, : ea a tine Devil's Gate Had Important Part £242 on 5 in Early Arrival of Golden Spike ea ~~ * In + 7s ear ‘ Law - : ees . , ae 5 a } 2 is * 2 ; = : the for Golden Utah Spike and almost scratching and debate that the 132 ton engine could not go across but the lighter cars could be rolled to the other side to a waiting engine which would catch the cars, remake the train missed. Almost 100 years ago, the specially forged and inscribed . golden spike was on its way to a ceremony scheduled for May 8, 1869 at Promontory Sum- t res _ ARF e . 1869 S. headed ; and continue on to Promontory. wee spike was Dr. T. C. Durrant, The entire crew probably held their breath as each car made a perilous solo trip across aq Pacific the shaky mit, Utah, which would unite the wee nation by Union rail. Escorting the Railroad Com- , , ETE ER, SOR soe og Two days before the sche*® duled ceremonies, the train -** bearing both the spike and Dur- ai ~~ ; a on > ; t rT\ \ ae ¥% » : eeUps KGR V aS HX . 7 f -—srw caqonere “ke ie A Se is Ny,ar QW Ge Cae SRS en (Bot NR here I ig -ne <# demanded their pay, overdue for four months. They threatened NS a Po poe ey = Fab 2 aT Lira Tg. rs hal 3 4%. See© vosee QA PRE aor " ate fe A a nee oe oy atl ge SAG ty Ny : els. . “al ht wh for soldiers instead of money. The next day, the $80,000 | urgently requested by Durrant 24 arrived, the workers went back ie OER = ~z to work considerably happier, a and the U.P. vice president «# heaved a sigh of relief. ieee eeeetd : But all was not to go smoothly during the remainder ofthe trip. The A familiar view from today’s Interstate Highway, but with an odd arrangement of railroad equipment, is tfe Devil’s Gateway in 1869, just 100 years ago. Three ‘huge’ Echo was Roaring Boom Town: LOCAL WORKERS There were very few of the local citizens who were not, in one way or another, connected with the building of the railroad. Brigham Young had contracted 190 miles of grade and 76 miles the first engine of road from Echo Canyon to Promontory. He hired many was met by celebrating townspeople, construction men and local men and equipment andthe those from nearby towns who heralded the coming of the railroad. ~ In early 1869, if you wanted a celebration, Echo City was the place to have it. This thriving, if not quite peaceful metropolis, given a boost as the hundreds of workers had to be fed, clothed and housed. On came that date steaming which had been December, 1868 Bromley into Echo and purchased from in John by Brigham Young Jun. for $200, boasted three saloons, two hotels, dance halls and enough “spirits” to keep the small army of railroad construction men going. The town was so rough, in fact, that the permanent citizens forbade their children to venture near the celebrants after dark. It was equipped with movable saloons which followed the construction. These saloons were known to have cellars dug in which to deposit whiskey bottles, sawdust from the floors and other debris before moving on. In the mouth of Echo Canyon a saloon cellar opened by construction many years later, revealed no less than seven skeletons mixed with the other debris. —_--~ ~~. economy This of the entire area was work and extra money was especially welcome for in the summers of 1867 and 1868 grasshoppers had destroyed much of the crops in the area. Among those who have gone on record as working for the rail- road construction were: , Charles H. R. Stevens, Henheferville, rock mason. He layed rock for fills, many of which are still standing. Esther B, Taylor, Hennefer/ville, who earned a living for her 12 children and ill hus_ band by taking in washings from the hotels in Echo. She walked’ the three miles each day, balancing baskets on her head, ‘She never let her hands lie idle, and would carry.a baby or knit socks while walking. | Joseph A, A, Bunot, civil en'gineer. | obstacle to be faced aioe In 1870, cut the Robert Allen Jones, Henneferville, drove a yoke of oxen and scraper during the summer of 1868 making grades, cut and © to the coal mines, shoveling coal from the narrow gauge ears into the main line cars. other men wereem-~ ployed cutting and hauling ties which were made from timbers cut by at the head of Echo Canyon a company sent by Joseph A, Young. ECHO, BOOMING CENTER The original track did not follow the present route at the mouth of Echo Canyon. Instead, it came down Wasatch Hill with ¢ series of switch-backs so the engines could make the grade. The reason for this was to save building time which would be used making the long tunnel and the many deep cuts and to™ and put the road known as a vacation spot. People came from Evanston and Alonzo Winters, Henry Wilde and Arza Hinkley of Wanship and Coalville contracted to build a mile of railroad. Winters then contracted further work, William, Amos, and Nephi Sargent built fences enclosing the railroad grades. They later worked at the rail-head after the completion of the short line Many tunnel returned” on its present route. in the-1880’s, Echo was the rail center of the area and also Commissary. hauled ties during the winter. crews fills ‘through the hills, The Union Elias Asper, Echo, whoowned | Pacific was anxious to reach Promontory by the time the Asper House, a prominent hotel, Central Pacific arrived. saloon, store and dance hall. = Ogden by train as well as from the surrounding towns. A large grove of trees called Stevensens’? Grove was the amusement center where they founda dance pavilion and other amusements for picnics and parties. The Coal Chutes, water tanks and an engine house were built in Echo around 1880 to supply the needs of the trains traveling the branch lines. In 1899 the engine house was torn down because engines were being made larger and no helper engines were needed. When a new depot was built in 1911, the old one was converted into a home which was occupied by Fred and Phyllis Richins until it was destroyed this spring for the building of the Interstate Highway. A new coal chute, the fourth one to be built in Echo, was built in 1941 when fire destroyed the old one. It was torn down in 1956 and the last coal-burning steamer went through Echo in 1953. At that time the huge 4000 coal-burning engine used 28 tons of coal coming from Ogden to Echo. A smaller 3900 engine used 23 ton. was decided after much wear and ceremonial not a bit the trip spike in- worse for continued inSacramento and San Francisco that the celebration was to be delayed until Monday, May 10, the chairmen replied that celebrating had already begun and would continue . indefinitely until the event did brand new bridge whichse held ; up the job, to get due to dangerous wa ed on ao eaethe ai eurlias Bee nae their pictures taken.—Union Pacific Railroad Photo. imomas nt: TE ted aoe z neferville, who ownedruenes a'slaughter house and furnished meatto if parade chairmen a bridge near Devil’s Gate, paus- was (without the cupola) steam engines and two cabooses : ; p Utah which was near collapse the UPRR The driving of the golden spike at Promontory, Utah on May 10, 1869, marked the completion of the transcontinental railroad, but in the then booming city of Echo, the completion date was January 16, 1869. next the tact, with little more trauma arriving at Promontory in time for delayed ceremonies on May 10. Little concern was apparent back in San Francisco for Durrant and his beleaugered crew. When Mr. Leland Stanford, then president of the Central Pacific (now the Southern Pacific) wired “Weapon the life of Durrant and the * a telegraph operator who sent *_=, Durrant’s wire should he send e y SeeLe Se Oe enim and rant was sided by several hundred angry rail workers who e ae, ihe 4 superstructure. Finally the train was on the other side, the crew, Durrant, pany vice president. chin take place. In other words, California fiddled while Durrant, Stanford and hundreds of dignitaries and spectators burned. organization was effected June 16, 1894 with C. H. Criddle as captain. Later T. S. Wadsworth was commissioned captain. The wecome of the train was company houses. The telegraph received when it steamed into lines were removed just a year Ogden when Col. Daniel Gamile ago and all that remains of the with true Hibernian enthusiasm, railroad in this, once one of ran up the first flag, the excelthe major rail centers in this lent military brass band was area, are the depot, four houses seen out, sending forth rich and some tool sheds. music which, with a salute from The last helper engine, which Capt. T. S. Wadsworth’s artil- The turn table, pump house, water softener and water tank have been torn down in the last ten years as have most of the was used to push the trains up Wasatch Hill came through here ‘some time in 1961. The big 800 diesel burning steamer which was brought through Echo at 9:00 Friday, May 2 for use on the excursiontrainsto Promon- tory during the celebration, renewed memories for the many citizens who remembered the days when Echo boomed. Many Morgan Men Worked wi I lery, gave the preliminary wel- come to the iron horse. When Wadsworth’s artillery arrived on the scene 21 guns were fired -whose deafening echoes vibrated through the mountains, hills and vales. There are many descendent of T. S. Wadsworth still in Morgan County and all take pleasure knowing that their ancestor took such a prominent part in the “Wedding of the Rails”. Addresses were delivered at this most auspicious occasion. Among them was one from Col. J.C. Little who was on the stand- along with several other men whose With all preparation for the coming celebration of the Golden Spike 100th anniversary, we must not forget that there were many Morgan County men who helped in that great accomplishment. - Outstanding among them was Capt. T. S. Wadsworth. There were 36 members of the Utah National Guard of Morgan. The names we recognize Col. D. Gamble and William Clayton.—By Daisy Crouch.