| By 1900 the Latter-day Saints had established over 500 individual communities from Canada to Mexico. Thousands of families were called by Church leaders and sent by assignment to establish these communities. It was a planned, purposeful colonization on a massive scale. It was, in fact, one of the largest and most successful colonization projects ever undertaken. But Brigham Young, the Church's President at the time, refused to take credit for it.
He said, "I do not wish men to understand I had anything to do with our being moved here: that was the providence of the all mighty; it was the power of God that wrought out salvation for this people. I never could have devised such a plan." (Journal of Discourses 4: 41.")
Portraits of Richards, Chatterton, and President Snow:
 Knowing of the Latter-day Saints' success in colonization, the Governor of Wyoming, DeForrest Richards, and Secretary of State, Fennimore Chatterton, came to Salt Lake city in January of 1900 and called upon Church President, Lorenzo Snow. The Governor asked that a colony of Latter-day Saints be sent into the northern part of the Big Horn Basin to assist in settling this part of Wyoming. The Governor was assured that a colony would be sent. In February this group, representing the colonizers, investigated the area offered by the Governor and reported the project as feasible, and a group started for Wyoming in April of 1900, just three months after Governor Richards met with President Snow.
Over a hundred families responded to the call of the Church, sold their homes, and took only what they could carry in their covered wagons. They were sent under the direction of Apostle Abraham 0. Woodruff. These families regarded their call as the will of their Heavenly Father.
Leaders of Big Horn Colonization Company
These are the leaders of the original Latter-Day Saint Pioneer Company that came to the Big Horn Basin. All eleven of them were sent to report on the feasibility of the proposed settlement in the Cowley, Byron, and Lovell area along with the construction of a canal.
Map of Trail Into Big Horn Basin
After they returned, and gave a positive report, it was agreed that the immigrants would meet at Ham's Fork, Wyoming by April 25, 1900, and from there travel together to the Big Horn Basin.
Photos of Wagons Camped at Ham's Fork
These photographs show two of the pioneer companies camped at Ham's Fork in April of 1900. Several days out from Ham's Fork, the colonizers encountered a blizzard, which continued for three days. The wagons were forced to travel through snow over two feet deep. A two-year-old girl, the daughter of John and Avilda Dickson, was taken seriously ill with pneumonia. Despite efforts to save her, she died one night during the storm.
 Building Coffin For Little Girl
No boards could be found in the camp, so parts of wagon end gates were used to fashion a small coffin, and the little body was sent back to Utah for burial. The company, though saddened by the death, moved on. After nearly a month of travel, they arrived at their destination with only tents to live in.
Buffalo Bill Cody
The well-known Buffalo Bill Cody met the pioneers at Eagle's Nest and offered them 1and on the South Fork of the Shoshone River. He told them of his project on the South Fork of the Shoshone River and, of course, any development there would help him and his partner. But the group decided on the area around Lovell, Cowley, and Byron where Governor Richards had suggested.
Ground Breaking
Knowing that irrigation water would be essential to the growing of any crops, on May 28, about 200 of the colonists met at the head of the proposed canal, which was later known as the Sidon Canal. A hymn was sung and then all knelt on the ground while Elder Woodruff dedicated the land and the future canal to the Lord for his people. Elder Woodruff then outlined the task that lay before them.
Map of Canal Route
The canal, he told them, would be 37 miles long and would irrigate from twelve to fifteen thousand acres. The work was to begin the next day. He told them that it would require a united effort, for they were few in number. Then he said, "As an Apostle of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I call each of you upon a mission to help build up this country. If you will do this and keep the commandments of God, the Lord will bless you forever." In the group were some who were only visiting family. Feeling that they had been called on a mission, they went home got their affairs in order and returned to help.
Ground was then broken for the canal. Byron Sessions, the construction superintendent, drove the team while Elder Woodruff held the plow to make the first furrow.
Canal stock Certificates
Actual stock certificates were issued to help finance the canal. The certificates were signed by Byron Sessions. As I stated, the families had no homes, but lived in tents and wagons while work progressed on the canal. Rattlesnakes and wood ticks were frequent visitors, while dust storms and flies made housekeeping and cooking extremely challenging. A bowery was built for meetings, Church services, and dances, all of which were needed to maintain their morale under their pioneer hardships.
Prayer Rock
When the canal had progressed two miles along its surveyed course, an enormous rock, the size of a house, was encountered directly in its path. It was partially buried, and the more the men dug around it to find its base and free it by a powder blast, the further it seemed to extend into the ground. One night the supervisor, Byron Sessions, could not sleep fearing that some of the workers would be crushed beneath the rock, if it unexpectedly broke loose.
 He arose early in the morning, went to the rock, and knelt in prayer beside it. He asked the Lord for wisdom to know what to do that no accident might occur. Later that day, when the workmen began expressing doubt that the rock would ever be moved into the hole being dug for it, Byron Sessions replied emphatically, "I prophecy, in the name of Israel's God, that rock will be in there tomorrow at this time." One of the workmen, James George quietly said to a companion, "Let's test him out." Looking at his large pocket watch he said, "It's just 4:00 p.m."
The next afternoon as Byron Sessions was supervising the construction along the canal; he came to the men working in the hole with picks and shovels. He told them to pick up their tools and to get away from the rock. Quickly they climbed out of the hole. Five minutes had not passed when the rock suddenly split from top to bottom, the larger half rolling over into the hole where the men had been working. James George looked at his watch again, and somewhat dumfounded exclaimed, "Five minutes to four!" Today the canal flows quietly through the two halves of what has become known as "Prayer Rock."
Byron and Garland Oil Fields
Prophetic happenings occurred numerous times to those pioneers. Elder Woodruff made an interesting prediction as he looked east over the land to be irrigated by the canal, near the Byron town site. "Hold onto your 1and" he said. "Do not 1et it fall into other hands. There are treasures under the ground." Several years later, in this very area, oil was struck as well as natural gas, and has proved to be a source of much revenue to those who owned the land. Hundreds of oil and gas wells now dot the area referred to by Elder Woodruff.
Men Working on Canal
Work on the canal was hard using the implements of the day, which consisted mostly of hand tools such as shovels, picks, and, horse-drawn, plows, fresnos, and scrapers. It was slow and very discouraging.
 Pioneer Family Sculpture
This project would not have been completed without the determination and dedication of strong, hard-working families. The families supported one another during trying times and had great faith in God. Stan Johnson, of Mapleton, Utah, created this original bronze sculpture showing a fresno pulled by four horses. It depicts a family working together with a fresno to build the canal to carry the life-giving water essential to the very existence of those pioneer families.
Burlington Railroad
However, in spite of their dedication, it soon became apparent to these hardy settlers that the canal was going to take much longer to complete than originally expected--perhaps years longer. They had no homes, no money, and they were running out of food. Discouragement began to set in. A special prayer was held imploring the Lord to open a way for them to complete the canal. What occurred shortly thereafter was termed "modern manna" by these early settlers. They were suddenly and unexpectedly contacted by the Burlington Railroad officials, who offered them $80,000 to construct 23 miles of railroad grade through this area. The money provided the food, clothing, and capital needed to continue work on the canal.
But despite this special aid, work on the canal progressed slowly through the winters of 1901 and 1902. Miles of digging still loomed ahead. The directors of the project wondered if the canal would ever be completed. Elder Woodruff heard of their discouragement and made a special visit to the area.
After hearing their doubts about completing the canal, Elder Woodruff said, "If you brethren feel you cannot do it, I will go back to Salt Lake City and ask President Snow to excuse me from my labors for six months as an Apostle, and I will buy some overalls and heavy boots and will come back here; and we will either finish the canal or we will lay down our bones in it together." Inspired by the dedication of this young Apostle, the directors committed to finish the work and were ably supported by those faithful pioneers. |
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