RIDING THE RAILS INTO THE TWENTIETH CENTURY,
1889-1920 L olitics, education, agriculture, and industry formed several of the essential building blocks of Weber County during the three decades from 1889 to 1920. These blocks were tied together by the railroad, whose influence continued to pervade much of the county during this era. The foundation for society in Weber County had been laid in the previous half-century: extensive Mormon colonization and agricultural activity followed by the coming of the railroad and its economic, social, and cultural influence on Ogden, Utah, and the nation. In 1889 Weber County had a population of 22,875; by 1910 it had grown to 35,179. Although politics would occupy much attention in Weber County both before and after 1889, the county and particularly Ogden had its share of promoters. The 25 June 1889 issue of the Ogden Standard suggested that Ogden and the county had much of what was needed to make it successful. The paper noted Ogden had: Three newspapers. The best water supply in Utah. Fruit canneries and vinegar works. The finest water power in the land. A leather tannery and shoe factories. The finest business blocks in the 196
