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Show Volume XXVIII Issue XI The Ogden Valley News Page 9 April 15, 2021 The History of G. Grant Staples: Part II of Life on the Ranch the river. First, there was a reservoir owned and operated by Utah Power and Light Company that was built near where the present day Thiokol Center is located just below Pineview Reservoir. This is also the site where Wheeler Canyon enters the Ogden River. There was a hotel and resort located by the reservoir. The fish had to get past this reservoir. Secondly, there was a dam that we built that the fish had to get past. The only means we had of turning the water from the river for irrigation was to cut a huge cottonwood tree, pull it across the river, and anchor it to the banks on both sides of the river. As the water decreased in flow, we hauled wet hay and manure to tightly shut off the water. During the spawning period, there were enough fish getting past the tree in the river to keep the spawning cycle going. After Pineview Reservoir was installed, the fish soon disappeared. The Fish and Game planted hybrid fish in the reservoir, but they did not adequately reproduce. In addition, many of the fish went down the pipeline and were chopped up in the generators at the powerhouse on Twelfth Street and Canyon Road. Our horse pasture was on the east side of the river bottoms where the river ran through our property. There were tall cottonwood trees, numerous chokecherry, current, and berry bushes in this area. The west part of the river bottoms was clear of brush with several springs. The pasture was lush. Claude and I took turns going to the horse pasture to bring the horses to the Left is a photo of Max Staples holding the pony barn to get ready for work. In the late summer, given to him by his grandfather, George T. it was common to see bear tracks in the dusty Staples. Note in the background the barn that path by the gate left by a bear raiding the berry This made one a bit concerned if a bear George T. Staples built in 1929.Right is cowboy bushes. might still be in the pasture. We could see out of Max Staples as a child on the Staples’ ranch. our kitchen window overlooking this area. We Photos taken from Staples’ photo album. often saw deer and coyotes in the early morning Dee Staples organized and edited the history of hours as they passed through these river botG. Grant Staples for the preparation of this article. toms. It was not uncommon to see a mountain Life on The Ranch - The George T. Staples lion track in the sand along the riverbed. In the family bought the Alfred Pritchett Ranch on early spring, we could hear the mountain lion cry February 19, 1920 (Source: Weber County at the mouth of Geertsen Canyon, just north of Recorder’s Office). It is now known as the our place where they preyed on deer. When Claude and I went to the pasture for Hinckley Ranch. The family lived here until the the horses, we took a bridle and caught Old Buck fall of 1948 when the ranch was sold. Concerning life on the ranch, G. Grant and rode him bareback, bringing the horses on a dead run down to the barn. Father warned us Staples writes: “There was plenty of work on the Staples’ not to run the horses so fast through the pasture Ranch. Being the oldest son, I had the job of where there were gopher holes. Then one day it irrigating, mowing the hay, and running the happened: Claude was hazing the horses as fast Jackson fork when stacking the hay in the as he could to get them to run to the barn. He barn. We also used the swinging derrick when had Old Sport, our faithful dog, helping him. Old stacking hay in the field. In 1924, Father built Buck stepped into one of these holes with a front a machine shed, double garage in size, on hoof and he stumbled. As Old Buck fell to the the ranch (Source: Weber County Assessor’s ground, Claude went flying through the air. He Office). This was a deluxe building. In 1929, landed clear of the horse, but he broke his right Father built us a new barn, a new derrick, and he arm just above his wrist. We were out in the yard did some repairs on the house (Source: Weber and saw it happen. Logging was also one of my experiences County Assessor’s Office). James Stallings did the electrical wiring in the barn and installed on the ranch. Father, having access to red pine a good light pole for outside lighting. It was timber on the W. J. Lindsay Ranch, took a few good to have hard surface flooring throughout orders for hay dereks. Some of the best derek the stables. There were stalls for ten cows and poles were found in the Red Pine Basin of four horses. The horse stalls had wood floor- Middle Fork. The poles for a good derek would ing to make it softer for the horses to stand on. bring $50.00. We took with us the front-runners It still stands today and is in good condition, of a bobsled. The job was best accomplished owned by the Robert H. Hinckley estate. (It is when there was snow on the ground or the the big red barn that can be seen while driving ground was frozen. This way, we could load the on the main road, Highway 166, in front of the trunk of the trees onto the bobsled and have the ends of the trees drag on the ground. Hinckley property). It was a big days work to leave home at The ranch came with an irrigation water right that allowed us to water 32 hours each daylight and travel halfway up Middle Fork week. The most interesting thing about irrigat- Canyon. We would turn right into Brown’s ing was the number and size of fish that came Hole and climb a steep ridge into the Red Pine down the irrigating ditch during the month of Basin near the top of the mountain. The choice June. Every time I turned the water, there were straight trees had to be selected, felled, and usually several fish flopping in the receding trimmed. It then became the job for Claude water. The fish were all Cutthroats, and the and me to drag the trees out of the basin. We largest fish I caught was eight pounds dressed. dragged the trees to the bottom of the canyon The fish had to get past some obstacles in where we had left the bobsled. When the trees were to the bobsled and ready to load, a skid was cut and secured to the bobsled. A horse was used to pull the heavy trees up onto the bobsled. After securing the load with chains, we then began the long trek home, often arriving home after dark. Other logging trips were taken to the head of Geertsen Canyon to get logs for our winter supply of kindling wood. We did not take a wagon, but we each rode a workhorse and each of us dragged one tree home. Huge quaking aspen grew at the head of this canyon and many of them died from worms or old age. After they dried, they made excellent kindling wood to start fires Reservoir built in 1889 owned and operated by Utah Power in the cook stove. This was a difand Light Company. This is the site where the Thiokol Center ficult trip because the canyon was now stands. Note Wheeler Canyon in the background. Weber steep and rocky. The trees would County’s History by Richard W. Sadler & Richard C. Roberts often catch on the rocks. Claude and This historical account was taken from The History of G. Grant Staples. He lived his entire life in Eden, Utah. He was married to Erma Shaw Staples (November 19, 1913 - August 14, 2007). Together they had three children: Max Staples (April 4, 1938 – February 5, 2020), Connie Merrill (May 20, 1942 – present), and Dee Staples (April 23, 1946 – present). G. Grant Staples (November 29, 1912 – July 20, 1993) was the firstborn son of George T. Staples (February 5, 1886 - April 8, 1949) and Margie Robins Staples (December 21, 1890 - January 7, 1970). Most of the early history written by G. Grant Staples involves his parents, his brother Claude, and his sisters Muriel and Ruby. MASSES: Saturday Night website 4:30 p.m. Call or check Sunday Morning 8:00 a.m. for current Mass anda.m. Sunday Morning 10:00 Reconciliation schedule. Tuesday Night 6:00 p.m. PAROCHIAL VICAR Fr. Joseph Minuth 801-399-5627 josephop@gmail.com StFlorenceHuntsville.org Saint Joseph Catholic Elementary, Middle School, and High School Providing a challenging, college-focused education in the proven tradition of Catholic schools, for the families of the Ogden Valley. We want to teach your children! For information on our program, financial assistance, tours, or application, please call 801-393-6051 or 801-394-1515. I sawed these trees into even blocks using a two-man crosscut saw. It was my job to split the kindling and have it behind the stove for making the morning fire. Ice cream was a delicacy in the summer, and ice used to freeze the ice cream was scarce. There was an ice shed about a mile from our home at the mouth of Middle Fork Canyon on the Shupe Farm, one in Huntsville on the Winters’ farm, and one at the reservoir by the Pineview Lodge where Wheeler Creek emptied into the Ogden River (this is the same reservoir that was discussed in the above paragraph about the Cutthroat fish). In the winter, when the ponds were frozen, the ice was sawed by hand into Townsfolk clearing snow from Jens Winter’s mill pond, c. square blocks and hauled to the ice 1915. After clearing the snow, the men cut blocks of ice for sheds and packed in sawdust. With use during the summer. The pond was located near today’s plenty of sawdust packed around it, Jefferson Hunt campground in the river bottoms south the ice would last all season. A lot of Huntsville. Photo courtesy of Stanley F. Wangsgaard, of ice was hauled from the Pineview “Andrew H. Hedges: Pioneer Life in Utah’s Ogden Valley.” Lodge reservoir to the ice sheds in would get home with enough snow for a freezer Ogden. We got our ice from the Middle Fork of ice cream. shed. Another way to get snow to freeze the We had plenty of good cream for the ice ice cream was to carry it out of the mountains cream recipe because we separated the cream on pack mules. Rock salt was carried by pack from the milk that we received from our cows. mules to the cattle on the summer range. Drifts What we did not use, we sold to Weber Central of snow on the high country would last until Dairy. Mother would also churn the cream into late July, so we would deliver the salt and fill butter. I did my share of churning the cream the pack bags with snow for the return trip. We with a hand churn.” (pages 21-28) From The Past . . . Jack Fuller with a load of logs. Source: Lindsay Land and Livestock Days by Steven Grant Lindsay. Photo courtesy of Dee Staples. 2668 Grant Avenue, Suite #104A, Ogden, UT 801-612-9299 |