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Show Utah Thursday, February 19, 1976 BOX ELDER JOURNAL, Brigham City, 15 ' ' I Our Heritage FFtto wsf jf imi by Sarah Yates There are three forts In Brlg-ham Citys history: the Davis Fort, the Box Elder Fort, and a rock wall begun to enclose the central part of town but not completed. Mrs. Veara Fife and Mrs. Chloe Petersen of Brigham City have been compiling a directory of early residents, and, the following article Is based on a narrative that they have prepared to accompany the listings In their directory. This story deals with the Davis Fort, with the next to deal with the building of the Box Elder Fort. In the fall of 1850 three men came to what is now Brigham City, which at that time was a part of the area designated as Weber county, following the stream through the canyon to the east and finding a sizeable stream of clear flowing water with trees and shrubs along its bank. Although there were some cottonwood trees, the most numerous were at Box Elder trees. This prompted William Davis, leader of the party, to name the canyon Box Elder and the stream Box Elder creek which later gave the settlement its first name and also became the county name. With William Davis were James Brook(s) and Thomas Pierce, and they formed a scouting party to locate a suitable area for their future homes. Through the canyon they noted abundant edible fruits and berries, wild currants, elderberries, chokecher-ries- , and huckleberries which would be welcomed as food for their families. SuevE !.. lii.il 'i are noted on a map using the street names and noting the public buildings that were included on the official city survey map made by N.P. Anderson, county surveyor, and approved by the Brigham City council on Aug. 26, 1 892. The Welsh OLD FORT LOCATIONS colony was located further south than the boundary of the map, right on the city boundaries between Brigham City and Three Mile Creek (Perry). The forts were not round, but their location is noted with circles on the map. Christmas seal drive Goal nears 81 The 1975 Christmas Seal Campaign in Utah has achieved 81 percent of its $105,000 goal, it was announced by John Singh, Corinne, volunteer director for the Utah Lung association. He .said that contributions nowotaling $84,805 are running 20 percent ahead of last year's effort. The success of this years campaign is very encouraging. With a little push, the goal can be met, Singh said. ' Achieving the goal will allow e the volunteer and workers to maintain their education and service programs in the prevention and control of chronic lung disease, the elimination' of cigarette smoking, the conservation of clean air, and the eradication of tubercul full-tim- osis. Acknowledge Thanks We acknowledge with sincere thanks, the tens of thousands of ll mission formally authorized the charging plan in an order to Mountain Bell late Wednesday. It included a five-ca- ll allowance per line each month before any charges would be applied. The objective of the charging plan has always been to reduce the number of needless calls for directory assistance, and to have those using the service frequently pay more of the cost to provide it. It was never intended to increase the phone bills of the majority of our customeri," of program efforts into childhood lung disease. DieEachYear Singh reported that over people who have sent in their 29,000 children under five die contributions. I am personally each year of respiratory disease grateful to the people of No- in America. Acute respiratory rthern Utah for giving their' diseases account for more than support. There has been an increase of more than 2,000 contributors in the state, compared with this same date last year," Singh said. We urge those who have not answered their Christmas Seal letter, to open their hearts at this season of giving, and send in their contributions today." He explained that if the people of Utah can help the lung association exceed its $105,000 goal, it will permit an expansion half of all school absenteeism. And children often get asthma. With additional contributions, the Lung Association can help the family with an asthmatic child, to learn to avoid sub- stances and solve emotional problems that can trigger attacks. r L Ma Bell says few will pay for aid Mountain Bell said this past week studies show that with a five-caallowance, only five percent of its customers will be charged for directory assistance in Utah when the plan goes into effect in July of this year. The Utah Public Service com- official reports said Ken Hill, Mountain Bell public relations manager. One of the major provisions of the order is that the telephone company formulate a program to inform customers about the charging plan including how visually and physically handicapped persons may be exempted from the plan. Hill said Mountain Bell will be contacting physicians and social agencies in the near future to enlist their help in identifying those who qualify. Their exemption status will be in effect prior to the July 1 date, he said. Other information will be provided regarding how customers may avoid or minimize charges, the availability of directories, and supplements. SERVIftS THE UNITED TASTES OF AMERICA FOR 181 YEARS matt msm mat- rue SiXHHtMTnMOF BiMunmLmeuBtmam m MstLttfmsrtouMon. UITKKY I0UM0I STMIGHT WHISKEY INriUWMWt ftCf NTtMNML UM& LIMITED EDITION 0 MONTH SCRIES-O- CIO SCAM F SMMION eiMtiCSATVMttr (vCNWt fMtm Ml covcm, AmrtMtr mnum WWwaK an sorn.it of seam soimon. ITT OWN MiNTINNItl CANTON. KEN1 UCHY mh in i A7Ta1K?fcn H SfJ SI RAIGH1 BOURBON WHISKIES. 80 PROOI 0IS1 11 LE D AND B0TTUD THE JAMES B BEAM DISTILLING CO CLERMONT. BEAM. KY. BY ; Hjr 1 aFUu-t- o water for a settlement. They chose a place just north of the creek, with a grove of cottonwood and willows just to the west to help provide some of their building logs along with those from the canyon. With deer in the nearby mountains, sage hens and prairie chickens, grouse and quail in the foothills, and ducks and geese in the swamps of the west, the place seemed to offer a fine so it is no wonder that bounty there were some 500 Shoshone Indians roaming the immediate territory. Ready to Move The three men returned to their homes and families in Salt Lake City, where they spent the winter making preparations for an early move. On March 11, 1851, their families were moved to this previously selected area where they immediately began to erect shelters. (Although LDS Church chronology states that the three men and their families arrived in March, 1851, some questions have been raised concerning that date by family histories and other records. Martin Ensign and George F. Hamson, early pioneers, say the three men came to Box Eider in the fall of 1849 to. locate sites for home building. Davis family tradition also bears out this statement, and another family record notes the birth of a daughter to the widow Clifford on Dec. 23, 1850, in Box Elder.) Work on the Davis Fort began immediately after arrival, with a row of log rooms adjoining each other forming the walled camp or fort. The cabins were low with sloping roofs covered t r . Followed Stream with willows, rushes and sod They followed the stream as it which after a rain would be-- . wended its way west and north come spaked and leak. Inasmuch as the shelter was out of the canyon and around the natural alluvial fan. temporary, most everything When they reached what is stayed in the packing boxes and now about Seventh North and the bedding was rolled up daily Fourth West in todays Brigham to keep clean and dry. Small, windows were covered City, the soil seemed especially loamy and rich. Here also were with cotton cloth, oiled and inviting springs which could be greased and stretched across used for providing necessary the opening to admit needed . & jjD&iFti light. The openings were all facing in toward the center of the fort, which was named in honor of the group leader. It eventually covered about one acre of ground. I Included in the early settlers were families headed by Henry and Susannah Boothe, Lewis and (wife) Boothe, James and Marinda Brooks, Semeon and Louisa Carter,. Christian and Cattail Ticks The women were always on the alert for anything which would make their shelter more comfortable, and they soon found a large stand of cattails in and Margaret Clapper, Mathias and Diana Clapper, Henry and the nearby marshes. These were gathered, and the heads twisted to free the downy fluff and fill bed ticks to add warmth and comfort to the crude homes. Not long after their arrival, the eastern foothills were covered with lovely Sego Lily blooms. This was a beautiful sight and one not to forget, for in the fall and many years after, the edible bulbs saved many from starvation. In the fall the canyon was a beehive of activity as the women and children searched out and picked the wild berries. Soon after the Davis Fort was started. President Brigham Young asked several other families to join the Davis group and cautioned them to keep together in whatever they did because of the Indians in the territory around the fort. . The people were cautious of the Indians and tried to make friends with them as soon as possible. Peace negotiations were going on throughout the Deseret and a great effort was being made toward avoiding direct confrontations with the native inhabitants of the area.. There were occasional conflicts, but the settlers tried to be friendly and to demonstrate their willingness to live in har" mony.' Early Families Records of families residing in the Davis Fort also include some who stayed for only a short time in addition to those residents who remained in the area to build the city. Some names are difficult to read, but a fairly complete list has been recorded. Catherine Clapper, Christian Sarah Clapper, Thomas and Mary Ann Trshe (?), Hiram and Elizabeth Hendrickson, Elabeth Wriston (Clifford), Tillman and Deborah Clifford, John and Mary Clifford, Franklin and ' Jerusha Clifford, widow Condit, William and Sarah Davis, Sim eon and Harriet Dunn, Martin and Mary Ensign, George and Sarah Hamson, Samuel and (wife) Hockins, Benjamin and Rachel Jones, Stephen and Lydia Kelsey, William and Mary Lewis; John and (wife) Morgan, Samuel Payne (with the Dunn family), Davis and Laura Peters, Moroni and Marla Phillips, Eli and Susan nah Pierce, Thomas and Margaret Pierce, John and Mary Reese, Merrit Rockwell, Jefferson and Sarah Wright. Reeder's grove, just west of the Davis Fort, was settle by some families. However, one member of the party was killed in an Indian raid and then that group moved into the Davis Fort. Included were Benjamin and Susan Thomas, Daniel and Mary Thomas, William and 'Margaret Thomas, William T. Thomas, Benjamin and (wife) Tolman, Davis and (wife) Williams, Thomas and (wife) Williams, William and Mary Williams, William and Hannah Williams. With more and more people ; w coming to join the original group, it was deemed necessary to commence work on another fort in the summer of 1852. The temporary and crowded Davie Fort was abandoned as the new Box Elder Fort was completed. A colony of Welsh .families started, and families began building private homes in the , township area. |