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Show Tropic (West Valley City) History & Beauty Prevail (-' f" i : ' v , if-;.,. ff fWi'r , ' - ' - .,- if " . dm f... , v v.; : TROPIC Picture this little town as it was in 1887 when it was called West Valley. Bunch grass, white sage and white greasewood covered its floor and a solitary log cabin stood on the south side of a small knoll near its center. The cabin belonged to William Pollock and not only his namesake, but descendants in the area of many other founders still bear the family names today Ahlstrom, Mecham , Shakespear, Willis, Henderson, Hen-derson, Fletcher and others. They're more than names 'to those who live in this small town where heritage means so much and where people today are not so far removed in time from those early pioneers that the "memory of their fortitude, hardships and determination to carve a suitable habitation in which to rear their families is not still honored and respected. A. J. Hansen was the "A hell of a place to lose a cow," the description early Tropic resident Ebenezer Bryce gave the town. His quaint old cabin stands at south end of town along highway. founder of Tropic and its first LDS bishop. It was he, together with many others whose names are still heard in the community, who engineered and built the canal that brought water from the East Fork of the Sevier River (which is part of the Columbia River drainage system) over the precipice into Tropic valley where it ultimately became a part of the Colorado River drainage system. It was no small feat then, and it is the same water today which provides irrigation for the crops and gardens grown where they have been growing since that day 90 years ago when water from the canal first flowed into some of the same ditches dit-ches still in use today. It was cause for celebration then as residents partied until daylight. It is cause for celebration now and residents remember May 23, 1892 each year with an annual birthday party for the town that owes its very existence to the life-giving water. Some local Mormons, many of whom are descended from polygamous HI. (MiHMHMBHa marriages of the early LDS Church, love to tell the story of their polygamous greatgrandfather great-grandfather who spent the coldest night of his life between his two wives one winter one wife was in Tropic, the other 30 miles away in Panguitch and he was stuck in between up on the East Fork where he darned near froze to death! The LDS Chruch is the center of activities in thesa (Continued on Page 8-B) supported a seedling tree planting project to replace some of the trees which have long since died, renewing their ancestors' love of trees. A beautiful new park in the center of town with its bright green lawn and hundreds of trees and bushes just reaching up further show the love of the people for growing things. Visitors in August will be amazed at the lush gardens and pretty flowers throughout town. Ebenezer Bryce's old cabin stands at the south end of town alongside the highway. high-way. The early Tropic resident, for whom the jewel-like national park which dominates the western skyline was named, is remembered best in Tropic for his pragmatic description of the maze-like canyon "a hell of a place to lose a cow!" About 350 people live in Tropic where the primary occupation is still farming and ranching, although most work at their farms part-time while holding down a full-time job elsewhere since the day of the money-making small farm appears to be a thing of the past. " The town has three stores, service stations and a garage with freindly people to help the visitor find his way around the county. Tropic (Continued from Page 7-B) largely Mormon-dominated communities. In Tropic, as in many similar small towns, the church is the most prominent building in town. It has shed its peaceful influence in-fluence on the lives of the people and their families. Sundays are always quiet and uncommercial compared com-pared with big cities. Visitors are always welcome into their churches. - With a name like Tropic it's not surprising to see the fruit trees in full bloom in late spring or laden with fruit in the summer and fall. Some of the first fruit trees in town were planted in the spring of 1893 when reidents were able to trade horses for fruit trees which had been hauled in by the wagon-load for the small towns in the area. Recently residents have |