Brigham Street

A new documentary has been airing on our local PBS station KUED, channel 7, that highlights the history of South Temple street. It is entitled “Brigham Street.” Some of the images used in the film are from the Salt Lake County Archives.

A brief description of the film in the producer’s (Issac Goeckeritz) words:

“Brigham Street, or South Temple as it is known today, is a street unlike any in the American West. It’s been called “Salt Lake City’s Grand Boulevard” and has been the residence of governors, senators, mining magnates and religious leaders. From 1880 to the 1930′s the vast majority of Utah’s wealth resided here in the most opulent neighborhood the region had ever seen. The documentary shares stories of the street’s historic residents and the amazing homes and architecture they left behind.”

If you didn’t see it on Tuesday, it will air again tonight, Thursday, May 16, or you can watch it online at: KUED.org.

See a preview at: http://www.recordtoinspire.com.

Margarine Wars

Here at the Archives, we often find documents from Salt Lake County agencies that reveal a long-forgotten issue that was decided at the national level.  One example was found in the County’s Health, Welfare, and Charity Correspondence from 1948.

Salt Lake County Health, Welfare, and Charity Correspondence, series HE-334

A bit of background on “oleomargarine” is required.  Margarine is naturally a white color, but manufacturers dyed it a golden yellow to imitate butter.  As a result, the dairy industry feared that margarine would replace butter.  Since oleomargarine’s creation in the 1800s, the powerful dairy industry spread propaganda about its supposed dangers, including saying that margarine was being made out of soap, paint, stray cats, animal intestines, and arsenic.  When that didn’t work, taxes on margarine were instituted, and margarine laws were enacted that banned yellow colored margarine sales in many states. The sale of bootleg margarine was wide spread. Finally in 1950, under considerable pressure from many groups, Congress repealed the taxes and laws and citizens could legally buy butter-colored margarine.

So the next time that you reach for a tub of margarine, think about whether it would be as appealing if it was white, or maybe even pink.

Health, Welfare, and Charity Correspondence, series HE-334.

April in Review

April has been a busy month—as far as records, books, and information are concerned.

It’s been National Records and Information Management Month (promotion of education about electronic records); Preservation Week (promotion of preservation of personal and family papers); World Book Day on April 23 (a UNESCO event to promote reading);   Confederate History Month, and National School Library Month. 

The thing that these awareness events have in common is records and their importance, whether in the form of a book, family papers or electronic files on a computer. 

“People must know the past to understand the present and face the future.”

~Nellie McClung, Canadian feminist and author

 

 

Lost House: Tin Shop

The history of this building is documented in this photograph taken in 1934.  Originally built in 1904 as a tin shop, it was later turned in to a residence.

41 East Burton Avenue, 1934.

There are so many things going on in this image.  Look carefully.  You can see the County tax appraiser and (presumably) the owner both standing in front of the residence, the owner answering questions that were documented on the tax appraisal card that still exists at the Archives.  The work that the tin shop specialized in while it was in operation is still detailed on the front of the building. Tools that the owner used for his small farm are in view, and there is also a horseshoe tacked up over the barn door.

Do you see a chicken in this photograph?

Salt Lake County Tax Appraisal Card and Photograph, parcel 16-19-153-008; serial 14-1654.

Lost House: Salt Lake and Utah Railroad

3500 West 9000 South, circa 1946.

This lost house had already had an exciting life long before it became a residence.  The building started out its life as the Riverton railway depot located on the Salt Lake and Utah Railroad (also known as the “Orem Line”).

3500 West 9000 South, circa 1949.

The Salt Lake and Utah Railroad was an electric interurban railway that ran along the west side of the Salt Lake Valley, through Riverton and the Jordan Narrows and into Provo, ultimately ending in Payson.  Construction on this line started on October 20, 1912, with work  costing around $40,000 a mile.  The railroad opened on March 23, 1913.

Some other highlights (and lowlights) of the railroad’s history include:

• Built by W.C. Orem of Boston.
• Constructed by Mrs. W.M. Smith, a well-known railroad contractor.
• Passenger and freight service ran between Salt Lake City and American Fork four times a day.  The trip took approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes.
• The main line (ending at Payson) was completed in May of 1916.
• The Magna Branch was opened on October 10, 1917.  At its height there were 18 trains a day on this line.
• The car shops for the entire railroad were established in Payson.

The railroad was exceedingly popular but increased automobile use ultimately led to the failure of the business.   July 1925 saw the railroad enter receivership.  Business continued to decline until 1937/1938 when the railroad was sold at a foreclosure sale.  The new owners incorporated as the Salt Lake and Utah Railroad Corporation and continued operation for a while.  However, the employees were paid poorly, there were reports that entire crews were often drunk on the job, and numerous accidents, devastating fires, and neglect of the track itself led to all operations ceasing on March 1, 1946.  Everything was sold at auction in July of 1946.

This Riverton railway station was one of the buildings to be sold.  It was then moved from its location on the old railway to 3500 West 9000 South in West Jordan.  It became the home of James M. and Nancy M. Atwood, who had a dairy farm, pond, and a 955 square foot house with a pretty cool history.

A big Thank You! to my sources.  Please see them to learn much more about the Salt Lake and Utah Railroad:

Strack, Don.  Utahrails.net.  Especially check out the route of the old railroad and the locations of all of the stations, including the Riverton depot, documented on a Google map.

Hilton, George W., and John F. Due. Electric Interurban Railways in America.  Stanford University Press, 1960.

Swett, Ira.  Interurbans of Utah on the Utahrails.net website.

Salt Lake County Tax Appraisal Cards and Photographs, serial 36-1581.

Salt Lake County Recorder

One last Women’s History Month Highlight (yes, even though it is now April) disguised as one of our regular blog entries:

Did you know that the elected position of Salt Lake County Recorder was held by women for 80 years? The first woman took office in 1921 (at least she had her own bathroom at this point), and nine more women followed from 1927 – 2000.   

Lillian Cutler                         1921-1926

Aurora H. Hiatt Duncan          1927-1931

Helen F. Reiser                      1932-1934

Jessie Evans Smith                 1935-1938

Cornelia S. Lund                     1939-1946

Hazel Taggart Chase               1947-1958

Nellie M. Jack                         1959-1962   

Hazel Taggart Chase                1963-1970   

Jerdean Prichett Martin             1971-1974

Katie L. Dixon                          1975-1994

Nancy Workman                       1995-2000

For a complete listing of Salt Lake County Recorders, from 1852 – present.

 

 

Women’s History Month Highlight: Space for Women

This record provides a view of a time in history when more and more women were working in social spaces formerly predominantly occupied by men.  The County Commission required a formal opinion to be issued by their Attorney before they could alter rooms in the building.

Salt Lake County Attorney, Opinion, 1915. Series AY-307.

Apologies for the delay in posting entries for Women’s History Month. Technical difficulties and illness combined to confound the blog author’s best intentions this month.