Reuben Allred

Reuben Warren Allred was born on the 18th of November, 1815, in Bedford Co., Tennessee. He was the fifth child of twelve to James and Elizabeth Warren Allred. The family lived in Tennessee until Reuben was fifteen years old, when they then moved into the state of Missouri and settled in Monroe County. It was there that the family was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, on the 10th of September, 1832.

At the age of twenty-one, Reuben became acquainted with a young "Mormon girl" from Kentucky named Lucy Ann Butler. They fell in love and she and Reuben were married on December 4th , 1836. Three years later, in 1839, they were driven by mobs, with the rest of the saints, from the state of Missouri.

The saints eventually found a resting place for awhile in the State of Illinois. It was here they helped build the large and beautiful city of Nauvoo. The first four children of Reuben and Lucy were born in Nauvoo, Illinois. 

After the Prophet Joseph was martyred, the saints moved to the Rocky Mountains to build their homes. In 1847 the Allred Family started their westward march to cross the plains with the LDS Church. Traveling by ox-teams, they slowly made their way across the plains.

When they were near the Missouri River, Brigham Young was asked for five hundred of his most able-bodied men to go to Mexico and fight for their country. Several members of the Allred family volunteered to go fight and joined the group which became known as the "Mormon Battalion." 

After fighting with the "Mormon Battalion," (almost a year later,) the Allred family started westward, with a company of one hundred wagons. They did not reach Salt Lake until the fall of 1849. 

Then, at the General Conference in October, 1851, President Brigham Young called Reuben Warren Allred and others, with their families, to go to Sanpete County and establish settlements. 

On October 9, 1851, Reuben was set apart as Bishop under the hands of Brigham Young. The trip of these saints to Sanpete County was a hard and a dangerous one, but eventually they landed on the eastside of the Sanpete Valley, eighteen miles northeast of the present site of Manti, on the 22 March 1852. This place became known as "the Allred Settlement." Later it was renamed Springtown, because of the number of cold water springs within the town's limits. 

Here, at Springtown, Reuben Warren Allred then helped build a fort for protection against the Indians, whom objected to their coming of their valley, and fought to keep their land. While protecting his fellow saints was very important to him, it was just one of the many new duties Reuben had as a Bishop. The colony was small and suffered many hardships and disadvantages of an isolated community. Rueben did his best to be helpful.

Then on October 15, 1853, 150 Scandinavian Saints were assigned to settle the rest of the area. These Scandinavians had been on their trek from Salt Lake since October 4th . 

For protection from the native Americans, another fort was built south of Springtown and was named "Fort Ephraim." This Fort was 9 feet high and six feet wide, walls with port holes in suitable places. 

In Fort Ephraim, Rueben's tasks became greater as he had more responsibilities to care for more people. Roads had to be made, bridges built, irrigating ditches made. The civil end of things also had to be taken care of, as well as the religious activities of a Bishop. 

After his five years as Bishop of Ephraim, Reuben W. Allred returned, (to Springtown,) in 1859 with his family, together with many others where he lived the rest of his days. He lived for more than "four score years," and wore out after a very busy life. He died October 4, 1896 at his home in Spring City, and was laid to rest beside his wife, at the age of 81 years.

Children of Reuben Allred: 

Nancy Cynthia Allred (20 Jan, 1840)

Thomas Butler Allred (17 Mar, 1841)

Hannah Caroline Allred (27 Jul, 1843)

Lucy Ann Allred (24 Apr, 1845)

Rachel Wanzitz Allred (25 Dec, 1847)

Druzilla Emaline Allred (9 Jun, 1848)

Reuben Warren Allred Jr. (9 Dec, 1849)

liza Elvira Allred (10 Mar, 1853)

Ephraim Lafayette Allred (1 Oct, 1854)

John Lowe Butler Allred (9 Feb, 1857)