Joe’s Dugout – Eagle Mountain Pony Express Stop

Along the side of the road on Pony Express BLVD in Eagle Mountain, located North of Hidden Hollow Elementary School there is dry well that is now protected by a split rail fence and has a plaque describing what this location use to be. The plaque is divided into three sections: Joseph A. Dorton, The Well at Joe’s Dugout and Orrin “Porter” Rockwell. The fence materials and plaque were purchased with a gift from the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Rocky Mountain Power. The foundations mission is to support the growth and vitality of the communities they serve. The labor was supplied by the Eagle Scout project of Adrew Van Mondfrans. The City, Rocky Mountain Power, and the Eagle Scout Project worked with each other to complete the monument. Paul Jerome, Assistant City Administrator and Finance Director for Eagle Mountain explains a little more about the project,

“Some time ago I did some research into the area around Joe’s Dugout and found an old photograph of a well that Joseph Dorton had dug at his property. I took the photo and walked around the area trying see if I could figure out where the actual site was. There was a hole that existed and had been piped to drain runoff from the hillside to the city’s storm drain system and I took photos of the hole as well as the old photo to a Pony Express Trail expert by the name of Pat Hearty. I asked him if he felt that both photos were showing the same spot. His reply was, “If that isn’t it, I don’t know where it would be!” I did more research into some of the legends that exist relative to the well and made a graphic using photographs and the information I gathered to be used as an informational sign at the site. Rocky Mountain Power let us know that they had a program to award cities money for projects and after hearing about my plan, awarded the city $3,000 towards completion of the project. That money ended up paying for the fencing supplies including concrete as well as the sign itself. One of our city’s youth, Andrew Van Mondfrans, actually took on the construction at the site as his Eagle Scout Project and together with him and the rest of his scout troop, we completed the fencing and the installation of the sign. With this preservation project, residents of the city can learn more about this important historical location in our city and even some of the legends surrounding it.”

More about the Joe’s Dugout and Joseph A Dorton

There are two separate things being referenced here, and sometimes they are used interchangeably. When the dugout is referenced, it is actually talking about the shelter that Joseph A. Dorton created for the an Indian boy that he hired to help at the Pony Express station. Part of the residence was dug into the side of the mountain, so it was called a dugout. The location of the dugout is not known, and there is no evidence of it currently. There was also a well that was dug at the site. The well is said to be anywhere from 90 feet to 350 feet deep. The majority of the records state that it was at least 350 feet deep. Because of the depth of the wells around where this one was dug, we know that they actually only made it half way. Most wells on the cedar valley side, along Lake Mountain Road, are 500-700 feet deep. I surmise that if they would of kept going, they would of eventually hit water. The location of the well is known, and it is now protected by a split rail fence, and is the location of the plaque that was installed recently. The pictures of Joe’s Dugout (or the dry well) below are copies of pictures found in the Joe’s Dugout folder at the Lehi Historical Society and Archives. Thanks to Lara Bangerter and Robb Strong for helping me when I visited to get more information.

The US National Parks Services on their Pony Express website has this to say about pony express station called Joe’s Dugout. “The 1861 mail contract referred to Dugout as a station, but sources also list it as Joe’s Dug Out, Joe Dugout, Joe’s Dugout, Joes Dugout, and Joe Butchers. Joseph Dorton managed operations there and ran a grocery at the adobe station, which also served as a stop for the stage lines. Station structures also included Dorton’s two-room brick home, log barn, and a dugout for Dorton’s young Indian helper. Dorton dug a deep well near the site, hoping to find a reliable source of water. According to Kate Carter, the well failed and led to the eventual abandonment of Dugout as a station site.” Joe’s dugout is mentioned in several other books, but because it was only actually used “a few times” during the Pony Express runs, it is mentioned only briefly. Here are some of the things I was able to dig-up about the station. The book The Pony Express Stations of Utah in Historical Perspectives, by Fike and Headley on page 38 talks about the site. “In conjunction with the Express and stage operation, Joseph Dorton operated a small grocery store. Clients were generally the soldiers from Camp Floyd. He also built a two-room brick home and log barn and provided a dugout for an Indian boy helper. Besides well water, water was hauled from Utah Lake and sold for twenty-five cents per bucket. Use of the station after 1861 is unknown. It may have continued in use as a stage station.” This was listed as a source for several other sources that I found, including the US National Parks Service page. The station is also mentioned in the book Utah and the Pony Express, by Kate B. Carter. “When Mr. Dorton learned of the coming operations of the Pony Express, he immediately journey to Salt Lake City seeking permission to build stables in which to house come of the horses used along the route. He was warned by friends of the danger connected with such an enterprise, because of the hostile bands of Indians in the vicinity of the location he had selected. However, he went ahead with his plans, built a two-room brick house for the family and a log barn for the ponies. These were situated about eight miles between Lehi and Camp Floyd on the Fairfield road. He also made a dugout for an Indian boy whom he hired to feed, water and curry the ponies. In connection with this business Joseph operating a small grocery store, and Martha made cakes, pies and bread to sell to the soldiers stationed at Camp Floyd. Ofttimes they exchanged buffalo robes for these delicacies. Water was hauled from the lake and sold for 25 cents a bucket. After there was no further need for the ponies and Camp Floyd was abandoned, Joseph moved his family back to Lehi. He was 78 years of age at the time of his death.” Carter also authored the book Riders of the Pony Express, this book also talks about the station. It talks about how the pony express route goes from Rockwell station to the dug out. “… ten miles from Rockwell. This station was so named, for there one Joseph Dorton (nick-named “Dugout” and known locally by this name, Joe Dugout) attempted to dig a well to furnish water for the emigrants. It was situated almost on the top of a low hill dividing Utah and Cedar valleys. Some said the well was ninety feet deep, while others said it was any distance between that figure and three hundred feet. However, it was a dry wall and the station here was maintained for only a few trips.” In a “Biography of Joseph Dorton Pioneer of 1857”, written by Rose Dorton Varney, it gives us another description of the dugout, “While there on the divide they had many contacts with Indians, but they liked Joseph and his wife. The Indians would bring them Buffalo robes and other things made of buckskin. Joseph built a rock house, a doug-out and log barn to house the Poney Express Horses. The dug-out was used for the hired help to sleep in. Their hired man was an Indian who helped to take care of the horses, and Joseph and his wife fed the Indian and was good to him. Joseph dug a well 365 feet deep, but never could find water so they hauled all their water in barrels from the Jordan River. At this time Johnston’s Army moved over to Camp Floyd. Joseph started a small grocery store, and sold groceries and supplies to the soldiers. His wife Martha was a good cook and she made pies, cakes and bread to sell and they sold water for 25 cents a bucket.” The biography continues, “The family lived on the divide for 8 years, taking care of the Pony Express horses, and a while after the army left. Three children were born to Joseph and wife while they were living on the Divide. They were Martha Jane, John William and Geroge Henry. Each time Martha went to Lehi and was at her mother’s, Jan Calyton’s during her confinement.” [Spelling is as it was in the biography]

Another History contained this about the dugout, I was unable to identify the author of the biography. “Joseph built a rock house, a dug out, and a long barn to house the Pony Express horses. The dug out was used for hired help to sleep in. Their hired man was an Indian who helped with the horses. Martha and Joseph were very good to him. Perseverance, determination and an optimistic outlook kept Joseph in a positive frame of mind. This is confirmed by his attempt to dig a well that turned out to be a dry hole that stretched 365 feet deep. This event, though exasperating did not send him retreating to the walls of the fort in Lehi. He simply continued doing what was necessary, hauling their water in barrels by wagon from the Jordan River.” A story about one of the interactions with Indians is mentioned in several of the biographies. I have included this account from the Biography written by Rose Dorton Varney. “One night about midnight there came a knock on the door. Joseph asked, “Who’s there,” An Indian said, “A friend me heap sick.” Joseph opened the door. It was Black Hawk the big Indian Chief. He had been shot by some one, the bullet had cut through the skin and flesh across the abdomen. He was bleeding and holding himself with his arm. Joseph told the Indian Chief to come in and lie down on the floor. he cleaned the parts and with a needled and thread sewed up the wound. They invited the Indian Chief to stay in the dugout with thee other Indians that Joseph had saved his life. This made Joseph many friends among the Indians.” The encounter with Black Hawk was also published in the Improvement Era, but I was unable to find the actual date it was published, just the article itself titled, “Black Hawk: A True Short Story of Pioneer Times” (included below). [pdf-embedder url=”http://cedarvalleysentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/dist.pdf”] Besides just the basic stuff about the station, I stumbled across the reference of a book called, Lehi, Portraits of a Utah Town by Richard S. Van Wagoner that is published by Lehi City. (The book is sold used on amazon, but you can pick up a new copy for only $20.00 from the Lehi Historical Society and Archives). Richard S. Van Wagoner was a well known Mormon historian that lived in Lehi. Richard passed way in October of 2010. His book mentions Joseph A. Dorton several times. The book gives us a few more details. The book says the dugout “was a twenty-by-thirty foot cavity gouged in the hillside and roofed over with logs.” It also states that, “They dug a dry shaft 354 feed deep before the project was finally terminated.” “Dorton and his family moved into Lehi in 1862 after the demise of the Pony Express and the closure of Camp Floyd (afterwards Fort Cirttenden) at the outbreak of the Civil War. His dry well, which was slowly filled-in over the years has a history shrouded in mystery.” Wagoner’s book mentions that Porter Rockwell believed that the dry well, and area around it was haunted. It references a Salt Lake Tribune article from June 11, 1878, written several days after the death of Porter Rockwell on June 9, 1878. The article states that Porter Rockwell did not like to pass Dorton’s Well. “This Place he firmly believed to be haunted by evil spirits, who delighted in bringing trouble upon him or his horses every time he passed. He used to tell that on one occasion when he was passing this well with a band of wild mustangs some 30 of his animals fell down on the road sick. He directed his man to split the tail of each sick horse, put some of the blood of each on a wisp of straw which he set fire to and burned. This rite, BROKE THE SPELL OF THE WITCHES, the horses immediately recovered, and he went on his way rejoicing.” He continues that the reason for this was, “As an explanation of these high unusual situations, Porter told his hired men that years before ‘five or six men had been buried’ in the well and ‘hence it was only necessity that ever compelled him to pass that way'”. This section of the book was later published in the Lehi Free Press on March 21, 1990.

Additional Resources

Lehi Historical Society and Archives Website Lehi Historical Society and Archives Facebook page Joe’s Dugout – By Great Grandson LaDrue Dorton Joe’s Dugout – National Parks Service website Rocky Mountain Power Foundation