A History of John Henry Meikle, from a handwritten account found in materials from Dessa Meikle, written sometime after 1937e[1]

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John Henry Meikle was born November 9^th, 1873 at Busnang, Switzerland. He was the only child of Mary Susana Barrett. He was raised in the village of Spieger in the county of Upensel.[2] After his birth he was put in a home under the care of some people by the name of Bartholdi. It was in this home where he received his first schooling. He lived in Spieger 'til 10 years of age.

 In August 1883, Henry Meikle came to America with a company of Mormon missionaries that John Leatherman was in charge of. When he got to Amsterdam he saw some people with funny looking bonnets. He thought they were very queer (Hollanders also coming to America and Utah). He sailed from Liverpool. The ocean was stormy and it took ten to eleven days to come to America. He went through the custom house at Ellis[3] Island. The people were lined up to be vaccinated and a woman in front of Henry had long tight sleeves on so the doctor slit her sleeve with a lance in order to vaccinate her.

 Henry tasted the first watermelon in Ogden and it was fed to him by the Relief Society.

 He arrived in Logan in 1883. That year was the first time he ever tasted plums and peaches. He ate them for dinner in Logan. Henry then came to Smithfield to live with his mother and Robert Meikle. He was adopted to Robert Meikle and took his name.

 Henry went to a private school where he was taught to speak English. His teacher was Ann Ainscrugh. He then went to a district school. His teachers were Lois Moorehead, Alice Toolson, William Raymond and Jim Lowe.

 One day he helped stuff a coat in the school stove pipe in order to smoke the school. They did it in order to have a day vacation to go sleigh riding. They also put cayenne pepper on the stove.

 Robert Meikle built the first tannery in CacheCounty. Robert Meikle had run a leather tannery ever since 1860. Henry would help in the tannery by grinding bark. They tanned leather for shoes and harnesses for horses. He worked there until the mill was closed up. He was then 13.

 In the fall of 1889 Robert Meikle died. Henry's mother went to SaltLake to study obstetrics[4] as a mid-wife.

 In the spring of 1890 Henry went to work for Robert Gibson doing farm work.

 In the fall he worked for William Noble and then the next fall went to work for Joseph Thomas. He ran a mowing machine putting up hay.

 The winter of 1890-91 he went to the U.A.C.[5] in Logan.

 The spring of 1891 we went to work at the Billion Buck[6] mine at Eureka. He worked there from 1891 'til 1893.

 Henry worked at a ranch in PrestonIdaho from 1893 'til 1895. At that time Preston was but a village.

 1986 'til 1897 he was at a Smuggler mine in Telluride, Colorado.

 The year of 1897 he went to TetonBasin to homestead a ranch.

 In 1898 he was married to Susie Hind in the LoganTemple by Apostle Merrill. It was so cold traveling in a wagon they put hot rocks at their feet to keep warm. In the winter of 1898 they went to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho where they lived. Henry worked at the Heckline mine in Coeur d'AleneIdaho for a year, which was the greatest lead producer in the world.

 From here they moved to TetonBasin where they homesteaded a place until 1909 when they moved to Smithfield. Here he bought a home and took up farming.

 While in the Basin he helped construct LeeCreekCanal and served as secretary. He served two terms as school trustee in CacheSchool District. He served as ward clerk of the Cache L.D.S. Ward. He assisted in building and organizing the Teton Creamery, located in Driggs, Idaho.

 He served the term of justice of the peace from 1911 to 1915 and from 1923 to 1926. He also served from 1935 to 1938. He is a member of the Mormon church and has taken part in church affairs, as a member of the choir and a member of Benson Stake high counsel.

 The winter of 1920-21 he spent in organizing a Utah State Farm Bureau Federation. He was president of the Smithfield farm bureau six or eight years. He was also instrumental in effecting the pea organization of CacheCounty.

 Henry Meikle assisted in organizing CacheCounty, DavisCounty, Seviere, Piute and part of Garfield County Farm Bureaus. In GarfieldCounty, the flu broke out and they had to return home.

 In the fall of 1937 he bought the Smithfield ice and cold storage and made it into a locker plant, which he now runs. It's now known as the Smithfield Ice and Locker Storage.

 He now has 11 living children, one dead, 15 grandchildren and one dead.

[1] This life history was originally written in pencil on notebook paper. I suspect it was written by Dessa Meikle, or perhaps by Mary Meikle. I believe it was written sometime after August of 1937, based on the statement that "he now has 11 living children, one dead."

 It was in a book of remembrance that Dessa Meikle had at the time of her death, along with histories of Mary Susan Bollinger and Susie Hind Meikle in similar handwriting and paper. Dessa Meikle's son Tad Cannon gave the book to Don Meikle, who gave it to Ted Meikle. As of October 2000, the original is in the possession of Ted S. Meikle, 10900 38^th Avenue North,Plymouth, Minnesota55441.

 This typescript was prepared by Ted Meikle October 2000. He made minor corrections to spelling and grammar. Substantial changes were footnoted.

[2] May be "Upinsil."

[3] The original said "Ellistone."

[4] Originally written "at Stetricks."

[5] Utah Agricultural College.

[6] Original says "Beck."