Wessman 14: Philip Pugsley, Part 6 of 5

There have been numerous other interests of the industrial and manufacturing class in which Pugsley has invested his money. After the move south he purchased the flouring mill in the Nineteenth Ward originally known as “Old Samuel Snyder’s flour mill,” which has been running ever since; and ten or fifteen years ago he added a salt mill to it. Last year it ground 900,000 pounds of salt, brought from the Great Salt Lake. It grinds nearly all the fine table salt of the country. Several years ago he helped to start a soap factory, of which Pugsley, Snell, and R.T. Burton are the principals. Burton is the president of the company, and Pugsley's son is the "boss" of the soap works.

Another item may be named which, though not in the manufacturing class, is quite historical. For the first two years after General Connor's command came to Utah, Pugsley & Wood supplied all the beef for the troops—Pugsley furnishing the money for the venture. His last enterprise is the introduction of rubber roofing into the Territory, which commands a portion of his attention and investment of his means at the present time.

And thus it will be seen in this biographical sketch, what we affirmed at at [sic] the opening—namely, that Philip Pugsley has been one of the foremost men in developing our industries; and it also illustrates what we have so often said—that out of the lives of these representative men of all classes, who founded Utah and developed her enterprises will be wrought the best and most complete history of Utah.

Article from Edward W. Tullidge, Tullidge's Quarterly Magazine. "Philip Pugsley," Vol. 2 (1883).

Added by granddaughter: The first home he built is now destroyed but it stood on 4th North between 2nd and 3rd West. A portion which was later added now stands there. Later the home in Pugsley Court was built where he lived up to the time of his death.

He retired from active business for several years before his death because of feeble health. He died on August 7, 1903. In the church he was a teacher, elder, priest, and High Priest. On 24 August 1855 Philip Pugsley married Clarissa Ames, daughter of Ira Ames (mentioned earlier).

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Editor's Notes—The map of Salt Lake City shows a Pugsley Street and Pugsley Park in the same area as that mentioned by the granddaughter, although it is now located between 3rd and 4th West.

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Here is a link to a Salt Lake City Capitol Hill Neighborhood Council newsletter (February 2005) with an interesting story about the two Pugsley homes, which were to be demolished that year.

Some of the additional notes found in my original copy of the article were written by granddaughters Florence Barlow Manwaring and Bess Edwards and "others." A note mentions a history of Pugsley compiled by Bess Edwards. Does that mean this history, or something additional?

And, finally, I must disagree with the final statement in the article: that history should be written from the lives of great men. It should also be written from the lives of the humble and poor, and, as Abigail Adams said, "Remember the Ladies." But, I found the life of Edward Tullidge, the author of the biography, to be worth a note or two and as I will note in a blog post sometime next week, the author of this article actually did remember the "ladies," and wrote a lengthy book on the women of Utah, among other accomplishments.


Coming next... Biographies of Philip Pugsley's wives.


Picture of the salt flats from www.flickr.com/photos/23912576@N05/3656533088/. Picture of the soap from www.flickr.com/photos/ieatwaffles/3531167189/. Picture of the adobes from www.flickr.com/photos/chanceprojects/2815570468/. The article about the Pugsley homes mentions that the oldest part of the older of the two homes was built out of adobe bricks, so the previous home may have also been constructed out of adobe.