Bannock County
IDGenWeb
Exhibiting in his life work and achievements the honest integrity and
the sturdy and resourceful traits of character of the English nation.
George P. Ward is an ornament to American manhood and a useful and
active factor in the development of the young state of Idaho, with which
he has united his fortunes and cast in his life. He was born on August
20, 1854, in Walton, Northamptonshire, England, a son of George and
Sarah A. (Plant) Ward. The father also was born in England, on January
1, 1828, and was a baker and grocer of West Walton, where he married on
March 28, 1849. He became a member of the Mormon church in 1851, soon
thereafter taking up missionary work as an emissary of that faith, in
which labor the greater part of his life was successively passed.
His first wife died in 1857. He, however, again married in 1860,
this wife dying May 7, 1899. The family emigration, and its journey
across the plains with ox teams to Salt Lake City, Utah, occurred in
1861, and the home was made at Hyrum, in the Cache Valley, Utah, until
1878, when it was removed to Rich county. In 1871 the old and faithful
missionary returned to England on mission work for the church, after his
work was accomplished returning to America. As was his wish, his death
occurred suddenly, on August 17, 1900, at the age of seventy-two years
and seven months, and he now awaits the resurrection in the little
cemetery at Salem, Fremont county, Idaho, being the father of
twenty-seven children. His father, John Ward, preceded his son from
England to the United States, settling first near Salt Lake City, Utah,
in 1861 removing to the Cache Valley, where he passed the residue of his
days and was buried at Hyrum.
Of four children of his parents,
George P. Ward, the subject of this review, was the eldest son and was
but seven years of age when he accompanied his parents on their
migration to the United States. He zealously availed himself of the
excellent educational advantages presented by the schools in the
neighborhood of his father's home, and, at the age of twenty years,
commenced active life for himself as a farmer in Cache county, Utah,
where he was prosperously engaged until he moved to the section of the
Snake River Valley, on April 3, 1885, where he made his home, it then
being a portion of Bannock county, Idaho. Here he located a 160-acre
pre-emption claim, a timber culture claim of forty acres and a desert
claim of forty acres, situated about seven miles northeast of Idaho
Falls, and here was his home and center of active operations until 1901.
From the date of their arrival on their place Mr. Ward and
family began active operations to make a home and farm. The first year
of their residence here a comfortable log cabin 14x16 feet was erected
and about eighty bushels of grain were raised. The second year an
addition of 12x14 feet was made to the log cabin, and a few trees were
planted. This log house was the family home until 1893, when a modern
brick house of suitable proportions was erected, being completed for
occupancy on October 7.
During his residence of sixteen years
upon this place he made prominent improvements and most substantial
developments by his thrift and industry and the application of brains,
making his estate of 240 acres not only one of the finest ranches in the
valley, but one of the most productive and profitable in this section of
the state. The first garden products raised in this neighborhood were
produced by him and his exhibits at the fairs brought him premiums on
all garden products. In 1899 1,000 apple and 600 prune trees were set
out, and in 1900 a dozen peach trees were planted, which came into
bearing in 1903, being the only peaches grown in all of this section of
country. He early became interested in the raising of sheep, cattle and
horses, and by his influence and perseverance he has done much in
raising the standard of the cattle of this section of the state, taking
great pains in the selection and breeds of his stock, and being a
formative factor and prominent supporter of the early Fair Association
for several years, as long as he was an exhibitor receiving the first
prize for his farm products.
Politically Mr. Ward is a
Republican, always active and zealous in the service of his party. An
intelligent and thoughtful member of the Church of Latter Day Saints, at
the present time he is holding therein the office of first counsellor to
the bishop.
On December 21, 1874, Mr. Ward entered into
matrimonial relations with Miss Mary Christine Bindrup. a native of
Denmark, and a daughter of Christian and Martena (Horup) Bindrup, she
coming with her parents to the United States and to Utah thirty-eight
years ago, when she was but nine years of age, and locating with the
family in Cache Valley. Utah, where her parents still reside, honored
and influential residents of the community. Mr. and Mrs. Ward have been
the parents of nine children: George B., William A., Mary A., Charles C,
deceased, Martha E., Nephi O., Alice M., John O. and Melvin P.
As an evidence of the position Mr. Ward has justly won in the public
esteem and confidence, we would incidentally remark that he is a
director in the Fanners' Progressive Canal system of irrigation, a
director in the Iona Sheep Co., and also a director in the Hillside
Canal Co. He has been very successful in business, social and church
relations. His ranch is most eligibly situated and thoroughly equipped
for the thriving business there conducted, while he is the owner of
valuable real estate in Iona, where he erected a modern brick residence,
in the summer of 1901, at a cost of $1,500, which is completely equipped
along the lines of the most approved construction. This was completed in
December, when Mr. Ward moved into it and still occupies it as his home.
In Bingham county and throughout southeastern Idaho Mr. Ward is well
known, highly esteemed and considered one of the representative citizens
of the county and the family has a high standing in the community. At
the time of this writing he, in association with some neighbors, is
preparing to drill a well in the center of the block where his residence
stands. If completed it will be the only well in an area of three and
one-half miles.
Extracted from Progressive Men of Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Fremont and Oneida Counties, Idaho, published in 1904, pages 452-454, contributed 2021 Jun 15 by Norma Hass
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