The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-25
BY W. L. WATTS, OGDEN.


development has kept pace with that
of the locality first settled by those
who came in 1S47. Furthermore, there I
are evidences that the Christmas sea-
son was spent and that some kind Of
feast was held here by a highly civil
liked race which hourished long years
before the dawn of the Christmas era.
That this locality was favored by ma
ture even before the dawn of the
worlds first Christmas is we'll known,
and it is believed that the Mineral
Springs near the mouth of Ogden can
yon and on the north boundary of
Weber county had something to do
with the gathering of tribes here in
prehistoric times. These early races
builded mounds here and remains of
pottery, implements of war and of
peace uncovered there show the race
to have been highly civilized. But all
this is chiefly interesting now as show
ing that this locality was favorable to
early settlements and the enjoyment
here of Christian civilization. How
ever, there were white men here of our
own race century before the settle
ment of Salt Lake. Records Of these
earliest settlers are almost as scarce
as are those Of the mound builders, but
tradition has it that John ogden, a
trapper and hunter of the Hudson
Oety COIujdHy, came mere uTSI ABOUT
1855. He loved the place and told of
its richness and beauty till it became
known by his name far and near. That
he spent many Christmases of the last
century in charge of a trading post
here is a fact fairly well established.
Miles M. Goodyear, about fifty years
! later, was biished in this locality,
| owning all the land between the noun
| tainS and the lake for q strip about
| Ten miles MiGn 10
/ Christmases in the region and estab-
\ lished a trading post which he man
/ aged for several years until in the
| Christmas season Of 1913 he sold his
rights to the land, held under Mexi-
can grant, TO Captain James Brown,
the real pioneer founder of Ogden. Mr..
Brown paid $500 in Mexican money
| Weber county, excepting ogden val
! ley, and received a considerable num-
Der OF cattle and other property ito
boot"
He with his family, including his
sons, James and Jesse, settled at
Ogden and other families came from
Salt Lake and from the east. Land in
Ogden could be had for the asking
An enterprising settler might have
received as a Christmas present on
his first Christmas in ogden tract
of land embracing, say, all of Hooper,
Plain City or one of the five wards
in Ogden.
STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE.
The history Of Ogden since then is
similar TO that of most other Utah
towns. The little community struggled
on and each Christmas found it
stronger and found new hoInesteads
created out of the wilderness. Schools,
mills and houses of worship made their
appearance as we'll as dwellings. Genu-
Inc good cheer and thankfulness
reigned at the early Christmas festivi-
ties.
Santa Claus got around to the chill
dren and his gifts, though crude, We're
| appreciated fully as much as the more
costly presents of nowadays.
The rag dolls with eyes of red yarn
were treasured as dearly by their little
owners as are the dOllieS Of today, and
the boy was favored indeed who re-
eeived knife of any kind, even
though made Of q piece of old barrel
hoop. When all other resources failed
still Santa Claus would find something
to please the Cllild's imagination as
well as appetite in the wonderful pro-
auctions made from dough There
were homemade cakes moulded into
crude shapes, of deer, foxes, bear,
oxen, birds Of the air and fish of the
sea. Sometimes too. mimic architec-
tUral structures We're builded or moon,
stars and planets represented by the
toothSOme dalicacies placed in the times
Of the first Christmas near the little
sleeDers. There is at least one man
in Weber county, he is grandfather
now, whose recollection of his first
Christmas is that he devoured q whole
Inenagerie and q solar system made
as above described before breakfast on
that Christmas morning.
Though al accounts agree that the
early Christmases We're happy yet
there was no particular Christmas
which was signalized as Of such public
Importance that it is generally re-
: membered apart from other Christmas
days before or after. Few Of those who
lived in those days can recall with
accuracy specific events of any one
holiday.
They were too busy to keep diaries
and little thought that what they We're
doing on any particular day would
ever be considered Of interest to people
of another generation. All public bust
ness was suspended, and hence the rec
or6s are silent. People generally killed
tTeir hogs about Christmas time, and
the stores thus added to the meager
laFders aided in making the days din
s! her feast.
FIDDLER AN EARLY-DAY HERO.
There was usually religious. service
in the forenoon. and amusement in
the evening. Dancing was in vogue
from the very first.
The fiddler was a great man in the
early Christmases Of Utah. Married
4 and single, old and young, danced often
+ til daylight. Strangers were made
welcome and the hand OF fellowship
was extended especially to those Of the
same religious faith. SO long as a
stranger behaved himself there was no
disposition to pry into his back history.
Many of the social bellies who ruled in
the days of the pioneers Christmas
might, like Bret Harte's heroine, for
aught she knew have
Danced down the middle with the
Man that shot Sandy MCGEE"
The costumes We're crude. but they
were the best owned by their wearers.
The gowns were often Mother Hubbard
style, and the patent feathers of the
gentlemen were of a different patent
from those now worn at fashionable
soirees. Often the footwear in very
early days was made of rawhide, cut
out while green, and worn almost con
stantly about the foot till it hardened
in Just the form desired. The man
fortunate enough to possess a good
butcherknife wore it in a scabbard on
his hip; not for use, but to show that
he was well-to-do.
RED SHIRT FOR WOoING.
There was one red shirt that proved
a great aid to the work of Cupid in
those days. This garment gave its
wearer such a distinguished appear
ance and such a prestige that the lady
Of his choice soon yielded to his pro-