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Show Wednesday, January 30, 1991 ProvoOrem Chamber of Commerce Orem-Geneva Times Page 19 OREM'S HISTORY Following the pattern of Mor-mon Mor-mon colonization in Utah, various towns were established by pioneers in Utah Valley during the 1850's. It was customary cus-tomary to locate the settlements near streams in order to have an adequate supply of water. The steep grade of the Orem-bench Orem-bench was a challenge for wagons traveling the road, particularly par-ticularly during muddy conditions. condi-tions. This road was opened for travel in 1848 by explorers sent by Brigham Young and later became be-came State Street and a state highway. . The year 1861 saw the first handful of part-time settlers from nearby valley settlements venture out onto the bench lands that now comprise Orem City. At that time, the area had very little to recommend it, since streams or springs were nonexistent. nonex-istent. The settlers fight for survival and ultimate property has been one which has closely paralleled the construction of irrigation ditches, culinary water systems, and development of new sources of water supply. The prospects of somehow bringing water onto the parched soil, however, lit the ambitions of a number to whom homesteading virgin territory presented a challenge and an opportunity. op-portunity. Lack of water on the bench made life extremely difficult during the earliest years. Regular trips to Utah Lake and Provo River were essential to secure necessary water. little wonder that even the Saturday night bath seemed a luxury for residents in those days. For several years, settlers on the bench were only "summer farmers." During the winter months, they lived in nearby communities where the necessities neces-sities of life were more readily available. Alfalfa was the first crop raised on the bench, which was later followed by strawberry and raspberry plants. In 1885, the first peach trees were planted and soon followed by cherry, pear, apple and apricot trees. With the rise of fruit orchards, permanent residences were established es-tablished on the bench. The first homes on the bench were typical of the most primitive. primi-tive. Those who had no oxen or horses to haul logs from the Provo river for cabins, built dugouts in the ground. For cabins, logs from Provo Canyon were split and plastered up to keep out icy winds. Walls were uncovered, and roofs were often covered with dirt or thatched with rushes gathered from the shores of Utah Lake. Cast iron stoves, as well as fireplaces, were used for cooking and heating heat-ing cabins. Signs of growth were slow, however, as the first log cabin school house was not built until 1883. The first permanent church was the Timpanogas Latter Lat-ter Day Saint Chapel. The initial ini-tial business establishment was a country store which opened at 560 N. State Street in 1890. In 1900, the first blacksmith's shop was established. The first fruit stand was built in 1914 at 1301 N. State Street, and the first cafe was built at 597 N. State Street in 1928. The smell of boiling lye and tallow often permeated the early homes of the residents, as homemade home-made soup making occupied the women. Adequate food was often a problem too. Grace was often said at the dinner table over a meal of jack rabbits, or carp from the lake. In 1863, water did come to the bench. Through the com bined efforts of settlers and interested in-terested people from the surrounding sur-rounding area, a small canal was dug, conveying water from Provo River out over two thousand acres of thirsty ground. The advent of water to the bench brought fresh optimism to the hardy settlers. Water also brought to the bench an increasing increas-ing number of pioneering families anxious to take advantageous ad-vantageous of the federal homestead homes-tead law. To establish eligibility for buying land at $1.25 an acre, a homesteader must live on his land for five years without leaving leav-ing it for more than six months. He had to build a house a make other improvements on the property. For some, the trials and hardships were too much. The names of those who came and traveled on to what they considered con-sidered "greener pastures" were not recorded. The first white children born in Orem were: Alexander Cordner - the first boy corn to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Cordner on March 17, 1879, and Ella Malinda Newell - the first girl born to Mr. and Mrs. Elliot A. Newell on April 10, 1880. The decade of World War H brought many changes in Orem. Because of the need for steel in the war effort, the steel industry expanded. An area along Utah Lake was chosen as the site of Geneva Steel Works because of its location with respect to needed raw materials and transportation. With the need for workers at the nearby plant, came also the need for more housing. Several subdivisions were platted in an effort to build homes adjacent to the steel plant This began a trend from rural to urban land uses which is still continuing. Educational Help May Be Taxed People who receive educational assistance assis-tance from their employers need to determine whether to include it in their income. For guidance on employer-provided employer-provided educational assistance, call 1-800-829-3676 and order Publication Publica-tion 508, Educational Expenses. HELP WANTED Advertising Salesperson (Full or Part-Time) Sports Reporter (Part-Time) Pressman Individual who wants to learn the trade Phone Brent Orem-Geneva Times 225-1340 106 North 200 Wet Provo, Utah 373-8220 0 JT 1 SPECIAL ANY LIKE ITEM up to 10 items (example: 10 for the price of 5) WINTER CLEANING SPECIAL PROVO'S FINEST & FASTEST FULISERVICE DRY CLEANERS & LAUNDRY (limit 1 coupon per customer per order) Expire Feb. 28, 1991 Not valid with any other offer. Sundance sponsors Chamber of Commerce day on the Slopes Hundreds of members of the Chamber of Commerce swarmed to the first ever free ski day at Sundance. In a joint effort by Sundance and the ProvoOrem Chamber of Commerce, over 1300 people took the day off work to come mingle with other businessmen in the community. Sundance hosted all those related re-lated to the Chamber to a free lift ticket and a buffet. Walter Sive, General Manager of Sundance, said, "We were thrilled with the overwhelming over-whelming turn out and response from the ProvoOrem Chamber of Commerce." "I hadn't been to Sundance for over eight years, and I was excited to remember how beautiful beauti-ful it is up there," said Mary Wheeler, immediate past chairman chair-man of the Board. "This was a brilliant public relations strategy on the part of Sundance," Sun-dance," said Chamber President Steve Densley. "Many people, like Mary, have forgotten how wonderful Sundance is and I'm sure now that their memories have been perked, they will return again and again." Brent Norton of Lube Doc was very appreciative of Sundance Sun-dance hosting the event. "It was a beautiful day, great weather, and I had a lot of fun. I plan to go back to Sundance to ski as often as possible." "Sundance really went out of their way to let us all have a great day. I hope we can all say thanks by returning to ski our local ski resort to enjoy the unique uni-que nature of Sundance," said Densley. 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