Buses In Utah

It took a while, but I unearthed my notes on Salt Lake City Sightseeing.

Among them were the following items:

-- A number of photos of Utah Motor Tours buses downloaded from the Marriott Library digital collections, mostly White conventionals of several eras.

-- A news item from Bus Transportation September 1934 about the start of the Utah Transportation Co. to compete with the Salt Lake Transportation Co.

-- A 1940-41 list of members of the American Tourways Association which then included Utah Motor Tours as well as the Chicago Sight-Seeing Co., Colburn Motor Tours of Colorado Springs, Mac's Auto Tours of LA and several others.

-- Utah Motor Tours brochures from several eras which in addition to sightseeing also noted the availability of private cars for hire, Checker taxi service and baggage transfers as well as private guide service and a storage garage. The address given was Utah Transportation Co., 50 West South Temple, and the manager was Lyle B. Nicholes.

-- Several photos and postcards which included a Kenworth (40), four Gilligs (63,65, 67 and 68 can be discerned), a standard Aerocoach (72)

-- A downloaded 1946 photo of 15 Utah Transportation Co. buses in front of the State Capitol. The array includes the Kenworth and the four Gilligs along with at least two buses with United bodies, two conventional Whites including 34 and two Chevrolet conventionals. The photo is credited to Shipler Commercial Photographers.

-- Reported in Bus Transportation July-August 1937 was delivery of two White 706's — the photo of 34 is a good bet to be one of these.

-- Upon further review, 40 appears to be an older Gillig, not a Kenworth.

-- A Utah Transportation Co. ad features a photo of a Packard ambulance; call 2737 for service.

-- A separate note indicates that another part of the enterprise was the Hill Field Bus Co.

-- An advertising card (undated, but perhaps the 1950's?) shows what appears to be a glass-top Aerocoach, lists the address as 59 West South Temple, the phone number as 4-8438, advertises membership in the American Sightseeing Association and lists the Alta-Brighton Bus Line; Lyle B. Nicholes is president and general manager.

By the way, Aerocoaches weren't particularly rare in their day — at lest 3,000 were turned out between 1934 and 1952.

Overland Greyhound Bus Station Ceremonies Set

Salt Lake City's newest transportation facility, the new bus travel center at South Temple and West Temple Streets, will be formally opened for public inspection Saturday, Jan. 15, from 11 a m. to 8 p.m., it was announced by R. E Shalamter, district manager of the Overland Greyhound Line.

The new bus terminal, one of the most ultra modern in the West, represents a $400,000 improvement, including purchase a the old interurban terminal building from the Bomberger Railroad Company and a complete remodeling program. Russell J. Walsh. Omaha, president of the Overland Greyhound Lines, a Union Pacific subsidiary, will formally present the new travel center at 2:15 p.m. to Mayor Earl J. Glade. Other participants will include Pres. George Albert Smith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; W. P Dunn, president of the Chamber of Commerce, and Gus P. Backman, executive secretary of the Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to the Overland Greyhound Lines, owner and operator of the terminal, the travel center will be used by the Pacific Greyhound Lines, the Bamberger Railroad Company, Salt Lake-Tooele Stages, Gray Line Motor Tours, Lewis Brothers Stages, Santa Fe Trailways, and Salt Lake-Coalville Stage Line.

Schedules of these companies provide 100 arrivals and 100 departures every day with an estimated annual passenger arrival or departure of between 750,000 and 1,000,000 persons. Overland Greyhound Lines serve 17 western states from Chicago westward through Salt Lake City to Los Angeles and to the Pacific Northwest at Portland, while the Pacific Greyhound Lines serve the territory westward from Salt Lake City to San Francisco sad the Pacific coast.

The remodeling program and new construction has been completed by the Jacobsen Construction Company, and Ashton, Evans and Brazier were the architects. The entire building has been completely modernized both exterior and interior. The building has a frontage of 184 feet on South Temple Street and 178 feet on West Temple Street, with adjacent property extending 330 feet on South Temple Street, or half a city block, and 197 feet on West Temple Street, including trackage for right-of-way to First West Street.

The terminal which is diagonally across the street from Temple Square, the mecca for millions of visitors, occupies the site of the home of Wilford Woodruff, a former president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was built in the late fifties or early sixties and was later remodeled into the Valley House, a pioneer hostelry of historic interest. The Valley House was torn down in 1916 and the site was used by the Bamberger Railroad Company as depot facilities until the construction of the present building in 1923.

The Overland Greyhound Lines officers to attend the formal opening and open house in addition to Mr. Walsh, president, will Include G .E. Motz, general manager, and R. J. O'Connor, general traffic manager, both of Omaha. During the open house flowers will be presented to women visitors and brochures describing the building will also be presented.

In addition to the bus traneportation lines the building will be occupied by a number of business firms including the Bigelow Sandford Carpet Company, Bamberger Railroad Company's executive, traffic and operating office, the Cedar Richfield and Wyoming Distributing Company, Herman and Tannenbaum, Associated Specialties Company, Deseret Livestock Company, F. N. Ellis, contractor, and W. W. Gardner, contractor. The medical center of the Union Pacific Railroad Employes Hospital Association has also been established on the second floor for the exclusive service of Union Pacific and Overland Greyhound employes.

The main floor space will be occupied by the Greyhound Post House, national restaurant chain which will operate the terminal restaurant, seating 100 at counter, tables and booths. Other main floor businesses will include the O. W. Memmott barber shop, the Interurban Drug Company, and a news stand. The basement is occupied by the Gottschall Printing Company with warehouse space leased to a Salt Lake City newspaper.