Ephraim ROBERTS

                   1. Proxy baptism was done 23 Feb 1904.
2. It might be helpful to the reader to understand a little background of the land of early America. I will use information from "Roberts From Connecticut to California" by Daphne R. Hartle. Family History Library, Salt Lake City Utah, Book 929.172 R 451 h pages 18 & 19.  In addition I will add information gained through my studies of the time and place. V. Beeler 5 March 2001.
Quotation from Hartle's work:
"The first authentic record we find of the white man's claim to this portion of the Redman's domain is the Virginia title to the great Northwestern territory acquired through its several charters granted by King James I, in 1605-1609-1611 without any recognition of the original owners and occupants of the soil. This first charter comprised the land practically lying between the 82 meridian to the Pacific Ocean.

Before the whites could peaceably take possession of the land lying in the Western Reserve, a title from the Indians was necessary and finally accomplished through the treaty of Fort Stanwin, consummated with the six Nations Oct. 22 1784.  Then after similar treaties with other tribes were accomplished, the last being made at Fort Industry (Toledo) Ohio on July 4 1805. The last vestige of Indian title to land in the reserves was forever extinguished, lying west of the Cuyahaga River and Portage Path. Then the dividing into Counties and Townships began.  The first party for the new land came from Watertown, Conn."  Among them was Ephraim Roberts. (Jr)  (End of quote from Hartle)

3. Additional data from my studies of the time and place. (Vernon R. Beeler 5 Mar 2001) The problem of who owns what land continues to this day.  For example there is currently a continuing push and pull about Federal Government ownership, State ownership and private ownership of the land within a given state.  It is just as well that we do not try to treat that subject here.  It may be interesting however to look at the period at the close of the Revolution. I am not aware of all the conditions of what land was vacated by the British in the signing of the peace treaty at the close of the war.  There is one chunk of land which was described as the Northwest Territory.  That was land north of the Ohio River including  Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and the eastern part of Minnesota. General Anthony Wayne was called out of retirement and after training an army of 2500 men came into the area. The British were still maintaining at least one fort in the area.  They were refusing to vacate because they claimed that the Americans had not properly compensated the British merchants who had suffered losses during the war.  The Indian tribes were still resisting in spite of treaties made in 1784. Wayne bypassed the British forts so as not to reopen a war with England. After much difficulty Wayne defeated the Indians in a decisive battle at Fallen Timbers near the present city of Maumee Ohio on 20 Aug 1794.  It took some time to bring the Indians to the treaty table but on 3 Aug 1795 90 chiefs met with Wayne and other US representatives and signed the treaty at Greenville. Ohio.  Things did not totally settle down. There continued to be much tension but the gate was opened by Wayne's victory and the settlers came by the thousands.  By 1800 the population of Ohio was over 45000.  All was not tranquil.  During the War of 1812 Chief Tecumseh went on the war path.  Slowly peace came to the area.  Ref: Encyclopedia Britannica 1963 ED Vol. 16 page 731. and "Anthony Wayne, Soldier of the Early Republic, by Paul David Nelson"

The debate about who should administer the use and ownership of that land came close to causing armed conflict within the new nation.  At the close of the Revolution  various states were paying their soldiers by issuing land warrants.  The now state of Ohio was a choice site for such warrants. After bitter debate the several states wanting a chunk of Ohio to be used for warrants ceded their claims to the Federal Government.  Connecticut seems to have retained a section known as The Western Reserve in north eastern Ohio.  There was a section in south western Ohio known as Congress Lands.  There were several other divisions not named here.

Ohio was an important place in our family history. Their first three children were born in Connecticut, Clark in Pennsylvania (the family seems to be headed west), and the remainder of the children were born in Ohio on the Western Reserve. On 2 Feb 1822 Ephraim Jr. and Huldah sold property in Coventry Twp, Portage, Ohio and on 11 Apr 1823 they sold additional property (Deed No. 6-495).

In the Miami Valley, (part of Congress Lands) about 1805 we find Samuel Duncan. Also about 1808 we find our Robert Dickson there. They were from South Carolina.  Our William Lewis was born in Miami Valley in 1811. Families and descendants of these early settlers continued in Ohio for several generations.

The 1850 Census for Lewistown, Fulton, Illinois, lists Ephraim (a farmer) and Huldah Roberts living with their son Jeremiah. Probably because census taking was a lengthy process in those days and the Roberts could have moved within the year, we also find Ephraim Jr. and Huldah in the 1850 Scott County Illinois census, living in Winchester with their son Clark (a physician) where Huldah died 1851. Ephraim Jr. is still with son Clark as shown in 1860 Census. He died at the home of his son Levi, in Ripley, Brown County, Illinois in 1861. He is buried in Ripley, Illinois.

4. The conversion story of Ephraim Roberts, Jr. is most interesting.
The Ripley potters were forced by their location to market their wares during most of the year in the neighboring countryside. Generally, the potteries were smaller, family-owned operations, and were not in close proximity to a large river. On June 7, 1840, father Ephraim Roberts and one of his sons were undoubtedly selling pottery in southeastern Iowa, just north of Ft. Madison, when they attended a Mormon meeting convened in a barn. Luman Andros Shurtliff, who served a short mission to Iowa in June 1840, records his encounter with the Roberts men.

"I preached to a respectable congregation. When I was about half through, two men came in. After meeting, one of them came to me and asked me if this was Mormonism I had been preaching. I told him I had presented a few of the first principles of what people call Mormonism. Well, said he, if this is Mormonism, I have believed Mormonism for years. I believe all I have heard you preach today and a great deal more. I had some more conversation with him in which I learned that he had been a Universalian, [Universalists believed that in the eternities all people are ultimately saved after paying for earthly sins, but there is no endless punishment. Universalists were also called Restorationists who believed that the wicked would be punished and then restored to holiness and happiness in heaven.] but of late his mind had been led to search into these principles. (His name is Ephraim Roberts.) He said he had never heard a Mormon preach until now. I gave him some more instruction. We parted. I saw him no more until the 19th of the month. Then I was at Brother Selars.

"Near night, I walked out a short distance from the house and the Spirit said to me, Go and baptize Mr. Roberts. I went into the house and inquired for Mr. Roberts. Brother Selars said he lived [probably staying] about three miles from there across the prairie and gave me the direction. I started immediately and on arriving, I found Mr. Roberts in the house. We conversed one hour and found he was quite intelligent. Near sunset, I told him I would walk across the prairie to Brother Selars. Without saying a word to urge baptism or that I thought of baptizing him, I saw him preparing to walk a piece with me as I bade the family good night and we stepped out into the yard. Mr. Roberts introduced his son [unidentified] to me and invited him to take a walk with us. He did so, and I took the direction to Brother Selars. We walked about half a mile.

"When we came to water suitable for baptizing, Mr. Roberts, turning to me, said, Here is water. What hinders my being baptized for the remission of my past sins. I told him if he believed what I had taught him and sincerely repented of all his sins and would forsake them and live by obeying every word taught him by those holding the holy priesthood, it was his privilege. He said he believed and wished to obey. I baptized him and confirmed him a member of the Church. The next time I saw him was in Nauvoo." (This was 19 Jun 1840. A proxy baptism for Ephraim Roberts Jr. was also performed 23 Feb 1904 in the Salt Lake Temple.)