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Show H.UrVL "-r-" --' -1.-:;. Vs;- The Old Sugar 31111 has long since given way to progress and new businesses and trickling Parley's Creek meanders under many of them. Machinery For Sugar Mill Moved West Slowly, Tediously Review of Sugar House history by Elbert R. Curtis, given at the Sons of Utah Pioneers banquet. SUGAR MILL During the time that John Taylor Tay-lor was serving as an LDS missionary mis-sionary in France, he had an opportunity op-portunity to study the making of sugar from beets. He was much impressed and organized or-ganized a company of four to found that industry in Utah, believing be-lieving that the soil and climate were favorable. The company was known as The Deseret Manufacturing Company. Sugar was to be its first venture. The company had a capital stock of $250,000. Brother Taylor ordered the machinery made in Liverpool, England, by Faucett, Preston & Company, at a cost of $12,500. He waited in St. Louis, Mo., for its arrival on the ship "Rockaway" which landed there in April, 1852. Phillip Del mar, a wealthy Frenchman, whom Elder Taylor had converted while on a mission, advanced the first $5,000. John W. Coward of Liverpool and Captain Russell of Scotland composed com-posed the original company. They employed skilled workers, including Charles Dixon( a French sugar maker; John Vernon, an English engineer, and two residents of Liverpool, by the name of Thomas Carlyle and a Mr. Bollwinkle. These latter two gentlemen were English cane sugar makers. The machinery for the mill accompanied ac-companied a party of 24 saints under the leadership of Elias Morris. Mor-ris. It was not easy going. At New Orleans custom officials demanded a duty of $5,000 additional. addi-tional. The trip lasted four months from Liverpool to Utah, but the trip by wagon was most slow and tiresome. Axles broke down under the heavy load; it was necessary to secure 50 new wagons at great expense. ex-pense. Ferries and fjords with their muddy bottoms made passage over the waterways almost impossible. im-possible. Seed was sent on ahead for the sugar beet planting and the settlers set-tlers planted and raised their crops. Elder Taylor promised them 600 to 800 pounds of sugar for each acre. In the meantime, the building (Continued on Page 6-B) vin O. Ashton deserves much credit for untiring efforts. jOne more building had served its purpose in the lives of the Pioneers on Parley's creek, added its share to their progression into greater industries and unitedly they continued con-tinued to "Drive on." Sugar Mill (Continued from Page 1-B) of the mill to house the machinery was completed with A. O. Smoot in charge at 11th East and 21st South. W. C. A. Smoot had charge of the woodwork. The mill race extended the length of the building on the south side: the over shot water wheel, supplying power, was at one corner of the building. Wood was later used as a fuel for cooking syrup. The adobe used for the walls of the building were the largest ever used in XJtaht and were made by a brickmaker from Liverpool. They were made on the Forest farm corner, which was located on the southeast corner o f Brigham Young's farm now Ashton Ave. and 9th East. " l The mill was later converted into a paper mill, and machinery came from the eastj along with Michael Grace, a professional paper maker, who was to take charge. Information of the old paper mill shows that the paper was made from sunflowers, weeds, straw and old rags. This paper was used by the Deseret News and other local papers. The mill was later moved to the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon, because of the better power facilities. It is believed that other parts of the machinery were transported to the City Creek canyon flour mill and to the Provo Woolen mills. The building was also used as a tub and bucket factory, and when John W. Young was building his railroad up Parley's canyon, he used it for a round house and machine shop. For 25 years it was used by the Bamberger Coal Company for a yard, office, warehouse, weighing station and stable. In 1928 it was sold to Nephi J. Hansen and the same year it was wrecked. The businessmen of Sugar House erected a memorial to the Pioneer movement of sugar making. Mar- |