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Remember the Dictaphone?

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Salt Lake Desk Exchange

This 1936 photo of the Salt Lake Desk Exchange (advertising dictaphones) is courtesy of the Salt Lake County Archives.


Rulon and Bessie Davis were the first residents of 1784 Harvard Avenue. You don’t see guys like Rulon around here anymore. I mean, when was the last time you bumped into a dictaphone salesman on your block? Rulon was a distributor and the branch manager for The Dictaphone Sales Corporation. He lived here in the mid 1930’s. Multiple SLC companies sold dictaphones.

Old newspaper ads for LDS Business College often pictured a woman with a dictaphone. Besides dictaphones, the school offered classes on telegraphy, calculating machines, shorthand, and bookkeeping. “Business is calling for thousands of qualified workers.”

One of my favorite dictaphone ads was placed by The Columbia Stores Co, 221 S West Temple. Even though his wife disapproved, the ad writer said he loved smoking his old pipe. And when he went down to the front office smoking his pipe at work, he noticed the “operators’ noses take an elevation of about 45 degrees.” But he didn’t have to choose between the stenographers and his pipe. He could have them both because they used (drum roll) DICTAPHONES! “We shoot it through the speaking tube to a good wax record. The boy simply leaves the cylinders up in front… We don’t disturb them, and they don’t disturb us.” Ha! What a great business tool.

But dictaphones had other uses as well. Like in cases of espionage!

You can read about one case in the June 18, 1918 edition of the Salt Lake Telegram. A Pocatello crime was foiled because a detective planted a dictaphone in the room of two men plotting to rob and kill the proprietor of a certain store. Officers with their revolvers ready hid at the store and nabbed the Brigham City man and his cohort before they could commit their crimes and escape on the 10 o’clock train to Salt Lake City.

I can’t imagine not noticing a “planted” dictaphone. It must’ve been a messy room. I wonder how much recording time you get with one of those too. Lucky timing and great detective work, I guess.

Writing this makes me think of my old neighbor friend again. Once I stopped by while she was watching a movie with a switchboard scene. My eyes were on her TV when I heard her say sarcastically, “I suppose you don’t remember those days?” There’s a lot I wasn’t here for, but I love that I can still look at Rulon’s house and many other homes in Yalecrest and think about the people in our neighborhood and Salt Lake City’s History.

Rulon

Rulon (the dictaphone salesman) and Bessie Davis once lived here.

—Kelly Marinan

Over 100 Years Old

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While reading a Salt Lake Tribune article on the Sarah Daft Home, these words caught my eye:

“What’s incredible is that it hasn’t been modified much in 100 years,” said Namba. “That’s a huge compliment to the 75 women on the board and the builders. They built a building that had permanence in mind, not a building meant to serve for 20 years. It has stood the test of time. Our nonprofit has been able to concentrate on the care of the residents, not necessarily in the preservation of the building. It is in remarkably great shape.”

Yalecrest has homes just as old.

And I believe Yalecrest builders were of the same mindset. They built homes of distinction, high quality, built to last. Existing Yalecrest homes are filled with interesting stories of their people and life in an earlier SLC.

This featured Yalecrest home (941 S 1300 East) was built in the same year (1913) as the Sarah Daft Home. Of course the landscape around it has changed a lot since then! 941S 1300E - iPad

Note: Shipler photo used by permission, Utah State Historical Society, all rights reserved.

-Kelly Marinan

Duffin’s Grocery. . .know anyone who remembers it?

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Duffin’s Grocery Store was built in 1925 by S.L. Newton at 1604 Princeton Ave. and was run by Clarence Duffin in conjunction with William Wood & Sons meat market. Duffin’s was the only market within Yalecrest and designed to have the same setback and blend in with the surrounding houses. This property has now been turned into a personal residence.

1604 Princeton Avenue, when it was a beauty salon.

1604 Princeton Avenue, when it was a beauty salon.

In addition to the grocery store, the building once housed a salon. 

Yalecrest Doors

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Have you seen these doors on your neighborhood walks? yalecrest doors 1

Where are they located?

Do you know its architecture style?

What type of entry door do you have? 

As I take my daily dogwalk in the Yalecrest neighborhood, I marvel at the beauty, craftsmanship and diversity of the original doors on our homes.  The character of the original front entry doors are intimately associated with the houses’ architecture.

Homes in Yalecrest are represented by Early 20th century residential types, which include Bungalows (1905-1925), Period Cottages (1910-1935), and CapeCod (1925-1945).

Within those building types are a variety of styles, which are characterized by architectural detail that adds to the basic form.  Bungalows include Arts and Crafts and Prairie School.  Period Cottage styles include Colonial Revival, Neoclassic, English Tudor, Period Cottages, French Norman, Spanish Colonial Revival and Modern.  Click here for more information

Bungalows (1905-1925) both Arts and Crafts and Prairie School styles are characterized by a wood framed, one story (sometimes two) home, with a low-pitched roof containing partially exposed framing wood members in its gable ends and decorative motifs.  A Bungalow home often accentuates the texture of its material and features abstract patterns in stained and leaded glass.  The local architect Taylor Woolley, who apprenticed with Frank Lloyd Wright in the Oak Park, Illinois studio is associated with many of the finest examples of this architectural style in Utah and  we have some in Yalecrest! The front entry doors associated with this building style are often constructed wider than a traditional front exterior door and are made with solid oak with decorative art glass inserts or side panels.  See examples

Period Cottage Revivals

Colonial Revival (1890-1940) is influenced by Dutch (gambrel roof designs) and English (Georgian and Federal periods of the 18th and early 19th centuries) designs.  The Cape Cod cottage is a subtype of the Colonial Revival built during the 1930’s.   Colonial revival styled homes have hip, gable or gambrel roofs, with symmetrical front facades, porches, with shingles, wood siding or brick surfaces, bay windows, side and transom lights around the front entry, and broken, segmental pediments.  See examples

Neoclassical (1900-1925) has uninterrupted cornice and /or pedimented porticos and symmetrical front facades.  Doors associated with this architecure are often paneled and have glass transoms above and to the sides of the front entry door.  See examples

English Tudor (1915-1935) is characterized by an asymmetrical façade and timber-frame architectural detail (stucco wall panels with exposed wood framing members).  English Tudors have a picturesque irregular massing, a variety of window shapes, diamond-pane and/or bottle-glass lights, tall casement windows, clay chimney pots, and a steeply pitched gable roof.  Doors associated with this style are often a single piece of quarter-sawn oak (sometimes walnut) with or without small art glass inserts and with or without wrought iron details.  See examples

English Cottage (1920-1940) is characterized by an all brick exterior without the timber frame architectural detail of English Tudor, but is similar in all other aspects.  English Cottages are typically smaller than English Tudors but have a picuresque irregular massing, a variety of window shapes and steeply pitched gable roof.  Doors associated with this style are either rectangular or rectangular with curved heads.  They are constructed from Douglas fir, quarter-sawn oak wood from either a single piece of wood or multiple conjoined linear planks with a window insert of diamond-pane, art glass or large circular glass.  See examples

Spanish Colonial Revival (1915-1935) is based on the architectural styles of Mexico and are characterized by red tile roofs, white stucco-covered wall surfaces with low relief ornament, decorative cornices and parapets, wrought iron grills and balconies. Doors associated with the Spanish Colonial Revival style are heavily paneled in oak with wrought iron detail.  See examples

French Norman (1915-1935) style was originally popularized by architect Richard Morris Hunt in the first 3 decades of the 21st century.  This style is loosely based on the vernacular of Normandy and Brittany.  Its design elements incorporates stone, brick and stucco with half-timbering and decorative brick patterns, wall dormers, steeply pitched slate roofs, and round towers with conical-shaped roofs.  The doors associated with French Norman Revival are often heavily paneled with wooden spindle inserts over a glass window.  See examples

Modern styles (1930-1940) are characterized by rounded edges or rectilinear corners, constructed in cement or stucco with butterfly or flat roofs and large glass windows with or without fenestrations.  Doors associated with this building style are typically flat rectilinear in shape without embellishment but occasionally contain a circular piece of glass.  See examples

—Lynn Kennard Pershing

 

Why Preserve Yalecrest?

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The United States has many historic places that can be considered links to the past, places that help us remember our past and honor the people who shaped our nation.  California has its famous historic bungalows of the 1920’s; Newport, Rhode Island has its famous historic mansions once occupied by wealthy bankers, politicians and industrial barons; and The New England area has perfectly clapboarded Cape Cod Colonial homes.  These are some of the better known historic places that come to mind but there are also many wonderful places right here in Utah. When people talk about Utah and history most tend to think of Mormon Pioneers and Pioneer Era settlements, but Utah also has a rich and varied post Pioneer history in some beautiful neighborhoods and one of those sparkling gems is Yalecrest.

Yalecrest, also known as “Harvard/Yale” is a residential neighborhood located on the East Bench of Salt Lake City, eight blocks to the south and thirteen blocks to the east of the downtown area of the city.  The boundaries are 800 South (south side) to 1300 South (north side) and 1300 East (east side) to 1900 East (west side). It is a remarkably visually cohesive neighborhood with the majority of the houses built in subdivisions of period revival-style cottages in the 1920s and 1930s.

The Yalecrest neighborhood is locally significant both architecturally and historically for its association with the residential development of the east bench of Salt Lake City by real estate developers and builders in the first half of the twentieth century. Its tract period revival cottages which were smaller and more modest homes coupled with subdivisions of larger homes for the more well-to-do represent the boom and optimism of the 1920s and 1930s in Salt Lake City.  The neighborhood is also significant for its intact architectural homogeneity.  It was built out quickly with 22 subdivisions platted from 1910 to 1938 containing houses that reflect the popular styles of the era, largely period revival cottages in English Tudor and English Cottage styles. The architectural variety and concentration of period cottages found in Yalecrest is unrivalled in the state and examples from Yalecrest are used to illustrate period revival styles in the statewide architectural style manual. The subdivisions were platted and built by the prominent architects and developers responsible for early twentieth century east side Salt Lake City development and who shaped the patterns of growth of the east bench of Salt Lake City.

The National Historic Register has noted that the architecture of Yalecrest is remarkable for the concentration of fine period revival style houses; seventy four percent were built from 1920-1939. These houses exhibit a variety of period revival styles with the largest portion being English Tudor and English Cottage styles.  There is a district of small cottage homes, located from 1500 to 1600 East on Princeton and Laird Avenues that was for the most part constructed by Samuel Campbell; Princeton in 1924 and Laird in 1925.  He built primarily on speculation and many of the houses served as rentals to middle class tenants before being sold.  There is also a section of Yalecrest that is above 18th East that was developed later in the century and features post-war cottages reflecting the economic boom of WW II that pulled this country out of a great depression.

Anyone who would happen upon Yalecrest today would say it is a grand beauty and yes it has aged well.  The trees have fully matured providing a beautiful and magnificent streetscape that cloaks the streets in a canopy of shade. The charming homes perfectly aligned with consistent setbacks, manicured lawns and glorious gardens tell a tale of the grace with which Yalecrest was built and has endured over time, that which makes Yalecrest a desirable community to live in. Unfortunately, the last few years have not been without a few blemishes in the way of demolitions, large mansion style rebuilds and out of character remodels.  This trend of the destruction of existing homes, incompatible remodels and new development by developers, those without a vested interest in the community, looking only to maximize profits is the biggest threat that Yalecrest faces today. How will Yalecrest age into the future or will there by a future for Yalecrest? There may not be if the demolitions, mansion rebuilds and out of character remodels continue.

Yalecrest is an eclectic collection of homes, architecturally interesting, charming homes as most would say, old homes as some would say. Big homes, little homes, all different types of homes and that’s where the real value of Yalecrest lies—in its wide variety of homes that cater to different walks of life. There are sections or what were built out as subdivisions of different sizes and styles of homes. Noticeably there are larger, fancier homes—homes that were originally built for the more well-to-do, there are middle size homes and there are also smaller homes, cottages, modest period-revival Tudors and bungalows—homes that were originally built for a middle-class clientele. In our current culture of bigger, better and MORE, it is these smaller and more modest homes that are the ones most vulnerable to demolition, new development and out of character remodels. They are not large or showy, some more simple than others, all unique in their own way with their own stories to tell,  more importantly they are the most affordable starter homes in Yalecrest, homes that allow a large variety of people from empty nesters and single people to small families to live in Yalecrest.  As some would like to say “what makes a neighborhood great the people or the homes?”  It definitively has to be both, as one cannot thrive without the other. What draw the people to Yalecrest are the charming homes, magnificent streetscapes and unique architecture and in turn the people drawn to it make a vibrant community.

Is Yalecrest destined to be a neighborhood of $1,000,000+ homes, available only for an elite few? Can it stay true to its roots and remain a vibrant neighborhood for a mix of varying degrees of people, able to accommodate all sizes of families, a neighborhood that can age well into the future? And so we must ask “Why Preserve Yalecrest?” And what exactly does preservation mean? A textbook definition would be “to keep in perfect or unaltered condition; maintain unchanged” what most people think of when they hear the word preservation.  But we don’t live our daily lives by a textbook definition and the same can be said about preservation. Does preserving a neighborhood stop progress? Certainly not, as with all things in life neighborhoods move ahead, progress, go forward. People die, new people move in, babies are born—they grow up and leave, return with their own families, people move away, and through all of this homes are remodeled and changed, it is an ever revolving door. Preservation does not freeze a time in place, rather it is a means to hold together that which is most cherished, valuable and sustainable for future generations. It allows for places to evolve in an orderly and well thought out manner while providing a path for the future and future generations who strive to call Yalecrest home, by honoring the past, the vision of those who have gone before us and by cherishing the past souls who breathed life into Yalecrest and made it the beautiful community that it is today.

Please join with K.E.E.P. Yalecrest in its endeavors of educating people about the value of preservation and protections for Yalecrest so that it can remain a gem of Salt Lake City and a community accessible to many.

Read more about why Yalecrest should be preserved

—Kelly White

Protecting Our Elderly

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I think my block has always had widows and widowers. Looking through the Polk Directories, I can identify widowed/single women.  It’s not as easy when it comes to the men, but they existed too. In 1946 there were 5 widows/single women living on my block.  I know about past kindnesses between neighbors.  I bet they felt at-home living here.

I wish I could talk about the elderly living in Yalecrest today, to share some of their stories. But I can’t because I don’t want to put them in danger. There are too many people that prey on the elderly and we have seen it here (i.e. woman looking for prescription meds).

But I can talk about a woman that used to live across the street. Her name was Martha. She died a couple months shy of 97 yrs old. I loved Martha.  I know I wasn’t the only one. Even though she was a widow, homebound and often couldn’t hear well, she helped bring us together… because we worked together to watch out for her. For example…

One summer morning Martha’s newspaper was still on her porch waiting for her to retrieve it. I don’t know who spotted him first– E, S, M or P. But all were pretty sure that shirtless tattooed man sitting on Martha’s stoop didn’t belong there. There was concern about Martha opening her front door. Phone calls were made to the police. E gave me a call. And then– Martha opened her doors!!

Witnesses saw Martha in her nightgown. It looked like she said something.The man got up and started stumbling down the street. But it doesn’t quite end there for me…

M&P, thinking the police were on their way, decided to trail the man at a safe distance with M’s big dog. That had to be kind of hard — following and faking like you’re not following a man who appears lost and is walking slowly!

Later that night I went over to Martha’s to hear what she had to say about her “visitor.”  She was tickled when I shared what I had heard.  I said, “We were wondering what you said to him?” With each retelling, I swear Martha grew bigger and stronger. But I bet she really did say, “Get the HELL off my porch!”

Homes that are smaller and more affordable are perfect for older downsizing couples or families just starting out. When I see these homes being flipped into mini-mansions and now advertised for a million dollars or more, I think we’re losing our elderly. And we’re losing more than that.

Preservation has NEVER been just about the bricks for me. It’s about values. And people. And the connections between them and other generations, past, present, future. I love my part of Yalecrest.  We still have what I think we’ve always had.  It’s something money can’t buy.

-Kelly Marinan
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Where Have All the Drive Strips Gone?

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Drive strips are historic site features that have largely been lost in Yalecrest.  It’s often one of the first things people change when they buy into the neighborhood.

At one time, Yalecrest was filled with driveways that looked like this:

Collage of Yalecrest Original Drive Strips

But now surviving drive strips are very difficult to find.

On my block there are 28 homes. Only two have drive strips. And only one of these still has both its original garage and hasn’t changed its roofline or front facade. I don’t think the owner realized he had a one-of-a-kind, still standing strong, unique piece of block history, until I pointed it out. I’m hoping the next owner will see the same historic value and be able to survive the ongoing mansionization trend in Yalecrest.

Can you imagine a whole block of drive strips?  With the added greenery and the smaller garages, I’m thinking it must’ve given residents a feeling of spaciousness and peace. Like, your neighbors definitely aren’t right on top of you. It was probably a subtle feeling… residing in their subconscious.

Note #1:  Photos courtesy of Salt Lake County Archives.

Note #2:  I apologize for the quality.  I was taking pictures of pictures.

—Kelly Marinan

Secrets of Old Homes

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Winter street and 1931 Salt Lake TribuneJanuary 2013
Rather than returning the pipe insulation tape I bought for an issue elsewhere, I decided maybe I should take a look at the pipes in my Yalecrest home and see if I can use the stuff here. It’s been so cold. I tend to keep my house cooler in the winter than most people. (In fact, my brother and I were once asked if we were related to polar bears.) I knew the pipes were near the furnace room, originating from the little shelf basement on the north. Being fairly ignorant on fixer-upper stuff, I couldn’t differentiate the water and gas lines with just a glance. But, it wasn’t hard to figure out. And it looked like the water pipe could use some wrapping. I put it on my to-do list.

Last night I decided it was time to knock that item off the list. The fluorescent light in there burned out, maybe a year ago. I figured the fixture should be replaced, but what’s the hurry? I bet Bill (the guy I bought my house from) put it in when he remodeled the basement… back in the day when brightly colored shag carpeting was all the rage. He was quite the handyman. I loved that guy. He had his hand on my house and a couple homes across the street. And he pruned the roses of neighbors that lived in Yalecrest, but not on our block. The late Martha Tucker told me he moved his old garbage disposal from my home into hers before putting in a new one. I thought that was kind of funny. Those old folks were always re-using, never wasteful, environmentalists to some degree before their time. But I digress. Back to my work…

I propped open the doors, put on my head lamp and crawled in to wrap that pipe. The pipe comes up out of the ground and then turns 90 degrees. The vertical part was completely bare. I wrapped it up. The top part was covered with light brown paper. It reminded me of old packaging tape that lost its stickiness. It appeared partially unraveled, like it was ready to fall off. I started tearing it off in little pieces because it wasn’t coming off as easily as I expected. Then I realized I was tearing off pieces of newspaper too. Someone wrapped the pipes with NEWSPAPER?!! (I briefly envisioned a movie scene with a homeless person under a blanket of newspapers.)

After using up the insulated tape, I started cleaning up. I became curious if one of the newspaper scraps might reveal a date. The stuff was old, crumbly, dirty… and in very small chunks. But I found a date. The paper was from Feb. 1931! WOW! That means the first owner covered this pipe with newspaper… during the first winter after “our” home was built! Awesome good job, Peter Peterson Jr 2nd! [yes, that wasn’t a typo]

One neighbor told me another neighbor said (sounds like a friend-of-a-friend thing?) that “these are just tract homes.” I held my tongue. I was listening, trying to decipher if there was a hidden meaning behind the first utterance and in this new repetition. Well…. my thoughts today?

Spec home, tract home, WHATEVER.

I’d take a home on a block of mostly Doxey-Layton/Layton Construction homes built 1929-1930 over any of the “custom homes” today’s builders/architects have modified in Yalecrest. Our long dead builders thought about the whole community and they knew how to build them. I respect the quality, craftsmanship, character of their work. Not so much when it comes to certain builders today. That’s my opinion. Ha! 🙂

—Kelly Marinan

Yalecrest Members of Historic Ladies’ Literary Club

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Ladies Literary Club Book

The Ladies Literary Club recently donated their 100-year-old building at 850 E. South Temple to the Utah Heritage Foundation. UHF is refurbishing and will open for public events in 2014.

It was absolutely wonderful hearing the news that the Ladies’ Literary Club gifted their South Temple building to the Utah Heritage Foundation.  How fortunate for South Temple.  And for ALL of us.  Some cool old architecture and a piece of our history… SAVED from a potential wrecking ball.  Sweet.

The news got me curious though.  I figured a building like that had to have some good stories and people around it.  Who were these ladies anyway?  What were their meetings like?  How could they afford such a building… and so long ago?  The group’s leaders had to be strong, powerful, intelligent women.

I surfed over to the City Library and noticed they had what looked like an interesting little book on the LLC, written in 1927.   I had to go check this book out.

I glanced through the Table of Contents.  Skimmed through some funny little passages.  Looked at the old pictures of their Club Presidents and then noticed at the back of the book that it listed its members– with their addresses!

And I thought, “Anything happening in SLC’s history is bound to include people from YALECREST!”  It always has in the past.  And continues to this day.  So I took a closer look to see if I was right.

Not all of Yalecrest was built by 1927.  Yet I counted 21 women from Yalecrest.  Most of them living on Yale Avenue.

The earliest Yalecrest members joined in 1913:

Mrs. Kent R. Burt, 1405 Yale
And Mrs. A. N. Hanson, 1385 Yale

I wonder how the following two were related?  Sister-in-laws?  Mother and daughter-in-law?  Other?

1349 Yale, Mrs Don E. Ray (1921)
1408 Yale, Mrs W. W. Ray (1925)

Mrs. E.M. Bagley, 1411 Yale, was a lifetime member (1914).   I see, she was also voted President.

Other members are found on:  Gilmer, 13th East, 9th South, Harvard, Michigan, and Sunnyside.

I KNEW Yalecrest would be represented and involved!

—Kelly Marinan

Learn more about the building and acquisition at UtahHeritageFoundation.org