12

While crossing the plains westward in a wagon company, mother walking beside father, accidentally fell in front of a wagon wheel. Acting with lightning speed, father by super-human strength grasped the wheel and eased it over her body, and thus prevented her from being seriously injured.

Father and his family arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in the fall of 1848. In order to find feed for his oxen and timber for building and to burn, he with others of the company, turned their faces northward and located in the mouth of North Canyon, south and east of Bountiful. Here he remained two winters and it was here that Mary Elizabeth was born.

In the spring of 1849 father drove up to Farmington, finding what he thought was a good location for a home and a farm. He got permission from Jos. L. Robinson, the first bishop of Farmington, which then continued north to the Weber River, to make a claim to 20 or 30 acres. Bishop Robinson, being a very close friend, had reserved for him a 20 acre tract next to his own claim, about three fourths miles west of the townsite. Ezra's experience and observation gave him some idea of the nature and value of crop land. So by permission he chose another location. He built a cabin under the hill, and a little north of where the O. S. L. depot now stands. There were perhaps two reasons why he built under the hill. First, it placed him near a stream of water, and second, the hill provided protection against the east winds. The hill at that time was quite abrupt. Later he dug a well on the top of the hill east of the station, and moved his cabin up on the hill. He added two more rooms to it, thus making three log cabins in a row. It was here that Joseph and Hyrum, my brothers were born. Later upon receiving a call to go to England on a mission, he received permission to build a home before going. He bought adobes and built a 1 1/2 story house, which is part of the present home. It was here that Edward B. and the rest of the family were born. This house was quite comfortable for the times.