OAKLEY WARD, Summit Stake, Summit Co., Utah, consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in a little settlement situated on the north bank of the Weber River. Oakley has one of the best roller flouring mills in Utah, situated about two miles west of the mouth of the Upper Weber Canyon, or six miles north of Kamas. The ward owns a brick meeting house seating about 300, erected in 1904-1905, at a cost of $5,000. Within the limits of the ward is the head of the Weber-Provo Division Canal, which taps the Weber River one mile up stream from the Oakley center. Some of the water in this canal is conducted from the Weber River to the Provo River to increase irrigation possibilities in Utah and Salt Lake counties.
The first permanent settlers in that district of country now known as Oakley were William Stephens and his family, who were the only residents of the neighborhood for several years. His son, Wm. Henry Stephens, built a mill, originally a burr mill, but later fitted with the most modern equipment. About 1880 more families moved into the district, and in 1890 Christian Jensen was appointed to preside over them, which he did until 1894, when the Oakley Ward was organized with Marion Frazier as Bishop. He acted until 1901, when he was succeeded by William P Richards, who was succeeded in 1912 by John H. Seymour, who was succeeded in 1929 by Ralph Ashton Richards, who presided Dec. 31, 1930, on which date the ward had 291 members, including 69 children. The total population of the Oakley Precinct in 1930 was 371.
(Ed. Note: Anna Jonsson BENGSTON, William P Smith's second wife moved to Oakley after remarrying.)