Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-10-13
THE BEARLAkE STAKE.


An Interesting sketch written by Elder
Andrew Jensen.
The Boar Lake stake Of Zion en-.
braces all the Saints residing IN Rich
county, Utah, Hear Lake county, Ida.
no, n portion " ulntnh county, wyo.
ming, and n small part Of Bingham
county, idaho. II consists Of twenty.
seven organized wards aud branches
and has u total membership Of slbi,
divided into 1879 families. William
Budgc,a man Of much experience both
at home aud abroad, prcsides over the
Stake mi resides nj Paris, Hear Lake
county, Idaho. James n. Hart, widely
known as 4 successful missionary In
England and France anl A. Church
emigration agent In New York, Is int
Counselor In the stake Presidency,
AMI George OsmJnd, now absent on a
mission 10 England, second Counselor.
Both reside In Bloomington, Idaho.
Rich county, thus namci In honor "
the late Apostle Charlr. G. Rich, the
founder Of the settlements Ia the Hear
Lake valley, embraces tho extreme
northeastern part OF Utah Territory,
aud contains fyo scitlcmcnL Of the
Saigts, namely Randolph, the county
seat, Woodruff Lakutown, Meadow.
ylllgand Garden city. rhuy arc all
fully orgaulxsi into wards OF the
Church. The area " the county con.
Stats chiefly Of mountains, which on
the west rlso 10 "a considerable height,
while tho Hear River valley on the
east, where Randolph aud Woodruff
are situated. II boricToi by lower aud
more gently sloping heights, which
are covered with gra,s, thus n11riing
excellent facilities for pas,uago. THIS
abundance Of rich meadow grass,
noted for being very nutritious, com.
pcu-ates for many drawbacks caused
10y the long and often severe winter.
liich county also inclults the south
cnd Of Btar lake val ~ and nearly
half Of the lake. Tho WAaatch
range on the wet, which scparatCH tho
valley from Cache, isquite high ut this
point, and nearly Thirty milcs through.
IL Il wooded with prolific growth "
pinu u this different species, afford
lug the settlers plenty Of wood aud
timber.
Randolph ward, containing seventy.
six families 81 saints, or iii mumhpr',
embraces the tom Of Randolph aud
.ettl,n living IN scattered condition
on their farms and ranches along bear
River and also on some Of lts tflhu.
tArits, such W Zig Greek, Little Creek
aud otter GTUels--stfcams all putting
into the river from the west. The
town VI Randolph. thus named In
honor ~ Randolph II. Stewart, one "
tho founders Of tho settlement, and IL
INT presiding Elder, IL pleasantly situ-
atrd on o level tract Of country ON the
west side " Boar River, 80 miles
northwest Of Evanston, III Wyoming,
10 miles south Oi Sage station,
the nearest railway station on the
Oregon Short Line, and 10, miles
southeast OF LakotOwn, Ia Bear Lake
Valley. Tho line two'story brick court.
house built In Randolph In 1853 towers
up high above tho rest OF the build
ings Ia the town, consisting mainly OF
small log dwellings. There are, how
over, "A few handsome brick anu frame
buildings. Randolph was ilfst settled
In 1870, aud gas heeu hard place TO
wfrst from tile wilderness. The frosts
were very severe In early times, and
for fourteen years the people did not
raise their bfoadstul; but THIS year the
harvest has been excellent, aud the
people who have stuck 20 the place are
now getting quite comfortable, Archi.
bald McKinuon pTesides rs Bishop
over the Randolph ward, with Geo. a. |
Peari as bis first nnd Olayus jacobsen
IN his seconi counselor.
Woodruff ward, containing 10 fam.
ilies, or 2nj members, includes the vii.
lag" NJ Woodruff aud the scattered |
settlers residing on their farms aud |
ranches along Bear River and on
Snleratus Greek ami Woodruff Creek. |
Only about onohali Of the people live |
ON the toWnsite, which II 10 miles |
south OF Randolph, and -! MILES |
northwest NJ Evanston. by trail up |
Salrratus Creek anu down Lest Creel. |
the distance To Croydcn, IN Morgan |
County, il about u mlles, aud Ihu dis
lance 10 Logan, Cache County, by |
nearest mountain rOni (up Woodruff |
Creek and down Blacksmith Flrll Il |
nearly 90 miles. lhe village u Wood-
nun les On u nice Hat uegr the foot |
hills n miles west Of Hear River, aud |
II surrounded by some excellent |
meadow aud farming land. More |
settlers are wanted hero as well ns nj /
Randolph, and the opportunities NJ So. |
curing homes here on easy terms arr |
good. This place was also settled In |
1870, and was named in honor " Pfesi- |
dant WilfOrd Woodruff, who paid fire. |
quent visits 10 this part OF tho country !
number of yeAs ago. John NJ.
Baxter Is tue Bishop " Woodruff ward, |
and Savannah g. Putnam Is his Inst
and Byron Sessions his second Cdun-
selOr.
Bear River Valley proper, In which |
Randolph nnd Woodruff arc Situated, |
Ia about nfty.nye mites long, lnclud' |
ing the extension along the 5alefatus