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| Eleanor Peterson Kjar Madsen |
From the time of the early settlement of Sanpete County, there have been individuals and groups who have taken the lead in developing enterprises that have had far-reaching effects, not alone in the county but in the state and nation. Although some of these industries no longer exist here, they contributed much to the economy and development of the area in their time. Sugar factories in Gunnison and Moroni were among those early industries.
In 1851 President Brigham Young and his counselors published an epistle to the "Saints scattered throughout the earth," pleading for the people to make their own sugar and molasses and asking for companies to come to Utah to establish a sugar-making business. In 1855 sugar was selling for $1.00 per pound, which was "far more than the starving pioneers could afford." Bishop C. A. Madsen of Gunnison was one in Sanpete County who led out in developing the sugar industry. In 1875> through the church program, a few pounds of seed were distributed to the farmers in Gunnison for experimental purposes.
As early as 1879 Bishop Madsen and others had forty acres of maize and sorghum under cultivation to make sugar, and a cane mill was set up on the Co-op farm. The cane froze three times in June and the maize twice in July. A Gunnison history states, "We had hoped to have been able to present specimens of sorghum and beet sugar at the State Pair, but as long as we have not made any, we shall be very quiet about it." With the desperate need for sugar, "like Moses and the Israelites the Saints were saved by food from heaven."
In August 1855 a hard substance appeared on the Cottonwood trees near Provo. The Pioneers shook the white coating off the leaves and boiled it down to make a sweet brown sugar. Some 4,000 pounds were extracted. In 1891 sugar beets were raised extensively in Utah and fanners from Sanpete, Severe and Juab counties joined others from Springville and Provo in growing beets and sending them by rail to the sugar plant in Lehi for processing. Three thousand two hundred seventy-five bags of sugar were sacked that season. The vision of the saints had materialized when the first granules of white sugar were spun from sugar beet molasses.
Cries of "Hallelujah" filled the air. Handsful of sugar were passed around the room and men marveled that white sugar could come from black molasses President Wilford Woodruff, old and frail, traveled from Salt Lake City to the Lehi factory to see his dream bear fruit. With tears running down his cheeks he said, "This is one of the happiest experiences of my life." Sanpete County continued to give strong support to the industry.
In 1916 the People's Sugar Company was organized. A local paper printed the . following: One of the most successful business meetings ever held in Sanpete County was held at the Elite banquet hall with twenty-four men from the county being present. Five thousand acres of beets will be grown for the factory with acreages proportioned to each city in the county. A committee was appointed to secure the acreage and to report each day. . .
Actual work began on the Moroni factory in February 1917. The plant was completed that fall and the first run of sugar made October 20, 1917. Many news articles appeared in local papers encouraging the growing of sugar beets. Beet-growing contests were held. Cash prizes of $25, $15 and $10 were awarded boys and girls by the Sugar Company, as well as a beautiful gold-decorated insignia button furnished by the State Bankers Association. Prizes were also given at the County Fair, consisting of 100 pounds to ten pounds of sugar for the best sugar beets. Farmers were offered cash prizes in amounts of $1000 up to $10,000 for best methods and results in raising beets. The slogan was, "Prosperity means sugar beets on every farm." National recognition was given the sugar beet industry as indicated by a statement from United States Food Administrator, Herbert Hoover: One of the most vital problems confronting the nation is that of procuring sufficient sugar to meet the requirements of our people and of allied nations fighting our common battle. I therefore earnestly appeal to every farm so situated to come to his country's aid in this hour of need. In 1916 Moroni had the distinction of having the most modern sugar refinery in the west.
For a number of years it made much progress. In 1918 some 20,000 pounds of sugar beets were processed at the factory. The beet sheds were enlarged, preparing for a large tonnage the following year. In 1926 a front page editorial in the Mt. Pleasant Pyramid said, "Grow Sugar Beets, factory Must Have Beets or Quit." That year a severe infestation of white fly caused an almost total crop failure. Drought and other disouragement caused the closing of the Moroni plant in 1937. The plant was sold to Utah-Idaho Sugar Company, the factory dismantled, and the business moved to another state. Moroni Turkey Plant purchased the remaining facilities in 1939 from the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company. After the close of the Moroni plant, beets grown in the area were shipped to the Gunnison Valley Sugar Company. In 1911 beets grown in Sanpete and Sevier counties were processed at a new factory in Elsinore. The Gunnison Valley Sugar Company was organized about the same time as the Moroni Sugar Company. In 1914 plans were made for a factory in Centerfield and spur was built from the Denver and Rio Grand Railroad to the proposed factory site. A factory was purchased at Waverley, Washington, and the first carload of machinery arrived in Centerfield in the fall of 1914.
The shipment of machinery was completed in 1917 and the new million-dollar plant was completed in time for the harvest. On September 19, 1919, a huge celebration was held to commemorate the formal opening of the Gunnison Sugar Factory. Promptly at midday the wheels of industry throughout the valley ceased and everyone assembled at the factory. A fine program was held, and dinner and dancing concluded the day's activities. The factory then began its operation. In the early 1920's the William Wrigley Company of Chicago acquired control of the Gunnison Valley Sugar Company and introduced an extensive program which greatly increased the capacity of the plant. In 1922 Hart J. Sanders became chief chemist at the plant and in 1925 he assumed duties as Plant Superintendent. He served in that capacity until 1944 when he became District Manager. Charles Embley was Dean of Employees. Other veteran plant employees were O. J. Tolck, D. Ray Goates, William H. Parr and Roy Darlington. L. J. Arnold whose service also began in 1922, was Agricultural Superintendent. The annual tonnage of beets harvested at the plant varied from practically none in 1926, due to the white fly or leaf hopper, to some 120,000 ton in 1946.
Developments including segmented seed and modern machinery opened up a new era in the industry. During the booming years, Spearmint was the railroad switch to the sugar factory. Some of the area street names suggested economic growth, ie. "Sugar Factory Lane." A large neon sign was placed at the entrance to the factory in 1929. Other industries also benefited from the production of sugar beets, especially in meat and dairy production, through the use of the pulp, molasses and beet tops. Additional taxes paid by the industry aided in maintaining schools and roads. The plant was purchased by the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company in 1940 and. additional improvements were made with some 200 men being employed during the campaign.
In 1948 the factory opened its pond for fishing. The pond was used as a reservoir for the water supply for the factory. The early hours were reserved for young fishermen, those under 12 years of age. It was a popular place for a number of years. In 1955 only a third of the normal water supply was available. Pew beets were grown. The plant shut down; however, it opened again a year or so later to process a million ton of beets harvested in Sanpete and Sevier counties. Despite small acreages the Sugar Company continued to operate. After the final campaign in 1960 the Company felt that there were not enough beets to justify continuation. The factory was closed. After that beets were shipped to the Company's factory in West Jordan and later to the plant in Tremonton. The high cost of transportation drove all but a handful of beet growers to planting other crops. The Company sold the building and property to Frank O'Brien Salvage Company of S f Spanish Pork. Some of the equipment was removed. Several years later the building was subject to a major demolition effort by the Dee Construction Company of Spanish Fork. All evidence of what was the nucleus of a major agricultural industry in Sanpete Valley was gone. What began in 1914 is now nothing but a memory.
BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Allred, Gladys, Personal Interview with Eleanor P. Madsen. 1990 2. Alter, J. Cecil, Utah the Storied Domain. A Documentary History. Chicago, and New York: American Historical Society Inc. 1932. Vol. I, pp. 128, 202, 487 Vol. III, p. 386. 3 Vols. 3. Daughters of Utah Pioneers. These Our Fathers. Springville: Art City Publishing Co., 1947, PP. 152, 153, 206. 241, 245. 4. Deseret Hews. Deseret 1776-1976. A Bicentennial Illustrated History of Utah. Salt Lake City: Deseret News Publishing Co., 1976,pp. 126, 128. 5. Manti Messenger.Feb. 9, 1901. 6. Peterson, Gary B., and Lowell C. Bennion. Sanpete Scenes. Eureka, Utah: Basin Plateau Press, 1987, pp. 52, 53, 121, 132. 7* Pyramid. Mar. 5, 1926; June 30, 1916; Dec. 21, 1917; Jan. 4, 1918; Apr. 9 1926. 8. Sanders, Bud. Personal Interview with Eleanor P. Madsen, 1990 9. Salt Lake Tribune. Hal Edwards, Correspondent, Piles Dee Peterson, Ephraim, Utah
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