Show SUNDAY MORNING JULY 14 1940 OkDEN THE STAN D ARD EXAM I N£R PIONEER DIFFICULT FOR PIONEERS IVfc cause the arrival of the Mormon and barrel" as civilization entered pioneers spoiled the trapping busi- the valley for $1950 ness records reveal Goodyear who had obtained title Nicaragua's drouth which to the land from the Mexican govseveral months has been ernment in 1841 turned it over to Captain James Brown "lock stock Goodyear Sold Land For a Song' WEBER CANYON rAifc EDITION FIRST MILITIA FORMED Two regiments of Weber county militia were formed in 1850 to form the country's first military brigade Officers were Cyrus Can-fiel- d Weber county was sold "for a captain and Francell Dur-fe- e be first lieutenant song" by Miles M Goodyear - nj myjuw miMHl wyyi V'im n"- - m i Party Had Harlan-Youn- g 4 Average of Mile Per i :' Day Down Gorge Those who now speed through Weber canyon fromOgden to Morgan at 50 miles per hour on a modern highway might find it hard to realize that the first wagon train to enter Great Salt Lake valley in jf UQ required weeks to make the 4 ''' Vis' "V i ' 1 x v £ ' yi 4 V 1 - This party known as the Young and Harlan group was also the first to make the passage west by the route around the south end of Great Salt Lake and thence across the 80 odd miles of salt desert It preceded by several weeks the Donner party Instead of following the estab- lished emigrant route from Fort Bridger Wyoming to Fort Hall Idaho and thence south into the Humboldt valley of Nevada the Harlan-Youn- g party was persuaded by one Lansford W Hastings to try the more direct route Hastings who has been described as "California's first press agent" is the CNan for whom the Hasting's cut-- I across the salt desert is named New Route to Guide Although he had never been through Weber canyon Hastings decided at Echo to lead the party straight down the river The following account of the passage was printed in the "California Gold Book" and later reprinted by Charles Kelly in "Salt Desert ill-fat- J ed ' -- F ySi " - 't v: sw 'irrJvi - Trails" "Few difficulties greater than those heretofore experienced were met with until the divide had been practically rossed and the pioners entered Echo (Weber) canyon Here trouble began The canyon is scarcely wide enough to accommodate the narrow river which traverses it an dthere was no room for A £ads between its waters and the si v4rupt banks In mank places great vLoulders had been rolled by mountain torrents and lodged together forming an impassable way "Three such obstacles were encountered and only about a mile a day was averaged for more than a week The sides of the mountains were covered with a dense growth never penetrated by of willows white man Three times spurs of the mountains had to be crossed by rigging the windlass on top and lifting the wagons almost bodily The banks were very steep and covered with loose stones so that a mountain sheep would ' have been troubled to keep its feet much more an ox team drawing a heavily loaded wagon Rope Broke "On the eleventh of August hile hoisting a yoke of oxen and wagon up Weber mountain the rone broke near the windlass As many men as could surround the wagon were helping all they could by lifting at the wheels and sides The footing was untenable and before the rope could be tied to anything the men found they must abandon the wagon and oxen to destruction or be dragged to death The faithful beasts themselves seemed to comprehend the danger and held their ground for a few seconds and were then hurled over a precipice at least 75 feet high and crushed in a tangled mass with the wagon on the rocks at the bottom of the canyon" Weber canyon even in ancient times was a well known and much XTVaveled highway Still visible in places today is n path high along the mountain side which was trod by the early Redskins Through this — natural opening in the Rocky moun tains tribes of Indians from the plains came to the valley to hunt rather salt— and to make war Contanches in the 18th century passed through Weber canyon to a winter camp at Promonotory cave where they lived on the buffalo which came down from the a -- " v If A ' - J- 0 ' 1 t i '"a' ! Vkf's V 7 toff JJ o ©w& i of your Service will take care motoring needs Our well-beate- 7-S- lar Immediate New editions of attractive booklets contain ideas for recreation sports and vacations which you'll outings ' appreciate Free upon request north SCANDINAVIANS LIKE HUNTSVILLE The town of Huntsville east of first projected in 1861 lvOgden was when it was surveyed preliminary to settlement Today its popuia tion is made up largely of Scan Hinavians Because of its prox d moun imitv to th tains the climate is healthy but ffeSr snow-cappe- cold DRIVE IN AT STATIOUS WITH THIS SIGN f - FOR FINEST PRODUCTS AND BETTER SERVICE i GASOtiNE ST AT IONS EVERYWHER E IN UTAH A ND IDA HO J |