If folks are from around these parts, you may have heard of the life and times of No-Nose Maggie, the last known resident of Joy, Utah. After 6 decades of research, I thought it was time to write what I knew or what I thought I knew about this gal who may have been considered BAD. She was BAD to me, as she is one of my hero's. She was Bound And Determined to survive, regardless of the situation. Todays post is pieced together with help from Earl Spendlove; Nick Castleton; Shanna Memmott; yellow newspaper clippings from the old Juab County Courthouse; Chester Foote- a World War I Vet who I passed papers to; National Archives; Justice of the Peace John Robertson, who ran a motel in Nephi two blocks from where I grew up and a number of other people. She was born in the Dakota Territory in 1858. Back then she was considered one of the most beautiful and well....most endowed teenagers around. Her real name was Mary Alice Ann Devitt; married a man she knew was bad but hitched up with anyway and moved to Seattle. The marriage quickly failed and she went to work as a bar maid in Virginia City, Nevada. She soon found that she could make more money working in the oldest profession in the world. When Virginia City got too dull for her liking, she headed to Eureka, in Juab County, Utah as mines were flourishing and miners were pouring in by the hundreds. She was well paid for her shady lady activities, and was the favorite of the men, but not with the other gals of the same profession, as she brought in a lot of loot. She decided to hit the road again and ended up in the the mining area of Fish Springs in West Juab County. She had no competition until one Katie Kilkoshi moved in and trouble brewed. A bearded whiskey loaded miner came in and rolled a bunch of bills in front of Katie and the two gals duked it out, and no man wanted to be a gentleman and stop them. Katie hit Mary Alice in the face with a broken whiskey bottle, cutting off her nose. Her face was smashed with broken bones, and needless to say, the miners cared little for her after that. Instead of waking up in her comfortable bed with all of her fine clothing, she awoke naked in the back of a moving wagon in the middle of the Drum Mountains. The driver said he was heading to the new mining town of Joy, where Manganese was discovered and a highly sought after ore. She told him she was going to walk back, but realized she would die in the blazing hot sun and rocky road. She was Bound And Determined to make the best of a bad situation. She climbed on the wagon and went into Joy where she remained until she could hardly make ends meet, but became a saint, giving thirsty travelers and miners water where she slept by the Joy Spring that is still there. She then met a Scotsman named Ardabold Laird and shared his bed. Together they developed the Spring; had animals, sold meals to prospectors, cowboys and sheepmen. They took the long road to Deseret, Utah and got married, and Maggie was appointed postmaster in 1899 til it was closed in 1919. She and her dog moved back to Joy alone, where she became old and sick in the desert. As a kid, our family thought we visited her grave on the crest of the mountain, but came to find that it was the grave of 19 year old Matt Evans, who froze to death after being thrown out of a bar. We discovered the real name of No-Nose Maggie who died on Dec. 18, 1934 in Payson, Utah; buried in Eureka, with help from the Anderson Funeral Home of Nephi. Mary Ann Devitt, to this writer, you are a noble woman and Angel of God, who did the very best you could with the hand you were dealt. Mary Ann, you are my Princess of Joy, and now have joy and beauty.
No comments:
Post a Comment