Tonks First Blacksmith Even then their clothing and beds were completely soaked through. There were many other trying incidents in their journey West, and, many of the people living in the Morgan Valley today own a great deal of thanks to the brave and enduring people who helped make it the beau¬tiful flourishing community we have today. The Tonks family arrived in Salt Lake, on October 1, 1859. Three months later a fourth child, Martha Jane (Welch) was born to their family. Shortly after arriv¬ing in Salt Lake William opened a nail factory, and later took up his trade as a blacksmith. They lived in Salt Lake for about five more years and two more children were born. Louisa and Mary Elizabeth, (Polly). They were then sent by church authorities to Farmington to live and later when a road was opened through Devils Gate they were sent to help colonize Morgan County (1866). Upon their arrival in Mor¬gan they lived in a dugout, on the land where the Walter Francis home now stands. The dugout was a square hole about five feet deep with logs placed on each side of the banks and the ends. The next row of logs was placed in about two feet until only one log filled the space in the middle of the top. Willows were then placed all over the roof and covered with dirt. Windows were made in the gable ends. This was the only light by day. The floors were sprinkled with water each morning and swept to keep the dirt down. After the floor became hard packed it was quite easy to keep the room clean, and to sweep without raining great clouds of dust. Two more children, Char¬les and Rebecca (Becky Tucker) were born after arriving in Morgan. The first blacksmith shop was opened in 1866 by Wil¬liam. He became very pro¬ficient in his work and later tutored other men in this work, among them Thomas Geary and Thomas Butters. He was a skilled wheelright and set many wagon tires. Most of the nails in early Morgan homes were made by his hands. During the time the rail¬road was being built through Morgan he had a contract to make shoes for the mules, and Henry also helped his father with the work. The first blacksmith shop was on the land where the old high school stands. The children loved to watch the fierce, fiery billows and sparks and hear the loud pounding of the hammer as shapes took place before their eyes. This was a favorite gathering place for young and old alike. Their first log home was situated on the corner of this lot. On one occasion in the new log home, a corner of the huge grain bin on the property broke in and their young son Charles was bur¬ied under the grain and it was really frightening before he was finally dug out, safe and sound. Martha was very active in the Relief Society and was on the Stake board for 15 years. One of her many duties was to visit all the wards. They would visit Littleton in the morning, Milton in the after¬noon, and the next day or late that evening arrive in Peter¬son for their meeting the next morning. They would drive to Croydon, spend the night and return home the next day. Two concrete homes were built in South Round Valley on property acquired by the family. The land was cleared of brush, and a canal for irrigation built. His sons took care of the farming so he could maintain his black-smithing. He had to cross the Weber River on horse back and many times he was thrown from the horse by the swift currant. When the concrete homes were built they were finally reunited with their daughter Lizzie and the maternal grandparents who came to Utah then. All the children except Polly who died at age ten, were raised to adulthood. William Tonks and his neighbors organized a stock company on the large tract of land purchased from the railroad, as a range company or cattle and horses. In 1904 Henry and his wife Susan took over the family farm and they moved to a home in South Morgan where Doyle Tucker and his family now resides. Martha lived to the ripe age of 82 and William who was known to everyone as Daddy Tonks lived till the age of 80 years. He died in Round Valley at the home of his son Charles in the place he loved so much that he always called it Paradise. These faithful pioneers and the struggles they en¬dured should make them very special people in the minds of residents of Morgan County. In the future more articles will be written to help us know and appreciate the sac¬rifices made by these really great people and to help us realize the significance of our upcoming Bicentinnial celebration. Information for this article was furnished by Mrs. Ivan Bell, a grand¬daughter.) -C.C