OCR Text |
Show Volume II, Issue XX THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 19 October 15, 2000 The Lime Kilns of Ogden Canyon By Stanley F. Wangsgaard Ogden Valley Historian Many of the first homes in Ogden were built of adobe brick and laid together with adobe mud which, in time, the rain and snow would wash away. Also, the log homes were chinked with adobe mud to keep out the cold. It was found that mortar made from lime and sand, used between the rocks of the foundations and the chinking between the logs, lasted many years longer than regular adobe mud. There was an abundance of limestone deposits along the Wasatch Range, and thus there were a number of lime kilns operating. Some burned white and some gray lime. The white was used in whitewashing walls of homes and in making plaster, while the gray was used in making mortar for foundations and the building of rock and adobe houses. James Moroni Thomas, while helping to build the Ogden Canyon Road in 1859, saw there an abundance of limestone, and so in 1865 he constructed the first kiln in Ogden Canyon. It was situated west of the Winslow Hotel, which was built some twenty years later, and north across the road and river from the present site of James Devine’s home (1944). A little later he found a better deposit and built a kiln farther down the canyon about a block or so east of Billy Wilson’s sawmill. This was a double kiln built in an “L” shape—one kiln facing north and the other facing east. This double kiln eventually was obliterated in time by the caving in of the rock and soil of the structure. To increase production, Mr. Thomas also built a larger kiln a short distance to the east. This kiln, also in a state of disrepair, is the one that is now being restored. Mr. Thomas’ first lime kiln, situated further up the canyon, became abandoned and in a state of deterioration, so people helped themselves to the stone which they used for foundations for homes. The lime produced in Thomas’ kilns was hauled to the southwest corner of 24th Street and Grant Avenue and put into bins. It was sold by the bushel or wagonload to “white washers” or builders. Thomas operated these kilns until about 1885 when he sold them to John Taylor (not the LDS Apostle). Taylor and his son-in-law Mr. Hill operated them for two years and then sold them to Isaac and Lorenzo Farr and Winfield Scott Harris. At this time the larger kiln had a capacity of producing 300 bushels of lime per day. The same John Taylor who purchased Thomas’ kilns had established a lime kiln south of the mouth of Taylor’s Canyon previous to 1869. It produced gray lime that sold at reasonable rates by carloads, and for thirty cents per bushel in small lots. Note: Information for this article came from Beneath Ben Lomond’s Peak and other sources. 33 Years Ago Single lime kiln in Ogden Canyon that is currently being restored. Picture taken April, 1967. Photo courtesy of Stanley Wangsgaard. Larger double lime kiln further west of the single kiln currently being restored. Picture taken April, 1967. Photo courtesy of Stanley Wangsgaard. Classifieds -For SaleFor Sale: Alpine wood burning stove with pipe & blower, $500.00. Call 745-2568 and ask for Don. For Sale: Firewood – pine split. $55.00 per truckload – approximately one-half cord. Call 745-0658. For Sale: 36 inch front or back steel door with glass view area and casing. Only 4 months old. Only $75. Call 745-2688 or 791-4387. For Sale: Briggs & Stratton engine, 5 hp, model 135232. Excellent condition. Demonstration – nights and weekends. Best offer. Call 745-3811. For Sale: 5,000 sq. foot home with deck, wooded 1-acre lot. Must see! Many extras. Priced under appraisal, $289,000. Motivated to sell. Make offer. Call 801-745-0926 or 775-7511014. -ServicesHealth Care for elderly parents. 5days, Monday – Friday, weekends off. Reference required. Call the Lamb’s 745-1368, Eden. Drywall Repair – Convenient – Quick – Quality Guaranteed. Residential or commercial. Licensed and insured. Call 801-745-3035 office or 801-7913714 mobile. Boat and recreational vehicle storage available. Indoor heated and secured facility. Located in Ogden with easy access to Ogden Canyon. For more information and rates, call 745-3347. Julie and Regina’s Animal Sitting – Your home or mine. $6.00/day or per visit for cows, horses, goats, pigs, dogs & cats. $2.50/day for caged small animals. Very personal service. Call 7453327. Welch’s Rabbitery: Rabbits for Sale, Several breeds available for show, pet or meat. Hunters don’t go home empty-handed! Call 745-3327. -WantedWanted: The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is collecting supplies needed in the event of a community emergency. The local CERT Program is sponsored by Weber County. If you would be able to donate any of the following supplies, please contact Linda Spencer at 745-0805. Blankets or sheets Fire Extinguishers Generators Medical Supplies Tarps Backpacks Flashlights and Batteries Other Miscellaneous Items Convenient Quick Quality Guaranteed AAA DRYWALL REPAIR Jim Zeleznick 552 S. 8600 E. Huntsville, UT 84317 Licensed, Insured & Preferred Office/Fax: Mobile: 801-745-3035 801-791-3714 |