Salem, Utah - Utah County: a Graphic Account of Its Foundings, Its Wonderful Growth

Utah County: a Graphic Account of Its Foundings, Its Wonderful Growth

Short Line railroad, is the picturesque town of Salem. Its first settlers were Royal Durfee and Cyrus Hillman, who in 1855 located upon this site.

A new meetinghouse, almost completed, stands upon the public square, which will, when finished, add greatly to the appearance of the town. D. R. Taylor is the present bishop.

citizens, ug them I >< i 1 1^ Soreo I'. Christensen, James J. Davis, formerly postmaster for many years, andD. 1>. Sabin, the latter being one of the counselors to Bishop Taylor.

The present postmaster is K. A. Kngberg. There is a Co-operative Mercantile Inst it nt ion, which transacts a very fair business, and i.s under the able management of Mr. 0. Barr.

and stookraising being extensively engaged in. The populat ion is about Hill), and if nut actually wealthy, every one appears to be prospering.

This gentleman was born in Surry county, N. ('., August 29, 1850, his parents being Thomas and Mary Ann Darnley Taylor. His father was a farmer, and his mother a weaver of fabrics, people of limited means.

His education was derived from about three months' attendance at school each year, as when quite young he was at work in the field toiling from early morn until dark. Believing that the Latter-day Saints were the acknowledged people of God, and desiring to become more intimately acquainted with them, he left his home at the age of nineteen, taking the train at Norfolk, Va., thence via steamer to New

Bishop Taylor's first place of residence wa« at Payson, from whence he removed to Fremont, returning eventually to Salem, where he has since lived.

He was married June 7, 1H74, to Sarah Caledonia Richardson, and has since his marriage lived to see a family of ten children grow up around him, whose names are: Josephus, Thomas Lee, Lilly Ann, David Hufus, John Franklin, Samuel Henry, Permelia Catherine, Emma May, Dora Manerva and Maggie Angeline.

In April, 1886, he was assigned to a mission in the Southern States, leaving his home upon the 12th of that month, and after two years' labor in Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia, he returned to Salem April 13, 1888. He has held

York, from which city he traveled again by railroad to Ogden via Chicago, and being one of the first company of Saints to cross the plains by train. The company traveled under the escort of Henrv J. Boyle, and arrived in Utah July 31, 196i>.

various ecclesiastical offices, among which might be mentioned those of president Y.M. M. I. A. of Salem ward, president Y. M. M. I, A. Fremont branch of Loa ward, president of the elders of Loa ward, and is to-day the bishop of Salem ward.

Bishop Taylor from his boyhood has shown a keen interest in all that pertains to an agricultural life, his hobbies having always been farming, fruit raising and kindred pursuits, and today we And him in the picturesque little farming town of Salem, surrounded by the delights of his youth and enjoying the prosperity he has justly earned.

His 1 fe has been comparatively uneventful, as at the time of his arrival in Utah the Indian troubles were practically over, and he has never evinced any desire to participate in public affairs, preferring rather to attend to his daily duties at home, living up to his faith and knowing that his past life has merited for him the esteem and confidence of the residents of Salem.

Soben Peteb Chbistensen

Soren Peter Christensen, the second son of Peter Christensen and Elizabeth Frandsen, was born October 19, 1837, at Orreslev, Skanderborg County, Denmark.

His parents were poor, being employed in a small woolen mill, in which when only six years old he commenced to labor, remaining there four years, when his parents removed to Seiet, and about a year later to Vingum. When thirteen years of age he left home to herd stock for consideration of $4 per annum, at which occupation he stayed until he was seventeen. His natural bent seemed to be that of a carpenter, but an apprenticeship of five years being out of the question, he took up farm life as being more profitable.

Having strong religious tendencies, it can be easily understood that the appearance of the Latter-Day Saint missionaries was fraught with gr^at interest to him, and the story of his conversion can best be told in his own words. He says: "I listened with great interest to the doctrines taught by them, comparing their teachings with tho Bible, and prayed earnestly to the Lord to know the true gospel. Then the Lord revealed to me the Truth by His Holy Spirit, wherefore, in obedience to the will of God, I obeyed the gospel as revealed to the Latter-Day Saints and was baptized September 13, 1857." On November 7, 1858, he was ordained an Elder and in 1862-3 labored as a missionary until his release was given him so that he could emigrate to Utah. He crossed the North Sea to Grimsby; thence to Liverpool, where he took passage in a sailing vessel, the B. Kimball, for New York, at which port he arrived in about seven weeks. Leaving New York he traveled by rail and steamer to Florence, where he joined the Church teams en route to Utah, arriving in the Promised Land on September 30, 1863.

He was married three times, first to Anne Marie Nielsen May 8, 1863, and who died January 17, 1869, by whom he had four children, Elizabeth Marie, Mary Anne, Dorothea and Soren. His second marriage was to Anne Marie Carstensen, a widow with two children, in 1870, and March 13, 1884, he married Karen Marie Elizabeth Jensen, the issue of which was six children, respectively, Jens Peter, Soren Peter, Mary Elizabeth, Emma Amanda, Lillie Devena and Wilford Erastus.

His first place of residence in Utah was at Lake View, near Provo, but not being able to make a suitable home there he removed to Salem, where he assisted in the construction of a canal from Spanish Fork canyon in the direction of Payson, after which he tried to cultivate the virgin soil around his home and plant an orchard, etc., but in common with many others his lirst crop was almost entirely destroyed by grasshoppers. Shortly after this he assisted in the formation of a small co-operative store and was one of those who helped erect the Provo Woolen Mills, now become so justly famous. About 1871 he was elected a school trustee, retaining his office for twelve years. In June, 1877, Mr. Christensen was ordained a High Priest and was set apart as second counsellor to Bishop B. H. Davis, and when in 1880 the bishop resigned and was succeeded by Charles D. Evans, Mr. Christensen retained his office until the resignation of Bishop Evans in September, 1888. He has acted as a home missionary upon different occasions; has assisted in the construction of various church edifices, and for a number of years ably filled the position of town trustee, and although his labors are not yet ended, yet this brief outline of his life has shown Mr. Christensen to be possessed of considerable activity, and that wherever his lot might be cast his actions were always such as to merit the confidence of those who knew him.