A History of Beaver County

A post war movement into better times, 1950 -1999-1

CHAPTER 8 A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 A, .fter World War II and more than a decade of economic depression, Beaver County was ready to move into better times. With a strong tradition of farming, stock raising, railroading, and mining, many county residents had to shift and try new ways of providing a living for their families, adapting to changed times and the demands of the modern world. For them, the tides of history played out locally-the deaths of young soldiers were community as well as per­sonal, family losses. The tight-knit towns of Beaver County pulled together in the effort to meet the challenges of the post-war decades and identify new ways of reversing trends of out-migration, eco­nomic and population decline, and provide new services and ameni­ties to local residents. Tourism, recreation, and the careful management of natural resources became principal foci of local gov­ernment and businessmen. By the end of the century, Beaver once again looked to the natural environment as an important source of community identification. 298 A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 299 A Demographic Profile The daily rhythm of collective life gives unity and distinctiveness to a local population as a social organization, a community with a strong sense of identity and definition. Beaver County's demographic configuration creates a unique picture of who lived here, how groups of people interacted and earned their living, and how the community changed. Between 1940 and 1970, population continued to decline, mov­ing from 5,014 in 1940 to 3,800 in 1970. The census provides a look at the composition of age categories during these decades. In 1940 Beaver County's population was overwhelmingly youthful with 10 percent of the total children below the age of five. Another 23 percent of the total were between five and fourteen years old. Thirty-four per­cent were between the ages of sixteen and thirty-four. Middle-age men and women represented 21 percent of the county, and over the age of fifty-six there were 565, or 11 percent. The population was heavily weighted toward the young. The loss felt by Beaver County in population between 1960 and 1970 was the largest in the state that year and was caused primarily by the out-migration of young people. The county's population in 1960 was 4,331, and in 1970 had dropped to 3,800, a change of -12.3 percent. The population was overwhelmingly racially homoge­neous- 3,754 Caucasian, 25 Native American, and 21 from races.1 During each of these decades, the non-white population of the county represented less than 1 percent of the total. Yet another inter­esting factor was the income range. Eleven percent of the total group had incomes in 1970 between $6,000 and $7,000; 12 percent between $10,000 and $12,000; and 10 percent between $12,000 and $15,000.. Forty percent of total incomes ranged between $10,000 and $25,000. Only a few made more than twenty-five thousand dollars (2.7 per­cent) and the rest made less. Minersville declined more in population than either Beaver City or Milford. Agriculture and related industries were the prime stabi­lizing elements in the local economic order. Agricultural develop­ment was limited by inadequate water supplies. Population declined most in unincorporated areas, a change also reflected in residential 300 HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY development. Due in part to movement into municipalities, this was also a reflection on the desire for better facilities and services. As had been true throughout the first half of the twentieth cen­tury, the tension between west Beaver County and east Beaver cen­tered on divergent economic bases, towns vying for population and resources, and competing community systems. This played out in competition between Milford and Beaver high schools in sporting events, between city councils and chambers of commerce, or on a private level between businessmen. The county was always renegoti­ating, informally and sometimes with legislation, the balance between the two. Each Beaver County town built new amenities and improved its city's infrastructure during these decades. In the 1950s Telluride sup­plied power to a large area that was sparsely settled and required a heavy investment for individual customers. Little industry was located in the area, and electricity was used primarily for domestic and commercial use. This type of customer did not use as much elec­tricity as industry, and as a result Telluride's load was substantially lower than others in the Utah system which had more industrial cus­tomers. Utah Power and Light received permission in May 1958 from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission to purchase Telluride Power Company. UP & L announced its intention to main­tain Telluride "for the foreseeable future" as a subsidiary of Utah Power and Light without changing rate structures or personnel.2 The majority of Beaver County's 4,850 residents lived in single family homes. Out of a total 2,200 residents, 1,719 or 79 percent were single family residences, 207 or 9 percent were multiple residences, and another 260 or 11 percent were mobile homes. The majority of residences, commercial and industrial institutions, and public build­ings were located in the three principal cities: Beaver, Milford, and Minersville. Approximately 292 square miles are dedicated to agri­cultural use or 11.3 percent of the total county area. Milford's population increased between 1939 and 1940 by 20 percent, during the same time period the number of telephones increased from 161 to 538 or an increase of 234 percent.3 But growth was slow after the war years. After 1950 Milford increasingly turned its attention to developing a new infrastructure for the town, restor- A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 301 ing historic properties or building new ones, and providing addi­tional civic services and internal improvements. New home construction made the early 1950s feel like a "build­ing boom," as Milford expanded physically.4 Besides the United States Census, numerous surveys, studies, and evaluations of Beaver County have been conducted during the twen­tieth century which provide a demographic glimpse of local social conditions at a given moment in time. A household survey con­ducted for the county by the Utah Department of Employment in 1969 estimated the county's population at 3,690 (the 1970 census total was 3,713), which represents a population drop of 20 percent from 1950 (4,856) and 14 percent from 1960 (4,331 total). Of that total, 2,643 were over the age of fourteen. Of that total, 1,500 were employed and sixty-five were looking for work. In 1969 there were a total of 1,120 households, 1,244 in 1960, and 1,343 in 1950. Interesting, as the birth rate steadily declined, the death rate increased. The county's three largest towns increased in their per­centage of the total county population, and the smaller villages and periphery settlements experienced higher losses. In 1940 Milford's population represented 27.8 percent of the total; Beaver 36.1 percent; Minersville 11.4 percent; and other towns 24.8 percent. In 1970 these figures had changed slightly:, Milford 33.6 percent; Beaver 38.7 per­cent; and Minersville 12.7 percent. Overall population density was less than one person per square mile. Of the total population, the majority lived in incorporated municipalities or in well-defined com­munity clusters. The 1969 survey presents an interesting look at typical occupa­tions and therefore the social stratification of the county during this period. Although Beaver County is primarily rural, only 10 percent of the total number of workers were farmers. Thirty-three percent of all workers were employed by the railroad, 14 percent by the govern­ment, and 19 percent worked in small businesses. One third of the total workers were women over the age of fourteen. Limited employment opportunities, available land, and housing caused a substantial out-migration of young residents starting their family life. Recreation and tourism industries increased in impor­tance over the next several decades. Nearly every area of Beaver 302 HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY County shared the potential for expanded recreational development of some variety-vacation properties, cabins, cottages and summer homes; camping sites near fishing streams; hunting areas; natural and scenic areas, and vacation ranches. Winter sports held the best poten­tial for attracting tourists to the area. Good terrain and weather con­ditions for skiing, and local availability for winter-use developments in the eastern part of the county where long winters, ample snowfall, and a large number of very cold days prevailed, made Beaver County a perfect destination ski locale. Eighty-five percent of the population had access to public water systems; 50 percent to public sewerage systems; and electrical power was uniformly available throughout the county. Transportation routes were reputedly in good condition and adequately maintained by the county. The county library, first built in 1919 with funds donated by Andrew Carnegie, had an annual budget of $7,000. In the 1960s the library had between 5,000 and 6,000 books and subscrip­tions to numerous magazines. In 1966 alone the library checked out 17,566 books. According to the Beaver Press, "There are some fami­lies in Beaver that are such great readers, that it is difficult to keep new books and magazines in for them. They read all types of books and magazines. Some books they have read two or three times."5 According to the 1990 census, the typical household in Beaver included 2.95 members.6 The median age was thirty-one years old, or six years older than the state average age of twenty-five.7 Eighty-three percent of the work force in 1993 had graduated from high school. Because of growth of families and limited land, an increased number of farmers chose to work at least part time in second jobs to supple­ment their incomes. All of the adult members of one family depend in part on the income generated from the family farm-it is what binds them together as a family-but his father and his uncle also run a gas station in town. Others in the family similarly run busi­nesses besides the farm because the farm is no longer enough to pro­vide for them all. Total non-agricultural employment increased 9.45 percent between 1990 and 1993. Interesting, however, is the fact that agricultural prices experienced steady growth. Between 1978 and 1987, prices increased by 70 percent, primarily in livestock, poultry, and their by-products. Thirty-five percent of workers who were not A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 303 doing farming worked for the government; another 28.1 percent work in trade; 12 percent in transportation-communications-public utilities; and 13.4 percent in service industries. If standard of living is measured by local facilities, the county was well serviced by several utility companies. Milford, Minersville, and all the unincorporated areas of the county were supplied power by Utah Power and Light. Beaver City ran its own municipal electrical utility company. Mountain Fuel supplied natural gas to Beaver City, Milford, and Minersville. Public water systems provide clean healthy water; telephone service was provided by U.S. West. County and Local Government Activities County officials had always played a prominent role in directing the day-to-day administration of county business-distributing of land and water resources, maintaining and constructing roads, and providing county services like police and fire protection, health, and educational assistance. Many of these traditional duties were dictated by Utah state law. According to the Utah Code, counties are: "bodies corporate and politic."8 In 1972 counties were given the power to choose their own orga­nization form, ideally, to more appropriately meet the needs of each unique situation. Beaver County maintained its three-member county commission, with members elected for four-year terms at a general election. To be considered for election, candidates needed to be inhabitants of the county. The chair presided over all commission meetings; two members had to be present for valid business. The Beaver County Commission conducted all county business and supervised county officers and departments, which was much like running a large business. Their negotiations with federal and state agencies over location of new roads or programs which would bring needed revenue into the county were much like marketing and public relation activities of a corporation-only here the interests of the county were the core concern. County commissioners approved and revised county budgets and met as the equivalent of a legislative body or board of trustees in the appropriation of funds for county operations. The commission was a tax levying body responsible for calculating yearly property tax 304 HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY rates, licensing and regulating businesses, exhibitions and recreation in the county, a n d making fluctuations in times of crises or great change. This body also functioned as the county board of equaliza­tion, listening to property assessment protests, making adjustments in p r o p e r t y valuation, or s u b m i t t i n g appeals to the State Tax Commission. I m p o r t a n t as an employer, county officers provide a variety of services, and the county employees a number of workers for its separate functions. For instance, the county recorder, county assessors, a n d c o u n t y treasurer insure t h a t business transactions within the county are fair, legal and conform to national guidelines. Often contentious and t h o r n y issues, managing sometimes scarce resources requires a sense of local issues, attitudes, a n d a broader understanding of law. In unincorporated areas of the county, county government pro­vides services such as law enforcement and fire protection. As is true in all Utah counties, the county commission regulates the election process and establishes, abolishes, or revises election districts, appoints election judges, canvasses election returns, and issues cer­tificates of election, supervising virtually all aspects of the election process. The county commission set county-wide policies on such issues as transportation, air quality, conservation, landfill, toxic sites, growth management, and economic development. In a county where towns are separated by such great distances, roads played a particularly i m p o r t a n t role in the movement of goods to markets, farmers to agricultural lands, and tourists through the county. By far the major­ity of land in the county was owned by the federal government. Of the total 1,270,891 acres of federally owned land, 1,150,078 acres were controlled by the BLM and 130,813 acres by the National Forest Service, or 77 percent of the total county land. The state owned 9 per­cent, and 12.6 percent was owned and managed by private or other entities.9 Because of this, effective county government required coop­eration among the separate entities and the effort to maximize lim­ited resources. For instance, on 6 April 1964 representatives of the BLM met with the c o u n t y commission to discuss the b u i l d i n g of three new roads which, after construction, would be turned over to t h e c o u n t y to m a i n t a i n . "It was t h e u n a n i m o u s o p i n i o n t h a t the A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 305 county and BLM should work together on the planning and location of new roads."10 Again, on 5 April 1965: "A representative of the BLM requested permission to construct a cattle guard across one of the county's roads in the Milford Flat area. The chairman was authorized to sign an agreement with the BLM providing for the construction of the cattle guard by the BLM without cost to the county, and further providing for the construction of the cattle guard by the BLM with­out cost to the county if it ever becomes worn out or the road needs to be widened; otherwise the cattle guard will be maintained and repaired by the county"11 Beaver County purchased and sold property for construction of roads or county buildings, had the right to sue and be sued, formed contracts and purchased personal property, managed and disposed of property, levied and collected taxes as authorized by law. More than 85 percent of the land in the county was owned or adminis­trated by governmental agencies. The principal source of revenue for Beaver County was property taxes and local option sales taxes.12 Besides local taxes, the county benefitted from federal outlays.13 The way the commission raised revenues through taxes often cre­ated sectional divisions-pitting east and west county residents against each other vying for funds to support local services. For instance, in 1961 the Beaver County Commission passed a sales tax ordinance, with the intention of taxing tourists passing through town during the summer and during the deer hunt. But opponents main­tained that this also penalized locals who also had to pay sales tax and were unfairly disadvantaged.14 Answering the opposition, the county commissioners split on the issue, and commissioners Ray R. Easton and H. L. Tolley proposed that the tax stay in effect for at least one quarter and then, if Milford and Minersville chose to repeal it, they could.15 Beaver city also adopted a local option sales tax in 1995 with the revenues to be used to finance health care facilities. The county clerk records all proceedings of the commission and other traditional duties.16 The County Clerk played a prominent role in election and the organization of political parties locally. He or she posted notices of elections and offices which were open for election, organized the distribution of ballots, boxes, voting booths, and all other supplies. The clerk designated the polling places for voting dis- 306 HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY tricts, oversaw voter registration, prepared lists of delegates, and cer­tified elected delegates to the party secretary and chair. In 1960 the county commission included H.L. Tolley, Howard J. Pryor, Ray R. Easton, and C. Victor Smith. They faced a far different world from their predecessors a hundred years earlier-new players including the BLM, other federal agencies, new economic forces, the Vietnam War, and other social changes colored work even in this county so far from the state capitol. The Beaver County Development Committee met after the 1960s to address the issues of out-migration and unemployment. Supported by the 1957 Beaver County Industrial Survey Committee's work, the committee assembled a fact sheet to submit to the federal government as well as a plan for ways to create new job opportuni­ties and businesses for the county.17 The government approved the resulting plan which allowed the county to solicit Area Redevelopment Administration funds, or federal assistance, to create employment in Beaver County.18 Twenty-five percent of the local work force was employed by gov­ernment in 1970, and government expenditures affect every aspect of the social and economic life of the area. The 1970 Beaver County Commission, including Chair Hyrum L. Lee, George Richard Jefferson, and Vendon Myers, began the first of a series of planning studies that assessed Beaver County's contemporary economic, demographic, and political system, and began planning efforts for the future. This was done in cooperation with the city councils of Beaver (G. Elmer Paice, mayor; Halbert T. Lund; Burton Meyers; Brent Smith; Marvin Spendlove; and Warren Thompson), Milford (Eugene H. Mayer, mayor; John J. Beitz; John Jiminez; Enoch Swain; Norman Thompson; and Roy L. Young), and Minersville (Howard J. Pryor, president; Truman Bradfield; William Gibson; Jule H. Gillins; and Wayne Gillins). The Beaver County Planning Commission was chaired by George A. Rich, and included members D.H. Davis, D.E. Stapley, Wells Farrer, John Jimenez, Warren B. Johnson, and George Richard Jefferson. Sub-committees focused on circulation and trans­portation issues, economic development, commerce, industry, recre­ation, and tourism. The County Zoning Commission addressed planning issues in the effort to create "orderly growth and develop- A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 307 ment of the county." At first some resisted zoning ordinances, believ­ing that the county was not large enough or densely populated enough to warrant such restrictions. One letter to the editor in the Beaver Press objected to zoning because he believed that it took lib­erty away rather than preserving it, and was a matter of expanding government control over one's private life.19 Senator Frank Moss announced in Beaver County that a vast land and watershed rehabilitation and flood control project had been approved by the Bureau of the Budget for Beaver and Iron counties- $944,000 in a direct grant of the $2,556,900 total cost. Other spon­soring agencies included the Utah Department of Fish and Game, the Rocky Ford Irrigation Company, Minersville Reservoir and Irrigation Company, the town of Minersville, the Beaver County Commission, and the Twin-M Soil Conservation District. According to Senator Moss, "Important rehabilitation measures needed to reverse land deterioration and to provide better use of already meager water sup­plies will be financed by this plan." Sample projects were construct­ing 18,000 feet of main channel lined with concrete, lining 97,000 feet of lateral canals, and laying pipe to more effectively control water flow.20 During the spring of 1962, Milford cleaned up its city streets by removing dying and unruly trees and improving curbs and gutters. Out of control trees had caused significant damage in concrete side­walks throughout town and were being taken out altogether. The city encouraged home owners to replant new trees on their lots rather than along the curb to prevent further damage.21 Crews from the Utah State Parks Department worked on improvements for the Minersville Reservoir in 1965; building a boat ramp, loading docks, restroom facilities, registration booths, and other recreational facilities.22 In addition, the State Park and Recreation Commission hired a five-man crew to care for the twenty-two state park areas near the reservoir.23 In 1967 the Minersville Watershed Committee began flood con­trol work on Itsheir watershed project. First organized in 1937, the Minersville Soil Conservation District was the first district organized in Utah for flood protection projects. Two years later, a Soil Conservation Service office was established at Minersville, with 308 HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY Dwight Miller as project engineer surveying and designing future projects. In October 1966, $499,057 was awarded to V.C. Mendenhall Construction Company to construct the Big Wash Debris Basin, Red Hills Debris Basin, Minersville Field Dikes, and Utopia Field Dikes. When completed, the project included nearly eight miles of dikes, 628.707 cubic yards of compacted earth fill, 229 cubic yards of grouted rock riprap, 1,978 cubic yards of loose rock riprap, and 492 linear feet of pipe.24 A summer storm the first week of August 1968 tested the Minersville Flood Control structure which successfully controlled the water and debris that flowed down the basin. On 29 July a storm that lasted only about forty-five minutes resulted in a peak flow of about 1,200 cfs (540,000 gallons per minute). "We'd have lost thousands of dollars in crop damage, besides extensive damage to our irrigation systems, if we hadn't had our flood control work done," Ralph Pearson, chair of the Twin-M Soil Conservation District said. Damage most likely would have been done to local homes, the school, business, and yards. According to the Beaver County News, 8 August 1968, one local farmer said, "Just this morning I was cussin about the money wasted on this project-but it sure is doing a good job and worth the money now."25 The Sub-committee on Agriculture also studied forestry and conservation issues. Social services such as health, education, welfare, housing, utilities, and local government were also carefully evaluated for their current effectiveness. Each committee was made up of rep­resentatives from Beaver City, Adamsville, Greenville, Manderfield, North Creek, and the surrounding unincorporated areas. Besides county services, Beaver County towns provided police and fire protection and water and sewer systems. Beaver City had one police officer and a city jail, fire, water, and sewer systems. Milford employed two officers and a part-time deputy officer, and also had fire, water, and sewer systems. Minersville had a part-time marshall and other public services. Adamsville, Greenville, Manderfield, North Creek, South Milford, and the remainder of the unincorporated area received fire and police protection from the county as well as water and sewer systems. Beaver County's homogeneity masked social problems that called A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 309 for greater attention on the part of government agencies-a high rate of alcoholism, early marriage, delinquent juvenile behavior, gam­bling, and other social problems were endemic to local communities. Elderly citizens depended largely on social security payments for sur­vival and experienced a greatly reduced standard of living. Only one social organization served the elderly in the county in the 1970s. The historical t e n s i o n between Milford and Beaver City which led to duplication of social service facilities-two hospitals for instance- was considered by some an inefficient use of local resources for a population of 3,713. However, Beaver County residents were self-suf­ficient. In 1970 only 2.66 percent were receiving public assistance. Another concern to the county in recent decades has been the redrawing of state legislative districts which divide the county into two districts each of which includes other counties to the east and south. Under this arrangement, it is not possible to have county-wide support for one candidate and it is very difficult for candidates to the Utah House of Representatives to be elected from the county. This problem is even more severe in electing county residents to the Utah State Senate. The situation has left many county residents with a feel­ing of disenfranchisement, at least as far as the Utah legislature is concerned.26 County and city government were bolstered in their efforts by the local chambers of commerce and various fraternal organizations like the Lions Club and American Legion. The Daughters of Utah Pioneers joined with Beaver City's Chamber of Commerce to raise an information booth in the city park to distribute information about local tourist attractions.27 A new armory building was completed in 1963, and the old American Legion hall was renovated for use as a training school for workers in the new clothing factory.28 Beaver had two fire districts, one encompassing the western part of the county servicing Milford and Minersville and the other the eastern part of the county that included Beaver. Each town had its own police d e p a r t m e n t ; the county had a sheriff's office; and the Utah Highway Patrol patroled the freeway area. The Beaver County jail had six cells and twelve beds. In 1993 Beaver had three city parks and a nine-hole golf course. Milford had two city parks and a five-hole course. All three towns 310 HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY had their own city swimming pools, tennis courts, and rodeo facili­ties. The county fair park is located east of Milford. Beaver and Milford each have airports outside of town. The development program of the national forests was boosted by a program of President Kennedy approving public funds to areas suf­fering from unemployment. Under the program, Fishlake National Forest and the Beaver Ranger District would qualify for help, and local men were being hired in November 1962.29 Utah Power and Light consolidated Telluride Power Company in 1963 under the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission of Utah and the Federal Power and Security and Exchange commis­sions. Rate changes would reflect the same scale as maintained by Utah Power and Light throughout the area.30 In 1966, UP & L con­structed a control building at the utility company's $200,000 Cameron substation just east of Beaver. This structure was part of the $1.5 million the company was spending to provide improved facili­ties in its Telluride Division for west-central and southern Utah.31 Television came to the county in 1957 when a TV signal was located on Wild Horse Peak south of Minersville. That signal was directed primarily to the Cedar City area, and in 1958 members of the Beaver Lions Club began searching the mountain tops surround­ing Beaver on foot and horseback for a suitable signal location to pro­vide television reception to Beaver and surrounding areas. The Gillies Hill site was located, and a portable gas generator was taken to the location to power an amplifier which provided reception during the winter of 1958-59. In 1959 a road was constructed to the site and a small building was hauled to house the rebroadcasting equipment to retransmit television signals to Beaver, Milford, Minersville, Parowan, Cedar City, and Panguitch. Later a power line was built to provide a more reliable and powerful source of power than the gas-operated generator. Permanent cement block buildings were built in 1960-61. In order to help cover expenses, an assessment was made of $1.00 a month for each house with a television set. The fee remained in effect until 1985 when it was raised to $1.25 a month. The fee was volun­tary and, although not all residents participated, it did help cover most expenses, with the Beaver Lions Club providing the additional A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 311 funds and maintaining the entire operation until it was turned over to Beaver City for maintenance and operation in 1979.32 The county had two banks in 1970, two newspapers-the Beaver Press located in Beaver City and the Beaver County News in Milford- and no local television or radio stations. The county had fifty-two retail establishments ($4,826,000 total sales) and six wholesale busi­nesses which accounted for $1,323,000 in sales.33 Employment and Economic Growth During the 1980s the county continued its planning efforts with the hopes of reversing the downward trends in population and eco­nomic growth factors. Also joining for fire protection (voluntary) and law enforcement, the individual towns and unincorporated areas maximized limited resources in this way. Three public libraries- located in Beaver City, Milford, and Minersville-served the county's residents. The principal extraction industries during this decade, located in the western part of the county, included Getty Oil produc­ing Molybdenum in the Wah Wah Mountains and Geothermal Steam in Milford; Phillips Petroleum (Geothermal Steam) in Milford; and Wiseman Ready Mix Co., and Bradshaw Pumice and Perlite in Milford. The main agricultural products were alfalfa and hay county-wide and dairy products in Beaver. The number of retail businesses stayed the same and two more wholesale entities opened locally. Out of a total nonagricultural employees of 1,155, 157 worked in trans­portation, communication, or utilities, and 285 in trade-a signifi­cant shift. Government was by far the most important employer-with 324 workers. Another 150 worked in manufactur­ing and only twenty-three in mining. The highest salaries were earned by those in transportation, communication, and utilities at an average $1,566 per month; $1,268 for those in mining; and $1,136 in finance, insurance, and real estate. Government employees averaged $735 per month and manufacturing $457.34 A 1983 study by the Bureau of Economic Research at the University of Utah on employment patterns suggested that in 1981 the average per capita income was $6,269 (the state average was $8,322).35 The average annual wage in 1991 was $16,032. The regional average was $12,048. Per capita income was $14,200. Estimates about 312 HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY numbers of individuals living below the poverty level are 13.4 per­cent. Much of the growth and change during these decades was steady and measured by new construction and employment figures. Building construction activity increased during the last quarter of 1960 by 6.5 percent, according to the Bureau of Economic and Business Research of the University of Utah, primarily in housing.36 There was no industrial manufacturing in the county in 1967, but there was a total of 1,073 workers in a variety of other industries. Government employees numbered 292, and 238 worked in trans­portation industries. Local stores and other trade business employed 231 local residents. Service employees represented 121 of the total, and fifty-seven worked in mines and mining industries.37 Unemployment in the county was at 5.6 percent, versus 4.9 statewide.38 Workers in transportation received the highest monthly salary at an average $685; mining, $571; construction, $537 and gov­ernment, $374.39 Fifty-four percent of Beaver's income came from labor, 23 percent from proprietorship, 12 percent from property, and 10 percent from transfer payments.40 Because many residents in Beaver County worked family farms along with working at other jobs in industry, 1,570 residents reported agricultural activity. Although no comparable figures are available for average monthly agricultural wages, the average monthly wage for non-agricultural work was in 1969 at $467. Union Pacific Railroad in Milford was the county's largest employer, followed by the Beaver School District, Milford Valley Memorial Hospital, and federal, state, and county offices. In private industry Farwest Garments, Inc. in Beaver (sports clothing), Essex International in Milford (producers of copper ore), and John's Apparel and Western General Dairies in Beaver were also important sources of jobs. Brooklawn Creamery and Hi-Land Dairies also located in Beaver had both been in business for several years. Hutchings Bros. Sawmill and Anderson's Sawmills in Beaver fed off the natural resources supplied by nearby forests for the base of their industries. Other extraction and production industries included Earth Sciences, Inc., in Wah Wah Springs, producers of Alunite; A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 313 Wiseman Ready Mix Co. in Milford; and Bradshaw Pumice and Perlite. Oil and Mining It had always been true that extraction of raw materials and min­eral resources had been a crucial element of the county's economy. This continued to be true through the second half of the twentieth century. Each new find was recognized with the same enthusiasm and element of surprise. In the 1950s, according to The Milford News, an "oil well fever tetched" south Milford. A number of wells sunk north of town had had varying degrees of success in identifying sources of oil.41 The El Capitan Drilling Company's "wildcat" oil well drilled in July found minor gas-oil showing at the 2,100 foot depth.42 In August 1950 the El Capitan, out of Russell, Kansas, moved its rotary rig from the "Walt James No. 1 test well" to another location after finding no "good shows."43 The Metal Producers Mill opened for business three miles west of Milford on 5 June 1950. Running two shifts daily, the new ball mill had smaller crushers and other machinery than when it had closed in 1949. About twenty men were employed by the mill that was designed to process ore from the O.K. Mine, mined open-pit by the Metal Producers crews.44 Copper concentrates were first shipped from the mill two weeks later. Mill superintendent D.C. Peacock boasted to the News, "We are all very happy at getting off to such a good start, and we're getting thirty percent grade of concentrate with seventy-five percent extraction on the oxidized copper ore from the old O.K. dumps. Everything is operating smoothly, and we believe we'll be able to continue operations on a twenty-four hour a day basis with no more shutdowns."45 The Harrington Mine, also closed since 1949, reopened in January 1951, employing twelve men. A subsidiary of the Mt. Wheeler Mines, Inc., of Pioche, Nevada, signed a twenty-year lease on the Harrington Mine near Milford and planned for a 44,000-volt power line to be extended from the Telluride Power Company to pro­vide power for the operation.46 After preliminary development, it was expected that ore production would start shortly.47 The company secured a project contract from the Defense Minerals Administration 314 HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY for $125,240 worth of development work on the mine for a total of 2,950 feet at the 600 foot level over the next thirteen months.48 A group of five experienced mining and mill operators from Nevada leased Tungsten property in the Mineral Range to construct a forty to sixty ton mill in the mouth of the pass. The "Blue Star Mining Company," according to company president Lory Free was equipping the mill with $50,000 worth of heavy equipment, shipped in from California and would begin operations in late summer 1953.49 A uranium field was discovered in the area around the North Fork of North Creek by Louis Lessing and Tom Harris. Samples from this site assayed 63 percent; it was determined that the field was about 20 percent profitable for mining. The men drove a shaft through the property, and discovered at twelve feet a ten foot strip of commercial ore.50 That December fifty-two separate uranium claims consolidated and incorporated the block under the name, Ubeva Mining Company. Stock in the enterprise would be sold to finance full scale production of uranium-bearing ore.51 The Atomic Energy Commission created incentives that encour­aged uranium mining, including payments for acceptable ores-a guaranteed base price of $3.50 per pound of uranium oxide for ores assaying .20 percent; premiums based on grades above .30 percent; development allowance of fifty cents per pound of uranium oxide contained in ores assaying over .10 percent; ore haulage allowance of 6 cents per ton mile (for a maximum of 100 miles) and an initial bonus for the first 10,000 pounds of uranium produced.52 Utah's Ubeva Uranium Company, located in Salt Lake City, sent down rep­resentatives to Beaver County to study the potential for development of new mining sites in June 1954. A group of California and Nevada investors sent R.C. Hanford, a geologist, to the area that same sum­mer to begin a careful reconnaissance of the area as well. The Utah Apex Uranium Company and the Atlas Uranium both began opera­tions on leased land in the Indian Creek/North Creek area and both had options to drill on other sites.53 According to Louis Lessing, county recorder, prospecting and filing of new mining claims reached a high point in August 1954-550 new claims (largely for uranium mining) since the beginning of June.54 As was true during the first few A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 315 •••••HBHBBP The Mystery Snifter Uranium Mine in Indian Creek Canyon. (Courtesy LaVar Hollingshead) decades of the twentieth century, outside investors drawn to the area by the county's natural resources promised to bring needed revenues as well.55 The uranium discoveries in the North Creek and Indian Creek areas resulted in at least two mining operations. In Indian Creek the Pole Canyon claims discovered by Louis Lessing and Tom Harris developed into the "Mystery Snifter" mine-so named because the first indication of uranium in the area was detected by a rather sim­ple "Snifter" brand Geiger counter purchased from Sears-Roebuck by Tom Harris. According to La Var Hollingshead, who operated the mine for the first years it was in operation, as Lessing and Harris approached a old rotting log lying along the canyon floor the little Geiger counter went crazy. The prospectors immediately set about trying to discover the source of the radiation, but every time they would move away from the decaying log the counter would quiet down. Harris is reported to have exclaimed that he just could not fig- 316 HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY ure out where it could be coming from, and Mr. Lessing agreed, say­ing "It's a mystery to me, too." It was later determined that the reason the log was radioactive was that over the years as the uranium had leached from deep in the mountain and had been carried to the sur­face by springs and run-off, it had been naturally attracted to the car­bon deposits in the decaying log and concentrated there. As it was, the "Mystery Snifter" operated for five years. Tons of ore were shipped from the two shafts run by La Var Hollingshead. At any given time, there were as many as fourteen men employed in the mines and another three men driving the trucks that transported the ore to Milford where it was loaded into train cars and shipped to the Vitro refinery located in the Salt Lake Valley. During the same period a smaller mine, known as the "Big Sugar," which employed an addi­tional ten men, was also operated by Hollingshead in the North Creek area.56 The American Sulphur Refining Company, headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, began construction of a new plant for the refining of sulphur in October 1954. Built to the northeast of the his­toric mill in Sulphurdale, the new refinery used new technology to process sulphur. Representing an investment of half a million dollars, the new plant would produce 100 tons of refined crystalline sulphur daily. The product would primarily be sold for home use for fertiliz­ers, and for use in the production of rubber and steel.57 Construction began on a uranium up-grading mill three miles north of Beaver about a half-mile west of Highway 91 in June 1955. According to the president of Western Hemisphere Mills, Inc., the mill would "stockpile ores from the U-Beva, and possibly other Beaver County uranium properties, so that milling can continue throughout the winter months when access to the mines is difficult."58 The Milford News announced in its 10 February 1955 edition that three representatives from the Atomic Energy Commission were in the county conducting preliminary tests, meeting with local officials, and making advance preparations for atomic bomb testing to be con­ducted that week in Nevada. They checked water and milk sources and planned to recheck them during the tests to measure increases in radiation. Also, a meeting was scheduled with area physicians to inform them about public health and safety issues during the test A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 317 LaVar Hollingshead, on the left, with two investors inside the Mystery Snifter Uranium Mine. (Courtesy LaVar Hollingshead) periods.59 The blast itself, early 14 February, was felt b y Milford's cit­izens. Those who got u p early e n o u g h in t h e m o r n i n g could see the " d im glow over t h e southwest hills about 6:45 a n d heard the double concussion about 17 or 18 m i n u t e s later." Steve Clements' w i n d ow s h a t t e r e d at t h e blast. I n h i n d sight t h e r e p o r t s after t h e blast are alarming, b u t at t h e t i m e they seemed relatively insignificant to local residents. The News reported: Atomic guinea pigs, wearing the little squares of X-ray film for tests of radio-activity in the air felt "a little funny" after the blast when they began to wonder if the films were registering any fall-out, but A.E.C. officials said the only fallout reported up to nine hours after the blast was in a narrow sector crossing highway of 91-93 about 20 miles northeast of Las Vegas and extending only very lightly as far as Crystal. Highest fallout level reported was adjacent to the highway two miles south of Dry Lake in an uninhabited area. The reading was 110 milliroentgen per-hour, or the equal of an effec- 318 HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY tive biological dose of about 77/100 of one roentgen a year. Official observers described the test as "a medium blast and sound." The blast reporting system observed blast at Indian Springs Air Force Base possibly strong enough to have broken large windows. Sound in the Las Vegas area was recordable only on instruments.60 Mineral wealth generated from nineteen organized mining dis­tricts had always been important to Beaver County. Although drilling and prospecting occasionally led to new mining activity, the decline of the mineral industry was due to several factors: the rich surface ores were depleted or gone, mining costs had increased, scarce ven­ture capital, a n d low prices for metals. The Majestic Oil and Mining Co. mill and stripping operation began work on a large ore deposit about a mile from the mill. Keith Long, president of Majestic, stated that the mill was employing twenty-five men and that the mill would be o p e r a t i n g three shifts a day, seven days a week, s t a r t i ng in July 1962.61 Majestic Oil and Mining Co. was bought by Paul and Anthony Bogdanich in September 1962 with the intention of beginning open-cut copper mining five miles n o r t h of Milford in the Rocky District.62 In 1965 discovery of high-grade lead ore south of the old slopes of t h e H o r n Silver Mine resulted in development work by t h e Plata Verde Mining Company. A b u l k sample of the ore yielded 41.9 ounces of silver, .075 ounces of gold, and 41.75 percent lead a ton. The Chevron Oil Company representing the Standard Oil Company filed suit in Fifth District Court against Beaver County, challenging zoning restrictions against drilling in the sagebrush and juniper covered land near Cove Fort for commercial uses. This zon­ing ordinance was justified by the commission as p r o t e c t i n g "the Beaver City businessmen who have large investments in similar ser­vices." 63 The American Mining Company constructed a $300,000 leech­ing plant in Milford to handle oxide ores from the O.K. Mine at the first of 1968. Sixty local m e n were employed at t h e facility which processed ore hauled six miles from the mine in thirty-five ton dump trucks.64 The open-pit copper mine west of Milford-the Shield Development Company, Ltd.-was in 1970 the most important min- A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 319 ing operation. The subsidiary of a Canadian firm was one of only a few exclusively leaching operations in the United States. This com­pany brought substantial economic benefits to the county-direct employment for seventy men, work for trucking firms in the trans­portation of ores to Arizona smelters, and county property taxes. In the late 1960s, the company constructed a new facility to double its ore-processing capacity, also providing employment for construction workers and creating a new impetus to the prepared-concrete busi­ness. Also underway in the 1970s was mining exploration to develop two mines near Minersville, blocking out deposits of lead, silver, cop­per, gold, and bismuth ores. Test drilling for oil near Garrison was also done in anticipation of new discoveries. Metallic mineral deposits in Beaver County, consisted of bismuth, copper, gold, iron ore, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, selenium, silver, tung­sten, uranium, and zinc. Non-metallic mineral deposits included alu-nite, barite, diatomite, fire clay, fluorspar, gem stones, nitrate, perlite, pumice, sand and gravel, silica, stone, sulphur, and volcanic grits. The opening of the Pearl Queen Perlite Mine northeast of Milford near the Blundell Power Plant in 1996 suggests that mining will continue to be important in the county into the twenty-first cen­tury. Red beryl was discovered in Beaver County in the late 1950s by LaMar Hodges and Lloyd Mortenson who were staking out a ura­nium clam in the area on the south end of the Wah Wah Mountain range southwest of Minersville. Small pieces of dark red, jewel-like stone were scattered around the area. They picked up several pieces of the stone and were able to sell them at a fair price. Several major mining companies looked at the property during the next twenty years, but none considered it worth developing. In the meantime, some surface mining was done and the gem developed a reputation for making fine jewelry. In 1975 the claim was purchased by the Harris brothers from Delta, Utah, who mined below the surface and were able to create a worldwide market for red beryl. In 1998 the mine was sold to an English conglomerate for $10 million. The Beaver County mine is the only known area in the world where gem-quality red beryl can be found. 320 HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY Another rare mineral found only in Beaver County is Picasso marble, so named because it resembles the Picasso agate in color. It was discovered on Bradshaw Mountain in the Mineral Range by Steven Hodges and Larry Walker in 1980. Several hundred tons have been sold to lapidaries to be cut and polished. The most popular items are bear and bison fetishes of all sizes. Agriculture A 1984 article in Newsweek commiserated the changed appear­ance of American farms saying that the "country doesn't look like country anymore."65 Farm modernization and different land policies have changed the way crops and livestock are produced. As agricul­ture has become increasingly mechanized and less diversified, farm­land looks different. In addition, rangeland dominates much of the county. Rangeland is land covered with vegetation, predominantly native grasses, grasslike plants, or shrubs. To many, rangeland is syn­onymous with wide open spaces. Much of Beaver County, particu­larly the more arid regions, is devoted to livestock rather than crop production. Sagebrush-covered land stretches on the valley floor between the mountain ranges and serves the needs of stock raising. The Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 gave the federal government the authority to control grazing on the public domain. Today the Forest Service and the BLM control range use on public land making coop­eration between county government and federal agencies on land use issues essential, The Soil Conservation Service also advised private owners on range conservation. BLM land represented in 1970 1,150,078 acres or 77.9 percent of the total land. The state controlled 9.4 percent of the total, and private owners, 12.6 percent.66 Regardless of market pressures and fluctuations in prices and demand, agriculture remained the economic mainstay of the county throughout these decades. Grazing and crop lands were very pro­ductive. At the beginning of the Depression, Beaver County had a total of 395 farms, 260 of which were owned by individuals, compared to a total 238 in 1964. The average farm had between 920 acres of farm­land in 1969 and 841 in 1959.67 Of total county acreage, 14.8 percent A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 321 was farmed. Seven percent of the land was harvested; the rest was used as pasture. In terms of stock raising, between 1930 and 1964 the emphasis shifted from sheep to cattle. In 1930 the county grazed 22,783 sheep, 9,101 cattle, 582 pigs, and 9,555 chickens. In 1950 the number of sheep dipped to 1,053, with 20,306 cattle and 19,545 chickens. In 1964 the totals included 19,898 cattle, 5,615 sheep, and 8,991 chick­ens. 68 Also in 1964 local dairy herds produced 24,085,822 gallons of milk. Other produce included 155,167 dozen eggs, 7,666 chickens, and 54,323 pounds of wool. In the 1950s an increasing amount of acreage was cleared of sagebrush and planted with grain, hay, and other crops. In 1952 more than 18,000 acres were under cultivation, and 5,000 acres irrigated by gravity flow from the Minersville Reservoir and another 18,000 acres irrigated by underground water brought to the surface, with wells ranging in size from thirty-five feet deep to twenty and twenty-four feet inch wells up to 500 feet deep. Sugar beets were planted in valley beginning in 1952, as well as beans, onions, and other new crops. The largest land leveling project was conducted by the Mayer and Miner work near the old Experiment Farm. There 600 acres were leveled at costs ranging from $40 to $150 per acre. The first underground steel-pipe irrigation system was laid here, as well as new wells drilled.69 Water Perhaps the single most important factor impacting economic development in the county is the availability of water. To maintain and expand county economic activity, a high-quality water supply was a principal consideration. Water was used and re-used for the sustenance of forest and mountain grazing lands, hydro-electrical generation, and the base resource for pump wells in the western part of the county. Large sprinkler systems replaced historical irrigation systems, in many cases modernizing agricultural techniques, requir­ing considerable capital investment but long-term benefits. Beaver County depended on the nearby mountain canyons for water. Sufficient water of high quality for domestic consumption, agriculture, industry, recreation, and wildlife was among a county's most important considerations. Water supply directly affected the 322 HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY economic value of the land, and has both economic and scenic value. Surface water-streams, rivers, and lakes-was the major source of water used. It was replenished by rainfall and drainage from the sur­rounding watershed (the land area draining into a stream or other body of water). Groundwater was the other important source of water. Most of Beaver County's drinking water came from the ground. Much of this was renewed by rain or melted snow that came down from nearby mountain ranges. The state engineer restricted well drilling in the area south of Milford in 1952. Ground levels had receded because of the consider­able ground water development in the past few years. Smaller wells for domestic and stock watering purposes could still be dug, but not for other purposes.70 Maintaining adequate water pressure was a persistent problem in Milford. "Keeping enough water in the storage tanks to furnish ample culinary water plus water for sprinkling lawns has been a headache for city councilmen since the early post-war years when residents started beautifying their homes, planting laws and shrubs and flower gardens," according to the Beaver County News. The city council tried a variety of different policies toward water use-watering hours, installing of a new 300,000 gallon storage tank in 1957, and drilling new wells. But with growth and changed social values and conditions, water usage varied. The Milford City Council attempted to adjust to schedules and demands of local customers. Walter Morford, city councilman, said in June 1960, "We hope that with the more liberal watering hours the residents will be using their sprinklers at suffi­ciently varied hours for us to maintain good pressure. If not, the next step may be restricting each home to one hose or sprinkler in use at a time. We don't know exactly what steps will be taken if the more lib­eral water times don't bring the results we must have."71 In August 1961 fifteen years of concentrated effort to develop a plan for a flood control dam in Big Wash west of Milford was started. The dam was designed to protect Milford City from flash floods in the Frisco Mountains, twenty-five miles from town. In the past, numerous floods had created extensive damage to business and resi­dential property. In 1951 a flash flood raged through the area for five hours-storming down Main Street and through residential districts, A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 323 Puffer Lake. (Don O. Thorpe) eventually covering the lower elevation homes and stores with a sticky, slimy mud coating. The new earth-filled dam would be fifty feet high and measure approximately 7,000 feet in length.72 Sewage disposal and treatment was another natural resource issue that challenged city officials. J. Donald West of Cedar City vis­ited Milford for the Utah State Department of Health to inspect Milford sewage systems. He found a dangerous "comingling of sewer water" from a sewage disposal system that was, according to West, "offensive and hazardous at best." This had resulted, he said, because cattlemen who owned property near the plant had placed dams and lateral canals along the sewage canal which had diverted sewage into fields and polluted water systems. Furthermore, the system needed to be upgraded, modernized, and better maintained.73 The Utah Water Resources Board approved an appropriation for construction of the Three Creeks concrete spillway. The engineering was done by Water Resources for $25,000 and construction for $140,000. In 1977 the company repaired the Middle Kents Dam which had been condemned five years earlier. As many as 1,300 feet of twenty-four ounce galvanized pipe were laid at the head of the 324 HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY Kents Lake ditch where it comes out of the south fork of the Beaver River. The Kents Lake reservoir was located on public land adminis­tered by the Forest Service. Therefore, public and private agendas often worked at cross purposes. This was certainly true of the Kents Lake efforts to provide water to Beaver farmers. Negotiations to sat­isfy the needs of each group were tricky and often required signifi­cant compromise. Primary management of water resources was a governmental concern. The Utah Water Planning Commission and the Soil Conservation Service studies of the efficient utilization of water resources and possibility of broad water movement periodically informed local leaders on the more appropriate use of local resources. For instance, in the 1970s a feasibility study was conducted in regard to regulatory storage within the Beaver River Drainage Area. Much of the water from the Beaver River was being utilized poorly, and the flow of water was inadequately managed. The National Forests No fences were built on forest lands after the 1930s. Land use was relatively informal-farmers grazed their cattle and sheep on the lands in the spring and summer and in the fall, particularly after the first snow storm, brought the cattle home. Sheep and cattle grazed in different areas; sheep attended by sheepherders moved in the fall to land in western Beaver County. Although no sheep herds grazed on the Tushar Mountains, there were 1,993 cattle on the west slope of the Tushars and 1,440 on the north and east slopes. Around 6,500 are permitted in a given time at a cost of $2 a month. Cattle herds usually graze for four or more months. The Forest Service maintained the land, destroying danger­ous old structures, plowing and chaining to restore forage or plant new trees, grasses and other plants. Other projects included spraying public lands to kill sage brush, conducting controlled fire burns, and developing water projects. Numerous fences were built after the 1930s-some by the Civilian Conservation Corps members working under the supervision of forest rangers and others by temporary summer employees. The fences were built to preserve the growth of A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 325 grass and other plants at different elevations and to deter cattle from feeding in areas with a heavy growth of poisonous plants such as larkspur. The forest service also headed up the Beaver Soil Conservation District first organized in the 1950s. The Beaver district was chosen by the government as a pilot district to be involved in a twenty-year program to improve all public land in the district. State and federal agencies assisted in the effort, as did the local Soil Conservation District. The original board of the district included S. Albert Smith, Fred Harris, Dan Murdock, Roy Harris, and Lavell Bradshaw. During the early years of the project, the BLM improved range land along the Mineral Range. After 1950 the Beaver District Forest Service office built roads all over Tushar Mountain to create easier access to recreational sites and to provide access to timber for lumber companies. Ancient remains of sawmills of earlier generations speak to the same attitude of land use, seeing Beaver Mountain as a resource to be used by the inhabi­tants of the county. The Utah State Board regulated wildlife hunts in these moun­tains, with representatives from the forest service, cattle and sheep industries, the director of Wildlife Resources, and local representa­tives. Beaver forest district rangers played key roles in directing land use policies and programs in the forest area. A modern-day sawmill was started in August 1974-the Fishlake Lumber Company-by three brothers-Paul, Miles, and Tom Anderson. The original mill was a simple hand-set carriage with a conventional edging saw that sat beneath a lean-to shed. The Andersons' first logging truck was a small single axle Dodge which towed a homemade log trailer. The logs were harvested from the Fishlake National Forest and hauled onto the truck with a front end loader and unloaded by tripping the stakes by hand and letting them roll off, which risked accidents. In the 1970s the company hauled about 2,000 board feet per load and had one other employee. The timber cost less than $15.00 per thousand board feet. The company cut around 50,000 board feet a year. By 1990 the sawmill company equipment was far more sophisticated and included a Mack Tandum axle truck with a trailer and a self loader. Each load is approximately 326 HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY 5,000 board feet. The company employed six or seven men in the winter and ten during the logging season. Although the quality of the timber had declined, it cost $1,100 per thousand board feet. The total equipment costs rose from $15,000 in 1979 to $300,000 in 1990. Recreation As early as February 1950, Claude Horton, city councilman in Milford, led an effort to improve playground equipment at the Milford Elementary School. Swings, slides, teeter-totters, horizontal bars and horizontal ladders, baseball diamonds, and basketball and tennis courts were funded by the PTA, the Milford Lions Club, other city organizations and the State Board of Education. Horton also organized efforts to build a municipal swimming pool. Thirty-one volunteers joined Horton to tear down the old bathouse and excavate the old concrete pool-tearing it into chunks and hauling it away from the site. "We don't know what the pool is going to cost in actual cash," Horton said, "but we do know we're going to have a fine, mod­ern swimming pool in operation this year. And it'll meet all state health specifications. Our kids here in Milford are as good as any kids in any other city of the state, and they are entitled to as much in the way of recreation and entertainment" as children in other county towns.74 Beaver opened a $40,000 swimming pool in July 1954 after nine years of fund-raising efforts by the members of the Business and Professional Women's club. Beginning in 1946, the women raised $4,867, and over the next several years they raised $20,000. In 1954 the city voted support for a bond issue for $20,000 for the city pool.75 An early settlement two- story stone and adobe house was razed in 1954 to make room for a new super gas station on Main Street.76 In 1956 the city set a bond election for electric system improvements in the amount of $50,000. In the previous decade, the load on the sys­tem had increased by 300 percent. The new funds would fund con­struction of a substation in the north part of Beaver City and a new tie line of 6,900 volts.77 Beaver County's proximity to mountain ranges and rich forest lands created the natural backdrop for a variety of recreational activ­ities. For instance, in 1970 there were fifty-six camping sites in the A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 327 county constructed by the forest service. When it was first set aside as forest land, the Beaver National Forest included all of the Tushar Mountain range which was about thirty-five miles long and t h i r ty miles in width and included 19,931 acres of private land and 310,772 of p u b l i c land. Much of t h e private land are Utah State School Sections under the control of the State Land Board. Field and Stream magazine featured Fishlake National Forest and fishing spots t h r o u g h o u t Beaver's nearby m o u n t a i n s in an article called "Southern Utah: Fishing the Crowds Haven't Found." A half-page picture of Minersville Reservoir with the caption-"Beaver is one of the best and least crowded fishing-camping areas left in the West"-reached millions of readers. The October 1969 issue of Better Camping magazine ran a four-page story complete with maps and pictures of the Beaver-Tushar Mountains, describing local favorite camping spots. That same m o n t h articles r a n in Westways maga­zine-" Ten Hours to Beaver Canyon"-and Sports Afield-"12 Ways to Improve Your Score on Mule Deer."78 Tourism The Beaver C o u n t y Travel Council 1996 p r o m o t e d Beaver County's special a t t r a c t i on in a pamphlet titled Visit Scenic Beaver County. From the rugged and majestic granite peaks of the Mineral Mountains to the placid waters of such areas as Puffer Lake or Three Creeks Reservoir; from pristine and tranquil meadows to wondrous and profound examples of the area's history, Beaver County is a mecca for Recreation. The County offers mountains that are a challenge to climbers while a marvel to sightseers. It offers valleys and deserts that are serene and inviting. Imagine any type of recreation a family can enjoy, and it can be found in Beaver County. Golfing, swimming, concerts, summer theater, senior citizen activities and avenues for historical wandering are but a few of the opportunities available and thriving in Beaver County.79 After the deprivation of the Depression and war years, Beaver County increasingly t u r n e d toward t o u r i sm as a way to attract rev­enue a n d outsiders to the county. Realizing t h a t their best, most 328 HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY Canyon Breeze Golf Course. (Don O. Thorpe) enduring, and predictable resource was the natural beauty of this set­ting, local entrepreneurs and civic leaders found new ways to attract outsiders to campgrounds, ski resorts, and fishing lakes, bringing needed revenue and business with them. Focusing on natural resources, lifestyle, and recreational ameni­ties, Beaver County provided a welcome refuge from the complexi­ties of an increasingly urban world. Once, again, the land was the key to development and survival, the source of enjoyment and suste­nance. Regulation of natural resources and development, and the establishment of policies for land use, were directed largely by the Beaver County Commission, which included in 1950 OF. Gronning, J.S. Murdock, and Ernest G. loseph. In 1964 local merchants and the Milford's Lion's Club attempted to attract revenue from tourists traveling through the county after years of depending on the railroad, mining, and agriculture for their economy. Milford's location on Highway 21 west opened the "Circle Route" from San Francisco through Milford to Las Vegas and Los Angeles. They placed a sign in Cedar City that advertised that the route through Milford was one hour shorter than that through A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 329 Beaver. The twenty-by-forty foot sign was created with "several colors and scotchlite for night viewing" and was placed about three miles north of Cedar City. Elwood Jefferson, chair of the Lion's Club, justi­fied the financing of the sign: "It's been a long dry spell for Milford so far as tourist dollars are concerned, but now the famine is over, and with this sign showing results already, in the winter season, we're expecting a tidal wave of tourists when the travel season starts. No community in Southern Utah is more ideally situated than Milford, in relation to access to the Utah parks, the 'Circle Route,' and through traffic to Northern Utah. Our local service station operators, restau­rant owners and hotel and motel owners are preparing for a big year, and they are all 'boning up' on answers to any questions tourists want to ask us."80 The Milford Lions attempted to facilitate business expansion into Milford. A group led by Claude Horton ordered Scotchlite mileage signs to be placed between Minersville and Cedar City in 1966 to show the distance to Milford, ideally demonstrating the convenience of traveling to this location in west Beaver County. The Lions were alarmed by the news that "12 ton Load Limit" signs were placed on the road by the State Road Commission that same year, assuming this might limit the types of industry that could locate in Milford.81 Beaver County was impacted by the creation of national parks that border the county. Bryce Canyon was designated as a national park in 1923 and includes 35,835 acres. Tourists traveling to Bryce frequently moved through Beaver County's forest lands and used the county's recreation facilities. It was an economic and social benefit to the county. Beaver County was located in the "golden circle" of national parks in southern Utah. It was situated sixty-eight miles from Bryce Canyon, 106 from Zion National Park, 190 from Grand Canyon North Rim, 170 from Lake Powell, and 107 from Great Basin National Park. With the formation of the Beaver County Tourist Council in the 1980s, and the establishment of a visitor center in the city park, increasing organization planning was directed toward issues impact­ing tourism. Tourism was a natural way of generating new revenue for local businessmen, attracting new industry to the area and employing local men and women. According to Lucy Osborn, 3,949 330 HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY visitors stopped at the Beaver City Park visitor center for information about the area. As a group, they came from thirty-seven different states and Canada. The booth was managed by Councilman Ernest loseph and the Daughters of Utah Pioneers.82 Recreation spots like the Elk Meadows Resort or the Blue Mountain Cattle Drive in Minersville, Utah, offered lodging, meals, and other entertaining recreational opportunities attractive to travelers eager for a western experience. The county had eleven motels and other lodging places in 1982 and fifteen in 1992. Mt. Holly Ski Area Increasingly in the post-war period, Beaver's mountains repre­sented a recreational playground. In the 1970s environmentalists and developers were pitted against each other in a debate over a proposed ski development in the Tushar Mountains, seventeen miles east of Beaver. Leisure Sports, Inc., leased three square miles of heavily forested land from the state. But Wildlife Resources director Bud Phelps said in 1973 that it violated valid prior leases his division had to the same land for deer grazing. The project was located in the mid­dle of the Fishlake National Forest, an area rich with wildlife particu­larly important for the deer hunt. Construction began on ski lifts, a 10,000-square-foot lodge, and other improvements in 1969. A poten­tial benefit to the local economy, the Mt. Holly development once again focused on the paradox between protecting the environment and use of the land as a resource for economic benefit.83 The number of visitors to Fishlake National Forest increased from 87,000 in 1966 to 219,000 in 1969.84 Railroad Transportation was the principal employer-particularly the railroads. Milford had been an important transportation hub since the early 1900s as the largest cattle-shipping center west of Omaha. When the mines became depleted, agriculture and transportation became the most important industries of the area. The Union Pacific Railroad maintained a depot, shop, and switch-yard at Milford . Because of this, economic and population decline were less severe in Milford than in other parts of the county and accounted for some A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 331 The Milford Union Pacific Railroad Station. (Courtesy Gladys Whittaker) industrial development in the city. After the termination of the Milford Roundhouse and the decrease in iron ore shipments from the Iron Mountain, the railroads declined in importance in the county. According to one study, "The importance of the railroad as an employer in Beaver County, especially Milford, can hardly be over­estimated. Not only have they paid a high level of wages to a consid­erable portion of the work force, but the workers' retirement program and other benefits have been primary to the county's over­all welfare."85 During the 1940s, eight passenger trains stopped in Milford every day, four west bound and four east bound. The Union Pacific Railroad provided throughout the period direct rail links through Milford between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles for both freight and passengers. However, train travel declined after World War II, and in 1964 the Union Pacific discontinued Trains 9 and 10, a change which affected about twenty Milford families-railroad employees, busi­nessmen, and city officials. Milford mayor Ray Kizer spoke at the ICC hearings about the change in opposition to the abandonment of the 332 HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY service.86 In 1968 the Union Pacific Railroad filed notice of intent to discontinue passenger trains 5 and 6 between Omaha and Los Angeles. The Milford City council, service clubs and many other groups filed protests with the Interstate Commerce Commission in Washington, D.C., because of the potential loss to local businesses.87 The Union Pacific defended the discontinuation because of an estimated deficit of $1 million to $1.8 million in 1967 alone. If these two lines were eliminated, they could buy freight cars and add another freight train to the line. City councilman David A. Symond expressed his belief that the Union Pacific was not doing "anything to encourage passengers to ride these trains." He mentioned a time when he rode a Streamliner that was filthy, and suggested that one way to bring back customers was to upgrade their passenger service. County agent Grant Esplin also suggested creating a program in which students from Utah State University could spend several days during the summer studying the problem and proposing solutions for improvements in local agriculture.88 Highways and Transportation The completion of the first segment of Interstate 15 in Beaver County in 1960 marked the beginning of a new era in transportation in the county. However construction of the Interstate through Beaver County was not without controversy. Discussions about a proposed Interstate Defense Highway Route between Beaver and Millard County began in the Beaver County Courthouse in November 1958.89 Farmers opposed the location of the highway because it would cut through adjoining farm lands. They asked the Utah State Highway Department to move the highway 300 feet closer to town because they believed this would reduce the loss of agricultural land and move through commercial or residential land instead.90 In November 1958 a crowd of 200 citizens filled the Beaver County Courthouse for a hearing about the proposed bypass. Beaver dairy­men, water users, and others opposed the location of the interchange a quarter of a mile west of Beaver because they believed it would reduce valuable pasture lands. Instead, they proposed a route along Fifth West Street. Walter Kerksiek presented a petition with 500 names which requested that the highway be built east of Beaver A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 333 instead of west. He also referenced a letter from U.S. Senator Abe Murdock who warned that the highway could damage surface water. Other water user groups expressed the same concern. Carlos Murdock, president of the Beaver Boosters Club, came down in favor of the Fifth West route because, he said, "Beaver had a two million dollar investment to protect on Main Street. It depends heavily on the tourist industry," he said.91 Beaver City resident Jim Williams did an informal count of cars that drove through town each year in August between 1955 and 1963-starting at 8:30 am and ending at 8:30 pm-in 1955, 2,496 cars passed by his home. Totals varied slightly over the years-2,398 in 1956; 2,352 in 1957; 2,920 in 1958; 2,870 in 1959; 2,359 in 1960; 3,705 for 1961; 3,445 in 1962; and 3,267 in 1963. This sampling sug­gests that the highway became a more important generator of local business-as travelers passed through town, they bought gas, stopped at local restaurants, or stopped at nearby stores. They were likely to stay the night in Beaver's motels or camp in the mountain parks to the east.92 Location of the road and interchanges relative to the town was critical in planning the route through the county, and the Beaver County Commission hotly contested the interchange question. Towns in west Beaver County wanted an interchange at the junction of U-21 and 1-15, but originally Beaver wanted one at the entrance to town and one at the exit from town so that all traffic needing to get off or on would travel down Beaver's main street. But when mem­bers of the trucking industry told them they wouldn't send their trucks down Main Street, Beaver changed its request and supported the U-21 idea. The Bureau of Public Roads rejected the idea of three separate interchanges and instead projected a realignment of U-21 from the Minersville Reservoir to due east of I-15.93 The trucking industry threw in its support for an additional highway interchange at the junction of Interstate 15 and Highway 21; Senator Frank Moss approved the idea as well. The 800-member Colorado Motor Carriers Association believed this would facilitate long distance freight trucks to move more directly from 1-15 south of Cove Fort to Denver. Moss also believed that this would improve Beaver's chances of becoming a significant trucking service center 334 HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY and warehousing operation. "Beaver's strategic location provides convenient access to both Los Angeles and San Francisco," Moss said. "This can mean an economic buildup for the area which would have long-term effects." Former Beaver County businessman Blayney J. Barton, who then resided on the east coast, was instrumental in lob­bying for the resolution from the Colorado Motor Carriers Association and had discussed the matter with other freight carriers. Moss pointed to the significance of Utah's freeport law, saying it was also a significant factor in this discussion because it "favors coopera­tion with industry in this matter. The State offers to manufacturers and distributors a liberal tax exemption as a Freeport. This feature, coupled with travel times which make Beaver a day away from west coast markets, could result in Beaver becoming a strategically impor­tant terminal freight point," according to Moss.94 The first 8.5 miles segment of Interstate 15 in Beaver County was begun in June 1959 and was constructed for $1.7 million by Wells Cargo Construction Company of Las Vegas.95 The section was com­pleted by the fall of 1960 when a ribbon cutting ceremony was held 18 October 1960. Governor George Clyde officiated at the celebra­tion, cutting a ribbon stretched across what was then described as a "super highway" and opening the road to traffic. A crowd of more than 200 individuals braved chilling winds to hear the director of State Highways C. Taylor Burton extoll the virtues of the super high­way. "The big bonus of the divided highway lies in the saving of lives," He said. "This is just the "beginning of what is to be done in this area." After the next stretch was constructed for an additional cost of $2,290,000, Beaver County would have the largest number of miles of interstate in the state of Utah.96 The construction of Interstate Highway 1-15 brought federal and state money into the county for construction-contracts for much of the work were rewarded locally, county men worked on road crews. But perhaps more important, 1-15 changed the nature of inter­action between tourists traveling through southern Utah and rural towns like Beaver, Milford and Minersville. Businesses at freeway exits and entrances became the most frequent contact point, diverting business from the town center and eventually changing the configu­ration of local business, pulling it to the periphery.97 A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 335 While the construction of Interstate 15 drew the most attention, the extension of Highway 21 from Beaver to Minersville and Milford was also a high priority. In July 1959 a crowd of more than 2,000 southern Utah residents met at the Nevada-Utah border to dedicate Highway 21 as an all-paved route, part of the "Circle Route" from California to the Utah parks. According to the Beaver Press, "It is expected that oiling of the last eleven miles of gravel on the route will make it a favorite highway for Californians wishing to visit the Utah Parks and Grand Canyon, returning to their homes via a different route with no 'backtracking."98 A caravan of cars left Milford at 9:30 am 12 July from Liberty Park on First West Street and proceeded to the state line dedication ceremony which began at 12:01 P.M. Beaver mayor Martell Easton was master of ceremonies and Milton Albrecht, president of the Minersville Town Board, gave the welcoming address. Miss Great Basin of Utah-Dianne Turner of Milford-and Miss Great Basin of Nevada-Alice Howell-held the ribbon across the state line as Mayor Ray Kizer of Milford and city councilman William Kaiser of Ely used the scissors.99 Road construction was key to tourism and was promoted with the same energy as new business development. A large crowd gath­ered for a hearing on Interstate 70 from Meadow Gulch to Cover Fort at the Rainbow Cafe in Richfield. Of particular interest to Beaver County, this road would help promote travel between Colorado and Utah.100 Also in 1962 the last sixteen-mile stretch of road between Milford and Delta was completed, finishing the link on an all-paved road from Milford to Salt Lake City. The last section of the Minersville-Cedar City road, also all-paved, would be finished by the next spring. These roads provided an alternate route in the western part of the state between Salt Lake City and towns to the southwest.101 Beaver was the hub of Utah road work in southern Utah, with three large highway projects in various stages of planning and con­struction, realignment of previously existing roads like Highway 21, and improvement of roads into Beaver's canyon areas.102 The county built a new access road from Kents Lake to Anderson Meadows where the Fish and Game Department constructed a new pond during the summer of 1956. The site was located on the South Fork of the Beaver River about four miles beyond Kents Lake. The proposed 336 HISTORY OF BEAVER COUNTY Construction of horse stalls at the Beaver Race Track in 1978. (Courtesy J.D. Osborn) reservoir would cost about $8,000 to build and would cover ten acres and hold sixlty-three acre feet of water. Water rights secured by the water users of Beaver Valley guaranteed the reservoir would be filled during the high water season. According to forest ranger Don Seaman, the "planned loop road will open up one of the most scenic drives in the Beaver Mountains as well as opening up some very good timber resources, and fine hunting areas."103 Interstate Highway 15 was by far the most significant trans­portation route moving north and south through Beaver Valley in the period. Impacting the way outsiders experienced Beaver County, the freeway ran to the west of Beaver City and bypassed Main Street and downtown services. Prior to the freeway bypass, there were as many as fifteen service stations along the eight block stretch of Beaver's Main Street. In 1999 there are only three. Over time, service enti­ties- gas stations, fast food restaurants, and campgrounds-began to be built near freeway entrance and exits, thereby changing the physical character of the town, stretching it along a line oriented A POST WAR MOVEMENT INTO BETTER TIMES 1950-1999 337 toward the edges of town instead of the center. Downtown businesses closed because of this effect, as the town shifted to the exigencies of modern living. Other important historical highways-State Highway 21 extending westward from Beaver City to Minersville, Milford, and into Nevada; State Highway 257, leading northward from Milford to Delta; and State Highway 153, running from Beaver eastward through the Tushar Mountains to Junction in Piute County provided a network of roads for the transportation of Beaver's citizens to their homes, places of business, or public services. Airports Municipal airports located at Milford and Beaver are used pri­marily by aircraft from Salt Lake City and St. George as well as other locations from throughout the Intermountain West. The Milford Airport is the principal landing field in the county. The construction of two small cinder block T-hangars in 1948 and the resurfacing of the mile-long landing strip in 1956 were major improvements for the airport.104 Milford's airport had unusual traffic during the first week of February 1962-three helicopters and an air force C-47 made emer­gency landings there and waited for suitable flying weather before repair crews and a new engine could be transported in. Not a large airport or landing strip for regular airlines the airport nevertheless logged 690 landings during 1961. Two hundred and sixty three of those stopped in Milford for the night-lodging in local motels and patronizing restaurants and other recreation spots. Others stopped for a few hours so passengers could go into town for a meal.105 A severe windstorm with winds blowing at seventy miles an hour destroyed the hangers and three planes sitting on the landing field in Milford in August 1960. One Cessna 172, belonging to Don Mayer, had a smashed cowling and the radio was torn from the instrument panel as well as damage to the fuselage. The sudden winds lifted the roof off the hangar and carried it a distance before dropping it on Highway 257, scattering debris in every direction. The supporting beams crashed down on four airplanes stored within; the back wall constructed with cinder blocks was blown out altogether and strewn across the highway.106 The Milford airport reopened in June 1968