The Tooele Transcript Bulletin has published Tooele County news since 1894. Here is a flashback of local front-page news from 25, 50, 75 and 100 years ago that occurred during the third week of May.
May 19-21, 1992
A deputy clerk in the Tooele County Clerk’s Office almost defeated an incumbent commissioner for the Democratic nomination for county commissioner at the May convention.
Lois McArthur, considered to be the first woman in Tooele County history to file for a commission seat, earned 64 percent of delegate votes while Commissioner Ed St. Clair earned 36 percent of delegate votes.
If McArthur had earned 70 percent of delegates votes, she would had become the local Democratic Party’s nominee for the commission seat. Because that did no occur, a primary was scheduled for Sept. 8 and voters would decide which of the two would run against Republican county commissioner Gary Griffith in November.
Later in the week, a front-page story announced that Grantsville City leaders had decided to raise taxes. It would be the first time in 12 years that the city had proposed a tax increase on Grantsville citizens.
City officials had not yet estimated the amount of the tax increase, but they hoped to give more details at a public hearing on June 17 concerning the tentative budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
Part of the tax increase was targeted to pay for a proposed new City Hall and recreational facility to be built on Cherry Street.
Mayor Howard Murray said: “Whether we build a new City Hall or not, a tax increase is inevitable.”
May 16-18, 1967
The front page reported that Gen. William B. Bunker toured Tooele Army Depot in April.
He was the deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Materiel Command. While at the depot, he stayed with Col. Ralph J. Richards Jr., commanding general of the depot.
There were approximately 200 supervisory employees in attendance for briefings during the first day of Bunker’s stay. He toured the depot, which included a tour by helicopter of TEAD and Deseret Chemical Depot.
After a morning tour, an afternoon tour resumed with special attention to the maintenance and supply areas.
Bunker addressed about 150 people at an evening dinner. Tooele Mayor Frank Bowman, Grantsville Mayor Teryl Hunsaker and representatives of the Tooele County Chamber of Commerce attended the dinner.
A story later in the week announced that Tooele City planned to add a driving range to Oquirrh Hills Golf Course. It would open later in the summer.
Mayor Frank Bowman said that city employees had worked hard on the range during the week getting it filled and leveled.
He said grass had been carefully removed in the sections from the Tooele rose garden near City Hall and taken to the range where it had been transplanted.
He said the driving range would consist of six units spaced about 10 feet apart so that six golfers could drive at the same time.
May 19 – May 22, 1942
One hundred twenty-seven rats had been brought into the Tooele County Clerk’s office to secure a 5-cent bounty for each one. The bounty being offered was an experiment by Tooele County and Tooele City during a 15-day period that would close on May 30.
The rat bounty announcement was given out in the Transcript Bulletin in the previous Friday’s edition. The announcement caught prospective rat hunters unaware, but the daily check-in of kills at the county courthouse would continue between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. each day. The expected number of killed rats was expected to grow as time progressed. The plan was expected to reduce the rat population by about 1,000 per year.
The front page announced later in the week that it was an act of patriotism to donate old paint and varnish brushes.
Bristles used for the making of brushes had been coming from China, the supply of which had been cut off.
Old brushes, however, regardless of condition could be remade if turned in without cost to the government.
Citizens of Tooele County were asked to comb their premises and regardless of condition, turn in brushes to Erb M. Johnson, at the welfare office. He had been designated by the governmental agency in charge to receive the material in Tooele County.
May 18, 1917
The front page announced there were orders to bring the regular U.S. Army to its full war strength of 293,000 men. The announcement was made by the war department on May 14. Organization of 44 new regiments were scheduled to begin at once, with further efforts to stimulate recruiting and bring in 116,455 men needed to fill up the ranks.
During the past year, 67,443 men had been accepted and officials were confident that the full number would be enrolled as wartime volunteers before June 15.
Expansion of the army would be accomplished by converting each existing battalion into a full regimen.
Staff writer Mark Watson compiled this report.