WILLIAM E. RACKER. was born in Aarhus, Denmark, January 23, 1853, and was the son of Christian F. and Jacobine Racker. His father died when William E. was five months old. He spent his early life in Denmark and was educated in the schools of that country. At the age of fifteen years he emigrated to America, being the second son but now the oldest son living.

He arrived in Salt Lake City Sept. 25, 1868, where he remained for a year, the remainder of the family coming to Lehi where he joined them later. He began life in Lehi working at anything he could get to do, in the field or on the threshing machine; later he became clerk in the tithing office under Bishop David Evans, staying there seven years. At the end of that time, he accepted a position as bookkeeper with the People's Co-operative Institution, he was advanced to the position of secretary and treasurer and held that place for ten years and then was made Superintendent in 1893.

Mr. Racker was married on the 31st of March, 1873, to Miss Rozilla Evans, daughter of Bishop Evans. By this marriage twelve children have been born, nine of whom are living. Mr. Racker is a Republican in politics. He has been Treasurer of Lehi for three terms and has been prominent in all public affairs in the early days. He was one of the leading men in getting the sugar factory located in Lehi; was one of the promoters of the Lehi Commercial and Savings Bank, and a director of it for years; was president and director of the first electric light company,  in  the  north  end of Utah County; and one of the owners and builders of the Union Hotel.

Mr. Racker is a member of the L. D. S. Church and is now a high priest. In February, 1903, he went on a mission to his native country, returning in May, 1904. In August of that year he organized the Racker Merchantile Company and became president and manager. In 1906 he was re-elected president and director of the Utah County Light and Power Company, and remained an officer of that company until its consolidation with the Knight Power Company.

At the city election in the fall of 1911, he was elected Mayor of Lehi City and commenced to serve in that office on January 1. 1912, and is still serving in that capacity. When the State Bank of Lehi was organized he was chosen a director and chairman of the Executive Board of that bank.

FREDERICK EUGENE RACKER, son of William E. and Rozilla Racker, was born August 4, 1877, at Lehi, Utah. At the age of eight years he was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and at the age of twelve was ordained a deacon.

His school days were spent in the Lehi public schools. At the age of twelve he started as an apprentice in the printing business with the Lehi Publishing Company, and from the age of fourteen to the age of twenty he was engaged as teamster and clerk in the People's Co-operative Institution.

When war broke out between the United States and Spain, he was one of the first three volunteers from Lehi, and served in the Utah Cavalry during the war with Spain. Not having been engaged in any action during his enlistment in the cavalry, he again re-enlisted in the 24th Infantry and went to the Philippines with the regiment, where he participated in some six or eight engagements with the enemy. While there he was stricken down with a very severe attack of dysentery and was taken to the hospital at Manila where he remained several weeks and was then sent over to the United States, having become so weak that he had to be carried on board the ship that brought him to San Francisco. After several months treatment in the hospital in the Praesidio, he obtained his release and came home.

On the 31st of July. 1900. he was married to Miss Orpha Adams of American Fork, Utah. Soon after his marriage, he again engaged as clerk and later as a miner until June, 1904, at which time he again enlisted in the United States Army, and this time he was assigned to the 29^th infantry, Company G, and served as clerk of the company for a period of several months.

Having obtained a knowledge of printing in his youth, he was detailed as post printer and on the 12th of April, 1905, he was detailed as school teacher at the post. He was very much beloved by his comrades and highly respected by the officers of his company. On Sunday, the 23rd of April 1905, he died in the post hospital from a very acute attack of dysentery and cramps. Tuesday following he was escorted by the full garrison at Fort Douglas with great military honors, commanded by Capt. Wells, Adjutant-General and Commanding Officer of the post, the cortege being preceded by the  post Band. He died in full fellowship in the faith of the gospel, and he always had a firm belief in the principles of the same, and so expressed himself to his parents the last time he talked to them.

---

JOHN ROBERTS, JR. son of John Roberts, Sen., and Adelade Ford Roberts, was born December 20. 1848, in Woolwich. Kent, England, he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1863. and emigrated to America with his parents in 1863.

At  the  age of  14   he drove three yoke of oxen across the plains, arriving in Salt Lake City in October, 1863, and came to Lehi a month later. He went East for emigrants in 1865 and helped to bring the Thomas Taylor company to Salt Lake City. Two years later, 1867, he fought in the Black Hawk War. He spent two years freighting by team in Nevada, and for several years did teaming and farming.

He married Alice Ann Taylor, daughter of James and Ann Taylor, December 25, 1872, from which union ten children were born.

He entered the employment of the People's Co-operative Institution in 1882. He was manager of the Branch Co-op. For fourteen years, city treasurer six terms, a member of the City Council two terms, and mayor of the city one term, he served on the School Board six years, as chairman, secretary, and treasurer.

Death took his wife, Alice Ann, in the year 1895. He then married Mary Ann Cutler Standring, and in a few years was left again, she passing away in 1900. One year later he married Emma Jane Evans Taylor and has three sons from this marriage.

He has taken an active part in ecclesiastical organizations of the Church, was one of the presidents of the 68th quorum of seventies, and is at present an active block teacher and a high priest.

At the age of 65 he is still (1913) in the employment of the People's Co-operative Institution.

---

GEORGE G. ROBINSON. was born October 20, 1869, in Newcastle County, Delaware. He received his education in the public schools. At the age of 16 years he commenced to learn the milling business with McLaughlin Brothers of Newark, Delaware, going to Crosswick, N. J., in 1888 to take charge of a mill for the Eagle Roller Mill Company of that place. He came to Utah at the request of Bishop W. D. Robinson, arriving at American Fork, Utah, in December, 1890, working for W. D. Robinson upwards of five years, after which he worked for the Chipman Mercantile Company, having charge of their mill at American Fork. He leased the Lehi Roller Mills in April, 1907. running the same for twenty-seven months. He then returned to the employ of the Chipman Mercantile Company and assumed charge of their mill. In June, 1910. he moved to Lehi and bought the Lehi Roller Mills, also the home of Louis Garff. He was elected to the City Council for the two year term in November, 1911, and re-elected as the four year term councilman in 1913.   George G. Robinson was married to Beulah Adams, daughter of Joshua and Mary B. Adams of American Fork, January 2. 1894.

 

 

 

---

JOHN E. ROSS was one of the early settlers of Lehi, having arrived here in November, 1853. He has probably done more in an educational way for Lehi than any other man. Having taught in the local schools for twenty-nine years without a break. When he commenced teaching there were no free schools in Utah and his pay in the earlier days consisted of various kinds of produce. He served fourteen years as city recorder and was an excellent penman. He also served two years as city alderman. He has also been a religious worker, serving twenty-five years in the Sunday Schools.

He was an Indian war veteran, serving in the Black Hawk War in 1866. He was a teamster in his youth. In 1861 he drove four yoke of cattle across the plains, back to Florence for immigrants, and in 1864 he drove a six-mule team to Los Angeles for freight for John R. Murdock.

Mr.   Ross   was   the   son of Stephen W. and Jane Ross and was born in Newark, New Jersey, January 13. 1840 His father died when he was 9 years of age, and the year following he came with his mother to Council Bluffs, Iowa. In 1832 they came to Salt Lake City, and the year following came to Lehi. July 1, 1865 he married Amanda Norton, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wiley Norton, who were also among the first settlers of Lehi.

---

LOT  RUSSON  AND ELIZA ROUND. were born in Wetherston. Worcestershire England. Lot was born January 1. 1829, and Eliza on October 21, 1830.

Lot was a lad of 13 when his father died, and he was the support of his mother and four sisters for many years. On December 25, 1850, he married Eliza Round.

They were baptized into the Church in August, 1852. He was a collier and she made nails until their fifth child was born.

They were faithful in their church duties. In October, 1871. they emigrated to Utah with eight children, namely: Charlotte, Thomas, Mary, Sarah. Lot Jr.. Eliza, Enoch, Annie Amelia (deceased), and George E. Two were later born in Lehi: Joseph F. and Kate L. All are stalwart Latter-day Saints and have done temple work.

Brother Lot was appointed president of the elders' quorum by Apostle Erastus Snow, June 10, 1877, being the first to receive that appointment in Lehi, and was president twenty-two years. He missed only four meetings in that time.

Eliza held the office of a teacher in the Relief Society for thirty years, and died in the harness July 22, 1908, in her seventy-eighth year, surrounded by her husband and children-all except Enoch, who was doing missionary work in England. Lot is 85 years old and still hale. His posterity number at this reading eleven children, eighty-two grandchildren, and seventy-six great grandchildren, making a total of 170 souls.

---

HENRY ROYLE. one of the original pioneers of Lehi, was born in England. Very little is known of his early life. Some time in the early forties he joined the "Mormon" Church and took an active part in preaching and advocating its doctrines, being rotten-egged by hoodlums for so doing. He married a sister of David Clark, another Lehi pioneer; she soon died and left him without family.

He came to America about the year 1846, and worked two years in St. Louis, in the meantime getting together an outfit consisting of oxen, cows, and other necessities with which to cross the plains.

In the winter of 1847-1848 he married Ann Capstick, and on the 18th of March, following, they moved to St. Joseph, Missouri, from where they later started for Salt Lake City, arriving at the latter place September 21, 1848, where he built a home.

In the fall of 1848 and the following spring he made adobes and, being a mason, helped to build them into one of the first meeting houses in Salt Lake City. In the summer of 1850 in company with Canute Peterson and others, he explored the north end of Utah Valley with a  view of taking up  land and finding a suitable place for a settlement. In September of that year he came back to Dry Creek with his brother-in-law, David Clark, and while felling logs for a house, had his collar bone broken. He went back to Salt Lake and remained until spring, when he brought his wife and infant daughter, (Mrs. Sarah A. Olmstead), to Lehi and lived for a time in a covered wagon box. On June 22. 1851, his son, Henry Moroni, was born, being the first white male child to see the light of day in Lehi. After a brief illness, he died July 8, 1852, aged about thirty-two years.

ANN CAPSTICK ROYLE. the daughter of Ann and Christopher Capstick, was born July 26, 1812, at Old Mutton, Bridge End, north of Westmoreland, England. Her mother died December 31, 1836; her father died in August, 1841.

In 1842, with her sister, Jane, she came to America. In 1843. July 30, she was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Newark, Connecticut. A short time after she made the acquaintance of Henry Royle, whom she married in the winter of 1847. March 18, 1848, they left St. Louis, where they had been residing and located at St. Joseph, Missouri; from there they left for Salt Lake City with an ox  team,  arriving  in Utah on the 21st of September, 1848. There they built a home on a city lot. September 22, 1849. their first child, Sarah Ann, was born. In the spring of 1851 they moved to Lehi. June 22. 1851, their son, Henry Moroni, was born. July 8, 1852, after a short sickness, her husband died. November 9, 1852, she married John Mercer of American Fork, Utah. October 6, 1853, she gave birth to her daughter, Martha (Mrs. James Kirkham). On March 8. 1860, her husband. John Mercer, died. In the fall of 1861 she married Samuel Mulliner. After living with Samuel Mulliner for a year or two, her children built her a home next to the residence of her daughter, Martha Kirkham, where she remained until her death, July 7, 1879.