In 1863, David Eccles embarked with his Scottish family on an eight-week voyage to the United States, part of a migration of Mormon converts. David was 14 when his family settled first in Ogden and then in Eden. Although lacking formal education, his entrepreneurial spirit and hard work led him from toiling in timber camps to amassing a fortune based on the lumber industry. Ultimately Eccles formed 27 corporations, serving as president of 17 of them, including the long-lived First Security Bank, which recently merged with Wells Fargo. Eccles held 80 shares of stock when Utah Construction was founded. During his presidency from 1905-1912, the Western Pacific line between Salt Lake City and San Francisco was completed, along with track in Oregon owned by Southern Pacific. Eccles died in December, 1912, and was succeeded as company president by William H. Wattis.