Springville Contractor Legacy Park
Located at 50 South 100 East in Springville, the Contractor Legacy Park was built as a monument to the many roadway and heavy construction contractors who call Springville their home. The park has a stone monument about the history of the contractors in Springville as well as recognizing all those who contributed to the monument. While the Contractor Legacy Park is one of the City’s smaller parks, it is a fun area for the kids to play and have a picnic at.
The plaque at the park reads:
The history of Springville is forever entwined with the story of its contractors.
Soon after the first settlers arrived in 1850, Springville became a center for construction. As Mormon pioneer wagons arrived, homes, roads and bridges needed to be built. The daily labor of road improvement provided the foundation for successful road construction companies that would follow.
From the beginning, their skills and experience with ox teams, mules, horses and wagon maintenance brought opportunities for freighting. Enterprising freight companies formed to carry supplies to communities, mining towns, army camps and Pony Express stations throughout the west. They joined the “down and back” trips organized by the Mormon Church to carry supplies to the Missouri River area and return with immigrants to the Salt Lake Valley.
As the Union Pacific Railroads approached Promontory Summit in the spring of 1869, Springville contractors helped build railway track beds for the transcontinental railroad.
For the next 40 years railroads, bridges, canals, dams and roads were the main construction projects for the many companies now based in Springville. Freighting, banking and other local businesses prospered as construction companies grew.
With the arrival of the Model T, rutted wagon roads winding through American’s towns and countryside proved wholly inadequate. Roads and bridges were needed to connect the country for commerce and travel.
The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 provided funds for states to expand and improve their infrastructure. Springville construction companies were ready.
During the 1940’s, local companies aided national defense by building munitions storage facilities, airfields, a steel plant, and atomic testing sites in Nevada and Idaho. Many skilled equipment operators joined the Utah National Guard.
In 1955 Springville received a national award for having the most people in general contracting per capita in the United States.
Some contractors donated funds, equipment and experienced operators to build parks, recreational facilities, and to support the local art culture. College buildings, department endowments, and scholarship funds stand today as memorials to their generosity and support.
Many of the roads and bridges we drive on today are visible monuments to Springville’s contractors. These men were not alone in their endeavors. They were supported by their wives and families. Their descendants continue as prominent leaders of the construction industry and the community. The city they built stands on a foundation of economic prosperity and stability. Their legacy is our enduring landscape.
