Arthur Smith Compiled by his daughter, Madeline Smith McLatchie

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Arthur Smith Age 25

Arthur Smith was born August 8, 1861, in Hammerwich, Staffordshire, England, the eldest child of James and Emma Sutton Smith. They were immigrants to America when Arthur was 4 years. He had his fifth birthday on the plains. His sister, Jane, was three and Martha was one. They left England April 30, 1866, on the ship "John Bright" and rode steerage for six weeks. It was the cheapest way to travel. There were 747 Saints on board under the direction of C.M. Gillet.

Sometime after arriving in New York on June 6th, they traveled by train in cattle cars, arriving in Wyoming†, Nebraska, July 19, 1866, where church teams were ready to start the trek across the plains. They traveled with the first mule train to come west. It consisted of 46 wagons and 251 Saints with Thomas E. Ricks as captain. There were many provisions to haul west so the chances of riding were few.

Arthur walked most of the way, while his Mother walked beside him carrying the baby. His father was ill with Mountain Fever and when not riding walked with two sticks, helping when he could by carrying one of the little ones on his shoulders. His mother was allowed to ride from Echo Canyon to Salt Lake City. They arrived in Salt Lake September 4, 1866, and went straight to the Tithing Yard and spread their quilts on the floor of what had been an old pigpen. They camped there until a house was located.

In 1867, they moved to Kaysville and worked a farm on shares for Mr. Boothe.

Arthur helped operate a brickyard and also one of the first grist and flour mills in that locality. Sugar cane was grown and molasses made. He was principally a farmer during his life although he was Davis County Road Supervisor for 15 years. When the Bamburger Railroad was put through Kaysville, he did important contract work for it.

Arthur and Alice Smith Farmington, UT - about 1912

He married Sarah Alice Bishop in the Logan Temple May 26, 1886. Eleven children were born to them - five boys and six girls. Nine of them grew to adulthood.

They lived next door to his parents until their first child (Ida) was five years old then moved to the John Weinel farm in 1892 and worked it the rest of his life.††

He helped organize the Kaysville Irrigation Company and develop the water system.

On the farm he grew tomatoes and green beans for the Barnes Canning factory. He also grew much alfalfa and had an orchard. He had cows and sent milk to the creamery.

He liked company and a crowd was at this home for every Thanksgiving and Christmas. He always helped prepare for them. Sunday was another visiting day for relatives because Alice's mother lived with them so the family called on her. He loved little children and played with them. When the youngest child was old enough to go to school, he begged Alice to adopt a baby, but she said she had done her share.

He passed away March 22, 1924 at the age of 63, and was buried in the Kaysville cemetery.

Children: Ida, Mabel, Frank Arthur, Claude James, Ralph Melvin, Stanley George, Dora Clara, Hubert B., Bertha Alice, Madeline Artel, and Nora Leone.

Added note by his granddaughter, M. Jean Smith Vandiver:

I just barely remember my grandfather. He was sick in bed but always had my brother and me come in to see him. He would give us oyster crackers off his plate. We would take them to my grandmother, and she would give us fresh ones. I was 4 years old when he died but remember very clearly the day he was buried, just two days after my 4th birthday. He died of Pernicious anemia.

After my grandmother died in 1940 the farm was sold to Hod Saunders of the Clover Leaf Potato Chip Company. The house was razed, but the rock barn was made into a club house.

† Wyoming, Nebraska was a little village about 7 miles north of Nebraska City, or Old Fort Kearney on the west bank of the Missouri river. It was the outfitting place for the Mormon emigration during the years 1864, 65 and 66.

†† John Weinel, who under the direction of Brigham Young had built the grist mill then later the house and barn, hired Arthur Smith as a farmhand . The farm soon became a familiar place to him, so when he moved his wife, Alice, and their four small children there to live, it already seemed like home. After the death of Mr. Weinel, Arthur's folks took a mortgage on the property and then talked Arthur into taking it over, mortgage and all. Arthur and his father were farmers, not millers. Although they hired others as millers, they themselves never became very adept at it. (From "John Weinel, Miller" compiled by Inez Barker for the Daughters of Utah Pioneers.)

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