He sold his home and farm on a contract, loaded
into two wagons what household goods and provisions he thought his two span of mules could
pull over the rough, steep mountains he well knew in traveling the road a few years
before.
Daniel's son John D. Stark, his daughter, Annie
Francis, and his adopted daughter, Elizabeth Wallace Bird, were all married. His son,
James Theopolis found work in Payson hence they did not go with him on this trip. Daniel
Stark with others in the colonization caravan left Payson in the early spring of 1869.
Daniel and Elizabeth and her family in one wagon and Priscilla driving with her daughter
Hattie in the other wagon.
After a long and tiresome journey they all
reached their destination without any mishaps and settled on the north side of the Virgin
River, and started the town of St Joseph. Here Daniel Stark was set apart as Bishop of
that ward. After building a home for his two families, he did farming, carpentering and
some surveying. This was a very productive place, being only 1,000 feet above sea level.
Early fruits and vegetables were very easy to grow, pomegranates and watermelons did fine.
Alice Stark was born February 14, 1870, in St
Joseph to Elizabeth, and on November 28, the same year Priscilla gave birth to Charles
Henry Stark in St Joseph.
The Saints worked hard clearing the land,
getting out canals and ditches, building roads and getting a good start, when Brigham
Young came down with some other general authorities of the Church. In making an inspection
he decided that place was too hot, windy and dry, so dissolved the Mission, and told them
to go where they desired.
In the early spring of 1871, some of the colony
went back to Salt Lake. Daniel with his two families packed their belongings in their two
wagons, and with their four mules went up to Long Valley, Kane County, Utah. Having to
make roads nearly all the way, they found it a very hard journey. While pulling up a steep
and rough mountain one of the mules balked and refused to pull. Daniel hit him with a
willow stick and the mule kicked him in the breast and knocked him on his back. While he
was lying on the ground the folks thought he was dead. He finally got up, grabbed that
mule by the long ears, and twisted them as hard as he could, at the same