Building Faith and Community: The First Hunter Ward Meetinghouse

In the early 1880s, the settlers of Hunter, Utah turned faith, hard work, and neighborly cooperation into a gathering place that served as both church and schoolhouse for nearly two decades.

From hauling adobe bricks and lumber to donating groceries as payment, families like the Evans, Morris, Jones, and Rushton clans built more than a building — they built the roots of a lasting community.

Early History of the Hunter Ward — Salt Lake County, Utah

Around 1881, LDS ward teachers began visiting families in the Hunter area, with Joseph Morris remembered as one of the first to serve.

At that time, the Saints of Hunter traveled to Pleasant Green (now Magna) to attend church meetings. By 1882, however, the small but growing community began holding its own services in a modest log building near what is now 3650 South and 6400 West. That May, they organized their first Sunday School with John Thomas Evans as superintendent, assisted by William Miller and Rasmus Nielson.

On April 27, 1885, a public meeting was held to plan the construction of a dedicated church building. The chosen site was at the southeast corner of 6000 West and 3500 South in Hunter. A building committee was appointed, including John Thomas Evans, Alfred A. Jones, Joseph Morris, Gideon Rolfe, and Rasmus Nielson. Generous donations of time, labor, and materials came from these men and other community members, including Thomas Jones, James Cochrane, Edward Rushton, Laronzo Day, Henry Moore, and Hiram M. Groesbeck. The new meetinghouse would measure 42 feet by 22 feet, at a cost of about $1,100 — a significant sum for the time.

With money scarce, the community found creative ways to fund and build the church. Rasmus Nielson provided groceries to pay workers, Laronzo Day donated a load of lumber, and adobe bricks were made locally in Hunter and Pleasant Green. The interior adobes were produced on the Hammer Ranch, while others came from the Point of the West Mountains, made by Jenson and Kilpack. Masons George Morris, Alfred Ridges, Walter Northern, and William Ridd completed the stonework.

Joseph Morris oversaw the carpentry, working alongside John Thomas Evans, Bishop William Miller, William Ridd, and Gideon Rolfe. William X. Jones and his son Frank handled the plastering, and Wadsworth Bennett painted the building.

A vestry (small meeting room) was originally built on the west side but was later converted into a stage for community plays and gatherings. The vestry was then relocated to the east side. Local lore recalls that during the first stage performance, a painter named Mr. Anderson, who had painted the scenery and curtains, stole the actors’ clothing — leaving them with nothing but their costumes! He was later caught in a Salt Lake City rooming house with two suitcases full of stolen clothes.

By February 14, 1886, the meetinghouse was far enough along that the community held a dance inside, and soon after, regular worship services began. The building served as both a church and a schoolhouse for the first five years and remained a vital gathering place for about sixteen years.

In the spring of 1886, John Thomas Evans was called as Presiding Priest (Branch President) over the Hunter Branch. On August 26, 1888, the branch officially became the Hunter Ward under the direction of Apostle John W. Taylor, with William Miller sustained as bishop and John Thomas Evans and Alfred A. Jones as counselors. On January 29, 1894, Joseph Morris was called to serve as Second Counselor in the bishopric.

This simple adobe building — built through sacrifice, neighborly cooperation, and faith — laid the foundation for Hunter’s strong community spirit for generations to come.