!BIRTH-DEATH-BURIAL: Levan Cemetery, Levan, Juab, UT1,214, George W. Braffet, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40788199
!BIRTH-DEATH-BURIAL: FamilySearch2, George Washington Braffett, https://ancestors.familysearch.org/KWV9-42N
!CENSUS: 1850 Great Salt Lake, UT215, 521/521, George Braffet
!REFERENCE: Luther Reed, http://www.geenet.org/stucki/Stories/LutherReed.htm, "The first location, Chimneytown, was abandoned in the summer of 1865 ... A townsite was surveyed at Mudtown where about a dozen log cabins were built. Amoung the settlers were Ephriam Watson, Joseph Moore, Robert Beers, William Busby, John Oldfield, George W. Braffit, ... There were no changes during the year of 1865, but in 1866 the families of the settlers of Round Valley moved to St. Charles on account of Indian troubles ... Among these families were Luther Reed, George W. Russell, George W. Braffit, ... In the fall of 1867 Ephriam Watson, George Braffit, George Bartlett, James Allen, and one or two other men with their families moved to the present location of Laketown and spent the following winter, 1867-68."
!CENSUS: 1880 Pah Reah, Kane, UT216, George W. Braffat
!OCCUPATION: Cooper215
!REFERENCE: 1914-1915, How does the Bill Braffett referenced at this web site fit in?, "Eph could go from the sublime to the ridiculous probably as quickly and with as little effort as any man who ever lived, no matter what the conditions were. About the year 1862 he had an old character by the name of Bill Braffett working for him. Braffett had much conceit in his bald pate. He was always boasting about what he could do. One day he had the nerve to tell Hanks that he could do anything he could. The latter was skinning an ox at the time. When he came to the skin on the back of the animal's neck he cub out a piece about two by 12 inches long. He scraped the hair off, split it in two, and then asked Mr. Braffet to take his choice. Bill, realizing what was coming, chose the smaller piece, of course, Eph, turning to Mr. Braffett said, "Now Bill, go to it, and we will see which of us can eat this hide in the shortest time." They went to work in earnest. In less than ten minutes Eph had eaten the last morsel of his piece of rawhide. He then went to where Braffett was standing and asked him what had become of his portion of old Blue's neck. Bill answered that he had eaten it long ago. The words had no more than escaped his mouth, when Eph pulled the one-by-twelve-inch strip of rawhide out of Bill Braffett's bosom. George W. Naylor, of Salt Lake, and other parties who witnessed this amusing incident, laughed to this day when they tell about it.", http://www.hanksplace.net/library/eph_hanks_king.html
!REFERENCE: Huntsman - Gifford Genealogy217
!REFERENCE: Nauvoo Temple Endowment Name Index218, Geo. Brafet
!REFERENCE: Family Registry Index 22061, Alan Kendall, 746 N. 300 W., Mapleton, UT 84663, father: William Braffett; Family Registry Index 34646, born 01-Feb-1801 or 1804, died/buried 04-Jan-1886, LaDean S. Mellor, 464 W. 100 S., Levi, UT 84043, parents: William or James Braffett and Lucretia; IGI 8007001 38/40, L. Vadeina Gifford Whitley; FGS from Lala Vadeina Gifford Whitley (1917-2004)
!REFERENCE: (for James L. Braffett) Toole, UT County History, James L. Braffett settled in Toole, Toole, UT and had 5 children
!REFERENCE: George Washington Braffett - Ancestral File180
!REFERENCE: 2009, https://web.archive.org/web/20090803115531/http://.../1568/PatOBrien.html, How does the Braffet referenced at this web site fit in? http://imdb.com has the name of this character as Bill, so this all indicates the character name was Bill Braffet. Where did the person who wrote the screenplay for "Bury Me No On The Lon Prairie" get the idea for the character name Bill Braffet?
!REFERENCE: "Mrs. Artemas Johnson. -- I first saw William and Stephen at Nauvoo about 6 weeks ago, The smallest one, William was at his brother's, Amos Hodges. I saw them at 9 o'clock at Amos Hodges, on Saturday May 10th, it was Saturday night before they were arrested, two women staid at house that night, Harriet St. John and Miss Hoskins.
!REFERENCE: Readings in Early Mormom History219, "Cross Examined -- I lived at Geo. W. Braffett's at that time, my husband is Artemas Johnson. He was at home that night, he was home when I went to Hodges, he is not in Nauvoo now. I don't know where he is, I had known where he was on the night of the murder and knew it would be said of him that he was concerned in the murder, as he lived on this side of the river. I got the Almanac and looked for the day of the month. It was about 9 o'clock when I went to Hodges', Wm. Hodges was at our house for water that evening, staid a few minutes, and Stephen fetched their water from my house. William always wore a wide rimmed hat, drab color, he only wore that hat, never saw him wear a cap or straw hat. When he came for water that night he had on this drab hat, staid about 15 minutes talking to the girls; this was not far from 8 o'clock. It was not very dark nor very light, just middling, don't recollect the moon. Braffet went away about dark and told us to tell Walton where he was, my husband was there the time, my husband left Nauvoo five weeks ago to night. Don't know where he is gone. I know Thomas Brown, have not seen him for some months. Walton came about 8 o'clock; middling warm don't recollect who got me to come up here as a witness, came of my own accord, no one requested me before this week, thought I would not see anyone injured when I could do them any good. Am a member of the Mormon Church. Thought my husband would be suspected of this murder because he lived this side of the river and was a Mormon, we lived at Montrose six months, six years ago this summer."
!REFERENCE: Geographic Reference Library American Genealogical Gazetteer, State Listings, UT, Parowan Creek: Waterway, County: Iron, State: UT, Variant Names: Braffett Fork, Braffit Fork, Braffits Fork, Braffitt Fork, Center Creek, Dry Lakes Creek, Main Creek, Parowan Creek
!REFERENCE: Mormonism Unveiled220, "The fate of old man Braffett, of Parowan, was a peculiar one, and as it afterwards led me into trouble, I will give the story briefly, to show the power of the Priesthood and the peculiarity of the people there. Old man Braffett lived at Parowan, and in the Fall of 1855 a man by the name of Woodward came to Braffett's house and stopped there to recruit his teams before crossing the deserts. Woodward had two wives. He had lived in Nauvoo, and while there had been architect for the Nauvoo House. While Woodward and his family were stopping with Braffett, one of his wives concluded that she would be damned if she went to live in California--leaving the land of the Saints--and she asked to be divorced from Woodward and sealed to Braffett. At first Braffett refused to take her, but she was a likely and healthy woman. She made love to the old man in earnest, and finally induced him to commit adultery with her. The parties were discovered in the act by old Mrs. Braffett, and she was not so firm in the faith as to permit her husband to enjoy himself without making a fuss about it. The authorities were informed of Braffett's transgressions, and he was arrested and taken before the Probate Judge and tried for the sin of adultery. He made a bill of sale of some of his property to me, for which I paid him before his trial. After hearing the case, the Probate Judge fined him $1,000, and ordered him to be imprisoned until the fine and costs were paid. Ezra Curtis, the then marshal at Parowan, took all of Braffett's property that could be found and sold it for the purpose of paying the fine, but the large amount of property which was taken was sold for a small sum, for the brethren would not bid much, for property taken from one who had broken his covenants. Being unable to pay the fine, the old man was ordered to be taken to Salt Lake City, to be imprisoned in the prison there. I was selected to take him to Salt Lake. I took the old man there, and after many days spent in working with Brigham Young and his apostles, I succeeded in securing a pardon from Brigham for the old man. Braffett was put to work at Salt Lake by Brigham Young. He dared not return home at that time. His property was all gone, and he was ruined. The part I took to befriend the old man made several of the brethren at Parowan mad at me, and they swore they would have revenge against me for interfering where I was not interested. I staid in Salt Lake some time, and when I started home there were quite a number of people along. All the teams were heavily loaded; the roads were bad, and our teams weak. We all had to walk much of the time. After we had passed the Severe River the road was very bad. My team was the best in the whole company, and I frequently let some of the women who were in the party ride in my wagon. One evening, just about dark, I was asked by a young woman, by the name of Alexander, to let her ride, as she was very tired walking. I had her get in the wagon with my wife Rachel, and she rode there until we camped for the night. I got into the wagon after dark and drove the team. We had ridden along this way an hour or so, when Rachel said she was going to ride a while in the next wagon, which was driven by my son-in-law, Mr. Dalton. Soon after Rachel got out of the wagon, a couple of my enemies rode by. I spoke to them, and they rode on. As soon as these men reached the camp they reported that I had been taking improper privileges with Miss Alexander. I was at once told to consider myself under arrest, and that as soon as we reached Parowan I would be tried by the Council for violating my covenants. I was surprised and grieved at the charge, for I was innocent, and the young woman was a very fine and virtuous woman, and as God is soon to judge me, I declare I never knew of her committing any sin. But she had to suffer slander upon her good name simply because she was befriended by me. When we reached Parowan there was a meeting called by the Priesthood to try me. This Council was composed of the President of that Stake of Zion and his two Counselors, the High Council, the City Council and the leading men of Parowan. It was a general meeting of the authorities, Church and civil, at Parowan. The meeting was held in a chamber that was used for a prayer circle. It was called a circle room, because the people met there to transact private business and to hold prayer in a circle, which was done in this way. All the brethren would kneel in a circle around the room, near enough to each other for their arms to touch, so that the influence would be more powerful. When the meeting was called to order all the lights were put out, and I was taken into the room and placed on trial. The charge was stated to me and I was ordered to confess my guilt. I told them I was innocent; that I had committed no crime--in fact had not thought of wrong. I told the truth, just as it was. I was then ordered to stand one side. The young woman was then brought into the room, and as she came in a pistol was placed to my head and I was told to keep silent. She was questioned and threatened at great length, but not all the threats that they could use would induce her to tell a falsehood. She insisted that I was entirely innocent. Next her father, an old man, was introduced and questioned. He told the Council that he had diligently enquired into the matter, and believed I was innocent. Neither the young woman nor her father knew who was in the room. All they knew was that they were being examined before the secret tribunal of Utah, and that a false oath in that place would ensure their death. When the evidence had been received and the witnesses retired; the candles were again lighted. Then speeches were made by most of the men present, and every one but two spoke in favor of my conviction. Without taking a vote the meeting adjourned, or rather left that place and went somewhere else to consult. I was left in the dark, the house locked and guards placed around the building. I was told that my fate would soon be decided, and I would then be informed what it was to be. I knew so well the manner of dealing in such cases that I expected to be assassinated in the dark, but for some reason it was not done. Next morning some food was brought to me, but I was still kept a prisoner and refused the liberty of consulting with any friends or any of my family. Late that day I looked out of the window of the chamber where I was confined, and saw a man by the name of John Steel. He was first Counselor to the President of that Stake of Zion. I called to him and asked him to secure my freedom. After stating the case to him he promised to see what could be done for me, and went off. Through his exertions I was soon released I was told to go home and hold myself subject to orders--that my case was not yet decided. I went home, but for months I expected to be assassinated everyday, for it was the usual course of the authorities to send an "Angel" after all men who were charged or suspected of having violated their covenants. Nothing farther was done about the case, but it was held over me as a means of forcing me to live in accordance with the wishes of the Priesthood and to prevent me from again interfering with the Church authorities when they saw fit to destroy a man, as they destroyed old man Braffett, and I believe it did have the effect to make me more careful who I befriended."
!NOTE: Nov-2002 note from Donald Huntsman, "This history was found at Lee's Ferry on the border between Utah and Arizona. This was laying on cement that was poured quite a few years after Lee's execution. This was proven to be a Hoffman document and he is in Prison for Murder and many other fraud Documents. I plan on checking with some of the Historians here in Utah if they know where the Old Man Braffett story came from and if any of it is true. Hoffman had a way of mixing facts with mostly fiction."
!REFERENCE: 1849, Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel, 1847–1868, George Braffitt, https://web.archive.org/web/20110920063330/http://...2,4017-1-298,00.html
!REFERENCE: Descendants of Walter Gifford, George Bradfitt, https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/b/o/y/Kaneitha-R-Perez/GENE6-0027.html