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Show Mk Refinery Plmed Role In WBHktmy I!y SHLKALKK LAVVSON The city of West Bountiful is a thriving community with potential for the future and an interesting past, and that past includes its industries. in-dustries. DAVID Session, Jr. arrived in the Salt Lake Valley just prior to the death of his father, David, Sr. on Aug. I I, 1 850. After his father's death he made-way made-way to Sessions Settlement where he assisted his brother, Pereg-reene, Pereg-reene, in erecting a large two story adobe home at w. hat is now Bountiful. Bounti-ful. Utah. This building became known as the "Sessions Tavern." The main highway between Swlt Lake C ity ran directly in front of the laxcrn. SIVK THE Tavern was on the main thoroughfare, the first mail to be distributed in this section was sorted and handled from the "Tavern. It became the responsibility responsibil-ity of David Session to serve as Postmaster because he was living there. Tie had no contract with the government, however. David, after moving his family into his own home at First South and f irst West, walked back and forth to the Tavern to continue this mail service, receiving no compensation. TIIK UNITED States Government Govern-ment had set up a mail route from the Missouri River to Salt Lake and on to Sacramento. Calif, in IS50. It was carried by monthly stage service, ser-vice, but proved to be such an enormous financial loss that it was discontinued. It required a month to travel from Sacramento to Salt Lake and sometimes longer. Postage Post-age on letters from Council Bluffs was $1.50 with an extra charge if the letter was delivered to whom it was addressed. Mail service was established from Salt Lake City to Ogden and Sanpete County in 1850. It was a weekly service but the Utah Legislature Leg-islature petitioned Congress for a bi-weekly service by stage coach which included newspapers and a few magazines. It was at this time that the Sessions Settlement mail service commenced. DUE TO adverse weather conditions condi-tions in the mountains in the winter months the mail service to Salt Lake was very irregular. W.M.F. McGraw held the contract for delivery de-livery of western mail at that time, but in 1856 Hyrum Kimball was awarded the contract. He was very conscientious about his duties and used all available means of getting the mail through to its destination regardless of weather conditions. In July of I860, the Pony Express Ex-press system was inaugurated. It was superceded by a daily coach-line coach-line controlled by Ben Holliday. With the establishment of this daily overland service, the West was brought into close communications communica-tions with the Last. In 1866 Holliday Holli-day sold his contract to Wells Fargo Far-go Co. WILLIAM S. Muir was the fir ,t postmaster in Woods Cross and was assisted by his wife, Sarah Drakeford Muir. They served as postmaster from Aug. 8, 1871 until June 12, 1882. The mail was delivered from the home of Stephens Hales. Residents Resi-dents of the Woods Cross section now had to call for their mail at the Hales home. The Woods Cross Post Office was discontinued during dur-ing the time of Mr. Hales contract. WHEN THE second Woods Cross Post Office was established in October 1891, Joseph R. Mathews was appointed postmaster. postmas-ter. Mr. Mathews distributed the mail from his store. Joseph Mathews served as Woods Cross postmaster until May 25, 1894 when Philander Hatch received re-ceived the appointment. IN 1891 the Deseret Live Stock Co. erected a two story brick building build-ing on the corner of 500 South and 800 West. The lower portion of the building housed a mercantile business. busi-ness. The upper portion was divided di-vided for offices. It was supposed that Mr. Hatch distributed mail from the northwest corner of the store. John Auther Hatch took over the responsibility of the Woods Cross Postal Service on May 14, 1898. During John Hatch's administration administra-tion a few post office boxes were installed for rental, and during his term airmail service came into effect. MR. HATCH served until September, Sep-tember, 1926, when Josephene Hatch Day was appointed postmaster. post-master. In 1928 the Woods Cross Post Office moved into the portion of the Deseret Live Stock building formally occupied by Farmers State Bank. This transaction took place during the period in which Mrs. Day was serving in the Post Office. Mrs. Day was released from her service on May 24, 1935 and Nellie M. Ballard was appointed to the office. MRS. BALLARD conducted her entire service of 27 years and five months at this location. She was retired Oct. 30, 1962 just a few days before the new post office building was completed. Postal equipment was installed in the new building at 735 West 500 South in November I960 with Ray M. Westein as the postmaster and Jean A. Brown as clerk. THE PHILLIPS Petroleum Refinery, Re-finery, originally owned by the Wasatch Oil Company, was founded found-ed in 1 93 1 and was managed by Mr. Fat Hale. In June of 1947 the refinery was purchased by Phillips Petroleum Co. with Marian Files as superintendent. superin-tendent. Eight days after the transaction trans-action was complete, the refinery burned down. IN 1947 the refinery had the production pro-duction capacity of 4,000 barrels per day. In 1952 the capacity of the refinery refin-ery had reached 5,275 barrels per day. During this year construction of the tall "crane-cracker" apar-atus apar-atus began. 1954 MEANT the addition of a new loading dock to Phillips and a production capacity of 1 1.300 barrels bar-rels per day. 1955 brought the construction of the Phillips Testing Laboratory. Capacity was up, even higher, to 12.000 barrels per day. IN 1963 PHILLIPS made a bold investment. They constructed an underground holding tanK for propane. prop-ane. The tank is actually a giant pit that has a concrete dome covering it and the dome itself is covered with soil. There are only a few of these tanks in the United States. Phillips has been run safely and efficiently by very capable superintendents. superin-tendents. The superintendents since Phillips began at Woods Cross have been F.L. Bishop. W.J. Shoddy, H.H. Lee. John O. Lewis, and currently serving as superintendent superin-tendent is Miles Lacy. THERE HAVE been accidents of ihe refinery's history, but through wise management and a healthy respect re-spect by the employees of the potential dangers of refining, Phillips Phil-lips has maintained an impressive safety record. Farmers State Bank, chartered on Aug. 9, 1909. was originated by the Deseret Live Stock to. THE BANK originally was located lo-cated in the East portion of the lower low-er floor of the Deseret Live Stock Co. Building. A portion of the floor was partitioned off to accommodate accommo-date the bank. The bank's original capital of $200,000 was managed by bank president William Moss, vice pres- ident Philander Hatch and Joel Parish, Par-ish, cashier. BY 1928 this institution had thrived to such an extent that larger facilities were required. A modern brick building was erected on the opposite side of the street of the Live Stock Building. Soon after the driving of the Golden Gol-den Spike at promontory Point, the Utah Central Railroad was completed com-pleted with its tracks running through Mr. Wood's property (originating (ori-ginating the name of Woods Cross). In 1883 the Denver, , 1 Grande Railroad was con dfc. i the area. sconnected,c OTHER IMPORTANT i , ( i tries in our city are- c, sVt Springs Golf Course, ft i h Matador Restaurant Cil " lie?! works, DeWaals, Davis r - W Ready Mix and many others0""- i M West Bountifulcontini I grow and flourish welcomjj c residents and businesses! ' boundaries, si ' 0 : |
