Life of Johannes Zollinger

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That year, they raised some vegetables and feed on the lot north of home. They also gave their wagon and team to the Church to go east and get immigrants to Utah. So they had to borrow a wagon to haul hay for their cows and oxen. The lower Blacksmith Fork canal was already built to the town so they extended it farther north and the following year started to build the upper Blacksmith Fork canal. What is known as the Busenbark ditch, west of Providence, was started this year, getting the water from the Logan River. They had few tools to work with and what they had was mostly made by the blacksmith, Fred Theurer. He made a pick for Jacob. During this year, a boy was stolen by the Indians and taken up the canyon in the cedars but some soldiers came and got the boy back.

The folks bought some land north and south of town giving a tent and some boots as part payment. They planted wheat and oats, but the crops were rather poor; had 150 bushels of wheat in 1863. During these early years, miners came down from Montana and bought flour and provisions and paid a good price which was a great help to the people. They also traded horses and wagons for provisions in the year 1864 and 1865. Jacob helped build the upper Blacksmith Fork canal and went to the canyon for wood and logs. In the winter of 1865, Frederick Theurer and himself went to Salt Lake to get their endowments, having been called to do so. It was on the 21st of January 1865, Brother Theurer had a horse and he borrowed another from James Brown and hitched them to a sleigh and drove down. They stayed with Rudolf Hochstrasser. Elder M. D. Hammond also took a load of people down to get their endowments. They were not very inclined to think well of what they were doing and he threatened to unload them all if they did not behave themselves.

When our folks settled in Providence, they planted trees and berries of all kinds; they bore beautiful fruit as there were no pests of any kind. Some of the early apples that were planted were the Rhode Island Greening, Porter, Winesap and other varieties. Later wagon loads were taken to Butte, Montana by Elder Bensen and others. The berries were taken to Logan and sold to families that could afford to buy them.

In 1866, Jacob was called to take his wagon and team and go east to get immigrants. That was a year of high water, and they had great difficulty in crossing streams, but they finally arrived at St. Joseph and what was his surprise to find his sister Anna and husband, J. U. Haderli, and children there. He had joined the church and could come to the United States. They had no word of their coming, and so he was overjoyed to have the pleasure of taking them back to Providence. There were people called every year to either furnish a wagon or team to get immigrants. They got no money for their services but received tithing credit. The people would provide provisions to take along. The tithing credit would be $75.00 for a teamster and $150.00 for a man, team and wagon. It would take six to seven months to make the trip.

In the ward, they had weekly teacher's meetings where all things pertaining to the welfare of the community were discussed, and people were appointed to work on irrigation ditches, build roads, bridges, meeting and school houses, and to visit the members of the ward. A week later, they reported their labors after which their new assignments were made. That is the way the communities were built up, by a system of cooperation through which they learned how to live and share with each other.

Between 1868 and 1870, the new meeting house was erected. Jacob had much to do in getting timber for the new meeting house. The two stringers that go across the top of the building to hold the roof up were secured by Jacob, and he had a difficult time to find two that were the same size and strength to hold the ceiling up. These stringers were hewn by hand by Jacob Fuhriman, Sr.

In the early days, much of the grain and produce was hauled by wagon over to Box Elder County where a railroad station was located and the produce shipped to the coast by which they received money to pay their taxes and bills. At one time, a stranger got in Jacob's wagon with a gun in his hand to rob him of his money. He got behind his seat and was in the act of holding him up when father turned around with an unexpected move, knocked his gun out of his hand and told him to hit the high places, which the robber proceeded to do without wasting any time. In connection with hauling grain out of the Valley, they would haul freight back. At one time, Jacob, Jr., who was 10 years old, went with Jacob, Sr. to Ogden to get some wagons for a company in Logan. Young Jacob drove a team of mares and his father a yoke of oxen. They each returned with fine wagons. When the two arrived in the area where the road goes down a dugway into dry lake (the new road is located there now) my father put on the brakes and told Jacob to drive.

Johannes and Elizabetha helped build up Providence, Utah. They loved the land, Church, and had no desire to return to Switzerland. Johannes died 16 February 1875 at 80 years of age. Elizabetha died 18 November 1881 at 72 years of age. They are both buried in the Providence, Utah cemetery.

The surname HADERLI used in this story is now known as HADERLIE.

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