Moroni Alma Smith

Emory Clarence Smith's Father

Moroni Alma Smith

Moroni Alma Smith was born in Lehi, Utah, June 27, 1875, the youngest child of Joseph Johnson Smith and Ann Coleman Smith, converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from England. As a young boy he herded cattle on the outskirts of the town of Lehi. He used to go with his father to peddle fruit in Bingham Canyon, Utah. He attended the old grad school in Lehi and later attended the Brigham Young Academy at Provo, Utah.
Moroni’s father, Joseph, brought six head of sheep to Utah when he came across the plains. These had been put out on lease until they had multiplied to about 500 head. Moroni and his two older brothers were well established in the sheep business by the time Moroni was twenty-one. He followed this career for sixty years. “Rone” as he came to be known, was a student of history and a prolific writer. He wrote a manual, which came to be a classic on the care of range sheep.
On January 2, 1903 he married Mary Blanche Beck of Highland, Utah. They lived in Heber City, Utah for nine years, moving to Salt Lake City in 1911. They had a family of nine children, seven of which grew to maturity.
His keen intelligence, high principles, courage and vision, made him a leader in the livestock industry. He fought unceasingly against what he felt was the domination of the federal government. He was a true individualist—believing in the principles of free enterprise. His practical and down to earth philosophy was a source of wise counsel and advice to family, friends and business associates.
About 1916 Blanche and Rone purchased the land known as Deep Creek, four miles east of Strawberry, and built a ranch house of logs two years later. So well was this house built that it is still in use at present, as head quarters for the Emory Smith sheep business. Although Blanche and Rone had several other ranch houses, this was always their favorite.
They were owners of the first car in Heber, an Overland.
Rone was a man of deeds also. His ranges became public examples of true conservation. He did more to improve natural resources through proper use, reseeding of desirable grasses and range improvements than any other single man in the west.
Rone had been troubled with rheumatism throughout his life and a move was made to Salt Lake City, hoping that it would not be as damp as it had been in Heber. They built a large brick home on the corner of 3rd South and 12th East. Here they were headquarters for their families and friends who came for conference or just visiting.
Rone was intensely interested in his children, always ready to give them advice while continually urging them to take an active interest in the sheep business. He was tireless in his various activities, and could not understand anyone being indifferent to whatever projects he was working on at the time.
Both Rone and Blanche held offices in the Utah and National Woolgrowers Associations, and traveled extensively to conventions. Rone had been one of the organizers of the national association. Several Times Rone went to Washington D.C. to confer with senate and house committees regarding the livestock industry. Even in the last week of his life he was writing letters to senators and representatives in Washington telling them of the concerns of western sheep men.
Sadness came to the family when their fifth son, Blaine, lived only three weeks. Several years later they lost Merrill at twenty years of age, after a long illness.
From 1926 to 1942 they were busy with their grandchildren. Throughout this time they were going through a severe financial crisis and were forced to mortgage their holdings. For several years they had a t least one of their married children living with them. World War II and the demand for more food and clothing brought about better conditions. Many gains were made during the hard years, the young wives receiving valuable housekeeping training under Blanche’s tutelage, and the friendships that developed among the grandchildren are so strong. The grandparents were affectionately called by the grandchildren “Blanche” and “M. A.”
This couple, through hard work, reared a large family with few catastrophes and passed on their virtues as hardworking, generous people with sensible philosophies of live. They brought many conveniences into the home of Blanche’s parents and gave many articles of lasting value to her brothers and sisters.
In July 1953 Rone suffered a severe hemorrhage and continued having them at intervals of six weeks until his death on July 4, 1954. He died just ten weeks after his wife, Blanche, had passed away of April 27, 1954.
Their children are as follows: Lela Fern, Leland Ray, Merrill Jacob, Evelyn Blanche, Emory Clarence, Scott Alma, Blaine, Alice Marie, and Phyllis Louise.

Miscellaneous Notes
Told by Phyllis and Dick Stewart to Ann Lambert

Moroni Alma Smith was known through out the west as an expert Sheep man. He wrote a booklet on raising sheep and published it. At age 28 he had $54,000 cash. Rockefeller had a stock offering. MA wanted to buy shares but never did. (Why)
MA as he was called, along with five other sheep men in Heber, Wasatch County, Utah leased 500,000 acres in Strawberry Valley for a summer sheep range. Later the Indians wanted to sell the land and gave it over to the Bureau of Land Management. MA had the opportunity to purchase the ranch land from Indian Territory. Each individual could purchase 360 acres so Blanche also bought 360 acres as did her two brothers. Frank Smith bought Square Top. MA was almost indicted for collusion in these purchases, but his lawyer at the time was Don B. Colton who was in the House of Representatives and the collusion was resolved.
The Deep Creek Ranch is on the Escalante Trail Sink Draw, which was part of Escalante Trail and is between Fruitland and Duschene.
MA and his brothers were among large contributors to the Chamber of Commerce Building, first called the Commercial Club on Exchange Place. It was a nightclub for a long time.
MA always dressed well. He hated gray so he never wore it. He like red straps (suspenders). Once he bought a wool suit the fabric being $5.00 a yard, which was a lot at that time. He was short of stature and later in life quite heavy. He had curly hair. He called money “rags”. Liked silver very well and always gave the grandchildren a silver dollar for Christmas. After he died his son, Scott Alma, carried on the tradition.
MA worked for ten years to stop Forest Service encroachment on the sheep range. Always contending that the sheep men would take better care of the land than the government. Cousin Alan Smith reports the fights over the land out there are the same today as when MA sent letters to every congressman from Utah every month. (Dick Stewart had to type all those letters.) He fought the government all his life. He actually had property within the forest area. Ma was responsible for the firing of the Denver Regional Forest Service Director.
The Allied Lamb Committee wanted subsidies so Taft let him make a presentation to Congress.
MA called his workers “hired men” and everyone boys. He called the grandchildren “girly” and “boy”.
At one time he gave a blessing to his wife Blanche and asked for a blessing. Gave $500 to ward budget. Always wanted to pay his way. All the children were baptized, but they were done in “batches” every few years. Scott Alma is listed as a deacon, teacher and priest.
David, Albert and MA Smith (brothers) lost over $250,000 in a new bank venture in 1921. It was actually the New Bank of Republic, which later became Continental Bank. David never recovered his health and died a few years later. MA would never lease or buy land without the mineral right. He sued the government continually. MA actually thought that since his father bought five head of sheep from Nauvoo and settled land that it should be his.
MA was a wonderful business man. He was very shrewd and his daughter Alice Marie was much like him this way. She taught business for many years and had good business sense.
Before he died he got in a fight once with Dick saying, “Boy, you haven’t done enough to get the Communists out of our government.” Dick was upset and left because after all, he had served in the US Navy.
MA always stopped in Vernal on the way to Craig to see McCoy at the local bar. He stayed for hours keeping whoever was with him waiting.
In the course of his life, Moroni Alma Smith made and lost millions of dollars. Reynold Wixom, husband of his oldest daughter, Lela, lent him money several different times. (Once in the thirties.)
In the spring each year, the boys were taken out of school early (May) to go out and work at the ranch. They came back in October. Phyllis, Alice and even Scott, who was an excellent student got to finish the spring term before they went out for the summer. They came back to town off and on, but they missed out on many of the swimming parties out to Salt Air and Black Rock.
Scott majored in accounting at the University of Utah and was in a couple of honor societies. Later he went to Wool School in the east and then bought and sold wool. He also had a herd of sheep, which John Smith later acquired. Ray ran and later owned the sheep and land in Colorado (oldest son) and Emory ran the ranch in Deep Creek. MA’s brother, Albert had sheep up by Tabiona.
The three sheep men, MA, David, and Albert were very close and visited each other very often on Sunday and had dinner. They were always together on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Meanwhile, Blanche’s parents, Jacob Stephenson Beck and Elizabeth (Healey) were in Alpine running cattle and buying land at every opportunity. They eventually owned all the land between Alpine Cemetery and the point of the mountain. Micron was built on land the family sold in 1968.
At this time (2001) Jay Smith still owns the old farmhouse and the land surrounding it. Joseph Johnson’s old blacksmith shop finally blew over in a microburst about 1996. In the basement you can still see the original foundation. The date of 1883 use to be above the front door on the gable, but has since been painted out.