Show transportation Transport on Is greatest need of fer fertile t i e ul uintah n t a h B basin a si n I 1 T cau 4 az I 1 I 1 upper bridge over price river at woodside lower bridge over uintah river near ft duchesne uintah basin resources undeveloped through lack of transportation great area in northeastern utah awaits only the magic touch of adequate shipping facilities to unlock undeveloped resources agricultural ri mining livestock and lumber offer opportunity to the the uintah basin one of the least known and yet one of the richest and most marvelous parts of the west is situated in the northeastern part of the state it comprises a vast territory completely surrounded by h high gh mountain ranges which rendered it almost inaccessible to the early settlers it was isolated from the remaining part of the state because of 0 lack of transportation facilities it contains immense deposits of mineral including vast strata of oil shale oil asphaltum and numerous veins of gilsonite clat erite oz oc erite one of the largest k known deposits of and other minerals the basin also embraces vast tracts of timber land and is said to contain more than one third of the irrigable land in utah and is regarded as one of i the best watered portions of the state notwithstanding its isolated condition and lack of transportation and the climb over high mountains to get there a number of enterprising citizens about forty years ago ventured into the basin and settled on the banks of the ashley river in the ashley valley reclaimed a large area of exceedingly cee lich agricultural land and are now in a erious condition finally the uintah railroad was built from mack colorado over rockliff range of mountains to watson in in the basin about 54 miles distant from the town of vernal which is a prosperous town in the ashley valley established by the early settlers the uintah railroad a narrow gauge line was built to transport gilsonite from gilsonite ils onite mines and is still being operated to transport mineral and other products but it did dd not furnish adequate transportation facilities and settlement of the basin was retarded bacasse of the lack of such facilities until within the recent years as th the natural resources of the bas basin n became more generally known and were ere being developed it became apparent that the tonnage would compel the building of a railroad especially as the basin contains great fields of coal the moffat railroad was then undertaken and constructed across a high range of r mountains to reach the coal fields in routt county and in the vicinity of craig colo about miles distant front vernal that road pass passing i ng over the high sierra madra mountain fountai n range at an altitude above sea level of I 1 ac GO feet could not be operated during the winter months on account of the accumulations of snow and afforded little or practically no relief to the settlers further down in the basin the great resources of the basin thrush prospecting and exploration having become known the attention of capitalists capitals ts began to be attracted attract e d and resulted in steps being t taken aken and consummated by the state of colorado to construct the moffat tunnel a bore through the mountains about 6 milea milca in length and about 2500 feet below the crest of the mountain over which the moffat road had been built that tunnel is now completed and in use the total cost of the moffat tunnel is and will it is confidently fi believed insure the building of a railroad raili oad through the uintah basin sin since the action of the state of colorado and the introduction of autos and large fleets of government auto mail trucks going into uintah basin every day and the improvement of the roads from the towns of price and helper on the denver rio grande we western tern railroad and from salt lale lake city into the basin by way of the strawberry which is now admitted the most dependable road numerous towns and settlements have been established and large areas about acres of agricultural land are now under irrigation and being cultivated and are producing all sorts forts of crops which can be raised anywhere in the state of utah or in this intermountain region so that eventually the uintah basin is destined to become a irre great at center of industry and one of the most important sections of this state an and d intermountain country owing to its isolation and t the he hitherto want of accessibility and transportation tation facilities there are yet large tracts of land in the basin awaiting reclamation which lands can still be secured at first cost by those who have the energy and foresight to select and reclaim them and they wili will reap the advantage of advance in price which will necessarily accrue by the advent of adequate railroad transportation tation facilities it is exceedingly doubtful if any lands can be found anywhere in utah or in this western country which at present offer opportunities for safer investment and realization than do the rich lands of the uintah basin which are yet available the immense natural resources aces of the basin are rapidly becoming known and are just beginning to be developed it is the largest and richest undeveloped region in the west its area is about acres its tillable land about acres the balance of its domain consisting of great areas of pasture and timber land and mountains of untold mineral wealth its hydrocarbons hydro carbons are estimated to be worth and have become famous abroad its discovered veins of gilsonite have been estimated at tons and it is reported that in 1926 tons wey were shipped to foreign maikels from the basin oil drilling is now in progress and points to one of if its important coming industries its coal tonnage will increase and will be immense beyond accurate estimate the basin has an ideal climate and an abundant water suy sun ply and with the large areas of the richest soil insures great agricultural and horticultural wealth for these reasons it may be asserted that the uintah basin is the land of opportunities tuni tunit ties les unexcelled anywhere in the west among the crops raised by farmers on land that has been reclaimed from its desert character are alfalfa wheat oats barley corn sorghum beets potatoes sweet potatoes peanuts melons squashes tomatoes and all sorts of root crops and garden vegetables the soil is rich and all of the different agricultural crops and vegetables grow luxuriantly and are as aa productive as in any part of the state of utah or intermountain country there are large fields of alfalfa which produce three crops per year and the reported yield is from 5 to 6 tons of hay per acre recently however many of the farmers have been cutting the first crop which yields about tons per acre for hay and permitting the second crop to mature for seed the reported value of the yield of alfalfa seed per acre above all expenses is to but some farmers it is reported have cleared as high as per acre from alfalfa seed all grains yield large crops under proper cultivation the uintah basin generally does not compare with some of the eastern states as a corn country but in some parts of the basin especially in the ashley valley the corn yield has been as high as from |