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Show 1 '.- V-- poor V.--' copy-- s ' r'f-- r'lffrX A Poge '4 14A Lakeside Reviews Friday, November 28, 19802 ..'a. r ' :V: y Peterson He refords Barn Renovated, Be Restaurant By MARILYN KARRAS Staff Writer PCCfY A huge hay barn which once proclaimed the location of Peterson Brothers Herefords, a flourishing cattle operation in Roy for more than 30 yeari; fis now surrounded by homes and busJqeSpes and is taking on a new look and; new role. The barn, located at about 4500 South 1900',-West- , in the Herefordshire development, is being renovated, inside an4;Cout, and will be opened as a restaurant in January. Te structure was a landmark for 33 yeahsas the predominant building of a 100 'acre bull breeding operation owned by feoters, Rulon and Louis Peterson. It wag painted white, with green Peterson Bros. Cspelling out Herefords on the roof. TheJ-baris the last remaining building of those once used by the PetefsQn family to house and feed their herds ;.;of champion Hereford bulls. Other structures have been removed to make way for a planned development of homes, condominiums and businesses now called Herefordshire. Other property to the south of Herefordshire once included in the cattle business was sold to an orchard owner and is presently planted in apple " let-teri- n trees. The. restaurant, to be called the structure Hayloft will be a three-storwith extensive dining areas on two floors, and a balcony area furnished in Western style. It will also offer private dining areas for groups. The menu will offer of prime rib, duck under glass, steaks, barbequed ribs, trout, chicken, sandwiches, and salad bar. Horsdoeuvres and special desserts will also be served. The history of the old barn reflects the history of Roy and of a prominent Roy family. The Peterson brothers started in the cattle operation in the 1930s on property they leased near the old Globe Mill, now Pillsbury Mills. A that time they bought bulls, all horned Herefords, from the Midwest and! sold them to cattlemen in the Western states. Despite the Great Depression, during which the brothers father lost his Weber County cattle and sheep ranch, Rulpn and Louis Peterson managed to make a profit on the bull breeding y, business, and they also managed to put aside $25,000 of that profit over the years. In 1939, just as the nation was beginning to come , out' of the the brothers purchased depression, property between 4400 South and 4600 South on the east side of 1900 West and some more property farther west on 4400 South a total of 128 acres. With the difficult economic times producing a scarcity of money, the Peterson Brothers savings went a long way. Rulon Peterson, who still lives at the corner of 4400 South and 1900 West, said he and his brother could get as many men as we needed to work for $5 or even $3 a day. It was easy to make money then," Peterson said. Its much harder now inflation takes your money too fast. The Petersons put up all the buildings they needed for their bull breeding operation the first year, including the hay barn, seven large sheds 80 feet long and 28 feet deep, dipping vats, wash room, and grain processing mill. A large auction barn was built later. None of the property was ever mortgaged, Peterson said. In the beginning, the cattle operation included buying and selling bulls, but, even as early as 1933, the Petersons were breeding their own animals and no longer brought Herefords in from other areas. In the early years of the business, bulls were purchased in Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and other areas and brought to the Peterson ranch by train. It was not unusual for the Petersons to receive seven carloads of bulls at the 150 loading dock near their property to 200 animals in a shipment. Once each year, dozens of cattlemen from the intermountain area gathered at the Peterson auction bar to bid on ' prize Hereford bulls. The annual auction was one of the largest in the West and was attended by both regular customers and new buyers who were served barbequed beef while they looked over the herd. The auction barn also served as the site for an annual Republican rally hosted by the Peterson family for 14 . HEREFORD BULLS pictured in front of the Peterson Brothers Hereford hay barn was the symbol for the prosperous Roy cattle breeding operation located along 1900 West for 33 years. The barn is now being renovated as a restaurant set to open in January. CHAMPION operations in 14 states included animals from Roy in their herds. In 1958, the brothers separated, with Rulon taking Over the business in Roy. Louis Peterson took over a ranch in Nevada which had been owned by the brothers. He sold the ranch prior to his ' ..." death. About eight years ago, Peterson became convinced he was thwarting the progress of the city by continuing to carry on his cattle business in what had become a bustling residential and commercial area.. I , Following plans he designed himself, Peterson set about creating a planned residential and business development on the site of the barns and sheds. The moved to ranches in Box . bulls were years. and Peterson Herefords were sold to Elder County, Wyoming buyers from as far away as Florida, Kanesville. Over the years, the area now called and Hawaii. Cattle Louisiana . , Herefordshire changed dramatically. Now a prime residential area, it boasts in the hay convenient, modern condominiums, and homes built on picturesque streets. large food store, home center and smaller specialty stores also occupy the former site of cattle corrals and sheds. A restaurant and medical also are conveniently located building on the north end of the development. Petersons sons Lowell and Ronald operate the cattle business today. Ronald also teaches at fJtah State' University. Another son, Wayne,' is president of a finance company in Salt Lake City. Peterson also has two daughters, Mrs. Earl Child, Roy, and Mrs. LeGrande Ellis, Logan. He has 29 12 greatgrandchildren ..and grandchildren. Asked how many bulls the Peterson cattle business currently owns, Peterson smiled and answered It doesnt really matter how many you have; its more important how much money is in the bank. He estimated his sons have somewhere between 800 and 2,000 cattle on hand at any given time. He said things in the cattle business are different now than they were in the d re , undergone extensive remodeling inside and out. , Peterson said the Democrats in the county once asked if they could hold their rally in the Peterson barn. I told them sure, as long as you let Peterson me pick the speakers, chuckled. . Peterson has served as Republican chairman in the first district, was chairman of the Henry Aldous Dixon campaign for U.S. Congress and Weber County chairman for the Ernest L. Wilkinson campaign for the U.S. Senate. , He has received a number of awards from his peers in the cattle business including title ' of Stockman of the Century in 1973, and Utah Cattleman of the Year in 1959. His animals won numerous awards at cattle shows in the West, including 122 champion awards. Peterson was the first president of . A fast-foo- barn which had already ; 1 the Utah Cattlemans Association and served in that post for five years. He also served as director of the Utah Cattlemens Association and was a member and president of the Inter- - . ' , mountain Hereford Association. Active in Scouting, he served . as , president of the Lake Bonneville Council for three years. An active member of the LDS ; Church, he has served as superin- - A tendent of the Sunday school, bishops counselor and bishop in the Ogden 8th LDS Ward and member of the Weber m Stake High Council for three years. In Roy, he was a member of the J presidency of the Lake view LDS Stake ;; for five years and president of the stake for more than eight years. He also served on the Ogden LDS Stake Sunday School board. He now serves on the advisory board for First Security Bank, a post he has held 35 years. : days when Peterson Brothers Herefords dominated the market in this area. There is more competition now, more auctions, he said. Peterson, a staunch Republican, said the rallies held in his auction barn for many years were a big event a lot of excitement. Held just before Election Day, the rallies always attracted the major local Republican candidates. At one rally former President Gerald Ford, then minority leader of the U.S. House of MODERN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS now line 1900 West between 4400 South and 4600 South where a thriving cattle operation was once located. The large barn in the center of 0 5 M this photo is the only remaining building of the once sprawling Peterson ranch, pictured below in its original . setting. Representatives, joined in the festivities. This year the rally was held again BROTHERS Louis (left) and Rulon Peterson worked as partners to create a prosperous cattle business in Roy. They separated in 1958, with Louis taking the Nevada portion of the business and Rulon staying in Roy. They are pictured here in a photo taken in about 1940. O at 0 iiX 4 At:..,:?. i; CONTRASTING with today's bustling scene along 1900 West in Roy, this photo taken in the early 1940s shows the Peterson Brothers Hereford ranch . w hich has since been replaced by Herefordshire, a planned residential and commercial development. The large hay barn, a landmark for 33 years, is now being remodeled and w ill open as a restaurant in January. The it appears today is pictured above in a photo taken last week. i area as |