Life of Richard Chales Orr (his own hand).

Life of Richard Chales Orr (his own hand).

Life Story of Richard Charles Orr (Hoar)

(copied exactly as written by his own hand)

Richard C. Orr, son of Charles Hoar, born in Deanshanger, Northampton Shire left England on sailing vessel in May 1861. Married Caroline Derricott of Willinhall, Stafford R. on board ship “Monarch of the Sea” by Jabes Woodward. Stayed in New York and Brooklyn one year. Emigrated to Winter Quarters, Florence in May 1862. Hired to John R. Young to drive four yoke of cattle and wagon of merchandise to the mountains to Salt Lake. Started with J.R. Murdock Co.

I found a telegraph message ordering me to wait there at Woodriver till J.R. and Cap. Dane arrived so as to help with my team as they were short of cattle. From there, my wife drove one yoke of cattle and rode in the wagon and cooked for J.R.’s men. We arrived in Salt Lake City in Nov. 1862, belated. Had teams sent out to help us in.

We lived in the 19th Ward all that winter with William Tonks who married my wife’s sister, Martha Derricott. I worked with my brother in law making nails for Bro. John Taylor. In the spring we moved to Bountiful, made a dug out and raised some cotton and vegetables. In the fall of 1863, we moved to Morgan County in Weber Valley, and rented a farm and went to farming. Built a house of logs in Richville, and on account of high water, me on one side of the creed and my farm on the other, I moved to Morgan City before it was a city proper. I stayed in the county about eight years farming and railroading, and after the road the U.P. was finished I went to Kanab by order of President Young.

Levi Stewart was sent there to start the United Order and Sanford Porter and Lyman Porter from Morgan was called at the same time. I drove sheep into Kanab. John D. Lee and Bishop Steward had contract with Pres. Young to saw lumber to build with. I worked at the mill, and in the winter Bro. John Rider was running the engine and the throttle leaked steam, and it condensed in the cylinder and froze bursting the cylinder head off and nothing nearer than Sugar House Ward, Salt Lake City. Bro. Rider did not know what to do so I told Bishop Steward I could give dimensions and have a cylinder cast or he could, and they sent word to Pres. Young and I was to go ahead. This I did and we cut all the timber up in Scrotompaw Canyon and then Sidney Savage, the sawyer and me and others moved the mill to the Buxkin Moutains. There I taught John Steward to run the engine, and went back to work on the Southern Railroad, spiking nails. I stayed there until an opening for men in the engine shed. Wiped for over one year. Showed the Master Mechanic what caused the cutting off of the flange of the trailing wheel of the Passenger Engine, which happened no more after that. So when an engineer was wanted, I applied, referring them to President Young. I got to running the 2nd engine on the road. I was to run Sandy Kinghorn’s engine for a trail trip. They put on two extra cars which was no trick as I had run on the London and Northwestern at Birmingham and handled many kinds of engines that was satisfactory.

I stayed running construction, building road to Provo and running freight for over 2 years. I resented the treatment of the Master Mechanic.

In bucking snow at point beyond Doc. Dunyons, I or we, Jeff Davis in behind me, we busted the snow plough all to pieces. He was off the track one way and me the other. Nobody seriously hurt but my engine truck knocked out, chimney knocked off and a hole knocked in the boiler which soon let steam and water out. She went into shop for repairs. When she came out he gave her to John Warwood and he gave me the old passenger engine to run a gravel train with. Not the first report against it, I gave in my notice to quit. Superintendent Feramore Little wanted to know what I wanted to leave for. I told him I would not establish a precedent that no other railroad man could uphold. He persuaded me to reconsider my act. I told him I would but I did not think I could do any more good under Master Mechanic T. Peirpont, so I left the Southern Road, moved to Sanpete Co. Stayed there 8 years.

In 1883 moved to Bear Lake Co. Idaho. Located on land afterwards called Sharon. Moved after 23 years from Bear Lake to Orton in 1906, in Canada, Province of Alberta.

Signed R.C. Orr

-Taken from Richard Charles Orr’s family and temple record book-