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Show - - - - - ' _ of Oafes Oaks Parfe Park Mill MillSupplied MillSujiplied Mill'Supplied MillSupplied Supplied Lumber Lumpier LumberFor LumpierFor LumberFor For Many Homes In the curly early elihtles eighties of the } last lastcentury lastcentury * scentury century Mxrtin Martin 0 Oaks k ; md and his turnlly fam- fam family family - ily ctUed settJed settled In a n natural tur l park about aboutforty aboutforty bouforty forty live five miles mile * northweat northwest ot of Ver- Ver Vernal Vernal Vernal - - nal ThL This wax was enclosed with pine pinecovered pinecovered pincovered covered mountainc mountains with two small smalltributaries smalltributaries emittribut&ries emittributries ) tributaries & ot of Bnuih Brush creek converg- converg converging converging convergInc - ing at the lower endIt end endIt It was the Intention of Mr Oaks Oaksto Oakto to utilize ut1l1ze the water power ot of the thelarger thelarger th thlufer < lufer larger of the two treama streams and build builda builta a ttream 6tream stream shingle hlnle ( mill mm At thic this time timethere timethere timethere there was only one other saw millIn m1ll mill m1llin millin in th the Aahley ABhley Ashley rorest Forest which waalocated was waslocated waslocated located over the ridee ridge In what wa waknown was wasknown wasknown known at that time as GovernmentPark GovernmentParkThe Government GovernmentPark GovernmentPark Park ParkThe The only foreign material brought broughtInto broughtInto brouihtInto Into the park to build the shingle shinglemm shinglemill ahlnKimill * mm mill waa was larre large heeta sheets of sheet heet ironto Iron Ironto Ironto to be used u ed to make the bollT boiler At- At Attached Attached At Attached - tached to the boiler waa was a largesteam largesteam laree large lareeteam team steam box made of mortar1zed mortarized mortar1zedllUnber mortarizedlumber mortarizcdlumber ' llUnber lumber cut and sawed on the area areaThe areaThe areaThe The inside ln lde meaaurementa measurements were wereeight wereeight wereeitht eight by twelve feet On the tidefaclni side sidefacing sidefacing , ' facing a lane large knife that workedup worked workedup workedup up and down on a huge woodenframe wooden woodenframe woodenframe frame wa was a alxteen sixteen Inch manhole mah man mahhole manhole hole throuih through which blocks were werestacked werestacked werestacked stacked to be steamed steamedA A laixc large undershot water wheel wheelwas wheelwas wheelw was a constructed with two wooden woodencrank woodencranks woodencranks crank cranks , , one on each side which whichwere whichwere whichwere were to operate the saw which whichworked whichworked whichworked worked back and forth to saw the theblocks theblocks theblocks blocks and hoist the huge knife knifeup knifeup knifeup up and down to cut the 8h1nglesAfter shinglesAfter shinties 8h1ngles shingles shintiesAfter After cverythlni everything was In readi readi- readl- readl readiness readiness readlness - ness to operate It was found thatthere that thatthere thatthere there was Insufficient insu1lclen ! t water at thesite the thesite thesite site to operate the water wheelThis wheel wheelThis wheelThis This site was located at the north north- northern northern northern - ern end of the park In approxima approxima- approxinva- approxinva approximately approxinvately approximately - tely the same place that the bridge brld c ' , ' - - - - - - - now Is located The mill m1l1 was thenmoved then thenmovt"d thenmoved movt"d movtd moved " to a new location at thesouthern the thesouthern thesouthern southern end of the th park where wherethe wherethe whereIhe the water power from both streams streamscould streamscould streamscould could be b utilized ut111zed This new site sitewas sitewas sitewas was located where the dam now 15 is 15The isThe IsThe The ditch that had to be made to tomake tomake i 1ake make " this new site work Is still stillthere stillthere stillthereThis t1l1 t1l1there there thereThis This mill mUl made from eig eighteen teen to totwen totwenty totwenty twen twenty ty thousand shincles shingles a day daywhich daywhich daywhich which was for one cutting and thetype thetype the thetype type of shintle shingle was quite superiorto superior to those made by saw mills Thereare Tf1ere There Tf1ereare Thereare are still stlll some of these shincles shingles Inexistance in Inexistance exlstance existance yet today on some of the thehouses thehouses thehouses houses In the valleyIt valleyIt valley valleyIt It used to be the job of WilHam William WilHamOaks WilliamOaks WilliamOak Oaks * the erandson grandson of MarUn Martin MarUnOaks MartinOaks MartinOaks Oaks to sort the shtneles shingles as they theyfell theyfell theyfell fell from the knife into first and andsecond andsecond andsecond second frade grade and discards which which'were whichwere whichwere 'were were were used as fuel in the steam boll boil boller boiler boller bollerIn er erI erIn I In 1003 1903 Hyrum Oaks and his twosons two two'sons twosons 'sons sons sons Martin and William W1l11am took atrip a atrip atrip trip to Heber and bought a saw millwhich mill millwhich millwhich which they brought back to OaksPark Oaks OaksPark OaksPark Park and act set it up where the theSlaugh theSlaugh theSlauih Slaugh site now is 15 For seven years yearsthey yearsthey yearsthey they operated with the shingle shinglemill shinglemill shinxlemill mill attached to the sawmill sawmUl before beforemoving beforemoving beforemovlnr moving the sawmill sawmUl to where the theTrout theTrout theTrout Trout Creek Ranier Ranger Station StaUon now nowIs nowIs nowis Is Later Inter the mill mlll was sold to Henry HenryRuple HenryRuple HenryRuple HenryRupleSome Ruple RupleSome Some of the old time sheep men mensuch mensuch mensuch such as William Wlll1am H IL . Siddoway E JYounc J JYoung JYoung Young 0 O B Calder Bill B1l1 Hatchand Hatch Hatchand Hatchand and J N Davis built the fencearound fen fentg fentgaround earound < ; around the park hired a rider andused and andused andused used the park or a buck pasture- pasture pasturehence pasturehence pasture pasturehence - - hence the name Buck PastureWhen PastureWhen Paature Pasture PaatureWhen When Oaks Park was first Bur- Bur sug- sug sug- sug - - tested gested as a . reservoir site these thesesheep thesesheep , sheep men objected at first but the theForest theForest theForest Forest Service offered them another anothersite anothersite anothersite site which they could use for thesame thesame the ; came same purpose purp08e Later it was decld decid decldcd decided decided cd ed that each man would be responsible respoDslble re ponsible spoDslble sponsible for his own bucks and andthe andthe : the Idea for a Buck Pasture was wasdone wasdone wasdone done away awayvIth WthJohn \vIth vIth 'with with vIthJohn 'withJohn \ ' John Slaug-h Slaug h Slaugh - was the next man manto manto manto to occupy the site .site . placlne placing a saw sawmill sawrom sawmill mill rom at the northern end of thepark thepark the ' . park This sawmill sRwmlll was moved mO\ed mO ed \ justlast justlast just justlast last year Into the timberIn timberIn timber timberIn In November 1827 1927 A E Humphrevs Humphrevs Humph Humphrevs revs J H Ratliff and Mary E RatlIff Ratlilt Rat Ratliff liff lilt filed med a claim with the FederalPower FederalPower Federal . Power Commission tor for the waterpower waterpower water power located at Oaks Park to beused beused be ' : used In developlne developing power iu 10 lu themanufacture themanufacture the manufacture of superphosphate superphosphateAction superphosphateAction Action on this project was at flist fhst flistpostponed fhstpostponed . ' postponed and .nd nd . later delayed by investigating Invettlcatlne In Investigating vestigating of Irritation irrigation and power pow power power er possibilities possibUltles In February 1935 1935the 1935the 1935the the Federnl Federal Power CommIssion CommIssiondecided Commissiondecided Commissiondecided decided that something should bedone be bedone bedone done to terminate the loni long period periodsuspension periodsuspension periodsuspension suspension and the applicants were werecalled werecalled , called upon to rive give a statement as asto asto . to their plans and a further show showing showme . ing as to the feasibility feasib1l1ty of the pro proJect : ject jectThrouth jectThrough Throuth Through the effects , , of Hyrum Hyrwn BCalder B BCalder . Calder and other prominent ciU- ciU citi- citi citizens citi citizens ciUzens - : zens of the valley the FederalPower Federal FederalPower . Power Commission Comm1Bs1on decided In anapplication an anapplication . application to use the water In fa favor favor favor vor of the Ashley Reservoir Company Com Com- Company Company - pany with the understandinc undhstandlng umdbrstanding that thatthe thatthe thatthe . the site was to be used for a res reservofr rescrvoir ervoir ervofr to store the flood waters of ofupper ofupper ofupper upper Brush CreekBefore CreekBefore Creek CreekBefore Before work could begin on the thenew thenew thenew new project all protests had to be belegally belegally belegally legally withdrawn which was no nosimple nosimple nosimple simple matter The question wasraised was wasr wasraised r raised Ised whether or not the storarcof storageof storage of water at &t t & this reservoir might n ght In Interfere in- in interfere interfere - terfere with old established waterrights water waterrights waterrights rights at Jensen clalmln claiming that thewater the thewllter thewater wllter water Issued from springs in Brush BrushCreek BrushCreek BrushCreek Creek ten miles below the damsite damslteas damsiteas as the result of the sinks Some Someprominent Someprominent Someprominent prominent citizens of Vernal be beUeved beUeved beUeved Ueved that the . site .site would not hold holdwater holdwater holdwater water because of o1 the limestone for- for formations for formations - mations lower down which formed formeds1nk8 formedsinks formedsinks s1nk8 sinks On this question one v very veryprominent veryprominent prominent resident of the Valley Valleymade Valleymade Valleymade made the remark remuk that he would wouldbe wouldbe wouldbe be able to carry all the water theystore theystore they theystore store on the site away in his hatMany hat hatMany hatMany Many people believed that the lay layers lay- lay layers layera - ers era of clean stones occupying occupy.ng occupyng . sev- sev several several sev several - - eral square rods running along the thestream thestream thestream stream were Intakes to underground undergroundcavems undergroundcaverns undergroundcaverns cavems caverns Many others believed that thatthe thatthe thatthe the water would escape through throughthe throughthe throughthe the floor oor of the reservoir site be- be because because be because - cause of a fault traversing the areaTo areaTo area areaTO TO clear up these questions By Byrum Byrum Hyrum rum Calder secured the services of ofDirector ofDirector ofDirector Director William Peterson of the AC .A A . .AC AC C at Logan and on September 313C 3 1936 1938 * In company with HyrumCalder H.yrum Hyrum . H.yrumCalder HyrumCalder Calder Lean Leon Chrlstensen Christensen engin engin- engineer engineer engineer - - eer Russell R Keetch county countyagrIcultural countyagricultural countyagricultural agrIcultural agent Lee Bennion"f'cretary Bennioncreretary Bennlon Bennion secretary "f'cretary fcretary creretary " ' of the IrrieaUon irrigatlon irrigation associa associa- association association association - - tion Grant Calder and others Mrs MrsI MrsPeterson MrsPeterson MraPeterson Peterson made an examination of oftre oftl oftr'e oftre I tl tre ' a Oaks Oats Park Reservoir Site Care- Care CareI Carefll Careft Care-fi Care fi - ft fll 1 consideration was given to all allfUll allMatures alf I fUll Matures .aures aures . ; ures and a study was made of ofthe ofthe ofthr the "ntire ntire nUre 'ntire " ' reservoir basinIn basinIn basin basinIn In his report Mr Peterson Ieterson 'Peterson ? ' madethe made madethe madethe the IIOWUIK 1l0winR llowtng statements to clearup clear clearup clearup up the questions raised by the tht ' pro-testants pro testants protestantsThe pro- pro protestan protestants - testan testants ts ts'The testants'The ' ' The 'The proposed reservoir basinhas basin basinI basinhas I , has resulted from Ice action show shaW- shaW show- shaWl showing showing - l ing that a bed of Ice occupied what whatis whatIs whatIs is now called Oaks Park and the theice theice theIce ice accumulated to such a thick thick- thickness thickness thickness - ness that moraines were formed on onthe onthe onthe the down hill hUl edge of the park parkand parkand parkand and two well formed lateral mor mor- mar- mar moraines marsines moraines - aines sines occupy the sides of the pro pro- p proposed proposed - posed basin and come nearly to together 00- 00 to- to 00Ret.her together - gether Ret.her Rether . In about the center of theparfc- theparfc theparfc"The the theparL theThe parL - parL"The "The The " " theory that . water might belost be belost belost lost through ttte tlfe Life floor of the basinIs basin bmsln bmslnis 15 is largely stimulated by the fact factthAt factthat factthat thAt this site Is located on 011 the head headof headof of Brush Creek . . . This creek flowa flows flowsdon flowdo I dJ- dJ dJn don : " - n to a point about 4 412 1 2 mllee miles below where It 1t sinks slnks into a 11 lime lime- limestone limestone limestone - stone cavern The assumption seem.s seems seem.sto seemsto seemsto . to be that possibly this lime Hme exten exten- extended extended extended - - ded under the floor of the propos propos- proposed proposed proposed - - ed reservoir and as such would wouldlead wouldlead wouldlead lead to caverns underneath which whichmight whichmight whichmight might cause the reservoir to leak leakand leakand leakand and lose l06e Its waterThe waterThe water waterThe The limestone Umestone forming the thecaverns thecaverns thecaverns caverns are formed In the lime limestone limestone limestone stone Is no concern as far as thesafety the thesafety thesafety safety of the reservoir The examnation exam examinatlon examination inatlon ination ( is satisfactory In concludIng conclud concluding concluding ing that the basin ba.sin . will w1ll hold water waterCareful waterCareful waterCareful Careful examinations were made madeto madeto madeto to determine whether there were wereany wereany wereany any indications of a fault Bedrock Bedrockwas Bedrockwas Bedrockwas was found on the east and west westside westside westside side of the canyon with no appar apparent appareat apparent ent eat dip or strike which whkh would have havebeen havebeen havebeen been expected had there been a afault afault afault fault Alter After further study It was wasconcluded wasconcluded wasconcluded concluded that there was no fault faultrunning faultrunning faultrunning running up and down the area areaFurther areaFurther areaFurther Further study showed &lowed lowed & a natural natur natural natural al spillway spUlway and plenty of mater mater- material materlal material - ial lal for the construction of the damThe damThe dam damThe The area was found to be about twelve square miles or orlittle a aUttle alittle Uttle little more than 1500 7 500 acres which whichshould whichshould whic.should whicshould . should furnish ample waterTo water waterTo To clear up the protests coming comingfrom comingfrom comlnifrom from Jenaen Jensen Mr Peterson mad made madethe madethe madthe the following statementThe statementThe statement statementThe The ca caverns vems in the limestone limestonearea limestonearea limestonearea area of Brush Creek are ao so posi posi- posl- posl positioned posltioned positioned - - tioned that no water has run downthrough down downthrough |