In the 1970’s, I lived in the small, suburban town of Moraga, California attending Donald Rheem Elementary, Joaquin Moraga Intermediate, and Campolindo High School. While there may have been times where I failed to listen to my teachers, I am certain there was never any mention of the history of Moraga, beyond it being a Mexican land grant (Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados) made to Joaquin Moraga. Below are two articles that provide a small glimpse into the history of Moraga and explore tales of a squatters war and of ranchers resisting a railroad expansion.
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A Mormon in the Ranks
The grandson of my 5th great-grandparents Samuel Eggleston (I Swear, I Did Fight in the Revolution) and Dorcas Loomis was Myron Spencer Higley. Myron was born in December 1801 to Dorcas Eggleston and Job Higley. In March 1826, Myron married Priscilla Ebberson in Leeds Village, Quebec, together they had 14 children (11 who survived childhood), 71 grandchildren, and, 56 great-grandchildren.
Myron is the first follower of the Mormon faith (to date) that I have identified in my entire family tree. He was baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1839 (only 9 years after the founding of the Church) and served as president of the branch at Boonville, NY in 1842. According to his obituary, he returned to Connecticut in an attempt to convert his family (who were members of the Congregational Church) and when discovered the community they “sent for the smartest preachers in the country round, but their doctrines were not sufficiently substantial to stand before the gospel as expounded by the Elder (Higley).” By 1844, Myron had Priscilla moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, and later migrated to Salt Lake Valley, Utah by 1852.
In the early 1840s, Nauvoo, Ill., was a thriving city of 10,000 people. Most were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, better known as the Mormon Church. Mormon President Joseph Smith was Nauvoo’s mayor and chief judge, and commander-in-chief of the town’s militia. But by the end of the decade, angry mobs suspicious of the new religion and its theocratic city drove most of the Mormons out, sending them on a long westward trek to Utah.
Seventy Quorum Membership(1835-1846) – Myron Spencer Higley
General Authority Seventies—sometimes known simply as Seventies—are Church leaders who assist the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Like the Quorum of the Twelve, they travel widely to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. They also support and train Church leaders and assist in directing missionary work, humanitarian aid, temple building, family history, and other Church efforts. (LDS)
