Wards and Branches of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Bear River Stake, Utah

This page includes the boundaries of wards and branches as of about 1930, a timeline history, and how to obtain the records.

Bear River Stake
Stake Boundaries as of about 1930's See Encyclopedic History..., p. 49-50.


 * Area of the County: Northeastern part of Box Elder County
 * Headquarters in: Garland, UT
 * Boundaries of stake:

Northeastern part of Box Elder County, Utah, in Bear River Valley, also called Bear River Flat. Headquarters at Garland, Utah.


 * North: Malad Stake, Idaho
 * South: Box Elder Stake, Utah
 * East: the Wasatch Mountains
 * West: Curlew Stake, Idaho

History Timeline up to about 1930


 * 1908 - The Bear River Stake of Zion was created Oct. 11, 1908, by taking the north part of the Box Elder Stake and the south part of the Malad Stake, Idaho, and organizing a new stake.
 * 1908 - Thus at its organization, the new Bear River Stake consisted of ten wards.

Obtain the Records

 * List of church and other records at the Family History Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Wards and Branches
Beaver, Bothwell, Centerdale Branch, Deweyville, East Garland, Elwood, Fielding, Garland, Howell, Penrose, Plymouth, Riverside, Thatcher and Tremonton.

Beaver Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 53-54.

Boundaries:

Beaver Ward, Bear River Stake, Box Elder Co., Utah, consists of the Latter-day Saints residing on a tract of land lying east of Bear River and extending eastward to the summit of the mountains dividing Cache Valley from Bear River Valley; south it extends to the Deweyville Ward and west to Bear River.

History timeline


 * 1872 - About 1872 the L. D. S. meetings at the Beaver Dam settlement were under the direction of the bishopric of Deweyville.
 * 1877 - The Box Elder Stake of Zion was organized in 1877 and the branch at Beaver Dam, was part of the Deweyville Ward.
 * 1892 - Branch was organized into the Beaver Ward.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the Family History Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Bothwell Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 79-80.

Boundaries:

Bothwell Ward, Bear River Stake, Box Elder Co., Utah, comprises the Latter-day Saints residing in that part of Box Elder Co. lying under the Bothwell Canal (Bear River Canal) adjacent to Point Lookout, on the west side of Bear River Valley. The center of the ward is about 12 miles northwest of Bear River City, 23 miles, via Corinne, northwest of Brigham City, and about four miles southwest of Garland, the stake headquarters.

History timeline


 * 1894 - A branch of the Church was organized June 14, at Point Lookout and given the name of Roweville Branch.
 * 1898 - On June 26, the Roweville Branch was organized into a ward named Bothwell.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the Family History Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Centerdale Branch
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 126.

Boundaries:

Centerdale Branch, Bear River Stake, Box Elder Co., Utah, consists of a few families of Latter-day Saints residing in the north end of the so-called Blue Creek country and on the ridge separating Blue Valley from the Pocatello Valley lying west of Bear River Valley and originally constituting a part of the Howell Ward.

History timeline


 * 1914 - The branch was organized in 1914 with a presiding Elder.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the Family History Library. *For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Deweyville Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 192-193.

Boundaries:

Deweyville Ward, Bear River Stake, Box Elder Co., Utah, consists of Latter-day Saints residing in the village of Deweyville and adjacent farms at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains, about 15 miles north of Brigham City and eight miles southeast of Garland. North the ward extends to Collinston, east to the mountains, south to Honeyville and west to Bear River.

History timeline


 * 1869 - on Aug. 15, the saints in that locality (including those who had located at Hampton’s Bridge) and, in fact, all the saints in Box Elder County living north of these points, were organized as a branch of the Church.
 * 1877 - On Aug. 19, the Deweyville Branch was organized as the Deweyville Ward.
 * 1892 - In 1892 the Deweyville Ward was divided into two wards, the south part retaining the name of Deweyville, and the north part being organized as a separate ward called Beaver Ward.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the Family History Library. *For additional resources, see Church History Library.

East Garland Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 205.

Boundaries:

East Garland Ward, Bear River Stake, Box Elder Co., Utah, consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in a district of country lying between Bear River on the east and Malad River on the west, extending north and south about 2 1/2 miles. The center of the ward is four miles northeast of Garland.

History timeline


 * 1904 - East Garland is an outgrowth of the Garland Ward and on Feb. 14, the few families residing northeast of Garland, between Malad and Bear River, were organized as a branch of the Garland Ward.
 * 1904 - This branch was organized as the East Garland Ward Nov. 20.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the Family History Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Elwood Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 224.

Boundaries:

Elwood Ward (formerly Manila), Bear River Stake, Box Elder Co., Utah, consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in that part of Box Elder Co., Utah, which extends north to Garland, east to Bear River, south to Bear River City and west to the Bothwell Ward.

History timeline


 * 1889 - On Sept. 8, the saints, who had settled north of Bear River City, between the two rivers mentioned, were organized as a branch of the Bear River Ward, called Fairview.
 * 1900 - This branch was organized on Dec. 16, as the Manila Ward.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the Family History Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Fielding Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 249.

Boundaries:

Fielding Ward, Bear River Stake, Box Elder Co., Utah, consists of Latter-day Saints residing in that part of Box Elder County, Utah, lying north of the Bear River Bridge (formerly Hampton’s Bridge), bounded on the north by Plymouth Ward, on the east by the mountains, on the south by Bear River, which separates it from the Beaver Ward, and on the west by Riverside Ward.

History timeline


 * 1891 - Fielding, thus named in honor of the late Pres. Joseph Fielding Smith, is a continuation of South Plymouth.
 * 1908 - Fielding Ward belonged to the Box Elder Stake until 1908, when it became a part of the Bear River Stake.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the Family History Library. *For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Garland Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 275-276.

Boundaries:

Garland Ward, Bear River Stake, Box Elder Co., Utah, consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in that part of Box Elder County centrally located in Bear River Valley, west of Malad River, extending north and south four miles. Northward the ward extends to Riverside, eastward to Malad River, southward to Tremonton and westward to the mountains. The town of Garland, the headquarters of the Bear River Stake, is situated immediately west of the Malad River, 8 1/2 miles, by nearest road, northwest of Deweyville, 12 miles northwest of Bear River City, and 23 miles by way of Corinne, northwest of Brigham City.

History timeline


 * 1893 - In the fall of 1893, the saints who had settled northwest of Bear River City were organized as a branch of the Church called Sunset.
 * 1898 - The Sunset Branch was organized as the Sunset Ward Nov. 15. Later, when the question of a post office was under consideration, the name of Sunset Ward was changed to that of Garland.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the Family History Library. *For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Howell Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 345.

Boundaries:

Howell Ward, Bear River Stake, Box Elder Co., Utah, consists of Latter-day Saints residing in that part of Box Elder County, Utah, which is bounded on the north by mountains, or by Centerdale Branch, on the east by the Penrose, Thatcher and Bothwell wards, on the south by the deserts bordering the Great Salt Lake and on the west by mountains. The center of the ward, where the L. D. S. meeting house stands, is about 20 miles northwest of Garland, the stake headquarters, 32 miles northwest of Bear River City and 40 miles northwest of Brigham City.

History timeline


 * 1915 - The first settlers of Latter-day Saints were organized as a ward April 25.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the Family History Library. *For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Penrose Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 649.

Boundaries:

Penrose Ward, Bear River Stake, consists of that part of Box Elder County which is bounded on the north by the Thatcher Ward, on the east by swamps and the Bear River City Ward; south it extends to Promontory Point or the Lucin Cut-Off and west to and beyond the mountains which separate Bear River Valley from Curlew Valley. The center of the ward, where the meeting house stands, is Sec. 28, Tp. 11 north of Range 4 west, Salt Lake Meridian, about ten miles southwest of Garland, the stake headquarters.

History timeline


 * 1911 - Penrose Ward is an outgrowth of the Thatcher Ward and organized May 28.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the Family History Library. *For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Plymouth Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 666-667.

Boundaries:

Plymouth Ward, Bear River Stake, Box Elder Co., Utah, formerly Known as “Square Town,” “Pierson,” and “North Plymouth,” consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in or near the village of Plymouth, which is situated near the east bank of the Malad River, 31 miles northwest of Brigham City, Utah, and 25 miles south of Malad City in Idaho.

History timeline


 * 1869 - Plymouth was first settled in 1869 and for a number of years the people belonged to the Portage Ward.
 * 1884 - Plymouth Ward was organized Jan. 27.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the Family History Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Riverside Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 712.

Boundaries:

Riverside Ward, Bear River Stake, Box Elder Co., Utah, consists of Latter-day Saints residing in a tract of country lying on the west side of the Malad River, being a part of the Bear River Flat. It extends north and south about four miles, is bounded on the north by Plymouth Ward, on the east by the Malad River (which separates it from the Fielding Ward), on the south by Garland Ward, and on the west by the mountains. The center of the ward is the village of Riverside, three miles northeast of Garland, 12 miles north of Bear River City, five miles west northwest of Collinston, 24 miles northwest of Brigham City, and 22 miles south of Malad.

History timeline


 * 1894 - on Oct. 14, the Fielding Ward was divided, and all that part lying west of the Malad River was organized as a new ward named Riverside.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the Family History Library. *For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Thatcher Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 872.

Boundaries:

Thatcher Ward, Bear River Stake, Box Elder Co., Utah, consists of Latter-day Saints residing in the west part of the so-called Bear River Flat or Bear River Valley. The ward is bounded on the north by the Bothwell Ward, east by the Tremonton Ward, south by the Penrose Ward, and west by the mountains. The center of the ward, where the meeting house and school house stand, is about 11 miles southwest of Garland, 12 miles northwest of Bear River City, and 22 miles northwest of Brigham City.

History timeline


 * 1896 - A Sunday school was organized in the neighborhood July 5, and a branch, called the West Side Branch of the Bothwell Ward, was also organized.
 * 1902 - This branch was organized in the fall of 1902 as the Thatcher Ward.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the Family History Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Tremonton Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p. 895.

Boundaries:

Tremonton Ward, Bear River Stake, Box Elder Co., Utah, consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in that part of Bear River Valley which is bounded on the north by the Garland Ward, on the east by Bear River, on the south by Elwood Ward and on the west by the Bothwell and Thatcher wards.

History timeline


 * 1914 - The Tremonton Ward dates back to Dec. 13, when it was organized from the north part of the Elwood Ward,

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the Family History Library. *For additional resources, see Church History Library.