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Show - , or- or - . ; ' or'History 'History History ilistoryofMoab ' tory of Moab , Utah UtahBy _ _ By Faun \ McConkie l\lcConkie l lcConkie Tanner TannerCopylight TannerCopyright TannerCopylight ( Copylight Copyright 1937)&Resources 1937) 1937 1937)p ) p . &Resources Resources & 8 . Reso1 Resources rces and Industrial Development ( Continued ) It OgdeniBaMoab lbeElerenth the Eleventh National II Iirigation rigabon Ilrigatlon Congress at Ogden OgdenaMoab Ogdenabloab aMoab abloab grower gro\\er gro er \ icceived lecelVed the gold medal for the finest finestof finestif prizetet of if peaches . , In 1905 Utah received the grand prize ? ' St t fruit display at Boise , Idaho . Much of this fruitMoab fruit fruitTO \TO TO \ anotherlnze Moab In 1907 at Sacramento , California , another anothermze anotherpnie andriler andher mze pnie ? was received for the best display of fruit and ander her er for the best display of grapes . The prize win- win winPt wink win-Fipttttere win Fipttttere - Pt k Ptere \ere ere were \ , grown gron , , at : Moab i\Ioab i Ioab \ and much of the other fruit frmt fruitK frmta fruita inGA intWi inC'4h K ' ) a Moab product . At Albuquerque , New \ Mexico l\eIco l eIco { ' : in tWi C'4h C4h ofN ofJlcclJ ofIoab received the grand grind gri nd prize for the best display of N JlcclJ Ioab JlcclJcontrIbuted Ioabcontributed ) contributed forty-two forty two - val vaiieties varieties eties for that e exhibit hlblt . , ji grower gro\\er gro er groper \ received ten first prizes for the fruit he dlS- dlS dis- dis dlSIl disIithe dis-p dis p - Il ! Iithe the Colorado state fair of 1908 1903 . _ ' rme fruithae fruitbare the mosIT most signal honois honOls honors acco accofded accorded ded Moab fruit fruitiwebeen localil localhis ha\e ha e bare \ been mentioned here . The reputation for local il his ! widely known . Although , as previously mentioned , thebelied try is is no longer of paramount impol impoitance importance tance , the thereteled theeiied andttcellent andt1C andfitellent retel\ed retel ed reteledale eiiedaie eiied \ aie ale still a souice SOUlce source of p1 plide pride de to the citizens and t1C fitellent lent and prize fl fluit fruit uit is still stIli grown in the valley . J Jthe the production is no longer on the large commer- commer commerIt commerlt commer-pa commer pa - it lt once was . rrov.mg rrovmg imaing . ing industry mdustry of the soil sOlI which promises to be- be beI bemore be-'amoie be 'amoie amoie - ( I ' presentKtrsrjuiA presentof InOle more 1mportantIn importantin important 1mportant m In the future than at the present Ktrsrj-uiA Ktrsrj uiA KtrsrjuiAiL of . _ . . _ . ofstrawbelrY ofstrawbeiry - - - - -iL-- iL - iLi - - -i- i - - - - " i- i ir - strawbelrY strawbeiry production . Moab strawberries furnish furnishstcrop , ! ft furnishft stcrop , aty ( . crop r produced producedI producedin produced'flt producedflt V " " I ' in the state . The berrIes are of a aY ty Y establishedThe and a leputation leputabon has already been establishedd established theddnands The acreage for production is 1ncreasing increasing as the d aII ddnands "naiius naiius lIIndands lIIndandsand " and a ] thIS shows eVIdence of becommg becoming a II 1 Industry Ifdustry u try . , - pioducoabcorn pioducbloab county "ty ty " is Utah's Utahs ' leading leadmg county in corn ploduc119fb pioduc- pioduc ploduc- ploduc - 119fb 119fbcorn 11913 11913a bloab bloabcorn oabcorn : corn has Wor , won yoqrenown , , renown throughout the country country'm countrym . ' thenul11ber thecumber , l8 a local corn grower glower lower , J . P . Larsen , raised the theyber nul11ber cumber 1915n of bus bushelsper bushels els per per acre acreof acre of corn in Utah Uah . In 1915tf"as 1915 1915tSL tSL PanamaPOaition PanamaJoiltron tf"as tfas Joiltron ' . , ; : n _ was ? " ? awarded awardeda ed a bronze medal at the PanamakJOItJOn Panama- Panama - k\JOItJOn k JOItJOn r firstr firstwn \ POaition . : ! at San Francisco , California , as first yieldone wn corn Production in the state state of Utah . His yield yieldg yieldgne one ne hundred fifty-six fifty six - bushels per acre . Inrn : Corn cornwas Was awarded four out of five possible placesas places . ternational rnational "onal onal " Hay and Gram Grain show held at Chic Chicago go as asrnational Chicagofollows . . _ _ , _ follows " lOllQUU ! * T < A T- T T1 - > - 1 a ar -r r - Jl-SIT Jl SIT JlSITQ - -Q Q - i-t i t - tzfolIows . . : ; John . . M . . ParIOtt . . ParIOtte PariottNue Nue ) e , " " "v"n vn " " Peterson l.tUCl.BUll ltUCl.BUll ltUClBUll firt first Ur'31- Ur'31 Ur31 Ur'31pn ' ) ' - prize pn e , Dale U'dW UdW ' : A J J * i.n/rr i.nrr i.n in rr i.nrrw / w ' , Henry enry Cole Cale fourth and Birt Blrt A Allred lred fifth prizes . raus taus sta.te state state have been Moab co corn n ndcorn andcorn and cornand a araus nd . prIzes won by l\ioab l ioab \ inIs corn IS is one oe of the most important sOlI soil crops In 18 Is fiargely 18fiargely largely used for local consumption of live stock . Palley ey IS largely self-supporting self supporting - in the production ofduCts d garden produce * , a very negligble amount of of1I1ucts 1I1ucts duCts i bemg being eing shipped shippedin shipped in , HI from outside markets . . dustry industry , , of . . role le In InPtnent inPment < "A A " minmg mining "luuiig luuiig " has uaa played piayeu . a.n an an an . important uiipui.i'o uiipui.io uiipuiio ' " ' ' r i-u i u - . * " miningan Ptnent Pment Ptnentof Pmentof ient of Moab and nd Grand ounty county . Coal Coalnimmg CoalnimmgW mlllllg mining ! an industriesrILY : WIll WIllcontinue continue to be one of the leading industrIes industrIesG rILY G rCnd indusrCnd J ; ' . Sego is ' the center of the coal .mining mining . mining . indus- indus induskr - kr kraU W rCndcounty aU aUcounty county county'anTenough countyanTenough and enough enoughcoal coal Sai7biTunun ( bitununous bituminous us ) 18 is sup- sup supt supcounty P-ll P ll - tb Althoughtb : t county nty use , , some being e exported 'Ported Ported " ' . Alth Although ! > ugh | " tbInlned "tinUlnrl tinUlnrl " . . . 0 - . _ . t- t tmr -mr mr - .j j .j.A ; -.A .A Inlned Inlnedat Ined Inedat - - - at Moab . mflu- mflu influ- influ mflun influb influe . - - t tIned tho + " " " " " Lurt " this Lul3 ! industry . "luuaLry luuaLry " has nao a a great Bicou .m m v * W n b at ate t influt e a . town to vyn for it not plot ot only y furnishes coal f for cona con- con cona oaf - reasonable rate but labor and a sourceb1 source of b1 tune tie immemorial the search for precious metals metalssemen ' tnen to unknow,11 unknow11 unknown i most mostcases most cases casesan semen ? a atnen casesmanaged , _ regions where . m conm : managed an ged to eke out an existance WIth Hie the con- con conI - , I a tomorrowa W WWIsh WIsh Wlsh WIshor Wlshor or hope-even hope even ho e-even e even - - faith in what tom.orrow tomorrow tom.orrowOf tomorrow . Of th thrltt the Written rltt rlttn n and unwritten unwritten accounts are found , In in the theof theat ofe e hIstory of " cities " founded by of at atthe "over-night "over over night - , old oldand , and andsIlver , sIlver . . Cities . , have flourished-some flourished some . . - . _ . . to toanent mla \ - * H.I,1CO H.I1CO HI1CO HtVO * gi gito All/MAt All MAt / * > t tv * < -v v - - - ? - - anent ent . andsome andlsome andlsomeCities and some to be bcfcrgotten forgotten . Fortunes Fotunes haveContinued have havetContlnued ( tContlnued Continued on last page ) r | . r A History of o MoabContinued Moab MoabContinued < ( Continued from first page ) been made m3de and lost-often lost often lost - often lost in 111 the seaich sealch search for moie mOle of ofthe ofthe ofthe the piecious plecious pI ecious metal . Gambling , theft and even murder fol- fol follow follow fol follow - - low this tlus stiuggle struggle sb uggle for possession posseSS10n of gold . The hope of what what"one what"one what"one whatone "one one " moie mOle more foot " migh mlgh tbung tbllng tblmg has caused men to lefuse iefuse a afOI afoitune afoitune fOI foitune tune for their claims , only to have them tuin tUln twin out worth- worth worthJess worth-Jess worth Jess worthless - Jess less Such incidents mcidents are not fiction-one fiction one fiction - - one . .need need . look no fUI- fUI fur- fur fUIther further fui-ther fui ther - - ther than our own histoiy histOl y to find such cases One gioup glOUp group ofminers of ofI ofminers ofminers I miners on the La Sal mountains mountams at one time icfused lefused refused on offer offerof offerof offerof of seventy-five seventy five - thousand dollars for their holdings holdmgs , though they thoughthey have never yet leah7ed lealled leali ? ed near that amount fiom flom from them . I IGold Gold and silver aie al e found in m nr small quantities in the LaSal La LaSal LaSal Sal mountains mountmns : and md some of the fascinating fascmatmg flakes al aie e "pan pan "pan- "panned "panned " _ - ned out " fiom flom the Coloiado ColOlado Colorado 11\ 11 mer 11er iner \ er in the vicinity vicimty of Moab Moab.Although MoabAlthough . . Although the metal has not yet been found in 111 suffICIent suffICIentquantItIes sufficientquantities sufficientquantities quantItIes to be of gleat great commeicial commelcial commercial value the search forIt forit for It has ha had cnsIdelabl considerable to do wIth the bmldmg building of the I region are who still stIlI still have have tartli that that some someday someday someday day they will "stuke stuke "stllke stllke "strike strike " rich oic ole ore . . " The piesence plesence presence of gold someI floatlends float floatlends floatlends I /day day / lends encouragement to these people . . If one were to turn thiough thlough through the eaily eally early issues of "TheGiand TheGiand "The The "TheGland "TheGrand " I IIf Gland Grand Valley Times " he would find the pages full of en- en enlhusiastC enthusiastic en enthusiastic - thusiastic ! reports and prophecies of the future of the goldmining goldmining gold goldmining /lhusiastC lhusiastC / I mining industiy ndustly industry , in the La Sal mountains mountams . As eaily eally early as 1896 the theedItor theeditor theeditor edItor wiote wrote WI ote : : "The The "Tire Tire " 1 lecent ecent recent finds of exceedingly e\.ceedmgly e.ceedmgly e .ceedmgly ceedmgly \ . rich float onthe onthe on the La Sal Salmountains al Inountains mountains is begmnmg beginning to attract attention from miners been quietly coming commg in 111 untIl untIlat untilat untiat at this time theie thele there are at least one bundled hundled hundred piospectois plospectOls prospectors at atwork awork atwork work in the mountains mountmns . . Every practical miner mmer that has ever everpassed eve everpassed : passed over the mountains moul1tams niountanls has been convinced convmced that as llch rich llchlodes richlodes ncllodes lodes as wel weie were e ever discovered lay hidden in them . Some Somesamples Somesamples Som Somsamples < samples of quaitz quartz qUal tz weie sere ' \ \ el e lecently ecentIy recently 1 shown in this office hold hold- holdng holding - ing ng gold old In as lalge large as glmns grains of ofheat \\heat heat 'heat ' \ . These cer- cer - Itamly , aie me are beaiing bealIng bearing veins vems . " " I IIn In 1897 the following followmg lepoits lepOlts reports aie me made : "Winnand "Winn Winn H\Vmn H Vmn " " \ and andI andVheelE.r ancWheekr \VheelE.r VheelE.r TheelEr \ : . ; of ofVestwater Westwater \Vestwater Vestwater \ shipped last week SIK SIX sr bundled hundled hundred dol- dol dolIlals - I doLlais dollars Ilals lars in in gold taken fiom flom their placel placer giound glound below 'Vest- 'Vest Vest Wrest 'Vest"ateI ' West-water West water - _ - "ateI ateI 'ater ater " ' ' . This was taken out in 111 six SIXeeks sr C weeks \\eeks eeks seeks ' \ by bJr four men wOlk- wOlk woik- woik - - ' ing lug woik-ing woik ing wOlking woiklug with a locker rocker . . " I Again Agam ' ' . "The The " past week , \ McGlaw l\cGlaw l cGlaw McGraw ! , Allies l\l1les l l1les Miles \ and Howell , \ " \ on the Clear Clystal Crystal claim , laying between the head headof hearof ' of Little Castle Valley deek cleek creek and Beaver basin , light ught right on the the'backbone the'backbone th'backbone thbackbone 'backbone backbone ' ' of the La Sals , uncovcied uiscovered Ul1COVei eel a two foot footvem footvein vein vem lymg lying lyinibetween lymgbeteen lyingbetseen bet\\een bet een betseen \ \ giamte granite walls , fiom flom from which an assay of the avelage average avelageof averageof of the vein vem gave two bundled hundled hundred eight dollais dollms dollars in m fiee flee free gold ithe to tothe tothe the ton . The lichness richness of the vein vem ca can > i be seen with the thenaked thenaked thnaked naked eye , as it shows free gold specked all thiough thlOugh through it ; thivein thiveinas thIS thISvein thisvein vein ' \ \\as as sas \ \ as cut at the endof end of an eighteen foot tunnel cut cutthrough cutthrough cuthrough through solid lamte ramte . "Thi Thi "Thl Thl "Thr Thr " sclaim sclalm sclarm lays neaily nemly nearly paiallel palalel parallel ] and just S . E of the theGl theGreen theGleen Gl Green een Mountain l\Iountam l Iountam \ , Little Dot and Biyan Blyan Bryan claims , , owned by Me-Graw Me Graw .l\lc- .llc .l l lc Mc- Mc .llcGraw . \ McGraw - - Graw and Loutzenheiser Loutzenhe1ser , fiom flom from which they have taken some somethousand somethousand somethousand thousand dollar ore in silver and copper . . , . "Mineial Mineial "l\lmelal "l l lmelal "Mnleral Mnleral " \ Mt l\it l it \ , the . .name name . name of the peak of the head of of11mels ofMiners oiMmeis 1\1mels 1 1mels Miners \ Basin , , on which wluch and in close pro pioximity plo\.Imity plo.Imity plo .Imity Imity \ . amity to , , lay most mostof mostof mosiof of the rich claims discovered this year on the nOl noith north th end of ofthe ofthe ojthe the La Sals is cel ceitainly certainly tamly well named . . On this mountain , , N ofI . I W , yo yoof . of th the Little IttIe Dt Dot ? , lays the HIgh Ole Ore also owned by l\1c- l 1c Mc- Mc \ : - I , , from which ore just dust taken to the theOuray the theOuray thOuray ( Ouray smelter netted eight-three eight three - - - dollars in III gold and cop- cop copper copper - byFowler per . Still fUl fulther further ther N . . E . , . lays the 1'1 11 ' iM 17 . . 1 . I . F . . claim owned by b Fowler , Hepbuin Hepbuln Hepburn and andVoIf Wolf \VoIf VoIf \ , who have followed the othe other otherdlsco'Veries otherdisco ] disco discoveries dlsco'Veries dlscoVeries ' 'eries eries ' with one of a two and half foot vein of ore assay assay- assaymg assaying - ing mg one bundled hundled hundred seventy-nine seventy nine seventy-nme nme - dollais dollals dollars m In gold . . " Such icports leports reports show not only a keen enthusiasm enthuffiasm but at atI atleast ( I least some reason for interest . News like this brought in inI inmany in'many I ' 'many many many new people and eastern capital in seal seaich search ch of gold and andqUIte andquite anc ancquite andI quite a settlement was established at \ Miners l\lmers l lmers Basin and Gold GoldBaS111 GoldBasin I Basin BaS111 on the La Sal mountains mountams . A postoffiee postoffIce was establishecit establishedI establishedat established I at \ Miners l\imers l imers Basin Basm in m 1899 . Gold Basin has now been abandoned aban aban- abanI abandO,11ed abandoned - I doned dO,11ed dO11ed , though a few men stIlIwork still stIlI work in'Mmeis inMmeis in ' l\Imel l Imel \ ( liners s Basin . How- How However However - . ever , activity has dimmshed d1m111shed drmrnshed to rather a small scale . : Located forty miles southeast of Moab l\ioab l ioab \ is the Big In In- In IndIan Indian - I dian copper mine mme which has been of some importance to the theregIOn th theregion < the theI region . The low grade copper is difficult to extract e tract and |