The place now known as Ogden might be the oldest "settlement" in Utah by virtue of a small picket fort that Miles Goodyear, a trapper, built in 1845. Goodyear sold "Fort Buenaventura" and the surrounding land to James Brown who moved into the area in the fall of 1847 under the direction of Brigham Young. The purchase price was $1,950.
From 1847 to 1869, others followed Brown and established small farming settlements along the Ogden and Weber rivers. The city of Ogden, named for Peter Skene Ogden, had a population of 1,463 people in 1860.
Not too long after the driving of the Golden Spike in 1869, the Ogden community transformed when it became the junction of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads. All passengers, baggage and shipping changed trains in Ogden as they traveled east or west and then later north and south across the nation.
And we now know Ogden as the place where Dallin Wrathall is serving his mission.
In fact, Dallin is not the first of our family to have ties to Ogden. Many converts to the church from the Netherlands, including some of our ancestors, settled in Ogden. In Ogden and Salt Lake there were Dutch-language study groups, choirs, socials, theatricals, soccer teams, and, for awhile, even a Dutch band. Church meetings in Dutch for a handful of immigrant converts were held in Ogden as early as 1870, and off and on for several years thereafter.
And we now know Ogden as the place where Dallin Wrathall is serving his mission.
Sources: http://historytogo.utah.gov/places/ogden.html, http://www.ogdencity.com/en/about_ogden/history_demographics/ogden_history.aspx, http://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/h/HOLLANDER_IMMIGRANTS.html
In the fall of 1890, the Denkers family arrived in Utah. On a cool, early spring day, about 124 years later, I visited the Ogden City Cemetery.This is the final resting place of several of our Denkers ancestors. My second great grandfather, Gerrard or Gerardus:
Their son, Bernardus Albertus, who is my great grandfather is also buried in this cemetery, although he and his family had moved to Pocatello, Idaho by the time he died.
And exemplifying the strong bond to Ogden, this marker for Bernardus's wife, Lettie Phillips Denkers is placed next to his grave stone:
In the fall of 1890, the Denkers family arrived in Utah. On a cool, early spring day, about 124 years later, I visited the Ogden City Cemetery.This is the final resting place of several of our Denkers ancestors. My second great grandfather, Gerrard or Gerardus:
His wife and my second great grandmother Aaltje Brand Denkers:
