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Show uvui aiv u puTnt am itou pua ?36uuV6aa PU ovP paiiPA Pp fjjiojstjL-- f - ZEJarty ads History Are JFrom Weston Vividly Related folds and thought that this of feied a bettii place for their set tltpient, since it was mote centrally located and gave them a better oppottunity to woik both the fields lot cited along Weston Cieek in the Ctdaiville district and the south field along the west scle of the Bear Bivei. This decision matked the beginning ot a mote p rmanent settlement and was the teal beginning of the piesent town of Weston. At this new location. John Mau ghan was named acting bishop and had cliatge of the distubu-tioof land to the settlers Tt.land was fust taken simply on "squatter's right hut in the eath 'seventies the people began taking up land under the Homestead nit The Weston pioneers, like then contemporaries in other settlements of the valley, were made of stem stuff They had to he to sutvive. Difficulties and hardships pursued Hem fot a number of tn years Crops were part or yn whole by crickets and grasshoppers foi a numbei of veals, and the Indians remained a serious menace Vet the people went on building for the future, constructing roads and bridges, providing a schoolhouse for the education ot and imuioving their childien their sui roundings in every wav possible A bridge over the Bear Kivet . Know n ns the Packard budge, was built in 1868. A wagon road was built fiom Weston to this bridge and across the the Fianklm meadows to the town of Franklin. A log house built in 1867 by Bishop John Maughan was the communitv 's first schoolhouse, with William Dees as the first teacher. During the year 1868 a log building was constructed on the public square, where the amusement hall now stands. The logs were hauled from Clifton Basin. This building served for many years as chapel, school-hous- e, amuseand community ment hail. The first business enterprise in Weston was a flour mill built by a certain James Mack. It was located on Weston Creek, south of the present town. The mil! was of stone and the grist was ground 1867 they returned for a new between two hewed stones. The first stoie was in a log start. But they decided to move their townsite. They had explored room in the dwelling of Bishop the land now known. as the South John Maughan. The merchants WVston was th fust t.ct t Icint nt established in Cm fie Valley on the west side of Beat Biter, ft was on Jthe 15th of Airtl, 1865 that a small band ot pioneois crassed the river oir the ice and took up land on the meadows surtounding Weston creek, about three miles west of the piesent loiation of the town of Weston. They find been attracted by the land prosnec t of good farming since the soil was vety good and there was a stream of cleat watei running through the meadows They were also pleased with the beautiful canyon to the noithwesi and the lofty mountains in the bat k ground The Weston pioneeis consist d of fifteen families, headed bv the following men: Chi itonlier Funk. Hans Funk, Wilson Bobbins, NeN "tieorgesen, Warner Hoopes. Samuel Rogeis, Call Nelson, Hans Ko food, Soten Hansen, Basmus Net son, Anton Jensen, J C Jensen J. C. Nelson, Joint Maughnn. and leld Muthi v. The sett lei s at once set about building homes and pieparing the land for planting ciops But the fust homes ucie ml; dugmitsi, a few logs usi d foi suppoit and with dut roofs. The flist two years brought bitter cisappoinlments and plenty ot hardships. The erops raised the fust yeai weie n'most completely destroyed by crickets, bunging financial distress and the threat of starvation to the little colony. A fair crop was in piospeet for the fall of 1866. but during the ea.ly summer the Indians drove the settlers off the la 'd and became so troublesome that they were forced to move to the settlements on the east &de of the valley. Some of them returned to their old homes in the fall and harvested what crops were left and then returned to the east side of the valley for the wmit The Indians were so fierce that none ventured to winter in the Weston area. The settlers had organized a ward before being driven off tlicir land, and Christopher Funk had been appointed bishop. The people were determined to carry on in Weston in spite of the Indians, and in the spring of J it trim. I The town B .first blacksmith shop was owned and operated by FYederickssn, who w as also the village fiddler for many He was Known as a very jjeais induMious man and was a dear 'fjjend to all the oung people who often tame to him with a j few pounds of wheat to hue him Qypg wator for 11 purposes was dl verted from Weston creek. ThB first ditch for Irrigation purposes was taken out in 1865. The same ditch, known as ditch No. 1, Is still in use, though it has been enlarged and somewhat altered since those eailv davs The first Continued on Next to Hast Page of this Section) j n - FIFTY - SEVEN YEARS EXPERIENCE 4 Horn sf roawiii Thomas Stock Saddle SADDLERY EQUIPMENT CANVAS DAMS HARNESSES MARTINGALES GUN SCABBARDS A SPECIALTY OF CARPET BINDING COMPLETE Thomas Saddlery Company TELEPHONE 250 PRESTON IDAHO to 97 of farms in area we serve ---ava- ilable and farmers and residential customers receive it at rates 24o below the national average on our interconnected system UTAH POWER & LIGHT CO. 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