..
Little Green Valley Now & Then—Monroe, Utah
Back to Main Page
More Page 1 More
Page 2 More Page 3 More
Page 4
OLDROYD FIRE ON MONROE MOUNTAIN
Click photo for full image
August 2, 2000, the wildfires raging throughout the western states has now
struck close to home. The Oldroyd fire burning on Monroe Mountain, and believed
to have been started by a lightening strike, has burned approximately 926 acres
and continues to burn. It threatens about 50 cabins, out buildings and trailers
in the Manning Meadow-Box Creek area. The fire is named for Richard Oldroyd,
Salt Lake City, who owns property in the fire area.
The Sevier County Jeep Posse was asked Thursday at about 7
p.m. to help notify Monroe Mountain property owners and evacuate people in the
fire area.
The entire mountain has been closed to the public, and
sheriff’s in Sevier and Piute counties have set up 24 hour road blocks at Big
Lake Road, Box creek Road, Monrovian Canyon Road, and Koosharem Canyon Road.
This has been as extremely dry year with an estimated 1800
lightening strikes in Utah.
On August 22 there were two fire fighters killed and five
injured when struck by lightening near Grantsville, Utah.
Because of many fires burning in the western states,
(reported 79 fires) there is a shortage of fire fighters.
While remnants of the Oldroyd Wildfire continued to smolder
and flicker, crews were already beginning the rehabilitation efforts to
accelerate the healing of the scars left by the fire and suppression efforts on
the forest, which took a toll on the mountain. The suppression effort involved
construction of about eight miles of 50-foot wide fire lines with bulldozers and
two miles of narrower fire lines with hand crews.
In the damaged area, downed trees and other debris will be
pulled back into the fire lane to the width of an ATV. On the dozer lines, the
area will be seeded using a seeder mounted on a tractor. The seed mixture
includes Mountain brome, orchard grass, sandberg bluegrass, timothy, alfalfa,
showy goldeneye, small burnet Lewis flax, sainfoin, Rocky Mountain penstemon, crownvetch, and snowberry.
Richfield District Ranger on the Fishlake National Forest,
Jeanne Higgins, said that if conditions are right some of the seed will
germinate in as little as 48 hours, and aspen sprouts may be seen before winter
sets in.
Top
MONROE’S POWER PLANT
Click photo for full image
In 1906 the town laid a wooden pipe line from the mouth of Monroe Canyon down
Main Street at the cost of $5,280. Soon water was piped into the city lots. A
water tap in the yard was considered a great step forward in community progress.
As the town and its inhabitants became financially able branch lines were
extended through all the streets and eventually a water tap was a part of almost
every city lot.
In 1921 the city officials went about four miles up the
canyon and developed the cold springs which bubbled out of the mountain side.
They tunneled into the mountain and obtained water that was never touched by
light until it came out of the taps. The water was brought to the community at a
cost of $20,000. After the project was completed, Monroe had as fine a supply of
culinary water, both in quality and quantity, as was to be found in the state.
After using candles and kerosene lamps for about forty years,
Monroe was about to get electric lights. Two men, James Jeppsen and John Manson
decided that the old Bertelson Grist Mill located up in Monroe Canyon might be a
good prospect for getting electric power inasmuch as it had run the Grist Mill
successfully by water. They obtained the mill pond and water turbine. Soon they
were able to install a generator. Then they strung power lines into Monroe. My
father used to marvel at what two men could do, and as children my brothers,
sister, and I took it fore granted that the light bulb hanging in the middle of
each room would always be there, and that it was just a part of our "Modern
Day" life.
There was however, some stress in trying to pay the light
bill. Sometimes the bill would be as high as almost $2.00. Then there would be
talk of having to use what we called the "Coal-oil Lamp." When we
were forced to use the "Coal-oil" Lamp to get our school lessons, we
all gathered around the big oak dining room table with the "Coal-oil"
Lamp set in the middle of the table. These are precious memories, with the
family so closely knit, and sharing much more than the light.
By 1927 or 28 we were able to have an electric iron and an
electric washing machine. Yes indeed! We were children of the "Modern
Age."
Now, in the year 2000, the average electric bill runs from
$65.00 to $100.00 per month (in Monroe) with an almost unbelievable number of
electrical conveniences and gadgets. To name a few; washers, dryers, steam &
spray irons, curling irons, steamers to remove wrinkles from clothes,
telephones, television sets, computers, printers, scanners, and for the kitchen,
electric stoves, microwave ovens, convection ovens, barbeques, frying pans ,
deep fryers, waffle irons, electric pop-corn makers, electric ice-cream
freezers, and ever so many more. Let us not forget the outside equipment like
lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, electric chain saws. How many more could you add to
the list?
Top
. . . MONROE HOT SPRINGS IN THE BEGINNING
Click photo for full image
Quoting from the Abraham Daniel Washburn and Flora Clorinda Gleason genealogy
book of Utah Pioneers 1805 to 1962, "It was thought that Mr. Washburn found
the Monroe Hot Springs." Soon after their arrival he cleaned out a spring
and bathed in the warm water often. His son Parley was healed by bathing in that
spring from a pain in his left shoulder that had remained since childhood when
he had measles in 1864-65. Abraham didn’t lay claim to these springs, because
he thought they should belong to the community.
On the east foothills of Monroe there is a knoll about one fourth mile wide,
and about one half mile long which has been formed by mineral deposits from
several little streams of hot water flowing from them. When the land was
surveyed in 1856, Thomas Cooper filed a claim on the tract of land below it on
November 24, 1882. This happened while Chester A. Arthur was president of the
United States of America.
In about 1886 the first swimming pool was built by Mr. Cooper, when he built
a box of lumber and lined it so that it was water tight. It was an open air
swimming pool, with boys swimming on certain days, and girls on certain days,
and Mr. Cooper didn’t charge for the use of it. Later Mr. cooper built
dressing rooms which opened onto a platform, and printed on the doors were
"Boys," "Gents," "Ladies," and "Girls."
The place was clean and the water healthful, so many people came by horse and
buggy from surrounding towns to swim in the "Monroe Hot Springs." A
fee of 15 cents was charged, but this included the use of a clean towel.
In December of 1916 it was sold to Charles S. Wilkes. A year later a large
building was erected which included a swimming pool thirty-six by fifty feet,
and a dance hall. It then became very popular, and many people came from far
away places to dance and swim.
In 1924, and perhaps other times the pool was used for Baptisms. It was also
used for family reunions, and other family gatherings.
In 1925 the Monroe Hot Springs went into the hands of Richfield’s
Commercial & Savings Bank in payment of a mortgage which they held. During
those years Calvert Bell of Monroe was the manager of the resort. Improvements
were made including piping the city water to the building.
On October 23, 1935 the bank sold the resort to William D. Musig, and he took
over the business in July 1936. He made many improvements to comply with the new
State requirements. He also planted two hundred and fifty trees on the grounds
to provide shade for the picnicking.
In 1947 Mr. Musig sold the resort to Kenneth Farnsworth who was the leader of
a western dance band called "The Rainbow Riders." Eventually he sold
the resort to Karl Meacham. Karl and his wife LaVada ran it successfully from
1974 to 1993 when Karl died of Lou Gerig Disease.
At the present time Mike Ginsburg is the owner, and has been since May
1,1996. According to Mr. Ginsburg, bands playing in big cities come here from Sunday through Tuesday nights, and
play for dances at the Monroe Hot Springs. There is a charge of $10.00 for
anyone wishing to dance or soak.
Mr. Ginsburg has big plans for a "Pioneer Village," and has been
working very hard, bringing all of the old Pioneer Log Cabins which he can find
available. He restores the cabins of which some are in rather bad condition. He
is planning to rent these cabins to vacationers, to let them experience the
actual way the pioneers had to live. There will be no inside plumbing, and no
electric lights, according to Mr. Ginsburg. This will be really "roughing
it.". . . .
Top
