"Having been selected by George Albert Smith to assist in forming a settlement at the Little Salt Lake Valley, in the fall of 1850, I sent out with the expedition my two eldest sons, Sixtus and Nephi, with two teams laden with Iron for Mill building necessary tools and provisions, other necessary arrangements, and started on the 14th day of March, 1851, with a part of my family, and three teams laden with provision and other necessaries for the settlement, and arrived at the settlement in (Little) Salt Lake Valley, later known as Parowan, on the 10th day of April, and found the boys had taken land in the field, and were putting in crops and had done very well. I joined them and took more land and we put in all the grain and potatoes that we could. On the 15th day of May, President Brigham Young, and many of the brethren from Great Salt Lake City, arrived in our beautiful valley on an exploring and visiting expedition. During their stay they organized our settlement into the City of Parowan, and I was elected member of the City Council. I was also sent out with a small company to explore the Coal Creek Canyon and ascertain its resources for coal, timber, etc. And also the Iron Mountain for Iron and on my return I discovered the springs in the edge of the Coal Creek Valley, when I stopped and refreshed myself and team, and on looking about a little, I concluded to make those Springs the seat of my farming operations and place of residence for myself and my family for the future. Accordingly on my return to Parowan, I consulted George Albert Smith upon the subject, who gave me leave to survey all the land I pleased at the springs for myself and friends. In reference to our crops they were tolerable good, considering the dryness of the season, and lack of water for irrigation, although we had a frost in August that injured our potatoes and corn crops. About the middle of September, I sent Sixtus back to Great Salt Lake City for the balance of my family who arrived on the 17th day of October, all in good health and spirits. About this time, George Albert Smith counseled me to build a house and corral at the springs and herd the cattle for the brethren at Parowan and Cedar, through the winter and establish at that place a sugar beet plantation and sugar manufactory as soon as I could. Accordingly on the 19th of November I commenced building a house at the Springs, and on the 6th of December, I moved a part of my family and on the 12th received the herd of cattle from Parowan, on the 15th moved the balance of my family to my new residence at the springs, which now Jan. 1, 1852, known by the name of Johnson Springs".