Show The First Citizen Of Davis County rr r. r r II I I II I I v iL J SESSIONS By HEBER J. J SESSIONS Several Highway signs between between between be be- tween Salt Lake City and Davis County cities reads Davis County Honors Their Citizen U THIS TIllS prompted my thoughts on what has occurred between the time of the first Davis County citizen and now That first citizen was my father Sessions Session Father arrived in Salt Lake City Sept 22 1847 The next day Sept 23 he rode a horse up to what is now Bountiful and then returned and reported report report- ed plenty of feed with water from mountain streams for forthe forthe forthe the livestock and people The next day Sept 24 1847 he left Salt Lake with his family and livestock making the first wagon wag wag- on tracks in Davis County I I HE IMMEDIATELY made a dugout using logs from cottonwood cottonwood cottonwood cotton- cotton wood trees at the junction function of I the two hollows where now is what can be numbered as West 2nd North Bountiful He covered the roof with brush and grass and dirt and used an animal hide for a door This served his needs for the ensuing ensuing ensuing en en- suing winter A small spring of water was then at this location lo- lo lo lo- cation This was supplemented the following spring by a more useI useful useful use use- ful log house He plowed the I first land and planted grain which yielded a good crop HE WAS followed in the spring by other families into this area and on to what is isI isnow isnow I now Centerville Farmington Kaysville and Layton J This was the be beginning inning of what is now Davis County FATHER continued all his life in the progressive Pioneering Pioneering Pioneering Pioneer Pioneer- I ing of the area What has been the gradual progress during I these years May I refer to some Agriculture was the I first effort both in farm and nursery to produce grain cattle cattle cattle cat cat- tle vegetables and fruit etc to sustain the people I name the Heber C. C Kimball grist mill at what is now East and South in Bount Bountiful ul ulas as the first industrial plant This was followed by grain mills at Kaysville Farmington I II I and Layton Mercantile establishments establishments establishments I were constructed in inI inmost inmost most communities I EDUCATION was a very first effort in all locations location I have memory that the Patty Sessions Session Academy and Hannah Holbrook school were the first followed by others in other towns town I will add This first spirit of education has been a foremost effort throughout the years until un un- until til Davis County can well be proud of their school system I today The railroad came in 70 1869 and then followed construction and operation of canneries and many other industrial plants that could handle the bounties of production in the area WE SHOULD not overlook the numbers of local saw mills i I and small brick yards to make brick and lumber for more substantial substantial substantial sub sub- homes These must include include include in in- clude the adobe yards especially especial especial- ly the one in lower West Bountiful Bountiful Boun Boun- where the adobes for the Bountiful tabernacle were made and which has proven so subi substantial substantial sub sub- i for so many years Bountiful as we know it now was originally called Sessions Session Settlement until at a conference conference conference confer confer- ence Brigham Young spoke of the bounteous crops everywhere and Father then suggested the name be changed to Bount Bountiful ul which name was then officially made permanent THE GROWTH of Davis County County County Coun Coun- ty can well be accredited to those first Pioneers I am proud that my Father Sessions was Davis County's I number one citizen I am sure were it possible he would congratulate the citizen today |