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1959 UINTAH HIGH SCHOOL “UINTAHN” YEARBOOK — VERNAL, UTAH
Original 1959 Uintahn yearbook from Uintah High School in Vernal, Utah which belonged to Jerry Smith with over 10 pages with handwritten inscriptions.
This is an especially interesting copy because it belonged to student Jerry Smith and contains numerous handwritten messages and signatures from fellow students. Rather than being an untouched institutional copy, this book preserves a personal snapshot of high-school life in Vernal in the late 1950s.
The yearbook includes student portraits, faculty, clubs and organizations, athletics, school activities, local advertising, photographs of Vernal businesses, and other material documenting Uintah County and eastern Utah at the end of the 1950s.
JERRY SMITH / PERSONAL INSCRIPTIONS
This copy belonged to Jerry Smith. Numerous pages contain handwritten messages to Jerry from classmates and friends, making this a particularly nice piece of personal and genealogical history.
The inscriptions include good wishes, memories and references to friendships and experiences from the school year. These handwritten notes turn the yearbook into more than a school record - they preserve the relationships and voices of students who attended Uintah High School in 1959.
STUDENTS & SCHOOL LIFE
Some student names in this yearbook include:
George Lee, Robert Freestone, Marc Bingham, Butch Boren, Philip Brewer, Dennis Hacking, David Bennion, Gary Sutton, Cloyd McCarrel, Lonney Haddock, Larry Pope, Dick Roberts, Britt Horrocks, Teddy Joe Corless, Wiley Pope, Herb Snyder, Bob Caldwell, Doug Hatch, Jim McNaughton, Tom Ainge, Dale Hullinger, John Baxendale, Frank Rowland, Jackie Turner, Jerry Murray, Jim Lube, Maurine Dudley, Marge Hopkins, Linda Soderquist, Gwen Slaugh, Joycelyn Hodgkinson, Joy Williams, Maryl Glines, Sherry Turner, Darlena Phillips, Diane Anderson, Evelyn Slaugh, Ann Robertson, Ronnie Smith, DeLarna Phillips, Julie Washburn, Fay Kidd, Linda Kindt, Rita Walker, Sybil Watkins, Neita Weeks, Diane Wilkins, Karen Rasmussen, Dorothy Rich, Argene Southam, Dorothy Slade, Carma Stewart, Vera Samuels, Carol Richens, Kathy Robinson, Jeanne Robertson, Connie Wardell, Sharon McKeachnie, Susan Miracle, Jean Merkley, Beth McConkie, Vivian Merkley, Pauling Martinsen, Janet Massey, Gail Merrill, Marianne Martin, Darlene Murray, Myrna Johnson, Gayla Mackay, Tina Stroebel, Jeanne Siddoway, JoAnn Walker, Lynn Webb, Elaine Workman, Anne Robertson, Brenda Rex and Harriet Watkins.
The photographed pages also identify Coach Leo Conk, Electa Caldwell, and Miss Byrd, among others.
CLUBS & ACTIVITIES
The yearbook documents numerous aspects of student life. Photographed pages include the Varsity Club, whose page describes its members as “Strong like the mountains around them,” as well as Thespians/drama activities and other school organizations.
These pages can be particularly useful to genealogists because they connect individual students not only with the school but also with their extracurricular activities and classmates.
VERNAL & UINTAH COUNTY BUSINESSES / LOCAL HISTORY
One of the strongest features of this yearbook is its advertising section, which provides a fascinating record of Vernal-area businesses operating in 1959.
Businesses visible in the photographed pages include:
Ashton’s — advertised as “Eastern Utah’s Largest Department Store,” 25 West, Vernal
Walt’s 66 Service — 216 E. Main
Green Valley Produce — 532 West Main
Basin Loans and B. L. Fletcher Sales and Park
Basin TV
Superior Tire Service
Bob’s Electric Service
Superior Meats
Searle Electric
Searle’s Gas & Appliance Co.
Milt’s Merchandise Mart — 528 West Main
Hotel Vernal
Sutton’s Cleaners
Gardner’s Jewelry — 63 West Main
Quality Drug Co. — 503 East Main
Several advertisements include photographs of the actual businesses, storefronts and interiors, providing an unusual visual record of Vernal, Utah, in the 1950s.
Historical / genealogical interest
Vintage yearbooks can be valuable resources for family historians because they preserve names, portraits, friendships, organizations, local businesses and community connections that may not appear together anywhere else.
This particular copy is especially appealing because it combines the formal school record with Jerry Smith’s personal inscriptions, creating a direct connection to the students who attended Uintah High School during the 1958–1959 school year.
Condition
Vintage pre-owned condition consistent with a yearbook from 1959. The cover shows age and handling wear. Interior pages contain numerous handwritten inscriptions and signatures from the original owner’s classmates. These writings are part of the history and character of this particular copy rather than later markings.
Please examine all photographs carefully for exact condition. Photographs form part of the description.
Great for
Uintah High School alumni and families • Vernal and Uintah County collectors • Utah history • genealogy and family-history research • vintage school memorabilia • local-business history • collectors of 1950s Americana.
Original 1959 yearbook — not a reproduction.
