BIOGRAPHIES - LORIN FARR PART 16

OTHER SETTLEMENTS

In addition to the settlements located adjacent to the five forts which finally became part of Ogden City other towns sprang up as the population increased. There were five other towns established by 1850, three more by 1853 and by the end of the nineteenth century there were twenty-two towns and cities thriving. Some of these towns included Farr West, Wilson , West Weber, Taylor , Plain City , Warren , West Warren, Hooper, Roy , Kanesville, Huntsville , Eden , Liberty , North Ogden , Unitah, Riverdale, Burch Creek, Harrisville, Slaterville, and Marriott. Lorin Farr as stake president was active in directing the settlement of many of these communities. For instance he called John Marriott to settle just north of Ogden City in a town that became known as Marriott. At the close of the nineteenth century Marriott had a population of 250 with 1500 acres of good farming land. The land and layout of Plain City was designated by President Farr in 1850.

It is interesting to note some of the origins of the names of the various settlements mentioned in Weber County . Eden , was named after the Biblical Garden of Eden by David Jenkins, because this Eden reminded him of the original Eden . Farr West was named after Lorin Farr and Chauncey West. Harrisville in 1868 was named to honor Martin Harris, one of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon. Hooper was named after Captain William H. Hooper. Huntsville honored Captain Jefferson Hunt of the Mormon Battalion. Kanesville was named after Colonel Thomas Kane, lifelong friend of the Latter Day Saints. Liberty was named such while one neighbor, John Freeman, was in conversation with another neighbor and said 'people sure take full liberty here in letting their range cattle roam on one another's land'. Then he said, 'well I guess this is where I got my liberty so it's fitting to call this place, ' Liberty .' Ogden , as already mentioned, was named after the famed explorer and trapper, Peter Skene Ogden. Plain City was first known as the City of the Plains and was renamed to Plain City . Pleasant View contains an excellent view of the valley and the Great Salt Lake . Roy was named after the recently deceased son of David Peebles. Slaterville was settled in 1852, honoring Richard Slater. Uintah was named after the Ute Indians. Wilson was named after Barlow Wilson.

Uintah (East Weber) was established by the coming of the surveyors of the railroad, marking out a route through Weber Canyon . It was located immediately below the mouth of the Weber Canyon . During the Walker War of 1854 the people of East Weber built a fort, which encompassed an area about 1/4 mile east to west and 500 feet north to south. The walls were constructed of mud. The traveler William Chandless described the fort as follows: "Crossing my old friend the Weber, that enters the valley through an impassable ravine on its way to the salt water, I reached the village of the same name, a single street of cottages for some 300 single street of cottages for some 300 yards in length, with their gardens behind, and the whole enclosed by an earthen wall, with a gateway at each end of the oblong; the wall gave rather a snug look to the place, and against Indians may be effectual." Agriculture and gardening were the main food support. During the late fifties and sixties charcoal was made and sold to supplement income. The workers cut cedar trees down from a heavy growth from the sand hills to the east of town. These were cut and piled in heaps, covered with dirt and burned to charcoal. They also operated a saw mill that cut trees floated down the Weber River from up in the canyon. As with all these small communities their activities centered around the church and school. The most prosperous years for Unitah came when the surveyors laid a railroad line into East Weber. In 1867 the town name was changed by order of the court to Easton where the railroad station named Deseret was built. Within a year or two Unitah became the official name for both East Weber and Easton . Unitah then became the terminating point for rail passengers and freight. There were two stagecoach lines in operation from Uintah south. The stagecoaches carried from eleven to fourteen passengers including the driver and the conductor. When mail was being carried a bugle was sounded at each bend of the road so other traffic could get off as the mail always had the right of way. A large freight office was established where the train could unload its freight for shipment in the territory. The great freight wagons were loaded being drawn by six or eight mules. The driver had a long whip to encourage his mules to greater effort accompanied by great bursts of profanity. Over a hundred business concerns were there to serve the growing population and workers. It was a wild and woolly western town for its short years of prosperity. When a railroad line was completed between Uintah and Salt Lake , the town was rapidly deserted and many businesses went broke. The real boom years lasted from 1869 until 1872. This gives you a sample of how one of these towns developed. It is not my intent to cover all the communities in this manner.

The source of much of our Ogden information is derived from Beneath Ben Lomond 's Peak by Milton R. Hunter. We would refer the reader to this book for more in depth coverage on communities and personalities of the settlers than we can cover here. I do want to mention the Farr West settlement because that town was named after Lorin Farr. Farr West was separated off from Harrisville, a town six miles northwest of Ogden City . The division came in 1890 as the Harrisville Ward became big enough for splitting off. The size of the town is three miles north to south and one and one half miles east to west. It was named after both Lorin Farr and Chauncy West who of course played key roles in the settling of Weber County . By the beginning of the 20 th Century the town had a small population of 200. Their old homes of ax-hewn cottonwood logs with dirt roofs and floors were now replaced by modern brick buildings. Soon they had electric lights, telephones and water supplied to the homes.

Plain City is an exception to the rule that Ogden City served as the colonizing hub of Weber County . In the fall of 1858 a group from Lehi came exploring in the Weber area in search of a new home. A member of the party, Daniel Collett, approached President Lorin Farr and said, "President Farr, we represent a group of Lehi citizens who are in search of a more suitable place to locate permanently. Water is rather scarce at our home town. Last spring when your people camped on the Provo River bottoms, a number of them informed us that water was plentiful and soil rich in Weber County ." Lorin Farr replied, " I know the exact spot which would be ideal for a new settlement. It lies approximately ten miles northwest of Ogden on a rich plain. The soil is fertile and deep." But how about water?" asked Joseph Skeen. "The place I have in mind is situated only slightly over a mile from the Weber River . Canals could be dug very easily, supplying you with all the water you need. Come, brethren, I'll go with you and show you the place. I know the lay of the country well, since I have pastured my cattle in that district during the past few years." The people from Lehi were very pleased with what they saw. Returning home they planned a move. On March 10, 1859 a company of 100 settlers from Lehi headed north to their new home in Weber Valley . The roads were muddy and the progress painstakingly slow, requiring seven days of travel. The colonists set to work planning and surveying their town site and farming lands. The town was laid out in square blocks, each containing five acres and divided into four lots. One block centrally located, was designated the ' Public Square ,' where the church, schoolhouse and other public buildings were built. This pattern was originally established by the Prophet Joseph Smith and repeated in hundreds of places in the West by Brigham Young. The first city plat at Plain City was three blocks wide and six blocks long. Streets were laid off at night with the aid of the North Star and measured with a rope. So accurate were the measurements that when later surveyed by Jesse W. Fox, not one line was changed. A field one mile square was measured east of town and was enclosed with a willow fence. Each family was given a city lot and 20 acres of land in the 'Big Field,' as it was called. The infant settlement was only two months old when it was visited by President Lorin Farr and Bishop Chauncy West to organize the saints into a branch.)

Although not a town, what became known as the 'Utah Hot Springs' is worth mentioning since Lorin Farr and others from Ogden enjoyed its benefits. In fact Lorin Farr died there on January 12, 1909, at age 89, while enjoying the springs. It was about 1878 when Rason H. Salter, a veterinarian, discovered the benefits of these springs located nine miles north of Ogden at the Box Elder-Weber County line. Slater had occasion to travel between his home in Salt Lake and Brigham City via the old narrow gauge Utah & Northern Railway. On these trips he noticed the boiling hot springs which rose on either side of the tracks. In cold weather these springs sent billowing clouds of steam in the air often enveloping the train. On one occasion the train stopped and Mr. Slater took a sample of the reddish hot water back to Salt Lake to compare it to the water from the hot springs near Salt Lake . He observed that the Ogden water did not have the odor or nor reaction associated with sulphur waters where he lived. Slater also discovered that the Ogden hot water was laced with several minerals. He used it to treat sick horses and cattle with beneficial results. In 1880 he paid the United States Receiver of the Territory of Utah $400.00 for a title to the mineral waters of the homestead land claim he had filed earlier on the land. Slater borrowed heavily to develop his property for bathing facilities and a health resort. In 1889 he sold it for $50,000 to the 'Ogden Hot Springs Railway and Health Resort Company' who greatly expanded the facilities to include a race track, livery stable and an ice plant. The hot springs became a popular resort for the people in the surrounding country. In 1892 it resold for $160,000.

The founding of Huntsville up the Ogden River in the Ogden Valley is worth mentioning for many reasons. One reason is that Huntsville produced the ninth president of the church, David O. McKay. Captain Jefferson Hunt led a group of pioneers including his family to settle up the Ogden River . Hunt had been in the Mormon Battalion and in his honor the tiny settlement was named. Issac McKay, Thomas Bingham, Christian Schade and others contributed to the development of this town. It was here on September 8, 1873 that David O. McKay was born. His father, David McKay, had been a bishop for 20 years and contributed greatly to the success of the community. His name is revered in the town history. Here David O. McKay would be raised in a home where the performance of every religious duty was a part of every day life and respect for parents was impressed on him. David O. McKay would serve a mission to the British Isles (1897-1899) and return home to teach and serve as principal. His love, enthusiasm and excellent administrative abilities greatly enhanced the Weber Academy . His talents were known by the church and in 1906 he was ordained an apostle by President Joseph F. Smith. David O. McKay was just 33 years of age and would serve the church for many years as an apostle, member of the First Presidency and finally President of the church from 1951 until 1967.

In July 1857 Lorin Farr, Isaac Newton Goodale and others surveyed and staked out the Ogden Canyon road. Construction on the road began in September 1858 and was completed in November of 1860 and was opened to the public. It was a toll road. In 1865 the Ogden Canyon Road Company applied to the Utah Assembly for papers of incorporation which were granted and it was incorporated with stock valued at $4,158. President Lorin Farr, Superintendent Isaac Goodale and Apostle John Taylor were the three largest shareholders. The toll road continued until 1882 when it was turned over to the county at fifty cents on the dollar and became a public road. The charges to use the road were $1.00 for loaded wagons, 50 cents for a wagon box and 25 cents for horsemen. Wood, hay and farm produce were accepted as pay. If payments were delinquent, people would be refused use. The toll gate swung in a heavy wooden framework and completely blocked the road. The gate was situated a mile above 1251 Canyon Road . It cost $19,000 to build the road to Huntsville .

The Ogden Valley inhabitants enjoyed their summers more than those down in the city due to their elevation. This had its drawbacks as the winters could be severe. In the winter of 1879-80 the people of Eden were snowbound and in danger of starvation. One of its brave citizens, Teancum Taylor, took fourteen head of pack horses in February and broke a trail through the deep snow of over Daniel's Canyon and down into Heber City . He brought back 2800 pounds of flour saving the lives of the people. On March 12, 1875, a large snow slide came down Bridge Canyon at Liberty . James Burt had just left his house when he heard a loud rumbling noise. He turned to see his house, wife and four children being carried away with the snow. His loud and frantic cries for help rang out over the valley as he ran down the slope to the assistance of his family. The house was carried four blocks before the snow slide stopped moving. Neighbors came running and desperately dug in the snow to rescue the family. The mother and three children were saved but the youngest, a baby girl, died.

In 1866 up to 1,000 Shoshone Indians visited Huntsville putting on an Indian dance forming a large circle. They danced and sang, dangling the scalp of a recently killed Arapaho Indian on long stick. They displayed this gruesome sight as they put on a sham fight. Seven Shoshone braves had recently battled a superior number of Arapaho and came off victorious with the scalp as a trophy. As Brigham Young did, President A.F. Hammond, determined that the best way to soften the hearts of the Indians towards the settlers was through their stomachs. This also was the policy of President Lorin Farr. President Hammond called for donations to the Indians. Four cattle, nine sheep and several sacks of flour and from 50 to 75 bushels of potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, etc., were delivered to the Indians. It seems a cheap trade off for the saving of lives and loss of property through Indian raids.

Many Indian stories were told by the pioneers as they observed the Shoshone and other tribes. Mrs Mary R. Jessop, of Ogden , Utah told a hair raising story of Indians fighting. She related that the men always took their guns into the fields in the event of trouble with the Indians. She said that the signal for Indian trouble was the firing of three shots. One day in Huntsville they received a terrible scare as several shots were fired. She ran out and stood on the fence post to see what was happening. As she did so a bear raced right by her. She stood on her tip toes to avoid him. Her Uncle, Enoch Crowell, chased the bear with his gun, which he called 'Sally Ann.' He finally killed the bear. During the first summer at Huntsville she reported that she and her brother went to observe an Indian battle between warring Shoshone and Cheyenne tribes. The Cheyenne Indians, all dressed and painted for battle came following the Shoshone who had camped in a large field by the river that belonged to her father. Apparently the Indians had been doing battle and the Cheyenne were in hot pursuit of the Shoshone. The two young children hid in a tree across the river from the scene of this battle. As they watched, the 50 to 75 men of the camp were excitedly setting up several tepees for their families. Some of the men had guns, but most only bows and arrows. Then came the Cheyenne , about fifty mounted men, to attack the Shoshone. Before the battle began two settlers on the Indian side of the river were evacuated by men from Huntsville . The shouting and fighting of the battling Indians could be heard in Huntsville and many settlers were terrified. Meanwhile, the two young observers in the tree felt lucky to have ringside seats for the event. They enjoyed watching the Indian soldiers ride hanging over the saddles and firing arrows under their horses' necks. The event that decided the contest was the death of the Cheyenne chief who led his men valiantly into battle but was felled by a Shoshone bullet. After fighting over the body, the Cheyenne lost heart and carried their dead leader back over the trail they had come. When Mary and her brother got home they were scolded. However, this did not deter them from going down to the river again that night and observing the Indians in a wild celebration of their victory. There was also crying and mourning over wounded and lost Shoshone Indians. The following day these daredevil pioneer children even slipped quietly into the Indian camp and looked at the Indian scalps hung out to dry. They were finally discovered by a tall Indian and sent scampering home with a warning. From then on they stayed on the Huntsville side of the river. The residents felt these same Shoshone had raided an immigrant train, as they had a white baby and girl about five. Offer to buy these children by the pioneers was refused by the Indians saying the children were half-breeds.

Many other Indian stories found in the book, Beneath Ben Lomond's Peak, which we have liberally quoted from for this history can be found in Chapter 19. Some stories of the white settlers adopting Indian children that were orphaned due to war or sickness, are quite interesting. Many Indian children were raise by the pioneers but still longed to know about their Indian families.

INDUSTRIES

Brigham Young had set the tone for pioneer industries in the founding of the many Utah towns when he said in 1847:

'Come immediately and prepare to go West, bringing with you all kinds of choice seeds, grains, vegetables, fruits, shrubbery, trees, and vines-everything that will please the eye, gladden the heart or cheer the soul of man, that grow upon theface of the earth; also the best stock of birds, beasts or fowl of every kind; also the best tools of every description; machinery for spinning and weaving, and dressing of wool, cotton, flax, and silk; or models or descriptions of the same by which we can construct them; and the same in relation to all kinds of farming utensils and husbandry, such as corn shellers, grain threshers and cleaners, smut machines, mills and every implement and article within your knowledge that shall tend to promote the comfort, health, happiness, or prosperity of any people.'

As the saints were driven from their well-established homes in Nauvoo, Brigham Young knew that in addition to their faith in God, they would need to depend on their own devices and ingenuity to survive in the western wilderness. His statement in 1847 is like that of a modern day Noah instructing his people to take all of the seeds, animals and implements necessary for survival as they crossed the sea of prairies ahead of them before reaching the promised land. The way would not be easy but they would create a legacy that their descendants would memorialize and remember forever.

The settlers of Ogden followed the advice of Brigham Young and soon were actively engaged in the two most important industries of this early era - agriculture and stock raising. The people of Ogden were fortunate in having two of the most important natural resources in abundant supply - fertile soil and plenty of water. They had the best supply of water of any community in Utah . The greatest challenge they found was in providing the tools to do the farming. Their plow shares were manufactured from the tires of broken down wagons. The tires were taken to the blacksmith who beat them into strips for plowing and the woodwork being constructed by a carpenter. In 1858 Christopher Olson Folkman was given recognition for building the best plow. He used tires and native timber for beams and handles. The farmers also made their own horseshoe nails and other tools needed in carrying out their work. The pioneers had brought all kinds of seeds to Ogden . Once they got the plant growing, they harvested their own seeds to multiply their crops. James Brown brought wheat, corn, watermelon, cabbage, and turnip seeds from California in the spring of 1848.

Harvesting was a daunting task in pioneer days as crops were cut with scythes and sickles, tied in bundles by hand, and pitched on the old ox cart or wagon. The grain is was hauled to be laid on the threshing floor to dry. Sometimes horses or oxen were driven over the laid out crops to help separate the grain from the chaff. If the wind was blowing, the same effect could be had by throwing the harvested crops in the air. The McQuarrie family reported that the whole family harvested blade by blade of grain as they crawled amongst an unusual luxuriant growth of sunflowers to obtain the grain. Then they laid it out on the floor while the father flailed it. Taking the grain to the mill run by Lorin Farr it was ground into wheat.

Ogden was more fortunate than other parts of Utah as they had two major rivers along with several smaller streams that flowed into the valley making irrigation of crops easier. Goodyear's vegetable garden had been irrigated by hauling buckets of water to it. Captain James Brown's sons did the first real irrigation by diverting water from Canfield Creek in 1848. In that same year a canal was begun from the Weber River which was completed two years later. Ezra Chase and others diverted water from the Ogden River forming what was known as Mill Creek. Mill Creek got its name from the fact that Lorin Farr established the first sawmill and flour mill on its banks.

Brigham Young instructed Lorin Farr to build the first sawmill and gristmill for the benefit of the settlers. The sawmill was erected in 1851 above 1251 Canyon Road (currently near 13 th St and Harrison Blvd ). The sawmill, gristmill (flour mill) and woolen mill were all next to each other originally. This was about 700 feet northeast of Farr's Fort. A canal named Mill Creek was constructed from the Ogden River to his mill sites about one mile distant. The sawmill was continued until 1862 at which time it was moved closer into the city. The sawmill was operated until 1873. After moving the flour mill, Lorin and a couple of associates built a woolen factory on the site.

Lorin Farr was the first man to tap the Ogden River as a source of power for his mills. During the busy seasons these mills would run day and night.

Logs were cut and slid down the snow-covered mountains in winter. They were floated down river to a mill pond and were then taken to the saws which were run by water power. Thereby, lumber was furnished for many of Ogden 's early homes. The pressing need for lumber forced the settlers to find new stores of timber. Every morning a gang of sturdy pioneer pioneers would shoulder their axes and climb the mountain on the south side of Ogden Canyon . They descended into the gorge and would mark each of the trees they cut into logs. Then they would float them down the Ogden River for retrieval down river. The transportation of the logs was particularly effective during the spring floods of the river. Then each man would look for and take his logs to Lorin Farr's sawmill. Lorin Farr would get one half the logs as his compensation for cutting them. At that time it was worth $10 per hundred feet. Other men would soon build sawmills at various locations.

The building of the L.D.S. Tabernacle beginning of the hard winter of 1855-56 with 40 to 50 families in Ogden was a major construction accomplishment. William Nicol Fife, builder, assisted by Walter Thompson, was called by Brigham Young to the task. A call was made for every able-bodied man to donate time to this project. This project was supervised by President Lorin Farr of the Weber Stake. The lumber was dry red pine dragged from Strong's Canyon through the snow with the lumber being cut at Lorin Farr's mill. The roof arches were fastened with wooden pegs or arches were fastened with wooden pegs or pins in the place of nails. Nails were priced at $100 a keg. All the finishing and flooring were done by hand as there was no machinery. The foundation was made of rock and mud and the walls of adobe two feet thick. The adobe was made at Lorin Farr's adobe yards.The seating capacity was 1200. The men worked hard all day often with milk as their only food. The men's clothing was so patched over that you could hardly tell the original garment. Their shoes when they became wet became so hard and dried that it was difficult getting into them. It was completed enough in 1857 that the Ogden Militia, called to meet the invading U.S. Army, could drill in the tabernacle. The floor was of dirt. It was dedicated later and was the largest first building of any size completed at the time in Ogden .

On June 24, 1855 Brigham Young came to Ogden to check the lines for the public square and gave orders to build the tabernacle on the southeast corner of the square. On this spot James Brown was at the time building a two-story adobe house. He relinquished his right to the spot in exchange for another piece of property nearby. The tabernacle was completely done in 1859 and dedicated.

Weber County 's first grist mill was built by Lorin Farr in the fall of 1850. It was done in time to grind all the wheat raised in 1850. It was a two-story building measuring 30 by 40 feet situated at what is now 1251 Canyon Road . (Currently near 13 th St. and Harrison St .) It was constructed from rock and lumber supplied by the sawmill. The grain was ground by use of burrs or millstones. The bottom millstone stayed stationery while the top millstone was propelled by wooden paddles turned by water power. The grain sifted slowly through the numerous grooves chiseled at forty-five degree angles on the burrs. The first burrs made by Lorin Farr were from rocks up Weber Canyon . They proved too soft, cracking and crumbling. The next burrs were made from the granite similar to that used in the construction of the Salt Lake Temple . This proved too hard which caused sparks and scorching of the grain. Other experiments ensued until suitable material was found. The first burrs used were forty-seven inches in diameter and twelve inches thick. In 1862 Lorin Farr erected a new gristmill at about 1950 Washington Blvd. The millstone used on this sight was brought from Vermont to Omaha , going by way of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers .. The Farr mill on Washington Boulevard was destroyed twice by fire and finally rebuilt of brick and rock. It was four stories high and a substantial stone and frame building. The mill had a capacity of 10,000 pounds of flour per day. It was leased and operated for several years by Thomas and Isaac Farr and known as 'The Ogden Mills.' After being operated for 35 years by the Farrs, it was sold to Joseph Clark and David Eccles and became known as the 'Advance Roller Mill.' Several other mills came into being as Ogden developed. The erection of this flour mill saved the settlers from traveling to John Neff's flour mill south of Salt Lake . It was then hauled overland by ox team to Ogden . James Beus was dispatched to pick up the millstone. He was paid $40 a month for his work.

During earlier days the grain was hauled in by the farmers and they waited while the grain was ground. It was then decided that rather than doing it individually, time would be saved by just putting it all into one pile, processing it and the correct amount of flour given to each farmer. This was the beginning of mass production in flour in Ogden . In the city directory of 1883 the mill was described as a substantial stone building with frame wings and stone houses. The power was supplied by a flume, one mile in length, running from the Ogden River to the mill. There were four stone burrs with a capacity of 10,000 pounds of flour per day. John P. Williams ground the first and last grist from 1862 until 1897. Many of the Montana mining camps were supplied with flour from this mill.

United States Senator Clark of Montana was among those who came to Lorin's mill to purchase flour.

A monument to 'The First Grist Mill In Weber County,' was dedicated Feb. 7, 1948 which stated 'This flour mill was built in the fall of 1850 by Lorn Farr, first mayor of Ogden , and continued to operate until 1862. It was a 30 x 40 foot two-story building of lumber and rock. The grain was ground by the use of burrs several of which were set up.' John Stonebrecker was the first miller.

Lorin Farr put up natural ice in 1863 from the Mill Pond. It was located north of the west end of the Ogden City Cemetery and east of Washington Blvd. When the ice froze about a foot thick, it was sawed into slabs and stored in a frame building. The ice was stacked six inches from the sides of the building. Then sawdust was placed in this space and on top of the pile to keep the ice from melting. Thomas Farr, son of Lorin, built the first ice storage houses for commercial use. Later the Asael Farr Ice Company was formed to manufacture ice for public and home use.

Eventually adobe was substituted for the ever-scarce lumber in building homes. Where the soil consisted of superior clay, the permanent adobe yards would be established. Lorin Farr's adobe yard was at 20 th Street and Grant Avenue . Other building materials would follow making homes even nicer. Stone quarries, brickyards and lime quarries provided sturdy home materials. Following these materials we find the profession of architects, builders, plasterers, painters, tinsmiths and plumbers provided services to homeowners and a living for themselves.

From the beginning the cattle industry flourished as there were hundreds of acres of luxuriant grass for the cattle. There were community herd grounds for sheep and cattle. Before these animals were fenced in the boys would drive them from the community grounds up into the mountains in the Spring, Summer and Fall to feed. Then they would bring them back at night. The charge was $1 per month per animal later rising to $1.50 per head. Many of the families had their own cows which they milked, having butter and cheese for their own use. As the population grew and there were less people who owned their own cows, others formed a business of selling milk and other related products. Dairies and butcher shops later formed to carry on the work. Ogden City became one of the principal centers of the cattle and meat packing industry in the Rocky Mountain States .

Black smithing was another important industry in early Ogden . The Blacksmiths shod horses, made wagon wheels and many other implements of use in pioneer life. Scrap iron was gathered by pioneers crossing the plains. Travelers coming through Utah would trade iron for grain or other foodstuffs. Wagons from the ill-advised Johnston 's Army added to the supply of badly needed iron. There were 22 blacksmiths listed in the 1850 Ogden census. Jonathan Browning was more than a blacksmith, he was a master mechanic. He learned his trade in Tennessee and practiced it at Nauvoo and Council Bluffs before coming to Utah . Jonathan brought with him an anvil, bellows, a foot lathe and some tools. His shop was located on the east side of Washington Boulevard between 24 th and 25 th Streets. In this shop he constructed the first iron rolling molasses mill. Besides the duties of the average blacksmith, he repaired guns, made some of the first nails, fire tongs, fire shovels and pokers, horseshoes, hoes, shovels and grubbing hoes used in Ogden . Because of his talented sons, the Browning name would flourish as a leading manufacturer of guns and armourments in later years. Ogden would make two or three attempts at manufacturing iron without any long term success.

Many other industries were developed in Ogden . They included photography, barbers, breweries, bakeries, broom making, producing various foodstuffs, laundries, making blasting powder, leather works and mining. Some industries that were established in Ogden during pioneer times are seldom heard of today. These industries were soap maker, cooper, wagon maker, millwright, wheelwright, saddler, saddle tree maker, sail maker, draper, potter, wood carver and yeoman.

In the 1851 census there were 1141 people in the Weber area. This included 200 farmers, 155 students, one schoolmaster, six teachers, 20 blacksmiths, 19 carpenters, 10 tailors, eight masons, five coopers, three saddlers, three millwrights, two wagon makers, one gardener, clerk, tanner, currier, potter, engineer, dentist, cabinet maker, machinist, woodcarver, soapmaker, dairyman, bookbinder, baker, artist, printer, peddler, tinker, chari maker, butcher, stonesmith, soldier and sailor.

On December 20, 1857 President Heber C. Kimball made these remarks in the Salt Lake City Tabernacle. 'Brother Lorin Farr came up to see me a few evenings ago and he said he had raised a crop of flax; it was not thought to be much, but he went to work with his men and gathered it and retted it. He has dressed it and has got an even one hundred pounds of beautiful flax, as good flax as he ever saw in the states, and good lent on it, better than he ever knew there. How much will that hundred pounds of flax make when dressed, It will make about one hundred and 25 yards of good cloth; pound will make more than a yard...'

Elder Franklin D. Richards reported to the authorities in Salt Lake in 1866 that things were quite prosperous in Ogden with a number of co-operative stores operating including one formed by the amalgamation of two stores-perry and Co.'s with Lorin Farr and Co. Z.C.M.I. was established in Ogden at the southwest corner of 4 th and Main. David H. Peery was its first president and manager. Later in 1880 a new and bigger Z.C.M.I. store was built at 24 th and Main . This store was 100 x 115 feet and three stories high with 800,000 bricks in it and 250,000 feet of lumber. The approximate cost was $250,000. On February 4, 1881 Lorin Farr with President John Taylor, Joseph F. Smith, Franklin D. Richards and others attended to the dedication of this store.

The flour mill started by Lorin Farr stood idle for some time until Lorin Farr and other's converted the mill to a woolen mill in 1867 In 1867 Lorin Farr, Alfred Randall, Philip Pugsley and William C. Neal combined to organize 'The Ogden Woolen Mills.' In 1867 they constructed a 90 by 40 foot large stone building that was three stories high. There was a brick wing and two frame buildings separate from the main building. This gave enough room for the machinery needed to produce the wool. This factory was built under the supervision of Alfred Randall who was a first class builder and carpenter. The buildings were located at 1251 Canyon where the 'Old Mill Site,' had been located.

Wid Fuller and Alfred Randall Jr. were sent to Julesburg , Nebraska for the machinery which weighed 55,000 pounds and cost $60,000 (including freighting) They took with them two large heavy bungling freight wagons drawn by nine span of mules to each wagon and trailer. The machinery arrived in the fall of 1867 and was installed in early 1868. The completion of this woolen mill was a great cause for celebration as it was a major industry in northern Utah . There was a large celebration with a banquet, dance and general good time. Many of the civic and general authorities were present along with many people from the area coming in sleighs, wagons and other conveyances, bringing picnic baskets. Alfred Randall acted as master of ceremonies with remarks by Franklin D. Richards, Lorin Farr and William Clayton. Others also made comments with the celebration going until 2:00 A.M. in the morning.

Early in 1868 the mill was put into operation. President Brigham Young came to see the mill in operation as he had called Alfred Randall to put the project together. Even with rumbling of the heavy machinery there was no tremor in the substantial stone structure erected for the mill. There were 1200 panes of glass in the factory. There were 360 spindles at work, two broad power looms for the manufacture of blankets and four narrow looms for the weaving of cloth of ordinary width. With such factories around the Utah territories the people could look forward to supplying their own needs. As business increased a forty horsepower boiler and engine were installed to supply energy for the new machinery. Lorin Farr had apparently become sole owner in 1883 as the mill was listed in the 'Ogden City Directory,' as 'Farr's Woolen Mills.' For a number of years Lorin's son's, Enoch and Ezra Farr managed the mill under Lorin's direction. The mill was later sold to a cooperative concern that involved another Lorin Farr son, John, and John Hendrickson, Charles Cross, George Browning, M.S. Browning and M.S. Marriott. Later it became 'The Old Mill Inn.'

Dyes were developed early on from roots, bark, weeds, leaves, vegetables and other natural plants in the area. Cotton, flax, silk and other textiles were produced.

Some of the products made were blankets, flannels, linseys, jeans and other cloth goods. Other articles made were men's and women's apparel including men's suits. The wool used was purchased principally from the ranchers of northern Utah . A good share of the market for these goods was also found among the ranchers.

The woolen factory made nothing but woolen goods as cotton mixture was not used until the early 1880's. In 1875 Lorin Farr became sole owner by purchase. In the early 1880's about 150 men and women were employed there.

The woolen mill was enthusiastically accepted by the pioneers as they would have more protection from the cold winter days that they had endured with less suitable clothing for so many years. They would also have be able to cover their beds. The machinery was powered by water from Mill Creek. The grist mill was moved to another location. Later on a forty horse power boiler was installed to proved extra power at low water periods. The factory manufactured nothing but woolen goods as cotton mixture was not used until the early eighties. The factory produced some of the finest woolen goods and yarns that ever came into Utah . Such goods as broadcloth, cashmere, linsey-woolsey blankets, yarns, etc. were produced. The majority of the stockings were hand knit by the mother's from the yarn produced in the factory. John Farr recalls working at the factory as an apprentice under one of the card operators. He stated that in the early eighties 150 men and women worked at the factory. In 1881 there were two picking machines, one spinning mule with 360 spindles, one spinning jack with less spindles, three large blanket looms, twelve small cloth looms, scouring plant, dyeing vats, drying racks, yarn machinery, finishing, packing, storing, warehouse, shipping and show rooms. There was also a rock building boarding house across the street.

John went a little further in detail talking about the card machinery he was assigned to. The card machinery consisted of three large machines each one having a large cylinder with several small cylinders all covered with wire cloth. After receiving the wool from the packing machine, it went through the first breaker onto spools. After 48 bobbins were filled and placed on the second break rack, the wool went through a process of refinement onto bobbins or spools which required 48 of them to go to the finisher. These 48 spools were further refined and ended in many threads on a 36-inch spool ready for the mule or jack spinning machine. It was a constant challenge for the workers as they had to splice the threads right away when they broke. It was a two-man job but John ended up doing it himself until he finally grew tired of the process and quit. He was making $1.50 a day to do the two man job.

Early professions in Ogden included attorneys, bankers, artists, medical practitioners and others. The early saints were encouraged by Brigham Young and other leaders to handle the legal problems through church courts rather than settling disputes in the legal courts.

The early church leaders had had their fill of lawyers out to get Joseph Smith and other leaders on trumped up charges. Brigham Young once said, "Do you think we should want any lawyers in our society? No, I think not.....I feel about them as Peter of Russia is said to have felt when he was in England . He saw and heard the lawyers pleading at a great trial there, and he was asked his opinion concerning them. He replied that he had two lawyers in his empire, and when he got home he intended to hang one of them. "Not but lawyers are good in their places; but where is their place? I cannot find it?" Ogden had only one attorney for the first twenty years. A young artist by the name of Luke Cranshaw worked at modeling clay into human forms. He completed a bust of Lorin Farr for future posterity. Early medicine consisted of some interested individuals who brought books of medicine to Utah . These early settlers also used knowledge from the Indians regarding the use of herbs and plants in healing diseases. The following were some of the roots and herbs used for their medical value: horehound, for colds and coughs; flax seed, for poultices; arnica, in making ointment and liniment; marshmallow, hops, and wild mustard seed, for poultices; dandelion root, blood purifier; dandelion beer made from the plant and hop leaves, sassafras and sienna, sulphur and molasses, all used as spring tonics; burned sulphur for house disinfectant; chopped raw carrots mixed with coal oil, for croup; hop blossoms put in a bag under the pillow for headaches. Midwives were active delivering the babies born to pioneer women. The professions were rounded out with doctors, dentists, druggists and hospitals.

(This biographical statement is reprinted from the ongoing biography of Lorin Farr, pages 109-127 by David J. Farr.)