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Show December, 1945 Page Three THE CENTERVILLE NEWSETTE Written for The Sagamore Camp, Daughters of Utah Pioneers, by the late Mabel S. Randall during her last illness. (Ed. Note: This is a continuation of the story that started in the October issue.) Ebenezer Cherry was a cooper by trade and made barrels to hold sorghum, soap, ashes, cure their meat in. These rels were made on the where the Burgin home or to bar- land now stands. Richard Prophet and John Tree were the early making and repairing shoes. John Holland was a tailor by trade, and he also operated the first store. Centervilles first carpenters were John J. Harris, Thomas Whitaker, William Capener and Alfred Randall. John J. Harris owned a turning lathe and made utensils such as rolling pins and potato mashers, etc., some of these articles are still in the possession of the descendants of the early pioneers. Our Sagamor camp gavel was made by John J. Harris, given by our beloved captain, Lila Brandon. Thomas Whitaker and William Capener did cabinet work. Alfred Randall also made all kinds of furniture, but specialized in building saw mills, flour mills, and was called by the Church to go to the Sandwich islands and build the first sugar factory there. He also built the first barns in Centerville, morticing them together. He built a large barn for Charles C. Rich on what is now the John W. Woolley farm. He also built that barn that used to stand on the lot where the McIntyre and Clayton homes now stand. He also made shoe-maker- s, families came together, talked things over, and shared with each machine to Centerville. John W. Woolley and Nathan T. Porter owned the first horse driven machine for cutting grain that was brought to Centerville; and Thos. Harris owned the first mowing machine and used it to cut hay for all of his neighbors. Broom corn, for making brooms, and flax for making cord and rope and to spin into linen, and even cotton were raised by the early settlers of Centerville, but they soon found other in whatever produce they might have left in their cellars or storerooms. They were all working together, all had the same ideals. From May to Oct. rains were scarce and the land became pretty dry, so the lands were watered by little ditches and canals that had been dug from the main canyon streams that flowed from the mountains. Some fruit trees were carefully wrapped and brought in by the early pioneers. From some of the writings of Brigham Young, we find that some of their two-yeold peach trees were full of bloom in May, 1950, but were nipped by a late frost in June. By careful care and cultivation they were successful in raising all kinds of fruit and berries and nowhere can be found better flavored fruit than is raised in Centerville. Thos. Whitaker was ar nance it they gave up the idea. Late in May or the forepart of June, 1849, when the pioneers, who had worked so hard to till the soil and plant the grain and gardens, were rejoicing at the Mary Ann Harmon had 12 walnut trees, 12 almond, 2 fig and 12 quince trees, and also grape vines sent in by express from that the seasons here were not quite long enough or mild enough to grow cotton, but that it grew better in the southern part of the state. Henry Rogers Cleveland, son of Henry Alanson Cleveland, became a stone hewer, and while working on the stone work of the Salt Lake temple a flying fragment of rock flew into his eye, causing him to lose the sight. He also shaped the corner rocks for the Centerville meeting house. In later life he wove baskets of willows, supplying the housewives of Centerville with g clothes fine made, baskets. The pioneers manufactured or raised practically everything they used. However, the main industry was agriculture and stock raising. The land had to be cleared of sage brush and grease-wooHeavy drags were made of tree trunks and poles and the brush was burned. The plows were made of mountain mahogany and the shares of iron. There were various difficulties against which the farmers had to struggle. There was no market and no definite price for produce. Families lived mainly by their own production and exchanged with their neighbors. Every farm was a little kingdom by itself. When crops failed the Knights Landing on the Sacramento river in California. Some of these trees are still bearing on the William Evans property. Later, in 1855, Samuel Smith moved from Logan to Centerville and established the Davis County Nursery. Later this was sold to P. A. Dix and Company and later the Smith family established the Smith Bros. Nursery which is still operating un- - d. and morticed the roof on the east Bountiful meetinghouse . Phillip James Garn was Centervilles earliest wheelwright. The first hay and grain were cut with scythe and cradle. Jos. Cheney brought the first reaping to make a business of it. However, not having money to fi- the pioneer nurseryman of Centerville. In the spring of 1872, long-wearin- John W. Woolley aker) while they were spinning their cocoons, then placed them in hot water to kill the larvae inside, then unwound the thin thread on a reel ready for spinning and prepared it for weaving. Elizabeth Whitaker made silk neckties and a silk scarf of the natural color; also a silk vest and presented it to President President Brigham Young. so taken up with the Young was new industry he came out to their home and encouraged them Elizabeth Whitaker der management of Chas. H. Smith, son of Samuel Smith. Thos. Whitaker and his wife, Elizabeth, had the first silk worms in Utah. Brother Whitaker sent to England for the silk warm cocoons. They fed the young worms on mulberry leaves (from trees raised by Thos. Whit prospect of splendid crops of grain and vegetables, down from the mountains came hordes of black crickets, devouring every green thing in sight. Men, women and children turned out enmasse to combat the pest, driving them into ditches, running the water down to drown them, driving them upon piles of dry weeds, setting fire to them, working in every way to save their crops from destruction, but still the scourge went on and it looked as if the people faced starvation with the destruction of their crops, but the Lord heard the prayers of those faithful people and from out of the West, from their homes on the islands of the Great Salt Lake came myriads of sea gulls. At first the people were afraid the birds would finish what little had been left by the crickets. You can imagine how their hearts swelled with gratitude to God when they saw the gulls pounce down on the crickets and begin to gorge themselves so ravenously that many, Turn to page jour |