Helper.  An odd name for a town and one with an interesting story
behind it.  Helper is the only town in the United States named for a
locomotive.  It was a terminal point for the Rio Grand Railroad
between Denver and Salt Lake City,  situated at the foot of the
mountain range separating Eastern Utah from Central Utah.  Freight
trains from Denver and coal trains originating at Helper required a
"helper" engine to push the train to the summit of the mountains to
the west.  At the summit, the "helper" engine was detached from the
train for a return trip to Helper to await another assignment for a
local coal or incoming train from Colorado.

Now in modern times, the Helper engines are actually used for a
different purpose.  When you see several engines hooked to the
back of long coal or freight trains, the engines are not only
helping push the large trains up the steep grades, they are used
to hold the long and heavy trains from going too fast down the
hills.  By holding back the trains it keeps them from running
away and jumping the track.

Hobos would get off the trains and hide down by the river  and
sometimes live in the thick trees.  Well, the citizens living  in
homes behind the trees would be frightened because they didn’t know
what the people living in the trees would do.  So the citizens got
together and went to our city hall.

At  Helper  there  was  not  much  to  do  until  some  people  had
a  dream.  There were  many  ideas, but  the   Parkway  was  one  of
the  best.  Around  1990  they  started  to  build  the  parkway.
It  was  dedicated  to  Ron  Cooper  in  1996  for  all  the  hard
work  he  put  in  it.  Sadly,  he died before it was  finished.
Today  the  parkway  is  connected  by  an  underpass   under  the
highway  so  that  people  will  not  have  to  cross  the  road.

On October 27, we went observing the parkway.  When we left it was
about 8: 30 A.M., and it was a little nippy. When we got there it
warmed up some, but the water was still cold and icy. Frost was on
the ground., and made it look like a shimmering carpet.

There is a swinging bridge that you cross on the way to the Parkway.
It is the most popular bridge in town.  It swayed from side to side
as we jumped up and down on our way.  Frost on the bridge made it
slippery.  There is a sign that warns people not to fool around on
the bridge, but even grownups jump and sway!

The parkway has many colorful leaves during Autumn.  There are some
that are reddish orange in color.  They cover the ground like a
raging fire.  There are also yellow leaves that look like shimmering,
golden coins blanketing the ground.  While trees reach out above you
like bony skeletons, the few that have leaves provide most of the
shade.

Helper enjoys all four seasons of the year!  In the summer, our river
sparkles brightly.  Snow during the winter,  puts a marshmallow
topping on our trees, benches, and boulders.  In the spring, trees
are full of green leaves.   The Autumn here is magnificent!   It is
enjoyable to walk along the Parkway during any season.

Boulders line the two mile winding paths through the Parkway and look
like a wall or a bunch of chairs.  There are boulders in the river
too, so the fish can hide.  Lots of kids go fishing there during the
summer and fall. The gigantic boulders are from the mountains that
surround our area.  Sometimes they fall down in the roads and are
transported to the Parkway.

When you sit on the giant boulders, you can hear the flowing river,
singing birds, and church bells.  But when the cars and speeding
diesels pass on the highway, it shatters the peacefulness for a
while.

While walking on the pathways, you can hear pigeons cooing in
their nests.  They like to land on buildings and churches.  Sometimes
if you look up, you can see them soaring above the trees.  Sometimes
pigeons build their nests in the tunnels.  When you look up at them,
you don’t want to look up too long.

Another unique part of the parkway is a deck that hangs a few feet
over the river.  It was built by Helper Jr. High’s principal, Tom
Montoya,   their custodian, Charlie Felice, and students from the
school.  People bring their lawn chairs and listen the sounds of
nature.

A beautiful pavilion  is used by people to have picnics and family
reunions.  It is covered so that if it rains it won’t mess up your
day.  It has beautiful scenery and it also has rest rooms.
There is a volley ball court, bocci ball court,  a huge sand box , and
a place to play horseshoes.

Before we left to return to school, we gathered up a bunch of golden
crunching leaves.  Then the  real fun began!  We ran, threw leaves,
buried each other, and finished off a great day.

If you ever get to come to Helper, Utah – be sure to visit our
wonderful Parkway!

Mrs. Dimick’s 5th grade class

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