Most of the early settlers of this area were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Bicknell was first named Thurber after Albert King (A.K.) Thurber, who at age 23 stopped in Utah on his way from Rhode Island to find California gold and joined the Church. After being a church and community leader in Spanish Fork, Thurber was sent to Richfield by Brigham Young to use his influence and language ability to make peace with the Indians, and he soon became the Sevier Stake President. He signed a peace treaty with three groups of Paiute Indians at Fish Lake in 1876. In 1879, while leading a group of stockmen to this valley for cattle grazing, he built the first cabin along the Fremont River, which became the town of Thurber. Fremont was the first Wayne County Ward organized in 1880, with Thurber the second, organized in June 1882, and even after Thurber changed its name to Bicknell, the local ward of the Church remained the Thurber Ward. Because of common beliefs, early settlers worked closely together building canals, bridges, roads, schools, and other infrastructure that would have been impossible in this remote location. For early settlers, the Church was prominent in community life and the chief instrument of organization, recreation, and unification, and bishops and stake presidents performed duties now filled by city councils, mayors, justices of the peace, marshals, and county commissioners. Originally, Wayne County comprised a branch of the Sevier Stake, and in 1878 the first ward, covering both Wayne County and Grass Valley (Koosharem), was created.