As the 20th Century dawned, money from Jesse Knight's mines was
pouring into his coffers and he began looking around for a favorable
opportunity to exercise his stewardship. At this time he was impressed
by President Lorenzo Snow's New Year's Greeting to the World. In this
message the President of the Mormon Church said:

"Men and women of wealth, use your riches to give employment to the
laborer. Take the idle from the crowded centres of population and place
them on untilled areas that await the hand of industry. Unlock your vaults,
unloose your purses and embark in enterprises that will give work to the
unemployed and relieve the wretchedness that leads to vice and crime
around you. Make others happy and you will be happy yourselves."

Many propositions had been made to Mr. Knight to invest his money, but
none appealed to him until he heard about Canada, Apostle John W.
Taylor and Charles McCarthy of Cardston, Alberta came to see him and
told him of the fertile lands of Southern Alberta and urged him to buy some
of the thousands of acres. The project impressed him. He could see the
possibility of using his money to magnify his "stewardship", for it was only
as a steward, he believed, that wealth came to him.

Early in January, 1901, he sent his two sons to Canada to survey the
situation. The result was they bought 30,000 acres of land and set
to work to stock it. Later in the year Jesse Knight met them in Stirling,
Alberta. As he travelled over the beautiful green prairies he was greatly
impressed. Within a few days he had a clear idea of what he wanted to
do. He would build a sugar factory that would give employment to Latter
Day Saints and others who wished to settle in this favorable land.

On July 10, 1901, he purchased 22,600 acres of land from the Canadian
Northwest Irrigation company and Alberta Roalroad and Irrigation
Company through their agent Hon. C. A Magrath. He also agreed to
build a sugar factory and guaranteed it with a pledge of $50,000.
Such was the faith and courage of this man.

Following the signing of the contract a town site was located, dedicated,
and named Raymond after Jesse Knight's oldest son. Mr. Knight insisted
that in the town deeds, that the land was not to harbor a saloon or be
used for any immoral purposes. He wished Raymond to be, so to speak,
a sanctuary where families could be reared in a religious and wholesome
environment.

The generosity of Mr. Knight was legend. He built a fence north of the
town site so that the settlers' stock and horses could have free pasturage
and not stray far away. He gave the job of plowing 3,000 acres of sod
to the people to help provide them with ready cash. He piped water from
a spring two miles away into Town at his own expense of $8,000. Sensing
the need of a church, he built one and donated to the Latter Day Saints in
December, 1901.

It was difficult for the Canadian officials to understand Mr. Knight and his
motives. On one occasion he was asked by them what impelled him to
spend so much money in Alberta, and in answer he drew from his pocket
the proclamation issued by President Lorenzo Snow. After reading it to
them he said, "Gentlemen, this was a direct message to me, and it is
also a message to you and to every employer and man of wealth.

Mr. C. A. Magrath had this to say, Lieutenant-Governmor Forget at
Regina, to whom, at his request, I sent my file of papers October 2, 1903,
showing the various steps in bringin about the beet sugar sulture into
Southern Alberta, replied, "I have read the whole with much interest and
I wonder more than ever at the spirit of enterprize displayed by the
promoter - the Knights - in establishing such an industry in a new country,
and I sincerely wish them every possible success."

Then Mr. Magrath expressed it was his opinion that Southern Alberta
should never forget what it owes to Jesse Knight, because, he said, I
happen to know from actual efforts, how impossible it was to get
capital interested in such an enterprise in a new and sparsely settled
country like our northwest until Mr. Knight came along. I question if
there would be a sugar beet grown in Alberta today if it were not for
Jesse Knight and the good will that existed between his Church
leaders and our Irrigation Company.

Mr. Magrath further stated, "Mr. Knight was the most unusual man
I have ever met, a man of the finest integrity. I would describe him
as a poor man's friend. He believed in visions, which I understood
is a doctrine of the Mormon Church. He is a mining prospector in
Utah, and it has been stated that the mine which brought him
very considerable wealth came to him through a vision in effect that
if he had the courage to continue prospecting he would be rewarded
but that he should use his wealth largely for the good of the people,
which I believe he did."

"Raymond Sugar Factory was not built as a commercial enterprise so
much as for the benefit of the settlers in the surrounding country,"
said Mr. Magrath.

To honor Mr. Knight, the first Chruch School that was build in Canada
by the Chruch of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was erected in
Raymond and named The Knight Academy. Time vindicates the
wisdom and benevolence of this great man.

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