Samuel Smith

Samuel Smith (1818-1895) was the third mayor of Brigham City and served from 1879-1883. Samuel was baptized by Lorenzo Snow and invited by him to help settle Brigham City as one of the 50 families that Brigham Young charged Lorenzo Snow to take to establish “Boxelder” in 1853.

Samuel became a counselor to Lorenzo Snow for 22 years, was the postmaster in Brigham City from 1855 for 17 years, was a probate Judge, and also an organizing member of the Brigham City Mercantile and Manufacturing Association (The Co-op), with an early responsibility of managing the Grist Mill. Samuel had five wives (Mary Ann Line, Sarah Jane Ingraham, Fances Ann Ingraham, Janett, and Caroline “Carrie”) and left a numerous posterity.

Part of our efforts as the Historic Brigham City Association has been to continue identifying photographs of early homes of Brigham City citizens that were taken by the Compton family. With help from Scott Jensen, we believe that we have identified one of Samuel Smith’s homes. We believe that the woman pictured is Caroline (Carrie) Smith and that this is the home that is discussed in the quote below.

From "History of Box Elder County," pg. 260. Judge Samuel Smith lived on the west side of Main Street directly north of this square (the square was from first East to first West in the center of town). For many years his home was the chief business center of the settlement. It was here he maintained the post office after he received his appointment in 1855. For many years a portion of the building served as a hotel. When Dr. Oliver C. Ormsby (Samuel’s son-in-law) established Brigham City's first drug store, he used a room in Judge Smith’s home. Mrs. Carrie Smith used the north part of the home as a location for the town's first millinery store. Directly north of his home Judge Smith erected a building which for many years housed a carpenter shop and a shoe shop."

Thanks to Scott Jensen for his efforts in identifying the photo and for its restoration.

If anyone finds errors in this information, or has additional information, please let us know as we try to collect and preserve the history as accurately as possible. Thank you!

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Samuel Smith

Caroline "Carrie" Smith

Believed to be Carrie Smith in front of her home on "North Main." The first drug store north of SLC would have been in this home and was run by Dr. Oliver C. Ormsby, who married Maretta Smith- the daughter of Samuel and Mary Ann Smith. Dr. Ormsby later went to Cache Valley to establish his medical practice. The first millinery store was located in the north part of the home and this was the location of Brigham City's first post office.

A photo taken from the book, "Polygamy in Lorenzo Snow's Brigham City" identifying the homes of some early leaders of the city.

A photo from the Compton Collection from the USU Merrill-Cazier Digital Library of the same homes.

An article indicating when the home was destroyed. Other sources indicate that city officers moved into the new offices in the city building (that was also the fire station and, more recently, the Chamber of Commerce building) in June of 1910. By this time, Carrie was still alive but no longer living on the property. Carrie lived until 1929 and was noted to have died in her home on 200 West.