Thomas mustered out of the Union Army Cavalry on 24 Aug 1865 at Ft Leavenworth, KS and returned to Pittsburgh, PA. It is not known how he traveled from Kansas to Pensylvania, almost 900 miles. He must have been excited to see his wife, Mary and daughter, Ida. Ida was only 6 months old when he enlisted, and now would be over three years old. He returned to work as a coal miner, but was not as healthy or strong as before the Civil War. They had a son, Edwin Francis on 12 Jun 1871 and a daughter, Evelyn Gertrude on 23 Oct 1875.
Thomas and Mary learned about a group of Mormons that had split from the Mormon church because they did not believe in polygamy. The new church was established in 1865 and headed by a Methodist, William Brickerton. The church was named, 'Church of Jesus Christ' (Bickertonite) and was incorporated in Pittsburgh, PA. William Brickerton wanted to establish church community and mission for Native Americans in Kansas. William spent many years searching for a place to establish the mission. He first looked into creating a Cherokee mission in Chetopa, Labette, Kansas. Later decided on a mission in Western Kansas.
By 1872, Santa Fe tracks had reached 6 miles west of Great Bend, KS. During 1874, William Brickerton led an explorer group of about five settlers to Kansas, traveling by train from Pennsylvania to Great Bend, KS, where the tracks ended.
The explorer group then traveled twenty miles south of Great Bend by horseback, choosing an area near the junction of Rattlesnake Creek and Wild Horse Creek and called it Zion Valley. William blessed the area, and said it would never be struck by a tornado. To this day, no tornado has struck the area.
The explorers returned to Pennsylvania and brought a group of 35 church families with 120 -140 people during 1875. They traveled by train from Pennsylvania to Independence, Missouri. The group only brought a small amount of belongings on the train. They bought wagons, goods, and animals before traveling a direct route to Zion Valley, not following any major wagon trail.
There were no trees in the county when the group arrived and was located six miles north of modern day St John, Stafford, KS. Only five-white families were in the county when they arrived. The group gathered and hauled buffalo bones to Great Bend and Larned for $12/load for the first three years. The first post office was established at William Brickerton home in 1875, moving to St John in 1879.
During 1875 the state of Kansas was trying to discourage the church to establish a community in Kansas. The state divided Stafford County, making the north half, part of Barton County and south half, part of Pratt County. Kansas divided the county right in the middle of the Zion Valley community, without a county they could not claim land as a whole. During 1878 the Brickerton 'Church of Jesus Christ' church was built on the hill (Now W 5th Street, St John, KS). The church was the only one in the Stafford county for nine-years. Brickerton church was used by all denominations as a place of worship and served as the school, named 'Zion Valley School'. By 1879, Governor St John re-established Stafford county, so Brickerton could resume their community plan. Zion Valley was eventually changed to St John, named after the Kansas Governor, John Pierce St John.
A book written about the area 'No Cyclone Shall Destroy' by Clelland Cole and Helen Malin Reuber describes the area was home to Santana, Indian chief for the Kiowa tribe, who raided and terrorized the frontier on the Santa Fe Trail. He eventually was captured and spent his last days at Fort Sill, OK, and died in 1878. Many starving Indians in the area were given food from travelers. The book describes the area as desolate, with Indians, Buffalo stampedes, prairie fires, and grasshopper plaques, forcing many settlers to return east.
Thomas Lamont National Archive Pension record includes an affidavit of Thomas, indicating he left for St John, KS in Jan 1878. Thomas and Mary may have followed the same path as the William Brickerton explorer group, traveling by train from Pittsburgh, PA to Great Bend, KS. Thomas Lamont family is listed in both St John, Stafford, KS and Great Bend, Barton, KS 1880 Federal Census. He is listed as farmer in St John and laborer in Great Bend. They may have settled in Great Bend initially until the homestead in St John was established.
Thomas is on a Stafford County Historical Society document that lists the original families of Zion Valley. I have not found any record indicating that Thomas Lamont family was a member of the 'Church of Jesus Christ' (Bickertonite) Church. They were always members of a Methodist or Presbyterian Churches.
