Show YOU DO OU REMEMBER EARLY AYS OF THE AS ASHLEY p Y COOP COOP BLOCK AND ND ITS To out our if not our early records of stake and ward doings hav have beep been called d into the General Church Historian office in Salt Lake City Therefore one has only his memory to guide him The rhe op Co Block Begins Delin at atthe atthe the south east corner where stands the large brick building built and occupied by the ASh Ash Ash- Ashley ley Cooperative Co Mere Merc Co a great department store now oc oc by the I J- J JC C Penney Co Thence west westi to the post office corner comer then to first north the thence east to Vernal Ave thence south to Main Street From the story told told me by C C Rich this block lock was a segre- segre segregation segregation gation off of the homestead of David Johnston Johnton Sr Father ither of Bob Johnston and was a free gUt gift to his Mormon Church under certain condi condi- conditions that It should be o occupied by church or by buildings con trolled trailed bYte by of church members sand and that no liquor be besold sold laId or gambling pe on on said f block 1 c I M N or Iwason lock where Was bunt built In t b e Olt Fort for fot the of settlers settler during the ing it i iJ J 4 Ji J n nv nITh v ITh ext of rt- rt ance on WI was that ofa 11 a J g bouS and build building in 1 the the Commer Hot 1 building tn in thil I block of Asb op co-op op o-op store just ough the th f lOuth Uintah 7 a 1 Freight This I tor was fit t t bunt In II after SR w install of the op i p I th pr pr p f A nin tn iJ ii and r n l ff Cf and l I i i ger r l and compan tU b a lug rock on t f j n corner corner t r t 01 th tw 1 t r Q oung nom C B a kU B lett rock 10 Witt t horn om a ls lse e cropping i h ut ast near near th the f I IW io lUrd homestead td wrest west Maeser eser I f The Q men were P ter fK I tiff l I- I Ir r 1 Still q so- so sol l 4 J haul lh the rock Eh j used d the tor and tJ lor the l of the tithing r office stand 1 F tin In the he back small tty al as a at t it 4 4 1 k but i f the t Wu reee I buted any any I I eld 1 Jh there l I know bow Ii t was the clerk u tot Nl of the high council ir t tr r r wi Mowrey em of thO first of 4 j t Stake the last Jast survivor who dt see hIS burled here was the head lO l kno known non on onI I two 1 His was Al Sr I I t t tt The e they build build- ms made Oaks e a k an on Taylor if u t U Ula la My Mr brother Ii C yes Clay more 4 I th lerk He was y x doing p work ork in InNe Ne Iowa The President J t Of th churCh bome 1 I to jo assume the s j tithing Ile ae labored several everal a Jr it l pars ara In c I rather Chaarles Claymore 1 doubt t that ore Bartlett my was ever r re regularly sustained as stake stake t clerk but ut he was In a stake ko clerk before the Stake was organized but do not know that tie waa re- re leased released from this pOsition to position to t be come 8 co In ht the Vernal Ward bishopric I believe but do not remember ber that E G a DeFrieze succeed succeed- succeeded succeeded ed Imas stake tithing clerk When I left home in June 1892 for a mission to New Zea Zealand land E G DeFrieze worked as asa asa a Ui tithing clerk at the rock of office fice I believe b but t do not know that about this time the church made a change and established tithing inthe each ward in the stake and thus the services of th the m little e rock office were dis- dis discontinued discontinued continued as C JI a stake tithing of office fice I have no dates to offer on these periods therefore I am amnot not the condition of things when Horace W Woolley Was sustained as clerk End End of Bartlett story story I remember a few things about about the rock office and grounds They used to receive meat eggs and butter as tithing There is a cellar underneath the building where these things were stored There did not seem to be many poor that people Is people go- go going going ing in need and hungry so at times there was a great loss lossI through spoilage and some some- sometimes sometimes I times a stench could be smell smell smell- smelled ed at some distance The clerk derk often sold the rancid butter for soap grease All of the tithing hay of the valley was brought here weighed and stacked They had a large larg hay derrick and some very large haystacks Time came when another church structure was built on this block It was our first stake house It was built between where the Commercial Hotel and post office now stand and was built durin during the late eighties Back of this structure Join ing on the north end was a large bowery bull built t of posts and poles i with green leafy willow top making a shady cover Willows topI I were also woven around the sides as wind breaks Stake con can conferences were held beld In this bow cry ery during the pleasant months montha Often We listened to some of the preach here X I wen well remember a member of the Council of Twelve by the name of Abram Cannon who made this which has al al- al always ways way stayed with me When you IU have ha a Job to ta do give It to the busl st man in the warl Another great character watt wat Jhn Goddard a great Sunday School man who never preach punctuating hi is ser ser- sermon sermon mon witha a hymn This bowery was wai built bulU by j came froM Masser and Pontha Calder represented Vernal Vetnal ward Ido I do donot not remember the names name of other workers If If the old did tak stake house could talk It It could uld tell many interest Interest- tog stories At Atthe the opening party part which was pres ded over by President Bennion only the Old old- older er members Wert Invited Next big party was the 8 send rid off aU for pur missionaries C called from Vintah Stake I wm will try and rim name them I have an all lour four asset to the Great Beyond T jJ Caldwell Alma Timothy Henry GUnes Glines and J I think a Brother Perry Pern These men were to In Inthe Inthe the states tate mel he was was the double wedding ot of Ed and tWin C brothers and I bY-I way e-way theta lIri dries es War sisters lister aM Esther WamsleY I ot of Mill Ward Maeser This wa was ater a very stormy night but people came In to wagon loads Many wagon were Over over- lO loaded overloaded ded and in the and rand Ud young huskies had to tarry a sexto a high spot Some suggested they of ter fer a prize to theman having the most mUd on hi clothes The funny U n thing Was hearing them wading tf and splashing Plashing through the tho mud during dOling the mid night recess as the crowd was going tot to the free wedding upper supper given by the newly weds Inthe then en n new Vernal Hotel the night for first hotel built and owned by b Mr Mrs Joseph H JosephH hardy HarCY Thi This Hotel stood just porth of the Imperial hall Those living at a distance saw the e sun un rise next Morning At At the turn 01 the century the people of Uintah Vint b Stake needed a larger house so 10 the new brick stake house was waa built and this old house wa was taken over by the Vernal Vetnal Ward which comprised all the Ashley branch north and east and south to the Naples line Later the Ashley branch be- be became became came an independent ward and built their own chapel and and still later the Vernal Second Ward was organized ed and bunt built their own chapel The Vernal Ward remained tn in possession of the theold theold old st stake house until 1929 when the Vernal First Ward under the direction of Bishop James H Wallis built u a new brick chapel Jh between e eu First s and d Second West Weston on First north street which was burned down In 1933 The old house was then sold to Mrs May Jorgenson tress treS proprietress of the Hotel and was later torn tom down To To be continued |