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Show A Trip Through Cache County I ' By BRIANT S. YOUNG I Beautiful Cache valley, carpeted with verdure, shining in emerald sheen in the bright spring sun ; a valley carpeted with na- ture's velvet coat of green, nourished by rain and dew, is at the same time a practical reality and a dream. From the gateway of Bear river canyon to the upcurling smoke from the sugar factory at Lcwiston on the north end of the county, the valley is a constant marvel and delight. Passing through Bear River canyon, the train passes over huge gorges. Looking out the car window you look down, down into apparently ap-parently illimitable space. Below you the surging waters of Bear River rush and curl as they crowd down the narrow passageway between be-tween the rocks. The water in the river is dirty, the clay and silt from hundreds of miles of territory it 'drains eddying and curling with the swirl of the water. The train passes over an arched bridge, 'Tfc eighty feet above the river. You see the great drainage canals, and as the train glides on you see the immense dam, the waters backed I up for miles. Cache county was so named because in the earliest days of j Utah's history large caches of furs and supplies were made here by j trappers and mountaineers. It was in 1856 that the first Mormon pioneers entered the valley. The first wheat was sown in the spring of 1857 at Wellsville, but in July of that year a severe frost occurred which killed the entire wheat prospects for the year. Thus discouraged at the very outset, the settlers set-tlers seriously considered the question of abandoning the valley. This was at a meeting of them all held to consider the matter. The valley would have been deserted but for the encouragement given by John Thurkel, who, in addressing the meeting prophetically I stated that the wheat crop which had been destroyed would yet yield . sufficient to furnish bread for the settlement until the next year's harvest and that Cache valley would ultimately become one of the most fruitful valleys of the Territory. He declared further that a temple would be erected on the bench cast of where Logan now is. This utterance was made two years before the site of Logan City Main Street, Logan, Looking North. H ! After leaving the canyon you enter Cache valley. Cache Junction Junc-tion is the first stop. In the distance you see the gleaming spires of the temple in Logan. In the background, sitting like a solemn judge overseeing the valley at its feet, you catch a glimpse of the central building of the Agricultural College, situated on the bench above Logan. Between Be-tween the distant points and yourself you note the farms and pastures. pas-tures. You gaze dreamily at the river you see winding in and out, jfi its sinuous length undisturbed by ripple or motion. You cannot believe be-lieve that this is the same turbulent stream you have recently passed. The train passes on its way past orchards and gardens, through meadow land and farm. It disturbs the browsing cattle and sends the mild lamb frisking and gamboling. Down through Mendon, situated at the base of the hills, the apple and pear blooms, white gleams against the sombre backing of the mountains, gives a smiling greeting. Then on, winding in and out, the incense of flowers and grass sating your soul. You note the spire of the meeting houses and the i bell on" the old schoolhouse. The gleam of new brick and gray stone meets your eyes, hasty glimpses through the maze of leaves on the trees. You note the tiny cottages nestling in the cottonwoods and fruit trees. Now you reach Wellsville. A pretty place this, the great taber nacle, just being completed and located in the open square in the center of the place, being the most prominent object. I Diverting for the moment, it is well to give a short history of this valley, when and how located and the meaning of the names of its towns and cities. was made, and twenty years before the foundation of the Temple H was laid. H At the conclusion of Mr. Thurkel's remarks, the members of the settlement, which had but thirteen families, went back to their work to bring to pass a realization of the wheat prophecy, by irrigating the land. They secured a new growth and did mature a crop of wheat that gave them bread until the next year. H Logan was named from a noted Indian chief of that name; Wells- H ville in honor of the late Daniel H. Wells, one of the pioneers of Utah. Mendon received its name from the birthplace of the late Ezra T. Benson, Mendon, Mass.; Hyrum was named after Hyrum Smith, brother of the prophet, Joseph Smith ; Paradise because of its paradisic ,1 features ; Millvillc on account of the first sawmill in the county being built there. Judge William Hyde was honored in having Hyde Park named after him ; Smithficld was given its name after John Smith, an early settler and pioneer; Richmond because of the esteem a '-.umber of the early settlers had for Rich"- mond, Va. ; Clarkston in honor of Israel J. Clark, an early settler. A number of settlers, becoming dissatisfied with their location in H Clarkston, founded Newton, naming it "New-Town." Lcwiston was named after William H. Lewis, the first person to locate and build a H house on its site. H Wasatch, the name applied to the mountain range traversing Utah, was originally spelled "Wasach," is an Indian word signifying H "a region of lakes," or "many waters." Bear River was so named H on account of being connected with Bear Lake, the waters of which it conveys into the Great Salt Lake. H (Continued on Page 20.) I A TRIP THROUGH CACHE COUNTY H (Continued from Pago 7.) H Having finished our digression wc will continue on our journey. H After leaving Wcllsvillc, Hyrum is reached. It is six miles between H the two. At Hyrum you note a beautiful little city, its citizens cntcr- H prising, its surroundings picturesque, its location admirable. In this Hi place arc a number of industries, including a creamery, a yarn and H wool factory, and smaller industries. The citizens arc prosperous, a H number of beautiful homes marking its progress and advancement. H The home of Mr. Sorcn Hansen is the most striking in the place. Mr. H Hansen is a very enterprising member of the community. His busi- H ness is that of handling eggs and apples, shipping thousands of cases H of the former every year to different Utah and Idaho points. There H arc a number of stores, a large public square on which there is a H meeting house, city hall, and schoolhouscs. H On our way past Wcllsvillc wc have passed Mt. Stirling, about H four miles to the southeast. Southeast of Hyrum, a matter of four H miles is Paradise, while yet another four miles further Avon nestles H in its dales and hills. H Leaving Hyrum on our way northward, wc pass Millvillc, five H miles further along. A matter of three miles distant and we have H come to Providence. Looking three miles to the west wc sec the H smoke "from the stacks of the sugar factor', the gleaming buildings H of the industry showing white against the green background of its fl surroundings. H Three miles to the north of Providence lies Logan, the largest settlement in the valley. Logan is a city of approximately 9,500 population. Logan is H growing, growing so rapidly, that it seems destined to have a bril- H liant and successful future. H It is a beautiful little city, one of the main- fair cities in the H state. The streets arc laid out as arc the streets in Salt Lake City. H There arc about four blocks of business bonnes on Main street, H extending from Thatcher Brothers' music store on the south to the H countj' building on the north. The intersecting streets on the west H also have anywhere from one-half to a block of business firms. The Hi buildings on the main streets are substantial structures, there being H quite a number of imposing edifices. The store fronts arc bright H and thoroughly up-to-date, while every mercantile line is adequately represented. All the stores show the latest styles in dress and wcar- H ing apparel while the supply houses arc fully abreast of the season. H The Federal building site is located on the east side of Main, just H above First North. H The streets arc guttered, the sidewalks paved with cement, while there arc macadam and cement crossings over the intersections, H The city is brightly illuminated at night with arc and incaudes- H cent electric lights. Among its most pretentious buildings arc the H Agricultural College, Brigham Young College, the Jersey Academy, H the temple, tabernacle, imposing schoolhouscs for district schools, H county court house and the beautiful homes of the residents. H Speaking of the schools, there arc ten district schools, with H, thirty-five teachers, and a school population of 2,360 of whom 1,542 H arc enrolled in the district schools, while the balance attend training schools and colleges. J' The two colleges have a combined enrollment of over 1,700 stu- Hf dents. They arc a bright set of young people, clean and clear eyed, studious, and industrious. Logan shows no greater monument to H; its pride than the young people it is rearing. On them will of course H' fall the duty of carrying on the work their fathers and mothers have H started. And judging from their appearance, they will do it nobly Mj and well. H . Both colleges arc fortunate in their presidents, Prof. Lindford Hi .of the B. Y. C. and Dr. Widtsoc of the LT. A. C. being competent and conscientious men, and the good feeling existing in both institutions between themselves and their teachers and students, speaks volumes Hi their executive ability while the results attained are eloquent H tributes to their merit. In the B. Y. C. Senator Herschel Bullen. I secretary, is one of those who has worked so hard and zealously for H ll'e upbuilding of the college. Logan owns its own water and clcc-H. clcc-H. ric light systems. The question of sewerage has received careful at-( at-( tention. and this matter will probably be taken up and a system in- stalled before long. H rh't if Logan is bright in many wavs, it lacks in others. Its H hotels are very bad for so bright a city. In fact there seems to be a H splendid chance here for some enterprising person to invest money in H a modern hotel. Its cafes arc much better than its hotels. H' There arc two very enterprising knitting factories the Cache ( Knitting Works and the Logan Knitting Factory. Both are modc.i, with splendid plants and arc very well managed and directed. H Tl'c condensed milk plant of Mr. Lorenzo Hansen and his cmii-' H l,ay 1S a VCIy interesting place to visit. Further down the valley is located a glove factory, the only one between Omaha and San Francisco. Fran-cisco. There arc a number of smaller concerns, such as candy factories, fac-tories, laundries and various local industries, all employing a large number of people. You take a stroll about the city, and you note the beautiful homes, the well kept grounds, the general air of care and comfort. You walk idly about, and as you stand at the foot of the hill, you gaze up at the massive temple above you. Mounting the bench and walking about half a mile cast you come to the Utah Agricultural College, a collection of buildings whose massive grandeur and rugged simplicity appeal to you. You notice the well kept grounds. If you enter this great institution you arc struck with an air of peace and comfort, and everything you sec allures and attracts. You gaze at the dainty dresses being made in the women's department, and note the case with which students and tutors conduct themselves. You walk over to the mechanical department and watch the students hammering and forging iron and steel. You stop awhile and gaze at the happy band of youths who are employed with saws and hammers ham-mers and chisels and lathes and all the implements of carpentry and you admire the fine pieces of woodwork they are making. In another , place you see a buckboard, made by the students. At yet another place you hear the soft intonations of the pupils reciting in other languages than English, and again the modulations of the instructor in English falls softly on your hearing. You go into the assembly room and you sit down, and soon two young misses come out and seat themselves before the grand piano. And how they can play ! Mozart, Liszt, classics from masterpieces. i Brigham Young College Campus. Then you stroll around the grounds and see the great wide walks, the sweep of the lawn, the flower beds. It is fine, refreshing, and you wish you might stay and join the happy students and pass your days in surroundings such as these. But dreary da' toil has other demands. You stroll back to the brow of the hill, noting the beautiful city lying at your feet, the entire en-tire valley outspread before you. Reaching the city you approach the Brigham Young College. You have the habit by now, and you want to see how younger persons than yourself learn things. As you pass clown the street fronting the buildings of this college, you observe the grace of the grouping; the mechanic arts building in the foreground; behind that the cast building, then the new Niblcy hall auditorium, then the west build- " ing and down in the meadow across the canal you see the campus, extensive and expansive. But the day is growing. Business demands you in other quarters, so you start off, and you look back and you sigh for even one day of rest in such a place as this. There arc a number of other cities and nestling towns in ihis valley, bu space forbids extended description. Among them there is Smithfield, Hyde Park. Greenville. Richmond, Lewiston, Benson, Newton, Clarkston and Trenton, the home of the "Trenton apple," and also the scene of the reclamation project of the Trenton Land and Investment Company, a description of which has been already ' given. j But some clay there will be another trip to the valley, a trip in to which fishpoles and guns and traps of all kinds will be taken along. When that time comes the clays are going to be spent in musing and ! revcry, in order to call forth more inspiration with which to try and ,: describe all the beauties to be seen. Besides that the people of the valley arc so courteous and hospitable it would be a shame not to visit them' again. , V i ! |