John Jarvie was born in Scotland in 1844. He worked in a Scottish mine as a youth where he was severely beaten by his supervisor. When he recovered from the beating he stowed away on a ship bound for America and bid farewell to his native land. He arrived in America in 1870. He settled in Rock Springs, Wyoming Territory, where he shared a residence with four other Scotch immigrants, including George Law who was a coal miner, and George Young who was also a retail liquor dealer as John he himself was. He purchased the Will Wale Saloon on busy North Front Street across from the Union Pacific depot for $500.00. On October 8, 1875 he became a US citizen. In 1880 he met Nellie Barr who had emigrated from the British Isles. She was passing through Rock Springs with her family, whom were traveling to Ogden, Utah where they settled. On June 17, 1880 they were married. That same year they left Rock Springs and made their home in Browns Park, Utah. They lived in a dugout that he had built while their home was being built. He operated a store and Ferry in Browns Park, and in February 1881 he took over being the postmaster. He and Nellie had four sons John Jr. , Archibald, Thomas, and James.. Nellie died at home of tuberculosis in 1895 when the youngest child was eight years old. Although he had been offered help by the neighbors with raising the boys he continued to take care of them himself. He continued to operate the store and the Ferry until the day he was murdered.

Early Settler of Utah Murdered and His Body Thrown Into River, Rock Springs Wyo-John Jarvie, aged 70 a pioneer of this section and one time a resident of Salt Lake has been murdered it is believed at his ranch in Brown's Park near Bridgeport Utah. James Jarvie a son, went to the ranch on July 7 and found his father missing. There was a pool of blood in the yard and a trail of blood leading twenty yards down to the Green river There Mr Jarvie kept a. ferry boat, which is gone, and the fear is that the body of the dead man was set adrift in the boat Two men suspected of the murder, were traced from Browns Park to Rock Springs but here the trail was lost.

A trail was found, and Mr Pope thinks that perhaps the boat drifted into the eddy and when the parties noticed it and went there to push it out into the current again They laid the hobbles down on the log and forgot them The house had been ransacked through and though and many articles were missing from the store, but the safe was locked and if it had been robbed the robbers had locked it again. The Jarvie boys were unable to unlock the safe to see whether the contents had been taken and they had no idea of how much money their father had on hand, but it is presumed he had several hundred dollars, as he was so far away from a bank to put it in. The tracks of two men and a horse were traced down the river southeast about four miles to the nearest ranch owned by the King brothers. Here a pile of plunder was found as though the ropes binding the pack on the horse had been cut and the pack fallen to the ground. In the pile was an assortment of stuff and provisions -flour, canned goods, coffee, rope, hobbles, shoes, underwear, shirts, pants, all new and one shirt that ad been worn and one old pair of shoes. Only the track of one horse could be found leading away form the spot, and it was traced north through the Jesse Ewing canyon. At the first some 12 miles out the man there said that about daylight his dogs barked and upon looking out he saw two men on one horse at the lower end of his field and as soon as he went out of the house they were on around the fence and headed north. About fifteen miles farther on Jarvie's horse was found with a new saddle on that had been missing from the store, and he was making his way slowly back toward Green river. The horse showed signs of having been ridden hard and was about all in. The foot prints of the two men could be seen now and then on the road toward Rock Springs. Sheriff Pope had an idea that after robbing and killing Jarvie the tow went down to the King ranch expecting to find horses in the pasture, but when they discovered the horses were all gone they became alarmed and cut the pack loose, knowing they could not make much headway leading a pack horse through the hills. So they both rode the one horse they took from Jarvie and then being unable to get horses at the next ranch the rode the one horse until he gave out and kept on towards the railroad on foot hoping to get there and get a train before their dark deed was discovered. It appears now they figured it out right up to date and no trace of them has been found since they were last seen by Mr. King sixteen miles this side of Rock Springs on Wednesday evening. Sheriff Pope received a telegram from Rock Springs Thursday asking him to come. He left at once going across the country on horseback. He expected to make the trip in two days which is about two days quicker than he could make the trip going around by rail. Before leaving he had 100 cards printed and sent out giving the following description of the two young men. WANTED-Two young men for the murder of John Jarvie, at Bridgeport, Utah on July 6th 1909. George Hool height about 5 ft 6 or 7 inches weight 150 or 160 lbs. sallow complexion heavy eyebrows, brownish hair has blue gray eyes that look peculiar, high and wide cheek bones and face tapers to point of chin upper lip thin and lower lip and chin protrudes, has tattoo on back of hand and runs up the arm, age about 27. His partner 5 ft. 7 inches, light complected thin weight 140 lbs, light clothes, pants are corduroy or Kakie about 6 shoe. Both were smooth shaved and wore curved pointed shoes. (According to History George Hool and his partner were never found.)

It is hard to imagine John Jarvie dead. Harder still to think of him murdered. He was the sage of the Uintahs, the genius of Browns park. He could almost be called the wizard of the hills and river. He was not only a man among men but he was a friend among men, and a Good Samaritan ever. he kept a ferry ; but he was more than a ferryman, he kept a store but he was not circumscribed by the small scope of a storekeeper,. He was a good neighbor, a true friend. His Scotch brogue but added to the earnestness of his speech and enhanced his qualities. He was of a hardy, fearless nature. Kind and considerate, a true Christian, without a creed. He had the qualities of greatness in him. He made the most of his environments. He read the book of nature from the wonderful hills that surrounded him. He studied geology from the mountains and gorges and river as students study it from the pages of La Conte, yet he was not behind in book learning. He was a theologian of mean qualities, indeed he had a philosophy of life which commanded the respect of those who may have been considered more learned. He was fond of argument and persistent in what he considered to be right. He was as broad and generous and far reaching in his good deeds as the stream which he knew and loved as a brother and over whose turbulent waters he had helped so many travelers and upon whose unwilling bosom he was set adrift to seek an unknown grave. (which fortunately was not to be) Nothing can be said which will enrich Mr. Jarvie's name nor which will enhance his worth; those who knew him loved and respected him. He was greater than the country in which he lived. We could have wished the gray haired veteran a peaceful ending. Those who slew him killed their brother for gain, even as much as Cain did when he in cold blood slew Abel In conclusion I wish to quote from 1 the words of John Jarvie, over the grave of his long time friend, Mrs Mary Crouse, February 5, 1904, (Clipped from the Vernal Express ) "Here in this world where life and death are equal kings, all should he brave enough to meet what all have met-From the wondrous tree of life the buds and blossoms fall with ripened fruit and In the common bed; of earth patriarchs and babes sleep side by side. It may be that death gives all there is of worth to life,. If those who press and strain against our hearts could never die perhaps that love would wither from the earth. Maybe a common faith treads from out the paths between our hearts The weeds of selfishness and I should rather live and love where death is king than have eternal life where love is not Another life is naught unless we know and love again the ones who love us here. The largest and nobler faith in all that is and is to be, tells us that death even at its worst is only perfect rest-We have no fear, we all are children of the same mother and the same fate awaits us all, We, too, have our religion and it is This: "Help for the living, Hope for the dead " Those words spoken by Mr Jarvie not only give an idea of his own nature but they are especially appropriate in his own sad ending May his -body rest in peace near the Green river and in the pleasant vale between, the hills, where history will be in-complete without the last thirty years of the life story of John Jarvie.