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Show The depot was built about one-tolh ,. ,lile ~outh or town. A company store was erected ncar II Ie depot. The miners would draw the major portion of their wage!' in merchandise from this store. A large number 01' people moved to \Vales _"I this time to work in the mines. A boarding house \vas built to accommodale miners who (.ame For seasonal work. The mines roved un rofitable when a et!er o'rade of coa was iscovere in ot ler ! Qrts of Utah. and the operations were cliscon. tinued. For a number of years various local men leased the mines and operated them for the local marliet. Eventually work ceased. and the abandoned mines were sold for taxes. \Vhen the mines dosed. a large number of families who had moved to Wales during the coal boom moved away. leaVing the group .of (lrigina set! ers. lese allli ies turne t leir eHorts to agriculture. The town consisted 0 about sixty families. When the people returned to Wales from Moroni in 1868. it was considered a branch of 1'10roni ward. George \V. Bradley of Moroni was Bishop. John E. Rees was his first counselor and Presiding Elder of vVales Branch. .fohn E. Rees asked John Price and Daniel Lewis to assist him as counselors. A Sunday School had been organized in 1864 before the settlers had gone to Moroni. Henry D. Rees was the superintendent. assistedby Thomas Davis and Nathaniel Edmunds. In 1869 the branch organized a Relief Society. with Margaret D. Rees as president. Mary Jones and Jemima Davis acted as counselors. This Mary Jones was the midwife for the comrmmity during her lifetime. In 1875 the Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Association was organized. Margaret W. Rees was president. and Martha Ann Rees and Hanflnh Friel were counsellors. A year later. the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association was organized by Milton Hardy and B. Morris Young. who apPointed Nathanial Edmunds as first president. \Vhen the Sanpete Stake was organized on July 4. 1877. vVales was organized as \Vales \\'ard. no longer a branch of Moroni \Vard. John E. Rees wa!' chosen bishop. with H enry D. Rces his first counselor ill II I Thomas DaYis second counselor. with Thomas Edmunds as ward derk. AFter \Val es IH!tame a ward. fvIarinda i\. Hyde of Iht! stilke organized the Primary Association on Od. 2~. 1879. , Hannah \V. Rees was president. Since that time. \Vales has had four Lish0prlcs. Upon Ihe death of John E. Rces in June. 1903. vVi/liam R. Davis was cllOsen th,~ second bishop. He selected Henry R. Thornns and Alfred J. Rees as first and secolld Counselors. Bishop Davis served until Dec. I·\' 1924. On that date. Apostle Rudger Claw~on. in conference at Moroni. set apart Fred R. Major as the third bishop. Bishop f\-lajor was teaching school in \,yales at that time. James Jensen and Soren Jacobsen were his counsellors. On Julv 24. 1929. Soren Jacobsen was apPointed bi;hop. and Lloyd Price and Lamont Andersun dS counsellors. Bishop L10\-'" Price took cha~ge of the ward in 194-1. . In March. 19c16. under the direction of Bishop Lloyd Price. ground was broken for Ihe erection of a new $26.000 chapel. which is now nearly completed. True to the music-loving characteristics of the Welsh nation. these people found expres- ' !'ion in song. David H. Rees organized a glee club. and many evenings were spent in singing at his home. Later he organized a choir in the \-"ard. At tWilight during the summer nil doors were opened so the people could listen to the singing oE the Rosser D. Thomas family. This family gathered outdoors each evening to sing the native \Velsh songs. When the Sunday Schools were organized Jubilees were arranged. Each ward would participate and during June a Jubilee was heid in Fountain Green. \Vales. or Moroni. The Bowery was built to 'accommodate the crowds. Little Theater groups were started III each settlement under the tutorship oE Aaron Johnson of Springville. The actors in \Vales were Thomas J. Rees. Helena Rees. Lavina Anderson. \Villiam \,yooIsey .•Sarah Rees. Eliza LamL. Heber Anderson. Ephraim Ander!'on. Thomas J. Midgley. and Erastus Christensen. Henrv C. Lamb was the manager. This group e;acted many dramas to entertain the townspeople. '["'0 Hunt/ree! Fourteen . _... -- " -~ . . .- ,e aM SUo I. in Ih pins few I ~HnH ·n,t:~ Thei nnd chill qua : ter i Ea(' Jon; t~a( I.) I dn ha l JIll 10( d t:rt 1)lI tl, J< III 1',· '~ . P , I' |
