charging the duties of that position he is developing a large acreage in the dry farming
district of San Juan county and has a very promising investment. He has become
a stockholder in the bank and he commands the respect of its many patrons, being most
popular now among the customers of the bank.
At Moab, November 14, 1912, Mr. Balsley was married to Miss Jessie Trout,
who was born January 19, 1892, a daughter of Thomas and Lizzie Trout. Her father
is a prominent stockman of Moab and her people are prominent in this section of
the state, being well satisfied with Grand county and its promising future. Mr. and
Mrs. Balsley have one child, Carol E., born in Moab, October 7, 1913.
The religious faith of Mr. Balsley is that of the Baptist church, to which he loyally
adheres. Fraternally he is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and with
the Woodmen of the World. His political allegiance is given to the republican party,
which he has supported since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. He is now
serving on the school board and is also a member of the county library board. Every
plan that has to do with the promotion of public welfare receives his endorsement, co-
operation and support. He is a believer in the future of this section of the country and is
fast becoming an important factor in the work or development and improvement here.
His entire life has been actuated by high ideals and since starting out for himself he has
made wise use of his time, talents and opportunities. He is yet a young man for whom un-
doubtedly the future holds much in store. While reared in the east, he recognized
that it was the great and growing western country that held out chances for business
advancement and achievement, and therefore he made his way to this section. His
service as government ranger acquainted him with the possibilities of Utah and its
natural resources, and turning his knowledge to good account, he is now a valued
factor in the financial and agricultural circles of Grand county.
MRS. MARY M. BRANDON.
Mrs. Mary M. Brandon, widow of Thomas J. Brandon, was born in Pendleton
county, Kentucky, March 11, 1836, and is a daughter of A. B. and Mary M. Cherry,
who were numbered among the Utah pioneers of 1847, arriving on the 26th of
October of that year. The party, numbering parents and nine children, traveled
with ox teams across the plains and were among the first settlers of Centerville,
Davis county, Utah, where Mr. Cherry became a well-to-do farmer. The mother
was descended from the Yelton family of Pendleton county, Kentuck-y, and the father
from the A. B. Cherry family of Ohio. They joined the Mormon church in Nauvoo,
Illinois, in 1847 and the same year made the trip across the plains in the Charles C.
Rich company, which consisted of fifty wagons. Mr. Cherry's personal outfit numbered
eight covered wagons, each drawn by two yoke of cattle, driven by members of the
family. At Winter Quarters they were joined by Ebenezer Cherry, the father's brother,
with two wagons, making ten ox teams in all. To Mr. and Mrs. Cherry when they
were in the Black Hills was born a son, so that their family numbered four sons and
716 UTAH SINCE STATEHOOD
five daughters. A notable feature of this event is the fact that the incident did not
delay their journey even for a day and both mother and child arrived in Salt Lake
City on the 20th of October in perfect health. At this writing five of the family are
still living in Centerville, where their parents settled, their ages ranging from eighty
to ninety years, and all do their own work and are in perfect health.
Mrs. Brandon pursued her education in the common schools of Davis county and
in early womanhood became the wife of Thomas J. Brandon and took up the duties
attending housekeeping upon a farm. The wedding was celebrated May 6, 1856, and
Mrs. Brandon proved herself a brave, sturdy pioneer woman, well fitted to be one of
the band that paved the way for western civilization. Moreover, she reared a family
of twelve children: Mary Margaret, who is now the wife of William H. Dye and has
four children; Thomas Jefferson, who married Jeanne McMillan and has three chil-
dren; George Aaron, who married Julia Spaulding and has four children; one who
died in infancy; Wilford Woodruff; Jesse Cherry, who married Lottie D. Cox and has
four children; Joseph Smith, who married Winnie Winceslaw and has two children;
Rebecca Ann; John William; Ray Fowler, who married Jeanne Russel Alford; Walter
Lee, who married Lizzie W. Moler; and Belle, who is the wife of Frank Browning and
has two children.
Mr. Brandon was a democrat in politics and a prominent figure in local political
circles. He held the position of postmaster at Centerville and was also probate judge
of Davis county for about twelve years. Mrs. Brandon acted as assistant postmaster at
Centerville for about eight years and for about fifteen years was connected with mer-
cantile interests in that place. She is one of the best known women of the locality,
honored and esteemed by all.
L. P. PETERSON.
While in former years L. P. Peterson was closely and actively connected with
ranching interests, he is now living retired, making his home in Logan. He was
born in Denmark, October 10, 1855, a son of Peter N. and Mary (Jensen) Peterson,
who emigrated to Utah with ox teams in 1861. They settled east of Ogden, where
a winter was spent, and for a year thereafter they lived at Brigham, removing
to Logan in the spring of 1863, and in that city their remaining days were passed.
The father was a contractor and erected many of the homes and public buildings
of Logan, including the Agricultural College and the court house. Many of the
fine structures of the city still stand as monuments to his skill and ability. He
also erected one of the first planing mills of Cache county and it was in continuous
operation until a recent date. He was likewise prominently identified with all the
public enterprises of the early pioneers and he was a faithful member of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a member of the Quorum of Seventy. He
passed away May 15, 1894, while his wife died in September, 1900.
In an early day L. P. Peterson took up the lumber business and was thus
engaged until 1892, when he began farming across the Bear river northwest of
Smithfield, being one of the first settlers in that section. He secured a homestead
claim there and transformed the wild and undeveloped land to a highly cultivated
tract. Recently he has purchased five hundred and sixty acres adjoining the old
homestead and his entire place is under irrigation. He has carried on general
farming, raising the various crops best adapted to soil and climatic conditions
here, and the careful management of his business affairs and his unremitting
industry have been the salient features in bringing him his well earned success.
He was also one of the organizers of the West Cache Irrigation Company and for
several years has been one of its directors.
On the 10th of October, 1879, Mr. Peterson was married to Miss Hannah
Ostroldt, and they became the parents of three sons, Austin, Oliver and Nephi.
The mother died March 10, 1884, and on the 16th of December, 1885, Mr. Peterson
wdded Ellen Ash, a daughter of John and Sophia (Edwards) Ash, who were
natives of England and in 1856 came to Utah with the first handcart company,
their daughter Ellen being then but two years of age. They first settled in Salt
Lake but after about a year went south at the time of the "move." They returned
to Salt Lake and afterward located in Richmond, where he lived for three years.
L. P. PETERSON
MRS. L. P. PETERSON
UTAH SINCE STATEHOOD 721
There the mother passed away and the father afterward removed to Logan, where
he spent his remaining days, reaching the advanced age of ninety-five years. He
was a gunsmith by trade and the only one to follow that pursuit in his part of
the state. By a former marriage Mrs. Peterson had a son, Eugene Nelson. Four
children have been born of the second marriage: Ada Ellen, now the wife of
William C. England, of Logan; John Leslie, who is living on the old homestead;
Amanda Myrtle, the wife of Lloyd McDonald, of Logan; and Benna Dee, now the
wife of W. W. Merrill, of Smithfield.
Mr. Peterson served for several years as a trustee of the Alta school district
and has always been interested in everything pertaining to the material, intellectual
and moral progress of the community. He belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints, in which he is an elder. Arriving in Utah when but six years
of age, he has witnessed almost its entire transformation from a great tract of un-
developed, arid and unexplored canyon into a most productive and prosperous
district. The aridity of the soil has been obviated by well projected irrigation
systems and the state has been made to yield of its natural resources in lumber
and minerals until its present state of development has made it a region totally
unlike that into which the Peterson family came in 1861.
GEORGE M. SPILSBURY.
George M. Spilsbury, one of the most prominent stock raisers in Dixie, making
his home at Toquerville, Utah, was born in Salt Lake City, October 31, 1852, his
parents being George and Fanny (Smith) Spilsbury, who were natives of England.
The father came to Utah in 1850, settling at Salt Lake City. He was a mason and
builder and in 1857 he removed to Draper, where he filled the position of postmaster.
In 1862 he came to Dixie, settling at Grafton, but was driven out by the Indians
and in 1866 removed to Rockville. In 1868 he settled permanently at Toquerville
and through the intervening period to the time of his death engaged in the mason
contracting business. Monuments to his skill and ability are seen in fine structures
from Ogden on the north to Pipe Springs on the south. He was the builder of the
Cannon ranch house and many other important buildings which made him a leading
business man of the district. He served as justice of the peace and he also acted as
representative from Kane and Washington counties in the territorial legislature. He
likewise held various offices in the church and was counselor to the bishop, but his
chief activity was in the Sunday school, where he labored for more than a half century,
visiting all of the Sunday schools south of Manti. He continued with Sunday school
union board of St. George stake until he was ninety-five years of age but was officially
released at the age of ninety, when a big demonstration of the entire district was held in
his honor. He was born April 21, 1823, and passed away January 25, 1919, while the
mother of George M. Spilsbury died in the 5th of June, 1905.
After attending the public schools George M. Spilsbury continued his education
at Grafton, Rockville and Toquerville. His first schooling was received under Dr.
Park at Draper, which was the first teaching that Dr. Park did in this state. In
young manhood Mr. Spilsbury took up the business of farming and fruit raising.
He was one of the first Mormon boys to peddle fruit and produce in Pioche, Nevada.
The money thus earned was used in purchasing calves and this constituted his start in
the live stock business. Gradually he has developed his interests along this line
until today he and his sons have one of the largest stock raising enterprises in Dixie,
handling cattle, sheep and horses. Their herds and flocks are now extensive, 'and
the success which they have achieved places them among the most prominent stock
raisers of southern Utah. In addition to his other interests Mr. Spilsbury is a stock-
holder in the Cedar Sheep Association, in the Cedar Mercantile Live Stock Company,
is president of the Southern Utah Packing Company, a stockholder in the Hurricane
Bank and president of the Toquerville Irrigation Company. His activities thus cover
a wide scope. Opportunities which others have passed heedlessly by he has recognized
and utilized, and his energy and enterprise have enabled him to overcome all diffi-
culties and obstacles in his path. He deserves great credit for what he has accom-
plished, and his purposes have been at all times honorable and resultant.
722 UTAH SINCE STATEHOOD
At Toquerville, on the 1st of January, 1872, Mr. Spilsbury was married to Miss
Roselia J. Haight, a daughter of Isaac C. and Eliza Ann (Price) Haight. In Sep-
tember, 1847, her father came to Utah, settling in Salt Lake City, and in 1853 went
to Cedar City to install a plant for iron manufacturing, being one of the employes
of Parley P. Pratt, who explored all southern Utah in 1849-50. Mr. Haight settled
in Toquerville in 1861 but retained his interests in Cedar City, where he was actively
connected with farming and stock raising. He filled a mission to England and returned
in 1853 and upon his return home he bought all the wagons, cattle and supplies for a
company of emigrants who were desirous of crossing the plains and acted as captain
of the company. In 1854 he was elected mayor of Cedar City, was also a member of the
territorial legislature when Fillmore was the capital of Utah and later served in the
legislature at Salt Lake City following the removal of the capital to that point. He
died September 8, 1886, while the mother, Mrs. Eliza Ann Haight, survived until
1908. To Mr. and Mrs. Spilsbury have been born the following named, all natives
of Toquerville. Isabella, born December 1, 1874, is the wife of Sam Christensen of Salt
Lake City, has five children. George Chauncy, born September 10, 1876, married Dorothy
Gregory of New York, and lives at Mesa, Arizona. Georgiana, born October 12, 1878, is
the wife of Dr. A. N. Leonard of Salt Lake- City, and has three children. Archie P., born
January 10, 1882, married Maud McArthur of Mount Pleasant, and they have four children,
and live at Cedar City, Utah. Frankie E., born February 17, 1884, is the wife of Dr.
Franklin S. Harris of Logan, Utah, and has five children. Raymond, an engineer of
South America, was born October 9, 1888, and Erwin R., October 28, 1901. The other
children of the family, Arthur, Florence, Vivian, Myrtle and Victor R., have all passed
away. The mother, Mrs. Roselia J. Spilsbury, was telegraph operator at St. Georg
and managed the office at Pine Valley, Rockville, Kanab and Toquerville covering a period
of five years. The children were all given good educational opportunities and the sons
have been associated with the father in his prominent stock raising activities.
The religious faith of the family is that of the Church of Jesus Christ of Litter-
day Saints, and Mr. Spilsbury was first counselor to the president of the Young Men's
Mutual Improvement Association. His wife served as president of the Relief Society
of Toquerville for eighteen years. Their son George Chauncy filled a five years' mission
to Samoa and assisted in translating the Book of Mormon. Archie P. filled a mission
of twenty-nine months to the central states and served as bishop of Toquerville for
several years. Georgiana filled a mission to the western states, laboring in Colorado.
Mr. Spilsbury votes with the democratic party and has served as county sheriff of
Kane county, while for a number of years he has been school trustee. He is truly a
self-made man and one who deserves great credit for what he has accomplished. As a
boy selling fruit and produce on the streets of Pioche, Nevada, he made his start in life
and from that point has worked his way steadily upward, progressing step by step until
he has reached the plane of affluence.
FREDERICK U. LEONARD.
Frederick U. Leonard is the president of the Cullen Ice & Beverage Company and
also of the Cullen Candy Company of Salt Lake City. These two interests, which have
lately been merged, constitute one of the largest manufacturing establishments in the
state and as the executive head Mr. Leonard is bending his efforts to administrative
direction, formulating his plans carefully and wisely and carrying them forward to
successful completion. He is widely and favorably known as a representative of big
business interests in Utah.
He was born in Dodge City, Kansas, March 15, 1878, a son of Frederick J. and
Mary (O'Halloran) Leonard, the father a native of London, England, while the mother
was born in Limerick, Ireland. They came to America in early life and, making their
way into the interior of the country, settled at Dodge City, Kansas, where they were
later married. The father engaged in mercantile pursuits there for some time but
eventually sold out and removed with his family to Gunnison, Colorado, where he
engaged in mining, meeting with a moderate degree of success there. In 1889 he re-
moved to Utah and settled in Salt Lake City, where he entered into the real estate
UTAH SINCE STATEHOOD 723
business, while later he turned his attention to mining at Mercur and at Park City,
Utah, where he has operated most successfully. He is still actively identified with
mining interests in those districts and he is also the manager of the popular Cullen
Hotel of Salt Lake City, one of the best known hotels of the state. The mother passed
away in Salt Lake City in March, 1917, at the age of sixty-one years.
Frederick U. Leonard, their only child, pursued his education in the public schools
of Salt Lake, passing through consecutive grades to the high school, and in the Uni-
versity of Utah, from which institution he was graduated as a mining engineer in
1901. He then became connected with mining interests at Park City, Utah, and
eventually became a stockholder and officer of the Cullen Ice & Beverage Company of
Salt Lake. He entered the employ of that company in a minor position and step by
step has worked his way upward, being promoted through intermediate positions until
elected to the presidency of the company in 1917. On the 1st of March, 1919, the
Cullen Ice & Beverage Company decided to extend its scope by the establishment of a
wholesale candy manufactory. Thoroughly modern machinery and equipment was
installed at a considerable expense and the success of the business has been most
gratifying. There has been constant demand for the output and thus the new interests
are contributing in large measure to the success of the company. In addition to these
interests Mr. Leonard is a director and the vice president of the Cullen Investment Com-
pany, also of the Cullen Hotel Company, the Moscow Mining & Milling Company and
the Red Cloud Mining Company. His business connections are thus extensive and im-
portant and indicate his resourcefulness, progressiveness and enterprise. He never
stops short of the successful accomplishment of his purpose and has ever realized that
when one avenue of opportunity seems closed he can carve out other paths whereby to
reach the desired goal.
On the 26th of April, 1905, Mr. Leonard was married to Miss Nellie M. Cullen, of
Salt Lake City, a daughter of the late Matthew Cullen, mentioned elsewhere in this
work. They have become parents of three children: Matthew Cullen, born July 12,
1907, and now attending school in Salt Lake City; 'Margaret, who was born July 14,
1911; and Frederick U., Jr., who was born June 30, 1918, in Salt Lake City.
The religious faith of the family is that of the Roman Catholic church. Mr. Leo-
nard belongs to the Commercial Club of Salt Lake and is keenly interested in every-
thing that has to do with the business development of the city, the promotion of all
public interests and the maintenance of high civic standards. His own career is illus-
trative of what can be accomplished in the business world when one has the will to
dare and to do. Persistent purpose, laudable ambition and unfaltering energy have
carried him steadily forward into most important commercial relations.
ERASTUS SNOW ANDERSON.
Erastus Snow Anderson, one of the prominent cattle raisers of Piute county, man-
ifesting in all of his business affairs sound judgment and enterprise, has moreover
been a most useful and valued citizen in other connections, doing active work for the
church and in various positions of public honor and trust. He was born at Spring
City, Sanpete county, Utah, in 1868, his parents being James Christian and Caroline
(Jensen) Anderson, who were natives of Denmark. They accepted the teachings of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and in order to be with people of the
faith came to Utah in 1849. The father was a shoemaker by trade and first settled
in Salt Lake City, where for a number of years he was employed by Zion's Coopera-
tive Mercantile Institution. In 1861 he removed to Sanpete county, where he took up
farming, but the depredations of the Indians caused him to move frequently. Tiring
of this constant defense against the Indians, he located with his family at Salina
in 1871.
Erastus S. Anderson was therefore educated in the Grass valley and in the Salina
district school. Early in life he lost his father, after which he became associated with
his brothers in cattle raising, in which undertaking they met with substantial pros-
perity. In 1911 E. S. Anderson removed to Marysvale and with his brother Swening
began ranching and the raising of live stock. They now have eight hundred acres
which is cultivated or in pasture. They raise varied crops and their live stock in-
724 UTAH SINCE STATEHOOD
terests constitute an important feature of their business. They have a large herd of
Pearl shorthorn Durham cattle, all of the bulls and many of the cows being registered
stock. The Anderson brothers also jointly own some of the most valuable business
property on Main street in Marysvale and each of them owns individually other busi-
ness property, improved and unimproved, in the same section of the city. Mr. An-
derson stands ready to assist all projects that tend to promote the public good. He be-
came one of the charter stockholders of the new Piute County State Bank, which
opened its doors in Marysvale in 1920. He is a director of the Otto Creek Irrigation
Company and he was one of the organizers of the ATmabella Irrigation Company in
Sevier county. He was likewise one of the promoters of the Sevier County Fair Asso-
ciation, which has constituted a great stimulus for business activity and improve-
ment along agricultural lines.
In 1887 Mr. Anderson was married to Miss Mary J. Norton, a daughter of Isaac
Norton, of Nephi. Their children are: Mrs. Dora Fairbanks; Mrs. Florence Ceilings,
of Marysvale; Mrs. Pearl Hansen, of Twin Falls, Idaho; Bertha, a student in the
Brigham Young University; Ruby and Leo, who are attending the Provo liigh school;
and Elvin.
In his church work Mr. Anderson has ever done his full duty. During his resi-
dence in Sevier county he served successively as president of the Young Men's Mutual
Improvement Association, as president of the Elders Quorum, as Sunday school teacher
and home missionary. Since settling in Piute county he has never flagged in his church
work and in 1917 was ordained a high priest and called to be first counselor to the
bishop of Marysvale stake, while since 1918 he has presided over the stake as its
bishop. In spite of his labors in his business and his church he has also found time
to serve his county in many positions of trust and in 1916 was elected a member of
the board of town trustees of Marysvale, filling the office for two years. In 1918 he
was elected a member of the board of county commissioners of Piute county and still
holds that position. In politics he is a stalwart advocate of democratic principles and
has served as chairman of the county committee of his party. He stands for every-
thing that tends to promote the civic interests of the community and as churchman,
public officer and citizen as well as business man he has won the esteem and respect
of his fellow townsmen to a high degree.
DAVID HIRSCHI.
Studying the possibilities and nature of the soil, David Hirschi, of Rockville,
has demonstrated through practical experiment what could be done with dry farming
in the southern section of the state, which today is largely under cultivation as the
result of his initial efforts in this direction. He is still largely connected with agri-
cultural interests and since the organization of the State Bank of Hurricane has been
its president. He was born at Rockville, Utah, December 13, 1870. his parents being
Gottlieb and Mary Ann (Ruppe) Hirschi. The parents were natives of Switzerland,
the father born January 16, 1837, and the mother on the 12th of January, 1838. In
1860 Gottlieb Hirschi arrived in Utah and in Salt Lake City, on the 14th of September,