William Wallace Casper Song

My Great-Great-Grandpa (yes, only two greats) is William Wallace Casper.  He is an amazing man, was in the Mormon Battalion, was one of the first pioneers to settle in the Salt Lake Valley, and did many other amazing things.  My Grandpa use to talk about his Grandfather like he was the best human in the entire world, he loved him so much.  I am descended from his third wife, Elizabeth Ann Erickson, although some like to pretend we don't really exist.

Lately we came across a song about him. In November of 1980 Valley View 9th Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a reunion, inviting any/everyone who had ever lived there.  The organizers focused on the origin of the ward. Because William Wallace Casper was the first settler in that area and homesteaded the property where the church building is currently located (4101 South 1925 East), Julia Hogan was asked to compose and perform a song about him. She consulted with my Grandpa Kenneth Burton Casper, who at that time lived in the ward, to get most of her information.  However she did take a bit of poetic license.

I have made up a video, with photographs and lyrics, for your viewing pleasure.  I also thought maybe the photographs would be of interest to some people, and since I love sharing, I thought I'd share them here.

William Wallace Casper

William Wallace Casper

William Wallace Casper, zoomed in from Casper and Sons

William Wallace Casper in Mormon Battalion Uniform

Casper and Sons - Sitting: Reuben Miller Casper, Heber Wallace Casper, William Wallace Casper, Joseph Albert Casper, George Ether Casper, John Ebenezer Casper  Standing: James Moroni Casper, Oscar Durbin Casper, William Nephi Casper, Jedediah Grant Casper

George Washington Bean, brother of Sarah Ann Bean, William Wallace's first wife

Adobe House built by William Wallace Casper at 4167 Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah (since destroyed)

Adobe House built by William Wallace Casper at 4167 Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah (since destroyed)

Old Meeting House, donated by William Wallace Casper to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for a church, now owned by someone else and used as a reception hall, 4120 S Highland Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84124

Early photo of Utah pioneers taken on Temple Square at their 50th Jubilee, July 24, 1897, photographer Geo. Ed Andersen, for a detail of who is who, check out: Utah's 1897 Pioneer Jubilee.

Thomas Gunderson married Harriet Priscilla Casper, daughter of William Wallace Casper and Sarah Ann Bean

William Wallace Casper, zoomed in from 1897 Jubilee

William Wallace Casper's Grave at Elysian Burial Gardens, 1075 East College Street, Millcreek, Utah

William Wallace Casper

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I do.  I put a lot of time into the video, so you should definitely watch it, it is good. Go and check out the video if you haven't already.  Click here to go.  Any questions or comments, let me know in the comments below.