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Show 80 Lakeside Review, Wednesday, March 11, 1987 Neither rain, nor snow... rr House full of But in early days, delivery of mail was luxury Editor's note: The information for this article was taken from a publication of the Kaysville-Laton Historical Society, Of Brief character . JO-AN- threw the mail bag in and emptied the mail bag out on the middle of the floor . History of the Kaysville and Lay-to- n Post Offices. It is available for a small fee from the society. CALLAHAN Review correspondent FARMINGTON 'He opened the door, -- y The walls of the original rock house that Capt. Daniel C. Davis built are 2 to 3 feet thick. They are made of rock and faced on the inside with adobe. The walls are so thick, when the east wind blows you dont even feel it, said Trudy Nelson. She and her husband, Michael, and their family own the historical home now. Captain Davis was one of the original settlers of Davis County. In 1848 Daniel C. Davis and his y cabin family built the in the southern part of Farming-to- n near a creek that was later named after him. The cabin was adobe covered with rock. The family slept upstairs and used the downstairs for cooking, eating and other activities. Captain Davis was born Feb. 23, 1804, in New York City. He joined the Mormon Church and the Mormon Battalion in 1846. He and his family lived in Farmington until 1850, when he died while on his way to settle his fathers estate in Nebraska. Captain Davis was so respected that his wife and youngest son were allowed to travel with him when he went with the Mormon Battalion in 1846. When the Nelsons remodeled his home, they found a sword in the attic that had belonged to him. Davis County and many other landmarks in the area are named for the captain. We have to patch the rock in many places because it is so old. They used all kinds of stones. The morter is the same kind that came out of the quarry Brigham Young had. It contained lime. You can see the little white specks in it, she said. Even a few years later they used a different kind. They even built the flower box at the same time. We dont know if he built it himself or he had someone build ' LYNDIA GRAHAM Emily Stewart Barnes, Writing in 1 855 with Review correspondent home-delivere- ; two-stor- the early 1909-191- days mail was a real d luxury. ' THe long distances between homes," poor roads, and lack of iransportation made getting mail a real challenge. Kaysville boasted one of the states first t post offices. The , Kays Ward Post Office was es- -' Nel- tablished in 854 and David 1 son was appointed postmaster. .That first venture was located at t about 560 S. Sunset Drive. A tree marks the spot today. In 1855, Samuel Henderson, the second Kaysville postmaster, opened the office in his home at 9 S, 200 W. Most of the early post offices were operated from , private homes.. Emily Stewart Barnes recorded an experience she had while left in charge of the post office with her sister while Postmaster Henderson and his family were out of ' town. The rider at last appeared, she wrote. He was like an Indi-- . an. He wore buckskin pants with fringe down the side, a buckskin ", Discovery of old crutch in the attic of the rock house that Capt. Daniel Davis built is Nathan Nelson, whose family , . r, now resides in the historical home. it for him. The work is very rus- - hanging from the rafters when tic, .The original home is the size they started to explore the build-inof my living room. Later they added a room for the grandmother Some of they timber is thick to live in. It is now the entry hall. and some is thin and they used g. It must have been just big enough for a col she explained. , When the. Nelsons were ready to remodel and add to the home they hired Merrill Law of Farmington to do the rock work. He has done similar work on the Rock Chapel in Farmington and the Kaysville City Hall as well as many of the homes in the area. He tries to match the original anything they could to build with; everything was done by hand. It is hard to believe they raised their families in such small quarters. Mrs. Nelson says her family is a relative newcomer to Farming-toThey have lived here for 50 n. years. Living in the Daniel Davis home has given her children a work. sense of history that they would We left the attic as it was so the children could see what was not otherwise have had. used and the workmanship of the We have people come here all ' the time to look at the house and pioneers. They left the branches on the see the yard. I think it helps the rafters and hung herbs from children realize how much they have in comparison to the them, she said. The family found some herbs " front-wheel- , , -- jacket and fringe down the sleeves, a large slouch hat with a leather strap around the crown, a' large red bandana hankerchief - around his neck, and spurs on his high-to- p leather boots. He carried firearms. He opened the door, threw the mail bag in and emptied the mail! bag out on the middle, of the 1 floor. , , Sister and I had to pick out the mail for Kaysville and in doing so we locked the key inside the In 1904 Sarah E. Taylor, the first female postmistress in the area, was appointed to oversee the Kaysville operation. She used small building at 47 N. Main had a at time hard a Ogbag. They den opening the bag blit finally for her office. When the Barnes Block was 1 got another key. 0 proviWhen stage coaches icame built between office for made a were sions to area the post through they began in the southwest corner of the drop mail at stage stops. One such location was a 149 S. building. The mail slot is still visMountain Road (Highway 89). In ible. In 1915 Joseph Sill became 1857 a stop was built at about 50 S. Main in Layton. When the postmaster of Layton and built a railroads came through the stage small temporary building in conCoach stations closed. Mail was junction with his home. then picked up at the train depots Outlying postal customers could call the office to see if any mail and taken to the post offices. One of the early carriers, Wil- was in their box before making liam Barnes, transported the mail the trip to town. Many had quite between the train drop off and a distance to travel to collect the post office on horseback or mail, since the Layton office seron foot. Later he moved it via his viced people in Layton, Syracuse, large bicycle, which and Clearfield. was the first bicycle in Kaysville. Some rural delivery was in efAs late as 1930 mail was fect by this time. After 1905, two brought from the Union Pacific rural free deliveries were apstation to the post office by a proved and in operation but the horse drawn express wagon by rural routes did not stop at every Daniel Harvey. A picture of Har- home. In 1915 the post office in Kaysvey and his wagon hangs in the ville moved to Sheffields Stores , Kaysville City Hall. John R. Barnes, the areas third at 59 N. Main when Heber J. postmaster was servjng jwhen Sheffield became postmaster. It : news of President Abraham stayed in that location until the Lincolns death came through. He current post office was constructalso ran the post office, from his ed in 1960. home. i : In 1936, Kenneth Sheffield took ' this time Laytoh resi- over the postmasters job and in During dents were pickipg up theft mail 1938 Wayne Sheffield stepped in at the post boxes in Kaysville. to the post. Layton residents were thrilled Following him were Robert when in, 1882 the Farmers Union Johnson, Jerry Thompson, and store 4,was established in Layton, Clark Richards, who is the curand as a courtesy to customers, rent postmaster. mail was brought in from KaysCity delivery in Kaysville began ville. in 1955. In 1963 the zip code sys. . Laytons first official postmaster, tem was adopted. was appointed in 1886. He was n delivery in William A. Hyde. The first offiin 1950. time that By began cial post office was located in the James Whitesides, Joseph JohnHyde Store on Main Street, fol- son, and Robert Barton had lowing the pattern of putting the served in the role of postmaster. a rider bringing the mail. , In ville. about an experience LAYTON Opening a mail box to find a letter from a friend or relative is a common occurance, one which most residents of 'Kaysville and Layton take for granted. But mail delivery has not al- ways been a fact of life for the ci- ties, post office where it was most convenient for the postmaster. By 1898 the office had moved to the Adams and Sons building to accommodate the new postmaster, Rufus Adams. He preceded William Nalder as postmaster. During those years William Clough was postmaster in Kays- ed i. - r Door-to-do- Lay-to- or I??j aoooO Macsiu an QE3Q rtWinrA'tiniI-in- AfJY DINNER SELECTION r EXPIRES MARCH 31, 1987 with this coupon BH03OEgEIi3BE3E3EmBEad3ai3S3EBSKraBEmaBni TAIPEI RESTAURANT 22 N. Main e Layton 544-063- 3 ransBBx3 VISA' HOURS: LUNCH 11-2:- 30 Monday-Frida- y DINNER Mon.-Thur- Fri. 5-- s. & Sat. 5-- 10 11 Take Out Service Available ' The Sign of Quality Chinese Food ( i |