Town of Turnerville History

Community of Turnerville History
By Bessie Merritt

The first family to move to Turnerville was William A. Turner. He, with his wife, four sons and two daughters, came to the Valley in September 1890 from West Jordan, Utah looking for a site to install a sawmill. The Turners were very thrifty and far-sighted people - they brought a year's supply of food with them. They had to cut a road In 1927. A branch of the LDS Church was organized with Lyman Fluckiger as the presiding elder. This was an independent branch until December, 1949, when Turnerville joined the Bedford Ward.

Mrs. Rebecca Turner Hinck (Izatt) started the first school and taught one winter at "Grandma" Turner's home. The first teacher hired by the school district was ElRoy Boberg.

William Turner and his boys started one of the first dance orchestras in Lower Valley. People came from all over the valley for dancing and entertainment. If it was stormy weather or if the dance lasted too late, many of the people would stay at the Turner's home overnight, and sometimes two or three days.

A post office was established in Turnerville in 1927 with William J. Edgerton as the first postmaster.

William Izatt came from Utah to Turnerville to help the Turners log for their sawmill. He later married one of the Turner girls, Rhoda.

When the men were too busy and could not take "Grandma Turner" to Relief Society meetings, she would walk to Thayne, Bedford or Grover.

Community of Turnerville Cemetery History
Location: Travel north on US 89 from Afton 11.8 miles or south from Thayne 2.0 miles. Turn east on LC 126 (just south of the Highway Rest Area). Proceed on a windy road past Bedford. Turn left (east) on LC Road 177 and travel 0.3 miles. Depart vehicle and, staying on the dirt road, climb up to the top of the bench. Walk due south for 125 yards. Burial sites are located in two fenced enclosures. Please be aware these sites are located on Private Property. (GPS: 42.84884 N 110.88768 W)
How Obtained: The site of Turnerville was selected by Archibald Turner, from the Turner estate.
History: by Clifford R. Turner

The site of the Turnerville Cemetery was selected by Archibald Turner at the death of his wife, Sarah Ellen, in the winter of 1939. It is located on the hill east of the old Turner sawmill. The land at that time belonged to the Turner estate. Mrs. Turner's grave was the first in the cemetery. Later, Archibald Turner buried one son and two daughters.

Also resting there are two infant children of Ernest and Alice Bowen and Stephen turner, a brother to Archibald Turner, and also a granddaughter.

The cemetery is seldom used today. It is hard to dig graves there: the ground being very rocky. There is no water there, no caretaker, but it is a lovely and fitting resting place for those first pioneers who made this spot of land their home.

Elected by Archibald Turner, from the Turner estate.