Monday, January 10, 2011

Morgan Hotel. Rushing things as fast as I can! Concluded.




(Continued from here.)

1890
November 20-21. With a storm threatening John Morgan worked about the building then took a train to Kaysville to hurry up the brick making there—they were behind.

November 22
Rented the Hotel property to J. H. Clark for ten years. Had some difficulty in getting money to pay the men off today, but succeeded at last.

These December journal entries typified the progress and delays John Morgan continued to experience while building his hotel; 8th-Pushed the work on the building. Got the roof nearly completed and the transoms glassed in, 9th-Finished the roof and nearly the fire walls, and columns, 10th-Indications of rain and storm. The transom roof going on slowly, 13th-Arranged with Pratt Brothers and had sufficient to pay the men off today, 15th-Started washing down the brick work on outside of building and fixing for the cornice, 16th-Called and saw Mr. J. H. Bacon about money, 17th-Pushed the work on the building. Ran out of coke to dry plastering. Money very scarce and hard to get, 18th-Met Mr. Bacon again today and have some prospect of getting some money, 19th-Succeeded in making partial arrangements for money today through Mr. Bacon with Jarvis Conklin Company. Telegraphed that I would start for Colorado Sunday.

December 20
Drew and paid five thousand dollars today and kept very busy getting affairs into shape to leave. Brother Jas. A. Morgan came to the city and was with me most of the day. Worked until quite late at night.

Note: Who is Brother Jas. A. Morgan? It first appeared to me that he came “to the city” to oversee the general contracting work of the Morgan Hotel Construction in John’s approaching absence. Is Brother Jas. A. Morgan John's brother? No, wouldn't he call his brother “Jimmie,” as he always had. Could this man be a family member, or someone John wanted to invest in the Hotel? He wasn't mentioned again.

December 21
Brother Grow came up and we talked over work to be done during my absence. Attended services at the Tabernacle. … left for Colorado over the Rio Grande Western.

Note: It was four more months of the same pace before John Morgan’s hotel was completed. There is some reference to the building project in this earlier post.

1891
April 30
Finished the building and turned it over to J. H. Clark the renter. Began tearing down the old building on the 26th of May, 1890 and began excavating on the 24th of June. Attended Council Meeting at 11 a.m.

May 1
The Hotel opened today with a large crowd of boarders and visitors …

May 2
Rustling for some money to pay the men off and succeeded fairly well. Everything seems to be moving smoothly in the Hotel.

May 3
At home all day except attending Ward Meeting in the evening. Brother Roberts with us most of the day.

May 4
Looked after the work about the building and made arrangements to go to Colorado.

May 5
Had lease for the building signed today and settled up with a number of the contractors. At 10 p.m. left for Colorado …

June 1
[Salt Lake] Called at the Hotel and had a look over it. A number of doors had shrunk so as to not close. Met N. V. Jones about getting some money …

John Hamilton Morgan journal, Special Collections, Marriott Library, University of Utah.

2 comments:

  1. I too wondered about Jas. A. Morgan?!
    I also wondered if the Brough's had their brick business running in Kaysville then. I think there were 2 maybe 3 brickyards in Kaysville.

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  2. Thank you Flora Lee. You asked me earlier if I thought John Morgan may have gotten bricks from the Broughs in Kaysville.

    The Richard Brough website says that in addition to manufacturing bricks in Randolph, Samuel also assisted his brother, Thomas, in making bricks in Porterville. Also, Samuel and Thomas operated a brickyard in east Kaysville between about 1867 and 1881. However, Samuel moved to Randolph in 1870, and likely didn't have much to do with the Brough Brick Yard after he had moved to Randolph. This large brickyard was known as the "Brough Brick Yard on Cemetery Street," Today, the ground on which the Brough Brick Yard was once located is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is occupied by the LDS Kaysville Crestwood Wardhouse--located at 1039 East Crestwood Road, Kaysville, Utah.

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