Seth Tanner
Encyclopedia
Seth Tanner was a Mormon
settler
who established the Tanner Trail
in the Grand Canyon National Park
.
, and was with his father's family as they were driven across the U.S. from place to place with the early Mormons. By the time he reached Salt Lake City in 1848 he was 20 years old.
Soon after arriving in Salt Lake, he left for the California gold rush
with his older brother Myron. In 1851, he and Myron joined other family members in helping to settle San Bernardino
. For a time, Seth and his brothers made money breaking in semi-wild horses
and driving them up from California
to sell in Salt Lake. In 1856, he went to San Diego for a while to invest in the coal business with some partners and prospect
for coal, although they didn't find much success in this venture.
Seth married Charlotte Levi in 1858 in Pine Valley
, Washington County, Utah
, and they settled in North Ogden, Utah
and had seven children. After Charlotte's death in 1872, Seth moved his family to Payson, Utah
to be near other family members. In 1875 he was chosen by Brigham Young
to go on an exploring mission with James S. Brown to Arizona
, to search out a suitable place for settlement on the Little Colorado River
. He later returned to Utah
and married Anna Maria Jensen in 1876, then moved his family to Arizona, to an isolated cabin on the Little Colorado River near Tuba City
, on the present-day Navajo reservation
. Apparently his cabin was on the main travel route and visitors often stopped over there. Wilford Woodruff
, third prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, mentioned it when on the underground, hiding out from the federal marshals. Seth's second wife had no children of her own, but raised the children of Seth's first wife in this lonely cabin in the wilderness.
Seth Tanner also helped with the Hole-In-The-Rock
expedition; he joined the expedition as a guide for the initial exploring party, guiding them up to the Bluff
area after they had reached Moenkopi
in the Navajo country. The whole expedition would have been much better off had they followed the route which Seth showed them, instead of taking the insane "short cut" down through the hole and across the redrock country. This "short cut" took them 6 months, instead of the 6 weeks it took to go the "long way" around.
Apparently Seth got along well with both the Navajo
and Hopi
Indians; he and his children learned their languages, and they called him by a Navajo name (Hostiin Shush) which meant "the man who is strong as a bear," and his children were known as the young bears (Shush Yazzii). Seth Tanner's descendants even today operate a chain of Indian trading posts
throughout the Southwest. "He was often appointed to deal with the natives, having the happy faculty of making friends with them ... Seth was a modest man but he was always thoughtful of others, and during his travels and life-long experiences when he was associated with others in travel, he was generally set apart as a hunter and fisher and to provide meat for the company." Seth Tanner was a gentle, solitary man of the desert, and he did a lot of traveling and exploring through Northern Arizona
. He engaged in prospecting and mining in the area, but does not seem to have had too much success in these ventures. It is said that his name is somewhat of a legend in northern Arizona, and many natural features bear his name. He died in Taylor, Arizona
, on 3 Dec 1918, at the age of 90.
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
settler
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
who established the Tanner Trail
Tanner Trail
The Tanner Trail is a hiking trail located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona. The trailhead is located at Lipan Point, a prominent lookout located to the east of the Grand Canyon Village and it ends at the Colorado River at Tanner Rapids.With...
in the Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park and is located in Arizona. Within the park lies the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, considered to be one of the Wonders of the World. The park covers of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.Most...
.
Life
Seth's full name was Seth Benjamin Tanner. He was one of John Tanner's 21 children. He was born in Bolton, New YorkBolton, New York
Bolton is a town in Warren County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,117 at the 2000 census. Bolton is on the east border of the county.- History :...
, and was with his father's family as they were driven across the U.S. from place to place with the early Mormons. By the time he reached Salt Lake City in 1848 he was 20 years old.
Soon after arriving in Salt Lake, he left for the California gold rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
with his older brother Myron. In 1851, he and Myron joined other family members in helping to settle San Bernardino
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
. For a time, Seth and his brothers made money breaking in semi-wild horses
Mustang (horse)
A Mustang is a free-roaming horse of the North American west that first descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but there is intense debate over terminology...
and driving them up from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to sell in Salt Lake. In 1856, he went to San Diego for a while to invest in the coal business with some partners and prospect
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
for coal, although they didn't find much success in this venture.
Seth married Charlotte Levi in 1858 in Pine Valley
Pine Valley, Utah
Pine Valley, Utah is an unincorporated town in Washington County, Utah, United States that lies approximately 45 minutes north of the county seat, St. George. It is located at the head of the Santa Clara River in the Pine Valley Mountains, and was settled in 1859...
, Washington County, Utah
Washington County, Utah
As of the census of 2000, there were 90,354 people, 29,939 households, and 23,442 families residing in the county. The population density was 37 people per square mile . There were 36,478 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
, and they settled in North Ogden, Utah
North Ogden, Utah
North Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. The population was 15,027 at the 2000 census. North Ogden is on SR-235, three miles north of Ogden. It is a suburb of that city and is part of the Ogden –Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:North Ogden was...
and had seven children. After Charlotte's death in 1872, Seth moved his family to Payson, Utah
Payson, Utah
Payson is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 12,716 at the 2000 census. The current mayor is Rick Moore, who in the 2009 election was the first write-in candidate ever to defeat an incumbent mayor in...
to be near other family members. In 1875 he was chosen by Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
to go on an exploring mission with James S. Brown to Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, to search out a suitable place for settlement on the Little Colorado River
Little Colorado River
The Little Colorado River is a river in the U.S. state of Arizona, providing the principal drainage from the Painted Desert region. Together with its major tributary, the Puerco River, it drains an area of about in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico...
. He later returned to Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and married Anna Maria Jensen in 1876, then moved his family to Arizona, to an isolated cabin on the Little Colorado River near Tuba City
Tuba City, Arizona
Tuba City is a census-designated place in Coconino County, Arizona, United States. The population was 8,225 at the 2000 census. It is the Dine' Nation's largest community, slightly larger than Shiprock, New Mexico. The Hopi town of Moenkopi lies directly to its southeast.The name of the town...
, on the present-day Navajo reservation
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation is a semi-autonomous Native American-governed territory covering , occupying all of northeastern Arizona, the southeastern portion of Utah, and northwestern New Mexico...
. Apparently his cabin was on the main travel route and visitors often stopped over there. Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
, third prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, mentioned it when on the underground, hiding out from the federal marshals. Seth's second wife had no children of her own, but raised the children of Seth's first wife in this lonely cabin in the wilderness.
Seth Tanner also helped with the Hole-In-The-Rock
San Juan Expedition
right|Route of the San Juan Expedition through UtahThe San Juan Expedition was a group of Mormon settlers intent on establishing a colony in what is now southeastern Utah, in the western United States...
expedition; he joined the expedition as a guide for the initial exploring party, guiding them up to the Bluff
Bluff, Utah
Bluff is a census-designated place in San Juan County, Utah, United States. The population was 320 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bluff is located at , in the scenic and very sparsely populated southeastern Utah canyonlands of the Colorado Plateau.According to the United States Census Bureau, the...
area after they had reached Moenkopi
Moenkopi, Arizona
Moenkopi is a census-designated place in Coconino County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to the southeast side of Tuba City off U.S. Route 160. The population was 901 at the 2000 census....
in the Navajo country. The whole expedition would have been much better off had they followed the route which Seth showed them, instead of taking the insane "short cut" down through the hole and across the redrock country. This "short cut" took them 6 months, instead of the 6 weeks it took to go the "long way" around.
Apparently Seth got along well with both the Navajo
Navajo people
The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
and Hopi
Hopi
The Hopi are a federally recognized tribe of indigenous Native American people, who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. The Hopi area according to the 2000 census has a population of 6,946 people. Their Hopi language is one of the 30 of the Uto-Aztecan language...
Indians; he and his children learned their languages, and they called him by a Navajo name (Hostiin Shush) which meant "the man who is strong as a bear," and his children were known as the young bears (Shush Yazzii). Seth Tanner's descendants even today operate a chain of Indian trading posts
Trading post
A trading post was a place or establishment in historic Northern America where the trading of goods took place. The preferred travel route to a trading post or between trading posts, was known as a trade route....
throughout the Southwest. "He was often appointed to deal with the natives, having the happy faculty of making friends with them ... Seth was a modest man but he was always thoughtful of others, and during his travels and life-long experiences when he was associated with others in travel, he was generally set apart as a hunter and fisher and to provide meat for the company." Seth Tanner was a gentle, solitary man of the desert, and he did a lot of traveling and exploring through Northern Arizona
Northern Arizona
Northern Arizona is an unofficial, colloquially-defined region of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is dominated by the Colorado Plateau, the southern border of which in Arizona is called the Mogollon Rim. In the West lies the Grand Canyon, which was cut by the flow of the Colorado River while the...
. He engaged in prospecting and mining in the area, but does not seem to have had too much success in these ventures. It is said that his name is somewhat of a legend in northern Arizona, and many natural features bear his name. He died in Taylor, Arizona
Taylor, Arizona
Taylor is a town in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. It was founded by Mormon settlers in January 1878, several months before the neighboring community of Snowflake, Arizona...
, on 3 Dec 1918, at the age of 90.
See also
- Tanner TrailTanner TrailThe Tanner Trail is a hiking trail located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona. The trailhead is located at Lipan Point, a prominent lookout located to the east of the Grand Canyon Village and it ends at the Colorado River at Tanner Rapids.With...
- Grand CanyonGrand CanyonThe Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
- Grand Canyon National ParkGrand Canyon National ParkGrand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park and is located in Arizona. Within the park lies the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, considered to be one of the Wonders of the World. The park covers of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.Most...
- List of trails in Grand Canyon National Park