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DRAPER -- A big piece of Draper's history moved to a new location Sunday.
Moving crews picked up the old Day Dairy Barn and drove it through the city to its new home near Draper Historical Park. Historians and family members couldn't be happier.
At the crack of dawn the roar of a diesel engine marked the next phase of life for the Day Dairy Barn.
"We are so excited that we were able to get this done," said Larayne Day of Day Dairy.
The barn was built in the 1920s at the start of the Great Depression by the Day family. Though times were tough, the dairy survived, outlasting all other dairies in Salt Lake County.
I get emotional thinking about it and talking about it. I just think it's a wonderful thing that this is going to be preserved, that I can be able to show my grandkids and my kids can show their kids what their father did.
–Ken Day
In recent years the family relocated its herd to Payson and left the barn behind.
"It represents the people. It represents a time period for Draper when things were tough. Things were very difficult," said Rob Perry with the Draper Historic Preservation Commission.
The barn was nearly destroyed by developers two years ago, but the Day family convinced them to hold off so they could have the chance to move the barn to a new location.
"It'd be a shame to see it just piled up in a heap and hauled away to nothing, so it's a good thing," said Ken Day with Day Dairy.
With help from the community, the Day family raised enough money to move the barn.
The move began at 7:00 Sunday morning. Police blocked off roads, and crews made the slow trek from 589 E. 12300 South to roughly 1300 East and 12400 South.
"We're lucky to have this dry weather," said David Valgardson, president of Valgardson & Sons Inc., the company responsible for the move. "If it was wet it would be slick. We'd probably slide down the hill, so we don't want that. It's gone good today."
The entire move took about an hour. The barn will remain on blocks until construction crews pour a foundation and slide it into place.
The Day family says they are just excited their contribution to history will be preserved.
"I get emotional thinking about it and talking about it," said Ken Day. "I just think it's a wonderful thing that this is going to be preserved, that I can be able to show my grandkids and my kids can show their kids what their father did."
Once the barn is in place and renovated, it could be used for dances, parties, weddings and community events.
And of course, it will be decorated with all sorts of dairy memorabilia.
