Soldier Summit in Carbon County, Utah — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Soldier Summit - A Failed Experiment
Photographed By Ray Fowler
1. Soldier Summit A Failed Experiment Marker
Inscription.
Soldier Summit - A Failed Experiment. . In 1919 the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad decided to move their operations from Helper to Soldier Summit to cut their operating costs. This proved to be a horrible idea. The first housing provided by the railroad was nothing more than thin wood framed canvas tents on cement foundations wrapped with tar paper. Eventually the housing would become the well-known company "half salt box houses" or "Squat houses," most of which were not much more than a 850 square foot shed divided into smaller "rooms." It was common to have between 6 to 16 feet of snow for up to 6 months of the year. The 2500 residents would have to dig actual tunnels between buildings, including their outhouses, to get around. This continued until 1929 when the equipment and buildings were moved back to Helper because of the costs associated with the harsh conditions. A few hardy souls remained to keep the town alive for many more decades. By 1979 complaints from passing motorists about a speed trap caused the state to legally dissolve the police force. This took away the towns revenue source and effectively ended Soldier Summit as a town. , Today there are a few residents and a gas station/convenience store.
Dedicated September 8, 2018 (6023)
In 1919 the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad decided to move their operations from Helper to Soldier Summit to cut their operating costs. This proved to be a horrible idea. The first housing provided by the railroad was nothing more than thin wood framed canvas tents on cement foundations wrapped with tar paper. Eventually the housing would become the well-known company "half salt box houses" or "Squat houses," most of which were not much more than a 850 square foot shed divided into smaller "rooms." It was common to have between 6 to 16 feet of snow for up to 6 months of the year. The 2500 residents would have to dig actual tunnels between buildings, including their outhouses, to get around. This continued until 1929 when the equipment and buildings were moved back to Helper because of the costs associated with the harsh conditions. A few hardy souls remained to keep the town alive for many more decades. By 1979 complaints from passing motorists about a speed trap caused the state to legally dissolve the police force. This took away the towns revenue source and effectively ended Soldier Summit as a town.
Today there are a few residents and a gas station/convenience store.
Dedicated September 8, 2018 (6023)
Erected 2018 by Matt Warner Chapter 1900 E Clampus Vitus.
Topics and series.
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This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the E Clampus Vitus series list. A significant historical date for this entry is September 8, 1919.
Location. 39° 55.728′ N, 111° 4.815′ W. Marker is in Soldier Summit, Utah, in Carbon County. Marker is on State Street (Utah Route 6), on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Helper UT 84526, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 2 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Pleasant Valley Junction (approx. 6.7 miles away); Williams & Powell Ranch (approx. 7.4 miles away).
Photographed By Danny Grills
2. Soldier Summit A Failed Experiment Marker
Photographed By Bill Kirchner, October 1, 2018
3. Soldier Summit Markers
Photographed By Bill Kirchner, October 1, 2018
4. Soldier Summit Markers
Photographed By Ray Fowler
5. Soldier Summit Marker
On Sept. 11, 1776 two Franciscan Priests. Father Escalante and Father Dominguez entered what is now the State of Utah, as no several weeks later they camped in a mountain pass. It is believed that the fathers gave the pass its first name, calling it Grassy Pass. The name was changed to Soldier Pass when Johnson's Army at Camp Floyd was ordered east in 1861. About 40 officers & enlisted men from the Southern States were given permission to leave the U.S. Army & go south to join the Confederate Army. They arrived at Grassy Pass in a blizzard. Six or Seven men & a fourteen year old boy were frozen to death & were buried by a spring near the summit of the pass. The Rio Grande Western Railroad Company in 1880 named the pass Soldier Summit in its first time table.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 20, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 1, 2018, by Frank Gunshow Sanchez of Hollister, California. This page has been viewed 623 times since then and 99 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on October 1, 2018, by Frank Gunshow Sanchez of Hollister, California. 3, 4. submitted on April 20, 2020, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. 5. submitted on October 1, 2018, by Frank Gunshow Sanchez of Hollister, California. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
