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George Harrison Tribe

George Harrison Tribe, one of the leading merchants of Ogden City, was born in London, July 2nd, 1844. He is the son of Joseph Tribe and Sarah Ann Mates, and is a younger brother of Henry Tribe, a well known commission merchant of Utah and a citizen of Ogden. His father was the proprietor of a large livery establishment in the British capital.

The family emigrated in the year 1844. They embarked with a company of Saints on board the ship Germanicus; Richard Cook was president and James Hart was his counselor. The ship was twelve weeks on her voyage to New Orleans. They continued their journey to St. Louis. When the company landed there at the quarantine they were all well, but the cholera broke out and a large number died; James Hart himself came near to death. In consequence of the breaking out of this terrible disease, Father Tribe hired a skiff and took the mother and family over to the city, leaving Henry to take care of the baggage, he having had the cholera in London. But the father did not long survive the voyage, he dying of brain fever, caused by the intense heat of the summer of 1854.

The elder brother, Henry started west in the spring of 1855, to pioneer the way for the family; but he crossed the plains without them having engaged in the merchant train of Livingston & Kinkade, bound for Salt Lake City.

George H. Tribe, who was at the time but a youth, eleven years of age, with his mother, his sisters Mary Ann and Emma, and his brother David, followed the same year. They tarries for a while at Mormon Grove. On the 2nd of August their company struck their tents and started on the arduous journey across the sandy plains and the Rocky Mountains, meeting on the way several perilous experiences from the hostile Indians, who that season were fighting with U.S. troops on the track over which the emigrants were passing. Milo Andrus was captain of the company, and Mr. Joseph Hall, of Ogden, captain of the guard. They arrived in Salt lake City October 28th, 1855.

The family settled at first in Salt Lake City, and the mother afterwards married Thomas Colburn, father of Mrs. Rosina Godbe.

At about the age of fifteen years George re-crossed the plains to the Missouri River, in company with his brother-in-law, Emerson Shurtliff, to fetch to Salt Lake City a train of merchandise. The trip engaged one season. In the fall of the following year he also made a trip by the southern route to California for another train of merchandise. Thus commenced his commercial career.

Mr. George H. Tribe has had an excellent commercial education and experience. He graduated in business in the firm of Ransohoff & Co., in Salt Lake City, and during his engagement with them he had charge of a branch of their house at Moroni, San Pete County. He was with the firm about five years and afterwards with Godbe & Mitchell.

While in the employ of Ransohoff he did some military service for the Territory, he being one of Heber P. Kimball's command that went to the relief of San Pete at the time of the Indian troubles.

When the telegraph line was opened he went south with John Clows, and helped to establish every office on that line down to St. George, opening the offices as they went at each settlement. He took charge himself of the office at Toquerville, where he stayed four months as the operator. It was after this that he was connected with the firm of Godbe & Mitchell.

After the dissolution of partnership between Godbe & Mitchell, Mr. Tribe came to Ogden and established a branch store for Mr. Mitchell, but in 1869 he commenced business for himself, having bought out Mitchell's stock of goods. For a while he kept his business on the old stand on the east side of Main Street , but afterwards moved to the opposite side, leased a building lot of L.W. Shurtliff and built a store. There he continued in business till 1878, when he moved to Fourth Street in the centre of the block, where he put up his present fine store, which is one of the best in Ogden City. He also carries on the liquor business on Main Street. He does a good business, carries a fine stock of well assorted goods, and is properly considered one of the leading merchants of Ogden. Of Mr. George Tribe personally it may be said, he is a man of considerable business capacity, quick to push forward into new business lines, and the building of his fine store in the central spot has tended not a little to make Fourth Street what it now is, a first class business part of Ogden.

George is in the prime of manhood, and should Ogden grow into a great city, as it fairly bids to do, Mr. George Tribe will very likely rank, by and by, as one of the rich and influential men of Utah, as he does now as one of the representative business men of Ogden City. He is a man good moral character, is quite intellectual, liberal in his views and tolerant to others. He is in fine a representative citizen, as well as an enterprising young merchant. In the commercial future of Ogden, few have fairer promise than Mr. George Tribe. It is worthy of note, in the commercial history of our territory, that there is at present a lot of young merchants, such as Jennings, Hooper and the Walkers, are nevertheless destined to make considerable mark in the mercantile activities of the future. Mr. George Tribe is of that class.

Of his immediate family it may be noted:

George H. Tribe was married April, 1870, to Miss Anna M. Foulger. She was born November 14th, 1852, in London, England. "She died January 27th, 1878, leaving four children, three boys and one girl; the oldest boy, George Wallace, died January 12th, 1880. The others are living at the present writing. May 22nd, 1879, Mr. Tribe was married again to Miss Elizabeth H. Foulger, the sister of the deceased wife. By her Mr. Tribe has had four children, two boys and two girls, all of whom are now living.

Source: Tullidge's Histories Volume II - 979.2H21

 

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