Sunday, 13 October 2024 by Sagacity

History of Plain City Pt 11

I have two copies of the History of Plain City, Utah. The front indicates it is from March 17th 1859 to present. As far as I can tell, the book was written in 1977. At least that is the latest date I can find in the book.

I will only do a number of pages at a time. I will also try to include scanned copies of the photos in the books. These are just scanned copies of these books, I have not tried to seek out originals or better copies.

History of Plain City March 17th 1859 to present, pages 166 through 184. That is the end of the Plain City History!

Can you Remember or Did you know?

By Lyman N Cook

The following articles are a collection of stories and events that have been a part of Plain City. These are in no way a complete list of the stories that could be told. We have older people who can remember the colorful events and stories, the eras of history, and they should be told and recorded. I hope these people will do so while they are here to tell them. I have touched upon a few. Whether the stories are good or bad, it has been my purpose or intent to have all the questions and answers, but merely to help your mind reflect upon the beautiful memories of Plain City.

Please, as readers, do not take any personal offense or injury to any of the stories. They were not written with any unkindness in mind, but hopefully you will enjoy them.

The stories are, in reality, a tribute and a compliment to the early settlers of Plain City. I cannot comprehend the magnitude of courage and strength, and the hardships those early pioneer men and women endured. How unselfishly they worked and planned for the betterment of Plain City to make it a better place for you and I to live today.

I have a deep personal feeling that we owe them everything.

The most interest and pleasure that the book has brought to me has been the fact that I have had an opportunity to visit in the homes of so many wonderful and interesting people. Compiling, reading, and writing the history has so fascinated and compelled me that I have stayed up all night, only to find in the morning that I am just as refreshed as if I had slept all night.

The following people have been so kind and helpful to me in writing the stories. They have told me stories, and refreshed my memory. I feel a deep appreciation for them, and I feel that they should be recognized. They are: Mrs. Lavina Thomas (on tape), Lyle Thomas, Byron Carver, Lee Carver, Laura Musgrave, George Knight, Clyde Hadley, Amy Robson, Harvey and Jennie Cook, Dick and Luella Skeen, Bill and Nonie Freestone, Irene Skeen, Ivy Skeen Marsden, and many others: Kris Ewert, for her printing. A special thanks to all. And also Ina Poulsen.

“TRUE STORIES AND COLORFUL EVENTS OF PLAIN CITY “

SLEIGH BELLS

One of the pleasant memories of a cold, crisp, clear pioneer winter night, was the jingling of sleigh bells as families made their way to church or to visit with friends or neighbors. The rich sound of their ringing through the hollow night air could be heard all over town. First starting out faintly and then increasing in volume as they approached their destination. It would seem that the still, peaceful night was just made for the ringing of the sleigh bells.

Almost all the families had a string of sleigh bells that were a prized possession, and a family treasure. Some of the larger strands would go across the back of the horses and around underneath the stomach, also a strand would fit on the hames. The quality of the workmanship that produced the full, rich tones will continue to enrich our memories of the past. Maybe if we lost our minds be calm and drift back through the years, we can still hear the tinkling of the sleigh bells.

PIONEER HOMES, WASH DAYS, FEATHER TICKS, COLD BEDROOMS, OLD COAL, OR WOOD STOVES

The pioneer home was usually built with two rooms, and as the family income and new family members came along, they would add an addition of bedrooms, and a dining room, parlor, or living room. There was usually a large cook stove for the parlor and dining room. The kitchen was the center of activity in the home, and only on special occasions, or when company came, would they build a fire in the other rooms. They would usually bank the stoves with wood or coal to last as long as possible. But by morning, the fire was always out. They would have two or three coal buckets, and a kindling box, and some member of the family had the chore to see what they were always full. It took a strong constitution to roll out of bed on a cold winter morning and make the fire, and wait for it to get warm.

Monday morning in the home was washday. It would start very early and last all day. They would heat the water in a copper-bottom boiler and would usually boil the clothes to help get them clean. They used a homemade lye soap. The women scrubbed the clothes on a scrub board usually placed in a metal washtub, and after scrubbing, would rinse the clothes two and three times. They would then be hung on the clothesline to dry. There was a special pride taken in the wash and to tell a woman that she hung out a pretty wash was to pay her a special tribute.

The pioneer families would usually wait until cold weather to kill meat. They would cure it, salt brine it, or dry it. For fresh meat, they would put it in a flour sack and hang it high on the north side of the house. When they wanted fresh meat they would go outside, climb the ladder, or use a pulley to bring the flour sack in. They would cut off what meat they wanted and return the flour sack out on the north side. It was not uncommon to see flour sacks hanging from the north side of most homes.

The bedrooms were usually located on the north side on the north side of the house, and were the furtherest from the stoves. It was like going into another world, or the north pole to go to bed. If you slept with a brother or sister, you would try to get them to go to bed first so they could warm the bed. The frost and ice crystals would collect on the window glass usually forming in the fall and never leaving until spring. It would usually be about a half-inch thick on the glass. The frost crystals would form in beautiful designs and patterns on the windows.

The straw tick or mattress was made with a cover and filled with straw. Each year they would empty the straw, wash the cover, and refill it with new straw when they thrashed in the fall. They would place a feather tick on top of the straw tick, and it was filled with feathers from geese and ducks. It was really warm and soft. The sheets, blankets, and quilts were piled on the bed until they were so heavy that it was hard to turn over. It was especially nice when the dog would sleep on your side of the bed, as he made an excellent footwarmer. What a breed of people to survive the cold, hard time of pioneer life.

INDIANS

There seems to be no evidence of any Indian violence or hostilities in Plain City. However, they would visit the homes of the early settlers and ask for food. As a sign of friendship to the Indians, they would always give them food. It was a very frightening experience for the pioneer women to have the Indians call when the men were in the field working and they were home alone. The children were especially scared, and were taught to be very careful when they were around.

There were people alive today in Plain City that can remember when Indians would come into town and camp. Some favorite campgrounds were across from Paul Costley’s garage, and across the street north of George Cook’s home. The white kids always played close to home when Indians were in town, and they never went anywhere at night.

The Indians squaws would go to every home and ask or beg for food. The homes that were generous would be visited several times. The Indians would stay for several days, and they would then load their treasures and leave and go north. The Indians must have liked the people of Plain City because they returned each year for many, many years.

PERRY BOAT

The ferry boat and landing was located near where the river bridge crosses the Weber River on the Plain City, West Weber road on 4700 West. It provided a river crossing for people, cattle, sheep, horses, and wagons. The ferry was made of logs tied together, and a large molasses boiler and pole was used to push the ferry across the river.

In the spring when the flood waters covered all of the low lands, the ferry would run from the hill on the north side near the Warren canal to the hill on the south as you enter West Weber. When the water receeded, the ferry returned to the channel. It has been said that in the spring the Indians would come to the hill and if the ferry was on the West Weber side, they would call across the river until the ferry came to get them. Sarah Richardson Hodson could imitate the Indian’s call for the ferry. She seemed to know more abut the ferry than anyone we knew of.

It might be important to include information about the times before all of the times before all of the reservoirs were built to hold back and store the early run-off water. Almost every spring the river would leave its channel and flood the low lands of Slaterville, Plain City, West Weber, Warren and West Warren. During some years the water would be so deep the road was closed. As a boy I can remember traveling 4700 West when the water would be up to the running boards of the Model A. The last year of excessive water was in 1952.

Not too much is known about the ferry, but it lends itself to another colorful era of interesting Plain City history.

POST OFFICE

The Plain City Post Office was located where Neta Charlton’s home is located, or one block North of the school on the northeast corner. It was run by Charlie Neal and his wife, Pussy Neal. He ran the Post office for 25 years from 1877 or 1878 until 1902 or 1903 when the government closed the Post Office, and the mail was brought into Plain city by Fred Kenley and delivered by horse and buggy.

Merl England has in his possession a letter that was postmarked Plain City, Utah, August 8, 1891.

Pussy Neal had, and kept a start of live yeast and would sell it to the women of the town to use in mixing bread. Annie Skelton would send her daughter, Nonie Skeen Freestone, down to the Neal’s for yeast. It didn’t take many trips before Nonie developed a real taste for live yeast. She would buy a three-pound lard bucket full, but by the time she walked five blocks home, she would have half of the bucket drank. She claims that it was quiet a tasty drink.

EARLY BAPTISMS

A very important date in the lives of young eight-year-old people was their baptism. Nowadays this ordinance is performed in a stake center with a very beautiful font. Before this time, this ordinance was performed in canals, rivers, lakes, and ponds. One of the most popular places to be baptized was the First Rock Crossing, or seck, as it was called. This was located on Center Street next to George West’s home, long before the canal was cemented. There was a row of poplar trees along the street, and the children would dress behind the trees. Some people would take their children up the street in the buggy and dress them, and then return for the baptism.

There were usually just two baptisms a year, one in the late spring and the other in the early fall. As a result, there were usually several children to be baptized at a time. The children would sit on a log and wait for their turn.

Some of the young people went down to the river and were baptized. The location on the river was near where the present bridge is located. They used willow trees to dress behind. Laura Musgrave and Royal Carver were tow that were baptized in the river.

George knight told me that he was baptized in the Warren Canal about where the present pump is located. This was a colorful era of the past and should help to rekindle some pleasant memories for those who participated.

THE PRIVY, CRANNY, ROOSEVELT, OR ALIAS, THE ONE-HOLER, OR THE TWO-HOLER

There was a great deal of social status involved and a real pride taken in building, caring for, and beautifying the outdoor privy. Some of the seats were made of select lumber and sanded and smoothed to the point where they were quite comfortable. And on the other extreme, some seats were rough and slivery. Some families were careful to make the privy weather proof, while others you could look out the cracks in every direction.

You could usually tell the size of the family in the house, whether it be large or small, by the size of the property. Is it a one or a two holer?

Some of the families, to prove to the world that their cranny was something special, and a respected place, would cut beautiful designs in the top of the door. I never quite figured out whether the hole in the door was for ventilation, or simply to study the wonders of the sky at night. Some of the designs were a half moon shape, a diamond shape, star, or just a round circle.

The Skeen girls, Ivy Skeen Marsden, Lenora Skeen Freestone, and Jennie Skeen Cook, still maintain to this day that their little brother, Dick Skeen, learned to throw the baseball so very well by practice throwing at the privy. He would wait until the girls would get inside and lock the door, then he would open up the rocks, clods, green pears, or anything to keep them pinned down. Dick’s favorite was the dirt clod. He would aim for the hole in the door and throw the clod through. The clod would hit the wall, break up and shower the girls with dust and dirt. He would then really laugh when the girls would cry, scream, and holler for their mother to come and rescue them from their brother.

Halloween was a risky time for outdoor privies. One of the favorite Halloween pranks for the kids was to spend the night tipping over crannies. The only thing that I would like to say on the subject now is that I am ashamed and sorry, and I must report that I am one of the parents who feel like the kids of today are going to the dogs.

During the depression and late thirties, and prior to World War II, the government had a P.W.A. and W. P. A. program. Workmen would come to your home and build outside crannies. They had a cement floor and a lid on the seat. They were weatherproof, and most people who owned one felt like that was the next best thing to running water. They were called “Roosevelts.”

Usually an old Sears catalog would act as a years supply of toilet tissue.

Some of the more discreet families would keep a pot, or thunderjug in the house for emergencies during the cold stormy winter nights. This fact was considered the family’s dark, deep secret, and was usually emptied before dawn.

With the exception of two years in the Navy, I used the outdoor privy for 26 years, and first four years after I was married. We sometimes hear it would be nice to go back to the good old days, but certainly not to the days of the outdoor privy.

SCHOOLS

The first school was in George Musgrave’s dugout. He later held school in a one-room adobe.
The first public school was built on the south of the square. It was built out of adobe. It was one room.
There was a school located on the northeast corner of the square. The town and ward used this building for some social functions. It was built of adobe in 1873 or 1874.
The North school was located where Walter Christensen now lives.
The South school is still standing and was remodeled by Harvey Cook into a home. It is located where Gordon Sorensen now lives, and across from Eldon Weston’s home. This home was built of brick.
The Poplar School was located across from Augusta Nash’s home.

I have been led to believe that there was school classes being held in all these four schools at the same time. This world be shortly before and after 1900.

EARLY STORIES

There have been at least ten stores and meat markets in Plain City up the present time. Some of the stores have stayed in the same place, but have had several different owners. I’ll just mention where the old stores were located. There were two Coy Stores. They were owned by Sarah Coy and Eliza Coy. One was across the street about where Mildred Sparks now lives. This is about 2200 North and 4650 West. The old ZCMI store was where B & C foods is now located. Garner’s store was where the pool hall is now. England’s store was where Merlin England’s now lives. McElroy’s store was where Jack’s Garage is now located. Stoker’s was located one block behind the school where Gordon McFarland lives. Maw’s was located just west of the bowery.

John Vause built and operated a meat market just north of Adela Carver’s home. Some of Steve Knight’s family operated a meat market about where White’s Café is today. Peter M. Folkman had a meat market across from the school on the east side.

Most of these early stores would trade merchandize for eggs and butter. This was especially nice for the kids of the town because they could take one egg or more and trade for candy. There wasn’t hen’s nest that was safe in Plain City. Laura Musgrave tells of how she would get Nonie Freestone and they would raid Nonie’s father’s chicken coop for eggs to go to the store for candy. There was real safety for Laura, as she always has been real sharp in having Nonie in her own father’s coop with her.

BLACKSMITH SHOPS

Christopher Folkman was the first one in Plain City. He learned his trade in Denmark. It was located near Leslie Maw’s home and Elmer Carver’s home.
Janus Lund’s Blacksmith shop was located near Dennis Lund’s home. He died in 1908.
Rall J. Taylor started his shop in 1908 and the building still stands just north of Kirt Knight’s garage.
Lew Ericson’s shop was located on the property of Neta Charlton.
George Davis’ shop was near Phil Alsup’s old home and across the street from Thomas.
Lee Gould’s shop was located near where Florence and Carl Hodson now live.
Farley’s shop was located near where Sterling Thompson now lives.
Lyman Skeen’s shop was located just south of his old home. The property is now owned by George Skeen Cook.

THE EARLY DENTIST

Lyman Skeen acted as the early dentist, and his only speciality was pulling teeth. He had a special pair of forceps which are still in the possession of the family.

People came from all of Plain City to have their teeth pulled. In those days they didn’t have any dental check-ups, or fill any decayed teeth. If a person got a cavity, they endured it until the tooth would ache and then Lyman Skeen would pull the tooth.

He was a large man and once he hooked onto the tooth, he had very little trouble getting it out.

Some of his children report that when anyone came to have their teeth pulled, they would run into the house and hide under the bed and hold their ears so they couldn’t hear the person holler or scream.

Lee Carver tells the story about as a boy going down to Lyman Skeen’s and having a tooth pulled. He was told if he would sit still and not holler to scream, and act like a man, that Lyman would pay him .25 cents. It certainly must be one of the rare cases of a dentist paying his patient.

George Knight told me he made a trip to Lyman Skeen’s home to have his tooth pulled. He was told that if he would take it like a man and not holler or yell, that he could drive the mules and wagons. After the tooth was out they went out and harnessed the mules and hooked them to the wagon and George drove the mules to his home. George said that there was nothing that Lyman could have done to make him feel more important and give him a bigger thrill than to sit on the seat with Lyman and drive those large mules home. He was so excited that he forgot what he had gone down there for.

Ina Poulsen tells the story of her toothache when she was a girl. It was a large double tooth, and it had ached for days. She finally decided that having it pulled couldn’t hurt any more than the ache, so she went to see Lyman Skeen. She walked down to his place in the evening and they were eating supper. She said he got right up from the table and didn’t even finish his meal to pull her tooth. Annie got the forceps and sat her in his large grandfather chair. Again, the Skeen kids scattered and hid from the noise. Ina did mention that she did holler and scream, but it was all over in a minute. She said he was really good at pulling teeth. It also gives some insight into the quality, character, and gentleness of Lyman Skeen.

ICE HOUSE

An Interesting part of the history of Plain City was the old ice house. It was located across from the school on the property where Clara Folkman now lives and sat behind the old home. In the winter when the Four Mile reservoir, river and other water would freeze hard enough, they would cut it with ice saws. They would then haul it by team and bobsleigh to the ice house for storage.

Peter M. Folkman owned and operated the ice house, and in the winter he would have as many as twenty men working for him. They would work through the winter and would fill a rather large building with ice. They would cover it with wild hay and sawdust so it wouldn’t melt so fast in the heat and it would last all summer.

They would sell it to the people of Plain City for their use in the old wooden ice chest, for making ice cream, mainly for parties, and for whatever else their need was.

MARTIN SMITH AND THE MEAT WAGON

One of the colorful characters that would come into Plain City was Martin Smith. He owned a team of skinny horses and a closed-in meat wagon, and peddled fresh meat from door to door. He would come into town two or three times a week. He always carried a green willow switch, and would open the meat box, and use the switch to chase the flies out.

The lady of the house would come out to the wagon and look over the variety of cuts, or I would imagine he would cut whatever they wanted. A favorite pass time of the kids of the days was to try and sneak weeneys when he was busy with their mother. He was a sharp enough businessman that he made sure he always got enough money to pay for the weiners.

It sounds rather primitive in todays worlds, but it filled a need and is another colorful chapter out of the past.

GEORGE MOYES AND HIS MILK TRUCK

George Moyes had the first milk truck in Plain City. He delivered the milk to some of the homes in Plain City. It was George that was coming home from the dairy and discovered the fire in the dummy had started and burned Charlie Taylor’s barn. He used his load of milk to help put out the fire. I don’t know of anyone today who wouldn’t like to own that little truck.

THE EARLY THRASHERS

A colorful time on the farm was thrashing time. The first machines were horse powered, and were a great improvement over the hand method. These colorful pictures are some of the early steam-powered thrashers. There were men who owned their own machines and would do custom work for their neighbors. When the thrashers would move onto a farm, it would usually take several days to complete the farmer’s field.

While the thrashers were at the farm, it was the responsibility if the farmer to feed the men three meals a day. This consisted of many of the neighbors who helped each other. They worked hard and they required large meals. The women worked all day long to prepare the meals. The phrase, “I have cooked enough food for the thrashers,” was probably coined during this era. The farmer had to take care of the horses also.

The men usually carried their own bedrolls and slept on the new fresh straw.

Arthur Skeen and Frances Thomas owned and operated thrashing machines that I remember.

THE GYPSY HORSE TRADERS

The horse trader would come into Plain City once or twice a year. They would arrive in large white-top wagons leading a large number of horses. Some of the camping areas where they would stay were; out by the beet dump, by the water tower, on the square, and in the lot across from the Lyman Skeen home where George Cook now lives. They would stay about a week and would camp or live in their wagons.

The kids were frightened at the sight of the traders and the week they were in town they placed close to home and never ventured far from home at night. The traders were famous for taking things that didn’t belong to them.

As a boy I can remember the trader camps and walking through them with my father. Because of the shady characters and the stories I had been told, I can remember of never letting go of my father’s hand. To see the people involved and the many horses there were, made a lasting impression upon my young mind.

If any of the townspeople needed a horse or team, or wanted to sell any horses, they would bring their horses, or come to the traders camp. They would barter, trade, or sell. In order to make a sharp deal they would dicker all day. There were many stories told of how sharp a deal they made or how badly they got stung by the horse traders.

LYMAN DUMP

There were two beet dumps in Plain City. One was located across from the water tower, the other was the Lyman Dump located one-half mile west of the canning factory where the railroad tracks crossed 5100 West. It was named after Lyman Skeen because of his work on the railroad to that plant, and on into Warren. John Vause was the weigh master and was more or less in charge of the dump. They would haul the beets with teams and wagons to the dump, where they would be loaded on to the rail cars and taken to Wilson Lane for processing. At times the cars were not available ad they would pile the beets by hand. The pile had to be six feet high and stacked just right. When cars were available, the factory would pay the farmers thirty cents a ton to load the beets by hand and then into the cars.

A story is told of a certain farmer that would bring beets to the dump. The drivers were supposed to stay on the wagon to weigh their beets over with the wagons loaded, and then back their wagons across empty. This farmer would get off the empty wagon, stay on the scales, but would reach up and take hold of a board on the scale house, and pull most of his weigh off the scales. John Vause used to say, “ Look at that fat old ____. He thinks he is fooling me, but I always take 200 pounds off whether he is on the scale or not,”

Mervin Thompson was there ad tells a story about Lyman Skeen hauling a large beet rack full of beets to the dump with a four-horse hitch. The lead team was fine large horses and the back team was large mules. The dump was elevated with a steep incline up to a platform where the wagon would stop and be unloaded. It was high enough to clear a rail car and the beets ran down into the car. The decline from the platform was steep. He made his approach with the team struggling to pull the heavy wagon up the incline. As the teams lunged forward down over the decline. Lyman sprang to his feet and held the mules back so the wagon rode up against the rumps of the mules, and he moved the lead horses out fast enough to keep out of the way. He never lost a sugar beet. It was truly a great display of fine horsemanship. It was truly his ability with the horses that saved him and his team from death or injury.

He calmly made a circle around to the approach incline and took the teams up the incline. This time he was ready for them and the mules and horses stopped where they were supposed to. As the teams came down off the decline, they knew they had been taught a valuable lesson by a skillful master.

THE SWIMMING HOLES

If anything in this world can turn a man into a boy again, it is the pleasant memories of the old swimming hole. The warm summer days with friends and the happy, carefree times are the most memorable in a life time. There seems to be a special magnetic force that pulls and draws boys to water. It is especially difficult to try and explain to parents that special force, and why it was so necessary to go swimming so much. We lived in the water and the longest part of the day was the one hour we had to wait for our dinner to digest before we could go in swimming again.

Every irrigation canal, pond, river, or creek had their favorite swimming hole. The favorite holes in Plain City were not by the First and Second Rock Crossing, the canal, but Four Mile, Draney headgates, and the Anderson hole in the river. The Anderson hole was located just below the Warren pump by the bend in the river and northeast of the bridges. One could tell by the number of ponies, wagons, and buggies, that there was always a large crowd, and from the laughter and the noise, you could tell they were having a great time. The Anderson hole was secluded enough, and no girls around. For the men and boys it was pure skinny dipping. If any boy had shown up with a swimming suit in those days, they would have laughed him out of town.

The Anderson hole was the place all of the men and boys took their Saturday night bath. George Knight tells the story that he counted 65 men and boys swimming at one time in the river. Sant Madsen was the oldest at 65, and there was a young boy of about 6 years of age.

Wilford, or “Wiff” Skeen was considered the most gifted and powerful swimmers around this country. During World War I he swam on a Navy swim team. Gordon Thompson and George Knight said that Wiff was the most beautiful swimmer they had ever seen. Fred Kenley, I think, was I the Navy and traveled throughout the world. He said in all his travels that Wiff was the best Swimmer he had ever seen. He would put his little brother, Dick Skeen, on his back and swim out into the middle of the river. Dick must have been real little then, but he would dump him off and make him swim to shore while he carefully watched. Someone lost a shovel in Anderson hole and Wiff dove down to the bottom and brought it up, supposedly the only man to ever touch bottom.

Ogden City, Swifts, and the By-Products, began to dump raw sewage into the river and ruined probably the greatest memory maker in all of Plain City. It just seems so strange that man has a habit of always destroying his own best things in life.

DRIVING THE COWS TO THE PASTURE

The people who milked cows for their own use or who later on milked cows to sell the milk to the creamery, would usually drive their own cows to pasture during the summer months. The pasture was located one, two, or three miles from home. It would require taking the cows out in the morning and returning them in the evening. This responsibility usually fell to the younger members of the family and required a cow pony. In those days everyone’s home, yard, and farm area were fenced so the cows traveling to and from the pastures did not create a problem. During the hot, dry summer weather, the roads and trails of the cows were very dusty. It was very difficult to follow the cows very closely as the dust was so heavy.

One of these pastures was called the West Pasture. It was located north and west from Ivan Moyes’ home. This pasture was owned by several different people. The number of cattle they would put in the pasture was based on the amount of the pasture that they owned. In the evening the first person to the gate would open it and let the cows out. The cows, from force of habit, would follow the same trail to the town park where they would feed. It was not uncommon to see twenty-five or thirty milk cows feeding on the square in the early evening. The farmers would go to the square, collect their cows, and take them home.

For those who played baseball, football, or just played on the square, there were some real hazards involved after the cows had been there.

Modern feeding and milking techniques have eliminated the need for the daily move to the pasture and also the need for the fenced-in yards.

CANNING FACTORIES

Another very important industry in Plain City was the growing and canning of tomatoes. The first factory built in Plain city was across the street from Loyd Olsen’s at 1900 North 4700 West. Laura Grieves Musgrave tells of working in this factory filling the cans with tomatoes. She was just a girl at the time, and expressed how happy she was to be able to earn money in those days. At that time there was no child labor laws.

Part of this factory was later moved near the square and used by the maw family for their store and other buildings.

The second canning factory still stands at 1975 North 4650 West, and was used for many years. The sandy loam soil of Plain City seemed to be ideal for the tomatoes to grow and helped to give them the flavor, quality, and yield that rarely can be equaled. Times were very tough to earn money in those days, and many men and women would work at the factory in the fall of the year to help supplement their income. This factory was built in 1925.

The empty cans would be shipped in by railroad and the processed tomatoes would be shipped out to the railroad.

The events that impressed my memories most about the factory, were the lines of loaded wagons and trucks waiting to be unloaded. While the farmers waited for boxes, or to be unloaded, or for their tomatoes to be graded, they would visit by the hour. The stories and the tall tales that would be told during that time will long be remembered. It used to fascinate me to watch the women peel the tomatoes. The full pans would be scalded and go around on a belt. The women would take a full pan, core and peel the tomatoes, and when the pan was full, they would put their number in the pan and return it to the belt. They were paid by the pan, and it amounted to five cents to ten cents a pan. In later years it raised from eight cents to ten cents a pan. The fastest peelers could peel about 60 pans a day.

Some of the fastest peelers were Dorothy Christensen, Thelma Hodson Wayment, Doris Hodson Chugg, and Ruth Arave Taylor, deceased. Whether peeling tomatoes, cutting potatoes, thinning beets, wall papering, or whatever, Ruth Taylor, as I remember her, had to be the hardest working woman I ever know. I always marveled at her ability.

Can your minds eye visualize the smoke coming from the tall stack, and the pleasant tomato odor that drifted along the air currents through the town of Plain City.

PEA VINERS – PEA WAGONS

One of the early industries, or cash crops of Plain City was from the raising of peas. It t must be remembered that in the very early times, the settlers were only interested and concerned about food to keep them through the winter. As they worked and improved their homes, the roads, and the irrigation system, their ability to products more and vary their crops increased. It was then that they branched out into the pea industry.

The main pea viner was located on 2200 north, about a half mile west of 4650 West, on the north side of the street. It provided work for some of the men of the community, to stack the pea vines. In the winter the farmers fed the vines to their cattle.

The farmers would plant the peas in the early spring, and the harvest would begin about the 4^th of July. The pea vines would be out with a horse-drawn mower. They would pitch them on a wagon and haul them to the vines by a team of horses.

As young boys we would look forward to the horse-drawn pea wagons on their way to the viner. We would run out into the street and catch the wagon, pull off a big armful of peas, carry them into the shade, and eat peas all day long. I don’t believe that peas gave you as severe a belly ache as green apples, but it ran a close second. More important, we were ready to go after the first wagon the next day. As a young man, I pitched the peas on the wagon in the fields, and off at the viner.

Later, another viner was built out east. It was located about one-half mile east of the water tower.

In 1949, I was building my house and my friend and neighbor, Louis R. Jenkins, would come frequently and visit. He said, “You have a nice location, but when the wind is right you may be able to smell the pea viner, but you know, that’s a good smell.” I never forgot his statement though the pea industry lasted only a very few years after that date. But, who could ever forget the potent odor that came after the vines and the juices fermented. No wonder the people who hauled pea vines had very little, if any, sinus problems.

Epilogue: Included should be the smell and the people who would haul the feed fresh beet pulp.

TRAPPERS

The Plain City area is situated where there was many creeks, drains, sloughs, ponds, and water areas for the muskrats to live. It seemed to me at one time to another, about every young man was involved in trapping. This could have been an inborn spirit in each young boy to be a trapper or a mountain man. The season would usually start in the fall until the water froze, and then again in the spring when the ice left. It came at a time when jobs were hard to find for young men and provided spending money for them. Trapping provided a good source of money for me when I was going to high school. The hide buyers would usually pay from thirty-five cents to a dollar and a quarter, depending on the size of the hide.

A good trapper could usually catch around 100 rats a day. I know one trapper that brought and paid for a new car during one trapping season. Some of the better trappers in Plain City that I can remember were, Elwin Taylor, Everett Taylor, Lyman Thomas, and Joe Wheeler.

NICK NAMES

Practically no one grew up in Plain City without having a nick name tacked on to him or her, because of something they did, said, or the way they acted, or some mannerism. It was not all uncommon for a group of Plain City boys, just to impress a girl friend, to talk and call the individual by their nick name, and the girls never knew who they were talking about. On the other hand, someone may come into the town and ask for Don Singleton, Darrell Christensen, Boyce England, Elwin Taylor, Horace Knight, LaGrand Hadley, George Cook, Clair Folkman, Lynn Folkman, Eldon Weston, or Jay Freestone, only to be told that they didn’t know anyone living here by that name. But had they asked for “Seebo, ““Breezy,” “Buzz,” “Bunny,” “Skinner,” “Gandy Goose or Pety Hadley,” “Joe,” “Ober,” “Homer,” or “Grass,” the townspeople could tell them right away where they lived.

Some of these people whose names will be mentioned have passed away, and it is my purpose to pay tribute, and add to their good names, rather than take anything away from them. Some have also moved away, but they got their name in Plain City.

There are so many names that I simply can’t remember them all, but here are a few: “Buss” Lyman Skeen, “Rip” Ronald Skeen, “Geg” Garry Skeen, “Brig” Orson Knight, “Snide” Elmer Carver, “Suitcase” Blair Simpson, “Huss” Harold Hadley, “Tubby” Frank Hadley, “Duke” “ Frog” Kenneth Christensen, “Fooz” Grant Lund, “Hazel” Kenneth Lund, “Bud” Richard Dallinga, “Cirk” Keith Lund, “Sodie” Elmer Hipwell, “Diff” Jack Etherington, “Tiff” Clyde Skeen, “Taa” Jack Freestone, “Sunny” Lyman Freestone, “Bub” Howard Freestone, “Cork” Carl Hodson, “Tumbleweed” Don Van Sickle, “Red” Lyman Cook, “Chic” Dee Cook, “Heater” Bert Cook, “Beef” Wheat Taylor, “Big Chub” Charles Fulmer, “Little Chub” Robert Fulmer, “Buddles” Rulon Jenkins, “Curley” Quenten Jenkins, “Bun” Ray Hadley, “Weiny” Dwaine Hadley, “Mustard” Bill Hadley, “Napkin” Dennis Hadley.

“Punken” Elmer Ericson, “Eif” Kent Jenkins, “Perk” Ray Coy, “Bear” Ronald Hogge, “Stinne” Wayne Skeen, “Hinke” Verl Rawson, “Toad” Loyd Knight, “Tarzan” Thayne Knight, “Dob” Blaine Knight, “Ikee” Ivan Hodson, “Grit” Dean Moyes, “Bud” Knight, “Lym” Skeen, “Beaver” Gordon Hadley, “Trapper” Durland Hadley, “Deddy” Darrell Thompson, “Pubby” Vernal Moyes, “Sam” Lyle Thomas, “Gonnie” Kenneth Woods, “Jim” Theron Rhead, “Mag” Noel England, “Jim” Elwin Skeen, ‘Bones” Bob Folkman, “Swede” Brent Taylor, “Curly” Davis, “Mayor” Dean Baker. “Wimpy” Loren Facer, “Tooley” Louis Poulsen, “Dick” Elwood Skeen, “Mud” Claude Rhead, “Weeser” Gene Lund, “Fiddler” Elmo Rhead, “Hook” Harold Hobson, “Roan” Harold Ross, “Mike” Milo Ross, “Wheeler” Keith Blanch, “Luke” John Nash, “Tom” Vandel Maw, “Joe” John Maw, “Judge” Thayne Robson, “Bushy” Wayne Cottle, “Pickus” Paul Coy, “George” Cliff Folkman, “Willie” Warren Williams, “Wally” Wallace Knight, “Cruzz” Kent Robson, “Evert” Bill England, “Tom” Merrill Jenkins, “Aus” Bob Wade, “Cougar” Norman Carver, “English” Wayne Carver.

Something more interesting than the names is how each one got their nickname. You should ask some of them sometimes. We should announce from Plain city to the world that we have had for the last 55 years, the original ”Jaws” Paul Knight. It is very distressing and disturbing to read where some outsider has taken the name “Jaws” and capitalized on it, made a film, and grossed more than 25 million dollars, when the original “Jaws” had been in Plain City all along.

When we analize the personality, the good times, and especially the stories, I doubt that anyone in Plain City would take 25 million from our original “Jaws.”

THE PEST HOUSE OR PRIMITIVE HOSPITAL

The constant underlying fears that pioneers and early settlers lived with daily was the threat of disease, illness, or sickness. There just weren’t any doctors or medicine available, and if anyone got sick, they either got well on their own, or they didn’t make it.

If a dreaded disease, or plague, as it was called struck the early settlers, many of them felt like it was God’s way of punishing them for things they had done or for the things they had not done. There were so many mysteries and superstitions concerning that, that people acted and responded in what now might be considered strange ways. The people felt the best thing to do was to isolate the sick people, and as a result of this type of thinking, the pioneers built the Pest House. To make sure it was really isolated, the people went about a mile west of town on the bank of First Creek and built Pest house. The Pest House was located on the bank of the creek. There were some tall poplar trees surrounding the building, but have since been removed. Clyde tells me that information was handed down and told to him about the spot where the Pest House was located. Years ago there was some evidence of a building there.

When a person got sick, they would take him to the Pest house to get better. They were usually left alone to care for themselves. Someone from the town would take food and water, and provide some care, but for the most part, it was just a kill or cure method. In most cases the patients, if they died, expired from exposure or lack of care rather than from the disease because the building was poorly constructed.

During the Smallpox epidemic of 1871, or about then, there weren’t any public meetings held in Plain City from September until the next March. The people lived in total fear of the disease.

The William Skeen family was hit very hard with Smallpox and they lost four children. It has been told that while his family was very sick, he called for the church and they were fearful, they refused to go help. His friends also turned away. This good man was left to bury his four children all alone, and some of them at night. He was so disappointed in the Elders of the church and his friends, that he left the church and he named one of his sons that was born later “Frenz Denial.”

IMPORTANT FACTS

Ivan Skeen Marsden and Lona Ipson Watson were the first lady missionaries to leave from Plain City in 1914. They served in the Eastern States Mission.
The first car reported to be in Plain City was Dr. Rich, who drove out to treat a patient.
It mentions that Richie owned the first car. Some of the other early car owners were Tom England, John Maw, Lyman Skeen, and others. Later, Lyman Skeen owned an eight-passenger Chandler.
Sammy Sampson was one of the early barbers.
There are seven children of original settlers living today in1977 that we know about. There may be others. Four of them live in Plain City. They are:

Ada Skeen William Allred

Victoria Sharp Hunt

Mary Sharp Richardson

Ivy Skeen Marsden

Lenora Skeen Freestone

Jennie Skeen Cook

Elwood “Dick” Skeen

It is remarkable when you think after 118 years that there are still children of the first settlers still living.

Richard Lund was the early fiddle player in the town.

LYMAN SKEEN, OWNER OF GREAT HORSES

Lyman Skeen owned and loved great horses. He had two large barns full of fine Stallions, besides many work teams that he used in his construction business. He worked in Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho, on construction building canals, road beds, and whatever. He knew horses flesh and people would bring their horses from all over the country to have him doctor their horses.

Lyman made three trips to Europe to buy horses. On one occasion, he bought six head of Shire horses in England and brought them by ship to the United States, and by rail to Ogden. He also brought a little Englishman named Tommy ____ to take care of the horses and train them.

When they arrived in Ogden Lyman took Blaine Skeen, Elmer Skeen, Orson Knight, and others to help bring the horses home. Orson Knight tells before they brought them to Plain City, they paraded them down Washington Boulevard. He mentioned that no boy could have been prouder to lead those large horses down Washington. He said the little Englishman walked beside the horses with a whip, and he would crack the whip and the horses would rare up and prance and put on quite a display for the large horses.

Sline was probably the greatest Shire horse to ever come into the State of Utah, or the West. The little Englishman is holding Sline in the picture.

The Skeen kids can remember frequently someone yelling “Sline’s out.” and he would always prance up through the lot. Lyman would send his boys out to catch Sline, but they never could catch him. Lyman would sit back and watch his proud horse run and exercise, and when Lyman felt like he had enough, he would walk out and up to Sline and lead him to the barn. Whenever Sline had been he left hoof prints about a foot square through the garden.

“SLINE” – Importe I Three-year-old Shire Colt

L. SKEEN

One of these big Shire horses died at the age of three days. It was raised on a bottle by Annie Skeen, wife of Lyman Skeen.

SAMMY SAMPSON THE BARBER

Sammy Sampson barbered in his home which was located across the street from Dell Sharp’s home. He was one of the early barbers. Byron Carver tells of getting his hair cut there when he was a boy. He said, “You could ask for any type of a cut you wanted, but you only got one cut, mostly bad,” I can see Byron chuckle ass a twinkle from the past came into his eyes. “Oh it was bad,” he said, “and as long as you had any hair left, Sammy would keep cutting.”

On one occasion he went to get his hair cut when it was hot and Sammy was cooking something that didn’t smell too good. Some of the men who had gathered were smoking El-rope-o cigars, and Byron was getting light headed as he sat in the chair. As Sammy worked him over he became more ill. Sammy soaped his neck and shaved it with a large thick, straight razor, that scraped more than it cut. Sammy kept a pan of hot water on the stove with a wash cloth on it that he used to wash the soap off. As he laid that hot cloth on Byron’s neck, Byron rolled off the chair and fainted dead away. When he came to, big Lafe Skeen was holding him on his lap. That was one hair cut Byron will always remember, and as long as he is alive the memory of Sammy Sampson the barber will live on.

Sammy charged 5 to 10 cents a haircut in those days, and trim and shave on the older men was 15 cents.

THE RACE TRACK, PLAIN CITY’S FIRST

William Skeen owned some very fine racehorses and he built a racetrack to train his horses. The neighbors would meet on occasion and race their horses to test the speed against their neighbors horses. Stories have been told that there were some very exciting races held at the track. It was located near four mile reservoir.

They tell the story of a man from Ogden, who was quite a footracer and he was supposed to have challenged and bragged that he could beat a horse in a certain distance. It was well talked up and word spread around, and the race was held. There was a little money that changed hands quite a crowd. But you know, no one can remember who won the race. It was another colorful time in early Plain City.

THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT SHOW

Growing up as a kid during the late twenties, thirties and into the early forties here in Plain City was quite an eventful time. It seemed that the world moved at a slower more relaxed pace and there was time to enjoy visiting and to crate your own entertainment and fun. Depression times were very hard for most families, with very little one and barely the necessities of life. There was very little money available for entertainment and if you had any entertainment, you created your own. They were carefree happy times. As a kid you were lucky if you got into Ogden once a month or even once during the summer. By comparison with today, all the entertainment seems to be provided for the young people and all they have to do is show up with money and everything is provided for them.

In the summer kids games and ball games were a very big thing and something was going on every day and night. Hide and seek, run sheepy run, kick the can, and whatever else anyone could think up were always popular. Skating and sleigh riding were the fall and winter games. You would skate all day and build fires at night so you could skate even longer.

Sometimes in the thirties the movies began to be very popular. Someone from Ogden would bring a movie out to Plain City every Wednesday night. It was held in the upstairs of the old church house and there would be two to three hundred people or more watching the show. The admission was ten cents and hardly anyone ever missed the Wednesday night movie. There was usually a serial episode before the regular movie and it would last for about weeks. It would lead you up to an exciting climax and then announce, “To be continued next week.” I can remember they would be the longest weeks ever, waiting to get back to the show to see what happened. Tail Spit Tommy always a big feature with the serials.

There were some very spooky shows and I can recall small kids screaming and crying, and they would have to leave the show. The shows were scary, but the spooky part was walking home at night after the show. You were always extra light on your feet, and with any strange sound out of the blackness of the night, you would be at a full gallop and double your stride. Ah, but they were good times.

The automobile and the war, and the latest movie hits in Ogden all led to the down fall of the Wednesday night show in Plain City. It was a colorful era in Plain City and one that everyone seemed to enjoy.

A TRIBUTE TO BETTY

Somehow the roads of Plain City look and seem a little different now days without the familiar figure of Betty. Her shopping bag in hand, her figure that time and age had bent a little, and limp that the years had brought on, headed up the road to Ogden. Time had also slowed her steps, but not her to walk to town.

Probably Betty was born fifty years too late to fit in well with a changing society. He life was the simple life, and her wants and needs were few. She was very string willed, proud, and stubborn in some regards. She was very determined not to be pressured into joining the modern world.

Some people say she was eccentric, old, strange, but she was a rugged individualist who refused to conform to anyones standards but her own. As a result of her ways the young people would sometimes tease and torment Betty. But in her own way she ignored them and went her way. Is it not strange that we from our own little worlds are so willing to unfairly judge other people by out own knowledge and standards. Especially if their standards and personality traits do not measure up or lower down to our own.

I wouldn’t begin to know how many thousands of times Betty walked to Ogden, and back with groceries, even after she was around seventy five years of age. I suppose before we could fairly evaluate Betty we should ask the women of Plain City how many times they have walked to Ogden, and back home. Their were many people who were good to Betty and wanted to help her, but she seemed determined and happy to do things her own way.

Betty was a hard worker and she worked for many people in Plain City. Later she worked in Ogden doing housework. I carried mail in Ogden for thirty years and would see Betty working at some of the finest homes in Ogden. Her family paid me a tribute when they asked me to speak at her funeral.

Betty will be remembered as one of Plain City’s remarkable characters. If we let our memories wander a little, and though our minds eye we might still catch a glimpse of a shadow of Betty walking to town.

Sunday, 25 August 2024 by Sagacity

History of Plain City Pt 10

History of Plain City March 17th 1859 to present, pages 150 through 165.

SITE FOR NEW TOWN PARK

SUBMITTED BY FLORENE PARKE

In December, 1975, Mayor Lee Olsen and the Plain City Town Council consisting of William VanHoulten, Wayne Cottle, Darwin Taylor and David Thomas, passed a resolution to purchase 20 acres of land. This land was to be used as a recreational complex and also house the town hall and other municipal buildings.

On December 30, 1975, the City of Plain City purchased 20 acres of land from Bernard and Nora Poulsen. The land is located at the north-west corner of the intersection of 2200 North and 4100 West Streets.

The long-term plans for the park included three regulation ball diamonds, (two softball diamonds, and a little league ball diamond); an equestrian arena and open space exercise area to be used for football and other activities requiring large open spaces. A site identified for future development of municipal structures may include a swimming pool, restrooms and parking areas.

Purchasing and developing the land is an expensive process. It is the intention of the City Council to program the work in six one-year phases. Development of the equestrian arena was part of the first year’s phase.

The area housed an arena known as Paul Knight’s Arena. It has been used in the past for several Junior Possee competitions, calf roping meets, and various horses related events. The arena needed fencing and landfill and water installations.

In December, 1976, the Plain City Lions Club, in cooperation with the parents of Junior Possee members, had the area surveyed and hauled 103 loads of sand necessary for a proper working arena. Approximately 30 volunteers donated their time and equipment for two days to complete this part of the work.

Heavy gauge chain-link fencing has been purchased with money from the town and from money raised by Junior Possee members through various fund raising projects. The fence will be installed as soon as the weather conditions permit.

Plain City’s Junior Possees, Four-H groups, and the many other residents interested in equestrian sports will have a safe place for their activities, and the town will have an arena to be proud of.

Paul’s Arena as it is known today, which will be rebuilt into the Town’s new Park. Used for many years for horse and Jr. Posse events.

*A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS IN UTAH

BY WAYNE CARVER (SON OF ELMER AND JANE CARVER)

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH

CARLETON COLLEGE

It isn’t that way now. The quiet fields are broken into building lots and the farmers build jet engines in the city and garden with a tractor after work. The old canal is lined with concrete and in the center of the town the Saturday and sun-drenched baseball diamond has shrunk to softball under lights, and the county has built a tennis court just off third bade for a game the kids are beginning to learn to play in white shoes.

The frame store with the pot-bellied stove smelling of sizzled tobacco spit and with the mash sacks and rummy dive in back is a supermarket now where wives in stretch-pants by barefoot and frozen chopped broccoli by the ton and aerosol bombs that go “SwwOOOOOOsh” and keep off the bugs or put on your pie a water glob of something threatening to be white and that keeps your arteries open.

It isn’t the way it used to be in that un-fluent time of plowing, planting, watering, hoeing, furrowing, harvesting, and throwing the harvest in the river to be pickled in the Great Salt Lake. It is the affluent society now, of missile sites and loan companies, and the ice cream comes come frozen in glazed wrapping and taste like the strips of brown paper we used to put our upper lip to stop the nosebleed. And I have not been back for Christmas for many and many a year – to the long everyday stocking with a fifty cent piece squashing the toe, the large orange pressing the half dollar down – a thick, loose-skinned orange that peeled clean and dry – to the heaped snow that fell on every Christmas eve – I have not been back, and it isn’t that way now – and all I can do is gather a crystal or two from a vein of quartz- or is it foolsgold? – in Time.

****

In the bed-covering warmth of the high ceiling room in the weather-bent old house between the mountains and the salt lake, nothing was alive at first except the dry flopping of the harness straps against the horse’s matted cost and the cold jangle of the chains against the horse’s matted coat and the cold jungle of the chains against the single-tree of the go-devil that Dad used to clear the paths between the house and the barn, the barn and the chicken coop, the chicken coop and the house, and to gouge a trial down the drifted lane to the country road where the snowplows from the shops in Ogden would come later in the day. Lying in the dark that is beginning to be thin out like spilled ink, we hear coming through the window the flopping and the jangling and the sliding rumble of the triangular runners as they push aside rocks and twigs and skid down the sides of irrigation ditches, and the tongue clicking and “steady, boy, steady,” of Dad as he talks to the horse. Hearing this, and seeing from under the door the orange line of kitchen light and, without listening for it, hearing the first snapping of the kindling in the range and smelling, without sniffing for it, the sulphurousness of coal smoke, we know- all three of us – that we have been trickled ourselves and somehow, we can’t say how, had fallen asleep – sometime, somewhere, – back in that black night and that Christmas had come again and caught us sleeping.

Then the tinny, descending jingle of loose bedsprings, the cold shock beneath the warm flannel pajamas legs, the cold fluttering linoleum slap against the feet; and the orange line beneath the door flashes upward and out: We are across the kitchen, through the heavy coal smoke to where the living room door id barred, sealed against us, as mother, at the side door, calls outside, and Dad comes in.

Daylight comes with the smell of oranges, pine, needles, pine needles, and chocolate, and coal smoke from the heater, and the brittle crack of hazel nuts and the tearing raveling crunch of peanut shells, the shimmering glissando of tissue paper crushing, the sweet sticky slurp of cherry chocolates, and the crack and shatter of peanut brittle. Amidst the smell, above the sounds, comes the “oh, just what I wanted,” of Mother and the “Very nice, very fine,” of Dad and the “One -two-three-four! I got four presents that’s simply more than anybody,” of Mary and the “This Wheel’s just fine cause it’s got a burr on the axle, not a cotter key,” of Nephi, and the “Billy’s got this book, he’ll not swap. I’ll swap with Rex,” of another.

By mid-morning the board valley glisten under the cold sun, and you have gone alone through the fields I the over-the-boots snow and along the row of willows besides the canal and watched the muskrats swimming in the alley of dark water between the frozen banks, have seen the runic tracing of the quail and pheasant trails and shaken the loose snow away from your collar that a magpie knocked down on you as you passed beneath the cottonwood trees to Rex’s place where you ate rock candy, swapped the extra Bomba you had read for the Army Boys in France that you had not. By noon you have been to Bill’s through the glare of the sun and snow and shown him your hi-tops with the long grey woolen socks ad the fold-over edge of red at the top and eaten peanut brittle, been to Grant’s and seen the new skates, shown-off the cream and green cover of your Plunk and Luck and eaten candy, been along the roads, the ditches, the trails until the snow packed into ice inside your boots has sent you home to dry and then, drying, behind the big heater in the living room to sail on the stack of books to all the great green world that never was and will last, therefore, forever.

The crunch and ravel and shimmering tinkle is gone from the room now. The quiet is there like a field rippled with snow until the others return from their rounds, and in from the kitchen come only the first rasps ad scrapes and clicks and hacks of dinner’s getting underway. There is pine tree and warmth and the smell of chocolate syrup. Behind the stove Bomba the Jungle Boy crouches in the grass besides the trail as the enemy patrol with poisoned darts in their quivers and blow guns in their hand file slowly by the disappear into the tangled heat of the jungle. In the gassy, coal smelling clearing Bomba is wiping into glittering brightness the still smouldering and dripping blade when, bursting through the streaming wall of branches and vines, comes Aunt Em’s bellow of tribal greeting, followed by a safari of cousins and a diminutive uncle, each one bearing weapons and supplies clutched in their careful and love-filled hands.

“Good Lord, Louisa, there you are just as I figgered, sweating out in the kitchen while everybody else has a fine faretheewell. We’re late but I been after Ephriam since daybreak to get them cows milked so’s we could get on our way. By Judas Priest, you would thought the man had never milked a cow before. Biggest kid in house for Christmas. I get more work out of the cat than I do him. Lordy! You ought to see that house. You can’t see out the windows for trash, and I’m so flustered I think I sliced an egg on the jello and a banana on the hot potato salad. I’m afraid to look, I tell you. And Moroni? – he was out chasing the girls until je ought to have been home milking, too; and, Lord, Sara and nell, you’d of thought they never been given anything before. And all the time, Eph draggin’ along, them cows moanin’ out in the barn, their bags so full they’d like t’have died, nothing to eat – it’s a good thing for that, I suppose. Why, he didn’t get out of the house until ten O’clock, the milk man had come and gone by two hours and all the time me trying’ to bake a cake in a crooked oven with the coal Wilbur man sold us at a special and, Louisa, I’m tellin ’you it ain’t coal at all. It’s just dirt. It’s better dirt than half that hard scrabble your man’s farming down there in Salt Creek, and if Wilbur can sell that sandy loam he sold me for coal, I’s say Josiah’s got a fortune in fuel under that field of onions he tries to grow ever summer. Glow! I’s by there t’other day lookin’ for the horses before the shruf stray-penned “ em and I say to Eph, “Josiah’s got a nice five acres of picklin’ onions out a that salt flat he’s tryin’ to farm. Ought to get a special price, seein’s how they pickled all summer. Grow! I’s by ther t’other day lookin’ for the horses before the shurf stray -penned “em and I say to Eph, “ Josiah’s got a nice five acres of picklin’ onions out a that salt flat he’s tryin’ to bake this cake, and roast a shoulder of pork and fix the salad and I’m up to my chin in candy and nuts and wrappin’ paper until I finally just booted everybody out the back door and said, “Lordy, go over t’the neighbors and dirty up some fresh territory while I get something done.” So they did. Except Eph. He’s still settin’ there in his new robe and slippers, dozin’ mind you, his head bobbin’ back and forth like a derrick fork. And them poor cows hollerin’ to be milked, and finally I told him, “Lord almighty man, go out there and take out enough milk to relieve their pain anyways, even if you don’t care about no milk check next week.’ So he did. Well, here we are. Where d’you want me to put the roast to keep it warm, Here! Give me that knife, I’ll peel the taters. Don’t you get no help? Where’re your kids? You get started on the rolls, woman. This house is goin’ to be crawlin’ with starving prople before we get turned around and us without a thing to put in their mouths.I thought I told you Big J flour’s better’n this other stuff. Lord! I don’t know what’s goin’ to happen to us. Ten o’clock milkin’; I tell you, I thought I’d never live to the day.”

And then the green jungle explodes into white brightness and come alive with cousins and uncles and aunts as the tribal dance around the tree begins and the hecatombs are offered to the angry powers of hunger and love: roast chicken, roast turkey, hams, and pork shoulders, brown gravies, chicken gravies, sage and giblet stuffing, candied yams and sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, creamed corn, wax beans, lima beans, and string beans, carrots – tossed salads, potato salads, gelatin salads, cream pies, fruit pies, mince pies, pumpkin pies, chocolate cake, and white cakes, jello ad whipped crème and sliced bananas, candy in dishes and boxes, apples, oranges, and bananas – and one cup of coffee brewed just for Uncle Heber, the free-thinker of the tribe who risked the taboo, and for him, too, the cracked saucer for the ashes of his cigar.

And above the crack of celery, the clack of china, the clink oof silverware, the chattering drone and occasional giggle or scream, and through the acrid halo of smoke around Uncle Heber’s head comes Aunt Em’s piercing voice: “It’s a foul habit and an abomination in the sight of God, Heber, and I’d rather see my brother take to drink than terbakker the way you do. And coffee defiles the temple of the spirit in a worse way, and Louisa’s curtain’ll smell of Christmas and sin until the Fourth of July because of you.”

And though the drone and chatter, Uncle Heber’s: Sis, you finish your meal in your way; I’ll finish mine in mine. The Prophet used to smoke, so did Brother Brigham – and chew. They chewed and spit like any man. I sin in good company. Fact, is sis, if the truth was known, smokin’ and good coffee got to be a sin because Joseph had an allergy to caffeine and nicotine. Used to break out in hive after every cup of joe and every satisfying drag, so he made both a sin. Say, get me a stove match will you, sis, while yer up – in the kitchen there. See? A good cigar goes out if it ain’t appreciated.”

And then through the long dying of the day, the world beyond the oppressive clearing behind the stove goes on. Bomba frees the friendly white girl, eats a tapir, while through the nebulous jungle wall from far beyond come the shouts and squeals of cousins and brother and sister play, the falsetto chirping of Aunt talk, and the grumbling bass of Uncle talk. And as the Army boys march aboard the transport in New York to go to France with “Lafayette, we are here,” on their lips, there hovers in the air of the stifling, coal-gas smelling hold of the transport:

“Franklin D. Roosevelt was sent by God to lead his children out of bondage.”

“I like that man’s smile. Then he sticks them cig-roots in his mouth and I tell you I jist don’t know!”

“We should have won that game on the Fourth; Freddie just got a leetle tired. . . .”

“Walkin’ on to my farm and tellin’ me what I can grow and what I can’r. I sicked the dog on that little pipsqueak. . . .”

“Doak, that big elephant, fannin’ twice with men on. . . . Never could hit a round-house out.”

“. . . on relief until his first paycheck . . . blew it all one weekend at Elko. . . “

“Next time Brig Roberts umpire, I say protest the game. . . “ “Two of them Clinton players smoke. I seen ‘em. . . “

“Good for them . . . “

“Heber!”

“Paid in paper script. . . not worth the paper it’s . . . “

“. . . kept track the last three games . . . fanned four times with one on . . . “

“Farmers the last one to get anything from a government . . . “

“We got 3.2 beer what we have to risk damnation to drink. But the price of tater’s about the same as when Hoover. . . “

“ Eat the taters then the shut up. “ S bettern defilin’ Em! We’d live forever, that a-way – the two of us.”

“Ha!”

“Only hit all year as I remember rolled down the gopher hole back of first base in West Warren for a ground rule double. . . some clean up hitter be is. . . “

“don’t care how the man smokes. I’d vote for FDR for God tomorrow if I had the chance..”

“But President Hoover says. . . “

“To Hell with President Hoover!”

“Heber! Heber! Heber!”

And now Bart, the oldest, most handsome, most dependable of all the Army Boys in France, escaped from the hospital in the rear, slogs through the nuts, shells, and package wrapping of rural France, wet, cold, delirious, dropping into shell holes as the rat-a-tat-tat of a match-shooting gun rattles out of the living room from behind the sofa. In the lull that follows, as the darkness comes on, a command rips across the subdue murmur of No-Man’s Land: Ephriam! It’s milkin’ time. Lord! Let’s go on home and see how many cow’s got mastitis from this mornin’. Judas Priest! One thing for sure. Never milk a cow, never have to. They’ll have their bags caked-up like a lick of salt. Come on, Eph!.

And Uncle Heber, rising from the waves of cigar smoke, “Emmie sit down. For the Lord of all the Lamanites. I only see you about once a year, it seems like.”

She, settling back into the sofa, “That’s for sure.” There is a long quiet. Then, “But Heber, when’re you going to come to your senses and make your peace with me and the Church.”

I’m ready, Emmie, always have been. For you or the Church. But I figger the Church’ll be a dang sight easier to settle up with that you.”

From inside the pill-box in the living room comes another burst of fire, and Bart, with his dependent buddies, crawls along a little stream in the gassy gloom of twilight, trying to get a bearing on the mortar that is lobbing rounds into the Company. And Bart whispers, “I’m going over there to see what it looks like, anyways.”

“No, no, bart,” from his friends. But he, “Remember the Luistania.” Ashamed, they say no more. “It may not be what I’m after but just beyond that hill is where I need a pig for winter dressing up, and if Parley P. Brown – Goodie-Two-Shoes Brown, we called him in school – has got what I want –“

‘Heber! That’s talk I won’t hear. He’s a God-fearing man and –“

“And a man practically lacking in the power of speech, Em, that’s what he is. Why, Em whenever I think you’re right, that I’m a sinner temporarily damned to a lower degree of glory, I remember the day I went over there to buy that pig. We’re out in the pen, see – a sloppy pen if you ever saw one – and all these weaner pigs are grunting around in there. I’ve got this gunny sack and a three foot piece of two-by-four, but Parl Brown don’t so things that way. No Sir! ‘You stay here, ‘ he says and he crawls in that stuff. I’ll return presently with a shoat.” Return! Presently! Shoat! The man can’t talk. Well – anyhow – he slops into the pen. He corners one of the wet-snouted little balderdroppers, lunges at it and, by Christmas, kisses by half a foot – skids into the plank wall. Judas Priest, I though he’d killed himself. Picks himself up. Scrapes himself off. Looks over at me. You could hardly see his face. ‘Little rascals,’ he says, and grins; he corners another. Dives again, skids, misses, splatters, hits, stands up,wipes, away at himself a bit. Elusive little tykes,’ he says, turns, gets ready to do it again. I’ve had enough. ‘Parl!’ I beller at him. He looks around. I crawls over the fence. By jaspers, I’m near tears, ‘Parl, for Juniper’s sweet loving sake, man, don’t talk to pigs like that. Now you go on, get out of here!’ He goes, me pushin him. Then I turns to the litter and look them square in the eye. They’re all backed into one side and a corner, still and quiet. They’d sense the change right off. Then I hold my two- by out in front where they can see it. I drops my sack open, the mouth of it facing them. I drops on my haunches and teeters a bit. Then I says, real tight and lowlike: ‘Now – you little thin-snouted, bleary-eyed runty-backed, spiral-trailed sons of this litter, one of you hop into this sack.’ Why, almost immediately, you might say, the one nearest the sack trots over, sniffs a hit, squeals a little, and walks in the sack and curls up. I snap the sack to with a piece of binder twine, hoists it over my shoulder, climbs ion the pick-up and brings it along home. Paid Parl a day later by check. Well, Emmie, you see the point? Sin has its place. A man like Parley P. Brown might not defile the curtains in the parlor, might make it all the way to the Celestial degree of glory, but he’s not worth a good God- damn in a pig pen.”

Then the war draws to its close in the snow of winter and the troops march home from No-Man’s Land, over there, over there – across the rubbles of papers and candy and peanuts and broken toys and needles from the trees, and , suddenly, the lights all over the world come on to Mother’s: You’ll ruin your eyes, son, reading in the dark behind that heater.”

And only the others are there now – the other two and Dad and Mother – and we eat a sandwich of cold chicken and have some milk out of the big pan in the pantry and we have family prayer around a chair in the kitchen. Kneeling there, the linoleum burning its cold into our knees, everything is love and one and whole. The day is blest, and all the days to come.

In the bedroom we shiver against the cold sheets and giggle and fight for warmth against each other.

In enveloping blackness we hear the squeak of the snow under Dad’s boots as he walks for the check-up to the barn and hear the sounds of cleaning up from the kitchen.

Overhead the attic creaks as the old house sways a little in the winter chill that comes down on a black wind from the black mountains to the east an moves through the valley and across the salt lake and into all the years to come – but that cannot touch the bed-covering warmth of a Christmas that is past.

*Reprinted by permission of ‘The Carleton Miscellany”

Northfield, Minnesota 55057

FIRST PLAIN CITY CANNING FACTORY

This was the first canning factory in Plain City. It was located across the street from Loyd Olsen’s home at about 1900 North 4700 West. The factory was built around or before 1900. The picture was taken in 1906 or 1907. The factory was torn down in 1916 or 1917 and part of it was moved to become part of the john Maw store. Laura Musgrave remembers working there as a girl.

We do not have the names of those in the picture, but were told that the older man on far right is Abraham Maw who run the factory. He is the father of Henry T. Maw and grandfather of Abraham Maw.

PICTURE TAKEN ABOUT 1900

Front row left to right:

Trina Folkman, Wilford Danvers, Lonna Richardson Miller, Thomas Jenkins.

Second row left to right:

Elea England Watson, Dave Geddes, Luci Rawson, Sophie England, Jed Skeen, Melissa Carver.

Third row left to right:

Rose Stoker, Cerilla Richardson, Lorenzo Lund, Sussen Geddes, John Moyes, Riley Skeen, Lyman Skeen, Emily White, Richard Lund.

Peter Green was on the original photo with only part of him showing. You could see his hat and right arm and leg.

EARLY ORCHESTRA

The man with the cap is Robert Hunt. He is Clara Hunt Singleton’s brother. Clara was the mother of Florence Singleton Simpson.

OLD PHOTOS

Above two: Plain City’s 110 year Anniversary.

Picture taken in front of the old dance hall. In 1959 on the Sunday nearest the 17^th of March no cars were allowed at the church, just teams and horses and buggies. The people came to church in pioneer dress as a climax to a weeks long celebration.

Above: Rear view of the old Church house. The upstairs was a recreation hall with a stage.

PLAIN CITY CANNING COMPANY

The Plain City Canning Company was built in 1925. They operated the factory for over 30 years. During World War II they used prisoner’s of war for laborers during the canning season. It is owned by George Cook.

EVERETT’S PLUMBING

This building was built by Everett Taylor for his plumbing business.

BUSINESSES OF TODAY

BUILDERS BARGAIN CENTER

Builders Bargain Center, formerly England’s Builders. This business was started and run by Chester England for many years.

The Confectionery, but known to everyone in City has the Pool Hall, or the Grog Hall.

BUSINESSES OF TODAY

BARNES FURNITURE CO.

Barnes Furniture Co. was started by Hebert and Elida Barnes in the winter of 1948-1949. Elida had acquired upholstery skills through Utah State Extension Services with offices in Odgen. Herbert learned wood work, restyling and remodeling from Utah Defense Depot. An elderly German refinishing craftsman taught Hebert the refinishing craft. Later on both had upholstery training through Weber College.

The first shop was one-half of a small railroad box car situated east and south of the present shop at 1600 N. 4700 W.

This makeshift shop was soon out grown. The present shop erected in 1953.

FIRST SHOP

Now owned by George Cook and used as a bath house.

PRESENT SHOP OF BARNES FURNITURE

BUSINESSES OF TODAY

PAUL COSTLEY GARAGE

This garage opened in the fall of 1947, and is located north of the city of Plain City.

C. & B. REPAIR SHOP

The C. & B. Auto Repair Shop owned by Curt Knight and Bruce Hall. The old building at the left is Rall Taylor’s old blacksmith shop.

BUSINESSES OF TODAY

CLIFF FOLKMAN SERVICES

Cliff Folkman operated a gas station in this location for over 30 years. He moved into the new building in the fall of 1964, located in the center of town, on the east side of the Square.

WHITIE’S CAFE AND ICE CREAM PARLOR

Dennis White opened his cafe in the summer of 1976. It is located on the east side of the Square.

BUSINESSES OF TODAY

UTAH TRANSIT AUTHORITY BY RUTH FOWERS

On Tuesday, July 6, 1976, the Utah Transit Authority started regular bus transportation services to Plain City area. The bus arrived in Plain city at 6:55 A.M. and returned to Ogden through Slaterville by way of Pioneer Road. The schedule continued every 40 minutes, the late bus leaving Plain city at 6:55 P.M., Monday through Saturday, with o service Sunday or holidays. It is called Route #20 Plain City.

This service had been in the planning for some three years prior. The U.T.A. is supported by quarter of a cent sales tax. The fare being 15 cents for adults and 10 cents for children and senior citizens, with senior citizens allowed the courtesy ot ride free between the hours of 10 – 3 and after 6 P.M.

Many citizens are enjoying this method of transportation to and from Ogden, some extend its service to Salt Lake City and return.

BANK OF UTAH

Nov. 27, 1972, marked the grand opening date for the Plain City Branch of the Bank of Utah.

The bank has had a steady increase in its patronage since the beginning. Services are available to all the citizens in the surrounding towns. Some clientele come from as far as south Brigham City.

The bank started with three employees and now as four.

Sunday, 7 July 2024 by Sagacity

History of Plain City Pt 9

History of Plain City March 17th 1859 to present, pages 141 through 149.

BONA VISTA IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

SUBMITTED BY FLOYD PALMER

This most important new culinary water system has made life a little more pleasant in this community and surrounding areas. It was turned into the lines just a century after sturdy pioneer families first put together temporary shelters and tapped several sweet water springs which they found in the area.

It replaces old flowing wells, bringing precious waster from the depths of the earth. In early days many deep and surface wells dug, covered over, and fenced off to keep children from falling in. They were first fitted with “pitcher” pumps, a short-handled affair which were the “pumper” out in a short time. Even the farm animals had to depend on well water pumped to the surface by hand.

Later, the easier to work, long-handled pumps were installed. These were followed by power pumps connected to a small storage tank. This was the ultimate in a private water supply.

In 1955, a Weber County man, Linn C. Baker, was a member of the State legislature. He is the one who sponsored the bill to create special improvement districts. The reason he was the sponsor of this bill was due to his work in the Health Department for the State of Utah. As he studied samples of water sent to him from the outlying towns, he became aware of the amount of contamination there was in the drinking water in certain areas, Plain City was among the highest on the list. This was traceable to shallow surface wells being used, also septic tanks with poor drainage.

Soon after the Weber Basin Conservancy District was organized, Plain City wanted to purchase one-thousand-acre feet of water. Their request was held in abeyance until a line could be built from Ogden Canyon. This, however, was never done.

Elmer Carver was on the executive committee of Weber Basin Project. Through the encouragement of Commissioner Carver, Mr. Ezra Fjeldsted, manager of Weber basin Project, and Linn Baker, all met with the Plain City Town Board to get something started. Floyd A. Palmer, a member of the Town Board, was asked to represent Plain City on a committee of surrounding towns in Weber and Davis counties. Mr. Ezra Fjeldsted acted as chairman of this group and several meetings were held in both counties which Mr. Palmer attended.

Following this, a public meeting was held in Plain city. Farr West, and Harrisville were asked to join in. This was for the purpose of starting a culinary water system. The results of this meeting, from all groups attending, were to go ahead, also to contact other nearby towns and get their feelings about joining in.

A series of meetings were held in Farr West, Harrisville, Slaterville, Marriott, Wilson Lane, and Plain City. Other towns were invited to attend. Ezra Fjeldsted represented Weber Basin, Floyd A. Palmer represented Plain City, Dick Groberg represented Farr West, Kenneth Brown represented Harrisville, Clifford Blair represented Marriott and Slaterville, and Arthur W. Sorensen represented Wilson Lane. The meetings were all met with a great deal of enthusiasm and interest.

Plain City Town Board consisted of Lee Olsen, President, Floyd A. Palmer, Elvin H. Maw, Merrill Jenkins, Blair Simpson, as members. A culinary water system was a prime item of the agenda in 1956. The town board along with several local residents were well organized to promote the need for a water supply to replace the surface wells and pumps.

On July 19, 1956, Elmer Carver, Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners of Weber County, State of Utah, signed a certified documents that there be and is hereby created within Weber County, Utah, a Water Improvement District to be known and designated as the BONA VISTA WATER IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, the same to embrace and include all real property lying within the following boundaries, to-wit: (SETS FORTH DETAILED LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF DISTRICT BOUNDARIES WHICH BOUNDARIES EMBRACE LANDS HEREIN ABSTRACTED – Abstracter)

That the following-named persons are appointed as the Board of Trustees of said Bon Vista Water Improvement District:

Floyd A. Palmer, Plain City

Richard Groberg, Farr West

Kenneth Brown, Harrisville

Clifford Blair, Marriott-Slaterville

Arthur Sorensen, Wilson Lane

This resolution shall take effect immediately and shall be recorded in the office of the Weber County Clerk. Recorded August 22, 1956.

Following this appointment from the Weber County Commission, the board held a short meeting. It was necessary to elect a chairman, after a discussion of each of the board members. Kenneth Brown was appointed as chairman.

The first order of business was to secure professional and legal help. Mr. Jack Richards was appointed attorney. Jack Reeves, of the firm of Nelson, Reeves and Maxwell, was appointed engineer. They were appointed to do the field work and present the plans and drawings back to the board.

When the plans were completed, the board spent much time deciding the most feasible and economical areas to run the lines in. Also, to give each town a fair share of the project. Following this, it was necessary to project estimated costs. The board spent many months getting costs and deciding on types and kinds of pipes and materials to use on the project. The overall plans had to look attractive and feasible in order to get a bonding company to handle the bonds.

The first step made to secure the bond issue was to get signed pledge cards with an agreement to pay $250.00 for a waster connection. This was a requirement. Committees were organized with Floyd A. Palmer, Richard Groberg, Kenneth Brown, Clifford Blair, and Arthur Sorensen acting as chairman in each of their respective towns. The result was very successful, all those serving on these committee are deserving of much credit for their untiring effort and accomplishments.

On August 20, 1957, a bond election was held to see if the residents would approve a $900,000.00 bond issue. The vote was 490 yes and 82 no. Edward L. Burton Company was retained as Fiscal Agent, and $698,000.00 was sold in General Obligation Bonds, and the system was under way.

On April 14, 1958, a contract was awarded to Smith-Scott Pipe Company to furnish cement mortar-lined steel pipe for the main lines.

Also, on April 14, 1958, a contract was awarded to Knudson Construction Company to install water mains in the Harrisville-Randall area which was Phase I of the project.

Also, on April 14, 1958, a contract was awarded to Chicago Bridge & Iron Company to furnish and erect a 250,000.00 gallon elevated storage tank in Plain City.

On April 28, 1958, Theron Palmer was hired as General Superintendent to oversee construction and to get it ready to serve and operated as a system.

On May 27, 1958, an office was rented from the E. B. Stone Estate on the corner of 9^th and Washington. The district still maintains its offices here. The building was purchased by the district in 1969 and has been remodeled.

On May 27, 1958, negotiations were begun with the State Department of Welfare of obtain ownership of a spring located in Garner’s Canyon in North Ogden. The spring was used at the time by the welfare department at the Industrial School property for culinary use and irrigation use.

On May 27, 1958, Weber Basin let a contract to Statewide Construction Company to build the 16-inch transmission line from 4000 South on U-84, down into the district where Bona Vista could connect to it.

Also, on May 27, 1958, a piece of property located at 4100 West on 2200 North in Plain city, was purchased from Vern Palmer to construct the elevated tank.

Raymond Concrete Title Company moved in and drove concrete pilings 80 feet into the ground to support the tank.

Gerald Larkin was then awarded a contract to construct a foundation so Chicago Bridge and iron could begin erection.

On July 3, 1958, a contract was awarded to Bert Robinson Construction Company to build lines in the Farr West and Plain City.

Also, on July 3, 1958, Standard Plumbing Supply Company was awarded a contract to furnish materials for service lines.

On July 17, 1958, the Weber County Commission agreed to purchase 60 fire hydrants to go on the system to be located by the Weber County Fire Chief.

On July 17, 1958, Smedley construction Company was awarded a bid to construct lines in the Slaterville, Marriott, and Wilson area for $44,975.00. The same day Mac Construction Company of Salt Lake City was awarded the bid to construct our North Ogden Reservoir for $16,911.00. This is a concrete underground reservoir.

On August 11, 1958, an agreement was reached with the Welfare Department to obtain full use of the spring in North Ogden. Weber-Box Elder water was purchased to replace the Welfare Department’s share of the spring.

On February 11, 1959, work began on the plans and site for a reservoir in the Roy area.

On March 23, 1959, it was decided to run a line on the North Plain City Road.

On August 27, 1959, it was decided to either buy or condemn the Hansen property for a reservoir.

A bid to build a tank in Roy was awarded to Wehyer Construction Company for #31,403.80 on September 23, 1959.

Negotiations began to buy an eight-foot well from the Farr West Stake for $31,403.80 on September 23, 1959.

Linn C. Baker resigned as Secretary on January 1, 1961. He had been with the district since it began.

On December 6, 1961, it was decided to construct extensions to existing mains in the amount of $90,000.00 General Obligation Bonds were sold to finance these extensions. Waterfall Construction Company did the job.

All though the summer of 1961, the Farr West well was tested to see if it would hold up.

On February 28, 1962, President Wimmer signed the Warranty Deed on the Farr West well and property. On January 16, 1963, it was decided to put heat lights on our Roy tank. This was the first such installation in this area and it drew a lot of attention.

The Utah State Health Department studied the plans for use of the plans for use of the existing well in Farr West and decided against allowing it to be used because of its depth. A change application was then filled with the State Engineer to drill the well to a deeper depth.

On May 10, 1963, a contract with Wesley Stoddard was made to drill a well in Farr West for $21,632.00 plus $4,700.00 for the test hole to see how deep the well would have to go.

A meeting was held at the Farr West Pump House building on January 20, 1964. This building was contracted by the Bona Vista Water employees. The piping was also done by employees of Bona Vista.

R. W. Coleman Company was awarded a contract for $18,877.50 to change some lines under the interstate highway on November 22, 1965.

Negotiations began on March 28, 1966, with Weber Basin on the North Ogden Well, which was later drilled and is used in the system now.

Water meters were deemed necessary and were bought by bid from Waterworks Equipment Company and E. C. Olsen Company on October 28, 1968.

BEGINNING OF PLAIN CITY IRRIGATION WATER

1859 Before the summer was over some water had been brought in their new ditch from Four Mile Creek to Plain City. In 1860, the Canal was completed to Mill Creek, the following year to Broom’s Creek and in 1862 to the Ogden River. The Right of Way in Weber River was purchased in 1873 at a cost of $2000.

In 1899 Samuel Wayment drilled an Artesian Well 249 feet deep producing additional water for the settlers. He also was in charge of the iron work and the building of the Chief Canning Factory in Plain City.

PLAIN CITY IRRIGATION-CEMENTING OF THE MAIN CANAL

SUBMITTED BY Wayne Skeen

For many years the Plain City Irrigation Company received it’s water from the Weber River. The diversion point into the canal was just north of the old American Packing Plant that was later called the Swift Meat Packaging Plant. The Irrigation Company had a large Plank Head Gate in the Weber River that forced the water into the Plain City Irrigation Company Canal because of high waters in the spring this gate would wash out and it was necessary to make a gravel and dirt dam each year using horses, scrapers, and even large bulldozers. In recent years this became a major problem.

The government began planning the Willard Project in 1960. This project would interfere to a certain extent with the existing canal used by the Irrigation Company because big Willard Bay Canal would be built in part of our existing canal and would also cross it in part of our existing canal and would also cross it in other areas. The leaders of this project wanted to provide a turn out from the big canal into the Plain City Irrigation Canal. The corporation of our company was necessary to give them the right to use the area affected by the construction of the Willard Bay Canal. The logical point of diversion would be west of the Farr West Church House. This meant that some new construction would be necessary to get the water into the old canal. It was in need of some repairs and it was at this time that the idea of a new cement lined canal was entertained.

Directors who served during this period of construction were as followed:

President Abram Maw 1959-60

President Alvin J. Robson 1961-65

Vice President Walt Christensen 1959-64

Vice President Carl Taylor 1965

Bert Hunt

Charles Heslop

Keith Blanch

Mike Panunzio

Secretary Wayne Skeen 1959-65

High lights of the minutes of the meetings during the construction period are as follow:

August 11, 1959

Ogden City had extra water for sale this year which was allocated out to various canal companies. A motion was made by Alvin Robson that this water be purchased to see them through the current season. It would be paid by those stock holders who subscribed for the extra water.

April 4, 1960

The meeting was called to discuss the new canal. Charles Heslop was assigned to work on interested free money from the Utah Water & Power board for the construction. Alvin Robson was assigned to work with the Soil Conservation on the completion of the surveying of the canal, and additional monies.

July 12, 1960

A meeting was held to discuss a possible shortage of water for the remainder of the year. Time was changed from 20 shares per hour to 25 shares per hour.

January 9, 1961

A priority was established with the Utah Water an Power board for interest free money and application made for $100,000.00

A survey showed that there was a 10% loss of water between the River turn out and the Point of use.

March 8, 1961

The Irrigation Company received a $10,000.00 cash settlement for their rights in the old canal from the O.U.R.D. Railroad Company that passes through their yards.

Alvin Robson, Carl Taylor, and Walt Christensen was to secure information regarding tiling of the canal from Victor Lund’s corner up to the Jesse Singleton property where the canal leaves the road and runs back into the fields.

April 20, 1961

A report was given by Alvin Robson regarding the tiling of the lower part of the canal. There were mixed emotions about tiling this section of the canal because of the fall and the amount of water to be delivered. “Alvin Robson commented as the discussion went on concerning the piping verses the cement lining. The stockholders are residents of this town and should have some concern towards the improvements and beautification of the community and that an open cement lined canals to greet the people entering the town is not very inviting and once it was constructed it would never be changed in our life time.”

Keith Blanch speaking as a town board member expressed his opinion regarding the beautification and eliminating hazards in the community and felt that it was worth while and the tax payers should help with the construction of the Irrigation Company in piping this section of the canal.

Glen Charlton and Lee Olsen from the town board were present. An opinion was asked from the town board members. Mr. Charlton felt it was a worth while project as long as it was right. Mr. Olsen commented that it was a good thing as long as it was sufficient to meet the needs of the water users.

The town board members agreed to cover the pipe that was laid with dirt. It was agreed that 2880 feet of 36 inch tile would be laid this spring from the old beet dump corner to Victor Lund’s corner.

April 27, 1961

The Town board members present: Dee Cook, Glen Charlton, Kent Jenkins, and Lee Olsen. Mr. Covey from Utah State University was also present.

Further discussion concerning cost of construction of the concrete pipe continued. Keith Blanch made a motion that the town board and property owners should join with the Irrigation Company in the cost of the 36 inch tile to be laid. Motion seconded by Carl Taylor

Mr. Robson suggested the property owners who would benefit from the lining of the canal pay $1.25 per foot frontage towards the pipe. The Town Board said they could only participate within the city limits and they would contribute $4,000.00 over a 10 year period. The bids were to be sent to Secretary Wayne Skeen by March 30, 1961.

April 30, 1961

The purpose of this meeting was to open bids. Utah Concrete Pipe Company received bids for 36 inch concrete pipe at $8.75 per foot. Waterfall Construction Company was awarded the laying of the pipe at $1.55 per foot.

Abram Maw made the motion that the project not be stopped at the beet dump corner but continue up to the up to the weir east of the water tower (where the pipe portion of the canal now starts) if the property owners will contribute $1.25 per foot. Motion seconded by Keith Blanch.

Charles Heslop ad Elvin Maw were asked to approach these property owners and get their approval to pay the $1.25 and also contact all stock holders and get their signature for government participation thru the Soil Conservation.

Charles and Elvin were successful in getting all the names except Jesse Singleton who would not accept any government monies and would not pay the $1.25 per foot to tile in front of his property.

Alvin Robson contracted Howard Singleton, Jesse’s boy and he agreed to pay the $1.25 but only up to the old house that sat in the field and that is where the concrete pipe starts today. Alvin Robson tried to convince the Director’s that they should at the company’s cost tile the remainder of the ditch along the road because any future expansion of the community would by hampered by open ditch reducing the width of the road. This motion turned down.

Walter Christensen made the motion that Alvin Robson meet with the Soil Conservation to discuss details of cost and tiling and lining the canal.

April 31, 1961

Alvin East, Maurice Skeen, and Owen Wayment from the Warren Irrigation Company met with the directors to discuss details and sign a contract for the exchange of Ogden and Weber River which would benefit both companies. The contract was signed.

Mr. Daniel Lawrence from the Utah Water & Power Board attended the meeting. Keith Blanch made the motion that Alvin Robson and Wayne Skeen be given the power to enter into a contract with the Utah Water & Power Board for the total cost of $1,300.000.00 and formulate all details.

May 3, 1961

Junior Taylor was appointed as Water Master of the year.

May 15, 1961

The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the Weber Basin Project with E.J. Feldstead and commissioner Wilmer Carver. They needed additional votes to finish construction of the Willard Bay. A proposed addition would cost seventeen million dollars.

June 5, 1961

The purpose of the meeting was to see what should be done because it appeared that there would be a water shortage before the end of the year. It was proposed that we only run off water until the stream reached a point that we could not water properly and then start to use our shortage water and put turns on 1/3 basis.

September 27, 1961

The new project was discussed and it was recommended that the company hire an engineer and begin construction on the upper end of the new canal.

There were many problems that came out of the construction of this canal. It would be necessary to get some dirt to construct the pad for the canal. The company purchased some ground at the upper end of the canal from Max Stander. Then got the dirt that was necessary to build the upper end of the canal and then leveled the ground and gave it back to Mr. Stander. They also purchased additional dirt from Robert Penman. This dirt was trucked from his property just south of the Weber River and west of the main road. The dirt was hauled by farmers using their beet trucks, etc.. The new pad was made in the old canal banks where possible, but there was some trading of land etc. to straighten out the canal. There was also a problem in getting someone to dig out the canal to the size and shape required to allow 50 seconds feet of water at one time. The company asked for bids, but they only received one because the equipment needed to shape the canal was not available. In order to get the project moving Alvin Robson caught a bus on Ogden and went to the Fuller Forms Company in Arizona to see if they had some type of equipment that could be used. He purchased a right to one of their slip forms that could be used in forming and pouring the concrete. He returned to Ogden and worked with the Ogden Iron Works on 23^rd Street and Grant Avenue where the construction of the slip forms took place. The next problem was to begin the construction of the project. Dean Hadley of Taylor was hired to do most of the big equipment work. Local farmers also helped with their equipment. The Soil Conservation furnished the engineering on the project. Herbert Issackson of Pleasant View was the surveyor. One of the major problems that existed and is still a yearly discussion is the amount of water delivered from the existing head gates. The government required that curtained head gates must be varied in size for them to participate financially.

There was much contention and personal feelings during the construction of how it should be done. Some people left the jobs and never came back, but the project was finally finished. The construction created problems for some but most of the inconveniences were ratified by the Irrigation Company. New bridges were built, land was leveled, damages to property was crops were paid for during the construction. The Company paid for fencing materials with the property owners installing the fences. Cattle that used to walk across the stream would fall into the new lined canal and couldn’t get out. The Company paid for some of the cattle that were lost before the agreement to install fencing was made.

The total cost of the project was $199,754.08. The amount of $122,918.61 was borrowed from Utah Water & Power Board. This money was interest free if a yearly payment was made by November 30^th each year. The last payment of $8.257.06 will be paid on November 30, 1977. Other cost not being paid by the stockholders come from the Soil Conservation and the sale of pieces of the old canal, and the town board. Vice President Bill Hatch of the First Security bank was also an asset in the financing of the canal.

We borrowed monies from the First Security Bank as construction went on to pay for cost on a daily basis. On December 31, 1974, the company owed the First Security bank $60,000.00 Alvin Robson and Wayne Skeen met with Mr. Hatch in May regarding this bill. Mr. Hatch said that the bank needed some type of security for this loan. There was nothing to give him because out rights to the canal had been given to the Utah Water and Power Board. Alvin Robson and Wayne Skeen then approached Mr. Lawrence of the Utah Water and Power Board asking them for more money for the project explaining the situation with the bank. Alvin Robson explained that they might just as well take over the ownership of the canal because the bill had to be paid. There was nothing to offer as security because the Utah Water and Power board had everything that the company owned. Later, Mr. Lawrence of the Utah Water and Power Board gave the Irrigation Company an additional $30,000 which helped to delete that note at the First Security Bank.

*********

Sunday, 11 February 2024 by Sagacity

History of Plain City Pt 5

One copy belonged to my Grandparents Milo and Gladys Ross. My Grandpa has written various notes inside the history which I intend to include in parenthesis whenever they appear. They add to the history and come from his own experience and hearing. This one is fun as it includes the history of my Great Great Great Grandparents William and Mary Ann Sharp and also references my Great Great Grandfather Milo Riley Sharp.

History of Plain City March 17th 1859 to present, pages 58 through 75.

William MATHERS

Submitted by Augusta Nash

William Mathers was born in Scotland and came here as a convert to the church. He was a sort of an eccentric man, but he had many special talents and hobbies. He had the finest gun collection for many miles around and loved to decorate the stock with designs of inlaid gold. He was very efficient in this. He also was a taxidermist and did beautiful work in this field. There were few who could match this hunting abilities and the days when few men had enough money to engage in the sport, he became the guide and leader for many well to do men from the city when they came out to hunt. He also was the quarantine official in the days when contagious diseases were quarantined, and he filled this capacity with the utmost integrity, believing absolutely in the law.

Mr. Mathers withi his bag of ducks in front of his shop where he displayed his guns and taxidermy

FRED J. KENLEY

SUBMITTED BY AUGUSTA NASH

Fred J. Kenley started working as a rural mail carrier in 1902, from the main Post Office on Twenty Fourth Street in Ogden. A branch was soon established at Five Points known as Station A. From there two rural Carriers (Routes 2 and 3) and one city carrier sorted their mail and left for their routes. Mr. Kenley’s route (2) consisted of delivery through Harrisville, Farr West, Plain City, Slaterville, and Marriott. A distance of about thirty miles. His first conveyance being a horse and cart, later a buggy and horse. In 1916 he purchased his first Model T Ford. There is much that could be written about the difficulties of delivering the mail; bad weather, bad roads, etc., but he never missed one day. I became his substitute for a long time. He was retired in 1933 by Pres. Roosevelt to help provide jobs to younger men.

Mr. Kenley served the community in other ways. He was a great lover of music and played the clarinet. He with his brother William, who played the violin, and a friend Seth Harper, who played the piano, played for dances all over Weber County. For m any years they entertained in activities all over. Then Mr. Kenley had a choir. In those years almost everyone belonged to the choir. Their weekly practices were held and nothing took place over them. They sang for church, and for entertainment all over Weber County. He took great delight in the accomplishments of this choir. It was second only to the Ogden Tabernacle choir. He was a great scholar and teacher and a Scout Master.

Fred J. Kenley-his first conveyance being a horse & cart

Fred J. Kenley-his later conveyance being a horse & buggy

HISTORY OF PLAIN CITY AS SEEN BY MERLIN ENGLAND

I was born on December 17, 1895, on the same lot that now live on, in a little adobe room. Walter Draney was born on the same day in Plain city. We went to school together and he was a very dear friend. When I was six years old the school was where Walt Christensen lives now. If memory serves me right, Elmer Carver and I are the only two left that attended that school. I can remember three of my teachers; one was Merrill Jenkins’ mother, one was Mae Stewart, who lived just across the road from where I live now. The other was Mrs. Skeen, Ivy Carver’s mother. I can remember Dad tell about the first school which was on the south side of the square. Every Monday morning each of the students took 25 cents to pay the teacher for her wages.

When I was a Deacon, our Quorum took care of the meeting house. There were two stoves, one on each side. It was the Deacon’s work to keep coal and wood for the fires in the wintertime. Richard Lund was the Quorum teacher. Our meeting was Monday night. He had a good singing voice and we had to sing or he wanted to know why. On Saturdays, we would take two horses, a hay rack and our lunch to the north range and cut sagebrush for all the windows in Plain City. The next Saturday we would go in groups and cut the sagebrush into kindling for these ladies. We had a lot of good times and as I remember, there was very little swearing or taking the Lord’s name in vain at any time.

When we went to school, a child’s birthday was celebrated by a surprise party. We had many good times together. Our parties usually broke up at no later than 9:30, I can remember when the dance hall stood where Lynn Folkman’s new home is now. Sometimes later a dance hall was built west of where the church now stands. It later burned down. Many people enjoyed good times at the old dance hall. We had a picture show on Saturday nights. Pete Poulsen and William Hunt took charge of the tickets.

In those days my Father ran a store on the lot where I now live.

It would take all day with team and wagon to bring the dry goods from Ogden. I can remember when the first telephone came to Plain City. My Father gave the telephone company permission to put the switchboard in the back of the store. They took two of my sisters to be switchboard operators. Father and Abram Maw’s grandfather owned the first two telephones. When the phone was put throughout the town, it cost $1.00 a month. Many the night my Father came and got me out of bed and I saddled my pony and delivered a telephone message of a death or of a sick friend to someone in Plain City at all hours of the night. If you needed a doctor, it would take an hour for him to get out this far because it was all horse and buggy. If he needed to stay into the night, it was up to the person who called him to see that his horse was taken proper care of.

Some of the women brought their butter to trade for groceries. Mostly it was a 20 cent a pound trade. Salmon was 10 cents and 15 cents a can. You could buy a work shirt for 65 cents, a pair of shoes for $2.00

The first job I had to earn money was driving cows. I had to drive Father’s cows, so William Hunt and James Stewart hired me to drive their cows. I received 50 cents a month from each of them.

At one time in Plain City there were many people orchards. A lot of the apples were hauled to Salt Lake by team and wagon. It would take three days to go. If you were lucky, you could sell the apples in one day at anywhere from 40 cents to 60 cents a bushel. It would taker a whole day to get home again.

I can remember the first canning factory. They had to haul the cans from Ogden by team and rig with canvas wrapped around them. After the tomatoes were canned, they had to haul to West Weber or Ogden by team to the railroad.

My father, Thomas England, John Maw, and Lyman Skeen were the three men appointed to the committee to bring the railroad from Harrisville to Plain City and Warren. That increased the sugar beets by many acres because the railroad would do the hauling out.

The first gravel roads we had in Plain City were made with rock that was crushed at the west end of Pleasant View, North Ogden, and Ogden, and was hauled to Plain City and Hooper by team and wagon. The men would do it in the winter when work was hard to find. One man would put in three days a week, and then another would work the other three.

I married Florence Taylor February 4, 1914, in the Logan Temple. In 1916, I bought the old Boyd place where the family then lived. There was no school bus at the time, so the children had to get to school the best way they could. Then they would hurry home from school to do their chores and help their mother with dinner. I spoke to the picture shows they had on Saturday nights. Our car would leave home with our girls in it. By the time we got there, the car was full with one or two on the running board besides.

I hauled milk by team and wagon to Farr West to the skimming station and then hauled the whey back to the farmers. The plant was located near where Ernie Jensen now lives. Two years later, Weber Central Dairy brought the ole Black and Griffin Building on 26^th and Wall, and I hauled milk there for six years.

When I was hauling milk, George Palmer, who was crippled quite badly, was put in as Bishop. He didn’t have an automobile and so once a month when I would pick up his milk, he would put the Church money in three different money sacks to three different banks and give it to me. I would take the money to the banks and being the receipts and the sacks back to him. Bishop Palmer told me many a time that he didn’t know how he could have done that service.

I am 80 years old. I have a wonderful family and I think the world of them. I good health and I am thankful for my parents and my name. I have lived in Plain City all of my life and I have many wonderful friends.

The year 1905 is the date given that the first telephone came to Plain City. The first telephone switchboard was located in the store owned by Thomas England. There were three long-distance lines. A system of record keeping was to have twenty calls, then registered.

The first exchange was operated by the family of Mr. England. Lillian England was the chief operator. Her salary was $25.00 a month. Lester England, Wilford England, and Hazel Kennedy were relief operators. They were paid $15.00 a month for their services. Service was provided for Weber, Warren, Plain City, Farr West, and possibly Slaterville.

Later, the telephone company lent money to build a telephone exchange building on the spot where marvel England’s home now stands. It was dismantled when no longer needed.

Telephones were few and far between in early Plain City. Mr. Thomas Jenkins told of walking from his home to the home of Henry T. Maw to use the phone in the middle of the night.

Later on, more telephones were installed; party lines with 8 to 10 families were common. The telephones helped to bring the boundaries of the town closer together.

The box-on-the-wall type of telephone was later replaced with the more modern cradle-portable phone. Then, a great step was taken with a few people having private lines, and reduction of parties on a line. This really helped to have all those rings eliminated for every other party on the line. Then more recently, many homes have telephones in the various rooms of their homes.

In the summer and fall of 1973, the biggest change took place. The old telephone lines were replaced with an underground cable with many lines in it. This helped most families to now have a private line. This removal of the old poles and wires has added much to the appearance of the town.

On December 17, 1976, Merlin England said, “today is my eight-first birthday, and it’s the first day in my life I have ever known when there wasn’t a telephone pole one-third of the way through the lot on the east side. Other poles have replaced the original one during my life time, but today the telephone company came and finished putting our lines underground and removed that pole.”

There are a few places in Plain City where the cable is still in the air. The initial project for private line services with the cable placed underground was during the spring and summer of 1973. The completion date for the big push was October of 1973.

The first telephone switchboard for Plain City was located in the back of the store owned by Thomas England. It was located on the same lot where Merlin England was born and lives, 4275 W 2650 N. The store was just west of the England home. The first two telephones in Plain City were those of the Senior Abram Maw and Thomas England. The charge of service was $1.00 per month. If a connection was wanted outside of the Plain City area, Lillian England, the switchboard operator would connect with the Ogden operator who would make further connections. There was no dial system at that time.

The telephone office and switchboard was later moved to the location on the lot where Marvel England now lives.

Merlin England and his wife, Florence, lived in this telephone building part of 1914 and 1915.

WILLIAM DOLBY SKEEN

SUBMITTED BY BEVERLY B. EDDY

William Dolby Skeen and Mary Davis Skeen were among the first settlers of Plain City. William Skeen owned the first settlers of Plain City. William Skeen owned a race track in the south end of Plain City, which was then called four mile, now known as Pioneer Village. He owned two famous race horses, which he brought from Europe.

William Dolby Skeen also built the first rock house in Plain City. The rocks used to build this house were hailed from the Hot Springs Mountain area.

Old Rock House build by William Dolby Skeen as it appears today.

THE OLD ROCK HOUSE

SUBMITTED BY NELDA ETHERINGTON

William Dolby and Caroline Skeen’s log house was one of the early ones in Plain City. After living in it for a short time, he added an adobe section to it. In 1862 he erected a stone house securing his rock at the Utah Hot Springs and hauling it in by oxen. William Sharp, an early brick mason, laid the stones and helped Thomas Singleton in doing the carpenter work. Mary Anne Skeen Etherington was born in the log cabin and was one of the first babies in Plain City.

Ebenezer Clawson Richardson purchased the rock house from William Skeen in 1868 and it remained in the Richardson family for almost a hundred years. The rock house is now owned by John Etherington, a Great-Grandson of William Skeen.

Two of Ebenezer’s three wives shared the house. Polly Ann Child, wife #2, had the west three rooms and her sister wife #3 Phebe, had the east rooms, with the kitchen in the center. Both shared the “Front Room”. There had been a stairway in the Front Room, but, it was taken out to make more room so the boys had only a ladder to a small balcony on the south side to get to their bedrooms.

The Richardsons were noted for their hospitality, and many parties and dances were held in the big front room. Ebenezer played the fiddle and also played it for the community dances and entertainment. At one time the boys had no shoes, which was not unusual for that day, so they pooled their money and bought a pair of shoes and the boys took turns wearing them at the dances.

Ebenezer was forced to go to California to work in the gold mines in 1873. While he was there his foot was crushed by a falling rock. Infection set in and he died on September 27, 1874. Two sisters Polly and Phebe continued to share the home until 1905 when Polly Ann died and Phebe bought her share.

The children grew up and one by one left to make homes of their own. Some of the boys brought their brides home for awhile. While one of the boys and his wife were living there, they had a set of premature twins which were buried under the grape vines that used to be in the center of the lot.

In September, 1907, Phobe’s son Charlie, decided to buy the Old Rock House with his wife Amanda, and their six children Joe, Sarah, Mary Lodisa, Orpha, and Angeline. They left Pocatello, Idaho with all their worldly belongings in two covered wagons. The Old Rock House was alive again with the clatter and clamor of children after having stood empty for a few months.

They loved it there and soon had a lot of dear friends. The three Grieve girls, Laura, Emma, and Ellen, the three Mc Elroy girls, Zara, Vesey, and Helen, and the Richardson girls all grew up like one happy family, sharing fun times and sometimes some squabbles, but always making up like real sisters. The Grieves’ had three tots, Willie, Violet, and Pete, little cherubs, mothered by all the girls until they didn’t know which house was their home. It was a lot of fun to sleep in the spooky upstairs in the hayloft in Mc Elroy’s barn, while Mary and Zara competed in who could tell the scariest ghost stories.

Sometimes, Mr. Mc Elroy would bring his Edison Phonograph over and play records all evening. Amanda Richardson always found something to serve for refreshments and Charlie would bring in a long plank to place across two chairs to make seating room for the neighbors and children. One of the favorite records was “Wearing of the Green” by Henry Louder.

The first Richardson to live I the Old Rock House were Ebenezer and Polly. Their children were Warren, Ebenezer, Angeline, and Levi. Phebe’s children were Amanda, Charles, Franklin, Cornelius, Chancy, Alfred, Myron, William Ezra, and Joseph having been born in the rock house. Ebenezer C. Richardson was the father of 34 children, not all which lived to maturity.

The old Rock house has been a home to many people, its memory will live on for a long time.

Skeen Family, Back (l-r) Alex, Catherine, and Frenz Denial Skeen; Front: Clara Loretta, Mary Davis, and William Delbert

Mary Davis Skeen was born in Llanelly, Wales, and arrived in Salt Lake Valley, Christmas Day 1856. On March 17, 1859, she arrived in Plain City with the first settlers. She was then a girl of thirteen years and was one of two single girls in the entire company.

Mary Davis Skeen went through all the hardships incidents to a pioneer life, but always bore these hardships bravely.

During an epidemic of small pox, she buried her last child. Three boys in all. Two of these children died in the same night. They were all buried at night and through fear of the dreaded disease, friends dared not to go near to offer their sympathy, in this dark hour. Six children were born to her after this.

It is believed that Mary Davis’ mother, Mary Eyenon Davis, had the first flower garden in Plain City.

MARY ANN BAILY PADLEY SHARP

WILLIAM SHARP

William Sharp, born December 10, 1825, in [Misson], Nottingham, England, married Mary Ann Padley in St. Louis. She was born November 28, 1828, in [Mattersey], Nottingham, England. They came across the plains in the Moses Clawson Company arriving in Salt Lake on September 15, 1853. They went to Lehi but the land was not too good and there was no good grazing for their cattle, so they left with the main group that settled in Plain City, arriving March 17, 1859. The children that came with them were Lorenzo Padley, Annie Elizabeth, and Milo Riley. Their daughter, Evelyn was the first white baby girl born in Plain City on October 12, 1859.

The family lived in a wagon box while they built a log and adobe cabin. William Sharp was a carpenter and mason and made some of the first adobe. He helped build many of the first buildings in Plain City.

Submitted by Albert Sharp

JOHN MAW

SUBMITTED BY IRENE SKEEN AND

DOROTHEA DeYOUNG

Many many men did a great deal to make Plain City what it is today and one of these was John Maw.

He was born in Plain City, January 16, 1868, the second son of Abraham and Eliza Tripp Maw, who had migrated here from Root, Lincolnshire, England. He received his formal education in the Plain City Public School and the Weber State Academy.

He married Annie C. Poulsen, daughter of Andreas Peder and Hansene Hansen Poulsen, November 5, 1890, in the Logan Temple. From this union came eight children, Wilmer J., Abram, Irene, and Ira (twins), R. Rufus, Gilbert E., George C., and Dorothea.

Mr. Maw, soon after his marriage, was associated with ZCMI store in Plain City for five years, following which he spent many years in the sheep business, along with farming. He had a large farm and gave many young men, at that time employment. To some, it was a lifetime career. At that time John Maw was given credit for “having taught many young men in Plain City to work”, because he was such a hard worker himself, he expected an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay from those who worked for him. It was often said, “We receive extra pay for working for John Maw because of the extra good food his good wife serves.”

Much of his farming during his lifetime also included truck gardening. He was also engaged in the cattle business which he remained active in until the time of his death. One unfortunate experience he had with cattle happened in 1932. The cattle were crossing Frist Creek, north-west of Plain City, when the ice broke. He lost 42 head of cattle. He made the statement “Well, those who have them have to lose them, because the ones that don’t have them can’t.”

In 1896, Mr. Maw, with others, was instrumental in building canning factory in Plain City. He was a member of the board and later was appointed manager. In the spring of 1920 he purchased the building and moved part of it to be used as the John Maw & Sons Store (later known as W.J. Maw & Sons). This store stood on the property west of the present bowery and extended back to the south end of the present church parking lot. As time went on the building was added on to. The store began as a grocery, hardware, lumber, coal, potato, and onion business. In 1928 the company became a Case Farm Machinery Dealer. After 1937 additional machinery lines were added and in 1948 the Surge Dairy Equipment line was taken over. In the early days of the store there was a wrestling ring in the upstairs of the store and wrestling and boxing matches were held. Roller skating also took place in the upstairs. The warehouse across the street was built in 1940 for potato, onion, and equipment storage. In 1963 the property was sold to the LDS Church and the buildings were later torn down. He also owned the store for some time that is now the Plain City Confectionery in which was sold mainly dry goods and confections and items not sold in the other store.

In 1907 & 1908 John Maw, Lyman Skeen and Mr. Eccles, head of the Utah – Idaho Railroad Company, negotiated for a railroad to Plain City. On Nov. 15, 1909 the first railroad was built into Plain City. This made a great difference in the lives of people living in the town because goods could be brought in and sent out more rapidly and people had transportation. Mr. Maw traveled to the east each spring to buy and ship home seed potatoes for the farmers, so with the railroad they could be brought directly to Plain City.

He served as Sheriff of Plain City for 16 years. Along with others, he was involved with overseeing the building of the addition to the old church, and upstairs amusement hall and classrooms. Some years later he helped to raise the money and helped to oversee the construction of the old dance hall. It was known, at the time, as the open-air dance hall because so much of it was screen with drop shutters. It was later closed in and modernized some. Still later it was completely remodeled and used by the church for various reason, but later burned down.

At the time the Utah Power & Light Company was wiring the town of Plain City for electricity, in about 1912, four men lived at john Maw’s home while working here. They first wired the town and then began wiring the houses. They hadn’t planned to connect any homes to the main line until all the homes were wired, but the working men found out that it was Mrs. Maw’s birthday on June 13^th and decided to surprise her with the first lights in Plain City. They completed the hookup, even installing the light globes, and while the family were eating their evening meal one of the men slipped away and pushed the switch that turned all the lights on, inside and out. Every room of the two story house was lit up. Also Mrs. Maw’s family presented her with an electric washing machine that night. Because everyone had looked forward a long time with anticipation to having electricity there were many visitors at the Maw home that night.

With all the many things John Maw was interested in and accomplished, one would have to say that his great love, his greatest concern and his ability to look into the future was with the irrigation work he did. He was connected with the Plain City Irrigation Company and the Weber River Users Association. He was president of the Plain City Irrigation Co. for about twenty-five years and a director of the Weber River Users Association, generally spoken of as Echo Project, for the most of thirty-five years. In this time, he served as vice president and also a member of the executive committee. He was greatly involved and worked on installation of siphons under railroad tracks and under the Ogden River, enabling farmers of the district to get their irrigation water direct from the Weber River. During this project, which was a tremendous one, he lost of one of his best horses in quicksand. In this association with the Echo Dam Project, he purchased much of the land for that project.

One of the highlights of Mr. and Mrs. Maw’s married life was their trip to Europe to meet their youngest son George as he was returning from a mission to South Africa. They were able to visit the native lands of their parents and many others. They were gone for three months.

Mr. Maw was a very thoughtful man and deeply concerned about the welfare of others. While in business, for Christmas he would deliver a ton of coal to the widows and needy families. He would also kill some of his beef cattle and take meat to those people. Of course, he didn’t limit this to only Christmas time but as he saw peoples need.

At the time of his illness, he was in the hospital in extreme pain but even then he was worried about the water situation. We had such a dry spring and the crops were not coming up, so everyone was praying for rain, and whenever anyone entered his room he would say “Is it raining?”

He passed away May 27, 1936, at the age of sixty-eight. His funeral was held May 31^st in the old Ogden Tabernacle. It was very strange – whether it was I answer to people’s prayers, a coincidence that it happened at that time, or as many people thought a tribute to him for his great work in irrigation and his concern for other people, that the rain came down in torrents, before, during, and for some time after the funeral. It was like the very heavens had opened to let down rain.

One speaker at the funeral said in tribute to him, “I think I can properly say that John Maw is as near a human dynamo as I have ever met. He was full of energy and spent an unusual active life. He thrived on obstacles. It seemed no obstacle was too great for him to tackle, and he usually succeeded. It just seemed to whet his determination to be under difficulties, and he always wanted to carry his load.” He has been missed greatly by his family, his friends and associates.

LYMAN SKEEN HOME

The home was built about 1870 and was added onto several times. It is still standing and is owned today by George and Charleen Cook.

Right to Left… Lyman S. Skeen (1850), Sabra Alice Skeen (1887-91), Electa P. Dixon (1852), Isabelle Skeen (Charlton) ( 1889), Lyman Skeen (1871)-away at medical school, Charles Skeen (1872), Joseph Skeen (1876), David Skeen (1885), Emma Jane Skeen (1881), Electa Skeen (Johnson) (1879), and Mary Ellen Skeen (Rawson) ( 1883). Picture was taken in the summer of 1889.

AUGUSTA K. KENLEY HOME

Augusta K. Kenley was born in Germany and came here as a convert to the church. On September 23, 1894 there was a small church located directly across the road from her home. It was called the Poplar Branch and Sunday School, primary, Religious Classes, as well as day school were held here. Room was scarce and so for many years she prepared two or three rooms of her home every Sunday morning for the smaller children who marched over and had their classes in her home. She had small benches made to fit her children and each Sunday as she cleaned her rooms the benches were put into another room to be kept clean and dry for the next week. They were never put outside. It is not known exactly how many years this was carried out, but the church did away with the Poplar Branch and was joined with the Plain City people. The picture shows Augusta K. Kenley and her home. It was later moved by Lynn Folkman to 2230 North 4350 West and is still owned by him.

EARLY HOMES

Home of Andrew Peter Poulsen. Karan Kirstina, Pedar, Annie, Petra, Sena, Andrew Peter, Hans P. Poulsen

Later the home of Hans Poulsen, and now the home of Bernard Poulsen. The home has been remodeled.

The addition on the north or left side was the store run by Jens P. Folkman, and later by Peter M. Folkman. Peter M. Folkman built an addition to the store with a meat market and cooler for the meat.

HENRY JAMES GARNER

SUBMITTED BY RULON B. GARNER

Henry James Garner was born June 9, 1855, in Ogden, Utah. He was the son of Henry Garner and Melvina M. Browning. Henry Garner Sr. was the son of Phillip Garner who was a member of the Mormon Batallion. When mustered out in California, he returned to Utah, bringing the first pound of alfalfa seed to Utah.

Henry J. Garner was married to Eliza Ann Ballantyne January 31, 1884. Eight children were born by this union.

In 1894, Henry J. Garner came to Plain City as store manager for Zion Cooperative, where he worked from 1884 to 1894. The Plain City store was located on the northwest corner of his block from the town square. Later he and Robert Maw bought the store together and operated it as a partnership. They also owned some sheep. About a year later, Henry J. Garner bought a farm and a house (the O. J. Swenson property). He operated this first store until he bought one of the old smelter buildings out near the Utah Hot Springs. This was about 1906. The building was too large to move in one piece, so he employed George Streeter, who sawed the building in half, and he put bob sleighs under each half and when the snow was sufficient, they moved the smelter building and set it up about a half block south of the first store. There it was set on a foundation and reconditioned as a General Merchandise Store. The name of the store was Henry J. Garner & Sons. He operated this store and farm until 1922, when he sold them, and retired. He then operated a chicken business until 1925. He then sold out in Plain City and bought a house in Ogden, Utah, at 3135 Ogden Avenue.

In 1897, he was elected school trustee with S. P Draney and Milo Sharp. He served four years. The school districts were then consolidated and one large school house was built. Prior to this time, school was conducted in three, one-room school houses. On June 16, 1901, the L.D.S. Sunday School was organized with Henry J. Garner, Superintended, O. C. Raymond, first Assistant. and L. R. Jenkins, Second Assistant, Clara Jenkins as Secretary, and George Hunt, Treasurer. He served as first counsel to Bishop George W. Bramwell, with Peter M. Folkman as second counselor. On June 28, 1906, Bishop Bramwell resigned, and Henry J. Garner was selected as Bishop to fill his vacancy. Peter M. Folkman was first counselor, Peter B. Green, second counselor. Stake authorities present were L. W. Shurtliff and C. F. Middleton.

Henry J. Garner’s wife Eliza died of an accident with an electric washing machine on October 23, 1916. He married Jane Liddle Warner, May 1, 1918, in the Salt Lake Temple.

After Henry J. garner was released from the Bishopric, he was a member of the North Weber Stake of the L.D.S. Church until he moved to Ogden in 1925.

Henry J. Garner died April 6, 1934 at the age of 79.

Henry James Garner when he moved to Plain City in 1894

Henry J. Garner and wife Jane L. Warner Garner, Milton Garner, Leona Warner

LYMAN SKEEN CONSTRUCTION CAMP

These are part of the men and women, teams of horses and equipment, that worked and built the railroad near the Hot Springs. Left To Right: The man holding the hand plow on the left is Sant Manson. Charles Skeen is holding the white team. Blaine Skeen is the boy in front. Lyman Skeen is the man standing in front. Louis Carver, a son-in law of Lyman Skeen. He also served as timekeeper for the company. We cannot identify any of the others.

THE MC ELROY STORE

George and Martha Mc Elroy moved to Plain City from Philadelphia, Pa., with their two sons, George Jr. and Bill. They purchased the land where the garage and the “Old Mc Elroy Home” stands, from William and Mina Gampton for $600.00 in September, 1903.

Mr. Mc Elroy was a cabinet maker and some of his original carpenter work is still found in the front of the garage. He was an inventor and had several of his inventions patented, he build several homes in the Plain City area, some of which are still in use.

The carpenter shop was in the rear of the building and they had a candy shop in the front. Helen, Vesey, and Zara Mc Elroy worked in the candy shop after school, but when “Mas Mac” was there, she gave the candy away. Mr. Mc Elroy liked to tease the youngsters from school and would nail pennies on-to the counters. One of the old displays counters is still in use in the front of the garage.

The Mc Elroy store was the first building in Plain City to have electric lights. Mr. Mc Elroy was an agent for Modern Electric Company of 2422 Hudson Ave. in Ogden (now called Kiesel Ave.).

The Mc Elroys lived in Plain City for 28 years before moving to California. Their Son-in -Law Roland Etherington bought the carpenter shop and turned it into a garage, building onto the original shop several times. It was known as Roll’s Garage until 1959 when Roland died and his son John Etherington took it over and the name was changed to Jack’s Garage.

ROLL’S GARAGE

Roland Etherington purchased the “Mc Elroy Store” from Geo. Mc Elroy and opened Roll’s Garage in 1931. Roll Graduated from the Sweeney Automotive School, Kansas City, Mo.,

Some of the people who have worked for Roll are:

Lawrence Carver

Clair Folkman

Homer Poulsen

Don Jensen, from 1939 to the present

John Young

Sam Hori

Elmer Ericson

Marshall Ericson

And many others.

Additions were made to the garage in 1938, 1944, and 1955. The bulk Gas and Oil Plant was started in 1951. It was known as Jack & Roll’s Gas & Oil Company.

Roland Etherington died in 1959 and his John Etherington took over the business and changed the name to jack’s Garage.

Sunday, 10 September 2023 by Sagacity

History of Plain City Pt 1

History of Plain City March 17th 1859 to present, pages 1 through 32.

Preface

This history was compiled and printed for the purpose of supplying some facts, stories, and histories of the town of Plain City. That you as an individual may take a little more pride and stand a little taller in the support you give our town. It is a tribute to the men and women who had the foresight, vision, courage, and strength to endure the hardship that were necessary to make Plain City a nice place to live.

They were a choice breed of people selected to perform great and noble deeds. Their character was unselfish and pure. Their word was their bond. Their ambition unmatched, and their courage unequaled. Their convictions were true and they were a happy people.

We encourage you to read the entire book for we think you will find it enlightening and interesting. We know that this is not a complete history of Plain City, but we used most of all of the material that was turned in. We realize that there are duplications, grammatical errors, dates that conflict, and others, but please don’t pick away at the format so much that you miss the important message. If any are dissatisfied, we issued a simple challenge; collect and write your own history.

It is not the intent of any of the articles to show malice or unkindness to anyone. But, rather we encourage any and all to look upon it as a tribute to an already good name.

We should extend a special thanks to the Plain City Community School, and especially to Robert P. Stewart, Principal. Bob thinks and acts like a native of Plain City, and his helpful knowledge in putting the book together is appreciated. His help and cooperation in getting the book to press were invaluable.

Ruth Powers, whose ideas and work have helped to make the book all possible. Her concern for the total book, and her work in collecting materials is most appreciated.

Clara Olsen and Roxey Heslop have collected and written articles and helped to put the book together. Their work is appreciated.

My good wife Dorothy, whose background and training in editing has been most helpful. For the ever long hours we have worked together has been enjoyable. As we go to press, the hours worked seem short, the rewards great, and the satisfaction elevating to say the least. The most rewarding experience have been with the people who welcomed us into their homes and supplied us with pictures and materials. We are most appreciative.

And, to any others who have helped in any way with the book, we appreciate them.

Lyman Cook

Dorothy Cook

Editors

TABLE OF CONTENTS

History from the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Plain City Camp . . 1

Latter Day Saints Church History of Plain City . . . . . … . . . . . . . . 33

Mary Ann Carver Geddes . . . . . . . . …. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 44

Early Settlers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

History of the “Dummy” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Agenda of the First 17^th of March Celebration, Fifty years in P.C. 53

12^th Annual Homecoming Article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Collection of Histories, stories, etc. of early Plain City from many sources 55

Documents of Servicemen’s Monument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Beet Growing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Dairy Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. .. . . . 86

Cemetery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Plain City Town Incorporation, Town Boards, and Mayors . . . . . . . . . 95

Lions Civic Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Bona Vista Water, Plain City Irrigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 141

Town Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Story “A Child’s Christmas In Utah” By Wayne Carver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Pictures of Early Plain City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Business of Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Can You Remember or Did You Know, by Lyman H. Cook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

PLAIN CITY HISTORY WRITTEN BY AND IN POSSESSION OF DAUGHTERS OF UTAH PIONEERS, PLAIN CITY CAMP

Plain City is located about 10 miles northwest of Ogden, Utah.

In the fall of 1858, a small group of Lehi men went north into Ogden and vicinity for the purpose of locating a site for the founding of a new settlement. Conditions in Lehi at this time were not very encouraging for the late comers. The water had already been appropriated by the early settlers. There was no range for the cattle, not much good farmland left, and other adverse conditions which made it necessary for the late comers to seek homes elsewhere.

During the general exodus south in 1858, many Lehi men contacted farmers from Weber County who told them of the rich lands lying to the west and north of Ogden. They decided to go there and locate farms, if the conditions were favorable.

One of their camping places was on Kay’s creek (now Kaysville), near the farms of John Carver, John Hodson, and Chris Weaver. As conditions here in Kay’s Ward, respecting the priority of water rights were similar to those in Lehi, John Carver decided to join them in their expedition north. John Hodson went to Plain City later. This was in October of 1858.

Their next camping place was at the intersection of Twelfth Street and Washington Boulevard in Ogden. There they met Lorin Farr, who had just returned from the rich plains northwest of Ogden, where he pastured his cattle. He told them he thought it would be an ideal site for a settlement, as water was not far away and the soil was very rich and deep. They decided to look over the country with Lorin Farr acting as guide. Among those in the company were Daniel Collett, Joseph Skeen, and his son William, Thomas Fryer, W. W. Raymond, John Spiers, Joseph Robinson, John Folker. Joseph Folkman, Jeppe Folkman and Thomas Ashton.

(Statements of Lyman Skeen, Thomas Fryer, and Willard C. Carver, Deweyville, Utah April 22, 1919. Copy of Thomas Fryer’s statement obtained by Robert Davis.)

I was one of the party that came up to where Plain City now stands in the fall of 1858. We camped where the big levee was made, a party consisting of Joseph Skeen, Collet Hopkins, David Francis, Thomas Frayer, Robert Maw, and others with Mr. Garner who lived on Mill Creek near where the Slaterville Creamery now stands (1919).

With Mr. Garner as guide we followed up Mill Creek to where Mill Creek crosses Twelfth Street. From there with a level made out of sixteen-foot two-by-tour, grooved out by this same Mr. Garner, and set on a three-legged tripod, with water in the groove to act as a level, from this joint as described on Twelfth Street, the Plain City Canal from this joint to “Big Levee” was made.

The preliminary survey was made by Mr. Garner. The tripod was carried by William Skeen and myself. The water to fill the level when it was rested was carried in a canteen by Joseph Skeen. This preliminary survey was made to the Big Levee that fall of 1858. We worked on the Big Levee that fall till we went back home to Lehi. In March, 1859, we moved to where Plain City is now established.

In the Spring of 1858, Joseph Skeen brought Jesse Fox to Plain City after the first settlers came to Plain City and he re-surveyed the canal over. The preliminary survey was made by Mr. Garner and after that we went back and made a survey from Mill Creek to Ogden River. I came to Plain City with John Draney, Sam Parke, and the Garners; two or three days after the first arrivals.

When we came there was little or no snow on the ground. Two or three days after a snowstorm came. The ground was covered with high bunch grass and sage brush.”

Besides making this preliminary survey of the canal, the little group of men selected their farms and lots with the understanding that their choice met with the approval of the colonists who were planning to come later, cleaned out some of the springs to the west, rode over the pastures land around Little Mountain, and undoubtedly gave some attention to the planning of the location of the village.

Then they returned to their homes to wait until the next spring before moving to the place they and to his home for their future homes. John Carver walked to his home on Kay’s Creek; most of the way through deep sand.

On March 10, 1859, quite a large body of colonists left Lehi to come North and located upon the site chosen in Weber County, the fall before. They were seven days on the trip making seven camps as follows:

On the Jordon River this side of the point of the mountain.

Where Murray is now situated.

Upon the site where Centerville is now located.

Kay’s Creek, now Kaysville.

A dry camp north of the sand ridge.

On the Weber River northwest of the sugar factory.

Plain city on March 17, 1859.

Part of the company stayed in camp near the present site of the Amalgamated Sugar Factory, but the Vanguards pushed on ahead, arriving about 5:00 pm, March 17, 1859. According to Lyman Skeen’s statement, only about 12 or 14 actually came with the first company.

Upon arrival March 17, 1859, the snow lay deep upon the ground, and the cattle belonging to the company were driven to Little Mountain for feed with Alfred Folker, and Mile Nolan in charge. (By Lyman Skeen)

According to Willard C. Carver all who came in the first group, consisting mostly of those who had teams, made camps on the west side of Plain City, near the spring and started to till the soil. They arrived on the 17^th of March, 1859. Then another group came in a little later and camped on the Sam Draney’s lot because it was dry and sandy and there wasn’t room near the other camp as the land was being cultivated

Copy of Robert Maw’s statement dated April 16, 1916 at Ogden, Utah.

I Robert Maw, say that I was on of the first pioneers who came to Plain City on March 17, 1859. We left Lehi on the 10^th of March, and was 7 days on the road. Crossing the mud flats at Bountiful, we had to hire extra teams to pull us through. We got to Plain City about 5 o’clock in the afternoon and we camped on Samuel Draney’s lots in a little hollow in the south part of what was afterwards Plain City Plat. The sage brush was very high there. We piled up sage brush behind the wagons which we had lined up east and west and that protected us from the north wind. We dug a big hold in the ground and built a big campfire on the south side of the wagons, and made a very comfortable camp.

In crossing “Four Mile Creek” we had to double teams because the frost was nearly all out. We had 6 to 8 oxen on the wagon. I drove one wagon and in our wagon was Thomas and Mary Davis, Deseret Davis Masterson, Mary Davis Skeen, and my wife, Ann Davis, to whom I was married in Lehi before we came to Plain City. After we left Four Mile Creek we found patches of snow here and there and the ground was very muddy, no roads. On the night of the 19^th, it snowed about 10 inches.

List of Plain City Pioneers of 1859, as given by Robert L. Davis and revised later by Peter M. Folkman, Josiah B. Carver, and others.

George Musgrave and wife, Victoria Dix

Charles Neal and Wife, Annie England

Jens Peter Folkman and wife, Matilda Funk and son, George P. Folkman

Robert Maw and wife, Ann Davis

Jeppe G. Folkman and wife, Annie

Thomas Davis and wife, Mary, and the following children:

Mary Davis

John Davis

Robert Davis

Deseret Davis

Joseph Robinson and wife, Alice Booth

Susannah Beddig came 23 of July, 1859

Seth Beddis

William Sharp and wife, Mary Ann and the following Children:

Milo Sharp

Elizabeth Sharp

Evelyn Sharp (born in Plain City in 1859)

Lorenze Padley and an adopted son or stepson

William VanDyke and wife, Charlotte and son William.

David Francis

Daniel James and wife and the following Children:

Charlotte Ann

Elizabeth Ann

They stayed only a short time and went to North Ogden.

Came in the fall of 1859

Alonzo Knight and wives, Catherine McGuire and Martha Sanders

William Knight

Charlotte Knight

Amanda Knight

Henry Newman and wife and the following children:

Henry Newman Jr.

Deseret Newman Jr.

William Skeen and wife, Caroline and son William Jr.

John Folker and wife, Alice and son Alfred, who rode horse back with Lyman Skeen and daughter Anni Folker.

Joseph Skeen and wife and following children:

Joseph Skeen

Lyman Skeen

William Skeen

Jane Skeen

Moroni Skeen

Thomas Singleton and wife, Christine Woodcock and the following children:

Elizabeth Singleton

Emma Singleton

Sarah Singleton

Thomas Jr. The first born in Plain City that year.

John Draney and wife and the following children:

Samuel Draney

Isabel Draney

Jonathan Moyes and wife, Dinah Abbott

James Rowe

William Geddes and wives, Elizabeth and Martha

Agnes Geddes

William Geddes

Joseph Geddes

Hugh Geddes (born in Plain City in the fall of 1859)

William L. Stewart

Abraham Brown and wife and the following children:

Jeanette Brown

Byron Brown

Newell Brown

Oscar Brown

Leveridge or Leavitt Brown

Clinton Brown

Christopher Folkman and wife, Elea and son George D.

Daniel Collet and wife, and the following children:

Ruben Collet

Charles Collet

Matilda Collet

Julia Collet

Samuel Cousins, mother, sister

Ezekiel Hopkins

Daniel Hopkins

John Spiers and wife, Mary Ann Winfield

Martha Spiers

Alberta Spiers

Winfield Spiers

John Spiers (Came a little later with Martin Garner and wife and children

Tene Garner

Hannah Garner

John Garner and wife and son and daughter

Jonathan Partridge

John Carver and wife, Mary and the following children:

Mary Ann Carver

George H. Carver

James S. Carver

Thomas Ashton

John Draney Jr.

Thomas Brown and wife

Clint Brown

Hans Petersen and wife and son August

John Beck

Clint Brown

Hans Petersen and wife and son August

John Beck

Leavett Brown

Came in 1860:

Alonzo Raymond and wife and children

Lori Raymond

Mary Raymond

Ida Raymond

Susannah Raymond

William Wallace Raymond and wife, Almira

Spencer Raymond

William Raymond

Mina Raymond

Seretha Raymond

One of the first things they did after arrival was the survey the townsite and assign the lots to the settlers so they could get some kind of shelter for their families.

Joseph Grew states that John Spiers and others who surveyed Plain City had in mind the old home, the city of Nauvoo, and followed the pattern as nearly as they could.

They surveyed the town at night using the north star, and three tall trees just below it as which they waded.

The original plat was six blocks long and three blocks wide running north and south. Each block contains 5 acres and is divided into four lots. Each settle was allowed some choice in the selection of his lot.

The Central St. Was from Alonzo Knight’s corner running north to Robert Maw’s old adobe house. There was one street each side of this running north and south. The “Bug field” or farming land one mile square lay to the east of the town site extending from the cemetery corner and north to the old north school house.

The old Joshua Messervy place was on the east line. There were three main gates; one by George Palmero, and one by the old north school house. Each settler was allotted twenty acres of farmland. As soon as the crops were gathered in the fall, the community was notified, usually from the pulpit on Sunday afternoon, that the stock would be turned into the “Bug Field” upon a certain date and everyone who owned land turned his stock in to the field on the day. One long willow fence enclosed the whole field. The willows used in the construction of all willow fences in Plain City were brought from the Weber River, south of the settlement. The outside of all or nearly all the lots ion Plain City at this time were thus fenced.

There were no partition fences then. Chickens and hogs roamed at will within the fenced blocks. In fencing, a trench was dug having all the dirt piled along one side, into this bank sharp stakes were driven and the green willows woven in and out through them to make a fence.

The following from Lyman’s Skeen’s notes. “There was no feed except such as the stock could gather, and as rapidly as possible small areas were grubbed, plowed, and planted. When a part of the crops were planted John Skeen went to Salt Lake and secured the services of Jessie M Fox, the pioneer surveyer who laid out Salt Lake City, to run the irrigation ditch line to “Four Mile Creek.” It is worthy to note here that while Mr. Fox also ran the lines for the town, he did not change the original lines that were made by the North Star and the rope by the pioneers upon their arrival. Work was commenced upon the irrigation ditch. In the meantime, those men who had not moved their families from Lehi returned to get them. The harvest of 1859 was light, it being possible together but very little, such as corn, squash, and some potatoes, and very little, wheat, which was threshed by flail or sticks. The lack of teams, implements, etc. , limited the acreage planted, and due to the lateness of the season when the irrigation ditch as far as Four Mile Creek was completed, the crops did not mature properly. Because of lack of water, no hay was harvested in 1859. The stock was driven to Little Mountain in the late fall to winter. In the spring of 1860. it was necessary to hold back farm work until the stock could gain strength on the spring feed.”

“Becoming discouraged by the experiences of 1859, some of the settlers went to Cache Valley. Among them being Ruben and David Collett, Samuel Cuspins, Ezekiel Hopkins’ mother and sister, and Mr. Lilly. John Falker and Alfred Falker moved to Ogden. Others came from Lehi to temporarily fill the ranks, some of whom later moved to Cache Valley. .” Willard Carver’s statement. “John Carver dug down into the ground he selected with a piece of sage brush. Joseph Robinson, Thomas Singleton, Charles Neal, George Musgrave, Clint Brown, Jeppe Folkman, and Peter Bech camped by Carver’s on Kay’s Creek. They drove on to the sand hills in Wilson Lane on the 16^th of march, 1859. John Carver accompanied them as far as Slaterville. He stopped here to get shelter for his wife and children before going on.

Joseph Skeen and two or three others cleaned out the springs below where the Skeens located, while the Singletons, Charles Neal, and Mr. Beck cleaned out those near the spot where Jens Christensen afterward lived.

By the time the second company came, the first company had cleared some land. William Skeen rode a horse sown to Lehi and led another group to the new settlement; his wife Caroline being one of them.

There was deep mud before the heavy snowstorm came. They were almost snowed under. Some started to excavate for their houses the day after their arrival, but didn’t finish them right away, on account of the storms. They got their willows for the roofs from the Weber River about two miles away. My mother, Mary Ann Carver, with her children stayed in a dugout in Slaterville while her husband, John Carver, was building a house and working on his land. He walked back and forth between Slaterville and Plain City. The reason the Carvers and others left Kay’s Creek was because the early settlers of Kay’s Creek would not share the water with them. “ End of Willard Carver’s Statement.

At the time of the settlement of Plain City there were no villages to the east; only the homestead of the Lakes, Taylors, Shurtliffs, Dixons and others. Also, the “Prairie House” or herd house where men stayed who were looking after the “dry herd.” There was another herd house on Little Mountain built before the pioneers came to Plain City. Captain Hoofer’s herd house was the only house between the Weber River and Kaysville at that time. About due east of Plain City where Higley lives now, was located a boarding house to accommodate the stage drivers, emigrants, etc., traveling between California, Montana, and the east. When the woman who ran the place out a stick with a white cloth tied on the end of it, it meant pie or some other treat.

The distance from the corner of the square in Plain City to Wright’s corner in Ogden, was measured by revolutions of a wagon wheel and found to be ten miles.

THE PLAIN CITY CANAL

This is a nine-mile canal connecting the irrigation ditches of Plain City with Ogden River. It was commenced in May of 1859, shortly after part of the crops were planted, and completed to Four Mile Creek that first year, but not in time to save the crops.

In 1860 some water was carried to the thirsty ground and some crops matured, but Plain City, due to its position at the end of the Ogden River system, has suffered extremely through lack of water in dry seasons, although having some of the oldest rights on the Ogden River.

In the construction of this canal the cooperation and persevering spirit of the Plain City people was shown, although their implements were crude, yet they went ahead with determination until they finally got the life-giving water to their fertile soil.

“They used a V-shaped scraper made out of split logs and weighted down with men. Five or six yoke of oxen were used to pull the scraper and horse teams were used on the plows, to break the ground for the ditch work. The dirt was dug out with spades and shovels. The dirt was hauled in wheel barrows from the high place to build up the low places. When they built the big levee, the dirt was hauled to the levee in wagons and wheelbarrows. Large chunks of sod were dug out with shovels and hauled in wheelbarrows. The construction of the big levee was one of their hardest problems.

“When the big levee broke it caused a lot of excitement and men were kept there night and day to watch it. While working on the canal many men only had a piece of black bread or a cold boiled potatoe for his lunch.” (Statement of William F. Knight and Lyman Skeen.)

By 1860, the canal was finished to Mill Creek, by 1861, to Broom’s Creek, and by 1862, to the Ogden River.

Joseph Skeen was appointed watermaster with Ezekeil Hopkins and Jeppe Folkman assistance in May, 1859.

The upkeep of the Plain City canal has been quite high due to the fact that there have been so many washouts on the big levee, and so many law suits with the neighboring villages over water rights.

The Plain City Irrigation Company was first organized according to law on August 18,1874, although it had controlled the canal since it was commenced in 1859.

The completion of the Echo Dam in 1932 has relieved the water situation considerably and a plentiful supply of water is assured for Plain City unless something unforeseen occurs.

On July 16, 1924, the stockholders of Plain City Irrigation Company subscribed for 2500 acre feet in the Echo Dam which was increased to 4,000 acre feet on May 7, 1925.

CULINARY WATER

The first culinary water used in Plain City came from the springs on the west side of the settlement and was carried by the pioneers to their homes in buckets. Thus we find that the oldest houses in Plain city are located along the western edge of the town. It was not long, however, in fact during the first year of settlement, before people began digging open wells which was not a difficult thing to do because there was a plentiful supply of underground water in that locality. Fish were put in the wells to eat the insects.

The next type of well was the square boarded kind with a covered top and a bucket to draw the water in.

Then came the hand pumps, several of which are still in use in the village today. Pipes were driven deeply into the ground and a pump attached which forced the water to the surface. They were placed outside at first, usually near the kitchen door. Then they were placed inside the kitchen with a sink attached. Of late years, several homes have installed electric power pumps which make it possible to have hot and cold running water.

After irrigation commenced in Plain City, a variety of different crops began to be raised. The soil was very productive, so we find the pioneers engaging very extensively in raising vegetables and fruits of various kinds. Some of the crops grown were corn, squash, potatoes wheat, sugar cane, small fruits and later apples, pears, apricots, plums, grapes, melons, and tomatoes.

About 1861, Edwin Dix, a convert from London, England brought the first strawberry plant into Plain City from Salt Lake City. He worked for Mr. Ellabeck, a gardener, in Salt Lake and took part of his wages in strawberry plants which he distributed among his friends in Weber County. The parent stock of these plants was grown in California and brought to Utah by pony express. From this small beginning the culture of the strawberry became one of the leading industries of Plain City. Hundreds of cases were sent out every season to different parts of the country and people even came from Salt Lake to get some of Plain City’s delicious Strawberries.

Mr. Rollett, a Freshman, introduced the culture of asparagus into Plain city. The seed came from France in 1859. This, too, became one of the leading industries of Plain City, as the soil and climate were especially adapted to its culture. Several had small patches at first and carried it into Ogden to the grocers, and dealers also peddled it from house to house in Ogden. It was also sold to Chinese Market gardeners who came out from the city in search of asparagus and rhubarb to augment their own products which they sold from house to house.

Plain City asparagus, like Plain city strawberries, has become known far and near. At the present time there are several large patches in the community which furnish employment to many people during the season. Most of the product is handled at present through the Asparagus Growers Association.

Corn and grass were used for stock feed before the introduction of alfalfa which was brought to Utah and California by the early settlers and has been of great benefit in building up another thriving industry of Plain City dairying and stock raising.

The sickle, scythe, and the cradle were some of the early implements used in the harvesting of grain. Women usually gleaned in the fields after the reapers.

Plain City at one time was called the “garden spot of Utah” because of its wonderful vegetable gardens and fruit orchards.

At one time, there were many cottonwood trees in Plain City, but the trees were cut down as the cotton fell upon the ripening strawberries and rendered them unfit for the market.

Nearly all the early residents of Plain City raised enough gardens stuff to supply their own tables. Some, as has been previously stated, made a business of gardening and marketing their produce in Corrine, Ogden, and Salt Lake and other nearby cities. Many of them sold their produce to L. B. Adams, who was one of the pioneer shippers of Ogden and vicinity. Prominent among these early market gardeners were Abraham Maw and wife Eliza.

John Spiers and Edwin Dix were other early market gardeners. They brought a few roots of asparagus from the “states.” others engaged in this business were John Moyes, Mrs. Virgo and Mrs. Coy who peddled vegetables in Ogden and could knit a pair of stocking during the trip.

William Geddes is credited with bringing the first grape vines to Plain City from Salt Lake.

Jonathan Moyes, his son John, Alonzo Knight, Thomas Musgrave, George Musgrave, Jens Peter Folkman, Charles Neal, Thomas Singleton were also engaged in market gardening in the early days of Plain city. Other crops grown were wheat, oats, alfalfa, potatoes and later tomatoes and sugar beets.

Joseph Robinson was one of the first to raise alfalfa in Plain City.

The sugar beet industry is one of the leading industries of Plain City. Prior to the coming of the railroad into Plain city in 1909, the beets were hauled to the Hot Springs and sent by the rail to the Amalgamated Sugar Company plant at Wilson Lane, or hauled direct to the factory. After the advent of the railroad there were beet dumps placed at convenient points along the line for the accommodation of the growers in unloading their beets. The beets were then reloaded upon cars and sent to the factory to be manufactured into sugar.

Before the enlarging of the factory at Wilson, during the month of October, it was necessary to pile the beets by the dump until winter, when they were loaded upon cars and sent to the factory as needed.

Sugar cane was grown quite extensively in Plain City at one time and molasses made from it. There were several molasses mills at one time. One was located where Del Sharp’s barn is now. Petersons had one of the first on his lot where Hans Poulsen now lives. There was also one further south.

In the manufacturing of sugar cane into molasses the stocks were fed into an iron grinding machine which extracted the juice. This juice was then placed in large sheet iron vats holding two or three hundreds of gallons each and boiled down to the consistency of a thick syrup or molasses. Sagebrush fires supplied the heat. The skimmings went to the children to be used in molasses candy. Alonzo Knight had a mill west of William Hodson’s house. John Draney had one on his lot, also one on the lot where George Palmer’s home is. There was also a mill in north Ogden where several of the growers took their cane to be manufactured into molasses.

FOOD OF THE PIONEERS

Several of the wild herbs were used quite extensively for food before the cultivated vegetables came into general use; and it is well to note here that modern science is finding that these same wild herbs contain properties of great medical value. Some of these early wild foods were the sego lily root, nettles, pig weeds, red roots, dandelions, sour dock, etc. Also, wild spinach was boiled and used for greens. Melon and beet juices were boiled down to a thick syrup to be used as a sweetener in connection with molasses. Peeled melon rinds were preserved and considered a great delicacy. Fruits and vegetables of various kinds were sun-dried upon the tops of sheds and stored away in flour sacks for future use; apples, plums, prunes, peaches, apricots, pears, sarvisberries, and wild currants were among the fruits commonly dried. The vegetables were corn, squash, beans, peas, tomatoes, etc. Tomatoes first had the pulp removed and were cut in rings and dried the same as the other vegetables.

Whenever a pioneer woman got ready to dry her fruits or vegetables, she would invite a group of women and girls to an apple or peach cutting, or corn drying, or some other kind of “bee” and they would all have a good sociable time together while working. Afterwards, a little party would be held and refreshments served, usually molasses candy and dried apple pie. The apples were cut into four sections and cooked with the core in.

(M.A. Geddes)

STOCK RAISING

Many of the early settlers of Plain City went with the intention of engaging in the cattle business. It was favorably located for this as the pastures were not too far away, and there was a good summer range available in the mountains to the east and northeast. They brought some stock with them from Lehi. Jens Peter Folkman, John Falker, Mike Nolan were the drivers. The snow was so deep they could hardly get through, as there was no grass available. The cattle had to eat bark from cedar trees for food. This was an ideal place to raise cattle because the range land lay west and east of Plain City. The west range toward the lake could be used in the fall after the mountain range on the east was closed due to snowfall. Some of these early stockmen were Gus Petersen, who raised cattle, sheep, and horses. William Skeen, Joseph Skeen, and his son Lyman raised cattle and horses. Alonzo Knight, his son William, Claybourne, Thomas, James Madison Thomas, all pastured their cattle and horses out at Promotory. William Wallace Raymond had his pasture out west toward the lake. Milo Sharp, the Geddes family, Thomas England, James England, ran their herd out by the “Hot Springs.” They were there in 1869 when the railroad went through.

As there was no feed in Plain City for the cattle, they were driven out to “Little Mountain” on the west to pasture. Each winter the milk cows were dried up and sent out with the beef cattle to pasture. As soon as sufficient water was brought to the settlement to mature the crops so that stock feed could be raised, the milk cows were kept home and milked in the winter.

“I remember one time when the Mormon Batallion was having a party in Plain City. I had to drive my mother to Farr West to get some butter, as there was none to be had in Plain City Prairie Houses.”

These were houses located at different places on the range where the herders stayed during the summer to look after the “dry herd.” One was located on the highway between Ogden and Brigham about due east of Plain City. One was “Little Mountain” which was there before Plain City was settled. Then there was Captain Hoofer’s “herd house” which was the only herd house between the Weber River and Kay’s Creek. This house was 20 by 16 feet. It had a roof of Willows, canes, and dirt, and a large fireplace in one end. There was also another “herd house” located about where Dell Brown now lives in Farr West. Abraham Maw’s was the house farthest north in Plain City. Dave Kay, Lori Farr, and other cattlemen of Ogden at one time pastured their cattle where Plain City is now located. North Ogden also used Plain City as a range.

Most of Plain City herd ground is to the west and north of the town. It was allotted to the settlers at any early date.

Every fall a “roundup” was held and each one went and claimed his own stock which had previously been branded in the spring before being sent to the summer range. The fields to the east were pastured as soon as the crops were removed in the fall. The announcement was made from the pulpit at the Sunday meeting that the cattle would be turned into the fields at a certain date and those laggards who didn’t have their crops out made frantic efforts to harvest them before that date. Where the town of Warren now stands was once pasture land. Alonzo Knight located his wife Martha and family there to look after the herd. She milked cows, churned butter and walked to Plain City to the store with her butter and eggs.

The community herd was taken care of by a herder hired by the owners of the cattle. His duty was to drive the cows to the pasture from the public square and bring them back at night. Mr. McBride was one of the early town herds, although the town herds are a thing of the past.

The “tithing” herd was not taken care of locally, but was sent to Ogden and put in with the general herd there. What few sheep there were in Plain City were herded on the square in summer and fed at home in the winter.

MERCHANTS

Two or three of the earliest merchants in Plain City were A. M. Shoemaker and William VanDyke. The former had a little store just east of where the meeting house now stands. William VanDyke’s store was as just across from the southwest corner of the square. Also, one of the first was Jens Peter Folkman. He had a store where he lived and also a meat shop.

ADOBE MAKING

Joseph Skeen Sr. is credited with having made the first adobes in Utah. He learned the process in California while with the Mormon Batallion and introduced it first into Salt Lake and then in Plain City in 1859.

The adobe yard was west of Plain City just below the hill west of Lyman Skeen’s present home.

The mud was mixed with the feet in pits until it was the consistency of paste or mortor. It was placed by spades into wooden molds holding either two, four, or six adobe. These molds were 4x4x12 inches. They were let dry for awhile and then tipped out a hard dry surface to harden in the sun. In order to loosen the adobes easily these molds were first dipped in cold water and the bottom sanded. The adobes were set together in a building with mortor the same way bricks are. Among those who were engaged in adobe making were Joseph Skeen Jr., John Spiers, William Sharp, Thomas Singleton, Joseph Robinson, Jeppe G. Folkman, William England.

Besides the one adobe yard west of Lyman Skeen’s home, there was one just below Coy’s Hill, one below George Moyes. A community one was out north below Abraham Maw’s near the Hot Springs.

EARLY HOMES IN PLAIN CITY

The first homes were “dugouts” as there were the quickest and easiest made in that timberless and rockless section. These “dugouts” had dirt floors and roofs, a fireplace in one end, and a door and a window on the other. There was no glass at first. Sagebrush was used for fuel, also for light. They were usually about 10 ½ feet by 15 feet. It was necessary to get down steps to get into them. Some were made of sod and dirt, others were made of dirt and boards. The sod was used in the construction of the walls. The dirt floors got so hard in the summer that they could be wiped with a wet cloth. There were cupboards built in the side of the walls. By digging into the earth, steps were made level. This was where they put their dishes. A bake oven hung in the fireplace. The roofs were made by first covering them with cottonwood timbers and willows from the Weber River, then a layer of rushes and a thick layer of dirt.

Charles Neal is credited with the first “dugout” in Plain city, located where Alfred Charlton’s home now is. After the road to North Ogden Canyon was opened up, logs and crude lumber became available for the construction of log houses.

Joseph Skeen built the first log house in the fall of 1859. William W. Raymond moved one from Slaterville to Plain City in the same year. John Carver’s log house was built in the fall of 1860. Thew log came from North Ogden Canyon. This log house has been moved on to the grounds behind the LDS Chapel and is being taken care of by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers of Plain City.

The logs in both the Skeen and Carver homes came from the North Canyon after a road there had been partially constructed by Plain City men. This road was finished in1860 and became a toll road.

The preparing of logs for building was a tedious process. They were hand sawed in pits dug for his purpose and were trimmed with axes. The first shingles were hand made. Saw, chisels, and hammers were used in their construction.

William Skeen’s log house was one of the early log homes of Plain City. It’s still standing on the lot one block west of the school house. A little later William Skeen added an adobe section to this house. In1862 or 1863, he built a stone house of rock hauled from the hot springs northeast of Plain City. William Sharp, an early Plain City brick mason, laid the stones and assisted Thomas Singleton, and early carpenter. Gunder Anderson built the first adobe house in Plain City two blocks north and one block east from the northeast corner of public square.

Statement of Lorenzo Lund: “I stood on this street one 17^th of March (the one running north and south on the west side of the public square.) and heard Lyman Skeen and Gus Petersen talking about the old adobe house on the Berry lot. Mr. Peterson said that he assisted his father in the construction of that house when he was nine years old.” David Booth lived in this house and was a manufacturer of hats. He made these hats from rabbit skins.

The first nails used in Plain City were in the adobe house of Gunder Anderson and made by Christopher O. Folkman. He hammered them out in his blacksmith shop. They were square nails.

“Alonzo Knight moved his log house in union on little cottonwood southeast of Salt Lake in the fall of 1859, after his crops were in. It consisted of two log rooms with a court between, roofed over, and an adobe wall at the back, the front of the court being open. An adobe fireplace in the center, while a large oak swill barrel stood on the side opposite to the granary which was stored in separate compartments in the granary. The fireplace in the center was used for baking in the summer. On the west side of the house was a milk cellar which was connected with the west room by a door. Our bread, mostly corn, was baked in a bake kettle in the fireplace. Cornmeal was also used in making mush. The husking of the corn took place in the winter. Each log room had two windows; one in the front and one in the back. An 8×10 inch glass was used. The beds were home made. My father had the first big orchard in Plain City. He had apples, peaches, green gages, sand cherries and squash. The boys came and from all over Plain City for William to roast squash in the big bake oven for them. An Indian, Captain Jack, wanted my mother to give me to him because I had red hair.” Amanda Knight Richardson.

Interior of Christine Swensen Miller’s dugout home as described by her sister Josephine Ipson Rawson.

“This home stood on the lot that Milo Sharp afterward bought. There was a door in the east end with a small window by the side of it. It was very dark in there when the door was shut. Just inside the door to one side was the flour barrel. The bed was in the northwest corner. It was homemade and consisted of four posts held together with boards fastened to the ends and sides. There were knobs fastened to the side and end boards for holding the ropes that were stretched across to form a sort of mesh rope springs. The ticks were filled with oat straw or corn husks which had been torn into fine strips with forks. The homemade furniture was made from very light white wood.

The food was mostly potatoes fried in an open skillet over the fireplace. Sometimes a wild sage leaf would get into them nearly ruin them. Sacks were stuffed in the chimney when there was no fire to keep out the cold. Sometimes the fire was lighted before the sacks were taken out and nearly set the house on fire.”

Among those who built adobe houses were John England, Gunder Anderson, George Musgrave, William Raymond, Hans C. Hanson, Peter C. Green, Charles Neal. (Incidentally, Mr. Neal and his wife Annie England Neal dragged willows from the Weber River, 2 ½ miles away, in order to build a fence around their lot.)

Callie Stoker’s house is the oldest occupied house in Plain City today.

George Musgrave’s first one-room adobe house replaced his “dugout” on his first lot two blocks north from the square. He next moved one block east. Here, he erected a two or three-room house, containing one large room on the west where he conducted his school and dancing parties.

Mrs. Mary Ann Winfield Spiers held her girls school of sewing. She also held classes in reading, writing, arithmetic, spelling, and fancy work. She made the first crochet hook out of the heart of sage brush. She wittled it down and then smoothed it with a piece of broken glass. This is what she taught the girls to crochet with. The next was a crochet hook made out of a broken knitting needle. She taught in a log room on their lot located one block south of the public square.

Interior of William England’s “dugout” about 1862, described by himself.

“Our dugout” was located just west of where William Hunt’s home now stands. The inside was adobe lined, and adobe fireplace stood on one side with its pile of sagebrush nearby. The soil then in Plain City was quite dry so that it was very comfortable inside. The floor was of hard-packed dirt. Hard enough to scrub. It had a dirt roof – a door in one gable end and a window in the other end.

Our furniture was all homemade, of slabs and willows. There was a cupboard built in one side for our dishes, which were brought from England. Large willows were used in the construction of the bedstead which was lashed with bed-cord. Our ticks were filled with dry grass and rushed from the nearby slough. Annie was born here. Our provisions for the first year consisted, (in the main) of 5 gallons of molasses, 5 bushels of potatoes, 5 bushels of wheat, and other miscellaneous food items which we obtained by labor and purchased. We lived here for two years, them later, we bought out a Scandinavian by the name of Larson and built a one-room adobe 12×14 with a dirt roof and dirt floor, with one window and a door made of rough lumber. We lived here eight or ten years, then moved out east on our farm,” William England.

The frame work of the chairs was usually made of cottonwood or willows with rawhide or cane seats.

In the house where Josephine Davis Ipsen was born, her mother, Anna Beckstrom Davis, slept on the wheat in the wheat bin and here is where Josephine was born.

Lumber and glass began to be used in the construction of homes in Plain City in the early sixties. Some furniture was made of dry good boxes. Tree stumps were sometimes used for chairs. The first dishes were carved from wood. Some crockery was obtained from Brown’s Crockery Factory at Brigham City.

Cottonwood and willows from Weber River were used quite extensively in the construction of the early homes. Later lumber was obtained from Wilson’s saw mill in Ogden Canyon. This was hauled down by ox teams. Three or four days were required to make the trip.

Household furnishing of John Moyes’ home as given by his daughter Sarah Moyes Gale.

“The benches, tables, and cupboards were all homemade. There were no nails to fasten the boards together so wooden pegs were used. About 1967, we got some store furniture, a lounge and a bed which was used as a pattern for other furniture. Slabs and rough boards were used in making our homemade furniture. We usually whitewashed our adobe with whitewash which we made from the clay at “Cold Springs.”

Our first broom were made from sagebrush, rabbit brush, then later, from broom corn.

We painted pictures with paint from colored cloth soaked in water.

Our first stove was a little “step stove brought across the plains.” It cost $100. Father bought a sewing machine at the same time.

There were no screens for doors or windows. We made fly catchers of straw tied together with string and made in a rosette. Curtains for our dry-goods boxes furniture were made of calico obtained from Salt Lake City. Our tubs, spoons, bowls, etc., were of wood. Also, our churn and spinning wheel (except the head and spindle.)

Our fuel was mostly sagebrush, willow etc. I remember when Christopher O. Folkman brought a piece of coal to school to show the children.

Our first lights “bitch lights” were made of trips of cloth twisted together and set in a dish of grease. Then came tallow candles made in a wooden mold. Our mold went all over the town. Everyone took tallow candles to the meeting house for a party or dance. Sarah Gale and Lyman Skeen.

EARLY TREES

John Hodson planted many tees both shade and fruit trees around his home. He also planted the large tree that grows by Elmo Read’s place. Joseph Skeen planted many trees also. Those who planted fruit trees earliest in Plain City were: John Spiers, Alonzo Knight, William England, Charles Weatherston, Hans Lund, Peter C. Green, Otto Swenson, Abraham Maw, James Rowe, John Carver, William Geddes, Edwin Dix, Jonathan Moyes, Fred Rolf. John Carver planted two rows of cottonwood trees by his place. The favorite fruit trees were: apple, peach, cherry, pear, plum. The favorite shade trees were: poplar, cottonwood, boxelder, locust, mulberry, catalpha, basewood, black walnut. The mulberry trees were a reminder of the attempt to establish a silk factory in Plain City.

SMALLPOX

Meetings were discontinued in Plain City from September 30, 1870, to March 5, 1871 on account of a smallpox epidemic which was raging in the community. On the 1^st of November, 1870, a meeting was held relative to preparing a place near Salt Creek for the smallpox patients. (Ward minutes.) This place was built, but found to be small, so on the 2^nd or 3^rd of November it was enlarged. It was not a success, however, as the facilities for caring for the patients were poor and meager. The house was cold and drafty, which caused the death of many who would have survived with better care.

Some families suffered a severe loss, among these were William Skeen, Alonza Knight, William Gampton, and many others; nearly every family suffered some loss.

WEAVERS

The first weavers were Mary and Trina Hanson. John England wove cloth, his father being a weaver in England and perfected the first, if not the very first power loom used in this country.

Mary Katherine Shurtliff operated a little store in connection with her weaving. Anna Beckstrom Christensen could shear a sheep, spin the wool, and weave it into cloth. Catherine Folkman and Susannah Richardson also wove carpets.

SILK INDUSTRY

Erastus Snow in early days advised the pioneers to plant mulberry trees and raised silk worms. Several trees were planted (many of which are still standing today) and the worms obtained, but the industry was soon abandoned as it was not profitable. Those who planted trees were: the Geddes family, Jeppe G. Folkman, Bertha Lund, Anna Christensen, Mr. and Mrs. Lindilof, Elizabeth Moyes. Elizabeth Moyes was engaged in the manufacturing of the silk.

SHOE MAKERS

Thomas Wilds and Millie Himston’s grandfather.

CARPENTERS

Hans Petersen, who built his own adobe house, Thomas Singleton and his brother Charles. William Sharp was also a plaster, stone mason and adobe maker.

Joshua Messurvy, who superintended the building of the meeting house benches, built the pulpit in the meeting house. A beautiful work of art, being all inlaid work, made from wood of different kinds of trees was done by William Miller.

MIDWIVES

Annie Katherine Hedwig Rasmussen Hansen, wife of Hans Christian Hansen, was the first midwife in Plain City. She came here between 1860 and 1862, while her husband was on a mission to Denmark. She was born in Forborg, Denmark, October3, 1823. She was baptized January, 1852, came to Salt Lake City October 1, 1853, moved to Ogden, later settling first at Bingham Fort, then in Harrisville. She was asked by the bishop of Plain City to come down and practice her profession. Her log house at Harrisville was torn down by the men the bishop sent, carried to Plain City, and re-erected on a 2 ½ piece of ground, which the ward gave her. Sister Hansen was among those called to take a course in nursing and obstetrics, under the direction of Eliza R. Snow. She practiced in Plain City for many years. She died March 31, 1899.

Jane Pavard England, wife of John England, was another early midwife, coming in 1862. She was set apart for this work on the ship while coming over and promised that she would be very successful. This promise was literally fulfilled. She was born August 2, 1815, near Yeoble Somerset, England. She died in Plain City on November 20, 1882.

Another midwife was Elizabeth Murray Moyes, daughter of John Murray and Sarah Bates, and wife of John Moyes. She was born December 24, 1840, at Elizabeth-town, Michigan. She came to Sugarhouse Ward in Salt Lake in the early ‘50’s. She and her husband moved to Plain City in October, 1865. She learned obstetrics from Dr. Shipp in Salt Lake City. She practiced in Harrisville, Warren, Farr West, Plain City for twenty years. She died on January 4, 1905, in Plain City of pneumonia.

Martha Stewart Geddes was another midwife. She was born May 10, 1838, in Scotland and died August 11, 1900 at Plain City.

IMMIGRATION FUND

A company was organized at the October conference of 1849, for the purpose of facilitating the gathering of the Saints of Zion. It was incorporated and a committee appointed to gather funds to be used in assisting the saints of foreign countries to emigrate to Zion. It continued until 1887, when it was discontinued through the passage of the Edmund Tucker Act. Its funds were confiscated by the U. S. Government and distributed among the schools. It was a perpetual self-sustaining fund because those who received aid were supposed to return to the fund the amount they had received, as soon as they were able. The sum of the original cost contributions was $5,000. There was $2,000 in gold raised by the British Saints.

The pioneers were called upon donations of the time, oxen, wagons, and money. As many as 500 wagons were furnished some seasons. Plain City assisted in this as they have always done in every worthy cause. On May 25, 1873, donations for the immigration funds was received from those faithful pioneers of Plain City.

On May 22, 1874, a meeting for the considering of the Organization of the United Order was held. Committee members were: L.W. Shurtliff, President, John Carver, assistant, John Spiers, Secretary, George W. Bramwell, Assistant Secretary, Jens Peter Folkman, Alonzo Knight, Peter C. Green, managers. On August 15, 1875 the rules of the order were read. (From Ward records.)

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY

Plain City Branch was organized in May, 1859, by President Lorin Farr and Bishop Chauncy W. West. William Wallace Raymond was appointed president president of the branch with Danial Collett and Jeppe G. Folkman, counselors, and John Spiers as clerk.

Danial Collett moved to Cache Valley that same year, so John Carver was called to fill the vacancy.

At this meeting the settlement received its name of “Plain City,” Someone had suggested City of the Plains, “but this was rejected as being too long, so the name of Plain City was chosen. This little settlement was a town on the plains away from any one town. It was a city of the plains.

REMINISCENCES OF MARY ANN CARVER GEDDES

“I remember a meeting held in the adobe meeting house. Eliza R. Snow and Jane R. Richards were in attendance. We knelt on the dirt floor. Sister Snow said we little girls would live to see the day when time would be “hurried.” Our light came from fine pieces of sagebrush piled on the hearth. We had one corner where we kept the big pieces for heat and another where we kept the small pieces for light. In 1861, a country precinct was organized at Plain City with Abraham Brown, Justice of the Peace, and William Geddes as constable. A post office was established in 1864, with William W. McGuire as the first postmaster. He brought the mail in his high silk hat to church and distributed it among the congregation. At this time it required 2 ½ days by ox team and 2 days with horses to go to Salt Lake City and back.”

Joseph Skeen was appointed water master with Ezekial Hopkins and Jeppe G. Folkman, assistants. Mr. Folkman remained in his position until May 2, 1872.

On May 22, 1870, President Raymond resigned his position as President of the Plain City Branch.

On August 21, 1870, Lewis W. Shurtliff was appointed President, with John Carver as 1^st Counselor, and Jeppe G. Folkman and 2^nd Counselor. William W. McGuire was presiding teacher.

At the Weber Stake Conference, held on May 27, 1877, Lewis W. Shurtliff was appointed Bishop of the Plain City Ward. He was sustained by the people next day, May 28, with John Spiers as 1^st Counselor, and Peter C. Green as 2^nd Counselor. Franklin D. Richards, John Taylor, Erastus Snow, and D. H. Perry, officiating.

On December 15, 1878, a cemetary committee was appointed. It consisted of: Charles Neal, Charles Weatherstone, William Geddes, Jens Peter Folkman. On January 22, 1883, George W. Bramwell was appointed bishop.

On May 3,1883, some means were collected to build a poor house.

REMINISCENCES OF WILLIAM ENGLAND

“The settlement became prosperous and it wasn’t long before Plain City became known far and near for its delicious fruits and vegetables.

Fifty-nine years of my life have been spent here. When I settled in Plain City in 1862, there were a few one-room adobe houses and one or two log houses. The main part of the town was laid out. The north lane and the Poplar district was added later. Charles Weatherstone’s was the farthest street south. Higbe lived on the Weber River and ran a ferry boat. The first ferry boat was molasses boiler. This was then the main road to Salt Lake. I never met any hostile Indians on the “plains.” I want to relate an incident, a man carried away a relic from an Indian burial ground. The captain of the company made him go back and return it. He was gone nearly all night.

My first job in Salt Lake was stripping sugar cane for john Young. I received one gallon of molasses for her days wage, two quarters of which I ate for super and the rest in the morning. I never had any extreme hardship. Our parties lasted nearly all night. We danced by the light of tallow candles and sagebrush fire. A lunch was served at midnight.”

Lyman said that when his father, Joseph Skeen, first came to Plain City, he brought a tent with him and that is where some of the first meetings were held.

SCHOOL HOUSE AND MEETING HOUSES

The first school and meeting house was built in 1859. It was of adobe 18 x 24 feet and was located of the south side of the public square, just opposite and a little northeast of the present meeting house.

It faced the east. It had a dirt floor and roof. There was a door in the east end, a fireplace in the west and two windows in each side. Men were called to make adobes for a meeting house, school house, and amusement hall for a number of years. The furniture hung on the two sides to be used as desks, one for the boys and one for the girls. These were dropped down while a dance was in progress. We had no textbooks. In McGuire’s school we had square pieces of boards with the letters of the alphabet burned in them, which we were supposed to memorized.

Oral spelling was the rule. George Musgrave was the first school teacher. His first school was held in his “dugout.” Mary Ann Geddes

George Musgrave was also a musician and gave private lessons. He also was the first choir leader. In 1863, a split log addition to the meeting was built on the east end. It was 12x 18 feet. At this time, the whole building was shingled from shingled brought from Salt Lake City. A bowery of willows was constructed near the meeting house to be used in the summer time.

In 1863, when the addition was built, the meeting house was plastered for the first time. A rough table was placed in the west end to be used as a pulpit. Sagebrush for the meeting house was hauled from the north range and Little Mountain.

On April 16, 1871, a vote was taken in Sunday meeting concerning the building of a new meeting house. A committee was appointed on June 25, 1871, to oversee the building of the new meeting house. President L.W. Shurtliff, John Spiers and N.P Lindilof were appointed. They decided to build it to adobe. On July 9, $15.00 was collected to begin building on July 8, 1879, W.W McGuire Secretary, and Charles Neal, Treasurer were added to the committee. On September 18, 1870, W. W. Raymond, William Geddes, and William VanDyke were appointed to act as school trustees. This new meeting and school house was completed in 1873 or 1874. It was in use as an amusement hall as late as 1907. It had a small stage in the north end and a small entrance room on the south.

On May 5, 1874, the ward minutes state that the first meeting was held in the new meeting house. The organ is mentioned for the first time.

William McGuire was the second school teacher. The first one to teach in the little adobe school house on the south side of the square, as I can remember. Mary Ann Geddes.

William Geddes carried part of the bible to school to learn to read from it. We also read from the church publications, Harpers Weekly, The Contributor, Women’s Exponent, etc. the first reader I remember were Wilson’s, Bancrofts, Meguffeys. We studied grammar from Pineo’s’ Primary Grammar. Arithmetic from Rays Arithmetic. In McGuire’s school we also had a blackboard with the letters of the alphabet on it. Some of the literature we read was, Ogden junction, Millennial Star, Journal of Discourses, bible, Doctrine and Covenants, Book of Mormon. I attended school in 1873 at George Musgrave’s home. Mary Geddes.

There were no school bells in those days. The master, Mr. McGuire, called the school together by going to the door and shouting, “Books, books,” at the top of his voice. The pupils ran as fast as they could for woe be to the laggards. If a child misbehaved and was not caught, the whole school was “thrashed” in order to punish the guilty one.

He bible was the principle textbook used. Those who could afford slates had them. The first slate I ever had was a piece given to me by Seretta Raymond. It had broken off from her slate. She gave me a little piece to use as a pencil. In order to keep Jack Spiers put of mischief, Mr. McGuire tied him to the table leg. George Spiers said, “Minnie Carver would be the best girl in school if the rest didn’t spoil her.” M. A. Geddes

All these first schools were tuition schools. A tuition of $3.00 per quarter was paid to the teacher by the parents who were also required to furnish all necessary supplies to their children.

EARLY AMUSEMENTS

The people have always fostered amusements and entertainment of various kinds. The various show companies who have staged plays there have referred to it frequently as a “good show town.” This is probably due to the fact that several among the early pioneers were gifted with dramatic ability and fostered and encouraged the art in the little new community.

Plain City, like all Mormon settlements has also encouraged dancing as a form of recreation. The very first year of settlement, before they had time even to construct a suitable place, they held a dance. It was on the 24^th of July, 1859. The place was the “Barrens” down west of the settlement. The music was furnished by a “comb band” and many of the dancers were barefoot. Everyone had a good time regardless of the conditions under which they were dancing.

“Numerous parties were held at the private homes. They danced outside on the dooryard which was hard as rock.” Susannah Robinson Beddes

“Once when Thomas Carliss came from Kay’s Ward to visit the Eames’, The Wadman’s, and Carver’s, he brought his fiddle along and we put on a dance.

The young folks danced frequently on the public square. Mrs. John Spiers wore the first party dress I ever saw.

On of the ways of entertaining ourselves was to gather around some neighbors hearth and sing songs. We liked to meet Hansen’s because they were all such good singers. David Booth and his brother, Henry, sang “Larboard Watch” very beautifully together. Abraham Maw and his wife, Eliza, sang duets. We usually dropped in at some neighbors to spend the evening. After the molasses milks were built, we young people had frequent “candy pulls.” They gave us the “skimming” to make molasses candy.

We also had “cutting and fruit drying,” corn husking, wool picking, rag, hay picking, and quilting bees. After the work was cleared away, we would sit in a circle and play games such as pass the button. Our refreshments were usually molasses cake, dried apple pie. The apple were cut in 4 pieces and laid upon a roof to dry.

We had frequent picnic parties. At our dances in George Musgrave’s school house, John Moyes often played his accordion. We liked to play “Run Sheep Run” and “Hide and Seek” down in the west end of town. Charles Singleton and Eliza Ann Turner Singleton, his wife, enjoyed this sport with the rest of us “kids.”

There were bonfires at the end of each goal. George Draney was the fastest runner in Plain City. (Mary A. Geddes)

In the winter there were bob sleigh riding parties. The horses had sleigh bells on their harnesses which jingled as they ran.

Our dances in the winter time commenced in the afternoon and lasted well into the evening. Dances were held in the old adobe school house on the south side of the square in the winter and in the bowery which was nearby in the summertime.

We danced on the hard dirt floor at first, many in their barefeet. Some had fancy boots on. My brother, Mathias Lund, had purchased a pair to wear at a dance in the old bowery and being a “fussy” man, had gotten them plenty snug. When he tried to get them on he couldn’t, so he removed his socks, greased his feet, and they slipped on without any effort. He went to the dance and danced the finger polka and the mazurka with the best of them. (Willard Lund)

During the holidays, parties were held at Charles Neal’s, Folkman’s, Spiers’, Shoemaker’s, Gaddes, Eames’, Carver’s and other homes in Plain City.

The choir usually gave concerts during the holidays. On Christmas eve, they usually serenaded the town and the band serenaded on Christmas morning.

I remember once when mother was baking custard pies for a party in the big bake oven. Some of it got tipped over and was discarded as not fit for “company.”

So, we children had our fill of custard pies for once. (M. A. Geddes)

Church fairs were held in the school house. Booths of various kinds were arranged around the room, also “fun houses”, auctions, etc. The band was always in attendance. Much of the money for the financing of the church building was obtained through theses church fairs. Once, Becky Hiatt, Rill and Zell Smith wished to attend the fair at Plain City, so Becky and Rill made three dresses in one day. Then Becky fried the chicken for lunch and Zell made the cake and they came to the fair and danced. (Rebecca Hiatt Weatherstone)

In the fall of 1868, Mrs. Musgrave’s daughter, Louisa, rode horseback from Plain City to Ogden to take charge of the fancy work booth at the fair. The first amusement hall erected in Plain City was a frame building that stood one block south, from the southeast corner of the public square. It was erected in 1890 at a cost of $2,500. This amusement hall served the people for about 13 years when it was accidentally burned. Besides this hall there was the Berryessa hall located one block south corner of the square. After the destruction of the ward amusement hall in 1930, the people once more used the old adobe house on the northeast corner of the public square as a recreation center. In 1913-1914, a brick amusement hall was erected south of and adjoining the meeting house. It had classrooms below. It had hardwood floors, a stage, and equipment. On the committee was Lynn Skeen, John Maw, and Stephen Knight.

On Christmas, we usually had a program in the morning and a childrens dance in the afternoon. The Sunday School always had a Christmas tree with presents on it for the children. Everyone brought candles to the dance for light, until coal oil lamps began to be used. Our first coal oil lamp was one that fastened on the walls with tin reflectors at the back. Then came fancy chandeliers that were fastened to the ceiling, also various kinds of table lamps. Then the gas mantle lamps and finally electricity came.

We told them the time of day by means of a contrivance that followed the shadow of the sun around. Consequently, we couldn’t tell the time on a cloudy day.

MUSIC AND DRAMA

Plain city in early days always had a brass band, a choir, a dramatic association and a baseball team. The first band was organized in 1864 or 1865 with Thomas Singleton as leader.

A man by the name of George Parkman came up from Salt Lake City to organize the band and give lessons to the players.

The first instrument were purchased from Fort Douglas band. The money being raised by donations of cash and molasses.

Will Geddes gave the first $5 and others soon followed his lead. The organization took place in front of the old Singleton home.

Some of the members are recalled by Mr. Singleton as: Charles Neal, William Stewart, Charles Singleton, William Sharp, Abraham Maw, Edward Goddard, Lorenzo Thomas Musgrave, and William Geddes.

The second band was the Heath band. The instruments for this band were obtained in the east. The money was raised by the Dramatic Company of Plain City.

Charles Heath was the leader of this band. He did all the early painting in Plain City. He painted the scenery for the dramatic association and was president of the association for some time. Some of the members of his band were Alfred Bramwell, John Bramwell, Frank Bramwell, Abraham Maw, William Geddes, William Stewart, Haskell Shurtliff, Richard Lund, James Lund, Henry Eames, Robert Eames, Joseph Geddes, Samual Draney, and Thomas Cottle.

The first dramatic association consisted of Louisa Hopkins Moyes, Edwin Dix, Charles Heath, O. J. Swensen, David Booth, Victorine Musgrave, Mary Ann Sharp, Elizabeth Sharp. Some of the plays were: “Ten Knight in a Bar Room,” “Emmeraldo or Justice of Takon.” “Charcoal Burner,” and many other good plays. The traveled around to the different towns.

The second dramatic association consisted of:

Joseph Geddes, Joseph Skeen, Henry Eames, Mary Ann Carver Geddes, Elizabeth Eames, Lillie Stoker Sharp, Annie Hansen, Samual Draney, Josephine Ipson Rawson, Charles Heath, As leader, Archabold Geddes, Alfred Bramwell, Frank Bramwell. They presented the following plays: “Mistletoe Bough,” “Mickle Earl” or “Maniac Lover,” “Fruits of the Wine Cup,” “Streets of New York,” “The Two Galley Slaves,”: The Rough Diamond,” “ Earnest mall Travers,” “ Ten Knights in a Bar Room.”

Sara Singleton was the little girl who sang the song “Father, O Father, Come Home To Me Now.” This company played in Willard, Harrisville, and other surrounding towns. They raised $400 to buy band instruments for the Charles Heath Band.

SPORTS

Plain City always prided itself upon having a good ball team. At one time their baseball team conquered all teams they played except Salt Lake. During this period their greatest rival was the Willard Team, which possessed a curve pitcher. This was something new in baseball at the time. Earnest Bramwell of Plain City learned from Mr. Wells how to throw a curve ball and became the second curve pitcher in Utah. Members of the baseball team included: Catcher, Willard Neal, Catcher, Hans P. Petersen, Catcher, Levi Richardson, Pitcher, Joseph Geddes, First base, Milo Sharp, Second base, Cornelius Richardson, Third base, Willard Neal, Right field, Madison Thomas, Center Field, Fred Wheeler, Left field, and William L. Stewart as short stop.

INDUSTRIES

Every pioneer family had its lye barrel for extracting lye from wood ashes.

Around perforated of wood was fitted inside the barrel near the bottom, upon which greasewood ashes were placed. Water was poured over these ashes and it settled in the bottom of the barrel carrying the lye from the ashes in the solution. This was combined with grease and boiled down to soap. When it was “done” it was poured into a tub to cool and harden. Then it was cut into squares and placed upon a board or table outside to dry.

Salt was extracted from the water of the Great Salt Lake. Soda was made from Alkali.

Fine Starch was made from potatoes grated fine and the juice pressed out and placed in the sun to dry.

Flour starch was used to starch common things.

Wool was spun into thread and then woven into cloth. The wool which was gathered from the fences and bushes was washed, carded, and made into bats for quilts.

Some nails and bullets were made in the home. Also, rag carpets and rugs were home manufactured.

Candle dipping, spinning, weaving, hand sewing, knitting, crocheting, tatting, were done at home. When a pioneer lady wanted a piece of lace or embroidery for herself for a petticoat or a dress, she made it herself or engaged her neighbor to make it for her.

Then there were the quilting of quilts and petticoats, hat making, broom making, etc. In fact, most of the articles in daily use in the home were made by some member of the family.

STRAWHATS

Straws were split, soaked, braided either in three or four, five or seven-strands lengths, sewed together along the edges to make the hat. This was then rolled, blocked, and pressed. Minnie Hansen Lund taught hat making in Plain City. Josephine Ipson was one of her pupils.

Susannah Robinson learned the art of making straw hats from Annie Dye, wife of Joseph A. Taylor.

David Booth made beaver hats from rabbit fur.

FOOD

Sweetening was made form the juice of sugar cane and watermelons. The juice was pressed out and boiled down to a syrup. Fruits and vegetables were dried. Everyone made their own butter and cheese and raised their own vegetables and fruits.

Vinegar was made by getting the vinegar plant, called the “Mother” pouring water over it and adding sugar or some sweetening and letting it stands in a warm place until the proper state of acidity was reached. Some vinegar was made from apple juice.

Shortbread was eaten at first. Then with the introduction of white flour came “salt rising bread,” also “sour dough bread.” Corn bread was used a great deal also.

After the yeast germ was introduced, people began using more bread leavened with yeast. They would save a little start of this yeast from one mixing of bread to the next and add potatoes, water, and sugar.

In every community, there were women who specialized in making yeast, which they exchanged with their neighbors for flour. Annie Neal did this.

Meats were pickled in brine or dry salted for summer use. It was also smoked in the cold winter and kept frozen. Relief Society as told by Mary Ann Carver Geddes.

A Relief Society was organized in Plain City on January 3, 1868, with Almira Raymond as President, Margaret Shoemaker as First Counselor, Mary Ann Carver as Second Counselor, Victorine Musgrave as Secretary, Succeeded by Mary Ann Spiers and Annie Folkman as Treasurer. Mrs. Alice Robinson and her partner Anna Eames walked to Warren, a distance of four miles through deep sand to visit the families who lived down there and give them aid if needed.

Most of the donations in those days were in produce.

Many of the meetings were devoted entirely to work and business. The sisters brought their spinning wheels and spun yarn for the society. Even the children helped.

One of the duties of the relief society teachers was to gather up donations of soap, clothing, or anything the people could give, which was distributed among those in need. They also sat up nights with the sick, gave them food, clothing, or whatever was needed.

THE WHEAT PROJECT

Eliza R. Snow came to Plain City to start the storing of wheat. Those who didn’t raise wheat of their own went into the fields to glean. The work was all done by hand. The wheat was cut with a cradle, raked with wooden rakes, and piled in small piles.

SALT

The salt industry at one time was quite a thriving industry and employed many people. It helped very materially in the financing of the ward.

The salt pits were located northwest of the town on the edge of the Salt Lake. At one time, there were as many as twenty camps with 100 people on the payroll. Many girls and women from the surrounding settlement helped gather the salt and also cooked for the men employees. The coarse or unrefined salt was obtained by digging pits, filling them full of salt water in the pits. The crude salt was hauled by teams to the Hot Springs and shipped to the mining towns of Montana to be used in the smelters and also on the cattle ranches. It was also hauled to Cache Valley and traded for grain. Some finer grains of salt were refined by boiling the salt water in woodlined vats called salt boilers and over sagebrush fires.

Those engaged in the salt business were Clayborne Thomas, Jens Peter Folkman, Charles Neal, William Geddes, Joseph Geddes, Christen Olsen, And William Steward. They contracted to deliver salt to the smelting companies of Montana and worked up a lively trade.

Some of those who worked at the “salt works” were Caroline Palmer, Ellen Peterson, Frances Carver, Martina Peterson, Matilda Folkman, Sarah Moyes, Nephi Hansen, and Jens Peter Folkman and a salt mill at the latter’s home where the salt was ground and sacked ready for the market. Matilda Folkman, Sarah Moyes, Cordelia Moyes Carver, sewed the sacks.

BRICK YARDS

A suitable clay was found on the banks of the Weber River for the making of brick.

Joseph Geddes clay was found on the banks of the Weber River for the making of bricks.

BUTCHERS

The early pioneers raised their own meats. They raised and slaughtered their own beef and hogs and sold the meat to the people from their “meat wagons” which made regular runs through the town. They also made stops in the nearby towns. John England owned the first slaughter house. It was located 1 ½ miles northeast from the public square of the Hot Springs road. Jens Peter Folkman and John Vause had the first butcher shop.

Gus Peterson had a “slaughter house” and a “meat wagon.” He ran his business on a sort of co-operative plan. People put in their beef and pork and drew the value out in fresh meats as they wanted it.

Jens Peter Folkman ran a “co-op” butcher shop. Also, Peter M., his son, had a butcher shop.

Maroni Skeen and Fred Rolph did the killing for a large firm of butchers.

FRENCH RETRENCHMENT SOCIETY

Organized by Eliza R. Snow on November 16, 1875. Emily Wainwright Shurtliff was appointed President, with Mary Raymond a First Counselor, Bertha Lund as Second Counselor, and Jane Stewart as Third Counselor. Margery Elizabeth Crawford was Secretary, Marjorie Shoemaker as Assistant, ad American Stephens as Secretary-Treasurer.

CHAPTER MEMBER:

Jane Alice Turner, Sarah E. Singleton, Rachel Frances Carver Sophia Singleton, Mary Geddes, Isabel Eames, Almeda Raymond, Mary Peterson, Sarah Moyes, Laura M. Graham, Hannah M. Christensen, Annie Josephine Davis, Matilda Folkman, Charlotte Lindelof, Helen Graham, Minnie Carver, Julia Knight, Mary Maw, Emily Neal, Eliza Folkman, Elizabeth Folkman, Elizabeth Geddes, Elsie Marie Green, Julia Cottle, Georgina Rolfe, Eliza Rawson, Hannah Eliza Graham, Mrs. Laura Richardson, Matilda Lindelof, Lucy Knight, Matilda Weatherstone, Martha Knight, Emma Richardson, Annie Geddes, Isabel Draney, Catharine Maw, Annie England, Dinah Maw, Polley Goddard, Mrs. Christine Lund, Mrs. Elizabeth Miller, Emma Stewart, Agnes Geddes, Louisa Gampton, Elizabeth Eames, Millie Richardson, Eliza Turner, Mrs. Rose England, Josephine Folkman, Hilda Christensen, Annie Green, Hannah Maria Rawson.

The procedure of the 13^th Ward of Salt Lake City was taken as an example to follow in inducing attendance at sacrament meeting and the curtailment of extravagance in dress; also the promoting of faith among the members.

In February 1876, the YMMIA was organized with William England President. The Primary Association was organized in 1881 with Susannah Robinson as President. The first Sunday School books were bought with molasses donated by the people.

TRANSPORTATION

The early settlers traveled over the old Plain City to Ogden road in order to market their produce in the “Junction City.” A lot of early commercial intercourse was carried on with Salt Lake City as well.

In order to reach Salt Lake City, it was necessary to cross the Weber River over Higbee’s Ferry which was located south of the town.

The first means of transportation were ox teams and horses or mules. Many people rode horseback to Ogden when they went on business or for a small amount of supplies. After the lumber wagons, came the white top buggies and surreys. Then the bicycle and automobile.

It wasn’t until 1909 that Plain City had Communication with Ogden by means of railroad.

On October 15, and 16, of the year, the citizens of Harrisville and Farr West and many from Ogden joined with the residents of Plain City in a great celebration in honor of the completion of the U.I.C. branch line to Plain City. Six carloads of enthusiastic came over the new line. Many of them were former residents of Plain City. They joined the local citizens in a fiesta of signing, talking, dancing, and feasting. Lyman Skeen and John Max were instrumental in bringing this much-needed means of transportation to the community.

A small steam engine hauled passengers and express to Five Points. Later to Harrisville where passengers and freight were transferred to the Cache Valley electric train. Then later, the road to Plain City was finally electrified, but owing to the keen competition of the automobile passengers, service was discontinued a few years later. However, freight and sugar beets were still being hauled over the line.

William England was hired by the Kimball-Lawrence Company Merchant Freighters to drive a freight wagon across the plains. He was from April 9, 1862, to September 15, 1862, making the trip to Salt Lake City. He also drove wagons from Salt Lake to California for a large company.

AMANDA RICHARDSON’S STATEMENT

“The Indians tanned the calf and sheep hides for the settlers. They used to come and dry themselves before our fireplace and change their babies. They lined their babies’ baskets with rabbit skins in order to protect them from the cold. We stacked our sagebrush with the butts out, tops to the center in a round pile.”

SOME EARLY SCHOOL TEACHER

George Musgrave and wife Victoria, William McGuire, George W. Bramwell, George Carver, Mina Raymond, Joel Shoemaker.

ROADS

The roads were kept up by a toll-tax levied on each family. There was a toll gate at the entrance to the road thru Ogden Canyon. The pioneers built their own roads by donations of work and money. John P. Draney and William Geddes were the first two men to blast rock in Ogden Canyon.

WILLIAM SHARP

William Sharp was the first stone mason in Plain City, born in Misson, Notts, England December 10, 1828; died in Plain City, Utah December 21, 1901. He built the Episcopal Church (school house) in 1877. He also built the old Singleton home, Robert Maw’s adobe house. He was a musician and played the cornet in Plain city’s first band. He worked with Thomas Singleton, a carpenter, in constructing many of Plain City’s early houses.

THOMAS SINGLETON

He was the first band leader in Plain City. He was an early carpenter of Plain City, also laid adobes. He was a musician. The first band in Plain City was organized at his home. He was born in Mason, England, January 7,1823; died January 1,1895 in Plain City. He was good singer. His brother, Charles, was also a musician, being both a singer and an instrumentalist.

Charles Musgrave and his brothers Thomas and George were also musicians. They were good singers and entertained frequently at parties. Other singers were Edwin Dix, William Sharp, William Stewart, Robert Maw, Victorine Musgrave, Tom Singleton, Victorine Sharp, Milo Sharp, and wife, Lily, who was also a poet.

DOCTORS

Henry W. Wadman was the earliest known doctor in Plain City. John Danvers treated people for various ailments. Lyman Skeen extracted teeth.

MIDWIVES

Annie Katherine Hedwig Rasmussen-Hansen, wife of Hans Christian Hansen, was the first midwife in Plain City. She was born October 3, 1823, in Forborg, Denmark She was baptized in January 1852, came to Salt Lake October 1, 1853, then later to Ogden. She settled first in Bingham’s Fort, then moved to Harrisville. She was asked by the Bishop of Plain City to come down there to practice midwifery. She came between 1860 and 1862 while her husband was a mission to Denmark. Some of the Plain City men went to Harrisville, took down her log house, moved it to Plain City, and re-erected it on a 2 ½ acre tract of land given to her by the people in Plain City. This work was accomplished in one day. She practiced her profession in Plain City for many years. She was one of those called to take the course in midwifery and nursing at Salt Lake City under the direction of Eliza R. Snow. She died at Plain City March 31, 1899.

Jane Pavard England, wife of John England, was Plains City’s second midwife. She was born near Yeoble, Somerset, England, August 2, 1815. She married when seventeen years of age. Her husband was in the printing and publishing business for eight years in London. She buried nine children in Bridport, England. She and her husband came to Plain City in 1862, where she practiced until her death on November 20, 1882. She never lost a case. She and her husband were weavers in the same cloth factory in England. He died at Plain City.

Martha Stewart Geddes, wife of William Geddes, was another early midwife of Plain City. She was born May 10, 1838, in Scotland. She practiced until the time of her death August 11, 1900, at Plain City.

Mrs. Elizabeth Murray, wife of John Moyes, was sent by the Bishop of Plain City to Salt Lake to learn obstetrics. She practiced for many years in Plain City. She was born in Michigan, December 24, 1840, died in Plain City January 4, 1904, or 1905. Her early life was spent in Murray, Utah, which was named after her father, John Murray, who was an early patriarch of that locality. From Murray, the family moved first to North Salt Lake and the to Kay’s Creek (Kaysville) where she met and married John Moyes on March 4, 1858. Shortly after, their marriage they moved to Spanish Fork, then down to the Muddy and back to Spanish Fork again, and finally to Plain City in October, 1865.

Elizabeth Moyes had a beautiful singing voice and often sang at dances accompanying herself on the harp. She had dark brown ringlets which hung to her waist. She could card, spin, knit and sew. She learned obstetrics from Dr. Schipp in Salt Lake City, and after obtaining her certificate, she practiced in Warren, Farr West, Harrisville and Plain City for over twenty years. She would go to homes where there were small children and work one half a day besides waiting on the mother for $3.00 per day.

Mary Ann Carver Geddes, wife of William Stewart Geddes, a practical nurse in Plain City for many years, came to Plain City with her parents John Carver and Mary Ann Eames Carver in 1859 when two years of age.

John Spiers was an early Justice of the Peace in Plain City. He was born February 19, 1822, at Worcester, England, died in Plain City November 12, 1895. He was one of the original company of pioneers who arrived in Plain City on March17, 1859.

He took an active part in the religious and civic life of the town. He was the first president of the old Z.C.M.I. of Plain City organized in March, 1869. He was an early gardener of Plain City and had the largest garden. (1871) He was appointed Secretary of the United Order Committee on May 23, 1874. He was Meeting House Com. Clerk of Branch in 1859; was the First Counselor to L. W. Shurtliff when he became Plain City’s first Bishop May 27, 1877. William VanDyke also.

William Thomas Stoker was a harness maker of Plain City. He was born June 4, 1850, in England died on October 21, 1908 in Plain City. He was one of Plain City’s early merchants.

Edward Goddard, was one of the prominent men of Plain City in early days. He was not a pioneer of 1859. He was born in England in 1842, died at Plain City on June 28, 1905. He married Phoebe Sarah Speakman in England. She was born September 25, 1830, in England, died in Plain City in 1917. Edward Goddard took an active part in developing the fine arts in Plain City. He wrote plays and painted scenery. He was a stepdancer, also, a school teacher.

Louisa Hopkins was the daughter of Captain Hopkins of the British Army and his wife, Louisa. She was educated in London and Paris. Upon her Father’s death she and her Mother joined the Church and came to Plain City in 1859, or early sixties. Her mother married the 2^nd Thomas Musgrave.

Louisa Hopkins was a very talented and refined young woman, very dainty and beautiful. She was referred to by her friends as “beautiful little doll.” She took part in many plays and entertainments. She became telegraph operator at Ogden where she worked for some time. She married Clint Brown in 1861 first. Second, she married Bishop Chauncy West in 1868, and after his death, she married Alfred Moyes, son of Jonathan Moyes, in 1871. She buried five children in Plain City, one by Brown, one by West, three by Moyes. After her marriage to Mr. Moyes, she and her husband moved to Idaho, where she died a few years later having lived to a ripe old age. Louisa Hopkins was born October 22, 1847, in London England. She studied elocution and voice in London and Paris. She had a beautiful voice. She took an active part in the theatrical voice. She had dark hair which she wore in ringlets and a beautiful, pearly skin. She taught school in Plain City.

ALONZO KNIGHT

Alonzo Knight was born October 14, 1830, in Pennsylvania, and died at Harrisville September 22, 1921. He migrated from Union southeast of Salt Lake City to Plain City in the fall of 1859, after the crops were harvested. He turned them into the tithing office at Union and drew out from the tithing office in Plain City. He first married Catherine Mequire, daughter of William W. Mequire and Charlotte Ash. Second, he married Martha Sanders and Amanda Fausett. He and Jeppe Folkman plowed the first furrow for the immigrants to follow Henry Maw’s to Geddes’ corner south, and then still farther south to Weatherston’s. He was prominent in church work, having lived at Nauvoo during the Prophet’s life time before coming to Utah. He took an active part in the early life of the community of Plain City. He was one of the first to engage in the bee business. He was also a farmer, gardner, stock raiser, fruit raiser.

WILLIAM GEDDES

Another prominent man in Plain City and an early pioneer, was William Geddes, born in Billston, Scotland on December 8, 1832. He died in Plain City August 24, 1899. Father Hugh Geddes’ mother was Agnes Graham. He was a very good musician. He also was a member of Charles Heath’s and other bands in Plain City. He played in the first band organized in Plain City in 1865, with Thomas Singleton the leader. He also was a member of Charles Heath’s and other bands in Plain City. He brought (sic) the first organ to Plain City in the early seventies. He served as constable when Plain City was organized into a county precinct in 1861. He was appointed a member of the Cemetery Committee in 1878. He became a school trustee September 18, 1870. He contributed the first $5.00 to the first band instruments purchased for the first Plain City band. He brought the first grapevine to Plain City. He was one of the men called to assist in the stonework of the Salt Lake Temple. He and John P. Draney were the first two men to blast rock in Ogden Canyon.

WILLIAM STEWART GEDDES

William Stewart Geddes was the son of William Geddes and Elizabeth Geddes Stewart. He was born April 5, 1856, in Salt Lake City. He died August 23, 1891, in Oregon. When a young man, he was called, along with Luman Shurtliff and Ben Bingham, to work on the Salt Lake Temple. Their wages were paid by the towns of Plain City, Slaterville and Marriott. He helped carve many of the stones in the Temple. They were hauled from Little Cottonwood Canyon in what is now Granite Stake by ox team, before the completion of the railroad, one stone being fastened to the running gears of the wagon with chains. They sharpened their tools at the church blacksmith shop. They made their own charcoal to feed the flames in the blacksmith shop in pits on the Temple Grounds. Logs were piled up, set afire, then covered with dirt. William S. Geddes filled a mission to Scotland (in pencil has been written to read “Scotland from Plain City to Southern States one year, transferred to European Mission for one year. (sic) He married Mary Ann Carver first at the Endowment House on October 20, 1877 and Margaret Cullen second, December, 1884.

JOSEPH SKEEN

He was born August 10, 1816, at Sadsbury Township, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania. He died at Plain City on the 25^th of December, 1882. He was married to Amanda Maria Dobby. He was a member of the Mormon Batallion, coming to Salt Lake City from California, he learned how to make sun-dried bricks from clay (called adobes) and is credited with being the first man to make them in Utah. He was one of the company of men who explored the site where Plain City is located, in the fall of 1858, and was among those who settled there on March 17, 1859. He, in connection with his sons, Lyman and William, went into the cattle and horse-breeding business in Plain City. He purchased fine stallions and thus improve the quality of the stock in Plain City and vicinity. His wife, Amanda Maria Dobby Skeen, died in Lehi November 11, 1855.

LYMAN STODDARD SKEEN

Lyman Stoddard Skeen was the son of Joseph and Amanda Maria Dobby Skeen, and was born December 18, 1850, at Keg Creek, Missouri. He came to Plain City on March 17, 1859, with his parents. He was a contractor and builder. He built part of the Narrow Gauge Railroad on the Utah Northern in 1870- 1872. He brought over 600 head of horses for the government at one time. He first harvested his grain with a sickle, then a scythe, and a cradle. The grain was ground in a coffee mill at first. He was a breeder of horses and cattle. He was successful in handling rough laborers during his railroad contracting work. There was less profanity in his camp than in any other of the camps. He never swore or used tobacco. He assisted in every public enterprise In Plain City. He helped in the construction of many railroads. He bought the cemetery fence himself. He first married Electa P. Dixon, who died April 28, 1891, then he married Annie Skelton. He was of Scotch, Yankee and Dutch descent. His grandfather settled in western Missouri. Had they crossed the river, they would have been in Mexican Territory. He was instrumental in getting the railroad into Plain City in 1908 and 1909. He died at Plain City April 4, 1933. His wife, Annie Skelton, died at Plain City January 13, 1933.

JOSEPH ROBINSON

Joseph Robinson was one of the pioneers of March 17, 1859. He came with the company who looked over the site in the fall of 1858. He was one of the original Plain City Pioneers. He was the son of James and Mary Robinson and was born at Stockport, England, December 14, 1814. He was one of the first to grow alfalfa in Plain City. He married Alice Booth first, a sister of David Booth on January 1, 1843. Second, he married Susannah Baddis. He was a farmer and a gardner. His oxen often got so tired they would lie down in a row. He was one of the men sent to meet Johnston’s Army. He died at Plain City August 27, 1901 or 1891. (Ward records) He joined the church in 1848. One of the first growers of lucerne seed in Plain City was Joseph Robinson. He also raised cattle.

ALICE BOOTH ROBINSON

She was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, December 29, 1819. The family later moved to England where she married Joseph Robinson at Stockport, January 1, 1843. She joined the Church on November 13, 1847. They emigrant to Salt Lake City September 22, 1854. They moved to Lehi, then to Plain City on March 17, 1859. She was the first white woman to set foot on Plain City soil. She was a firm Latter-day Saint. Her life was full of noble deeds. She died at Plain City January 11, 1906. She was a weaver in a cotton mill in the north of England. She was a choir singer. When she came to Plain City, the men had already commenced to dig the canal. She came to Utah in Job Smith’s Company with their own outfit, two yoke of oxen, a camping kit and a new wagon.

WILLIAM SKEEN

Son of Joseph Skeen and Amanda Dobby Skeen, was born January 8, 1839, at Sadsbury Township, Penn. He married first Caroline Smith, daughter of Joseph J. Smith and Mary A. Smart, (Joseph J. Smith, the inventor) and second he married Mary Davis, daughter of Thomas and Mary Davis. William Skeen was one of the original Plain City pioneers who arrived on March 17, 1859. He had previously came with the party that arrived in the fall of 1858 and chose the site for the settlement. He specialized in cattle and horse. He died at Plain City February 13, 1903. His families suffered severe loses during the smallpox epidemic of 1870 and 1871. Caroline Smith Skeen was born December 24, 1840, in England, and died in Plain City December 1, 1925. Mary Davis Skeen was born April 22, 1848 in Wales, and died in Plain City November 30, 1908.

CHARLES NEAL

Charles Neal, son of Job Neal and Harriot Smith, was born at Stratford, Warwick, England, September 7, 1834, and died at Plain City October 29, 1914. He and his first wife, Annie Jane England Neal, came with the first company of pioneers to Plain City on March 17, 1859. He was a farmer and a gardener. He is credited with panting the first apple seeds in Plain City. They came from apples grown in Brigham Young’s orchard. He had the first “dugout” home in Plain City and built the first willow fence, he and his wife dragging the willows from the Weber River two miles away. They made 200 trips in all. He was a carpenter by trade and assisted in the erection of many homes in the community. He was a good musician, played in the band, sang in the choir, was organist and later became choir leader.

GEORGE MUSGRAVE

He was the first choir leader and school teacher in Plain City. He was one of the pioneers of March 17, 1859. He was born October 22, 1833, in London, England, and died November 12, 1903 at Plain City. He married Victorine Jane Dix, the adopted daughter of William Dix and Myra Goodman. He was a musician both vocal and instrumental. He and his wife sang frequently at entertainments. He lived first where Peter Poulsen now lives, in a “dugout” and then a one-room adobe house. Afterwards, he brought a two-room adobe house of Gundero Anderson (Alminda’s Grandfather) which he later enlarged by the construction of a large school room on the west side which was often used for parties of various kinds. (Lawrence Palmer owns the lot now. William Sharp put in the foundation of this room, Charles and Thomas Singleton laid the adobes and did the carpenter work, being assisted by John Moyes who paid tuition for his children’s schooling in this way. He and his brother, Charles, were composed of songs.

DAVID BOOTH

He was an early pioneer. He was born November 26, 1826, at Hooley Hill, Lancashire, England and died on September 2, 1909 in Plain City. His first wife was Sarah H. Booth, and his second wife was Mrs. Susannah Beddis Robinson. He is accredited with being the second choir leader in Plain City. He was a very good bass singer and conducted a singing school in Plain City. He and his brother, Henry, often sang duets at parties. He was an early hatter of the town. He made beaver hats of rabbit fur. His parents were William Booth and Mary Ann Jackson. He lived in the little adobe house that stands partly demolished on the Berry Lot.

DINAH ABBETT

She was the wife of Jonathan Moyes, born in England in 1818. She was left an orphan at an early age. She was sent to work in a lace factory in Wallinworth, Suffolk, England. She wound bobbins. Her stepmother was cruel to her, giving her bran to eat. When she was older, she learned to make pillow lace. Also, she did fancy ironing in order to save money to come to America. She lived neighbors to Musgrave in London prior to coming to America. She was a very good cook. She could get a good meal with very little. She had three sons, Alfred, Lemon, and John. Lemon was drowned in a pool when a small child. She died in Plain City October 27, 1871 when 53 years old.

ANNIE ENGLAND NEAL

She was the daughter of John England and Jane Pavard. She was born July 1, 1837 at Bradfoole Bridport, Dorsetshire, England. She died November 5, 1900 at Plain City. She joined the church in 1837 when Wilford Woodruff organized the first conference at Bristol, England. She was the first of the family to come to Utah, five years ahead of the rest of the family. She came in Evans Handcart Company in 1857 when she was 18 years of age. She met Charles Neal while crossing the plains and after reaching Salt Lake City, they both worked for Brigham Young and were married by him in their bare feet.

They settled in Lehi in 1858, then came to Plain city with the first company of Pioneers on March 17, 1859, making the journey in William Skeen’s wagon. A blinding snowstorm came up shortly after their arrival. They lived where Alf Charlton now lives, in the first dugout finished in Plain City, then they built a one-room adobe house with a dirt floor and a dirt and willow roof. The lot was fenced with willows dragged from the river over two miles to the south.

She had no children of her own, so she mothered Emma Neal, her husband’s niece, and also, his younger brother William Neal. Her own niece, Sophia England, also became a member of their household. She was post-mistress in Plain City for over 25 years. She lost some of her brothers in England who refused to take consecrated oil during a cholorea epidemic. She was a teacher in the Plain City Relief Society, liberal in her donations, and especially good to the poor.

SUSANNAH BEDDIS ROBINSON BOOTH ENGLAND

She was the daughter of Thomas Paul Beddis and Ann Cole. She was born July 12, 1847, in Wigan, England, and died December 30, 1920, at Plain City. She came to America in 1054. Her parents died after leaving New Orleans and she and her brother became orphans. Susannah, now seven years old, came across the plains practically alone, arriving in Salt Lake City September 30, 1854, where she was met by Joseph Robinson and his wife Alice, who took her home with them. She carried her little reticule containing her knitting across the Plains. They sang around the campfires at night. She went to Lehi in 1855, and to Plain City on July 23, 1859. She helped Alice Robinson gather willows from the river and rocks from the springs to be used in the construction of their house. They also assisted Brother Robinson in the clearing of sagebrush from his land preparatory to the breaking it up for cropping. She was married to Joseph Robinson first, and upon his death, to David Booth, then to William England after his wife’s death.

JOHN ENGLAND, SR.

He was a weaver of cloth. He was the husband of Jane Pavard England, Plain City’s second midwife. He was born March 20, 1815, at Stofords Parish near Yeoble, Somerset, England, and died in Plain City April 7, 1894. He joined the Church in 1837, shortly after the opening of the Bristol Branch. His father, James England, first used and perfected the power loom in England. John learned the art of weaving in his father’s factory; so when he came to Plain City he engaged in the same business. Prior to coming to Utah, he also worked for a London Printing Company for eight years.

He migrated to Utah in 1862, in James Brown’s company. His son, John Jr., had come in 1861, being one of the contractors on the government telegraph line from the Missouri River to Salt Lake City, the Pioneer telegraph line in the United States. John England, Sr., engaged in farming and the cattle business as well as his cloth-weaving business.

JOHN CARVER

He was a pioneer on March 17, 1859. He was born August 6, 1822, at Clifford Parish, Herefordshire, England. He died January 11, 1912, at Plain City. He was one of the party that came in the fall of 1858 to locate the sire for a settlement. He walked back to Kay’s Creek, wading through the deep sand most of the way. Most of the others went to Ogden and staid (sic) for a few days before going home. The water conditions at Kay’s Creek were the same as at Lehi, the first settlers had appropriated most of the water so that there was none left for those coming later. Consequently, John Carver joined the settlers from Lehi and proceeded on to Plain City with them, leaving his wife, Mary Ann, and family in Slaterville for a few weeks as she was about to give birth to another child. He walked back and forth between Slaterville and Plain City while constructing his home and working his land. He moved his family to Plain city in the fall of 1859. He became a farmer and stockman in Plain City and Ogden valley. He also raised fruit and garden stuff in Plain City. He held many positions of trust in the community. He acted as First Counselor to President Raymond when David Collett moved to Cache Valley in 1859. He was also called to act as First Counselor to President Shurtliff on August 31, 1870. He was appointed assistant to L. W. Shurtliff on the United Order Committee on May 22, 1875.

He built a sod fence around his lot in the early days. He is reported to have built the second log house in Plain City. William W. Raymond moved a log house from Slaterville to Plain City before Carver’s was built, but it was not erected in Plain City. He was married to Mary Ann Eames, daughter of Samuel Eames and Nancy Caster. She was born on August 8, 1828, in Orcorp Parish, Herefordshire, England, and died in Plain City June 18, 1870. She was a Relief Society worker in Plain City. She was appointed Second Counselor to Almina Raymond, President of the first Relief Society organized in Plain City, January 3, 1868. Other wives of John Carver were Rochel Tellephson Carver, daughter of Peter Tellephson (or sen) and Rachel Lordahl, born June 26, 1839, in Christiansand, Norway; died in Plain City October 4, 1903. Sarah Ann Eames Carver

EDWIN DIX

He was born February 14, 1838, in Herefords, England, and moved to London from which place he emigrated to Utah in 1859. He crossed the “Plains” from Iowa by ox team. He moved from Salt Lake City to Plain City in 1859. The canal was being dug from Mill Creek to the Ogden River when he arrived. He went back to Salt Lake and worked as a stone-cutter on the Salt Lake Temple for 18 months. He then returned to the Plain City and engaged in market gardening which he had learned from a Mr. Ellerbeck, a gardener of Salt Lake City for whom he had worked.

He introduced strawberry culture into Plain City and Weber County, having brought the first plants with him when he returned from Salt Lake to Plain City. He walked the distance. He brought a lot and built a dugout where Fent McFarland now lives. Prior to this he and his wife and daughter Evelyn, and also George Musgrave and wife, had lived with Charles Neal in his dugout which was the first one built in Plain City. His wife’s name was Hannah Bootie, a beautiful woman. Edwin Dix was assessor of Weber County for over twelve years. He was a good leader in the irrigation projects of Plain City and vicinity. He had a good education and was instrumental in fostering the drama in Plain City. He was a Shakespearean scholar and frequently gave readings from his favorite author. He brought some land of W. W. Raymond and began raising fruits and vegetables for the market, shipping to mining towns in Montana, and also to Park City. He organized the “Thespians,” a dramatic position as a sponsor of dramatic Arts and Music in pioneer times. He died in Ogden May 12, 1929. He belonged to the Militia, organized to protect the settlers from the Indians. Abraham Maw was his partner in the gardening business. Edwin Dix gave many of his friends a start of strawberry plants.

HANNAH BOOTIE DIX

She was the wife of Edwin Dix. She was born in Essex, June 29, 1834. She was a beautiful woman. She became the mother of eight children. She was a very good housekeeper, and an excellent cook. She became skilled as a seamstress and a knitter. Her first sewing machine was an old Singer, bought in the early seventies. She once traded one of her lovely silk dresses for a cow with which to begin a dairy herd. During the grasshopper invasion, they ate the green paint from her baby’s crib. She assisted her husband in his market gardening business.

DAUGHTERS OF THE UTAH PIONEERS

Plain City Camp, with members of the Carver Plain City Camp, with members of the Carver family and other pioneers.

This is the John Carver log cabin. This was the second log cabin built in Plain city and has been preserved by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.

The cabin, which contains many pioneer artifacts, is on the west side of the L.D.S. Chapel.

Sunday, 29 July 2018 by Sagacity

Ogden Cemetery 2018

We attended the Jonas Reunion near Huntsville, Utah earlier this month. After playing for a couple of days, we headed home. My poor family knows no trip is complete without a stop at a cemetery. Here are some photos for our Ogden City Cemetery stop.

William Scott Donaldson and Mary Elizabeth Donaldson graves; Paul, Hiram, Aliza, and Lillie Ross

The first set of graves in this picture above are of William Scott Donaldson and Mary Elizabeth Williams Donaldson. I have previously written part of their story. William Scott Donaldson was born 18 June 1865 in Joyceville, Frontenac, Ontario, Canada and died 12 September 1913 in Ogden of cancer. Mary Elizabeth Williams was born 7 April 1869 in Ogden and died 29 March 1951 in Ogden. They married 2 October 1890 in Slaterville, Utah. Their son, David Delos Donaldson, is my Great Grandfather.

David Delos Donaldson and Berendena Donaldson graves; Paul, Lillie, Aliza, and Hiram Ross

The second set of graves in this picture above are of David Delos Donaldson and Berendena “Dena” Van Leeuwen Donaldson. I have previously written part of their history. David Delos Donaldson was born 26 March 1894 in Evanston, Uinta, Wyoming and died 24 September 1953 in Salt Lake City of emphysema. Dena Van Leeuwen was born 28 December 1898 in Ogden and died 5 March 1959 in Ogden. They married 16 July 1919 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Their daughter, Gladys Maxine Donaldson, is my Grandmother.

Gerhardus Hendrik Van Leeuwen and Hermina Janzen Van Leeuwen; Paul, Hiram, Aliza, and Lillie Ross

The third set of graves in this picture above are of Gerhardus Hendrik Van Leeuwen and Hermina Janzen Van Leeuwen. I have previously written part of their account. Gerhardus Hendrik Van Leeuwen was born 16 October 1856 in Oldenzaal, Overijssel, Netherlands and died 5 January 1932 in Provo, Utah. Hermina Janzen was born 19 August 1860 in Gorssel, Gelderland, Netherlands and died 9 June 1921 in Ogden. They married 31 March 1880 in Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands. Their daughter, Berendena Van Leeuwen, is my Great Grandmother.

Sunday, 16 April 2017 by Sagacity

Mary Stoker 81st Anniversary

One of the fun and frustrating parts of family history is how it keeps changing on you. There are always more records, there is always more documentation on your ancestors. Most of it is mundane and useless, even if it does give you a partial hint on your family. But sometimes you stumble upon a gem. As I did with this newspaper clipping.

I thought I had scoured Ogden’s Standard Examiner pretty thoroughly for familial references. Nevertheless, I was searching for something entirely different and found this article. I don’t know if I missed it before or if search capabilities have improved and caught now what I could not catch 5 or 8 years ago when I went through the Standard Examiner records.

Here is the entire page of the paper.

Page 7A of Ogden, Utah’s Standard Examiner, Sunday 19 April 1950

A couple of thoughts about the entire page.

100 Gladiolus bulbs for $1.69!

I love when they reference someone in the paper they give their home address.

Sears Roebuck & Co. May soon be another thing of the past, despite being an institution of the American way of life for over 150 years.

Mattresses seem to be pretty much the same as they were 67 years ago. Not that I expect lots of change, but other than these new foam mattresses, things appear to be much the same.

Call Sears at 2-5331!

Combination Offer, box springs and mattress only $42.88!

Utah’s Senator, Elbert D. Thomas has a new book out, “One Nation Under God” only $2.75. I don’t think I can see a Senator now out selling a religious principles book.

Washers have changed a great deal since 1950.

Alcoholics Anonymous is still going strong today.

Anyhow, on to the reason why I am writing this post. Mary E Stoker is my Great, Great Grandmother. I have written about her previously. But this little newspaper article tells us some things at least I had never known.

“An open house to honor Mary E. Stoker, old time resident of Weber county, on her 81st birthday anniversary, will bbe held Sunday, Apr 9, at the home of her son, J. E. Donaldson, 120 E street, Salt Lake City. Relatives and friends are invited to attend.

“Mrs. Stoker was born April 7, 1869, in Ogden, a daughter of David D and Gwendolyn Jordan Williams, pioneer converts from Wales. She spent her early childhood in Slaterville and moved to Ogden when she was 15 years old.

“She was married to William Scott Donaldson in Ogden, October 1890. They had six children, William George Donaldson, and John Edmund Donaldson, Salt Lake City; David Delos Donaldson, Ogden; Ellis Donaldson, Pocatello, Idaho; Irvin T. Donaldson, West San Pablo, Calif.; Alvin Donaldson, Green River, Wyo. Mr. Donaldson died Sept. 12, 1913.

“In 1918 she was married to Anthon Edward Peterson in Ogden. Several years after Mr. Peterson’s death she was married to Thomas Stoker of Huntsville. She has six sons, 22 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. She also has three brothers, Hyrum Williams, John H. Williams, and Joseph Williams, Ogden, and one sister, Mrs. Louise Layman, Ogden.

“Mrs. Stoker remembers when there were not over 10 houses east of Washington, when mud was hub deep to wagons in stormy weather. She remembers the first street cars, the first street lights and the first volunteer fire department.

“She went to Salt Lake City with her moth to attend Brigham Young’s funeral. She was personally acquainted with Lorin Farr, first mayor of Ogden, D. H. Peery, Job Pingree, Franklin D. Richards, John Scowcroft, John Guthrie, W. H. Wright, George Kerr, Bernard White, Winslow Farr, Robert McQuarrie, and their families. She knew most of the early settles of Weber county.

“Mrs. Stoker says there has been so much progress since her childhood that she takes great interest in new developments, inventions and methods of doing things. She is so sure that many more wonderful inventions are just a few years away and she wants to live to be at least 100 years old because she enjoys seeing progress.

Much of that seemed standard and information we knew. But she went to Brigham Young’s funeral when she was about 8 years old. Why did her mother take her to the funeral. Brigham did not serve any of his missions in Wales, so I doubt they were converts or knew him while he was a missionary. But Gwenllian had enough regard for him that she traveled to Salt Lake City to say farewell. Enough that she even took her daughter. But that is an interesting side note to Mary.

The other information is more history of Ogden. I am curious how well she knew the people listed in the article and how she knew them. Now about half of the list does not mean anything to me. As a non-Ogdenite, only a few of the names I am familiar. Farr, Peery, and Richards. The rest of these are lost on me and I will have to research their significance to her and the paper for another time.

Just a few more interesting insights into the lady I know as Mary Elizabeth Donaldson.

Here is a much better copy of the photo from the newspaper article. She died 29 March 1951.

Sunday, 2 April 2017 by Sagacity

Hewitt Photo?

My cousin, Lee Koldewyn, provided this photo to me. He obtained this photo from his grandparents, Andrew and Maria Hewitt over 50 years ago. He believes the photo is of family, but is unsure about who. I offered to post it for him to see if that will give any other leads.

From the face of the photo, it was photographed by H. H. Thomas of Washington Avenue, Ogden, Weber, Utah. Heber Harris Thomas ran his Washington Avenue shop from the late 1880s to 1909. He started his shop and was called to serve a mission to the British Isles. He returned about 1890, so this photo is likely in that time period between 1890 and 1909.

The clothing would definitely point to the 1880s and 1890s, but an older woman into the early 1900s might still be wearing that fashion, so the clothing fits the time period but does not narrow the years.

Lastly, the lady is older in the photo. At a minimum she is 70, so we are looking for a person that is over her 70th birthday or so during when Thomas was running his studio.

Maria Hewitt is a sister to my Berendena Van Leeuwen Donaldson (1898 – 1959). Maria Van Leeuwen was born 15 November 1893 in Ogden. Her parents were George & Harmina Van Leeuwen. None of Maria’s grandparents made it to Utah from Netherlands to have their photos taken in Thomas’ studio. I have enough pictures of Harmina Janzen Van Leeuwen (1860-1921) to know that the photo is not of her. That means we can turn from my Van Leeuwen clan to that of the Hewitt clan.

Of course, we have nothing to say for certain whether this photo is a relative of Andrew George Hewitt, but there is an assumption this person is related to Andrew.

Andrew George Hewitt was born 17 September 1892 in Marriott, Weber, Utah. His parents were George Joseph Lemuel Hewitt (29 February 1872 – 7 March 1946) and Prudence Ekins (22 May 1862 – 18 November 1948). While Prudence lived to be 86 years old, her time over 70 is outside the time frame for which Thomas was photographing in Ogden. She is not a candidate.

George Joseph Lemuel Hewitt’s mother was Clarissa Wilson born 29 April 1836 in Green, Richland, Ohio. She passed away 18 August 1890 in Ogden. She died at the age of 54. I could not locate any photos for her. While she fits the location, she does not quite fit the correct time frame for the age of the lady in the photo nor is she quite fit the time frame for Thomas’ studio. Does not seem a likely option.

Prudence Ekins’ mother was Rebecca Burnham born 20 March 1829 in Moulton Seas End, Lincolnshire, England. She passed away 29 September 1894 in Slaterville, Weber, Utah. She died at the age of 65 years. I could locate some photos of her and she was a thin, narrow faced woman. She does not appear to have any relation to the woman in the photo. Her location fits, her age is not quite so sure, and Thomas was operative during that time.

That excludes both of Andrew’s grandmothers. Does he have any great grandmothers who might match?

Clarissa Wilson Hewitt mentioned above was the daughter of Agnes Hunter. Agnes Hunter Wilson was born 27 December 1811 in Erie, Erie, Pennsylvania. She died 7 February 1886 in Ogden. While I could not find out the exact year Thomas opened his studio, there may have been some overlap in time frames. She died at the age of 74. The only photos I could locate of her was when she was younger. A number of features of Agnes could match the woman above, but there were also many distinguishing features. The nose, mouth, and lines of the younger Agnes Hunter Wilson just do not seem to fully line up. However, I could maybe be convinced that Agnes was a relative of the lady above. Here is Agnes Hunter Wilson’s photo from FamilySearch.

Agnes Hunter Wilson (1811 – 1886)

Matching the photos, if this is indeed a photo of Agnes Hunter Wilson, shows similar bone structure, but very different noses and mouths. I am not convinced these are one and the same, but could they be related.

Agnes had one sister, Mary, but she died in 1878 and could not have been photographed by Thomas.

Comparing the photos of Agnes’ daughters (Clarissa’s sisters) and none of them fit the bill. I could not find photos of all the sisters and the ones I did do not match the woman at the top. None of Clarissa’s daughters would have been old enough to be photographed by Thomas.

Ultimately, I am not convinced this is Agnes Hunter Wilson, nor could I find an ancestor of Andrew Joseph Lemuel Hewitt that seemed to match. Nothing of the family resemblance matches the Van Leeuwen side.

Hopefully I have provided enough information someone could find this post. Hopefully someone has a similar photo of this woman to make the connection.

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