History of Avon

     In March 1860, Joseph G. Crapo, Alvin M. Montierth, William Smith, and Barnard White who were residing at that time in Draper, Utah, decided to visit Cache Valley in hopes of finding a location for settlement.  They had heard about the lush, green valley with plenty of water and timber.  They joined a wagon train that was going north and traveled with them until they reached Ogden’s Hole.  They then followed an old Indian trail north into Cache Valley.  Barnard White drove the first wagon and team of mules onto Old Paradise (Avon) on April 1, 1860, in the south end of Cache Valley.  The area chosen was located at the forks of East Creek and Little Bear River.

     The cove where Avon is now located was very beautiful with plenty of game, water, and timber to support a community.  They resolved to make this their new home, and the first thing they did was build a small log cabin that belonged to Barnard White.  With the building of this cabin they established residency.  At that time the area was part of Box Elder County, and they went to Brigham City and filed on the water in all of the nearby canyons for stock watering purposes.

     On January 17, 1862, the Territorial Legislature passed a bill changing the Cache County boundaries to those of today.  Finally, Paradise was a part of Cache County.  But the Cache County Court did not pay much attention to Paradise - any more attention than Box Elder County.  On August 11, 1862, precinct officers were elected as follows: Jerome Remington, Magistrate; Winslow Farr, Jr., Constable; James Bishop, Pound Keeper; Joseph G. Crapo and Enoch P. Rollins, Fence Viewers.  It was not until February 9, 1863, that Paradise was made an election precinct.

     During 1861, meetings were generally held in the large and commodious house erected by Alvin M. Montierth.  In the fall of 1861, the first Meeting/School House, a small log building, was erected.