A memory from his grandson......

​

Visiting Grandpa Boekweg at the Dam House When I was a Young Boy

by Joseph Jared Boekweg

As early as I can remember, my grandfather Uuldrik Boekweg, my father's father, lived in the old dam house up Weber Canyon. He worked for the power company which owned the old home which sat between the river and the railroad track several miles up Weber Canyon east of Ogden, Utah. He lived there until I was about fourteen years old. On Sundays when we would take a drive, we would all show up to visit grandpa. We would have to walk across the old metal bridge that ran above the dam. As a kid I loved how the water was rushing around noisily below me. In the middle between the two large gates the water would swirl around into a whirlpool. It was scary and dad would always stress how careful we needed to be as we crossed. Once we got to the building on the other side, the first room in the building had water running into the room and going down a large pipe that ran under the dam house. Often the grating would have wood, limbs and garbage build up on the grating. Sometimes there would be dead fish. We would then go down a flight of stairs and enter the residence. On the south side of the home, about ten feet away, was the railroad tracks. Out the north side of the house was the river. East of the house was the dam. South of the house was about a 50 feet long patch of dirt. Here between the river and the train tracks he would plant his garden. Next to the train tracks he would plant pink petunias. Pink was his favorite color. It was the color he first saw grandma.

​