| Show MANTI FIRST ELECTRIC LIGHTS Stanley Brox Manti Senior Citizen Flace Personal Second The date--March ily because went two 17 events on in Manti Utah of for the Division Recollection 1901--has long been importance occurred first time my father George Jacob Brox-have his seventh son Gilbert electrical operation and the remembered that fam The lights night plant had made previous born on that very in our first operator- arrangements to night of initial Perhaps we should have taken more seriously the significance of that historical night--and christened the newborn Kilowatt Nevertheless it can be said that our March 17th brother turned outbe powerhouse ofmusician and bright light in our lives The first plant was ofrather primitive hydro-electric design withWestinghouse generator andPelton water wheel Its original location was about one-half mile above the mouth of Manti Canyon Some ten years later to the ground Father was instrumental it was struck by lightning and burned in its reconstruction at the same lo cation inside the National Forest boundary which was at one time the site of the Brox Picnic grounds Forest Ranger Bd Cox selected the location and to Govermment designed cutbacks the convenient on recreation recreation funds the area but due Brox Picnic Power plant grounds was eliminated in 195 It is of interest municipally sponsored to or note owned that It the was first built as private by the enterprising pioneer industrialist Stanley Crawford was not venture Those first feehle electric impulses traveled over an antique transmission line up above the old gravel pit on the south canyon face and down over the hill to the east It reached the center of town on lines leading down First South During bad wind storms the lines would circuiting the power and disrupting the power necessary for of us boys to whoever was operating the shut the plant down and blow together shortservice It would be plant either Father or one climb up over the hill and ledges until we found the trouble Then wewalk on to town to notify the city lineman Insevere storm this wasna pleasant task Father operated the original the rebuilt installation for 31 years--from 1901 until 1932 -59 and the present |
