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Show Volume XXX Issue XIII The Ogden Valley News Page 9 September 15, 2023 The Story of Ogden Valley: Part VI from bricks made locally. The town has had two blacksmiths, John Trumble and Joseph Southwick. There were several small efforts at merchandising in Liberty during the nineteenth century. The people of the settlement traded at the store in Eden until 1899. Bishop Joshua B. Judkins recognized the need of having a place in their own community where merchandise could be purchased; therefore, he put a few shelves in one room of his home and bought groceries at Ogden to sell to the people. Later, Samuel Higgenbottom built a store on the east side of the street in front of where the store now stands [I believe this was near Liberty Park]. He carried a rather varied and generous stock until his store burned down in 1897. To take care of the community needs temporarily, Mary Atkinson, wife of Thomas, carried a few articles for sale in her private home. Mr. Gardner built a store shortly thereafter. Also, the Penrod brothers took the people’s eggs, butter, and cheese to Ogden and traded them for groceries which they brought back to the citizens. At first, they used a room in a home for a store until they could erect a building for that purpose. Church and School - During the earlier period, the children were either sent to Eden to school or taught in the home. Finally, in 1883, John Marshall went to Louis F. Moench, Weber County Superintendent of Schools, and got permission for a school to be established at Liberty. The citizens purchased for $5.00 the old log one-room schoolhouse at Eden and moved it to a one-acre piece of ground donated to the school district by Marshall. In 1892 the log building was replaced by a new frame schoolhouse. All classes—Primer to Fifth Reader—met together in its one room. Ten years later, another room was added on the north side. This greatly improved the school, making it possible to have two teachers from then on. Following are the schoolteachers who taught at the Liberty school during the nineteenth century, 1883 to 1900: Mary Holes, Naomi Fiefield, Molly Henger, Rose Henger, Alma Card, Henry T. Chard, Edward J. Davis, R. N. Ames, Fred Brisco, Mr. and Mrs. Flemming, John Rawson, David Dean, Charles McLaughlin, and Riley Cain. Until 1892 Liberty remained a part of Eden Ward. John Marshall, Jr. acted as presiding elder of the branch. Sunday School was held under the direction of Joshua B. Judkins. On December 4, 1892, President Lewis W. Shurtliff and Charles F. Middleton called a meeting in the schoolhouse for the purpose of organizing the Liberty Branch into a ward. Joshua B. Judkins was chosen for the position of bishop with James Monroe Wade and Edward J. Davis as counselors. Six days later they were set apart for their work at Salt Lake City. Judkins served as bishop until well into the next century. Meetings were held in the schoolhouse until a new brick chapel was erected in 1905 [located on the corner west of Liberty Park]. About the time the ward was established in 1892, the Liberty Relief Society was organized. Mary Ann Judkins was made president with Mary Ann Chard and Mary Campbell as Note: This series on Ogden Valley was taken from Chapter 18 of the 5th edition of “Beneath Ben Lomond’s Peak” by the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Weber County Chapter (1995), which was compiled and edited by Milton R. Hunter, Ph.D. The book was 昀椀rst written and published in 1944. Founding of Liberty - Dan and Ammon Campbell were the first permanent settlers of Liberty, which is situated in the upper or northwest end of Ogden Valley. Other early colonists were John Riddle, John Freeman, James Fisher, Charles Card, and a Mr. Murray. Riddle took up his homestead in the center of town on the south banks of Spring Creek where Robert Holmes now lives [1944]. Freeman’s cabin was about three blocks southeast of Joel Campbell’s home. Fisher erected a rock house and Murray lived in a dugout at the Murray Springs, now the fishponds owned by Thomas Shupe, located on the west side of town. John Freeman is responsible for naming the settlement Liberty. After the early settlers had moved in and taken up their farms, they were bothered considerably with range cattle, which belonged principally to the people of Weber County. While in conversation with one of his neighbors one day about the cattle situation, Freeman remarked, “Dan, this is sure one place where people take full liberty. Well, I guess it’s where I got my liberty too, so that is the fitting name to call the place.” The name of “Liberty” soon became widely spread and the town has to this day been known by that name. Later, other settlers joined the infant settlement. In 1870-1871, James Burt, Sr., his son James, and their families located to Liberty. Six years later, John Marshall, Jr.; Thomas Atkinson; Walter Lindsay; James Burt, Jr.’s brothers-in-law and their families joined their relatives in the pioneer settlement. Later Franck Campbell, Daniel Campbell, Temple Short, James Ferrin, and Abe Armstrong and Alfred Berrett settled in the west and south parts of town. Henry Chard moved in to stay in 1884. Four or five years later, G. G. Dundbar; Joseph Gardner; Elijah Shaw; the Wade brothers; Andrew Clark; Charles Clark; Joseph Southwick; Joseph Rhodes; Oliver Penrod; William Chadwick; Albert Ward; James Ward, Jr.; Will Bailey; Robert Bailey; John Shaw; George Shaw; Walter Whitely; Chauncy Gardner; Edmond Shaw, Sr. and Jr.; Robert Montgomery; Edwin Hill; B. A. Montgomery; and Jospeh Southwick, Sr. had become permanent settlers of Liberty. Industries - During the pioneer period the lumber industry was of much importance, probably next to farming and stock raising. In 1861 Thomas Bingham erected a handdriven shingle mill on the North Fork [River] just west of where the state road crosses the stream between Eden and Liberty. Later it was moved to another site. Then Mr. Ferrin put up the first power-driven sawmill near the previous site of the shingle mill. Another mill was erected by Oscar Short in the North Fork at the mouth of Cutler Canyon. In 1878, Josph Southwick, Sr. located a second sawmill in the North Fork. Brick making and blacksmithing were two other industries that were developed to a limited degree in Liberty. A church house and several private homes have been constructed counselors. Mary Ann Ferrin and Christina Marshall were secretary and treasurer. Under the direction of the ward authorities, the other church auxiliaries were put into operation; and the little town of Liberty, with a population of 294 in 1900, launched forthwith a program of a full-fledged ward. Pioneer Life in Ogden Valley - Before 1866, the women of Ogden Valley did all their cooking over the open fireplace. That year, Mrs. Mary C. Langlois of Huntsville was fortunate enough to own the first cookstove in the valley. Many were the women who envied her. Mrs. Langlois was by no means selfish with her coveted equipment. All the neighbors did their baking in her stove for two full years until they were fortunate enough to own stoves. These pioneer families owned refrigerators, but they differed greatly from the kind we have today. The people who possessed springs constructed board coverings for them and shelves under the covering near the ice-cold water. There they kept their butter, milk, fruit, and other perishable foods. Mary E. Chard, who was a child at Liberty near the close of last century wrote: “When my folks lived on the farm that daddy bought from Granddaddy Berrett, our house was located about one-half block up south from a cold-water spring. How well I remember that spring and some of the experiences we had connected with it. In those days, mother would make twenty or thirty pounds of butter a week to sell, and how well I remember how many trips had to be made to and from the spring with the cream and butter before it would be ready to take to market to be sold. Also, I remember how good and cold the milk was on a hot summer day.” The settlers of Ogden Valley may have enjoyed the pleasant summer climate, but often the winters were very severe. The snow piled up very deep, sometimes over five feet on the level. For six consecutive weeks during the middle of the winter, it was often necessary to walk on snowshoes because there was not enough travel to keep the roads clear. The heavy snows caused many of the farmers to move to North Ogden for the winter months. A man named Fisher was snowed in for several months one winter and had only salt and potatoes to live on. In the winter of 1879-1880, the people of Eden were snowbound. All supplies were exhausted, and they were facing starvation. One of the brave citizens, Teancum Taylor, took fourteen head of pack horses in February and broke a trail through the deep snow over Daniel’s Canyon and down into Heber City. By loading each animal with 200 pounds of flour, he brought back 2,800 pounds, thereby saving the lives of the people. From The Past . . . If you have any information about this photo, please call Shanna at 801-745-2688 or Jeannie at 801-745-2879. The Ogden Valley News is looking for Ogden Valley and Ogden Canyon historical biographies, stories, and photos to use in its publication. Please mail, email, or call Shanna at 801-745-2688 or Jeannie at 801-745-2879 if you have material you are willing to share. -Flatwork -Decorative Concrete -Concrete Prep Schedule a Quote Today! 801-857-1567 Danny Graves Wednesday Night Saturday Night Sunday Morning First Friday | @DJFencingLLC 5:30 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. 8:30 a m. Fr. Joshua Marie Santos 801-399-5627 FrJoshuaS.Stambrose@gmail.com Saturday 5:30 p.m Sunday 8:00 a.m. or by appt. Saint Joseph Catholic Elementary, Middle School, and High School Providing a challenging, college-focused education in the proven tradition of Catholic schools, for the families of the Ogden Valley. We want to teach your children! For information on our program, financial assistance, tours, or application, please call 801-393-6051 or 801-394-1515. 2668 Grant Avenue, Suite #104A, Ogden, UT 801-612-9299 |