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Show Spanish Fork River drew early sellers unsafe, sometimes collapsing and killing or injuring occupants. When a sawmill, grist mill and shingle mill were established, residents hurried to build proper homes. Many current residents trace their ancestors to Denmark and Iceland, thanks largely to three young Icelandic men who met LDS missionaries in Denmark while they were there studying the gokismithing trade. They were converted to mat religion, and returned to Iceland where they conducted their own form of missionary effort and to establish a Mormon church in spite of governmental nrstrktkws on religion. Although they never came to this country, some of their Iceland: neighbors did. Ujw arrival in Salt Lake City, they were directed to set- 62 H T" By LAUREL BRADY Special to The Daily Herald From main areas of Spanish Fork, you can hear trains, particularly at night. Today's residents take the presence of trains very much for granted, but it was the coming of the railroad, and the availability of water, that helped shape Spanish Fork into the thriv ing city it is today. The first settlers arrived in lo50 and IS52. Most then lived in what was then called the upper settlement along the Spanish Fork Riv er on w hat i now the south boundary of the town. Their homes at first were in cellars, with some log rooms. Firewood was plentiful, but meat was restricted to jack rabbits and whatever could be killed or caught. Another settlement developed in the Palmyra area, and during the Walker War. all residents were ordered to relocate to Palmyra for protection. When that conflict ended, a number of settlers decided to return to the nver bottoms, where they built a fort at what is now the end of Main Street where Premium Oil is. That fort, built in 1S54. was naned Fort St. Luke. Although 367 were living in Palmyra in 1855. it never developed much until later, primarily because Brigham Young expressed disapprew al of the area due to its high water table. Many residents abandoned Palmyra near that time. Spanish Fork w as granted a charter on January 17. 1855. A bridge acress the Spanish Fork River was built just south of the fort in I $56. where SR 91 croses the river now. The population was significantly increased in 1856 when Spanish Fori residents responded to Brigham Young's call to rescue stranded handcart companies, bringing a number of suffering handcart pioneers home to to Spanish Fork uhere they were assisted by townspeople who helped build dugouts and provide for their needs. A number of present inhabitants are the posterity of those people. Because there were so many dugouts, the city was once called Gopher Town. The dugouts wiere I --" Sons Broom Factory was one of several The Jex home industries in Spanish Fork in 1 896. The cockatoo, & tie in the Spanish Fork area where it w as thought they would be happy due to the number of Danish settlers already there. Settlers tended to cluster according to their Rational roots. The English and Welch gravitated to the north and west, the Danish to the northeast whik the Icelanders stay ed to the southeast The various nationalises celebrated traditional events: Bobby Bums birthday was observed by Scottish seders. Sl David s day by the Welsh, and other traditional events were celebrated by the Danish and Icelanders. By 1 S6G. the town's population was 1.035. In 1 the railroad came through but it w asn't until about 1 SSG when the Denver and Rio Grand line was built through Spanish Fork Canyon that the city began to diversify. Men took jobs in the coal mines, spending the week in boarding homes and hotels, w hile some w omen found empkvyment in food and service jobs there. The av ailability of coal made bock production feasible for the first time and buildings sprang up, including a broom factory, mills and the largest department store in Utah County. At the Spanish Fork Co-Oit w as said you were covered from "womb lo tomb," as you could buy anything from furniture, shoes, harnesses and caskets. The Co-o-p owned a flour mill slaughter y ards and shoe factomill burned to the ry. The Co-o- p hut mas replaced by ground ia (Sec SWINISH, het3) courtesy of G. E Anderson perched at right, was brought home from New Zealand where one son served a mission. i :v. . t ctrier the JfifSr 6, p. .: with new and Unique ideas lor your kitchen, including: Bridal Registry Kitclien Aid. Cuisi'nart, O Vitantonio Small Appliances Quality Kitchen Gadgets Cookware - Calphalon. Chantal Scanpan - Moixlay (80 1 2.) Friday tOnHKitm Satuikiy lOWrvj.iX) I ) t0 No. -- (XM8M393 1)374-039- 3 University Ave. Provo, I'tah 84Ol s" |