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Show UINTAH HISTORICAL SOCIETY The regular monthly meeting of the Uintah Historical Society was held Oct. 13 at the Golden - Age Center. President LaVon Wall announced that the group has a tape recorder now and society's programs will be taped and the tapes will be filed at the Uintah County Library where they can be of benefit to those interested. Carl Sowards read from journals of his grandfather, William Gibson and told of his life. William was born in Scotland April 25, 1845. Carl related that he was born on his grandfather's birthday, April 25, 1916, and was given his name, William Carl, though he was called Carl. The Gibson family came to America six years later to live in New Orleans and then St. Louis where his parents separated. Then the mother and children came to Salt Lake City, nrrivinrJ Alio Q 1Sfin William met and married Mary Lambert and they had a daughter, Mary and a son, James born in Kamas and another ' daughter, Sarah, born in Vernal, where the family moved in 1877. Between 1860 and 1877 Bill crossed the plains seven times driving oxen and assisting those who were traveling to Utah. The family pioneered the Ashley area and Bill had 1400 acres in Steinaker Draw. Ruth Sowards told of his first trips to the Uintah Basin to hunt horses which renegade Indians had stolen. He made at least four such trips which took several weeks each, and he fell in love with Ashley Valley and determined to move to the area he had sighted on such a trip. He was noted as a friend of the Indians and also served as a prominent figure in eastern Utah, being elected in November 1895 to the first Utah Legislature at the age of 50. He died Dec. 11, 1832 at the age of 87 and Mary followed him three years later, and was buried by his side in the cement vault which he had built. These and other family graves had to be moved in 1959 in order that the Steinaker Dam could' be built across the draw which would inundate the area. The next meeting will be held Nov. 10 at the Golden Age Center and the program will be given by Alice Hall on early history of the area. |