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Jed Boal ReportingStudents in the Alpine School District dug into a big part of county history today. Geneva Steel played an important support role during World War II. Seventh grade honors students from Oak Canyon Junior High learned more about the plant today and plan to preserve its history.
The old Geneva Steel Factory in Lindon is coming down, but before it's entirely dismantled to make way for new development, students will capture the importance of the past and tell the plans for the future.
Connor Brown, Oak Canyon Junior High: "We don't want them to die out. We want everyone to know about them. It's very important to us and we want to spread the word."
The class wants to tell the factory's story because it played an important role in the nation's security, Utah's economy and the lives of community members during the past 60 years.
Ben Swenson, Oak Canyon Junior High: "It helped out with World War II, making steel for the boats. It's a story that deserves to be told."
100-Percent for Kids Credit Union Education Foundation and America First Credit Union donated $3,000 to Oak Canyon Junior High Students. They'll produce a book on the history of the plant as part of a PUSH, to Preserve Utah's Sites of History.
Two of Geneva Steel's original workers gave the students a tour. The County is growing fast so the class wants to write the history now, before links to the past are lost. It is a real history lab.
Jon Ingete, History Teacher: "The students get more excited. They're into what they write. It becomes authentic when they write things they are actually experiencing."
The students will publish a book of stories to share with the community in the spring.
"We believe there's a story that hasn't been told, and we want to be out there to tell that story."
Their ultimate goal is to encourage the community to back a Geneva Memorial Museum as a tribute to the Geneva Steel Factory.
