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Ucon Ward
UCON WARD, Idaho Falls Stake, Bonneville Co., Idaho, (formerly Willow Creek Ward) consists of Latter-day Saints residing in a fertile district of the Snake River Valley, lying east of Snake River. The center of the ward is ten miles by road northeast of Idaho Falls. Most of the [p.894] Latter-day Saints residing in Ucon Ward are engaged in farming, gardening and stockraising. The ward has a brick chapel and a frame recreation hall; a high school is also located within the ward boundaries.
The first settlers in that part of the country now included in the Ucon Ward were John R. Heath and Jesse Cleverly, who located there as early as July, 1883. Other settlers arrived in 1884, and on June 12, 1885, the saints in that locality were organized as a branch of the Church (formerly a part of the Rigby Ward) with Jesse Cleverly as presiding Priest. In 1887 the locality was attached to the Eagle Rock Ward with Reuben Coles as presiding Elder. The Willow Creek Branch was organized as a bishop’s ward Aug. 11, 1888, with Alphonzo Burt Simmons as Bishop. He was succeeded in 1909 by John A. Woolf, who in 1913 was succeeded by James C. Godfrey, who died Dec. 15, 1914, and was succeeded in 1915 by Hyrum R. Kirkham, who in 1916 was succeeded by Robert Andrus, who presided Dec. 31, 1930. On that date the Ucon Ward had a membership of 662, including 159 children. The total population of the Ucon Precinct was 825 in 1930, of which 349 resided in the town of Ucon. In 1914 the name of the ward was changed from Willow Creek to that of Ucon, a name suggested by the railroad people.
“Udgorn Seion Neu Seren Y Saint”
“UDGORN SEION, NEU SEREN Y SAINT” (Zion’s Trumpet, or Star of the Saints) was a periodical published in the Welsh language in the interest of the Church, as a continuation of the “Prophwyd y Jubili.” The first number of “Udgorn Seion” was dated January, 1849, printed on a sheet of the same size as its predecessor. Volume I consisted of 12 numbers of 20 pages each; Vol. 2 contained 12 numbers or 346 pages; Vol. 3 (published semi-monthly) contained 25 numbers or 416 pages; Vol. 4, containing 25 numbers or 416 pages, was published in 1852; Vol. 5, containing 26 numbers or 416 pages, and Vol. 6, containing 27 numbers and 432 pages, were published in 1853; Vol. 7, containing 39 numbers and 620 pages, was published in 1854; Vol. 8, containing 26 numbers and 408 pages, was published in 1855; Vol. 9, containing 26 numbers or 458 pages, was published in 1856, and Vol. 10, containing 26 numbers or 408 pages, was published in 1857. It seems that a Vol. 11 was commenced in January, 1858, but that only two numbers, dated respectively Jan. 9 and 16, were published. The publication of “Udgorn Seion” was then suspended.
Until 1854 “Udgorn Seion” was printed and published in Merthyr Tydfil, but in said year the office was moved to Swansea (Abertawy), where it remained until the publication of the periodical ceased. Besides the two periodicals (“Prophwyd y Jubili” and “Udgorn Seion”) the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and a number of pamphlets and tracts were published in the interest of the Church in the Welsh language.