mmmm \ mmWrnmiW^mmm Brief Historical Sketch Of Morgan Co. History By Hugh O'Neil Iii the spring of 1855 a small par- | ty, led by Jedediah Morgan Grant j and Thomas Thurston, left Salt j Lake City for the purpose of found- | ing a settlement at some suitable location in the Weber valley. The party included Charles Sreeve Pet- ! erson and Roswell Stevens. They | were the first white men to establish a settlement in this green fertile valley- They settled in the lower end of the valley, and called the settlement Weber City, after the Weber River which flows through the county. Several log cabins were erected and the ground was prepared for the planting of crops. During the next five years several new settlements were formed in what is now Morgan County. It offered a rather favorable contrast with its green fields and hills; its cool streams, and fertile lands, to the barren desert land of the Salt Lake Valley. In January 1862, the Ninth Utah Territorial Legislature which convened in Salt Lake City, passed an act creating the county of Morgan, locating the county seat at Weber | City. The name of the county seat '■ was later changed to Peterson, in honor of one of its first settlers. Morgan county was created from portions of Weber and Summit counties. A natural boundry was formed by the ridge of the mountains passing around the headwaters of Plumbar creek. Morgan County was named in honor of Jedediah Morgan Grant for his kindness to the first settlers of 1855 and 1856. He was the father of Heber J. Grant, the pre- jsent-day president of the Latter- Day Saints church. The government of the county was : vested in a county court to consist ! of a probate judge and three select- ; men. The probate judge was elect- jed by the legislative assembly of the" Territory of Utah, and he was authorized to appoint three selectmen, a county clerk, and a county attorney. The boundries of the county were; changed in 1866. The present L boundries are on the north by Weber and Rich counties; on the east by Rich and Summit counties; on the south by Summit and Salt Lake counties; and on the west by Davis T and Weber counties. On March 4, 1872 the county seat was changed from Weber City to Morgan City. Plans were prepared for the construction of a court house. The court house on which construction was started in 1874, was completed in 1883- The government of the county continued in a county court until 1896, when the Territory of Utah ; was admitted into the Union as the State of Utah. The Constitution of the State of Utah, approved January 4, 1896, provided for the general government of the county by a board of county commissioners to consist of three commissioners, one of whom was to be chairman. This form of government has persisted until the present time. It is the duty of this body to decide matters concerning the ex- j penditure of county funds, certain problems concerning the schools, | ; setting of salaries of county offi- J jeers, and supervising the work of, all county officers and employees. I In 1908, after a great deal of dis-; cussion and effort on both sides of the question the school districts of the county, about ten in number at that time, were organized into one district, making for more efficient and economical operation of the educational system of the county. The 1930 census show the population of the county at present is 2,536. The assessed valuation of the county is $5,683,371, or $2,241 per capita, according to 1934 re- | ports and the estimates of the county assessor. ia E. Ridon. iill observe niversary. Pior ears90tl i ate of E i ) . Emma E. R of England a: m 78 years, wjfli •i birth an X guest of h- &') 7 p. m. at Wi G. Thayn M f- eet. . ia will be l ;r f camp No. ffj * ^ioneers. Mr.' J on Sunday. in England a was born in J^jutha and, November 1, 18. -hter of Mr. and Mrs. S, ut, and came to UU . . walking across the j. . member of the William 1 earn company. % :ie family first settled in ■ City in the Fourteenth I 1, later moving to Roun■' Morgan county. Afte- age to Oley Oleson i • >ake Endowment houst?^ ^ ' 14, 1870, she mov.S r. where she has since 1 j<-> her home. Her husba' ■' years ago. s active in L D S « Oleson was c y church V «np