h Mountains Rich in History| By BOB AGEE are rich in history, in resources storied and _hal- lowed in the minds of many residents. In the pioneer days the moun- tains supplied timber, rocks, crude water power and recreation. “Let us start majestic on Ben the north, Lomond Peak rears its frosty head 9,717 feet above sea level. HIGH PEAKS » Ogden, Mount “Incidentally, father..south,-has an elevation Of 9,575 feet. Few people realize it but both peaks are higher than the crossings of the Conttnental Divide in Yellowstone rk. “Ben Lomond Peak was named girl, a by a homesick Scottish convert to the LDS Church. Back in the 1850s she and her amily settled north of present den. The girl had come from the area of Loch Lomond in Scotland and she petitioned the county commissioners to name ie peak. They agreed. story about wonder we weren’t buried under , a Slide. HIGH RESORT HOTEL - There is a strange Wa-| ctric power for the| South of Mount Ogden is steep Ben Lomond Peak. At certain| first hydroele narrow a Canyon, |terfall powder a to power gave It times in the early spring when) area. es for| gorge with a streaming water- the snow activities in Farther south is Srong’s Canyon, a timbered gorge with a strong spring run-of from high snow banks. Taylor Canyon was the route Still farther south is Burch by which tourists rode in sur- Creek Canyon. James, Robert reys to Malan’s Basin, across the top of Malan’s Peak, or Malan’s Heights. Lawrence Malan, retired Weber County clerk, drove the teams up the narrow trail to the basin where cated and charges ranged from there was a hotel and sawmill 95 cents for a mounted horse- and bungalow cabins. Towering above Malan’s Baman to one dollar for wagons. The cost of the road from Ogden sin is the rocky peak of Mount Ogden, 9,575 feet high. to Huntsville was $19,000. For many years it was called| The canyon has a rich history. It was the location of many Observatory Peak, because in sawmills where aspen and pine 1888 the U.S. Geodetic Survey the from as far away as Monte had a crew of eight men on to make astronomical Cristo was brought by wagons peak studies and to make sightings to be sawed and hewed. into Idaho, Wyoming and NeHOTEL WAS FAMOUS vada. The canyon was the location One of the popular hikes in of the famed Hermitage Hotel the area has been to go to Masleep overnight where “Billy” Wilson operated a lan’s Basin, plush resort. The Union Pacific and hike early the next day to up trip a included in its route the top of Mount Ogden to see the canyon where fine steaks the sun rise. From the peak the and tasty trout were served. The view extends for hundreds of old hotel burned to the ground miles into four states. in January of 1939. STEEP GORGE The Ogden River provided the Is beginning to melt,| mill that supplied explosiv j . to the famed Ogden Canyon, the gorge that thwarted narrow trappers in the frontier days. But it didn’t thwart the Mormon pioneers. On Nov. 15, 1860, a road from Ogden to Huntsville was opened for travel. Builders were Lorin Farr, Isaac Goodale and other important church leaders. At the mouth of the canyon a toll gate was lo- ‘The Wasatch mountains that encompass Ogden on the east and north ‘ — eR » es4 Wasate pelaS PROCS wen : Pee’ en) osm . oe Pet ‘where Be of Tuts +, nl tad - —— ~~» and Daniel Burch were early |, pioneers. Daniel Burch had a sawmill in the Riverdale area, using power generated from the Weber River. Cottonwood trees and pines were cut in the canyon and hauled to the mill. Next gorge in the Wasatch Front is Weber Canyon, named for an early trapper who was with Ashley_in-the 1830s. The long Wasatch Front from Ben Lomond is a to Weber majestic Canyon line of frosty|’ peaks most of the year. COOL SIGHT Travelers from the west, tired of the long dusty desert roads, / - WHAT'S TO DO WITH COCOONS?| get a “lift”? when the towering Wasatch Front looms dimly in the east. The mountains are constantly |. changing. Their vistas are never the same, day after day. Misty rains, heavy snows, brilliant orange sunsets on the rocky cliffs — these are the scenic joys of-our great range. MAYBE HE HAS COLD SILKWORMS| _ City police today are shaking their h . dering why.a burglar overloaked a aUnererene uable pioneer weapons and took—of all things— a box of silkworm cocoons. ~ Daughters of the Utah Pion eee ee into the hall at 2148 € his getaway with the cocoons which part of a display. Early pioneers here at one irae had a thriving silk industry going. Officers said the culprit forced ) broke a basement aide to gain one aden The burglar left a trail of burned matches as he searched among the collection of historic relics at the pioneer hall. . the/fall that has its source on the ; a mining west slope of Mount Ogden. It) area. GROWS A ‘BEARD’ Ogden River was the flows through Malan’s Basin. The The top of the peak resembles source of the first organized Scout’s hat. Two crev- irrigation a Boy project in Weber asses look like eyes. Later in County. pioneer se e cong meltin when the spring, built a canal from the mouth a s sprout Scout tinues, the Boy of the canyon into the west part ard of melting snow and ice of the county. It was Mill the of ing down the front Stream, still flowing. It supplied puntain. power for Lorin Farr’s grist | One of the most rugged areas mill where the Old Mill tavern in the territory is at the north is located now. side of Ben Lomond Peak. By BOB AGEE Also the river was used to to the Mormon women. He said, During the following years There are towering pines, small float logs down from the tim- _ One of the odd agricultural “There is a sister before sasltiie women were busy with the that area tion recrea a and lakes bered areas of the canyon. industries in nearly Ogden was with a silk dress on. She raised| silk business. is_still being developed. the production of silk. CLIFF TRAGEDY the silk and made it herself.” Now let’s go south a little, to | Brigham Young, head of the FROM FRANCE Let’s move south, across the LDS Church, imported mulber- Then he had the lady rise so! North Ogden Canyon. This was The first silkworm eggs were When front. ch the of Wasat the that the congregation could see | cliffs rugged he first route over ry tree seeds and silk worms Imported from France by Mary | | from Cache Valley and for set- the writer was young we used from Italy and France in 1855. the dress. ‘ The qrsusiry thrived for a|Harris. In 1876 she sent cies tlers and cattlemen in Ogden to clamber up those cliffs and About 30 acres of trees were ulberry trees were to the centennial exposition in’ <! roll rocks down the sheer slope. planted in the Salt Lake area se Valley. planted along the streets and/Philadelphia and won a rize.| | : A schoolmate slipped up there in 1855. : » CANYON TOO TOUGH on city lots. Many of them once and they took him home Mrs. Louise Harris told of! In 1825 the fur trappers ren- in a basket. It sobered all of us In 1869 the Ogden Relief So- were planted on Madison from| the troubles in raising silk-| ciety members were told by of n junctio the | . near i i | worms. AtBs time up and we shunned the cliffs Bishop Chauncy W. West to set 21st to 23rd. ' she had 11. | e Ogden and Weber rivers. after that. In 41878 the church announced/000 silkwo : aside land for silk culture. On north They came in from the that the territorial legislature “Next comes Taylor Canyon, “We hardly had rooms to’ and went across North Ogden named for John Taylor, a pio- April 15, 1875, Eliza R. Snow had appropriated money for silk) sleep in and very little time for. Ogden and talked to the Pass. At that time Ogden Can- neer Mormon of the area. He visited machinery. __Sleep as they had ravenous ap- | on was practically impassible operated a lime kiln at the Mormon women. . He said, “I am proud of the}: ecause of the narrow gorge mouth of the canyon. course the sisters of Ogden petites, eating continuously for, raised enou gh silk i to make a d the rough river. _ This canyon was the site of In the 1850s many Ogden men many mining explorations. At have taken in leading out in ‘the whole six weeks of their ex-| dress, In 1893 it was displayed . grazed their cattle in the valley. the far east end there was a this direction. I understand that istence. They were fed the last | at the World’s Fair in Chicago many have. cultivated the mulIn the fall they would trail them old claim in the early *60s. iberry. We have silk weavers. thing at night, which would be; The silkworm industry faded be-|§ Pass Ogden across North Along both sides of the canyon at midnight, and at daylight. out in Ogden and other part cause the winters were too ean still be found narrow steep Hunt up those that can make lace. A man in Salt Lake is The mulberry trees were almost of the state because of latk of for even rugged in the valley shafts where miners sought gold g lace collars.” tough cattle. stripped of leaves and small capital, want of skilled labor and silver. The writer and some! Weavin A later report said, ‘Sister lack of proper homes for worms The next important landmark other foolish friends used to branches by the time they were ‘and general ignorance of the in the Wasatch Front is Lewis clamber down the old shafts to Mariana Combe Beus, an Italian ready to spin.” methods of procedure. Peak. It is a rounded: peak, where water had filled. It is a lady, has an acre of mulberry The venture was unsuccess\trees, keeps worms, has knit SHOWN AT FAIR mewhat different from its two silk stockings and has nearly ful financially. However, it of lot a is There rs. neighbo big Mrs. Harris produced enough remains an interesting facet of enough silk to weave two timber up there. The peak is silk to have six white handkerdresses.”” the determination of the Morabout 9,000 feet high and was}. On July 19, 1877, Brigham chiefs woven with the design of mon pioneers to be self-suffinamed for Lewis W. Shurtliff of Young visited Ogden and talked the Salt Lake Temple, the bee- cient. City. He was the first to the a face appears. Gprict Pe/e/9b5 Silkworms, Mulberry Trees _ Tried in Early Pioneer Days WOMEN WER RE EBUS BUSY - Plain 1833 to 1922. As we t ravel | south we come and other designs. She —_— chive ~ scale the peak. He was also fa-| mous for another reason, as} president of Weber Stake from ~ a