5 Jan 1863 – 1 Jul 1927
Grandson of Philip Cardon and Martha Marie Tourn
Son of Charles Guild and Marie Madeline Cardon
Extracted from “Piedmont Uinta County, Wyoming Ghost Town”, compiled by Susan Thomas Tippets
History of
George Thomas Guild
Progressive Men of Wyoming – page 362
George Thomas was born January 5, 1863, in Lehi, Utah. He was the fifth child and fourth son of Charles and Mary Madeline Cardon Guild. He came with his family to Piedmont in 1868 but received his education in the Utah schools.
On December 28th, 1892, George married Annie Swartzfager who was born in Aultsville, Ontario, Canada on April 19, 1868. She was a daughter of H. L. Swartzfager, a native of Canada and of German descent. She received her education in Canadian schools and then came to the United States, settling first at Robertson, Wyoming. There, she resided with her sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Schell.
Four Children were born to this couple. Leonard George, born April 1, 1893, who was later killed by lightening on October 10, 1925. Lester Thomas was born December 24, 1898, died December 29, 1973. Mary Melba (Dean) was born May 6, 1905, died November 1898. The last was Florence Ann (Widdop), born October 2, 1911, died February 2, 1959. George never really got over his son Leonard’s death. His health continued to get worse. He spent part of the following winter in Ogden with his sister and her husband. After returning to the ranch, he did what he could to help but was not well. Whenever he wasn’t busy, he spent a great deal of his leisure time with his two grandsons who lived on the ranch. He was a devoted grandfather.
For thirteen years he was associated with the Guild Mercantile Company in Piedmont. Then he began his career in the ranching business by working with the Guild Ranch.
His father, Charles Guild, took the first homestead on the Muddy Creek and filed on the first water rights. Later other lands were added to the ranch. About 1914, the ranch was divided and Jim took the upper portion and George the lower. Many of the buildings on the George Guild Ranch were made from lumber from the snow shed that covered part of the railroad.
George lived the remainder of his life on the ranch. They had saved money to build a nice home on the ranch. But he was approached by oil well men and invested his money in this and lost it. They did finally accumulate enough to build their home and they had Carruths build it. Summers were spent on the ranch but when winter came Annie had to move to Piedmont so the children could attend school. They also had a home in Piedmont, which he built out of logs and put siding on the outside. This was one of the best built homes in Piedmont and is still standing. He was a good cook and could make the best baking powder biscuits and sour dough biscuits of anyone around. They always had a big pot of sour dough on the warming oven. He never bothered to take a lunch with him if he was going to be gone all day but took a pocketful of peanuts and jerky, which he made himself.
He bought one of the first automobiles a 1917 Buick. He ran it until he could no longer get tires to fit it. Lester and Leonard actually used it more than their father. Jo Slade of Lyman sold Annie one of the first glassed in cars, a 1929 Buick.
He was a very quiet, patient man, hardly ever got angry and was an early riser. As soon as the sun was up, so was he. He was very neat about himself and always wore a mustache. He was a good workman with his hands. Anything that needed to be fixed – woodwork, metal, machines, welding or soldering – he was able to fix it up perfectly. He was a sharp businessman also. He bought stock in the Stock Growers Bank. As long as he lived, he was a stockholder and director of the Stock Growers Bank. When he died, his wife gave those shares to their son Lester. He was a stockholder in Uinta County State Bank of Mountain View also and served on the school board of District Number 3 of Uinta County. He was a loyal supporter of the Republican Party. He was a good horseman and stockman, in fact, he had an old dog what he had trained to jump up on the back of his horse and ride with him when he wasn’t needed to help. His main interest was in being a true representative of this time. George Guild more than discharged his responsibility and will long be remembered as an able businessman, a warmhearted friend and companion. He had the friendship and esteem of a wide circle of friends.
He died July 2, 1927, at his home on the ranch. His funeral was held in the Presbyterian Church in Evanston and Bishop Brown was the speaker. He is buried in the Masonic Cemetery in Evanston.
Progressive Men of Wyoming, page 362
A quiet, unassuming man, with methodical business methods and a sagacious and successful merchant, with original and profitable methods of operation, George T. Guild of Piedmont, Uinta County, Wyoming, who has served as treasurer of both the Guild Land and Live Stock Co. and of the Guild Mercantile Co., especially deserves something more than a passing notice at the hands of the reviewer. He was born in Lehi, Utah, on January 5, 1863, the son of Charles and Mary M. (Cardon) Guild. For details concerning the ancestral history of Mr. Guild we would refer the reader to the sketch of Charles Guild, appearing in another part of this volume. George T. Guild received his education in the excellent public schools of Utah, and then engaged in active operations in connection with the industries of the Guild ranch. For the last thirteen years, however, his mercantile tastes and ambitions have led him to become identified with the operations of the Guild Mercantile Co., particularly devoting himself to the affairs of the Piedmont store. Under his administration the business has been wisely and judiciously conducted and has met with gratifying success, he, retaining the confidence of the public and a commensurate share of its business patronage. Mr. Guild has loyally supported the principles and policies of the Republican Party, with which he has been connected since attaining his majority but has not cared to leave the legitimate fields of business to seek the uncertain rewards of the struggle for political honors for himself. On December 28, 1892, Mr. Guild entered into matrimonial relations with Miss Annie Swartzfager, who was born in Canada in 1868, a daughter of H.L. Swartzfager, her parents being natives of Canada and of German descent, and Mr. Swartzfager, surviving his wife, is now living in the province of Ontario, Canada. Two children, George Leonard and Leslie T., constitute the family of Mr. and Mrs. Guild. A keen observer of affairs, an extensive reader, Mr. Guild keeps himself fully abreast of the times in knowledge, and very intelligently discharges all of his duties as a citizen. An able businessman, a warmhearted friend and companion, he has the friendship and esteem of a wide circle of friends.
Evanston City Cemetery, Masonic B Section, Evanston, Wyoming
