+ A LOOK BACK
EARLY ENTREPRENEURS: The men and women who helped build Ogden BY SARAH LANGSTON
B
y 1869, Ogden was well on its way to be a thriving and bustling city. The railroad brought many new entrepreneurs to the area who made the city home and created businesses that lasted for decades. In 1890, Thomas B. and George M. Wheelwright opened a second-hand store in Ogden, Utah. The store sold anything that was resalable. It also provided gun repair, locksmith, and basic handyman services to the area. In 1894, the business changed its name to Wheelwright Brothers Mercantile Co. Inventory was expanded to include new stoves, hardware, and crockery. By 1896, the Wheelwright Brothers had opened a shop at 2476 Washington Boulevard. The store filed saws, fitted keys, repaired stoves, and rented furniture. By 1898, they branched out to sell the latest designs of crockery, lamps, and glassware. The Wheelwright Brothers eventually expanded to include a construction outfit that worked on ditches and laying pipes. In 1907, a sawmill was built on the current property between 24th and 25th on Quincy Avenue. At the time, it was considered the outskirts of town. Before long, the demand for precut lumber soon exceeded the production ability of the mill. In 1908, the name of Wheelwright Lumber Co. was officially adopted. John Brown opened the Brown Ice
Cream Company could be visited at 2577 Grant Avenue in 1904. The company was famous for its chocolate fudge sherbet, angel ice cream, and brick ice cream. They were a popular treat for the people of Ogden and were used in events such as the anniversary of the W.H. Wright and Sons store in 1907. The ice cream plant was built just north of 25th street on Lincoln. It was one of the most modern in the west and successfully operated year-round to distribute thousands of gallons of ice cream through Utah. The Margaret Stewart was an company in the 1930s operated accountant who kiosks, selling the ice cream started several and famous Eskimo Pies in organziations local parks. The Eskimo Pie was first introduced in 1922 as a combination of Delicia ice cream and sweet chocolate. The product met with instant approval from its customers. John Brown created one of the largest ice cream companies in the intermountain area. He passed away in January 1944. William “Billy” Gibson Wilson was born in Scotland in 1850 and immigrated to Ogden in 1870. He owned and operated a lumber mill in Ogden Canyon with his family. The mill provided the lumber needed to build the Hermitage Resort in the canyon. The resort opened its doors in the summer of 1893. The Hermitage advertised meals at all hours. One of the first events held there was for the Grand Army of the Republic. They had dinner, a speaker, and music outside in the
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Bill Wilson owned a lumber mill and built The Hermitage Resort
