Mesa’s Beginning
The Jones (Lehi) Company
1875
In late 1876 Mormon Church officials asked Daniel
Webster Jones to lead a colonizing party south
into Mexico. Jones stated he did not want the
responsibility because he was a man of quick
decisions which could make people angry and
create problems. He instead offered to go with a
party as a guide. Although his original destination
was Mexico, Jones was authorized to stop sooner
if a more suitable site was found.
1877
On January 17th, 1877, The Jones Company formed
at St. George, Utah to begin their journey south.
Left:Isaac Turley was the wagon master for the Lehi Party’s migration
to the Mesa area.
Middle:Daniel W. Jones led the Lehi Party that established the first
settlement in the Mesa area.
Right:Henry C. Roger of the Lehi Party helped select the site of the
original Lehi settlement.
The Journey to Jonesville
The company made the difficult trip through
Santa Clara onto Stone’s Ferry, the principal
crossing between Utah and Arizona. It was
a dangerous crossing and the company was
charged $10 per wagon to cross. Once across the
Colorado River the company traveled through
Prescott making their way towards Phoenix. On
March 6th, 1877 the 22 wagon train was bound
for its final destination. Upon arrival at their new
settlement, which today is the corner of Lehi Rd
and Horne, Daniel Jones said: “This land, is ours
for the taking.”
First Water
The company wasted no time getting to work
making a rough layout of the proposed Utah
Ditch the night of their arrival. Henry Rogers
was appointed to oversee the work on the canal
and his brother, Ross, was directed to survey the
waterway. Using just a straightedge and spirit
level, Ross and Rogers determined the exact
point to locate the canal head. The men labored
long hours and they employed the local Native
Americans to help complete the canal. In six
weeks, water was flowing into the new ditch and
over a few acres of corn and other garden cops.
Establishing the Community
The patriarchs of the families within the Jones
Company, looked over the land and it was decided
a quarter section (160 acres) would be claimed
by each man. Each quarter section would have
one share in the canal, and all land would receive
an equal amount of water. The custom among
colonizing Mormons was to establish a town site
where everyone lived. The settlement would be
located at the intersection of the four quarter
sections claimed by Daniel Jones, Philemon
Merrill, Thomas Biggs and Henry Rogers.
Planning the Community
The proposed site was
to be built around
a public square, with
four side streets. Main
Street,
ran
North
and South and an
intersecting street ran
East and West. Eight
large block of 10 acres
were to be laid out
with smaller streets
behind used for hauling
heavy material or farm
products into town.
Jonesville
Pioneers named the original camp-site Camp
Utah. The new town site was known as Fort Utah
or Utahville. In 1880, it became widely known as
Jonesville, which is still the most common name
associate with the early Lehi colony.
Trouble in the Settlement
Before much of the land had been cultivated
trouble came to the settlement. Many of the
men disliked Daniel Jones’ friendship with the
local Native Americans. When Jones invited
Native Americans to build their homes at the
fort, some of the people in Fort Utah staged a
revolt. In August 1877 the families of Philemon
Merrill, George Steele, Joseph McRae and Austin
Williams left the company to settle on the San
Pedro River. The Jones, Biggs, Brady and Turley
families remained.
Growing a Community
Zula Pomeroy
Thomas Biggs
Though there were troubles in the community, the town grew. In the spring of
1878 Thomas Biggs began building the town’s first separate home. That same
year a school established with Zula Pomeroy as the first teacher. In November
1880 the town site was surveyed by Henry Rogers who created a six-block plan
for the town. A natural disaster stopped completion of this plan. On February
19th, 1891 the Salt River reached its highest point and three days later the river
rose 3 more feet completely engulfing the low-lying areas of what is now Lehi.
The flood put a stop to all other work as the badly damaged canals needed vast
amounts of repairs.
Departure of Daniel Jones
Daniel Jones’s friendship with the Native
Americans continued to cause problems at
the town site. Other problems including Jones
request to President Rutherford B. Hayes to give
the Native Americans the entire land of the Salt
River Valley only created more trouble at the site.
Jones tried to establish harmony in the colony,
but he finally decided it would be best if he left.
He sold his land, gathered his possessions, and
moved to the Tonto Rim country near Payson.
The Future of Jonesville
On May 26th, 1884
the remaining group
at Jonesville changed
the settlement name
and the name Lehi
was formally adopted.
A post office was
set up there with
James L. Patterson as
postmaster. In 1970
Lehi would become
part of Mesa.
First Post Office on Main Street.
For more information on Mesa’s history please visit
us at http://www.valleyhistoryinc.com/