Richmond Ward

The Richmond Ward was a part of the Cache, Benson, and Richmond Stakes of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1859-1977. It is the first ward established in Richmond, and is the longest-running ward in Richmond's history.

History

The Richmond Branch was created on November 15, 1859 by Orson Hyde and Ezra Taft Benson, members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The meeting home for the branch was the Issacs Shepheard home in the "Old Fort," and Thomas Tidwell was ordained as the Branch President and appointed Henry Gibson as Clerk and John Bair as Presiding Elder. Due to Bishop Tidwell being busy during the summer, spending time tending to cattle in Nephi, Utah, Marriner W. Merrill was appointed Bishop of the Richmond Ward on Jun 30, 1861. Once Marriner was appointed Bishop, the Richmond Branch was organized into a ward.1

Bishop Merrill served without councilors until June 1877, when he called Christian L. Hyer as his First Councilor and Wallace K. Burnham as his Second Councilor. Bishop Merrill served for 18 years before his call to serve as the Cache Stake president. William L. Skidmore was then called to serve as Bishop, along with Christian Hyer and Wallace K. Burnham until 1900.1

On June 4, 1868, the Relief Society of Richmond was organized with Marriner's wife, Sarah Ann Atkinson, serving as the first president.1 Marriner's and Sarah's son, Thomas H. Merrill, along with his wife, Margaret W. Thomas, also served as Bishop and Relief Society President of the Richmond ward.

On Jan 21, 1917, the Richmond Ward was divided into the Richmond South Ward and the Richmond North Ward. However, history books and Church documents refer to the North Ward as the Richmond Ward.1

On July 10, 1977, following rapid growth in Richmond, the North and South wards were divided into three wards, with each ward designated by a number instead of cardinal directions: Richmond 1st Ward, 2nd Ward, and 3rd Ward.