The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-03-27
IMMENSE TRACT OF :.
LAND APPRAISED.
PromOntOry-C urley Holdings
All Given Valuation BY
Experts.
HAVE A FINE TOWN SITE
MUNICIPALITY WILL BE NAMED
AFTER CONGRESSMAN HOWELL.

The work OF appraising the lands Of
the Promontory- Curlew Land company,
which owns an Immense acreage Of Box
Elder county, has been completed. Prior
to the completion Of the appraisment of
all the lands, about 10000 acres had been
sold, and now that the engineers have re-
ported on soil conditions in the various
sections of the large tract and price
has been set on the lands, considerable
activity is noted among the farm-buying
public.
Prominent in the affairs Of the Promon-
tory-Curlew Land company are Congress-
man Joseph Howell, David Eccles
OF Ogden, H. E. Hatch, president of
Thatcher Brothers Banking company, of
Logan; NJ. S. Browning of Ogden, o. n.
Stohl of Brigham City, Herschel Bullen,
Jr., and Seth A. Langton.
The big tract of land. hundreds of thou
sands Of acres in all, was acquired from
the Croker interests in 1903, through the
efforts or Congressman Howell, who
opened up negotiations on such a large
scale that George Croker, son Of Charles
Croker, builder of the Central Pacific,
was induced to make the sale.
When the Central Pacific was built the
government made grant to the COM
pany, the chief stakeholder of which was
Charles Croker, of all the odd unnurn-
bered sections of land extending twenty
miles on both sides of their tracks. the en-
tire length of their lines. The tract of
land beginning just west Of Corinne and
running to a point near Kelton, Utah,
constituted the grant to Mr.. Croker for
the Central Pacific. CrOcher decided to
operate an immense stock farm on the
property, and with that idea in view, a
ranch was fitted up and placed In charge
Of George Croker, his son. At the death
Of Croker, senior, the land became
part Of the great Croker estate. Two
companies were organized at the time to
handle the project, the Promontory
Ranch company and the Curlew Ranch
company
Owned Alternate Sections.
The fact that these compa MES owned
each alternate section of land, made it
impossible for settlers who had purchased
the intervening section from the state to
improve their land to advantage. Prac-
tically the entire water supply, including
numerous springs scattered over the tract,
was included in the Croker holdings.
This condition made it impracticable to
build up the surrounding country, and
as result over quarteg of a million
acres Of Utah's best farm land has re.
manned unprOductive.
The Croker interests repeatedly refused
to entertain any proposition to sell the
land in parcels, and 1t was not until ne
EQUATIONS were opened up on large
scale that the tract was sold to what is
now known as the Promontory-C urlew
Land company.
Surrounding the lands ON all sides are
some Of the most progressive farms in the
state. The character Of the soil in the
Blue Creek valley, which is part of the
company's holdings, is said to be identi-
cal to that found in Tremonton, where the
best in grains and fruits is raised The
farms already located on the sections
sold by the state are among the most
profitable dry farms In the west. 1t is
said that these lands are particularly
adapted TO dry farming and grazing. With
the sale OF the balance of the tract, will
come the establishment Of hundreds of
dry farms and stock and sheep ranches.
In the choicest section Of the Blue Creek
valley is to be established the tOWnsite
Of Howell in honor of the mar who made
the upbuilding of this big area q posi-
bility. Surveys for the townsite have been
completed and lots are now offered to
! this new section. The townsite is well
located and the prophesy is made that
there will be built here a town equal in
Importance TO any in the northern portion
OF the state.
A large building, which stands on one
Of the prominent corners of the main
street, will proba bly, be converted into
hotel. Ample water for culinary and
other purposes will be supplied from the
Hillside spring. the source Of q plentiful
supply of clear pure water For irriga-
ton pUSaoses IN the toWnsite, water will
be pumped from Blue creek and stored in
a monster cistern at the head of the main
street. A pipe line viii carry the water
through the town.