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Loading...The Tooele Transcript Bulletin has published Tooele County news since 1894. Here is a flashback of local front-page news from 25, 50, 75 and 100 years ago that occurred during the second week of January.
Jan. 13-15, 1998
For the second consecutive day, an F-16 fighter from Hill Air Force Base crashed in Tooele County. And for the second consecutive day, the pilot survived the mishap.
The crash occurred at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, 1998 about 20 miles east-northeast of Wendover and 3.3 miles north of Interstate 80, according to Hill Air Force Base officials.
Pilot Judd Kelley, who was on a simulated bombing mission over the Utah Test and Training Range, safely ejected out of the $20 million plane six miles from Interstate 80. He then landed three miles closer to the interstate highway.
Later in the week, Laidlaw officials made an impassioned plea to the Tooele County Commission to allow them to dispose of low-level radioactive waste at their Grassy Mountain facility.
At the conclusion of the sparsely attended 2 1/2 hour special meeting, the commission voted 3-0 to table a decision on whether or not to allow the material to be disposed of at the facility.
Laidlaw had made the plea several times to the county in different forms in the previous few months.
Jan. 9-12, 1973
Demolition activities had already begun at the site where Tooele’s new St. Marguerite’s Parish Chapel would be built and church officials had expressed concern for the safety of children playing in the area.
Father John Sullivan said, “We want to alert parents to the danger in hope that they will keep their children away. We are doing it for their own safety.”
Since demolition crews were working only during the weekends, city police had been asked to watch the site.
Later in the week, the Army announced the transfer of the Deseret Test Center headquarters from Ft. Douglas in Salt Lake City to the Dugway Proving Ground in Tooele County.
Col. Robert A. Shade, Commander, DTC, indicated that the order to consolidate came because decreasing funds over the past several years had indicated a major effort to reduce operation costs.
“Relocation and consolidation of the Deseret Command elements with the support and testing facilities at Dugway Proving Ground will reduce resource requirements and will facilitate internal coordination within the Test Center,” Col. Shade said.
Jan. 13-16, 1948
Work on a 3,000 foot pre-exploration tunnel had been started at Ophir by the International Smelting & Refining Company, according to an announcement by officials at the smelter. The new tunnel operation will employ some 16 to 18 men and penetrate the south wall of Ophir Canyon.
The geology department is of the opinion that this tunnel will intersect the ore body originally discovered on the surface of Lion Hill.
Later in the week, the coveted Beaver Award, the highest honor in scouting given by local councils, was awarded to Sheldon Gray of Tooele at the annual Salt Lake Boy Scout Council held in Salt Lake City.
Mr. Gray was a leader in scouting in Tooele County for 24 years as assistant scoutmaster, troop committeeman, and as district commissioner since 1941.
Thirty-three boys had received Eagle awards in scouting during his five years as assistant scoutmaster, and five years as scoutmaster.
Jan. 12, 1923
James Dunn, one of our early pioneers and former editor of the Transcript, passed away peacefully Saturday evening at 6:30 o’clock, at the age of 85 years, following a week’s illness. Senility was the cause of his death, he had been in rapidly failing health for the past six months.
He was born at Kirkintilloch, Scotland, July 12th, 1837. At the age of 17 years he became a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
He immigrated to America in 1857, and crossed the plains in 1859 settling in Willard City. In 1863 he moved to Tooele and was married to Mary Madden.
At the age of 60, Mr. Dunn took over the properties of the Tooele Transcript and established a reputation as a high class newspaper man among his many associates in that line of activity, retiring only from this work some three years ago when his physical condition made it impossible for him to carry on the work.
Correspondent Mark Watson compiled this report
