29 June 2019

Heritage Trees in Liberty Park

These two rows of Fremont Cottonwood Trees in Liberty Park are part of the state of Utah’s Heritage Trees. These Fremont Cottonwoods were planted in the early 1880s, around the time that Salt Lake City opened Liberty Park to the public. Photo 4 is a Shipler photo of these same trees in winter from 1929 (photo courtesy UDSH).




Liberty Park, winter 1929. From UDSH.

25 June 2019

St Mark's Hospital Cornerstone

St Marks Hospital was established in 1872 and was the first hospital in SLC. It was originally a 6 bed facility in an old Adobe house in downtown SLC. It then moved to 700 North and 300 West in the early 1890s. This cornerstone from that building is now on display at the current St Marks at 1200 E 3900 South.



Early picture of St. Mark's Hospital located in north Salt Lake City.
Courtesy Bishop Watson, From UDSH.

10 June 2019

UP Steam Locomotive 833

This is Union Pacific Steam Locomotive #833, built in 1939. It is a FEF-2 class steam locomotive. 

The large smooth metal plates on the front of the engine are called “elephant ears.” They help lift the smoke above the engine so it does not flow into the cab. The 833 was used to pull passenger and express trains, which ran through Ogden and then at the end of the steam era, it was used to pull fast freight trains. It was originally donated to SLC in 1972 where it was on display at Pioneer Park. It was eventually transferred to the Ogden museum in 1999.

It is now on display at Spencer and Dolores Dore Eccles Rail Center at Union Station in Ogden, Utah.




Rotary Snow Plow Locomotive


Designated as OWR&N 900061, this unusual locomotive is a rotary snow plow.

It was built in 1912 by Alco/Rogers as the Oregon, Washington Railway & Navigation Co. number 061, and was based out of Pocatello, Idaho. It spent its entire life working in the Pacific Northwest and was overhauled in 1951, receiving new steel sheathing and repainted silver with a red plow (it was originally brown with white lettering). The original tender was modified to be an auxiliary water tender but was not included with the donation. It was retired in 1978 as one of the last pieces of steam-powered equipment on the UP system.

It is now on display at the Spencer and Dolores Dore Eccles Rail Center at Union Station in Ogden.