Comments on: We got ‘em coming and going

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 16:10:24 +0000

I’ve just come across a reference to someone visiting this auto camp: A man named Willis J. Bernett published a favorable article about the Mormons and Salt Lake City in the East Side-Northeast News of Kansas City, Missouri in late 1922 or early 1923. His report begins:

“We arrived in Salt Lake City about noon and drove directly to the tourist camp. After a good shower bath we went up town to look over the city, and a wonderful city it is.”

I suppose being able to clean up during a road trip would dispose anybody to a more favorable impression!

(“‘Mormons’ Given Praise in Eastern Paper,’ Millennial Star, 15 January 1925, 43)

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:57:09 +0000

Researcher, the Avenues at one time, very early, had other names — Fruit St. was like 2nd or 3rd Ave., somewhere in there. But I think that once the east/west streets were numbered and the north/south streets were lettered, they have remained the same (with the exception of V becoming Virginia). The reason the streets on the west end of town were renumbered by one block was to bring them into accord with the continuous streets in North Salt Lake and Bountiful, so that the same street didn’t change from, say, 3rd West to 2nd West in the middle of an intersection. That wouldn’t have affected the Avenues, which deadend at the mountains.

If folks haven’t noticed, take a look at the new picture I added at the end of the original post.

By: Researcher

Researcher — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:27:23 +0000

Were the names of the Avenues also changed at some point? When I was looking up those good brothers I saw some street addresses in my family histories. When I looked them up on Zillow they did not look like the pictures I have seen of the family homes. (If you’re busy, this is just an idle question that certainly does not need an answer now.)

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:16:37 +0000

Wonderful, Bruce! (Somebody did write an article, or a few paragraphs in a larger article, about the changing of the street grid numbering system. I’ll look that up and either comment here or post it separately. Kinda busy today, but will get to it soon.)

By: BruceC

BruceC — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:58:23 +0000

Long story. A few months ago I read in one of my family biographies that the numbering of the streets in Salt Lake had changed, but the reference was so vague it didn’t say when. So I started looking for old maps of Salt Lake to see if I could find out when, and if old addresses I had were valid today. I never did find anything useful. Not even validation that it really happened. But I did find this 1920 map of Salt Lake. I liked how it looked so much, I saved it to my hard drive. When you asked the question, I suddenly remembered that I had it. From there it was easy to find the old link.

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:47:11 +0000

Thanks BruceC. How did you find that?!

By: BruceC

BruceC — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:27:04 +0000

Mark - Here is a 1920 map of Salt lake with an unnamed road going through town. It runs right past the auto camp.

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:56:18 +0000

I’ve looked for maps of the Lincoln Highway, but haven’t found any that are detailed enough to answer the question: what route did the highway take through Salt Lake City?

It appears that the road came down Parley’s Canyon, and I assume that it left town to the west on North Temple. I would assume that the route went past the Auto Camp at 10th South and Main. Any idea how it made its way through town?

By: BruceC

BruceC — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:20:27 +0000

Thanks, Ardis. Your work is greatly appreciated. The auto camp address would have put it less than a mile from my great grandfather’s house. I had unrealistically hoped it was further out, and so possibly still there. The Pioneer Stake was so large back then. BTW, I was mistaken about his house. It has been “replaced” by a hotel. Fortunately I do have pictures.

My mother once said that all the places of her childhood (home, school, and church) are gone, erased by urban development. Of course she doesn’t live in Utah so pictures are what she would see anyway.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 03:54:42 +0000

Mark B., the record I have could very well be in error; I’m not championing my spelling as correct, just reporting it as the only way I’ve seen it. There are a couple of other records I can check Wednesday morning — city directories, census — for more input. The placement of that “s” makes all the difference in whether the name is pronounced “Drexel” or “Dreshel,” doesn’t it?

Also, I’ve discovered another photo of the auto park missionaries in my file, one that shows the faces better and does list the names in order of the way they’re sitting. I have only a photocopy, though; I’ll get a reproducible scan in the morning and post it so that Bruce and Researcher and Mark and anybody else who knows someone in the list can more easily pick out a recognizable face.