To write a brief history of this Century farm, I will have to start with my Grandfather, Thomas A. Davis, who was the first owner of this farm in this family. 

He was the sixth child of my Great Grandparents, Titus and Mary Bowen Davis. Born on June 10, 1849 in Cardiganshire, Wales. In the year 1858 Thomas A. and all of his family, except his Mother and one- 8 yr. old brother, Jenkin Davis, joined the L.D.S. church. 

In 1863 all the family except their Mother and younger brother, Jenkin, left Wales and came to America. He was 13 years old. After landing in America they immediately began packing and preparing for the journey across the plains. Late that fall on Oct. 8, 1863, after a long, hard journey across the plains. They landed in Salt Lake City. From there they migrated north to Willard, Utah. He worked as an apprentice for a man in the Blacksmith business for $12.00 per year. He worked there for 2 yrs, and then went to work for his brother-in-law on a cattle ranch, doing farm work and herding cattle. He worked for this man for a number of years. And then homesteaded a ranch of his own. On April 10, 1871, being 22 years old, he married Margaret E. Davis, a girl with the same last name as his. They then built them a home and lived on this ranch, they had homesteaded. 

They became the parents of eleven children, seven girls and four boys.  

They lived here for approximately 16 years And in 1887 they sold the farm and moved to Henderson Creek, Idaho, about 9 miles south of Malad, Idaho. Here he bought a ranch that is still in the family after 105 years. It is owned by his Grandson, Thomas Glen and Thelma Ward Price and their family. 

My Grandparents owned almost a hundred head of cattle and some horses, and raised hay and grain. They bought the farm from a man named Henderson from which the community was named after. 

It had a nice stream of water, which came from the foot of the mountain just east of the farm. The spring was also named “Henderson Creek Spring”. Four men had proved upon the land to the north, south, and directly below this spring. They were John Jones, Benjamin Williams, the “Moon” brothers and Mr. Henderson, who proved upon this farm. Each one got one fourth of the stream, which was 50 minor inches of water a piece. 

A few years ago the State built a new Interstate I-15 above the farm. They built us a large concrete divide up by the spring. I now have my forth [fourth] of the water coming down in a pipe line to the bottom of the farm. This gives me gravity pressure and can run two –  ¼ mile sprinkler lines. 

The farm has a lot of large Black Willow trees on it, so it was named “The Willow Grove Farm” years ago, and still goes by this name. 

Grandfather Davis owned and operated this farm until 1912. The last few years that he was on the ranch, T.A. went into politics. He was elected Representative for two years and then was elected a Senator. After filling these two appointments, President William McKinley appointed him as the Mineral Commissioner for the State of Idaho. After finishing these appointments he retired from farming and built them a new home in Malad City. It was built just south of the old Stake Tabernacle, which is now the 2nd, and 5th wards, on the corner where you turn to go down to the train depot. This is where they both lived the rest of their lives. He then sold the ranch to one of his daughters and her husband, Lee and Ellen Hall. They owned it until 1920 when Uncle Lee died. In March of 1922, she sold it to her sister and her husband, Thomas D. and Blodwen D. Price, whom are my parents. They operated this farm until January 1, 1944 when I, Glen Price and my wife bought it. 

We are still owners, excepting 80 acres that we sold to our oldest son, Monte G. Price and his wife Monique. 

There have been a lot of improvements made since 1922. The house has been remodeled and built on twice. Out buildings such as chicken coops, machine sheds, granaries etc. have been built. A large reservoir which my Father irrigated from till I put in the field sprinkling system. The farm is run very similar to what it was when it first came into this family. 

A range permit for 98 head of cows and calves, and we raise hay and grain and a few saddle horses. Of course the farm equipment has changed very much in the last 50 years. 

My Grandparents both lived in their new home till their death. Grandmother died on October 29, 1921, and Grandfather on April 21, 1926. They are both buried in the Malad City Cemetery. My parents, T.D. and Blodwen Price moved to Ogden, Utah when I bought the farm in 1944 and they bought them a new home there. They both enjoyed their new home and lived happily there for nearly 30 years. Mother passed away in 1973 and my Father in 1975. They are both buried in their family plot in the Malad City Cemetery. 

We have a hot spring on the lower part of the farm, where the water stays at 92° all the time. My Mother thought so much of this spring, and she liked to go swimming there. She said it was like going in a hot tub. 

Since I retired in 1984 and we leased the farm to our son, we have been fixing it up down there. 

We hold the Price Family Reunion down there, and in the last few years there have been a lot of other families holding their reunions there also. We have built a large pavilion where a large crowd can sit under to eat and relax and also dance. Also dressing rooms, restrooms and four sleeping rooms for those who don’t have trailers or motor homes. We also have slickery slides into the water, and merry-go-round, swings and a dunking tank for entertainment for the children. 

This farm used to have a large fruit orchard up behind the house. Apples of different varieties, pears, plums, cherries, and chokecherries. A lot of the trees have died and been pulled out, except for a few apples, chokecherries and pears. We still ‘can’ some of the fruit, but not as much as they used to years ago. 

Milk cows were a large percent of the income for many years on this farm. In 1887, when Grandfather Davis bought the place he milked about 15 head and my father milked 20 or more. He had a large barn and it had two milking sections in it that we kept full about all the time. There were five children in the family and we all pitched in and helped milk as we got old enough. Later on in years and after I purchased the farm, milking machines came along, which made it a lot easier and faster. My parents also had a chicken Brooder Coop where they raised little chickens every spring, and a large chicken coop which they kept it full of 400 laying hens. This helped a lot with the family income. 

I milked a bunch of cows for a number of years until I took a job off the farm. They made dairying unfeasible where I had to work shift work, so I sold all my heifers and cows and haven’t milked cows since. 

I worked for Thiokol Corp. for 23 years and then retired from there and the farm. We leased the farm to our two sons. We kept our home on the farm where we live in the summer and helped the boys on the farm, to have something to do and to get some exercise. We have been going to Southern Utah in the winter months which we enjoy very much. 

In the year of 1990, the 100 year old Centennial of the State of Idaho, we received a certificate and large Century Farm Poster for having a farm that had been in the same family for 100 years or longer. This farm has been ino our family for 105 years. 

This History of the past owners of this Century farm has been compiled by T. Glen Price, the son of Thomas D. Price and the grandson of Thomas A. Davis, the first owner –starting in 1887 and is still in the family. 

I have written this History of the Davis and Price Century Farm, hoping that someday in the future my posterity might enjoy reading about their Great and Great-Great Grandparents, and what they went through to obtain and settle this part of the West. 

Signed by Thomas Glen Price 

Thomas Glen Price 

Malad, Idaho – 1991