ROY — Appreciating the past and looking to the future is how residents and city officials celebrated the city’s 75th anniversary Saturday.
The city held a special ceremony and put together a time capsule with more than 20 items representing Roy. The capsule will be opened in 25 years at the city’s centennial celebration.
The Roy High School band marched into the event, and the Riverdale band played music for various sections of the ceremony, with most of the music played from the late 1930s.
Thirty-four original city members filled the first two rows at the ceremony, held just outside the city offices.
Bob Dandoy, chairman of the city’s Diamond Jubilee Committee, honored the original founders.
“We are proud of those that took the bold step to city incorporation ... only a few among us were there,” he said as he motioned to the smiling, elderly residents.
Lifelong city resident Elouise Hartman, 93, addressed the crowd, recalling well when the city was incorporated, in 1937, and how three main streets — Roy, Pippin and Barney — defined the city.
“We were a sleepy little village noted for wonderful cherries,” she said.
She talked about how the city has evolved to encompass the nearly 30,000 residents it has today.
Mayor Joe Ritchie said the city’s need for water was the reason behind incorporating with Weber County.
He also honored Roy High School junior Alexis Boswell, who designed the 75th anniversary logo, and gave her the first minted commemorative pin featuring her work.
Alexis was also asked to put one of the pins in the time capsule.
Ritchie encouraged everyone to meet him back at the city offices in 25 years to break open the sealed time capsule.
“With any luck, I will still be your mayor,” he joked.
Former councilwoman Marge Becraft organized the time-capsule event for the committee.
She went through the list of items in the capsule, ranging from letters from second-graders and Sen. Orrin Hatch to current newspapers.
Fourth-grader Angie Medina climbed onto the stage as Becraft read her time-capsule letter to the crowd.
Angie was thrilled with the day’s events and carefully taped everything using her family’s video camera.
“I just want us all to see what we look like in 25 years,” she said with a big smile.
Roy High School student body president Brittni Strickland also snapped many pictures as the time capsule was buried.
“I’m so glad we could be a part of it. It is really cool,” she said, adding that she can’t wait to come back in 25 years and have a big reunion.
“Even if I don’t live here, I’ll be back,” she promised.
Dave and Richard Bennion came with their families to celebrate with the city. Richard said his father owned the first drugstore, which opened in 1951, and his family owned businesses in Roy until about two years ago.
“It’s just a nice, quiet neighborhood community,” Dave said. “I still live in Roy because I can spell it and can remember the ZIP code.”
Larry Bouwhuis is a longtime resident who loves his city.
“It’s all about the people,” he said.
Ritchie applauded the residents who had been asked to serve on the Diamond Jubilee Committee.
“They are really good people and were handpicked,” he said.
He said he didn’t necessarily want to find people who knew a lot about Roy but rather sought those who are honest and good thinkers.
“They have really exceeded my expectations,” Ritchie said of the committee members.
As she looked around at all of the people who turned out for the event, Becraft was elated by the how the day’s events turned out.
“I’m just thrilled to death.”
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