Eden, Ogden Valley Show Varied Interesting Heritage of Pioneer, by Bob Agee

Eden, one of the communities in the north part of Ogden Valley, has a history that goes back to the 1850's.

In that era, Ogden Valley was used primarily as a big pasture for cattle.

In 1857 Erastus Bingham and Joseph Hardy built a cabin on the Middle Fork of the Ogden River, the first habitation in that area.

Other houses were built by Sidney Teeples and Stephen Wilbur. The latter was a drum player in the famed Mormon Battalion that took part in the Mexican War.

ARRIVED IN 1859
However, the first permanent settlers in Eden came in 1859. They drove their wagons over the North Ogden pass. By 1863 Eden and the immediate area had a population of 250.

The townspeople hired a government engineer from Ogden. Washington Jenkins, to lay out a townsite. It is reported that he said that he remarked, "We shall call it Eden after the famous Biblical site."

The rich soil and ample water in the northern part of the valley brought abundant crops. Watercress was (and still is) a lush growth along the streams.

Richard Ballantyne began irrigation in 1861, taking water from Wolf Creek. In later years a ditch was provided from the North Fork of Ogden River and the Eden Irrigation Co. was organized. This company still controls the irrigation water supply in that area.

Another important industry was lumbering and a number of sawmills were built along the streams where water power was cheap and available.

Transportation of agriculture products was a bother. Horses and wagons were used to haul the produce to Ogden and bring back merchandise. It was a two-day trip.

Johanna Teeples was the teacher in Eden's first school, established in 1966. Families paid five cents a day for each pupil and there was no school tax levy.

One of the early pioneers of the Eden area was Mr. Ballantyne. He conducted church meeting and was justice of the peace. He had earlier fulfilled an LDS mission to India and when he returned he operated the store in Ogden. Then he bought a farm in Eden. In 1877 he moved back to Ogden where for a time he was publisher of the "Ogden Junction."

Eden still remains a garden spot in Weber County. The streams are clear and cold, there are many deer and elk in the surrounding mountains and there are many purebred horses and cattle.

-Ogden Standard Examiner, March 3, 1965, transcribed by Rhonda Holton
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Uncle Sid was a real pioneer. He worked with and understood the Indians very well.

Ii 1856, he one of the men that helped rescue pioneers from the ill-fated Martin Handcart Company.