HISTORY OF EDWARD J. EVANS
Written in May, 1938 by Annella J. Price
Edward J. Evans was born in South Wales, January 30, 1839. When he was a small child, his parents became converts of the Mormon Church and they decided to come to America. Little is known of those early years of his life or just how old Edward was when the journey to America was made, but we have record of the family reaching Salt Lake City, Utah, in time for the laying of the corner stone for the temple as Edward Evans_ father was one of the men selected to seal and fir the stone in place.
A few years later the family moved to Brigham City and settled there. It was in Brigham City that Edward and his brother William grew to manhood. He knew all the hardships of pioneer life but always had a love of adventure. At this time he became dissatisfied with certain teachings of the church and dared to express his opinions, making some enemies in the community.
On March 10, 1863, he married Ann Thomas, a girl who had also come from Wales, had crossed the plains as a child, and had know the Pioneer hardships. Their eldest child, Janet, was born to them in Brigham. They came into Malad Valley with the first settlers and immediately located a home site and farm. The home still stands and the farm, located on what is called Devil's Creek, belongs to a grandson, Raymond Evans.
Edward Evans and his wife soon found they had another pioneering experience ahead of them but they prospered well and had a family of eight more children.
Edward Evans leaves a record that shows him to have always been a progressive and industrious man. He brought the first reaper into the valley and also the first organ for his home. Later, as he developed his herd of cattle he purchased a pure bred sire and encouraged the registering of cattle. His dairy farm on DevilÕs Creek became noted for its excellent butter and cheese and fine milk cows. He was active in all agricultural improvements as long as he lived. He died on July 14, 1904.
***Their Grandson, Raymond J. Evans remember that on the old ranch that his grandparents talked Welsh. He remember playing around the old log house with the dirt roof. It had three rooms. One room had rows and shelves of cheeses. The cheese was sold to freighters going to the Salmon River country and to Butte, Montana. The cheese was made by Grandmother Evans and her daughters, Aunt Annie, Alice and Mame.
Courtesy of Marcia Evans Daugherty
