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Show STANDARD January 221976 EDITOR'S NOTE-- Ai port of tho Bicontonnlal offort, tho Uintah Basin Standard Is publishing a sarlas of artldos on various sactlons of our trado aroa. Thosa ara baing dona on an approximate monthly basis, culminating In July of this year. Altamont and Roosovelt areas were featured In October and November. This month's article Is highlighting Duchesne, which saw some n of the earliest settlers In the Basin. At the junction of tho Duchesne and Strawberry rivers, the valley was long enticing to travelers through the area, as an Ideal spot to settle. Duchesne has enoyed an Interesting history since its settlement, as reviewed In the accompanying articles. During February, this feature will spotlight Myton. non-India- From Dora ... to Theodore ... to Duchesne Editors note: condensed from Early History of Duchesne County preserved by the Duchesne Chapter of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, copyright 1948. business there. By 1906 the town had a saw mill, saloon, barbershop, eating place (a dugout with a tent behind it), meat market, and drug store. Murdock's Pioneer Store was the first building of any importance. It was large, two storied, and located on the north side of main In 1905 the United States government opened the reservation for white filings of 160 acres each. The first general gathering took place about June 1. A. M. Murdock, previously an Indian trader at White Rocks, got permission to set up a post between the junction of the Duchesne and Strawberry Rivers. By June 6, 1905, Murdock had a large circus tent supplied with hay, grain and food supplies. There were 52 men, one woman, Dora (Murdock's daughter), and one Indian. This was the beginning of the colonization of Duchesne. They organized and called the place Dora in honor of Murdock's daughter. A few weeks later government surveyors layed out the townsite, and gave it the name of Duchesne. The name was not accepted at first, and the people called it Theodore for Theodore Roosevelt. After Roosevelt was named, to avoid confusion with the mail, people had to call it Duchesne. This was in September, 1911. Murdock's store served as the social center the winter of 1905. It was built in the late fall of that year, and was the first street. Since Theodore still belonged ' to Wasatch County, there was a small court house, built from lumber donated by Bud and Earl Winslow. In 1906 the town men recognized the need for a town hall. Murdock aroused the interests of the community, and organized a stock holders group, with each man receiving stock for his labor. The building was known as the town hall, and was used by all organizations in town, and occasionally as a school. In 1921 the LDS Church purchased the building for the sum of 92,750. In 1905 before the mail route could be established, Arthur Marsh was hired by individuals to go to Myton twice a week on horseback for the mail. Charlie Pitt drove the first mail from Myton to Theodore in a buggy in December 1905. Mail came every day. Dora Murdock was the first postmistress, and had her post office in the corner of her father's store. Early in 1909 Murdock established a stage line from Colton to Theodore (Duchesne). The stage left Theordore on 'ivA V'k'' v- replicas of the history of Duchesne the Uintah Basin are produced by Fred Pope. His work, which has been acclaimed by many, has found wide circulation throughout the nation. Here is shown a replica of a construction crew, using a scraper similar to those employed in road and dam construction. REPLICAS OF THE STAFF-- ln 1917 the staff of officers and assistants at the county court house included ihis group. From left o right they are Francis. M. Shelton, county clerk; Mildred Seaton; L. C. Winslow, deputy county COUNTY OFFICE Wednesday and Friday, and returned on alternate days. The stage carried the mail from Colton. Under this system, Salt Lake Mail was only one day old when it reached Theodore. In the winter of 1905 Berniere Peterson taught school in a tent to ten students. In the late summer of 1906, Mr. Murdock furnished the k)gs and the men of the community erected the first school building. In 19OT some of the children went to school in the town hall, as the log building was not big enough to house all the children. In 1908 the first brick school was started. The elementary school was constructed in 1926, and the high school building in 1936. Bernice Peterson Mecham described life in Theodore. Steele and Munz had one of the first saloons, all modern, brass rail, cuspidors, coal oil lamps and hitching rail in front A schooner of beer was five cents, with a free lunch thrown in. The well dressed man wore German sox, inside overshoes, ear muffs, mufflers, mittens, turtle neck sweaters and sheepskin lined coals. Suits were cheap. One boy bragged that his wedding suit was good, and it ought to be, it cost $11. The well dressed lady wore a fascinator, high topped shoes, and her dress touched the floor. Calico was five cents a yard, and a two cent stamp look your letter anywhere in the United States. Shoes for the baby cost $1.50, and mom's did not cost much more. Mens overalls were 75 cents." Four large hotels burned in the early days of Duchesne. In 1907 James Grant and his family set up a tent hotel. The first hotel in Theodore was the Arlington Hotel. It was built in 1908, and destroyed by fire four or five years later. The Odekirk Hotel was built about 1914. This.,, burned about 1919. Another hotel amj,,' : Store burned in 1921: In 1914 a group of people from Topeka',. Kansas came into Duchesne. The Deans,'' Billings and Greys organized the Bank of Duchesne. This bank went into the hands of the receivers during the panic following the first world war. George Kohl came to Theodore in 1905. In 1916 he opened a store in the Murdock building. After a few months he took Tom Firth in as a partner, and they moved down to the present location of Kohl's Market. March 13, 1914 the Wasatch County Commissioners advocated the creation of a new county. Inconvenience to the larger part of the county, lack of representation, over use of dispatches, and apparent geographical conditions were given as the main reasons. An Hazel Heinfihill, county treasurer; Grace Hast, deputy county treasurer; Alice Todd, first elected county recorder; Alberta Bjornsen and Humer Hastley. clerk; Monday, Tissue roll pale Charm in Paper Towels 73 Brawnle . . . . 55 , Fiouttr.fr. ' r 1 r? building, was the first court house, constructed in 1908 by the Winslow Brothers in Theodore. This argument arose over where the county seat would be located, with Duchesne, Myton and Roosevelt vying for the honor. A spirited election named Duchesne the county seat, with Roosevelt as second choice. The county officers elected to take office January 1, 1915 were: Edward Mackey. County clerk and recorder, Lula Hood, treasurer: C. W. Smith, assessor; pRay 6k Dillman. county attorney; J. Ap Washburn, county superintendent; and county commissioners J. E. L. Carey, Gmrgp Lindsay and Russell. Duchesne aspired to berome a city in 1917, and petitioned the Board of County Commissioenrs to designate Duchesne a city. The petition was signed by 115 real property owners and voters. March 20, , 1917, by a vote of the qualified electors of Duchesne decided in favor of incorporation into a city. The voters selected the following officers to constitute the first board: M. B. Pope, mayor; A. J. Feller, treasurer; E. W. and councilmen Schonian, recorder; Lester Stott, M. L. Marsing, L. A. Hollenbeck, and Woods Alexander. The secretary of state proclaimed Duchesne a third class cilv. 124-12- 77 Crackers Saltlne, 1 .59 lb 1 35 Shortening m?!?. Tunar.: 48 White Kingor.n,w...89 Shasta Pop .rDb. .689 , . r f ips PieMix .T.lV..::..:.r59 75 Ketchup Tomato Sauce?...6100 Hunts. 32 oz. Corn Green Giant. W 395 17 oz Elbo or Salad 24 oz izOlll American Beauty PAST-Authe- ntic Produce in Ebeal estate Cucumbers 219 Yellow Onions u 10 Bell Peppers Green Apples Apples ... 215 Utah Red Delicious, 7 lbs. Delicious. Case 100 450 . Meat Department Fish Fillets.. Canned Hamm?.1! Beef Franks Western Family . I98 639 97 We now have Diaper Flannel in Stock REMODELED COURT BUILDING-T- he Winslow brothers remodeled and enlarged their building as the city grew. Shown here are L. C. and Earle S. Winslow, and Rev. Guy J. Winslow. The building as later donated to the city of Duchesne for the first library building in Duchesne county. MM Phone 738-245- 1 - Duchesne Phone Orders Welcome - Free town delivery before 5:00 p.m. |