Wardboro History
Wardboro
Information comes from Treasured Tidbits of Time Volume I by Jens Patrick Wilde and is a condensed version
Wardboro was first settled as Preston after the first settler, Thomas Preston, who was in the area in 1865. Three years later Preston became the first presiding elder. It continued to be called Preston until 1885 when it had grown to the point a post office was needed. The application was rejected because Preston in Franklin County had been founded. A meeting of settlers was called and Oscar Dalrymple proposed the name of Wardboro after a favorite town of his in the east, Wardboro, New Jersey. The first postmaster was Milton Ward and many thought the town was named after him.
Among the first settlers were Thomas Preston, Hyrum Smith, Charles Stevens, Dave and Edgar Osborne, William Heep and Oscar and Harrison Dalrymple. Later the Dimick, John Webster Langford and Stewart families arrived. Prior to actual settlement, Nathaniel and Moroni Green pastured stock along the fertile grassland in what is now known as Banks Valley. Thomas Preston is credited with constructing the first irrigation ditch, plowing the first field and harvesting the first crop. He was the first to take water from the Bear River and move it into the fields and from that came the Preston-Montpelier Irrigation company.
Before the community even got the cemetery organized the first death occurred during the winter of 1865-66. A bad blizzard hit the area and the young daughter of William Heep got lost while going from the family cabin to the outside toilet.
A branch of the LDS Church was established in 1868 and was known as the Preston Branch and then the Preston Ward in 1877 with Henry Harrison Dalrymple as the first bishop. Oscar was the first YMMIA president; Edgar the first Sunday School President; Eliza the first Primary President. Even the first marriage involved Eunice Dalrymple and Adam Wilcox on Feb 4, 1900. Henry Dalrymple continued as Bishop until 1889 when the Ward was dissolved and the members went to Dingle.
A sudden surge in population reactivated the ward again in 1891 being called the Wardboro Ward with Charles J G Keetch as Bishop.
The area was often referred to as the "Bench". The church house was then located on property owned by Golden Keetch and the first church was a one room log cabin. It became so crowded that the meetings were held in rotation until 1909 when a new church was built. About 1887, an ice jam in the Bear River ruptured the original irrigation dam and before it could be repaired that summer, the crops were ruined. A new dam was built the same year of rocks and cribs of logs.
Schools were held in the small log building after the new church was built and the first teacher was believe to have been Rose Webster. About 1917 the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company encouraged farmers to try raising sugar beets. For about 10 years the crop was very popular. A spur line of the railroad was built to the community and a scale to weigh the beets was installed. Gradually the uncertain fall weather forced the ranchers to go back to other crops.
Bishop John A Berrey served for 42 years and a
new building was built Dec 3, 1950. Six years later the ward dissolved.