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HISTORY OF STODDARD, MORGAN COUNTY, UTAH SUBMITTED BY EUNICE CLAWSON PREECE LAKE MOUNT JOY CAMP . About 1860 Jessie Creager, Morgan County D.U.P. Historian Stoddard The first man to make a home in Morgan County was Ben Simon. He was a trapper and built the first house in the valley, at what is now known as the Stoddard Springs. Formerly it was known as the Simon Spring. (about 1848) About 1860 Judson L. Stoddard of Farmington purchased the Simon property and the piece was given its name in honor of Mr. Stoddard. He owned what is now the Hyrum Smith property, he was a very wealthy man and brought a large number of cattle and horses into the valley. Another noted resident of Stoddard was Lot Smith, who played an Important part in the Echo canyon war. He with only a small company of mountain rangers blocked the canyon against the oncoming troops. They burned the supply trains and drove off the horses and mules constructed barricades in the mountains and the canyons. All this was accomplished without the shedding of a drop of blood. Capt. Smith often had his small troop ride around visible hill tops and passes for hours at a stretch making it appear that the mountains were alive with Mormons. Lot Smith was utterly devoid of faar and with a physique and a will of iron, he was fitted for Just such dangerous adventure. His home in Stoddard is now owned by Mr. William Lyons. At one time there was quite a settlement around the Stoddard Spring, perhaps a dosen families resided there. Soma of the families living there besides J.L. Stoddard and Lot Smith were: Phlemon C, Merrill, Conrad Smith, The Manhards, Henry Rock, Miller Parriah, John Hess, Then Smith (a brother of Lot), Nick Barkdull, Dave Sanders, Johney Hayes and Jake Grover, The people were engaged in farming and stockraising. At first the children went to the North Morgan school. The present school building was erected by Henry Mortensen and John Simmons. Miss Olga Edholm taught school there, Charles Pents was the first presiding Elder. Stoddard is now a part of the North Morgan Ward (1931). The first school house was bought by Rave Clawson and moved to his place in Stoddard. It is still standing there. Charles Pents was also tha first superintendent of the Stoddard Sunday School for 25 years. Charles J. Pents came to Morgan from Waynesboro, Penn. in 1887. In 1893, he married Eliza Loduska Grover, the eldest daughter or Annie Smith & Jacob Grcver. Their first house was in Stoddard, down where the Fish Hatchery house now stands, they owned part of the land the Fish Hatchery now has, and the farm surrounding it. Mr. Pentz was also a Brick Mason, laying brick for many of the old homes that are still stand¬ing In morgan, the Vallis Hotel, the old Stoddard School and helped with the North Morgan Ward. They moved over on the highway in about 1901, where they lived until they moved to Ogden in 1936. |
