Fielding

In the late 1870's and early 1880's, the people were settling to the north and east of what is now Fielding in a scattered condition.  This area was referred to as Hessville.  With the wishes of the Mormon Church to centralize, the people saw the need for a townsite.  A meeting was called April 29, 1884 to consider the matter.  Bishop M.J. Richards was appointed chairman, with James H. Hess as secretary.  A committee was selected to work with them.

Over the next few years, several sites for the town were chosen, but much opposition and deadlocks occurred.  M.P. Anderson, the surveyor for Box Elder County, Utah Territory, surveyed a townsite on June 14, 1884 that was rejected.  Alvin Hess in his "History of Fielding " states:

"...and lucky for these over burdened people that they did not proceed to erect a town on these dry clay knolls for their efforts would have been wasted, because in 1890, only five years later, the townsite committee negotiated with E.O. Wilcox, Oliver Wood, and Micah Garns for the present townsite of Fielding."

This area was selected mainly because of the Bear River canal that was being built at this time.  The area was known as South Plymouth, but it was soon changed to Fielding (in honor of President Joseph Fielding Smith).  The people erected a frame building which was used for church and school.  This building was called the Pink schoolhouse.  The survey map made by M. Mortenson on September 4, 1892, shows where the schoolhouse, Micah Garn, and E.O. Wilcox's homes were.  Since the townsite was laid out on part of their farms, Garn and Wilcox became the first settlers.  The survey of 1892 was vacated and a new survey was made by May 5, 1894.  On this day Plat A was laid out. Fielding grew quite rapidly, and more lots were needed.  Plat B was added July 22, 1895; Plat C on March 14, 1896; and plat D on July 20, 1905.  In 1911, Fielding was incorporated. 
The post office was reflected by Aerial Hansen's poem "Fielding Is a Quaint Old Town/1920".

Fielding is a quaint old town, laid out on the square,
Its streets are intertwined with sloughs, and many trees are there.

Along about the Eighties a few from the hills
Decided they would all move down and this flat they'd fill.

First they moved their cabins, then their stoves and then their cots,
While Broths Garn, Wood and Wilcox split their fields all up into lots.

And lest the judgment day should come and leave them in the lurch,
They organized into a ward and always went to church.

With James H. Hess as Bishop, this place  was amply filled.
He taught them all the Golden Rule and all that God had willed.
Another thing, these humble folk,
We find, you couldn't fool, they built a house upon the square
And sent the kids to school.

Then came the stores and merchants on Main Street of the Town.
They took the tithing butter, for they couldn't turn it down.

And then the magic water was turned upon the sod,
And the desert blossomed as a rose, as by the will of God.

Then came more people, with their horses, cattle, fowl and sheep
And suddenly this village blossomed as though from a profound sleep.

Men came from Dixie, Cache, and all the country 'round,
And settled on this fertile flat and peace and plenty found.