Erosion problem of pioneer trail realized in the 1930s; Plus, a second Thurston Peak and Malan's Peak fires

                    This is the Place Monument at the mouth of Emigration Canyon.

THE early pioneer trails of the 19th Century were etched firmly in the soil as a semi-permanent historical marker for later generations. However, by the 1930s, it was apparent that the trails were also causing significant soil problems.
"Early pioneer trail forms soil problem" was a May 23, 1937 headline in the Ogden Standard-Examiner.
This Associated Press story outlined how the  original pioneer trail through the Wasatch Mountains was producing soil erosion that had to be dealt with.
"A winding mountain trail that almost a century ago led Mormon pioneers over the Wasatch mountains into Salt Lake Valley is just a soil erosion problem today," the story stated. "City, state and federal governments have joined forces to experiment with it."
The story stated that, "Each spring melting snows coursed down the rutted trail until it deepened and widened into a 20-foot gully."
Sheep grazing in the same area had made the erosion worse and equaled "a barren gash across the mountains" and "a flood hazard and menace."
As such, the Civilian Conservative Corps ("CCC") was being used to try and shore up the damage. The CCC built terraces, planted more foliage and a fenced trail for sheep to follow in the area around Little Mountain in Emigration Canyon.

                          The other "Thurston Peak" (Unofficial name), east of Centerville.

-MORE HISTORY: Thurston Peak is the not only the highest peak east of Layton city, but it is also the tallest peak in Davis and Morgan counties, straddling the county line.
At, 9,706 feet above sea level, this peak was not officially named until 1993. It had previously been labeled as a benchmark from Francis Peak.
However, the name "Thurston Peak" is not a unique title to Davis County.
When a United Airline Plane crashed in Davis County on Nov. 4, 1940, the crash site was identified as being on "Thurston Peak" or "Thurston Mountain." This peak was said to be on the south side of Ford's Canyon, east of Centerville.
A fleet of newspapers on Nov. 4, and Nov. 12-13 of 1940 all identified the crash site as being on "Thurston." These included the Salt Lake Tribune, the Salt Lake Telegram and the Davis County Clipper.
Although not named "Thurston" on official government maps, locals in the Centerville area had referred to the mountain as such for many years.
Yet, when the highest point in Davis County was officially named in 1993, the knowledge of this earlier "Thurston Peak" had apparently been forgotten. The name had been lost to history, some 50-plus years after the 1940 crash of the airplane, which killed all 10 passengers.





-THE annual hike by Weber State College students to Mount Ogden routinely lit a fire on Malan's Peak, left photo, (or in Malan's Basin), below the higher peak, to create a "Flaming W" symbol. However, this was NOT the only event to light Malan's Basin on fire. According to the Ogden Standard-Examiner of May 3, 1941, "Peak fire will roar if drive is successful" was the headline. A fire was to be lit if efforts to find local housing for thousands of high school students competing in the national regional high school music contest was successful.

                            Malan's Basin, with Mount Ogden in the far background.