1976 Exhibit Brochure
In 1868 and 1869 Mormon crews contracted for the grading of the railroad line through Weber Canyon. Included in the grading operation was the blasting of tunnels, including this one near Round Valley in Morgan County.
2023 Exhibit Guide
In 1868 and 1869, The Union Pacific Railway contracted with Utah Governor and LDS church leader Brigham Young to establish contractor companies and hire laborers from across the Utah Territory. The Mormons proposed their own workforce, and thousands left their farms, ranches, and shops to do the work.
The Mormon construction crew was contracted to grade and blast tunnels for the railroad line through Weber Canyon.
Kaysville Area Connections
Several Kaysville men were asked to work on the railroad as it came down Weber Canyon. Christopher Layton was the Mormon bishop directed by Brigham Young to assign men to work between Hennefer and the mouth of the canyon. They used horses and scoops to grade and haul logs in preparation for the track layers.
In the spring of 1869, members of the local brass band who were directed by Joseph Barton loaded their instruments and rode by wagon to the canyon. There the band serenaded the train and its workers. As the train came even with the mouth of Weber Canyon, the band was invited onboard and were the first to ride the train into the valley on its way to Promontory “for the train moved slowly westward as [they] got aboard and … played.1”
Artist
Dale W. Bryner (1935-1999)
Dale Bryner from Ogden, Utah received both Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degrees from the University of Utah, and joined the Weber State College art faculty in 1965. He was highly regarded as a skilled life-drawing and figure-structure teacher.
Bryner’s work, recognized both locally and nationally, involves a variety of mediums including gouache, oils, airbrush, printmaking, illustration, etching, and photography.
Sources
- “Bicentennial Historical Art Collection.” 1976 Exhibition Brochure, Special Collections, Weber State University. Spelling corrected.
- Eyes Toward the Past. DVD.
- Karras, Marilyn. “Mormon Crews Labored on Railroad”. The Ogden Standard Examiner, 23 May 1976, Sun., page 15.
Citations
- Joseph Barton Journal. Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, Kaysville Company Collection.
Notes
Copyright owned by Weber State University Storytelling Festival. All rights reserved. Painting shown by Kaysville – Fruit Heights Museum with permission. Painting number 20 in the 2023 exhibit guide.
