HISTORY OF JAMES MORRIS BROADHEAD
James Morris Broadhead, son of David and Mary Morris Broadhead, was born the
29 July 1860 in Nephi, Juab Co., Utah. He was reared in a household of many
brothers and sisters, but his favorite was his full sister, Mary Alice, who
was three years older than him. She was his only fu11 sister, and the love and
closeness felt between them was remarkable and remained to the end of their
days. Maybe it was because of the sorrow that came into their lives when their
mother went away she took John with her, leaving James and Mary Alice in the
care of their father and his first wife, Harriett, because she felt unable to
support the three children Mary Alice helped to make the work lighter for Harriett
by taking James under her wing, and she cared for him and befriended him when
necessary.
James attended school in Nephi, but, as he grew older, had to assist with the
farming operations of the Broadhead ranch, where dry farming was proving to
be a success. He attended the meetings of the L.D.S. Church regularly, keeping
the Word of Wisdom, and became a young man of good character. He was tall, strong,
handsome and well built, with black hair and gray-brown eyes. His disposition
was kind, patient, considerate and lovable. When he was 25 years old, he courted
and married Sarah Ann Wright when she was only 171/2 years old. She was the
second daughter of Sarah Jane Chappel Wright and James Brigham Wright. They
were married in the Logan Temple on 9 April 1885. Their first home was a two-room
log house, but it was made cozy, warm, and clean because Sarah proved to be
ambitious, thrifty and a good homemaker. They planted apple trees and other
fruits, and a long row of poplar trees along the north fence.
James was a good farmer; he produced heavy crops of wheat, barley, oats, hay
and sugar cane. He also planted an orchard and produced peaches, apples and
other fruit crops. All of this was accomplished in spite of bitter opposition
of the Government Agricultural Dept. advisors, who believed the Broadheads were
attempting the impossible by trying to raise crops without irrigation.
Five children were born to them while living in Nephi on the ranch. Mary Jane,
Seth, who passed away at three months, Elva, Edward Parley and Jesse. James
and family were active members of the church. They also enjoyed entertainments
such as country dances, and always took their children with them to Salt Lake
City to the Jubilee and circuses whenever possible.
In the year 1899, James Morris Broadhead and his father-in-law, James B. Wright,
decided to move to Canada, as new lands were opening up for homesteading. They
left the same year in covered wagons with as many of their household effects
as they could take with them. When they reached Provo Utah, his wife and their
four children took the train to complete the journey. James drove his covered
wagon and it took them five weeks to make the trip. When they arrived in Canada,
they settled temporarily at Mt. View, Alberta. James filed on a homestead in
the Beazer District and built a log home. In this ranch home, on December 1900,
the Beazer ward was organized. In attendance were the Stake Pres. Charles Ora
Card, Heber S. Allen, Edward J. Wood, Thomas Duce, and others from Cardston.
Mark E. Beazer was chosen to be the bishop, James M. Broadhead as first counselor,
James Brigham Wright, second councilor, Miss May Wright as first organist.
James was made trustee of the school board for many years and favored increasing
education in the community. He was also interested in music and played the accordion,
accompanied by his daughter, Jane on the organ. The organ was brought with him
from Nephi in the covered wagon and out of the goodness of his heart he took
it to the school and homes to play for dances and other entertainment.
As other homesteaders, living adjoining his land moved away, James purchased
their land, until his ranch consisted of 640 acres. In the year 1915, James
built a new home with six rooms, and a barn, planted trees and shrubbery, and
fenced the grounds for a garden spot and flowerbed. They carried water from
the lake about one hundred yards away to keep the trees and plants growing.
Pioneering in the early days in Canada was very difficult because of the elements
and primitive working conditions.
Two more children were born to them, Grant Morris and Glen David. James built
a house three miles from the ranch in the village of Beazer so that the children
would be near the school. He and his wife made a great effort to educate their
children by sending two of them to college and two of them on long-term missions
for the L.D.S. Church. His sons, Grant and Parley took vocal lessons and were
considered good singers. Grant was baritone and Parley a tenor.
The L.D.S. Church built a beautiful temple in the town of Cardston and James
and his wife loved to do temple work. They spent many happy hours in the House
of the Lord.
James and his wife made several trips back to Utah to visit with friends and
relatives. In the year 1926 his health began to fail him, and on 22 August 1927,
he was operated on for removal of a growth on the intestines, which proved to
be cancer. He died 22 August 1927 in the Cardston Hospital.
James and his wife's estate consisted of 640 acres of land, plus 320 acres of
leased land, and during the years from 1915 to 1927 it carried about 200 head
of Durham cattle, including 30 milk cows, 300 head of sheep and 30 head of horses,
the year around. It produced about 8000 bushels of mixed grain, wheat, barley
and oats, 200 tons of wild hay, including timothy and brome grass, plus pasturing
the above livestock. The value of the ranch in 1927 was about $40,000 including
improvements, machinery, and livestock. The prices of cattle in 1927 were about
$50.00 for a range cow, $40.00 for a fat three year old steer and $6.00 for
a ewe.
Some of his son’s memories - (Grant)
Father was a big man, clean and powerful, with broad shoulders and a thick chest. As his great mind pictured the land of the north, the 80 acres of dry land seemed as small as a garden. He sold his land and loaded his household belongings and farm machinery into two covered wagons and started for Canada, leaving mother to come by train. After a months travel, he arrived in Alberta and took up a homestead fifteen miles west of Cardston at a place later known as Beazer.
Father's life was only a sample of many other families that came to Alberta.
There were the Ockey, Leavitts, Smiths, Lows, Lees, Wrights, Woods, Andersons,
Browns, Tanners, Parishes and others. The second generation has proven to be
equal to their first. Although they are scattered throughout the world, the
great background of solid faith has been the power that in them to bring them
forward everywhere.