Tuesday, July 3, 2012

More on where I am...

I once lived in a ghost town...
Echo, Utah is considered a ghost town and is listed in HERE
It is in Summit County, at the junction of I-84 and I-80. Here's the description:

This town was started in 1854 as a stage coach stop. In 1860 the pony express also built a station here. In 1868 the Railroad built here and the towns population grew. During the 1929 depression many people moved away. Most the old buildings are gone, a few people still live here.

Brigham Young also lived there with many of his wives- when the town was hopping there was a lane named after each wife. The old church house still stands along with the hotel- which very few people know about. The hotel was purchased by Captain America's grandparents, and moved onto the lane near the church house and converted into their home! The school house is still standing and is being restored. The cemetery above the church house has markers from the early 1800's and is where the Captain's grandparents and some ancestors rest. The Captain's mom still has a ranch there and the house I helped build...and the farm I learned to drive tractors on.

The outhouse to the church house still stands:
Mining was the top industry in the late 1800's and early 1900's:

The train still comes through Echo all day and night...but it doesn't stop for coal. The last Amtrak went through in 1984- we all went out to wave to the last train.

The saloon and hotel. This is the original photo....

...when the Captain's dad was about 8 years old his mom sent him to the store....on his way there he passed the saloon...and on the pool table lay a dead man with a knife still in him! Granddad was so spooked he crossed the street when he ran back home.
Right behind the buildings in that photo lies Captain America's parent's fields and the access road that I walk, run and bike on.

(My Kiwi daughter got to experience her second +6. earthquake last night in New Zealand. I certainly hope the quakes stop for the next few months because I have lived through my share of +6's!)
*LIVESTRONG*LOVESTRONGER*
LAUGH HARDER*KNOW YOUR HISTORY*NOTHING LIKE
LIVING IN A GHOST TOWN*

2 comments:

Wendy said...

Your ghost town had a pretty nice looking hotel and saloon. Too bad about the dead guy though. Yeah, I wouldn't want to walk too close to that either.

Busy Bee Suz said...

Wow....this place is rich in history...and the history of Captain America's family! Love it.
I did not know about the earthquakes. {Me, under my rock as always!) I hope Kiwi is safe!