Show Ballard Bollard approved t t 4 i for incorporation After r receiving c a petition from a large majority of the el electors in the Ballard area Uintah County Commissioners officially incorporated Ballard as a town at their regular Monday meeting last week It is anticipated that such incorporation will better serve the residents of Ballard in coping with the problems of growth n now w occurring in this his area The newly incorporated I town town J of B Ballard coves covers covers ab about t twenty- twenty one and one half miles mites of area Th The west boundary is the countyline county countyline countyline line near Roosevelt and the east eastline eastline eastline line is where the viaduct crosses Highway 40 at the old Victory Park hill a dis distance nce of about three miles From Highway Highway Highway High High- way 40 the north boundary extends about two miles and nd south three miles TIlE THE BALLARD area was first homesteaded in the years 1906 1907 and 1908 Deeply interested in church and educational opportunities the early settlers established a school district and a separate school board The Uintah County school districts at that time had not been consolidated The first Board of Trustees in inthe inthe inthe the new Uintah School District consisted of George Pickup James Angus and Jerry Murray The first school was held in a alog alog alog log building owned by Ed Heller It was located near where the Basin Concrete Plant now stands The next year the school board constructed a two- two room building where the Ballard Ward chapel is located The school was known as the Uintah School When Woodrow Wilson was elected President of the United States Pearl Christensen a teacher in the school and a staunch Democrat had the name of oC the school changed to Wilson At this time the voting precinct also was changed to Wilson This name was retained when Uintah County consolidated consolidated consolidated con con- the small school districts THE TIlE PEOPLE in the area were predominately of the religion and were affiliated with the wards in Roosevelt until 1926 In the year 1926 President Byron 0 Colton and associates of the Roosevelt St Stake ke met with the people of the area It was recommended that the old Ward located d on Indian Bench be consolidated with parts of oC the Roosevelt First and Sec Second nd Wards and a new w ward be established at the Wilson School t to be known as AH ii This action was consummated ted and Andrew J J. J W W. Rus Russel el Todd and Joseph S S. Rawlings were selected as the first bishopric Lee Ang Angus s was the first ward clerk After the ward was was functioning Bishop because of age was later released and Elmer Jorgensen became the he new bishop Bishop Jorgensen and J his s co counselors were eager to construct a new chapel so the ward would have a home of its own Unfortunately fate intervened intervened intervened in in- and Bishop Jorgensen died after an acute appendicitis attack The bishopric was then reorganized with W W. Russel Todd as as bishop John H. H Cook as first counselor and Joseph S. S Rawlings as second counselor i iThe The building program moved on and in 1930 1929 a new red brick building was constructed d. d This building still comprises compriseS compriseS' a portion of th the present Ballard church h house use IN 1930 the ward was was was- still known as Since this this' ri m nie int hI high l land rid or or 01 benchland l the r members 1 of t the e ward thought that the name should be changed before the dedication of the new chapel After discussion prayer and thought the name Ballard was selected after the apostle Melvin J J. J Ballard In time the name of the voting precinct was also cha changed to Ballard The The Uintah County Commissioners Com Com- Commissioners missioners in their action incorporating incorporating incorporating in in- the new t town wn of Ballard appointed a Board of oC Trustees consisting of of Karl as president Lee Angus T T. Golden Collins Gerald Mitchell and Jess Miller |