Orem – Images of America

Some years ago, BYU history professor, Jay H. Buckley was approached by Arcadia Publishing and invited to consider writing a history book about an American City. Among the possibilities were Bridger Valley, Wyoming, where Dr. Buckley is originally from, and Provo. However, just a year previous, Professor Buckley, an Orem resident, had received a phone call from Orem’s mayor Jerry Washburn inviting him to serve on the Orem Historic Preservation Advisory Committee.

In an interview on BYU radio’s Fresh Air, Dr. Buckley explained, “I couldn’t very well write a book on Provo while I was serving on the Orem Historic Preservation Commission…so I said, I’d like to [write] one [about] Orem….I thought it would be interesting to provide some outreach and get into the…localized stories that would enrich and enhance [Orem’s] history.”

The book would be part of a nationwide series of local histories that focuses on the power of photography to celebrate “the history of neighborhoods, towns and cities across the country."

Probably the most significant contribution of Dr. Buckley’s book Orem – Images of America is the “image” part. Old photographs are an integral and exciting part any community’s history, and images of historic-Orem, for a long time, were scattered and largely inaccessible to the public.

This is due in part because years ago, a fire destroyed many of the city's historic materials located at the senior citizen’s center. This incident greatly increased the difficulty of finding photos of Orem’s past. That was the challenge Dr. Buckley took on as he began gathering resources and collecting images for his book.

The result of his efforts, along with undergraduate student Chase Arnold, the Orem Public Library, and other local helpers, together provided our community with this book—a special gem for all interested in Orem and its history.

The book is a collection of 200-plus, high-quality images (mostly black and white) showing Orem’s past.

Informative captions are provided alongside the pictures that present the historical significance of the images in a meaningful way.

The book has a great format with each chapter building on the last. Much of the information presented is unique to the reader and is not found in other historic books about Orem. One such example is Chapter 3: The Power of Nunn where the history of the Olmsted Power Plant (at the entrance of Provo Canyon) is shared. Interestingly, on that site, L. L. Nunn and his brother started a school, making Orem, at that time, one of the only places in the world with a credible electrical engineering program.

Orem – Images of America is a great book to set on the living room table for both family and visitors to view. This brief, yet complete, history offers a special view into Orem’s past for the old and new resident alike.

I also offer my personal thanks to Dr. Buckley for his encouragement and help in sharing the history of Orem with the blogging community.

Orem – Images of America can be accessed at the Orem Public Library or purchased online.

To listen to Dr. Buckley talk about his book, click HERE.

Jay H. Buckley (w/ Chase Arnold & Orem Public Library). Orem [Utah]. Images of America Series

            San Francisco: Arcadia Publishing, 2010. ISBN: 0-7385-788-7