Robert was born in Ireland but was living in Scotland when he learned of and joined the Church of Jesus Christ. He and his wife Agnes emigrated from Scotland in 1858 and settled in Tooele, where they ran a highly successful hotel. The hotel was made of adobe, with fine-finished interior woodwork, and had a kitchen, dining room, parlor, 10 bedrooms, and an attic. During the years of the McKendrick ownership, it is reported that “the hotel became one of the best known enterprises of the community. Here the weary travelers bound to and from California stopped for food and lodging and to rest their horses. It was a good two days journey to Salt Lake City. . . . In connection with the hotel, Robert McKendrick operated a butcher shop in the rear of the building. . . . Each week Mr. McKendrick loaded a light wagon with fruit, vegetables and meats and took it to the fast-growing mining district of Stockton.”[8]

[8] History of Tooele County. Tooele County Daughters of Utah Pioneers. Salt Lake City, Utah: 1961, pp. 79-80. [From book "The Robert Guy DeLaMare Family 1887-1990", compiled and edited by Kathleen Pederson Whitworth. Copied with permission.]