Title: GROWING UP IN CLARKSTON
Author: The Buttars Family

Gordon Gover Buttars
1 July 1918 – 19 January 1983

PROLOUGE

	   Cache Valley is a broad arid valley in Northern Utah and Southern Idaho. It extends approximately 50 miles along the west side of the Bear River Mountains, the northernmost extension of the Wasatch Range, and along the east side of the Wellsville Mountains (in Utah) and the Bannock Range (in Idaho). It is drained by the Bear River and its tributaries, into the watershed of the Great Salt Lake.
	   Under the direction of Brigham Young in the fall of 1856, a group of Mormon pioneers settled in the south end of the valley where Wellsville is now. As the settlers began to prosper they began to create new settlements in other areas of the valley. One of their early settlements included Logan which was established in 1859 and became the prominent city. The eventual influx of people helped create the large number of towns that can now be found in Cache Valley.
	Clarkston was one of these towns. It is tucked away in a secluded corner of the valley thirteen miles north and thirteen miles east of Logan, and five miles south of the Idaho boarder. The prominent landmark is Gunsight peak directly west of town. Several creeks flow down from the mountains, providing an abundant source of water. City Creek flows right through town. 
	In the fall of 1864 a group of twelve families under the direction of Israel Clark, for whom Clarkston was named, were the first to settle the area. The following spring brought more families, including John and Mary Pittaway Godfrey. John was the the first to put a plow in the ground in Clarkston. By 1866 several families had established their homes in Clarkston to the dismay of the Shoshone Indians who claimed the land west of the Bear River. The Indians set up camp on City Creek, just outside of town, and demanded beef and flour from the settlers. Brigham Young determined that it was better to feed the Indians than fight them. But when their food supplies dwindled they were unable to meet the demands of the Indians. It was advised that they abandon their homes and relocate to Smithfield. 
	The following spring, the pioneer families returned to their farms and built a fort. They formed a militia consisting of a horse company and and an infantry company to keep the Indians in check. During the trouble, one Indian was killed. Once peaceful and friendly relations were established with the Indians, Clarkston once again continued to grow as more settlers arrived. By 1867 the Clarkston Ward was organized. In 1869 a co-operative store was formed and in 1870 a post office was established. 
	    Among the new settlers were David Buttars in 1868, George Godfrey in 1870, Maurice Gover in 1871, and Peter S. Barson in 1876. 
	    David Buttars was born December 2, 1822 in Rattray, Perthshire, Scotland. In 1848 he married Margaret Spaulding. They joined the LDS Church in 1851 and immigrated to Utah in 1854 with their three children. While crossing the Atlantic Ocean their three month old son, David, died and was buried at sea. They arrived in New Orleans and traveled up the Mississippi River and then crossed the plains by covered wagon. They settled in Lehi where David made his living as a shoemaker. Four more children were born in Lehi, including their son Daniel who was born on September 22, 1858. Margaret died in Lehi on August 10, 1863 Just five days after the birth of her last child, Margaret. The baby also died several days later. 
	  David later married Sarah Keep in 1866 in the Endowment Hous in Salt Lake. Sarah had a daughter from a previous marriage who David adopted as his own. One more child was born in Lehi before they moved to Clarkston in 1868. Seven more children were born to them there. David farmed in Clarkston and  became one its prominent citizens. 
	George Godfrey was born on January 24, 1845 in Worcester, Worcestershire, England. He was the oldest son and second child of John and Mary Pittaway Godfrey. They joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1848 and desired to eventually immigrate to Utah. It was decided to send George ahead on his own to prepare the way for the rest of the family. At age sixteen he sailed to America. He joined up with a wagon company and walked from the Missouri River to Salt  Lake City, arriving in September 1861. He bought a piece of property and built a log house and had it ready for the rest of the family when they arrived in 1862.  George married Emily Gover in 1865 and moved to Clarkston in 1870. (His father, John Godfrey, had moved to Clarkston in 1865.) They were the parents of eight children. One of their sons was Joseph Maurice Godfrey who was born in Clarkston on June 3, 1874. 
     Emily Gover was the daughter of Maurice and Sarah Tucker Gover. Maurice was born on November 6, 1827 in Clutton, Somerset, England. He and Sarah were married in 1848. Maurice began working in the coal mines at an early age. As the mines were worked out, they moved to Abersychan, South Wales to work in the coal mines there. It was in Abersychan where Emily was born on June 18, 1848. While there, Maurice and Sarah joined the LDS Church in 1849.  In 1853 they immigrated to Utah. The night before they left England to sail to America, their son, Elijah who was only a month old, died and had to be left with friends for burial. Emily was four years old at the time. After arriving in New Orleans, they made their way up the Mississippi River to Keokuk, Iowa, and traveled to the Salt Lake Valley with a wagon train. They lived in Salt Lake until 1869 where six more children were born, including Emma, who was born on November 19, 1864. They moved to Newton, about six miles from Clarkston, in 1869 and then to Clarkston in 1870.  
	Peter S. Barson was born on February 12, 1849 in Wellingborough, Northampton, England. His parents, Samuel and Ellen Sheffield Barson joined the LDS Church in 1844 and set out for America in 1854. Peter's mother died  from cholera while making their way up the Mississippi River. His younger brother and sister were left in St. Louis with Ellen's father who lived there.  Peter and his father went on and crossed the plains with a wagon company. When they arrived in the Salt Lake Valley they learned that the children had both died. His father later remarried but died when Peter was sixteen. His stepmother  took her children and returned to England, leaving Peter to fend for himself. 
	Peter married Mary Ellen Scott in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City on October 20, 1869. While living in the Mill Creek area of Salt Lake City, three children were born to  them, including Mary Eliza who as born on January 10, 1873.  Peter married his wife's sister, Eliza Ann Scott, on August 8, 1875. 
	In 1876 Peter and his two wives moved to Clarkston where Mary Ellen had two more children and Eliza Ann had three. Their polygamist family arrangement worked very well. When Eliza Ann died in 1887, Mary Ellen raised her children as if they were her own.
	As the next generation, including Daniel Buttars, Emma Gover, Joseph Godfrey, and Eliza Barson, began growing up in Clarkston the Indians became a menace again. In 1871 a bridge was built across the Bear River giving Clarkston better access to the rest of the valley. That summer the crickets devoured their crops three times. Three times the seagulls descended on the the fields and devoured the crickets. Three times they replanted their crops and in the fall, David Buttars harvested a record crop of 1,300 bushels of wheat.
	During the 1870s the hardships of pioneer life began to ease. New homes were built, accompanied by barns, graineries, and gardens. A woolen mill was erected. And a rock meetinghouse was completed and in the 1880s a two room schoolhouse and built. Life was good in Clarkston. 
	Daniel Buttars and Emma Gover were married in the Endowment house in Salt Lake City on December 27, 1883. Their sixth child, Gover was born on December 10, 1895 in Clarkston. Joesph Godfrey and Eliza Barson were married on June 10, 1897 in the Logan Temple. Their first child, Mary Eliza was born on April 13, 1898 also in Clarkston. 
	   Utah became a state in 1896 and by 1900 the Clarkston Ward had grown to 628. A  water works system was installed in 1908 bringing water to town at the turn of a tap. A new school was completed in 1910 and  a new meetinghouse was dedicated in 1913. 
	   Gover married his childhood sweetheart, Mary Eliza Godfrey on November 23, 1915 in Preston, Idaho. Since Gover and her father were first cousins, it was against the law in Utah for anyone so closely related to marry, so they had to go out of the state. Gover and Mary made their home in Clarkston where Gover farmed. Their first child , Ervin Daniel, was born on  October 8, 1916.