Edward Phillips and the founding of Kaysville

The founding myth of Kaysville goes something like this: John Green and Edward Phillips were traveling north to Weber County when they were waylaid by snow, spending the night with Samuel Holmes. Holmes talked the two into settling nearby--and the three became the first Mormon settlers in the Kaysville area.

Edward and Hannah
Simmons Phillips

Here is the story, and a lot more about the early history of Mormon settlers in Kaysville, as told by one of the key participants, Edward Phillips:

In the winter of 1849-50 John H. Green and myself started north to hunt a farm. We traveled to the north extremity of the county (what is now Davis County) to the sandridge until we encountered snow so deep and frozen so hard that we could not travel farther. We concluded to return (rather than perish) to find shelter. We had intended going as far as Ogden finding us a farm, but the snow prevented us from doing so. We went back and stayed over night with S. O. Holmes.

The "sandridge" is the high sandy ridge located just south of the Weber River, approximately where Hill Air Force Base is now located.

We concluded the creek was the best place we had seen and returned in the spring of 1850. On or about April 10, 1850, I started with my family for what is now Kaysville Creek, but which many at present call Kay's Creek, but I arrived one day previous to Bishop Kay.

Fremont's Map of 1849-50 shows the Phillips, Holmes, and Haight farms.The survey has a number of interesting problems and errors, including the location of the main road and the creeks. Creeks are more or less correct as they leave the mountain canyons, and also as they intersect the three farms shown. But the wrong canyon is connected the wrong farm in a fairly comically incorrect way. More on that later.
Click for full sized version. Full, zoomable map online here. Source.

We settled there on Sandy Creek in Frosoloscey's survey which we called Phillips Creek. In a day or two after our arrival on what is now Kay's Creek, we took our plows and started about the same time. We had five bushels of club head wheat each, which we sowed broadcast. I sowed mine on six acres. Brother Kay sowed his on five. We plowed land for farming side by side, being about equal in quality. I raised two hundred fifty bushels from my six. He raised two hundred ten from his five.

I believe that "Frosoloscey's Survey" is a reference to the 1855 survey of Joseph Troskolawski, the first federal land survey of the area. If so, he is simply referring to the survey as a way to identify the area and the creek, not saying that they initially located the area or named the creek based on this survey--which happened some years after Phillips settled in the area:

1855 Survey of the Kaysville-Layton area by Joseph Troskolawski.
This is part of the first federal survey made in Utah. Note early roads and streams, including a road from Phillips farm to the immigrant camp area near the main road, and another from Kay's Fort to the Bluff Road.

Phillips, Holmes, and Haight were all located along the Bluff Road whereas Kay's Fort and the immigrant camp are located on the main road--later Utah Territorial Highway 1 and today Main Street/Hwy 273.

"Kay's Fort" is located near downtown Kaysville today. However, the fort was actually oriented strictly on the points of the compass, not skewed at a 45 degree angle as shown here.

I'll have more to say about this interesting survey and map later. Click for full-sized version

President Young paid us a visit after we had harvested our crop and he wanted to know how much I had raised. I told him two hundred and fifty bushel. I[He?] was asked why his[my?] crop was the best on the creek that season and I said it was due to the prayers I offered at the time of planting. He told of this in a sermon on the stand in the Salt Lake City Tabernacle, to try and show the increase.

This was done without a fence, but we had to stand guard night and day to watch as well as pray; for there were from one to two hundred cattle turned out every night about a mile above us belonging to emigrants who were on their way to the California gold diggings.

The land generally to the north and to the east of the Holmes, Phillips, and Haight farms had been used as open range by Mormon settlers from 1847 onwards, and now, apparently from 1849 onwards by California immigrants who were traveling through the area.


The location "about a mile above us" is almost certainly the point where the main road crossed Kay's Creek. Today this area is near the intersection of Main Street and Gentile in Layton and very near the Layton Frontrunner Station. This was likely an inviting spot to camp, with water and feed for the livestock both available near the road.

Near the location of immigrant camp area, today.Kay's Creek runs through the line of trees at the back of the field.
(Google Streetview)

If this area was used as a camping and grazing area for immigrant wagon trains, it would have been about 1 mile northeast of Phillips farm ("above"--i.e., directly upstream from Phillips) and 1.5 miles west of the Boynton Farm (see locations marked on the 1855 land survey, above). Livestock would easily have strayed 1-2 miles overnight, and so this documents one of the first known uses of the Boynton Farm area in the Mormon settlement era--as open range for livestock.

It also presents one of the first opportunities for the discovery of Kay's Cross by Mormon settlers or by California immigrants. If the Cross existed at this time--and that's a big if--it most certainly would have been discovered by one of the settlers or livestock drovers.

If this had been discovered in a hidden Holmes Creek glen in 1850, would the
discovery had gone un-announced? It seems unlikely . . .

And if it had been discovered, it most certainly would have been widely discussed and written about. A large Christian cross in a secluded hollow, apparently built by native Americans? That would have been a topic of discussion far too juicy to pass by . . .

The country north of us for almost twenty miles was covered with a luxuriant growth of grass. We called it bunch grass. In the fall of the year, it would wave in the breeze like a grain field. It was rich for wintering stock. That is now a dry farming country, raising from 15 to 25 bushels of wheat per acre. . . .

The area north of--and higher than--Kay's Creek had no available water in the early days. It took many decades and development of extensive canals before irrigation water was available in this area. Before irrigation was available, the land was only useful to them as open range for livestock. So dry farming the area was an important innovation by area settlers--and one they took with them to other places, for example, the Mormon settlements in Albert.

In 1850 I carried a chain for Surveyor Lemon form [from] the first creek south to our settlement, the first survey in this ward. After this, Jesse Fox was our surveyor.

I am not certain who "Surveyor Lemon" is, or if that 1850 survey is available.

The summer of 1850, I built a log house being the year the Ward was organized. The following summer, I built another and in 1853, I built the first adobe house in Kaysville Ward, consisting of three rooms. . . .

Edward Phillips home at 358 W. Center, Kaysville.
Figures near the center may be Edward and Hannah. Note stone construction--similar to Kay's Cross, and quite common in construction by Mormon settlers throughout the Kaysville area, after the "log cabin" era.
Utah Historical Society

In 1855, President Young counciled us to build a meeting house about two miles east of where we had settled. We selected a spot at which place there was a military post, the commander being Captain Joseph Taylor. We united with him for protection against Indians and walled in a fort about covering sixty acres. Some of the walls of which are still standing today. In this fort we had the foundation of the meeting house. The dimensions being 90 by 45 feet which is in a good state of preservation today. It was commenced in the winter of 1855 and 1856 and completed in 1862. About this time we were advised by the President of the Church to enlarge our fort sufficiently to make a city of it. After doing this, we built a wall around the whole of it consisting of one hundred twenty acres or a quarter of a section.

Our location was a beautiful one being between the Wasatch Mountains and Great Salt Lake. About six miles of rolling country between and from ten to fifteen miles from North to South. . . .

Location of Phillips Farm, 2016, view to the east
Kay's Creek is in the row of trees to the right; today's Angel Street approximates historic Bluff Road
(Google Streetview)

My farm where I first settled consists of one hundred acres divided into twelve fields with the intention of carrying the sheep industry. I have three artesian well[s]. One averaging three gallons a minute, one seven, and the largest 70-75 gallons per minute. This one supplies a fish pond which is well supplied with carp. I have lived to be nearly eighty years, to see the third generation. I have had eighteen children of whom thirteen lived to marry; ninety-nine grandchildren and some great grandchildren.

Connection to Kay's Cross and the Boynton Farm:  Phillips was one of the first settlers in the Kaysville area. He lived about 3 miles west of the Boynton Farm. He is among the first Mormon settlers to run livestock on the open range in the area, including the Boynton Farm.

He is also one of the first Mormon settlers with the opportunity to discover Kay's Cross--if it existed at that time--or build it, if it did not yet exist. In that regard, it is very interesting that Phillips had worked in the rock quarry for the Nauvoo Temple--and later built the first adobe house in Kays Ward. He may have been among the first in the area with the knowledge and ability to build a somewhat complex stone and mortar monument. He also built the stone house below--very similar to Kay's Cross in materials and construction.

Is the complete lack of discussion and mention of Kay's Cross by early Mormon settlers sufficient proof that Kay's Cross did not exist at that time? Or do we need more definitive proof?