(A short history on William Augustus Tolman contributed by the Thomas Tolman Family Organization).

William Augustus was born on the 29th of August 1850 in Tooele, Utah to Cyrus Tolman and Alice Bracken. His father was a farmer and he lived at home and helped on the farm until he married Marintha Althera Bates 15 Jul 1872.

The following year he lived in Richfield, Utah then moved to Knowllen, Utah where he homesteaded 160 acres and lived there for about eight years. In 1881, he sold his farm and with his brother Alvin (Joshua Alvin) and family, taking their household good and cattle moved to Idaho. Here he bought 160-acre farm at a place now named Marion. It was named after President Francis Marion Lyman. He lived at Marion many years, farmed and raised cattle and sheep.

William and Marintha were the parents of eleven children: William Cyrus (June 28,1873), Phoebe Alice (August 6,1875), Emily Althera (September 15,1877/1878), Ormus Albert (July 31,1880), Erin Lafayette (March 4,1882), Etta May (September 4,1884), Clara Lovina (December 4,1886), George David (January 4,1889), Francis Lyman (April 2, 1890/1891), Arlin Henry (December 4,1894), Myra Melitta (October 31,1897). All of their children lived to maturity, married and had families of their own.

In the spring of 1894 Jack Davis, a young man of pleasant looks and manners, rode into the Snake River Valley. He secured employment with several different cattle companies and finally with a large company that controlled the Shoe Sole Brand, with ranches throughout the mountains. He was always talking about finding a diamond mine so was given the name of Diamond-Field Jack.

In the vicinity of Rock Creek, now in Twin Falls County, lay the seat of rich cattle industries, while around Oakley and east of it were the headquarters of the sheepmen. The cattlemen felt that it would be impossible to keep the sheep off the range, and they tried to establish certain allotted ground for each. Diamond Field-Jack was hired to ride the line to keep the sheep from intruding on cattle country. He took occasion to notify sheepmen who came into the vicinity that they should keep off.

William, who was a large fellow, thought he would scare Jack out of the country. One day while taking care of his sheep on Shoshone Creek, William heard shooting down toward the stockmen’s cabin, about three miles away. He left the sheep and went to the cabin. When he knocked on the door Diamond-Field Jack answered the door. He said, “Well, Tolman, I guess you came to get me.” William had left his rifle on his horse and he said, “No. I was expecting my son William Cyrus and came to find out what the shooting was about.”  They argued and Jack got the drop, raised his rifle and shot William thru the upper arm cutting the artery. The bullet came out the top of his shoulder blade. When he saw that Diamond-Field could not be bluffed, he pleaded for his life. He gained Jack’s sympathy by referring to his dependent family. Diamond-Field gave him first aid and helped him into the hands of his friends. Although he lost a lot of blood, the wound was not fatal. This wound left his arm partially crippled.

Some sheepmen, who were headed with their sheep into the restricted district, met the parties coming out with Tolman on a stretcher. This so changed their minds that they headed their sheep north and left the area. Before this fight with Tolman, Jack is said to have made the statement that he would kill the next sheepman who crossed the ridge into the cattle country.

In 1901, he sold his farm and sheep and with his family and his son William Cyrus and his family they took their household goods and stock on the train to Canada.  Settling at Lacombe near Gull Lake. Here they organized a branch of the L. D. S. Church with William Augustus as branch president. After living here about six years he moved back to Idaho and for a number of years lived on a 20-acre farm in Oakley, Idaho. He later sold this and took up 160-acres of farm land on the Snake River about 15 miles East of  Twin Falls, Idaho.

Marintha died March 25, 1917 and was buried in the Oakley Cemetery. William continued to  live on their place until his health failed, then he moved into the home of his son, William Cyrus, in Burley, Idaho. He died there 25 June 1920, and was buried beside his wife in Oakley, Idaho.

Visit FamilySearch to learn more about William Augustus Tolman, Marintha Althera Bates, and other ancestors. Also visit the Thomas Tolman Family Organization to find out how you can get more involved in family history.

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