VERNAL, UTAH
The Zions Bank building at 3 West Main Street, Vernal, UT is known as “The Building that was Sent by US Mail.” Built in 1916-1917 by William H. Coltharp from bricks sent via US Mail’s parcel post from Salt Lake City brick kilns to Vernal; rates were low and there was no limit on how many pounds one could ship.
The legend is when overwhelmed by bricks the Vernal postmaster sent a telegram to Washington and said, “Some S.O.B. is trying to ship a whole building through the U.S. mail.”
The U.S. Post Office hastily changed its parcel post regulations, establishing a limit of pounds per day and charging higher fees, but by the time they could implement the new rates and requirements, all the bricks had arrived.
Vernal City has that kinda “Ain’t Skeered and Git er Done” ethos. Mayor Doug Hammond does too. He wants to make this small Utah city of over 10,000 residents “…the preferred place in Utah to raise families, do business and play.”
In order to meet that desired outcome the city council meets regularly and the minutes of the January 20, 2021 meeting note they discussed issues common to all communities in the intermountain west including scarce water, economic development, public safety and the governance issues of solid waste disposal.
However, unique to Vernal City Council is the discussion about the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo, a regular in this city since 1924 with this tagline: “The Greatest Show on Dirt!” The Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo is one of the best professional rodeos in North America. The rodeo has been nominated eight times as one of the top five large outdoor rodeos in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. This year the rodeo will have in addition to the star cowboys and cowgirls and livestock top ranked rodeo barrelman and clown J. J. Harrison.Vernal folks git er done.
