Researching our ancestors in the newspapers of their time gives us insight into their community, family, and work ethic. My second great-grandfather, William Beddoes, played a pivotal role in establishing Salem, Utah, in the late 1800s and early 1900s. His obituary provides a starting point for further research on his life accomplishments and also highlights the need for verifying details.

William Beddoes Life Summary

William was born on 17 June 1838 in East Wall, Shropshire, England, and died on 1 November 1920 at the age of 83. He joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England in 1866, then emigrated to Utah with his wife, Mariah Brockhouse, in 1868. They had fourteen children and now have a large posterity. William’s profile on the FamilySearch Family Tree shows forty sources and thirty-three memories. An obituary for William gave me the clue to his involvement in establishing the town of Salem.¹

The great possibilities of agricultural in this part of the state were soon realized by Mr. Beddoes and he set about developing extensive irrigation plans. With Lyman Curtis he made the Salem canal which has served to convert many thousand acres of useless land into a veritable garden and it was due largely to his efforts that Salem and the surrounding country have been reclaimed for agricultural purposes and that Salem has become famous for its fruits and vegetables. He was one of the first to realize the possibilities of the land of the Payson valley under irrigation and after clearing off his homestead then covered with sagebrush he started work on what is today the Salem canal.

The author of the obituary is unknown, but it is likely to have been one of his children. How many of the claims about William in the obituary are true? Learning more about the Salem canal could help evaluate the veracity of William’s accomplishments.

History of the Salem Canal

Salem, Utah, was initially named “Pond Town” because of the pond formed from springs that settled in a hollow. Water was of great importance to the early pioneers, given the hot and dry conditions during the summer. In 1856, early settlers built a dam to allow water to accumulate and eventually hold enough water to irrigate the farms. ²

Despite this initial endeavor, more water was needed to grow crops in the Utah desert. The Spanish Fork River provided plenty of water, but a canal system was first needed to divert part of the river to Salem. In 1865, the settlers decided to move forward with this plan and the intial construction took place from 1866-1869. The canal runs from the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon through Salem to the Payson Hill.

A few years later, the Salem Irrigation and Canal Company was incorporated. It distributed 2,208 shares as a non-profit corporation. Through the years, the canal has been improved with a concrete lining and additional piping. Still, it remains the primary source of irrigation water for Salem and Payon. Farmers rely on the water for 2,465 acres of farmland.³

The obituary provides details about the construction of the canal.

The work was accomplished under great hardship and difficulty. No engineer was available to direct the work and no surveying instruments could be secured. The only instrument was a piece of 2X4 scantling which was grooved and into which water was poured to secure the level.

What is a scantling? I turned to AI to define the term and help me understand why this was an important fact to include. My prompt was simple: “What is a 2/4/ scantling, grooved, and into which water is poured to secure the level?”

ChatGPT’s Description⁴

A 2/4 scantling, grooved and into which water is poured to secure the level is describing a primitive leveling device used in carpentry, surveying, and early building trades. Let me break it down:

1. Scantling

• A scantling is simply a small timber or piece of lumber of standard size.

• A 2/4 scantling refers to a two-by-four piece of wood (today we’d call it a 2×4). In older terminology, “two-four” or “two by four” was shortened in some trades to “2/4.”

2. Grooved

• A groove was cut lengthwise along the top edge of the scantling.

• This groove was shallow and designed to hold liquid.

3. Water is Poured to Secure the Level

• Before bubble/spirit levels became common, workmen used water levels, since water always seeks its own level.

• By pouring water into the groove, they could see whether it sat evenly along the whole timber.

• If the water was deeper at one end, the board was out of level; when the water surface was even from end to end, the scantling (and thus the work being built) was level.

4. Use

• This device was an early leveling tool for builders, masons, or carpenters.

• It was especially useful in rough construction where metal spirit levels weren’t yet widely available.

• Sometimes instead of just a groove, two boards were connected with a water-filled tube (a more portable “water level”).

Seeking historical and cultural context is one of my favorite uses of AI and this description made perfect sense.

Connecting William to the Salem Canal

How accurate was the obituary stating William’s involvement in the canal? Having researched the history of the canal, some points ring true and others not so much. The obituary states, “with Lyman Curtis, he made the Salem canal.” Naming Lyman Curtis adds evidence to the statement, as Curtis is recognized for his role in directing the canal project. The town was renamed Salem based on Curtis’ hometown of New Salem, Massachusetts. He was one of the original settlers in 1856 and had experience in building irrigation systems. ⁵

The 1870 census shows the William Beddoes household residing in Pondtown. He was a laborer by profession and the census reflects the family’s English roots.⁶

• William Beddoes, 31, laborer, England parents of foreign birth, cannot read or write
• Maria Beddoes 28 , keeping house, England, parents of foreign birth
• Serena Beddoes 5, at home, England
• Matilda Beddoes, 3, England
• Emma Beddoes, 3/12, Utah, born February
• Census taken on 29 July 1870
• Post Office Payson

 

By 1880, William farmed but still could not read or write. ⁷ Finally, by the 1900 census, he had learned these skills and he would go on to become a leader in the community. ⁸

William’s obituary finishes with this statement. ⁹

The upbuilding of Salem was one of Mr. Beddoes early ambitions and he served as president of the town of Salem for sixteen years from the time of incorporation. Every public improvement accomplished under his direction including the building of the city hall and and much of the material for its construction was purchased with money donated by Mr. Beddoes. He also laid out the cemetery and provided for the building thereon and the fencing. He was one of the most public minded citizens the city ever had and everything for its advancement was championed by him. It was he who brought the first telephone into the city and he directed and built the first meeting house. He was active in the church as he was in the affairs of the city and consistent in all things he was recognized as one of the foremost citizens of the section in which he lived.

Continuing to learn more about William from newspapers and other sources could provide additional details about these accomplishments.

Future Research

An interesting collection titled “Salem Irrigation and Canal Company Records,” at the  L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, and Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, could hold information about William Beddoes and his involvement with Lyman Curtis and the canal. The description of this collection is promising. I’d be especially interested in the early years of the canal.

Administrative History: In 1865 the citizens of Salem, Utah, decided to follow the example of the people of Spanish Fork who had earlier organized an irrigation company to take water out of the Spanish Fork River. They wanted to increase the agricultural capability of the area east of the existing Salem pond, which, due to the natural slope of the land, had been impossible to irrigate. Lyman Curtis and two of his brothers made a survey for the canal from the Spanish Fork River to the Payson… Collection includes articles of incorporation, company trust deeds, minutes of board meetings and resolutions, annual reports, legal documents, correspondence, tax records, receipts, and miscellaneous items relating to the function of the Salem Irrigation and Canal Company in Salem, Utah, between 1866 and 1979. Collection is arranged in four series: 1. Salem Irrigation and Canal Company minutes, 1866-1979. 2. Salem Irrigation and Canal Company legal documents, 1878-1957. 3. Salem Irrigation and Canal Company financial records, 1873-1978. 4. Salem Irrigation and Canal Company business records, 1907-1978.

As in all research, once we start, we end up with more questions. I look forward to digging into original sources to find evidence of the claims in William’s obituary. Nevertheless, studying the context of the Salem Canal has added depth to his story.

Best of luck in all your genealogical endeavors!

 

1. “William Beddoes Pioneer of Salem Answers Last Call,” The Payson Chronicle, 5 Nov 1920, page 1, column 5; imaged, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/602146424/ : accessed 24 August 2025).
2. Arlene Despain Wilson, “Short History of Salem,” https://www.salemutah.gov/history-of-salem.htm : accessed 24 August 2025).
3. Salem Irrigation and Canal Company, “History,” (https://salemcanal.com/ : accessed 24 August 2025).
4. Primitive Level tool, ChatGPT 5, chat with user Diana Elder, 24 August 2025, OpenAI (https://chatgpt.com/ : accessed 24 August 2025).
5. Arlene Despain Wilson, “Short History of Salem,” https://www.salemutah.gov/history-of-salem.htm : accessed 24 August 2025).
6. 1870 U.S. Census, Utah County, Utah Territory, population schedule, Pondtown, p. 259B, (stamped), p. 4 (penned), dwelling 28, family 27, William Beddoes; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 April 2023); citing NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 1612.
7. 1880 U.S. Census, Utah County, Utah, population schedule, Salem Precinct, enumeration district (ED) 86, sheet 239B (stamped), p.2 (penned), dwelling 12, family 12, William Beddoes; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 October 2023); citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 1338.
8. 1900 U.S. Census, Utah County, Utah, population schedule, Salem, enumeration district (ED) 165, sheet 260A (stamped), p.2 (penned), dwelling 23, family 24, William Beddoes; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 October 2023); citing NARA microfilm publication T623.
9. “William Beddoes Pioneer of Salem Answers Last Call,” The Payson Chronicle, 5 Nov 1920, page 1, column 5; imaged, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/602146424/ : accessed 24 August 2025).