A History of Morgan County, Utah Centennial County History Series

610 square miles, more than 90 percent of which is privately owned. Situated within the Wasatch Mountains, its boundaries defined by mountain ridges, Morgan Countyhas been celebrated for its alpine setting. Weber Can- yon and the Weber River traverse the fertile Morgan Valley; and it was the lush vegetation of the pristine valley that prompted the first white settlers in 1855 to carve a road to it through Devils Gate in lower Weber Canyon. Morgan has a rich historical legacy. It has served as a corridor in the West, used by both Native Americans and early trappers. Indian tribes often camped in the valley, even long after it was settled by Mormon pioneers. The southern part of the county was part of the famed Hastings Cutoff, made notorious by the Donner party but also used by Mormon pioneers, Johnston's Army, California gold seekers, and other early travelers. Morgan is still part of main routes of traffic, including the railroad and utility lines that provide service throughout the West. Long known as an agricultural county, the area now also serves residents who commute to employment in Wasatch Front cities. Two state parks-Lost Creek Reservoir and East A HISTORY OF Morgan COUY~Y Linda M. Smith 1999 Utah State Historical Society Morgan County Commission Copyright O 1999 by Morgan County Commission All rights reserved ISBN 0-913738-36-0 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 98-61320 Map by Automated Geographic Reference Center-State of Utah Printed in the United States of America Utah State Historical Society 300 Rio Grande Salt Lake City, Utah 84 101 - 1182 Dedicated to Joseph H. Francis Contents GENERALINTRODUCTION ............................... xi ... INTRODUCTION...................................... xu CHAPTER1 Pristine Valley ......................... 1 CHAPTER2 Trappers. Explorers. and Settlers ......... 24 CHAPTER3 Settlements in the Valley ................ 36 CHAPTER4 Political History ....................... 92 CHAPTER5 Development in a Pristine Valley ......... 149 CHAPTER6 Commercial Activities and Services ....... 184 CHAPTER7 Communication. Transportation and Other Services ........................ 253 CHAPTER8 Religious Institutions .................. 278 CHAPTER9 Schools .............................. 308 CHAPTER10 Public Health ......................... 340 ... vlll CONTENTS CHAPTER11 Cultural and Social Life ................. 361 CHAPTER12 Morgan County and the World .......... 408 APPENDIXA County Officers ....................... 423 SELECTEDBIBLIOGRAPHY ............................... 433 INDEX.............................................. 435 Acknowledgments Writing this book would have been impossible without the research and accumulation of histories and photographs since the Morgan County Historical Society was organized in 1979. The work of Mary Chadwick so many years ago was invaluable along with the book Mountains Conquered compiled by the Fine Arts Study Group and the histories compiled by the local Daughters of Utah Pioneers. All the citizens who have served on the Board of Trustees in the last nineteen years have contributed in some way to this work. Special recognition is paid to Joseph H. Francis, founder of the local historical society, and whose vision of all counties writing their histories as a legacy for the 1996 Centennial of Statehood, made this book and the other twenty-eight volumes possible. Appreciation is also paid to the county commissioners who approved our participation in this project. Special thanks goes to Mark Nethercott for his geological description of Morgan, Earl McCain who wrote a condensation of salient events published in Morgan Stake 1877 - 1981, and who compiled a majority of the education chapter. Bob Parson and Joseph Francis are recognized for their expertise with the political chapter and Jack Rensel, Northern Regional Supervisor Utah Wildlife Resource, who was invaluable in compiling the history of wildlife. Many individuals have made this book possible either with the donation of their time and talents or their encouragement to com- plete this task. Some that need special thanks include: Gerald Anderson, Emma Loo Bell, Dr. LaMar C. Berrett, Burt Bohman, Dale Bohman, Frank Bohman, Margaret Bohman, Jileen Boydstun, Rachel Bohman, Val Carter, Josephine Clark, Emma Harding, Sydney Heiner, Sheriff Bert Holbrook, Berge Hoogasian, Cheri Jensen , Dwight King , Karen L. Krieger, Jeff London, Stan McGrew, Mary Mecham, Anna Bell Porter, Vivian Pratt, Ivan Rich, Randy Sessions, V. Arnold Smith, Calvin Stephens, Deane Thackeray, Nedra Tucker, Kenneth Tucker, Beth Turner, Bradley W. Richards, Lola Mae Walker, Mabel Welsh, Wayne Wilkinson, Mildred Williams, Deanne Winterton and June Wiscombe. Those working in the county recorders office, county clerks office and Morgan City office were alway courteous and helpful in allowing me access to their records. When the legislature approved the project the Division of State History was assigned administrators. Kent Powell and Craig Fuller have been extremely helpful in bringing this county history book to publication. Appreciation is extended to them and Laurel Barlow for her fine job in copyediting this history. The book was a project of the Morgan County Historical Society. Special thanks is extended to those who served on the Historical Society Board of Trustees during the research and writing of the book: Chairman Sydney Heiner, Vice Chair Gerald Anderson, Emma Loo Bell, Frank Bohman, Dwight King, Jeff London, Mary Mecham, Joseph Francis, and County Commissioner Sheila Wilkinson. All photographs used in this book are courtesy of the Morgan County Historical Society unless otherwise noted. General Introduction WhenUtah was granted statehood on 4 January 1896, twenty- seven counties comprised the nation's new forty-fifth state. Subsequently two counties, Duchesne in 1914 and Daggett in 1917, were created. These twenty-nine counties have been the stage on which much of the history of Utah has been played. Recognizing the importance of Utah's counties, the Utah State Legislature established in 199 1 a Centennial History Project to write and publish county histories as part of Utah's statehood centennial commemoration. The Division of State History was given the assign- ment to administer the project. The county commissioners, or their designees, were responsible for selecting the author or authors for their individual histories, and funds were provided by the state legislature to cover most research and writing costs as well as to provide each public school and library with a copy of each history. Writers worked under general guidelines provided by the Division of State History and in cooperation with county history committees. The counties also established a Utah Centennial County History Council to help develop policies for distribution of state-appropriated funds and plans for publication. Each volume in the series reflects the scholarship and interpreta- tion of the individual author. The general guidelines provided by the Utah State Legislature included coverage of five broad themes encompassing the economic, religious, educational, social, and political history of the county. Authors were encouraged to cover a vast period of time stretching from geologic and prehistoric times to the present. Since Utah's statehood centennial celebration falls just four years before the arrival of the twenty-first century, authors were encouraged to give particular attention to the history of their respec- tive counties during the twentieth century. Still, each history is at best a brief synopsis of what has transpired within the political boundaries of each county. No history can do jus- tice to every theme or event or individual that is part of an area's past. Readers are asked to consider these volumes as an introduction to the history of the county, for it is expected that other researchers and writers will extend beyond the limits of time, space, and detail imposed on this volume to add to the wealth of knowledge about the county and its people. In understanding the history of our counties, we come to understand better the history of our state, our nation, our world, and ourselves. In addition to the authors, local history committee members, and county commissioners, who deserve praise for their outstanding efforts and important contributions, special recognition is given to Joseph Francis, chairman of the Morgan County Historical Society, for his role in conceiving the idea of the centennial county history project and for his energetic efforts in working with the Utah State Legislature and State of Utah officials to make the project a reality. Mr. Francis is proof that one person does make a difference. Introduction Thehistory of Morgan County and its communities is not intended to be a biography of the individuals who settled in Morgan, but to be a history of the county itself. Individuals will, of course, be mentioned in reference to the roles they played in the history. The main emphasis of this history is to record events, struggles, and developments that took place in the growth of the county: those historical events that brought Morgan County to where it is today, one of the fastest growing counties in the state. Each community's history will cover the period from the time the first settlers came in 1855 to the time their goals became county oriented. These community histories will present a view of steady progression from primitive beginnings to a contemporary way of life. Many sources of information have been

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