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Show jededinh Morgan Grant Morgan Pioneer History Binds Us Together and dye for clothing. Their food was raised by their own hands and yeast was gathered for leavening. The building of the railroad provided employment for money for supplies when their crops were destroyed. There were no matches and the fires would be carefully banked at night to provide coals for the next day's fire or a trip to a ~~ neighbors to borrow from his fire was needed. A needle was considered of great value. The name for the city and county was selected in honor of settler Jedediah Morgan Grant. He only lived briefly in Morgan but was great help to early settlers in establishing the community. Peterson was named for Charles S. Peterson; Richville was named for Thomas Rich; and Littleton in honor of Colonel Jesse C. Little. About 1860 Judson Stoddard purchased Ben Simon's property and named the place Stoddard. At one time there was quite a settlement around Stoddard Spring. Perhaps a dozen families resided there. The road used to go farther towards the track than it does now. Some of the families living there were J. Stoddard, Lot Smith, Phlemon C. Merrill, Conrad Smith, Trulove Manhart, Henry Rock and others. They engaged in farming and stockraising. At first the children went to North Morgan to school. Later they built their own school. Listed among the old Indian War Veterans who served under Territorial orders to protect themselves and the early settlers from the Indians in the early history of Morgan County in 1867 are the following members of this family: Ephraim Robison, David Robison, William Robison, Daniel Robison, Conrad Smith (husband of Eliza Robison), Henry Rock (husband of Leannah Robison) and Truelove Manhart (husband of Mary Ann Robison). The Morgan Stake Academy opened December 3, 1888, and was housed in the upper room of the County Court House. Listed among the charter members of the school were Jared Rock, Lucy Robison, and Maggie Robison. Henry Rock was a skilled rock mason and cement worker, lie built a number of homes and buildings in Morgan County. Some of them are still in use. Porterville was named after the Porter family who settled here. South Morgan was at one time called Monday Town because that was the day of the week the first permanent settlers arrived. Croydon received its name in honor of Croydon, England, and, of course, Devil's Slide was named for the large natural rock formation there, Round Valley and Mountain Green were named after their natural surroundings, as were Deep Creek, Canyon Creek, East Canyon and Lost Creek. Enterprise was named for the industry and incentive shown by the early settlers. Milton, which was originally named Morgan, was changed so the county and city could have this name and was then named after Milton Musser. MORGAN CITY Morgan City lies on both sides of the Weber River, a little southeast of the valley. It is divided into two wards called North and South Morgan. At first the river was the dividing line. North Morgan, at first called Mt. Joy, was settled about 1861. The first winter was perhaps one of the most severe in the history of Weber Valley. The pioneers suffered many hardships from cold and sometimes hunger. But these difficulties did not daunt their courage. About 1861 Abiah Wadsworth, George Higley, and Nelson Arave and their families settled where the grist mill now stands. They built a saw mill there. Benjamin F. Smith came about the same season. Mr. Smith crossed the plains a number of times to assist emigrants in coming here. He also brought the first telegraph wire to Utah. In August 1863 Martin Heiner bought a forty-acre farm in Mt. Joy. And that fall a number of people settled there, including the Robison families, Conrad Smith and family, and Henry and Peter Rock with their families. The year 1860 saw the last of the ten handcart companies in Utah, and Daniel Robison was captain of one of these companies, which was said to be very successful in its journey. The people built a log house in Morgan to hold meetings in, and also held school there. The same spring, 1864, they made a water ditch from the Weber River, on the side of Daniel Williams' meadow. This ditch was nine feet wide and eighteen inches deep. The people employed Daniel Williams to construct it from the river to the town, where the Robison Springs cross the road. From there every man was to make the ditch across his own land. |