CARD, Charles Ora, president of the Alberta Stake of Zion,
was born Nov 5. 1839, at the confluence of Canasaraga and
Sugar creeks, in the township of Ossian, Allegany county, New
York, and lived there until he was eight years old. ln 1843 his
parents received the gospel, and under the hands of Elder
William Hyde he received his child's blessing. He accompanied
his parents to Park Centre, St. Joseph county, Michigan, in the
fall of 1846, whither his father went to care for his widowed
mother and family. There his grandfather, Willlam F. Card, had
lodged on his way to Nauvoo, but had sickened and died. After
the family had been here one year, they were all taken sick with
chills, fever, and ague, and three more of his grandfather's
family died, one son and two daughter's. His father being in poor
health, concluded to go to his old home in Ossian, New York State,
taking his mother and his own family with him. He took this step to
regain his health and that of his family, also for the purpose of
procuring means to gather with the Church. President Card writes:
"During the winter of 1855-56 an uncle of mine, Elder Joseph
France, returned from his mission in England and remained with
us during the winter. I was baptized by him in Canasaga creek,
near Whitney's crossing, township of Burnes, Allegany county,
New York, April 12, 1856, and a few days later we were on our
way by train to Great Salt Lake valley; we joined the migrating
Saints at lowa City, Iowa, where father procured two yoke of
oxen and a wagon; with this outfit we accompanied the first
two divisions of the hand-cart companies under the guidance of
Elders Edmund Elsworth and Daniel D. McArthur, and crossed
the State of lowa to Florence: at this point the company was
divided, my father traveling with what is known as the first
hand-cart company under Elder Edmund Elsworth as captain.
Although I was only sixteen years of age I took my turn standing
guard with the men. I was also chosen as one of the hunters to
aid in securing meat from the vast herds of buffalo that were
traversing the plains in those days. I also aided the hand-cart
people in crossing the streams, after filling father's wagon with
women and children, and then continued our labors by carrrying
the remainder across the streams on our backs. For several
hundred miles my father and uncle were sick, and the care of
two wagons and four yoke of oxen and other camp chores
depended upon me. We landed in Salt Lake City in the latter
part of September, and I assure the reader that the following
October conference was a great treat to me, to behold Prophets
and Apostles and sit under their teachings. Soon after this my
father moved to Farmington, Davis county, where I was ordained
a Seventy and became identified with the 56th quorum of Seventy.
I spent my 2Oth birthday (Nov. 5, 1859) building a log cabin in
Logan for my father, preparatory to moving there, which we did
the following March, 1860, where I resided with my parents,
taking an active part with the minute men under Colonel Thos. E.
Ricks during the first four years. I attended school in Ogden from
December, 1864, until April, 1866, under the kind tutoring of Elder
Francis A.Brown and his accomplished wife, Hattie C. From the
earliest introduction of the Sabbath Schools in Cache valley, I
took an active part as teacher, Ward superintendent,
superintendent of the consolidated schools of Logan, after which
I acted as first assistant Stake superintendent for about fifteen
years. During the winter of 1871 I filled a winter's mission among
friends and acquaintances; I also visited New York, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa, with William Hyde of Logan as my
companion. I was counselor to the president of the High Priest's
quorum in the Cache Stake from 1877 to 1879, and second
counselor to William B. Preston from 1879 to 1884, when I was made
president of Cache Stake, which position I occupied until August,
1890. From 1873 to 1877 I superintened the erection of the Logan
Tabernacle, and from 1877, to 1884 I superintended the
construction of the Logan Temple. Thus, for eleven years I was
engaged in supervising the erection of these two great edifices.
About the 1st of September 1886 I was requested by Pres. John
Taylor to explore the British possessions and to report the feasibility
of establishing a colony on British soil which I did and reported
favorably to him in November the same year. Early in the spring
of 1887 I was requested by Pres. John Taylor to permanently locate
and take charge of a colony of Saints in southern Alberta and with
grip in hand on the 21st of March I took my journey by rail to Helena
Montana vhere I was joined by Pres. Thomas E. Ricks of Rexburg,
Idaho, Bishop Thomas X. Smith of the Fourth Ward, Logan, Utah
and Elder Niels Monson, of Hyrum: the latter conveying us from there
to Lees creek, Alberta. On the 27th of April we located the site of
what is now known as the village of Cardston. June 3, 1887, we
numbered forty souls; today there are ten wards and two branches
with about three thousand inhabitants in the Alberta Stake of Zion.
During this period my labors have been directed in various channels.
I Introduced the first steam thresher in Cardston and directed the
first saw mill; aided to establish the first dairy and grist mill established
the first store now known as the Cardston Co. Limited also the
Implement Co. Limited. I have also assisted in building four meeting
houses in Cardston and one large two-story pubilc school house.
During the last two years almost my entire time has been given to
the great canal built by our people. I turned the first furrow and have
traveled five thousand miles with my own team during its construction.
A railroad is nearly completed which will connect us with the outside
world. A word for the government: We have located on British soil, lived
in Alberta nearly fourteen years and have always received from the
government a Just and impartial recognition.

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