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History of Grandfather - Charles Guild
1826-1908

Author Unknown

Born - Dundee, Scotland

Died - Piedmont, Wyoming

Charles Guild married Mary Madeline Cardon, 19th of February 1855 in Ogden, Utah. They had sailed from Liverpool, England, March 12, 1854 on the ship 'John M. Wood" . (Likely their romance started then.) They encountered a very bad windstorm the first week at sea, their ship nearly struck the rock of Providence, every ship that has, sank.

They arrived in New Orleans the 2nd of May, after 51 days on the sea.  Left the western part of the state of Missouri, for the Great Salt Lake Valley, July 18th 1854.  Arrived October 28th, a distance of 1,189 1/2miles, 102 days of travel. An average of 11.63 miles per day. Crossed the Great Plains with the Robert C. Campbell Company.

The following was taken from a diary kept of their travels from Fort Bridger on west:

Tuesday, Oct. 17th 1854, camped 1 mile west of Fort Bridger. (This would have been on the Blacks Fork).

Wednesday, Oct. 18th. Traveled 6 miles.  (Mention was made of Fort Supply.) This camp was likely on 3 mile creek at the Cold Spring, where the cotton Wood trees now are.)

Thursday, Oct. 19, ascended a bluff crossed a high ridge, descent dangerous. (This would be Bridger Bench, into the Musslemen Hollow.) Nooned there. Camped on the Muddy Creek.

Friday, Oct. 20th, drove 11 ½ miles over Aspin Mountain. (Now known as Aspin Butte.) Camped 1 mile east of Bear River. (On Sulpher Creek later known as Bear Town or Bear River City. The scene of the Riot of 1868 where the biggest killing of white men by white men in Wyoming took place.)

Saturday, Oct. 21st. Traveled 11 ½ miles to Yellow Creek.

Sunday, Oct. 22nd. Nooned at head of Cash Cave. Camped at Deep Revine, travelled 12 ½  miles.

Monday, Oct. 23rd. Camped I mile below Weber River. (Below Echo.)

Tuesday, Oct. 24th. Crossed Weber River 3 miles below Camp. Camped on Canyon Creek. Traveled 14 miles.

Wednesday, Oct. 25th. Crossed Canyon Creek 13 times. (Now known as East Canyon.)

Thursday, Oct 26th. The first look at the Great Salt Lake Valley. (This would be Big Mountain.) Camped at foot of last mountain on Brown's Creek. (Believed now to be known as City Creek.)

Friday, Oct 27th. Snowed. Doubled and redoubled teams, took all day to get over top of Mountain. (This would be Little Mountain where the highway now goes over.) Traveled 5 miles, turned over several wagons, broke tongue on one of ours.

Saturday, Oct 28th. Salt Lake City. 1854

I have never found any record of just when they moved back to Wyoming. Their last child born in Utah, was Lavinia Agnes, Feb 26, 1867 and died Oct 21, 1867. 

Aunt Emma Jane was born Sept 27th 1868 at Piedmont, Wyoming. This would mean that the family must have moved back to the Muddy Stage and Pony Express Station early in 1868. There they lived with the Moses Byrne Family until the building of the Union Pacific Railroad past there in the spring of 1868. When they moved to the then Wood and Water Station of Piedmont, where they lived and died.

In Piedmont they built a home and store. Their first store burned, they built another bigger and better. They enlarged their home and operated a public hotel in it.

Grandfather started a squatters claim near the William Hinshaw Ranch but gave this up and homesteaded on the Big Muddy creek about 41/2 miles south of Piedmont, where he and three of his sons livestock ranched.

Grandfather was known to be a very friendly, honest, just, and a reliable man. Where his nature was pleasant he had a quick temper and was very stubborn once he had set out to do anything.

In the store business, Grandmother helped a lot and likely was the best business manager. They traded with the Indians. They gave many Indians credit. I have several old ledgers with their store accounts, none of the Indian accounts I have ever read were canceled in red.

They knew and very highly respected Chief Washakie. He was a wise, honorable and just man. The only Indian Uncle Sam ever gave a full military funeral too.

The only Indian troubles I have ever heard of the Guild family having was when about sixteen of Washakie's braves came one night to their home and demanded fire water. Grandmother and her smaller children were there alone. My father was the oldest boy home. She got him out some way and he went about 1 1/4 miles to the Moses Byrne Ranch for help. Moses Byrne and other white men chased the Indians away. Chief Washakie came to Grandmother and asked her the names of the braves. She knew them all but would not tell him their names because he would have had them killed. As a good-will token he had his squaw make Grandmother a beaded purse and Grandfather mockensons(sic). Grandfather wore the mockensons out for bedroom slippers. Grandmother gave the purse to my father and we still have it.

 I have been given a letter found in the basement of the Blyth and Fargo Store, it was written in Grandmother's handwriting, dated Piedmont, November 28, 1886, written to Blyth and Fargo. It reads:

 "Please find enclosed check $1,200.00, Twelve-Hundred dollars, for which please send me green backs for some if possible, if you cannot, send part gold.
        You will see if the freight runs you can send amount freight with goods ordered. I know freight will not run on Monday so I tell you what you can do pack the money well in middle of some goods I have ordered today, otherwise see that it will come by Express.
        If you have money to spare for 2 or 3 days I wish you would send me two Hundred dollars, more that I send you check as I want to use it for 2 or 3 days.  

I remain

Yours Very respectfully,

Mrs. Chas Guild"

Charles Guild and Mary Madaline Cardon:
        Married at Ogden, Utah. February 19, 1855. They had the following children:

Mary Madeline
                        Born 7 Ian 1856
                        Married John Cross 29 July 1874
                        Died Jan 1944

Charles Alexander
            Born 20 Oct 1856
            Died 30 Oct 1856

Joseph Phillip
             Born 7 Mar 1859
            Married Lucy Barbara Eiden 14 Feb 1884
            Died 4 Dec 1922

James Hiram
            Born 19 Jan 1862
            Married Mary Malvena Lellman 5 Jan 1903
            Died 12 Jun 1922

George Thomas
            Born 5 Jan 1863
            Married Mary Ann Swartzfager 28 Dec 1892
            Died I Jul 1927

John Albert
            Born 4 Jan 1865
            Married Mina Anderson 18 Dec 1888
            Died I Jul 1913

Lavinia Agnes
                        Born 26 Feb 1867
                        Died 21 Oct 1867

Emma Jane
            Born 27 Sep 1868
            Married Daniel Gamble 27 Sep 1887
            Died 30 Aug 1946

Ida Ellen
            Born 17 Jan 1871
            Married Dexter Swartzfager 21 May 1889
            Died 15 May 1939

William
            Born 29 May 1873
            Married Nettie Heiner 6 Mar 1901
            Died 17 Nov 1918

Katie Alvina
            Born 4 Feb 1876
            Sealed to George Willis Skidmore 13 Nov 1901 . 
            Died 22 Nov 1898

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