Administrative and main classroom building 1891-1970
History of Weber College
1889-1933 Run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
1933 Turned over to the State of Utah
1947 State Legislature authorizes acquisition of land on east bench
1954 Present campus opened on Harrison Blvd.
1959 Became four year college.
1964 Buildings on this block sold.
1970 Moench building torn down.
1991 Became a University
Weber College was know by various names:
Weber Stake Academy (1889-1908)
Weber Academy (1908-1918)
Weber Normal School (1918-1922)
Weber College (1922-1964)
Weber State College (1964-1991)
Weber State University (1991)
This monument is #104 in the series by the S.U.P., (see other SUP Markers on this page) it is located at 2465 S Jefferson Avenue in Ogden, Utah – across the street from the Weber County Main Library and outside the building at 580 25th Street.
The first known Utah law enforcement officer to give his life in the line of duty was Great Salt Lake County Deputy Sheriff Rodney Badger, one of the original 1847 pioneers. He drowned in 1853 in the Weber River while on assignment from Brigham Young to assist pioneers who were fording the river.
On April 29, 1853, several wagons were lined up along the river, waiting to make the treacherous crossing. The Water was ice cold and running fast and deep. The first wagon made it safely across. The second wagon, carrying an immigrant family with six children, was too light to make the crossing. The father was given stern warnings by the wagon master and Deputy Badger to ford the river without his family. These warnings were ignored. As the wagon entered the river, the strong current began to drag it uncontrollably downstream into deeper water. The wagon overturned, spilling the mother and children into the frigid waters. The father remained with the team. Without hesitation, Deputy Badger dove into the river and rescued the mother and four of the children. Continuing to ignore his own safety, Deputy Badger swam back out to retrieve the remaining two children. The elements finally overcame him, and he disappeared from sight, giving his life to save others. The river also claimed the lives of the two children which 30-year-old Deputy Badger attempted to save. An immediate search located the body of one child the next day. The body of the second child was not located until three months later. History does not record what happened to the surviving family members. They may have gone on to California which was the family’s destination when they joined the wagon train.
Eighteen months passed before the remains of Deputy Badger were found on an island 1-½ miles below the place he entered the water. His remains were returned to Salt Lake City where his wife and four children resided. Rodney was a counselor in the Salt Lake 15th Ward Bishopric at the time of his death.
In a letter informing Badger’s wife of the tragedy, an eye witness, William H. Hooper observed, “To offer you condolence for such a loss would be useless, as my feeling while I write overpowers me, and what must be yours, his wife, to lose a husband who was beloved by all men who knew him … it is useless to say the shock to me is great and the camp is in gloom. P.S. the mother and four children were saved.”
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” –John 15:13
Since the above plaque was erected in 1998 additional information has come to light indicating this event probably took place at an early Weber River ford in Uintah twenty-nine miles down stream from here that was used by emigrants leaving the Utah Territory for California. After deliberation it was determined that it was not practical to move the marker and that the story needed to be told, so it was left in this place.
The Kington Fort-Morrisite War Site This monument was placed here to commemorate a three day, little known battle that occurred 13, 14, and 15 June 1862
The Kington (Kingston) Fort a 645 foot by 645 foot enclosure, was built on this site in 1853 to protect the early settlers from possible Indian attacks. Since there were no Indian problems in South Weber, the fort was deserted in 1858.
In early 1862, the fort was taken over by Joseph Morris, an excommunicated member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, who had founded a church commonly known as the Morrisites. At one time the Morrisite fort population exceeded 200 men, women and children. In June 1862 three men, who no longer believed in Morris’ teachings, attempted to leave the fort. They were captured by a Morrisite posse and forcefully returned to the fort. Responding to a report by observers of this action, the sheriff and a small posse approached the fort with the intention of taking the men for a formal hearing on the charges of which they were accused. The request was denied and further attempts were blocked. As a result, acting governor Frank Fuller ordered a militia under the command of Robert T. Burton to proceed to the fort. Even this large, heavily armed group failed to free the imprisoned men. A cannon ball fired into the fort killed two women and seriously wounded a teenage girl. As the army assaulted the fort and breached the gates, two militiamen were killed. In the ensuing confusion, Morris, his second in command, John Banks and two more women were killed. In all, eleven people died.
After the death of their leaders, the Morrisites scattered, with most going to Soda Springs, Idaho. Others settled in Carson City, Nevada and Deer Lodge Montana. A few other members were rebaptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and remained in South Weber.
This monument is SUP Marker #128 (see others in the series on this page), it was erected in August 2006 by:
Daughters of Utah Pioneers – South Weber Chapter
Sons of Utah Pioneers – Ogden Pioneer Chapter
All Build Construction and Landscaping
Site by Douglas B. Stephens
The location is N 41.14677 W 111.96884, at 6600 South on 475 East in South Weber, Utah.
Courageous Missionary to the American Indians (1838-1868)
Father De Smet became well acquainted with the region of the Great Salt Lake, and gave much valuable information to Brigham Young and the Mormon Pioneers while they were at Winter Quarters, Nebraska, in November, 1846.
This historic marker is located in Lester Park at 24th Street and Jefferson Avenue in Ogden, Utah. It is part of this series by the U.P.T.L.A. and this series by the S.U.P.
West Weber was settled in 1850 west of East Weber and South Weber, it was originally called Alma and later parts of West Weber/Alma became Taylor, Hooper, Kanesville and Weston.
The Millstream Motel was located at 1450 Washington Blvd in Ogden, Utah.
It was bBuilt in 1939 by the Kammeyer brothers, they sold it to Donald Bradshaw. He in turn, sold it to his brother, Robert Bradshaw.
In 1978, Robert’s daughter Margo Bradshaw Smith and she ran it with her husband Jack Smith until 2007.
At one point in time it was considered Ogden‘s finest motel. It really was quite beautiful when it was built but they remodeled it in the 60s and it went downhill from there. It was demolished in August 2018.
