My Garden-Thomas M. Rees

My Garden-Thomas M. Rees

            To the stake and ward people--I have waited more than two years for an opportunity to welcome you into my garden.  This garden I have tended and cultivated as a garden for more than 60 years and helped to farm ten years before it became a garden, and my grandfather many years before that.  Grandfather Mansfield was a member of the church before the days of Nauvoo.  He was with the people in Nauvoo, was a member of the Nauvoo legion, was driven out with the people and came to Salt Lake with them in 1848 the year after the first pioneers.  He took up his farm about as soon as the Big Field survey was made.  He had about 90 acres here.  It took in the south 20 of what is now Nibley Park (Golf Course) and extended south between 5th and 7th East to 248 feet south of Mansfield Avenue.  Later the west boundary was modified by agreement with his neighbor, Jackson Boulton, to follow the center of Mill Creek down northwestward to quite a distance north of the present crossing of Mill Creek and 5th East.  The reason for this seemed to be to prevent both of them making bridges across Mill Creek to get across to land on the other side of the Creek.

            Grandfather built his home of large adobes (3 x 6 x 12 inches) where Bro. Fishio's home is now.  The house was still there, all the front or east part of it when we came in 1891 about 71 years ago.  Grandfather died in March 1891, so did his first wife in the same month.  She had no children.

            My Grandmother was from Sweden (Johanna Christina Winberg Mansfield, daughter of Swen and Elna Winberg, born Lund, Sweden, May 3rd, 1824); she left there to come to Utah and arrived in 1855, I believe.  She lost her husband and her baby on the way.  Grandfather married her to help provide for her and her three boys (Peter, 15, died at Millcreek) as quite a number of other men did in those days.  She had three children by Grandfather--Mother born in the house in 1857, her sister born there in 1859, and her brother probably born in Dixie, for grandfather was called among those who were sent to Dixie in 1861 to raise cotton.  The Civil War was about to begin so there would be no cotton or cotton goods from the southern states.  The Saints had to have both so President Young tried to provide by raising it.  Remember the Mormons were long distances from supplies of outside goods over very difficult roads by horse and ox teams.

            Grandfather continued to own and hold his home here even though he was about 20 years on that Dixie mission.  He made one or two trips each year by covered wagon, usually from St. George to Salt Lake during those 20 years.  He brought Dixie products, like molasses, dried fruit, etc. to Salt Lake and took back stuff raised on the farm and store goods from stores here.

            During this 20 year period, the U.S. came into the territory and started the government surveys.  All the farms, homes etc. before the government surveys were recognized as "squatter's rights" only.  All of this territory belonged to Mexico then and became U.S. property when ceded by Mexico after the trouble with Mexico was settled--which the Mormon Battalion helped to solve.

            So Grandfather's land had to be homesteaded.  This he couldn't do while in Dixie, so his good neighbors here did the job for him.  Jackson Boulton included about 20 acres in his homestead.  George Calder included a much larger amount in his homestead.  These two took in all the west part of the farm up to two or three hundred feet west of the present 7th East.  Lorenzo Stutz included in his homestead the south part of that narrow strip, someone else the north part.  Then these four people deeded to Grandfather the parts in their respective homesteads for about what it cost them to file and homestead their lands, which was about $1.25 an acre.  People wouldn't do that kind of thing now-a-days, or would they?  What do you think?

            Grandfather came back to the farm about 1880 when he was an old man, about 70 years.  The hardships of those 70 years would make an old man of most of us.  He didn't get all of the farm leveled and in good working shape before going to Dixie and couldn't do too much with it after returning so in the real estate boom of the 1880's, he sold the north 40 acres to some real estate speculators from the east.  The boom flattened out, and we could have purchased the land back for somewhat less than Grandfather received, if we had had the money.  But in the 1890's, the U.S. was in the middle of a depression, and most of us then didn't have the money, something similar to the 1930's so many of us remember.

            When Grandfather died we were living in Piute County, the eastern end of which is now Wayne County.  We had been there 7 years helping to pioneer and build up a settlement, Thurber.  Two of my uncles and father went there when Silver Reef began to close down.  We arrived here by covered wagon (two of them) about April 1, 1891 and moved into Grandfather's old home.  Grandfather had about 27+ acres left at the time which gave Mother, her sister and brother each about nine acres.  We farmed it all a few years.  Father went on a mission to Virginia and North Carolina the first or second summer we were here, but because Mother's health was very poor, he ran out of money as he didn't receive pay for his property sold in Thurber.

            Just a few days before we left Thurber, we had the misfortune of burying our sister, mother's baby.  After we came here she had two more children, Mary and Ellen, and Mother died when Ellen was only about a month old.  Sister Williams, a wonderful good neighbor, took her and raised her for two years.

            We went into the venture of raising trout on the land now made into the parking area.  I went to the University.  In time, George and Will attended there too.  Sister didn't get a chance to go, but gave her life to the family, until she was taken away.  Father died shortly afterwards.  In settling the estates of mother, sister, and father, the rest of us received lots on which we could build homes, but we needed a street running through from 5th East to 7th East.  By giving some land on our side and by my purchasing Aunt Mary's land joining on the south we were able to open up a street, Mansfield Avenue.  I gave probably three fourths of the street and named it after grandfather who made his home here as I have told you very shortly after 1846, nearly 116 years ago.  I named the street in his honor; I think he deserved it, yet a very selfish and unscrupulous fellow tried to steal it, the street, and name it after himself this year.  I hope you all will help me keep the name "Mansfield" on this street.  This same man (?) probably engineered the "rigging" me out of an opportunity to have my name placed before you again to be voted for the legislature.  You have honored me by voting for me to represent you 10 terms or 20 years in the legislature.  I surely appreciate this.  I have done my best honorably to be your representative.  In 60 years I have never asked any individual personally to vote for me for anything.  I have done a real job recognized as such by members of both parties, both the so called common people as I am one of them, and those of high position or prominent stations in the State of Utah.  All those who knew and appreciated my work wanted me back in the legislature--members of both parties.  People of Utah, may I plead with you to change your election laws so that seventeen people by being "pledged" can't deprive 15,000 or more of you from having a chance to support your choice by the ballot.  This is a serious matter to the people of Utah.

            Coming back to my subject.  The old meeting house on 7th East was built on Grandfather's farm.  So is this one.  I have turned down innumerable offers to buy this property.  Well, maybe I don't know just why, but I believe I was really inspired to do so.  It was the only piece of property in the close neighborhood of the boundary between the two wards that was large enough.  I believe I gave a very fair price for it, and I also believe it pleases Grandfather Mansfield who gave as much of his life for and to the church.

            I do hope you can raise as good or better crops than my wife and I did.  It may not be in fruits, vegetables, and animal products, but I hope it will be in human beings and their children.  My wife, one of Utah's most wonderful and talented women, and I did our best under the circumstances to rear a wonderful family of children.  We and they are not perfect, but we try to make the best of our opportunities in life.  May our blessings go with you in your endeavors and responsibilities is our humble wish.  May you seek inspiration from our Father in Heaven, and may He reward your efforts in teaching His children is my humble prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, Amen.