The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1914-07-09

] S~"AON hOh JuuRc OnuTIllH Copy
OF a report given from the Eleventh
Irrigation Convress of Ogden City.
f1naing the task OF writing The
history beyond his means, MIR. Frost
gave up the work. Among his papers
the writer found this manuscript and
knowing that 1t would be of general
interest at this time put 1t into type.
The following article is made up
OF this report combined with parts
oil the address of Judge Shurtliff,
not contained In the report. AL
though the article is nuite long you
will be amply repaid for reading it.
1t was hfty-nine years ago that
! hrst visited this beautiful valley.
Considerably more than half a CEN
tury has passed since / first stood
on this ground where your beautiful
city is now located.
This was then great and little
known interior. To the South the
nearest white settlers were in Utah,
$50 miles distant. To the East the
western frontier was in the states Of
Minnesota and Iowa. Only few
scattered settlers could then be
fonnd along the Pacific coast, and to
the North there was no limit tn tint
endless stretch OF barbarism. IL at
that time l had tried to estimate the
change which this country has ac-
tually undergone, my IMAGINATION
could not have proved fruitful
enough.
did not land in this country at
that time by accident. Neither was
l lost, nor alone. ] was not here on
a ishing trip, or hunting game or
gold. Nor was j merely passing
through and stupped to camp. But
l was here with company OF friends
with OK teams, and wagons loaded
with provisions and implements Of
industry. We were prepared and
Intended to remain right here aud
build a commonwealth just as you
have done.
Where We came from and how we
got here might interest you. Our
company was selected from Ogden
ana Salt Lake City. We had thir-
teen wagons and twenty-slx yoke Of
oxen. AS / have said before, our
wagons we're loaded with implements
Of industry and provi ,ions to last us
a year. We were we'll organized to
keep ourselves orderly, and well
armed to portect ourselves from saw
age Indians.
On May 10th, 1855, company was
organized on the West side Of Bear
river, Utah, for the purpose of colon
izing the Great Northwest. The
company consisted CT twenty seven
men with thirteen wagons, twenty
FIVE yoke of cattle, few COWS and
in plements Of industry. The person.
mel OF the company was;
Thomas S. Smith, Ezra J. Barnard
and Isaac Shepherd, Of Pennington,
Davis county, Utah; Baldwin II.
Watts, of South Weber, Utah: Geo.
K. Grant, KaysVille; Charles Dalton,
Israel J. Calrk, OF Centerville; VIM.
VI. Bachelor, Ira Ames, william
Bundridge, Of Salt Lake: Thomas
Butterheld, West Jordon; William
Burgess, Provo; Abraham Zundel,
and Everett Lish, willard; FraucilO
Durfee, David Moore, Benjamin +.
Cummings, Gilbert Il. Bslknap,
Joseph Parry, Nathaniel Leavitt,
Pleasant Green Taylor, Charles Nc
Geary, John Gallagher, John W.
Browning, DAVID II. Stevens. viii
liam Burch, Geo. Hill OF Ogden,
Utah.
The following officers we're elected
President, Thomas S. Smith; Cap
tain, Francillo Durfee; Secretary,
David Moore Captain Of the Guard,
b. +. Cummings.
10 our company there were men
Who could lead colouizers, aud men
who could follow and obeV orders
men who could speak the Indian
tongue, and men vino could make
peace treaties With the InaIans.
There were men who we're wheel
wrights and could mend our wagons
when they needed II In fact Wt
we're skilled In the necessary crafts
which 20 to make up a successful
community. We could shoe or OK
en-. repair our own shoes, make buck.
skin clothing. turn the Wild products
Of Ature into palatabie focds, and
at the same time eiviIizs, Christian
ize and teach the natives how TO live
ike whiIemen.
Thus organized, on the both day Of
May, the COMPANY CONNIE seed their
journey. They travelled up Nalad
valley and crossed the BannOck
mountains, down BanDock creek.
crossed Portneuf river, and Ross
Fork and BlackfOot river. thence un.
til they reached Snake river, which
they crossed at a pOiot tive miles
above old Fort Hall and nesF Ross
Butte, and Travelled on the west side
OF the river until they reached a
ruflaz -