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Show w w w 'ryv D&RG Vets Club of the County Seat in Helper were being considered. J.B. Millburn owned the property on which it was proposed to build the Court Helper's history given at banquet (EDITORS NOTE: The follow ing is a history of fllelper given by Reggie 'Williams, Utah Division of ''the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad road equipment, on March 25, at 3he Helper Vets Club Annual Retirement Banquet. jTMr. Williams is a former president of Helper who lives (in Salt Lake.) p by R.C. Williams When your committee asked me to address you, phey gave me a free hand on electing a subject, with one exception. They said I jnustnt talk about sex, and rat our age, who cares. A I left Long Beach, Calif., land landed in New York. I have traveled from New York to California, Canada to Old Mexico and I can sincerely say no where have I found folks equal to those in our old home town. So I thought perhaps you might like to travel with me down memory land and review a little history of the old home town and some of its wonderful people. History of Helper Helper is known as the hub of Carbon County, the railroad center and being pulled up the heavy grade to Soldier Summit. A settlement in the vicinity of Helper located slightly to the Southeast was called Ewell. With the growth of the railroad and the building of part of the Ewell precinct and the Helper School District and the Helper were Road District established by order of ComCarbon County facilities, it was seen that this city would occupy an important place in the industrial life of this section. Many favored naming the town Welby in honor of the trading point for many Denver miles. It was so named because a helper engine was always added to trains stated. ' In 1892, Helper was created out of the northern prospectors, traders and travelers. I remember well as a child sitting in my dads store and listening while Matt Warner related tales. Mr. Warners life story was a feature of Colliers magazine a few years ago. His life was a colorful one. In 1870, Teancum Pratt came with his wives, Sarah and Annie, to prospect in the coal veins of Spring Canyon, where mines lying within a radius of 40 additional railroad of the Rio Grande, but Superintendent & Mr. Welby favored Helper for the reason previously missioners. This locality was well known in early days to Mr. Pratts father-in-laTom Rhodes of Salem, owned property. Teancum Pratt lived for many years in the vicinity of Helper. He eventually owned most of the district now covered by Helper and made the first survey of the town titles to Helper townsite property. Mr. to OLD picture of Helper's Main Street, shooting northwards, shows how the town has changed. The date the picture was taken could not be found. I Tops! Frigidaire stacks the cold in sizes for every family who thinks top freezers are tops! Pratt sold a right-of-wa- y the D&RG in 1883 for of establishment the railway facilities. Before the building of the station, a spur was built from the main line which A was Narrow Gauge. box car designated Pratts siding. In 1890 the road became Standard Gauge. A new depot, a hotel for trainmen, a coal chute, a round house and an oil house were constructed in 1892. The top floor of the depot was used for a library and biilard hall. These recreation were used until 1906 when the railroad Y.M.C.A. was built. Here quarters for the division officers of the railroad were maintained, for more than 20 years Julius Sheperd served as secretary of the Y and became known to everyone in the system. A family headed by Taylor Wilson is reputed to have erected the first residence house in the city. Teancum Pratt never built a house but resided in a dugout for many years. Other houses were built and facilities House. Grandma McCoombs firmly believed that if Mr. Millburn had not asked such as exorbitant price for his holdings that the Carbon County Court House would now be in Helper. The first commercial building was the Broken Dollar Store, a forerunner of the Five and Dime. It was the first place a person could spend less than a dollar. The Double Rock and Try Me saloons were former landmarks. The Zanzibar made E.T. Borkenhagen famous. The D&RG built the railroad chapel. This was used as an all purpose community house for years. In the Helper could point with pride to its mid-1930- REGGIE WILLIAMS Jim Martell, Borkenhagen, E.J. Sam s, ELECTRICAL Lowenstein, Batiste Flaim, Tony Labori, Pete Bosone, Ed Jones, J. Henry Van Natta, George Ladd, Pete Smith, Celeste Dalpiaz, Jim Rooney, Gad Thomas and Thursday, May 24, 1973 Sun Advocate, Price, Utah beautiful chapels. Byron Carter was Bishop of the Mormon Church for many years. Before construction of the present St. Anthonys Catholic Church, Father Alfred Giovanni headed the Catholics at Helper in 1913. Headquarters for the 9 evidenced a phenominal growth due largely to moving the railroad terminal from Soldier Summit to Helper. In 1930 the old round house was abandoned and a modern engine terminal was established in the lower end of Helper. II, Catholic church During World War the congregation of Carbon Helper was one of busiest railroad centers of County were in Helper. its size in the country and was education Early conducted in a log school due largely to the loyalty house at first and later in an and know-hoof Rio adobe building where heat Grande employees, the was supplied by fireplace D&RG prospered. and crude benches served nationalities Twenty-sithe as seats. Here at subto contributed sequent intervals, Mrs. cosmopolitan aspect of Parrott, Miss Webb and Helpers varied population. Miss Corey guided the A population that might be educational destiny of considered foreign by children of the community. some. But to Helper theyre In 1919, Helper was just good citizens with a changed from a town to a heart full of love and a mind third class city. The city full of understanding. x CONTRACTOR others. Incident to early life in Helper there are interesting sidelights. Grandma McCoombs told the story of the visit to her restaurant of Gun Play Clarence L. Maxwell, ring leader of the Robber Roost trio, who held up the Castle Gate Mine Office and the Wasatch Store. On the morning of the robbery, these men came to Grandmas place and ordered breakfast. While waiting to be served they dumped all the silver from their loot on the floor, concerning themselves only with currency. They left at the close of their meal and were never apprehended. Mrs. McCoombs related another story, which if it had ended differently might have changed the picture of Carbon Countys future. Plans for the establishment electrical installations and repairs are guaranteed to be top rate! All our New Lighting Fixtures, additional wiring for needed electric power are jobs for trained electricians. We have the best. Call on us for Satisfaction at LOW CO PT 637-446- 7 26 South Carbon Ave., Price 24 Hour Call ,n a school house was soon planned. The first school house, used for six months in 1891, was near the Helper Central School. The Helper Central School, a commodius brick building, was built in 1909. This building housed eight grades of elementary school until 1936 when the junior high was built on the upper PUCJII K OrttttUvi townsite, leaving only grades one through six. One of the most interesting personalities who helped build Helper was Tom the Chinaman. Tradition pictures this oriental as a hero. He is reputed to have saved the town from a dire plot, the nature of which has been lost in the hazy past. Old timers aver that Tom was once the Mayor of Hong Kong, where he received great honors and to which he place ultimately returned in about 1918. Other individuals left their impression on Helper in varing ways. J. Tom Fitch was a permanent fixture for many years. He came in 1890 as an engineer on the Narrow Gauge. He erected the first two story FriqicJi reTop FreezerModel 701 T (with Aulomallc FPCI Ice Maker al extra charge) Highly efficient Frigi Foam insuiatnn Is sprayed into the walls of most Frigidaire refrigerators where it solidifies to help form a vr ry nqid cabinet The result? W ills aren t as thick as those with convention'll insulation So you gel more storagp space in less cabinet space s always ice on hand without A Frigidaire giving it a second thouqht There Automatic Ice Maker fills freezes releases cubes into the server automatically whether it s a built in or an addon (available at extra charge) And the amount a controttable too Exclusive Cube Level Control can be set to make enough ice for a couple or a crowd Opening Day is just a week away. and our local dealers and merchants have a complete line of recreational equipment and vehicles. house in 1891. For a long time this railroader took an active This Week Only in community part problems and served the city in various ways. Helpers town government extends over 65 years. was townsite Helper regularly organized and incorporated in October of Don't put off buying any longer what you've been wanting and needing. Carbon Emery Bank can tailor a loan to fit your needs and your pocketbook . . . start enjoying its use now. 1907. Plus FREE Delivery & Normal Installation Frigidaire! 'Product o Officers were J. Tom Fitch, president of town board, with W.C. Broker, J.H. Harrison, Steve and Gianotti Louis Lowenstein as members of the board. Helper has been guided by two town presidents and several mayors. W.T. Hamilton followed J. Tom Fitch as president. The first Mayor was Joseph Barboglio. Many railroaders have carved See Joe Mason, Don Denison AT or Brownie ... their niche in Helpers guidance including F.R. PQDBraO'OQDBti COMPANY OF PRICE Never Undersold When it Comes to Quality West Main Price, Utah 21 The Store with the New Look Emery Porter, George Spratling, D.K. Frank Downey, Mullins, Luca Cormani, Elmer Parker and Ed Casey, just to mention a few. Other interesting characters who stayed to help establish Helper include James and Grandma McCoombs, Joe Simone, PRICE & CASTLE DALE In I I |