FREDRICK SMITH

Fredrick Smith is the son of Margaret Gurney and Thomas X Smith. He was born in Farmington, Utah and then while he was still young his parents moved to Logan, Utah.

His early schooling was very meager, due to lack of money and warm suitable clothing, they held school for a few months each fall. Many times the younger children did not have any shoes. He got his first pair of shoes when he was eight years old.

At twelve years old, Fred started to haul lumber from his father's mill, which was located in Logan Canyon, to the town of Logan which was a distance of about eight miles.

At the age of fifteen he herded cattle for the Church. They brought them into the country west of Soda Springs, Idaho to feed and herd. The herd was large because people would give the church cattle for their tithing.

Then at the age of seventeen, he drove a herd of cattle overland from Logan, Utah to Omaha, Nebraska. It was at the time of the Indian War in which General Custer was killed, so upon arriving at the Valley they almost got attacked by the townspeople thinking they were Indians again. When they reached Omaha the cattle was sold.

Then he worked on his Dad's farm for a number of years. The Logan Temple was being built, so his dad sent Fred to work on it, which he did for three years.

On January 4, 1883 he was married to Caroline Mellor in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah. They came to Logan to help his father settle tithing. His father was Bishop of Logan Fourth Ward.

On January 25, 1883 he was called to settle in Idaho, along with Thomas E. Ricks, Brigham Heber, Joseph and Willard Ricks. Fred's house was the first one built in what is now Rexburg, Idaho. It was made of logs with a rough lumber roof and floor.

He was a trustee of the school board for two terms, served as City Councilman and City Watermaster. He also ran the grist mill for a time and served a mission for twenty-seven months.

They had the following children: Thomas X Smith, Joseph Fred Smith, Elizabeth Smith Thompson, Arial M. Smith, Margaret Smith Driggs, Orson Guy Smith and Emily M. Smith Romish.

He died after a short illness at the age of 76.