UtahRails.net

UtahRails.net

San Pete Valley Railway, 1890-1908

This page was last updated on August 14, 2026.

(Return to Utah Railroads Index Page)

Overview

The San Pete Valley Railway was a narrow-gauge railroad organized in 1874, but not put into operation until May 1882. The delays were mostly due to limited funds. It was built as three-foot narrow gauge, but was converted to standard gauge in 1896. The railroad was owned by a group of English investors, who also owned the nearby coal mines and stone quarries.

In 1907, the road's owners sold their interests the Rio Grande Western Railway, and in 1908, San Pete Valley Railway was included in the consolidation of companies in Utah and Colorado that, along with RGW, created the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. The line became D&RG's San Pete Valley Branch, and remained in operation until the portion in Salt Creek Canyon, between Nephi and Moroni, was abandoned and removed in 1947-1948. The portion in and near Moroni remained in place as part of D&RGW's Marysvale Branch, until the Marysvale Branch was abandoned due to the Thistle Flood in 1983.

(Read more about the general history of the San Pete Valley Railroads)

(Note: Two spellings are used here: San Pete and Sanpete. San Pete is the name of the railroad and the valley. Sanpete is the name of the county and the general region. see below)

(This narrative does not cover the D&RGW Marysvale Branch, from Thistle, south to Marysvale, which was completed in stages between 1890 and 1900. The two lines paralleled each other between Ephraim and Manti, a distance of seven miles.)

(Read more about the D&RGW Marysvale Branch)

(Read the timeline of the San Pete Valley Railway in the period 1874 to 1890)

Union Pacific Interest in San Pete Valley Railway

(1890-1891)

In 1890 Union Pacific became interested in the San Pete Valley Railway, mostly to block the efforts of rival roads in their efforts to expand to California, and to block Rio Grande Western's expansion into the region. The Rio Grande Western line south from Thistle was completed to Ephraim in December 1890; to Manti in May 1891; and to Salina in July 1891. Union Pacific's interest was based on their efforts to protect their interests in and around Salt Lake City, and to block the expansion of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe by connecting with the Rio Grande Western, through western Colorado and central Utah toward California.

According to Maury Klein, in his book "Union Pacific, The Birth of a Railroad," pages 594 and 595, Union Pacific took an option on the San Pete Valley Railway to give it a line that could be built into California. (Klein, pp. 594, 595)

April 1890
In April of 1890 the U.P. took over the San Pete Valley Railroad. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, January 1, 1891)

April 8, 1890
Union Pacific obtained an option to purchase the San Pete Valley Railway for $5,000.00. The money was also to be used towards Bruback's asking price of $225,000.00. The option took effect on July 14. (Salt Lake Evening Times, July 15, 1890)

April 14, 1890
"Sanpete Valley Sale -- The purchase of Sanpete Valley Railway by Union Pacific is understood to mean an early extension of the railroad to Manti, and possible further. The price paid is stated to be $120,000." (Deseret News, April 14, 1890)

April 18, 1890
"S.P.V.R.R. SOLD -- The Union Pacific Co. being the Purchasers -- It will be Extended" -- "...the bargain was completed last week, when the first installment was paid over,..." "The price is stated to be $120,000.00." (Manti Home Sentinel, April 18, 1890)

May 30, 1890
H. S. Kerr tells paper that the Union Pacific will take possession of San Pete Valley on June 1, 1890. (Manti Home Sentinel, May 30, 1890)

June 20, 1890
The San Pete Valley to go into UP hands. (Manti Home Sentinel, June 20, 1890)

July 11, 1890
"The transfer of the S P V Railway was made last Tuesday. We may now expect to hear of the extension of the road at some time in the near future." (Manti Home Sentinel, July 11, 1890)

July 14, 1890
Union Pacific took possession of San Pete Valley Railway. (Salt Lake Evening Times, July 15, 1890, "ownership transferred yesterday")

July 14, 1890
"Ownership of the San Pete Valley transferred to the Union Pacific yesterday." (Salt Lake Journal of Commerce, Volume 4, Number 1, July 15, 1890)

Charles Francis Adams, the president of Union Pacific who had been behind the option to buy the San Pete Valley company, retired in November 1890.

On July 16, 1891, an agreement was signed by both Sidney Dillon, president of the Union Pacific, and Bruback, for the San Pete Valley, stating that Bruback would turn over to the UP all stock in the San Pete Valley as soon as he was able to make his company free from all debt. Apparently Bruback was never able to gain full control of the San Pete Valley and the deal fell through. Also, by late 1892, Union Pacific was fully involved in protecting itself from its own bankruptcy.

By March 1898 when Union Pacific was itself coming out of bankruptcy, and as the accountants finished going over all of the company's financial records, they came across the $5,000.00 that had been paid to Bruback. They made comment about the money in their report saying, "Amount paid April 8, 1890 for option and toward the purchase of the San Pete Valley Railway property, which option seems not to have been exercised."

March 6, 1898
In the account books of the Utah & Northern foreclosure of the road's First Mortgage, Volume 2, on page 349, George Pitchard found the following reference: "San Pete Valley Rwy. Co. (Theodore Bruback) - $5,000.00" "Amount paid April 8, 1890, for option and toward the purchase of the San Pete Valley Railway property, which option seems not to have been exercised." The account entry was dated March 26, 1898, being the final report of the receivers.

San Pete Valley Railway, After 1891

The San Pete Valley Railway shut down its line each year for the winter season, in about December of every year. Each April the road would be reopened for service.

January 11, 1893
"A San Pete Raise." "Since the San Pete railroad went into winter quarters, ... the Rio Grande Western has taken advantage of the situation and slapped-up rates several notches. ...President Bruback ... is now in London trying to negotiate for money to operate and extend the line,..." (Salt Lake Daily Herald, January 11, 1893)

March 22, 1893
The Wales coal mine, opened in 1855, was still shipping coal, although it was very a primitive operation still using natural ventilation. There were four men working, and the mine shipped 700 tons during 1892. (Salt Lake Herald, March 22, 1893)

March 26, 1893
"Rumbles of the Railroads." "Temporary operations on the San Pete Valley Railroad will be resumed April 1st,... The rolling stock of the road has been lying idle in the shops at Moroni since the first of the year. ...Parry, Watson and several other old employees ... will operate the trains." (ed. note: At the time, the San Pete Valley road shut down every year from December to April.) (Pitchard, Salt Lake Daily Tribune, March 26, 1893)

Early April 1893
The San Pete Valley started an expansion program, after "opening up" the road on April 1; shut down for the winter since December 1892. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, April 12, 1893)

April 12, 1893
The San Pete Valley railway, closed down in December of 1892, reopened about April 1st, primarily for conference traffic, and will continue running for the foreseeable future. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, April 12, 1893)

May 2, 1893
Central Pacific Coal and Coke Company was sold to Charles Morrison, who would also purchase the San Pete Valley Railway. The coal company owned 2,000 acres of land in Utah, and owed $40,000 in Utah ($25,000 to Bruback, the manager), and $60,000 in England. The railway company had never paid its own expenses, and to satisfy the English courts, Morrison and Bruback were to raise the funds needed to pay off the debt in Utah and in England, and extend the road to Manti, the only method available for the road to survive. By February 1897, Sanpete County itself had taken ownership of the coal lands formerly owned by the coal company, with H. S. Kerr asking for a rebate of the taxes he had paid for the coal company, and which was by then owned by the county. (Salt Lake Herald, January 4, 1894; Ephraim Enterprise, February 3, 1897)

May 28, 1893
The following comes from the May 28, 1893 issue of the Salt Lake Herald newspaper.

June 3, 1893
Bruback says he has paid off every dollar of the San Pete Valley's debts since his return from London. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, June 3, 1893)

June 23, 1893
"The Union Pacific sent down a narrow gauge engine to Nephi yesterday for use on the San Pete Valley branch." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, June 23, 1893)

July 8, 1893
At the annual meeting to be held "today" at Nephi, the proposition of extending the road from Moroni to Manti was to be voted on. (Salt Lake Herald, July 8, 1893)

This was the first annual meeting of the reorganized San Pete Valley Railway, with Charles Morrison as principle owner and director.

August 14, 1893
"One of the San Pete Valley engines was turned out of the Union Pacific shops yesterday, having been entirely overhauled and repaired. It was tried on the Garfield run and proved satisfactory to Master Mechanic Patterson." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, August 14, 1893)

August 30, 1893
Work on extending the San Pete Valley company to Manti was under way, and was to be completed by September 15th. (Salt Lake Herald, August 30, 1893, quoting the Manti Sentinel)

September 5, 1893
Big celebration in Ephraim on September 5th to welcome the San Pete Valley to town. Theodore Bruback is the president and general manager. Regular trains are now running and expect to be in Manti in two weeks. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, September 6, 1893)

September 9, 1893
Union Pacific and San Pete Valley versus the Rio Grande Western in Ephraim, regarding the San Pete Valley company's expansion south from Moroni to Ephraim. Officers of the two roads, Clinton and Kerr of the San Pete Valley and Eccles of the UP, were "huddled" in Manti. (Manti Home Sentinel, September 9, 1893)

(Between Ephraim and Manti, the two railroads were very close, at times parallel, with San Pete Valley line being west of the Rio Grande Western line.)

September 13, 1893
San Pete Valley Timetable No. 11 effective Monday September 11, 1893. Two daily trains, one freight (in am) and one passenger (in pm), with timing so arranged that one engine could do it all. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, September 13, 1893)

September 13, 1893
The RGW does not want the San Pete Valley to get to Manti. San Pete Valley right-of-way is to the west of RGW all the way to Manti, so the RGW built a spur at Ephraim across the San Pete Valley route, and parked several empty boxcars thereupon, with a loco standing by. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, September 13, 1893)

September 17, 1893
The new timetable shows trains connecting with Utah Central at Nephi (which left Salt Lake City at 8:00 a.m.), leaving Nephi at 3:30 p.m. and arriving at Ephraim at 5:50 p.m. Trains leaving Ephraim departing at 12:40 p.m. and arriving at Nephi at 2:50 p.m., with a Salt Lake City arrival via Utah Central at 6:10 p.m. (Salt Lake Herald, September 17, 1893)

November 2, 1893
The San Pete Valley is negotiating for more cars and locomotives. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, November 2, 1893)

November 3, 1893
Dallas & Hedges, architects, have drawn up plans for the new San Pete Valley depots at Ephraim and Manti, which are about to be built. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, November 3, 1893)

November 3, 1893
Rails for 10 miles of track are en route, and "Some new locomotives and passenger coaches are being purchased..." (Manti Messenger, November 3, 1893)

November 11, 1893
Eighteen cars of rails for the San Pete Valley have arrived from the Carnegie works, Pittsburgh, and were sent on to Ephraim yesterday. The grade to Manti completed, and ties nearly all laid. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, November 11, 1893)

November 17, 1893
H. S. Kerr, of S.P.V., is in Manti arranging for depot grounds, and so forth; rail has arrived at Ephraim, and will likely have track into Manti by December 1st. The rail came by way of Nephi, about 20 cars in all. (Manti Messenger, November 17, 1893)

November 22, 1893
No. 1 runs Nephi to Ephraim; No. 2 runs the other way, naturally enough. (Ephraim Enterprise, November 22, 1893)

November 22, 1893
New depot at Ephraim, San Pete Valley, is nearly done, and then the crews will go to Manti and build the one there. (Ephraim Enterprise, November 22, 1893)

November 24, 1893
Plans for the depot at Manti are done, and the building will start soon; there are about 80 men at work on the extension to Manti. (Manti Messenger, November 24, 1893)

November 28, 1893
San Pete Valley to be completed to Manti today. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, November 28, 1893)

(About a half-mile north of Manti, the San Pete Valley narrow gauge line crossed the Rio Grande Western standard gauge line.)

November 29, 1893
The San Pete Valley Railroad arrived in Manti on Wednesday November 29, 1893; at 4:00 pm the first passenger train arrived, with conductor Charles Abbott in charge; San Pete Valley president Theo Bruback, V.P. James Clinton, secretary R. L. Scannell, director George Cullins and many others on board. The depot will be completed in a few days, and the water tank, sidings, and such, are being built now. (Manti Messenger, December 1, 1893; Salt Lake Daily Tribune, December 2, 1893)

December 15, 1893
Pacific Express opened an office in Manti. (Manti Messenger, December 15, 1893)

In January 1894 the expansion of the San Pete Valley continued when the road issued $75,000 in bonds (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, January 9, 1894) and bought a new (narrow gauge) locomotive, which was received at Nephi on January 18th. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, January 19, 1894)

Also in January 1894, the little road was feeling the pinch of being left out in the cold, financially. With the bankruptcy and receivership of the Union Pacific in October 1893, the UP lost its interest in the little narrow gauge line, having never exercised the purchase option from 1890. The local press reported in mid January 1894 that the Union Pacific and the Rio Grande Western "are in league with each other to freeze out the SPV".

January 1, 1894
The San Pete Valley added 17 miles in 1893, Chester to Manti. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, January 1, 1894)

January 9, 1894
The San Pete Valley has issued $75,000 in $1,000 bonds. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, January 9, 1894)

January 9, 1894
Bruback speaking at a meeting in Manti on the evening of January 9th: He has recently purchased a locomotive, a passenger coach, ten box cars, six stock cars and four flat cars. (Ephraim Enterprise, January 10, 1894; Salt Lake Daily Tribune, January 11, 1894; Manti Messenger, January 12, 1894)

January 16, 1894
R. L. Scannell, Secretary of San Pete Valley, in an interview in Salt Lake City: The narrow gauge engine was purchased for cash. It was tested in Salt Lake City on January 15th, and was to go down to Nephi on January 16th via the Union Pacific. The San Pete Valley also purchased a combination coach and 10 boxcars, which have all been paid for. At present, Union Pacific and Rio Grande Western are in league with each other in trying to freeze out the San Pete Valley, so all freight and passengers on the San Pete Valley, going between Manti, Ephraim and Nephi, are carried free. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, January 16, 1894)

January 19, 1894
The new San Pete Valley engine went down yesterday - will be used at once. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, January 19, 1894)

January 26, 1894
Letter from Manti, dated 25th, notes in passing that the new equipment is being painted and lettered. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, January 26, 1894)

January 26, 1894
"The San Pete Valley railway is now fitted up with new and complete rolling stock. The new engine and combination coach make a fine appearance as they glide over the little road with their loads of passengers." (Manti Messenger, January 26, 1894)

January 26, 1894
Timetable No. 12, effective December 14, 1893, shows service to Manti. (Manti Messenger, January 26, 1894)

January 28, 1894
"Railway Notes." "The Sanpete Valley Railway company have lately received a new engine, a new passenger coach, ten new freight cars and a number of cattle cars.-Ephraim Enterprise." (Salt Lake Daily Herald, January 28, 1894)

February 18, 1894
A new timetable for San Pete Valley Railway, with connections to Utah Central at Nephi (Salt Lake Herald, February 15, 1894):

April 20, 1894
C. V. Clinton resigns as agent of San Pete Valley at Manti and goes to U.P. at Juab; Owen Taylor takes the Manti job. (Manti Messenger, April 20, 1894)

May 1894
The San Pete Valley was reorganized with new owners, with Thomas Bruback still General Manager and Superintendent, and amended its articles of incorporation to show Salt Lake City as its northern terminus and a point on the Utah-Nevada line in Washington County as its southern terminus, with a three mile branchline from Sterling, Utah, up Six Mile Canyon to the coal lands of the Sterling Coal and Coke Company.

Morrison, the settlement that grew up at the coal mine in Six Mile Canyon, was named for Charles Morrison, the majority shareholder in both the railroad and the coal mining company, who was living in Great Britain.

May 25, 1894
"President Bruback, of the Sanpete Valley railroad, and a corps of engineers, arrived at Manti on Tuesday (May 22nd), and are at work surveying the proposed route to the (Morrison) coal mines." (Salt Lake Herald, May 25, 1894)

July 29, 1894
San Pete Valley -- contracts let for extension to Morrison -- Henry Beal of Ephraim to do grading, and ties for the eight mile line, 25,000 of them, are contracted for. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, July 29, 1894)

August 1894
The construction of the branch to Morrison was the only extension that the San Pete Valley would be able to complete. Construction was begun in August 1894.

August 31, 1894
Grading on the S.P.V. -- contract to expire on Sept 15th. Tracklaying to begin soon on line to Morrison; complete by October 1, 1894. (Manti Messenger, August 31, 1894)

September 7, 1894
From Timetable No. 13, effective February 18, 1894. (Manti Messenger, September 7, 1894):

September 16, 1894
The following comes from the September 16, 1894 issue of the Salt Lake Herald newspaper.

October 19, 1894
Robert L. Scannell, secretary of the San Pete Valley, while on a business trip to London with Bruback on railroad matters, died in London on the 6th of October, and was buried there. (Manti Messenger, October 19, 1894)

November 2, 1894
Five miles of the track to Morrison is laid, and now awaiting more rail. (Manti Messenger, November 2, 1894)

November 2, 1894
The last rail on the San Pete Valley road's extension to Morrison was laid. San Pete Valley completed their line to the Sterling coal mines at Morrison on November 2, 1894. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, November 3, 1894, "yesterday")

November 7, 1894
First passenger train over new line to Morrison. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, November 8, 1894, "yesterday")

November 7, 1894
The first official train was operated into Morrison on November 7, 1894. The plan of building the line from Salt Lake City south to the Arizona border never came to anything.

November 9, 1894
Line to Morrison is completed; the first train was on the 7th; there are at least two locomotives in operation at this time. Walter Stringham took photos of "The first train over the San Pete Valley to Morrison", one on bridge over Six Mile Creek, another in the canyon, and others. (Manti Messenger, November 9, 1894)

November 11, 1894
"In Railway Circles. Initial Trip Over The New San Pete Valley Branch. From Morrison to Moroni there is little grade and few fills, so they did not have to bother with that portion of the line. But from Moroni to Fountain Green there are fills and cuts which will require estimates. From Moroni to Morrison every third tie is standard gauge, thus making it an easy task to widen out." "Chester, Nov. 9. The writer was among those who responded to the invitation of the Sanpete Valley railway to run the initial trip on their extension to Morrison, the coal mines of the company. Starting from Manti at 3 p.m., the train traversed five miles of the main line destined to be extended south to the coast. At this point it took the spur of three miles to Morrison. At 5 p. m. the whistle blew and the train moved over a most excellent roadbed supervised by Henry Beal, Esq., of Ephraim, at the rate of forty miles an hour to Manti." (Salt Lake Herald, November 11, 1894)

Timetable No. 15 in effect August 11, 1895.

January 1, 1895
San Pete Valley -- 25 miles of track laid in 1893 and 1894, most of it, according to the paper, on standard gauge ties; S. T. Pearson is now the secretary, to replace R. L. Scannell, who died in London in October 1894. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, January 1, 1895)

October 1, 1895
"The Union Pacific sends down another narrow gauge passenger coach on No. 1 this morning for use on the conference specials an the San Pete Valley, which start today." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, October 1, 1895)

Timetable No. 16 in effect November 17, 1895.

Bruback had made at least two trips to London during 1895, conferring with the owners of the railroad and the coal mine concerning the prospects of both companies, especially the extension of the railroad as a broad gauge line north from Nephi to Salt Lake City, and south from Morrison to Monroe.

Converted To Standard Gauge

In 1896, Bruback and Kerr had been able to convince the English owners that they should improve the competitiveness of the railroad by converting it from three feet narrow gauge to four feet eight and a half inches standard gauge, which was completed in two days, between July 7th and 9th of that year. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, July 10, 1896, "yesterday") Planning apparently began as early as mid February 1896, since in its summary of 1896, the January 1, 1897 Salt Lake Tribune showed February 17, 1896 as the day that "The San Pete Valley road commences to broaden its gauge." (Salt Lake Tribune, January 1, 1897, "1896 Chronology")

The extension of the line to Ephraim, Manti, and Morrison had been constructed using standard gauge length ties, with the intention of converting the line to standard gauge as soon as possible. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, January 1, 1895)

With the conversion of the San Pete Valley Railway from narrow gauge to standard gauge in July 1896, this left the Utah Central, between Salt Lake City and Park City, controlled by the Rio Grade Western, and the Oregon Short Line & Utah Northern's former Utah and Nevada line, between Salt Lake City and Tooele, as the only remaining narrow gauge roads in the state. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, January 1, 1897)

February 18, 1896
"Local Summary. Sanpete Valley railroad begins work on its change to broad gauge." (Salt Lake Tribune, February 18, 1896)

February 22, 1896
"S. T. Pearson of the Sanpete Valley railroad returned from the south Friday night and reports that the company is now employing fifty teams in grading for the broad-gauging of the road between Nephi and Chester, which change will probably be made some time In May." "The coal mines owned by the Sterling Coal company are also looking well and are showing up better every day as work progresses. At present the company is shipping about 700 tons a month." (Salt Lake Tribune, February 22, 1896)

February 29, 1896
The San Pete Valley Railway issued $250,000 in bonds to pay for the change to broad gauge. (Salt Lake Tribune, February 29, 1896)

July 1, 1896
"Sanpete Engines Arrive. Nephi, Utah, July 1. This afternoon's freight brought in two new engines for the Sanpete Valley road from the Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia. They are eight-wheelers, monsters, and will do the work. A machinist from the Baldwin shops came through with them, and will remain here to set the engines up. A big crowd came down to see their arrival. A full force will be put on Monday morning to throw the rails. Within the past three months an immense amount of work has been done and the road will be first class in every particular." (Salt Lake Tribune, July 2, 1896)

Baldwin builder records show that the two engines were shipped on June 18, 1896.

July 7, 1896
"Sanpete Improvement. Begin Changing The Gauge Today. New Equipment Comes Into Operation. The new motive power for the Sanpete Valley having arrived, the work of widening the gauge will be commenced today. Superintendent Kerr has a good-sized force ready for the work, and by Thursday night the last vestige of the narrow gauge road, which has operated through the valley for over fifteen years, will have disappeared and in its place a broad gauge road with modern equipment will be operated between Nephi, Manti and Morrison, enabling the company to run passenger and stock trains through to Salt Lake without transferring at Nephi." (Salt Lake Tribune, July 7, 1896)

July 9, 1896
The following comes from the July 10, 1896 issue of the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper.

July 22, 1896
"Sanpete Valley Ballasting its Roadbed. New Box Car Equipment. A large force of men is at work on the Sanpete Valley road. Their attention for the last week has been given to ballasting the broadened roadbed. The grade and track have both been leveled up and the line is being put in first class condition. The company has just received a supply of new standard-gauge boxcars of the latest design, supplied with all up-to-date appliances." (Salt Lake Tribune, July 22, 1896)

January 22, 1898
The S.P.V. has its old narrow gauge equipment stored at Manti; the paper thinks that both the Utah Central and the Garfield line will be widened this year, so "Narrow gauge equipment will soon be cheap in Utah." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, January 22, 1898)

October 19, 1898
"The Sanpete Valley is overhauling and refitting a passenger coach at its Nephi shops. The old passenger schedule is to be resumed, and the new coach will be placed in service." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, October 19, 1898)

April 15, 1899
"San Pete Engines Sold" "The San Pete Valley railway yesterday sold to the Sumpter Valley railway two narrow-gauge locomotives. They will be shipped to Baker City early next week. These two engines are the 106 and 107, and were in service on the road up to the time it was broad-gauged, since then being in the sheds at Manti. Both are in good condition and are well adapted to mountain work. They will be put in service at once on the Sumpter Valley line. It will break the hearts of Billy Watson and Sam Parry to see old 107 go to Oregon, for they declare her to be the best narrow-gauge that ever climbed a mountain." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, April 15, 1899)

April 22, 1899
"The S.P.V.Ry. have sold two of their narrow gauge locomotives. They will be shipped to Oregon before long." (Manti Messenger, April 22, 1899)

April 24, 1899
"The two San Pete Valley engines sold to the Sumpter Valley road will go north in a day or two." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, April 24, 1899)

In 1899 the San Pete Valley road built a spur connecting with the northern portion of its line in Salt Creek Canyon, east of Nephi. The spur was completed to the Mount Nebo stone quarry in Salt Creek Canyon. The cash for the construction of the Mount Nebo Spur most likely came from the sale of the some of the railroad's old narrow gauge equipment to the Sumpter Valley Railway. The sale of equipment to Oregon included the two narrow gauge locomotives and the remaining narrow gauge cars, none of which had seen service since the conversion of gauges in 1896.

The San Pete Valley is to build a six-mile branch up Andrews canyon to stone quarries. David Eccles (Oregon Lumber Co.) is to supply the ties and other timber, and rail is to acme from the OSL. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, April 14, 1899)

May 20, 1899
Tracklaying on the San Pete Valley's Mt. Nebo Branch, up Andrews Canyon, began yesterday. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, May 20, 1899)

May 25, 1899
A mile of track has been laid on the SPV's new branch up Andrews Canyon. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, May 25, 1899)

June 26, 1899
The San Pete Valley's Mt. Nebo branch, up Andrews canyon, is nearing completion. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, June 26, 1899)

September 18, 1899
The San Pete Valley is doing a good business on its new Mt. Nebo branch to the quarries in Andrews canyon. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, September 18, 1899)

December 31, 1899
S.P.V. have two engines and 26 cars. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, December 31, 1899)

April 4, 1900
"New Stone Industry." "San Pete Valley Railway Creating Heavy Traffic." "The San Pete Valley railway has been developing a good traffic in building stone. Ever since constructing the Mount Nebo quarry spur last year,... Its latest contract is for transporting the 1,200 tons of white oolite stone to be used in the erection of Thomas Kearns' palatial residence. This stone will be quarried by E. L. Parry & Sons, of Ephraim."(Salt Lake Daily Tribune, April 4, 1900)

February 18, 1904
Theodore Bruback passed away, after falling while climbing a ladder at the Daly-Judge mine in Park City. He fell 15 feet, landing on his head and broke his neck. He was only 45 years of age at the time of his death. In accordance with his will, all of Bruback's interest in San Pete Valley Railway, Sterling Coal and Coke Company, and Mt. Nebo Brown Stone Company passed to Charles Morrison of London. (Salt Lake Herald, February 7, 1905, Probate)

Bruback's accidental death was carried in all Utah-area newspapers, and across the nation in numerous other newspapers, including the New York Times.

October 1906
There were reports that Senator W. A. Clark, majority owner of the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad had purchased the San Pete Valley Railroad in October 1906. He also had valuable coal holdings in the area. (Eastern Utah Advocate, October 11, 1906, "Clark After Emery Road")

November 1906
Later the same newspaper carried the story that the Salt Lake Garfield and Western, whose line ran due west from Salt Lake City, to the Saltair resort on the south shore of the Great Salt Lake, had taken an option on the San Pete Valley to allow the Garfield to enter the coal fields beyond Sterling. (Eastern Utah Advocate, November 1, 1906, "May Penetrate Emery County")

January 21, 1910
The San Pete Valley Railway was dissolved as a corporation, in accordance with both a federal law, and a state law that all active corporations file with the Internal Revenue Service, and file an annual

D&RGW San Pete Valley Branch

June 1, 1907
The San Pete Valley was sold to a syndicate of eastern and Utah capitalists. The purchase included the San Pete Valley railroad, Sterling Coal and Coke Company, and Mt. Nebo Stone Company, with the purchase price being $1 million. (Salt Lake Herald, June 2, 1907, "yesterday"; Eastern Utah Advocate, June 6, 1907, "Buys Out Railroad")

Charles Morrison, of London, was shown as being 94 years old, and the third richest man in England. Morrison had paid little attention to the well-being of the railroad in Utah. The road's vice president was John William Young, also of London, was in Salt Lake City for the transfer of ownership. The sale took effect on Monday June 3, 1907. The group of eastern investors was represented by T. H. Fitzgerald of Salt Lake City, who had taken a close interest in the railroad, along with F. R. Coates, formerly the chief engineer of the Great Western Railway in England, and lately of the Wallace-Coates Construction company of Chicago. Coates was also one of the investors. The San Pete Valley company was to be extended eastward from the Morrison coal fields, to the Ferron coal fields. Later events show that this sale was actually only an option to purchase the road, and the option was allowed to lapse.

On July 11, 1907 T. H. Fitzgerald sued Morrison to recover the $20,000 of the original $25,000 he and the group of investors had paid Morrison, as part of the purchase price of $267,000, and on Monday December 13, 1909, the district court at Salt Lake City found in favor of Fitzgerald's claim, and the escrow bank in New York City returned the money to Fitzgerald. The sales contract signed on June 1, 1907 had stipulated that $5,000 was to be surrendered if the deal fell through, but that $20,000 would be returned. (Deseret Evening News, December 14, 1909; Salt Lake Herald Republican, December 14, 1909)

September 16, 1907
The San Pete Valley railway was sold to Rio Grande Western on September 16, 1907, and the transaction, which took place in New York City, was made public on Saturday September 28, 1907. Present at the sale in New York were J. W. Young, Morrison's representative, and Gould and Jeffery representing the RGW. The sale took effect immediately, and the San Pete Valley road was being operated by RGW. In addition to the San Pete Valley railroad, the sale included the Sterling Coal and Coke Company, and Mt. Nebo quarries. Unlike previous rumored attempts to buy the railroad, including an option to T. H. Fitzgerald on June 1st that had lapsed, this sale was final and complete. The purchase price was rumored as being $1 million. (Ephraim Enterprise, October 3, 1907; Eastern Utah Advocate, October 3, 1907, "Western Takes San Pete Valley")

After the San Pete Valley Railway became part of Denver & Rio Grande Railroad in July 1908, the former San Pete Valley Railway between Nephi and Ephraim became D&RG's San Pete Valley Branch.

D&RGW abandoned its San Pete Valley Branch, between Nephi and Moroni, in December 1947.

The western portion, 1.9 miles in length, between the UP connection at Nephi and the plaster mill of U. S. Gypsum Company at the mouth of Salt Creek Canyon, was sold to Union Pacific. UP continued to serve the plaster mill until October 1953, when they abandoned the spur, which ran down the middle of Nephi's main east-west thoroughfare, First North Street, which was also designated as Utah Highway 132.

(Read more about Rio Grande's San Pete Valley Branch)

(Read more about Rio Grande's Marysvale Branch)

###