A SHORT HISTORY OF DINGLE, IDAHO

One of the first questions people wonder about when they hear the name "Dingle", is 'Where does that quaint name come from?' When you tell them it comes from a cow bell, that just adds to the mystery.

Brigham Young is credited with assigning the appellation. Both he and Charles C. Rich were visiting the settlement and were camping in what was then called "Oakey's Grove". The grove consisted of lots of huge cottonwood trees, many of them over four feet in diameter. The last vestiges of the grove can be seen in the vicinity of the Joy Alleman, Ben Thornal and Florence Ream homes. The grass was green, the weather was pleasant, the evening was quiet, and cows were grazing nearby. The bell around one cow's neck made a soft dingle dingle dingle sound as she grazed. Brother Brigham, somewhat amused, suggested, "Let's call this dell Dingle." The name stuck, including the dell part and it was thence known as Dingle Dell.

When the people petitioned for a post office, the postal authority pointed out that the names Dingle and Dell are redundant. Both mean small wooded valley. One of the names had to go. Dell lost out and Dingle remains to this day.

The title of "First Settler" has to go to a man by the name of Thomas Long Smith. He was a colorful character. Around about 1827, he had been shot in the leg on one of his escapades and the leg later became gangrenous. Abandoned by his companions, he knew what he must do to survive. He took a butcher knife and filed teeth in it to make a saw. Using that saw, he cut the bone of his own leg to save his life. He carved a stick for a leg and was thence known as "Peg Leg Smith." He even fashioned a special stirrup on his saddle to receive the peg leg. He was also known to have used the wooden leg as a club in brawls.

Sometime during the early 1840’s he came into the Bear Lake valley with a string of stolen horses. He and his brother-in-law, Chief Walkara of the Ute Indians had taken several hundred of the fine-blooded Andalusian breeds from the rich Spanish haciendas in California.

He operated a trading post on what was then called "Peg Leg Island" at least as early as 1848. He was one of the most talked about men on the Oregon Trail and occupies more space in more diaries than any other man. The post served travelers on the Oregon Trail that passed nearby. As Mormon settlements expanded in the area, Brigham Young corresponded with Mr. Smith and offered to buy him out so settlers could come to the area. Smith refused, but later, abandoned his post and went to California where he died a pauper. There is an historical marker on highway 30 overlooking the old island. Dean Cook owns the land where the trading post stood.

Before he left the valley, rumor has it that he buried his ‘favorite’ wife, Mountain Fawn, sister to chief Walkara in the mountains east of the lake along with items of food and wealth. She was buried standing so she could see the lake forever. Also buried were two horses, food and clothing, loot from Spanish raids and foofaraw he had given her over the years, and two saddlebags of gold and coin. Then the huge hole was rocked up and remains to this day.

Incidentally, there was a schoolteacher in Dingle that had a wooden “peg” leg. He was very strict and intimidating, but not to be confused with Peg Leg Smith.

The first names of the area included Peg Leg Island, Big Timber, and Cottonwood. The two latter names from the huge cottonwood trees that abounded in the area. Many of these trees were over four feet in diameter. The big trees are all but gone, but there are still plenty of cottonwood trees to remind us that they once reigned supreme here. Dingle is the name that has survived time and brings a smile to all who hear it.

The first settlers here were William L. Lee and Thomas Rich who took up claims in 1871. The following year, John Grimmet began summer pasturing cattle. The first permanent family came in 1873. They were Mary Oakey and her sons Alfred and Hyrum and daughter Sarah. Sampson Nate and Alfred Sparks brought their families in 1875. William Quayle and Joseph Lewis came in 1876. Other families that soon followed were Boyd Wilcox, Christian Merkley, Alfred Dorney, Christian Selk, Felix Barnabee, Harry Cheeles, Chester Southworth, William D. Ream, David Follick, James P. Nowland, Joe LaRocco, George Bird, the Hogensens, Andrew Larsen, George H. Cook, Hank Cook, Moroni Dayton, John Berrey and Eli Bennett.

W. W. Ream, who was born in 1886, recalls when hundreds of Indians camped in Oakey's grove as they traveled between Fort Hall and a reservation in Wyoming. Chief Pocatello traveled with them.

Moroni Dayton had a charcoal pit near the old grove. He made charcoal of the trees and freighted it to sell as far as San Francisco.

Harry Cheeles' baby was the first person interred in the Dingle Cemetery.

William Passey was appointed as presiding elder of Dingle Dell Branch of Paris First Ward on October 31, 1877. Their first meetings were held in their homes. They decided to build a meeting house, they built it of logs in about 30 days. It was a log building twenty by thirty feet and erected in the spring of 1879. It served as a church, dance hall, schoolhouse, and for all gatherings. It was built on what is now the corner lot northeast of the present Dingle Post Office and for some time stood as a barn on the Udell Nate property, now owned by Jeff Sagers.

Alfred D. Oakey views log building that housed first church in Dingle, and also served as school.

On June 11, 1882, Dingle Dell Branch was organized into a ward called Cottonwood, with Samuel A. Wilcox as bishop. This indicates that quite a number of people were living here at that time.

Up to this time the people settling in Dingle belonged to the Latter Day Saint Church. But the beautiful ranges for pasture and the wild hay meadows began to attract many to raise livestock. There used to be thousands of head of cattle pastured on the hills and mountains east and south of town. Rangeland was very good until sheep came. Together they over-ran and over-grazed the area.

In the early days frosts came a little early so that wheat was not a good crop. Most of it got frozen and the bread made from frosted wheat was black and sticky. Oats and barley made better crops. Oxen and later horses pulled hand plows. Sowing was done by scattering the seed by hand and brushing it in the ground with a drag made from a bunch of willows or hawthorne and drug over the ground by horses. There was and still is a lot of native grass or wild hay. It was harvested for the winter feed of livestock with the scythe, sickle, and cradle. It was pitched by hand onto horse-drawn wagons, carried to the stacks and hand pitched off the wagon and onto low stacks. W. D. Ream brought the first binder into the valley. It was freighted in from Ogden. The three deadly enemies of good crops were the squirrels, the grasshoppers, and the frost.

The people found that by irrigation they could grow small grains successfully. Alfalfa hay was planted too. Among the canals constructed were Dingle Irrigation, Ream-Grimmett (now Ream-Crockett), Peg Leg, and Black Otter.

In the early days there used to be lots of water--in fact the north part of Dingle was an island. A boat was used to get from one side of town to the other. An Indian boy whose name was Alma Morris, but always called StuJoe, lived with the Quayle family and rowed people from one side of town to the other.

With crops came the necessity of fencing. One large field of several thousand acres southeast of the town was fenced. Each family had its grain field. After the crops were harvested it was pastured in common; until a few people turned in so many cattle that those with large fields and few cattle became discontented and began to fence off their holdings.

In the early days of Dingle doctors were scarce. People depended on home remedies and faith. When Jane Sparks, wife of Alfred Sparks, came to Dingle in 1876 she saw the need of medical help. In April 1883 she went to Salt Lake City and studied medicine and obstetrics for six months. Then she came back to Dingle as a midwife. This lady of unusual intelligence, character, and capability was the mother of nine children, yet she always responded to the call of the sick. During her life here she delivered over 500 babies with the loss of but one. The last baby she delivered was in 1912.

For twenty five years Dingle grew steadily and rapidly until it gained a population of around three hundred. In 1890 the church was settling the Cardston Canada area and began encouraging members to move there. Many of the people of Dingle went. At one time there were more than thirty empty houses. A few returned from Canada, but many did not. Those who moved away sold their property. Large ranches became larger. Young people began moving away.

The town was at a standstill for a number of years. People became familiar with dry farming and it was found that wheat could be raised successfully on the upland, and a new era of homesteading began. It wasn't until about 1914 that most of the range land was homesteaded.

One of the national political issues facing the country between 1850 and 1920 was the Women’s Suffrage Movement. In the 1890s several ladies from Dingle were active in the movement. Among them were Nora Ream and Sarah Sirrine. Nora was the leader in Dingle and held many of the meetings at her house.

In the early days Dingle was divided into two factions. It remained so for many years. There were two schools in the town at one time. One on Peg Leg Island was called the "Gentile School". There was no logic to the name because there were more Mormons than non-Mormons attending it. The other school, called the "Mormon School", was held in the meeting house. It seems some non-Mormons attended it. Some of the first teachers were Joseph Lewis, Hyrum Oakey, William D. Ream, Nora Ellen Crockett Ream, and a Mr. Robbinette.

About 1892 Quayles and others built a large building 40 feet wide by 60 feet long and two stories high. It was called "The Hall" and was built in a willow patch on the "Island". The original purpose for the building was for amusement. Dances and suppers were held in The Hall. They lasted all night. People from all over the valley came to them.

An artist’s conception of the Old Hall

The town finally united the schools and they were held in this building. People became dissatisfied with its location. About 1907 they built a two story brick, four room schoolhouse located three-fourths of a mile south of the Hall. The schoolhouse was more nearly in the center of town. That building has been used ever since. The number of pupils attending school increased and decreased, as did the town population. Most of the time four teachers were employed and each taught two grades. Later on, two teachers taught four grades each. In the fall of 1966, the county began bussing students to the schools in Montpelier, but also continued the Dingle school with one teacher, Sarah Rigby. She taught students in grades 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6. After Christmas break, several more students went to Montpelier leaving less than ten. The next year, all the students were bussed to Montpelier. The School building was condemned and eventually the Dingle Ward purchased the lot and tore down the School. Later a Tennis court was built near the location.

Dingle School about 1908

The mercantile business in Dingle has had its ups and downs. It has never received the full support of the town, so business has always been poor. It seems that the first store was run by Boyd Wilcox in a building owned by William Quayle. Then Joseph Lewis ran it from 1877 to 1900 when Lewis built his own store building. Quayles then opened their store themselves and for a while we had two stores. That was bad in a place that would not support one, and resulted in both going out of business. Lewis sold to Frank Smedley in 1901. A few years later an old time Dingle resident, Albert Bird, returned to Dingle and thought he saw good prospects for a general store. So he put up a good building on the corner of the Dingle-Paris road. He stocked it well and did a good business for a time. However, it did not fulfill his expectations so he sold to Frank Smedley, who sold to the Nates in 1932. The stock was reduced to what the town would buy. It has been operated by Milton Nate, Clifford Skinner, and Pete Gould since that time. Today the building serves as the Post Office.

In the early days "Billy" Phillips had a blacksmith shop northeast of the present Dingle Store. It seems he did a pretty good business for a few years, but for some reason he pulled up and left in about 1890.

There has always been some dairying, first with common cattle, and in later years dairy breeds have been predominant. Chet Southworth had a cheese factory east of the fields in the early days.

Dingle had a brass band as early as 1890. They played all over the valley. Hyrum Oakey was the leader. Joe LaRocco played the fiddle for all the dances. He was a real musician who loved to play and he did it free. Moroni Dayton was a really good dancer and led all the step dances. Later, Helen Charlotte Wilcox (Grant's sister) had a special gift of music, and she played piano and organ with her uncles Elmo, Theodore, and Ollie Dayton for dances.

Dingle Brass Band, Thomas Fork, 1895

Front Row: Jim Ream, Perry Nowland.

Second Row: Lou Dayton, Minnie George, Nell Quayle, Sadie George, Bessie Quayle, Nettie Humburg, Amelia Lewis, Mettie Wilcox, Etta Bird.

Back Row: Hyrum Dayton, Charlie Nate, Lester George, John Sparks, Will Dayton, Fred Oakey, Jack Bennett, Sam Humphreys, Elmo Dayton, Bill George, George Dayton, Oliver Dayton, Hyrum Oakey.

Chet Southworth was a dramatist. He organized a group of players and presented plays in Dingle and other towns in the valley. His daughter Agnes was an outstanding actress. All this entertainment was done without any pay.

About 1900 the Oregon Short Line Railroad built a depot at Dingle and put in a full time agent. The people of the town did not support the depot, so after about five years they took the agent away. Later they put the agent back for several years, but still no support. They then closed it down and later removed it to save taxes.

From 1908 to 1910 Grant Wilcox had a little barbershop just north of the Dingle Store. But again there was not enough business to justify running it full time so he closed shop. George Sparks had a small butcher shop south of the store for some time.

The telephone came to Dingle in 1903 and has been well supported ever since. For some time there were only two lines to Dingle. (The rings were very complicated. W.W. Ream phone had five short rings. There was some eavesdropping and it was difficult to keep secrets). Electricity came about 1928.

The Telluride Power Company, which later became Utah Power and Light Company, began the Bear Lake Project here for the Utah Idaho Sugar Company. These operations lasted over a period of ten years and culminated in two canals from Bear River into the Bear Lake, a long outlet canal back to the Bear River, and a pumping plant on Bear Lake. This made Bear Lake the largest storage reservoir in the world at the time. It was completed in 1917. It pumped between 1500 and 2000 second feet of water out of the lake and back in Bear River. The water was then used for irrigation in Idaho and Utah.

In 1930 the total population of Dingle was 317. 273 were members of the Dingle Ward. 73 were children. Dingle has always been predominately Mormon. There has never been enough people of other faiths to justify a building or an organization.

When the mining operations began in the area, Dingle was on its way to a bigger and better town. Phosphate mines in Leaf, Wyoming, Georgetown and Soda Springs, Idaho, were operating and men could commute and live in Dingle. The great phosphate beds pass by Dingle. We had hopes of a phosphate mine just south of Dingle. For many years it was just hopes. Then San Francisco Chemical Company opened a mine there and really shipped some out. However, open pits in the other places were so much more profitable that they closed down the Dingle mine.

Many men worked for the Oregon Short Line Railroad (now the Union Pacific). Others found good employment in Montpelier businesses. Old people are leaving us and large farms were being broken up so that young people could prosper and make a living in Dingle. These factors resulted in the population on the rise again. In July 1963 Dingle Ward had 105 children under twelve years of age, the second highest number in the Montpelier Stake. Thirty three of these were under four years.

A frame church was built in 1891. In 1910 a recreation hall was added onto it. In 1947 plans were made for a red sandstone building, with stone quarried from the Pine Springs country--the mountains southeast of Dingle. A beautiful chapel was completed and dedicated on March 9, 1953. In 1956 a part of the area north of Dingle known as Wardboro was annexed to the Dingle Ward.

History of the Dingle Ward

The first families attended meetings in Paris, Idaho as the Dingle Dell Branch under direction of the Paris Bishopric. When Paris was divided into two wards, Dingle Dell was attached to Paris 1st Ward. William Passey was appointed Presiding Elder of Dingle Dell under the Direction of the Paris Bishopric. William Passey was set apart as Presiding Elder on the llth of December 1877 and took charge in the branch for 2 years & 7 months. In 1880, Samuel Allen Wilcox succeeded Elder Passey as Presiding Elder of the branch.

On-June llth 1882, the Dingle Dell Branch was organized as the Cotton Wood Branch (Ward) with Samuel Allen Wilcox as Bishop, Sampson Nate as lst Counselor and John Berrey as 2nd Counselor. Francis M. Lyman set the Bishop apart.

In 1886 on June 10th, Counselor Berrey passed away. Bishop Wilcox moved away in the Spring of 1886 after which Counselor Nate took temporary charge of the Ward until later in the year when Samuel Humphreys was chosen as Bishop and at the request of the people had the name of the ward changed from Cottonwood back to Dingle.

In 1891, a new meeting house was commenced. It was a frame building 28 by 50 feet. It was finished at a cost of about $3,000. Later in about 1910 an addition was built on the south side, 40 by 60 feet. This addition was used as the recreation hall. The entire building was used until 1947, when it was torn down. It was built across the street from what was then the Dingle store, now the Post Office on the site where Kelly and Justin Skinner live.

The second church in Dingle

This picture was taken after the addition. There was a population of 300 people and the Community was the 5th largest settlement in all of the Bear Lake Valley.

After 28 years, Bishop Humphreys was released as Bishop in 1914, when J. Warren Sirrine was ordained as Bishop. He served until 1917, at which time Edwin C. Cook was appointed in his place. After two or three years, J. Warren Sirrine was again appointed as Bishop and he served until 1929. During the years between 1929 and 1942, Hyrum Oakey, J. Clarence Lindsay and Samuel G. Humphreys each served as Bishop of the Dingle Ward. On January 25th 1942, William H. Lindsay Jr. was appointed as Bishop with Edward F. Smedley and S. Oscar Arnell as Counselors. In the Spring of 1944, Joseph Thurber and Calvert T. Lewis were sustained as Counselors to Bishop Lindsay.

The ground where the present chapel is was purchased in 1936, by Bishop Clarence Lindsay. In 1947, as soon as World War II was over, the chapel was torn down and plans for the new building were drawn up.

The work for the new site began on September 3rd, 1947, and shortly afterwards the construction. (continued as the funds and materials were available) During the time of construction, church services were held in the brick school house.

We started using the new building in February of 1951. It had been constructed at a cost of $65,000. The rock that was put on the outside, was got out of the Ream Rock Quarry. It was dedicated on the 9th of March, 1952 by Bruce R. McConkie.

In November, 1952 William H. Lindsay was released as Bishop with his Counselors, Joseph Thurber and Calvert T. Lewis, and Ward Clerk, Clifford J. Skinner.

Clifford J. Skinner was sustained as Bishop with Calvert T. Lewis as lst Counselor, Harold Lindsay as 2nd Counselor and Bernard Sparks as Ward Clerk.

In February, 1956 the Wardboro Ward was dissolved and 86 of the members who lived South of the railroad tracks and East of Bishop Truman Rigby's place were assigned to the Dingle Ward. The remaining members went to the Montpelier lst Ward.

It became necessary to release Brother Harold Lindsay as a member of the Bishopric, as he was called into the High Council of the Montpelier Stake. Bernard Sparks was also released as the Ward Clerk. At this time, Darrell O. Keetch a former member of the Wardboro Ward was sustained as 2nd Counselor to Bishop Skinner. Alfred D. Oakey was Ward Clerk and Udell Nate was Financial Clerk.

On January 17th, 1960 Bishop Clifford J. Skinner with Counselors, Calvert T. Lewis and Darrel O. Keetch and Ward Clerk, Alfred D. Oakey were released. Golden B. Keetch was sustained as Bishop with S. Oscar Arnell as lst Counselor, McKay S. Lindsay as 2nd Counselor and Christian Feinauer as Ward Clerk.

With the addition of the new members from the Wardboro Ward, the need of classrooms became a necessity. A planning committee was appointed and a "Kick off Party" was held on April llth, 1963. This was followed by a party each month, planned and sponsored by one of' the auxiliary organizations or Priesthood group. By the time sufficient funds were raised to start building, the church had changed its building policy and all church buildings had to be put out on bids. Purser and Larsen of Ogden submitted the lowest bid and was awarded the contract. However, the ward was given the opportunity of doing some of the work. It was decided that the plumbing, excavating, getting out the rock and preparing it for laying, could be done by the members. They could also remove the rock from the building where the new part was to be joined on. The work began on the 4th of July 1966 at 4 A.M. when much of the rock was removed from the old building and the excavation soon followed. Brothers Calvert T. Lewis and Lyman Kunz were in charge of the plumbing and heating. Jean Ream, McKay Lindsay and Dewain Nowland were in charge of getting the rock out and preparing it for laying. The building-was to be completed in 90 working days, but because of cold weather and the delay in material, the building was not completed on time. However, it was finished to a point where Junior Sunday School assembly room and classrooms could be used.

The new addition was able to be used on Easter Sunday the 26th of March, 1967. The cost of the new structure was $50,500. It was dedicated on the 20th of August 1967 by Elder Henry D. Taylor.

On the 9th of March, 1969 Bishop Golden B. Keetch was released as Bishop, as well as Oscar Arnell and McKay Lindsay as counselors and Chris Feinauer as Ward Clerk. Those sustained were Clifford J. Skinner as Bishop, Mckay Lindsay as lst Counselor, Don Humphreys as 2nd Counselor and Dennis Bird as Ward Clerk and Kent Skinner as assistant Ward Clerk. They were all released on the 15th of August, 1971 and Mariner Jensen was sustained as Bishop with Dennis Bird as lst Counselor and Paul Keetch as 2nd Counselor, Kent Skinner as Ward Clerk with Reed Bird as assistant. They served until the 4th of May, 1975 and were released. Joy G. Alleman was sustained as Bishop with LeRoy Nate as 1st Counselor, Lynn T. Lewis as 2nd Counselor, Kent Skinner was retained as Clerk and Dewain Nowland was sustained as assistant Clerk. Lynn T. Lewis was released on the 13th of March 1977 and Ferris Kunz was sustained as 2nd Counselor. Kent Skinner was released as Clerk on the 20th of September and Shurell Nate was sustained. LeRoy Nate was released as lst Counselor on the 20th of September 1976 and Lyman M. Kunz was sustained on the 17^th of Oct. 1976 as lst Counselor. Ferris Kunz was released as 2nd Counselor on the 3rd of July 1977 and Kent Skinner was sustained as 2nd Counselor, on the 22^nd of August 1977. Shurell Nate was released as Ward Clerk on the 18^th of December 1977 and Merlin Lindsay was sustained. Dewain Nowland was released as assistant Clerk on the 29^th of April 1979 and McKay Lindsay was sustained as Financial Clerk. Hammond Britton was sustained as Executive Secretary on the 14^th of June 1981.

With the growing population of Dingle, we didn't have enough class rooms to take care of everybody so we had to build on again. We had to pack everything...books, pictures and etc. all out of the library and store them in the Junior Sunday School rooms, along with all dishes and everything from the kitchen, while they remodeled. We had to attend all our meetings at Montpelier, Idaho, which was 8 miles away in the Montpelier South, Stake Building from the 19th of February 1984 to the 20th of January, 1985, when they completed the new addition.

These next two pictures came out of the 50 year time capsule from the Montpelier Tabernacle. The first is what was then the Senior Sunday School and the second is the Sunday School officers and teachers.

Front Row, Left to Right: Wesley Ream, Mary S. Ream, J. Clarence Lindsay, Mona Lindsay, Bruce Arnell, Hyrum Oakey, William H. Lindsay Jr., Joseph Thurber, Calvert Lewis, Roy Bird, Natalea Bird

Second Row: Charles Sorenson, Millie Sorenson, Mary Dorney, Lee Dorney, Wanda Oakey, JoAn Sparks, Oscar Arnell, Alfred D. Oakey, Jean Oakey, May Lindsay, Helen C. Sparks, Marcie Sparks, Leona Arnell, Agnes Lewis.

Third Row: Phebe Thurber, Aida Oakey, James Oakey, LaVar Bateman, Helen R. Bateman, Arvilla D. Sirrine, J. Warren Sirrine, Patricia Koeven, Donnetta Dayton, LaMar Dixon, Calla Lewis, Thomas G. Lewis, Odella Nate.

Fourth Row: Udell Nate, Gladys Nate, Ted Crane, Ellen Lindsay, Frank Koeven, Maureen Lewis, Dale Ream, Audrey Sparks, Ross Thurber, Betty Ruth Nield, Willard Lindsay, Joe Jensen, Donna Nate, Jean Ream.

Front Row: Aida Oakey, Willard Lindsay, Donnetta Dayton, Donna Nate, JoAn Sparks, S. Oscar Arnell, Alfred Oakey, Audrey Sparks.

Back Row: Phebe Thurber, Maureen Lewis, Ellen Lindsay, J. Warren Sirrine, Jean Ream, Ross Thurber, Calvert Lewis, May Lindsay, Calla Lewis.

Wardboro

Last Wednesday, the people of Wardboro celebrated the practical completion of their new $4500 meeting house with a social and dinner during the day and dance at night. President Shepherd and other stake officers were in attendance from Paris. The program included short talks and music. At the conclusion of which all did justice to the elegant feast which had been prepared.

The Wardboro church

Dancing began early in the evening and continued until about 2 a.m. The meeting house will be formally dedicated in a few weeks.

(News Examiner 10 Nov 1910)

On Highway 30N, less than three miles south of Montpelier, nestled between grain covered foothills and the green alfalfa and meadowlands that stretch to the Bear River, is the peaceful scattered little community of Wardboro.

Although succulent grasses enticed Nathaniel and Moroni Green to pasture their stock in the area as early as 1865, Preston Thomas is credited, with being the first permanent settler in Wardboro. He too, was enticed by the good grazing and by the Prospects of an irrigation system. Mr. Thomas was the first to take water out of Bear River for irrigation, establish rights, and begin the development of the Preston-Montpelier Irrigation company.

Among the other first settlers were Hyrum Smith, Charles Stevens, Dave and Edgar Osborne, William Heep and Orson and Harrison Dalrymple and the names of Dimick, Langford and Stewart, soon became prominent. By 1865, the town had received the name of Preston after the first name of its first citizen.

The community suffered its first death early in its existence when the young daughter of William Heep became lost in a violent blizzard. Although a feverish search took place the young, girl was frozen to death when found.

Adam Wilcox and Eunice Dalrymple were issued, the first marriage license on February 4th, 1900.

A branch of the L.D.S. church was established in the community in 1868 and the Dalrymple name dominated many of the church offices. Oscar Dalrymple was the first Y.M.M.I.A. president, Edgar Dalrymple was the first Sunday School Superintendent and Eliza Dalrymple served as the first Primary president.

In August 1877, the Preston branch was organized into a ward and Henry Harrison Dalrymple became the first bishop. He served in this capacity until 1889 at which time the ward was discontinued and the members were attached to the Dingle Ward.

By 1885 such confusion existed between the mail deliveries to the two Prestons of Idaho that the postal service demanded a change in name. (Zip codes weren’t in use then) The Bear Lake Preston was the younger of the two towns, so it was requested to change its name.

Two factors determined the name of Wardboro. The first postmaster of the community was Milton Ward. Some believe it was named after him. Others say that the name came from the former home-town of Oscar Dalrymple, Wardboro, New York. At any rate, Wardboro was the official name after February of 1895.

By 1891, population had increased and it was decided to reopen the Wardboro Ward. Charles G. Keetch of St. Charles was called to be bishop. At this time, South Montpelier, often referred to as the Bench, was included in the ward. Meetings were held in a one-room log building, which was situated, on the property now owned by Bishop Golden Keetch.

In the spring of, 1909, a new church was begun. On a lot purchased from John H. Stewart, a beautiful brick chapel of 40 feet by 60 feet was erected. The brick were shipped from Salt Lake and hauled to the site in wagons.

About 1887, an ice jam on Bear River forced out the irrigation dam, causing much damage to the Montpelier area. It was rebuilt by making cribs of logs loaded with rocks and sinking them into the river.

In the spring, during the early years, a lake of water separated the east from west side of the valley. A rowboat from Wardboro to Paris was a common occurrence. In later years an Indian boy--StuJoe--would ferry people across to Dingle and then let the traveler follow the turnpike around to Paris. His charge was five cents for a man and a horse, or ten cents, for a team and wagon.

In 1917, John A. Berrey succeeded John George Haddock as Bishop. About the same time, the Utah-Idaho Sugar company persuaded area farmers to try raising sugar beets in the area and a spur line was built to receive the crops. After several years, the project was abandoned because of the seasons. As one crusty old rancher put it, "if I'm going to freeze to death, I prefer doing it in the saddle, wrangling cattle, rather than digging sugar beets out of the snow."

One of the first school teachers in the area was Rose Webster.

In February, 1943, Parley O. Buhler became bishop. He followed Bishop Berrey who served in the bishopric of his ward for 42 years. At that time Pegram was also incorporated in the ward. A new meeting house was dedicated on December 3, 1950. The membership was 179 at this time.

Truman W. Rigby succeeded Parley O. Buhler as bishop, following him was David Jensen, the last bishop of the ward before it was dissolved on February 26, 1956.(News Examiner 26 Sep 1963)