the rest of the way to the camp by wagon. As a result of the injury, Thomas traveled most of the way to the Salt Lake Valley in his family’s wagon. Ricks would later assist five additional groups of pioneers to make the same trek. In 1856, returning from a colonizing mission in Las Vegas, Nevada, he immediately left to be part of the rescue party sent from Salt Lake to assist the stranded Martin Handcart Company near the Sweetwater River. A colonel in the Utah Militia, Ricks was commissioned to locate a better route from the Cache Valley to the Bear Lake Valley, in Northern Utah. While thus engaged, he discovered a natural spring flowing from the cavity of a large rock. To this day, Ricks’ Spring bears his name. It can be found on U.S.-89, between Logan, Utah, and Bear Lake, on the Utah–Idaho border. Colonizing years Ricks was an influential church and community leader in both Utah and Idaho. He is known as the founder of Rexburg, Idaho, and participated in the founding of the Bannock Stake Academy, which would eventually evolve into Brigham Young University–Idaho. The school was named in his honor for a period of 99 years first as Ricks Academy (1902–1917) and later as Ricks College (1917–2001). Ricks served in the LDS Church as a bishop and stake president in the Rexburg area. Death Ricks died September 28, 1901, at age 73. Joseph F. Smith, LDS Church president, said of him at his funeral, “It may be a long time before we find another man his equal in honor, mind, and unswerving loyalty to the cause of God and his people.” Notes References External links 1828 births 1901 deaths American city founders American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Brigham Young University–Idaho Converts to Mormonism from Restoration Movement denominations Latter Day Saints from Idaho Latter Day Saints from Illinois Latter Day Saints from Kentucky Latter Day Saints from Utah Mormon pioneers People from Rexburg, Idaho People from Trigg County, Kentucky