James Brigham BRETT (WRIGHT) was born 2nd February 1845, in Manchester, County of Lancaster, England, the eldest son of Sarah Ann BRETT. He was illegitimate. (Traditional family rumor says that the father was a missionary.) When his mother married Andrew WRIGHT, 16 Dec 1849, he took his stepfather's surname and became known as James Brigham WRIGHT.
Sometime in 1854 or 1855, Andrew WRIGHT deserted his wife, Sarah Ann, and ran away with another woman. Sarah Ann BROADHEAD, daughter of James Brigham WRIGHT, said the woman was the wife of Sarah Ann BRETT's brother. They were never heard of again and it is thought they came to America. (Sarah Ann had three brothers; Charles, George Frederick, and John James.)
His mother worked very hard in a factory trying to support her three children; James Brigham; Thomas, born 23 Nov 1851; and Emma, born 19 Sep 1853.
James Brigham was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was eight years old (1853). He was a very studious boy at his age, trying hard to help his mother, as they were in very poor circumstances. When he was nine years old (1854) the officers came and put them in the poor house. It was a terrible trial to his mother and nearly broke her heart.
However, they were only in the poor house nine days as a good and faithful friend of the family, heard of her trouble and helped get them out. He was Edward CHAPPELL also a Latter-day Saint.
He took James home with him and apprenticed him to learn the clogger or shoemaker trade so he could help his mother support the others. At that time James Brigham probably became acquainted with Sarah Jane CHAPPELL, Edward's daughter, who eventually became his wife.
When James was 11 years old (1856) the family was able to come to America. Sarah Ann had a burning desire to come to Zion and they worked and saved every penny they could for that purpose. With the help of Mr. CHAPPELL and the Church's Perpetual Emigration Fund, they came on the ship "Horizon", with a group of Saints bound for the United States, under the direction of Edward MARTIN. They sailed from Liverpool, England in May of 1856. The voyage was rough and he saw his beloved grandmother (Sarah Upstone Brett ALCOCK, aged 62) buried at sea. It was one of the hardest things he ever had to bear, to see his grandmother buried in a watery grave, and he never forgot this sad experience.
After eight weeks of tossing and heaving in the sailing vessel, with hundreds of other passengers, they arrived in Boston on 30 Jun 1856. From Boston they were shipped in box cars to Iowa City, Iowa. The number of emigrants requiring handcarts was much larger than anticipated, therefore, much time was wasted, which could have been spent traveling, while a hundred and forty-six handcarts were being made. At last, on 28 July, the company of 576 persons, 146 handcarts, 7 wagons, etc., left for the westward journey, with Edward MARTIN as captain. They traveled about 15 to 20 miles a day. He walked the entire distance across the plains in the ill-fated Edward MARTIN Handcart Company. One day as the handcart company was moving toward the West, James decided he was not feeling well and that he could not go any farther, so he walked out by the side of the road and sat down next to a mesquite bush and was soon fast asleep. The company went on, no one missing him. When the company camped for the night his mother, Sarah Ann, noticed he was gone and went to Captain MARTIN. The Captain was very angry as they were all extremely tired after the hard day's travel, but he sent some men to search for James. When James woke up he saw a pair of very bright eyes staring at him. When the men found him they saw him sitting by the bush with wolves walking around him. He said he wasn't afraid because he had prayed to his Heavenly Father to save him and send someone to find him. When they returned to camp Captain MARTIN was going to whip him, because it was very dangerous to leave the company, and James had caused a lot of trouble for all who were so weary. But his mother said, "No, you are not going to whip him for he is sick." Thus far, the journey had not another woman were cooking breakfast, which consisted of one small pancake apiece made from flour and water. His mother put the pancakes on a platter inside the tent in which he was sleeping. He woke up and saw those cakes. The other children were still sleeping and his mother was out of the tent, so he got up and took one of the cakes and ate it under the covers. When his mother counted the cakes and found one was gone she asked James if he had taken it. He said, "Yes, Mother, I was so hungry." On hearing this from her son, Sarah Ann broke down and cried and said, "I know, my boy, I know. We are all hungry." It was the first time he ever saw his mother cry. Many of the Saints came down with the chills and fever and were dying from exposure. One day James became sick and his mother could see that he was getting the chills and fever. She got a little stick and began to run him around the campfire until he was perspiring freely. Then she rolled him in a blanket, and he was well the next day. He said she saved his life through her quick thinking. He used to help his mother gather buffalo chips to build fires when there was no wood available. Many times he helped shovel snow at night to make their beds. He helped pull the handcart. On the morning of 19 October, the beds of the travelers were covered with snow that had drifted in from outside the tent. About four inches had fallen during the night. The air was bitterly cold and a high wind drove particles of snow in every direction. The spirits of the pioneers sank within them. Encampment had been made at the last crossing of the Platte River (near Casper, WY, elevation 5,100 feet) which had to be crossed. The water was extremely cold, up to the wagon beds in the deepest part, and the current was strong. Some of the women and children were carried across by the men, but most of the women tied up their skirts and waded through, like the heroines they were. For several days the storm continued until the snow was 15 inches deep on the level, but they struggled on, many, however, falling by the wayside. Sometime before this, a company of returning missionaries traveling on horseback and with teams passed the company enroute for Salt Lake City. They arrived on 4 October while General Conference was in session, and as soon as President Brigham YOUNG heard about the handcart companies he dismissed conference so they could prepare to go meet the Saints. Suitable men, with teams, volunteered and left on Monday, 6 Oct. The handcart companies were not reached as soon as expected, being delayed by a storm. The relief company realized how insufficient their loads of provisions would be when divided between 1500 people who were still on the plains or in the mountains. It was not until the 29th of October that the MARTIN Company was found near the Sweetwater River in the most deplorable condition (at Martin's Cove, near Devil's Gate, about six miles southwest of Independence Rock, elevation 6,200 feet). They had lost 56 of their members by death since they left the North Platte River nine days before (about 55 miles distance). Their provisions were nearly gone and their clothing almost worn out. Most of their bedding had been abandoned on the road as they were too weak to haul it. The company was strung out for miles, old men were tugging at loaded carts, some women pulling sick husbands, and children struggling along, all through deep snow. As the emigrants traveled up the Sweetwater River and over the mountains, more relief wagons met them. One by one the handcarts were abandoned. At last, by the assistance thus rendered, the weary survivors entered the Salt Lake Valley on Monday, 30 Nov 1856, after more than four months of marching and toil, pulling handcarts. After they arrived in Salt Lake and rested for a few days Sarah Ann BRETT and her family went on to Payson and made their home. Their suffering and trials were not over, for food was scarce because the grasshoppers had been bad that summer in the valley. They lived on Sego Lily roots and weeds and never tasted bread for six weeks. James said he would also pull up the roots of cat tails. The first bread was made out of bran and it was, oh, so good. His mother, Sarah Ann Brett WRIGHT, married Thomas CORBETT (23 Feb 1857), and when he died (about 1860-1861) they moved to Nephi. There she married Samuel PHILLIPS (before 1863) and they had a small farm and James helped with the work and grew up in Nephi. They were listed on the 1860 Utah Territorial in Nephi, Juab County. The household included Thomas CORBETT, age 48, born in England; Cecelia, age 50, born in Scotland; Sarah A., age 34, born in England; James, age 15, born in England; James H., age 8, born in Utah Territory; Thomas, age 8, born in England; and Emma M., age 6, born in England. When he was nearly 19 years old (1864) he was one of six young men from Nephi called by Brigham YOUNG to return with ox teams to Winter Quarters and help pilot other companies of Saints across the plains. The trip to Winter Quarters (Florence, Nebraska) and return to Nephi took six months. He was surprised and happy to find the Edward CHAPPELL family waiting at Winter Quarters to come across the plains. He asked the Captain for permission, which was granted, for the CHAPPELL family to ride in his wagon. This was a happy meeting as they were old friends in England. He had been apprenticed to Edward CHAPPELL while living in Manchester (1854-1855). They began their trek across the plains around the latter part of July. They were with the Captain W.C. WARREN Company which consisted of sixty wagons and two to four oxen with each wagon. About five days into their journey they thought it best to join another company as the Indians were attacking ahead of them and also behind them, so they joined up with Captain CANFIELD's Company. His company had sixty wagons, too, and about the same number of oxen, so it made a very large wagon train, but there was more safety, security, and protection for everyone. The Indians were on the warpath and attacking small parties and burning and killing them. At one place a band of Indians rode up to an old man who was lagging behind, and scared him, so he pointed his gun at them and fired. Fortunately, the gun didn't go off or there would have been serious trouble, or perhaps a fight with the Indians. The journey was fatal to many members of the wagon train and the CHAPPELL family had their share of trouble. More details concerning the family can be found in their history. The parents and four of the living seven children died during the trip, which left James Brigham in charge most of the way. Before Edward CHAPPELL died, while he was sick in bed, James, dressed in a pair of home spun blue jeans, a home spun pink shirt, and a home made straw hat, helped Sarah Jane lift the box of supplies into the wagon. As they finished the task, James held Sarah Jane's hand. Seeing this, her father, Edward, raised up on his elbow and said, "It's alright with me. You have my blessing." He could see that they were in love, and he was happy about it. They arrived in Salt Lake City, 2 Oct 1864. They did not remain there, but went on to Nephi with James, arriving 9 Oct 1864. What a shock it must have been to James' mother, Sarah Ann to learn of the deaths of the dear friends she had known and loved in England. She gladly welcomed the remaining three children into her home and tenderly cared for them until they were well and strong again. Sarah Jane was a spirited young girl and soon recuperated and made the best of things. It was not long before she was helping with the others and doing her share of the work around the home, such as spinning, weaving, knitting, sewing, cooking, and cleaning. James admired her cheerful and tender disposition and fell deeply in love with her. James Brigham WRIGHT and Sarah Jane CHAPPELL were married on Christmas day, 25 Dec 1864, just two and one half months after arriving in Nephi. They took up housekeeping in a one-room adobe house with a dirt floor and a sod roof, which James had built. When it rained she would have to put pans around to catch the drips that came through. James made the house using adobe bricks made with mud and straw. The adobe was put in pans something like bread tins. When they dried, the house was built using the brick mortared together with more mud and straw. Sarah Jane cooked all their meals on an open fireplace. There was a piece of iron fastened to one side of the fireplace that was called a crane. It could be moved back and forth. They hung their kettles on the crane to cook their food and to boil their water. Potatoes were roasted in the ashes on the side of the fireplace. Their bread was baked in an iron skillet on the hearth before the open fire. Hot coals were placed under the skillet and on top, which were replaced till the bread was done. To make light bread she stirred flour and water together and kept it in a warm place until it fermented, then made a sponge. When the sponge was light Sarah Jane used it in her bread dough. They covered the coals up every night to keep live coals to start the fire in the morning. If the coals died out in the night they would have to go to a neighbor and get some as there were no matches readily available nor did they have money to buy such a luxury. Later an old lady made hop yeast to sell. Sarah Jane would take flour to her and the old lady would give her in exchange as much yeast as she had given her flour. James made a table and they sat on boxes till he could get some chairs made. He made a wooden bed with slats, on which they put a homespun tick filled with straw to sleep on. Later he made other things for the house, a good cupboard and a flour bin large enough to put in a year's supply of flour. They cradled grain and gleaned wheat to buy their first dishes. James had a small farm and worked very hard on it. He cradled many bushels of grain. Work was slow and laborious and they worked at a great disadvantage for they did not have modern farm equipment to work with in those days. The grain was cut with a cradle (or scythe), raked with a homemade rake of wood, tied into bundles, carried into shocks or stocks, then hauled home by ox team, and stacked ready to be threshed. Most of the threshing was done by hand. James would put the grain on the floor of the granary and tromp or beat it. He would then take the grain with the chaff that remained, and hold it up in the wind and let it fall into a tub or barrel. The wind would blow the chaff away. After the wheat was hauled in from the fields the women and children would go into the field and glean. They would pick up every head of wheat and tie it into small hand fulls and put it in a sack and carry it home on their backs. The gleaned wheat was theirs to sell or do with as they liked. Sarah Jane also made their own soap in those days using what they called a leach. It was a wooden barrel with small holes in the bottom. They filled the leach with hardwood ashes and poured water over them. After the water drained through the ashes she boiled the water down and put it in the grease. It made a soft soap. Because it was difficult to make soap, they would not use it for cleaning. Their furniture was all home made so they would scrub it with white sand. The tables, chairs, and floors were all kept white and beautiful this way. James was a good carpenter and he worked at that trade in the winter time. He built homes and things for them. He taught his sons the trade and he would say, "Now son, be sure you are right, then go ahead." When he built his new home he made it out of adobe that he molded himself. James also made shoes while in Nephi. The winters were very cold and they had difficulty in getting enough water. They carried it from the creek that ran through town. The creek would freeze over and they would chop holes in the ice for the animals to drink, and through these holes they would get their water. They melted snow for washing dishes and their hands. In the summer they would use the irrigation water from the ditches. When it rained they would fill buckets and tubs as the water in the ditches would get very muddy. When the children were out playing and got thirsty they would lay down on their stomachs and drink water from the irrigation ditches. James raised sheep also. Frederick William WRIGHT, James' son, related that his father purchased 3,000 sheep, and Fred spent six years herding them, in the mountains in the summer and in the desert, in Millard County, in the winter. James' daughter, May, related that she once went with her father to the sheep camp for two weeks to fix his meals. While there, James was fixing the wagon underneath. He asked May to get some nails out of the wagon. As she was climbing up, two sheep dogs grabbed her dress and pulled her down and would have killed her if James hadn't been there to ward them off. The dogs were not used to children since they were raised out on the prairie. In the spring when the sheep were sheared the women would wash the wool, pick it and card it by hand (until someone set up a carding mill). The wool was spun and woven into clothing and blankets. It wasn't long until someone set up a small weaving machine. To color the cloth, they would mix black and white pigments for gray, bark from the Quaking Aspen to get brown and onion skins to get yellow. They also got yellow from the rabbit brush. The Indigo flower was used for blue, and various flowers for other colors. When they went to dances they would take wheat, corn, barley, vegetables or other things for their tickets. James was a good singer and sang in the choir for 30 years. It was different than now. The words were in a little book and the music in a larger one, making it necessary to hold the book with music and the little book with words together. James played the piccolo and was a member of the first brass band in Nephi. In the early days they had lots of trouble with the Indians. They had a habit of sneaking up on you and you would look up and find one standing in the doorway. On one such occasion James' mother backed one out of the house with a hot flat iron. Another time she took her false teeth and scared one, as they were very superstitious. President Brigham YOUNG advised the Saints to feed the Indians and be good to them and that is what they tried to do, but the Indians would still go on the warpath. The settlers built a big mud and straw wall around Nephi for the protection of the people. It extended along the north, east, and south with Salt Creek on the west. The walls were six feet thick at the bottom and tapered to four feet at the top. The wall was approximately eight feet high with port holes to allow the settlers to shoot through. James helped build the fort and took turns standing guard in all kinds of weather to protect the people from prowling Indians. The men who stood guard were called "Minute Men". There was a large flat-roofed store in town that was called the Co-op Store and the men had placed a large drum on the roof. When a warning was needed to let the people know of any danger, the man in charge of the drum would run up and beat it to spread the alarm. It could be heard all over town. Every man had his position from which he fought. When the alarm was sounded each man would drop whatever he was doing and come running to take his place and fight the Indians. All the men who lived in Nephi had to fight many times to protect the lives of their loved ones. They were called the Militia. One of these incidents happened in Dec 1867, two weeks after the birth of Sarah Ann. Details of the incident are not known. The WRIGHT's home was two blocks from the fort. At that time Black Hawk was the Indian Chief and James fought in the Black Hawk Indian War (1865 to 1868). Even though no raids were made on the town of Nephi itself, but it was situated on the trail the Indians took to go south and east through the Salt Creek Canyon. At one time some emigrants going to Sanpete were warned not to go any farther as the Indians were on the warpath. A man and his wife and their two children in the party decided they would not heed the warning and went on. These people only had one wagon and several others on horseback. The Indians caught them, put them through terrible torture, and burned the outfit, making off with the horses. The children, somehow, got away and went to Fountain Green and told of the massacre. This happened in Salt Creek Canyon and, of course, caused a great deal of trouble. The Militia was called to search out this raiding party. There was a friendly Indian by the name of Indian Joe who would tell the Mormons when the Indians were on the warpath. He came and told them where this bunch of Indians was hiding. Indian Joe guided the Militia to the camp and they surrounded it at day break. The squaws were up preparing the morning meal. One squaw saw them and called, "White Man!". The Indians started running, but the Mormons wrapped their lariats around them as they tried to get to their horses. Indian Joe called to them and told them that they were surrounded. Some tried to make a break and were shot. The others were surrounded, captured and taken prisoner to stand trial. Some of the Indians were killed, but the women and children were let go free. James had his gun on one that was trying to escape, but the Indian was shot from the other side. This was the second time he held his gun on an Indian, but never shot one. The first time was on the plains when he was going after the CHAPPELL family. The Indians were bad and James had an older man sitting in the seat beside him. An Indian came past and snapped his gun three times, but it didn't go off. If it had, James would surely have shot him as he always had his gun on the seat beside him. James always said that it averted a massacre as there was a big camp of Indians near, and if the Indian had been shot they would have killed and burned the whole wagon train. He said the hand of the Lord was with him at that time. 1870 census ………………………… One day an Indian came to his home with a nice willow basket and wanted a bread pan of flour for it. Sarah Jane, thinking it would make a nice clothes basket, said she would take it and when she got the pan of flour, the Indian wanted another one. She told him, "No, just one." He said he would take it anyway, so she called James. The Indian laughed at her and said, "He is not home." But James came and grabbed him, threw him down and almost choked him. Sarah Jane said, "Don't kill him!", so James let him up. The men had to fight many times for the lives of their loved ones. The Indian told James the next time he went to the mountains for wood he would kill him. When he went for wood a number of others with teams went with him. The Indian was hiding, waiting for him. A friendly Indian told them where he was hiding. When the teams came by where the Indian was hiding, they spied him and shot him. James also had to battle with the grasshoppers. He told how he would dig ditches and fill them with water and drive the grasshoppers into the ditches with sticks and other things. As the grasshoppers would float downstream they would catch them in sacks. When the sack was full they would burn the grasshoppers. James B. and Sarah Jane WRIGHT were listed on the 1880 Federal Census for Nephi, Juab County, with children Sarah Ann, age 12; Edward J., age 7; Frederick W., age , and Brigham, age 1. He was a very hard worker and cradled many bushels of grain on his little farm. His main trade was carpentry work. He worked two winters on the Manti Temple and when it was finished he did work for the dead in the temple. (The cornerstone for the Manti Temple was laid 14 Apr 1879, and the dedication of the completed temple was performed on 16 May 1888.) James also had a lovely orchard which included apple trees. The family had ten children, three of which passed away in Nephi. One, a two year old (James Brigham WRIGHT Jr), was bitten by a mad dog and died of rabies (hydrophobia), which was a terrible death. In the summer of 1898, they loaded their camp wagons and moved (22 Aug 18982) to Alberta, Canada. The journey was long and took a month. There were eleven of them. They had two covered wagons and a trailer wagon with a stove, cupboards for dishes, and a bed. The wagons were loaded with furniture, bedding, and food. They had eight horses, a saddle horse, and a mule. The weather was nice all the way, and they enjoyed camping out at nights. The eleven travelers were James Brigham and Sarah Jane WRIGHT; their son, Edward and his wife, Alice, and Edward's baby Leron; James' son, Fred and his wife, Elizabeth; James' sons Brigham and John; and James' daughters Rose and May. While on the way to Canada they had to try to find good spots for night camping. One night they had just finished the night chores when two riders came riding up. They had black horses and were dressed in all black clothing. They had their revolvers at their sides and asked James where they were going. Then they rode away. Sarah Jane had sewn all the money in her corset and they had all they possessed with them. James and the older sons felt the men planned on returning later in the night, so they hitched up the horses and wagons and traveled all night to avoid any trouble. They arrived in Cardston 23 (or 272) Sep 1898. The weather was lovely and there were lovely crops of wheat. Cardston was a small town and there was a dance that night. Brig went to it. The girls didn't go because their best dresses were packed in the wagon and they couldn't get to them. Bishop HAMMER came to see them as they were camped on Lee's Creek, east of Spencer's Store. He welcomed them into the country. They went to Mountain View (where James' brother, Thomas WRIGHT, lived ) where they rented a place for the winter from the WEBSTER ranch. (Thomas Brett WRIGHT had arrived in Cardston three months earlier, on 29 Jun 1898 ) Their house was a hole in the side of a hill with poles at one end for the door, and poles for the roof, then straw and dirt. It leaked when it rained. It was two miles west from Mountain View. The Bishop was Brother STEWART. James bought a new 44-40 rifle when he left Nephi. He had to make his own bullets by melting the lead and pouring it into molds. James and his three sons and a son-in-law, took up homesteads in Beazer during November and December 1898 (Beazer is about six or eight miles south of and a little east of Mountain View ). Most of them stayed in their camp wagons during the first winter. The men worked in the timber all winter and spring getting logs to build their homes, helping each other. James Brigham was chief carpenter. At one time there were five homes within a little over a mile, and it became known as Wrightville. It was fifteen miles to Cardston. The children traveled three miles to go to school. ..Two families (BEAZER and BUCK) were the only settlers in the Beazer area until the years 1899 and 1900 when land hungry homesteaders swarmed in like the California and Klondike gold rush days and all the land was gone. There were now enough people to warrant an organization to promote education, social and religious activities. Mark E. BEAZER became the first postmaster, also religious leader of the new town that had also taken his name. As community workers he had such stalwarts as James B. WRIGHT, James PRINCE, Cordon C. CAHOON, James M. BROADHEAD, George E. PETERSON, Edward J. IVINS, Charles B. OCKEY, Elizeur CHAPMAN, Martin JOHNSON, James R. LEAVITT, Jabez BRANDHAM, Joseph R. SMITH, August HELBERG, John E. OCKEY, and dozens of younger men, either sons or sons-in-law of those mentioned. All these men were in their seventh heaven during those early pioneer days. The young men grew up handling horses, guns, fishing poles and generally creating their own sports of ball, horse racing and miniature stampede, culminating in the weekly Friday night dancing party. The wives of these braves were content or otherwise to raise gardens, make butter, pick wild fruit, make the family clothes, tend the chickens,, cook good meals and see to the eats and ice cream at parties. The young girls helped ma with these numerous duties and grew to be like her in more ways than one. These people were happy and contented living within their small circle, bounded on the north by the town of Leavitt, on the west by Mountain View, on the east by Cardston and Aetna and on the south by Boundary Creek. The land set aside for homesteading was even numbered sections of each township (except Section 8 and 3/4 of Section 26, which were Hudson's Bay land). To obtain a quarter section of land free of charge, every male person over 21 years of age who was a British subject or declared his intention to become such was entitled to obtain entry upon payment of $10.00. A widow having minor children of her own dependent upon her could make homestead entry. The homestead regulations were the same in 1905, stating the homesteader had to erect a dwelling on the land and reside there at least six months to a year for three years. During this time he had to bring in 15 acres under cultivation, plow five acres the first year, seed it the second year and plow an additional five acres. The third year, seed the ten acres and plow five more and after living on the land six months of each year, apply for the Homestead Inspector to verify his labors and recommend him for the patent. Patents were issued to first owners only. A patent was like a first invention and in the case of land, a first owner. The first settlers homesteading in the Beazer area attended church and community activities in the Leavitt Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while others became members of the Mountain View Ward until a Branch was organized in Beazer. This took place on the 8th of July 1900, with Mark E. BEAZER as Branch President. During this same meeting, the first Sunday School was organized with Elizeur CHAPMAN as Superintendent and James M. BROADHEAD first assistant and Frederick W. WRIGHT as Secretary-Treasurer. All meetings were held in the homes of the members and were fully appreciated. The beginning of religious and social activities and opportunities began. Six months after the organization of the Branch, Stake President Charles Ora CARD decided, since more families had moved into the district, it was time to organize a ward. On the 9th day of December, 1900, under the direction of President CARD, this took place in the ranch home of Mr. and Mrs. J.M. BROADHEAD. Other Stake officers, Heber S. ALLEN, Edward J. WOOD, and John A. WOOLF were present. Mark E. BEAZER was chosen as Bishop with James M. BROADHEAD and James B. WRIGHT as counselors, May WRIGHT as organist and James PRINCE as Ward Clerk. The bishopric were set apart and ordained High Priests by President CARD, Edward J. WOOD and Heber S. ALLEN. Mark E. BEAZER suggested that the new ward be named Nephi as a large number of the people who had settled in the community were from Nephi, Utah. President CARD, however, chose the name Beazer Ward after the first settler. Ward membership at the time was about 130 individuals in 20 families. All the meetings and entertainments were held in the homes of the church members until Jabez BRANDHAM agreed that if help was furnished to build his home it could be used for church, socials and dances until the ward meeting house was built. It was also agreed that no partitions be built in the home to accommodate the meetings and activities. All the people got together and went to the timber and got out the logs. The men soon had a meeting house built. The women and young girls cooked for the men and helped in any way they could. All the people saved their Sunday eggs to buy nails for the building. Nine months after the Beazer Ward was organized, the first Relief Society was organized on 25 August 1901, at a Sacrament Meeting in the home of Jabez BRANDHAM under the direction of the Bishopric; Mark E. BEAZER, Bishop; and counselors, James M. BROADHEAD and James B. WRIGHT; along with Thomas DUCE of the Stake Presidency and Mrs. Jane HINMAN of the Stake Relief Society Board. Sarah Jane WRIGHT was chosen as president, and set apart the same day by President Thomas DUCE. Sustained as her counselors were Ellen BEAZER and Amelia CHAPMAN, with Fannie PETERSON as secretary. The first Relief Society meeting was held, under the direction of Sarah Jane WRIGHT, August 29. The Bishopric was in attendance and 14 members were enrolled. Minutes of the first meeting held 29 August 1901, were recorded as follows. President Sarah Jane WRIGHT, presiding. Opening Song: "Our God We Raise To Thee". Prayer by Bishop Mark E. BEAZER. Song: "How Firm A Foundation". Sister WRIGHT was pleased to meet with us in Relief Society. She then related some of her past experiences in the Relief Society in Nephi, Utah. Sister Ellen BEAZER felt like trying to do all she could to make this organization prove a success and prayed the Lord to bless us all. Sister Amelia CHAPMAN spoke for a short time, felt like trying to do her part. Bishop Mark E. BEAZER was encouraged with this first meeting and urged us all to try and attend every meeting as it is easier to stay away if we miss one. He asked the blessing of God to be with each one of us. Meeting was then closed by singing, "Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow". Benediction by Ellen BEAZER. In April 1902, the Primary organization was organized with Bertha BUCK as president. A few months later the M.I.A. was organized with Victor WYNDER as Men's president and Bertha BLACK as Women's president. On January 3, 1902, the Ward Bishopric formed a Ward Building Committee for the purpose of drawing up plans for a new church house that would be suitable for church meetings as well as for ward amusements. James B. WRIGHT was chosen to be one of the carpenters and to be in charge of building Beazer's first church house in 1903. The men of the community united in getting out logs from the timber and a church house about 26 X 36 feet was built and completed in 1903, serving as chapel, amusement hall and until 1907, as a school house. There was much rejoicing over this new building. Donations came in and the Relief Society played a big part in helping furnish properties for the building. It is believed that the first piece of furniture purchased for the new church was a huge pot-bellied cast-iron heater which was placed in the center of the building. It was a favorite spot for people to gather, standing around chatting, joking and enjoying the warmth which radiated from this homely black object. The Relief Society contributed generously to the ward fund, helping to buy the sacrament set, sacrament tablecloth, linoleum, four arm chairs, and books, plus making donations to the Tabernacle, Temple, Missionary funds, and the Red Cross. A table substituted for a pulpit, benches were made, some chairs purchased and the Relief Society bought heavy brown material for curtains. These were used as dividers for classrooms. The Relief Society bought material to cover the sacrament stool, helped buy the set of Four Standard Works of the Church, new hymn books and gave generously towards the purchase of the first organ. Sometime later a stage was added to the church house on the west and was built by James B. WRIGHT and Samuel COX. Eventually the exterior of the building was covered with board siding and painted white. The building served the people until 1935 when a new and larger building was erected. In 1913, twenty-three families belonged to the ward, in 1930 the population was 141 and 1967, 73 members. It was quite a challenge for Sarah Jane, as the first Relief Society President, and the Bishop to establish the new ward. At first, Relief Society was held in the homes once a month and time was spent in testimony bearing. There were no outlined lessons, no Relief Society Magazine, as it was not yet published. Minutes were taken in a notebook and dues were 10 cents. When visited by visiting teachers, the members donated some eggs, 5 or 10 cents, quilt pieces, a spool of thread or wool. This was placed in a charity fund for the needy. In 1903, interesting biographies, educational reading, current events, scripture reading, and musical numbers were added to Relief Society. Later they received instruction from the Stake Board to hold a course of lectures for mothers. By 1904, the members subscribed to the Relief Society Magazine. The meetings were held regularly every Tuesday afternoon. The husbands arranged their work around the home so they could take care of the children and give their wives the use of the team and buggy. Most women drove from two and a half to three miles over rather difficult roads to attend their meetings. The Relief Society made money from donations, by selling refreshments at dances, oyster suppers, homemade ice cream, bazaars, and sales of quilts. Sarah Jane was president for six years. The Beazer School District No. 694 was established on 14 April, 1902 and in January, 1903, school commenced with William A. DAY of Owen Sound, Ontario, as the first teacher. School was held in the church house using one large room and the stage. In 1907 the area had grown enough to warrant building a school house. It was completed in the summer and was ready for school in the fall. Everyone had some skill as a carpenter, out of necessity. Some that came were well trained at this trade and helped erect many homes. Two that come to frequent mention were Samuel COX and James Brigham WRIGHT. Later Curtis and Dave EHLERT built homes and also plastered and stuccoed many of the buildings in Beazer and surrounding districts. James loved flowers and trees. He beautified his surroundings and raised a good garden every year. Sarah Jane never did the rough hard work in the garden or yard. James did all that and sometimes his boys and girls helped. She was a good homemaker, loved to sew and do fancy work. In her younger days in Nephi, she crocheted and knitted articles and sold them. She also taught her daughters these skills. They brought their organ from Nephi so her girls could play the church hymns. She always had cookies on hand for her grandchildren. She knitted a pair of mittens for each of her granddaughters in a fine, close stitch. She was always cheerful and ready to help others. The weather in the early days was treacherous. The blizzards would last for three days at a time and men were lost within half a mile of their homes. Out on the roads, which were unfenced, travelers were lost in every storm. The drivers soon learned to trust their horses to find their way and they invariably pulled up to the stable door. The worst blizzard of all took place during May 1903. One Saturday evening, 16 May 1903, it began to rain in Southern Alberta and thereupon followed the famous May snow storm. It snowed four days and four nights. There was three feet of snow on the level. Livestock losses were horrendous. In 1907 the hard winter started off as early as 10 September, with a three-day snowstorm that dropped 38 inches of snow. This was followed by a warm chinook that permitted harvesting in one week. The winter of 1919-20 was decidedly the worst winter on record, known as the "hard winter". The snow fall was extremely heavy with continued severe cold temperatures. There was a scarcity of hay for livestock with the price reaching $60.00 a ton. During the early years, extremely cold west winds were experienced by the pioneers. The gusty high strong winds kept rural children from attending school, made it difficult feeding cattle, drifted snow blocked roads and it was quite a task to keep the stoves stoked with wood as most of the warmth seemed to fly up the chimney. In June 1908, was the largest flood in recorded history. Torrents of rain came down steady for three days. Lee Creek rose fast and within the three days was banked up against houses in town. James owned a top buggy (one with overhead cover) and took pride in driving his matched beautiful roan buckskin horses. He was a lover of horses and was kind and gentle with them. He knew how to train, handle, and care for them. He was a bass singer and sang comic songs for programs. A favorite with the children was his Shoemaker song with actions. He made a tie rack for his grandsons from polished wood, or more accurately, he polished the wood until it shone. Their granddaughters remember the sacks of candy and nuts and maybe a small gift from their grandparents at Christmas time, until their posterity became so numerous they couldn't keep it up. He was a kind and good father and his children never tired of listening to his experience when he walked and pushed a handcart the entire distance across the plains in the ill-fated MARTIN Handcart Company. He was a loving and kind husband and kept up his courtship to the end. His thoughtfulness and consideration for her came first. No wonder she was a gentle, loving wife and mother to her family. James and Sarah Jane had the privilege to do temple work in the Alberta Temple after it was dedicated (1923). They spent some winters in Cardston. In Cardston, on July 28 (year unknown) twelve hundred people attended the regular Stake Priesthood meeting in the Tabernacle on Saturday. The special feature of the meeting was a pioneer reminiscence given by Thomas DUCE, age 79, who had crossed the plains three times in his younger days, and also, Mr. and Mrs. James B. WRIGHT of Beazer, nearly the sole surviving members of the handcart and wagon companies of 1856 and 1864. & These three sturdy pioneers were asked to stand at the front of the Tabernacle, on the rostrum together so that all present might see and honor them as the living representatives of that vast body of pioneers who had gone to the beyond. Then in solemn silence for one minute all the vast congregation arose and with deep silent reverence paid tribute to these worthy three Pioneers who were present with them. Each of the three were then called upon to address the meeting for a few minutes, and in doing so recalled some of the startling experiences of pioneer life. First, Thomas DUCE related his journey across the Atlantic on board the sailing vessel from Liverpool to New Orleans, and the trip up the Mississippi and then by team to the valley of the mountains. After getting there it became his duty to return to the Missouri three times and help pilot other companies across the plains. He also showed his twisted and snarled hands and the hole in his neck as a result of thirteen bullet wounds received during his experience. Only two of the thirteen bullets were ever removed from his body, so he was carrying 10 or 11 lead bullets somewhere. Yet he was hale and hardy. He was serving as First Counselor to President WOOD in the Alberta Stake. Most everyone called him Uncle Thomas DUCE. & Next, Mr. WRIGHT related his experience, which was nonetheless thrilling. He left England in 1856, in May, in company with hundreds of other immigrants, and arrived in Boston after eight weeks of tossing and heaving on the Atlantic in a little sailing vessel. After reaching Boston some 900 people were shipped in cattle or boxcars to Iowa City. He related their trouble on the plains and how their rations were reduced until they were hardly able to move, and winter was coming on. He related how new heart and courage would be infused into the men and women by someone starting to sing "Come, Come Ye Saints" and the pioneer songs which all would sing as they proceeded on their way. President WOOD requested him to sing it, which he did. He related some of the actual conditions that those sturdy pioneers endured. Lastly, following his remarks, his wife spoke briefly. & Sarah Jane WRIGHT died 3 April 1927, and was buried in the Beazer Cemetery. Sometime after Sarah's death, James Brigham went to visit his son, Edward James, in Issaquah, Washington. Hilda, daughter of Edward, was in the yard when James arrived. He asked if it was the home of Ted WRIGHT. Hilda answered that it was. When he noticed the flowers surrounding the house and said, "Yea, that's Ted!" He started toward the house when Ted saw him approaching. They ran to greet each other and gave each other a lingering hug, for they hadn't seen one another for some time. Edward had just bought a car and James Brigham had never ridden in a new car. Edward's wife, Alice, told her son, Warner, who was driving, to go real slow so not to get James Brigham frightened. After driving a while, James said, "Is this as fast as this car can go? Get this car going and let's have a ride!" This really pleased Edward's family. James Brigham WRIGHT passed away in the Cardston Hospital, 21 May 1928, at the age of 83, from kidney trouble, and was buried in the Beazer Cemetery. Funeral services were held 23 May 1928, at the Beazer Church. Bishop George E. PETERSON was in charge. Opening song: "Come, Come Ye Saints". Opening Prayer: W.W. BURT. Speakers were M.A. COOMBS, Patriarch J.F. ANDERSON, Bishop C.W. BURT, J.W. JACOBS, President J.F. PARRISH - all of Cardston; and Bishop George E. PETERSON. All testified to his noble character and expressed the pleasure that his acquaintance had brought into their lives. Mr. COOMBS said that he had known Mr. WRIGHT for 40 years and that he had influenced his life for good. Two solos were sung; "O My Father", by Velva OCKEY and "Beautiful Home", by Bertha WYNDER, his favorite songs. Closing hymn: "Come Go With Me Beyond The Sea". Benediction by William HENDERSON. Grave side prayer by Roy M. BEAZER. Many beautiful bouquets of home grown flowers and a lovely wreath from the family and the Relief Society were present. Left to mourn were sons; Edward, Frederick, and Brigham; daughters; Sarah A. BROADHEAD, Rose ALLEN, May WYNDER; one sister, Emma HYNES (probably HAYNES) of Nephi; forty-eight grandchildren; and fifty-one great grandchildren.
