How Far Would You Carry a Brick for Seven Cents?

How Far Would You Carry a Brick for Seven Cents?. . The prominent building located diagonally from you is the Zions First National Bank, originally, the Bank of Vernal. Did you know that this building was shipped to Vernal through the US Post Office brick by brick? , , All of the decorative brick, 5,000 packages weighing 50 pounds each, were sent from Salt Lake City, Utah, by parcel post because it was half the rate of normal freight. , , Today, Salt Lake City is only 3 hours away by automobile. In 1916, it took approximately 4 days to receive a parcel post shipment. The brick first had to travel 309 miles by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railway to Mack, Colorado. It was then transferred onto the narrow gauge railroad of the Uintah Railway. From Mack, it climbed 63 miles north, up the steepest railroad grade in North America into the desert mining town of Watson. From here, the brick was loaded onto 17 six-horse wagons for the 2-day and 60-mile ride through Devil's Playground and over the Alhandra River Ferry to Vernal. , , Imagine, all of that work for only seven cents postage per brick! , , (photo captions) , Built in 1916, the Bank of Vernal used 250,000 pounds of mail-ordered brick which were delivered for seven cents each. , , The building was remodeled in the 1960's to fit the popular and contemporary styles of the time. It was purchased by Zions First National Bank Corp. in 1968. , , Restored in 1995, the building again embraces the original beauty and grace of an elegant architectural style of the early 1900's.