James Bronson relates an account of the flour mill incident in North Ogden; in this version, an Indian man is killed when the miller hits him over the head with a board

As copied from pg 38 of Ancestors and Descendants of Leman Bronson, 1640-1963, compiled by Sarah Bronson Boden, 1963

Uncle Jim [James Bronson] related to me the following: “A flour mill had been erected in North Ogden. A man by the name of Blodget was the miller. In keeping with Brigham Young’s policy that ‘It is better to feed the Indians than to fight them, ‘ the miller doled out small quantities of flour and meal to them when they came begging for it.

On one occasion a large Ute Indian came and asked for a bag of flour and the miller gave him a small bag. The Indian said, “It’s not enough. More big one.” The miller refused to give him a larger one so he threw the little one at the miller and gathered up a large one and started off.

Mr. Blodget told the Ute to put it down, but he would not and started walking on again. Mr. Blodget picked up a slab splinter and whacked the Indian on his head which resulted in the Indian’s death. At this the Indians went on the war path and came armed for battle with bows and arrows and five muskets.

The women and children began moving toward the fort and the men toward the oncoming Indian warriors. Since grandfather had been made a captain in the scouts, and understood the language of the red man, it was up to him to quiet the riot. This happened, Uncle Jim said, when he was a small boy. He could remember leaving the crowd that were moving toward the fort and running up to where the men were facing facts with the Indians and of grabbing his father around the leg. His father (my grandfather) gave him a smart slap, telling him to get back to his mother.

Grandfather convinced the Indian chief that the fight between Blodget and the Ute with the stolen flour was a man-to-man affair. That the whites and redskins were, and ought to be brothers, and to insure good will toward the Utes, they were given a load of flour and six beefs.”

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.