My Beginnings - Richard Sterling Hixson

When I was born we lived in Ogden, Utah - 23rd Street and Jefferson. Dad worked at the Pioneer Plant until we moved in the fall of 939 to Salt Lake City - 121 T Street. At that time Dad worked at the Utah Power and Light Company's downtown West Temple Office.

Then Mom and Dad moved to Big Cottonwood Canyon (Storm Mountain) in late spring of 1940, to work at the

Stairs and Granite power

plants in Mill Creek Canyon.

A transfer came in the fall of

1940 to the Murdock plant

north of Heber City, Utah. We

first lived in the MurdockApartments in Heber City and then in an upstairs

apartment of Broadbent’s home, at 357 W 100 S, in the spring of 1941. Working for the power

company meant one move after another, and a move to Grace, Idaho came in April of 1942. Our

first home there was a little white house behind Whitehead’s home, across the street, north of the

church house. That summer we moved into a company home at the Cove Plant, downstream from

the Grace Plant 2 miles South on the Bear River. Our home was cottage #3 at the South end of 3

company houses.

Then in the summer of 1945 dad wasonce again transferred, to the Oneida

power plant. We lived in cottage #3 (the third house on the left, as you drove

into the camp). At the Oneida camp there were 6 or more homes placed in a

slight semicircle, past the first three, as you came into camp. The quarters

building and mailroom were on the south end, and the schoolhouse and teachers

cottage were at the north end of those homes. Bud Young, who only had one

arm, was the superintendent; he scared me because he had a bulldog that went

with him everywhere. I remember once the kids in camp threw mud in the mail

slots of the little mail house! Fortunately I wasn’t in on that. Moving to Oneida

was an upgrade in homes for us, but not necessarily for me. Our home had an

open porch across the front with cement steps, painted red, leading to the porch.