THE HISTORY OF JAMES WILLIAM STEWART
Elizabeth Davis, born in Tennessee in the year of our Lord, September 17, 1831, came to Nauvoo, Ilinois and lived there about four years from 1840 to 1844 coming to Salt Lake City when 18 years of age. She married Benjamin F. Stewart, one of the original 144 Pioneers of Utah, when 18 years of age, being his second wife. She gave birth to ten children.
James William Stewart, the subject of this sketch was one of them; born in Payson City, Utah, September 13, 1863. In 1871, when I was eight years old, we moved to Benjamin living at what was called the Upper Ranch just west of the Benjamin Cemetery. For about two years herding cows in the summer and helping gather crops in the Fall and going to school about two months in the winter; we moved to the Lower Ranch one year later at 10 years of age; helped plow land for crops with a team of horses and herding cows I had a sun stroke and was real sick all Fall.
The next Spring we moved to Benjamin Center (being 11 years old); helped father plant trees--both shade and fruit and some omamental--also helped plant garden. At this time father built more room on the house and of course, I helped by packing adobe and mortar to the brick mason and was general chore boy.
The next year, father started a little store; I, being 12 years of age, helped irrigat or water the garden.
About this time, being the year 1875 or 1876 thereabout, the game of baseball was organized and I played ball making my own ball from old woolen socks and covering it with leather from old boot tops. I became so proficient at catching a ball, I was chosen to play with the grown men and I played barefooted, having no shoes.
About this time Benjamin was organized as a branch of the Payson L.D.S. ward: I, bein baptized and ordained to the Priesthood with others. I was ordained a deacon.
I continued to help around on the farm and with the chores such as milking and feeding pigs and chickens and making myself generally useful, until 1878 I think, being 15 years old I went to Park City with some of the other boys to cut cord wood for the Ontario Mines; received one dollar per cord and averaged cutting one and one hold cords daily. I worked there until about September. At that time my father came to Park City bringing my sisters Eunice and Sadie, and I came home with them by Salt Lake City; my father being one of the Utah pioneers took us through the tabernacle and aldo the inside of the Tabernacle Organ.
I stayed home the balance of that year and the following year and helped on the farm and stayed home all winter and helped with the chores and attended school.
The next year, being 1880, and I was seventeen years old, I worked for my brother-in-law, Ora R. Warner and again went to Park City and hauled mining timber and cord wood to the Ontario Mine with two yokes of oxen and wagon.
About the 1st of January 1881, I went to work for Andrew J. Stewart Jr. on a government surveying job. The party consisted of six men. We went to Desert in Millard County from Desert west to Nevada. The men surveyed a line from Desert west to Nevada but I took one of the teams and went to Holden in Millard County and picked up some of the Giles family and we went to Antelope Springs and surveyed a township there; then rejoined the other party in Snake Valley on the line between Utah and Nevada, worked there the balance of the winter; arrived home in March.
The following summer I went up Spanish Fork Canyon and cut ties for the railroad company. After working two or three weeks, I cut my foot and came home and lived home the balance of the summer. The following summer my brother Jo and myself rented part of my Uncle Jackson Stewarts farm on the share basis. After living there two years, I married Ruth Wall on the 29th of April, 1885 in the Logan Temple making the trip in a covered wagon with my wife's sister, Louise, as chaperon. During our term of three years on the farm we trained Uncle's stallion horse Rarus, to trot. He became the fastest horse in Utah. During this time, I attended the B.Y.U. in Provo, Utah, one winter.
During the summer of 1885, I bought a threshing machine and threshed grain and alfalfa seed in Benjamin and Payson until it was worn out. During all of these years from 1876 until 1885 I was active in church work when home.
During the year 1886 I built a two room adobe house on fifteen acre tract of land, I owned in Benjamin, 80 rods west of the L.D.S. Church. About this time, four neighbors and myself bought a well driving machine and drove a lot of flowing wells in Benjamin.
About this time, my wife's mother came to live with us and lived with us the balance of her life until over 80 years old.
During the year 1887, on the 18th day of September, a baby boy was born to us but died at birth. The following year on December 22, 1888, a daughter was born to us. We named her Ruth. During these years, I became interested in dairying and kept a few cows and chickens and sold butter and eggs at the stores.
On February 22, 1890, another son was born to us whom we named Clyd Raymond. About this time I became interested in community life and was elected constable of Benjamin precinct and served for about six years.
About the 1890 I became interested in Bee Culture and produced honey and hauled it to Provo Valley and sold some of it there.
On April 11, 1892, another baby was born to us and was named Carrie. During this time I was still playing ball.
In the early Nineties we organized a band of about 14 pieces and I played the cornet for a while and then played the trombone but dropped out in about three years.
On September 11, 1893, another son was born to us. We named him Orla Madison. About this time I was elected on the School Board and was secretary of the board for about seven years.
On February 24, 1985, still another boy was born to the family. We named him Irwin Wall. During the Fall of 1896, the people of Benjamin organized a creamery company and built a creamery that winter. I was one of the Board of Directors. We finished it and on the 11 th day of February 1897, started operations under the management of H.J. Faust of Salt Lake for one year.
On April 17, 1897, another son arrived at our home and we named him Ren Donaldson.
During the year 1897, and 1898, I went to Logan to the Agricultural College and Learned the art of butter and cheese making and the creamery was leased to David Hone and Son for a term of years and I was their butter and cheese maker. I worked for Hone and Son for more than three years until about 1901.
On August 18, 1898 a daughter came to our house. We named her Elizabeth Dion. On February 19, 1900, another daughter was born to us. We named her Sarah.
About the year 1899, we built a beautiful new brick house.
In the year 1902, we built another creamery on my property and I managed it and at the same time ran a little store in connection with the creamery.
On November 3, 1902, another son was born to us and we named him Enoch Laverl.
In the year 1903, James Wall and I bought a farm of R.D. Betts containing 108 acres of ground and farmed it together two years and then divided it; all taking half and me the other half.
On September 11, 1904, I was ordained a High Priest and set apart as Second Counselor to Bishop Isaac Hansen of Benjamin Ward of Nebo Stake Payson, and I was set apart as First Counselor to John Johnson who had been appointed Bishop of the ward. I served in this capacity about three years. During this period, we built the present meeting house in the Benjamin Ward. About this time I went to Tintic to work for the Jesse Knight Smelters for one year. In the year of 1910 and 1911 winters, I went to Moab in Grand County and worked for Scot B. Stewart on a government surveying land job. During the year 1912, I worked for John R. Stewart on another land survey fifty miles west of Salt Lake City aldo up Spanish Fork Canyon and in Juab County about thirty mile west of Nephi in Pog Valley. I worked there until December. The year 1913 I stayed home until October then went surveying again with John P. Stewart the balance of the year in the Leamington District.
During the year 1914 I sold our property in Benjamin and settled in Raft River Valley, Idaho; stayed there three years, was disappointed in the country and moved to Puper, Idaho in 1918 with boom times and lost all I owned--about $7,000.00. So I decided I would go into the honey business. I bought a few bees here and there and leased some on shares and was doing fairly well; bought a home on the installment plan. During this time the Minnidoka L.D.S. Stake was organized and I was chosen a member of the High Council; Labored in this capacity until my health failed and I resigried but still tended the bees and paid for the home I had bought, in about ten years.
During our stay in Raft River Valley, I served a short mission to Albion in Cassia County in the interest of the L.D.S. Church. After going to Ruper, I also served two short missions in that district.
During the winter of 1934-35, we lived in San Diego with our son Ren D. Stewart and family; Spent the most enjoyable winter of my life to date, like the California climate so well we went back to Idaho and sold our bees and with our son Laverl and Family moved to California in May, 1935. Laverl bought a home in Gridleey, Butte County, and we built a home on his property, in the Spring of 1937 I went back to Idaho and sold our home and have been here until now which is February 1941.
So here I am--Seventy-Seven years and eight months old...........