James Eckersell (1839-1917)

JAMES ECKERSELL.

One of the most active, energetic ar.il
prominent of the older type of pioneer set-
tlers of Fremont county, Idaho, one who has
probably done more than most of the settlers
of the Upper Snake River Valley to advance its
prosperity, and to assist in the building up of
its varied departments of industrial activity
through the liberal investment of his means
and his untiring personal endeavors during
all the years of the early pioneer era, James
Eckersell, w r ho is now passing the twilight of
a more than ordinary active life at Rexburg.
quietly resting from the well-considered en-
deavors which have brought him a sufficient
competency of financial resources to render
the closing years of his life free from care and
anxiety, has had a diversified, and, at times,
a pathetic experience all along life's pathway.

He was born in Manchester, England, on
August 5, 1839, as a son of Adam and Anna
(Burrows) Eckersell, his father being a ship
carpenter until he became a member of .a
Mormon church, and in 1843 he emigrated
from England with his family, going at once
to Nauvoo, 111., where he purchased 160 acres
of land and engaged in the dual vocations of
farming and carpentry, at which he was dil-
igently occupied when came the tragical-
events preceding the murder of Joseph Smith-
and the subsequent abandonment of the city
and their property by the persecuted Mor-
mons. Mr. Eckersell, like the others, fled
from the unbearable situation with the lo-s of
all of his property, and the family was resident
in Iowa for two years. Thereafter they went
to Missouri, where they resided until the death
of the mother in 1847, tne father also dyin^T
on a Mississippi steamer in 1850, at the early
age of thirty-five years, the mother having 1
burial at St. Louis and the father at Montreal.
Missouri.

Thus early becoming an orphan in the
midst of the most malignant religious perse-
cution this country has ever witnessed and
thrown entirely upon his own resources in
the grievously unsettled conditions of life aris-
ing therefrom, at a time when most lads of
his years were enjoying the unalloyed delights
of a kind mother's parental care, life did not
present a holiday aspect to the orphaned lad,
but with a stout heart and a nerve that falt-
ered not, James Eckersell joined one of the
trains of the Mormon emigrants en route west-
ward, and at the age of eleven years found
himself in Willow Valley, Utah, where he re-
mained in the service of Joseph Woodward
until 1856, when, at the age of seventeen
years, he commenced working for himself at
blacksmthing and farming, in 1857 going to
the Cache Valley as one of its early pioneers.
In 1858 he was employed in Rush Valley by
Daniel Spencer, in 1859 returned to Cache
Valley and to Willow Valley in i85o, while
during this latter year he was a minute-man
at Wellsville in service against the Indians,
continuing actively in this duty for two years,
and in this service he rode a horse to death
while pursuing a party of the hostile savages.
In 1861 he formed a matrimonial alliance
with Miss Henrietta McPhail under somewhat
romantic circumstaitces. She had crossed the
plains in 1856 with a handcart brigade, being
then sixteen years old. In i860 they met at
Wellsville and in conversation it was ascer-
tained that neither had a living father, mother,
a brother or a sister, and on account of their
similar and lonely lots they decided to unite
their fortunes for life.

From his marriage until 1883 Mr. Ecker-
sell conducted prosperous farming operations
in the Cache Valley, from 1869 being also
connected with freighting until the railroad
was completed and put a stop to the business.
In 1882 he came to Menan, Fremont county,

and built a cabin, and in 1883 came to Rex-
burg, located 160 acres of land and engaged '
in raising cattle in connection with the devel-
opment of his landed estate, also having teams
engaged in freighting from 1885 until 1890,
everything working harmoniously and to his
financial advancement. He was financially
concerned in the building of the early and
later irrigation canals, was one of the commit-
tee on the organization of the Rexburg Irri-
gation Canal Co., and "took out" a private
ditch for his own use. After sixteen
years of devotion to successful business in-
terests, and labors in public matters of local
interest and improvements, in 1899, having
attained a position of financial independence
as a result of his judicious industry and wise
investments, Mr. Eckersell sold all of his va-
ried possessions except the house and lot where
he now maintains his home and now is, with
his capable and devoted wife, at leisure to look
about him and see the wonderful strides in
progress which the Snake River Valley has
made through the discriminating efforts of
himself and the other members of the pioneer
settlers and their followers.

A Republican in politics, he has never as-
pired to political place or honors, but in the
discharge of his duty as a consistent member
of the Mormon church Mr. Eckersell has
performed many valuable services and held
responsible offices, serving with acceptation
on numerous home missions, in one of which
he held and conducted the first religious meet-
ing ever held in Lyman, holding also, to the
manifest benefit of the interests of the church,
the offices of teacher, elder and member of the
Seventies.

The following children are the fruits of the
marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Eckersell. all of
whom, like their honored parents, are stand-
ing in a high position in the public esteem and
confidence : James M. ; Elizabeth married

Evan Lewis; Sarah married Thos. T. Dar-
ley; Henrietta died in 1871, aged two years
and nine months; Archie; Lorena married
Henry Flamer ; John ; Adam ; William died
in 1891, aged two years; Rachel became the
wife of Arthur Menson.