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Show II IIA I A History Historyof of Moab , UtahBv UtahBy Utah _ Bv By Faun \ McConkie l\fcConkie l fcConkie TannerCopyright Tanner TannerCopyright ( Copyright 1937) 1937 1937)Chapter ) - - . Chapter 12 12SUMMARY 12SUMMARY 12SUMMARY SUMMARY mtJIf JIfeiesting ? Ma Jany 1any mtelestmg mt inteiestin ' eiesting contrasts can be diawn dlawn between beiween theeofthe the hteof tkrse JIf eofthe of t r tr tmtelestmg the e people nennip in in Moab Mna to-day to day fn-rinv fn rinv - and nnrl that of the early setIUlh setth set- set setfiance - ] tkrs IUlhVJ \VJ VJ \ ) th tha a thuving thuiving com'munity community coiumunity ' boasting of cleared and andlt1ated IUlh lt1ated nt nte . % e lands ands , dotted wIth many modern homes and an anUfldance fiance Ufldance lctnce of trees andvegetation and vegetation , it is somewhat dIffIcult dlfflCUlt dIffIcultfie.1'g dlfflCUltpiCtUre difficultyure lctncehf hf fie.1'gU fie.1'gt piCtUre U t the e valley as it must have looked to the first set- set set3Sbrl setiers set-ws set ws - 3Sbrl 3Sbrlt 3Sbrlthe fie.1'g fie.1g fie1g fie.1'gh fie.1'ge iers . ' ; . , with h the sagebrush so high hign and thick that it was im- im imtree im3Slble im- im imMe - - treee 3Slble Me e t to 0 see a man on horseback ridmg ridl,11g ridl11g riding , through it , not a athat ae ag tree treen " e n nor thr a house in sight . The sagebrush roots were so large largeIary large4t large- large largethcy that - 4t thcy they ey could be split into mto four stove sticks . It was neces00 neceslry neces- neces necesw - - eyflould flould Iary lry w t tey to pu pull them up with an ox team . * " ' , , , ? packc.ne packcne " 00 One "id id sad " d sight is is to view the great wide channels of botn both bothEaten bothkcreek M ? . kcreek kcreekand . e and Mill creek , and to see how those ihose streams nave bave bavekefl liaye ? Eaten out absurd and impossible toItfUers toieVe to totvfl kefl acres of land la.nd . . , . It seems ItfUersat lIeve ieVe that thatoncenot h hacres at atoncenot once-not once not - - so many years ago , when the first first4tross firsttiers ItfUers tiers came to the vaHey valley about 1877-79-one 1877 79 one - - - could step steptble steps8 4tross s8 b bcame both lth these creeks at most mst any place ; that it was pos- pos posThe POsIbtO - - tble The IbtO t lay a ) ? a panel fence across either of them at any point . alargvere 1,1 11 , s Severe vere floods of recent years , caused by overgrazmg overgrazing to tolYe torge lYe alarg tvfl rge Yrrtent , , : extent . ' ' " , have uuve wIdened wiaeneci the me creek cree banks wanjio fifty " rj to senety- senety senetyitJ senetyCarrying - , , - - itJ L Lrds dlns rds s , , carrying carrymg away valuable soil , trees and even somegs someC01 some ' " dln "aings aings gs , , C01There There ere e are flood seasons of the spring months " , when hen therado the Colo C01 H He ) lower lowertag lowerof lowerWthe rado ' 0 flood all aU the liver and to lampanfc lampant iampant seems 1 iun un d dO'f O'f Of , , , of the he much damagePreced damagel13 damage val1e valley "Qy- "Qy Qy "QyBut " . - But duiing duling the year of 1884 tag do dohe done to lower valley vaHey by the un- un untnd Unedented un undented - Precedet l13 ? et etto cultivated culi1vated aci acicage aClcage cage in the Preced dented edented ed floods of August of that thai year . . Unusually Unusual1y heavyQed heavyil heavy tnd tndpren pren the'ater the , watei-h watei h wateihthe \'ater- 'ater ater 'ater.a ater- ater aterof - - ilprotracted protracted t cted rains the mountains in in \ ' Qed Qedo Qedt Qedtcted il tcted throughout . o of the e Colorado Colorldo , river sent much immense volumes of ofJiver oferrtoi1l o .a a r r.down rdown d de from ttie the theItrearn theoit ttieW possible to go . the stream that it ii was Jiver errtoi1l to toothn othn of the theibIS theIbeam ; the banks . e fOl oit t , a mIle and a half from Itrearn . . ibIS Ibeam W ' , in in a low iow boat bot bo \t t \ . . The entire lower valley was a lake lane tage Stage s of the record in the memories memoriesI [ pf fls h rge high water holds ites s and Indians Indianq . - ( Continued Cont1nued on last page ) I A History of Moab MoabContinued MoabContinued ( Continued from flist filSt first page pagc ) I The well giaded graded gi aded canyon loads and smooth 1 lidmg idmg riding cm cars carsof caisof s sof of today make the stoiy stOlY story of the ( difficulties hfficultIe-s hfficultIe s - of the ox teams teamsm teams1n teamsin m 1n getting into mto the valley-how valley how valley - how they had to take the wagons wagonsapart wagonsapait Pm apart t and let lei them down piece by piece with lopes , or or"loughlock or"ioughlock or"lough-lock or"lough orlough lock "lough-lock "lough lough lock "iough-lock "iough iough " " - - " the wheels . , .and and and put two yoke of oxen o\.en o.en o .en en ' \ . on the theieai theieai 1 ieai em end of the wagon pulling uphill uplull while the onp one yoke 'oke oke ' m in mflont infiont infiont flont fiont found a trail tratl down the "jump-off "jump jump off " - " grade-all grade all grade - all seem a amyth amyth amyth myth . The b tup tifp IP from Thompsons to Moab which always took tookho tooktwo tooktwo h\o h o two \ days , is now made m In about one hour . The younger youngergeneration youngergeneration youngergeneration generation listen with amusement to the tales of their elders eldersabout eldersabout cidersabout about mightbe the English Enghsh lady who kept kepi the hotel ( if such it mIght be called caHed ) at Courthouse-the Courthouse the Courthouse - - the half-way half way - station-and station and ration tahon-and tahon and - and how howshe howshe howShe she sheould ' \ would \\ould ould \ say as she fed them salt bacon : "If If " ' Pd I'd Id ' only known knownyou knownyou knownyou you"But youBut you were coming commg , ' I'd Id ' have had a chicken leady ieady for you . " But somehow the chicken dinner dmner never materialized . . Now NowHIghway NowHighway NowHighway HIghway Highway50 450 , which connects \ ' Moab l\'Ioab l 'Ioab Ioab with the main HIghway 50 at descent Crescent CI escent , has about one half of its surface oiled . . The Thelemaining Theremaining Thelemaining lemaining remaining surface is gravelled gravell d and will m in all aU probability beoiled be beoIled beoiled oIled in m the near futUl futuie e . . onlytown It used to be said of this town that "Moab Moab "l\Ioab "l l Ioab " \ is the only town in Utah to which adm admission ssIOn ssron is charged . In fact , it Ii costs costsqUIte costsquite costsquite qUIte as much for an exit fee as for entrance , unless , per- per perchance perchance per perchance - chance , you take a lound-tup lound tup iound-tiip iound tiip - - rate on the ferry and get a re- re reductIOn reduction re reduction - - duction in m this way . " "Anything Anything "Anythmg Anythmg " that thai is WOl woith th having havmg is isoith " \\oith oith worth \ \ 01 th paying paymg for for"So forSo . " i So said scud the Moab l\ioab l ioab \ oracle , and he thus explained explamed the fact thclt that thcltIt thatit thatit It cost money to get into mto Moab and a plenalty was added for forthose forthose forthose those whe wlie wel weie e so foolish foohsh as to leave ( In this connection It ItIS itis itis IS mtelestmg inteiesting mtci esting to note a motto which hung in plommence piominence pi eminence on onthe onthe onthe the boit bO'1.t bO1.t bO1t boat ' . at one tImeVe time : "We We " \Ve Ve \ accommodate to accumulate : In InGod InGod InGod God we trust , all others spot c cash sh . " ) In January of 1911 Repiesentative Replesentabve J . P . , Miller miloduc- miloduc intioduc- intioduc miloduced intioduced mtioduc-ed mtioduc ed - - ed a bill in 111 the state legislatuie legI latme asking asl\.mg asl.mg asl .mg mg \ . for 1$45,000 145000 i$45,000 i45000 $ 45,000 45000 , , to builda bUIld a steel budge bridge acioss aClOSS Giand Gland ( Coloiado Colmado ) liver at ai Moab l\Ioab l Ioab \ . . The ThebIll Thebill Thebill bIll passed both houses and was signed by Governor Spiy and"Olk andwork and andoik \\oik oik "Olk Olk work " \ \ stai stalled stalted ted on the budge about September 1 of the same sameyear sameyear sameyear year , leaching leaclung ieaching completion in 111 late Janualy Janumy Januaiy of 1912 . The TheblIdge Thebudge Thebudge blIdge budge , three span or six sb sit . hundred twenty feet long , at a cost costof costof costof of $45 45 $ 000 , was accepted by the boaid bomd board of co county nty comnllSSIOn- comnllSSIOn commissron- commissron comnllSSIOneiS commissrone1s commission-eis commission eis - eiS e1s and the completion was fittingly fittmgly celebiated celcblated celebrated with a bar bar- barbecue barbecue barbecue - becue , banquet and piogiam ploglam piogram April 8,1912 81912 , . In 1920 the b1idge bridge b1idgewas bridgewas blidgewas was laised raised foul four feet at a cost of $7,000 7000 X7,000 X7000 $ , , The conshuction construction consb uctIOn of oftIus ofthus ofthis tIus thus budge has gleatly gleaUy greatly facilitated faLIhtlted , tiavel havel travel and tianspoitation ilanspoltatIOl1 transportation tianspoitationOn ilanspoltatIOl1On transportationOn On wash or sciub scrub SCl ub days now the housewife houcewlfe : ; uses factOlY factory factorymade factOlYmade factolymade made soap or orash "a a " -\\ash ash wash - \ \ ch : ; PO\ PO ponder POder powder ' \ der and pI piepaied prepared epal ed stll stmch starch : ch . . She has a amachme amachine amachine machme machine 1 iun run un by electricity or - gasoline p-asolme p asolme which eliminates ehmmatec : ; thE1 the thE1hmd thehaul thehaid hmd haul hmdwOlk haulwork woik wOlk work of scrubbing scrubbmg scrubbmgVash . Wash \Vash Vash \ day is no longer a head dread ( . . But\\hen But hen But But"hen Butwhen "hen hen when " \ \ the early settlers washed their clothes they did not notonly notonly notonly only had to SCI sciub scrub ub them but they had to o make their theIl " own pl pie- pie pieparatlons pie-paiations pie paiations e- e epalatIOns - palatIOns paratlons used in 111 this laundiy launchy laundry . Staich Stalch Starch was made by adding addingwater addingwater addingwater water to giated glated grated potatoes . . The starch would settle in 111 the bot bot- bottom bottom bottom - tom of the container contamer and " when "hen hen the water was pouied pouled poured off It Itleft itleft itleft left a hard cake of starch . . Lye was made by soaking soakmg cotton- cotton cotton"ood cottonwood cotton-wood cotton wood - "ood ood wood " ashes in in water . The water was pouied pouled poured off oil and used in inmal.mg inmaking inmaking mal\.mg mal.mg mal .mg mg making \ . soap However , only soft soap could be made wIth wIththIs withthis withthis thIs lye lyeThe The pioblems Ploblems problems of other luxuries lu\.urIes lu.urIes lu .urIes urIes ' \ . and necessities weie wele were met metwIth metwith metwith wIth the same efficiency . . The people raised sugar cane clnd and clndmade andmade andmade made their own molasses . , They raised good cotton , though thoughthey thoughthey thoughthey they had to comb it by hand as they were unable to get a agm agin agin gm gin . Yam Yarn Yat n ' was made fiom flom from this cotton . Very early sheep were wereblought werebrought werebi blought brought ought into mto the valley and the wool was used for homespuncloth homespun homespuncloth homespuncloth cloth clothVheat . , Wheat \Vheat Vheat \ straw was often used for making makmg hats . The heads headsof headsof headsof of the tine wheat wel weie were e cut off the straw , the straw was then thensoaked thensoaked thensoaked soaked in 111 1n water water- waterdyed - , dyed and bla1ded braided bi aided , the hat being bemg shaped shapedover shapedover shapedover over a bucket . Fiom Flom F1oni the one small stole store operated by Hyium HYlum Hyrum Taylor Taylorthe Taylorthe Taylorthe the tiade hade trade has incleased increased inci eased until there are seveial sevelal several stoics stOles stores and andaccommodatIOns andaccommodations andaccommodations accommodatIOns for the inhabitants mhabItants . Theie Thele There aie ale also hotels hotelsand hotelsand hotelsand and a touiist toulist tourist paik palk park for the convenience convemence of the tourists . . Theie Thele There aie ale are always ways of providing provldIl1g , amusement and andpel andperhaps andpeihaps pel perhaps haps though today there aie ale more foims fOlms forms of amusement amusementit , It is 1S piobable Plobable probable that the eaily eally early settleis settlers enjoyed theirpleasures their their- - pleaslues pleasures pleasluesJust pleasuresjust pleasuiesjust Just as much as we do today . Theie Thele There weie wele were dances and con con- contests contests contests - tests , , husking huskmg and quilting qUlltmg bees , and many other actIvItIes actIvItIeswhICh activitieswhich activitieswhich whICh provided them with 1 lecreation ecreatIOn recreation . Very eaily eally early they bUIlt builta a meeting and community commumiy amusement house . Fiom Flom From the days clays of the blacksmith blacksmJth shop and lively livery stablee stablew stable w ' \\e e \e \ \ e have progiessed progressed to modern gal gaiages garages ages and service statIons stations.The stationsThe . The danger of cairying calrying carrying money on one's ones ' pelson person pel son or stoung stolIng storing it itm it1n itin m 1n the pI pro pioveibial 0\ 0 0el ' \ el erbral bIaI sock , and the need for an exchange e\.change e.change e .change change ' \ . system systemcalled systemcalled systemcalled called for and lesultted resultted in the establishment of a bank . Alocal A Alocal Alocal local newspaper is published pubhshed weekly and selves serves sel ves to keep the thepeople thepeople thepeople people in touch with vital problems concel conceining concerning mng their localIty locality.Theie localityTheie . Thele There is also a leal real estate and insurance I11surance office for the ser- ser serVIce service ser service - - vice of the population and legal advice and service may be behad behad behad had locally . These and many other impiovements l1nplOvements improvements which have havebeen havebeen havebeen been discussedin discussed in m previous chapters show the town to be plO- plO plOgresslve plogresslve pio-gre&sive pio gre&sive gresive - gresslve & and gi glowmg growing owing . ( To be continued next week . . ) |
