Utah & Nevada Railway (1881-1889)
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Timeline
November 4, 1880
"Sale of Utah Western Railway" yesterday, for $36,000; new name will likely be Utah & Nevada Railway Company. (Salt Lake Herald, November 4, 1880)
February 15, 1881
Utah & Nevada Railway organized to take over the property of the Utah Western, which had been sold in foreclosure on November 18, 1880. (Reeder, p. 290) The Utah & Nevada intended to extend the road south to Tanner's Springs, 87 miles from Salt Lake City. They were unable to complete the new line. (OSL corporate history)
February 16, 1881
Utah & Nevada Railway was incorporated in Utah on February 16, 1881. (Corporate information for Utah & Nevada Ry.)
February 17, 1881
An item on the "U. & N. Railway," being in this case the Utah and Nevada Railway, whose articles of incorporation were filed yesterday (Wednesday). It is capitalized at $2,000,000, and is formed for the purpose of taking over the Utah Western Railway and (hopefully) extending it westward. The old Utah Western had been sold on November 3, 1880 to W. W. Riter, as agent for Theodore Bassett, trustee of the Utah Western bonds, in concluding foreclosure proceedings. (Salt Lake Herald, February 17, 1881)
June 10, 1881
Four excursion cars, for the Utah & Nevada, came into Ogden from the east yesterday. Will be used on the line to Lake Point. The cars had fifteen reversible seats, across the car, no aisle; each end of the cars had three shutters; 'the cars are neatly executed' and 'painted in a bright yellow tint.' Cars were taken down to Salt Lake City in afternoon of the 10th. (Ogden Herald, June 10, 1881)
June 11, 1881
Four new open excursion cars arrived yesterday for the Utah & Nevada, the cars coming in on broad gauge trucks with the narrow gauge ones on a flat car following. (Salt Lake Herald, June 11, 1881)
June 14, 1881
New excursion cars for the Utah & Nevada have arrived in SLC. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, June 14, 1881)
July 1, 1881
Utah & Nevada operations began on July 1, 1881. (Poor's, 1882, p. 858)
August 20, 1881
Union Pacific gained control of the Utah & Nevada by stock purchase. At the first annual meeting on April 29, 1882, Union Pacific exercised its control and voted in its choice of directors for the road. Because of excursions from Salt Lake City to the Great Salt Lake, which began in 1875 while the road was still the Utah Western, the Utah & Nevada was the only road in Utah, other than the street car lines, to show more income from passenger traffic than from freight traffic. This trend continued until 1885 when the mines in the Rush Valley District, at Stockton, began producing ores and generating additional freight traffic from the mines to the Salt Lake smelters. (Reeder, pp. 291-299)
February 17, 1882
"The Utah and Nevada Railway was blockaded by snow between Point of the Mountain and Tooele,. on Thursday, and trains had to go back. Engines and assistance were telegraphed for and sent from this city. The snow, it was said, has blown to a depth of five feet in some places." (Salt Lake Daily Herald, February 17, 1882)
May 17, 1882
"The sale of the Black Rock property to Sidney Dillon, as trustee for the Utah and Nevada Railroad, was perfected in the Third District Court on Tuesday." 16th was Tuesday. (Salt Lake Daily Herald, May 17, 1882)
May 24, 1883
"The Scofield directors of the Utah & Nevada have tried to make a demand for the possession of the books of the corporation, but Mr. Riter being out of town no legal demand can yet be made" See paper of 23rd for story on C. W. Scofield getting proxy from Bassett, who had power of attorney, and held almost all of the stock in trust. Riter (for U.P.) refused to recognize Bassett's action as legal. (Salt Lake Evening Chronicle, May 24, 1883)
May 26, 1883
"Mr. Scofield received a dispatch to-day confirming the legality of the proxy he used at the Utah & Nevada Railway election. This effectually settles the Riter claim of fraud." (Salt Lake Evening Chronicle, May 26, 1883)
June 7, 1883
City: "Nothing yet has been done in the matter of the Utah & Nevada railway company election contest." (Salt Lake Evening Chronicle, June 7, 1883)
August 8, 1883
An interview with Charles W. Scofield, more than a column long. Little useful; he says that he personally has control of the Utah & Nevada's stock, and will vote it at the next annual meeting. (Salt Lake Daily Herald, August 8, 1883)
May 13, 1884
The Utah & Nevada bridge over the Jordan river has been considerably rebuilt. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, May 13, 1884)
May 25, 1884
The Utah & Nevada people are moving their depot from its old place, "where it has always been", one block to the south, onto First South Street - A. F. Doremus has laid out the grounds, last week, and the depot is to be moved and a new platform built within a few days. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, May 25, 1884)
July 1884
Utah & Nevada moved their Salt Lake City depot one block south. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, July 1, 1884)
July 13, 1886
"A Denver & South Park engine seems like a fish out of water in this section, but the Utah & Nevada road has borrowed one for a while, and it is doing good work." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, July 13, 1886)
August 29, 1886
The Utah & Nevada is to equip itself with the Westinghouse air brake, material for which is in transit. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, August 29, 1886)
January 1, 1887
For the Utah & Nevada: "More cars and engines are to be supplied from the rolling stock of the Utah & Northern, and the company proposes to spend $50,000 to $75,000 at Garfield in remodeling the place, putting up new dressing rooms, a fine hotel,..." and so forth. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, January 1, 1887)
January 27, 1887
Item on Garfield improvements - "The Utah & Nevada's rolling stock will be increased by additions from the Utah & Northern." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, January 27, 1887)
February 17, 1887
An entire column is devoted to the blowing over of a train on the Utah & Nevada, yesterday, which event killed conductor Adam Brown; no engine or car numbers are anywhere mentioned. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, February 17, 1887)
March 25, 1887
The plans for the new buildings at the Garfield resort have arrived from Omaha; item gives some details. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, March 25, 1887)
May 5, 1887
G. M. Ottinger has made a painting, 15" x 24", showing Garfield as it will be, using the plans as a guide; and Savage has reproduced it as cabinet photo. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, May 5, 1887)
May 14, 1887
Wye to be built at Garfield, so that won't have to run out to the wye a mile beyond at Lake Point just to turn around the train. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, May 14, 1887)
(Lake Point was 1-1/4 miles west of the old Garfield Landing, which in turn was 1/2 mile west of Black Rock. The new UP-owned Garfield Beach resort was 600 feet east of the of Garfield Landing pier.)
May 16, 1887
A wye track for turning Utah & Nevada trains was built at Garfield Beach, to allow trains to be turned without having to go another 1-3/4 miles to Lake Point. (Salt Lake Evening Democrat, May 16, 1887)
June 1887
Union Pacific opened the new Garfield Beach Resort, located on the Utah & Nevada. A wye was built at the resort to turn the trains. The resort was operated by the Pacific Hotel Company and consisted of a restaurant, hotel and a 160 x 165 dance pavilion, located 270 feet offshore. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, May 14, 1887; June 28, 1887)
June 25, 1887
The party of Pacific Railway Commission engineers, Richard P. Morgan and his assistants, were out examining the Utah & Nevada yesterday, and are to go over the Salt Lake & Western to-day. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, June 25, 1887)
June 28, 1887
Today is the official opening of the new Garfield Beach resort, which is operated by the Pacific Hotel Company. The manager at the new resort is Louis Eppinger, said resort being located immediately to the east of the old wharf, which is still in place. A dance pavilion has been put up, which is 160 by 165 feet in size, and about 270 feet offshore. A restaurant, hotel and other amenities are in course of construction at this time. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, June 28, 1887)
June 29, 1887
The new Garfield resort officially opened yesterday; and the 'General Garfield' boat is still beached, high and dry on the east shore. (Salt Lake Herald, June 29, 1887)
July 14, 1887
The 'Gen. Garfield' has been floated, and is once more moored at its pier, where it will remain, in use as a storehouse. (Salt Lake Herald, July 14, 1887)
July 27, 1887
Photographer named Newcomb has succeeded in getting pictures of the Garfield resort from a raft offshore. (Salt Lake Herald, July 27, 1887)
August 11, 1887
A large number of people from the southern parts of the territory were at Garfield yesterday, including George Edward Anderson, who was, as usual, taking pictures. (Salt Lake Herald, August 11, 1887)
May 12, 1888
"Superintendent W. W. Riter of the Utah & Nevada road has gone to Pocatello to look over the unused narrow-gauge stock stored there, with a view to selecting the best for the summer's business on his road." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, May 12, 1888)
June 30, 1888
"The Utah & Nevada people have added another powerful engine to their rolling stock," (Salt Lake Herald, June 30, 1888)
September 6, 1888
The Utah & Nevada is building a branch line to Saltair, says the paper, but not too rapidly. (Salt Lake Herald, September 6, 1888)
September 11, 1888
One mile of Utah & Nevada branch to Saltair is completed. (Salt Lake Herald, September 11, 1888)
September 21, 1888
The Utah & Nevada Saltair Branch was completed "yesterday;" to salt works. (Salt Lake Herald, September 22, 1888)
September 22, 1888
The Utah & Nevada completed their branch to Saltair yesterday, it having been built to serve a salt works at that locality. (Salt Lake Daily Herald, September 22, 1888)
(Both the SPLA&SL and OSL corporate histories say that the operation of the 2.42-mile branch, from Saltair Junction to Saltair, began on October 17.)
October 3, 1888
Eight carloads of 40 pound steel rails arrive today for the Utah & Nevada, to replace the 30 pound iron so long in use. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, October 3, 1888)
December 28, 1888
"Local Railway Notes." "The Utah & Nevada road has just received its new passes for 1889. They are of heavy board of a delicate cream tint, with a fine engraving 'of Garfield Beach depicted thereon. It is the neatest work of the kind the company has got out yet, and Mr. Fenton is of course responsible for the improvement." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, December 28, 1888)
March 10, 1889
"Locomotive No.4 of the Utah & Nevada Railroad is being rebuilt in the D&RG shops." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, March 10, 1889)
April 20, 1889
Old Lake Point pavilion has been removed to Garfield Beach. (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, April 20, 1889)
April 30, 1889
"The Utah & Nevada road received last night from the Utah & Northern, a twenty-tons, Baldwin passenger engine for use between Salt Lake and Garfield this season." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, April 30, 1889)
May 18, 1889
"Utah & Nevada Engine No. 2 is being overhauled at the D&RGW shops." (Salt Lake Daily Tribune, May 18, 1889)
July 27, 1889
Oregon Short Line & Utah Northern Railway is organized by merging the Utah & Northern Railway, the Utah Central Railway, the Utah & Nevada Railway, the Salt Lake & Western Railway, and the Ogden & Syracuse Railway (all in Utah), the Oregon Short Line Railway and Idaho Central Railway (both in Idaho), and the unbuilt Nevada Pacific Railway in Nevada. (OSL corporate history)
Locomotives
More Information
Clarence Reeder's research -- Historical narrative of the development and construction of the Utah & Nevada, along with its predecessor company Utah Western.
Utah Western Railway -- Predecessor to Utah & Nevada Railway.
Oregon Short Line & Utah Northern Railway -- Successor to Utah & Nevada Railway.
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