Son of Andrew Carl Andersen and Sophia Petronella Jorgensen
Married Sarah Ellen Hunsaker, 30 May 1907, Honeyville, Box Elder, Utah
HISTORY OF ELI CARL ANDERSON
By Keith H. Anderson
Eli Carl Anderson was born on 06 June 1884 at Bear River City, Box Elder County, Utah to Andrew (Andreas) Carl and Sophia Peteronella Jorgensen (Johnson) Anderson (Andreasen). Eli's parents were born in Denmark they had a large family of 8 boys and 6 girls. In 1869, Eli's parents immigrated to Bear River City, which was occupied by Danish Emigrant Saints.
Andrew began homesteading in 1888 what is now known as Bothwell. He was the first to acquire the Homestead Act Requirements in Bothwell. Sophia was the first white woman to settle here. His farm consisted of 160 acres in section 6, 11 North 3 West in the Point Look Out area. Andrew's first home was where Floyd Eggli now lives. Then he built a new log cabin 3/8 mile west and on the south side, of the canal.
Originally, this area was called Raleigh Precinct for voting purposes, later called Roeville or Rowville (spelling is unknown) because all the houses were in a row. A canal for irrigation was completed in 1891. John R. Bothwell was the canal builder and Roeville changed the name to Bothwell in 1892 to honor him. The canal was a great advancement for the community. There was always water in the canal, which was used for laundry, bathing, irrigation, livestock and recreation. Various places in the canal became the "Ol' Swimmin' Hole" and when frozen over was a great place to skate.
Just before Christmas in 1908, Andrew became ill with stomach pains, there was no doctor available and he died from ruptured appendix. Andrew died 19 December 1908 and was buried in the Bothwell cemetery on 22 December 1908. Sophia was left with a large family and many young children to raise. The four older children were married when their father died and tried to help their mother provide for the large family. Sophia lived to see the beginnings of World War II and was a widow for 35 years.
Eli was the third child and second son in this large family growing up at Point Look Out. The children had many responsibilities and were capable of doing many types of work at a young age to help sustain for the family. Eli and his brothers learned to swim and ice skate in the canal when they were young. He was a very good ice skater and thought that roller-skating would be just as easy. One day he and his friends decided they would try roller skating and found it to much different from ice skating and concluded they were better ice skaters then roller-skaters.
He started herding sheep around the age of 13 or 14 so his formal education was very limited. He began herding sheep for his uncle Hans in Gentile Valley, Northeast of Preston, Idaho. He attended grammar school in Bothwell and attended until the 7th or 8th grade. Sometime early in the 1900's he began, "Anderson Shearing Company." Hand shears were used first and later they sheared with gas-powered clippers equipped with ten shearing stations. Eli could shear 50 head with hand shears and 200 with electric clippers on a good day. The sheep shearing set up would be located many days in the same place. Sheep owners would trail their sheep to the shearing location to be sheared. They traveled to various places, shearing in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada and Montana. He hired many of his brothers, brother in laws and cousins, as part of the crew. The crew stayed in business until the early 1940's. A picture of the crew can be found in the Box Elder County Historical Photo Tour page 308.
The Anderson brothers were good athletes. The shearers formed a ball team and enjoyed playing baseball in the communities where they were shearing. They also loved playing card games in the evenings. Eli's favorite card game was hearts.
Eli was a strong muscular man. He was built solid and weighed between 195-215 pounds depending on the time of year. He had a round face, big light blue eyes and brown color hair. He had a gentle soft tone as he spoke. He was born with a hair lip but that didn't prevent him from making friends and having a normal life. He began loosing his hair when he was a young man. He had hair around the sides of this head and bald on top. He always wore a pair of bib overalls except on dressy occasions. He carried in his pockets a little bit of everything. Always a pocketknife, screws, nails, small change, Bull Durham sack in front pocket across his chest. He also kept white and pink mints in one of the chest pockets to share with his company. He was known when visiting his grandchildren to take a sack of candy to give them. When he was young he spent a lot of time alone while tending the sheep. He picked up some bad habits such as smoking, coffee and drinking. His life style caused him to have ulcers.
Eli and Ella were the same height, 5'10". Eli (22 years old) started courting Sarah Ellen Hunsaker (22 years old) known as "Ella" in 1905, while she was teaching school in Bothwell. They were married at the age of 22 on Memorial Day, 30 May 1907 at her parents' home in Honeyville. A reception and dance was held after their marriage to honor the young couple. They went to the Logan Temple on 31 March 1926 to receive their endowments and had their children sealed the 13 August 1926.
Eli and Ella spent their honeymoon in Monte Cristo, in Ogden Canyon. Eli was the foreman of 2 herds of sheep for the Lindsey Bitten Sheep Company. Eli and Ella spent the summers of 1907 and 1908 at Monte Cristo. There is a ridge on the Monte Cristo range known as "Eli's Ridge" where he and Ella spent their first summers. After they were married Ella no longer taught school. Their oldest child Vesta was born February 1909 after her birth Ella spent her time being a homemaker and raising her children in their home.
In 1908 Eli and Ella lived in a small home on 40-acre farm he had bought from his mother, on his father's original homestead. This was 16' X 16' one room brick home. Later, they added a slope to the North making two rooms. Ella lived there with their children while Eli was herding sheep. Only 12 acres of this ground was irrigated, the rest was dry hillside pasture.
The summer of 1911 Eli and Ella went to Rockland, Idaho. Burt Hunsaker (a family friend and relative) was homesteading there and Eli and Ella went to see if they should also be part of this homesteading adventure. They stayed just long enough to get the wheat crop planted. After hauling water for five miles they decided to go home to Bothwell.
04 April 1919, Eli and Ella sold their 40 acres of land to Fred Eggli, and moved a ½ mile west to a 10-12 acre parcel of land, purchased from J.H. Luke who owned the Foxley Store. William Henry Foxley owned the Foxley Store and Post Office. The Foxley Store was the only place to buy anything west for Tremonton. You could purchase oil for lamps, fabric, thread and food. This was one big open space. The store wasn't far from the canal and the water table was high. They were able to use a hand pump to retrieve water for the house. Eli remodeled the store into a home adding a ceiling, making divisions for bedrooms, living room and non-working bathroom. The store faced the west and the front room was a living room and dining room. On the east side there was porch were the milk separator was kept. This was a nice place. It is here where Eli would take pheasant eggs and put them in with the chickens to hatch them out. When the pheasants were turned loose they use to stay around the house for a little while. This location is where Verl, Keith, Eloise and Gerald (Jerry) were born. Eli purchased the Foxley store again in about 1938 or 1939 for Ray. Ray and his family were living in the Foxley store when it burned down in the late 1940's.
During 1929 they moved their family again to what they called, "The White Top Farm" west and south of the head of Salt Creek. They all lived in a small frame home at the head of Salt Creek. The spring of 1940 they built a beautiful two-story red brick home with a basement, on this property over looking Salt Creek. They were so happy to have a large spacious home. James Ipsen homesteaded this ground and Eli purchased it from Mr. Loosley from Clarkston.
Eli and his sons developed this farm of 127 flood-irrigated acres by tilling out the weeds and using good cultivating practices. Eli paid Box Elder County to clean cultivated this land during the summers of 1936-1938. Prior to this time they raised mostly alfalfa hay, barley, wheat, oats and some sugar beets. The white top had little affect on the alfalfa and livestock would eat it. However, it decreased production yields of the grain and sugar beet crops. After the clean cultivation and good farming practices this has become one of the better farms in the Bothwell area. In 1939 Eli purchased a 30-horse power caterpillar tractor to replace his draft horses.
Eli also had an 80-acre dry farm they referred to as "The Sands" in the Bothwell pocket where he raised dry land wheat. This was a very rocky dry farm. This was purchased sometime around 1919. The Boyd Marble Family presently owns this land.
Eli purchased a Model T Ford in 1919. It had a canvas top, running boards and no windows. There were three pedals at the bottom. Left was lower gear, middle was reverse and right was high gear. It had a hauling capacity of four people. Eli would haul muskrats in the car. The car always stunk of muskrats in the spring. Learning to patch a tire was very important. The roads weren't really maintained and tires weren't very well constructed.
Trapping provided another source of income for Eli's family. Eli trapped coyotes, badgers, muskrats, skunks and bobcats. Many surprised could be found in the traps. Eli made what he called, "Coyote Dope" to poison coyotes. It was made of Strict 9, cream, ground-up rotten meat and may have had a little sugar.
November 2 was the beginning day of the duck hunt. Eli would bring home a wagonload of ducks; pluck the feathers for feather beds and well them for .25 cents a dozen.
In 1905 Eli was hunting ducks in the swamps below Salt Creek, which heads under Point Look Out and saw muskrats swimming everywhere. He thought this would be a profitable investment and leased 5 sections of the swampland for hunting and trapping. He continued to have this lease until he died.
The muskrats were trapped, skinned and stretched on a board. Harry Bloom would come every Monday & Thursday evening to grade and purchase the fresh skinned pelts. Eli had a two-story shed that would be full of muskrat pelts ready to be sold or being stretched.
Late winter and early spring the furs are in their ideal condition for 3-6 weeks depending on the temperature. Ideal muskrats hides are skinned and made into very warm and attractive garments. It takes approximately 300 hides to make a full-length coat. The hides or pelts are cut into matching strips and sewn together.
Eli learned that when muskrats are caught in traps they try to chew free. They will chew off the caught leg and escape the trap. Even muskrats that are not trapped will try to free those caught by chewing them up which damages the pelt of trapped muskrat. Damaged pelts received less profit.
Eli experimented with many methods to reduce hides from being damaged. He bought traps with double springs on them to hold the animals from being able to chew off their legs. These traps are known as jump traps. When the foot is caught in the trap one set of springs it locks on to the foot. As the muskrat jumps to make an effort to loose itself a holding spring is released and binds the foot again. These traps helped some but didn't eliminate all of the damage.
Eli also tried, a single trap iron a channel or small hole putting the stake about 6-12 inches below the water level. As the muskrat gets caught, he swims around but has nothing holding him up above the water and after struggling awhile the muskrat get tired because of the weight of the trap pulls the animal under water, drowning with little damage to the pelt.
After many techniques Eli invented a method to keep most muskrats from damaging their pelts. This method was more labor intensive but the profit from pelts off set the work. Taking his sons on weekends to Mantua Canyon he would have the boys would cut small stripling Maples that were very abundant. They selected maple stakes were about the same height, diameter and flexibility. Using the single trap he would fasten the chain securely on the maple tip. When the location of the trap was selected the base of the maple was pushed in the ground and the tip bent where the trap's set. Attaching the trap chain to the tip of the maple stick. The trap chain shank is notched made in a lath. Holding the trap in place until a muskrat gets caught in the trap. The muskrat trying to get free pulls the shank away from the lath. This releases the trap and the maple flips in the air and holds the muskrat and trap off the ground approximately, 3 ½ feet off the ground depending on the strength of the maple stick and the weight of the muskrat. This made free muskrats unable to assist the captured muskrat. The length of the lath was 12 to 18 inches and notched where the shank set the maple pole in ground. This method had the least amount of pelt damage.
The trapping season normally lasted about four weeks and they would catch about 3,000 muskrats. The muskrats were stretched until dry, which usually took one week. They were dried in a two-story barn. The buyer would come or they would haul them to Brigham and usually sell 300-400 muskrats at a time. Each season the price of the pelts would vary. They would average about $1.25-$1.50 a pelt.
He was a real outdoorsman. Eli took his children, grand children and friends on fishing and hunting trips. Enjoying the out of doors no matter how rough the weather or conditions. He would say, "I know no other place I would rather be." He spent most of his life-enjoying Box Elder County and particularly loved Western Box Elder County and the people there.
He was an exceptional marksman and continued hunted deer 'til 1946 the year he died. He enjoyed fly and bait fishing in Idaho, Utah and Yellowstone National Park. He loved to hunt ducks, geese, pheasants and deer. In his early married life, he would shoot ducks and take them to Brigham City by a horse drawn sleigh load and sold them for a $1.00 a dozen.
Eli not only trapped predators but he made his own bait to poison them. He would take meat mix it with Strict Nine poison and let it rot. This bait had terrible odor.
Eli was spent a lot of time away from home and stayed many nights in a sheep camp. In about 1910 to 1915 he made a 99 year lease with the railroad company to do with as he desired on Locomotive Springs which consists of 5 different springs that come together: "The Baker," "Teal," "Bar M," "The Sparks" and "West Locomotive." All of these springs have an underground water source.
Eli built a cabin at the head of "The Baker" which was head quarters for trappers. There were a few muskrats in the area but not enough to satisfy Eli so he trapped live muskrats in other areas and transplanted them to Locomotive Springs. The water in Locomotive Spring never freezes the temperature averages 68F year round. Locomotive Springs was a profitable investment for Eli. He used it for trapping, hunting and sold day or season hunting permits. This is a natural haven for ducks and geese. Large numbers of waterfowl came to the location because there wasn't any other fresh water for them for 30 miles. Eli planted trout at Locomotive Springs in the early 1920's.
In 1934 the government made Locomotive Springs into a Bird refuge and this ended his lease. The government built dams to conserve waterfowl. Although, he lost the lease he was compensated with $2,600.
In 1935 Eli moved the cabin from Locomotive to Bothwell where his son Ray lived for some time. Then the cabin was moved between the big and little canal and Ray's family lived in it for a few years and then moved again to Garland where it still stands today but it has been remodeled several times.
Eli spent a great deal of time in the mountains and became interested in prospecting and mining. He always carried with him a brass covered magnifying glass in his pocket and would chip and inspect all rocks he thought might have some value. He had prospect mining claims in Utah and Southern Idaho.
In the early 1930's he started his own mine known as "The Silver Eagle Mining Company" in Mantua, Utah. Mining for silver and lead with his partner Nick R. Peterson. They sold stock in the company. The stock payments were used for mining purposes. Ken Paskett, a son in law, and Carl, his son helped work in the mine. There was a home nearby where Ken and Dot lived. Nick's sons also worked in the mine hauling ore in a ore car on a small rail track. This mine had prospects but the hand-drilled shaft never produced enough quality ore to make the mine profitable and was abandoned about 10 to 12 years later.
Eli and Ella always had some livestock: milk cows, hogs, sheep, bronze turkeys and chickens. In about 1930 Eli built 3 long "A" frame sheds, each one approximately 400 feet in length and 12 feet wide, which he covered with canvas for protection, from against wind and storm for the purpose of lambing ewes. These sheds had individual pens on each side with an alley down the middle where ewes and lambs were kept out of the weather after lambing for a week or ten days and then turned out into corrals. These facilities were used by sheep producers: Evan and Burt Brown, Petersons, Clarks and others. While using the lambing sheds these men bought the hay that Eli produced and fed it to their sheep while at the lambing sheds. The haystacks were measured; length X width X height to determine the tonnage. Later, Eli put in a set of scales and all hay was weighed instead of measured. He had a good set of corrals that were built so livestock could water from Salt Creek, which never freezes. The corrals were divided into pens on a rocky hillside. In 1938, Eli discontinued furnishing facilities for the sheep producers. Instead, Eli and his sons purchased feeder lambs and cull ewes fattening them for market in Ogden.
In 1936 Eli and Ella started raising commercial flock of 2,000 Broad Breasted Bronze Turkeys in the Bothwell area. They were bought as 3-day-old poults during April brooded in a coop that was heated by hot water pipes. These turkeys came from Nebraska and weren't very hearty nearly ½ of them died the first week. Those that lived were raised on the Salt Creek property. Ella and the children cared for the turkeys and they were marketed in November for Thanksgiving birds. They were dry picked by hand when slaughtered; many were sold live for the individual families to slaughter. Most of their turkeys were sold to Utah Poultry, Lee Brown, R.J. White in the Tremonton, Ogden and Salt Lake areas. This was a profitable investment for them and they had turkeys every year until Eli died.
During the summer of 1938 a serious infestation of grasshoppers invaded the area. They discovered that turkeys do very well on grasshoppers. Eli and his sons hauled the turkeys, which were 8 weeks old, in wire crates west of the Blue Creek water tank that was in use by the railroad. The turkeys fed on grasshoppers and water was hauled to them daily from the Blue Creek water tank. The turkeys were trailed using dogs to help move them north through Howell, Blue Creek and into Pocatello Valley where they gleaned from wheat fields and were fed additional grain for fattening. When ready for market, they were then loaded on trucks and hauled to the processing plant. Someone had to always be with the turkeys to protect them from predators, which were coyotes, bobcats and dogs. The same property wasn't always used to feed the turkeys year to year.
In 1938 Eli was hired as the Box Elder County Road Supervisor, a position he held for four years. He made many improvements in the county road system. He drove an orange pickup truck. He said this was mistake because everyone knew always who drove it. He designed a road still used today. The "Y" on the road going to Promontory / Golden Spike Historical Monument, this road saved the county approximately $7,000 from a purposed survey made by another company. Eli's design was the better location for the road and has a gradual winding grade, which was made approximately a mile and ½ away from the steep survey.
Eli didn't like the purposed survey because years earlier he and Burt Hunsaker (Ella's cousin) were bring a truck load of salt cured railroad ties from the Lucin Cut Off, to Bothwell for fence posts. The old road went down a very steep grade, often too steep to control vehicles safely. Burt's truck was running out of control down the steep road. Eli felt they were going to wreck because of the high and increasing speed they were going. He jumped out breaking his leg. Burt stayed with the truck and managed to gain control of the truck and was not injured. This road is approximately 1 mile ½ south of the present oiled road that Eli designed / supervised and was made by the Box Elder Country Road Department which leads to the Golden Spike Monument.
Eli also ran for Box Elder County Commissioner in 1938 on the democratic ticket. He was a staunch democrat. He was defeated.
There were always had chores to do. Raising hay, grain, sugar beets on the irrigated land and taking care of animals that were sold to help support the family. He believed in feeding and caring for all livestock and not let anything suffer. The family had a vegetable garden. Eli always had a few good saddle horses for trapping, herding sheep and for the kids to go to their activities. He was a good horseman; one of his favorite saddle horses was named Rex.
In 1937 there was a disease known as brain fever or sleeping sickness that only affected horses, this killed 6 draft horses of Eli's. This disease affected the entire Western Region of the United States. Saddle horses that didn't die were used as replacements for the draft horses so they could continue farming that season.
Transportation for the children to attend actives meant walking, riding a saddle horse or riding the hack (a horse drawn school bus) to most of the places they went until 1937. If a saddle horse was rode to school several kids would ride the same horse and then when they arrived at school the reins would be placed over his neck and left untied so the horse could go back home.
Eli always brought cut down a Cedar or Pinyon tree for Christmas from Black Pine or Snowville. One year he wasn't able to get there and went to Point Look Out, and cut down a sagebrush to decorate.
Keith always knew his father to always have a pickup although his mother never learned how to drive. Vesta would go with her Dad when he needed a driver and they got along very well. He liked to sing as he rode along. Keith often went with his dad to Western Box Elder County and he would have Keith drive. Eli would sing awhile, sleep awhile and wake up every few miles and say, "Where are we?"
When Keith went to serve his country in World War II in 1943 he had saved some money from profits on his 4-H and FFA projects. Before Keith left he asked his father (Eli) to purchase some land with his savings. Eli said, "Where?" Keith said, "Where ever you think is best." Eli thought the land from Snowville west to Nevada line had lots of prospects. He had traveled this area most of his life. It was a sagebrush desert for miles. He knew with water it could be increased in value and could make a good living. Irrigation wells had not been pursued and livestock was the main source of income in this area. Eli knew more land was being broken up and developed each year.
Eli trapped and sheared for the Petersen Brothers Sheep Company of Hyrum. They owned thousands of acres of land in what was known as the Curlew Basin or Snowville Flat west of Deep Creek (Rose Ranch). He arranged for the purchase with the Petersen's on 3,500-4,000 acres of sagebrush and cedar land, three miles east of Clear Creek and half a mile South of Strevell which extended from the Raft River Mountains foothills in Northwestern Box Elder County to the Idaho/Utah state lines.
He thought this could be a good dry farm prospect and it was purchased in 1943 for $1.00 an acre. He thought his sons: Max, Dean, Verl and Keith could work together as partners and run the dry farm in the summer along with Eli's Salt Creek (Point Look Out) farm.
After the land was purchased in 1944 plans were made for breaking the sage, fencing and making improvements. Due to World War II help was hard to find and supplies were hard to come by. Most of the males ranging from 17-30 were in the service or had families and farms requiring their time.
In the spring of 1945 Dean worked alone started breaking up sagebrush but it was a slow process. He had more work with the turkeys and his 40-acre farm in Bothwell. Max was busy working on his father's irrigated farm. Verl was in California working on a ranch. Eli and Ella took their 2,000-head of turkeys to the newly purchased ground. There was an old home and 80 acres tract of land that Eli bought for himself. They spent the summer of 1945 in this three-room shelter with no running water, no electricity, phone, indoor plumbing, etc. The old house had been vacant for years. The roof leaked when it rained and was full of mice. Eli and Ella made improvements regularly. The turkeys did well, but coyotes and bobcats were hard to control. During the summer many of their children and grandchildren came to visit. They thought Eli and Ella were out of their mind. Still they enjoyed the summer, clearing and burning sagebrush. They worked hard believing it was a future for their family. They enjoyed the people and the surroundings were not new to them for they had been friends with the people in the area for years.
Many hours were spent to put the farm into production. The land was worked 3-4 times before planting. Carl and Ray also worked some at the ranch but didn't have any shares in the property. The sagebrush had to be killed by burning to adapted it for dry farming wheat. Eli, Dean and Keith jointly owned the turkeys until Eli's death in 1946.
When Jerry (the youngest) was about twelve he broke his leg and it got infected. He was laid up in bed for months. He learned about airplanes, made models and was crazy about them. He was determined to be a pilot. He was preparing to become a pilot to serve his country in the Air Force. World War II was winding down; Jerry who was 16 was killed in an airplane crash near Lone Rock in Bothwell, which was part of Grandpa Anderson's homestead. This was Jerry's first and last solo flight. When Ella signed the parent consent form she said she had just signed his life away. Ella was a witness to the accident. Jerry was killed 24 May 1945. Jerry's death was very difficult for Eli and Ella to accept. Keith was still in Europe fighting the Germans. On 9th of May 1945 Germany surrendered and the war was over in that area. However, the Red Cross could not get Keith a release for the funeral. Keith got home 29 December 1945.
The ranch provided a good source to stay busy and occupy their time. They named the ranch Flying 'A' as a memorial to Jerry. At their age they didn't need to work so hard but they said that was what they wanted to do. They owed no financial obligations but needed to feel needed to help themselves and their family.
Eli and Ella fed many people. If needed, they were given a place to sleep. The people from Western Box Elder County always stopped for meals and lodging because it usually took them two days to come to town and get back home. He loved to visit with everyone he met. He was close to his brothers and sisters and visited them often. They loved to spend time with one another. He was always very concerned about his mother and tried to help out when he could. His sister, who was a widow, said that one time she needed a new coat. Eli had a young family to provide for but made sure that his sister received a new coat to keep her warm.
He thoroughly enjoyed people and did not interfere or trifle with anyone. He told his sons to never start a fight unless the fight was forced, then hit fast, hard and win with honor. He was always trying to make life better for his family and anyone in need.
Eli and Ella enjoyed dancing at the community socials. During the winters for entertainment the ward would put on plays and Eli enjoyed participating the plays. Even though he was heavy, he was quite limber and could kick his leg and have his foot touch the top of a doorframe.
Eli had stomach problems and drank lots of bicarbonate soda. He also had arthritis and diabetes. He loved ice cream and milk shakes. He said, "All ice cream is good but some is better than others." He liked fresh clabber but only ate the cream with sugar on it. He also enjoyed buttermilk, lemon and vanilla flavoring.
Eli lived the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." He lived the law to the best of his ability. Bishop Milton Marble once told me, "Your Dad is seldom in church, but he asks me most every time we meet which was maybe 3 or 4 times a year. He would say, 'Bishop do you need any help or money; or do you have anyone in need. My family and I would be glad to help in anyway.'" He was and Elder in the church and had a testimony of it's truthfulness even though he did not actively attend church. Eli was away from home working on a year round basis. He never blessed any of his children but he loved them all and baptized each of them. He gave them support in all things they did worthily.
Eli tried to keep himself aware of current events. Those who knew him respected him. His trials and hardships were handled considerately. He wanted us to do our best in all things. He was knowledgeable, friendly, had good judgement, and sense of humor. He believed in being kind, truthful, honest, dependable and trustworthy in all his transactions and lived what he believed. Eli helped everyone, including his family, he co-signed notes with many of them. Eli was a good organizer, had foresight and managerial skills. Eli had friends all over the county and areas he had occupied.
Eli and Ella raised 11 of their 13 children. He was proud of his children and grandchildren. I am proud to be his son. He was a great example to me. He died in a sheep camp during the night while watching the turkeys on the Flying 'A' Ranch near Cedar Creek, Box Elder County, Utah on 22 November 1946. Ella was a widow for 28 years.
Eli was very proud of all his children and grandchildren. When he died he had 10 living children and 15 grandchildren.
Children Spouse Date of Birth Date of Death
1. Vesta Anderson Reed Carl Petersen 5-Feb-1909 7-Jun-1992
Ephraim Carl Jensen
2. Maurine Anderson Joseph Wilford Toone 7-Nov-1910 30-Apr-1981
3. Maurice Anderson N/A 7-Nov-1910 2-Dec-1910
4. Reed H. Anderson N/A 13-Jun-1912 13-Jun-1912
5. Ray H. Anderson Gladys Wheatley 13-Jun-1912 8-May-1991
Ruth ReNee Mason
6. Carlyle H. Anderson Verle Eulala Nelson 2-Oct-1913 25-Oct-1995
7. Dorothy Anderson Kenneth John Paskett 21-Apr-1915 10-Oct-1982
8. Max H. Anderson Erma Donna Holland 13-Nov-1916 3-Sep-1988
9. Dean H. Anderson June Rose Holiday 10-Aug-1918 26-Aug-1995
10. Verl H. Anderson Madge Earl 18-May-1920 5-Sep-2000
11. Keith H. Anderson Cloe Truman 3-Apr-1922
12. Eloise Anderson John Richard Martineau 10-Oct-1924
13. Gerald H. Anderson N/A 27-Aug-1927 24-May-1945
Utah Death Certificate
Married Sarah Ellen Hunsaker, 30 May 1907, Honeyville, Box Elder, Utah
HISTORY OF ELI CARL ANDERSON
By Keith H. Anderson
Eli Carl Anderson was born on 06 June 1884 at Bear River City, Box Elder County, Utah to Andrew (Andreas) Carl and Sophia Peteronella Jorgensen (Johnson) Anderson (Andreasen). Eli's parents were born in Denmark they had a large family of 8 boys and 6 girls. In 1869, Eli's parents immigrated to Bear River City, which was occupied by Danish Emigrant Saints.
Andrew began homesteading in 1888 what is now known as Bothwell. He was the first to acquire the Homestead Act Requirements in Bothwell. Sophia was the first white woman to settle here. His farm consisted of 160 acres in section 6, 11 North 3 West in the Point Look Out area. Andrew's first home was where Floyd Eggli now lives. Then he built a new log cabin 3/8 mile west and on the south side, of the canal.
Originally, this area was called Raleigh Precinct for voting purposes, later called Roeville or Rowville (spelling is unknown) because all the houses were in a row. A canal for irrigation was completed in 1891. John R. Bothwell was the canal builder and Roeville changed the name to Bothwell in 1892 to honor him. The canal was a great advancement for the community. There was always water in the canal, which was used for laundry, bathing, irrigation, livestock and recreation. Various places in the canal became the "Ol' Swimmin' Hole" and when frozen over was a great place to skate.
Just before Christmas in 1908, Andrew became ill with stomach pains, there was no doctor available and he died from ruptured appendix. Andrew died 19 December 1908 and was buried in the Bothwell cemetery on 22 December 1908. Sophia was left with a large family and many young children to raise. The four older children were married when their father died and tried to help their mother provide for the large family. Sophia lived to see the beginnings of World War II and was a widow for 35 years.
Eli was the third child and second son in this large family growing up at Point Look Out. The children had many responsibilities and were capable of doing many types of work at a young age to help sustain for the family. Eli and his brothers learned to swim and ice skate in the canal when they were young. He was a very good ice skater and thought that roller-skating would be just as easy. One day he and his friends decided they would try roller skating and found it to much different from ice skating and concluded they were better ice skaters then roller-skaters.
He started herding sheep around the age of 13 or 14 so his formal education was very limited. He began herding sheep for his uncle Hans in Gentile Valley, Northeast of Preston, Idaho. He attended grammar school in Bothwell and attended until the 7th or 8th grade. Sometime early in the 1900's he began, "Anderson Shearing Company." Hand shears were used first and later they sheared with gas-powered clippers equipped with ten shearing stations. Eli could shear 50 head with hand shears and 200 with electric clippers on a good day. The sheep shearing set up would be located many days in the same place. Sheep owners would trail their sheep to the shearing location to be sheared. They traveled to various places, shearing in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada and Montana. He hired many of his brothers, brother in laws and cousins, as part of the crew. The crew stayed in business until the early 1940's. A picture of the crew can be found in the Box Elder County Historical Photo Tour page 308.
The Anderson brothers were good athletes. The shearers formed a ball team and enjoyed playing baseball in the communities where they were shearing. They also loved playing card games in the evenings. Eli's favorite card game was hearts.
Eli was a strong muscular man. He was built solid and weighed between 195-215 pounds depending on the time of year. He had a round face, big light blue eyes and brown color hair. He had a gentle soft tone as he spoke. He was born with a hair lip but that didn't prevent him from making friends and having a normal life. He began loosing his hair when he was a young man. He had hair around the sides of this head and bald on top. He always wore a pair of bib overalls except on dressy occasions. He carried in his pockets a little bit of everything. Always a pocketknife, screws, nails, small change, Bull Durham sack in front pocket across his chest. He also kept white and pink mints in one of the chest pockets to share with his company. He was known when visiting his grandchildren to take a sack of candy to give them. When he was young he spent a lot of time alone while tending the sheep. He picked up some bad habits such as smoking, coffee and drinking. His life style caused him to have ulcers.
Eli and Ella were the same height, 5'10". Eli (22 years old) started courting Sarah Ellen Hunsaker (22 years old) known as "Ella" in 1905, while she was teaching school in Bothwell. They were married at the age of 22 on Memorial Day, 30 May 1907 at her parents' home in Honeyville. A reception and dance was held after their marriage to honor the young couple. They went to the Logan Temple on 31 March 1926 to receive their endowments and had their children sealed the 13 August 1926.
Eli and Ella spent their honeymoon in Monte Cristo, in Ogden Canyon. Eli was the foreman of 2 herds of sheep for the Lindsey Bitten Sheep Company. Eli and Ella spent the summers of 1907 and 1908 at Monte Cristo. There is a ridge on the Monte Cristo range known as "Eli's Ridge" where he and Ella spent their first summers. After they were married Ella no longer taught school. Their oldest child Vesta was born February 1909 after her birth Ella spent her time being a homemaker and raising her children in their home.
In 1908 Eli and Ella lived in a small home on 40-acre farm he had bought from his mother, on his father's original homestead. This was 16' X 16' one room brick home. Later, they added a slope to the North making two rooms. Ella lived there with their children while Eli was herding sheep. Only 12 acres of this ground was irrigated, the rest was dry hillside pasture.
The summer of 1911 Eli and Ella went to Rockland, Idaho. Burt Hunsaker (a family friend and relative) was homesteading there and Eli and Ella went to see if they should also be part of this homesteading adventure. They stayed just long enough to get the wheat crop planted. After hauling water for five miles they decided to go home to Bothwell.
04 April 1919, Eli and Ella sold their 40 acres of land to Fred Eggli, and moved a ½ mile west to a 10-12 acre parcel of land, purchased from J.H. Luke who owned the Foxley Store. William Henry Foxley owned the Foxley Store and Post Office. The Foxley Store was the only place to buy anything west for Tremonton. You could purchase oil for lamps, fabric, thread and food. This was one big open space. The store wasn't far from the canal and the water table was high. They were able to use a hand pump to retrieve water for the house. Eli remodeled the store into a home adding a ceiling, making divisions for bedrooms, living room and non-working bathroom. The store faced the west and the front room was a living room and dining room. On the east side there was porch were the milk separator was kept. This was a nice place. It is here where Eli would take pheasant eggs and put them in with the chickens to hatch them out. When the pheasants were turned loose they use to stay around the house for a little while. This location is where Verl, Keith, Eloise and Gerald (Jerry) were born. Eli purchased the Foxley store again in about 1938 or 1939 for Ray. Ray and his family were living in the Foxley store when it burned down in the late 1940's.
During 1929 they moved their family again to what they called, "The White Top Farm" west and south of the head of Salt Creek. They all lived in a small frame home at the head of Salt Creek. The spring of 1940 they built a beautiful two-story red brick home with a basement, on this property over looking Salt Creek. They were so happy to have a large spacious home. James Ipsen homesteaded this ground and Eli purchased it from Mr. Loosley from Clarkston.
Eli and his sons developed this farm of 127 flood-irrigated acres by tilling out the weeds and using good cultivating practices. Eli paid Box Elder County to clean cultivated this land during the summers of 1936-1938. Prior to this time they raised mostly alfalfa hay, barley, wheat, oats and some sugar beets. The white top had little affect on the alfalfa and livestock would eat it. However, it decreased production yields of the grain and sugar beet crops. After the clean cultivation and good farming practices this has become one of the better farms in the Bothwell area. In 1939 Eli purchased a 30-horse power caterpillar tractor to replace his draft horses.
Eli also had an 80-acre dry farm they referred to as "The Sands" in the Bothwell pocket where he raised dry land wheat. This was a very rocky dry farm. This was purchased sometime around 1919. The Boyd Marble Family presently owns this land.
Eli purchased a Model T Ford in 1919. It had a canvas top, running boards and no windows. There were three pedals at the bottom. Left was lower gear, middle was reverse and right was high gear. It had a hauling capacity of four people. Eli would haul muskrats in the car. The car always stunk of muskrats in the spring. Learning to patch a tire was very important. The roads weren't really maintained and tires weren't very well constructed.
Trapping provided another source of income for Eli's family. Eli trapped coyotes, badgers, muskrats, skunks and bobcats. Many surprised could be found in the traps. Eli made what he called, "Coyote Dope" to poison coyotes. It was made of Strict 9, cream, ground-up rotten meat and may have had a little sugar.
November 2 was the beginning day of the duck hunt. Eli would bring home a wagonload of ducks; pluck the feathers for feather beds and well them for .25 cents a dozen.
In 1905 Eli was hunting ducks in the swamps below Salt Creek, which heads under Point Look Out and saw muskrats swimming everywhere. He thought this would be a profitable investment and leased 5 sections of the swampland for hunting and trapping. He continued to have this lease until he died.
The muskrats were trapped, skinned and stretched on a board. Harry Bloom would come every Monday & Thursday evening to grade and purchase the fresh skinned pelts. Eli had a two-story shed that would be full of muskrat pelts ready to be sold or being stretched.
Late winter and early spring the furs are in their ideal condition for 3-6 weeks depending on the temperature. Ideal muskrats hides are skinned and made into very warm and attractive garments. It takes approximately 300 hides to make a full-length coat. The hides or pelts are cut into matching strips and sewn together.
Eli learned that when muskrats are caught in traps they try to chew free. They will chew off the caught leg and escape the trap. Even muskrats that are not trapped will try to free those caught by chewing them up which damages the pelt of trapped muskrat. Damaged pelts received less profit.
Eli experimented with many methods to reduce hides from being damaged. He bought traps with double springs on them to hold the animals from being able to chew off their legs. These traps are known as jump traps. When the foot is caught in the trap one set of springs it locks on to the foot. As the muskrat jumps to make an effort to loose itself a holding spring is released and binds the foot again. These traps helped some but didn't eliminate all of the damage.
Eli also tried, a single trap iron a channel or small hole putting the stake about 6-12 inches below the water level. As the muskrat gets caught, he swims around but has nothing holding him up above the water and after struggling awhile the muskrat get tired because of the weight of the trap pulls the animal under water, drowning with little damage to the pelt.
After many techniques Eli invented a method to keep most muskrats from damaging their pelts. This method was more labor intensive but the profit from pelts off set the work. Taking his sons on weekends to Mantua Canyon he would have the boys would cut small stripling Maples that were very abundant. They selected maple stakes were about the same height, diameter and flexibility. Using the single trap he would fasten the chain securely on the maple tip. When the location of the trap was selected the base of the maple was pushed in the ground and the tip bent where the trap's set. Attaching the trap chain to the tip of the maple stick. The trap chain shank is notched made in a lath. Holding the trap in place until a muskrat gets caught in the trap. The muskrat trying to get free pulls the shank away from the lath. This releases the trap and the maple flips in the air and holds the muskrat and trap off the ground approximately, 3 ½ feet off the ground depending on the strength of the maple stick and the weight of the muskrat. This made free muskrats unable to assist the captured muskrat. The length of the lath was 12 to 18 inches and notched where the shank set the maple pole in ground. This method had the least amount of pelt damage.
The trapping season normally lasted about four weeks and they would catch about 3,000 muskrats. The muskrats were stretched until dry, which usually took one week. They were dried in a two-story barn. The buyer would come or they would haul them to Brigham and usually sell 300-400 muskrats at a time. Each season the price of the pelts would vary. They would average about $1.25-$1.50 a pelt.
He was a real outdoorsman. Eli took his children, grand children and friends on fishing and hunting trips. Enjoying the out of doors no matter how rough the weather or conditions. He would say, "I know no other place I would rather be." He spent most of his life-enjoying Box Elder County and particularly loved Western Box Elder County and the people there.
He was an exceptional marksman and continued hunted deer 'til 1946 the year he died. He enjoyed fly and bait fishing in Idaho, Utah and Yellowstone National Park. He loved to hunt ducks, geese, pheasants and deer. In his early married life, he would shoot ducks and take them to Brigham City by a horse drawn sleigh load and sold them for a $1.00 a dozen.
Eli not only trapped predators but he made his own bait to poison them. He would take meat mix it with Strict Nine poison and let it rot. This bait had terrible odor.
Eli was spent a lot of time away from home and stayed many nights in a sheep camp. In about 1910 to 1915 he made a 99 year lease with the railroad company to do with as he desired on Locomotive Springs which consists of 5 different springs that come together: "The Baker," "Teal," "Bar M," "The Sparks" and "West Locomotive." All of these springs have an underground water source.
Eli built a cabin at the head of "The Baker" which was head quarters for trappers. There were a few muskrats in the area but not enough to satisfy Eli so he trapped live muskrats in other areas and transplanted them to Locomotive Springs. The water in Locomotive Spring never freezes the temperature averages 68F year round. Locomotive Springs was a profitable investment for Eli. He used it for trapping, hunting and sold day or season hunting permits. This is a natural haven for ducks and geese. Large numbers of waterfowl came to the location because there wasn't any other fresh water for them for 30 miles. Eli planted trout at Locomotive Springs in the early 1920's.
In 1934 the government made Locomotive Springs into a Bird refuge and this ended his lease. The government built dams to conserve waterfowl. Although, he lost the lease he was compensated with $2,600.
In 1935 Eli moved the cabin from Locomotive to Bothwell where his son Ray lived for some time. Then the cabin was moved between the big and little canal and Ray's family lived in it for a few years and then moved again to Garland where it still stands today but it has been remodeled several times.
Eli spent a great deal of time in the mountains and became interested in prospecting and mining. He always carried with him a brass covered magnifying glass in his pocket and would chip and inspect all rocks he thought might have some value. He had prospect mining claims in Utah and Southern Idaho.
In the early 1930's he started his own mine known as "The Silver Eagle Mining Company" in Mantua, Utah. Mining for silver and lead with his partner Nick R. Peterson. They sold stock in the company. The stock payments were used for mining purposes. Ken Paskett, a son in law, and Carl, his son helped work in the mine. There was a home nearby where Ken and Dot lived. Nick's sons also worked in the mine hauling ore in a ore car on a small rail track. This mine had prospects but the hand-drilled shaft never produced enough quality ore to make the mine profitable and was abandoned about 10 to 12 years later.
Eli and Ella always had some livestock: milk cows, hogs, sheep, bronze turkeys and chickens. In about 1930 Eli built 3 long "A" frame sheds, each one approximately 400 feet in length and 12 feet wide, which he covered with canvas for protection, from against wind and storm for the purpose of lambing ewes. These sheds had individual pens on each side with an alley down the middle where ewes and lambs were kept out of the weather after lambing for a week or ten days and then turned out into corrals. These facilities were used by sheep producers: Evan and Burt Brown, Petersons, Clarks and others. While using the lambing sheds these men bought the hay that Eli produced and fed it to their sheep while at the lambing sheds. The haystacks were measured; length X width X height to determine the tonnage. Later, Eli put in a set of scales and all hay was weighed instead of measured. He had a good set of corrals that were built so livestock could water from Salt Creek, which never freezes. The corrals were divided into pens on a rocky hillside. In 1938, Eli discontinued furnishing facilities for the sheep producers. Instead, Eli and his sons purchased feeder lambs and cull ewes fattening them for market in Ogden.
In 1936 Eli and Ella started raising commercial flock of 2,000 Broad Breasted Bronze Turkeys in the Bothwell area. They were bought as 3-day-old poults during April brooded in a coop that was heated by hot water pipes. These turkeys came from Nebraska and weren't very hearty nearly ½ of them died the first week. Those that lived were raised on the Salt Creek property. Ella and the children cared for the turkeys and they were marketed in November for Thanksgiving birds. They were dry picked by hand when slaughtered; many were sold live for the individual families to slaughter. Most of their turkeys were sold to Utah Poultry, Lee Brown, R.J. White in the Tremonton, Ogden and Salt Lake areas. This was a profitable investment for them and they had turkeys every year until Eli died.
During the summer of 1938 a serious infestation of grasshoppers invaded the area. They discovered that turkeys do very well on grasshoppers. Eli and his sons hauled the turkeys, which were 8 weeks old, in wire crates west of the Blue Creek water tank that was in use by the railroad. The turkeys fed on grasshoppers and water was hauled to them daily from the Blue Creek water tank. The turkeys were trailed using dogs to help move them north through Howell, Blue Creek and into Pocatello Valley where they gleaned from wheat fields and were fed additional grain for fattening. When ready for market, they were then loaded on trucks and hauled to the processing plant. Someone had to always be with the turkeys to protect them from predators, which were coyotes, bobcats and dogs. The same property wasn't always used to feed the turkeys year to year.
In 1938 Eli was hired as the Box Elder County Road Supervisor, a position he held for four years. He made many improvements in the county road system. He drove an orange pickup truck. He said this was mistake because everyone knew always who drove it. He designed a road still used today. The "Y" on the road going to Promontory / Golden Spike Historical Monument, this road saved the county approximately $7,000 from a purposed survey made by another company. Eli's design was the better location for the road and has a gradual winding grade, which was made approximately a mile and ½ away from the steep survey.
Eli didn't like the purposed survey because years earlier he and Burt Hunsaker (Ella's cousin) were bring a truck load of salt cured railroad ties from the Lucin Cut Off, to Bothwell for fence posts. The old road went down a very steep grade, often too steep to control vehicles safely. Burt's truck was running out of control down the steep road. Eli felt they were going to wreck because of the high and increasing speed they were going. He jumped out breaking his leg. Burt stayed with the truck and managed to gain control of the truck and was not injured. This road is approximately 1 mile ½ south of the present oiled road that Eli designed / supervised and was made by the Box Elder Country Road Department which leads to the Golden Spike Monument.
Eli also ran for Box Elder County Commissioner in 1938 on the democratic ticket. He was a staunch democrat. He was defeated.
There were always had chores to do. Raising hay, grain, sugar beets on the irrigated land and taking care of animals that were sold to help support the family. He believed in feeding and caring for all livestock and not let anything suffer. The family had a vegetable garden. Eli always had a few good saddle horses for trapping, herding sheep and for the kids to go to their activities. He was a good horseman; one of his favorite saddle horses was named Rex.
In 1937 there was a disease known as brain fever or sleeping sickness that only affected horses, this killed 6 draft horses of Eli's. This disease affected the entire Western Region of the United States. Saddle horses that didn't die were used as replacements for the draft horses so they could continue farming that season.
Transportation for the children to attend actives meant walking, riding a saddle horse or riding the hack (a horse drawn school bus) to most of the places they went until 1937. If a saddle horse was rode to school several kids would ride the same horse and then when they arrived at school the reins would be placed over his neck and left untied so the horse could go back home.
Eli always brought cut down a Cedar or Pinyon tree for Christmas from Black Pine or Snowville. One year he wasn't able to get there and went to Point Look Out, and cut down a sagebrush to decorate.
Keith always knew his father to always have a pickup although his mother never learned how to drive. Vesta would go with her Dad when he needed a driver and they got along very well. He liked to sing as he rode along. Keith often went with his dad to Western Box Elder County and he would have Keith drive. Eli would sing awhile, sleep awhile and wake up every few miles and say, "Where are we?"
When Keith went to serve his country in World War II in 1943 he had saved some money from profits on his 4-H and FFA projects. Before Keith left he asked his father (Eli) to purchase some land with his savings. Eli said, "Where?" Keith said, "Where ever you think is best." Eli thought the land from Snowville west to Nevada line had lots of prospects. He had traveled this area most of his life. It was a sagebrush desert for miles. He knew with water it could be increased in value and could make a good living. Irrigation wells had not been pursued and livestock was the main source of income in this area. Eli knew more land was being broken up and developed each year.
Eli trapped and sheared for the Petersen Brothers Sheep Company of Hyrum. They owned thousands of acres of land in what was known as the Curlew Basin or Snowville Flat west of Deep Creek (Rose Ranch). He arranged for the purchase with the Petersen's on 3,500-4,000 acres of sagebrush and cedar land, three miles east of Clear Creek and half a mile South of Strevell which extended from the Raft River Mountains foothills in Northwestern Box Elder County to the Idaho/Utah state lines.
He thought this could be a good dry farm prospect and it was purchased in 1943 for $1.00 an acre. He thought his sons: Max, Dean, Verl and Keith could work together as partners and run the dry farm in the summer along with Eli's Salt Creek (Point Look Out) farm.
After the land was purchased in 1944 plans were made for breaking the sage, fencing and making improvements. Due to World War II help was hard to find and supplies were hard to come by. Most of the males ranging from 17-30 were in the service or had families and farms requiring their time.
In the spring of 1945 Dean worked alone started breaking up sagebrush but it was a slow process. He had more work with the turkeys and his 40-acre farm in Bothwell. Max was busy working on his father's irrigated farm. Verl was in California working on a ranch. Eli and Ella took their 2,000-head of turkeys to the newly purchased ground. There was an old home and 80 acres tract of land that Eli bought for himself. They spent the summer of 1945 in this three-room shelter with no running water, no electricity, phone, indoor plumbing, etc. The old house had been vacant for years. The roof leaked when it rained and was full of mice. Eli and Ella made improvements regularly. The turkeys did well, but coyotes and bobcats were hard to control. During the summer many of their children and grandchildren came to visit. They thought Eli and Ella were out of their mind. Still they enjoyed the summer, clearing and burning sagebrush. They worked hard believing it was a future for their family. They enjoyed the people and the surroundings were not new to them for they had been friends with the people in the area for years.
Many hours were spent to put the farm into production. The land was worked 3-4 times before planting. Carl and Ray also worked some at the ranch but didn't have any shares in the property. The sagebrush had to be killed by burning to adapted it for dry farming wheat. Eli, Dean and Keith jointly owned the turkeys until Eli's death in 1946.
When Jerry (the youngest) was about twelve he broke his leg and it got infected. He was laid up in bed for months. He learned about airplanes, made models and was crazy about them. He was determined to be a pilot. He was preparing to become a pilot to serve his country in the Air Force. World War II was winding down; Jerry who was 16 was killed in an airplane crash near Lone Rock in Bothwell, which was part of Grandpa Anderson's homestead. This was Jerry's first and last solo flight. When Ella signed the parent consent form she said she had just signed his life away. Ella was a witness to the accident. Jerry was killed 24 May 1945. Jerry's death was very difficult for Eli and Ella to accept. Keith was still in Europe fighting the Germans. On 9th of May 1945 Germany surrendered and the war was over in that area. However, the Red Cross could not get Keith a release for the funeral. Keith got home 29 December 1945.
The ranch provided a good source to stay busy and occupy their time. They named the ranch Flying 'A' as a memorial to Jerry. At their age they didn't need to work so hard but they said that was what they wanted to do. They owed no financial obligations but needed to feel needed to help themselves and their family.
Eli and Ella fed many people. If needed, they were given a place to sleep. The people from Western Box Elder County always stopped for meals and lodging because it usually took them two days to come to town and get back home. He loved to visit with everyone he met. He was close to his brothers and sisters and visited them often. They loved to spend time with one another. He was always very concerned about his mother and tried to help out when he could. His sister, who was a widow, said that one time she needed a new coat. Eli had a young family to provide for but made sure that his sister received a new coat to keep her warm.
He thoroughly enjoyed people and did not interfere or trifle with anyone. He told his sons to never start a fight unless the fight was forced, then hit fast, hard and win with honor. He was always trying to make life better for his family and anyone in need.
Eli and Ella enjoyed dancing at the community socials. During the winters for entertainment the ward would put on plays and Eli enjoyed participating the plays. Even though he was heavy, he was quite limber and could kick his leg and have his foot touch the top of a doorframe.
Eli had stomach problems and drank lots of bicarbonate soda. He also had arthritis and diabetes. He loved ice cream and milk shakes. He said, "All ice cream is good but some is better than others." He liked fresh clabber but only ate the cream with sugar on it. He also enjoyed buttermilk, lemon and vanilla flavoring.
Eli lived the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." He lived the law to the best of his ability. Bishop Milton Marble once told me, "Your Dad is seldom in church, but he asks me most every time we meet which was maybe 3 or 4 times a year. He would say, 'Bishop do you need any help or money; or do you have anyone in need. My family and I would be glad to help in anyway.'" He was and Elder in the church and had a testimony of it's truthfulness even though he did not actively attend church. Eli was away from home working on a year round basis. He never blessed any of his children but he loved them all and baptized each of them. He gave them support in all things they did worthily.
Eli tried to keep himself aware of current events. Those who knew him respected him. His trials and hardships were handled considerately. He wanted us to do our best in all things. He was knowledgeable, friendly, had good judgement, and sense of humor. He believed in being kind, truthful, honest, dependable and trustworthy in all his transactions and lived what he believed. Eli helped everyone, including his family, he co-signed notes with many of them. Eli was a good organizer, had foresight and managerial skills. Eli had friends all over the county and areas he had occupied.
Eli and Ella raised 11 of their 13 children. He was proud of his children and grandchildren. I am proud to be his son. He was a great example to me. He died in a sheep camp during the night while watching the turkeys on the Flying 'A' Ranch near Cedar Creek, Box Elder County, Utah on 22 November 1946. Ella was a widow for 28 years.
Eli was very proud of all his children and grandchildren. When he died he had 10 living children and 15 grandchildren.
Children Spouse Date of Birth Date of Death
1. Vesta Anderson Reed Carl Petersen 5-Feb-1909 7-Jun-1992
Ephraim Carl Jensen
2. Maurine Anderson Joseph Wilford Toone 7-Nov-1910 30-Apr-1981
3. Maurice Anderson N/A 7-Nov-1910 2-Dec-1910
4. Reed H. Anderson N/A 13-Jun-1912 13-Jun-1912
5. Ray H. Anderson Gladys Wheatley 13-Jun-1912 8-May-1991
Ruth ReNee Mason
6. Carlyle H. Anderson Verle Eulala Nelson 2-Oct-1913 25-Oct-1995
7. Dorothy Anderson Kenneth John Paskett 21-Apr-1915 10-Oct-1982
8. Max H. Anderson Erma Donna Holland 13-Nov-1916 3-Sep-1988
9. Dean H. Anderson June Rose Holiday 10-Aug-1918 26-Aug-1995
10. Verl H. Anderson Madge Earl 18-May-1920 5-Sep-2000
11. Keith H. Anderson Cloe Truman 3-Apr-1922
12. Eloise Anderson John Richard Martineau 10-Oct-1924
13. Gerald H. Anderson N/A 27-Aug-1927 24-May-1945
Utah Death Certificate
Son of Andrew Carl Andersen and Sophia Petronella Jorgensen
Married Sarah Ellen Hunsaker, 30 May 1907, Honeyville, Box Elder, Utah
HISTORY OF ELI CARL ANDERSON
By Keith H. Anderson
Eli Carl Anderson was born on 06 June 1884 at Bear River City, Box Elder County, Utah to Andrew (Andreas) Carl and Sophia Peteronella Jorgensen (Johnson) Anderson (Andreasen). Eli's parents were born in Denmark they had a large family of 8 boys and 6 girls. In 1869, Eli's parents immigrated to Bear River City, which was occupied by Danish Emigrant Saints.
Andrew began homesteading in 1888 what is now known as Bothwell. He was the first to acquire the Homestead Act Requirements in Bothwell. Sophia was the first white woman to settle here. His farm consisted of 160 acres in section 6, 11 North 3 West in the Point Look Out area. Andrew's first home was where Floyd Eggli now lives. Then he built a new log cabin 3/8 mile west and on the south side, of the canal.
Originally, this area was called Raleigh Precinct for voting purposes, later called Roeville or Rowville (spelling is unknown) because all the houses were in a row. A canal for irrigation was completed in 1891. John R. Bothwell was the canal builder and Roeville changed the name to Bothwell in 1892 to honor him. The canal was a great advancement for the community. There was always water in the canal, which was used for laundry, bathing, irrigation, livestock and recreation. Various places in the canal became the "Ol' Swimmin' Hole" and when frozen over was a great place to skate.
Just before Christmas in 1908, Andrew became ill with stomach pains, there was no doctor available and he died from ruptured appendix. Andrew died 19 December 1908 and was buried in the Bothwell cemetery on 22 December 1908. Sophia was left with a large family and many young children to raise. The four older children were married when their father died and tried to help their mother provide for the large family. Sophia lived to see the beginnings of World War II and was a widow for 35 years.
Eli was the third child and second son in this large family growing up at Point Look Out. The children had many responsibilities and were capable of doing many types of work at a young age to help sustain for the family. Eli and his brothers learned to swim and ice skate in the canal when they were young. He was a very good ice skater and thought that roller-skating would be just as easy. One day he and his friends decided they would try roller skating and found it to much different from ice skating and concluded they were better ice skaters then roller-skaters.
He started herding sheep around the age of 13 or 14 so his formal education was very limited. He began herding sheep for his uncle Hans in Gentile Valley, Northeast of Preston, Idaho. He attended grammar school in Bothwell and attended until the 7th or 8th grade. Sometime early in the 1900's he began, "Anderson Shearing Company." Hand shears were used first and later they sheared with gas-powered clippers equipped with ten shearing stations. Eli could shear 50 head with hand shears and 200 with electric clippers on a good day. The sheep shearing set up would be located many days in the same place. Sheep owners would trail their sheep to the shearing location to be sheared. They traveled to various places, shearing in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada and Montana. He hired many of his brothers, brother in laws and cousins, as part of the crew. The crew stayed in business until the early 1940's. A picture of the crew can be found in the Box Elder County Historical Photo Tour page 308.
The Anderson brothers were good athletes. The shearers formed a ball team and enjoyed playing baseball in the communities where they were shearing. They also loved playing card games in the evenings. Eli's favorite card game was hearts.
Eli was a strong muscular man. He was built solid and weighed between 195-215 pounds depending on the time of year. He had a round face, big light blue eyes and brown color hair. He had a gentle soft tone as he spoke. He was born with a hair lip but that didn't prevent him from making friends and having a normal life. He began loosing his hair when he was a young man. He had hair around the sides of this head and bald on top. He always wore a pair of bib overalls except on dressy occasions. He carried in his pockets a little bit of everything. Always a pocketknife, screws, nails, small change, Bull Durham sack in front pocket across his chest. He also kept white and pink mints in one of the chest pockets to share with his company. He was known when visiting his grandchildren to take a sack of candy to give them. When he was young he spent a lot of time alone while tending the sheep. He picked up some bad habits such as smoking, coffee and drinking. His life style caused him to have ulcers.
Eli and Ella were the same height, 5'10". Eli (22 years old) started courting Sarah Ellen Hunsaker (22 years old) known as "Ella" in 1905, while she was teaching school in Bothwell. They were married at the age of 22 on Memorial Day, 30 May 1907 at her parents' home in Honeyville. A reception and dance was held after their marriage to honor the young couple. They went to the Logan Temple on 31 March 1926 to receive their endowments and had their children sealed the 13 August 1926.
Eli and Ella spent their honeymoon in Monte Cristo, in Ogden Canyon. Eli was the foreman of 2 herds of sheep for the Lindsey Bitten Sheep Company. Eli and Ella spent the summers of 1907 and 1908 at Monte Cristo. There is a ridge on the Monte Cristo range known as "Eli's Ridge" where he and Ella spent their first summers. After they were married Ella no longer taught school. Their oldest child Vesta was born February 1909 after her birth Ella spent her time being a homemaker and raising her children in their home.
In 1908 Eli and Ella lived in a small home on 40-acre farm he had bought from his mother, on his father's original homestead. This was 16' X 16' one room brick home. Later, they added a slope to the North making two rooms. Ella lived there with their children while Eli was herding sheep. Only 12 acres of this ground was irrigated, the rest was dry hillside pasture.
The summer of 1911 Eli and Ella went to Rockland, Idaho. Burt Hunsaker (a family friend and relative) was homesteading there and Eli and Ella went to see if they should also be part of this homesteading adventure. They stayed just long enough to get the wheat crop planted. After hauling water for five miles they decided to go home to Bothwell.
04 April 1919, Eli and Ella sold their 40 acres of land to Fred Eggli, and moved a ½ mile west to a 10-12 acre parcel of land, purchased from J.H. Luke who owned the Foxley Store. William Henry Foxley owned the Foxley Store and Post Office. The Foxley Store was the only place to buy anything west for Tremonton. You could purchase oil for lamps, fabric, thread and food. This was one big open space. The store wasn't far from the canal and the water table was high. They were able to use a hand pump to retrieve water for the house. Eli remodeled the store into a home adding a ceiling, making divisions for bedrooms, living room and non-working bathroom. The store faced the west and the front room was a living room and dining room. On the east side there was porch were the milk separator was kept. This was a nice place. It is here where Eli would take pheasant eggs and put them in with the chickens to hatch them out. When the pheasants were turned loose they use to stay around the house for a little while. This location is where Verl, Keith, Eloise and Gerald (Jerry) were born. Eli purchased the Foxley store again in about 1938 or 1939 for Ray. Ray and his family were living in the Foxley store when it burned down in the late 1940's.
During 1929 they moved their family again to what they called, "The White Top Farm" west and south of the head of Salt Creek. They all lived in a small frame home at the head of Salt Creek. The spring of 1940 they built a beautiful two-story red brick home with a basement, on this property over looking Salt Creek. They were so happy to have a large spacious home. James Ipsen homesteaded this ground and Eli purchased it from Mr. Loosley from Clarkston.
Eli and his sons developed this farm of 127 flood-irrigated acres by tilling out the weeds and using good cultivating practices. Eli paid Box Elder County to clean cultivated this land during the summers of 1936-1938. Prior to this time they raised mostly alfalfa hay, barley, wheat, oats and some sugar beets. The white top had little affect on the alfalfa and livestock would eat it. However, it decreased production yields of the grain and sugar beet crops. After the clean cultivation and good farming practices this has become one of the better farms in the Bothwell area. In 1939 Eli purchased a 30-horse power caterpillar tractor to replace his draft horses.
Eli also had an 80-acre dry farm they referred to as "The Sands" in the Bothwell pocket where he raised dry land wheat. This was a very rocky dry farm. This was purchased sometime around 1919. The Boyd Marble Family presently owns this land.
Eli purchased a Model T Ford in 1919. It had a canvas top, running boards and no windows. There were three pedals at the bottom. Left was lower gear, middle was reverse and right was high gear. It had a hauling capacity of four people. Eli would haul muskrats in the car. The car always stunk of muskrats in the spring. Learning to patch a tire was very important. The roads weren't really maintained and tires weren't very well constructed.
Trapping provided another source of income for Eli's family. Eli trapped coyotes, badgers, muskrats, skunks and bobcats. Many surprised could be found in the traps. Eli made what he called, "Coyote Dope" to poison coyotes. It was made of Strict 9, cream, ground-up rotten meat and may have had a little sugar.
November 2 was the beginning day of the duck hunt. Eli would bring home a wagonload of ducks; pluck the feathers for feather beds and well them for .25 cents a dozen.
In 1905 Eli was hunting ducks in the swamps below Salt Creek, which heads under Point Look Out and saw muskrats swimming everywhere. He thought this would be a profitable investment and leased 5 sections of the swampland for hunting and trapping. He continued to have this lease until he died.
The muskrats were trapped, skinned and stretched on a board. Harry Bloom would come every Monday & Thursday evening to grade and purchase the fresh skinned pelts. Eli had a two-story shed that would be full of muskrat pelts ready to be sold or being stretched.
Late winter and early spring the furs are in their ideal condition for 3-6 weeks depending on the temperature. Ideal muskrats hides are skinned and made into very warm and attractive garments. It takes approximately 300 hides to make a full-length coat. The hides or pelts are cut into matching strips and sewn together.
Eli learned that when muskrats are caught in traps they try to chew free. They will chew off the caught leg and escape the trap. Even muskrats that are not trapped will try to free those caught by chewing them up which damages the pelt of trapped muskrat. Damaged pelts received less profit.
Eli experimented with many methods to reduce hides from being damaged. He bought traps with double springs on them to hold the animals from being able to chew off their legs. These traps are known as jump traps. When the foot is caught in the trap one set of springs it locks on to the foot. As the muskrat jumps to make an effort to loose itself a holding spring is released and binds the foot again. These traps helped some but didn't eliminate all of the damage.
Eli also tried, a single trap iron a channel or small hole putting the stake about 6-12 inches below the water level. As the muskrat gets caught, he swims around but has nothing holding him up above the water and after struggling awhile the muskrat get tired because of the weight of the trap pulls the animal under water, drowning with little damage to the pelt.
After many techniques Eli invented a method to keep most muskrats from damaging their pelts. This method was more labor intensive but the profit from pelts off set the work. Taking his sons on weekends to Mantua Canyon he would have the boys would cut small stripling Maples that were very abundant. They selected maple stakes were about the same height, diameter and flexibility. Using the single trap he would fasten the chain securely on the maple tip. When the location of the trap was selected the base of the maple was pushed in the ground and the tip bent where the trap's set. Attaching the trap chain to the tip of the maple stick. The trap chain shank is notched made in a lath. Holding the trap in place until a muskrat gets caught in the trap. The muskrat trying to get free pulls the shank away from the lath. This releases the trap and the maple flips in the air and holds the muskrat and trap off the ground approximately, 3 ½ feet off the ground depending on the strength of the maple stick and the weight of the muskrat. This made free muskrats unable to assist the captured muskrat. The length of the lath was 12 to 18 inches and notched where the shank set the maple pole in ground. This method had the least amount of pelt damage.
The trapping season normally lasted about four weeks and they would catch about 3,000 muskrats. The muskrats were stretched until dry, which usually took one week. They were dried in a two-story barn. The buyer would come or they would haul them to Brigham and usually sell 300-400 muskrats at a time. Each season the price of the pelts would vary. They would average about $1.25-$1.50 a pelt.
He was a real outdoorsman. Eli took his children, grand children and friends on fishing and hunting trips. Enjoying the out of doors no matter how rough the weather or conditions. He would say, "I know no other place I would rather be." He spent most of his life-enjoying Box Elder County and particularly loved Western Box Elder County and the people there.
He was an exceptional marksman and continued hunted deer 'til 1946 the year he died. He enjoyed fly and bait fishing in Idaho, Utah and Yellowstone National Park. He loved to hunt ducks, geese, pheasants and deer. In his early married life, he would shoot ducks and take them to Brigham City by a horse drawn sleigh load and sold them for a $1.00 a dozen.
Eli not only trapped predators but he made his own bait to poison them. He would take meat mix it with Strict Nine poison and let it rot. This bait had terrible odor.
Eli was spent a lot of time away from home and stayed many nights in a sheep camp. In about 1910 to 1915 he made a 99 year lease with the railroad company to do with as he desired on Locomotive Springs which consists of 5 different springs that come together: "The Baker," "Teal," "Bar M," "The Sparks" and "West Locomotive." All of these springs have an underground water source.
Eli built a cabin at the head of "The Baker" which was head quarters for trappers. There were a few muskrats in the area but not enough to satisfy Eli so he trapped live muskrats in other areas and transplanted them to Locomotive Springs. The water in Locomotive Spring never freezes the temperature averages 68F year round. Locomotive Springs was a profitable investment for Eli. He used it for trapping, hunting and sold day or season hunting permits. This is a natural haven for ducks and geese. Large numbers of waterfowl came to the location because there wasn't any other fresh water for them for 30 miles. Eli planted trout at Locomotive Springs in the early 1920's.
In 1934 the government made Locomotive Springs into a Bird refuge and this ended his lease. The government built dams to conserve waterfowl. Although, he lost the lease he was compensated with $2,600.
In 1935 Eli moved the cabin from Locomotive to Bothwell where his son Ray lived for some time. Then the cabin was moved between the big and little canal and Ray's family lived in it for a few years and then moved again to Garland where it still stands today but it has been remodeled several times.
Eli spent a great deal of time in the mountains and became interested in prospecting and mining. He always carried with him a brass covered magnifying glass in his pocket and would chip and inspect all rocks he thought might have some value. He had prospect mining claims in Utah and Southern Idaho.
In the early 1930's he started his own mine known as "The Silver Eagle Mining Company" in Mantua, Utah. Mining for silver and lead with his partner Nick R. Peterson. They sold stock in the company. The stock payments were used for mining purposes. Ken Paskett, a son in law, and Carl, his son helped work in the mine. There was a home nearby where Ken and Dot lived. Nick's sons also worked in the mine hauling ore in a ore car on a small rail track. This mine had prospects but the hand-drilled shaft never produced enough quality ore to make the mine profitable and was abandoned about 10 to 12 years later.
Eli and Ella always had some livestock: milk cows, hogs, sheep, bronze turkeys and chickens. In about 1930 Eli built 3 long "A" frame sheds, each one approximately 400 feet in length and 12 feet wide, which he covered with canvas for protection, from against wind and storm for the purpose of lambing ewes. These sheds had individual pens on each side with an alley down the middle where ewes and lambs were kept out of the weather after lambing for a week or ten days and then turned out into corrals. These facilities were used by sheep producers: Evan and Burt Brown, Petersons, Clarks and others. While using the lambing sheds these men bought the hay that Eli produced and fed it to their sheep while at the lambing sheds. The haystacks were measured; length X width X height to determine the tonnage. Later, Eli put in a set of scales and all hay was weighed instead of measured. He had a good set of corrals that were built so livestock could water from Salt Creek, which never freezes. The corrals were divided into pens on a rocky hillside. In 1938, Eli discontinued furnishing facilities for the sheep producers. Instead, Eli and his sons purchased feeder lambs and cull ewes fattening them for market in Ogden.
In 1936 Eli and Ella started raising commercial flock of 2,000 Broad Breasted Bronze Turkeys in the Bothwell area. They were bought as 3-day-old poults during April brooded in a coop that was heated by hot water pipes. These turkeys came from Nebraska and weren't very hearty nearly ½ of them died the first week. Those that lived were raised on the Salt Creek property. Ella and the children cared for the turkeys and they were marketed in November for Thanksgiving birds. They were dry picked by hand when slaughtered; many were sold live for the individual families to slaughter. Most of their turkeys were sold to Utah Poultry, Lee Brown, R.J. White in the Tremonton, Ogden and Salt Lake areas. This was a profitable investment for them and they had turkeys every year until Eli died.
During the summer of 1938 a serious infestation of grasshoppers invaded the area. They discovered that turkeys do very well on grasshoppers. Eli and his sons hauled the turkeys, which were 8 weeks old, in wire crates west of the Blue Creek water tank that was in use by the railroad. The turkeys fed on grasshoppers and water was hauled to them daily from the Blue Creek water tank. The turkeys were trailed using dogs to help move them north through Howell, Blue Creek and into Pocatello Valley where they gleaned from wheat fields and were fed additional grain for fattening. When ready for market, they were then loaded on trucks and hauled to the processing plant. Someone had to always be with the turkeys to protect them from predators, which were coyotes, bobcats and dogs. The same property wasn't always used to feed the turkeys year to year.
In 1938 Eli was hired as the Box Elder County Road Supervisor, a position he held for four years. He made many improvements in the county road system. He drove an orange pickup truck. He said this was mistake because everyone knew always who drove it. He designed a road still used today. The "Y" on the road going to Promontory / Golden Spike Historical Monument, this road saved the county approximately $7,000 from a purposed survey made by another company. Eli's design was the better location for the road and has a gradual winding grade, which was made approximately a mile and ½ away from the steep survey.
Eli didn't like the purposed survey because years earlier he and Burt Hunsaker (Ella's cousin) were bring a truck load of salt cured railroad ties from the Lucin Cut Off, to Bothwell for fence posts. The old road went down a very steep grade, often too steep to control vehicles safely. Burt's truck was running out of control down the steep road. Eli felt they were going to wreck because of the high and increasing speed they were going. He jumped out breaking his leg. Burt stayed with the truck and managed to gain control of the truck and was not injured. This road is approximately 1 mile ½ south of the present oiled road that Eli designed / supervised and was made by the Box Elder Country Road Department which leads to the Golden Spike Monument.
Eli also ran for Box Elder County Commissioner in 1938 on the democratic ticket. He was a staunch democrat. He was defeated.
There were always had chores to do. Raising hay, grain, sugar beets on the irrigated land and taking care of animals that were sold to help support the family. He believed in feeding and caring for all livestock and not let anything suffer. The family had a vegetable garden. Eli always had a few good saddle horses for trapping, herding sheep and for the kids to go to their activities. He was a good horseman; one of his favorite saddle horses was named Rex.
In 1937 there was a disease known as brain fever or sleeping sickness that only affected horses, this killed 6 draft horses of Eli's. This disease affected the entire Western Region of the United States. Saddle horses that didn't die were used as replacements for the draft horses so they could continue farming that season.
Transportation for the children to attend actives meant walking, riding a saddle horse or riding the hack (a horse drawn school bus) to most of the places they went until 1937. If a saddle horse was rode to school several kids would ride the same horse and then when they arrived at school the reins would be placed over his neck and left untied so the horse could go back home.
Eli always brought cut down a Cedar or Pinyon tree for Christmas from Black Pine or Snowville. One year he wasn't able to get there and went to Point Look Out, and cut down a sagebrush to decorate.
Keith always knew his father to always have a pickup although his mother never learned how to drive. Vesta would go with her Dad when he needed a driver and they got along very well. He liked to sing as he rode along. Keith often went with his dad to Western Box Elder County and he would have Keith drive. Eli would sing awhile, sleep awhile and wake up every few miles and say, "Where are we?"
When Keith went to serve his country in World War II in 1943 he had saved some money from profits on his 4-H and FFA projects. Before Keith left he asked his father (Eli) to purchase some land with his savings. Eli said, "Where?" Keith said, "Where ever you think is best." Eli thought the land from Snowville west to Nevada line had lots of prospects. He had traveled this area most of his life. It was a sagebrush desert for miles. He knew with water it could be increased in value and could make a good living. Irrigation wells had not been pursued and livestock was the main source of income in this area. Eli knew more land was being broken up and developed each year.
Eli trapped and sheared for the Petersen Brothers Sheep Company of Hyrum. They owned thousands of acres of land in what was known as the Curlew Basin or Snowville Flat west of Deep Creek (Rose Ranch). He arranged for the purchase with the Petersen's on 3,500-4,000 acres of sagebrush and cedar land, three miles east of Clear Creek and half a mile South of Strevell which extended from the Raft River Mountains foothills in Northwestern Box Elder County to the Idaho/Utah state lines.
He thought this could be a good dry farm prospect and it was purchased in 1943 for $1.00 an acre. He thought his sons: Max, Dean, Verl and Keith could work together as partners and run the dry farm in the summer along with Eli's Salt Creek (Point Look Out) farm.
After the land was purchased in 1944 plans were made for breaking the sage, fencing and making improvements. Due to World War II help was hard to find and supplies were hard to come by. Most of the males ranging from 17-30 were in the service or had families and farms requiring their time.
In the spring of 1945 Dean worked alone started breaking up sagebrush but it was a slow process. He had more work with the turkeys and his 40-acre farm in Bothwell. Max was busy working on his father's irrigated farm. Verl was in California working on a ranch. Eli and Ella took their 2,000-head of turkeys to the newly purchased ground. There was an old home and 80 acres tract of land that Eli bought for himself. They spent the summer of 1945 in this three-room shelter with no running water, no electricity, phone, indoor plumbing, etc. The old house had been vacant for years. The roof leaked when it rained and was full of mice. Eli and Ella made improvements regularly. The turkeys did well, but coyotes and bobcats were hard to control. During the summer many of their children and grandchildren came to visit. They thought Eli and Ella were out of their mind. Still they enjoyed the summer, clearing and burning sagebrush. They worked hard believing it was a future for their family. They enjoyed the people and the surroundings were not new to them for they had been friends with the people in the area for years.
Many hours were spent to put the farm into production. The land was worked 3-4 times before planting. Carl and Ray also worked some at the ranch but didn't have any shares in the property. The sagebrush had to be killed by burning to adapted it for dry farming wheat. Eli, Dean and Keith jointly owned the turkeys until Eli's death in 1946.
When Jerry (the youngest) was about twelve he broke his leg and it got infected. He was laid up in bed for months. He learned about airplanes, made models and was crazy about them. He was determined to be a pilot. He was preparing to become a pilot to serve his country in the Air Force. World War II was winding down; Jerry who was 16 was killed in an airplane crash near Lone Rock in Bothwell, which was part of Grandpa Anderson's homestead. This was Jerry's first and last solo flight. When Ella signed the parent consent form she said she had just signed his life away. Ella was a witness to the accident. Jerry was killed 24 May 1945. Jerry's death was very difficult for Eli and Ella to accept. Keith was still in Europe fighting the Germans. On 9th of May 1945 Germany surrendered and the war was over in that area. However, the Red Cross could not get Keith a release for the funeral. Keith got home 29 December 1945.
The ranch provided a good source to stay busy and occupy their time. They named the ranch Flying 'A' as a memorial to Jerry. At their age they didn't need to work so hard but they said that was what they wanted to do. They owed no financial obligations but needed to feel needed to help themselves and their family.
Eli and Ella fed many people. If needed, they were given a place to sleep. The people from Western Box Elder County always stopped for meals and lodging because it usually took them two days to come to town and get back home. He loved to visit with everyone he met. He was close to his brothers and sisters and visited them often. They loved to spend time with one another. He was always very concerned about his mother and tried to help out when he could. His sister, who was a widow, said that one time she needed a new coat. Eli had a young family to provide for but made sure that his sister received a new coat to keep her warm.
He thoroughly enjoyed people and did not interfere or trifle with anyone. He told his sons to never start a fight unless the fight was forced, then hit fast, hard and win with honor. He was always trying to make life better for his family and anyone in need.
Eli and Ella enjoyed dancing at the community socials. During the winters for entertainment the ward would put on plays and Eli enjoyed participating the plays. Even though he was heavy, he was quite limber and could kick his leg and have his foot touch the top of a doorframe.
Eli had stomach problems and drank lots of bicarbonate soda. He also had arthritis and diabetes. He loved ice cream and milk shakes. He said, "All ice cream is good but some is better than others." He liked fresh clabber but only ate the cream with sugar on it. He also enjoyed buttermilk, lemon and vanilla flavoring.
Eli lived the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." He lived the law to the best of his ability. Bishop Milton Marble once told me, "Your Dad is seldom in church, but he asks me most every time we meet which was maybe 3 or 4 times a year. He would say, 'Bishop do you need any help or money; or do you have anyone in need. My family and I would be glad to help in anyway.'" He was and Elder in the church and had a testimony of it's truthfulness even though he did not actively attend church. Eli was away from home working on a year round basis. He never blessed any of his children but he loved them all and baptized each of them. He gave them support in all things they did worthily.
Eli tried to keep himself aware of current events. Those who knew him respected him. His trials and hardships were handled considerately. He wanted us to do our best in all things. He was knowledgeable, friendly, had good judgement, and sense of humor. He believed in being kind, truthful, honest, dependable and trustworthy in all his transactions and lived what he believed. Eli helped everyone, including his family, he co-signed notes with many of them. Eli was a good organizer, had foresight and managerial skills. Eli had friends all over the county and areas he had occupied.
Eli and Ella raised 11 of their 13 children. He was proud of his children and grandchildren. I am proud to be his son. He was a great example to me. He died in a sheep camp during the night while watching the turkeys on the Flying 'A' Ranch near Cedar Creek, Box Elder County, Utah on 22 November 1946. Ella was a widow for 28 years.
Eli was very proud of all his children and grandchildren. When he died he had 10 living children and 15 grandchildren.
Children Spouse Date of Birth Date of Death
1. Vesta Anderson Reed Carl Petersen 5-Feb-1909 7-Jun-1992
Ephraim Carl Jensen
2. Maurine Anderson Joseph Wilford Toone 7-Nov-1910 30-Apr-1981
3. Maurice Anderson N/A 7-Nov-1910 2-Dec-1910
4. Reed H. Anderson N/A 13-Jun-1912 13-Jun-1912
5. Ray H. Anderson Gladys Wheatley 13-Jun-1912 8-May-1991
Ruth ReNee Mason
6. Carlyle H. Anderson Verle Eulala Nelson 2-Oct-1913 25-Oct-1995
7. Dorothy Anderson Kenneth John Paskett 21-Apr-1915 10-Oct-1982
8. Max H. Anderson Erma Donna Holland 13-Nov-1916 3-Sep-1988
9. Dean H. Anderson June Rose Holiday 10-Aug-1918 26-Aug-1995
10. Verl H. Anderson Madge Earl 18-May-1920 5-Sep-2000
11. Keith H. Anderson Cloe Truman 3-Apr-1922
12. Eloise Anderson John Richard Martineau 10-Oct-1924
13. Gerald H. Anderson N/A 27-Aug-1927 24-May-1945
Utah Death Certificate
Married Sarah Ellen Hunsaker, 30 May 1907, Honeyville, Box Elder, Utah
HISTORY OF ELI CARL ANDERSON
By Keith H. Anderson
Eli Carl Anderson was born on 06 June 1884 at Bear River City, Box Elder County, Utah to Andrew (Andreas) Carl and Sophia Peteronella Jorgensen (Johnson) Anderson (Andreasen). Eli's parents were born in Denmark they had a large family of 8 boys and 6 girls. In 1869, Eli's parents immigrated to Bear River City, which was occupied by Danish Emigrant Saints.
Andrew began homesteading in 1888 what is now known as Bothwell. He was the first to acquire the Homestead Act Requirements in Bothwell. Sophia was the first white woman to settle here. His farm consisted of 160 acres in section 6, 11 North 3 West in the Point Look Out area. Andrew's first home was where Floyd Eggli now lives. Then he built a new log cabin 3/8 mile west and on the south side, of the canal.
Originally, this area was called Raleigh Precinct for voting purposes, later called Roeville or Rowville (spelling is unknown) because all the houses were in a row. A canal for irrigation was completed in 1891. John R. Bothwell was the canal builder and Roeville changed the name to Bothwell in 1892 to honor him. The canal was a great advancement for the community. There was always water in the canal, which was used for laundry, bathing, irrigation, livestock and recreation. Various places in the canal became the "Ol' Swimmin' Hole" and when frozen over was a great place to skate.
Just before Christmas in 1908, Andrew became ill with stomach pains, there was no doctor available and he died from ruptured appendix. Andrew died 19 December 1908 and was buried in the Bothwell cemetery on 22 December 1908. Sophia was left with a large family and many young children to raise. The four older children were married when their father died and tried to help their mother provide for the large family. Sophia lived to see the beginnings of World War II and was a widow for 35 years.
Eli was the third child and second son in this large family growing up at Point Look Out. The children had many responsibilities and were capable of doing many types of work at a young age to help sustain for the family. Eli and his brothers learned to swim and ice skate in the canal when they were young. He was a very good ice skater and thought that roller-skating would be just as easy. One day he and his friends decided they would try roller skating and found it to much different from ice skating and concluded they were better ice skaters then roller-skaters.
He started herding sheep around the age of 13 or 14 so his formal education was very limited. He began herding sheep for his uncle Hans in Gentile Valley, Northeast of Preston, Idaho. He attended grammar school in Bothwell and attended until the 7th or 8th grade. Sometime early in the 1900's he began, "Anderson Shearing Company." Hand shears were used first and later they sheared with gas-powered clippers equipped with ten shearing stations. Eli could shear 50 head with hand shears and 200 with electric clippers on a good day. The sheep shearing set up would be located many days in the same place. Sheep owners would trail their sheep to the shearing location to be sheared. They traveled to various places, shearing in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada and Montana. He hired many of his brothers, brother in laws and cousins, as part of the crew. The crew stayed in business until the early 1940's. A picture of the crew can be found in the Box Elder County Historical Photo Tour page 308.
The Anderson brothers were good athletes. The shearers formed a ball team and enjoyed playing baseball in the communities where they were shearing. They also loved playing card games in the evenings. Eli's favorite card game was hearts.
Eli was a strong muscular man. He was built solid and weighed between 195-215 pounds depending on the time of year. He had a round face, big light blue eyes and brown color hair. He had a gentle soft tone as he spoke. He was born with a hair lip but that didn't prevent him from making friends and having a normal life. He began loosing his hair when he was a young man. He had hair around the sides of this head and bald on top. He always wore a pair of bib overalls except on dressy occasions. He carried in his pockets a little bit of everything. Always a pocketknife, screws, nails, small change, Bull Durham sack in front pocket across his chest. He also kept white and pink mints in one of the chest pockets to share with his company. He was known when visiting his grandchildren to take a sack of candy to give them. When he was young he spent a lot of time alone while tending the sheep. He picked up some bad habits such as smoking, coffee and drinking. His life style caused him to have ulcers.
Eli and Ella were the same height, 5'10". Eli (22 years old) started courting Sarah Ellen Hunsaker (22 years old) known as "Ella" in 1905, while she was teaching school in Bothwell. They were married at the age of 22 on Memorial Day, 30 May 1907 at her parents' home in Honeyville. A reception and dance was held after their marriage to honor the young couple. They went to the Logan Temple on 31 March 1926 to receive their endowments and had their children sealed the 13 August 1926.
Eli and Ella spent their honeymoon in Monte Cristo, in Ogden Canyon. Eli was the foreman of 2 herds of sheep for the Lindsey Bitten Sheep Company. Eli and Ella spent the summers of 1907 and 1908 at Monte Cristo. There is a ridge on the Monte Cristo range known as "Eli's Ridge" where he and Ella spent their first summers. After they were married Ella no longer taught school. Their oldest child Vesta was born February 1909 after her birth Ella spent her time being a homemaker and raising her children in their home.
In 1908 Eli and Ella lived in a small home on 40-acre farm he had bought from his mother, on his father's original homestead. This was 16' X 16' one room brick home. Later, they added a slope to the North making two rooms. Ella lived there with their children while Eli was herding sheep. Only 12 acres of this ground was irrigated, the rest was dry hillside pasture.
The summer of 1911 Eli and Ella went to Rockland, Idaho. Burt Hunsaker (a family friend and relative) was homesteading there and Eli and Ella went to see if they should also be part of this homesteading adventure. They stayed just long enough to get the wheat crop planted. After hauling water for five miles they decided to go home to Bothwell.
04 April 1919, Eli and Ella sold their 40 acres of land to Fred Eggli, and moved a ½ mile west to a 10-12 acre parcel of land, purchased from J.H. Luke who owned the Foxley Store. William Henry Foxley owned the Foxley Store and Post Office. The Foxley Store was the only place to buy anything west for Tremonton. You could purchase oil for lamps, fabric, thread and food. This was one big open space. The store wasn't far from the canal and the water table was high. They were able to use a hand pump to retrieve water for the house. Eli remodeled the store into a home adding a ceiling, making divisions for bedrooms, living room and non-working bathroom. The store faced the west and the front room was a living room and dining room. On the east side there was porch were the milk separator was kept. This was a nice place. It is here where Eli would take pheasant eggs and put them in with the chickens to hatch them out. When the pheasants were turned loose they use to stay around the house for a little while. This location is where Verl, Keith, Eloise and Gerald (Jerry) were born. Eli purchased the Foxley store again in about 1938 or 1939 for Ray. Ray and his family were living in the Foxley store when it burned down in the late 1940's.
During 1929 they moved their family again to what they called, "The White Top Farm" west and south of the head of Salt Creek. They all lived in a small frame home at the head of Salt Creek. The spring of 1940 they built a beautiful two-story red brick home with a basement, on this property over looking Salt Creek. They were so happy to have a large spacious home. James Ipsen homesteaded this ground and Eli purchased it from Mr. Loosley from Clarkston.
Eli and his sons developed this farm of 127 flood-irrigated acres by tilling out the weeds and using good cultivating practices. Eli paid Box Elder County to clean cultivated this land during the summers of 1936-1938. Prior to this time they raised mostly alfalfa hay, barley, wheat, oats and some sugar beets. The white top had little affect on the alfalfa and livestock would eat it. However, it decreased production yields of the grain and sugar beet crops. After the clean cultivation and good farming practices this has become one of the better farms in the Bothwell area. In 1939 Eli purchased a 30-horse power caterpillar tractor to replace his draft horses.
Eli also had an 80-acre dry farm they referred to as "The Sands" in the Bothwell pocket where he raised dry land wheat. This was a very rocky dry farm. This was purchased sometime around 1919. The Boyd Marble Family presently owns this land.
Eli purchased a Model T Ford in 1919. It had a canvas top, running boards and no windows. There were three pedals at the bottom. Left was lower gear, middle was reverse and right was high gear. It had a hauling capacity of four people. Eli would haul muskrats in the car. The car always stunk of muskrats in the spring. Learning to patch a tire was very important. The roads weren't really maintained and tires weren't very well constructed.
Trapping provided another source of income for Eli's family. Eli trapped coyotes, badgers, muskrats, skunks and bobcats. Many surprised could be found in the traps. Eli made what he called, "Coyote Dope" to poison coyotes. It was made of Strict 9, cream, ground-up rotten meat and may have had a little sugar.
November 2 was the beginning day of the duck hunt. Eli would bring home a wagonload of ducks; pluck the feathers for feather beds and well them for .25 cents a dozen.
In 1905 Eli was hunting ducks in the swamps below Salt Creek, which heads under Point Look Out and saw muskrats swimming everywhere. He thought this would be a profitable investment and leased 5 sections of the swampland for hunting and trapping. He continued to have this lease until he died.
The muskrats were trapped, skinned and stretched on a board. Harry Bloom would come every Monday & Thursday evening to grade and purchase the fresh skinned pelts. Eli had a two-story shed that would be full of muskrat pelts ready to be sold or being stretched.
Late winter and early spring the furs are in their ideal condition for 3-6 weeks depending on the temperature. Ideal muskrats hides are skinned and made into very warm and attractive garments. It takes approximately 300 hides to make a full-length coat. The hides or pelts are cut into matching strips and sewn together.
Eli learned that when muskrats are caught in traps they try to chew free. They will chew off the caught leg and escape the trap. Even muskrats that are not trapped will try to free those caught by chewing them up which damages the pelt of trapped muskrat. Damaged pelts received less profit.
Eli experimented with many methods to reduce hides from being damaged. He bought traps with double springs on them to hold the animals from being able to chew off their legs. These traps are known as jump traps. When the foot is caught in the trap one set of springs it locks on to the foot. As the muskrat jumps to make an effort to loose itself a holding spring is released and binds the foot again. These traps helped some but didn't eliminate all of the damage.
Eli also tried, a single trap iron a channel or small hole putting the stake about 6-12 inches below the water level. As the muskrat gets caught, he swims around but has nothing holding him up above the water and after struggling awhile the muskrat get tired because of the weight of the trap pulls the animal under water, drowning with little damage to the pelt.
After many techniques Eli invented a method to keep most muskrats from damaging their pelts. This method was more labor intensive but the profit from pelts off set the work. Taking his sons on weekends to Mantua Canyon he would have the boys would cut small stripling Maples that were very abundant. They selected maple stakes were about the same height, diameter and flexibility. Using the single trap he would fasten the chain securely on the maple tip. When the location of the trap was selected the base of the maple was pushed in the ground and the tip bent where the trap's set. Attaching the trap chain to the tip of the maple stick. The trap chain shank is notched made in a lath. Holding the trap in place until a muskrat gets caught in the trap. The muskrat trying to get free pulls the shank away from the lath. This releases the trap and the maple flips in the air and holds the muskrat and trap off the ground approximately, 3 ½ feet off the ground depending on the strength of the maple stick and the weight of the muskrat. This made free muskrats unable to assist the captured muskrat. The length of the lath was 12 to 18 inches and notched where the shank set the maple pole in ground. This method had the least amount of pelt damage.
The trapping season normally lasted about four weeks and they would catch about 3,000 muskrats. The muskrats were stretched until dry, which usually took one week. They were dried in a two-story barn. The buyer would come or they would haul them to Brigham and usually sell 300-400 muskrats at a time. Each season the price of the pelts would vary. They would average about $1.25-$1.50 a pelt.
He was a real outdoorsman. Eli took his children, grand children and friends on fishing and hunting trips. Enjoying the out of doors no matter how rough the weather or conditions. He would say, "I know no other place I would rather be." He spent most of his life-enjoying Box Elder County and particularly loved Western Box Elder County and the people there.
He was an exceptional marksman and continued hunted deer 'til 1946 the year he died. He enjoyed fly and bait fishing in Idaho, Utah and Yellowstone National Park. He loved to hunt ducks, geese, pheasants and deer. In his early married life, he would shoot ducks and take them to Brigham City by a horse drawn sleigh load and sold them for a $1.00 a dozen.
Eli not only trapped predators but he made his own bait to poison them. He would take meat mix it with Strict Nine poison and let it rot. This bait had terrible odor.
Eli was spent a lot of time away from home and stayed many nights in a sheep camp. In about 1910 to 1915 he made a 99 year lease with the railroad company to do with as he desired on Locomotive Springs which consists of 5 different springs that come together: "The Baker," "Teal," "Bar M," "The Sparks" and "West Locomotive." All of these springs have an underground water source.
Eli built a cabin at the head of "The Baker" which was head quarters for trappers. There were a few muskrats in the area but not enough to satisfy Eli so he trapped live muskrats in other areas and transplanted them to Locomotive Springs. The water in Locomotive Spring never freezes the temperature averages 68F year round. Locomotive Springs was a profitable investment for Eli. He used it for trapping, hunting and sold day or season hunting permits. This is a natural haven for ducks and geese. Large numbers of waterfowl came to the location because there wasn't any other fresh water for them for 30 miles. Eli planted trout at Locomotive Springs in the early 1920's.
In 1934 the government made Locomotive Springs into a Bird refuge and this ended his lease. The government built dams to conserve waterfowl. Although, he lost the lease he was compensated with $2,600.
In 1935 Eli moved the cabin from Locomotive to Bothwell where his son Ray lived for some time. Then the cabin was moved between the big and little canal and Ray's family lived in it for a few years and then moved again to Garland where it still stands today but it has been remodeled several times.
Eli spent a great deal of time in the mountains and became interested in prospecting and mining. He always carried with him a brass covered magnifying glass in his pocket and would chip and inspect all rocks he thought might have some value. He had prospect mining claims in Utah and Southern Idaho.
In the early 1930's he started his own mine known as "The Silver Eagle Mining Company" in Mantua, Utah. Mining for silver and lead with his partner Nick R. Peterson. They sold stock in the company. The stock payments were used for mining purposes. Ken Paskett, a son in law, and Carl, his son helped work in the mine. There was a home nearby where Ken and Dot lived. Nick's sons also worked in the mine hauling ore in a ore car on a small rail track. This mine had prospects but the hand-drilled shaft never produced enough quality ore to make the mine profitable and was abandoned about 10 to 12 years later.
Eli and Ella always had some livestock: milk cows, hogs, sheep, bronze turkeys and chickens. In about 1930 Eli built 3 long "A" frame sheds, each one approximately 400 feet in length and 12 feet wide, which he covered with canvas for protection, from against wind and storm for the purpose of lambing ewes. These sheds had individual pens on each side with an alley down the middle where ewes and lambs were kept out of the weather after lambing for a week or ten days and then turned out into corrals. These facilities were used by sheep producers: Evan and Burt Brown, Petersons, Clarks and others. While using the lambing sheds these men bought the hay that Eli produced and fed it to their sheep while at the lambing sheds. The haystacks were measured; length X width X height to determine the tonnage. Later, Eli put in a set of scales and all hay was weighed instead of measured. He had a good set of corrals that were built so livestock could water from Salt Creek, which never freezes. The corrals were divided into pens on a rocky hillside. In 1938, Eli discontinued furnishing facilities for the sheep producers. Instead, Eli and his sons purchased feeder lambs and cull ewes fattening them for market in Ogden.
In 1936 Eli and Ella started raising commercial flock of 2,000 Broad Breasted Bronze Turkeys in the Bothwell area. They were bought as 3-day-old poults during April brooded in a coop that was heated by hot water pipes. These turkeys came from Nebraska and weren't very hearty nearly ½ of them died the first week. Those that lived were raised on the Salt Creek property. Ella and the children cared for the turkeys and they were marketed in November for Thanksgiving birds. They were dry picked by hand when slaughtered; many were sold live for the individual families to slaughter. Most of their turkeys were sold to Utah Poultry, Lee Brown, R.J. White in the Tremonton, Ogden and Salt Lake areas. This was a profitable investment for them and they had turkeys every year until Eli died.
During the summer of 1938 a serious infestation of grasshoppers invaded the area. They discovered that turkeys do very well on grasshoppers. Eli and his sons hauled the turkeys, which were 8 weeks old, in wire crates west of the Blue Creek water tank that was in use by the railroad. The turkeys fed on grasshoppers and water was hauled to them daily from the Blue Creek water tank. The turkeys were trailed using dogs to help move them north through Howell, Blue Creek and into Pocatello Valley where they gleaned from wheat fields and were fed additional grain for fattening. When ready for market, they were then loaded on trucks and hauled to the processing plant. Someone had to always be with the turkeys to protect them from predators, which were coyotes, bobcats and dogs. The same property wasn't always used to feed the turkeys year to year.
In 1938 Eli was hired as the Box Elder County Road Supervisor, a position he held for four years. He made many improvements in the county road system. He drove an orange pickup truck. He said this was mistake because everyone knew always who drove it. He designed a road still used today. The "Y" on the road going to Promontory / Golden Spike Historical Monument, this road saved the county approximately $7,000 from a purposed survey made by another company. Eli's design was the better location for the road and has a gradual winding grade, which was made approximately a mile and ½ away from the steep survey.
Eli didn't like the purposed survey because years earlier he and Burt Hunsaker (Ella's cousin) were bring a truck load of salt cured railroad ties from the Lucin Cut Off, to Bothwell for fence posts. The old road went down a very steep grade, often too steep to control vehicles safely. Burt's truck was running out of control down the steep road. Eli felt they were going to wreck because of the high and increasing speed they were going. He jumped out breaking his leg. Burt stayed with the truck and managed to gain control of the truck and was not injured. This road is approximately 1 mile ½ south of the present oiled road that Eli designed / supervised and was made by the Box Elder Country Road Department which leads to the Golden Spike Monument.
Eli also ran for Box Elder County Commissioner in 1938 on the democratic ticket. He was a staunch democrat. He was defeated.
There were always had chores to do. Raising hay, grain, sugar beets on the irrigated land and taking care of animals that were sold to help support the family. He believed in feeding and caring for all livestock and not let anything suffer. The family had a vegetable garden. Eli always had a few good saddle horses for trapping, herding sheep and for the kids to go to their activities. He was a good horseman; one of his favorite saddle horses was named Rex.
In 1937 there was a disease known as brain fever or sleeping sickness that only affected horses, this killed 6 draft horses of Eli's. This disease affected the entire Western Region of the United States. Saddle horses that didn't die were used as replacements for the draft horses so they could continue farming that season.
Transportation for the children to attend actives meant walking, riding a saddle horse or riding the hack (a horse drawn school bus) to most of the places they went until 1937. If a saddle horse was rode to school several kids would ride the same horse and then when they arrived at school the reins would be placed over his neck and left untied so the horse could go back home.
Eli always brought cut down a Cedar or Pinyon tree for Christmas from Black Pine or Snowville. One year he wasn't able to get there and went to Point Look Out, and cut down a sagebrush to decorate.
Keith always knew his father to always have a pickup although his mother never learned how to drive. Vesta would go with her Dad when he needed a driver and they got along very well. He liked to sing as he rode along. Keith often went with his dad to Western Box Elder County and he would have Keith drive. Eli would sing awhile, sleep awhile and wake up every few miles and say, "Where are we?"
When Keith went to serve his country in World War II in 1943 he had saved some money from profits on his 4-H and FFA projects. Before Keith left he asked his father (Eli) to purchase some land with his savings. Eli said, "Where?" Keith said, "Where ever you think is best." Eli thought the land from Snowville west to Nevada line had lots of prospects. He had traveled this area most of his life. It was a sagebrush desert for miles. He knew with water it could be increased in value and could make a good living. Irrigation wells had not been pursued and livestock was the main source of income in this area. Eli knew more land was being broken up and developed each year.
Eli trapped and sheared for the Petersen Brothers Sheep Company of Hyrum. They owned thousands of acres of land in what was known as the Curlew Basin or Snowville Flat west of Deep Creek (Rose Ranch). He arranged for the purchase with the Petersen's on 3,500-4,000 acres of sagebrush and cedar land, three miles east of Clear Creek and half a mile South of Strevell which extended from the Raft River Mountains foothills in Northwestern Box Elder County to the Idaho/Utah state lines.
He thought this could be a good dry farm prospect and it was purchased in 1943 for $1.00 an acre. He thought his sons: Max, Dean, Verl and Keith could work together as partners and run the dry farm in the summer along with Eli's Salt Creek (Point Look Out) farm.
After the land was purchased in 1944 plans were made for breaking the sage, fencing and making improvements. Due to World War II help was hard to find and supplies were hard to come by. Most of the males ranging from 17-30 were in the service or had families and farms requiring their time.
In the spring of 1945 Dean worked alone started breaking up sagebrush but it was a slow process. He had more work with the turkeys and his 40-acre farm in Bothwell. Max was busy working on his father's irrigated farm. Verl was in California working on a ranch. Eli and Ella took their 2,000-head of turkeys to the newly purchased ground. There was an old home and 80 acres tract of land that Eli bought for himself. They spent the summer of 1945 in this three-room shelter with no running water, no electricity, phone, indoor plumbing, etc. The old house had been vacant for years. The roof leaked when it rained and was full of mice. Eli and Ella made improvements regularly. The turkeys did well, but coyotes and bobcats were hard to control. During the summer many of their children and grandchildren came to visit. They thought Eli and Ella were out of their mind. Still they enjoyed the summer, clearing and burning sagebrush. They worked hard believing it was a future for their family. They enjoyed the people and the surroundings were not new to them for they had been friends with the people in the area for years.
Many hours were spent to put the farm into production. The land was worked 3-4 times before planting. Carl and Ray also worked some at the ranch but didn't have any shares in the property. The sagebrush had to be killed by burning to adapted it for dry farming wheat. Eli, Dean and Keith jointly owned the turkeys until Eli's death in 1946.
When Jerry (the youngest) was about twelve he broke his leg and it got infected. He was laid up in bed for months. He learned about airplanes, made models and was crazy about them. He was determined to be a pilot. He was preparing to become a pilot to serve his country in the Air Force. World War II was winding down; Jerry who was 16 was killed in an airplane crash near Lone Rock in Bothwell, which was part of Grandpa Anderson's homestead. This was Jerry's first and last solo flight. When Ella signed the parent consent form she said she had just signed his life away. Ella was a witness to the accident. Jerry was killed 24 May 1945. Jerry's death was very difficult for Eli and Ella to accept. Keith was still in Europe fighting the Germans. On 9th of May 1945 Germany surrendered and the war was over in that area. However, the Red Cross could not get Keith a release for the funeral. Keith got home 29 December 1945.
The ranch provided a good source to stay busy and occupy their time. They named the ranch Flying 'A' as a memorial to Jerry. At their age they didn't need to work so hard but they said that was what they wanted to do. They owed no financial obligations but needed to feel needed to help themselves and their family.
Eli and Ella fed many people. If needed, they were given a place to sleep. The people from Western Box Elder County always stopped for meals and lodging because it usually took them two days to come to town and get back home. He loved to visit with everyone he met. He was close to his brothers and sisters and visited them often. They loved to spend time with one another. He was always very concerned about his mother and tried to help out when he could. His sister, who was a widow, said that one time she needed a new coat. Eli had a young family to provide for but made sure that his sister received a new coat to keep her warm.
He thoroughly enjoyed people and did not interfere or trifle with anyone. He told his sons to never start a fight unless the fight was forced, then hit fast, hard and win with honor. He was always trying to make life better for his family and anyone in need.
Eli and Ella enjoyed dancing at the community socials. During the winters for entertainment the ward would put on plays and Eli enjoyed participating the plays. Even though he was heavy, he was quite limber and could kick his leg and have his foot touch the top of a doorframe.
Eli had stomach problems and drank lots of bicarbonate soda. He also had arthritis and diabetes. He loved ice cream and milk shakes. He said, "All ice cream is good but some is better than others." He liked fresh clabber but only ate the cream with sugar on it. He also enjoyed buttermilk, lemon and vanilla flavoring.
Eli lived the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." He lived the law to the best of his ability. Bishop Milton Marble once told me, "Your Dad is seldom in church, but he asks me most every time we meet which was maybe 3 or 4 times a year. He would say, 'Bishop do you need any help or money; or do you have anyone in need. My family and I would be glad to help in anyway.'" He was and Elder in the church and had a testimony of it's truthfulness even though he did not actively attend church. Eli was away from home working on a year round basis. He never blessed any of his children but he loved them all and baptized each of them. He gave them support in all things they did worthily.
Eli tried to keep himself aware of current events. Those who knew him respected him. His trials and hardships were handled considerately. He wanted us to do our best in all things. He was knowledgeable, friendly, had good judgement, and sense of humor. He believed in being kind, truthful, honest, dependable and trustworthy in all his transactions and lived what he believed. Eli helped everyone, including his family, he co-signed notes with many of them. Eli was a good organizer, had foresight and managerial skills. Eli had friends all over the county and areas he had occupied.
Eli and Ella raised 11 of their 13 children. He was proud of his children and grandchildren. I am proud to be his son. He was a great example to me. He died in a sheep camp during the night while watching the turkeys on the Flying 'A' Ranch near Cedar Creek, Box Elder County, Utah on 22 November 1946. Ella was a widow for 28 years.
Eli was very proud of all his children and grandchildren. When he died he had 10 living children and 15 grandchildren.
Children Spouse Date of Birth Date of Death
1. Vesta Anderson Reed Carl Petersen 5-Feb-1909 7-Jun-1992
Ephraim Carl Jensen
2. Maurine Anderson Joseph Wilford Toone 7-Nov-1910 30-Apr-1981
3. Maurice Anderson N/A 7-Nov-1910 2-Dec-1910
4. Reed H. Anderson N/A 13-Jun-1912 13-Jun-1912
5. Ray H. Anderson Gladys Wheatley 13-Jun-1912 8-May-1991
Ruth ReNee Mason
6. Carlyle H. Anderson Verle Eulala Nelson 2-Oct-1913 25-Oct-1995
7. Dorothy Anderson Kenneth John Paskett 21-Apr-1915 10-Oct-1982
8. Max H. Anderson Erma Donna Holland 13-Nov-1916 3-Sep-1988
9. Dean H. Anderson June Rose Holiday 10-Aug-1918 26-Aug-1995
10. Verl H. Anderson Madge Earl 18-May-1920 5-Sep-2000
11. Keith H. Anderson Cloe Truman 3-Apr-1922
12. Eloise Anderson John Richard Martineau 10-Oct-1924
13. Gerald H. Anderson N/A 27-Aug-1927 24-May-1945
Utah Death Certificate
Family Members
Siblings
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Mary Frances Andersen Stokes
1881–1954
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Andrew Moroni Anderson
1882–1959
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Ella Cleophia Anderson Stokes
1885–1909
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Alice Sophia Andersen
1887–1887
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Laurence Leroy Andersen
1888–1975
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Hans Leo Anderson
1890–1981
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John Earl Anderson
1891–1952
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Fredrick Homer Andersen
1893–1981
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Edwin Ursel Anderson
1894–1973
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Hazel Caroline Anderson Miller
1896–1960
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Richard David "Dick" Anderson
1897–1984
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Annie Laura Andersen Smith
1899–1982
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Nina Dorthea Anderson Jenson
1903–1995
Children
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Vesta Anderson Jensen
1909–1992
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Maurice H. Anderson
1910–1910
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Maurine Anderson Toone
1910–1981
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Reed H. Anderson
1912–1912
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Ray H. Anderson
1912–1991
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Carlyle H. Anderson
1913–1995
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Dorothy Anderson Paskett
1915–1982
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Max H. Anderson
1916–1988
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Dean H. Anderson
1918–1995
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Verl H. Anderson
1920–2000
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Keith H. Anderson
1922–2012
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Eloise Anderson Martineau
1924–2011
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Gerald H. Anderson
1928–1945
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