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Show THE SAN JUAN RECORD Wednesday, September 26, 2001 - Page 6 Brent Johansen Early memories from San Juan County The San Juan Record welcomes letters from our readers. Letters to the Editor must hr No more than 350 words Signed Include the author 1i address and phone number liw San Juan Record reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity and to eliminate libelous or tasteless material. The San Juan Record HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER FOR SAN JUAN COUNTY. UTAH SINCE 1915 AN AWARD WINNING NEWSPAPER Publisher -- Editor BILL BOYLE Office Manager TERRY CRAMER - Ad Desxn AMANDA HILLHOUSE Pasts-u-o Proofreader DAWN BOYLE Offioe Assistant KENYON FAUSETT Writers NELL DALTON MAXINE DEETER MARY LOU HOGGARD LEOPLATERO GARY TORRES TERRI WINDER SUBSCRIPTION RATES San Juan County Outside County - USA APO or FPO address Newsstand Sr. Citizen Sr. Out of County $15 $1 Sia 500 $14.50 $17.50 $ PHONE & FAX 435-587-22- 77 sjmewsOaol.com WEB PAGE www.utahpress.com sanjuanrecord a sample copy sentto a friend, send uc his or her address. Write to PO Box 879, Monticello, To have lT 84535. Copyright, The San Juan Record 1998. Al rights reserved. Reproduction, reuse or transmittal of ell matter herein ic prohibited without prior written permission by the pubisher. ISSN 0894-327- 3 PuWtahod wssM y ol 49 8ou9i Mdn MnnMcoMo.m- Pftfttfrtf pesisja 14535 g Utah BUM. Ths Sis UWi Press Assorisdon ' NtoaretNmspspsrAreodsIcn thinning fast If you can use any of this information, I am glad to pass it on to you. ). (I8SN0SS4-S27S- PnUmtir; Seed Ml address stanfss te P.O. Rea SIS, Stonttsses, Dear Editor Reading about the passing of some of the Old Timers in Monticello and being in the class of 1933, 1 thought of the many events that might have been lost when the San Juan Record building burned down and a lot of the copies of the Record were lost I decided that I should write about a few of the events that I remember from the 1920s. I feel that a few of these memories should be shared. When Albert R. Lyman turned over the Editorship of the San Juan Record to H.E. Blake, San Juan County was being settled with a few Veterans from World War I. A lot of the area east of Monticello was being homesteaded, the roads throughout the county were only dirt tracks. The road to Moab was routed through Big Indian and on to La Sal. The trip took two days with a layover at La Sal. Peters Hill road was a single track on the west side of the wash and with a few turnouts for meeting traffic. The post office was run by Charlie Walton (if I remember correctly). It was located on the previously called Center Street, two blocks from Main. It was in a log building. The bank building was the rock building located across the street southeast of the L.D.S. Church. During one of the winters when the snow was very deep and the drifts were impassable, some of the youngsters of the town would take their sleds to the peak of the roof of the L.H. Redd store and coast across the street into the George Adams front yard. The east lane going out of town toward Dove Creek would drift full of snow making travel east impossible for a good part of the winter. Both young and old would eiyoy bobsled parties throughout the winter season. During this period, with no refrigerators, wintertime would find a lot of the men cutting ice blocks from nearby ponds. These blocks would be buried in sawdust in ice houses throughout the town. All the stores and businesses would have their ice house. The courthouse was being built with the jail cells in the basement. As the room above the jail was unfinished, there was a dramatic escape of some criminals. The inmates climbed on top of a steel cage in the jail and kicked their way through the ceiling and into the room above. They were later apprehended but for years after the floor was installed in the room above, you could see where they had kicked through the ceiling. During this period, Roy Stevens was on trial for killing two of the Bradfords in a land dispute. Roy was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to a year in the penitentiary. After the sentencing, Roy asked to be allowed to secure a bondsman so he could have a new trial. He was released and walked out of the courthouse and was never seen again in San Juan. It was suspected that he had settled in Arizona, but was never apprehended. Some of the boys of the town had pilfered some dynamite caps and fuse from Heber Frost who was the County maintenance man. Spencer Barnes and Paul Woods took the box of caps, up to the old race track area. This was where the present ball diamond is located. Spencer was setting off some of these caps, when some of the young men of the town rode up to see what was happening. Daryl Redd leaned over Spencers shoulder just as a spark from a lighted fuse dropped into the box of caps. In the resulting explosion, Daryl lost an eye and Spencer was seriously injured. For an extremely long time, they were still removing copper shards from Spencers body. About 1926, Buck Rogers Comics were being printed. The youngsters of this era were speculating as to what the future would be like in 1950. A lot of this futuristic things really came to pass. Some mining activities were going on as well as some oil exploration. The Boulder Knoll well was being drilled, and when a pocket of gas was hit and the sludge was blown above the derrick, everyone thought we would have a gusher, but only natural gas was present For years the gas was lighted and burned at the well site. At one of the Old Folks Parties, Fred Keller and Pat Adams introduced the Blue Mountain song. This song was later included in one of Stan Bronsons albums. About 1925, Miss Bradshaw started teaching the first grade. Miss Bradshaw was one of the best educators that ever taught in Monticello. Her first year in Monticello, she observed Paul Woods, who was deaf, roaming the streets during school hours. Going to Pauls parents, she demanded they let her teach Paul. Paul was entered into her first grade class and was taught along with the other first graders. He learned to speak and to write. Later on, Paul went away to school and got a good education. A triple tragedy happened on the same day. Pete Bailey and Pat Adams were killed in a train truck accident. The same day one of our best teachers, Mrs. Palmer, fell down the steps of the basement in the school house and was killed. If I remember rightly, there was a triple funeral held in the LDS church for the three of them. Reading of the deaths ofAlfred Frost, John Peterson, Fern Peterson, Don Barton, and Leon Adams, I realized that some of the events taking place during our growing up period should be recorded. There are still a few of us left from the class of 33 and earlier but our ranks are and . ... Sincerely; ....RogerBlake Mesa, Arizona D.D.S. September 28 - Oct 4 movies will be Wall keep your bite bright Rush Hour II (PG-13- (toil CMC ) Rock and Jackto Chin Rat Race (PG-1- sari many Famil Dentistry 0 rtnodontics other and times shows Call for orayS8to'niSS3T & '212 South 2nd East Blanding, Utah (435) 678-344- 0 4C 0foAIMMAf ffltoJL eftit n. CcmmUdwi hFBoKSSOj1 filmmoab.com Moab b is repjpiiting the Crew Section R of tne! Film Resource Guide if ri film If in promoting the industry In yjpuaiOfiBTfcsted San Jupfjj County, come to the meeting Wednesday October 3 7 pm Rose Inn Bluff ave been listed in the past iike to be listed, please call the ounty Community Development or i 800-574-43- 7-3- 86 or off your film resume by October 9 5 pm nty Community Development nty Courthouse Monticello VOTE DAN S. ROGERS FOR MAYOR OF MONTICELLO Experienced City and Government leader Certified grant writing specialist Professional manager, mediator, counselor Firm and consistent management Actively gather public comment Informed support of City Council and Manager Aggressive economic development rm po4 jtwmwi |