330
HISTORY OF MILLARD COUNTY
Moody and his sons, purchased the closed Delta Seed Growers cleaning plant along with a similar facility in Hinckley and combined the two, using e q u i p m e n t from b o t h at a site near the Delta railroad depot. The Moody Brothers Seed Company continued to serve a large segment of county alfalfa-seed growers through the 1960s. In 1941 m o r e t h a n a dozen Oasis area alfalfa-seed farmers organized the Oasis Seed Growers Association to market and clean their seed. Honey production remained a stable segment of the county's economy until the 1960s, at which time the number of beekeepers dropped to only a few full-time keepers. Insect spraying impacted honey production; however, where there was close cooperation and coordination between the activities of spraying and pollination, the hives produced as m u c h as twenty p o u n d s m o r e h o n e y per hive. Marketing problems hindered honey production in the 1950s. The infusion of wealth in the postwar period was rather broadly distributed among the area farmers and resulted in the remodeling and refurbishing of existing homes, the paying off of farm mortgages, and the purchasing of new farm equipment. Prosperity in the Delta area also was reflected in the number of new automobile and truck purchases. Between 1947 and 1955, west Millard residents purchased 2,237 new cars and trucks, which was just over one vehicle for about every two people, far above the Utah or national average at the time. 31 Pace Motor Company, operated since 1934 by C M . Pace, led out in sales of Chevrolets, Oldsmobiles, and many trucks. Van's Motor Company became the Studebaker dealer for the area in 1946. Noble Peterson and his son Richard sold Chrysler automobiles. Several dealerships changed hands after the war: Fords sold before the war by Richard S. M o r r i s o n were sold by Heber Curtis after the war; Pontiac sales moved from Orlin Hunsaker to Ashby's Implement Company, which also sold International trucks. Delta M o t o r Company, operated by Mr. and Mrs. Lee Gronning, sold Willy's jeeps and cars after opening in 1948. Spor Motor Company sold Buicks and GMC trucks. Many local farm implement companies flourished as well. Orran and Carl Ashby owned the International Harvester dealership. Reed Turner was the J.I. Case franchise holder, and Farmer's Supply, managed by G.E. Day, sold John Deere equipment. Orlin Hunsaker sold
