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Show were planted. "Many cities in the state, including Murray, planted groves of these trees, resulting in food for the silk wonns .. . The silk industry prevailed" (Wilkinson 1976b:261) and flourished in Utah until the early 1900's, when "commercial competition and actions taken by the government at Washington, in regard to the duty on raw silk" (Wilkinson 1976b:266) brought about the gradual extinction of the industry. Roughly 2500 people lived in the Holladay-Murray area by 1890, and the rapidly increasing population demanded more modem conveniences, such as clean water and electric power services in both industrial and domestic settings. "Electricity first reached the Holladay-Murray area in 1897 with the fonnation of the Progress Company and the completion of a power plant near Midvale" (Polk et al. 1995:), and three additional power plants provided light and electric service within the next decade. More than 3000 people lived in Murray City by the tum of the century, as the town experienced a faster growth in population than the surrounding communities, leading to the fonnal incorporation of the city sometime in 1902. After a hotly debated and six-year long discussion, a close election approved incorporation, making Murray a third-class city (population less than 5,000) in the state of Utah. Later, in 1905, Murray City annexed more property to the south/southwest of the city, in order to boost population levels so that the city could be identified as a "second-class" city by bringing the population to 5,036 (Winterowd 1976b:26). One of the benefits of incorporation was the ability to for the city to provide a greater number of services to the members of the community. One of the most pressing needs in the city was to extend water service to everyone within the city boundaries, a process which started during 1919. Proper sanitation was extremely important, particularly due to outbreaks of Spanish flu, which were so severe that the City Council was required to periodically close all gathering places (such as theaters, churches, schools, amusement, and all other public and private gathering places) until the outbreaks could be managed (Rasmussen 1976). Although the mining, smelters, building, railroad related industries which provided much of the economic base for Murray City had always provided steadily increasing employment and income levels to the citizens of the area, the nationwide depression during the 1920s and 1930s brought that prosperity to a halt. Several smelters, as well as other businesses, were forced to close their doors, and the railroads laid off many employees (Polk et al. 1995). Unemployment levels rose to critical levels, which also affected the tax base. Just prior to the start of the Depression, Murray City had embarked on a program of systematic renewal of the power plants which supplied essential services to the citizens, but lack of funds threatened to derail the process. Municipal bonds were sold, but the monies raised were insufficient to complete the plant renewal, necessitating the restructuring of city government until only essential services (police and fire protection) were provided, and those only on a part-time basis. Finally, near the end of 1934, Federal aid became available to assist in making necessary public improvements, and the city utility upgrades commenced. However, unemployment levels remained high, and federal relief projects were brought to the city for the purpose of providing government sponsored employment for those who could not work. Federal projects in Murray focused on road and sidewalk improvement, with employees being paid at the rate of $18.00 per week. One of the largest projects, however, resulted in the development of the Utah Woolen Mills and Utah Wool Manufacturing Company in Murray. Sheep pelts and wool were made into blankets and heavy cloth, and the mills were so efficient that pelts were sent from Idaho to be made into the blankets. In all, approximately $70,000 in business was generated through these mills, which provided significant relief from the effects of the Depression (Rasmussen and McAllister 1976). Other Federal projects were beneficial to the city in terms of recovery from the Depression years. Development of a new city culinary water system, the upgrade of Murray City Park, food preservation projects, street improvements, construction of a 1,000,000 gallon reservoir, and the Little Cottonwood 24 |
