Franklin's First Settlers

1
nie Laura Lowe. The parents of both William and

Annie Laura were among the original thirteen
families that settled Franklin in 1860. When William was
a boy his family moved up the road to Whitney where
he and Annie grew up, married and raised their family.
To tell the story of Franklin and Whitney is to tell the
story of William and Annie Laura.
Franklin & whitney Idaho
F
ranklin and Whitney, Idaho, are small, neighboring agricultural communities in
northern Cache Valley near the Idaho/Utah border. A deep, historic connection
runs between these places and the family of William Job Dunkley and his wife, An-
WILLIAM JOB DUNKLEY, center, with his par-
ents, Margaret Wright and Joseph Dunkley.
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FRANKLIN AND WHITNEY, IDAHO Both communities

were established by Mormon settlers from Utah.
Founded in 1860, Franklin is Idahos oldest continu-
ously inhabited town. It became an important supply
point for goods and materials flowing north into Idaho
and Montana.
Whitney began as a community of farming families
five miles northwest of Franklin and half way between
Franklin and the town of Preston. Mormon President,
Ezra Taft Benson, was born and raised in Whitney.
Quick Connection
A Franklin Timeline
The Franklin Story, from The History and Development
of Franklin, Idaho During the Period of 18601864
The Franklin Story, from The Trail Blazer
The Whitney Story, from The Trail Blazer
Entries from the Journal of Edward Kingsford
CLICK on a heading below to go to that section
History of Franklin & Whitney, Idaho Introduction

History of Franklin, Idaho Franklin Timeline
2
1847 Brigham Young sends an small team headed
by Jesse C Little to explore the much talked
of Cache Valley north of Salt Lake City, Utah.
They report on a beautiful valley.
1849 Captain Howard Stansbury and Colonel Por-
ter explore Cache Valley with a contingent
of soldiers. The colonel likes the valley so
well that he sends all of his cattle and mules
there to stay the winter. The winter proves
severe, however, and half of the animals die,
persuading the colonel not to establish a
military outpost there.
1855 Brigham Young directs that the Elkhorn Ranch
or Church Ranch be established between
Logan and Wellsville in what will be the first
of several ranches set up in Cache Valley. By
the end of the year there are about 3000
head of cattle and horses in the valley. The
same year, a group of settlers is sent to colo-
nize the Salmon River Country in Idaho and
achieve initial success.
1856 Peter Maughan and his group are sent to
settle what will become Wellsville, Utah, the
first permanent settlement in the valley. The
following year, elections establish a govern-
ing structure for the region.
1857 Difficulties with the local Shoshone Indians
and the impending approach of Johnstons
Army from the US Federal Government
prompt the recall of both the Salmon River
group in Idaho and the Wellsville group in
Utah back to Salt Lake City.
The Franklin Story
a
timeline
of
EARLY
Franklin
idaho
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3
1859 With the easing of tension with Johnstons
Army, Brigham Young directs that the re-
settlement of Cache Valley begin in ear-
nest. Wellsville, Providence, Logan, Mendon,
Richmond and Smithfieldall in Utah are
started. Peter Maughan is called as the
Bishop of Cache Valley. The following year,
Apostle Ezra T. Benson is called to preside
over the Cache Valley Stake.
1860

Hyrum, Paradise, Hyde Park, Utah are started.
At the suggestion of Brigham Young, five
groups from various towns in Utah set out
for Muddy River in northern Cache Valley.
1860 April 14 Thirteen families enter an area
called Green Meadowsthat will later be
renamed for Mormon apostle, Franklin
Richardsand build a temporary fort us-
ing the boxes from their wagons arranged
in a circle.
1860 April 17 Jesse Fox comes from Salt Lake
City to survey Green Meadows into one- and
ten-acre lots.
1860 April 19 A vote is taken allowing the
unmarried men in the group to draw lots
for land along with the married men. Work
begins immediately on clearing land and
planting fields.
1860 June 4 Brigham Young and a sizable group
traveling in thirty carriages begin a tour of
the settlements in Cache Valley, eventually
reaching Franklin. President Young calls Pres-
ton Thomas to be the bishop in Franklin.
1860 June 24 The settlers begin work on ditches
to bring irrigation water from the canyon
down to their fields. Roads are constructed
to the canyon, opening the way for cutting
timber used in constructing log cabins.
1860 July A fort comprised of log cabins orga-
nized in a large rectangle begins to take
shape.
1860 August The first crops of grain are har-
vested and threshing begun.
1860 Fall Hannah Comish opens her home to
children of the settlement as a school. Bish-
op Thomas initiates construction of a log
school house.
1861 The school house is completed. On Sundays
it is used as a meeting house for worship
services. Mail service begins between Utah
and Franklin. A wet fall leaves the settlers
living quarters unpleasant and the flour from
the harvested wheat, musty.
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4
1862 The Homestead Act of 1862 opens the way
for each man to legally claim 160 acres of
land. James Haworth and John Goaslind
build a flour mill, powered by water coming
from the canyon.
1863 January 29 The growing settlement ex-
periences escalating tensions with the local
Shoshone Indians. Armed California Volun-
teers under the command of Patrick Connor
are called in from Salt Lake. Colonel Connor
is less accommodating of the Indians than
the settlers and orders the massacre of the
entire Indian village twelve miles northwest
of Franklin. While isolated acts of Indian
aggression continue for several years after-
wards, Indian violence against the settlers
soon fades away altogether.
1863 Samuel R. Parkinson and Thomas Smart
build the first sawmill in the area, provid-
ing lumber for new homes and a new school
house.
1863 After three years of service as bishop in the
settlement, Preston Thomas is replaced by
Lorenzo H. Hatch as bishop of the Mormon
congregation in Franklin.
1863 Franklin emerges as a point of entry and
supply for the gold and silver mining boom
taking place in central and northern Idaho.
1864 January Work begins on a Mormon meet-
ing house made of sandstone. As it nears
completion, the roof collapses under the
weight of winter snow and remains unfin-
ished for another nine years.
1864 In another tour of the small, outlying Mor-
mon towns, Brigham Young again visits
Franklin. At his recommendation, Jesse W.
Fox and J.M. Martineau do a new survey
of the land in the Franklin area. A ditch is
constructed from Cub River to the Franklin
farmland which greatly improves the yield
of the crops.
1865 The townspeople move out of the original
fort into city lots.
1868 February Franklin is incorporated as a city
under the laws of Utah Territory.
1869 The Deseret Telegraph line is extended to
Franklin, bringing near instantaneous com-
munication to the town in the form of Morse
code messages. The telegraph office is set
up in a corner of the stone Co-op building.
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5
1868 The Relief Societythe womens charitable
organization of the Mormon Churchis or-
ganized in the local congregation. Through
selling eggs, butter and quilts, the women
support a wide variety of community causes.
In 1877 the Relief Society begins gleaning
grain from the local fields, a program which
brings in enough revenue to let the women
pursue medical charities and support the
war effort in WWI.
1869 The Franklin Co-operative Mercantile In-
stitution is organized, with John Doney Sr.
as vice president. The Co-op starts doing
business in the vestry of the meeting house,
later to be moved to the stone building that
stands next to the Franklin Relic Hall.
1870 Candles and bitch lamps are replaced by
Kerosene oil lamps
1870 Thomas Lowe constructs a water-powered
shingle and lath mill. Sod roofs all through
the valley are replaced by shingled roofs
using shingles from this mill.
1871 Brigham Young has machinery for a steam
sawmill purchased in the East and shipped
to Franklin. John Biggs sawmill goes on to
produce a large amount of lumber includ-
ing 300,000 feet of lumber used in build-
ing the Z.C.M.I. department store in Salt Lake
City.
1874 A mail stage is set up to run between Franklin
and Helena, Montana.
1874 The Utah Northern Railroad begins operation
of a narrow gauge line from Ogden, Utah to
Logan, and connects with Franklin in May of
1874. Most of the men in town participate in
preparing the local grade and laying the track.
Franklin becomes an important supply point
for moving goods north into Montana and
northern Idaho.
1875 When the telegraph in Idaho Falls breaks down,
a rider brings the news of Custers Last Stand
to Franklin where it is telegraphed on to Wash-
ington D.C.
1875 to 1877 Thomas Lowe Sr. serves as bishop of
the Mormon congregation in Franklin while
Bishop Hatch is in Arizona.
1878 Edmund Buckley heads a group that constructs
and runs he North Star Woolen Mill, bringing
a wide variety of woolen goods to the local
economy.
1888 William Woodward starts the first herd of Hol-
stein milk cattle in Idaho from purebred stock
brought over from Holland. J. J. Flack intro-
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6
duces the first herd of pure bred Jerseys to
the area in 1889.
1890 Idaho becomes the 43rd state of the
Union.
1890 The population of nearby Preston, Idaho,
surpasses the population of Franklin, 1504
to 1330.
1894 The Oneida Mercantile Union records sales
of $95,000 for the year. Items sold include
furniture, saddles, harnesses, boots and
shoes, clothing and meat from the company
butcher shop.
1897 Franklin is incorporated as a village under
Idaho law.
1898 The Oneida Mercantile Union builds the
Union Creamery to commercially produce
butter and cheese. By 1910, the creamery
is replaced by a condensed milk factory
operated by the Utah Condensed Milk Com-
pany.
1898 A four-room brick school house replaces a
rock school house built in 1867. The brick
schoolhouse stands until 1916 when it is
replaced by an eight-room school house de-
signed to also serve the neighboring com-
munities of Cherryville and Nashville.
1905 Electricity comes to Franklin; electric lights gradu-
ally replace Kerosene lamps.
1906 Telephone service and a city water system are
installed.
1910 In honor of the pioneers who founded the town
of Franklin Idaho, Governor James H. Brady
proclaims June 15th as Idaho Day. The first cel-
ebration draws dignitaries and large crowds.
Highlights include the unveiling of a pioneer
monument and a mock battle staged with 75
Shoshone Indians. The tradition of Idaho Day
continues enthusiastically for another 50 years.
1912 Dr. States owns the first automobile in Franklin,
followed shortly by G. L. Wright and S. J. Han-
dy.
1918 Elliot Butterworth begins the Franklin Relic Hall
in the old stone Co-op building. Realizing that
the pioneers are all passing away, he begins at-
tending local estate sales and buying up their
old items.
1923 Lester Lowe brings home a wild pair of wild mink
from Oregon, starting will grow into a local fur
industry. The following year he brings in 15 more
animals from a fox rancher on Prince Edward
Island in Canada. Soon, backyard mink pens
show up in all over town until Franklin becomes
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7
known as much for its mink farming as for its
Idaho Day Celebration.
1930 Headed by Mary B. Lowe, the Franklin County
Daughters of the Pioneers publish The Trail
Blazer, History of the Development of South-
eastern Idaho. The Trail Blazer will stand as
the definitive history of the area. In 1976, local
historian and publisher, Newell Hart, will update
the volume.
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History of Franklin, Idaho The Franklin Story, from The Mormon Settlers
WILLIAM J. DUNKLEY
ANNIE LAURA LOWE

8
CHAPTER III
The Mormon Settlers
1860-1864
From the dissertation, Xxxxxxxx Xxx Xxxxxx
by Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx,
used by permission
A
s the first members of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints crossed the plains, they came
in contact with the frontiersmen who knew about
the West. Previous to their coming West, the Mormons,
as they were sometimes called, had read and had stud-
ied Fremonts reports; and they had looked into the
possibilities of making a home for themselves in other
localities. But, they headed for none of the locations ex-
cept the Rocky Mountain area. Brigham Young seemed
to know where he wanted to lead his people, and the
place was the Great Basin.
Early enthusiasm for Cache Valley
Major Harris, who had been in the Rocky Mountain
valleys before 1847, met Brigham Young and gave his
opinion to the effect that Cache Valley was a more de-
sirable place to live than the Salt Lake Valley.
At different times they met Charles Beau-
mont, Moses Harris, and James Bridger, trappers
and traders, of whom they obtained much valu-
able information regarding the country ahead.
Harris and Bridger drew extremely dark pic-
tures of the Salt Lake Valley . . . though they
spoke very highly of a valley northward called
Cache.
1
William Clayton in writing his journal gives Jim
Bridgers description of Cache Valley as told to Brigham
Young and the Saints.
In Bear River Valley there is oak timber,
sugar trees, cottonwood, pine, and maple. There
is not an abundance of sugar maple, but plenty
of as splendid pine as you ever saw . . . . . There
was a man opened a farm in the Bear River Val-
ley. The soil is good and likely to produce corn
were it not for the excessive cold nights which
he thinks would prevent the growth of corn.
2
But Brighams faith told him, although he
had never seen the Great Basin that Bridger
was wrong. Brigham had a certain knowledge
built upon his mighty faith, that the people of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
over whom he presided, would not perish, but
would grow and become strong in the recesses
of the Rocky Mountains.
3
Even with the glowing reports of Cache Valley and
of the Bear River that Brigham Young received from time
to time, he would not go there. He was strong enough
The Franklin Story
DUNKLEY HISTORIES LOWE HISTORIES FRANKLIN & WHITNEY, IDAHO CHARTS & MAPS
PHOTO GALLERY
8
FROM
The History and Development of Franklin, Idaho
During the Period of 18601900
By James Ira Young
Masters Thesis, Brigham Young University, 1949
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9
to stay with his course, where weaker men might have
gone to Cache Valley. Thus the settlement of the valley
awaited future years, and the outlook of the Franklin
area was different than if Brigham Young had decided
to go to Cache Valley first.
The companies of Saints reached the Salt Lake Val-
ley and were dispersed up and down the mountain
valleys of the Rockies, as directed by Brigham Young.
SETTLEMENTS FROM SALT LAKE CITY TO PRESTON, IDAHO
Mormon settlements pushed north from Salt Lake City
along the east side of Cache Valley, reaching Green Mead-
ows or Franklin, Idaho in 1860.
Within two weeks after the first company of Mor-
mons reached Salt Lake Valley, Brigham Young, who was
now curious about the much talked of Cache Valley sent
an exploring party to visit it and report its condition. The
party left on the 9th of August 1847 under the direction
of Jesse C. Little and went as far as Garland, Utah with
Samuel Brannan and Captain James Brown who were on
their way to San Francisco. Mr. Little and company went
eastward into Cache Valley, then southward, and back to
Salt Lake Valley through Sardine Canyon. They reported
to Brigham Young that the valley was beautiful.
4
President Young wasnt quite ready yet to send set-
tlers into this valley, which is one of the best watered
valleys in the Utah Rockies, for there are springs, creeks,
and rivers everywhere, leaving no part of it lacking for
water. Brigham Young was pressed with other problems
such as emigration and statehood. Cache Valley was
side-stepped for awhile.
In October, 1849, Captain Howard Stansbury visited
Cache Valley from the north with Colonel Porter and a
contingent of soldiers.
I was desirous of ascertaining whether a
shorter route than either of these could not be
obtained by pursuing a direct course to the head
of the lake or to the point where Bear River en-
ters its basin through the Wasatch Range from
Cache Valley, if practicable, such a trace would
save the emigration the great detour that has
to be made by either of the present routes, and
could have a direct bearing upon the selection
of a site for the military post contemplated for
this region.
5
Great Sal t Lake
Timpie
Low
Emory
Altamont
Piedmont
Wahsatch
Marriott-Slaterville
Promontory Point
Lakeside
Sage
Blue Creek
South Salt Lake
North Salt Lake
Park City
Woods Cross
West Bountiful
Sunset
Pleasant View
Morgan
Kemmerer
Coalville
Randolph
Willard
Oakley
Henefer
Woodruff Mantua
Laketown
Howell
Garden City
Cokeville
Snowville
Saint Charles
Centerville
Farmington
Kaysville
Clinton
Evanston
South Ogden
North Ogden
Brigham City
Murray
Bountiful
Clearfield
Roy
West Valley City
Layton
0
0
50 Miles
50 KM
25 Miles
25 KM
10 Miles
10 KM
Preston
Whitney
Franklin
Richmond
Smithfield
Logan
Paradise
Hyrum
Ogden
Salt Lake City
Providence
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10
The Colonel liked the valley so well that he sent
nearly his whole number of mules and cattle to be win-
tered in Cache Valley. The winter was severe and they
lost about half of their herd. This winter had a decided
effect upon the establishment of a military post. It was
first thought that the valley would be ideal, but the
decision was reversed.
6
Captain Stansbury stated that
facilities for irrigation would be splendid.
The Church Ranch
As the cattle herds increased in Salt Lake Valley, Pres-
ident Young investigated Cache Valley for a ranching
area for them. This was approved, and the first ranch
was established in 1855. The headquarters were located
between where Logan and Wellsville are now situated.
It was called Elkhorn Ranch, the Church Ranch, or
Church Farm. By fall in 1855 there were around three
thousand head of cattle and horses in the valley. So
began the colonization of the valley, for cabins were
built and supplies laid in for the ranch.
The first permanent settlement in Cache Valley
was that of Wellsville. In 1856 Peter Maughan and his
group were sent to settle there. Cache County, of which
Franklin became a part, began on April 4, 1857 as a tem-
porary organization, with a general election scheduled
to follow in August of the same year. Two council men,
three selectmen, a sheriff, a recorder, and a treasurer
were elected from an area consisting of Cache, Box Elder,
Malad, and Weber Counties. For the precinct a Justice of
the Peace, Constable, two fence viewers, and a pound
keeper were elected. All territorial taxes could be paid
in cash or in territorial scrip. All county taxes were to be
paid in cash, county orders, or wheat at one dollar and
a half per bushel. All funds not otherwise appropriated
should be expended on roads and bridges.
7
In 1855, along with the Church Ranch, Brigham
Young reached out in his expansion policy and placed
a colony of Saints in the Salmon River Country on the
Lemhi River, now in the State of Idaho. This colony was
hundreds of miles away from the nearest other Mormon
community. They seemed to have success for awhile, for
they were irrigating the land and had built a flour mill
and had established a mission school. In the winter of
18571858 Indian troubles and the Utah War forced them
to come back to Utah.
8
Peter Maughan and his group also had to leave be-
cause Johnstons Army was on its way to Utah. All the
Saints headed southward from Salt Lake City. When the
army came into Salt Lake City, Johnston was looking for
a place of encampment for his men. He held a peace
conference with Brigham Young.
During the peace conference, Cache Val-
ley, about 80 miles north of Salt Lake City, was
urged upon the attention of the commissioners
by the church leaders as the most desirable
place for the permanent location of the army;
but it was rejected because considered too far
removed from the center of population, and
Cedar Valley, 36 miles distant from Salt Lake
City. . . . was selected instead.
9
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11
With the peaceful settlement of the War, a coloni-
zation period began again. President Young felt that
the Saints would do well to return to their homes. In
the spring of 1859 resettlement of Cache Valley began.
Cache County officers resumed their official duties.
Calls were made by Church leaders for the settlement
of other sections of the valley, and the rush was on.
Wellsville began again in April 1859. Providence be-
gan in April 1859. Logan began in the summer of 1859.
Mendon began in May 1859. Richmond began in July
1859. Smithfield began in August 1859.
Alma Taylor, Leancum Taylor, Samuel Hiatt,
John Knight (junior), and Samuel Rose Par-
kinson were among the very first pioneers to
take up land claims in that district of country
of which Franklin now constitutes the center.
They began to make improvements in the latter
part of 1859.
10
Hyrum began in April 1860. Paradise began in April
1860. Hyde Park began in April 1860. Franklin began as
one of the many settlements in April 1860.
Brigham Young could not afford to send colonies
far away from the center of population any more as he
once had done with the Salmon River Mission group in
1855. The colonization this time was a gradual working
northward through the valleys. On the 14th of Novem-
ber 1859 Peter Maughan had been appointed Presid-
ing Bishop of Cache Valley, and George L. Farrell was
selected as Secretary. In March of 1860 Apostle Ezra T.
Benson was called to move to Logan and to preside
over the Cache Valley Stake of Zion, along with Bishop
Maughan.
Irrigation as practiced by the Saints was a must in
every new community. As each new settlement was
established water from the newly dug ditches and the
creeks was turned out upon the land. School houses,
grist mills, molasses factories, tanneries, and carding
mills all were developed with the new settlements, for
they had come to stay this time. Entertainments and
socials began as soon as the people were settled on the
land and able to enjoy them.
Dugouts were used in many settlements for homes,
and were extremely damp and dismal. Along with the
trials of home building came the trials of Indian menace.
The people of this string of settlements through Cache
Valley were constantly menaced by their red brothers.
Fights and killings took place in every community. Frank-
lin was the outpost to the north on the finger-like string
of settlements and took the brunt of the Indian visits.
But the virtues outshone the detriments and soon
the word was noised about that the valley was a pleas-
ant one in which to live. More settlers came.
Few white settlers in Idaho
At this point we must deal a little with the country
north of Franklin, the present State of Idaho. The State
of Idaho as we know it today was part of the Washing-
ton Territory. In 1860, this area of Idaho was virtually
abandoned by the white people. All of the settlements
and missions that had been established there had ei-
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12
ther been abandoned or were later abandoned Idaho,
through which thousands of emigrants had passed on
their way to Oregon and California, was now barren of
white people, except for a few white trappers.
There had been so much trouble with the Indians,
and travel on the Oregon Trail had grown so small, that
the Hudsons Bay Company had abandoned both Fort
Hall and Fort Boise.
We have no record that there was a single covered
wagon or any living white person on the Oregon Trail
in Idaho, on August 12, 1860; the broken and burning
wagons, and the dead mangled bodies of the Otter
Emigrant train were lying scattered along the south
side of the Snake. There vas no real government any-
where in Idaho, there were few white people to govern
or protect.
There may have been here and there a lone white
trapper with an Indian wife and half-breed children. . .
. In the old mission on the Coeur dAlene River, the
missionaries were carrying on their work; the only other
white men in Forth Idaho were down where the waters
meet, where the Clearwater flows into the Snake.
Spaulding and his family and their white
helpers were all gone from Lapwai; the govern-
ment was putting up some rough buildings at
the Lapwai Agency; there may have been a few
white workmen there. The Indians did not want
any white people on their reservation, and the
government had promised to keep them off.
11
There were only three white men in Idaho on August
12, 1860 whose names have come down to us. These
men were William Craig, John Silcott, and Thomas Beall.
Other than the few mentioned white people Idaho was
a lonely and silent area, so far as white people were
concerned except for the Mormon invasion.
Five groups called to Muddy River
In the spring of 1860 President Brigham Young
suggested to some settlers to journey northward and
settle on the Muddy River in Cache Valley. The groups
mustered their belongings together and journeyed
northward. Five groups started out. Many of these set-
tlers stopped at other settlements along the way. And
of course, there were the stragglers and the families that
came with the five original groups.
From Slaterville, Utah came John Reed, Thomas Mc-
Cann, Joseph Chadwick, William Corbridge, J. Hutchens,
George Foster, William Garner, Henry Wadman, John
Ekins, John Frew, James Cowan (senior), James Cowan
(junior), and Thomas Slater.
From Kays Creek (Kaysville), Utah came Samuel Rose
Parkinson, Alfred Alder, M. Lynex, Peter Pool, E. C. Van
Orden, W. Harris, William Comish, John Comish, Shem
Purnell, George Alder, W. H. Rogers, James Oliverson,
James Harris, A. Goodliffe, and William K. Comish.
From Provo, Utah came Thomas S. Smart, Samuel
Handy, William Handy, Enoch Broadbent, Joseph Perkins,
Joseph Dunkley, William T. Wright.
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13
From Payson, Utah came T. C. D. Howell, W. H. Head,
D. Reed, Dabner Keel, John Doney, Edward Kingsford,
William Patten, and T. M. Bennett.
From Bountiful, Utah came William Woodward,
James May, William Fluett, J. Vare, Mark Preece, Peter
Preece, George Shields, Brother Woodhead, William
Goforth Nelson, E. Nelson, Joshua Messervey (junior),
William Hull, G. Mayberry, C. Olsen, Peter Dowdle, N.
Hansen, James Sanderson, Leroy Holt, Andrew Morrison,
George Mendenhall, N. W. Packer, Isaac Vail, John Smith,
James Lofthouse, Preston Thomas, James Nelson, Joshua
Messervey (senior), Thomas Hull, Peter Lowe, Thomas
Mayberry, Alexander Stalker, E. W. Hansen, Richard
Coultair (Coulters), G. W. Crocheron, J. Morrison, Thomas
Mendenhall, James Packer, Nephi Packer.
12
In March the group left from Slaterville and slowly
made their way through Cache Valley and stopped at
Coveville (Cove) until others could join them.
13
An eyewitness description
A correspondent writing from Logan, Cache
County, under date of March 21st, gives a very
graphic description of that valley, for the ben-
efit, as he says, of the hundreds of emigrants
who are making arrangements to go there this
season. The communication is an interesting
document, but not being in proper shape, we
cannot give publicity to it entire.
He says that the first advantage that pres-
ents itself to the emigrant is the abundance of
snow there being a sufficiency to ensure good
sleighing from four to six months each year.
There is plenty of good water for agriculture and
manufacturing purposes, plenty of timber in the
mountains, and abundance of grass for hay and
pasturage in the valley, the lime and building
stone abounds in all or most of the canyons. The
soil is represented as being very good and the
productions similar to the other valleys in this
mountainous region excepting that it is a little
too cold there for Indian corn.
Most of the people that have settled there,
according to our correspondent, profess Mor-
monism and many are striving to honor their
religion, but if there are not some who have
gone there this spring who would not prefer get-
ting a living by stealing, to obtaining a livelihood
by honest labor, we are much mistaken. It will
do no harm at least for honest men to keep a
good watch for such scamps and their wonderful
zeal for religion and honesty, especially when
among those who are unacquainted with their
true character and proclivities.
Public and private improvements are being
made in all the settlements, school and meet-
ing houses have been built or are in progress
of erection; bridges have been made over the
streams on all the principal thoroughfares and
other necessary things provided for the accom-
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

14
modation of the settlers, who are represented
as being very industrious.
That Cache Valley is a good enough place
for farming and grazing operations there can
be no reasonable doubt and if the reports con-
cerning the country are not somewhat exag-
gerated, those seeking homes there, and there
are many who are doing so, may soon become
wealthy by proper industry and economy and
live more contented and happy that they did
before going to that part of the Territory.
Most of the communications received from
that valley speak highly of the presiding of-
ficers there as though they were something
extra and perhaps they are. With most of them
we are personally acquainted and know that
they are good men, but not being given to
personal laudation, we seldom speak approv-
ingly of any person who faithfully performs the
duties required of him in any official station,
as every man who does so only discharges a
duty which he contracts to perform when he
accepts of the office, and as a general rule, it
is always safe for men in whatever situation
they may be placed to be on their guard when
all persons speak well of them.
14
William Woodwards account
The Provo group of settlers had arrived in Wellsville
early in April 1860; and after a few days of resting and
awaiting orders from the leaders of the Church in Cache
Valley, were given the order to proceed to the east side
and the north end of Cache Valley and locate on what
was then called the Muddy River.
On Friday, April 6. 1860 the Bountiful group
began moving northward. The following is a
sketch of the journey of the group by William
Woodward,
Friday, April 6, 1860. Left Bountiful camped
on sand ridge.
Saturday, April 7. Drove over sand ridge over
Weber River, camped near Ogden.
Sunday, April 8. Drove near Hot Springs.
Monday, April 9. Drove near Box Elder (Brigham
City).
Tuesday, April 10. Drove near Box Elder Can-
yon.
Wednesday, April 11. Drove to Cache Valley.
Thursday, April 12. Walked to Logan.
Friday, April 13. Walked to Richmond.
Saturday, April 14. Walked to Franklin and
explored and so forth. 13 men on the ground
they were John Reed, Richard Coultoure,
Thomas Slater, William Fluett., Alma Taylor,
William Woodward, Thomas Comm, James May,
Joseph Chadwick, James Packer, James Sand-
erson, James Lofthouse, Brother Woodhead.
April 15. Thomas S. Smart, William T. Wright,
Sam Handy, Joseph Perkins, Joseph Dunkley.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

15
April 15. Returned to my wagon near Black-
smith Fork Canyon.
Monday, April 16. Hunting my cattle.
Tuesday, April 17. Drove to Richmond, 21
miles.
Wednesday, April 18. Drove to Franklin.
15
On April 10, 1860 the Provo group left Wellsville
for northern Cache Valley. They reached Coveville and
camped for three days. On the 11th of April they looked
over the Franklin area and built a bridge over a creek
(Spring Creek) to be used when the other settlers would
join them.
16
On the 12th of April,
He (William G. Hull) says they were about
three miles from Richmond, they came to a
small stream of water, his father (Thomas
Hull) made him take his breeches off and wade
through to see if they could take their oxen and
wagon through alright. It was nearly dark then
and by this time they had traveled north about
three miles farther; it was very dark when they
decided to camp for the night. It was about
nine oclock. Father sent me out to try and find
some water to make bread for our supper. I
went on my hands and knees down a hill. Next
morning found I had gotten water from a slue.
That Morning (13th of April) I went east of camp
to find some game for our breakfast, could see
quite a company camped to south and east of
where our camp was. That same afternoon a
company of people came in from the east of us.
We pulled up camp and joined them.
17
In the month of March, 1860, (William Go-
forth Nelson) we started to move to the much
talked of Cache Valley. My mother, Jane Taylor
Nelson, my brothers, Joseph, Edmond, and Mark,
also Isaac and Mother Vail, James Packer and
family all came with us. We found the roads
muddy and when we crossed the divide be-
tween Brigham City and Cache Valley we found
a few families living at Mendon, Wellsville, Lo-
gan, Smithfield, and Richmond. I stopped at
Richmond and the rest of the company came
to Coveville, just south of Franklin.
18
Reaching Green Meadows
On the 14th of April, as has been stated in Mr. Wil-
liam Woodwards Journal thirteen men walked from
Coveville about two miles distance to the designated
area to explore their new home site. As they crossed
the bridge, which had already been made a day or two
before, they were confronted by a group of Indians.
After some discussion the settlers were allowed to pass
unmolested. They drove to the present town site near
the east end of Main Street at about ten oclock that
morning.
Because of the abundance of vegetation,
they first called the spot Green Meadows, but
later changed the name to Franklin in honor of
Franklin R. Richards (Franklin D. Richards).
19
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

16
The men were well pleased with Green Meadows
and proceeded to bring their wagons and families,
those who had brought them along, onto their newly
found home.
A temporary fort of wagon boxes
On the following day, the 15th, they placed the
wagons in a circle. The wagon boxes were taken from
the running gear of the wagons and placed upon the
ground close together. These wagon boxes served as
homes and a temporary fort for a number of weeks.
The running gear of the wagons was useful in gather-
ing wood from the mountains.
I (William Goforth Nelson) had only been
there a few days when Peter Maughan came and
located the present site of Franklin, as a place
for the Saints to settle.
20
As Bishop Maughan was the presiding authority in
Cache Valley, he appointed temporary leaders for the
new Green Meadows settlement. Thomas S. Smart
was chosen as leader, with Samuel Rose Parkinson and
James Sanderson as assistants. Alfred Alder was chosen
as clerk. This leadership had charge of the affairs of
the colony. They had charge of the public works; they
presided over meetings and supervised everything of
a public nature.
21
James Sanderson was Captain of the Minute Men. E.
C. Van Orden was Captain of the Infantry. James May was
the road supervisor. All of these functions were vital for
the strengthening and protection of the group.
Cooking, was done over the campfire. Life was out
in the open for the Mormon settlers again. Whenever
there was singing to be done W. H. Rogers or John Frew
would lead the songs, for these two men were the prin-
cipal singers of the group.
On the 17th of April, Jesse W. Fox, government sur-
veyor from Salt Lake City, surveyed the land around the
settlement and in the South Fields and North Bottom
Lands. The land around the settlement and on the east
bench was surveyed into one acre lots for cane plants,
and the South Fields were laid off in ten acre lots.
And still they goEmigrants have been
constantly passing through this city, for two
WAGON BOX
Even with the canvas still attached, a wagon box would
have been a small dwelling in which to live.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

17
or three months, on their way to Cache Valley,
and more especially since the wintry season
ended. How many have gone there this spring
is not known, at least no definite report of
the number has yet been made, but judging
from the hundreds of wagons and teams that
have been moving in that direction, some of
the cities, settlements, towns, and villages in
Utah County and perhaps some settlements in
the southern part of Great Salt Lake County
must have materially decreased in population,
in consequence of the great rush northward
by those in search of new homes and better
locations.
Only a few days since, a company number-
ing some twenty wagons with flocks and herds
sufficient to make an imposing show, passed
our office going into the north country. On
stepping into the street an old acquaintance
was recognized in the company as it was pass-
ing, from whom, on inquiring, we ascertained
that they were from Payson, one of the most
thriving towns, in Utah County, and that their
destination was Cache which place though
within the Territory is a long way from that
portion of it where most of the wheat and other
grain was raised last summer.
Those going there have probably taken
the precaution to carry their breadstuffs with
them; otherwise they may see the want of it
before harvest.
22
Balloting for the frst land
April 19th was a big day for the men, for on this
day they balloted for their land. A discussion arose as
to whether the unmarried men should join with the
married men in drawing lots for the land. A vote was
taken in which there were only three votes against let-
ting the unmarried men draw. The ballots were marked
with numbers as to choice for the land. William Hull,
an unmarried man, drew number one. Peter Lowe an
unmarried man drew ballot number two. The ballots
were drawn and the land issued. Friends tried, and many
succeeded, to get property near each other.
A road was constructed to the canyon. Wandering
cattle were a drawing card for Indians, so the men first
cut poles for a corral. The cattle would be herded in the
daytime, but at night they were placed in the corral. Wil-
liam Hull contracted to herd the horses and cattle in the
daytime. He in turn hired Indian Jim to help him.
23
Green Meadows was located on an old and direct
Indian trail through Cache Valley, and the people of the
settlement had their generous portion of Indian visits
and incidents.
24
Land in the South Fields was prepared for seed.
All of the people worked cooperatively together in their
projects. When Sundays came around, church meetings
were held around the campfire.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

18
The work in the canyons continued. The men soon
found that mountain lion, prairie wolves and snakes
were plentiful. The lowlands were covered with wild
hay. The higher lands were covered with a large deep
rooted stand of sage brush. On April 25th boundaries
were defined. Grass was burned to make way for plow-
ing. No fences were erected for years. Oxen were used
to draw the plows, so that it was necessary to stop early
to give the oxen feeding time for awhile before being
enclosed in the corral for the night. The men could
plow about two acres a day.
On April the 26th, according
to William Woodwards journal,
they began to plow.
The plows were crude
pieces of board with an iron
point, or an old piece of iron
beaten into shape. Harrows
were made in an A shape,
with a frame of poles. These
poles had holes augured in
them and sharpened wood-
en pegs driven through the
holes. The pegs were made
of the native hardwoods such
as hawthorn or maple. To sow
the wheat a man would carry
a sack of grain suspended over
his shoulder. He would scatter
the grain by the handful upon
REDUCTION OF UTAHS TERRITORY
Even though these reductions were made in Utahs Terri-
tory, no government survey of the division line between
Utah and Idaho had been made until 1872, Franklin was
considered a part of the Utah Territory. Map after M. R.
Hunter, Utah, the Story of Her People p, 296.
I D A H O
Frankl i n
W Y O M I N G
C O L O R A D
O R E G O N
N E V A D A
C A L I F O R N I A
A R I Z O N A
N E W
M E X I C O
U T A H
HOLD your mouse over an entry to show that
map. Try starting with the top entry and working
downwards.
IRON BLADED PLOW
Until a blacksmith be-
came established in the
settlement, a plow like
thi s woul d have been
shi pped i n f rom Sal t
Lake City.
1849: State of Deseret

1850: Utah Territory
1861: After reduction of Utah to Nevada & Colorado
1862: After reduction of Utah to Nevada
1865: After reduction of Utah to Idaho
1866: After reduction of Utah to Nevada
1868: After reduction of Utah to Wyoming
I NDEX FULL SCREEN
19
the plowed and harrowed ground. His scattering would
be in a half circle motion. Then a drag, consisting of an
eight foot pole with brushy twigs and bushes attached,
pulled over the ground covered the grain.
25
It snowed on May the seventh and twelfth which
slowed the work for a short time. The plowing and sow-
ing went right ahead. Broken plow blades were mended
and used again, for this first years crop meant much for
the settlers. On May the 26th some land south and west
of the fort was plowed and planted in grain, but was
killed out by the over abundance of sunflowers.
26

The Deseret News seemed to be quite concerned
about the welfare of these people of the new settle-
ments in Cache Valley.
The late hostile demonstrations of the In-
dians in the north has induced the people in
Cache to complete their military organizations
so as to be ready in the event that a war cry
was raised by their savage neighbors; and from
the muster reports, those ready for war in
that county number one thousand menabout
half of them horse menwho are ready at a
moments notice, to take the field against the
enemy if an attack should be made or threat-
ened by the aborigines in that region. That is
right and as it should be, and no doubt has
had a beneficial influence with the Indians, in
disposing them to peace, which seemed to be
the universal desire of these wanderers at lat-
est dates.
27
The first summer was one of exhaustive work and
tireless perseverance. The Franklin settlers were only
doing what their friends were doing in other parts of
Cache Valley. Now they were part of Franklin Village,
part of Cache Valley, part of Utah Territory, and part of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They
werent worrying who had seen the land first, or who
had put his foot on Franklin soil first, or who had done
the washing first, or who had tasted the water first. All
they knew was that Brigham Young had asked them to
come and settle on the Muddy River, and they came. The
area was new land, but so far as they were concerned
it was Utah Territory, and so Franklin, Utah it became.
The settlers sere busy worrying about life. They were
helping each other with living and with security. They
were out fighting against nature and Indians. They knew
it, and they also knew that they were the extremity of
northern Mormondom. They had a challenge and they
took it willingly.
Brigham Young comes to visit
President Brigham Young accompanied by
a large group of his brethren, in 30 carriages,
began on Monday the 4th of June, 1860, his
first trip to visit the settlements of the Saints
in Cache Valley.
28

President Young had seen the valley once before
when it was selected as a wintering ground for cattle.
29

He stopped at Wellsville on the 7th of June, at which
time he spoke to the Saints.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

20
This is a splendid valley, and is better
adapted to raising Saints than any other article
that can be raised here . . .
30

After a nights rest at Wellsville, the breth-
ren were up early, and by forcing their teams
along, they reached Franklin, a distance of 30
miles. This is at present the frontier settlement
of the North, wrote the News correspondent,
and as yet is but in the course of formation.
31
Great rejoicing
Great rejoicing filled the temporary homes of the
Saints, because of the visit of their Prophet and leader.
Brigham Young spoke to the assembled Saints on the
9th of June.
I understand that no Bishop has yet been
appointed for this place. I would like to learn
the feelings of the brethren here, in regard to
this matter, and will be pleased to have you in-
form us. (Bishop Maughan moved that Brigham
Young nominate the man to be Bishop, and they
would say amen.
(This unanimously met the feelings of the
brethrenreporter) The instructions to the
people of this settlement will be committed
to paper, that they may be constantly before
them. I propose that Brother Preston Thomas
be ordained Bishop of this settlement. He is
residing in Lehi, but came with us intending
to visit Bear Lake and Soda Springs, but has
since concluded to settle here. I propose that
he settles here, and that we make him your
Bishop and presiding officer.
It is understood that Brother Peter Maughan
is Presiding Bishop for this valley, and Elder
Ezra Taft Benson, one of the Twelve has been
appointed to be one of his counselors, and prob-
ably he will choose me for the other.
If it meets your minds to have Brother Pres-
ton Thomas settle here, and you feel that you
can hearken to his counsel, raise your right
hands. (The vote was unanimousreporter).
Brother Preston Thomas will select his own
counselors. I have no question
but that there are excel-
lent, good men here,
and they will willing
to hearken to his
counsel.
I propose to
the brethren here,
and wish them to
take my counsel, to
build a good, strong
fort. If you have not
material for build-
ing a wall, you can
make a strong stockade by putting pickets into
the ground, which will answer a good purpose
against Indian attacks. The stockade can be
BISHOP PRESTON THOMAS
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

21
easily repaired by replacing decayed pickets.
I wish you to build a stockade large enough
for corralling your cattle outside the town. Let
your grain also be stacked away from your
buildings, and so arranged that if one stack
takes fire all of the stacks will not necessarily
be destroyed.
You are very much exposed here. The set-
tlements in this valley are as it were, a shield
to the other settlements. You must, therefore,
prepare as speedily as possible to make your-
selves secure. You have a beautiful location,
and plenty of excellent water.
This valley is capable of sustaining a multi-
tude of peopleit is the best valley we have.
Strive to stop the thieving
Strive to stop the thieving that is carried
on by some renegades who have been in this
valley, and do not in the least suffer stealing to
be practiced in any of your settlements. There
is, probably, not a man here but that if he saw
an Indian taking his horse, and had a loaded
rifle, would kill the Indian. That Indian has been
taught from his youth, to steal. His fathers be-
fore him taught their children to stealit is in
their blood, bone, and flesh. But there is not a
white man or woman here but what has been
taught that it is wrong to steal, and I want an
end put to stealing. The boys who are brought
up in our communities know better than to steal.
They have been taught the principles of life and
salvation; and the people from the Christian
world have been taught better than to steal.
Do right, be just, love mercy, hearken to the
Spirit of that gospel that you have embraced,
keep the Spirit of the Lord with you, and you will
be very apt to be lead right and do right.
We have come to see you; we will leave
our blessing with you, and will pray for you
constantly. I heard the prayer just now offered
in your behalf. It is the constant prayer of the
Saints that they may be preserved.
Serve the Lord, and try not to find fault with
each other. Live so that you will not have any
faults to find with yourselves, and never mind
the faults of your brethren, for each person has
enough of his own to attend to.
I bless you in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ, Amen.
32

While in Franklin, Brigham Young changed the name
of Muddy River. Owing to its nearness to Bear River, he
called it the Cub River.
33
This name has remained with
it since then.
The work of the community went forward. Thomas
Mendenhall, senior, was a traveling merchant for the
village. He would take the produce of the people to Salt
Lake City and trade it for articles that the settlers wanted.
French Joe, a traveling store-keeper would come through
Franklin once in awhile and peddle his wares.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

22
On June 24, 1860 the settlers began their work on
ditches which were to bring the water from the canyons
to their farm lands. These were not the first irrigation
ditches in Idaho. Previous to this in 1855 the people of
the Salmon River Mission had constructed ditches. The
Franklin settlers constructed one ditch from High Creek
to the South Fields. One ditch from Ox-killer and South
Canyons was dug to the northeast of the South Fields.
This was called Sandersons Ditch or the Lower Ditch.
Another ditch was dug from Spring Creek to the fort
area. Men owning land on the ditches were required
to work on them.
With the coming of July came the getting out of
logs for cabins and the fort. Roads had to be constructed
to the canyons and in the canyons for this purpose. Men
traveled in groups for protection.
A bowery was built in the fort area. It consisted of
poles upright in the ground with an overhead framework
of lighter poles covered with brush and rushes. It was
used for meetings, at which everyone was required to
bring their own stools and benches to sit on. Dances
were held in it. Some dancing was held around the
campfires.
With the end of July many of the cabins in the fort
were under construction. They all faced toward the
center of the fort, which was constructed in the shape
of a rectangle, ninety rods long by sixty rods wide. The
fort was supposedly constructed to be true with the
major directions of the compass, but was actually built a
degree or two off in the process construction. The men
that surveyed it used a carpenters square, the north star,
and a piece of measured rope.
Pioneers who went thru this first season
say that some of the men made as high as four
trips during the spring and summer of 1860 [to
Salt Lake City]. They walked every step of the
way there and back. On their return trip each
man carried a fifty pound sack or more of flour
on his backthis was necessary to keep the
wolf from the door. Men and women would also
walk to Salt Lake City to attend the spring and
DIGGING THE ONEIDA IRRIGATION CANAL
The horses are dragging a wide metal scraper bucket
through the dirt. This photo was taken circa 1902about
forty years after the settlers started digging the first ditch-
es in the Franklin area.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

23
y e l k n u D
h p e s o J 8 2
f f i l d o o G d l o n r A 4 6
e e L e g r o e G 5 6
t n e b d a o r B
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Thomas Hull, Sr.
95
John Biggs,
W. C. Patten
82
Allen Ranken 96
94 Peter Lowe
93 Alec Lowe
92 Thomas Hull, Jr.
91 W. H. Head
90 W. T. Wright
89 Owen Roberts
88 Joseph Perkins
87 Mrs. Mayberry
86 George Alder
83 C. R. Hobbs
81 Thomas Bennett
80 Nephi Packer
79 Ephraim Ellsworth
78 I. H. Vail
77 William Pratt
76 William Whitehead
75 Charles Spongberg
74 Thomas Slater
73 James Cowan Jr.
72 Mrs. Hampton
71 William Corbridge
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32 Ed Kingsford
39 Thomas Mendenall, Sr.
43 William Lynex, Sr.
63 Mother & Peter Pool, I. B. Nash
44 John Morrison
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46 John Frew
47 John Goaslind
48 Richard Colter
49 James Oliverson
50 James Sanderson
51 Peter Preese
52 George W. Crocheron
45 Dabner Keel
y e l e e N . M . A 7 2

F
r
a
n
k
lin Fo
r
t
23 Franklin Fort

For more
information
about the
location of
the well from
the Franklin
fort, place
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over the well.

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I NDEX FULL SCREEN
24
fall conferences [of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints .
34

Boiled wheat, milk and sego roots
Often whole families lived on boiled wheat and milk
and sego roots while waiting for the men and supplies.
John Reed was traveling to Smithfield to get some sup-
plies, and was set upon and killed by Indians. He was
the first casualty by Indians. He was buried on the 24th
of July southwest of the settlement about half a mile.
This was the beginning of the Franklin Cemetery.
Potatoes and turnips were planted in the middle
of July. At the beginning of August wheat was har-
vested.
We had tramped out 48 bushels of wheat
and on August 2 took it to Farmington and
got it ground; brought it back and divided it
among the camp. We were a happy and united
people.
35

The canvas from the wagons was spread and
stretched out upon the dry ground. People trampled
on the bundles of wheat. The chaff was fanned away
by hand, and the grains of wheat were then sacked.
Indian dogs were vicious and killed chickens and
sheep. The Indians would come in on Sundays, before
meeting. On August 13th an Indian and his squaw came
into the settlement. Their dog had been killed acciden-
tally, and they proceeded to break up the meeting. An
ox was given them in payment. Jim Bowington and
William Hull killed fifty dogs in one day by poisoned
meat. They were extremely careful not to be discovered
by the Indians.
On Saturday, August 12, 1860, gold was discovered
at Pierce, Idaho. This news spread rapidly, and though it
did not effect the Franklin settlement too much at first,
it did in a few years.
Salt Lake City was noticing the little northern group
of settlers at Franklin, and was watching the develop-
ment of the area.
At Franklin the most northern settlement,
one of the streams on which the people were
depending for water to irrigate their fields failed
to that extent, some weeks since that, before
a canal could be completed to bring water from
the main creek, which is said to be of sufficient
size to water a large tract of land, the growing
wheat and other crops suffered materially; but
since the completion of the ditch, and the ap-
plication of a sufficiency of aqua to the parched
fields, the grain had revived, and there was a
fair prospect of a good yield of wheat, although
it will be late in ripening, and may possibly be
nipped a little by frost before it comes to ma-
turity.
36

August was spent in getting ready for the winter
to come. Some of the people moved into their newly
constructed cabins, but the fort was not actually com-
pleted until 1863. The people in general were caring for
their crops. They especially nurtured their wheat fields.
The grain was usually cut with a cradle. One man would
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

25
cut the grain and place it in a swath, while another fol-
lowed behind and raked it and bound it into sheaves.
In the latter part of August a small grain separator was
constructed. A horse placed on a treading machine
provided the turning power. The separator had a small
head cylinder where the bundles were pushed in, and
the grain and chaff would fall below in a pile. At first
fanners had to separate the chaff from the grain, but
later a straw carrier was added and this carried straw
away. Sometimes it took most of the winter to fan the
grain from the chaff. Piles of wheat and chaff were
protected until crews
could work at them.
The season was very
dry. A little wild hay
was cut from the wild
hay fields and put up
in the fort area. The
produce raised was
very light. This made
it necessary to carry on
an extensive trade with
other communities.
Putting on government shingles
Only a few dugouts were built by the people, and
these were only temporary. Mainly cabins were built of
pine logs, sometimes cottonwood logs were used. They
were usually of a one room construction. Clay was used
for chinks to fill up the cracks between the logs. The
roof was constructed of saplings placed close together,
then covered with smaller twigs or rushes and in turn
covered with straw or wild hay. About ten or twelve
inches of dirt was then placed on top. A board of about
ten inches was placed around the eves to hold the dirt
in place. Putting on a dirt roof was usually called put-
ting on government shingles.
37
During the summer
the dirt roof would become a veritable flower garden,
CRADLE SYTHE
Displayed at the Franklin Relic
Hall
LOG CABIN WITH A SOD ROOF
Mercy Roselpha Kofoed and her familys log cabin in Weston,
Idaho, 1900. From Hometown Album
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

26
usually of wild mustard plants.
38
Brigham Young told
the settlers to build their homes close together in the
form of a fort for protection. Practically all of the first
settlements in the valley did this until lots could be
surveyed. An adobe yard was planned and started in
one corner of the fort area. As the town grew out of
the fort, the adobe yard area retained the name of
Adobie Town.
Forts usually began with rows of cabins
Forts usually began with rows of cabins facing
each other with an adequate space between. Back of
each row of houses was a roadway, beyond which was
garden space, hay stacking yards and sheds.
The cabins were furnished very plainly. An ado-
be fireplace was usually situated in one end of the
cabin. Split logs with pegs for legs made up stools
and benches. Window glass was expensive, so the
windows were covered with heavy brown paper that
had been oiled, or factory (cloth) was sometimes used.
The ground floors care covered with straw in the early
days of the settlement. Later on, floors were made of
rough hewn floor boards. The insides of the cabins
were whitewashed with water-thinned white clay from
Soda Springs. This process was repeated twice a year
at fall and spring house cleaning time. Sometimes lime
would be used instead of the white clay. There were no
brushes with which to apply it, so pieces of wool were
used. This left the hands and arms in a sore condition
for weeks because of the exposure to the lime. Rugs
and carpets were woven and braided from rags. The
Mormon bedstead consisted of two holes bored into
a wall of a home. Poles were placed in the holes. The
other end of the poles was supported by posts. Slats or
pieces of wood and rawhide were the cross pieces. The
mattresses or ticks were made of canvas bags filled with
straw, hay, or cattails. When cattails would get ripe in
the fall, the people could hang a sack at their side, and
collect the down from the head of the cattails. The head
of the cattail would be placed in the mouth of the sack
and firmly held. Then the stem would be pulled out leav-
ing the broken downy head inside the sack. Mattresses
of cattails would become matted and lumpy in a short
while, and would be refilled nearly every year.
A strong high pole fence was the outer protection
and the stack yards and corrals were placed against it.
When Indians threatened, minutemen or guard picket-
men were stationed at each corner on ends of streets
just outside the fort. There was a public corral inside
the fort and at night the cattle and horses were placed
in the one corral and guarded.
Vegetables were put away in pits and surrounded
with stray to keep the frost out. Cabbage was usually
made into sauerkraut. Beef was placed in a strong brine
solution, and when completely saturated it was then
smoked and dried for winters use. When obtainable,
rabbits were raised. Some flax had been raised by Wil-
liam Hull, senior. It was made into thread and Mrs. Hull
made the thread into cloth. Candy was made from the
skimmings of molasses. Haw candy was made from
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

27
haw berries that had been gathered and had the seeds
removed.
39

Brigham Young called Samuel Whitney to carry
mail in and out of Cache Valley in 1860. Mr. Whitney
received his pay in flour, bacon and other produce from
the Tithing Office in Logan, Utah. Whitney provided
himself with horse, saddle, and mail pouch. All the
mail, for the first year, was taken to Logan and picked
up at Logan.
Even education wasnt beyond the reach of the
Franklin people. Hannah Comish, wife, of William Com-
ish, opened her home as a
school in the fall of 1860.
She had about twenty-
one children under her
direction for about three
months. The pioneers be-
lieved in education and
without knowing it had
started the first school in
Idaho. Usually the Bishop
would choose the best
suited persons to be the
teachers. Next to the Bish-
op in influence in the com-
munities were the teach-
ers.
Late in the fall of 1860 Bishop Thomas had logs
cut and hauled from Deep Creek Canyon for the pur-
pose of building a school house. Some of the lumber
HANNAH COMISH
Idahos first school teach-
er taught cl asses i n her
home.
was hauled fifty miles from the Bear Lake Mountains.
A school house was necessary for the advancement
of a community which had now grown to about sixty
families.
A pit saw had been constructed in the northeast
corner of the fort by Joshua Messervey.
A pit saw . . . . was constructed by digging
a hole, or pit, in the ground deep enough for a
man to stand in. The logs, or timbers, that were
to be cut into lumber, were then rolled over
the pit, and with one man under the logs and
another on top with a large saw with handles
on each end, the log was slowly ripped into
lumber.
40

Mr. Messervey manufactured furniture, wash-tubs,
washboards, buckets, and barrels. The churns and buck-
ets and other vessels were held together by bands made
from green birch twigs. It was necessary to keep the
wooden vessels damp or they would fall apart. Mr. Mar-
tin Lundgren did cabinet work for people of the fort.
Producing linsey cloth from wool
Thus closed the first year that the pioneers had
lived in their new home. With the coming of 1861 we
find the Mormon Saints still at their tasks of taming
the wilderness. The settlers had a few sheep. After the
shearing in the spring, the women would take the wool,
and wash it, and dry it. Groups of women would then
get together and pick it over. It was then taken and
carded, first in the homes and later in mills. Martha Vail
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

28
and Mrs. Kingsford were two of the first to have looms.
Wool was spun on a wheel and made onto a spindle.
The wool yarn was then reeled on two large reels about
two yards around. It took forty threads to make one
knot, and ten knots to make one skein. It took fifteen
knots of yarn to make one yard of linsey cloth. Linsey
cloth was then used for skirts, shirts, waists, and other
clothing for the settlers. The men usually wore jeans.
Some had buckskin, which was alright until it got wet.
When the buckskin would get wet, it would stretch;
and then when it would dry out, it would shrink to a
smaller size than the original garment. When spinning
was done the yarn had to be washed and colored. Red
colors came from soaking bran until it was sour. This
was strained and mixed with madder root. Yarn was
placed in this mixture. After it had been taken out and
washed clean, the color was set with alum. Blue color
came from indigo mixed with a liquid known princi-
pally by the women, ask them
41
The yellow color was
obtained by boiling the blossoms of rabbit brush or
yellow dock in water and then straining the mixture.
Green color was made by placing yarn in the liquid of
a combination of the yellow and the blue dye. Black
was obtained by boiling the bark of the alder tree. This
was set in the cloth by blue vitriol or copper. The cot-
ton yarn for the warp, which cost five dollars a pound,
also had to be colored.
Straw hats were braided for the men and the boys.
The women and the girls wore sun bonnets.
WOOL CARDS Wire teeth mounted on the
cards helped align the fibers for spinning.
SPINNING WHEEL Owned by Thomas G.
Lowe. Items from the Franklin Relic Hall
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

29
Some flax was grown, cured, and spun almost the
same as wool. From the flax came some rough linen
towels, and shirts. The women also made blankets.
First school house completed
Late in the spring of 1861 the school house was
completed. It consisted of one large room with a large
fireplace in the east end. It had a sod roof. The door
was on the west end. There was one window on both
the north and south sides. The window frames were
hand-sawed and trimmed by the use of pocket knives.
Little eight by ten inch glass panes were brought from
Salt Lake City. Benches were split logs with the flat side
used for the sitting part. These benches were made from
either maple or birch logs. Each Saturday the straw was
removed from the floor. The building was swept out
with brooms made from sagebrush or flax tied onto a
stick in bunches. After the sweeping was done clean
straw was placed over the bare earth. The Relief Society
(womens organization of the Mormon Church) teachers
did the cleaning of the school house each week. Friendly
competition was used to see which pair of teachers
could make it look the best for the Sunday meetings.
When the weather was bad and it rained, the children
were excused until the rain stopped, because the roof
wasnt quite water proof. This building was used as the
school house, meeting house, and amusement hall. In
the early spring a steer fell into the community well. It
was quite some time until it could be removed. Men
took turns rubbing the animal until it could get back
its circulation.
Shoes were scarce and expensive. If a person were
fortunate enough to have a pair of shoes, he would
remove them at any time when it wasnt necessary to
wear them in order to save them for special occasions.
Usually a person would take them off as he entered his
home. The boys and girls would go without shoes much
of the time. Cloth was expensive. Factory sold for one
dollar a yard. Calico sold for seventy-five cents a yard.
Blue denim sold for one dollar to one dollar and twenty-
five cents a yard. Indian head sheeting was one dollar a
yard. Thread was thirty-five cents a spool.
A MODEL OF IDAHOS FIRST SCHOOLHOUSE
From an accompanying plaque: This is a model of the first
school house in the state of Idaho. The east half was built
first, and later, an addition was added to the west end,
and the partition was taken out. Rain coming through the
sod roof would prompt the closing of classes. Displayed in
the Franklin Relic Hall.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

30
Soap was usually made at home by a leaching pro-
cess. The leach was a large square box which drained
to a point at one end. At
this draining point was
an opening which could
be opened at the time of
draining. During the win-
ter months ashes from
the fireplace are placed
in the leach. In the spring,
water was poured slowly
through the ashes. As it
filtered it collected in
the bottom of the leach.
This was strong lye water.
It was then mixed with
beef tallow, hog fat or
other grease and cooked.
When it had been cooked
and had cooled it made a soft or liquid soap. Some of
it was usually molded and scented for the use of hand
soap.
Bitch lights were used almost exclusively at first.
The settlers made their own wicks. These wicks were
placed in a little pan or dish of grease. When used they
gave a feeble light. As candles could be made and used,
a potato with a hole cut in it on one side usually served
as a candle holder. Many of the people molded their
own candles when they could get the tallow.
Some materials could be purchased in Salt Lake City.
If the person had the necessary money for the articles, or
HOUSEHOLD
ITEMS FROM
FRANKLIN
Far Left:
CANDLE MOLDS.
Top: Old style
SQUARE NAILS.
Left:
MOLASSES
GUAGE. All
items displayed
at the Franklin
Relic Hall.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

31
if he could trade something for what he needed. Nails
were sixty cents a pound. An eight by ten inch window
glass was sixty cents.
Sugar was scarce. Molasses was the substitute. The
settlers each had a small cane patch. Juice was squeezed
from the cane to make the necessary molasses. Along
with the cultivated crops of grains, vegetables, rasp-
berries, currents, gooseberries were usually dried for
winters use. In the earlier years of the settlement molas-
ses was made from table beets and squash butter was
made from squash. Wild hops were used in making tea
and yeast. Women who made yeast would give starts
away to other women for flour, molasses, or sugar. Beef
would be cured for winter and hung from the rafters
of the homes. Also, squash would be cut into rings and
hung from the rafters.
42
Saleratus was used instead
of soda in soda biscuits. It was gathered from the top
of the ground in alkaline area. Salt was cleaned by
dissolving water from Great Salt Lake in non-alkaline
water. This was strained, boiled down, and evaporated.
The salt residue would dry in large pieces. These pieces
were ground up in a coffee grinder. Later on salt could
be obtained from Willow Creek, Utah.
Mr. Merrick and Mr. Duffin began a little store on
the north side of the fort area. William Whitehead be-
came the clergy. The supplies and stock were limited.
Delivering the mail
In 1861 Ben Holliday and Egan and Company re-
ceived a contract for carrying mail to Utah. They in
turn sublet the carrying of the mail in and out of Cache
Valley to three settlers. Frank Gunnell of Wellsville con-
tracted to take the mail from Wellsville to Brigham City.
W. H. Maughan, also from Wellsville, contracted to carry
the mail from Wellsville and all intermediate points to
Logan. Mr. Peter Maughan of Logan contracted to carry
mail from Franklin and all intermediate points to Logan.
These three men in turn hired other settlers to carry the
mail for them. Peter Maughan hired Joe Maughan. Mr.
Gunnell hired Dick Gunnell. Mr. W. H. Maughan hired
Robert Baxter. Mr. Gunnell started from Wellsville Mon-
THE FRANKLIN POST OFFICE, 1914
Ellen Nash helps her sister, Laura Nash, the Franklin Post-
master at the time. In 1874 the mail stage came to Franklin,
connecting Salt Lake City to Helena, Montana. Some of the
early mail carriers were Thomas G. Lowe, William Woodward,
Edmund Buckley & Charles Fox & William Pierce.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

32
in dry weather, but in the winter weather would stretch
because of the moisture. When the once moistened
leather could be dried out, it became brittle.
44

There is only one reference to a change in the shape
of the fort before the settlers began to build on their
surveyed land outside the fort.
Our fort was remodeled in the shape of a
T; some houses were built on the new survey,
but most lived in their old places.
45
Building up the new home land
The settlers were quite active in building up their
new home land. The hours of labor were long and some-
times tiresome, but they were a happy people. Gardens
were planted on the west side of the fort area. These gar-
dens were of great benefit to the settlers. They planted
cabbage, potatoes, lettuce, onions, cucumbers, peas,
melons, corn, squash, and many other things. Good
crops were raised in 1861. The grain was not threshed
in the fall but placed in stacks. The fall was very wet and
the stacks of wheat became damp and musty. When
the grain was made into flour and bread, it had a musty
taste. The cellars of the settlers on the south side of
the fort were full of water. Even the houses were wet
nearly every day for a long time, due to the sub-surface
water.
Fall time is school time, and the school opened with
Mr. G. Alvin Davy as the teacher. There were about sev-
enty students who attended. Slate rock east of Franklin
was made into writing slates and pencils for the students
day morning and would make it to Brigham City and
back by that evening. Mr. Baxter would leave Wellsville
and travel through Hyrum, Millville, and Providence and
arrive at Logan by noon of the next day, Tuesday. Mr.
Maughan would leave Logan at noon on Tuesday, and
travel through Hyde Park, Smithfield, and Richmond and
arrive at Franklin that evening. He would remain over
night, and return to Logan by Wednesday noon. Baxter
would leave Logan at noon and make it to Wellsville
that evening. On Thursday morning Mr. Gunnell would
start out again. Two mail deliveries were possible in
one week.
43

Men tarred and prepared their own leather for
shoes. Each home was a shoe shop. The hairy side of the
leather was used either on the inside or the outside of
the shoe according to the weather. Strings of hide laced
the pieces together. Shoes made this way would last
SHOES FOR A CHILD
What looks at first glance like green trim is actually rows
of weathered nails. Displayed at the Franklin Relic Hall
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

33
There was just one reader for each class, and just one
speller for use by all of the students in the school. The
students would take turns reading, by standing in rows
in front of the teacher. During the spelling exercises the
teacher would pronounce the word, and the students
would write the word on their slates. Each student
would study the words from the writing on his slate.
Verbal arithmetic was given in the same way. Tuition was
paid by the parents to the teacher. The tuition was any
kind of produce, cloth, meat, or molasses. The Almanac
was used as a study book.
After most of the work of gardening had been done
for the summer and fall in the year of 1861, the men
of the settlement again turned to the work of making
more permanent homes and better irrigation ditches.
They worked on the Thomas Ditch which was north and
west of Cub River. It took a long time to get the water
to run in the ditch because the land was so level. A hill
which they had to cut through also obstructed their
path for awhile. Later, this ditch became known as the
Lewiston Canal.
The Homestead Act opens opportunities
The winter of 1861-1862 was a very wet and dismal
one for the people. With the coming of spring again, the
Franklinites were ready for another try at making their
area productive. The Homestead Act of 1862 enabled
men to obtain one hundred and sixty acres of land, if the
person wishing the land would live on it for five years
and make some improvements.
46
This the Mormon set-
tlers did, for before this they had just been considered
as squatters.
The hay lands southwest of the town were known
as the new fields for they were just being developed.
Broom corn was now raised for the making of brooms
instead of using flax.
HOMEMADE BENCH
In the early days of Franklin,
settlers going to public gath-
erings such as school classes
and church meetings brought
their own benches and stools
to sit on.
SCHOOL SLATE
Pencil and slate made from
local slate stone. Bench and
slate displayed at the Frank-
lin Relic Hall.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

34
When women were incapacitated and not able
to work, either a friendly neighbor could help with
her friends work or be hired by the sick neighbor for
around one dollar a week. This was a standard wage
for housework.
The first Sunday School of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints was held in the school house. Samu-
el Huff was chosen and sustained as the Superintendent
with William Wright as an Assistant, William Whitehead
as Secretary, and William Rogers and Samuel Handy,
Senior, as teachers.
William Woodward taught school this year. School
opened with prayer each day. The children that recited
ENGLISH TEAPOT
This teapot was brought to Franklin by William Whitehead.
Displayed at the Franklin Relic Hall.
to the class came to the front while they recited. Tuition
this year, 1862, was on the basis of forty to fifty dollars
per pupil. This, of course, could be paid in produce.
This year one big-hearted lady of Franklin sent thirty-
four pounds of butter to Salt Lake City with Thomas
Mendenhall to pay for one pound of tea, which was
an extreme luxury. When it arrived in Franklin, she ex-
tended invitations to all of the older ladies of the town
to come to her home and enjoy the tea with her as long
as it lasted.
47

Many of the older women did nursing and acted
as midwives. Some of these ladies were Mary B. Hull,
Grandmother Mayberry, Grandmother Gilbert, Grand-
mother Nelson, Grandmother Adamson, Deborah
Wright, and Elvira Wheeler.
48
These women performed
a great service to the little community.
On the 8th of July 1862 the Congress of the United
States of America enacted the Poland Anti-Polygamy Law
which was signed by President Abraham Lincoln. This
law defined polygamy as bigamy and provided a fine
of five hundred dollars and imprisonment of five years
for violation. It was declared constitutional, but nothing
seemed to be done about the matter of polygamy until
later around the year of 1882.
49

Southern Idaho was still a quiet place, for up to this
time nothing much had changed except the little that
had been done by the Franklin people. North of the
Salmon River thousands of people began to pour into
the valleys and mountains, as gold was a great draw-
ing card for all types of people. All this new northern
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

35
population needed supplies. Franklin became one of
the supply stations. Flour was sold for a good price.
Men bought clothing, guns, tools, and also traded vari-
ous articles.
The Indians became unbearable in their demands
upon the settlers. The settlers would give a portion of
their foodstuffs for the sustenance of the Indians. The
willingness to give probably made the Indians feel that
they could demand more and more each time. The
straining point had to come sometime. In the year of
1863 there were ninety cabins in the fort, while there
were ninety-six families living there. Lorenzo Hill Hatch
became Bishop.
Franklin gets a four mill
James Haworth and John Goaslind built a flour mill.
They were helped by Lorenzo Hill Hatch and Alexander
Stalker, Senior. All of the machinery for grinding the
flour was made of wood, with the exception of the tur-
bine wheel which came from the East and the grinding
stone which was made of Utah granite. A ditch out of
Cub River was used as power to run the mill. Mr. James
Haworth was a miller by profession. The three other
men were just stock-holders. Mr. Haworth ground forty-
four pounds of flour, fourteen pounds of bran, and two
pounds of shorts from every bushel of wheat. The wheat
coming to the mill was sometimes worth five dollars
a bushel. Each man got the flour from his own wheat.
The flour was always put in two bushel sacks and tied
with buckskin strings. It is said that Mr. Haworth could
OLD COOPERATIVE MERCANTILE STORE
After the store closed it was used for a relic hall for many
years. It is now owned by the Daughters of the Pioneers.
HOME OF JOHN AND ANN DONEY
In 1864 the Doneys left the fort area of Franklin and built
this home out of sandstone quarried east of town.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

36
tell if the grinding was just right by the sound of the
machinery and the smell. Mr. David Jensen and Mr.
Folsom sometimes helped him when he was running
to a full capacity, night and day. Bitch lamps were used
for night lighting. Indians would come to the mill and
trade buckskins, elk hides, and buffalo robes for flour.
Sometimes there were as many as fourteen yoke of
oxen with wagons waiting to freight flour to Montana
and northern Idaho. Bagley and others from Bear Lake
region and would bring wheat to have ground. They
would stay until the wheat was processed.
50

This year, 1863, Samuel R. Parkinson and Thomas
Smart built the first sawmill in the area, which also
was the first in southeastern Idaho. Lumber from this
mill was used in building homes on the surveyed land
around the fort. A joke was made about the mill which
stated that Joshua Messervey and the men working in
the saw pit could out-cut the new sawmill.
51

With the growth of the community it was necessary
to enlarge the log school house. A stage was built in
one end of it, besides enlarging it. This would be an
opportunity to develop the talents in the community.
The Battle of Bear River
In January the Indians became extreme in their de-
mands. This led to the bloody battle of the Bear River.
Colonel Connors soldiers from Fort Douglas, Utah had
to be called.
The one hundred forty-three of his com-
mand and killed, wounded, or frozen were
SITE OF THE BEAR RIVER MASSACRE
Responding to complaints of hostilities by the local Sho-
shone Indians, Colonel Patrick Edward Connor and his force
of 200 California Volunteers attacked a Shoshone winter
village twelve miles northwest of Franklin.
Connor and his men reached the encampment of 450
people in the predawn darkness of January 29, 1863. After
an initial frontal sortie on the camp failed, the soldiers re-
grouped and pressed the attack from two sides.
After a couple of hours of fighting the Indians ran out
of ammunition. The soldiers pursued everyone they could
find into the thick willows along the creek and shot them
with their revolvers. When the shooting was over as many
as 350 men, women and children lay dead and dying in the
snow. The soldiers burned the Indians homes and carried
off 1000 bushels of wheat and flour and 175 horses.
For many years the incident at Bear River was portrayed
as just another battle with the Indians in an expanding
Western America. It wasnt until late in the 20th Century
that the incident came to be recignized for what it was: a
massacre. On March 23, 2003, The Trust for Public Land and
The American West Heritage Center presented the 26-acre
site of the Bear River Massacre as a gift to the Shoshone
tribe. The two groups had purchased the land privately and
helped to plan a Shosone cultural and interpretive center.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

37
brought back in wagons to Franklin. Many were
cared for in the settlers homes; others in the
Franklin schoolhouse, and when transportation
was secured, all of them were carried to Salt
Lake City. The sufferings of the men and of-
ficers were terrible; barely a man came out of
the fight without being permanently disabled.
Those who were not hit by bullets lost feet and
arms by freezing.
52
Fetch the poor Saints
After the battle of Bear River was over the com-
munity settled down once again to its normal proce-
dure. On April 7, 1863 five young men were called to
go to Omaha, Nebraska to help fetch the poor Saints
to the valleys. Oxen were loaned to them by friends.
These five men furnished their own food. On the way
to Omaha they would stop at various trading posts
and leave a portion of their foodstuffs. This food was
used on the way back from Omaha.
53
Mr. William G.
Nelson writes:
In the spring of 1863 I was called by the
Church to drive a team back to the Missis-
sippi River after emigration. In company with
three others I started from Franklin on April 14
and went to Hyrum where we organized into a
company, there being fifty teams with William
B. Preston, Thomas Ervin, and Alma Baker as
Captains.
54
The call to make this trip came quite frequently for
some to help the poorer Saints. Edward Kingsford and
John Doney donated their teams for two years to help
in this adventure.
National holidays were celebrated with as much
vigor and fervor in the outlying settlements as in any
other place in the Union. A news report of July 8, 1863
has this to say about the Fourth of July:
We submit for insertion in your columns a
condensed report of our proceedings on our na-
tions birthday. A detachment of infantry, com-
manded by Captain James Packer announced the
break of day by the firing of musketry; when
the hoisting of our stars and stripes immediately
followed. At nine oclock a.m. a procession was
formed at the school house, under the direction
of the Marshal of the day, William H. Head, and
proceeded to the residence of Bishop L. H. Hatch
where the committee in waiting escorted him to
a place at the head of the procession. After hav-
ing promenaded through town, the procession
was seated under a spacious bowery, suitably
prepared for the occasion, when the band struck
up the lively and familiar air, The Star Spangled
Banner. The remaining part of the forenoon
was devoted to speeches, songs, toasts, and
so forth. The most prominent of our speakers
was Bishop Hatch. When he got through speak-
ing, he was enthusiastically greeted with loud
and prolonged cheers. The after part of the day
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

38
was devoted to dancing, in which all seemed to
participate with that mirth and hilarity usual
on such occasions.
55

This article was signed by John Laird, Alexander
Bothwick, and Alexander Stalker who composed the
Committee of Arrangements for the celebration. Most
of the celebrations of the early years followed the same
pattern. There was no real need for too much change,
because the people liked this type of celebration, and
it satisfied their patriotic needs.
Franklin expands out beyond the fort
All of the normal activities continued in the village.
William Woodward still continued to teach school for
the people. Little by little the people left the confines of
the fort area. Some of the more adventuresome people
spread out into other little communities. Social inter-
course between these small communities and Franklin
was infrequent, at first, especially in the winter months.
Occasionally trips had to be made. There were no stage
coaches as yet and the people either rode horses, drove
wagons, or walked.
Each year an account was made of the do-
nations given to the Indians and the poor. From
the Franklin Ledger Book we take the following
amounts: thirty-four and one half bushels of
wheat, one thousand pounds of hay, and forty-
seven bushels of potatoes.
56

1863 was the high point of placer mining in Idaho.
By this time all of the large fields had opened up and
were being mined. Some of these were yielding less and
less each day. By 1863 there were twenty-five thousand
people in Idaho. About five thousand were miners; the
rest were there to do other kinds of work. Miners came
mostly from California, but they were there from almost
every state in the Union. The Civil War had been on since
1861, but this did not stop the miners from coming. Also,
there were Englishmen, Germans, Frenchmen, Italians,
Spaniards, Mexicans, and many Chinese.
57
Franklin was
one of the main points of entry and supply to the people
of northern Idaho.
C O L O R A D O
W Y O M I N G
M O N T A N A
C A N A D A
I D A H O
N E V A D A
U T A H
C O L O R A D O
:
o
e
o
zsnn
ir
o
n
v
Frankl i n
Onei da
Count y
O R E G O N
IDAHO TERRITORY
In 1864 the Idaho Territory encompassed the current states
of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, including Franklin. Although
Franklin was thought to be in Utah Territory at the time, it
was in Oneida County, Territory of Idaho. Map after C. J.
Brosnan, History of the State of Idaho, p. 94c.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

39
The saga of the frst church meetinghouse
In January of 1864 work began on a meeting house
for the Church. This building was to be forty feet wide
and eighty feet long, and constructed of stone. The
Catholic Church had already built a church building
in Idaho City in the year of 1863. The Protestants had
also built a church building in Idaho City. Actually the
Mormon Church was behind in building their church
building, but they had been busy building other things,
so far as Idaho was concerned.
58
The Franklin settlers
had built their school house which had served as a
community center, recreational center, church house,
and school house. When the new meeting house was
nearing completion the roof fell in, due to faulty archi-
tecture. The people were disheartened. It stood in that
condition for nine years before it, was repaired and
completed.
59
Because most of the little communities that were
being established in southern Idaho were of Mormon
extraction, this does not necessarily mean that other
people were not moving the communities. Oxford, which
had been established at the extreme end of Cache Valley
to the north, had a radical anti-Mormon paper called the
Idaho-Enterprise. This newspaper caused much trouble
for the Saints in this region.
60
Money, as always a problem with the settlers. No
one had any large amounts of it.
The circulating medium in Cache and Bear
Lake settlements was mostly by scrip. Cash
was so scarce that a substitute token made of
tin was used in lieu of money; in fact, it was
money, as it passed quite freely from hand to
hand without reference to the honesty or sol-
vency of the offerer. Of course, cash was given
a ten percent advantage over scrip. It remained
in use until 1899.
61
Very little banking was done. Money, if any was had,
was kept at home. In the spring of 1864 many of the
settlers were living on their city lots. The lots had been
surveyed so that there were eight lots to a city block of
ten acres. Thus each lot was one and one-fourth acres
in size. The streets were six rods wide.
THE FIRST PERMANENT MORMON CHAPEL IN IDAHO
The church was constructed from local sandstone under the
direction of Bishop L. H. Hatch. After sitting empty with a
caved-in roof for nine years, the chapel was reconstructed
in 1874 and used for another nine years.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

40
Town site was city lots of one and one-
fourth acres each. They were drawn for. I drew
lot number four in block ten, just east of the
public square.
62
(sic.)
These are the remarks of Joseph Younger Mayberry
on the drawing of city lots.
There seemed to be an article of Mormon
faith which demanded the planting of trees.
Gentile towns, for the first few years after their
founding, are usually marked by environments
of squalor and filth. The outskirts of the towns
are indicated by heaps of refuse, the impres-
sion that the town isnt a town, but an abode
of campers. When the Mormons located they
planted trees, not solely, for beauty and
shade, but also for windbreaks and future fuel
use. Cottonwood a hardy, quick-growing tree,
seemed to be their favorite.
63
Brigham Youngs 1864 visit to Franklin
Brigham Young, President of the Mormon Church,
made many visits to the outlying districts of the Church.
He was very conscious of the necessity of the visits;
and even though he was getting older, made the trips
to keep the Church informed. He wanted to feel the
pulse of the members. The following is an account of
one of Brigham Youngs trips. This version was written
in 1907.
The rising generation know but little of the
hardships endured in early days by the leading
men of this church, while were helping the poor
Saints to establish themselves in these valleys.
In order to make plain to them at least one
phase of this subject it will only be necessary to
give a brief account of President Young and his
partys first visit to the Bear Lake country.
On Monday morning, May 16, 1864, at 8:80
oclock, this little company drove out of Salt
Lake City on its journey. It consisted of six light
vehicles and a baggage wagon, occupied by
the following persons: Brigham Young, Heber
C. Kimball, John Taylor, George Albert Smith,
Wilford Woodruff, Joseph Young, Jesse W. Fox,
HOME OF DR. ALLEN CUTLER IN PRESTON, IDAHO, 1903
Dr. Cutler and his family stand among the cottonwood trees
that surround their home. In 1927 the home was sold and
turned into a mortuary.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

41
Professor Thomas Ellerbeck, George D. Watt,
reporter, and seven teamsters. They reached
Franklin, Idaho on the afternoon of the third
day, and by that time had increased their num-
ber to one hundred and fifty-three men, eighty-
six of whom were riding in vehicles, the balance
being picked men, mounted on good horses for
assisting the company on the way. There were
no houses between Franklin and Paris, Idaho,
consequently the program was to drive directly
to Paris in one day, if possible.
GETTING UP THE MOUNTAIN
The fourth morning they got an early start,
and drove almost to Mink Creek without ac-
cident. Here brother George Albert Smiths
carriage broke down, but as good luck would
have it, the brethren from Cache Valley had
brought a light wagon along in case of such an
emergency. The company were soon on the way
again, as though nothing had happened.
They reached the foot of the big mountain
which divides Cache Valley from Bear Lake
Valley, and here is where the tug-of-war be-
gan. The mountain was so steep that all the
men were compelled to walk except Apostle
Smith who was so heavy that it would have
been dangerous for him to undertake it, as he
weighed not less than three hundred pounds.
The mounted men soon had extra horses har-
nessed and hitched to single trees, and Presi-
dent Young and others, who were too heavy
to help themselves, took hold of these single
trees with both hands and were helped up the
mountain in this way.
Apostle Charles C. Rich and others, who
had settled Bear Lake Valley the fall before,
came to their assistance with all the teams that
could be mustered. Several yokes were hitched
to Brother George Albert Smiths wagon, and
he was hauled up the mountain, but before he
reached the summit his wagon was so badly
broken that he was compelled to abandon it.
Everybody had a good laugh over the incident,
being the second vehicle broken down under
his weight that day. With careful management
under the supervision of President Young and
Council, the brethren managed to get him onto
the largest saddle horse that could be found.
The next morning at five oclock they con-
tinued their journey homeward. Brother Rich
had more than kept his promise. He furnished
two yoke of oxen for President Youngs carriage
and four yoke for the baggage wagon, the latter
being solely occupied by Brother George Albert
Smith who had a smile on his countenance that
made all who beheld it feel good through and
through. These were the only vehicles drawn
by ox teams. They followed the road through
the mud, while the lighter vehicles, drawn by
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

42
horses, hugged the side hills, which were so
steep that the brethren had to lash poles to
the carriage beds, and bear down on the upper
end of the poles to prevent the carriages from
tipping over. This plan worked like a charm,
and by nine oclock the company had reached
the summit of the mountain. Not withstanding
it rained hard all that day, the party reached
Franklin about five oclock that evening, and
three days later they arrived home.
64

Brigham Young spoke to the people of Bear Lake
Valley when he visited them and told them some im-
portant things which relate directly to Franklin.
The people here need a surveyor. We have
young men who can learn in one week to survey
this valley sufficiently to be agreeable to all
parties, and assure every purpose that can be
desired. As to whether we are in Utah Territory
or Idaho Territory, I think we are now in Idaho.
I have no doubt of it, and the greater part of
those who settle this valley will be in that ter-
ritory; the snow lies too low on the mountains
here for Utah. . . About cattle, butchers who
want to get away from the law and the Church
and keep moving to outlying landsbutcher the
beeves on the range. I know what those people
are here for, and their object has been to come
to this valley for an impure purpose. You will
know it, and if they are not here yet, they will
come and settle on your borders from Franklin,
Weber, and Box Elder, and other places.
65
The Franklin survey of 1864
This year, 1864, another ditch had to be dug from
Cub River to Franklin. Jesse W. Fox surveyed the ditch
in the canyon. J. M. Martineau surveyed it from the
canyon to the town. As the water had been scarce the
year before nearly all the men of Franklin turned out to
work on the ditch. It was about four feet wide on the
bottom and brought a great deal of water to town for
irrigation. With this added amount of water the crops
were good.
66

Traders came to Franklin from the northern part of
the Territory and bought up produce, to the advantage
of both the traders and the settlers. Wheat was five
dollars a bushel, flour was twelve dollars per hundred
pounds. Butter was fifty cents per pound. Eggs sold for
fifty cents per dozen. Cows sold for forty dollars.
67
This
added business made Franklin a growing place.
New Post Offices - The Postmaster General
has ordered the establishment of the following
Post Offices in Cache County: Franklin, L. H.
Hatch, postmaster . . .
68
As new people came into Franklin to settle, either
from the request of the Church officials or of their own
accord, they were taken into the community. Some were
sent to a community because of their talents.
It was customary for people who came into
Franklin as settlers to be given an allotment of
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

43
J. M. MARTINEAU S 1864
SURVEY FROM THE CAN-
YON TO FRANKLIN
Since Franklin Township
was on the other side of
the Cub Ri ver, most of
what Martineau surveyed
was the townspeopl e s
farmland.
The farmland was desig-
nated in three broad cate-
gories as Plow Land, Mead-
ow Land or Hay Land. The
location of the original fort
would have been northeast
of where Maple Creek joins
the Cub River.
Estimated location of
the original Franklin
fort
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

44
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP
The town of Franklin is
situated in Sections 20
and 21, Township 16
South on Rage 40 East,
Boise Meridian.
LOCATI ON of busi -
ness est abl i shment s
and industries in the
early years of Franklin.
Numbers correspond to
the list on the following
page.
A number of FAMILY
BUSINESSES and busi-
ness that were impor-
tant to the family are
noted here.
HOLD your mouse
cursor over each
highlighted square to
bring up a photo of
that building
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

45
hay or grain lands. When Isaac Nash, James
Hibden, George and Alfred Hansen, E. Nelson,
Peter Pool, Dickey Colter, William Handy, John
and Nephi Comish, William Rogers came to
Franklin they were each given five acres in the
section now known as Whitney.
69

Great strides, great expansion had taken place in
three and one half years since the founding of the
settlement, considering its location and its humble
beginning. The Indians still came for food and the ac-
count book for the year says that the settlers gave to
them twenty dollars worth of wheat, seven dollars and
fifty cents worth of potatoes, fifty dollars worth of oat
feed (during Indian trouble), and sixteen dollars worth
of hay (during Indian trouble). This was expended by
the settlers for keeping peace with the Indians.
70
Location of Business Establishments
and Industries of Franklin
1. Location of Old Franklin Fort.
2. Old Franklin Cooperative Mercantile Store - 1869, used
for awhile by citizens of Franklin as a Relic Hall, now
used by the Daughters of the Pioneers.
3. Relief Society Building (torn down), now in this
location is a park and a new Relic Hall.
4. Old Tithing Office (torn down).
5. City Hall and jail (in basement).
6. Opera House (torn down).
7. Stone Meeting House (a well was on the north side),
now a modern Latter-day Saint chapel and recre-
ational hall.
8. Old Stone School House (torn down), Red brick School
House (four rooms), The School house has been
renovated as a gymnasium.
9. Present Elementary School House, High school stu-
dents go to Preston, Idaho.
10. Old Oneida Mercantile Union Butcher Shop, later
the Princess Theatre, now used as a garage and for
storage.
11. Berryman and Laverberg, two Jews, owned a mer-
cantile business. Merrick and Duffin owned this and
ran a store, then, the Oneida Mercantile Union, later
Elliot Butterworth Cooperative. Now a tavern.
12. I. B. Nashs Blacksmith shop, now an ice cream and
light lunch parlor.
13. Post Office here first, then Thomas Lowe, Elliot But-
terworth and J. A. Head opened a store. Later J. J.
Hills store, and above it was T. G. Lowes Dance hall.
(burned)
14. Location of the One-eyed Cooperative Store, now
Post Office. Lad been used also as a candy shop.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

46
15. Enoch Broadbent Butcher Shop, then P.B. Dunkleys
Grocery Store, now William Waddoups Grocery
Store.
16. Little shop, where the first picture shows were held,
has been a series of little shops, now a garage.
17. Goldmans and Bergmans Saloon just after the rail-
road came to Franklin. Thomas Smart and Compa-
nys Farmers Union, then part of the Oneida Mer-
1. John Johnson
2. Joshua Messervey Sr.
3. Joshua Messervey Jr.
4. John Laird
5. Alexander Bothwick
6. Ameleous Hansen
7. Thomas Lowe
8. William Garner
9. Martha Howland
10. Thomas Smart
11. W. G. Nelson
12. James Packer
13. George A. Davey
14. Robert Dowdle
15. Alexander Stalker
16. Shem Purnell
17. Alfred Alder
18. Moroni Bishop
19. Sarah Marshall
20. Joseph Chadwick
21. Mary Chadwick
22. Ben Chadwick
23. George Foster
24. W. L. Webster
25. Preston Thomas
26. Jane Nelson
27. A. M. Neeley
28. Joseph Dunkley
29. William Howell
30. C. H. Poulsen
31. John Doney
32. Edward Kingsford
33. T. C. D. Howell
34. Andrew Morrison
35. William Fluett
36. Nathan Packer, Sr.
37. L. H. Hatch
38. Leonard Smith
39. Thomas Mendenhall,
Sr.
40. Evert Van Orden
41. W. R. Comish
42. C. W. Fox
43. William Lynex Sr.
44. John Morrison
45. Dabner Keel
46. John Frew
47. John Goaslind
48. Richard Colter
49. James Oliverson
50. James Sanderson
51. Peter Preese
52. George W. Crocheron
53. Wm. Woodward
54. William Comish
55. Robert Cox,
56. (?) Lundgren
57. Charles Olsen
58. Samuel Handy
59. Thomas McCann
60. Elvira Wheeler
61. Store
62. Sr. Parkinson
63. Mother Pool, Peter
Pool, and I. B. Nash
64. Arnold Goodliff
65. George Lee
66. Enoch Broadbent
67. Henry Hobbs
68. Thomas Ball
69. I. B. Nash, (blacksmith)
70. Robert Gregory
71. William Corbridge
72. Mrs. Hampton
73. James Cowan Jr.
74. Thomas Slater
75. Charles Spongberg
76. William Whitehead
77. William Pratt
78. I. H. Vail
79. Ephraim Ellsworth
80. Nephi Packer
81. Thomas Bennett
82. John Biggs,
W. C. Patten
83. C. R. Hobbs
84. Charles Thornberg,
(blacksmith)
85. Nathaniel Parrott
86. George Alder
87. Mrs. Mayberry
88. Joseph Perkins
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

47
89. Owen Roberts
90. W. T. Wright
91. W. H. Head
92. Thomas Hull Jr.
93. Alec Lowe
94. Peter Lowe
95. Thomas Hull Sr.
96. Allan Ranken
97. Shem Purnell,
(black smith)
98. Wm. Garner
Footnotes
1. John Henry Evans, One Hundred Years of Mormon-
ism (Salt Lake City: Deseret Sunday School Union,
1909), p. 441.
2. Preston Nibley, Brigham Young, the Man and His
Works (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1937),
p. 96.
3. Ibid., p. 97.
4. Hunter, op. cit., pp. 97-98.
5. Andrew Jensen, Ogdens Hole. Improvement Era,
July, 1934, pp. 414-448. This is the only reference
made to this source. All other Andrew Jensen ref-
erences relate to his compilation of Franklin ward
records.
6. Hovey, op. cit., p. 8
7. Hovey, op. cit., pp. 10-13.
8. Beal, op. cit., p. 139.
9. B. H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, IV (Salt Lake
City: Deseret News Press, 1930), 446-447.
10. Andrew Jensen (ed.), Franklin Ward, Franklin Stake,
p. 2 (typewritten)
11. Defenbach, op. cit., pp. 150-154.
12. Bertha Woodward, Personal Notes on Franklin Settle-
ment, ca. 19201949 (typewritten and handwrit-
ten)
13. Hovey, op. cit., p. 107.
14. Deseret News, April 14, 1860, p. 56.
15. Preston High School Seminary Students (compilers),
Mormon Trail Blazers, p. 7. (typewritten)
16. S. P. Morgan (ed.), Official Program, Idaho Semi-Cen-
tennial Celebration (Salt Lake City: Skelton Publish-
ing Co., 1910), pp. 18-19.
17. Robert Hull, Notes on the Life of William G. Hull and
Incidents in Franklin, p. 1. (typewritten)
18. Jensen, op. cit., p. 3.
19. Deseret News, June 15, 1939, p. 3.
21. Morgan, op. cit., p. 21.
22. Deseret News, April 18, 1860, p. 52.
23. Marie Danielsen (compiler), The History and De-
velopment of Southeastern Idaho, The Trait Blazer
(Published by the Daughters of the Pioneers, 15 June
1930), p. 21.
24. Hovey, op. cit., p. 106.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

48
25. Josephine Mayberry Brayley (ed.), Life Sketch of
Joseph Younger Mayberry, p. 48. (typewritten)
26. Hull, op. cit., p. 3.
27. Deseret News, May 23, 1860, p. 92.
28. Nibley, op. cit., p. 356.
29. lbid. p. 357.
30. Ibid. p. 96.
31. Ibid., p. 360.
32 . Deseret News, August 1, 1860, p. 170.
34. Danielsen, op. cit., p. 21.
35. Serena Lowe (compiler), Biographies and Life
Sketches of Franklin Pioneers, p. 32. (typewritten)
These biographies and life sketches have been col-
lected by the Ellen Wright Camp of the Daughters
of the Pioneers. Serena Lowe is Historian of the
Camp. They have been collected over a period of
many years, and were taken from personal inter-
views or written material.
36. Deseret News, August 15, 1860, p. 192.
38. Braley, op. cit., p. 51.
39. Danielsen, op. cit., pp. 29-30, 32, 37-33.
40. Morgan, op. cit. p. 28.
41. Hovey, op. cit., p. 131.
42 . Hovey, op. cit. , pp. 131-132.
43. Hovey, op. cit. , pp. 135-136.
44. Braley, op. cit., pp. 56.
45. Lowe, op. cit., p. 5.
46. Beal, op. cit., p. 325.
47. Danielsen, op. cit., P. 39.
48. Ibid., p. 37.
49. Beal, op. cit., p. 301.
52. Donaldson, op. cit. p. 308.
53. Hull, op. cit., p. 2.
55. Deseret News, July 28, 1863, p. 27.
56. Franklin Account Ledger, p. 195. (handwritten)
57. Defenbach, op. cit. , p. 195.
58. Ibid., p. 210.
59. Morgan, op. sit. , p. 28.
60. Beal, op. cit., p. 171.
61. Ibid., pp. 35-39.
62. Braley, op. cit., p. 48.
63. Donaldson, op. cit.,
64. Solomon F. Kimball, President Brigham Youngs First
Trip to Bear Lake Valley, Improvement Era, 1907, pp.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

49
296-303.
65. lbid., pp. 296-303.
66. Danielsen, op. cit. , p. 21.
67. Lowe, op. cit., p. 55.
70. Franklin Account Ledger, 1864, p. 203. (handwrit-
ten)
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

50
E NT R I E S
R E F E R R I NG
TO
J OHN
DONE Y
FROM THE
J OUR NA L
OF HI S FRI END

E DWA R D
K I NG S F OR D
I N the y ears
1860 TO 1864

..
I sold my little property for an old wagon, a yoke of

cattle, some flour, a plow and some leather. I left Pay-
son in March with my family, and some twenty families,
some staid in Ogden, some in Logan. The rest of us
came to Franklin, vis. TCD Howell and sons, TM Bennett,
D Keel, WH Head, W. Patten, J. Doney and myself with
our families.
We obtained some land, plowed, and put in some
crop. Bro. John Doney and me generally worked to-
gether. When I came to Franklin I had two yoke of cattle
one cow and calf and some chickens. Provisions were
not very abundant, we were short of clothing and bed-
ding. I had a wife and two children.

...
This year Bro. John Doney and me worked together

a great deal. Through the winter I worked a great deal
on a water ditch.
Bro. Doney and me rented land from A. Stalker which
we put into grain. Busy this season, I was never idle.
**** During harvest time, I had the privilege of going
to Salt Lake City with my wife and getting my Endow-
ments. Bro. Doney and Jas. Perkins went along also with
their wives. I owned an old wagon. I borrowed a wheel
of Mark Nelson before I started but this gave out on the
way. I wove sticks in it and got to Willard. We traveled
nearly night and day, when near the Hot Springs my
wife was taken sick, she said she was struck with death.
History of Franklin, Idaho Entries from the Journal of Edward Kingsford
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

51
We bathed her with Hot Spring water, and did what
we could for her.
We got our endowments next day. I was ordained
an Elder in the Endowment house, my wife was sealed
to me. We traveled as rapidly as we could go back to
Franklin as our grain was in the fields, in the shock.
When we arrived at Logan my wife said she had
lived as long as she wanted to and requested me to
bury her as decently as I could, to have her washed with
soap and laid peacefully away. She died a week from
the day she made the request of me, October 26
th
. I had
been to Logan grist mill and staid away one night, and
when I returned she was making pancakes, she said she
could not make any more. Sisters Howell and Doney sat
up that night with her, she died next morning.
I could not go to the funeral, as I had to stay at
home with the baby nine months old. No ceremony
was said at her funeral. I was lonesome and desolate
and filled with grief.
The next day I went and saw Sister Halgar Poulsen
whose husband had died this year; she was left with
two children. I asked her to come and keep house for
me and I would look after her things. Sister Poulsen
enquired of the neighbors about my character, and
the next day I moved her things to my house and she
kept house for me. She had not been to my house but
a few days before I asked sister Poulsen to be my wife.
She said she would not be married before Christmas
to anybody. On Christmas Eve I asked her and she said
I guess so. [The hard pioneer life made for marriages
of necessity].

..
The winter was wet our houses were mostly cov-

ered with willows, rushes, and dirt and they were not
waterproof. The sacks of grain were wet and people
had musty grain and flour til harvest. I had bought an
Indian pony and Bro. Doney had another, and we had
a team between us of horses.

..,
[Due to money earned by feeding and clothing

the army sent to subdue the Indians, Edward and John
rented 10 more acres of land together.]

..,
This spring we moved onto our city lot. I lived near

Spring Creek and had John Doney as a near neighbor.
[After a visit from Brigham Young, there was a good year
of crops]. [While in the fields a drunken Indian attacked
Mary Ann Alder]. As soon as the Indian commence his
deviltry a man shot the Indian with a revolver. I had a
pitchfork, Bro. Doney a rake and we tried to defend the
woman.
The Latter-day Saints have been in the habit of send-
ing teams to the States to bring on the emigrants from
the Missouri River. I put one ox and Bro Doney another,
this we did for two years. Prosperous times traders
from the north came to Franklin and bought up our pro-
duce to our and their advantage. Wheat was $5 a bushel.
History of Franklin, Idaho Entries from the Journal of Edward Kingsford
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History of Franklin, Idaho Franklin Idaho, from The Trail Blazer
52
Franklin
i daho
From
T HE T R A I L B L A Z E R
History of the Development
of Southeastern Idaho
Publi shed i n 1930

by Daughters of the Pioneers
Revi sed and updated i n 1976
by Newell Hart
RMI SSI ON
Early History of Franklin County

Introduction
Out of the early history of what is now known as
Franklin County, there has come to this generation and
the generations to follow, a heritage which can scarcely
be equaled in any other part of the country.
The subject of this sketch, as the title suggests, is
to be a part history of Franklin County, that includes of
course, the beginnings and developments of the vari-
ous communities. However, in order that the reader may
more fully understand and appreciate what it is all about
and the foundation thereof, it will not be amiss to give
here a brief sketch concerning the earliest history of the
territory that is now known as Cache Valley, and an ac-
count of the Battle Creek Massacre, the results of which
afforded the settlers much relief from Indian troubles
and made it possible for home seekers to locate in the
more remote parts of this section of the country.
It is not very often that historians can get a definite
account of the very earliest history of some particular re-
gions, however, we are quite sure that the historians are
right when they tell us that it was not until 1821 that the
solitudes of Cache Valley were broken by the coming of
the first white men. But long before this, the valley had
been a favorite hunting ground for the Indians, among
them were members of the Shoshone, Blackfoot and Ute
Indian tribes. The streams were the homes of all kinds of
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

53
valuable fur-bearing animals such as, the beaver, mink
and muskrat. The elk, deer, mountain sheep, bear, wolf,
mountain lion, coyote and lynx roamed freely about in
the hills and mountains. The streams were well supplied
with a variety of fish. This place was first called Willow
Valley and it was to this rich hunting ground that, in
1824, the first white men came. These white men were
a company of trappers working, doubtlessly, for the
Rocky Mountain Fur Company, which later proved to
be a powerful rival to the Hudson Bay Fur Company
in the Oregon country. According to the records of
some historians, James (Jim) Bridger was the leader
or captain of this early fur company. Kit Carson, the
famous frontiersman, and William F. Dranan were also
members of the party.
The stories of these good hunting grounds soon
reached other trappers and Willow Valley became the
meeting place for those who trapped for furs. The name
Cache Valley of course came naturally, due to the habit
of the trappers caching their furs here.
James P. Beckwith, who came to this valley in 1825,
later helped to explore and survey a prospective route
for a transcontinental railroad.
In 1860, Idaho was
still a vast wilderness
known only to the few
trappers, the hunter,
the prospector and the
Catholi c missi onar y.
The extent of its wealth
and resources were
unthought of as sav-
age Indians and others
made their trails along
the streams, across the
plains and through the
mountain passes.
Just at this time,
that is earl y in the
spring of 1860, a small
band of pioneers and trail blazers wended their way into
the Northern part of Cache Valley. They came because
of their having heard of the rich fertility of this soil and
thought it a good place to build homes. They selected
a spot on the banks of the Cub River and began imme-
JIM BECKWITH was one of the
few black mountain men.
CACHE VALLEY runs north and south from near the north-
east tip of The Great Salt Lake to just over the border in
Idaho. The valley is about 40 miles long by about 10 miles
wide. Mormon pioneers colonized Cache Valley in a string
of settlements running up the east side of the valley.
Great Sal t Lake
Timpie
Low
Emory
Altamont
Piedmont
Wahsatch
Marriott-Slaterville
Promontory Point
Lakeside
Sage
Blue Creek
South Salt Lake
North Salt Lake
Park City
Woods Cross
West Bountiful
Sunset
Pleasant View
Morgan
Kemmerer
Coalville
Randolph
Willard
Oakley
Henefer
Woodruff Mantua
Laketown
Howell
Garden City
Cokeville
Snowville
Saint Charles
Centerville
Farmington
Kaysville
Clinton
Evanston
South Ogden
North Ogden
Brigham City
Murray
Bountiful
Clearfield
Roy
West Valley City
Layton
0
0
50 Miles
50 KM
25 Miles
25 KM
10 Miles
10 KM
Preston
Whitney
Franklin
Richmond
Smithfield
Logan
Paradise
Hyrum
Ogden
Salt Lake City
Providence
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54
diately to build homes and plan for a permanent settle-
ment. That was the beginning of the first permanent
white settlement in Idaho, now known as Franklin. (A
more detailed history of these early settlers and their
affairs will be given in the history of Franklin.)
These early settlers did not fail to realize that they
were located on the extreme outskirts of civilization
and that the least awkward move they made would
mean starvation or annihilation by the hostile Indians
that roamed at will over the South Eastern part of the
territory. As we shall learn later, the Indians were not
loathe to kill and destroy as they chose from time to
time.
Settlers continued to come to increase the size of
the settlement and build up fortifications against the
prowling, hostile Indian marauders.
Increasing Indian Troubles
The Years of 1862 and 1863 found the Indians grow-
ing more and more troublesome to the people of the
little settlement. They stole many horses even growing
so bold as to take them from the stables of the pioneers.
They became very exacting of the people, demanding
grain and other foods on their own terms. But believ-
ing In the opinion of their leader, President Brigham
Young, that it was better to feed the Indians than to
fight them, the pioneers freely gave to the Indians even
though the giving became burdensome. Some of the
grain was also given to the Indians. Not only did the
Indians do a great deal of begging in the settlement
but it seemed to be a common occurrence for them to
attack the emigrant trains and small parties separated
from the settlements.
Soon after Christmas in 1862, David Savage and Wil-
liam Bevins with a small company of men came down
from Leesburg, a mining camp on the Salmon River, to
get supplies and cattle. They lost their way in a blinding
snow storm in the north end of Cache Valley and kept
on the west side of Bear River. When the storm cleared
off, they found themselves about west of Richmond,
Utah. The party made a boat of some of the wagon
boxes and attempted to cross the river. While the last
boat load was crossing the river, some of the Indians
who had been camping up on what is now known as
Battle Creek, and had been following the party, came
upon the men rather suddenly and began shooting at
them. One man of the party was killed and several others
wounded. Then too, the Indians proceeded to destroy
the wagons and supplies, while they were doing this,
the men hid in the brush until the Indians were gone.
During the night they made their way to Richmond, six
miles south of Franklin and told their story. Mariner W.
Merrill, the Bishop of that town, immediately sent Mr.
Bevins and his companions to Salt Lake City where the
report of the actions of the Indians was given to the
commandant at Fort Douglas. The news was sufficiently
important to arouse the officials to immediate action.
So Colonel P. Edward Connor with two hundred soldiers
from Fort Douglas was then sent into northern Cache
Valley to settle the Indian trouble.
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55
William Hulls account
Continuing on with a brief summary of some of
the Indian troubles and the Battle Creek Massacre, Wil-
liam Hull, now of Hooper, Utah relates the following
interesting incidents, the account of which seems to
be about the most accurate obtainable relative to the
massacre and events.
About five oclock in the evening, January 1863,
three Indians, belonging to Chief Bear Hunters tribe,
who were camped on Bear River, came to my fathers
home with three pack horses and an order from the
Bishop for nine bushels of wheat. I was sent to the
granary to sack the wheat; the Indian boys went with
me and helped.
We had two of the three horses loaded, having put
three bushels on each horse (one and a half bushels
in each sack) when I looked up and saw the soldiers
approaching from the south. I said to the Indian boys
Here comes the Toquashos (Indian name for soldiers)
maybe Indians will all be killed, maybe Touquashos
killed too, Not waiting however, for the third horse to
be loaded, they quickly jumped upon their horses and
led the three horses away, disappearing towards the
north.
Mr. Hull proceeds: That night the soldiers (Colonel
Connor and his men) camped outside the Fort.
The next morning about three oclock the soldiers
left for the Indian camp on Bear River. Jim Henry and I
followed the baggage wagon all the way to the scene
of the battle. We arrived there about nine oclock, just
as the sun was throwing its faint rays upon cold, white
Mother Nature. The air was crisp and clear. The voice
could be heard plainly at a great distance.
As the soldiers came in sight of the Indians, on the
banks above the Bear River, Chief Bear Hunter swinging
his buffalo robe in the air came forward and shouted,
Come on you California , were ready for you!
This threat made the Colonel very angry and he
rushed his cavalry pell-mell down the hill and across the
river. The fight began at once. The Colonel discovered
his mistake when he saw many of his men killed by the
Indiana and ordered his Cavalry back.
The company was then divided and sent down upon
the Indians from two different directions; the soldiers on
SHOSHONE INDIAN CAMP, circa 1870. At one time the Sho-
shone tribe was a very large, extended group that lived
throughout much of California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado,
Wyoming, and Idaho.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

56
foot were ordered to cross the river when the Cavalry
were in position north and east of the Indians.
The Colonel commanded, Kill everything-Nits make
lice.
The fight began again In earnest. The soldiers used
their bayonets; the Indians swung their tomahawks. The
soldiers who crossed the river were forced to fight in
their wet clothes, many fell wounded, and were frozen
to death.
William Hull says, The scene was terrible when
hand to hand fighting began. In the midst of the fight,
we saw seven young bucks each take one of the soldiers
horses, (the soldiers having been killed by the first vol-
ley) and gallop toward the northeast.
The fight lasted about two hours, it was found that
more wounded soldiers had been frozen to death, than
had been killed in the fight. From our position by the
baggage wagon, it appeared that the Indians had been
entirely annihilated.
The soldiers returned to Franklin about seven
oclock that evening. The people under the direction
of Bishop Thomas prepared places to make the soldiers
comfortable for the night. Straw was hauled to the
meeting house, beds were made and fires were built.
Some of the soldiers were given beds in the homes of
the people, in fact, a united effort was made to admin-
ister comfort to the weary, wounded, fighters.
The next morning, sleighs and teams were provided
to help take the dead and wounded soldiers back to
Camp Douglas, Salt Lake City, Utah. At the same time,
Bishop Thomas called William Head, (Captain of Militia)
William Nelson and William Hull to go to the scene of the
battle to ascertain If any of the Indians were still alive.
Mr. Hull describes it as follows: We drove our sleigh
as far as the river and rode our horses through the river.
The first sight to greet us was an old Indian walking,
slowly with arms folded, his head bowed in grief, la-
menting the dead, he didnt speak to us, and soon left,
going toward the north.
Never will I forget the scene
Never will I forget the scene, dead bodies were
everywhere. I counted eight deep In one place and in
several places they were three to five deep; all In all we
counted nearly four hundred; two-thirds of this number
being women and children.
We found two Indian women alive whose thighs had
been broken by the bullets. Two little boys and one little
AT THE POST OFFICE A mural of the attack at Bear River in-
stalled at the Preston, Idaho post office. To see an enlarged
image of the mural, hold your mouse cursor HERE.
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57
girl about three years of age were still living. The little
girl was badly wounded, having eight flesh wounds in
her body. They were very willing to go with us. We took
them on our horses to the sleigh, and made them as
comfortable as possible.
When we arrived in Franklin, Nathan Packer, with
the help of others set the broken bones of the Indian
women. The squaws were taken care of by the people;
soon afterwards they joined a tribe of Indians that came
to Franklin from Bear Lake.
The boys were given good homes, one of them
known as Shem was cared for in the home of William
Nelson over a period of two years after which he was
taken into the Samuel R. Parkinson home. The wounded
girl was nursed back to health by Mary Benson Hull, a
nurse. This Indian girl grew up as a member of the Hull
household and later when she became a young woman,
married a white man from Ogden and reared a family of
boys and girls. She was dearly loved by a great number
of people. Her girls are splendid housekeepers, clean,
neat and thrifty. The youngest daughter is a graduate
nurse of the Dee Hospital located in Ogden, Utah; at the
present time she has charge of a hospital in Nevada.
It is claimed that there were other survivors from
the battle, but these five were all who were brought to
Franklin by William Hull and his two companions.
A few years ago the above article was read to John
Corbridge of Preston, Mrs. William Nelson of Riverdale
and Mrs. R. M. Hull of Whitney. Their testimony was
what the above article is true, from their knowledge of
this battle. These three mentioned above are the only
ones that are living in this community who were over
twenty years of age in 1863.
Few Survivors Found
There is quite a discrepancy between the number
of Indians killed as reported by Colonel Connor and the
number of dead Indians actually counted by men who
live today, but the difference may be accounted for when
we consider the Colonels haste to get his men to shelter
In his report, Colonel Connor reports 221 dead Indians,
but, that the number was very much greater is certain.
The Colonel reported that one hundred and sixty squaws
and children were taken captive, whereas, a number of
living pioneers declare that the number of living souls
who came through the bloody conflict was very small.
The women fought as desperately as the men.
Chief Sagwich was not killed on the day of the battle
as Colonel, Connor reported but was shot many years
later near Brigham City, Utah. The son of Chief Sagwich
was in the battle and escaped in a most daring fashion.
He ran toward the river during the engagement with
several soldiers in hot pursuit. Upon reaching the bank
he fell into the water as though dead, while the soldiers
volley whistled harmlessly overhead. He floated under
the ice and made for an air hole where he clung with his
head just out of the water far enough to allow him to
breathe freely. While in this position, the soldiers sighted
him and fired upon him. He withdrew momentarily from
the opening, receiving only a wounded thumb. The sol-
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

58
diers returned to the battle field and the courageous
young fellow swam to a bunch of willows where he
lay hidden, by the natural Hot Springs. This man was
interviewed at his home in Washakie a few years ago
by S. P. Morgan. He told Mr. Morgan that twenty-two
young bucks escaped in various ways from the vigilant
Connor. He also stated that the Indians had planned
to raid the white settlements as soon as spring should
open up.
Bear Hunter, the leading chief and as villainous an
old fox as ever wore buckskin, was found dead by his
fire. Evidences pointed to the fact that he had been
engaged in moulding bullets when death came.
This massacre at Battle Creek was one of the ap-
parent barbarisms which history has to record, show-
ing that there was much brutality and poor judgment
manifested on each side. However, the battle was a very
important one to this state, as it marked the close of
the real Indian troubles of this section of the territory.
The Indians were taught a lesson that remained with
them for many years and the pioneers were more free
to spread out and locate on new territory.
Today Franklin County, once the scene of that
bloody Indian conflict, is a most thriving section of
Idaho, located in the southeastern part of the state,
bordering the northern boundary line of Utah.
When the state was first segregated into counties,
this section was a part of Oneida County. However, on
January 30, 1913, it was divided and this eastern section
,has since been known as Franklin County.
Because of the irregularity of the boundary line and
the broken surface of the county, we cannot accurately
estimate the area in square miles; it is about twenty-
five miles long and fifteen miles wide. It is interesting
to know that this northern part of Cache Valleynow
Franklin Countywas once a part of the territory cov-
ered by the famous Lake Bonneville, which at one
time covered a large part of the present state of Utah.
It seems that the lake was seeking an outlet to the sea
and finally found it through what is now known as Red
Rock Pass twenty-five miles north of Preston.
There is not an abundance of natural resources such
as lakes or mines. However, there are two rivers and
some smaller streams which supply water for irrigation
and water power. Bear River the largest stream wends its
way down through the Narrows and out through the
County, passing through some of the towns. It is - sup-
posed that this river was named by the return party of
the Lewis and Clark Expedition who, somewhere along
the stream shot and killed a bear. The Cub River on the
east is a tributary of the Bear River. Some of the other
streams are Mink Creek, Birch Creek, Deep Creek, Spring
Creek, Worm Creek, Station Creek and Battle Creek.
Franklin County includes the following towns or vil-
lages and some smaller places: Preston, Franklin, Whit-
ney, Dayton, Weston, Fairview, Treasureton, Mink Creek,
Clifton, Riverdale and Mapleton.
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59
Franklin
T
here always has to be a beginning for everything.
These beginnings are the items that make interest-
ing history as we shall discover during the reading
of the following article which gives an account of the
early history of Franklin, (the first permanent settle-
ment in Idaho).
In fancy follow the trek of the Trail Blazers as they
worked, laughed, and fought and prayed through the
days of wresting a civilization from a trackless wilder-
ness.
Colonization
In the early spring of 1860 five companies, from
Provo, Payson, Slaterville, Kayscreek and Bountiful, left
Utah and came to Franklin in search of new homes. Most
of these people belonged to The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints, one of the policies of which was to
expand and settle new territory.
Many of them had been advised by Brigham Young,
their leader, to settle on the Muddy now Cub River,
in the northeastern part of Cache Valley. This was then
thought to be part of Utah. The first company came in
the first part of April, they camped for a time in Camp
Cove and explored around to see where best to settle.
While there their numbers increased, as others came
to join them, on the 14th of April, they broke camp and
moved to the present site of Franklin, Idaho, which is
located one mile north of the Utah-Idaho State line, on
the Yellowstone Highway.
The names of the heads of the first families who
came to this section are: Alfred Alder, Geo. Alder, Enoch
Broadbent, Wm. Corbridge, Wm. Cornish, Wm. K. Comish,
Richard Coulters, James Cowan, Sr., James Cowan, Jr., G.
W. Crocheron, Joseph Chadwick, Robert Dowdle, John
Doney, Wm. Fluitt, John Frew, Geo. Foster, Wm. Garner,
Samuel Handy, T. C. D. Howell, James Hutchins, Thomas
Hull, E. W. Hanson, James Harris. W. Harris, Leroy Holt,
W. H. Head, Edward Kingsford, Peter Lowe, James Loft-
house, Thomas McCann, Thomas Mendenhall, Sr., Joshua
Messervy, John Morrison, Andrew Morrison, James May,
Thomas Mayberry, Wm. G. Nelson, J. S. Nelson, James
Oliverson, Joseph Perkins, S. R. Parkinson, Shem Purnell,
Peter Preece, Peter J. Pool, James Packer, Sr., Wm. Patten,
John Reed, D. Reed, Thomas Smart, James Sanderson,
Thomas Slater, George Shields, John Smith, Alexander
Stalker, Alma Taylor, E. C. Van Orden, Isaac N. Vail, Wm.
FRANKLIN HERITAGE L to R: John Doney emigrated from
England and settled in Franklin in the first group of settlers;
his daughter, Mary Jane, married Robert G. Lowe and raised
a family in Franklin; their daughter, Annie Laura, was born
in Franklin and raised her family in nearby Whitney.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

61
T. Wright, Wm. Woodward, Mr. Woodhead, Henry Wad-
man.
Peter Maughan, the presiding Bishop of Cache Val-
ley, appointed Thomas Smart, S. R. Parkinson and James
Sanderson to take charge of affairs in the colony while
in Cove, both temporal and spiritual.
The Indians in the vicinity of Franklin at the time
of i ts settl ement
were under Chief
Kittemere, who wel-
comed the whites to
the land, water and
timber. They were
great beggars and
became quite bur-
densome in their
demands for food.
It was the policy of
this people to feed
rather than to fight
the Indians.
These pioneers
were ver y l oyal
to one another, a
peace-abiding and
industrious people.
Their first homes were in wagon boxes placed on the
ground while the running gears were used for hauling
logs from the canyons. The cooking that first summer
was done over the campfires. The wagon homes were
grouped together as a means of protection from the
Indians, as the camps had to be guarded constantly
because of Indian hostilities.
There was a meeting called April 19, 1860, for the
purpose of land allotment. (There was some discussion
as whether unmarried men should be allowed to take
part in the drawing. The decision was in their favor as
there were only three dissenting votes.) The numbers
were cut, one for each ten acre lot, and placed in a hat.
Number one had his first choice of lots and so on. Wil-
liam Hull drew number one and Peter Lowe number
two. These two were two of the unmarried young men.
They chose their land close together, near the center of
the plot.
On April 22nd, the homesteaders selected their ten
acre lots in the South Field.
During the early spring, the public meetings were
held around the campfire; In the summer they built a
bowery, then the meetings were held in it.
It snowed as late as the twelfth of May. However,
by the first of June, the men had their land ready and
planted to oats, barley and wheat. Later in the reason
they planted their gardens. The next labor was to get
water on the land. (This project is described under ir-
rigation.)
As soon as possible the men brought poles from
the canyon to make corrals for their animals. The houses
erected during that first summer were built with round
logs. The roof was made of dirt and there were no floors,
other than Mother Earth. An adobe or rock fireplace
CAMPFIRE COOKWARE
This cast iron cooking pot would
have been useful in cooking over
a campf i re. Di spl ayed at the
Franklin Relic Hall
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62
was in one end of the cabins. The logs were split with an
axe to make the doors and coverings for the windows.
During the winter time, they depended on the glow
from the fireplace or tallow bitches for lights.
The houses, or cabins as they were called, were
built along the sides of a rectangle with the fronts all
facing the inside. The corral, school house, and public
well were inside the enclosure. This arrangement was
made in order to protect the colonists and their cattle
from the Indians. The place was known as the Fort.
The people began moving into their cabins in Au-
gust 1860. The Fort was not completed until 1863. The
Fort wall was never completed.
Speaking of some of the things that the people did
during the first year or so, Samuel Handys journal reads:
We tramped out 48 bushels of wheat on August 2nd,
William Woodward and James Sanders took it to Farm-
ington and got it ground into flour. It was then brought
back to Franklin and divided among the people of the
camps. We were a happy and united people.
Another extract from Samuel Handys journal reads,
In 1861 we had gardens on the west side of the fort
which were a great benefit it to us, potatoes, cabbage,
lettuce, onions, cucumbers, peas, melons, squash and
other things were raised, which made our meals more
agreeable. We raised good crops that year but did not
thresh the grain in the fall of the year. The winter of
186162 was very wet; our cellars on the south string
of the fort were full of water and our houses were wet
nearly every day for a long time. The grain in the stack
became wet and it wasnt threshed until March. Many
of the people had to eat musty bread until the next
season.
In the spring of 1864, the pioneers moved onto their
city lots. Lots were surveyed off, one and one-fourth
acres each, with eight lots on a block, having streets six
rods wide. Each block contained ten acres.
Every man in the Fort had a cane lot East of town,
on which he raised sugar cane. Thomas Lowe, Sr., had
a sorghum mill out on the river by James Howarths
farm.
Later broom corn was also grown east of town and
it was made into brooms.
The hay lands which lay south and west of town, near
the cemetery, were known as New Fields.
Jessie W. Fox from Salt Lake City was called to sur-
vey the land known as South Fields, and each family
was given ten acres. This ten acres was all the land each
family was given the first year.
The Minute Men of Little Mountain
All of the older young men and young married men
were responsible for the guarding of the settlers and
their property. They were known as Minute Men. Each
man took his turn standing guard on Little Mountain,
west of Franklin, spoken of as Mt. Lookout. It was his
responsibility to warn the settlers of the approach of
any hostile Indians. The watchers knapsack was never
permitted to become empty and his gun was kept in
perfect order to be used if necessary. These Minute Men
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63
were called to Bear Lake a few times to stand guard
at night when the people there had trouble with the
Indians.
Some of the men belonged to the Militia. They went
to Logan once each month and received their training
at the headquarters stationed on Logan Bench.
The winter of 1873-74, before the railroad came
in, was very cold, snow was on the ground six months.
Nearly every one in the town was out of hay; oat straw
sold for five dollars a ton, wheat straw at one dollar a
load, and hay sold for one dollar per hundred pounds.
In 1878 Franklin was organized into a city with the fol-
lowing officers: Mayor, Joshua Hawkes; Councilmen,
L. C. Meacham, Wm. Woodward, Wm. Whitehead and
Robert Lowe; A. P. Shumway, Marshal and Thomas Dur-
rant, Clerk.
The first summer that the settlers came to Franklin
was a very dry season so they started making ditches
in order to irrigate their land to enable them to raise
crops.
Wm. Nelson and James Packer surveyed the first
irrigation ditch built in Idaho. This first ditch brought
water from Spring Creek into the Fort. They next worked
a ditch from High Creek down to the South Field; an-
other ditch was made from Oxkiller and South Canyon.
This was northeast of the South Field and was called
the Sanderson Ditch, because James Sanderson was
the contractor. Still another ditch was made called the
Upper Ditch, which came from High Creek. All the
people owning land under the ditch were required to
work on it. This ditch was finished about the middle of
July, 1860.
The next ditch they started was called the City
Ditch. It was started by G. L. Wrights home. Since then
it has been enlarged until it furnishes water for the City
of Franklin. Through the winter of 1861-62, they worked
on a water ditch called the Thomas Ditch. it was on the
north and west side of Cub River. They had a hard time
to get the water to go where they wanted it to because
the ditch was so level and they had a hill to go through
just before they got the water out on the flat. Water
was not in this ditch until about 1873. This afterwards
became the Lewiston Canal.
Plows and shovels were their only tools, therefore,
it meant rather slow progress. 1864, a water ditch was
surveyed from Cub River to Franklin. Water was very
LITTLE MOUNTAIN, viewed from the northwest side of the
mountain in nearby Whitney. In 1871, the US Geological
Survey stopped to camp near the trees in the center of
the photo. View from the hill of the Glen Tanner farm.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

64
scarce the year before. When this ditch was completed
it was about four feet wide on the bottom and brought
water to town, with the help of this water the next year
they had good crops.
There were no fences in South Fields nor any other
place for a number of years. This made it necessary to
herd the cattle and horses. Mr. White looked after the
cattle herd first R. M. Hull had the contract for the care
of the horses and hired Indian Jim to help. Extracts
from Wm. Nelsons journal, say that he raised thirty-
three bushels of potatoes the first year the settlers
came to Franklin, (1860). That was all the potatoes that
were raised that first year. A few onions were raised by
someone else.
Government surveyors came through Franklin in
1873 and made the first survey of these lands. Wm. E.
Corbridge was one of the surveyors.
Trips to Salt Lake City
In most cases where families were called by the
Church to settle new sections, other members of the
family were given employment on the Salt Lake Temple.
With this money, those in the city would maintain the
others who were out trying to wrest a home and living
for the family from the wilderness. It was because of
this condition that many of the pioneers of 1860 were
obliged to go to Salt Lake City for their food stuffs, a
distance of 110 miles.
Pioneers who went through this first season say
that some of the men made as high as four trips dur-
ing the spring and summer of 1860. They walked every
step of the way there and back. On their return each
man carried a fifty pound sack or more of flour on his
backthis was necessary to keep the wolf from the
door. Men and women would also walk to Salt Lake
City to attend the Spring and Fall Conferences.
Often the whole family at home would have to live
for days and weeks on nothing but boiled wheat and
sego roots, while waiting for the men to return with
supplies.
Wages during those early years were very low. Fre-
quently girls went into the homes and did most of the
housework for less than a dollar a week. One girl worked
fourteen weeks to pay for a linsey dress.
TICKET TO THE DEDICATION OF THE SALT LAKE TEMPLE
The templeone of the most remarkable construction
projects in 19th Century Americawas completed in 1893,
thirty-three years after the settlers came to Franklin. Ticket
displayed at the Franklin Relic Hall
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65
These sturdy pioneers believed in education. Even
before they could build a school house, Hannah Comish
taught school in her home.
Her home was located on the east side of the Fort
where she had about twenty children under her direc-
tion for three months. This was the first white school
taught in the State of Idaho.
The frst school house
The Late in the fall of 1860, under the direction
of Bishop Preston Thomas, logs were cut and hauled
from Deep Creek Canyon, for the purpose of building a
school house, by the late spring of 1861 the house was
completed. It was a large room, with a large fire place
in the east end. The fireplace was made of soft white
sandstone and was the only means of heat which was
provided for the building which had a dirt roof and
floor. The building faced the west with a door in the end,
and one window on each side, and a small window close
by the door. The door was made from logs, split with a
broad axe. The window and frames were made with a
hand saw and pocket knives. The little 8x10 inches of
glass were brought from Salt Lake City. The benches
were made of slabs, (flat side up) with legs of maple
and birch. This school house served as a school house,
meeting house and an amusement hall. Each Saturday
the straw was removed from tie floor, (straw was placed
on the floor as a protection from the cold, damp earth)
so that everything would be fresh and clean for Sunday.
Whenever it rained the children were excused until the
storm was over-the roof was not waterproof.
When the school opened in the fall of 1861 G. Alvin
Davy was the teacher. He had about seventy (70) pupils
in attendance, and some of their slates and pencils came
from the slate rock which was found on the mountains
east of Franklin. In this first school there was just one
reader for each class and one speller in the school; the
Almanac was also used. The pupils would take turns
reading, as they stood in straight lines or rows before the
teacher. In spelling, the teacher would pronounce the
words, the children would write it on their slates, then
study the words. They were also given verbal arithmetic
in the same manner.
SCHOOL SLATE
Displayed at the Franklin Relic Hall
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66
The National 5th Reader by P. and W. Series No. 6
was used in the Franklin school in 1878. The Appletons
Standard High Geography, Utah edition and published
by D. Appleton and Company in 1882 was also used
later.
The tuition was paid to the teacher with any kind
of produce or cloth, molasses or meat.
In 186364, William Woodward taught school for
$40.00 a mouth, collecting his pay from each pupil.
Thomas Smart, William Woodward and S. R. Parkinson
were the school trustees in 1865.
Some of the other early school teachers were: Wil-
liam T. Wright, Henry Howell, William Howell, L. C. Me-
cham, (also Justice of the Peace,) William Davis, James
Hobbs, Robert Stalker, William Fancher (also hotel keep-
er), Miss Fancher and Joseph S. Geddes, (now Judge of
the Probate Court in Preston), L. A. Mecham, (City Judge
of Preston), George C. Parkinson and many others.
Stone schoolhouse completed in 1867
The log school house was enlarged and a stage put
in about 1863. The rock school house was started in
1865 and completed in 1867. It was a good sandstone
structure, twenty-five by forty feet with a good split
shingle roof and accommodated the town for a long
time as a school until a four-room brick structure took
its place in 1898. The lumber that was used in these ear-
lier buildings was hauled from Bear Lake with ox teams
over a round-about road some fifty miles in length.
The latest school, an eight-room structure, was built
in 1916. At this time the district decided to centralize
and have a large graded school. Cherryville and Nash-
ville schools were discontinued and the children from
that section were brought in horse-vans, (1917) to the
Central School at Franklin. Regular school auto-buses
started in 1928 to convey the students to a high school
as well as the elementary school.
A community church school was taught by Charles
England, now of Logan, Utah, with Miss Lucy Parkinson
as assistant in 1887. In 1879 there were three schools in
Franklin, one in the school house, one in the vestry of
FRANKLINS FIRST TWINS, JOSEPH & HYRUM FREW
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67
the L. D. S. Church and a Presbyterian school taught in
William T. Wrights home.
Note: The Oneida Academy started in Franklin with
Mr. Cornwall as the teacher in 1888.
In 1880 the Presbyterians built a frame structure
north of Wm. Cottles. This was used for church and
school purposes. The Reverend Calvin Parks of Logan
came at intervals to deliver the sermons. Later Reverend
Renshaw. Miss Hodge taught about three weeks, then
Miss Maggie Shirley, daughter of Reverend Parks taught
for awhile. Some of the teachers were Mr. Martin, Miss
Noble, Miss Simons, Mrs. Tillie Stalker, Miss Clark and
Miss Elliot. This school and church was discontinued
about 1908.
Early Marriages, Births and Deaths
Among the first marriages were Mary Hull and Peter
Lowe, Jason Howell and Jane Thomas, Matliada Patton
and Joseph Nelson. They were all married by Bishop
Preston Thomas.
John Reed was the first boy born in Franklin, in
June 1860. Thomas Slater, July 2nd, and the twins of
John Frew, Joseph and Hyrum, the 10th of July. Ellen
Wright was the first girl born, October 6th, 1860. These
children were born in wagon boxes.
John Reed was the first man buried in Franklin, July
24th, 1860. His death was a most tragic one, to satisfy
Indian revenge. It seems that some white man had
killed or offended an Indian and in order to get revenge
a band of Indians dashed down from the hills east of
Smithfield and killed this young man, an innocent trav-
eler who had just stopped along the highway, near the
creek which runs through Smithfield. He had stopped,
in company with others, to repair a wagon reach, and
among whom was James Cowan, who received a seri-
ous wound.
Samuel Sanderson died three months later.
Church Organizations
Brigham Young and Company came to Franklin,
June 10, 1860, and appointed Preston Thomas as Bishop
of Franklin. He served until the spring of 1863, then
Lorenzo H. Hatch was appointed to take his place with
T. W. Wright as Clerk.
From 1875 to 1877, Thomas Lowe, Sr., who was Presi-
dent of the Teachers quorums served as acting Bishop
while L. H. Hatch was in Arizona.
June 11, 1877, Lorenzo Lafayette Hatch was appoint-
ed Bishop with Samuel R. Parkinson and Thomas Dur-
rant as counselors. They served the people faithfully
thirty years and on July 7, 1907, Samuel C. Parkinson
was sustained as Bishop with Isaac H. Nash and Hyrum
Hatch as counselors. Isaac Nash moved away and John
Lowe was appointed counselor. Hyrum Hatch died in
the summer, and on December 1, 1912, Cecil Woodward
was appointed counselor. Jane Woodward was the first
lady missionary from Franklin, Oneida Stake. She filled
a mission in England in 1901.
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68
Relief Society Organization
SERVICE
We cannot all be heroes
And thrill a hemisphere
With some great, daring venture.
Some deed that mocks at fear;
But we can fill a life time
With kindly acts and true:
Theres always noble service
For noble souls to do.(C. A. Mason).
The Franklin Female Relief Society was first orga-
nized April 22, 1868, with Sarah Bothwick as President;
Ann Smart and Ortensia Stalker, Counselors; Martha D.
Howland, Secretary; AidesElvira Nash and Mary Head.
A little later during this same year the Society was com-
pletely organized after the pattern of the General Relief
Society in Salt Lake City. Out of this humble beginning,
there has grown a membership in the county of over
eleven hundred women.
Extracts taken from early Relief Society record
books, show: In 1868 they donated liberally for pay-
ment for lime and also for material for quilts and for the
seating of the vestry. July 16, they quilted five quilts.
In their meetings they usually bore their testimonies,
pieced and quilted quilts, knit socks and spun yarn.
Their donations consisted mostly of butter and
eggs. On February 24, 1869, $78.00 was collected from
selling quilts, socks, etc. This was used to buy a carpet
for the vestry circle room.
May 9, 1868, a special Relief Society meeting was
held. Eliza R. Snow from Salt Lake City gave a most
inspirational talk. She urged more sisters to learn to
braid and make their own hats. It was also suggested
by Mrs. Snow that the settlers cultivate the mulberry
tree and start up a silk industry. Following her sug-
gestion, hundreds of mulberry trees were planted. At
a recent meeting In Preston, an authority on silk work
culture made the statement that if the women of the
community had continued to follow the advice of Eliza
R. Snow, there would have been a thriving silk industry
in Franklin County today.
In 1868 they bought shares in the co-operative store
in the name of the Relief Society; the sisters donated fifty
cents each. In 1872 this Society belonged to Cache Stake.
In June 1872 a fund called the Perpetual Emmigration
fund started. Some members of the bishopric usually
attended the Relief Society meetings.
In 1874 July 17, Elizabeth Fox was appointed as Presi-
dent, with H. Fuller and Sylvia Hatch, counselors. They
donated means to help build the Logan Temple and
paid for a stove, also a pump. Annie Hatch, Jane R. Biggs
and Susan Goaslind were aides with Hester Elvira Nash
acting as secretary.
In 18756 donations were given freely to support
the poor and build the Relief Society meeting house.
In 1877 they started to save grain. This was the be-
ginning of a very important enterprise on the part of
these Relief Society women. The saving of the grain
which gradually amounted to hundreds and thousands
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69
of bushels made it possible for the women of this orga-
nization to help look after child and welfare work at all
times and to render invaluable assistance to the nation
during the World War.
Some of this grain was gleaned from the fields by
our mothers and grandmothers and little did they real-
ize the extent of the good that would be accomplished.
The interest alone coming into this county amounts to
over twelve hundred dollars each year making it pos-
sible to provide medical aid for those who couldnt
have it otherwise.
The following is an account of a special jubilee
meeting. The program indicates that on March 17, 1892,
a Relief Society Jubilee was held. President Sophia
Merrick Mecham presided. Prayer by Joshua Hawkes.
Remarks by Bishop L. L. Hatch. Stake President Elizabeth
Fox gave a general report of the society. A poem was
read by I. B. Nash written for the occasion by Elvira Nash.
Talk by George C. Parkinson. Mary Hawkes made re-
marks. Recitations by Eliza D. Lowe and Mary A. Hensen.
Remarks by William Webster, Hannah Jolly, Sarah Both-
wick and Andrew Shumway. Singing by Hannah Handy,
age 70. Singing by James Hurd and Thomas Durrant.
Song by Smith Gumersoll and wife. Song by I. B. Nash,
The Kingdom of God or Nothing for Me. Recitation
by James Hurd. Remarks by Polly Packer, Robert Lowe,
John Jolly and Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Hawkes. Dinner was
served to all present. Eleven speakers, four songs and
three recitations.
Sunday School The first Sunday school was held
in the log school house about 1862 with Samuel Huff,
Superintendent, William Wright, Assistant, William White-
head, Secretary, William Rogers and Samuel Handy, Sr.,
teachers. I. B. Nash was the superintendent from 1865
to 1885.
The Young Ladies Association Was first
organized October 30, 1877, with Mary Ann Hawkes,
President; Clara Hatch and Sarah Ann Smart, Counselors.
Zina D. Young, from Salt Lake City was present.
On October 27, 1880 Lucy Doney was appointed
president, with Ruth Hatch and Nellie Parkinson, Coun-
selors.
The Primary Association Was organized in
1878 with Elvira Nash, President. Later Alice Fordham
and Agnes Durrant served as Presidents.
The Young Mens M.I.A. The Young Mens Mu-
tual Improvement Association was organized in 1876
with Thomas Durrant, President, William Parkinson Coun-
selor and L. A. Mecham, Secretary. William Parkinson
was the second president with Elliot Butterworth acting
as counselor.
Music
The first to furnish music were Isaac Vail and Dabner Keel,
who played the violins; Wm. Hill of Richmond played the
accordion and John Corbridge did the calling.
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70
The first Fife and Drum band was led by W. E. Cor-
bridge and Thomas Johnson.
John Albiston led the second Fife and Drum Band.
Some of the players were J. B. Scarborough, T. G. Lowe,
George Wright, Joseph Wright and Wm. E. Corbridge
The first orchestra we have any record of was made
up of William Nelson, Wm. Davis and George Marshall
(concertina.)
First Brass Band: Wm. Chatterton, cornet; James
Handy, cornet; Edward Gamble, cornet; Wm. Edward
Corbridge, bass drum; George Wright, snare drum and
Charles Peterson, bass horn.
Later another orchestra was lead by Dan Thomas
who played the violin; Seth Thomas, violin; Tom Kel-
ley, cornet and G. L. Wright, violin. Another orchestra
was composed of G. L. Wright, leader who played the
violin; George Handy, cornet; Sam Handy, clarinet; S. B.
Wright slide trombone; H. B. Hawkes, piano and Abe
Whitehead, caller. This orchestra played together for
eighteen years.
The Fife and Drum Band was composed of the fol-
lowing members. George T. Marshall, leader, Seth Thom-
as, Mr. T. C. D, Howell, Robert Gregory, George Wright
and James Handy.
Tom Kelleys Brass Band was composed of the fol-
lowing: Tom Kelley, leader, Laud Wright, Joe Stalker,
Andrew Flack, H. B. Hawkes, W. L. Wickham, John Jolly,
James Handy, Will Lowe, Ivan Woodward, Fred Hawkes
and Theopholous Frances. Frances acted as leader after
Kelleys retirement.
Some of the Choir Leaders were: John Frew, W. N.
Rogers, Wm. Whitehead, Isaac Nash (1861-1892) Edmund
Buckley (1892-1898) and James Hurd.
Some of the early Music Teachers were: Edmund
Buckley, violin; Ruth Hatch, organ; Ada Parkinson, organ
and Mary Smith, organ.
Industries
The saw mill business of Idaho had its beginning
at Franklin in the year 1861 by Joshua Messervy in the
TOM KELLEYS BRASS BAND, circa 1895
At the time of this photo, Tom Kelly had retired, passing
the band leadership to Theopholous Frances, second from
the right on the front row.

Identify the members of the band by HOLDING
your mouse cursor over each person.
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71
form of a pit saw, which was a sawmill constructed by
digging a hole, or pit in the ground deep enough for a
man to stand in. The logs or timbers that were to be cut
into lumber, were then rolled over the pit with one man
under the logs and another man on top, who used a
large saw with handles on each end. The log was slowly
ripped into lumber. Mr. Messervy manufactured the
furniture, wash-tubs, wash-boards, buckets and barrels
that were used in Franklin and surrounding settlements.
Martin Lundgren also did cabinet work.
In 1863 Samuel R. Parkinson and Thomas Smart
built a more modern mill near the brush on the river
bottom, west of the farm of the late S. C. Parkinson. It
was run by water power and was an up and down saw
which was run until 1867. Wheelers mill was built up
Muddy River where most of the ties and timbers were
cut for the railroad and bridges.
JOHN BIGGS MILL About the year 1871
Brigham Young bought the machinery in the East for
a steam sawmill and had it shipped by boat up the
Missouri river to Fort Benton, Montana. Flavious Green,
with two others, brought it overland to Franklin and
set it up in Maple Creek Canyon. Quite a large amount
of lumber was sawed at that time for various purposes.
In 1872 there was a boom on at Soda Springs; a large
hotel was built there as many invalids came to be cured
with the wonderful water; so the mill was moved to
Soda Springs. However, It was brought back and again
put up in Maple Creek canyon. John Biggs and Elijah
Steers ran it for years. This mill sawed three hundred
thousand feet of lumber for the big building of the Z.
C. M. I. in Salt Lake City, also for the Rolling Mills on the
Union Pacific Railroad at Laramie, Wyoming, and a large
STEAM ENGINE that powered a steam sawmill in the Maple
Creek Canyon south of Franklin. Displayed at the Franklin
Relic Hall
LATH made in the Thomas Lowe Shingle and Lath Mill, lo-
cated east of Franklin. Displayed at the Franklin Relic Hall
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72
amount of lumber was sawed and shipped north and
south on the railroad.
In 1876, Thomas Durrant worked for them and
helped get out the ties for the railroad when it was
extended north. It was finally taken to the Franklin Ba-
sin where it was run until about 1900. It is now located
there, standing as a relic of bygone days.
SHINGLE MILL About 1870 Thomas Lowe, Sr.,
bought a shingle and lath mill for $1,000 and located it
two miles east of Franklin, below where the Woolen Mill
was afterwards located. It was run by water power. The
dirt roofs all over the valley were replaced by shingles
from this mill. In 1874 shingles cost $4.50 a thousand.
GIBSON MILL About this time Amos Hawkes
and others put in a water power saw mill at the inter-
section of Maple Creek which sawed a great deal of
lumber from Crooked canyon. It was afterwards known
as the Gibson Mill.
MONSON LUMBER MILL Monson Brothers
brought a mill from Richmond and placed it down by
the river and railroad bridge; but soon moved it to the
flat, south of the present depot west of the railroad. It
was operated there for a number of years.
Clothing
In the early days, clothing and blankets, stockings
and other domestics were made by the women in their
homes by using hand cards; rolls were made, then
spun in a spinning wheel. Yarn was made and woven
into cloth on hand looms. Wool bats w ere also carded
for quilts and carpets were woven from rags on hand
looms.
Little does the woman of today, with all her silk
lingerie and selected wardrobe realize that many of the
pioneers of the early Sixties, in Cache Valley, grew their
own flax and made their own garments.
Some, according to old timers, grew flax for linen.
The flax was cut with a scythe while it was in full bloom.
After being tied in bundles, it was submerged in water
for a period of three weeks or more. The flax was then
taken from the vats and beaten with flails until the
coarse fiber was separated from the fine. At this stage
the fine fiber was spun into skeins and hanks on the old
HANDMADE CLOTH
Other examples of cloth made by Ann Doney that are dis-
played at the Franklin Relic Hall include a sample from the
lining of a coat; a sample of a quilted petticoat and a set
of four plaid swatches.
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73
time spinning wheel. To Thomas Hull and Peter Lowe,
master weavers, from Scotland, who were engaged
in that business in the old country before coming to
America, is accredited the honor of having built the
first loom in Franklin. To this loom came much of the
finished product of the spinning wheel which was to
be woven into yards of material. From this linen, many
choice towels were made, table cloths, the mens best
shirts as well as many other articles. Pioneers say that
this material was of such good quality that water could
be carried in it without its leaking out. Martha Vail and
Mrs. Kingsford were very fine weavers, they each owned
a loom and helped to supply the cloth and carpets for
the public.
It might be interesting right here to give some of
the information which the earlier pioneers have given
us concerning the malting of dresses and dying cloth
with dyes made from raw materials.
The wool was cut from the sheeps back, spun into
fine threads and these fine threads were made into
skeins. After these skeins were thoroughly washed, the
wool was dyed many beautiful colors.
The following dye recipes were taken from a grand-
mas scrap book:
Blue dye was made from Indigo blue in the
rough.
Red dye was made from madder (pioneers grew
this in their gardens). Enough madder root and top to
give the desired shade was boiled.
Green was made by boiling the flower of the yel-
low dock, found in abundance nearby. Indigo blue was
added to form the desired shade.
These materials, after their being dyed, were woven
into the desired patterns upon the loom of the village
weavers. The warp as well as the materials were made
from the wool of the family flock.
Pioneers say that these patterns made up very beau-
tifully into chic dresses with their various colors and
plaids.
Most of the photographs of the girls of those earlier
days (that is, after the time of extreme hardships) give
us the impression that they were well dressed and as
proud and happy as any girl of our modern day. They
also braided and made their hats from the wheat or
oat straw.
The following copy of a little song, given at a pioneer
party in Franklin a few years ago, gives us a very charm-
ing picture of a dear lady and how she dressed. (This
probably refers to a time after the settlers had been in
Franklin for a few years). The words were composed for
the occasion by Miss Maggie Hill, to the tune of Ben
Bolt. The words are as follows:
OH! DON T YOU REMEMBER
Oh! dont you remember that queer little hat,
That your grandma wore long, long ago?
How it sat on the top of her dear little head
While the ringlets danced quaintly below,
Her dress, full and ruffled, reached
clear to the floor,
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And her shoes had such long pointed toes,
With an air of such modest repose.
Oh! dont you remember the way that she danced,
How her feathery step held such grace
And when some bold youth whispered
flattering words,
How the blushes would creep oer her face,
And her little white hands in their
black silken mitts,
In her lap would be folded so tight.
No wonder your grandpa fell madly in love,
When he saw such a feminine sight.
Oh! dont you remember the service she gave,
And the hardships she patiently bore,
That you and I in these valleys might dwell,
With a chance to advance evermore.
Now, alas, she is old and the hardships of youth
Have made her unsteady and frail,
Let us give to the future as nobly as she,
And God helping, we never will fail.
It seems that in every age when colonists begin to
establish themselves, there is always some one who
comes forth with some industry which especially meets
the needs of the people in one way or another. The
North Star Woolen Mill was a good illustration of this.
Edmund Buckley came to Franklin in 1878 and with
six others, formed a company and obtained a roll mill.
Business was begun northeast of town. He conducted
this for three years and in 1881 the plant was sold to the
Franklin Co-operative Company. At that time S. R. Parkin-
son was President of the Co-operative Co., and Edmund
Buckley was Superintendent of the new company. These
two made a trip to St. Louis to procure machinery for a
woolen mill. They purchased a duster, a picker and two
spinning jacks.
The building which Edmund Buckley and company
had for a roll mill was made of logs. It was enlarged and
the machinery was installed. In 1881 they began operat-
ing. They manufactured flannels, jean, linsey and wool
blankets, also yarns. They employed about fifty men and
women when the mill was operated at its full capacity.
In 1897, Mr. Buckley bought out the other partners and
NORTH STAR WOOLEN MILL
Soap to wash the wool was made at the mill. If colors were
desired for the woolen goods they were dyed at the mill
as well.
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75
conducted the business successfully alone. About 1908,
he sold it to his son John, who afterwards, moved to
Logan, Utah.
Soap Making
Lye in the Sixties at Franklin was a rare article, but
soap was as necessary as lye was scarce, so a substitute
was found for it in the ash of the maple from Maple
Creek canyon. Soap was made from the burned maple
wood ashes and the ordinary fat from the hog or sheep.
The ashes were carefully kept in a dry leach. A leach was
made by digging the inside out of a large log; the log
was placed on four legs, the two front ones were shorter
than those in the rear. This was kept well under cover.
A layer of straw was first put into the leach, then the
ashes. This was covered and kept dry until soap making
time in the spring. When the time came to make use of
this material, water was added and the mixture was al-
lowed to stand for a short time, after which the liquid
was drained off. This strong ash water and fat made a
most excellent soft soap.
White-washing
The people did not have regular white-wash brushes
but used pieces of wool. This manner of white-wash-
ing left the workers hands and arms in a bad condi-
tion which lasted over several weeks. Clay was brought
from Soda Springs and the salt came from Willow Creek,
Utah.
The First Flour Mill
The first flour mill built in the state of Idaho was
begun in the year of 1863 at Franklin by James Howarth
and John Goaslind, who later were joined by L. H. Hatch
and Alexander Stalker, Sr.
All the machinery for grinding the flour was made
of wood, with the exception of the turbine wheel which
came from the east, and the grinding stone which was
Utah granite. A ditch cut from Cub river conveyed the
water which was used as power to run the mill. James
Howarth was the miller; the three other men were stock-
holders. Mr. Howarth ground 44 pounds of flour, 14
pounds of bran and 2 pounds of shorts from every bush-
el of wheat. The wheat coming to the mill sometimes
was worth $5.00 per bushel. Each man got the flour
MILL STONE USED FOR GRINDING FLOUR
Displayed in front of the Franklin Co-op Relic Hall
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76
from his own wheat. The flour was always put into two
bushel, seamless sacks. Mr. Howarth could instinctively
tell by smell as well as by the sound of the machinery
if the mill was grinding right. Mr. David Jensen and a
Mr. Toolson sometimes assisted Mr. Howarth when the
mill was running full capacity. Indians came and traded
buckskins, elk hides and buffalo robes for their flour.
T. H. Howarth, as a boy, has seen around the mill
many times, as high as fourteen yoke of oxen hitched
to four wagons; the wagons were being loaded with
flour to be freighted to Montana.
Many people from Bear Lake Valley brought their
wheat to the mill and would stay until the wheat was
ground into flour.
The mill was run successfully for eighteen years and
then Goaslind (having died, the other three could not
come to an agreement, so it was discontinued.
Mr. James Mack of Smithfield started the second
mill in Franklin, March 1888, and had it completed and
running in November of the same year. The first story
of the building was made of cobble rocks taken from
Rocky Bench. The rock in the main part of the build-
ing came from the Little Mt. or Mt. Lookout. Mr. Hill
and two sons Joseph and William from Smithfield and
John Nuffer from Preston were the masons. Mr. Joseph
Chatterton did most all of the carpenter work ready
for the machinery. Nearly all of the timber used in the
mill came from Gibsons saw mill in Deep Canyon. Mr.
Barnes from Logan was the first miller and worked in
the mill until 1892.
Before these mills were established, the people had
to go to High Creek and Muddy Mill for their flour.
Butter, Cheese and Condensed Milk Factory
Until about 1898, the farmers good wives made
their own butter and many of them made cheese. About
that time the Oneida Mercantile Union organized the
Union Creamery and built their plant a short distance
West of the present Oregon Short Line Station: William
Kirkup who had been with the O. M. Union for some
time as butcher and other positions was made manager
of the creamery. They operated this plant for a number
of years then sold it to the Utah Condensed Milk Com-
pany who continued to make butter and cheese at the
old location. Sometime later the Utah Condensed Milk
Company moved their buildings up to the site that later
was made into a condensed milk factory. During the year
of 1910, the Booster Ticket was elected with James J.
Robinson as chairman. Mr. Robinson, assisted by other
THE SEGO MILK CONDENSARY AND CHEESE FACTORY
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

77
members of the city board launched a move to have a
condensed milk factory built at Franklin. At that time
Sol. Hendricks was president of the Utah Condensed
Milk Company. Mr. Hendricks gave the board to under-
stand that if they could get the people to support the
move by guaranteeing a certain number of cows, they
would build at this point. After a great deal of hard work,
this was done. In the fall and winter of that year, the
Utah Condensed Milk Factory plant was completed and
began operations the following spring with about 25
employees and about 15 milk wagons. Victor Johnson
was manager until 1919. Ernest Johnson took Victors
place as manager. In 1922, the Franklin plant was closed
and all the machinery etc. was moved to Richmond,
Utah.
William Woodward has the distinction of introducing
Holstein cattle into the State of Idaho. Wm. B. Preston
of Logan sent to Holland for a carload of purebred Hol-
stein cattle in 1888. Wm. Woodward had him send and
get two for him. J. J. Flack imported the first pure bred
Jerseys in 1889.
February 6, 1874 trains
of the Utah Northern Rail-
road started to operate be-
tween Logan and Ogden.
February 19, 1874, Mr.
Hatch appointed William
Woodward superinten-
dent to take charge of all
the work of getting out
ties and other material for
the railroad. From then un-
til the latter part of April,
nearly all the men in town
and vicinity were very
busy handling this work.
May 1, 1874, the railroad
cars were in sight of Frank-
lin. May 4, 1874, Brigham
Young, Erastus Snow of
the Twelve and others left
Logan to come to Franklin
on the first train, however,
ENGINE TERMINAL CREW, THE UTAH & NORTHERN RAIL-
ROAD, circa 1883. The U. & N. operated a narrow guage
train in Cache Valley and had engine terminals at Logan
and Battle Creek.
RAILROAD ITEMS
Above the railroad tie: a pair
of oil cans. The pear-shaped
plate resting against the tie
is one of the first fish plates
used on the Uni on Pacif i c
railroad, 1874. To the right of
the fish plate: A pair of rail-
road bridge spikes. Displayed
in the Franklin Relic Hall
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

78
their train got off the track and they were compelled
to return to Logan and the first train to really come to
Franklin was a freight train, which arrived the morning
of May 4th. As Franklin was the end of the line, it was
necessary to build a wye for turning the engines. This
wye and the freight station were down near where
the Franklin County Beet dump now stands. After the
line was completed to Franklin, all freight for Northern
Idaho and Montana was freighted with teams from here.
Many large warehouses, dwelling houses and stores
were erected near the station. During the year 1890,
the freight station was moved to its present site and
the narrow gauge was changed to the present standard.
(*Wm. Woodwards Journal)
The first section men were: Elliot Butterworth,
George Wright, Alfred Hensen and Edward Clayton.
The railroad was extended north about 1876.
Some of the warehouses and stores near the station
were: A bog red warehouse of Kennedys.
Freight Forwarding Company.
Kinneys Hotel for board and room.
Wells Fargo and Company, ExpressTim Hender-
son was their agent.
Uncle Jeffs grocery store and saloon.
George. A. Lowe had a wagon and freighters sup-
ply house. William Woodward sold Shettler wagons for
them; also a wagon repairing and livery stable owned
by a Mr. Nelson of Logan.
The first black-smith shop was owned and op-
erated by Shem Purnell and Alfred Alder; Isaac Nash
worked for them. Kon Orum, a prize fighter, owned a
blacksmith shop just east of Kennedys warehouse.
Wagon road
The first permanent wagon road entered the South
West corner of the Fort, crossed diagonally and passed
out at the Northwest corner. From there the road went
on down the hill by the old Broadbent home. It then
ran north and a little west across the Muddy River; from
there it made a direct line to the point of Little Moun-
tain.
The Telegraph
In December 1868, The Deseret Telegraph line was
extended to Franklin. It was installed in the Southeast
corner of the Co-op and Alma Hobson was the first op-
erator, L. E. Hatch was the operator in 1875 (he sent the
first complete message to the government, concerning
the Custer Massacre which took place in Montana. A
rider brought the message from
Fort Hall to Franklin, as this tele-
graph instrument was the nearest
to that locality.) It was afterwards
moved to the home of Bishop L. L.
Hatch and Annie S. Hatch was the
second operator. In 1900 it was
sold to the Western Telegraph
Company.
The Mail Service
TELEGRAPH HAND
SET Wor ds wer e
spelled out in Morse
Code clicks and sent
over wi res to the
next station.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

79
Samuel Howe had a contract from the government
to handle the mail for Cache Valley, It was brought
from Salt Lake and Ogden first, then when the railroad
come to Corinne, it was carried from there by Leonard
I. Smith. This was called the Pony Express and it was
quite irregular at first. Isaac Duffin looked after the mail
at his home. It was later brought to the Co-op store.
Then Alexander Stalker was appointed postmaster by
the government. He had the post office in his store.
Some later postmasters were: Thomas Durrant, James
Oliverson, George and A. P. Fordham, J. B. Scarborough
L. L. Hatch, Ezra Monson, Laura Nash, Vinnie Perkins and
Maggie Hill.
On May 22, 1874, the mail stage came to Franklin to
run between Franklin and Helena, Montana.
The mail was carried from Franklin to Bear Lake by
way of Cub River Canyon, in summer time where the
carriers would stay all night and go on the next day.
Some of the mail carriers were: Thomas G. Lowe, Wm.
Woodward, Edmund Buckley and Charles Fox and Wm.
Pierce.
At one time Edmund Buckley and his uncle nearly
lost their lives by freezing as they were near Soda Springs
traveling to Bear Lake while carrying the mail.
Business
While the settlers were living in the fort, Thomas
Mendenhall Sr. was a traveling merchant. He would
take the settlers products to Salt Lake and trade them
for whatever they asked him to bring back.
French Joe was also a traveling store-keeper. After
the settlers moved out of the Fort in 1865, Merrick and
Duffin put up a store where Frank Olsens house is now
located. Wm. Whitehead was a clerk in this store.
The Franklin Co-operative Mercantile Institution
was organized in 1869 with the following officers: L. H.
Hatch, president; John Doney, Sr., vice president; Wm.
Woodward, William Tweede Wright and Charles Fox,
directors. The business was carried on first in the vestry
of the meeting house. Later it was moved to the rock
building where the Relic Hall now is. S. R. Parkinson was
THE FRANKLIN POST OFFICE, 1914
Ellen Nash helps her sister, Laura Nash, the Franklin Post-
master at the time. In 1874 the mail stage came to Franklin,
connecting Salt Lake City to Helena, Montana. Some of the
early mail carriers were Thomas G. Lowe, William Wood-
ward, Edmund Buckley & Charles Fox & William Pierce.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

80
president for a short time and manager for a number
of years at one time.
In 1869, Alexander Stalker and Sons had a store in
the east room of the rock house, now owned by J. J.
Hill. Later Stalker built a store and saloon.
Enoch Broadbent had the first meat market; it was
located where P. B. Dunkley had his business.
In 1870, Smart, Chadwick and Hull had a store which
the people called the One-Eyed Co-op, but after the
Railroad came in the year 1874, a number of stores
were built. This being the terminus of the railroad many
freighters going to the mines in Montana, received their
supplies here.
Goldman and Bergman, two Jews erected the build-
ing where Cottles afterwards had a store, and operated
a wholesale liquor company. Where Robert Lowes fur-
niture store stood, there was another wholesale liquor
house.
Berryman and Laverberg started a mercantile busi-
ness in the Merrick store where Leonard Butterworth has
his business. When the railroad extended on north, most
of these sold out and followed the railroad terminus.
About 1876, W. L. Webster operated a store in a little
frame building north of the rock store first, and then
in the rock building on the west side of town. Wm. L.
Webster and Smith opened up a shoe repairing shop
in the 60s. Wm. L. Challis and P. Wm. Cottle each had
a shoe repair shop.
W. B. Parkinson, a doctor from Logan, opened up
the first drug store.
John Doney and Robert Lowe owned a store east of
Riter Bros. Drug store.
In 1874 Sill Worneth owned and operated a brewery
just under the hill by Websters. He also had his beer
shipped, bearing the trademark Sills Beer.
Samuel Swarner had a harness shop down by Web-
sters.
Smart and Company had a general merchandise
store on the east side of the street where the whole-
sale liquor company was. It was called the Farmers
Union.
The 0. M. Union consolidated with Websters, Doney
and Lowe, the Farmers Union and the Co-op and estab-
T
After the store closed it was used for a relic hall for many
years. It is now owned by the Daughters of the Pioneers.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

81
lished their place of business. The store was located
where Butterworth Co-op store is at present.
Thomas Lowe, Elliot Butterworth and J, A. Head
opened up a store about 1889. J. J. Hill afterwards
bought this business. It was located under the T. G.
Lowe dance hall.
On March 18, 1890, Riter Bros. Drug Co., and Web-
ster were succeeded by Riter Bros. Drug Co. This busi-
ness was carried on under the management of Paul Van
Orden until April 1894. Mr. Van Orden was succeeded by
J. A. Rostan. George Jordan was appointed as manager
in October 1895. S. J. Handy was manager from October,
1896 until February 1921, when the Riter Bros. Drug Co.,
discontinued their business in Franklin and moved to
Richmond, Utah. In August, 1921, S. J. Handy opened up
a business known as the Handy Pharmacy. He sold this
business to his son S. R. Handy, in August, 1928.
Some of the men who served as Justice of the Peace
and City Marshall in the early days were: Wm. T. Wright,
L. C, Mecham, Thomas Durrant, James Oliverson, James
Howarth, W. L. Webster, Wm. Woodward, Clinton Me-
cham, Joseph Pear and Andrew Shumway.
Some of those who did early doctoring and nursing
were: Mary B. Hull, Elvira Wheeler, Grandma Gilbert,
Deborah Wright and Grandma Adamson.
Recreation
As we look back over the years and compare those
early forms of recreation with modern pleasures, it
would seem that their days would be rather dull, but
it was not so. Those early pioneers, to spite of their
hardships, had many jolly pastimes. Neighbors would
help one another spin their wool into yarn. On the day
appointed for the big event, many of the young women
could be seen making their way, with spinning wheels,
to the home of the one inviting them. As soon as all the
women were assembled, there would be a race on to
see who could spin the most skeins of yarnsix skeins
were considered a good days work. The hostess would
provide a good dinner.
Dances were held in the Bowery during the first
summer and fall. When it became too cold to dance in
ROBERT G. LOWES FURNITURE STORE
Annie Laura Dunkleys father, Robert G. Lowe, began a
long, successful business career in Franklin working in his
father-in-laws store. From there he moved to the furniture
department of the Oneida Mercantile Co-op and finally
opened his own store.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

82
the open, quilts and clothes were hung up at the open-
ings in the partly finished school house. This building
as has been stated before in this history, consisted of
one room with a dirt floor and a sod roof. Water was
sprinkled over the floor to pack the earth for dancing.
Many good and enjoyable evenings were spent in this
house, both before and after it was finished.
The tickets for the dance were paid in produce by
the young men. They paid a squash, a peck of wheat,
some potatoes, meat or anything along that line which
would amount to the value of twenty-five cents. If the
young man was a little proud or shy, he would make
arrangements with Dabney Keele and Isaac Vail, the
two musicians, and John Corbridge the caller, to bring
his offering the next day.
As a general rule the boys and girls all danced in
their bare feet. Their feet were so calloused on the bot-
tom, so the pioneers tell us, that they could slide on
rough pine floors without a sliver entering their flesh.
Bread, knitted lace, butter or meat was traded to
the Indians in exchange for moccasins. Speaking of
shoes, one young lady had a pair of shoes which she
brought with her from Pennsylvania, but they were
worn only on special occasions, such as when going to
the canyons after service berries or to meetings.
If any of the girls could get some moccasins from
the Indians, they thought that they were very well
dressed along with their home-made linsey dresses
which they wore to public gatherings.
Sometimes the refreshments at these dances would
be service berries and later in the season haw candy
was served. This candy was made by mashing the ber-
ries and removing the seeds. The pulp was then put in
the sun to dry, cut into small pieces and served by the
girls who took turns serving at these parties.
One of the amusements that stands out in the mem-
ories of the early pioneers was the Seventies Parties.
Each man was allowed to take two or three ladies with
him to these parties. Tables were set and a regular meal
served, which consisted of chickens cooked in various
ways, also vegetables along with the wonderfully decor-
ated pies and cakes made by Margaret Dunkley.
Oxkiller Canyon, southeast of Franklin provided an
abundance of service berries. The girls of the community
thought it one of their happy days to be allowed to ac-
company the young men up the canyon; while the men
cut the wood the girls would gather berries. It is needless
to say that the girls had taken delicious lunches which
they shared with the men. At the close of the day, the
girls would ride or walk home with their best beaux.
One generous-hearted woman sent thirty-four
pounds of butter to Salt Lake City with Thomas Menden-
hall to pay for one pound of tea. When the tea arrived,
she invited all the old ladies in the Fort to come over
afternoons, and enjoy tea with her as long as it lasted.
A man by the name of Jake Brom, introduced the
game of card playing among the local boys. Whenever
the girls caught the boys playing cards, they would
gather dead chickens or anything else they could find
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

83
to put out the fire. They would climb upon the roof of
the house, drop these things down the chimney into
the fireplace and stop the game of cards. The boys
would race out to chase the girls which would break
up the party. There were some dramatic organizations
effected in the 60s, with John Thompson and John
Frew as leaders. A new organization was formed in
1876 with Joshua Hawkes appointed as President and
I. B. Nash, stage manager.
The old log school house and meeting house was
the scene of many unusual incidents or experiences. It
was in that log structure that a group of girls met and
decided what to do with an undesirable character who
had drifted into the Fort. It seems that he had insulted
several of the girls. They decided to run him out of town
and were successful in doing so by tying him to a post
and giving him a good strapping.
Then came the soldiers who took part in the Battle
Creek Massacre. The Franklin people, under the direc-
tion of Bishop Thomas, hauled loads of straw to the
school house. A big fire was made in the fireplace which
altogether made a warm welcome for the soldiers the
night they returned from battle.
In September 1864, when the trouble was had with
the drunken Indian, the entire community was ordered
to this meeting house. The women and children slept
there that night (or as Mr. Corbridge says, If there was
any sleeping done that night by anyone) while the
men stood guard outside. A rather amusing incident
occurred that night, too. During the night while Tom
Mayberry was guard at the door (he was very tall with
extra long legs) one of the young women dashed out
between his legs in order that she might find out about
her husband, who had been captured by the Indians.
It was in this log school house that a special fast day
service was held. The service was called as a means of
asking for Divine help to rid the community of grasshop-
pers. The fast day services lasted for most of two days.
For several years the grasshoppers had destroyed the
crops until the people were fearful of starvation. The
leading men of the Franklin area called a fast in which
the people did not eat nor drink for nearly two days;
MORMON CRICKET
Like the settlers in the early years of the Salt Lake Valley,
the pioneers in Franklin were plagued at times by swarms
of shield-backed katydids or Mormon crickets. An inch long
and brown or black in color, Mormon crickets are still a seri-
ous pest in the Great Plains of North America.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

84
while they were
in session the sec-
ond day about 12
oclock, the house
became very dark; a
boy came running in
and said the grass-
hoppers were leaving.
The people all rushed
outside and the air
seemed jammed with
grasshoppers, in fact
they obstructed the
sun for a short time.
The settl ers, ver y
much humbled re-
turned to the house
where they thanked
their Maker for hear-
ing and granting their petitions.
Some of the apparently humorous situations were
almost tragic. A pair of buckskin pants worn by James
Howarth afforded the people a great deal of amuse-
ment. When the pants were wet, they were just the right
length but they shrunk as they dried and frequently
reached just to the knees. The pants were worn every
day and Sunday tooMr. Howarth was very much
envied by the other men.
The diphtheria plaque of 1879
It seems that the settlers tried in many ways and
put up with many hardships but there was one tragic
experience that seems outstanding: The diphtheria
plague. This plague lasted over a period of three years
but seemed to reach the climax during the year of 1879
when as many as from one to five children died in some
of the homes. The members of the community seemed
to be powerless to cope with this dreadful disease.
Another sad affair among the many, was the tragic
death of William Fluitt who was frozen to death while
traveling on foot from Oxford to Franklin. Apparently, he
had become exhausted while driving his herd of sheep
over the cold, desolate, snow covered flat The sheep
were rescued, but Mr. Fluitts body remained buried in
the snow for four months before it was found.
John Boyce and Rubin Bargee were feeding cattle
the winter of 1863 In Round Valley (now Oxford, Idaho).
It became necessary for them to go to Franklin for sup-
plies Owing to the long walk and cold weather, their
bodies were found, frozen sitting upright by some rocks,
on the slope of little mountain near the ranch of Peter
G. Whitehead.
The Indians dogs frequently killed the settlers
sheep, chickens and young calves. This annoyance and
destruction reached a stage that was unbearable, so
three or four young men were called by those in charge
to get rid of the dogs. The young men armed themselves
with guns and poisoned bait was fixed in the chicken
coops. Each time the Indians came to town the men
SPINNING WHEEL
The caption notes that this spin-
ing wheel was owned by Thomas
G. Lowe and was used for spin-
ning flax. Displayed at the Co-
op building of the Franklin Relic
Hall
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

85
would get a few more dogs. It is not unlikely that the
men were careful about being caughttheir lives would
have been a forfeit if the Indians had ever guessed at
what they were up to.
The Buttermilk War
It Is interesting to read between the lines of early
history and feel the spirit of unity which existed among
the people. If there was sickness in a home, many of
the neighbors unselfishly rendered every possible as-
sistance. Every public enterprise was loyally supported
by the colonists. They fully realized that whole-hearted
cooperation and loyalty to one another was absolutely
necessary, when a call was made by those in charge in
the settlement, every man and boy would turn out; men
would have to be detailed to stay at home to protect
the women and children from the Indians. At one time
when a call was made to work on the irrigation ditches,
every man and boy who was large enough went to
work except William Garner, and a few boys who were
appointed to stay at home as guards. During the day
to the terror of all in the settlement, several Redskin
warriors, decorated in war paint and feathers came to
the settlement. Mr. Garner ordered the women to bring
all the buttermilk they had and some bread. He stood
at the entrance of the Fort and entertained the Indians
with buttermilk and bread until one of the boys could
make the ride of about four miles on horse back and
notify the men, who were working on the ditch; the
kindness of the people seemed to satisfy the Indians;
when the men arrived on the scene, the Indians were
riding peacefully away. The pioneers enjoy telling us of
this incident as a war won or prevented by buttermilk
in 1860.
While the Battle Creek massacre had but very little
effect on the northern part of the state, it was every-
thing to Southern Idaho, as it has been said, It put the
quietus, on the Indians in this section of the state.
Two more passes occurred with the Indians at Frank-
lin. The first of a revengeful, cowardly and treacherous
nature happened the first day of May, 1863. While in
the canyon for firewood, about three miles northeast
of town, near where the home of Wesley H. Gibson now
stands, Andrew Morrison and William Howell were attack-
ed by three buck Indians. Just about the time they were
getting ready to leave with their loads an Indian came
upon them and began to talk with them. After discover-
ing that Morrison and Howell were unarmed the Indian
called to his comrades, who had remained behind on
the hill. At once they gave a murderous war hoop and
came running down to the assistance of their comrade.
Morrison, being able to speak the Indian language, tried
to talk and reason with them. They said that white men
killed Indians at Battle Creek, and they were going to kill
every white man they could. Morrison offered them the
horses if they would let them go unharmed, but it was
scalps the Indians wanted, rather than horses.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

86
Attacked at the Creek
Howell wanted Morrison to run while there was but
one Indian near them, but he said: No, I will not run
from an Indian. They invited the Indians to get on their
loads and ride down to the town with them, which invi-
tation the Indians accepted. They had proceeded but
a few rods when Howells team got stuck in the creek
crossing. While the two white men were working to get
the stalled team liberated, the Indians caught them off
their guard and shot at them with arrows. Howell was
missed and Morrison received an arrow just under the
left collar bone. As he fell, he called to Howell to run
as he was shot and there was no need of both being
killed if he could get away. Morrison received another
arrow a few inches below the heart. He pulled both the
arrows out, but the spike came loose from the lower one
and remained in his body, lodged in one of the lower
ribs of his spine. Howell made good his escape and
being a very fast runner got out of reach of the arrows
before one of them took effect on him. He ran all the
way to town and gave the alarm. A posse of men were
at once sent for Morrisons body, but when they found
him he was still alive. He was brought to Franklin and S.
R. Parkinson was sent to Salt Lake City for medical aid,
making the trip of one hundred and ten miles with a
span of mules and the front wheels of a wagon in forty-
eight hours. When the doctor (Dr. Anderson) came, he
made an examination, but found that the arrow head
was so close to the heart that he dare not take it out.
The doctor said Morrison could not live. He filled the
wound with cotton, leaving a cut of about three and
one-half inches, open. Morrison recovered however, and
lived for twenty-seven years, carrying the arrow head
to his grave with him.
The Minute Men were called out and went after the
Indians, but before they overtook them, they had joined
a band of several hundred strong. The Minute Men fol-
lowed them into Gentile Valley, some forty miles north
of Franklin, but had to come back without either the
horses or Indians.
In the latter part of September, 1864, an event oc-
curred that nearly cost the lives of the inhabitants of
Franklin. About five hundred Indians that were on their
way to Bear Lake, after having a fight with a band of Indi-
ans on the Platte River, camped on Muddy River bottoms,
north of Franklin. Some of the Indians procured liquor,
became drunken and rode their horses wildly up and
down the town. One drunken Indian began breaking
the windows in the home of George Alder, who with
others had moved from the Fort by this time, north on
Muddy river. When Mrs. Alder remonstrated with him
and tried to drive him away, he picked up a large willow
stake and began whipping her and tried to trample her
under his horses feet.
The screams of Mrs. Alder and the strange actions
of the Indians attracted the attention of some men who
were threshing at Samuel Handys place, a short distance
from Alders. They ran to the rescue with their pitchforks.
Ben Chadwick, who was feeding the threshing machine
when Mrs. Alders screams were heard, came running
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

87
up with a butcher knife in his hand, (he had been using
the knife to cut the bands that bound the sheaves of
wheat). Ben gives his experience as follows:
I ran at the Indian with my butcher knife, my only
weapon, he struck my father down and continued to
race after Mrs. Alder, striking her down and trying to
trample her under his horse. As fast as the men came
up, the Indian would knock the pitchforks out of their
hands with his long club. William Handy came running
up with a pistol and all the men shouted, Shoot! shoot!
shoot him! Handy seemed to hesitate and I said, Give
me the pistol! I can shoot! I took the pistol from his
hand and shot. The Indian fell from his horse, wounded
In the neck.
I disguised myself
My father and the other men urged me to leave im-
mediately. I rode Wm. Davis horse to the home of John
Lard on High Creek. I disguised myself by shaving and
cutting my hair. (Previous to this time Ben had worn a
long beard and hair to his shoulders). I also changed
horses and came back to Franklin about 12 oclock that
might with some of the Minute Men.
When Chadwick fired the pistol, the shot was heard
by Indians who witnessed the scene from a distance.
They uttered their wild war cries, and pioneers tell of the
awful feeling that came over them at the sound of this
cry. The whole heavens seemed to echo the screeches
of the maddened red men.
Just about a quarter of a mile east of where the
Indian was shot, another scene was enacted. Robert
Hull and Howard Hunt were on their way to the Indian
camp at 5 oclock in the evening, to try to recover the
linsey skirt that had been stolen that morning from
Mary Whitehead, by two Indian women. Not knowing
what had happened, Mr. Hull and his companion were
watching Mr. Handy running with something in his arms.
They wondered why he was running. Suddenly Mr. Hull
felt someone grab him; in another moment he found
himself staring into the barrel of Chief Washakies pistol.
The Chief snapped off the trigger three times, but the
gun didnt discharge. Then he pointed the pistol away
from Mr. Hull and fired. This time the shot exploded. The
Indians who had immediately gathered and witnessed
the scene must have thought Mr. Hull a spirit, when the
PITCHFORKS
George Lee dug up the three-tined hay fork on his property
in Franklin.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

88
Chief could not shoot him. Mr. Hull was unarmed, hav-
ing left his pistol at home that noon. This was fortunate,
for the Chief would very likely have been killed, and
the people of Franklin would have been massacred as
a result.
Like being surrounded by snakes
When Washakie grabbed Mr. Hull, Howard Hunt es-
caped and gave the alarm. Mr. Hull, after being dragged
to the Indians camp, was surrounded by young bucks
who danced about him. Squaws prodded him with
butcher knives. Chief Washakie would say: White man
killed Indian and Hull would answer, No! They contin-
ued to persecute him, the squaws joining in with their
painful prodding. While Mr. Hull was surrounded by the
dancing warriors and knife-armed squaws, he recalled
a dream that he had had three nights before. This gave
him courage to endure the torture inflicted upon him.
He had dreamed that he was completely surrounded
by snakes that would dart at him from different parts
of the circle. One big snake came up and struck at him
with its fangs, three different times but didnt touch
him. None of the snakes bit him. He asked for Chief
Alma, (who could talk English). The Indian answered,
Chief Alma dead, (meaning drunk), on White Mans
fire water. Several times during the night the Indians
forced Mr. Hull to go closer to town and call for the
Bishop. He knew they wanted Bishop Thomas and he
could not make them understand that Bishop Thomas
had moved away. It was a bright moonlight night. The
Indians saw the glittering of hundreds of fire-arms in
the distance. The Minute Men were gathering and had
been since 9 oclock that night. They ceased to prod him
with the knives after this.
About 11 oclock that night, Bishop Maughan, Ezra
Benson, Bishop Hatch. A Neeley and Wm. Hull went
down to the Indian camp and conferred with the Indians.
The Indians finally agreed to let Hull go if they would
find the man who had shot the Indian.
They returned from the Indian camp about 1 oclock
that morning. After Mr. Hull had greeted his loved ones,
he asked about Ben Chadwick. Upon finding that Chad-
wick was in town, Mr. Hull found him and warned him
to leave, and said, The Indians are determined to get
you.
I do not believe my friends will give me up to them,
said Mr. Chadwick.
Here are the words of Mr. Chadwick recalling this
incident: William Whitehead, my wife and sister came
and begged me to leave again, so I ran to the home of
the Wheelers where I had left my horse, then made my
way to Slaterville.
Next morning Apostle Ezra Benson and Bishop
Maughan called a meeting at 10 oclock. The Indians,
including Chief Washakie and some of his braves were
invited. They were given places at the front in the bow-
ery where the meeting was held. While speaking to the
people, Bishop Maughan turned to Washakie and said,
What would you do if one of our men should go to
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89
your camp and start whipping and killing one of your
women?
Washakie answered, We kill him!
Bishop Maughan then said: That is all we have
done. Then he continued speaking to the people. Talk
about giving a man up that would save a womans life!
If you want to give anyone up to the Indians, give the
ones up that sold the liquor to them!
To make peace with the Indians, they were giv-
en oxen, flour, cheese and other food by the people
of Franklin. It seemed that some of the Indians of
Washakies tribe still had revenge in their hearts, as
the following incident will prove:
About two weeks after peace had been made with
them, Mr. and Mrs. Hull were visiting with one of their
relatives who lived about two blocks from the Hull
home. They were asked to stay over night. I do not
know why we accepted the invitation to stay all night,
says Mrs. Hull, but it must have been the hand of Provi-
dence that kept us from going home that night. The
next morning when we returned home, we found that
the chinking had been removed from the wall and two
shots had been fired where our heads would have lain.
One bullet lodged in the stock of the gun that lay at
the head of the bed.
Accidental death of Alexander Bothwick
One of the outstanding incidents of the year 1866,
connected with the early settlement of Cache Valley
and the pioneers of Franklin was the tragic death of
Alexander Bothwick. It came as a thunder bolt to the
tiny colony and was the result of a pure accident: Eye
witnesses recall that one day preceding, May 17, a large
company of eastern freighters, en route to Montana,
through Cache Valley, camped for the night on the out-
skirts of Richmond, Utah, a short distance from Franklin,
Idaho.
After the departure of the company, Mr. Eskelson, a
farmer near whose place the travelers had camped, no-
ticed that a large portion of his fence had been hauled
down, burned and otherwise destroyed. Fences at this
early date were rare possessions, owing to the scarcity
of suitable fence material and it was a severe blow to
this pioneer. Enraged, he at once set out for Franklin to
overtake the marauders and to exact justice at the hands
of Franklin authorities. After the necessary papers had
been made out the sheriff and his client hastened on
to serve them. The captain of the company agreed to
return after they had made camp for the night, but Mr.
Eskelson insisted that the sheriff take the man at once.
This angered the teamsters, who evidently were already
fed up on anti-Mormon propaganda, and fearing what
they called a job on them soon followed, rather look-
ing and hoping for trouble.
The settlers, seeing them parading the streets heav-
ily armed, thought they had come to take them captive,
so they, in turn, formed a posse in self protection. In
these moments of excitement the pistol of Andrew Mor-
rison accidentally dischargedhow, even he is unable
to sayhitting and mortally wounding Bothwick. In the
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90
midst of sorrowing, a grave in the Franklin cemetery
became Bothwicks final resting placea good man
and neighbor.
This, as a climax, brought the case to sudden ter-
mination and the freighters gladly paid their fine and
continued their journey northward.
Another Interesting Indian experience, but not a
tragic one, might be given a title:
In 1866 while John Corbridge and wife were on
their way to Richmond, Utah, an Indian hailed them
for a ride. They were rather slow answering his request
but finally consented to let him ride As he jumped into
the wagon, the Indian immediately began to sharpen
his long hunting knife. It is easy to imagine how Mr.
and Mrs. Corbridge felt, but they tried to appear very
much unconcerned. Once when Mrs. Corbridge looked
cautiously around, she noticed that the Indians blan-
ket had caught in the wagon wheel and was gradually
falling off. They had not gone very much farther until
she noticed that the blanket had fallen to the ground
a few yards back. The Indian had been so busy sharp-
ening the knife that he did not notice the falling of
the blanket. Mr. Corbridge drove on until the blanket
was some distance behind; he then made signs to the
Indian, which told them to wait for him while he went
back after his blanket. They waited until he was some
distance behind them, then Mr. Corbridge whipped up
the oxen, making them run for the settlement. When
the Indian saw them driving away, he ran after them
a long distance, shaking his fist and was very angry
because he had lost two good scalps.
As the years rolled on the Indians were crowded
back and were known only as having been connected
with unpleasant memories.
The settlers continued to build up the community
and expand into new territory, making possible the mod-
ern comforts and possibilities which we have today.
Franklin incorporated in 1868
Franklin was first incorporated as a city under the
laws of Utah Territory, February 19, 1868, and is de-
scribed in the act creating it as follows: Commencing
at a point eighty rods east from the northeast corner of
Lorenzo H. Hatch and Co.s grist mill, thence west four
miles, thence south four and one-half miles, thence
east four miles, thence north four and one-half miles to
the place of beginning. Franklin at that time covered
eighteen square miles or sections, or eleven thousand
five hundred and twenty acres. The village boundaries
today embrace about six hundred and fifty acres or a
little more than one square mile.
The size of the town has not yet reached the expec-
tation of its founders. It has a population of about 1000,
has two fine schools, some up-to-date business houses
and a number of very interesting old pioneer homes. A
small but active flour mill is also located there.
Mr. Elliot Butterworth started a relic hall during the
year 1910. It contains some very interesting relics of
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91
pioneer days, among them some miniature models of
the old fort and the railroad district.
Lighting
The the early days, the pioneers first depended
on the fireplace for light; then the bitch lights and
candles which served until about 1870. Kerosene oil
lamps were used in Franklin until 1905, when electric-
ity was installed.
Modes of travel
In 1860, the people had the ox team and covered
wagons, then followed horses and wagons, carts and
buggies. For many years any man was proud to have
a fine span of horses and a buggy to go driving with.
April 1, 1912, Dr. States brought the first automobile. Mr.
G. L. Wright and S. J. Handy each had an automobile
soon after. The fine Union Pacific bus came through
in 1929.
Miscellaneous
The telephone was installed in September, 1906;
the city water system was also completed that year.
The Utah Packing company is now erecting a
canning factory on the old condenser site. The can-
ning company purchased this property at a cost of
$125,000.00.
Idaho Day
The outstanding yearly event in Franklin is the Ida-
ho Day celebration in June.
The first proclamation declaring June Fifteenth as
Idaho Day in honor of the pioneers and the town of
Franklin, was issued April 26, 1910, by Governor James
H. Brady. June 14 and 15 of that same year the first
Idaho Day celebration was held. Each year since that
first celebration and proclamation the Franklin people
have been genial hosts to thousands of people and will
continue to welcome them each succeeding year.

HAIL TO THE BIRTHPLACE OF DEAR IDAHO
Dedicated to The Daughters of the Pioneers
(Composed by Z. Mae Nelson for Idaho Day,
June 13, 1924)
Come friends, and listen to the story
Oft told by aged pioneers.
How Idaho, our state of glory,
Was settled in by-gone years,
By pioneers whose hearts were true
Who loved their God and Country too,
Who came and found a home so blest
In the Gem State of the West.
In Eighteen Sixty, in the springtime
The first home-makers of the state
Lived within the fort at Franklin
While they toiled from dawn til late
To plow the soil and plant the grain
And bring the water to the pain
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92
Kind Providence their labors blest
In this garden of the West.
A log school house was soon erected
Which served as church and social hall
By willing hearts were plans perfected
To train the children all.
To climb the rugged path of truth
Find knowledge in their tender youth
That they might future patriots be,
From ignorance be free.
The Indians ever bolder grew
When winter came with ice and snow
Through green grain and cattle too
They were still the white mans foe:
In Sixty Three-O, dreadful sight
At Battle Creek-that awful fight
Old Bear Hunters tribe was lost that day
Connors men the debt did pay.
The Gem of the Mountains now is sparkling
With countless towns and cities fair.
Her farms now help to feed the nation
Of wealth she has her share
O, Let us ever revere
The memory of our pioneers,
Who served the Lord with hearts sincere
And Smiled een through their tears.
THE TR AI LBL AZER
Commentary & Corrections
Newell Hart, 1976
Page 10: As of the 1860-63 era discussed here this
area was in Washington Territory; Idaho Territory was
created on March 3, 1863.
Page 11: The oft-quoted Savage-Bevins incident near
Richmond did not necessarily prompt Col. Connor to
send troops to Bear River. It did, however, give him
added rationalization to attack and nearly annihilate
the Shoshones at their winter camp. Evidence indicates
he was planning the campaign prior to this incident.
Page 12: The drawing shows four mountain howitzers,
two on each side of the river. Accounts state that the
two howitzers brought up from Camp Douglas were
snow-bogged and never reached the battlefield.
Col. Connor sent a small detachment of foot soldiers,
with 15 baggage wagons, a week before the attack on
January 29; they traveled by day. The main force, the
cavalry, waited until four days before the attack; they
traveled by night and kept out of sight by day. Thus the
Indians never knew of the full force of the invasion un-
til it was too late. Connors policy of methodical anni-
hilation of Indians, in this as in subsequent campaigns
throughout the west, was severely criticizedthough
praised in some quarters. One military historian stated
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93
there was no moral way to justify his ruthlessness. (A
complete bibliography of this affair is under prepara-
tion and will be included in a future edition by the
Cache Valley Newsletter Publishing Co.)
Page 14: Sagwitch was shot near Brigham but did not
die from the wound; he was saved by a friend, David
Reese, and was nursed back to health.
Page 34: The Utah and Northern railroad began its
northward push in 1878-79
Page 35: Most accounts say the Deseret Telegraph line
was extended to Franklin in 1869. The Custer battle
was on June 25, 1876; the Franklin telegraph opera-
tor is usually listed as Hezekiah or H.E. Hatch (rather
than L.E. Hatch).
Page 36: The Samuel Rose Parkinson diary states that
he began running a store in Franklin in 1861. Parkinson
family histories say that when the Church suggested
it be made into a cooperative (1869) he readily con-
sented. In 1872 the stockholders put him in as super-
intendent of the store.
Pages 40-45: Most of the intense White-Indian con-
frontations occurred after January 29, 1863. The chiefs
couldnt control their younger bucks many of whom
after the slaughter on the river, wanted to kill any
whites they could find.
Page 47: Elliot Butterworths memoirs indicate that
he started the Relic Hall in 1918.
Page 49: The pioneer poem Hail to the Birthplace
of Dear Idaho by Z. Mae Nelson was at first sung to
music, according to the 1924 DUP records.
Page 65: According to the memoirs of Josh Rallison
among those who organized the Whitney coopera-
tive were James Chadwick, J.A. Head, and Robert Hull.
Rallison said it was called the Whitney Equitable Co-
operative Association and that he served as clerk; he
also managed it for a short time.
The first known contract for sugar beet raising was
drawn up in 1898 between Austin Hollingsworth
of Preston and the Ogden Sugar Co. Hollingsworth
agreed to raise two acres at $3.00 per ton, deliver
them to Ogden, and accept their decision on which
beets could be rejected. Job Pingree signed for the
company.
Page 67: Dennis Winn is listed as John Winns father;
they were brothers.
Page 69: Additional Information on Irrigation
In or about 1927 Serge C. Ballif wrote a brief history of
the Cub River and Worm Creek Canal Co. The following
has been excerpted from Ballifs work-which he took
directly from the minute books. First recorded action
in the minute books was the filing on the water April
11, 1880. First intention: to build a ditch 10 feet m the
bottom. Articles of Incorporation were filed in the
Territory of Idaho, county of Oneida, by 36 members-
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94
May 5, 1880. Names listed in the Articles were: Nahum
Porter, F.L. Wilcox, William H. Head, David Jensen, W.C.
Garrison, I.A. Canfield, and J.J. West.
At first they set up strict rules. No man could be ad-
mitted as a member of the company that had entered
land any way except by the homestead and peremp-
tory right. No man was allowed to sell his capital stock
in the company to anyone that was objected to as a
member. Many were unable to get stock in the com-
pany until contracts were let for the enlargement of
the ditch in 1884.
The original 10 foot ditch seemed too large an un-
dertaking and it was reduced to six. Solid rock was a
problem for which blasting was the only solution.
In 1883 they voted to make the ditch 10 feet wide
in the bottom; all contract work was to be done by
May 10, 1884. New stockholders gained membership
at this time. Contracts were let to stockholders and
outsiders as well. The work was divided into team
work and pick and shovel work. A contract was com-
prised of 50 feet. Each man who took a contract was
compelled to take as much pick and shovel work as
he did team work. One man found it advantageous
to use one horse and a slip scraper on his pick and
shovel contract. He was made to discontinue using
the horse and informed it was a pick and shovel job.
The pay was either in cash or irrigation stock.
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History of Franklin, Idaho Minutes of the Franklin Ward Relief Society, 1868 & 1869
95
Organization
&
Minutes
of
T HE
F R A NK L I N WA R D
R E L I E F S OC I E T Y
As found in original records
Compri si ng the y ears

1868 AND 1869
Franklin Female Relief Society was frst orga-
nized April 22, 1868. Meeting opened with prayer
by Bishop L. H. Hatch. The following named sisters were
presented for acceptance as offcers in the Franklin Ward
and unanimously sustained: President, Sarah Borthwick;
directors, Elvira Nash, Ortencia Stalker, Ann Smart and
Mary Head; secretary, Martha D. Case Hickman; treasurer,
Catherine Mendenhall. Bp. L. H. Hatch reminded the sisters
he had planted mulberry trees according to instructions,
to feed the worms to make silk that it may be possible to
manufacture articles we wear and adopt our own fashions.
The sisters had a great work to do, they were capable of get-
ting at things that men could not. Prayer by Alex Stalker.

When the Female Relief Society met. Hymn sung Hail
to The Brightness. Prayer by S. Parkinson. The sec. read
an address by Pres. Young. The bishop said he wished
the sisters to perform their duties in this Society without
fear. Said it was a society organized by Joseph Smith, the
Prophet. Said the sisters held the Priesthood in connection
with their husbands. There were many light duties they
could perform instead of the brethren while they were
engaged in more arduous tasks such as laboring in the
felds, etc. He is much pleased with the donations, sisters all
willing to pay for the pump, some objected paying for the
telegraph instrument. Remarked that when the sisters fully

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96
understand the importance of the telegraph they would
cheerfully respond to every call concerning it. Remarked
there were some sisters knew their duties and cheer-
fully performed them, while others did not realize their
duties. He does not want the sisters to wear themselves
out, but to do the best they can in every good work. He
said everyone did not come in the Church for the love of
the Lord, but other motives actuated them. He read over
the names of the subscribers for the pump, he was much
pleased with the pump. Invited the sisters to see it. Par-
ticularly requested the sisters to attend all the meetings.
He says business before pleasure. He said we were none
of us very good, wished us to feel so, but try and improve.
Bro. Smart made a few remarks, said we should be very
careful about the remarks we made about each other, etc.
The bishop asked the sisters to speak. Sister Smart said
she knew this to be the work of the Lord, wished to do
all the good she could, etc. Pres. Borthwick said she knew
this was the work of the Lord, that she would do the best
she could in her offce. She showed a block of patchwork
she had done, requested the sisters to fetch one each and
they would then sew them together and make a good
warm quilt for the poor. She spoke concerning the clean-
ing of the schoolhouse. Said if it met the bishops mind
she thought it would be a good thing for the sisters on
the several blocks as it came in turn for the teachers to
administer the Sacrament, to see to the cleaning of the
schoolhouse, which fully met the bishops approbation.
Adjourned until the 19th of May.
The names of the teachers on the several blocks, also
the sisters which are appointed to superintend the clean-
ing of the schoolhouses:
Isaac Nash - 1st block - Mary A. Hull
Robert Dowdle - 2nd " - Sister Kingsford
Thomas Low - 3rd " - Eliza Low
John Doney - 4th " - Mary Vail
George Lee - 5th " - Louisa Purnell
Charles Fox - 6th " - Elizabeth Fox
James Packer - 7th " - Mary Head
Samuel Parkinson - 8th " - Arabella Parkinson
Thomas Mendenhall 9th " - Catherine Chadwick
John Frew - 10th " - Sister Comish
Nephi Comish - 11th " - Elizabeth Ellsworth
Andy Morrison - 12th " - Sarah Borthwick
David Jenson - 13th " - Sister Londengreen
Samuel Huff - 14th " - Mary A. Huff
Names of donators for the pump:
Harriet Kingsford - 2 lb. butter Sarah Mayberry - 1 lb. butter
Anna Doney - 1 " " Mary Collins - 1 " "
Elizabeth Comish - " " Hannah Handy - 2" "
Rebecca Rumsey - 2 " " Margaret Bennett - 1 " "
Sarah Woodward - 1 " " Sister Adamson - 1 " "
Sarah Poole - 1 " " Anna Olsen - 1 " "
Sarah Chadwick - 1 " " Mary Whitehead - 1 " "
Ester Dowdle - 1 " " Sophia Merrick - 1 " "
Ellen Corbridge - 1 " " Jane Clayton - 1 " "
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97
Hannah Corbridge - 1 lb. butter Catherine Mendenhall - 1 lb. bt
Jane Hull - 1 " " Anna Londengreen - 1 " "
Mary Head - 2 " " Mary A. Handy - 1 " "
Ann Smart - 2 " " Mary Chadwick - " "
Louisa Mendenhall - 1 " " Louisa Mayberry - 2 " "
Betsy Low - " " Charlotta Mayberry - 1 " "
Selina Gregory - 1 " " Elizabeth Ellsworth - 1 " "
Names of donators for the telegraph instrument:
Ann Smart - 1 lb. butter
Sarah Borthwick - 1 lb. butter
Catherine Mendenhall - 1 dzn. eggs
Arabella Parkinson - 1 lb. butter
Sarah Morrison - 2 dzn. eggs
Jane Clayton - 1 dzn. eggs
Ellen Clayton - 1 lb. butter
Benia Spumberg - 1 lb. butter
., ., ..
The Female Relief Society met at schoolhouse at one
oclock. Prayer Sis. Handy. Report of the butter and eggs
was read by Bishop Hatch after which the bishop spoke
for sometime. He spoke of Brother Mendenhall taking
the butter and eggs to the city to pay for the nails for
the meeting house. It was moved and seconded that a
subscription be taken for the boys that cross the plains.
A number of the teachers (brethren) were present at said
meeting. The members of the Society busied themselves
with putting a quilt together with linsey (coarse linen and
wool fabric) which had been donated. The bishop blest the
donations received, blest the subscribers, also encourages
the sisters to go ahead.
In original records names were given, but the following
lists number of donators and variety of articles donated:
For the nails 65 sisters donated eggs and butter and 1 sister
donated a pair of mens sox; for the calico (cotton cloth)
quilt 25 sisters donated eggs and butter, 9 sisters donated
yarn and 1 sister donated a pair of knitting needles.
.. , ..
The Society met at 3 oclock. Sewed wagon covers, quilt
pieces, and knit stockings until the bishop, Bro. Stalker and
several of the teachers (brethren) came. The meeting was
opened by prayer by Sister Smart. The sect. read the min-
utes of the two preceding meetings which were accepted.
The bishop made a few remarks. He wishes the sisters to
attend the fast meeting. Said he was well pleased with
the spirit of the Society. Said there were a few brethren
engaged on the meeting house. Hoped the sisters would
sustain their husbands in their duties, for an encouraging
word done so much good. Said the sisters should uphold
the brethren in every good work. Didnt care how much
infuence a wife has over her husband in a good cause, she
should be blest for it. There were some of the brethren go-
ing on the railroad, there were many duties sisters would
have to perform in their absence. Wished the sisters would
take hold and do the best they could for the upbuilding of
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98
their own families and Kingdom of God. Wishes the sisters
to attend to prayers in their homes in the absence of their
husbands. Bless the brethren and sisters. Bro. Stalker then
made a few remarks. Said the bishop had the sisters in a
capacity where he could talk to them. Wishes his family to
attend to prayers in his absence. He said we all had a great
warfare before us for we had no good thing, but we had to
strive for to obtain it. Said that when the brethren had the
good feeling of their wives they could do so much better,
as an encouraging word done so much good, the contrary
so much hurt. Said he felt a good spirit here, hoped we
would go ahead and prosper. We had his good feelings.
The sisters that were appointed to support the cleaning
of the schoolhouse were also appointed to act as teachers
in collecting contributions. Prayer Pres. Borthwick.
.. . ..
Alex Stalker read a copy of the First Organization
of The Female Relief Society, organized by the Prophet
Jos. Smith in the Lodge Room, March 1842, in the city of
Nauvoo. It was moved and seconded that we organize
according to instructions received from Prest. Maughan
of Logan. Bp. L.H. Hatch and Alex Stalker then proceeded
to set apart the following sisters: Sarah Borthwick, presi-
dent; Ann Smart, frst counselor; Ortencia Stalker, second
counselor; Elvira Nash and Mary Head to act as aids.
.., ..
Society met. Opened with singing and prayer by Sis.
Handy. The preceding minutes and list of donations and
such were read by the sect. Then the sisters busied them-
selves in sewing on quilts, carding wool bats for wadding
the quilts and knitting sox and edging. Bro. Stalker and
Jenson came in and had a very pleasant time chatting
with us. Closed with prayer by Sister Huff. Adjourned till
July 16th.
List of donations for lime and getting material for
quilts: The Society furnished 16 lbs. of butter for the men
that brought the lime for the vestry, and for quilts yarn,
butter and wool were donated.
.., .. ..
The Society met at 8 oclock. Prayer by the president.
Sec. read the copy of The Organization of The Female Re-
lief Society. Sisters busied themselves quilting, the presi-
dents giving talks. Sist. Smart took the foor, expressed her
thankfulness for donations given in cheerfulness. Said we
should not have malice towards each other, said if she had
any towards anyone she would make it right before night.
Remarked that we should be industrious and economical
and teach our children to be so also. Said we should not
oppose any principle taught in the Church, polygamy
in particular as that was a great principle. She had two
daughters in it and was willing her other should go in it
likewise, etc. The sect., being unwell all day, fainted, was
..,. . ., ..
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99
administered to by Sisters Borthwick, Smart, Stalker and
Huff. There has been fve quilts quilted today. Adjourned
until the 30th of July.
.., , ..
The Society met at two oclock. Opened by prayer
by Sister Corbridge. Sisters busied themselves binding
and piecing quilts until the bishop and Bro. Stalker came.
The bishop asked the sisters what they wished to do with
their quilts. Said whatever the majority said was law. Some
proposed selling them to help about the meeting house.
But he said he did not wish to take their labors for that
purpose as there was abundance of means in the hands of
the brethren, but if they felt disposed to make a carpet for
the vestry he would gladly accept it. Said whatever they
saw ft to do with their quilts would suit him. He thought
if they could sell some of them and thus augment the
funds of the Society so to have money to buy necessar-
ies for the poor, it would be a good thing as it was warm
weather and the poor did not need the quilts at present.
Br. Stalker said he thought the sisters had done well, very
well indeed. Fully agreed with the bishops remarks. He
thought it a good thing to sell or raffe the quilts and if
they decided to raffe it would be perfectly right. Said the
sisters should talk the matter over and agree what to do.
Said he was much pleased with the spirit of the Society,
blest us. The presidency made a few remarks. Said she
was not particular what was done with the quilts, what-
ever the majority concluded to do with them suited her.
She wishes to get some means in shape to handle for the
relief of the poor of whatever nature, but now especially
for sickness. Remarked a case of sickness a few days ago
and nothing comfortable, etc. Sister Smart said she was at
Logan last week, saw Sis. Maughan, said they were going
to raffe theirs. Said Sister Maughan preferred evening to
give us some instructions. Favored by Sister Merrick and
seconded by Sister Borthwick that we raffe the quilts. Sister
Smart proposed the bishop and Br. Stalker be present at
the raffing. The bishop left their blessing with us. Benedic-
tion by Sister Frew.

The Society met at 2 oclock. Opened by prayer by
Sister Huff. Sisters busied themselves sewing carpet rags.
Sister Eliza Low in made a few very appropriate remarks.
Said she knew this to be the work of the Lord, always felt
well in bearing her testimony, etc. Sister Elizabeth Packer
she always responded to every call. Said she wishes to at-
tend all the meetings, but through the press of business
she could not always come. Remarked that the bishop
said at the third or fourth meeting that the sisters then
present would attend as a general thing. Wishes to do
all the good she could, etc. Sister Mary A. Morrison said
she wishes to do the best she could. She did not want to
hold back on account of her youth. Exhorted her youthful
sisters to practice speaking in public, etc. Sister Corbridge
said she felt well desirous to do all the good in her power.
Said we should sustain our sisters in offce, pray for and
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100
uphold them. Said this work was organized in the days
of Joseph that we should learn everything that was good
and useful. Said we should try and get things in shape
so as to get some medicines for the poor in case they be
needed now, etc. Sister Alice Pratt of Oxford remarked
that she wants to talk a little. Said she felt well. Would be
glad when they had a Society organized at their place.
Hoped we would be blest, etc. Sister Smart said she felt
like talking a little to express her gratitude for the great
blessings of having her friends around her. Said she had
been very much blest since she was engaged in this work,
especially since this Society was organized, and since her
husband had been absent she had been particularly blest,
etc. The president said she would like to see more present,
but was thankful to those that were present. Said that
we had thought of raffing, but had been informed that
there had instructions been given by Eliza Snow against
raffing and if that was so we would not raffe, but would
do the best we could for the good of the Society, etc. Sister
Parkinson made a few very appropriate remarks. Said she
wished to do all the good she could, etc. Benediction by
Charlotte Parkinson until 27th.

The Society met at 2 oclock. Opened by prayer by
Sister Eliza Low. Sisters busied themselves piecing quilts,
knitting, sewing carpet rags. Privilege been given to speak.
Sister Kingsford that she felt glad to be a member of the
Society, felt it would be a great blessing to the poor, etc.
The sec. bore her testimony to the truth of this work. Said
we are living in a great day, an age of the world. Exhorted
the sisters to live so that we could feel to administer to the
sick for the brethren might not always be present. There
were many duties dissolving upon the sisters, more so
now and would continue to increase than ever before. She
was glad this Society was organized, that we should throw
away all bashfulness and fear and nobly do our various
duties even as the brethren did theirs. Then we should do
all we could to comfort the poor and sick, leave our own
work, come to meeting, pray for the blessings of the Lord
to rest on all our efforts. She also told her experience of
the day. Said there were a few sisters met at Sister Heads,
that she was taken very sick with one of her bad spells and
requested the sisters to administer to her, but they declined
through bashfulness. She continued to get worse, fnally
told the sisters she could not live long in that situation.
Requested them to administer again (sisters Molen, Mer-
rick and Read) which they did, she was healed immediately.
Said she had after been healed under the administration
of the sisters. Requested the sisters to pray for and up-
hold her so that she might be enabled to perform her
various duties, especially as the teacher of the school for
she could do much more good when the sisters upheld
her to their children. Prayed for the spirit of God upon us
too. The foregoing minutes were taken by Sister Molen
of Hyde Park, she being here on a visit, the sect. took the
remainder. Sister Head said she wished to do all the good
she could, that we should pray for each other especially
for those in offce, that we all know this to be the work of
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

101
the Lord and should act accordingly, etc. Sister Molen said
she was glad to meet with us in this place, that she felt a
good spirit here, that we should uphold and sustain all
the sisters in offce for they needed it, that she had a little
experience in offce, felt her weakness. Said we should be
careful not to speak evil of each other especially those in
offce. Said we should visit the sisters in sickness, that a
kind word done so much good. She knew that by experi-
ence for she was a sickly woman herself. Prays the Lord
to bless and prosper all our efforts in this Society, left her
blessing with us. Sister Corbridge said the counsel of the
sisters was good, hoped we would all proft by it. She felt
well in donating. She would try to do all the good she
could, would visit the poor and sick and comfort them
all she could. Sister Mendenhall remarked she felt to do
all the good she could, etc. Sister Merrick gave a few very
appropriate remarks. The presidency gave us some very
good instructions. Benediction by Sister Susan Gosland.

The Society met at 10 oclock. Quilted one quilt.

The Society met at two oclock. Bound quilt, sewed
carpet rags, knitted sox. Benediction by Sister Londen-
green.

Doubled yarn. Sister Stalker presided. On the 18th a
few sisters met at Sister Smarts and quilted one quilt which
was donated to a Mary Poole.
The presidents and sec. were absent during these
meetings. The meetings were discontinued until the 27th
of February.
1869
....., , ..,
The Society assembled at the vestry. The bishop, Br.
Stalker and several of the teachers were present. The sec.
being sick, there were no minutes kept of meetings.
There were 4 quilts sold for 10 dollars apiece, two quilts
for 9 dollars apiece, one linsey quilt for 18 dollars, 15 in
money the remainder in calico which was used for Sister
Pooles quilt, 3 pairs of sox sold for 3 dollars. Total amount
78 dollars which was sent to Salt Lake City by Br. Stalker to
purchase a carpet for the vestry.
... .. ..,
The Society assembled at the vestry. Opened by sing-
ing. Prayer by Sister L. Mayberry. Braided mats for the vestry.
The bishop and Br. Jenson came. The bishop said he was
very much pleased with what the sisters had done, felt
thankful for their help. Said we should be blest for all the
good we done or would do. Told us to speak and act freely.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

102
Said we should pray for and uphold the offcers and not
have a spirit of jealousy among us. Wishes us to pray for
him. Said the sisters had great faith, etc. Said we should try
to use a good infuence over our husbands and help him,
etc. Said we should attend our meetings punctually and
try to infuence all our sisters to come for great blessings,
awaited us if we faithful. Spoke of the organization of the
Kingdom of God. Said some come into the Church half
hearted, others with all their hearts. Saw when there was
a dance. It was generally attended, should like to see as
much interest in these meetings. Yet, he did not wish to
fnd fault with us, but the Lord was not well pleased when
we cared more for dancing than we did for our meetings.
He felt very thankful for what the sisters had done to
help complete the vestry. Said he had paid a great deal
out, had done it cheerfully. Blest us, said he would fnd a
place for us to meet. Br. Jenson said he well remembered
when this Society was organized by Joseph Smith, the
Prophet. Said the blessings of the Lord would attend our
efforts. Said we were greatly blest and would be more so
hereafter. Said when the brethren assembled in this room
we would be remembered. Said everything we undertook
we should accomplish. Said we should uphold and sus-
tain the bishop, that we could be a great help to him, etc.
Spoke of the organization of the Kingdom of God. Sister
Handy was administered to. Benediction by Jane Clayton.
Adjourned until 27th of March.
... , ..,
The society assembled at the vestry. Opened by sing-
ing. Prayer Sister Ellen Corbridge. Mary Mayberry being
invited to speak. Saw the Prophet Joseph. Said this society
was organized before this world was created, said it was
especially for the beneft of the poor to build schoolhouses
and educate poor children, etc. said Joseph. Great bless-
ings would follow those that were faithful in this Society.
Prays for the blessings of God to rest upon us. Sister Laird
of Richmond said she was glad to meet with the Society of
this place. Felt a good spirit here. She wished to do all the
good she could, etc. Blest us. Sister Green said she would
say whatever the Lord gave her. Said the Lord was well
pleased with us, the angels were around us, etc. Blest us.
The president, she was thankful for what the sisters had
done. Felt happy when she and the teachers went around
to be received cheerfully whether they could donate or
not. Requested the sisters to attend their meetings punc-
tually, did not like to have a black mark put against them,
but the bishop required it. Blest us. Benediction by Sister
Sylvia Hatch.
.... ..,
The Society assembled at the vestry. Pieced quilts. The
sec. being sick no minutes were taken.
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103
.... ..,
The Society assembled at Br. Stalkers. Quilted one
quilt. The sec. being sick no minutes were taken.
., . ..,
The Society assembled at the schoolhouse. Opened
by Prayer by Sister Ortencia Stalker. Made carpet for the
vestry and knit stockings.
In the year 1869 the sisters were counseled to put
money into the Cooperative Store in the name of the Re-
lief Society. All the sisters responded cheerfully donating
50 each, the following is a list of those sisters:
Sarah Borthwick - 50 cts. Jane Frew - 50 cts.
Ann Smart - " Elizabeth Fox - "
Ortencia Stalker - " Hannah Corbridge - "
Martha D. Hickman - " Hannah Holhem - "
Catherine Mendenhall - " Elgin Clayton - "
Mary Ann Morrison - " Elvira Nash - "
Hannah Handy - " Martha Nash - "
Eliza Hull - " Ellen Priest - "
Margaret Bennett - " Martha Biggs - "
Elizabeth Ellsworth - " Lucy Bennett - "
Sarah Ann Mayberry - " Jane Nelson - "
Mary Mayberry - " Mary A. Huff - "
Mary Collins - " Elizabeth Kirkham - "
Charlotta Mayberry - " Jane Hobbs - "
Louisa Mayberry - " Mariah Wright - "
Amanda Stalker - " Serena Jensen - "
Emily Stalker - " Hannah Olsen - "
Ellen Stalker - " Mary Ann Hull - "
Elizabeth Packer - " Mary Whitehead - "
Margaret Taylor - " Selina Gregory - "
Mary Ann Hobbs - " Margaret Dunkley - "
Margaret Smart - " Louisa Mendenhall - "
Eliza Low - " Christina Stones - "
Elizabeth Comish - 50 cts. Hannah Londengreen 50 cts.
Mary Head - " Elizabeth Laidon - "
Harriet Kingsford - " Sylvia Hatch - "
Ann Doney - " Catherine Hatch - "
Ester Dowdle - " Alice Hatch - "
Jane Hull - " Louisa Purnell - "
Margaret Whitehead - " Arabella Parkinson - "
Martha Vail - " Mariah Parkinson - "
Ellen Corbridge - " Charlotta Parkinson - "
Susan Gosland - "
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

History of Whitney, Idaho Whitney, Idaho, from The Trail Blazer
104
Whitney
i daho
From
T HE T R A I L B L A Z E R
History of the Development
of Southeastern Idaho
Publi shed i n 1930

by Daughters of the Pioneers
Revi sed and updated i n 1976
by Newell Hart
J
ust midway between Franklin and Preston on the
Yellowstone Park Highway is the town of Whitney,
which has a population of about three hundred and
fifty. This town like many others had a very humble
beginning. It was customary for people who came to
Franklin as settlers to be given an allotment of hay or
grain lands. When Isaac Nash, James Hebdron, George
and Alfred Hensen, E. Nelson, Peter Pool, Dickey Colter,
William Handy, John and Nephi Cornish and William
Rogers came to Franklin they were each given five acres
in the section now known as Whitney.
This was really the beginning of Land ownership in
this section of the country.
At that time the Indians were very troublesome, so
much so that the men were advised to work in groups
and never without their firearms.
It must have been an interesting sight in the late
summer to see a large group going with their wagons
and oxen, scythe and home made rakes to harvest this
precious hay.
Those who really wanted to keep their hay lands
had to build homes in order to protect their holdings
because of an influx of cattle and sheep. In the spring
of 1869, Ephriam Ellsworth and William Handy each built
a cabin on their claims. (One of Mr. Handys daughters
still lives on the old homestead.) That same summer,
James Chadwick and R. M. Hull formed a partnership and
bought out some of the above named hay land claims
and built them each a home. The next year William
Head built a log cabin for his wife Sarah E. The Franklin
County Sugar Company is built on part of this claim. In
1876, this land claim of 160 acres was sold for a big grey
riding horse and a little money.
Thomas Bennett and his son William each built them-
selves a log house in 1870. Others, including the Joseph
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

105
and George Foster Families, followed until there was
quite a little colony of settlers.
From the time the railroad came through 1878 until
the place was given the name of Whitney, It was known
as Hulls Crossing.
Some of these early settlers used their rights as first
locators and claimed a share in the Worm and Spring
Creeks. From these streams, they brought early spring
water to irrigate their lands.
A ditch company was organized in 1881, the mem-
bers of which worked together to bring water from
the Cub River. This company joined in with Harrison
Thomas.
Half-wild Texan cattle
This early pioneer group had many difficulties
which were most trying. On account of the roads be-
ing impossible to travel most of the year, the men folks
would ride horse back to Franklin for their meetings.
The women and children would remain at home and
keep the range cattle back from their growing crop. It
was almost Impossible to fence against the half-wild
Texan cattle that freely roamed over this country. Many
interesting stories are told concerning encounters with
these cattle and their enormously long horns. At one
time a pioneer woman went in search of her own cattle
and while searching for them, a herd of these cattle
completely surrounded her and were making ready
to charge just as she threw her full gathered apron up
over her head and caused the animals to race away in
a wild stampede.
Some so-called white men were more trouble than
either the Indians or wild cattle.
A number of men, headed by a notorious outlaw
leader, Bob Tarter would help themselves to the set-
tlers horses and cattle, drive them to Corinne, Utah and
from that point ship them East and West. Occasionally
the band of thieves would drive cattle up into Montana,
where they sold them for a good price.
The outlaws not only took the cattle, but they were
so bold as to kill the animals in the vicinity and take the
beef to the homes of the owners and offer it for sale.
The settlers were quite sure, or at least suspected
who the marauders were but were afraid to say or do
anything about it because members of the robber band
would not hesitate to kill anyone who interfered with
them.
George Sharp tells us that his brother Orson was one
of the men sent up here by the United States officers
from Salt Lake City to run down the cattle thieves. How-
ever he was killed by a member of the gang as he trav-
eled with them along the Portnuef River. It seems that he
got in with the band somehow and had planned to get
some evidence against them, but they got him first; his
body was never found. Hen Holt was also treated in the
same manner. He was buried in the vicinity of Preston.
When the railroad was later built and passed through
Whitney, the people were very much annoyed by tramps
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

106
and hoboes of all kinds, as many as fifty would pass
thru in one day.
Thirty Chinese tramps come to visit
Probably one of the most exciting experiences was
with a band of thirty Chinese tramps that came up the
track near Hulls. There were just Ann Hull, her friend
and some children at home when the Chinamen were
seen. These children hastened to lock all doors as a tem-
porary protection at least. The cellar door however, was
not locked; the Chinese just walked into the cellar and
helped themselves to the milk, cream and eggs, they
also killed some chickens after which they proceeded
to make a bonfire in the yard and prepare their midday
meal. In the meantime, while the Chinamen were busy
on the south side of the house, Ann put her brother out
through the North window and sent him post haste to
get help from the neighbors.
It was not long before Ephraim Ellsworth, a neigh-
bor, appeared with a black whip, as soon as the China-
men saw him; they began to shout, Me go! Me go!
The tramps were mostly unemployed men who were
seeking work.
The trains were a determinant as well as a help to
the community. Frequently, grass fires were caused
through ignition from sparks, which poured from the
chimneys of those old-style locomotives. The women
and children would watch the fields along the train
route and put out the fires as soon as they were started,
whenever it was possible. They fought the fires with
willows and sacks were used as beaters. Sometimes a fire
would get a start of them and many of the willow fences
were destroyed as well as the summer hay crop.
Alfalfa was not cultivated during those first few
years; the settlers depended on the native grasses as
food for the animals until after 1880.
If you were looking down from Rattle Snake Point,
could you, dear reader, in your imagination picture one
little patch of about ten acres of green grain, growing
inside of a frame of sage brush and dry native grasses,
if you could, you would have seen the only green patch
which had been planted by R. M. Hull. This lonely grain
patch was growing on present farm of Roy Tanners,
during the summer of 1873. This place of 160 acres
was bought in 1872 from Martin Higley for a span of
mules.
There was an abundance of butter and cheese pro-
duced, the butter brought an average of fifteen cents
per pound during the year and eggs brought about ten
cents a dozen in exchange for merchandise.
Occasionally a merchant could be induced to pay
a little money in exchange for produce to buy postage
stamps with.
During the summer time, the people had to take
care of their produce the best that they could because
the store refused to take it. Soap was made from the
surplus butter.
When the roads were too bad for horse or wagon
travel, the people would often walk to Franklin and carry
huge buckets of butter in exchange for store goods.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

107
However, at other times when they could ride, the ever
present knitting needles clicked merrily together as
if they were trying to keep time with the turning and
squeaking of the wagon wheels. It was impossible to
buy hose ready made at that time so we can readily
see why the women had to keep the knitting needles
so busily clicking.
Much sugar cane was grown and molasses by the
hundreds of gallons was made by Samuel Clark and
others.
Foods: The people had plenty of cattle, pigs and
chickens to furnish their meats; their problem was what
to do for fruits and vegetables.
Serviceberries, gooseberries and currants
Each fall, some of the men would go to other towns
to get some dried fruit and molasses. Serviceberries
were gathered and dried or boiled and stored away
in five-gallon jars without sugar but sweetened with
a little molasses. Wild gooseberries and currants were
cared for in a similar manner. Fortunate indeed was the
family that had a good supply of this fruit to give the
variety necessary for the winter diet. Native currants
were sometimes obtained in Franklin but these were
a real luxury.
It was possible in the spring of the year to get rhu-
barb at some of the homes in Franklin. One pioneer
woman tells us that she has many times walked from
Whitney to Franklin and back to get some of the trea-
sured rhubarb. It was such a treat that the mother would
clean even the large veins in the leaves and cook them.
The children were so hungry for something green or
fruity, that they would chew what was left of the leaf and
spit out the pulp when all of the juice was extracted.
Later corn and melons were successfully grown in
the gardens below the Thomas ditches.
The settlers were tried almost beyond endurance
with cattle thieves, droughts and grasshoppers, but the
most of them proved to be men and women of great
strength and endurance so much so that they stayed
with their land possessions. However, they were just
human enough to welcome every little ray of sunshine,
which came in the form of a diversion or amusement
of any kind.
A ray of sunshine, which they appreciated very much,
came once in a great while, when the Mormon missionar-
ies would hold meetings in the homes of the people.
At one time there was one man brave enough to
bring a lantern slide into the community. The lantern-
slide was shown in the log house of Wm. Bennett and
the entire community was present. Each one gladly paid
his ten cents, the price of admission.
When the people were baptized into the United
Order in 1878, there was a great celebration and feast-
ing. Many came to be baptized in the pool, which had
been formed by building a dam across Spring Creek the
night before the baptismal ceremonies.
A beef was killed for the occasion and many were
put early to greet the authorities that came from Franklin
to take part on this wonderful occasion. Many people
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

108
came from great distances among them David Jensen
who was one of the acting officials during the baptis-
mal ceremonies.
Special programs and all day celebrations were
some of the other diversions. This generation seems to
be such a busy, restless group that we are wondering
what would happen if a group of modern people were
expected to sit still and listen to a program as length-
ily as the one following which consists of forty-three
(43) numbers presented at a Fourth of July program
in 1889.
Orator of the Day, George T. Benson, Sr.; Chap-
lain, Bishop James Chadwick, Sr.; Singing, Choir; Prayer,
Chaplain; Singing, Choir; Address of Welcome, Alvin
Hull and Pearl Weaver; Speech (5 minutes) Wesley
Beckstead; Song, Mr. and Mrs. G. E. Weaver; Reading,
J. Rallison; Recitation, Eva Holden; Speech (5 minutes)
Herbert Rallison; Accordion Music, Amasa Beckstead;
Song, Presidency of Primary Organization; Negro Story,
E. R. Lawrence; German Song, Mr. and Mrs. Eulgster;
Dialogue, Amy, Elise, Mary and Lela; Recitation, Sarah
Lawrence; Song, Nephi McLeary; Recitation, Rudolph
Dursteller; Speech (10 minutes), Louise Benson; Song,
Mr. and Mrs. John Holden; Speech, Grandpa Ashton;
Recitation, Hattie Greaves; Song, Sunday School; Song,
Abbie Lundegren; Speech, A. H. Head; Song, Joseph
S. Wright; Story, Joseph Dunkley Sr.; Stump Speech,
Andrew Beckstead; Recitation, Frank T. Benson; Song,
Samuel Clark; Speech, William Handy; Step Dance, Elton
Beckstead; Reading, George Foster; Recitation, Arthur
Chadwick; Dialogue, R. M. Hull Jr., Albert Chadwick and
Serge Bensoll; Song, Joseph Beckstead; Recitation, Jen-
nie Weaver; Speech (five minutes), R. M. Hull, Sr.; Mouth
Organ Music, Riley Clark and Joe Beckstead; Reading.
Catherine Winwarn; Song, Bishop Chadwick and G. T.
Benson; Recitation, Serge Benson; Song. Fred Rallison;
Speech (5 minutes) James Hebdon; Dialogue, Sarah and
Kittie Dunkley; Song, Lizzie Beckstead.
Eight dozen eggs donated
Eight dozen were donated, eggs selling at thirteen
cents a dozen were donated by the people to pay for
the prizes offered to the children who took part in the
sports. Three dollars worth of scrip was also donated:
this scrip served as an exchange for store goods.
The title of the first play produced in the School
House. was He was Never Known to Smile. Fred Olsen
and Elise Benson took the leading parts.
Other amusements and forms of recreation were
similar to those described in a part of the history of
Franklin.
The first Primary was organized May 8, 1885 with
Sarah T. Clayton appointed to act as president, Elizabeth
Eardly and Annie Hull as Counselors. Sunday School was
organized July 8, 1888 with Joseph S. Sharp as superin-
tendent and Joshua Rallison Secretary.
The Young Mens Mutual Improvement Association
was organized in 1888. Herbert Rallison as president,
Gaston Brawley and Jasper Head as counselors, and
Arthur Chadwick as secretary.
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

109
The Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Association
was organized February 17, 1889. Mary A. Weaver was
appointed to act as president with the two counselors,
Hannah P. Head and Gretta Hull. Elise Benson and Amy
Chadwick were secretary and treasurer. At this time this
district belonged to the Preston ward.
Just before the L.D.S. ward organization was ef-
fected, some of the leading men of the community met
at the home of J.A. Head, finally Mr. Head offered the
name of Whitney which was accepted in honor of Orson
F. Whitney, now an Apostle in the L. D. S. church.
The organization of the Whitney ward effected
June 9, 1889, with James Chadwick as Bishop. George
T. Benson first Counselor, Joseph S. Wright second
counselor and Herbert Rallison as Clerk.
Births And Marriages
Among the first births in this districts were: Drusilla,
daughter of William and Ester Booth Bell, born No-
vember 7, 1873; Charles Bell Jr., born September 1874;
Pleasant Williams Bell born December 1875; Sadie Ells-
worth born January 13, 1976, daughter of Ephraim and
Elizabeth Ellsworth.
The first births after the ward was organized were
Lester Dunkley and Ruby Chadwick.
Charles Morris Bell and Jane Panton were the
first people married; they were married December 11,
1873.
Rudolph Dursteller and Maria Bauman were the
first ones married after the ward was organized.
Missionaries
Joseph S. Wright and Andrew Beckstead were the
first male missionaries sent out from Whitney; they both
served as missionaries in Europe.
The first lady missionaries were: Martha H. Dunkley
and Florence Benson. James Chadwick was the first
public officer.
Schools
The people built a district schoolhouse in 1884. It
is the north part of the present home of F. W. Rallison.
Annie Hull was the first teacher in this school. She held
a first grade certificate and was paid just fifteen dol-
lars ($15.00) a month. The county officials at Malad had
charge of the school and paid Miss Hulls salary.
Florence Holland, a Logan girl, recently from Eng-
land, taught the girls domestic arts along with all the
other subjects.
Other teachers were: Annie Hopkins, who married
Henry Lamoreaux; Mary Flack, another teacher, taught
for $35.00 per month and quit because the school board
would not pay her forty dollars ($40.00) a month. Geo.
E. Crockett also taught in 1889-90.
Highway
The first stagecoach road or highway ran almost in
a direct line from the point of Little Mountain to the
present site of the Franklin County Sugar Factory. It
crossed the Worm Creek at the present south crossing,
then passed on up over the old Oregon Montana Trail
I NDEX FULL SCREEN

110
which is now marked by the railroad. When people
began to build their fences, that placed the road east
and it crossed Spring Creek near L. H. Ballifs store.
Railroad
One of the outstanding events in the history was
the building of a narrow gauge railroad. In the fall of
1877 the road was completed as far as Spring Creek,
coming, by the way of Franklin. By January 1878, the
Spring and Worm Creek bridges were completed. Early
in the spring the road was built on over the flat, now
Preston.
In 1876 a railroad grade was built on the east side
of Whitney. It ran north from Buttermilk Curve (Now
Nashville) as far as the Bear River Narrows. Engineers
found it to be too expensive to build through that way
so made a new route, which is followed by the present
railroad system.
While the railroad was under construction, Jay
Gould, the great financier and Mr. Huntington visited
this locality, they were seen picking up loose spikes
and bolts along the track, early in the morning. When
asked about it, Jay Gould said, That is the way we have
laid our foundation of great enterprise.
Business
The first, business establishment was the Equitable
Co-op in 1887, located near the present site of the Pea
Vinery. The Co-op was built and owned by a group
of men who finally had to sell it at a great sacrifice
because of so many bad, outstanding debts. Different
parties owned it until finally it was burned down.
In the northeast corner of this store was a flourishing
shoe mending department supervised by Nephi McLeary.
Mr. McLeary mended shoes six days of the week then
lead the choir on Sunday. A blacksmith shop was owned
and operated by Joseph Simons it was located near the
Pea Vinery.
During the years of 1888-89 J. W. Windward sold all
kinds of farming implements for the George A. Lowe
Company.
The first postmaster was Albert Chadwick with his
sister Amy who acted as assistant. Sometime later the
post office was taken care of in the Equitable Coop
Store.
Joseph Simons hauled the first load of rock for the
construction of the rock-meeting house in 1891.
Whitney has some very productive farming land,
most of which is used for sugar beets. The Franklin
County Sugar Factory, which takes care of the beets, is
located here.
In comparison to the present methods of handling
sugar beets, it might be interesting to relate the way in
which the first beets that were grown in Franklin County
were handled. They were planted in the spring of 1899;
the tool for thinning was an iron from an old wagon box,
bent and sharpened. They were gone over four different
times before they were thinned satisfactorily.
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111
Cultivation was with a hand pushed cultivator, and
the topping was done with a butcher knife. A shovel
or hand plow was used for digging them.
The first crop was loaded on a flat car, which held
fifteen tons; the grower and agent estimated the
weight. They were shipped to Weber County, Utah, to
the Amalgamated Sugar Co. and the price paid was
$4.25 per ton. The first car shipped out was grown by
John A. Dunkley.
A Pea Vinery was built here in 1926.
This community has a very fine modern school
building and gymnasium, which were erected in
1924.
As transportation, the people of the town are served
by the bus lines and Oregon Short Line Railroad.
Generally speaking, the great aim of the parents in
this community has always been to give their children
the best educational opportunities available. Out of
this ward have come many leaders, doctors, lawyers,
churchmen and statesmen who have made renowned
successes in their chosen fields of activities.
Russell Maughan, the Dawn to Dusk flyer received
his agricultural training in this little town of Whitney.
Much of its well-known musical talent had its foun-
dation in the early ward choir, which won first place
in a choir contest, including all of Cache Valley. Elsie
B. Alder was the choir leader and she was assisted by
around twenty other talented singers. Riley Clark was
assistant chorister and John A. Dunkley was president
of the choir.
The people here get behind public enterprises,
knowing that cooperation is necessary for the devel-
opment of community welfare.
The true spirit of the people in Whitney is possibly
best expressed in the following little refrain:
The more we get together, together, together,
The more we get together the happier we will be.
For your friends are my friends
And my friends are your friends
the more we get together the happier well be.
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Standing about eight inches tall, the sego lily is a small wildflower
ranging from the dry open grasslands to the sagebrush hillsides
of the west. In California it is called the Mariposa Lily. The sego
lily has three tulip-like petals that range in color from white to
pink. The sego blooms from late spring to early summer.
The walnut-sized bulb of the sego lily is edible, having a some-
what sweet taste. Sego bulbs are eaten by rodents and bears.
Native American peoples held the sego lily as sacred and gath-
ered the bulbs then ground them into meal which they baked
into a bread. Mormon
pioneers depended on
the bulbs of sego lilies
for food during the first
few uncertain harvests
in the Salt Lake Valley.
Based on a poll taken
amoung the school chil-
dren of Utah the sego
lily was chosen as the
state flower in 1911.
Sego lil
History of Whitney, Idaho Sego Lily
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Making butter
Butter starts with cream. Fresh milk is poured
into pans and put aside to cool for several hours.
A layer of thick, yellow cream is skimmed off the
top of the milk and stored in a container.
When enough cream is collected to make butter
the butter churn can be prepped with hot water.
Pouring hot water into the butter churn causes
the wood fibers of the churn to swell, insuring
that the churn is watertight. To cool the churn
down the hot water is replaced with cold water
and then emptied out.
The cream is poured into the churn until it is about
half full, the dasher placed down inside, the lid
slid over the dasher and pressed tightly into the
top of the churn. The dasher is a long wooden rod
with a flat piece of wood attached to the end.
The dasher is worked up and down through the
cream until it separates into buttermilk and a mass
of white butterfat. The buttermilk is poured off.
Water is poured in and the dasher moved around
to wash out any traces of buttermilk.
The butter is scooped out with a wooden ladle
and placed in a bowl or wooden butter mold.
To insure that the butter wont spoil, the butter
is pressed against the sides to squeeze out any
last traces of buttermilk. Salt is worked into the
butter along with any coloring such as beet juice
as desired.
BUTTER MAKING TOOLS
Top left: A butter churn. Butter churns are still used throughout
the Third World. Pioneers would make butter by placing cream
in a container attached to the bouncing of the wagon. Top right,
a butter ladle. Churn and ladle displayed at the Franklin Relic
Hall. Bottom right: Wooden butter molds.
History of Whitney, Idaho Making Butter
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114
Telegraph service comes to Franklin
LONG CAPTION: In December 1868, the Deseret Tele-
graph etended its lines to Franklin. It was installed in the
Southeast corner of the Co-op building. [shown above]
The first operator was Alma Hobson. The telegraph was
later moved to the home of L.L. Hatch. It was
from there that the biggest news story of the
era was flashed across the country. George
Armstrong Custer, on June 25, 1876 attacked
the Sioux Indians on the Little Big Horn. Custer
and his 261 men were destroyed.
The task fell to Mr. Hatch, because the
telegraph lines connecting Montana with the
east-west continental lines failed. Dispatchers
carrying details of the battle were rushed by
stage coach to Eagle Rock (Idaho Falls), then
to Rosss Fork (Pocatello) and then by rider to
Franklin.
The Deseret Telegraph was sold to the West-
ern Telegraph Company in 1900.
SHORT CAPTION: Samuel Morses first
telegraph was patented in 1840. It produced
V-shaped marks on paper.
Later Morse developed a telegraph like the
one shown, with a sounder to click out coded
messages. From a display about Franklin
history in the old city hall building.
History of Whitney, Idaho Telegraph Service In Franklin
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115
ARI ZONA
NE W ME XI CO
OKL AHOMA
KANSAS
T E XAS
COL ORADO
UTAH
I DAHO
SOUT H
DAKOTA
NE BRASKA
MI NNE SOTA
I OWA
MI SSOURI
ARKANSAS
WI SCONSI N
I L L I NOI S
Nauvoo
Fort
Kearny
Platte
River
Confluence
Point
Chimney
Rock
Fort
Laramie
Devils
Gate
Fort
Bridger
The
Needles
Independence
Rock
Martins
Cove
South
Pass
Rocky
Ridge
Emigration
Canyon
Council
Bluffs
Mount
Pisgah
Winter
Quarters Iowa
City
Locust
Creek
Camp
Garden
Grove
Sugar
Creek
WY OMI NG
Great
Salt
Lake
Valley
N
0
0
500 miles
500 kilometers
F
rom 1846 to 1869, as many as 70,000 mem-
bers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints walked across the plains, through the
rivers and over the mountains between Nauvoo,
Illinois and Salt Lake City, Utah in search of re-
ligious freedom. While this vast stream of Mor-
mon families sought to escape the persecution
of American society, the Mormons were part of
a larger American movement west that included
hundreds of thousands of Americans westering
to Oregon and California.
Instead of blazing new trails through the wil-
derness, the Mormons followed the same trails
used by Americans who went before them on
military and economic trips.
A number of historians have noted how unlike
other western pioneers the Mormons were. For
instance, most Mormon pioneers came as families.
Unlike other groups of Americans heading west
the Mormons crossed the country (Continued)
1846 1869
MOUSEOVER the named places along the trail for more information
History of Whitney, Idaho The Mormon Trail
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116
without the help of professional guides. In the
process of relying on maps, reports and guide-
books, the Mormons became experts themselves
and put that expertise to use over the twenty-
two years the Mormon Trail was in use.
Unlike other trails west, the Mormon Trail was
a two-way stream of travelers. Along with the
experienced men who were assigned to go back
east on a regular basis to guide new groups of
emigrants west, there was a steady stream of
missionaries and go-backs or Mormons who
decided to returntraveling east.
Unlike many American pioneers of the 1800s
who came from hardy frontier stock, large num-
bers of Mormon pioneers were poor city dwellers
from Europe without any practical experience
living in and traveling through the wilderness.
As expansion continued west the Pony Express,
transcontinental telegraph line and the Union
Pacific Railroad often followed the Mormon Trail.
The Mormons not only watched these new enter-
prises emerge but often helped build them.
During the Mormon exodus railroads graually
extended farther and farther west. In 1856 the
poor emigrants from Europe were able to ride the
trains to Iowa City, Iowa where they were outfit-
ted with handarts for the trek west. By 1867 a
group of 500 emigrants rode the trains to North
Platte, Nebaska where they continued west in
wagons. Finally, when the Union Pacific Railroad
reached Utah in 1869, the days of walking to
Utah came to an end.
A memorial created by Annie Laura Dunkleys
maternal grandfather, John Doney, and his
friend, William Whitehead. This is reminiscent
of the messages left on buffalo skulls during
the crossing. See the message HERE
History of Whitney, Idaho The Mormon Trail
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117
A hardy fruit bearing bush native to the Northern Hemisphere that is
related to the currant. Goosebery flowers are greenish to greenish-pink;
gooseberry fruit are oval shaped and may be white, yellow, green or red.
Gooseberries are somewhat tart and are eaten raw, made into jellies,
pies and preserves.
Gooseberries
History of Whitney, Idaho Gooseberries
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Franklin's First Settlers

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Franklin's First Settlers

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1

nie Laura Lowe. The parents of both William and

FRANKLIN AND WHITNEY, IDAHO Both communities

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1849: State of Deseret

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I sold my little property for an old wagon, a yoke of

This year Bro. John Doney and me worked together

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The winter was wet our houses were mostly cov-

[Due to money earned by feeding and clothing

This spring we moved onto our city lot. I lived near

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Publi shed i n 1930

Early History of Franklin County

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