Francis A. Hammond

In 1886 Francis A. Hammond, newly appointed LDS stake president, sent out an exploring party from Bluff to evaluate possible townsites that could support an agricultural and livestock economy.Monticello, twenty-two miles north of Blanding, received the initial attention in this colonizing effort.For ten more years White Mesa remained the haunt of the diminishing livestock herds of the non-Mormon L. C. outfit.

In 1886 Francis A. Hammond, newly appointed LDS stake president, sent out an exploring party from Bluff to evaluate possible townsites that could support an agricultural and livestock economy.

In March 1886 Francis A. Hammond, LDS stake president of San Juan County, sent an exploration party from Bluff to determine likely sites for towns close to the mountain and its water.
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Undaunted, Hammond called Frederic I. Jones and four other men to start planting crops, laying out a townsite, and surveying an irrigation ditch.
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In the spring of 1888 the settlers returned and undertook the construction of a town that was known as both North Montezuma and Hammond until it took the name Monticello in honor of Thomas Jefferson's estate.
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To bolster this new colony, Hammond called twenty additional men from Moab, Bluff, and Mancos, Colorado.

FRANCIS A. HAMMOND: First regular Stake President of San Juan Stake with two counselors.
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Francis A. Hammond was a strong character, energetic, resourceful well posted thru travel and wide reading and meeting up with people; also a student of scripture.In his travels around the stake visiting the different wards, it was his habit to start very early of mornings, getting five or ten miles on his way at the coming of daylight, always being accompanied by his faithful wife, Martha, who acceded to his every wish.They both would easily be placed among high class people and never let anything interfere with the doing their full duty in their Church positions.It was on one of their regular visits that President Hammond met a violent death, driving a spirited team of horses which became frightened, tipping their buggy over against the corner of a log building, and throwing the president with great force against the logs.He lived a short time but did not regain consciousness.This accident occurred at a branch of the Church called Hammond (after the president.) He was taken to Salt Lake for burial.-----------------------------

WILLIAM HALLS: First counselor to Francis A. Hammond in the Stake Presidency of San Juan Stake.