MESA, Ariz. – April 15, 2016 – PRLog — Commissioned by Brigham Young to start a colony in the Arizona Territory, in march of 1877 a group of 84 Mormons settled in the northern edges of what is now present-day Mesa. Briefly named Jonesville and then Fort Utah the settlement, in May of 1882 on the recommendation of Brigham Young Jr, was eventually given the name Lehi after the prophet Lehi from the Book of Mormon.
Early on, due to the difficulties of living in such a harsh environment and governing differences, half of the original settles split from the group. But, the remaining residents of Lehi were more determined to turn their small settlement into a thriving colony. They laid out plans to build a town, and proceeded to constructed a small one-room school, Fort Utah, a large refuge surrounded by seven-foot walls, and in 1878 the first permanent house was built outside those walls.
The Biggs Home, first built out of adobe in 1878 by Thomas Biggs, an engineer and one of the original 84 Mormon settlers, was then rebuilt after his death in 1886. Also known as the Syrina Biggs Home after Thomas’ wife, the house this time was rebuilt with brick. Although the Lehi settlement never reach the full potential of its original settlers, almost 100 years later in 1970, it was annexed as part of the city of Mesa. The Biggs Home, the small brick structure, is considered to be the oldest house in the city of Mesa and still stands at its location on N Horne in Mesa.
The Biggs Home, now an official historical Mesa landmark, sat for many years in a state of complete disrepair. However recently due to the interest of the location and property for business use by Discount Locksmith LLC there has been development and repairs on the building. Siding above the brick was fixed, a new roof and fresh paint has brought life and use back to the old property and house. With continued growth of the locksmith business and an interest in keeping Mesa’s history alive we are planning see more improvements on the Biggs Home in the near future!
For more information about the Biggs House and Discount Locksmith LLC you can contact:
Discount Locksmith LLC
2308 N Horne
Mesa, AZ 85203
Phone: (480) 372-8854
About Discount Locksmith, LLC
Discount Locksmith’s corporate location is located in Mesa, AZ. All jobs are performed by technicians who are independent contractors. Limited warranty on parts may be provided by the technician .Discounted prices listed on the website available only for customers who share on social media prior to the time of service. Customers who do not share on social media page prior to receiving service may be charged regular prices which may be much higher than listed discount prices. Contact a representative for more information.
References and Images
- Wikipedia – Lehi, Mesa
- AZCentral.com – Mesa history: Governing issues send half of Lehi packing
- Fort Utah Memorial marks historic Lehi
- SETTLING OF MESA, ARIZONA (Roster of Lehi Pioneers) (Mesa Independent Page 9 January 28-February 3, 1987)
- Arizona Century – 1878- Syrina Biggs House
- Find a Grave – Thomas Biggs
- Find a Grave – Syriana Billing Piercy Biggs
- AZCentral.com – Mesa has potential to preserve more of architectural past
- Family Search – Thomas Biggs home in Lehi, Arizona
Read Press Release on PRLog: https://www.prlog.org/12550394-discount-locksmith-llc-helping-to-preserve-mesas-history.html