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Show Historic Floods, a serious threat down Evaquation Creek, as shown here. that hit Watson during its brief lifetime. By George Long Guest Writer Watson's location made it closer to the people living in the Willow Creek area, especially those of the upper portion of this distant place, so several of them would go there for their needs. Some of the people living in this small, but very busy town was the Barr family, the Baumgaertels, Winklers, Gurrs, Heatons, Banks, Thomsons, Wades, Collins, Laytons, Work-mans, Work-mans, Slaughs and Jacobsons, who you could very well say was the most predominate family that ever lived in Watson. The Jacobsons' youngest son, Dick, said there was a time in Watson that there were more members of their family living in the town then all the other residents put together. At that time you could have very well called it, Jacobsonville. I don't know if Watson ever had a mayor, but there was a man who for sure would have well qualified to be such and that person was Luvie Jacobson. Luvie who was a man of large stature, was well liked by all who knew him and both the railway and gilsonite officials had a lot of confidence in him, as he could do about anything. iu It seems that when anything new or different was started, that they'd call on Luvie to do it, like when the Railway Company Com-pany decided to try out the Holt Caterpillars on their freight haul to Vernal. It was Luvie that they give the job to. Another time was when they tried out the new Buick automobiles automo-biles to haul passengers and doing do-ing away with old stage coaches, again the task fell to Luvie. Later there was a big write-up in the Saturday Evening Post about how successful these cars done out in the badlands of Utah and showing a picture with Luvie behind the wheel. He was at one time over the mine operations at Little Bonanza Bo-nanza and later in charge of the shops at Watson and then with W.A. Banks, started what was the first trucking company in northeastern Utah, something, that later he and his sons would take over completely. For several years he and his sons, along with other family members would haul countless numbers of truck loads of gil New VA clinic fills urgent need By ViAnn Prestwch Uintah Basin News Service Military veterans in the Uintah Uin-tah Basin now have an outpatient clinic conveniently located across 200 North from Uintah Basin Medical Center. According to Carol Carroll, nurse administrator for the newly opened Veterans Administration Adminis-tration clinic in Roosevelt, there are approximately 2,000 vets in the Basin who have local access to general medical care now that the clinic is open. The physician who is working at the clinic is there on a temporary basis until the full-time doctor arrives later this month. "We have a permanent doctor coming in two weeks," Carroll said. t The clinic's permanent physician physi-cian is going through the mandatory manda-tory evaluations required prior to working at a VA facility. There is also a physician's assistant on staff and a licensed practical nurse. Prescription renewals are being taken care of through the clinic, as are flu shots, vaccines and testing for tuberculosis. "They can come in for anything any-thing that is not urgent care or Watson: sonite and wool to Watson and put it on the railroad. When the company reopened the mines at Big Bonanza, some of the miners sent over there that were living at Rainbow and Watson would ride the thirty mile round trip on the back of Luvie's trucks. One of those still with us today that well remembers these long and sometimes cold and dusty trips is Lawrence Y. Siddoway. In talking about the Jacob-sons, Jacob-sons, I'll mention some interesting interest-ing information given to me by Luvie's granddaughter, Jacqueline Jacque-line ( Jackie ) Loyola, who is the daughter of Byron and Gladys SlaugH Jacobson. Jackie spent the early years other life living in Watson and has many wonderful memories of that time. She and her younger sister, Grace, ( now Grace Jer-man), Jer-man), who was born while their parents were living there, were the youngest children in this historic town. Jackie told how they would make their own fun times, like going go-ing on picnics and having weenie and marshmallow roasts and going on hikes among the hills and canyons. She said there was one canyon that she called, her canyon. Jackie mentioned how in the winter time, they'd go ice skating and sleigh riding. X She said at times her father would fasten the sleighs behind his truck and pull them along the road. It seemed like there was always something to do and for the kids at least, there was no boredom. She told of the pets that she had that included several cats of which she had names for them all, including a special one she called Fluffy. Jackie told about the flooding that took place at times down evacuation creek and how one time that she nearly got caught in one when her Mother had sent her to the store. She would often walk down the creek bed and climb out near the train station and go on to the store. When the flood hit she told how worried her Mom was as she ran along the bank calling her name. Luckily she had just gotten out as the raging waters came. A person, unless they have actually seen it, just can't realize the size and extent of these terrific ter-rific floods that can come roaring down this creek at times. Jackie said that during those final days of Watson how sad it specialty care," Carroll said. "If they need a cardiologist they will need to go to the VA out in Salt Lake. Right now we don't have MRI or CTs." Lab work and x-rays, however, are being contracted through UBMC, so patients can obtain those services closer to home. The clinic has four exam rooms, offices, and a conference room. The conference room will eventually be used for TeleSight counseling, where patients can talk face to face via video link with a therapist or psychiatrist from another VA facility. CRAssociates Inc. is the provider the VA has contracted with to operate the clinic. The Virginia-based company has been in the business of providing primary care to veterans through community-based outpatient clinics for over nine years. The company's managed care network serves over 100,000 military personnel and their civilian beneficiaries. The Roosevelt Roos-evelt clinic is CRAssociate's first facility in Utah. The clinic's office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. For appointments appoint-ments call 725-1050. Walk-ins are accepted. Vernal busiest little town This was just one of many floods was to be leaving this place and all those special memories. She said that she had to give up most of her precious pets including her cat Fluffy, to whom she gave to an old hermit like man that lived nearby. She said there was no need of boarding up or locking the buildings as they knew they wouldn't be coming back. Apersoncanwell understand what a sad thing this would be, especially to a youngster. Jackie had a name for those living there, which was, Watsonites, which is rather appropriate wouldn't you say. Another family and the last one to live in Watson was that of Sherman Workman and his wife. Sherm as he was usually called, was a top hand and had worked at about every job available out at this remote area, including that of hauling freight in earlier years with his father from Watson to Vernal. They were the last to operate the hotel and boarding house at Watson and Mrs. Workman was the last person to run the post office. Anyone having letters with Watson or Dragon stamped on them, really have a collectors item. Today the only living member of this Workman family is Carlyle who was bom in Dragon. He certainly has fond memories of his childhood growing up out at these towns and camps. Later he would work a lot in the gilsonite mines at Big Bonanza. It was there where I got well acquainted with this fine man as we worked down in the old No. 29 shaft. Carlyle or Cog as we called him was a very good worker and one of the best natured persons that I ever knew. His knowledge about this area has been very helpful. He told how for a time that they continued to shear sheep at Watson's big plant and then haul it away with trucks, but this also finally closed down and that about finished things for this historic little town. When meetings were held in Need a Sprinkler System? Team up with RainBird and Vernal Winnelson this year to keep your lawn green and flowers vibrant. Vernal Winnelson is your RainBird authorized dealer for turf products in the basin. We have everything you need to install your own quality RainBird system including drip systems. We offer free plans and consultation with your sprinkler system purchase and also offer well-based and irrigation water systems design. Come see us today for your free quote. Vernal Winnelson does not install sprinkler systems. We 1 V V f 9 r iCef y(tt coot w&fi Express January of 1939 in which the Railway Company petitioned for abandonment, there were about seventy five people living in Dragon and less then fifteen at Watson. At this special time only Lafe Bowns who represented the sheep owners objected to its closure clo-sure as he stated how important it was to be able to ship their wool and lambs out by rail. Mr.Bowns also owned the hotel and several other dwellings in Watson. Although he was a man of considerable influence, it wasn't enough to save this very historic railroad. The decision was made and after the last scheduled train left Watson in May of 1939, the work crews started dismantling the equipment and tearingup the line. It was a sad time for Watson and Dragon and for those people that still called these places home. When the last scheduled train A view of Watson built soem 10 the drop off place for freight and r. r I In town location, r - - ... - 2- Authorized Dealer Vernsi t : are located on the corner of 1500 West and 1500 South in Naples (435)789-6070 A L. now! vtirtflow frii cool&x. Wednesday, in Utah left Watson and Dragon that day, it was a very somber occasion. There were about twenty people aboard and there definitely was no sign of excitement or happiness, happi-ness, in fact some of them even had tears in their eyes. Actually it was more like a funeral atmosphere as many of those aboard were going to the Fruita and Grand Junction area and it would be their last trip over this scenic and historic line. It was the special Mallet engine. No. 50 making this last run, with Roy Eno as engineer and George Lohman as fireman, with Johnie Robbins as conductor and John "Slim" Beaslin as brakeman, along with Vie Earp the railroad superintendent. Also in attendance atten-dance was a reporter from the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel newspaper. There were a couple of cars loaded with things like furniture and other household miles down Evacuation Creek from Dragon in 1911. Watson was the stage and the closest the railroad ever got to Vernal. .- r " I; ; ., -i- Many possibilities! "Expect the Best" 1340 West Highway 40, Vernal, UT 84078 Office: (435) 789-7555 Fax: 781-2913 n COMPANY VV ill -.. ;j; S(Wifw- ,fc j July 9, 2008 A5 items. It was a sad time, not only for those people that had been living there, but actually for Uintah County and for Narrow Gauge railroadingas would later be acknowledged. Dragon and Watson along with the Uintah Railway were all a part of winning the west and as has been mentioned they were definitely a new frontier and like many of the other places in the west, the narrow gauge railroad helped make them flourish. There isn't many still with us today that lived in these two historic towns and even less that worked in the gilsonite mines or the train that made them possible. This group is certainly one who have experienced very outstanding circumstances and they have been a part of an extraordinary ex-traordinary history. It is to them that I dedicate this story to. This is part two in a two-part series by George Long about the history of Watson. Earlier this spring, Long wrote a multi-part series about Dragon, a neighboring neighbor-ing community. :':. S -" ASPEN BROOK REALTY INCr Jennifer Hawkins, Angela Walker, nqentm-m Agent-sumo Freida Parker, Agent828-2770 f r v. |