Isaac Jorgensen

Isaac Jorgensen was born on February 21, 1857 in Brigham City, Utah, the son of Hans Jorgensen and Dorthea Christensen (Andersen).

Isaac lived in Brigham City, Utah until 1866 when his family moved to Logan, Utah. He lived in Logan with his family until his marriage. On July 8, 1880, Isaac was married to Rebecca Nielsen at the Salt Lake Endowment House. At this time he was working as a carpenter and cabinet maker. Being an excellent craftsman, he made their first dresser and bed from native cedar.

Four or five years after he was married, Isaac was called to labor as an ordinance worker in the Logan Temple. Prior to this he had worked on the construction of the temple. He built the stairway railing in the priesthood room, and a considerable amount of the finish work in the first room of the temple.

In 1890 he went to Baker City, Oregon, where he went into the lumber business. He stayed only one summer. At this time he and his brother, Abraham, started the Coop Lumber Yard in Logan. They obtained their lumber from the Temple Mill in Logan Canyon. He sold his share of the lumber business to Abraham and moved his family to Hyde Park, Utah. He was in the Feed and Seed business at this time. He owned the Logan Seed and Elevator Company and a herd of approximately 9,000 sheep. He sold the sheep and bought three flour mills:  The Farmers’ Union at Smithfield, Utah, the Cache Valley Milling Company at Richmond, Utah, and the Weston Milling Company at Weston, Idaho.

He still had his homestead property in Amalga, Utah and maintained it. He owned a coal yard and sold coal to Hyde Park, Utah residents.

In 1909 Isaac took his family to the Vineyard Land and Stock Company at Tacoma, Nevada. (Twelve Mile Ranch). In a year and a half they went to Etna, Utah to live on the Fletcher Ranch. The family moved to Logan, Utah in 1911 but retained the Etna, Utah ranch for several years, selling it in December of 1917. At this time he maintained three homes, one in Logan, Utah, one in Amalga,Utah, and one in Smithfield, Utah. The main home was at 55 East 5th North, Logan, Utah.

Amy Hadfield Simpson and Ted Betteridge in the store that was located across the street from the school. I believe this was called the Jorgenson store and it burned down.

In 1914 he acquired a general store in Grouse Creek, Utah. Several of the children and spouses ran the store for a number of years. Isaac took over the management and had it for about one and one half years. In July 1922 he had an accident with an oil lamp and burned the store to the ground. It was a complete loss except for a small amount of insurance on the stock.

He sold the Etna, Utah property for $45,000.00. This money was deposited in an Ogden Bank and later invested in various business ventures. They proved to be of little value.

When Isaac died, he had expended all of his funds. Isaac died on April 18, 1938, at his home on 55 East 5th North, Logan, Utah. He is buried in the Logan Cemetery.

He contributed toward the building of many church buildings. The Hyde Park Chapel, the Richmond Tabernacle, the Weston Chapel, the Grouse Creek chapel, the Smithfield 1st ward chapel, the Logan 9th Ward Chapel, the Logan Tabernacle, and the Logan Temple.