Oral History Program Raymond Larson Interviewed by Virginia Adamson 26 February 1973 i Oral History Program Weber State University Stewart Library Ogden, Utah Raymond Larson Interviewed by Virginia Adamson 26 February 1973 Copyright © 2014 by Weber State University, Stewart Library ii Mission Statement The Oral History Program of the Stewart Library was created to preserve the institutional history of Weber State University and the Davis, Ogden and Weber County communities. By conducting carefully researched, recorded, and transcribed interviews, the Oral History Program creates archival oral histories intended for the widest possible use. Interviews are conducted with the goal of eliciting from each participant a full and accurate account of events. The interviews are transcribed, edited for accuracy and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewees (as available), who are encouraged to augment or correct their spoken words. 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It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Larson, Raymond, an oral history by Virginia Adamson, 26 February 1973, WSU Stewart Library Oral History Program, University Archives, Stewart Library, Weber State University, Ogden, UT. iii Abstract: This is an interview between Virginia Adamson and Raymond P. Larson conducted at Superintendent Larson's office in Morgan County at 3:30 p.m. on February 26, 1973. This interview is being conducted for the Weber State College Oral History Program. VA: Superintendent Larson, you've been actively involved in the development of the L.D.S. Church in the schools in Morgan County for forty-four years, I'm sure you know a great deal of history in these areas. I wonder if you would like to begin by telling a little bit about your background, such as how you came to Morgan County and tell some of the milestones that have occurred in the Church and schools during your years of service. RL: Yes, I'd be happy to. It takes your mind back a long ways when you stop to think about what has happened that far back. I attended the Utah State Agricultural College it was called at that time; from 1927 to 1929. I was in the first group of teachers who took their teacher training at the old Whittier School. I took my training in the fall of 1928; and then in the fall of 1929 I came to Morgan School District to teach in the Milton School. At this time there were two room schools in Devil's Slide, Porterville, Milton, and Peterson. And the grades were from one to seven. Prior to this time, I guess when the schools were first started here in the district, they were divided into what they call precincts and there were schools at that time in the following places: Croydon, East Porterville, West Porterville, Richville, Littleton, Stoddard, Peterson, Mountain Green, and Round Valley. At the time I came here the students from Morgan and Richville were coming to Morgan to go to school, however they had two schools. The one they called the South Morgan School was the first, second, and third grades and it was located where the Bishop's 1 Storehouse is now here in Morgan. The other school was in North Morgan and was the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh grades. This was about the situation when I came here and began teaching. I taught one year in the Milton School and then went up to Porterville and taught until 1936. VA: That really shows how transportation in the county made quite a difference in the location of the schools. Every little community had their own school. I wonder how many students were in these schools. Do you have any idea? RL: At the time I came here there would be about 7 to 10 students in each grade. So it made anywhere from 40 to 50 students, somewhere in that neighborhood. Now before this time, in these smaller schools, there were fewer students and of course they gradually consolidated as the roads were improved and transportation got better. VA: What about the Church at this time? You were very active in Church during your early years here too, weren't you? RL: Well the first few years I was here I was active, I suppose you would call it active. I taught some Sunday School classes and was Scout Leader in the Porterville ward and I worked on the Stake Board of the Sunday School from 1933 to 1936 when they moved the schools here to Morgan. In 1936 the main part of the Elementary School and the Shop Building were built here on the campus that we're on now as a WPA Project. It was first intended that the school would be an elementary school just for the students here in Morgan and Richville, but during the summer during the course of construction, Supt. Tippitts and the Board of Education kind of looked the situation over and they decided that if they put the 7th grade with the High School that it would leave room in the elementary school to bring as many students as wanted to come in from the other 2 areas. So they told the people that if they would like to have their schools closed and come in here and be in one school they could. And the people in Porterville and Peterson and Milton decided to do that. So all of the elementary students then came in the school here in 1936, except Devil's Slide came down about 1944. VA: So you began consolidating schools quite early then in Morgan County. RL: Yes. VA: Did they have bus services then or did they have to come in horse-drawn vehicles? RL: Well, when I came here, they had buses to carry the high school students and then in 1936 they bought, I think, six new buses that would hold about 45 students, and this was the fleet they started out with when they completely consolidated the schools. Up until that time in these rural districts they just hired somebody with a car to bring the students in from different directions. They'd bring them in the morning and take them back at night. VA: Were there paved roads at that time in the county at all? RL: No, there were just gravel roads. I don't remember when they first oiled the roads in the county. I would guess along in the 1940's sometime. VA: I think that's very interesting, that they had a bus fleet. Many of the areas didn't even have buses at that time, so Morgan County was really quite progressive in their schools. RL: Well, I think that Morgan County was about the first district in the whole United States to completely consolidate, and they got quite a bit of publicity about that. I could give you a little bit more about the rest of the buildings if you'd like that. VA: Okay, why don't you do that? 3 RL: I might say that the Board of Education, when they consolidated the schools in 1936, turned all of the school buildings that were located in the different wards over to the wards. The cost was one dollar, I think, for possession of the buildings. Well, this went on about the same, then, until the beginning of World War II, and then when the government started Hill Air Force Base, the Defense Depot at Second Street, then people started to come in from all over the country to work at Hill Field and the depot, and there wasn't enough houses down there for them, so they began coming up here trying to find places to live, and as a result of it, the membership in schools started to increase. By 1948-1949, it was evident we were going to need more rooms, so they built the part in 1949 and 1950 where the lunch room and the sixth grade are held now, and then we still kept on getting more people coming in, so they decided to do away with the old high school building and build a new one, so in 1964 they purchased the land across the street and built the new building in 1964 and 1965. In 1969 there were nine additional classrooms added on to that, and then we've added the kindergarten area in 1967 and the new library, or instructional media center, in 1969. VA: The original building built by the WPA at the elementary school, is it still in use today? RL: Oh yes, it's the building that is southeast and northwest, it is the main structure, and we're still using it. VA: In fact, I notice that it's still in very good repair, and after the remodeling this summer, it will be quite a nice building. RL: Oh, I think this remodeling, putting in carpet all through the building, repainting and putting in new light fixtures, changed the whole atmosphere of the building. It's almost an open-door building now. If you walk into it, the classroom doors are open, the 4 students are working in the hallways and corridors, and you don't find any commotion or noise or anything of this kind, so we think it's a really good thing. VA: I think it certainly has made a nice building of it, and I know the students enjoy that building. Maybe we could talk a little about curriculum in the schools. How has it changed over the years from when you began at Milton? RL: Well, I guess basically we still teach the 'three R's,' Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. I think one of the big changes that has been added is recognizing the differences and maybe problems that some of the children have. And this we've tried to take care of, of course, with increased guidance and counseling, with special education classes, the adding of audio-visual equipment and materials and things of this kind, for everybody. And then, we've broadened out the curriculum in almost every area-- in math and science and art and music and things of this kind. They're much broader than they were when I started. VA: I know the curriculum at the grade school has made some strides in the last few years. Maybe you would like to talk a little about that. RL: Well, yes, I think it has. I think that not only the basic skills, but many of the others have improved. The teachers are better prepared, and they work in a team-teaching situation, helping each other this way, and they've attempted to individualize the instruction a lot more and to have teacher aids, and not only adult people, but students from the high school the last three or four years have come over to help with being teacher aids. I think all of these things have helped the teachers to do a better job with their teaching. 5 VA: Yes, I think that I can see some real improvement in the grade school and in the curriculum, and I think the students really like the new approach to the curriculum, too. Now, maybe we could talk a little bit about the church and its development in the county. I know you were stake president for many years. RL: Well, I was Stake President for 19 years, but I was in the stake presidency 25 years. I might give you a little background on where the wards were located at the time and then bring you up to date on that, if you'd like. VA: That would be just fine. RL: At one time, there were wards located in Croydon, Devil's Slide, Morgan, East Porterville, West Porterville, Richville, Littleton, Stoddard, Enterprise, Peterson, and Mountain Green. VA: Wow. RL: Now that's quite a difference from what we have today, isn't it? VA: Yes, it certainly is. RL: Of course, like the schools, the changes have come about because of the people moving away, improved transportation, and things of this kind. Now, when I first came here, there were eight wards in the stake. There was one at Croydon, Devil's Slide, North Morgan, Morgan, Porterville, Richville, Milton, and Peterson. And then, since that time, there have been some changes made. I guess the Slide was the first one, and the change up there came a lot because of employment, and improved transportation. At one time at Devil's Slide at the cement plant, nearly all the people who worked there lived there. In fact, they had a camp on the flat that they used to call the "Jap Camp". 6 And there were anywhere from 50 to 100 Japanese workers living up there at any one time. Then there was a big hotel that was right on the corner above where the store is that's left there now, and I think that probably this would have held anywhere from 100 to 150 people. It was big. VA: For a small community like that, that's unusual. RL: Yes, and then of course, the company built houses up and down both the streets that are there in Devil's Slide, so there was quite a large population there. But in the early 1940's, again when this change came about with the government, people began, instead of going there and living, they began driving from Morgan, Coalville, Henefer, and places like that, and then a lot of the people that were living in Devil's Slide moved out, so the membership there went down so low that we finally changed the ward status from ward to branch in 1946, and then in 1961 the ward was disorganized, and the members were joined to the Croydon Ward. This was one of the first changes we made. And then, the Richville Ward population or membership kept going down until it got quite low, the ward chapel was kind of in poor condition, so in 1961 we disorganized the Richville Ward and joined it with the Morgan Ward, and then we divided the Morgan Ward into two and made the Morgan Ward and Morgan Second Ward. The Peterson Ward built the chapel where Arlo Palmer lives now in about 1928. And then in 1969, no before that, 1969 was when we divided, so it would be 1965, I guess, they built a new Peterson Ward Chapel and then we divided this ward again in 1969 into the Mountain Green and Peterson Wards. The school building that they got from the ward, was located just northwest of the Peterson off-ramp, in fact it would be right in the middle of Highway 80 if it was there now, and when they built the new chapel, why of course, this 7 was torn down to make room for the road. The Milton Ward built the new chapel in 1929 to replace an old one-room frame chapel that was there. They used the school house for recreational purposes as they stood side-by-side. And then they tore this down in 1967, and they built a new chapel. Porterville remodeled the schoolhouse they bought for one dollar, and they're still using that for their chapel. The Morgan Stake Tabernacle is one of these old-style, one-room chapels that was made from native stone and it was quarried up here just above Como Springs. In 1936 and 1938 we remodeled this chapel. We took the floor out and excavated underneath to make room for a basement and then raised the floor up and put it in the way it is now. And then in 1953-54, we built the cultural hall that is there. This is about the history of the buildings and the wards and so on. Now, as far as the membership, you might be interested in this. When I became Stake President in 1952, we had 2,200 membership in the Stake. At the present time, it's about 4,000, so this would give you an idea of about how it has increased over that length of time. VA: I think that's very interesting. Morgan County is predominantly L.D.S. in religion, and the population of the county is not much more than 4,000. RL: There is, I imagine, at the present time, possibly 200 to 300 people here who aren't members of the church. VA: This has kind of made an interesting effect on the community and the community life, such as the theater and its operation and what not. Would you like to talk a little on how the Church has affected the community? RL: Well, first, the Morgan Theatre, actually the building that it's in was owned by the Church. 8 VA: Oh! RL: This is what they called their social hall. And it was built with the theatre in the bottom, and the dance hall in the top, and all of the Stake recreational activities were held in the top where the dance floor was. They ran the theatre in the bottom, over which the stake had authority, and what the stake and the ward did was appoint a committee and that committee was to take charge of it, to operate it, run the films and see that things were taken care of this way. In 1948 or 1949, they decided to sell the building, and they sold it to Alva Dearden with the understanding that he would remodel and put in a theatre, and so he did this, and he's been very good to work with the stake and the wards. He doesn't run a picture show on Monday night or Sunday night, and so the Church has had quite a bit of influence on this type of thing. In fact, in a way, the Church and the school have more or less caused or directed what goes on in the community. VA: In lots of ways, this is kind of a nice live in, because of that. RL: This is right. Yes, it makes it better ways, it's too bad that activities get so crowded that we can't keep on that way. VA: Yes, that's true. I'm sure that in the many years that you've been working in the stake, you've worked with some interesting people. I know I remember when you were Stake President and you were released, they gave the total number of years that you had served, and I think that it was the most in the Church that had ever been served. RL: Well, what Brother Hinckley actually was trying to say at that time was that at that particular time, we had been in the Presidency longest of any Stake Presidency then acting in the Church. Now there are Stake Presidents who have served longer than I 9 did; but we, at that particular time, had been the longest. Of course, for Brother Jensen and I, this was 25 years. Now when I first went in with the Presidency, President Clarence D. Rich was the President, I was the First Counselor, and Fernando Jensen was Second Counselor. When Brother Rich passed away in 1952, I was made President, and President Donald P. Brough was called to serve, and we've been together since that time. Of course, this is wonderful, and one of the richest experiences I've had working together for that number of years without any friction or disagreements, it brings you pretty close together as individuals. VA: Yes, I’m sure it would. RL: I don't know; I counted up one time and I think that during that period of time we called and sustained about 30 bishoprics. VA: Oh my gosh. RL: We helped reorganize wards that many times, and I don't know just how many High Councilmen that we had working with us at that time. I started one time to try to figure it out but I got lost, so I'm not sure, but I think this is one of the greatest blessings of the Church is bringing people to work for a common cause like that in the Church and see how devoted they are and how much time people are actually willing to give of their own free will to serve other people. VA: In fact, Brother Francis, who was the Stake Clerk, gave many, many years. How many years was he in the Stake Clerk position? 10 RL: I believe it was 55 years. It was in that neighborhood. He served with President Randall, President Heiner, President Rich, myself, and I believe President Dan Heiner, but I'm not sure about that. I think there were five presidents that he served with. VA: I'm sure, too, that during these years of service to the Church and to the schools you've had some interesting kind of personal experiences. Would you like to tell one or two of those that you might have had? RL: I don't know which one to start to tell. It would be difficult to pick one particular one out. There's just so many of them. When you try to stop and think back in your mind about which one might. . . I don't know. VA: I can see after that length of time it would be very difficult. RL: When you look back, they all kind of run together; kind of fit into one big whole. It's hard to single them out. VA: It certainly is really unusual to find a person who has been associated and so deeply involved in the community in both the Church and the schools for such a long period of time as you have been. I certainly appreciate the time that you have given to me to share these experiences with me and with anyone who listens to them, Sup. Larson. Is there anything you would like to add before we close it off? RL: Oh, I don't know; I think I always like to kind of put in this little bit of a bug that I've been impressed that the people are genuinely honest in wanting to do what's best, for other people. We have a lot of crime; a lot of strife and contention going on around us, but basically people want to do what's right. Usually when you work with them you find out that every individual is a unique person and that each one has some contribution that 11 they make to your life and to the community and what goes on around us. If we knew a little bit more about them, we would appreciate them more. VA: I certainly have appreciated your time and your effort in this, and by helping to acquire this bit of oral history for the college. Thank you very much. RL: You're welcome. I appreciate doing it. 12