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IN MEMORY OF CHARLES WILLILAM “BILL” WINDER and CAROLINE ELIZABETH MILLS
William was the 1st boy born in Desert Lake, Utah, June 28, 1888, to Charles Henry Winder & Helen Pilling. Grandparents: Thomas Harrison Winder & Hannah Shreeve, John Pilling & Sarah Bedford. He died Jan. 9, 1978 Caroline was born in Ferron, Utah, Feb. 2, 1887 to Henry George Mills & Eliza Ann Horsley. Grandparents: George Henery Mills & Caroline Boxall, John Pickett Horsley & Francis Jane Mills. She died Jan. 6, 1950. Both buried in Cleveland, Utah Married Dec. 20, 1906 Susan Bedford & John Pilling came to Utah with the 9th Handcart Co. in 1860. John Pickett Horsley came to Utah with the 1st ox-team about 1852. William and Caroline home-steaded 160 acres on Cedar Mt., Utah; Sec. 12 N 1, Township 19 50, Range 11 E, 1910-1920. They also home-steaded 80 acres surrounding this area; S 1/4 NE 1/4, NW 1/4 SE 1/4 – Section 10, Township 17, 50 of Range 10 E, S.L. Meridian, 1910-1920. They were the parents of 14 children: Aletha, Verl, Mildred, Ada, Arnold, Baby brother buried on Cedar Mt., Angues, Euceen, deceased, Harold, Zina, Philip, twins – Floyd and stillborn baby sister, Levan Dale MEMORIES FOREVER.
In 1885, several families moved from the town of Cleveland, Utah to an area they called Desert Lake, and built a 500-foot (150 m) embankment dam to impound a 300-acre irrigation reservoir.[3] In 1896, the dam broke, causing significant damage.The LDS Church provided $1000 to rebuild the dam, and also to extend a ditch to Cleveland.
The 1900 United States Census reported Desert Lake’s population at 127. Six years after the Census was taken, in 1906, the Desert Lake area was surveyed. An LDS church, a general store, several frame homes, and a school were constructed. The general store also served as the town’s post office.
A problem throughout the valley occurred as farmers irrigated land, which dropped the water table and caused alkali in the soil to rise. The alkaline soil eroded adobe structures and caused many crops to fail. As the alkali in the soil concentrated, the residents of Desert Lake moved about 6 miles away and founded the town of Victor. A few log homes make up what’s left of the town of Desert Lake.
