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Show THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 14 Volume VI, Issue IX August 15, 2002 Wilbur’s General Store Was Heart of Eden Note: This copyrighted article, being used by permission, appeared in the “Ogden Standard-Examiner in January of 1982, and was written by Irene Woodhouse. Prior to 1865, Eden was part of a bigger place called “Ogden Valley.” It did not gain separate identify until the Blackhawk War when Brigham Young instructed his people to live together in towns because there was safety in numbers. The 250 people who had permanent homes in the valley hired Washington Jenkins, a government engineer in Ogden, to survey the area. Jenkins divided the town into eight six-acre blocks surrounding a town square. He is reported to have been so impressed by the beauty of the place that he said, “We shall call it Eden after the famous Biblical site.” By 1870 the town had grown to over a thousand. One of those men who came to farm in the early 1860s and figured prominently in the social and economic well being of Eden was Elisha Wilbur. In 1880 he sold his grain for $500 and used the money to open the store on the town-square. The E. Wilbur General Merchandise store was a popular place from 1881 until 1902. Young, old, rich, poor, resident and traveler knew Elisha, his wife Ellen, and their seven children: Jesse, Orley, Grant, Ray, Roy, Pearl (later Mrs. John Smalley), and Grace (later Mrs. Aubrey Henderson). Even though prices were low—eggs 5 cents a dozen; choice cuts of beef, 5 cents per pound; butter 10 cents; flour 75 cents; and wheat 35 cents—money was scarce. Customers paid with produce. Even children traded an egg now and then for candy at the store. Grace Wilbur Henderson, almost 93, was the baby of the family. In a recent interview, she recalled the “good times in Eden when everybody in town came into the store.” At least once or twice a week, Wilbur would have accumulated a load of produce. He loaded his wagon and went to Ogden. If a farmer had paid for merchandise with a load of hay, he sold that along the way, otherwise, he sold it all in Ogden. “My father had the fastest horses in Eden, “ Mrs. Henderson said. “We could Historical Marker Relocated The historical marker previously located on the northeast corner of the Rainbow Gardens property was recently moved in order to make way for a new power transmission line pole. The marker commemorates the tollgate that was located at the mouth of Ogden Canyon between 1865 and 1882. The monument was originally dedicated on September 16, 1934. Over 150 people were present. Rainbow Gardens would like to rededicate the monument, and to contact anyone who was at the original dedication, or anyone who has pictures or information about the event. Among those known to have attended the tollgate monument dedication were L. M. Hilton, Darrell Shaw, Arnold Roe, William C. Brown, Raphael Walker Jr., Bob Blakely, Edwin Watson, Ralph Lowe, Mrs. Emma Jane Dinsdale Wilson, Dr. George W. Middleton, Joseph Wirthlin, William H. Reeder Jr., members of Plain City Boy Scout Troop #42, and Ogden Boy Scout Troop #12 of the LDS Seventh Ward. If you have information about the 1934 dedication, please contact Bill King at 801-621-0150. go up and down that canyon lickety-split. Father never tired to hold them in, just gave them the head, and away we went.” In Ogden, the big stop was at Scowcroft’s, Elisha bought all kinds of goods to stock his store. Meanwhile, his wife shopped at department stores and chose threads, cloth, linens, trimmings and lady things. When a man or woman needed shoes, they gave Elisha their size and asked him to buy them. He would take back three or four pairs so his customer could have a choice, knowing he could sell all of them easily. Wilbur’s two little girls, Pearl and Grace, were termed by their father, “10,000 times sweeter than the sweetest candy.” On these trips to Ogden, other merchants agreed and the girls were given candy and other sweet treats. At home, the store was theirs. They freely helped themselves to candy. There was marzipan, in strips like bacon, half circles of orange and lemons, hard candy, taffy, and chocolates. Ellen complained to her husband that the girls were not eating their meals because of too much candy. She insisted he lock the candy case. He obliged her, then took Grace and Pearl aside and showed them the loose glass panel on the north end of the counter [that] they could push aside and get their candy. Elisha Wilbur was the richest and the best educated man in Eden at that time. He gave freely of his time and talents, as well as donating refreshments to church and school parties. But he is best remembered for the Friday night dances. In 1891 he had built a new store, which also served for a while as a home for the family. Over the store was a dance hall. Ladies were admitted free and gents paid 25 cents to dance to an orchestra. The cor[o]net, violin, and organ played stately quadrilles, slower waltzes, and flirty varsouviennes, as well as folk dances like “Turkey in the Straw.” People came from all over the valley to the Eden dances. As Mrs. Wilbur had shopped in Ogden, she became well acquainted with the sales girls. Often she invited some of them—Rose Hartog, Amy Ekland, and Edith Kaye are names Mrs. Henderson remembers—to spend the weekend at their home and attend the dance. The older Wilbur boys also invited friends for the weekend. Among the most frequent Friday night guests were friends of Jesse’s from Huntsville, David O. and Tommy McKay. The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS is interested in collecting and printing historical stories and biographies. Please contact Jeannie Wendell at 745-2879 or Shanna Francis at 745-2688 if you have stories of this nature. You may also mail copies of them to: OGDEN VALLEY NEWS PO BOX 130 EDEN UT 84310 Thank you for your contributions. Financing Available For all your Excavatingg Needs LANDSCAPE TOP FILL ROCK SOIL DIRT GRAVEL ROAD ESTABLISHED 1981 Visa and Mastercard Accepted Residential Commercial Purchase Refinance Construction Log & Manufactured Homes Land Lots Credit Problems High Debt Ratio A,B,C & D Credit Low Rates Turn Downs Welcome Jumbo Loans 2nd Mortgage Credit Lines Fast Closing BASE SEPTIC TANKS BASEMENTS WATERLINES SNOW REMOVAL Propane Available for Sale 4786 OFFICE LOCATED AT EAST 2600 NORTH EDEN, 745-2309 Office UT 84310 745-6910 Fax |
