19 Jan 1861 – 12 Jun 1922
Grandson of Philip Cardon and Martha Marie Tourn
Son of Charles Guild and Marie Madeline Cardon
James Hiram Guild was the 4th child of Charles Guild and Marie Madeline Cardon Guild, born 19 January 1861 in Lehi, Utah County, Utah. In 1886 or 1887 the Guild family moved from Lehi, Utah to the Muddy Creek Stage Station on the Pioneer Trail in Wyoming. This location later was known as the “Old Byrne Ranch.” From there the family moved to Piedmont, Uinta County, Wyoming a few miles further west of the Muddy Creek Stage Station. This move was made when the Union Pacific Railroad went through the area in 1868. The Charles Guild family was one of the first families living in Piedmont, Wyoming Territory with the coming of the Union Pacific Railroad.
The following event took place when James was about seven years old:
One night when his father, Charles Guild, was not home, sixteen of Chief Washakie’s braves came to the Guild home and threatened to burn the house if Mrs. Guild did not give them “Fire Water” (whisky). She didn’t have any “Fire Water”. Somehow she got her oldest son at home, James, out of the house and he walked about one and a quarter miles to the Moses Byrne ranch to get help. Moses Byrne (James’s uncle) and other white men came and ran the Indians off.
When Chief Washakie learned of the incident he came to Mrs. Guild and wanted to know the names of his braves who had threatened her. She knew their names, having done business with them in the Guild Store; but she would not tell the Chief, knowing he would have them all killed. As a goodwill token, Chief Washakie had his squaw make Mrs. Guild a beaded purse and moccasins.
Mrs. Marie (Mary) Madeline Guild gave the beaded purse to James, who gave it to his first son, Charles Frederick Guild, who gave it to the Sons of the Utah Pioneers, National Headquarters: Louise Ave., 2920 South 3300 East, Salt Lake City, Utah.
James attended school in Piedmont, Wyoming and Logan, Utah. He went to about the 3rd or 4th grade, the equivalent was the 7th reader. He lived in Logan with his mother’s brothers while going to school.
His first employment away from home was that of a cowboy for the cattle firm of Post and Warren (Senator F. E. Warren). He rode the range from Rawlins, Wyoming to present day Mill Creek, Utah, a branch of the Bear River which was a distance of 243 miles. On this job he earned his first pay or wages, which were $20.00 per month plus board and room. He worked this job for several years during his early twenties. He advanced to straw boss, (straw boss is like a sub-foreman). At one time he carried $500.00 sewed in the lining of his vest from Green River City, Wyoming to somewhere on Ham’s Fork to pay off a roundup crew. He stayed one night with an Oregon Shortline Railroad grading camp, where his life would have been worth nothing if some of the men there had known he was carrying this amount of money.
His last ride for Post & Warren was the day he was to take the roundup saddle horses from Green River, Wyoming to Hams Fork, Wyoming. The plan was for him to ride alone, but for some reason a young cowboy was sent to ride with him. James was riding a very mean horse and while chasing the other horses, the horse he was riding jumped a wash and fell, breaking James’ leg. He held the horse’s head over on its side until the cowboy riding with him could get him from under the horse. James was afraid to let the horse up for fear his foot might hang in the stirrup and he would be dragged to death. This happening occurred about twelve miles north of Carter, Wyoming. James lay there while the cowboy rode to Carter to get a team and a buggy. The cowboy took him to Carter and put him on the train headed for Evanston. It was about 36 hours later that he got to a doctor in Evanston. From the accident he sustained a slight limp.
Upon recovering from the horse fall, James went to work on the ranch for his father, Charles Guild. Later James and Uncle Joe (his older brother) became partners on the ranch. Joe went on to Hilliard, Wyoming and ran a general mercantile store. From there Joe moved to Ft. Bridger, Wyoming and ran a general mercantile store, which he later moved to Urie, Wyoming. While Joe was running stores, James and Uncle George (another brother) were partners in ranching until 1914. They ran Hereford cattle on the ranch which was located 4½ miles south of Piedmont, Wyoming and about 30 miles from Evanston, the next biggest town. Both families lived at the ranch in log houses. (The garage presently on the property was Uncle George’s house and James’ house was torn down.)
In 1914, George and James divided the ranch. George took the lower half, and James the upper half of 1840 acres; 1280 acres were sagebrush land and grazing land, with 560 acres mostly meadow or farming land.
James built a 5 bedroom home that cost about $9,000 in 1919. Materials came to Spring Valley, Wyoming by train. From there they were hauled over to Piedmont by 4 horse teams. It took most of the summer to build the house. Plumbing and wiring were done at the time of construction. Lights were operated by a Delco light plant. Running water in the house was only to wash with, not for drinking. In 1929, water was piped to the house from a spring. It was 825 feet and dug mostly by James’ son Charles F. Guild.
James was almost 42 years old when he married Mary Molvena Lellman Rowley, January 5, 1903 in a home at 341 Main Street in Evanston. He could have been married by Bishop James Brown. James met Mary at a cattle roundup. Mary and Joe Rowley worked for James on the ranch as a foreman. The Rowley’s had a son, Robert J. Rowley. Joe Rowley died in 1900 or 1901 of appendicitis.
The following children were born to James Hiram and Mary Molvena Lellman Rowley Guild:
Charles Frederick Guild, born June 28, 1904 in the Piedmont Hotel. Charles was named for his grandfather, Charles Guild and his grandfather John Frederick Lellman.
Margaret Mae Guild, Born April 12, 1906, in Piedmont.
James Hiram Guild, born July 14, 1907, in Piedmont. He died December 1, 1911 of scarlet fever.
Ruth Ellen Guild, born November 11, 1909 in Piedmont.
James bought his first automobile, an Overland 4, from Joseph Slade of Lyman, Wyo. in 1915. The car cost $900.00. James could steer the car good, but he couldn’t stop when he wanted to, or shift gears on a hill. He got his second car in 1918, it was a 7 passenger 4 cylinder Willies Knight. It cost $1,800.00. James had a big plank door against the wall of the garage and the car would start up the wall and stall, roll back and he’d set the brake and it would stop. Often he’d holler, “Whoa”. At his home on the ranch he put two doors on the garage, one at each end. He’d open both doors so when he drove in the garage, if he didn’t get the car stopped, he could go on through, circle around in the field and try to stop the car in the garage the next time. One time James drove to the hitching rack in Piedmont, Wyo. and a cousin Jonnie Byrne watched and said in stuttered words: “Jimmie Guild, st, st, st, drove his car, st, st, st, to the hitchin’ rack.”
James was always a stanch supporter of the Republican Parry. He served several years on two different school boards. And was treasurer of the Utah-Wyoming Cattlemen’s Association. James was a charter member of the Uinta County Farm Bureau in about 1919.
James and Mary’s children married in this order:
Margaret married Carl A. Hackman, November 17, 1928 at Piedmont in Margaret’s home. They were married by Bishop James Brown. To them was born a son James Donald Hackman.
Ruth married Ernest W. Morris, April 7, 1939, in Ogden, Utah. To them two children were born: Judith Ruth Morris and Richard Franklin Morris.
Charles married Ella Oriole Lund, June 26, 1947, in Kemmerer, Wyoming. To them two children were born: Mary Ella Guild and James Lund Guild.
James’ son Charles, remembers his father taught him not to lie or steal. He also remembers his father teaching his to handle horses.
James died at age 61, on June 12, 1922, at home on the Guild Ranch. He died from a stroke. He was buried in the Guild Family Cemetery on the Guild Ranch above the ranch house. He left a wife, Mary, age 47, son Charles F., age 17 (almost 18), and daughters, Margaret, age 16, and Ruth, age 12 (almost 13). A son, James Hiram had passed away 11 years before. James and Mary were married 19 years when he died.
(This history of James H. Guild was written by Charles F. Guild, his son.)
Progressive Men of Wyoming
One of the forceful and productive factors in the mercantile and industrial world of Wyoming is James H. Guild, of Uinta county, who was born at Lehi, Utah, on January 19, 1861, the son of Charles and Mary M. (Cardon) Guild, a memoir of whom appears on other pages of this work. When he was seven years old the family moved to Wyoming, and settled at Piedmont, in Uinta County. There he was reared and educated, gathering what he could of the sparkling and invigorating waters of knowledge from an irregular and insufficient attendance at the public schools of the neighborhood, for, in those days, life was strenuous to everybody in these parts, and its graces and its accomplishments were compelled to wait until its sterner demands were satisfied. After leaving school, he engaged in ranching with his father, and later became a member of the firm of Charles Guild & Sons, formed for the purpose of carrying on an extensive merchandising and livestock enterprise. In 1881, he settled on the ranch he now occupies, which had been previously located by his father, and from that year it has been his home. It lies four miles southwest of Piedmont and contains 4,000 acres of land, much of which is fit for cultivation, and has been brought to a high state of fruitfulness. In 1898, the Guild interests were incorporated in two companies, one known as the Guild Land & Live Stock Co., and the other as the Guild Mercantile Co., and James H. Guild became a stockholder in each and the manager of the former. To this industrial manifestation he has given his undivided attention and has made it one of the most important and successful industries of its kind in this part of the state. In politics he is a Republican, and takes a definite and active interest in the welfare of his party, although not desiring any place of honor or profit in its gift for himself. He is especially interested in the cause of public education, and, in its behalf, has freely given six years of excellent service to the cause as trustee at various times. Of the fraternal societies so numerous among men he has favored only one with his membership, the Knights of the Maccabees. His ranch is furnished with good buildings and is well equipped for the stock industry. In addition to what it contains as deeded land, there is a very extensive acreage under lease. The entire business in all departments is conducted with a vigor and enterprise, and on a scale of magnitude and success only possible to the best business capacity and the most skillful management, qualifications for which Mr. Guild is well known throughout the cattle industry.
Guild Family Cemetery, Guild Ranch, Piedmont, Wyoming
