Bannock County
IDGenWeb
Neriah R. Lewis, who is prominent in church and public affairs in
Bannock county, this state, and is one of the leading farmers and
stock-growers of southern Idaho, first saw the light of this world in
Macoupin county, Ill., where he was born on March 10, 1843. His parents
were Neriah and Rebecca (Hendricks) Lewis, born in Kentucky and early
residents in Illinois. They became Mormons in the early days of the
church, and in 1846 moved with its great body of members to Council
Bluffs, Iowa, on the way to a new home to be located in the farther
West. They, with many other members of the church, crossed the Missouri
into Nebraska and passed the first winter in that state. Their
provisions were not abundant and the comforts of life in other respects
were none too plentiful, but the Indians were friendly and hospitable
and they got through the winter without any serious mishaps. In the
spring of 1847 they settled on land near Weston, Mo., and there they
raised a crop, and finding the conditions of their situation favorable,
remained until the spring of 1851. They then started for Utah by the
usual route and means, and arrived at Salt Lake City in October. They
took an allotment of land south of the city and engaged in farming,
making their home, however, in the town until 1857; An Indian outbreak
at that time caused them to move south with other settlers, and in the
ensuing fall, after quiet had been restored, they located at Richmond,
where they engaged in farming until the spring of 1864. They were among
the first settlers in that region, ten families having located there in
the fall of 1859, Mr. Lewis's brother William and his family being of
the number, which was the beginning of civilization for that portion of
Utah. At Richmond and Salt Lake Mr. Lewis received such educational
training as the circumstances afforded, but the exigencies of the
situation for almost everybody made these necessarily limited in scope
and volume, and his equipment for the battle of life was mainly drawn
from his own resources and experience. His mother died at Salt Lake in
1854, and soon afterward the family moved to Richmond. He worked with
his father on the farm until his services were required to aid in
conducting a company of emigrants across the plains from the Missouri
River. After his return to Utah he assisted his father on the farm one
season and then carried on farming operations in company with an uncle
until he was of age. In 1864, when the freighting business between
Corinne, Utah, and points in Montana began, he engaged in the work as a
teamster, and some little time later he had a freighting outfit of his
own, and also conducted a farm at Richmond. In 1867 he quit freighting
and settled on this farm, which he had owned for a number of years, and
from that time until 1883 he devoted himself almost exclusively to his
farm and stock business, with employment at intervals during the winter
months on the construction work of the Utah Northern and Northern
Pacific Railroads, which were then building.
His farm was one of
the best and most productive in the vicinity of Richmond and was farmed
with every attention to detail and with the most approved methods
available. During his residence there he was an earnest worker in the
church, and was also captain of the local police force for eight years.
In 1882. in the autumn of the year, he was called to the bishopric of
Oxford in this state, to succeed William F. Fisher, who had resigned,
and in January, 1883, he was ordained to the office. He then purchased
the land he now occupies and in March moved his family to Oxford. The
land was covered with wild sagebrush when he bought it and required
about a year for its clearing and preparation for tillage. He at once
built the dwelling in which he lives, which, although built in those
early times and with their limited facilities, is well up-to-date even
now and might fairly be pointed out as a representative home of the
town. When he became bishop the ward was in Cache stake, and fifteen
months later, when Oneida stake was formed, the headquarters were fixed
at Oxford. The ward covers a large extent of territory and under his
management it has progressed rapidly in every line of material and
spiritual development. Oxford was originally in Oneida county, then in
Bingham, and is now in Bannock; so, without changing-his residence, Mr.
Lewis has lived in three counties within a period of twenty years, which
fact shows something of the rapidity of the growth of population and
material resources in this part of the country. His ranch is a mile and
a half east of the town and is well cultivated, highly improved and full
of the evidence of progress and skillful management. His stock industry
is large and profitable, and its products are of high grade and always
in good condition. In the public life of the community the bishop takes
an active and leading part, but he has no desire for political office
and steadfastly declines all overtures looking in that direction. He was
married, on January 20, 1864, at Richmond, Utah, to Miss Amanda J.
Allred, a native of Illinois, daughter of Isaac and Julia A. (Taylor)
Allred, the former a native of Tennessee and the latter of Kentucky.
They came to Utah in 1851 and engaged in farming at Centerville, where
they were the first settlers, and later in Sanpete county, where the
father died in 1859. The mother died at Richmond in May, 1898. Twelve
children have been born to the Lewis family, Robert C. William A.,
Rebecca A. and Augusta L. (twins), M. Laura (Mrs. Fisher), Isaac N.,
George W., Julia E. (Mrs. Merrill), Clarence L., Nellie P. (Mrs.
Beckstead), Lillie V. and Edna V., the two last named living at home.
Extracted from Progressive Men of Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Fremont and Oneida Counties, Idaho, published in 1904, pages 507-508, contributed 2021 Jun 15 by Norma Hass
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