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Show Information on Davis Co. sought Volunteers are still needed to gather information for a new history of Davis County, which will look at multiple-unit housing and car dealerships right along with log cabins and blacksmith shops, according ac-cording to the historian who will Write it. "We want to capture the meaning mean-ing of modern Davis County, and th?t means drive-in movies, fast food and six-lane highways," said Glen M. Leonard, a Farmington historian. Leonard said the up-to-date study ,will give readers an understanding of how the county was founded. 4. M He will write the book under contract con-tract with the Davis County Commission, Com-mission, but most of the research will be done by volunteer; in each community in the county. The first vohinteers met recently for training and orientation for the three-year effort. Volunteers are still needed, Leonard said, especially for wqrk on the history of cities in south Davis County and some 2(Hh century cen-tury topics. Those interested can get more information from Leonard or his wife, Karen, at 451-5566. The Utah State Historical Society is providing a matching grant to help the county publish lite history. All 29 counties in the stale will produce pro-duce a history before Utah celebrates its centennial statehood in 1996. "Davis County was not settled by organized groups sent out by Brigham Young," Leonard said. "Most of the effort at building the early towns came through individual in-dividual effort. This is one of the ditferences between our county and, say, Utah County or Iron County or Cache County." Leonard said early Mormon church leaders did have a tremendous tremen-dous impact on the county's first haf century. He said they influenced influenc-ed the location of the county seat, determined when cities would be incorporated, the construction of adobe walls around the early settlements and many other activities. ac-tivities. Brigham Young met with townspeople in Bountiful, Center-ville, Center-ville, Farmington and Kaysville in 1 869 to pick a route for the old Utah Central Railroad (now the Union Pacific). "The people had a voice in locating the railroad," Leonard said, "but in at least one instance, at Farmington, Brigham Young talked them out of their choice and won support for his own." "When Utah achieved statehood, Davis County cities gained a new independence as well," he said. Municipal governments took over many tasks previously handled by the bishops and ward teachers of the LDS wards. Leonard said the new history will examine the major changes that have transformed the county from a rural, agricultural region into an urban ur-ban lifestyle and now into a suburban subur-ban culture. "These are national trends, too," he said. "We're not immune from outside influences. In fact, much of our modem history is a reflection of national and world history, such as the Great Depression, two world wars and the development of national corporations mat bring chain stores and franchises to the local communities." I |