Chapter 3 COMPANIA CONSTRUCTORA UTAH 43 Lester S. Corey, a cousin to the Wattis brothers, replaced Lawler as superintendent on the Mexican railroad project. He later would serve as company president. million; the Natron Cutoff from Weed, California, to Oakridge, Oregon, at $2.5 million; the Black Butte line at Grass Lake, California, at $2.4 million; a main-line improvement in northern Nevada at $1.8 million; and a new line from Klamath Falls, Oregon, to Alturas, California, at $932,000. Utah also worked on several Union Pacific jobs during this period, including a major branch line from Ashton, Idaho, to West Yellowstone for $2.5 million, as well as an OSL line from Rogerson, Idaho, to Wells, Nevada, at $1.2 million. By 1930, the Utah Construction Company had established itself as a trusted, competent railroad builder. Its successful legacy of farflung railroad ventures provided a powerful base for meeting diverse challenges and opportunities in the decades to come. With their company assets totaling nearly $7 million, the Wattis brothers had traveled far from tiny Uintah on the banks of the Weber River. A larger river, not far away, would inspire the next chapter in Utah’s story.