Layton/Kaysville residents had no real trouble with Indians, who were “of the Gosiute tribe”

Copied from the Crocket Family History: Descendants of William Edward Crockett and Daisy Hill.

There was no trouble with the Indians in this vicinity, so a fort was really not needed. They were of the Gosiute Tribe, commonly called “diggers” because they depended on their very existence on what they could dig from the ground in the form of roots and bulbs or reap from the grasses and berry bushes. They were too busy trying to stay alive to make war. Then too, the settlers carried out Brigham Young’s policy of “bread instead of bullets.” There were times when this was a real trial, for often there was no bread in the humble home to which the Indians came begging. But what little there was, was shared. They were more mischievous than mean, sometimes delighting in scaring the women and children when the men were away. One of the Indians, ‘Old Limpy,’ ranged the upper road and enjoyed the sport, especially if ‘squaw heap scared, pale-face not brave.’

The Mormons did not know it, but the Salt Lake Valley was considered by the Ute, Shoshone and Gosiute tribes to be neutral ground between them. Here the Indians came for salt which they all needed. All western tribes knew that in this valley they did not fight.’ This of course included our valley.  For a time the settlement was called “the Fort” or Kay’s Fort. Kay’s Ward members, living in what is now Layton, built a small fort (usually called “The Little Fort”) at the north end of what is known as Fort Lane where it comes to Kay’s Creek at about Tenth North. It used to be called Little Fort Lane.

A collection of documents, excerpts, and photographs relevant to the so-called Weber Ute people of Northern Utah. Not a complete history — research aid only.