On Friday, 6 May 1859, about three weeks after the arrival of David Reese, Griffiths Charles, and others, as first settlers of Logan, a second company of home seekers, numbering about twenty-five families, left Wellsville and pushed their way across the bottom land, traveling northward, looking for a new location. On Muddy Creek, which had risen due to recent rains, they stopped to build a bridge. Here they were overtaken by Bishop Peter Maughan, who had been selected by Brigham Young to preside over the settlements in Cache Valley, and three men were set apart to preside over the company. John Pannel Wright was named as president, with John Nelson and Israel Clark as counselors.
After the bridge was built the company proceeded onward, through mud and rain, and traveled to the present sight of Smithfield, where they decided to halt and build a town as the ground was high and seemed very fertile. This was about the tenth of May, 1859. In this group of settlers were the following: Ralph Smith, John R. Blanchard, Israel J. Clark, Jesse Pierson, John P. Wright and son John F. Wright, Moses Deming, William Edwards, Benjamin Williams, William Dees, John Nelson and two men by the name of Morgan Evans.
After a survey of certain lands had been made, the brethren proceeded to plow their fields and plan their crops. They were making good progress and had sown considerable wheat when on May 25th a messenger on horseback arrived at their camp and informed them that Bishop Maughan had received a warning that the Indians were on the war path and intended to raid the Cache Valley settlements. He advised the settlers on High Creek to leave immediately for Maughan's Fort and bring their families with them. The brethren were prompt in heeding this advise; they gathered up their belongings and departed the following day, reaching the fort on May 27th. Here they remained about a week. In conversation with Bishop Maughan they were advised to try and find a suitable location on the Logan River, and accordingly set out again about the 5th of June. The next day they formed a camp near the site of the Old Brigham Young College, and here they decided to remain. A survey of the land was immediately begun and the brethren "cast lots" for their locations. This was the beginning of our beautiful city- sometime about the middle of June, 1859.
Although John P. Wright was a member of the second group who located on the sight of Logan in June 1859, he is generally given credit by the old historians as having been the father of our city. Apparently it was he who did the first surveying here and who designated the little settlement by the name of Logan.
He was bon in Lincolnshire, England on January 18th, 1805. He was married to Mary Hill Fish on August 31, 1824. They became the parents of nine children, five sons and four daughters.
In 1845 John P. Wright was converted to the Mormon religion and four years later he emigrated to America, settling first in Iowa. In 1852 he crossed the plains and came to Utah, making his home at Draper. Here he built his family a two storied home. The top story was used for his workshop where he made caskets and furniture for the people. In Council Bluffs, Iowa, he built a log cabin and repaired wagons for emigrants until he also left for Salt Lake Valley in 1852 making his home in Draper. In the spring of 1859 as stated he joined a group of home seekers on their way to Cache Valley. On Muddy Creek he was set apart by Peter Maughan to act as president of the group. He subsequently led them to the site of Logan.
In an obituary notice of the death of John Pannel Wright, published in the Deseret News on April 21st, 1886, the following information is given:
"He lived in Draper until April 6, 1859, when in company with a few others, he went to Cache Valley and located at Smithfield. On account of Indian troubles he remained at this place but a short time. In June of the same year he moved to Wellsville, to remain, however, but a short time, from the fact that in July (June) he led a company of thirty families and located on the banks of the Logan River. Taking the Polar Star for his base, he laid off the tiers of blocks, giving to this new location the name of Logan. In the spring of 1862 he moved to Paradise and remained there until his death."
I was sitting by the stove after supper in the evening. My little grandson, James E. Brown, was reading the New Testament to his grandmother. Suddenly my mind was caught away and a vision opened before me. I appeared to be a little north of the Draper meetinghouse. I was elevated about ten or twelve feet. I could see as far north as Box Elder County, for the valley seemed quite clear of any obstruction and quite level. The east mountains, North Little Cottonwood, were not there, but the ground seemed to rise a little toward the east.
Along the center of the valley seemed to be full of people, from where I stood to Box Elder. I could see those who were furthest off as plainly as those who were close to me. On the east side of Little Cottonwood there were two rows of soldiers that reached almost to Ogden canyon. I saw their guns, shoulder arms, with bayonets fixed. There was a fence in front of them about waist high. They crowded close to it but did not pass over it. The fence was about where the foot of the mountains were. The soldiers hooted, yelled, marched, and threatened the people for sometime. Then they called to the people and said, "All that would come over to them would be protected." When the called them, in a short time the people made a movement and rushed over to them by thousands, and when all that desired to go had got away there seemed to be but a few left. All this time the Heavens were so black it was frightful to look at. When the people had got over amongst the soldiers, they appeared to see something in the southwest with the soldiers. It caused them to look very scared. They all turned simultaneously and fled east with the greatest rapidity. When they had gone a good distance off the storm burst upon them in frightful furry and violence, and the atmosphere seemed one blaze of lightening. The thunder was dreadful and the hail was terrible to see. The hailstones were as large as a man's fist and it fell so thick and with such force that it crushed the soldiers and the people that were with them down like dried weeds of grass. After it cleared away they were nowhere to be seen or anything belonging to them. The people who were left in the valley began to gather up from the north to where I stood, and the heavens rang with shouts of joy, thanksgiving, and gladness.
The vision closed and my grandson was still reading.