I would like to take you back to the beginning, which deals with the birth and early life of William Ajax. This information is taken from his own diary and I am quoting from it.

"William Ajax was born 13 March 1832 in Llantrissant, Glamorganshire, South Wales. His father was Thomas Truman Ajax and his mother was Rebecka Darcus. He had a brother Thomas and a sister Eliza. From early childhood he was brought up by William and Frances Maxwell. They sent him to school when he was about 6 years old, but when he was 11 years old he quit school and went to work for farmers. After he worked for farmers, he worked as a mason tender and eventually went to work in coal mines in 1850 and worked in the mines until 1854.

In 1853 he was baptized in the Victoria branch and worked faithfully in the church. Early in 1859 he was called to the "Udgorn Seion" office in Swansea to do clerking for the Welch Mission and to translate and prepare matter for the "Udgorn". He had prepared himself for this work early in life when he took the opportunity during his lunch periods to learn words of Latin, Greek, French and English. He was faithful in this missionary work, but had to quit for a long enough period to go out and earn money to buy clothes, since he had worn them out.

" ...they arrived in Salt Lake City 5 October 1862. He had walked all the way from Nebraska to Salt Lake City. "

On 13 May 1862, he and his wife went aboard the "Antarctic" where he was appointed JOH a counselor to Elder William C. Moody who presided over the saints on the vessel. The ship sailed on 19 May 1862 and the company arrived in New York City 27 June 1862. They moved west and arrived in Florence, Nebraska on 6 July 1862 and began their westward move 1 August 1862. As they were coming down Echo Canyon the wagon that his wife Emma was riding in tipped over in a ditch. She was not seriously hurt but shaken up. The accident occurred on 1 October 1862 and they arrived in Salt Lake City 5 October 1862. He had walked all the way from Nebraska to Salt Lake City.

When they arrived they were taken to the apartment of B.P. Evans. The apartment was so small that there was not room for two beds, so he and Brother Evans slept in the wagon.

He worked at various jobs. He and two partners, Watt and Slater, established a mercantile store and did very well for a short time. The firm failed in 1869, which left him practically penniless.

He and other people had heard there was hay land in the south end of Rush Valley and here he purchased land and moved into a dugout with his family. They put up hay and sold it for $20 a ton in Mercur, Ophir, and Jacob City, since the mining industry was really booming at this time.

" ...he started his store on one shelf of the cupboard. He started out with a few groceries, tobacco and piece goods. "

While he was working in the hay fields he noticed that there was quite a lot of travel on the road to the west of them. In 1870 he built an adobe house of two rooms near the road. He had made the adobe blocks and with his previous experience was able to build the house. Since he had some experience in the mercantile business, he started his store on one shelf of the cupboard. He started out with a few groceries, tobacco and piece goods.

The business grew until he took two shelves and then three and finally when he did not have room for the stock, he went out of the house and dug a hole in the ground near the comer of the house. This was only a temporary arrangement and the increased business made it necessary for him to expand.

A Post Office was established in 1870 and it was known as Center. The mail was delivered from Stockton to Clover, St. John, Center and Vernon. At [the town of] Center the distribution was made for the dozen or more ranchers between Center and Vernon and the carrier would deliver the bags to the ranchers on his way to Vernon. The demand for all kinds of merchandise increased along for a place to feed and water horses for the people who were hauling hay, coke and other items to the near towns, and the local ranchers, sheep men and day and night travelers. He could see that it would be necessary to expand his operation as rapidly as he could. While in the process of building the store, he would leave home and walk about eight miles and cut cedar posts and longer timber and then return at night.

" He was not able to sleep well at night, so he would rise and dig and move the dirt in a wheelbarrow. "

He was not able to sleep well at night, so he would rise and dig and move the dirt in a wheelbarrow. The store at some points was twenty feet below the surface of the ground. After many days and nights the store was finally completed and was approximately 100 feet by 80 feet. At the east end of the store there were two doors and here a team could be driven in one door and out the other door. This end was the warehouse. To the extreme north east corner, there was another excavation which was below the level of the main store. In this location was kept items that needed to be kept cold, such as soda water, meat, and other items. This location kept items quite cold. When anyone wanted soda water, the little boy who was sent to get it was instructed that he was to get the bottles with labels on since those without labels contained beer. There was never any whiskey sold here. Most of the store was underground which kept it cool in summer and warm in winter. The living quarters were on the surface along with the rooms and dining quarters. At one time this store was called the Eighth Wonder of the World. When it was completely stocked, you were able to buy most anything. They didn't sell caskets, but at different times you could see one under construction, for there were many built here as the need arose. One of the more exciting items was the table with beautiful dishes, vases, glassware and many items of this nature. This table had a special place in the store and the location was fixed up a little nicer than the rest of the store. The table was between twenty five and thirty feet long and had two tiers. Many of the dishes came from England and was of the best grade that was available. Some of the original stock was brought across the plains when they came west. Many people came from Ophir, Mercur, Stockton, St. John, Clover and Tooele, to shop at the store. The dishes purchased at the store can be seen in the homes of the descendants.

A story is told of a man who lives in Cedar City who has some of the dishes purchased at the store for a small amount of money and a few years ago someone offered him $250 for them, but he would not sell them.

" This was not only a store, but a place where people could stay overnight or longer and be fed also. "

This was not only a store, but a place where people could stay overnight or longer and be fed also. All of the Ajax girls were good cooks and helped their mother with these chores.

My grandmother, who was the oldest in the family, had moved to Center with her family when she was six years old. By the time she was ten years old she had pieced by hand, ten quilt tops. So she was able to sew at a very early age. If someone came and wanted a pair of overalls, and the size was not in stock, she would make them a pair.

A story is told of a couple who were traveling to California and the woman wanted a sun bonnet. They didn't have one is stock to fit her, so William Ajax told them to wait and he would have his little girl make one for her. While she was making the bonnet the woman watched her all the time.

She became a good seamstress and made many items of clothing. She even made suits of clothes. She knit mittens and sent them to Ophir and Mercur where they were sold for fifty cents a pair.

There were many travelers, ranchers, coke haulers and sheep men who would stop for the night or several days depending on their needs. To accommodate these people, sheds, barns and corrals were built that would take care of 100 head of horses and about 300 head of cattle.

The water for these animals was supplied from a well which had two buckets on a pulley. It would take a considerable amount of water pulled out of the well, a bucket at a time, to water the stock that would be housed and fed there.

" As was said, everything could be bought at the store. Newspapers, such as the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Canadian Family Herald, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Examiner, and many magazines and books. "

As was said, everything could be bought at the store. Newspapers, such as the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Canadian Family Herald, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Examiner, and many magazines and books.

This became a supply point for the many sheep men who would buy all of their groceries, hay, grain and clothes for the winter while they herded sheep out on the desert.

Each department of the store was separate, so you might say it was a department store. One day a stranger came to the store and said that he had heard that he could purchase anything there. He was told that it was true. He promptly said that he would like to buy a yard of buttermilk. Nothing was said, but William Ajax came back to the counter and laid a yard stick down and proceeded to pour the buttermilk down the stick and said "there it is".

The store was built to take advantage of the light from the windows which were above ground level and this light would light the store. The packing crates were used to line the walls and the floor.

William Ajax was a friend to the Indians who came to the store quite often to beg or buy merchandise and they had this to say about him. "He is a good friend".

At one time, the estimated value of merchandise in this Ajax store was $75,000. With the coming of the railroad, mail was much faster and better and many mercantile businesses sent catalogues to the ranchers and farmers which had some effect on the store.

In 1899 William Ajax passed away leaving the management of the store to his sons.

" In 1914 the Ajax store closed its doors and some of the buildings and sheds were left for people who might need to stay there over night. "

In 1914 the Ajax store closed its doors and some of the buildings and sheds were left for people who might need to stay there over night.