A.J. Simmonds' keen interest in his genealogy led him to collect these photographs and led, eventually, to the publishing of Reluctant Gentile: The Life and Times of Andrew Montom Simmonds, 1844-1925. Andrew Montom Simmonds, A.J. Simmonds' great-grandfather, grew up in England and converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1855. The Simmonds family came to America in 1868 and eventually made their way to Logan in 1870. In 1873 A.C. apostated from the LDS Church and in 1876 he moved to "The Big Range" near what would later become Trenton. A.C. raised livestock, farmed irrigated land, and opened a general store. After selling his store in 1905, he spent more time in Logan with his children. He died on August 15, 1925.
From the guide to the Simmonds family photograph collection, 1800-1980, 1850-1950, (Utah State University. Merrill-Cazier Library. Special Collections and Archives)
