George Quinn McNeil

George McNeil worked the Kimball mill with the help of bears. Born in Bountiful in 1865, McNeil caught bears in the mountains above town and trained them to labor around the gristmill — and, remarkably, to pull his wagon. Emboldened, he set out to tour the country with them as a traveling circus act. The plan lasted only a few miles: the bears misbehaved somewhere down the road, and McNeil turned back and gave it up. He lived out his days in Bountiful and died in 1943, remembered for one of the more improbable schemes in the valley's history.

What the plaque says

George Quinn McNeil was born to John McNeil and Mary Jane Quinn McNeil on January 4, 1865, in Bountiful, Utah. He married Adriane Marie Thomas on August 15, 1888. They lived on the family farm located on the southeast side of Bountiful City. Today the area is known as North Canyon. McNeil assisted Daniel Davis at the grist mill located on this site. McNeil captured bears in the mountains above Bountiful City which were trained to do work around the mill. The bears were also taught to pull McNeil's wagon. He desired to take the bears on a tour from Bountiful City throughout the United States and have them perform a circus-type act. McNeil had traveled only a short distance from Bountiful City with the bears when they misbehaved and the tour was cancelled. George Quinn McNeil died on June 23, 1943. We are pleased to recognize his unique role regarding the mill.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Ensign Peak — 6.3 mi
  A short hike to the spot where Brigham Young surveyed the valley
• Lagoon Amusement Park — 7.3 mi
  A beloved family amusement park operating since 1886
• Salt Lake City — 7.6 mi
  Utah's capital and largest city — where the Wasatch Range meets the Great Salt Lake.
• Temple Square — 7.6 mi
  The spiritual and architectural heart of Salt Lake City

More markers nearby

• Daniel Davis — steps away
• Original Gristmill Stones — steps away
• Heber C. Kimball Gristmill — steps away
• Bountiful Lumber & Supply Company — 0.7 mi