Sunday, January 16, 2011

James W. Anderson ~ Mayor of the Month ~ January 2011

Our Mayor book at the Mt. Pleasant Relic Home had the picture of James W. Anderson, but no information.  This has been a collaborative effort to obtain information and document his history.  What an exceptional man he was.   A big thankyou to Lee R. Christensen and Kaye Watson.





 James W. Anderson was born in Fairview, Sanpete County Februrary 28, 1875, the son of Archibald and Caroline Johnson Anderson. He married Amelia Allred April 2, 1897 in the Manti LDS Temple. His wife Amelia was the daughter of James A Allred and Mary Ann Pollard. That same year he left for a two year mission to the southern states.


A teacher in Utah elementary and high schools for more than 46 years Mr. Anderson received his early teaching experience in Spring City, Sanpete County and later went to Mt. Pleasant to be Supt. of Sanpete County Schools. He served as principal of Salt Lake City summer school for 8 years. He had charge of West High Night School for 8 years.

He taught school in Spring City when the large elementary opened.  In 1900 he was also a teacher of Spring City Religion Classes which was the forerunner of Seminary.  He was the ward clerk of Spring City 1907-1908.


Mr. Anderson also served as juvenile judge of Sanpete and Sevier Counties for two terms and had been first counselor in North Sanpete L.D.S. Stake Presidency. A resident of Salt Lake from 1923. He was active in Grant L.D.S. Stake High Council and later in 11th L.D.S. Ward activities.



His children:


Beulah Amelia    born 13 Jan    198?      died 1971

James Clair        born      May  1900 

Vernon H.          born               1903     died 1964

Allen Boyd         born  17 July  1905      died 1964

Alma Owen        born               1909     died 1987

Eva Maurine       born               1913

Mary Marjorie    born               1918



James and his wife, Amelia are buried in the City Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Utah



The above information was researched and shared by Kaye Watson of Spring City.




"1912-13. Mayor, James W. Anderson; Recorder, Daniel Rasmus­sen; Treasurer, Mrs. Elizabeth Larsen; Councilors, H. Leroy Neilson, A. E. Mcintosh, Justus B. Seely, George C. Sorensen, A. Merz, Lauritz Larsen"

"While James W. Anderson was mayor, the electric light plant became an accomplished fact. A bond of $38,000.00, was voted"



Comment from Lee R. Christensen:

Kathy: Some clues for others to build on so that Mayor Anderson is better known:

From the Mt Pleasant census record 1920 and LDS Ancestral File
James William Anderson, born Fairview 1875, married Amelia Allred (Sp Cty), died 1945. children Vernon, Boyd, Owen Maurine and Mary and Beulah (from 1910 census) is shown as teacher both census.

Is shown as Sup of Schools in the news clip of the Hamilton school tragedy . Beulan is one of the poets shown. I do not find the family 1930 census Mt Pleasant. I"ll keep looking,  lee






photo courtesy of BYU ~ George Edward Anderson Collection