Chester Alfred Harper

Chester Harper, better known as "Chet" was the youngest son of Charles Alfred Harper and Lavina Wollerton Dilworth. He was born April 15, 1864 at Holladay, Utah and had a twin sister named Lavina. His early schooling commenced at Holladay and he spent most of his childhood there.

In his early 20s he assisted his father and brothers with the homesteading of farmland near Mesa, Arizona. The land was densely covered with mesquite, which he helped grub off, his father being nearly seventy at the time. He helped to build a house on the farm so that the rest of the family might be sent for. During his years in Arizona he also learned to drive a freight team and freighted all kinds of supplies to and from Prescott.

Later he participated in sheep herding in the area in partnership with his brother Park. That operation failed and being completely broke, Chester and Park went to Nevada and later Wyoming together, working odd jobs along the way.

In 1890 he came to Idaho and settled in the small town of Lewisville where he met and married Mary Julia Goody. They were later divorced. Their only child, Chester Leslie Harper was born in Lewisville and died at just four months of age.

In 1899 Chet married Amanda Ellen Herbst and in 1905 they moved to the Lost River Valley with three young children. This valley derives its name from a nearby river that sinks entirely from its bed and become lost underground.

For a time they resided on the former Charles Haney ranch north of Moore. It was here that their oldest son, Leroi was killed by an overturned load of hay. In 1907 he purchased the Harper ranch south of Moore and farmed there for many years, frequently assisted by his brother Park. The land was entirely covered with sagebrush when purchased but he cleared it and made fertile land of it. He built the first two-room house in the community there.

His wife passed away suddenly of a heart attack in 1920 and he continued to live on the ranch until his own death twenty years later. Chet was always deeply concerned for his family's welfare and never missed an opportunity to do a good deed. He was a Democrat in politics and a faithful latter day saint who encouraged his children to high ideals of Christian living. His passing on March 29, 1940 was sudden but not unexpected, and he was buried April 1, in the Moore cemetery beside his wife and son.