in 1882, for better or for worse - sometimes it seemed for worse - they left the commune and move to Goose Creek in Idaho. Lots of sage brush, little water, lots of rocks and little soil: they nearly starved until 1887 when they abandoned their place with all its improvements, and with a little herd of stock and four children and two wagons, they moved to Star Valley in Wyoming.

STAR VALLEY

I wish I could give you a good picture of Star Valley. Last winter, a man said, “The reason the weather man doesn’t give you the temperature in Star Valley: no one would believe him. They can give you the temperature in Evanston or Randolph or Big Piney or Butte or Calgary or in Anchorage - it’s probably colder in Star Valley.”

Star Valley, in the early days, was a hard life. The only road in or out was fifty miles through mountains and canyons and meadows to Montpelier, Idaho. In the wet season it seemed that there was no bottom to the road, just mud. Every manufactured thing had to be freighted in with wagons or sleighs. The professional freighters with good equipment would take four or more days for the round trip. There were all sorts of heartaches, break downs, stuck in the mud, etc. along the way. When cattle were marketed, they would be driven three days or more to Montpelier, then shipped to Omaha or Denver. People did not go outside of the valley unless there was a great need. I remember when I was a youngster, there were several people who never saw a train until they went to the Logan Temple to be married. There was no electric service, except in Afton, until 1937, so all the little chores were done by hand. We drew the water from the well with a rope and bucket. What a glorious day it was in about 1906 when Father drove a pipe for a well through the kitchen floor and clear down to good water. Then of all miracles, we had a pump right in the kitchen. A little later I saw Uncle Wilford’s pump in his kitchen in Montpelier, only he had an electric motor with his pump. 

HyD is shown in this leadership photo from Star Valley.
The man in the photo could not be identified.

The reason I am saying so much about Star Valley in my narrative is that Star Valley and Father, in my thoughts, are largely synonymous. It was here that Father really started - about the time that Star Valley was getting started; it was here that he built his empire - and it was quite an empire; it was here that he reached his zenith in power and influence, in property and wealth, and then into decline. When Father went to Star Valley, he acquired squatter’s rights to 160 acres with a log house on it. This house was home until 1900. Several of the children were born here. I

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