.1850. After coming, to Salt Lake he and Aunt Mary had the following children: Adelaide Louisa, born Dec. 22,1851 Zera Levi born July 22, 1854 George Wellington Aug. 30,1856 Herbert Walderman born Sept. 1,1863, and Marion Mason Elliot Snow born June 27,1866.
After his commission as judge expired, he engaged the mercantile business in Salt Lake. Two years later, Jane 1356, he went on a mission to Australia. Aunt Mary had a hard time caring for her family while he was away. He left for his mission not long before his son George Wellington was born. While in Australia, he found a medal that had. been struck off to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo, having George III on one side and the Duke of Wellington on the other. He sent this home to Aunt Hary instructing her to name the new baby, if it were a boy, George Wellington. The family raised an Indian child, Ammon, who had been abandoned by his people. Ammon used to steal the medal and trade it for liquor. Every little while someone would send word to the family that they had the medal, and the family, cherishing the medal for senti mental reasons, would go and redeem it for the price of the liquor, but Ammon always managed to find it again. Uncle Zerubbabel returned from his mission Dec. 1858. He brought another wife, a Mrs. Carter. She never had any children.
In 1859 he became probate judge of Iron County and in 1862 of Utah County. He was very brilliant and was considered by the whole Snow family as having one of the keenest minds of the entire tribe. He and Orson Pratt Sr. used to while away the time on stage coach journeys by playing chess in their heads, no board, no men, just carry all the different positions of all 32 men in their heads.
Most Snows have two outstanding characteristics: They are very determined (0ur enemies call it stubborn) and they all believe in doing what they think is right regardless of other's opinions of them. Uncle Zerubbabel belonged to this strata of the tribe. H e was an upright man and believed firmly in doing, what he thought was right. Several times in court he handed down decisions that were unfavorable to the church so of coarse President Young didn't like that, but Uncle Zera stuck to what he thought was right regardless of whether it favored Mormon or Non-Mormon. He believed in justice and dealt it out fair and square from his official position.
One story we Snows have always enjoyed. about him was the time that he and President Young got into an argument over some point of law. President Young, being head of the church figured his word should go unquestioned (as it generally did)- Uncle Zerubbabel said, "Brother Brigham, I'll see you in Hell before I'll admit you are right." At this period of church history, most of the members accepted President Young's every word as if it were the word of God wrapped in tinfoil and cellophane. * Not Uncle Zerubbabel, or any other Snow if he thought President Young were in the wrong. When Grandfather William Snow was district judge, he had the courage to put President Young's daughter in jail. When the Robert's case came before the U.S. Senate, Congressman Landis, of Indiana, said that the Snows were the most consistent Mormons of the whole bunch. Not one of Uncle Zerubbabel's decisions as a judge was ever reversed by a higher court. This showed the quality of his work.
In the spring of 1865, he was appointed Prosecuting Attorney of Salt Lake County. In 1878 he was re-elected to the same office and held. the position until 1884. He also held the office of Attorney General of the Territory for two or more terms and was incumbent when it was abolished by the Poland Law of 1874. He was also city attorney of Salt Lake City, and during his incumbency of that office the corporation had severe legal contests with liquor dealers. He conducted the famous Englebrecht case in 1871, which went before the U.S. Supreme Court, and the decision which wrought such revolution against the shameful McKean regime. In 1876 he aided in codifying the laws of the Territory, a great and important labor.
His integrity was without blemish and his uprightness was never impeached. He was endowed by nature with a mind that was eminently judicial and profound. His manner was urban and dignified, and his honesty rugged and invulnerable. His posterity can well be proud of him. He was a liberal independant thinker along all lines especially religion. He often said that he would rather have his children be thinking infidels than blind followers of any creed.
Just four months to the day after the death of Uncle Erastus, Uncle Zerubbabel died at Salt Lake City, Sept. 27,1888 and was buried there. He raised a fine and brilliant family that he could be proud of.
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