Taylorsville Bennion

(Taylorsville, Utah) Chapter president, Ken Blair, (below right) spoke to the subject: “Pioneers and the Railroad 1860-1869”, at the January dinner meeting. He related history of the movement of pioneers from the East to Utah. The last of the handcart companies arrived in Utah in 1860 and a new program was then launched. This program involved wagon companies that would leave Utah with supplies to be dropped off at strategic locations along the route and go on to Winter Quarters, or other “Jumping Off” locations and pick up companies of pioneers and return to Utah. These trips were completed within the same year and were called the “Out and Back” companies. The advantage of this program was that it alleviated the pioneers of the task and expense of obtaining their own wagons, supplies, etc. The program was launched in 1861 and ended with the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. That event brought to an end the official “Pioneer Era” in Utah. Ken was present at the re-enactment of the driving of the golden spike in 1969 and showed slides of the event. He closed his presentation by playing his guitar and singing “Westward to Promontory”. The chorus seemed to sum up the evening. It goes: “Westward to Promontory, building the iron rail. First page in a brand new story, the ending of the old dust trail.” The chapter has in the past placed seven monuments and has now selected a location for the eighth. It will be installed this year and will recognize and honor the location where many early saints were baptized in the canal. It will be located at 1488 West 4800 South.