BOOM, BUST, AND WAR,
1920-1955 T,
he history of Weber County has been deeply affected by national events. As the nation felt some economic surge from the effects of World War I, so too did Weber County, and that growth continued for a few years after the war. By the mid-1920s, however, there were signs of an economic downturn and the depression which followed. By the end of the 1920s, the economic situation was dismal. During the 1930s Weber County received assistance from New Deal programs and became in many ways a "Federal Colony," as historian and Ogden native Thomas Alexander has described the era.
Agriculture By 1920 Weber County was enmeshed in three main trends of economic development—agriculture, railroading, and business. In the period from 1920 to the mid-1950s agriculture continued to play a major role in county economics. Farmers in the area grew a variety of crops, which was in some ways a protective measure against bad markets or diseases that might destroy specialized crops. The major commercial farm activities in Weber County were dairying, which 251
