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HISTORY OF MILLARD COUNTY
1981, and 1982. A n u m b e r of county high school football players were named to all-state football teams. Dan Davies was chosen most valuable player in 1976, and Robert M o n s o n was m o s t valuable player in 1978. Cliff Stephenson shared the honor with Bob Jenson in 1981. Jay Day was the recipient of the award in 1982, as was Tilden Swallow in 1988. Former Millard High Eagle Jeff Keel later earned National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics All-America honorable mention honors at Southern Utah State College. Millard High School's wrestling fortunes were revived in 1981 when former Delta standout Ladd Holman was hired. Several years later, however, he left Millard High to accept a coaching position at Delta High. In 1983, the Eagles beat perennial powers Delta and Wasatch and garnered three individual state championships. Greg Searle was selected outstanding wrestler in the tournament. Discussions of the impact of the interstate highway project through east Millard began in the spring of 1959. During the next several years public hearings were held for citizens of east Millard to express their concerns regarding the location of the highway and its impact. An important element of the national interstate highway system was the elimination of direct contact with crossroads. The plan was to bypass rural towns and cities with limited access via on- and off-ramps. Those businesses in Fillmore, Kanosh, and elsewhere in the county that catered to the traveling public found themselves isolated and removed from highway commerce. Kanosh representatives wanted the interstate to pass closer to their town, and Meadow spokesmen preferred the highway to be located east of town rather than west. Scipio residents, bypassed earlier by improvements of U.S. Highway 91, were concerned that no more farmland be sacrificed than was absolutely necessary. As late as the fall of 1971, the Progress tried to encourage local businessmen by reporting that Cedar City officials believed the interstate highway through Iron County had actually enhanced business at their restaurants and service stations. The article, however, failed to explain that many businesses had moved nearer to the on- and offramps. Some east side businesses opted to remain at their traditional locations, with only a few that initially planned to relocate nearer the interstate.
