Inland Crystal Salt Company
Inland Railway
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Overview
Inland Crystal Salt Company was located on the south shore of Great Salt Lake. They were adjacent to, and served by Salt Lake Garfield & Western. The company was organized in 1884 and incorporated in 1890; its officers were Salt Lake City businessmen, with one vice president representing the Kansas City investors. They were also the same people behind the Salt Lake & Los Angeles Railroad, which became the Salt Lake Garfield & Western in 1916.
The salt beds were about one-half mile east of the famous Saltair resort. The Inland salt refinery was located south of the Saltair resort. The kiln at the Saltair plant was reported as being the largest salt drying kiln in the West until the 1920s. Inland Crystal Salt also had smaller salt beds on the east shore just west of Syracuse (30 miles north of Salt Lake City), which took its name from the area in New York that mined underground salt.
In 1927, Morton Salt bought Inland Crystal Salt, and its Royal Crystal brand name. The (larger) location on the south shore remained in place until Kennecott expanded its tailing pile in the mid 1990s. In 1918, Morton Salt had developed salt beds and a plant at Burmester further west on the lake's south shore, served by WP, then by UP. It is still there, and very busy shipping products by both rail and by truck. There is also a large plant a bit further west at the station known as Timpie.
Inland Crystal Salt had their own private railroad that served the salt beds, called the Inland Railway. Incorporated in 1916 as a subsidiary of the salt company, and sold to Salt Lake & Garfield & Western in 1924 as a spur.
The salt plant of the Inland Crystal Salt company, built in 1908, was on the south leg of the wye track where the Salt Lake Garfield & Western served the Saltair resort, at a location called Saltair Junction, where the west end of the Inland Railway connected with SLG&W.
After the fire in 1927 that destroyed the Saltair plant, Inland Crystal Salt successor Royal Crystal Salt company (and its new Morton Salt parent company) announced that it would build a new plant that would be located east of the Saltair resort, and directly on the SLG&W railroad. The new salt plant was about 3.2 miles east of that same wye track, along the SLG&W mainline, at a location called Crystal Junction, where the east end of the Inland Railway connected with SLG&W.
A photo exists of a steam locomotive lettered for Inland Railway. This locomotive would have been used at the Saltair plant, switching the rail cars for loading at the plant, and along the tracks that were among the salt beds, providing access to loading salt into rail cars that were then moved to the processing plant where the salt was kiln-dried, then processed and bagged. The kiln at Saltair was reported as being the largest salt drying kiln in the West until the 1920s.
The following comes from Leonard Arrington's Great Basin Kingdom.
The manufacture of salt. While the attempts were being made to establish a local sugar industry, a similar effort was being made to manufacture salt and develop other industries along the shore of the Great Salt Lake. Since 1847 the Mormons had mined and refined salt along the shores of Salt Lake for use within the territory and for export to mines in Montana, Idaho, and Nevada. The first sustained efforts to manufacture salt on a large scale came in the 1880's when at least three important companies were organized for this purpose. The most important of these was a group of young Mormons, under the leadership of the church treasurer, James Jack, who acquired 1,000 acres of land along the shore, formed the Inland Salt Company, and installed a system of pumps to pump salt water into specially constructed beds for evaporation. The concern was incorporated for $100,000, of which $25,000 in stock was held by Jack, possibly in trust for the church. Whether or not any of the charter stock was held by the church, the First Presidency had associated itself with the enterprise by 1889. At that time, during an official inspection tour of the plant, the First Presidency was pleased to note that the company employed fifty men and was prepared to produce fifty tons of "pure fine salt," most of it destined for the livestock yards and packing houses in Omaha. In addition, the company made up a carload of loose salt for shipment to Montana mines. This company was sold for a reported $200,000 to a Midwest syndicate in April 1891, and was reincorporated as the Inland Crystal Salt Company. The latter company speeded up the expansion program and soon had 200 men at work on the grounds. Its production in 1892 was estimated at 250,000 tons, of which 50,000 tons consisted of refined "Royal Crystal" salt.
Timeline
November 22, 1887
"The new incorporations filed the week past were the Inland Salt Company, who will operate the beds formerly held by Jeremy & Co., on the west shore of the Lake, and propose to do their share of the salt business." (Salt Lake Herald, November 27, 1887; December 25, 1887)
April 14, 1888
"The Inland Salt Company are making extensive improvements on their property on the shore of the Great Salt Lake. A 125-horse power engine has lately been put in position, together with a boiler of suitable proportions. A 40x75 feet concrete warehouse, and a boiler and engine room 80x35 feet are now in course of construction. About thirty hands are employed. It is estimated that they will be able to pump water into their ponds by the beginning of next month. 'With favorable railway rates,' said one of the company yesterday, 'there is no reason why we should not dispose of at least 200,000 tons in a year." (Salt Lake Herald, April 14, 1888)
(James Jack was shown as company president for the company's first annual stockholders meeting on June 11, 1888.)
May 23, 1888
"A mammoth sign for the Inland Salt Company has just been turned out at the shop of Mr. Joshua Miogley. It is intended to be erected at Saltburg, on the Utah & Nevada, and directs attention to 'Saltair,' location of the Inland Salt Gardens." (Salt Lake Herald, May 23, 1888) (This is the first mention of the name "Saltair" in online newspapers.)
(This would have been at the junction known as Saltberg on the Utah & Nevada, where the U&N built a 2-1/2 mile spur to serve the new Inland Salt company at the new location known as Saltair. This was five years before the Saltair Beach Resort was built.)
September 21, 1888
"The spur to Saltair was completed last evening. Shipments of salt oyer the Utah & Nevada will soon commence. There is some talk of a grand ball being given at Saltair to celebrate the event." (Salt Lake Herald, September 22, 1888)
(Beginning in March 1889, there were daily ads throughout 1889 and 1890 for Inland Salt Co., "Ask For The Inland Salt, The Only Refined & Artificially Dried Salt Manufactured In Utah." The ads stopped in April 1890.)
May 21, 1889
"The Inland salt people have placed two centrifugal pumps out in the lake, about 2,500 feet from their mill. Heretofore the water has been carried as far as the mill in a canal and then pumped. Owing, however, to the fall in the waters of the lake, it has been necessary, this year, to take the above action in order to secure a proper supply of the briny fluid." (Salt Lake Herald, May 21, 1889)
August 29, 1889
"Arriving at the place, one's attention is first called to the immense area of ponds where the salt water is evaporated, producing the coarse, crystal salt. By means of a movable tramway this is carried from various points to the mill, where it is first roasted in a large, steam-heated cylinder, then ground and sacked as fine,table salt,containing at that time less than 1 per cent of impurities. Leaving the building the company were conducted over what was once tne water covered beach, but now nearly dry, to see the rotary pump in motion. This is capable of and really does lift 7,000 gallons of water every minute while running. The company have been obliged since the lake receded, to move this pump out some 2,600 feet, conveying power thereto by a half inch manilla rope. This is said to transmit to the pump 25-horse power from the 40-horse power engine employed in the works. Numerous elevators for conveying salt from various points about the buildings are seen on every hand. The water is conveyed from the pump in a large V shaped flume and thence distributed to the various sectional or sections of the pond. The company have a large force of hands constantly employed, and the engine and pump are run night and day. Manager Clayton says they can, with no great effort, produce a million tons of salt each year. They have an immense pile - a small mountain, in fact, of salt now piled up near the building, which is being ground for table salt." (Salt Lake Herald, August 29, 1889)
October 2, 1889
"The Inland Salt Company report they are pulling up 6000 tons of salt per month with twenty hands at work." (Salt Lake Tribune, October 2, 1889)
April 9, 1890
"The Inland Salt Company are putting in new machinery and plant, including a 75-horse power boiler, and sewer pipe to run water into the ponds from 200 yards out into the lake. The ponds themselves have been remodeled and improved, and the company expect to harvest 300,000 tons of salt this season." (Salt Lake Tribune, April 9, 1890)
December 31, 1890
"The Inland Salt Company has on hand 36,000 tons of salt sacked up at its works." (Salt Lake Tribune, December 31, 1890)
(The above figure equates to about 1,200 car loads, at 30 tons per car, or about 23 car loads per week. There were newspaper items in the 1889-1890 period stating that Inland Salt was shipping entire train loads on a daily basis.)
April 21, 1891
"The Inland Salt Deal. - The deal between Eastern capitalists and the Inland Salt Company was completed the other day as announced In The Tribune; but the details were only brought out yesterday afternoon. The purchasers are John and Adam Long, wholesale grocers of Kansas City, W. P. Clark, president of the Merchants' National Bank, and F. W. Meegan of Meegan & Harding, merchandise brokers of Kansas City. The amount paid is understood to have been $200,000. The new owners will double the capacity of the works, with the intention of making Saltair the great salt station of the intermountain country. F. W. Meegan is to reside here as local manager. He likes the town and Territory and is enthusiastic enough to believe it will be ahead of Denver in 1900." (Salt Lake Tribune, April 21, 1891)
July 2, 1891
Inland Crystal Salt Company was incorporated in Utah. Capitol stock was held by John Lang and W. B. Clarke of Kansas City (two blocks of 2600 shares each, or 52 percent) and by F. W. Meegan of Salt Lake City (one block of 2600 shares, or 26 percent).
(Salt Lake Herald, July 3, 1891, "yesterday") (F. W. Meegan was the manager of the salt works)
July 6, 1891
The property deed of the sale of Inland Salt company to the Inland Crystal Salt company was recorded. Wilford Woodruff was shown as president of the old company, with James Jack as vice president.
(Salt Lake Herald, July 7, 1891, "yesterday")
(In September 1892, James Jack and Nephi Clayton organized and incorporated the Inter-Mountain Salt Company, with James Jack deeding his property within Section 6 of Township 1 South, Range 2 West to the new company. This section was also where the Inland Salt evaporation ponds were located.)
January 1, 1892
During 1891, Inland Crystal Salt harvested 75,000 tons of salt, and shipped 44,000 tons. It had 60,000 tons of salt on hand at the end of the year. Inland was the largest shipper of salt in Utah territory and had shipped three-times as much salt as its nearest competitor. "The Inland Crystal Salt Company has 500 acres covered by evaporating ponds, these ponds being filled by pumps raising a million gallons of the saline waters in ten hours. These pumps are run six months of the year. This plant has a capacity of one to four hundred thousand tons of salt per year, according to the season. During the harvesting season 150 to 200 men are employed, and thirty men the remainder of the year. The great bulk of their salt, and in fact of the product of all the other salt farms, is sold, to the silver mills and for common uses; table and dairy salt is made by refining, drying, grinding and bolting. The latter salt will come into favor and a much wider use when its qualities are better known. The Inland Crystal Company have their plant at the south end of the lake, out near Garfield Beach." (Salt Lake Tribune, January 1, 1892)
October 12, 1895
The Inland Crystal Salt company was shown as being one of the three "heavy" producers of salt in the state, along with Inter-Mountain Salt and Syracuse Salt. Inland Crystal Salt had not harvested any salt for the previous four years, with its shipments being solely from the large piles that were acquired as part of the company's purcahse in 1891. (Salt Lake Herald, October 12, 1895)
March 18, 1898
The stockholders of the Inland Crystal Salt company approved at a special meeting changes in the company structure to allow more directors, as well as allowing manufacture of more products that contain salt, and the ability to enlarge its plant and acquire additional property. (Deseret News, March 18, 1898) (This was likely in response to the recent fire at the plant of the Inter-Mountain Salt company.)
April 22, 1898
The Inland Crystal Salt company leased the Deseret Salt Works for five years. (Davis County Clipper, April 22, 1898)
May 14, 1898
Inland Crystal Salt company "absorbed" the Intermountain Salt company "this week."
(Deseret Evening News, May 14, 1898)
(Inter-Mountain Salt had a fire that destroyed its salt plant on the Jordan River on March 2, 1898. Insurance did not cover all of the loss and apparently the company sold its salt evaporation ponds to Inland Crystal Salt.)
(This was the first of several mergers and buy-outs that continued through into early 1900, as Inland took control of a large portion of the salt industry surrounding the Great Salt Lake, as well as salt mines at Redmond in central Utah.)
January 1, 1899
"The salt situation has materially changed during the year. Early in the spring, the refinery of the Intermountain Salt company was destroyed by fire. This accident was followed by a
consolidation of this company with the Inland Crystal Salt company in May. The Intermountain Salt company had previously taken a lease on the plant of the Nebo Salt Manufacturing company of Nephi, Utah, and the result was the control of the refined salt Industry of Utah by the Inland Crystal Salt company. The combination has been marked by an advance in prices at such points in the territory covered as will admit of the increase, with a marked benefit to the investors in the industry." (Salt Lake Tribune, January 1, 1899)
May 6, 1899
"This movement toward consolidation was begun a year ago, when the Intermountain Salt company disposed of its interests to the Inland Crystal Salt company. That was the birth of the Salt Trust, although it was not so considered at the time. The Inland Crystal Salt company was incorporated at that time with a capital of $1,000,000. Since then the work of absorbing the independent plants has gone on. The Intermountain was followed by the Adams & Kiesel Salt company of Syracuse, Utah; the Lyman & Wallace plant near Farmington, formerly operated as the Deseret Salt company; the Mt. Nebo Salt Manufacturing company, Nephi, and H. S. Stowe's refinery in this city. This gives the trust control of every active plant in Utah that is considered a factor in the production of salt." (Salt Lake Herald, May 6, 1899)
January 7, 1900
"N. W. Clayton of the Inland Crystal Salt company estimates that there was harvested last year on their ponds fully 25,000 tons of coarse salt. The market is fair to middling only, he says, although producers have little or no good ground for complaint." (Salt Lake Tribune, January 7, 1900)
February 1900
The Syracuse salt works formerly operated by Adams & Kiesel was sold to Inland Crystal Salt Company, with later research showing it as an anti-competive move to remove competition to Inland's salt works at Garfield.
(The Adams & Kiesel Salt works at Syracuse was regularly second place to Inland Crystal Salt throughout the 1890s in salt production from Great Salt Lake.)
February 4, 1900
The following excerpts come from the February 4, 1900 issue of the Salt Lake Tribune.
Salt Land Purchases - Inland Crystal Salt Company - Gobbling Everything - Will Soon Own It All - The Company's Purchases Extend from Nephi to Promontory, and it will Soon be In a Condition to Practically Shut Out All Competition - Offers for School Lands
There has been but little stir made about it, but the fact remains that the Inland Crystal Salt company has acquired almost every piece of ground that is capable of being used for production of salt from Nephi on the south, to Promontory on the north. Three years ago the "salt trust," it was then called, commenced to lease or buy every salt proposition in sight.
The first onslaught was at the salt springs near Nephi, where it is possible, so judges say, to produce better table salt than can be made from the water of the Great Salt Lake. Then came the buying out of the big works near Saltair, Jeremy & Co., Adams & Kiesel at Syracuse, the works near Brigham City, those near Corinne, and the absorption of all the railroad lands along the shore of the lake.
Not only has it acquired lands that are available for salt purposes, it is said, but it has amassed others besides in order that land lying remote from the lake that which could be used to manufacture salt, might be shut off from all communication with the lake.
Outside of the Saginaw salt works, which are situated on 160 acres of school lands and a quarter section near the mouth of the Jordan river, it is said the salt trust is absolutely secure in their holdings, either by lease or by purchase."
The State Land Board has "been offered for certain school lands twice what it was ever expected they would bring. That the salt people want them in order to increase their output is not for one moment believed by those who are in a position to know; it is merely in furtherance of the scheme to control the entire output of the state."
July 15, 1927
The entire salt plant at Saltair burned on the morning of July 15, 1927, causing $250,000 in damage and destroying the entire three-story plant. The plant had been in continuous operation since it was built in 1908.
(Salt Lake Telegram, July 15, 1927; Salt Lake Tribune, July 16, 1927)
(The fire also destroyed all of the company's financial and business records.)
September 23, 1927
Royal Crystal Salt company was incorporated to take over the assets of the former Inland Crystal Salt company. (Salt Lake Telegram, September 25, 1927; Salt Lake Mining Review, September 30, 1927)
(Royal Crystal Salt was the brand name Inland Crystal Salt used for many of its salt products, including its refined table salt.)
November 20, 1927
Inland Crystal Salt company sold all of Section 6 of T1S-R2W to Morton Salt company. Section 6 consisted almost entirely of the Inland company's salt evaporation ponds south of the SLG&W tracks. (Salt Lake Tribune, November 20, 1927)
May 3, 1928
The following comes from the May 3, 1928 issue of the Salt Lake Tribune.
Salt Factory To Be Rebuilt - After studying the latest salt manufacturing methods since the destruction by fire of their old plant last July, the Royal Crystal Salt company has now completed plans for rebuilding and will start work immediately on a factory to cost in excess of $500,000, it was announced Wednesday by I. A. Clayton. Jr., vice president and general manager of the company.
The new plant will be built three miles east of the old site, immediately adjoining the company's salt ponds, and will have a greater capacity than the one burned. The building will be five stories in height, constructed of steel and pressed asbestos board. It will be as nearly fireproof as possible, according to Mr. Clayton. All departments will be under one roof.
Between fifty and sixty people will be employed, making it the largest salt factory in the state, a unit in one of Utah's most important industries.
Mr. Clayton points out that there have been many improvements in the manufacture of the different grades of salt and that the new plant will embody them all. The construction will be in charge of G. M. Stratton, plant manager.
Mr. Clayton says that the foundations of the plant can be laid without delay and the railroad service tracks built. The plant will be served by the Salt Lake, Garfield & Western railroad. The product will be distributed throughout the eleven western states.
The Royal' Crystal Salt company was organised as the successor to the Inland Crystal Salt company, founded in 1889, to utilize part of Utah's great salt resources. The plant destroyed was built in 1908.
June 11, 1928
The following comes from the June 12, 1928 issue of the Salt Lake Tribune.
Salt Company Begins Work On Saltair Plant - Structure to Replace Factory Destroyed by Fire Will Cost $500,000. - Works, When Finished About End of Year, Will Employ 50 Men. - Start on construction of the new plant of the Inland Crystal Salt company at Saltair, which will cost more than $500,000, was announced Saturday [June 11]. The new building will take the place of the old salt factory which was destroyed by fire July 15, 1927. The site chosen is about twelve miles from Salt Lake, adjacent to the tracks of the Saltair railway and immediately east of the company's evaporation ponds, connecting with Great Salt lake.
Isaac A. Clayton, Jr., stated Saturday that the new plant probably would be completed toward the end of the year. Plans for the structures under way were drawn by George E. Stratton, engineer in charge of construction and plant superintendent. Three contracts for the work have been signed.
Contract Awarded To Various Firms. - Henry E. Schraven will make the excavation and build the foundations. The Frank M. Allen company has the contract for the steel. It was said that this contract is the largest ever awarded to a Salt Lake fabricating concern. The covering material which will go over the steel framework will be supplied by Johns-Manville, Inc., of Utah. This material will be pressed asbestos and cement and Is expected to reduce to minimum the depreciating effect on plant materials of salt corrosion.
When the new buildings are finished, the interior work will be done under the direction of officers of the Inland Crystal Salt company. Considerable progress has been made, indicating that the plant may be ready earlier than had been expected.
Main Building In Group Will Be 200 Feet Long. - The main building in the group will be 200 feet long and about 100 feet wide, and will be so arranged as to assure the maximum amount of light throughout the 20,000 square feet of floor space.
The plant, it is said, will embrace everything that the Claytons have learned about salt making in the thirty-eight years they have been engaged in this Industry here.
The business was founded in 1889 by N. W. Clayton and Isaac A. Clayton, Sr.
In addition to erecting the new group of buildings, the Inland Crystal Salt company will build about five miles of their own railroad track which will be needed in the extensive operations planned.
When the factory is in operation it will furnish employment for about fifty men. Many of the workmen now in the service of the company not only have been employed for a long time, but are sons of men who have worked for years at the factory.
January 25, 1949
The salt plant of the Royal Crystal Salt company was destroyed by fire. The plant was located three miles east of the Saltair resort. (Ogden Standard Examiner, January 27, 1949)
November 20, 1949
The Royal Crystal Salt company was shown as being a subsidiary of Morton Salt company. (Provo Daily Herald, November 20, 1949)
(Read more about Royal Crystal Salt as a subsidiary of Morton Salt Company in Utah)
Inland Railway
March 27, 1916
The following comes from the ICC report in 1923, for a request to participate in interstate commerce (78 ICC 59):
The Inland Railway was incorporated on March 27, 1916, under the laws of the State of Utah. Shortly thereafter it acquired the railway trackage, right of way, rolling stock, and other railway property of the salt company, the consideration being $50,000.
The majority of the total number of shares of both kinds are held in the name of Heber J. Grant, trustee, in trust for the beneficial interest of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The Inland Railway owned and operated, according to its annual report for the year ended December 31, 1919, 3.06 miles of single or main track and 2.14 miles of yard track and sidings. The tracks are laid with 60-pound rails, and are said to be in such condition as to permit the operation of standard equipment and locomotives. It owned one locomotive, 22 box cars of 40,000 pounds capacity, and 6 gondola cars of 60,000 pounds capacity. These cars never leave the rails of the Inland and are used exclusively in carrying salt from the harvesting ponds to the refinery. It has no mail, express, or passenger business and does not handle less-than-carload shipments. Such shipments consigned to the salt company are unloaded from cars of the Garfield at Saltair Junction. The Inland serves no shippers other than the salt company. Its entire outbound traffic consists of salt shipped by the salt company and its inbound traffic of coal, machinery, and supplies consigned to the salt company.
Of the 7,500 shares of stock of the Salt Lake, Garfield & Western all but four are held by Joseph Nelson, its president and general manager, and the Saltair Beach Company. Of the 4,150 shares of the Saltair Beach Company, Nelson holds all but 36 shares. The shares of both companies held by Nelson are deposited with the Zion's Savings Bank & Trust Company as collateral for loans made to the Garfield. A large part of the stock of the bank is held in trust for the church.
June 18, 1918
The Inland Railway made its annual report to the Utah Public Utilities Commission, reporting that it had one locomotive, 22 box cars and four flat cars. The engine traveled 5,361 miles during the year, hauling a total of 54,143 tons of revenue freight. Operating revenue was $26,723.35, while operating expense was $16,373.06. (Salt Lake Herald Republican, June 18, 1918)
April 9, 1920
The Inland Railway made its annual report to the Utah Public Utilities Commission, reporting that it had one locomotive, 26 cars. Total revenue freight was 45,415 tons. Total operating revenue was $22,226.44. Total operating expense was 24,622.98. Total operating mileage was 5.20 miles, including side tracks. (Salt Lake Herald Republican, April 9, 1920)
(no date)
SL,G&W and the Inland Railway received Utah PSC approval to increase rates. "Inland Railway little more than an industry track, operated to facilitate the movement of salt to the market, no outlet, but merely connects the industries it serves with the SL,G&W." Balance sheet for the Inland Railway shows $6,840.00 investment in steam locomotives and $10,000.00 in capital stock. (Public Service Commission of Utah, Case 135)
March 5, 1923
The federal Interstate Commerce Commission found that the connecting Inland Railway was not a common carrier for the purposes of interstate commerce, but was instead a plant facility of the salt company. The Inland Railway was fully controlled by stock ownership by the Inland Crystal Salt company since its incorporation in 1916. (ICC Finance Docket 11362; Submitted February 17, 1923; Decided March 5, 1923; reported in 78 ICC 59)
The ICC printed report provides extensive review of the history and operations of Inland Railway, the Inland Crystal Salt company, and the connecting Salt Lake, Garfield & Western railway, along with summary of the salt business served by SLG&W.
(Read the ICC report concerning the Inland Railway; PDF; 8 pages, including map; 4.1MB)
September 26, 1924
All of the assets and property of the Inland Railway were transferred to its parent company, Inland Crystal Salt Company. Both companies were fully owned and controlled by the LDS church. The Utah Public Utilities Commission was asked for permission for the sale and transfer, but stated that it did not have jurisdiction over plant facilities. Then in October, the company asked the District Court for permission to dissolve its corporation, having sold all of its assets. (Salt Lake Tribune, September 26, 1924; October 24, 1924)
Locomotives and Equipment
Records of the Baldwin Locomotive Works show that Inland Railway owned a Baldwin 0-6-0ST saddle-tank locomotive, Inland Railway No. 2, Baldwin serial 42167, built in June 1915. It was Baldwin class 6-26D-106; 44-inch drivers, 16x24 cylinders, and 98,000 pounds operating weight. (Information courtesy of Joseph Strapac, email dated November 14, 2014)
Map
(View a map of the Inland Railway in 1923)
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