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Show Sun Chronicle Thursday, October 18, 1973 Pat'e A look at city government in Roy am!0 Joseph Jensen . . . first mayor The municipal elections held m November, 1941 put Joseph W. Jensen again at the helm of the Roy City government, wi'h T P. Baker, Amasa Baker, John Sorenson, W G. Morris, and Virgil Hinchcliff as members of the town board. Mr. Morris resigned in January 1943, and Lloyd Berrett was appointed by the board to serve the unexpired term. April of 1943 Jess Robinson was appointed caretaker of the cemetery and waterworks connections in general and J.W. lloweel, an Ogden attorney, was chosen to represent the city on legal matters. By July 1, the same year, the Roy Post Office was advanced to a third class post office with a salary of $1,200 a year for the postmaster. An allowance was made for rent and lights but there were no more commissions on money orders. The same month, the official statistical report of the county showed that the valuation of all the property in Roy had risen to $980,018, indicating an increase of $256,129 since the date of incorporation in July 1937. Within a year valuation had risen another $56,979. Frank Norman became waterworks manager at 75c an hour Aug. 6, 1943. The first volunteer fire department in Roy was organized April 24, 1944 with Lloyd Berret named as fire chief. There were seven volunteer firemen. In August of 1944, an ordinance was also passed creating a department of sewers. In April of 1945 James Larison was appointed town clerk. The city government headed by Joseph W. Jensen skillfully steered the town through the war boom days until after hostilities ceased. In November 1945 Charles W Rapp was elected by the town-fol- k to Vol. 1 No. 4 Charles Rapp ...serves Itoy Special Centennial Edition City plans for big step forward With the incorporation of the city of Roy and the construction of the water system, a new civic consciousness was born, and the town began to gird itself for a big leap forward. In 1930 the total population in Roy was 670. Its growth had been slow principally because of its water problem. However, at the time of its incoporation in 1937 it was the second largest town in Weber County outside of Ogden City. Today it ranks second to Ogden in population and assessed valuation. As was to be expected the town board is on record for many firsts in steering the course of the city along the right track. First of all of course, was the incorporation of the city. They are also the first to be responsible for city indebtedness, namely the floating cf the $95,000 bond for the water system. The first annexation to the city occurred Nov. 12, 1937 when a portion of the upper Rive' lale addition was approved by the town board. On Dec. 12, 1937 the city also signed a contract with the Utah Power and Light Co., to install street lights along the highway. Town boundaries extended further in June 1939 when property owners contingent to Roy petitioned for annexation. The petition was approved by a vote of the board of trustees. Also the same month, the county commissioners were invited to the town to Joseph W. Jensen, Roy's first duly elected mayor, began his t( m of office at the time that Adolph Hitler and his German Army were marching across Europe like an unabated plague. While the United States was not as yet in the war, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had stepped up national defense in preparation for the time that the country would be forced to fight for the allied cause. This move by the president was a shot in the arm of the American economy and the days of depression and unemployment wer-- over in a feverish preparation for the inevitable. Weber County was greatly affected by the new development and Roy in particular since it happened to be centrally located for four government military establishments. The Ogden Arsenal which had been completed some 20 years before, suddenly came into full production. Hill AFB was established; the Naval Depot in Clearfield was instituted and the Utah General Depot at 2nd St in Ogden, opened up. Before all this came about, howe. there were certain changes that were taking place in Roy beginning with the new city government in 1940. Mayor Jensen started out with a very busy agenda befitting a new town just beginning to feel its own strength. At the first meeting of the town board, Feb. 19, 1940, F.W. Atkinson was appointed town clerk and Vern Thompson two-thir- was re- appointed town marsall., It was the favored opinion of the board that the town clerk should be responsible for the collection and payment of moneys due on the water works. He must keep a set of records of accurate accounting and prepare a monthly report. The treasurer was given the responsibility for all money paid into the treasury and to pay all the bills approved by the town board. Rules and regulations were also approved for the proper administration of the Roy City water supply and the water works system and penalties for the violation of provisions of the ordinance were set up. A fee of $5 was agreed upon as a flat charge for the use of fire hydrants for fires outside the city limits. The Ogden Arsenal at that time also put in a bid for the use of all surplus water in the town of Roy. This subsequently brought forth a recommendation by W.A. Baker that the city proceed immediately to bring into the water system the upper falls springs of the right hand fork at Devils Gate in Weber Canyon. The move was seconded by W.G. Morris and approved by the board. John C. Sorenson was put in charge of the extension of the watermain at $5 a day and mileage. Vern Thompson was made assistant waterworks manager to Mr. review a proposed road building program and an Sept. 15, 1939, a lease for the first city park was obtained from the railroad on a site located at about 2600 S. 5600 S. Desiring to establish the city government on a more comprehensive basis a town meeting was held the next day at the schoolhouse with approximately 100 .esidents present. The purpose of the assemblage was to determine which type of municipal election would be used in the forthcoming election. The meeting was conducted by John C. Sorenson, then acting president of the board due to the illness of James Q. Davis. The principal speaker for the occasion was David J. Wilson, the Ogden attorney who was hired by the city for legal advise Sorenson. Sometime later a government contract covering the water system where it passed through the Ogden Arsenal property was signed, July 15, 1941. A supplementary agreement with the Weber River Water Users Association was made to purchase 180 shares of capital stock of the association. An application to build another reservoir and the installation of a sewerage system was recommended by the local officers March 30, 1942. Other changes important to the city of Roy which had their beginnings in 1940 was the franchises obtained by the Utah Power and Light Company from the city to construct, maintain and operate, street lighting in present and future streets, alleys and public places. A road construction program also started during Mr. Jensens tenure of office, beginning with a north and south road running north of the Roy Road, parallel with the state highway at a dis mce of 48 rods from the center of the highway. During that period, Vern Thompson resigned his position and S.R. Goodfellow was appointed to fill the vacancy, at 50c an hoar with mileage. He was also appointed to serve as superintendent and section of the Roy City Cemetery. Joseph Thompson was named to assist Mr. Goodfellow at 50c an hour with no mileage allowance. On the fateful day of Dec. 9, 1942, the blow fell and the United States declared war on Japan for the homing of Pearl Harbor at Honolulu Dec. 8, 1941 and a declaration of war on Hitlers Germany on the new water system. Mr. Wilson explained in some detail, five ways in which the municipal election could be conducted. The citizens went on record as favoring ' an ordinance providing for the nomination of candidates for city office, by a petition bearing 25 names or more. O.T. Russell, Annie Russell and N.P. Nicholiason were chosen as board of judges for the election with the following alternates: David Hyden, Thomas Gibby and Mrs. Ray Wilbur. At noon on the 13th day of November, the town board met as a board of canversers to canvas the election returns of the city of Roy. Present were James Q. Davis, president of the board, John C. Sorenson, Delars W. Holley and Arnold Holland. The results of the elections for president of the board were as follows : James Q. Davis, 112; Joseph W. Jensen, 114; E.F. Russell, 91; O.G. Holland, 3. Thus it was that election which had been running neck and neck came to the finish line with Joseph W. Jensen, a prominent orchardist, just two votes'ahead of the incumbent. The following votes were cast for the office of the board of trustees : John C. Sorenson, 135; Delars Holley, 111; W.G. Morris, 155; W. Amasa Baker 134; D.O. Bybee, 60; Parkely Baker, 11 Leslie W. Stokes, 78; Edwin Howes, 97 Darrell Firl, 100; Lloyd Berrett, 74 Joseph Ogden, 100; and Charlotte Jacobs, 107.. Elected as members on the board of trustees were John C. Sorenson, W. Amasa Baker, Parkley Baker and W.G. Morris. The oath of office of the newly elected officers were given Jan. 2, executed by James Davis, the retiring president. John C. Sorenson acted as temporary clerk until A.T. Atkinson was approved for the position Feb. 19, 1940. Many changes in the city were destined to come about during the administration of Joseph W. Jensen and his board of trustees. ca.ry on. Mr. Rapp was a comparatively newcomer to Roy, but he brought with him considerable organizational know-hoHe had served several years on the Ogden City Fire Department and for 27 years as chief of the fire department at Logan, Utah before moving to Roy. He was a man with civic consciousness and experience. Elected to the town board at that time were H. G. Hammon, E. L. Porter, DeLos Holley and T. Parley Baker. Joseph Child was appointed town clerk and Howard R. Child was made waterworks manager. Each member of the city government was assigned to a specific responsibility. Mr. Rapp was superintendent of finances; T.P. Baker and Mr. Holley were superintendents of waterworks and sewer and E.L. Porter, supintendent of the cemetery and parks. Sam Powell, another Ogden attorney was chosen to act for the city. . In July 1946 business licenses were issued to 32 business enterprises located in Roy. They included an appliance store, barber shop, beauty parlor, service activation of the Roy City Volunteer Fire Department with Chauncey G Daily as fire chief. Necessary equipment was purchased and an intensive program of training and first aid work went into effect It was not long until the department was acknowledged at the top of the list of other such volunteer organizations in the state. A position w hich it has continued to hold June 30, 1955, the Arsenal Villa was purchased from the Federal government for $48,659, a figure at 10 of what the government had originally paid the city for the 63 12 acres of land The purchase included the administrative, school and commercial buddings The old administrative building or community center was soon remodeled to accomodate the municipal offices, the fire department and police departments. The sadly inadequate school building has since been remodeled and enlarged and is known as the Municipal School. A matching brick fencing now cov s the cinder once unattractive cinder block buildings. The Villa property from 2000 W. to 2200 VV. from 5700 S. to 5900 S was sold to the Westenseow and Clay Inc. for $165,600. Today, the beautiful Municipal Acres subdivision. a choice residential area in Roy, has taken the place of the rows of the temporary housing cinder block units The Wasatch Northern Oil Company purchased 132 ft of highway frontage for $16,500. Another sale of property which abutted privately owned lots on 5700 So. brought $3,500. Stanley Bennion purchased a 100 foot lot for $8, (X)0. The First Baptist Church in Roy purchased a site tor their building for $10,800 and $1,584 purchased frontage on the highway for another interested party. Including the sale of the old municipal building on 5600 S., the city profited another $211,264 from these various trasnactions resulting from the purchase of the villa property. During Mr. Rapps term in office, an intensive road improvement program was undertaken by the city for the first time. Here to fore, the work had been done by the county and an additional 2,000 acre feet of water were purchased from the Weber Basin Conservancy District. Also an extension of the sewerage system designed to cover the entire city was undertaken by the Rapp administration. Mr. Rapp was again defeated in the November 1947 election by O. Dean in November Parker, but was 1961. At this time, he is serving as Mayor of -- Roy City. So far this year arrangements have been made to establish a Roy City Court which will be functioning by Nov. 1. It will be stations, automotive repair, motels, trailer court, sheet metal works, a - machine shop, lumber company, coalyard, ' restaurants, fruit jmd vegetable produced, li t grocery stores and I meat market, establishment, a machine shop and a florist, a carpenter and mill works and a theatre. E.E. Baker was appointed temporary town marshall Dec. 4, 1946. Jan. 15, 1947 the city planning and zoning commission was organized with N. Eldon Steck as chairman. He was given authority to pick four other men to serve with him on the commission. He chose Edwin Howes, James A. Nelson, Ruben Wyberg and James R. Hamblin. Mr. Hamblin was also retained as consulting engineer for Roy. Perpetual care for cemetery lots was instituted with a charge of $150 a lot. H.G. ijr"; Hammon and Frank Norman were appointed as caretakers of the cemetery and Justice of the Peace Howard parks. In March 1947, Eunice Southwick was Shupe and Peter Vahlas, city hired as the first full time clerk of the city judge. and Si Bosgieter was hired as superintendent of the city waterworks, a position which he still holds. presided over by a judge. A clerk of the During this term in office, Mr. Rapp was court will also be hired. court responsible for an extension of the in the has been conducted a Justice more a and city by adequate sewerage system of the Peace which has been elected by the supply of water which were obtained county. funds. through government Marked improvements have been made Mr. Rapp was replaced in the November in the city council members, completing 1949 election by O. Dean Parker, but was what had been started in the previous adagain in 1953 for a four-yea- r ministration. term. During his 1954-5- 8 tenure of office Other improvements on the agenda for many improvements were either comthe remainder of, Mr. Rapps term include pleted or began. Serving with him on the the development and extension of North board were E. Gayle Sheffield, James Park, to adjoin the boundaries of the North Nelson, J. Alex Patterson, Delbert Brown Park School ; the resurfacing of 5600 S. and and Joe Child. Upon the death of Mr. Child, 6000 S. from the highway to the west city Milo Smith was appointed to fill the vacanlimits, besides the completion of current cy. projects now underway. Important to the city was the Here-to-for- e, re-Ro- y, Utah; Thursday May 7, 1959 Vol. 5 No. 50 followed. As an immediate consequence to Roy, the city entered into negotiation with the federal government on the purchase of 33 acres of land situated between 5700 S. and 5900 S., the highway and 2200 W. in Roy for the purpose of creating a government temporary housing accomodation for the thousands cf people moving into the Weber area for employment at the military installations. It was known as the Arsenal Villa. Uoyd Berrett is pictured with his first gas station, which was located where Bennion Drug Store now stands. Before towns incorporation, farmers used to gather to discuss the communitys problems in the back of Mr. Berretts station. ie Included in the construction program was a school and a community center. The post office moved up to the highway at 5700 S. for more convenience to the new workeij. The Crystal Market opened across the street and adjacent to the Villa and A E. Brown opened a grocery store on the corner of 5700 S. and the city of Roy entered a new and unprecidented era of prosperity. THE CITY OF ROY is one of the fastest growing communities in the state of Utah Our city fathers have been and are working hard to keep abreast of our community. We are proud to present this group to you. A brief history of each follow's. Pictured are front left, James Nelson, Mayor O. Dean Parker, J. Alex Patterson, Domincck back row, Dilworth Lyman, Mrdge Gibson, city recorder and Vern Thompson. |