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Warner Hoopes was born Oct 29, 1817 in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania to Jonathan and Rebecca Watts Hoopes. Warner is a Pioneer of Richmond. Warner is a veteran of the Indian Wars.
Warner was born very weak and was unable to help his family with many of the necessities around their farm. Warner started learning how to be a shoemaker to earn a keep for himself. By 1830, the Hoopes family moved to New Garden, Ohio.
The Hoopes family was converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1834 when Warner was 16. Soon after their baptism, the Hoopes moved to Honey Creek, Missouri to be near the Saints. However, due to persecution from mobs and militias trying to exterminate the Saints, the Hoopes family moved to Nauvoo, Illinois with the other Saints in 1839.
Warner Hoopes married Priscilla Gifford on Oct 18, 1836 in Brown Township, Nebraska Territory during their time of persecution. It wasn't until 1840 that they started having children. In 1844, Church President Joseph Smith was assassinated, and the Saints had to move west to have protection. To make the means to move west, Brigham Young counseled the Hoopes family to move to Missouri to find work. The Hoopes family moved to Smithville, Missouri in 1847 where Warner was engaged in burning charcoal.
During this time, Warner was making great means, until he and his future son-in-law Charles R. Lincoln were accused of murder. After about a year of problems and attempted murders on Warner's life, the family was finally able to leave and move west in 1859. Due to all their money going to feeding the family and paying for attorneys, Warner's brother Hyrum had to pay for their fare to trek west. The Hoopes family joined the Redfield and Smith Freight Train and entered the Salt Lake Valley on Aug 17.
The Hoopes family settled in Bountiful, Utah, before moving to Richmond in 1860. They lived in Richmond until the Church called Warner and his family to move and make a new settlement in Idaho: Weston.
After the construction of the Richmond Fort in 1860 and other forts in Cache Valley, the Territory of Utah created the Cache Military District on Oct 15, 1861 with Church Apostle Ezra T. Benson as Colonel. On June 16, 1863, Richmond was organized into two companies of Infantry and two squads of Cavalry. Warner was appointed as a Private in both instances.
Warner Hoopes died Feb 13, 1891 in Weston, Idaho. He was buried in the Weston Cemetery.
Dawn Gunnell Perkins. (June 2013) LIFE HISTORY OF WARNER HOOPES, Uploaded to FamilySearch.org by stefk, July 17, 2013. https://www.familysearch.org/memories/memory/1771849?cid=mem_copy