Part 25–Dr. L. D. Stewart–23rd Mayor
Payson Historical Society
STARTED ONION DAYS AND HOME COMING — BUILT RACE TRACK
Dr. L. D. Stewart took over as the 23rd Mayor of Payson January 1928.
Early in the summer of 1928, Former Paysonian's Club representatives, Dr. Louis N. Ellsworth and Dr. Potter from Salt Lake City met with Mayor Stewart and suggested that Payson sponsor a home coming celebration.
Dr. Stewart called together the heads of all civic and church organizations, city officials, and civic leaders at a banquet held at Arrowhead Resort in Benjamin where he presented the proposal.
Everyone received the idea enthusiastically. The idea was introduced to build a suitable place to conduct a sports program to feature the celebration. They decided a race track would be a good drawing card.
The Depression had begun, money was scarce.
Dr. L. D. Stewart Ralph Done, a former Payson resident, offered to donate a large sum of money if the athletic and sports field be called Done Field as a memorial to the Done family. With this and local help through contribution in cash and labor, in less than a month this field was ready. The north end provided space for track and football activities of the high school. The south end is arranged for softball, baseball, etc. A race track for horse racing surrounded the area with stables and a large grandstand.
In 1929, at the request of Utah County authorities, who at that time, asked each town in the county to sponsor a celebration to advertise one certain product grown or produced in the county, Payson adopted the Golden Onion. This was the beginning of the Home Coming and Onion Days celebration held each year the last of August and the first of Sept. The last day is always on Labor Day.
The Nebo School District erected the Junior High School on the grounds of the City Hall on man Street across from Memorial Park. It was built the summer of 1928 and was dedicated in October. Lewis Bates was the first Principal.
The Daughters of Pioneers, in honor of the first settlers, placed a pioneer cabin, furnished complete with relics in Memorial Park. It was dedicated and presented to the City July 24, 1928.
Under the management of C. E. Huish who had purchased the old Gayety Theater from George H. Done, remodeled it and renamed it to Star Theater, the first talking pictures were shown in Payson July 14, 1929.
The Cultus Club undertook the project of building a tennis court, in west side park. This was completed Sept. 20, 1929. This had been needed for a long time.
In 1930 the Utah Poultry association built a poultry plant here. Floyd Harmer of Springville was put in as manager. This provided a place that the farmers could buy feed and also furnished a market for eggs and poultry.
To commemorate the arrival of the first settlers of Payson, Oct. 20, 1850, a committee from Sons and Daughters of Utah Pioneers presented a bonfire program where the settlers first camped.
On Oct. 31, 1930, a pageant, written by Kathryn Betts who was also the reader, was given. The original settlers were represented in the pageant by members of their respective families.
On Aug. 4, 1931, the Alexander Keele monument built in Memorial Park was dedicated in connection with the Black Hawk encampment. The erection was sponsored by the three camps of Daughters of Utah Pioneers and Payson City. The erection was directed by the history committee, Ann J. Loveless, Ethel T. Page, Aurora N. Wilson and Annie L. Curtis, assisted by Henry Erlandson and John Gardner. It was to honor Alexander Keele who was shot by an Indian while standing guard at the beginning of the Walker War. A marker placed at each corner of the fort were also dedicated at this time and one marking the spot the settlers camped for the first night.” *
*Quoted from “The Payson Story” page 21-22, published by the Payson Centennial Committee, October 1950
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