Town of Osmond History

Community of Osmond History
By Barbara N. Vigil

The first people to come to the Osmond area named it "Dry Creek" because every summer, about July or August, the stream dried up in the valley. When the stream ceased to dry up, the name was changed to Mt. Pleasant because the settlers said it overlooked the valley more than any other point did. Still later, when the Osmond LDS ward was organized, it was given the name of Osmond, after George Osmond, president of the Star Valley LDS Stake. It has also been called "Sweden" as so many of the people were of Swedish ancestry.

The first permanent family in Osmond was the Henderson family. Samuel Henderson was brought to Star Valley by his son, Marion, in the fall of 1885. The family lived in a tent until Samuel and his boys could get logs out of the canyon and build a house.

The snow was very deep in those early years, sometimes covering the fences. The only way out of the valley during the winter was by snowshoes. The men used them in going over the mountains to Montpelier, Idaho for supplies.

Martha (Mattie) Barras was reported to be the first teacher in the small, one-room cabin. Each pupil furnished his own desk and tool. Slates were used to write on but there were few books.

In 1901, the Osmond Ward was organized with Andrew Neilson as Bishop.

Maria J. Stock Allred was the first postmaster of the only post office that Osmond ever had.

In 1943, the government began searching the Swift Creek to Dry Creek area for vanadium. In 1949, one 400 foot tunnel was dug. Although they found a good source of the mineral, transportation expenses made the project unfeasible. The mine was closed about July 1950.

Community of Osmond Cemetery History: There is no evidence that Osmond ever had a cemetery.