27 Apr 1869 – 20 Aug 1928
Grandson of Philip Cardon and Martha Marie Tourn
Son of Catherine Cardon and Moses Byrne
Biography of Francis Kendell Byrne
Francis Kendell Byrne was born 27 April 1869 in Muddy River, Uinta, Wyoming to Moses and Catherine Cardon Byrne. He was baptized on 3 October 1889 at the age of 20.
His father, Moses Byrne, was born 2 June 1820 in Leftwich, Cheshire, England, to Dennis and Jane Scarsbrick Byrne. Moses attended the government schools and the school of seamanship until he was sixteen years old. He joined the navy and followed the sea for about fifteen years. He married Elisabeth Durbin on 3 May 1846 in Christ Church, St. George East, Middlesex, England at the age of 25. Elisabeth was born 21 May 1821 in St. Leonards, Shoreditch, London, England to James and Harriott Lyons Durbin. She was 24 when they married.
They had three children, one girl and two boys. James L. was born 28 May 1847; Harriett was born 25 July 1849; and Moses was born about 1852. In 1854 he left England for America, leaving a wife and children behind. He sailed from England on 4 Apr 1854 on the ship “Germanicus.”
He travelled with the Robert L. Campbell Company with 185 individuals. They outfitted at Westport, Missouri and departed on 18 July 1854. A vote was taken by the company, and it was decided that they would start early—leaders up by four AM and everyone ready to leave by seven. The first morning they went as far as Indian Creek. Bro. Fisher, their Wagon Master and the rest of the Carpenters in Camp would go to the woods and bring as much wood as will make 4 axel trees. Bro Campbell gave instructions that the captain of each ten should see that there was a strong rope in his company to hitch to the wagons to take them a cross Creeks and difficult places where the cattle cannot bring it.
They found an abundance of Buffalo after crossing the South Fork of the Platte, which continued until they reached the new settlements in Kansas, about one hundred miles from the Missouri River. In some places they were forced to tie up all their cattle and loose stock to keep them from running off with the Buffalo that were passing around them. The Company had an abundance of the finest meat in the world and lived fat. Our informant returned on the South of the Platte on account of the Company, for safety. They went out on the North side, and report that to be much the best route. They took out a train of goods which they readily sold.
On 18 July the camp rolled out at 10 o’ clock. A.M. and traveled as far as Indian Creek a distance of ten Miles where they encamped for the night. The Creek had plenty of wood for fire and food for cattle. By 21 July they met, and it was decided that they would be ready to roll out at 6 o’ clock. On 23 July Sunday Brother Campbell called a meeting of the Saints in the forenoon and gave some general Instructions as to the care of the oxen and also exhorted the Brethern to treat them kindly and not to beat or fret the cattle in as much as their whole dependance was now on them to take all their property across the plains.
On Friday, 15 August they rolled 7 A.M. morning fine. They crossed Fort Laramie River and nooned beyond the Fort. It was a healthy locality but feed for Cattle about the fort was bad indeed. There is only 42 Soldiers Stationed there at Present. Provisions seamed Scanty with them. They would not sell flour under 20 dollars per bag for 100 lbs. On 23 Monday, October it was a day pleasant for traveling. They rolled at 9 A.M. Crossed Echo Creek a number of times and passed through a beautiful Willow Glen and arrived at the Red Fork of Weber River. There was a settler living there. They camped a mile down on the edge of the river.
Saturday morning 28 October 1854 they rolled at 9 A.M. and entered the Valley of the Great Salt Lake, a view of which they had patiently endured ever thing to obtain. Their camp halted for some time to arrange some business matters at the close of which President Campbell addressed the people and said he felt happy that all arrived safe and in good condition and as a camp they were good people. Bro. Campbell then passed a vote of thanks to Bros. Captain Gates, Byrnes and those brethern who assisted them on the way to meet them.
Shortly after he arrived in Utah, six days in fact, he married Catherine Cardon on 5 November 1854. She was born on 12 September 1829 to Phillipe and Martha Marie Tourn Cardon of Prarustin, Piedmont, Italy. They had traveled in the same Robert L. Campbell wagon train to the Salt Lake Valley.
After he reached the valley, he began working for the Pony Express Stations as a contractor for grass hay. Their home base was Slaterville, Utah, but the procurement of hay necessitated moving to where grass was available, so they moved often, living in tents and occasionally a log house. Catherine cooked for ten men whom they employed in their work. He continued to cut hay for a period of ten years.
Moses and Catherine had thirteen children, four girls and nine boys. Joseph Walter was born 22 August 1855 in Ogden, Weber, Utah Territory. John Philip was born 31 March 1857 in Slaterville, Weber, Utah Territory. James Bartholomew was born 26 March 1859 in Ogden, Weber, Utah Territory. Alice was born 18 October 1860 in Slaterville. William Henry was born 20 January 1863 in Bridger, Uinta, Wyoming. Charles Lewis was born 6 May 1864 in Smith Fork, Uinta, Wyoming. Albert was born 5 December 1865 in Henrys Fork, Uinta, Wyoming. Edwin Washakie was born 31 July 1867 in Muddy River, Uinta, Wyoming. Francis Kendell was born 27 April 1869 in Muddy River. Arthur was born 28 December 1870 in Piedmont, Uinta, Wyoming and died the same day. Twins Mary Jane and Minnie Catherine were born 11 December 1871 in Piedmont, and Katie Bertia was born 19 September 1873. Mary Jane died 8 June 1874.
He married Anne Beus on 10 December 1857 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Territory. Two years later on 10 Dec 1859, Moses was sealed to Catherine Cardon and Anne Beus in the President’s office in Salt Lake City. Anne was born 15 November 1838 in Pramollo, Torino, Piemonte, Italy to Michael and Marianne Combe Beus.
Moses and Anne had seven children, two girls and five boys. David Robert was born 20 October 1858 in Slaterville, Weber, Utah Territory. William was born 10 November 1860 in Slaterville. James was born 11 March 1862 in Ogden, Weber, Utah Territory. Anne was born 18 April 1871 in Ogden. Louis Moses was born 8 August 1874 in Uintah, Weber, Utah Territory and Martha Ann was born 13 April 1876 in Uintah. The family was living at the Muddy Station when a Tribe of Sioux Indians passed through.
The Indians kidnapped little Eddie, son of Moses and Catherine. He was under two years old. His parents were unable to find him. Moses Byrne was a friend of the Shoshone Chief Washakie. Moses asked him if he would try to find Eddie. One day two years after Eddie had been kidnapped, Chief Washakie came riding on his horse to the Byrne home in Piedmont, Wyoming. He was holding the little boy in front of him.
Early in 1860 Moses Byrne took a contract from the Overland Stage Company from Denver, CO to build stagecoach stations on the old emigrant trail through western Wyoming and part of Utah, and early in 1861, Moses and Catherine moved to Wyoming, leaving Anne in Utah.
The stations that he built were built about fifteen miles from each other, beginning at Point-of-Rocks, Wyoming and going into Utah. He built the cabins mostly of logs. At one point, he settled down and started a town, naming it Byrne. However, since the Union Pacific Railroad was going through it and Bryan, they asked for him to call it something different. He renamed it Piedmont, in honor of the area that Anne was from. Moses contracted with the U.P. Railroad to procure ties and piles. He also engaged in the manufacture of charcoal and the burning of lime in large kilns, in the transportation of which he utilized over fifty teams. The magnitude of this operation and the necessity of the community and his employees caused him to open a mercantile establishment. This business he successfully operated for many years, and his son Francis took charge of it when Moses retired.
Piedmont began to grow very quickly due to the labors of Moses. In August 1886 he and Catherine moved back to Utah and lived with Anne while he built a new house for his family. Anne decided that she wanted to move to Idaho to be with her son Will, and shortly after her departure, Moses and Catherine went back to Piedmont.
His mother, Catherine died on 15 November 1902 in Uintah, Weber, Utah, and was buried in the Byrne Cemetery, Piedmont, Uinta, Wyoming at the age of 73. Moses died 22 March 1904 in Piedmont, Uinta, Wyoming at the age of 83 and was buried 24 March 1904 in Piedmont. Anne died 5 April 1905 in Sunnydell, Fremont, Idaho at the home of her son Will. She was 66 years old. She was buried in the Sutton Cemetery in Madison, Idaho.
Francis (Frank) hired on with William (Buffalo Bill) Cody for a circus on 4 July 1887 along with his brothers Willy (William), Edwin (Eddie), and Albert. He was just 18 years old. By touring with the show, they got a chance to meet Chief Sitting Bull, Red Cloud and American Horse. They also met Annie Oakley and Buck Taylor who was known at the time as the “King of Cowboys.”
Francis married Emma Kendell in the Logan Temple, Cache, Utah Territory on 25 November 1891 at the age of 22. Emma was born 17 March 1872 in Uintah, Weber, Utah Territory to William and Joanna Peek Kendell, Jr. She was baptized on 3 June 1886 at the age of 14. She was 19 when they married.
They had seven children, four girls and three boys. The first five were born in Piedmont, Uinta, Wyoming. Bertha Francis was born 20 October 1893; Alta Mae was born 5 March 1896; Cora Minnie was born 10 October 1898; Francis Kendell was born 22 March 1901; and Frederick William was born 28 February 1904. Then they moved to Riverdale, Weber Utah where the last two children were born. Edwin Moses was born 3 March 1907, and Kathryn Joanna was born 9 December 1910.
In 1910 they moved to Beowawe, Nevada and resided there for a while. By 1920 they were living in Elko, Elko, Nevada. Francis died 20 April 1928 in Carlin, Elko, Nevada at the age of 58. He was buried in Elko. Emma was living in Union Township, Winnemucca, Humboldt, Nevada in 1940. She died there on 10 October 1945 at the age of 73 and was buried in Elko, Elko, Nevada.
-Contributed by Margebecraft via familysearch.org ID KWJZ-WV6
BYRNE FUNERAL
SERVICES TODAY
ELKO, Apr. 24.-(Special).-Funeral services will be held for Frank Byrne this afternoon at two o’clock from the Presbyterian church with Rev. Swander officiating.
Byrne was from a family of thirteen children and between thirty-five and forty relatives will attend the funeral. He passed away in Carlin recently following a short illness. He had been in the employ of the Southern Pacific for the past twenty-one years.
He is survived by his widow and four daughters and three sons. The daughters are Mrs. Fernald, Mrs. George Austin of Sparks; Bertha and Catherine of Elko, and Fred, Kendall and Eddie.
-Published in the Reno Gazette-Journal, Tuesday, April 24, 1928, Page 3.
DEATH OCCURS OF
RAILROAD FOREMAN
ELKO, April 23.-(Special.)-Frank Byrne, for several years foreman of the Southern Pacific shops at Carlin, died Friday night after an illness of about one week. He had been able to attend to his duties at the shops until two days before his death, when his condition became worse. He was about 59 years of age.
Deceased was well known in Elko where he lived with his family for sixteen years, during which time he was assistant signal supervisor for the Southern Pacific company. About two years ago he moved with his family to Winnemucca, where they have since lived. Mrs. Byrne came from Winnemucca when told of her husband’s illness and was at his bedside when he died.
He is survived by his widow, four daughters, Mrs. Fred Fernald of Elko, Mrs. George Austin of Sparks, Bertha and Catherine Byrne, and three sons, Fred, Kendall and Eddie, who reside in Winnemucca.
-Published in the Nevada State Journal, Reno, Nevada, Tuesday, April 24, 1928, Page 3.
Elko City Cemetery, Elko, Elko County, Nevada, Plot: Odd Fellows
