Page 2 – The Idaho Enterprise (Newspaper), Thursday, July 19, 1962. 

In conjunction with the forthcoming opening of the new building of J.N. Ireland and Company, Bankers, this is one of the series of articles which will be published concerning the bank’s history and its founders. 

Lorenzo Lloyd Evans 

Lorenzo Lloyd Evans came from a pioneer Mormon family. His mother, Gwen Lloyd,  

native of Wales, was married in that country to Daniel R. Roberts. In 1846, as converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they embarked for the United States in a small vessel, landing at New Orleans. From that port they took passage on a river steamer for Council Bluffs, Iowa, where the Mormon people were preparing for their long trek westward. Cholera broke out on the steamer and Mr. Roberts and their infant son fell victims to the disease. Undaunted by the death of her husband and baby the young widow continued her journey to Council bluffs where she spent the ensuing year. Her parents tried to persuade her to return to Wales, but she declined their assistance and refused to be turned from her purpose of accompanying one of the Mormon trains to Utah. 

From her slender funds Mrs. Roberts bought a cow and, in the early part of 1848, she joined forces with an emigrant who owned an ox. The cow and the ox were hitched to a wagon and the caravan started. The young mother walked the entire distance across the plains, as did her two little daughters, Catherine and Eliza, ages six and eight. Her little three-year-old son, John, was allowed to ride in the wagon occasionally, but often had to be carried by his mother. 

After a short stay in Salt Lake City, Mrs. Roberts moved to Brigham City and there met Captain David D. Evans, who had come to Utah in 1847. He had been a sea captain and had made frequent voyages between Liverpool and Portland, Maine. In 1851 Mrs. Roberts and Captain Evans were married at Brigham City. five children were born to this union, two dying in infancy. Lorenzo Lloyd Evans was the youngest child in the family. He was born at Brigham City on October 15, 1857. In 1860 Captain Evans died suddenly. Mrs. Evans and her six children continued to reside at Brigham City until 1871. 

At this time Mrs. Evans began looking for a place where her boys would have a better chance to make a living. Hearing that land could be homesteaded in Idaho at a reasonable price, she investigated and decided to look into it further. She sent two boys up through Cache Valley and the other two went with her up through what is now Bear River Valley and they were to meet at Malad where the daughter, Eliza, was living. 

Malad was a wild, unsettled town at that time with no law or order and the mother was fearful of raising her boys under these conditions, but she felt it was the opportunity she was looking for, despite the obstacles. She sold her farm in Brigham City and moved to Malad and filed on 160 acres of land four miles north of Malad proper. They dug a cave in the side hill, covered the front with willows and called it home. 

Lorenzo was 13 years old when the family arrived in Malad. He assisted with the farm work in the summer and attended school in the winter. It is related that he started his long business career as a boy of 13 by catching fish in a stream through this homestead. A stage station near the farm offered a market for the fish and with the first $7.00 obtained from their sale, he bought a calf. This was his start as a stock raiser and the nucleus of the vast herds that made him one of the large cattlemen of southern Idaho. 

When Lorenzo was old enough to handle an ox team he obtained employment as a freighter between Corinne, Utah, and Butte, Montana. Here, also, his natural aptitude as a trader asserted itself, as he would purchase milch cows in Utah, herd them along the trail with his ox team and then sell them to the miners in Montana. He would milk them along the way and have fresh milk. 

He obtained his elementary education in Brigham City and Malad and he also attended the University of Deseret, now the University of Utah. 

In the early 70’s a partnership was formed by David L. and Lorenzo when they purchased the stock and holdings of the bankrupt church cooperative store. 

David L. was teaching school in Malad and Lorenzo in Samaria. They used their school salaries to supplement the earnings of the store and they did the janitor work, bookkeeping, and buying of merchandise during the hours after school and before bedtime. In a few years, however, they were forced to give their entire attention to business, and then began the expansion which gave them interest in banks, merchandising establishments, packing houses, power plants, livestock and vast holdings of real estate. With his associates, D. L. Evans, D. W. Standrod, W. G. Jenkins and J. N. Ireland, he helped organize a dozen banks in southern Idaho and northern Utah. 

In 1879 Lorenzo married Matilda Lusk, daughter of another pioneer family. Twelve children were born to this union, four dying in infancy. Those growing to maturity were Esther (Mrs. R. B. Davis); Sara (Mrs. G. G. Sweeten); L. L. Jr.; Roland L.; Grover C. ; Paul; Milton L. and Mildred (Mrs. S. M. Chadburn). 

While residing at Malad, “Colonel” Evans, as he was affectionately called, had taken a leading part in community and business affairs. He served on the school board, took a leading part in securing the right of way for the railway when it came to Malad, and took an active part in Democratic politics. 

In 1907 Colonel Evans purchased the holdings of Campbell & Stebbins, pioneer merchants at American Falls. He moved his family there and from that time became a leading citizen of that area. He was active in the preliminary work to have the government dam constructed at American Falls. He took a continued interest in education and was one of the organizers of the American Falls school district. He represented Power County in the State Senate in 1917 and 1918, and on two subsequent occasions declined his party’s nomination for the governorship. 

In 1928 Colonel Evans was elected to the Idaho House of Representatives, and two years later was elected State Senator. In 1932 he was re-elected to serve his third term in the Senate, and was occupying the office when his death occurred. Regarded as one of the elder statesmen of his party, he wielded a wide influence during the last session of the State Legislature. 

Lorenzo Lloyd Evans passed away at American Falls, Idaho, on March 22, 1934, at the age of 77. Mrs. Evans had died 20 years previously, Nov. 2, 1914.