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Show Section B Wednesday, May 14, 1980 Sports Obituaries Classified! ...a cowtown Times in Kiz are recalled buildings lying in disrepair were fixed up. By CHUCK ZEHNDER Freelance Writer Kiz is only a memory but it was quite a town in East Carbon years ago. Sometimes known as Clarks Valley, the town was formed by a no coal number of ranchers mines in or near the town. This was strictly a ranching town. Clarks Valley is a fertile valley extending from Sunnyside on the east to Soldier Canyon on the west and is probably the largest level tract of land in Carbon County. This pretty valley was first settled by a rancher named Clark who stocked the land with horses and cattle. He put up the first buildings houses, stables, graineries and a sometime blacksmith shop before 1898. It was in that year when the property was sold to a man named Fausett for a rumored $75,000. Fausett loved horses and turned the valley into a large horse ranch until a drought hit for several years and he abandoned the property. It was just a few years later when the buildings rotted away and the valley returned to what it had been before man invaded it flats. sagebrush-covereIn June of 1906, Orson Dimick and John Higginson settled on the abandoned ranch and put up some buildings. A few of the older d Nephi Perkins, Ephraim Dimick, Orsons father and his wife, Kiziah, and others joined Dimick and Higginson. All of these families began to homestead the land under a federal land act which acknowledged squatters rights. Sheepmen then began moving into the valley to enlarge grazing lands for their flocks. Sheepman Gratien Etcheborne was the first on record to move in as a sheep rancher and the first to file a land claim in 1916. Etcheborne was in love with the claim and thought highly of the future possibilities. A little work was done on the present reservoir in 1910, but did not begin in earnest until George Mead came in July of 1914. In 1916 Francis Dimick came to the valley to homestead, several years later Lafe M. Norton and his family came to make their home. The Workman, Babcock and Asay families also moved to Kiz, reported an early history, A Brief History of Carbon County. In 1924 school was finally established through the efforts of Etcheborne and Norton and was situated in an old log grainery with a dirt roof. The building was owned by Etcheborne. Mrs. Mary Tidwell, Wellington, was brought out to the valley as the first teacher and was paid $40 monthly and provided with room When he left, they sent for help in and board for her and her husband. The school district would only pay $25 of the salary so Norton and Etcheborne made up the difference out of their pockets. Because of moving around to various graineries due to leaking roofs, Mrs. Tidwell case he should return. Jake and Lew Workman came to relieve became discouraged and resigned. Vivan Norton, an eighth grade student, took over the teaching duties for the remainder of the school term. School was then moved into a log house owned by Lew Workman. By the time school was out for the summer, there were 17 children enrolled and the teacher was now being paid by the transportation allowance of each of the children. struck the small a year later when the community new teacher, Mrs. Elsie Huntsman, was drowned when the car Tragedy in which she was riding enroute to Price overturned in a nearby wash. This was also the year the first building was constructed for the specific purpose of being a had constructed the building during the summer and school was held in it for many years afterwards. Pioneer life in Kiz was hardly schoolhouse. Etcheborne dull. Once a drunk held the entire Norton family prisoners at gunpoint in their own home for several hours before Mrs. Norton persuaded him to go home for supper. Norton in guarding the home. While Norton was in the house, Jake sighted the drunk creeping along the ground toward them with a gun in his hand. Jake pulled his gun and fired a bullet which shattered the drunks arm and entered his side. He was loaded onto a wagon and taken to Price where he was treated for gunshot wounds and ordered out of the county by the sheriff. It was in 1926 when Kiz finally got a post office and, therefore, its official name. Up until 1926, citizens of the Clarks Valley town were forced to go into Wellington or Price for mail service. In selecting a suitable name for the post office and town, Mead proposed the name of Kiz in honor of the first woman resident of the valley, Kiziah Dimick, who was always known to residents as Aunt Kiz. The name was submitted to the government and accepted and the first mail left the Kiz post office on November 2, 1926 with George Mead as the first postmaster. Walter Boren, now living in Wellington, was the first mail carrier. That does not appear on the records because he carried it for a total of four mo iths, gratus, until a contract could be bid upon. The mail was taken out of the valley and brought back in every day aboard a Ford Model T truck. It wasnt long after this peak year of 1926 when the town began to decline until it reached its present state of being just another ghost town. Today, one can find a few cellars, the old reservoir, crumbling foundations and a few walls still there. The most obvious present landmark is the old cemetary alongside the road. Some graves are still maintained behind the twisted barbed wire fence. But what about tomorrow? There are many rumors today that the town will thrive again and Andrew and Eileen Herring (I to r) and Walter and Lucy Boren were some of the young couples who made Kiz their home many years ago. The Borens live in Wellington today, as do many of the former residents of this ghosttown. Jazz band to play CHS Sergeant First Class Navy Show Band. He has also perVernon D. Ryer will be vocal solist with the formed with the Buddy Jazz Ambassadors of Volkers Orchestra, the the United States Rivieras, the bands of Army Field Band Freddy Stevens and during a concert here Bobby Mann and the at 7:30 p.m., May 19, in famed Towson State Carbon High Jazz Ensemble. Auditorium. The style of music Sergeant Ryer, a performed by the Jazz member of the Jazz where he performed under jazz great Hank Levy. During a hitch in the Navy from 19G8 to 1971, Sergeant Ryer was a member of the and arrangements into the exciting music of today. Since its formation in 1969, the Jazz Ambassadors has amassed a long list of credits from music critics. The Jazz Amhas bassadors is presented at since Ambassadors Ambassadors July of 1974, also plays trumpet for the group. He attended Baltimores Peabody Conservatory and Towson State College positions been experienced stage band clinics, national music conferences and on countless college and university campuses. Comprised of the in Price by Sun Advocate and Castle Press. Tickets for this free concert may be obtained in person or by mail from Sun United States Army, the Jazz Ambassadors blends the young ideas, original com mail, include a self addressed, stamped envelope with your request. Advocate P.O. Box X most versatile Price, Utah 85401. To musicians in the receive tickets by -- soon. Rumor tells there will be some homes in the valley in the near future as two new mines are opened in the Bookcliffs just a short distance from the town. Rumors also tell us that water will be no problem for the new Kiz as it will be brought from the mountains above the town. Will Kiz really be resurrected? Carbon County will just have to wait and see, but for now there is nothing there but decay and memories. "Whirlpool 300 George Mead is in the background with Juanita Clegg, the school teacher, and Marie Mead on the horse, early gathering place in Kiz was this, the post office in the Clark's Valley community. An The model T truck belonged to Walter Boren, first mail carrier between Kiz and Price. Woodworking workshop planned Woodworking West- - University May The conference will State will 'bf the Art 80 ,Nworking experts demon- - conference to be held include Conduct group stations at the at Brigham Young discussions. PROVO Wood- - 29-3- 1. Bonus Graduation . . SHOES Gals, Students Guys All & jg, 364.95 Whirlpool 264.95 Deluxe washer Model LHA6900 super-siz- Matching electric dryer available to complete laundry pair. e washer has agitator, watertem-peratur- e selection, 4 pushbutton wash rinse combinations, choice of 4 automatic double-dut- y Sur-gllat- Buy any Whirlpool washer by May 31 and you will get . a box of detergent 25-lb- cycles, Magic Clean filter. Major Appliances. FREE. self-cleanin- g ID'OTfu FURNITURE & APPLIANCES 64 N. First West, Price m 637-337- 7 48 East Main in Price I ii - - if- - - 4 I - i Ii f- - ir -- - Z. - |