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Show " "WHAT'S IN A NAME Midvale, on the east side of the Jordan River, it is religious, geographic, the result of a democratic contest. When the city incorporated in 1909 a contest The Glover HISTORY OF MIDVALE tells of dances held in the Rock Meeting House: ... If it is "Each time benches had to be moved from the hall out into the and provide room a was at the back. Each lady had to make lighting and men paid Crandall, violinist, fur their tickets in produce. Hack nished the music and Ira Beckstead was one of the first callers. "Other early musicians were William Parker, Joseph Nephi Argile, William Turner, Jesse Argent and Hyrum Goff. Later musicians were John Benlow, fid dler; Kirkham's orchestra, and William Cox's or and chestra. Dances corner family were as older affairs. Babies children absorbed mosphere while the adults and teens in slept the "cut a a social held to select safe at rug." The first dominated was After visiting America in 1908, Court Vay de Vaya of Hungary wrote: "The will power of the Americans astonished name. From over 200 names settlement on the Jordan River by Archibald Gardner's mill and for caned "Gardners." When the railroad a was time came the junction for trains from Alta and Salt Lake to Bingham Canyon and so the town was called Bingham Junction. community me the determination that has transfor handful of emigrants into a powerful nation; the industry which has made it great and wealthy; and the med a entered, Midvale was chosen; the name was submitted by Walte!-' Smith, smelter clerk .. -When the religious refugees (sometimes called the Camp of Israel) finally made their way into the valley they found a dead sea connected to a fresh lake by a river and promptly named it the Western Jordan. This was soon shortened to West Jordan by which the midvalley to the point of the mountain was known. It consituted the largest stake in Utah, 17 wards, and remained so until 1865 when the LDS Church separated the great valley into West Jordan and East Jordan with the river dividing them. tallow candle for ... was the a wisdom which is assured future. leading it onward to a Interviewed in 1946 class in glorious and by Roxane Porter's sixth grade Midvale, Howard Phelps said, "When I carne here the town had three " names. The Post Office was Jordan, the town was East Jordan and the railroad was Bingham Junction. So when you were away from home you mailed a letter to West Jordan; When you talked of the town it was East Jordan; and when you came home you bought a ticket to Bingham West present cities of Midvale and West Jordan shar€! common beginnings from the early settlers and activity on both sides of the Jordan River around 75th South. Some of the same families strengthened and The many shared in the development Junction." William Bennett homesteaded a large section beginning at the NE corner of Main and Center. North of his property was known as "string town" because the of both settlements. homes These settlers businesses and who helped came after Midvale built 1890 develop into the were built in a row on the east side of the Indian trail because the west side of the trail was swampy. an important commercial hub in the county. Many of them came across the oceans to make a better ife. They came to farm, to mine, to work in the smelters, to establish business. They asked for no subsidies, no government handouts. With resolution they had turned their backs upon the security of the old life. Most of them came with empty pockets, but hearts filled with determination to succeed. That they did so, is shown by the many successful people who have roots in Midvale. hardship and loneliness was endured frontier, but "Man is that he might have joy No doubt much in this " new . enjoyed in the community and good camaraderie prevailed. . . and special celebrations were shared and Olympus 11 Street photoMCJ |
