In Honor Of John McBride Belnap
Second son and child of Gilbert Belnap and Adaline Knight, Mormon Pioneers, who was born 11 May 1849 in Fremont county, Iowa. He departed for Utah with his parents and his older brother Gilbert Rosel Belnap, age 3, on 15 June 1850 in a wagon built by his father in the Warren Foote Company, 2nd Fifty, 5th Ten, over which his father was Captain. In the same ten in another wagon were his maternal grandmother, Martha McBride Knight Smith Kimball, age 45, and his Uncle James Vinson Knight, age 16.
Less than one week after crossing the Missouri River near Plattsmouth, Nebraska. John took ill with cholera during the evening of 21 June 1850 while the 2nd Fifty was encamped on the east side of the Saline Ford.
About the same time his mother and grandmother also contracted cholera, although they later recovered John died in the latter part of the night on 22 June 1850. His body was wrapped in a blanket and placed inside his father's oak tool chest. He was buried in the morning on the east side of Salt Creek in an unmarked grave dug by his father at the time of his death. John was just learning to talk when his mother would hold to his baby dress to keep him from falling out of the wagon. John would say "take care."
The rest of his family continued west arriving in the Salt Lake Valley on 17 September 1850. Two weeks later they moved to Ogden, Utah.
Members of Gilbert Belnap's family were instrumental in settling parts of Northern Utah and Eastern Idaho.
Erected and dedicated 27 April 1997
by descendants of Utah Pioneer Gilbert Belnap.
Belnap Family Organization
[BACK SIDE]
Utah Pioneer Gilbert Belnap
[Lists wives Adaline Knight and Henrietta McBride and their children]
Marker is at the intersection of Silver Street and North 10th Street, on the right when traveling west on Silver Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
