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Show iHmeffer Makes fits voice Unwd settlers," she commented. She and Franny Ritchins researched their home town's history for a book entitled "Henefer. Our Valley Val-ley Home" which was published it) 1956 The valley which later came to house the town was located along the original Pioneer Trail.. As they crossed the Main Canyon in' July of 1847 leaving Henefer, the Pioneers Pion-eers could see what was to fiy Nan Chalat Ask 10 random Parkites whether Henefer is part of Summit County and five will tell you no, or they didn't - ' think so." Ask anyone who has run for a political office in the county however about Henefer and they will tell stories about how the town of v Henefer either won or lost the election for them. How ; does a community of 460 citizens make its voice heard in a county with 4,935 registered voters? By ac-, - tually showing up at the polls - to vote. During the 1978 election of county officers more than 80 percent of Henefer's 339 registered voters cast their ballots while less than 50 percent of Park City's voters in each of 4 precincts voted. Henefer is noted for civic action. They have twice been commended by the state as the most beautiful town of their size. Henefer has recently financed a second city park with two tennis courts and is one of the few towns in the county able to boast about 4 miles of - sidewalk lining both sides of Main Street. It is also "i , , a -ji'i'1"- '- jf ,"v', T'tt - J ! i -,m " - -s -4-' 1 . . -J - n ' r ; fir 'l J t" ' K predominately Republican. In the 1976 Presidential elections. Ford swept Carter off the slate in Henefer 218 to 58. That year, Henefer. resident Edison Stephens was elected to the State House of Representatives, i He carried every precinct in the county except the four Park City Districts. Henefer's Mayor Dick Butler makes no bones about attributing the town's cohe-siveness cohe-siveness to the predominance predomin-ance of the LDS Church. "Of our 460 citizens probably 440 are Mormons. Those who aren't, we don't know much about. We just don't have much contact with them." He adds though that the community is by no means "closed or hard to get to know." Butler moved to Henefer from Butlerville (a suburb of Salt Lake City) 8 years ago when Walker Bank transferred him to its Coalville Coal-ville branch. He found the residents to be very welcoming welcom-ing to his family and he was 1 soon thereafter asked to serve on the town board. When former Mayor Ted Wright stepped out of office for health reasons, Butler was elected to succeed him. "It is an incredibly progressive progres-sive community, " he commented. com-mented. "There is a very active Lion's Club which has donated most of the labor for our projects. There has also always been strong leadership leader-ship on the part of the .town council (there are, four-council four-council members) anoVa very, open approach toward new. issues." The council is . currently examining a pro-. posal concerning sewer col- lection improvements. "The! doors are always open.i Everyone is invited to. add t input he udfted" witht obvious pleasure in the: town's accomplishments: t Maxine Wright; the form- : er Mayor's wife, seconds the ; opinion that Henefer Idis-J plays a unique sense of civic pride. "It rja$ Always been ; that way, right from the first .1 tff S, I I V ' " ft, i' m 1 . - ' ' f ,: . I ' V ? I I IWr I 11 U Lh 2U "We have twice been'giVen k beaiitification award." Henefer Mayor Dick Butler Use omir classifieds ' f f f'f f f f V f ' . -1 ....... - X I x ivVNV . . ' I I , , - i: x ' J? l ' l A .l:-w:.::;v v J C I -:: 'y.W:?;;-:- ,:' J ' I 1 v - become Salt like City. In 1 857, Brigham Young sent the two Henefer brothers, William and Henry back to settle the valley. They spent the summer there before returning to Salt Lake and returned with their familes in 1860. The first church house was built in 1872 and for many years, until the recent completion of Interstate 80, the major highway across the nation passed right through the center of Henefer. , Reed Pace has been known to tell a story that on the eve of his election for a second term as county clerk, he went to sleep certain that he had lost. At 2 a.m., he received a call that the Henefer votes had just been tabulated and that he won the election. It is not likely that Henefer will continue to carry that kind of weight against Park City's growing (and mostly Democratic) Demo-cratic) population even if less than half of Park City's population continues to refrain re-frain from being counted. But it is instructive to see the kind of results that can be obtained when even a small population cares enough about the issues it faces as a community to take part in local politics. J? There are, grt opportunities for the youth to participate here' s - 1 '-' " ' ' ' ' . " " ...... |
