William Daybell

1858-1945 Pioneer Personal History Questionnaire

circa 1939

William Daybell was married to

Annie “Hattie” Price . William was married November 12,

1877, at Heber City, to Miss Anna Price, daughter of James

and Ann Price who came to America in the same vessel and

crossed the plains in the same company as William

She passed away in Feb 14, 1920

(See last page to view her death Certificate)

William married in April 21, 1920 to

Hannah Auke Jensen Daybell.

William passed away in 1945

Hannah passed away in 1948

UTAH WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION

HISTORICAL RECORD

201 24TH STREET OGDEN UTAH, UTAH

HRS NO 3134 (REVISED 3/9/37)

PIONEER PERSONAL HISTORY QUESTIONNAIRE

NOTE: This appears to be William Daybell answering the questions but someone else is writing his answer. It is unknown who the scribe is. For instance the scribe states “His mother” or “He doesn’t recall”. Questions are

in regular type face and his answers are in BOLD print. Originals copies are attached at the end of this document.

Items following an asterisk * are transcribers notes. All attempts were made for an accurate transcription. However there is no doubts errors were made. Thank you for your understanding.

1 Pioneer’s Name WILLIAM DAYBELL

2 Address: Heber Utah

3 Present Occupation NONE

4 Previous occupation FARMER AND DAIRY MAN

5 Date of birth FEB 24, 1858

6 Place DERBYSHIRE, ENGLAND

7 Present age 81

8 Whom did you marry? When? Where? Hattie price, December 2, 1877 in the salt lake LDS endowment house.

9 If from a foreign land, give country, City and name of ship in which you came to America? The General McClennen

1 month and 2 days on voyage.

10 At what place did you join the company or wagon train with which you came to Utah? In Missouri

11 When did you leave for Utah? Sometime in the middle of July in 1867

12 What was the place or your destination in Utah? Why did you come to Utah?

Salt Lake City, Father came for Gospel sake

13 When did you arrive there? Oct 25, 1864 He was 6 ½ years old at the time

14 Who was the leader of your company or train? Captain Warren

15 Method of travel (handcart, ox team, mule team, horseback etc.)

Ox Team. Every one that was able had to walk. They traveled 1- to 20 miles a day depending on the location of

food and water for the animals

16 Of what was your first home construction? How were bricks made in those days? Log. Bricks were made of clay,

mixed stiff molded and sun dried, Some were burned.

17 What form of lighting do you recall as being used in your first home in Utah?

“The Bitch*” light a button wrapped in cloth and placed in grease or fat. [*It is

really called that- not a typo]

18 When were electric lights first used in your community? They reached

Charleston 1 year after Heber 1st had it. Doesn’t recall date. [*Heber got power in 1909 so 1910 for Charleston]

19 What type of fuel was used in your first home? Oak and aspen

20 What kids of food did you have in a pioneer times? Bread made from very rough flour, milk, mutton, dried

apples, potatoes

21 What type of clothes did you wear and how were they manufactured?

Anything that clothes could be made form. He wore overhauls made from a wagon cover. They were patched so

many times they original was covered patch upon patch. Traded wool for linesy* cloth to Provo woolen mills. His

mother then made him his first suit when he was 13 or 14 yrs old [* linsey is a rough twill fabric]

22 Do you recall any interesting customs or incidents pertaining to pioneer courtships?

Yes, when he was 16 years old the railroad was being built between Salt Lake + Provo. He and a friend were going

down to seek employment. They thought they would have to walk but James Price told them he was taking a team

and wagon down early on the morrow and they could go with him. They stayed at Mr. Prices place all night so as

they would not miss him. Mr Price’s oldest girl prepared breakfast and William Daybell says she made the best

biscuits he ever tasted. Said he to himself, she will make a good wife. After that he started courting her, she often

rode behind him on a horse. He later married that same girl. He says there very particular in those days, marrying

especially for the Gospel sake. [*He Married Hattie Price]

23 What comparisons can you give between cost of food and cloths in early days and the present time. (Such as one

bushel of wheat, one sack of flour, and one pound of sugar).

Flour $10 per 100 # ordinary shoes $5 to $10 a pair. Wheat $5 a bushel, Says his father once bought a pair of shoes

only one he could get were men’s size 14. (Much to* large) He paid $14 for these $1 per numbers. Once took a load

of hay to Echo with him, He sold load for $75

24 What were some of the methods and incidents pertaining to sharing food and supplies in the time of common need?

People traded or bartered

25. What was the first type of cultivated plant life introduced in your vicinity? Wheat, oats and potatoes, Used to be

last of frost and it was sometimes difficult to raise these.

26 What were the first farm implements used on your farm. Any homemade implements. Plow. Other people brought

it with them and sold it to them with homestead. 1st new plow then came later was a plow by name of “Garden City

clipper”

27 Did you bring them with you or purchase them here NO

28 From who did you purchase them, and at what cost? Previous Homesteader

29 What was the first industry or industries created in your town. Grist Mill in Midway

30 Did you have any early day mining experiences? If so where and at what time. no

31 Do you recall seeing any buffalo or hunting and wild game. If so, tell about some incident. NO

32 Were fish and game plentiful upon your arrival in Utah? What kind? Where? YES

33 Did you use any of the wild plant life at the time, such as wild hay, sego bulbs, thistle greens, etc.? no

34 Relate some of the interseting incidents of early days. Tell about coming to your state in a covered wagon. Tell of

some of your children impressions. Describe activities such as gathering wild berries herding stock, working in the fields,

yoking oxen etc. Tell of some of the early days, quilting bees, corn husking parties, games, socials, and the like. Describe

from life of fourty, fifity, or sixty years ago. Compare it with today. How do you account for the change? Tell about some

of the early day accidents, deaths, droughts, prairie fires, severe winters, and other hardships. Tell about the Indians.

What tribes were nearby? Who were their leaders? Tell about incidents connected with the Indians. Did you know any

person who was in the Indian wars, or were wounded etc? What kinds of herbs and berries and wild plants did you use?

Did you ever see the Indians gathering any wild plants or roots? Tell about any early day experiences; fishing, hunting,

riding the range, etc? Tell anything you can about the old Pioneer Trails, such as the Oregon Trail, the Mormon Trail, or

the Santa Fee Trail

An early day accident: There was a fellow by the name of Brown who was also in love with the girl Mr Daybell

married. He was on a horse behind another fellow and was in front of the girls home amusing or entertaining her

by making the horse backs up. He thought he would show her something different and slide off while the horse was

jumping about. This he did and the horse kicked him in the chest. It caused him to bleed inwardly and he died in a

few hours. There were not doctors in those days.

35 What were some of the methods and incidents pertaining to combating prairie forest, or habitation fires? No Fire

36 Do you know how any counties, towns, rivers, creeks, lakes , valleys, peaks, mountain ranges, or other landmarks or

points of interest got their names. Origins of places and anmes are very interesting and important. List them and tell how

and when they were named. Many Places were named after people who first settle there

37 Do you know of any early day hotels, boarding houses, or stage coach stations “Duncans in Heber”

38 What was the frist you attended in Utah? He didn’t attend school. Mother taught him and he educated himself.

39 Location of School Date – Blank

40 Teacher – His Mother

41 Was Tuition Paid? How Much? Blank

42 School Books Sued (title author) Wilson readers

43 Can you give the names of several books in your immdiate family or in the homes of early day pioneers. First

Church Books

44 What newspapers or magazine do you recall in your home or Localilty? Deseret News

45 Were they published locally – No

46 Do you recall the first telegraph station in your locality, Where? When? It Came with railroad

47 Did you ride on the early day horse car? Where When? NO

48 Do you remember the first automobile you wever saw? (When and where) No

49 When did you first see the train? Where? In Salt Lake City 1882

50 Did you recall your first ride on a train? When? Where? No

51 Do you recall any early day theatrical entertainments? Yes, People bought play books and put on very good plays

52 Were these local people, or traveling stock companies? Yes

53 Do you remember any important celebrations in commemoration of any individual or event. Just the July

Celebrations, Thanksgiving and Christmas

54 Were you acquainted with any woman prominent on the frontier such as “Calamity Jane”? no

55 Do you recall any of the early day “Boothill” cemeteries? No

56 Can you remember any early day character buried there? No

57 Do you recall any tombstone inscriptions? No

58 Do you recall any of the early day disputes over water rights? If so, give details no

59 Can you tell anything of the days of “squatters” or “nesters” (homesteaders) or the troubles with cattle and sheep

owners? No

60 Do you recall any bank robberies, stage holdups, executions of horse thief’s, no

61 What do you recall in connection with the voting to put the state of Deseret into the Union? No

62 Do you recall any political strife or violence in connection with early government? No

63 Have you had any interesting or outstanding religious experiences such as participation in the establishment of a local

mission United Order etc. no

64 Were you affiliated with any military organization or mobilization? No

65 What was your first contact with the Indians? What Indians? Name or tribes or bands? When Indian trouble came.

There were Utes they would steal stock and anything else they could get hands on. An Indian once rode by his

father’s place and shot an arrow into a pig to show that he could act as he pleased.

66 What customs did you notice among the Indians? What Tribes? The Squaw did all the camps moving etc while men

made arrows and hunt

67 What was their type of shelter? Tepees, hogans etc.” Tepees or “wichieurs*” (*?)

68 Did they ever harvest any crops such as corn? No

69 What places were their crops grown? None

70 Did the Indians have any method of irrigation? Where? When? No

71 Did you ever learn any of their languages or dialects? If so, what language? No

72 Do you recall the locality of a month or prehistoric site? NO

73 Give your experiences in horse trading with Indians? Had none Indians didn’t “trade” they “took”

74 What are some of your impression of early Utah days? Had Lots of fun and entertainment even if they did have

hard times. People these days do not realize what the pioneers had to deal with.

75 Total number of our descendants. About 85

76 Name and addresses of sons or daughters.

Frank Daybell -Salt Lake City,

Mrs Roni Moulton -Salt Lake City

Earn Daybell -Garfield

John Daybell -Garfield

Warren Daybell -Garfield

77 Name of a few grandchildren.

LaRue Daybell Salt Lake City,

Kenneth Simons – Charleston

Dean Simmons - Charleston

78 Have you written any books, diaries, journals, sketches, or newspaper articles? If so give details . NO

Transcribe from Handwriting by Alice L. DeFriez to the best of her ability!

https://collections.lib.utah.edu/details?id=701993&q=william+daybell

Back L to R: Phebe Elizabeth Daybell Simmons, John William Daybell, Mary Ann Daybell Moulton, Joseph F Daybell, Myrtle

Daybell Boren, Violet Daybell

Front L to R: Warren Daybell, William Daybell, Earnest Daybell, Annie Price Daybell, Lula Daybell Carlile. circa 1905

https://collections.lib.utah.edu/details?id=700350&q=pioneer+questionaire