At the age of 21 he had nothing and made a start at hauling mine timbers in Bingham. He secured about 3,800 sheep on shares and at the end of three years had about 10,000 head. He also raised cattle, hogs, thoroughbred Scotch collie dogs and Plymouth Rock chickens. He also raised grain and hay.
He was a stockholder in the Mt. Pleasant Roller Mill Company, the Electric Light Company and Wool and Live Stock Commission Company. He owned a sawmill in the canyon and a planing mill in the city. A member of the A.O.U.W. and a member of the city council for six years. He served as Mayor of Mt. Pleasant from 1900 to 1902.
He married Margaret, daughter of Peter M. and Christina Folkman Peel, born in Lehi on March 1, 1858. They were married in Salt Lake City January 15, 1880 and had eight children: Ethel, Zella, Earl, John, Leonard, Arbretia, Lucretia and Chesley.
John Seely died on July 31, 1920 at Fish Lake.
Additional Information ~ excerpts from Seely Family History
He was not born rich, though his parents were not poor, but they were pioneers, coming to Mt. Pleasant in 1859 when John was only 4 years old, and he grew up in a pioneer community with all its limitations, its primitiveness but also its opportunities. That he realized these opportunities, that he made good use of them by applying his strength and his talents that God had given him to the best of his ability is to his credit and that he used the means thus acquired by his honest efforts not only for his own good but for the benefit of his fellow men, his community, state and church that is his everlasting honor.
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He was well and favorably known as a breeder of pure bred livestock, especially Rambouillet sheep and Shorthorn cattle, a farmer and also prominent in business and public affairs, holding many offices of trust and responsibility during his active and useful life.
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As a pioneer in the livestock line he originated, not merely initiated, his methods and the means he employed were his own, but he had no monopoly on them and there were plenty of others who profited by following the paths he had made.
When he went into the sheep business, first he took the old Mt. Pleasant Co-op herd on shares. His contracts in those days called for payments in kind, not in money; so many pounds of wool per head and so many lambs per hundred sheep per year. By the way, that old sheep account book is in existence yet and will be kept as a relic. That kind of contract was good as far as they went. But, of course, the sheep that he took on shares in those far off times were nothing like the sheep of our days.
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In the meantime he bred up his share sheep until he had a couple of well graded herds of his own, which enabled him to quit the shares business and go on his own hook entirely.
And last but not least, this man was a Mormon. Yes born and raised and died a Mormon, never ashamed of it, no matter where he went. And like all good Mormons, he performed a mission, only his was different, he did not go to foreign lands and spend a couple of year or so to preach the Gospel. The mission that the Lord had evidently chosen for him wa at home: to build up the country, to develop and increase its resources, to spread its fame as a fair and goodly place.
His life work is done, but his spirit lives on, and we that knew him here, live in hope that we may see him again, and so we say to him in faith and all sincerity ....Au Revoir until Eternity.
This was written by Will C. Clos, Personal Secretary to Mr. Seely for over 20 years.
Submitted by his grandson, Edwin M.G. Seely
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