Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-12-17

~ Ing cities of Utah county, and
J tho headquarters of the great
Strawberry Valley project WAS
in the year 1851. They first located
about three miles west Of the present
Spanish Fork, where city called Pail
myrn was laid out. a charter was
obtained from the territorial legisla-
ture and John Nj. ChidGstcr was elect
ed the first mayor. The original SET
tiers OF the primitive Spanish Fork
were: EnOch Reese, Joseph Il. Beck.
William Pace. John H. Rcdd, John w.
Berry, Albert Is. Thurbcr, Stephen
Markham. William Holt, George A.
Hicks and Jessie +. Holt. These men
with number of others surveyed a
city, built their homes. brought the
waters OF the river to their fields and
did many other things required of pio-
neer settlers.
In 1852. hundreds of settlers from all
parts of the world came to Utah. Many
of these joined the builders of Span
ish Fork in fighting the Indians, de-
stroying the grass-hoppcrs and re-
dceming the desert parchcd country
they had settled.
The great Walker" war in which
number Of pioneers lost their lives,
broke out In 1853. Tho settlers Of this
Industrious city were called upon to
defend their homes. A fort was built
in the central part of the new city.
in which all the people of tho town
were gathered. After several attacks
from the Indians the settlers succeeded
In saving their homes
THE grasshoppers came in the fall
OF 1854. They were unable to do much
damage that year for the farmers. had.
already garnercd the crops, but during
the following summer. they came in
clouds, devoured every bit of tender
vegetation along the river. The set
tiers were thus left destitute and were
obliged to gather roots for food.
In 1855. John w. Rcdd commenced to
build fort within the present Spanish
Fork. He was Joined by others and
during the year great colony had
gathered within the present bound
aries.
Permission was obtained to found a
city. and in 1856 the people of Palmyra
moved to Spanish Fork. They joined
with Mr., Redd in finishing the fort.
Streets were surveyed, business was
commenced and the foundation laid for
one OF the leading cities of Utah.
Following the time of the movc from
Palmyra, Spanish Fork has grown in
= wealth, education and prestige among
i
Is destined to become one OF the largest
and most progressive cities In the in
tcrmountain region. Her resources arc
boundlcsS and opportunities for the in
weston may be numbered by the hun
dreds.
SPANISH FORK RIVER.
Rising in the snow capped peaks OF
the Wasatch mountains and draining
a water shed 80. miles square, is located
one OF the largest and most important
streams of Utah. 1t passes through a
region suited Cor all kinds of crops.
(. AS 1T energies from the mountains IL
! runs nearly west for about SIX miles.
then north for four miles and enters
+, Utah lake. a fresh body of water.
On its north and south banks are
( large benches containing thousands o,
acres of choice fruit lands. Peaches
can be produced on these level stretch
.'cs without failures due to frost, as the
T breezes from the nearby canyons keep
the atmosphere In constant motion. Az
present most OF this land is planted to
alfalfa. but during the past few years
fruit growers from all parts of tho
United States have purchased small
tracts upon which young orchards are
nourishing. On the bench lands great
opportunities arc opened to fruit
growers seeking new locations.
/. STRAWBERRY VALLEY PROJECT
Spanish DIRK Is the headquarters OF
the famous Strawberry Valley lrriga-
tion project which was started BY hel
citizens in 1902 and is now being com,
plctcd by tho United States govern
mcnt at the cost of millions of dollars
a detailed description of this huge
project appears in an Illustrated artlcll
on another page of this edition.