Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-09-04
cARNEGIE. LIBRARY
u CATE CITY TO The NEWEST
Ogden Stands at Door of Land of
Wonderful Resources.
HIGH ON CURRENT OF COMMERCE
A-Widc-AwRke CitIzcns Take Advantage
of the New Growth OF the Re
RIon and city HUNS with
busy Life.
HIGH ON CURRENT OF COMMERCE

OGDEN, Utah Sept. 3.--(Spencial Core
spondence Of The Bee.l--Ogden is the gate
city for the new west as Omaha is the
gate city to the old. With splendid trans
portatlon facilities, cheap fuel, an abundant
supply of pure water and surrounded by
rich section of country It is a city OF
first Importance In the great lnter-moun-
tain country Because of it's being the
, junction point of the fist great trunk lines
TO cross the United States. Ogden was for
years considered by the people of the east
as being but railroad center and its won
derful advantages were seldom mentioned,
However, these splendid railroad connec-
tons form but one of the many features
which are setting Ogden before the world
as Il coming city OF importance and even
now the railroads are planning additional
connections for this inter-mountain gate
way.
ogden will celebrate the SEVENTEEN ami
Versary of the coming of her first settlers
early in the summer OF 1911 Miles NJ.
Goodyear was the first white man to make
his home In northern Utah, and In 1S4l he
built fort on spanish grant near the
. confluences of the Ogden and Weber rivers
This consisted of a stoekade and few
log houses and on June Q, ls4s he sold his
property to James Brown, who was return
ing from California with 5000 in gold dust
The town site was not laid out until Au-
gust 1850 at which time Brigham Young
Heber c. Kimball and Orson Hyde in COM
pany with a few others of the Mormon
pioneers. plated the future city. The city
blocks are 600 feet square and the main
streets are 1S2 feet across, and when the
city was plated q number OF squares were
left for city parks-as breathing spots for
the people.
From Indians to Railroads.
log school house and a meeting house
were erected at once, and three years la
ter q wall was erected TO protect the viii
layers from the Indians. the cost Of the
wall amounting TO $4,000. The growth of
Ogden, as a city, was slow until the COM
pletion OF the railroads but since the day
when It became assured that Ogden would
be the terminal OF the two great roads
which were TO form the first wonderful
trans-contnental system, its growth and
advancement has been a steady one.
Located at the foot OF the western slope
Of the Wasatch mountains, ten miles from
the Great Salt Lake, on the lines of the
Union Pacific, Southern Pacific, Oregon
Short line. Denver and Rio Grande and the
Salt lake and Ogden Railroads, with cleo
trio lines being extended from the city
20 all the small towns and villages, within
q radius of twenty-five miles, and so stu
ated that practically all OF the traffic
which crosses the Rocky mountains through
the central passes, must pass her way
Ogden is gaining both In population and
Importance each year
An important thing in the development
OF the city, as Well as of the surrounding
country, Is the water supply which Il
brought down from the mountains on thu
5oast. Held in great reservoirs, to be re
leased and used as required the abundan
supply which is stored each year furnishes
the needed moisture for growing the crop
of the entire valley and here crop failures
are unknown, Now plans are being formu
lated for the development Of the benel
lands above the city and high line Canal
carrying waters 10 the rich lands which ar
now above the ditch" will soon be con
struoted, which will take thousands of acre
Of lands which are now cultivated unde
dry farming and will place same unde
irrigation.
Irrigation and Dry Farming.
Land cultivated under dry farming
methods in Utah, the state where this sys
tenn was first tried, brings good and SUR
returns, and within the last few year.
wonderful advancement has been made II
this direction However the dry farming
plan does not permit OF the diversifcatioI
OF crops as under other methods, and th'
fact that additional land is being addsC
TO the irrigated districts each year means
a wonderful addition to the wealth OF tn,
intermountain country.
Water has a wonderful influence on tn,
prosperity OF the new west IN other wayi
than through Its use in irrigation as thu
stored bodies OF water furnish power a.
we'll as moisture to the country which wa
>onoe counted as being but partially avail
q able for cultivation. The power which g.
developed in the canyons near Ogden Is o
sufficient quantity 10 not only supply Ugh
and power to the city itself, but much Il
transmitted 20 salt Lake City and ais,
used In the great industries in difteren
sections OF nOrthern Utah. Power plants