William & Rachel Gedge

Born in England, William and Rachel immigrated to America in 1862. Their story is one full of both trials and triumphs. He was a hard-worker and dug many wells, canals and waterways. 

When the south west part of the valley was opened up for Homesteading (about 1968), William was able to homestead and his young family lived in an Adobe Dwelling.

At that time Redwood Road was referred to as Brigham Road. He soon built a log cabin with one large room and an attic for the children to sleep. In about 1872 William built his family a brick home. He made his own adobe brick by filling a pit with water, clay and straw. He put the mix in his mold and dried them in the sun.

Due to a road survey and the Redwood Road going right through The Gedge's home. They bought more land and William dug irrigation ditches with a shovel, drilled his own well with a sledge hammer and worked from morning until dark to build his next farm.

William was a family man. It is said that he traded a whole wagon full of corn for one pair of overalls for his son Herbert.  Often William would leave early in the morning for the foothills to cut wild hay by hand (with a scythe) and then return by nightfall. He would sell they hay to make money.

Rachel would often tell of trading eggs & butter at the stores for needed items. She said that in the winter they would cut blocks of ice, pack it in straw and keep it for summer use. Sometimes the Gedge family could not leave their home after snow storms. She told how the community would work together to harvest, making sure everyone's farm was harvested.