Orson Clark - Apr '72 - Pg 3

Interviewer: When Ezra came here to Utah, you said that he was a farmer. About what would you state about the economic condition they had with the two families?

Orson Clark: They raised much of their food and wheat and had their own meat. They had gardens where they provided much of their living. Food was raised on the farms and in their lots.

Lucille Clark: Tell them about Brigham Young. He did about 500 bushels of wheat.

Interviewer: What was Ezra T. Clark's connection with Brigham Young.

Orson Clark: He was closely associated with Brigham Young all his life. He maintained a home, when the Authorities were traveling from one place to another, they would stop at Ezra T. Clark's residence and stay overnight.

Interviewer: At that time how much travel time do you think there was from Farmington to Salt Lake?

Orson Clark: Travel was by horse and buggy then. It was a distance of about fifteen miles which took about two-and-a-half hours with a good team.

Lucille Clark: You want me to read this? "It was the custom of Brigham to allow from twenty to forty acres of land to each family according to the water supply. Ezra T. Clark was given thirty-five acres of Farmington. As time went on, families moved from the town to Cache Valley and other places. He bought and traded for land until at the time of his death in 1901, he owned seven hundred acres in Farmington. Because of the natural resources and his financial ability he was soon known as a man of wealth and influence. The floor of Lake Bonneville made some wonderful, fertile garden spots throughout the valleys of the Rocky Mountains. Mother Nature had done much in her preparation for the pioneers. From observation experience, he knew the quality of different soils and their adaptability for certain culture. In a short time after his arrival in the valley, he had large peach and apple orchards. He raised sugar cane and many kinds of field products. Cattle, hay, and grain were his chief sources of income."

Interviewer: First of all, what were your father's and mother's names?

Orson Clark: My father's name was Edward Barrett Clark and my mother's name was Wealthy Richards.

Interviewer: You mentioned that they were both born in Farmington?