Charles Hamblin Littlefield Riggs

Charles Hamblin Littlefield Riggs

was born on April 25, 1846, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, during the initial Latter-day Saint migrations from Illinois. His parents, John Ensign Riggs and Adeline Amarilla Hamblin, were preparing for the overland trek to Utah. Charles grew up on the Utah frontier, learning the skills of farming and stock-raising.

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His maternal line connected him to the Hamblin family, famous for their work as frontier scouts and peacemakers. His uncle, Jacob Hamblin, known as the Buckskin Apostle, was a renowned negotiator who established peaceful relations with the Navajo and Hopi tribes, enabling the settlement of southern Utah and northern Arizona.

Ranching in Eagar and northern Arizona

As a young man, Charles moved to the high valleys of northern Arizona, settling in the Eagar area in Apache County. The high-altitude valley of Eagar was a demanding environment for agriculture, characterized by short growing seasons, early frosts, and limited water. Charles farmed and ranched, raising cattle and horses and producing grain crops.

In Utah, Charles married Nancy Marie Babbitt, the daughter of pioneer Almon Whiting Babbitt, who was killed by Cheyenne warriors on the Nebraska plains in 1856. The couple raised their family in northern Arizona, managing a homestead through decades of frontier development. Their daughter, Adaline Amerilla Riggs, was born in 1879.

Retirement to Mesa

As they aged, Charles and Nancy retired to Mesa in the Salt River Valley, joining many other pioneer families who moved south for a warmer climate and access to the temple. Charles witnessed the transition of Mesa from a small farming village into a modern city.

Charles died in Mesa on September 17, 1932, at the age of eighty-six. He was buried in the Mesa Cemetery. His life, spanning the pioneer trek, the high-country ranches of Apache County, and the agricultural development of Mesa, represented the full arc of the Arizona frontier.