Smithfield, Utah - Cache County, the Eden of Utah : an Inland Empire, Abounding in Natura

Cache County, the Eden of Utah : an Inland Empire, Abounding in Natura

SMITHFIELD is indeed a flourishing little city. You will like it at a glance. At every turn you will feel that air of prosperity and contentment that is to be found in any thriving community.

Any one of the little band of pioneers who first settled there over fifty years ago when the place was nothing more than a trackless desert and the haunt of the Indian and wild beasts, may well look with pride on the little city of today that is the result of their early labors.

In is ideally located eight miles north of Logan, on the lines of the Oregon Short Line Railroad and the Ogden, Logan and Idaho Electric Railway and in and surrounded by a very rich agricultural country-

It has a population of eighteen hundred people. Its streets are well lighted, wide, nicely shaded and kept in excellent condition. Within the past few years several miles of paved sidewalks have been laid and many other civic improvements made. It also has an excellent water system. The schools are a part of that system that so distinguishes Cache Valley.

A stroll through the resident section will reveal many beautiful homes, several of them bungalows, patterned along the lines that are so popular on the Pacific Coast. Not a few of them are owned by the farmers and cattle men of that section.

cerns. The stores are very modern and carry splendid stocks. One of the largest brick plants in the valley is located there, also a well stocked lumber yard; a large farm implement house; two flour mills, one of them has a capacity of one hundred barrels per day; and a branch condensing plant of the Utah Condensed Milk Company.

The country immediately tributary to Smithfield is devoted principally to the agricultural, cattle and sheep industry. Whether you be merchant, manufacturer or farmer, a trip through Cache Valley would be well worth your while.

The following pages contain a brief resume of the principal business houses of the city. These concerns are succeeding wonderfully in making their city one of Cache Valley's most desired spots in which to live. The secretary of the Commercial Club will be glad to furnish you with any information you may desire, not found in this booklet, concerning that prosperous section.

There is one class of business in every progressive city, town or community, no matter how large or small that must keep abreast of the times, and that is the lumber concerns. A glance around this thriving little city will show you what an important part the Smithfield Lumber Company is playing in its development.

complete stock of raw and dressed building material. In a neatly arranged display room just off of the office you will find a generous stock of builders' hardware, mechanics' tools, cutlery, crockery, auto oils, paints and sporting goods.

The establishment is under the management of Mr. W. C. Clavpool, an unusually congenial and obliging gentleman who seems to consider his many duties as that many real pleasures.

The E. R. Miles store is one of the best known in Cache Valley and is looked upon by all who are familiar with it as Smithfield's leading mercantile institute. It is comfortably housed in a large twostory brick building which stands at the corner of Main and Depot street.

The stock of this concern is most complete, embracing everything that a live mercantile company should carry, for comfort and convenience of the prosperous community that it serves. Aside from a large well assorted stock of high grade and standard groceries, they also carry a full line of men's furnishings and ladies' ready to wear goods, and make a specialty of dress goods and notions.

For the convenience of the many automobile parties, tourists especially, who visit Smilhfield, a well equipped garage has been opened by the management just a feAv doors from the store.

Smithfield may well be classed as one of Cache Valley's most prosperous sections, and the Smithfield Implement Company, as one of its most enterprising concerns. They carry everything in the farm machinery line. On the floor and in the warehouse of this concern will be found the complete line of the Moline Farm Implements, Deering Harvesting Machines, Schuttler Wagons, Hennie Buggies, J. I. Case Threshers and an excellent stock of high grade saddles and harness. They also have the agency for the Case Automobile, a very popular machine in this section of the country.

The stock of this concern is held entirely by Smithfield men. The management is entrusted with Mr. William Homer, a very capable and enterprising gentleman, who, with the other stockholders of the company, consider Smithfield as one of Cache Valley's most progressive cities.

Mere is one of Cache Valley's staunchest supporters and most ardent boosters. He is very much interested in building up the little city that has tendered him the honor of electing him its mayor. Any movement that is for the betterment of that community is sure to have his support.

Aside from looking after die many affairs of his public office, he has for many years been engaged in the cattle business, principally dairy cows and is the valley's largest dealer in cattle and dairy cows.

He owns two hundred and forty acres of farm and range land, located a short distance southwest of Smithfield, and a beautiful home at the corner of First South and First West streets.

Mr. Richardson is a man known throughout the valley and among his business associates as being a wide awake, progressive business man and a valu - able citizen to his community.

This gentleman is a native and resident of Smithfield, having been born there in 1896. A fter finishing the grade schools there he farmed for a few cars, and at the age of eighteen he secured employment at the Farmers' Union Mills.

In 1892 he went to Scotland on a mission for the Mormon Church. Upon his return he took up his duties at the mill, where he remained until he decided to locate in Preston, Idaho, and engage in the clothing business, which he conducted for five years.

Mr. Smith returned to Smithefild in 1902 and entered the real estate business, which he conducted until he and the late Mr. E. R. Miles opened a copartnership bank with Mr. Smith as cashier. Since that time it has been incorporated into a national bank and has grown to be one of the strongest financial institutions of Cache Valley.

Every movement of any significance at all concerning Smithfield has at some time been of interest to Mr. Smith. He wras instrumental in launching the Smithfield Union Hall, The Smithfield Implement Company, and the Smithfield Brick and Tile Company. He owns half interest in the Smith- Miles Farm, of two hundred and twenty acres, located two miles west of the city, and an interest in the Gilt Edge Roller Mills of Richmond.

In January, 1910, Mr. Smith was made Eishop of Smithfield's First Ward Church of the Latter-Day Saints. He has been a man much devoted to his- home city and ever ready to assist in any forward movement.

Dr. Merrill is a native of Smith-field and has elected to spend practically all. of his life there with the exception of three years that he spent on a mission throughout Germany, Italy and Switzerland for the Mormon Church, and the years he spent at various colleges pursuing the study of medicine and surgery.

Smithfield and opened offices at his present location in the Miles Block. Since then he has twice been elected mayor of that beautiful little city. It was during his administration that many civic improvements were made, including enlarging and perfecting the water system and granting the franchise to the Interurban Car Line.

The Doctor owns a very valuable farm of one hundred acres adjoining Smithfield, all of which is under cultivation, and one of that city's most comfortable homes. He also owns a half section of dry farm land near Arimo, Idaho.

Smithfield claims this gentlemen as one of its native sons. He was born there in 1875, and has been satisfied to make it the field of his principal endeavors. With the exception of about ten years, during which time he taught school in Box Elder county, and at the Utah Agricultural College, he has been actively engaged in and around Smithfield.

About ten years ago Mr. Smith launched his present produce business. Since then he has organized the Cache Valley Seed Company, which makes a specialty of handling ail kinds of field seeds.

On his River View Dairy Farm, composed of one hundred and sixty acres, located two and onehalf miles west of town, he has twenty-four thoroughbred Holstein cows. On twenty acres of it he has made a specialty of growing potatoes, which have averaged over five hundred bushels per acre.

You would have to visit Smithfield in order to understand the justifiable pride this gentleman and his associates take in that thriving little city.

This beautiful building, recently built at a cost of $26,000, is located at the corner of Main and Center street, where all interurban cars stop. The ground floor is occupied by the Smithfield postoffice, a cozy little confectioner}' store and beautiful theater, which has a seating capacity of six hundred. It has a well equipped stage, large enough to accommodate any of the modern attractions. Excepting the nights occupied by theatrical attractions, an excellent motion picture program is offered.

In the basement will be found an up-to-date pool hall, a first class barber shop and a neat restaurant. The second floor contains six large lodge rooms, all occupied. On the top floor will- be found a fine dance hall, forty-eight feet wide and one hundred feet long, where the younger set gather not less than once each week.

The building is under the management of Mr. J W. Kirkbride, an active and energetic young business man of Smithfield who is very much interested in its development.

The High Patent and Straight Grade Flour ground by the Farmers' Union Mills of Smithfield are known and sold extensively throughout the west, particularly in Utah, Wyoming, Nevada and California. Both brands are of the highest qulaity, the latter having been awarded first prize by the Utah State Fair Association.

It is a well equipped water power mill, located just on the edge of Smithfield, with a granding capacity of one hundred barrels of flour per day. It has a storage room sufficiently large for storing thirty thousand bushels of grain. Should the farmer have occasion to store his grain there, it is weighed when received and again when he calls for it. If

Since its establishment, which was in 1889, it has been the favorite mill of that section for the grain growers, many of whom are its stockholders.

The officers and directors of the concern are as follows: Mr. George Cloe, president; Mr. Rolen Perks, vice president; Mr. Isaac Jorgensen, secretary and treasurer ; Mr. R. Jorgensen and Mr. George L,. Farrel.

The Lewiston Mercantile Company is the principal mercantile institution in the town of Lewiston, a very prosperous farming community, located in the northern part of the county, just a few miles from the Idaho line.

Practically everything for the household is carried in stock, which include a nice line of dry goods, notions, men's furnishings, shoes, novelties, crockery, groceries, fresh meats, hardware and kitchen utensils.

In connection with the general mercantile business, the company conducts a very well equipped lumber yard and carries a general line of building material, builders' hardware, laths and shingles.

Mr. M. J. Swinyard is general manager, secretary and treasurer of the concern. He was connected with the establishment for several years, when it was operated under the name of the Hayball Mercantile Company. He was instrumental in organizing' the present concern, which bought out the Hayball interest in 1907.

HYRUM is one of the oldest towns in Cache County, having been settled a short time after Wellsville, the valley's first settlement. It is located about seven miles south of Logan on the lines of the Ogden, Logan and Tdaho Electric Railway and the Oregon Short Line Railroad. It has a population of about 1,800- It is one of the county's principal agricultural communities and the gateway to the Paradise district, a prosperous cattle and sheep section.

The mercantile houses carry a large and well assorted stock of standard quality. The citizens have recently finished an elaborate building that is given over entirely to dancing. It occupies one of the most prominent corners and would be a credit to any large city.

The town owns its own light plant, which furnishes light to the residents at a very low rate. The school system is of the very best. Two sectarian denominations of the Christian faith are represented; the Latter Day Saints and the Presbyterian.

The Allen Brothers Mercantile Company of Hyrum is a well stocked establishment located at the corner of Main and First East streets, in their own two-storv building, of about twenty-five hundred feet of iloor space.

It is one of the pioneer stores of that city, having been opened in October, 1881, bv Jos. S. Allen and Simeon F. Allen. At the end of the first year in business the concern had a stock valued at about thirteen hundred dollars. Today the line carried by this house would easily invoice fifteen thousand dollars. They carry a most complete stock of groceries, shoes, dry goods, notions, men's furnishings, crockery and kitchen ware. In the warehouse is to be found a line of modern farming machinery, buggies and plows.

Mr. Z. W. Israelson and Mr. A. A. Allen are the managers and proprietors. Both of these gentlemen are old residents of Hyrum and very ardent advocates for anything that is in the interest of that little city.

The Home Mercantile Company is owned and conducted by three of Hyrum's most progressive young business men. They are Mr. H. W. Oakes, president ; Mr. Chris Taylor, vice president and manager; Mr. John W. Jensen, secretary.

The establishment is located in one of the most prominent business corners of Hyrum, in its own large two-story building of 3,000 feet floor space. The stock and appointments indicate live, energetic management. It enjoys one of the largest businesses of that section of the valley. A most complete line of high grade groceries, dry goods, notions, men's furnishings, shoes, clothing, and everything so essential to the general mercantile line is always in stock.

The owners of this enterprising establishment are wide-awake business men, who have the interests of Cache Valley at heart, as is amply exemplified by the liberal patronage of any measure advanced for the community's interest.