Moroni Alma Smith

Moroni Alma Smith 1875-1954
(Emory's Father)

My Great Great Grandfather, 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 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.

Part of the land they homesteaded and the other part they purchased. The ranch is still in the family today.

(author unknown)