Constructed C. 1876, this building served protestants as a church and school until 1880 when it was sold to the Echo School District. Latter-day Saints then obtained permission to worship here and bought the building in 1913. The chapel served until 1963 when it was closed due to Echo’s declining population. The young adults, L.D.S youth group, reopened the chapel in 1974 and placed this marker in 1976.
Captain Albert Tracy on April 7, 1860 reported that the station at the mouth of Echo Canyon was being used for a system of relays known as the “Pony Express.” The next day he was passed by Dave, the Express Boy, on his Kentucky Racer going east in a snow storm. John Ridge in July 1861 stated that a good supper can be had at Weber Station.
James E. Bromley, division superintendent from Pacific Springs, Wyoming to Salt lake City for the Pony Express Company settled at this site.
Originally there were two wood buildings at the site, the station and the stables. More substantial buildings were built later to serve the stage line and then the railroad. These original two buildings stood at this site. Later on Echo City was laid out by the Union Pacific Railroad.
Along the entire trail, from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California, “horse stations” were established every 40 to 80 miles, providing riders with meals, lodging, and fresh mounts. “Swing stations” were 8 to 12 miles apart, offering water and a change of horses.
Russell, Majors, and Waddell, owners of the Central Overland California & Pike’s Peak Express Company, employed James E. Bromley to establish and operate Weber Station. The station was located about 5 miles to the southeast, at the mouth of Echo Canyon. Local residents James and William Hennefer or Charles and Louisa Richins would have seen young riders William Page and George Little gallop by on the way to and from “Bromley’s Station.”
The population was 56 at the 2010 census. Although Echo has never had a sizable population, the town is historically significant.
Echo originated as a stopover along the Mormon trail. Later the town served as a junction between the First Transcontinental Railroad and a spur line to serve silver mines near Park City. Since the creation of U.S. Highways Echo has served as a highway junction, where the main road coming from Wyoming splits with one branch proceeding towards Salt Lake City, continuing towards San Francisco, California, and the other towards Ogden, continuing to Portland, Oregon.
On Saturday, July 17, 1847, Brigham Young and the main group of pioneers left their camp a mile up Echo Canyon and due to Brigham’s illness, traveled only 2-½ miles. Their camp of July 17-18, was .4 miles west of this marker on the east bank of the Weber River. Sabbath meetings were held in the Temple Camp on the 19th. Brigham Young was washed and anointed for a blessing of health, then he fell into a deep sleep and awakened feeling much better. Their prayers were answered.
At about 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 17, four members of the Quorum of the Twelve and six other brethren, ascended the high and steep “Supplication Hills” to the northeast of this marker. After walking about 2 miles from the Temple Camp to the top of the mountain, they dressed for temple prayer and pled to the Lord in behalf of President Young and others who were sick in camp, the saints who were following, and for their own wives and children who were left behind at Winter Quarters.
Before rejoining the camp, they rolled large rocks down from the top of the mountain to amuse themselves. As they returned, they passed by a lone conglomerate column (Sentinel Rock) about 125 feet high, which is visible to the northeast of this marker. They also told of seeing other chimney-like rock towers situated in nearby hollows.
Check out all of the historic markers placed by the Daughters of Utah Pioneers at JacobBarlow.com/dup
See other historic markers in the series on this page for SUP Markers.
Echo Dam is a dam in Summit County, Utah, standing about six miles north of Coalville and creating Echo Reservoir.
The earthen dam was constructed in 1931 by the United States Bureau of Reclamation. It has a height of 158 feet, impounding the water of the Weber River and 836 square miles of the Weber Basin for water storage and agricultural irrigation. Other Weber Basin projects of the Bureau include the upstream Rockport Reservoir. Echo Dam is owned by the Bureau, and operated by the local Weber River Water Users Association. In July 2012 crews began a $50 million seismic retrofit project on the dam to address potentially unstable subsoil conditions.
Echo Reservoir has a capacity of 74,000 acre-feet. As a recreation area the reservoir offers fishing, boating, camping, and hiking.