Copied from the William Robert Cazier and Delia Jane Alvord history, pg 10.
PIONEER DAY PAUL REVERE RIDE
An incident transpired in North Ogden in 1860 which almost led to a serious calamity. Had it not been for the action of a young boy, who knows what might have happened?
An indian, under the influence of liquor, came to a grist mill built in 1854 on Cold Water Creek by Norman Blodgett and James Barker. It was being run by Benjamin Gardner. Production was being hampered by the mill not being in good running condition, but Brother Gardner gave the indian as much as he could possibly spare. Still the drunken indian kept demanding more and more. Finally, in exasperation, Gardner picked up a board and knocked him down.
Several days later, Benjamin and Olive Lucy Cazier’s eldest son, Frederick, (about ten years of age) was riding his horse along the foothills of North Ogden. A dense cloud of dust caught his eye coming into view over North Ogden Canyon. It didn’t take long to deduct that the dust meant indians riding hard.
Luckily that was the day that the women and children were attending a quilting bee at Bishop Thomas Dunn’s home. That is the same house that stood at 650 East 2600 North beside the North Ogden church until they were both torn down along about in the 1950’s.
Fred’s shouting and frantic speed caught the attention of the menfolk working in their fields. The sudden general commotion caught the attention of the rest. By the time the indians on the warpath reached the settlement every one of the residents was safely inside the Dunn house. Benjamin had been hauling bundles of wheat. He had only time to come with his pitchfork in his hands like the majority of the other settlers. Layfayette Williams and Seth Tanner were the only two men who had time to get their guns.
Soon the band of about two hundred and fifty indians thundered into the fort, circled the house and gave out their bloodcurdling war whoops. Williams and Tanner wanted to open fire on them but were persuaded by the others not to do so. The indians demanded that Gardner be turned over to them. Despite their threats to shoot him, Bishop Dunn fearlessly took his position in the doorway of his home and reasoned with the indians. Eventually the indians were appeased by giving them two or three head of beef steers, ten dollars in money, and several sacks of flour.