One quaint little white house, placed in a serene pasture off Nicholls Road in Fruit Heights embodies the spirit of a community and its motto, "City of Good Neighbors."
The home's occupants had dreams that seem to converge with the city's spirit of neighborliness in modern times. We are connected to the past as the past is connected to the future.
The Nicholls Road area has quite a history, stemming back to a man named Vernon Nicholls. Nicholls worked for the old Bamberger Train Company for 37 years. Every night as he returned home, the conductor would call to him "Nicholls Road" as they approached the road leading to his little white house in Fruit Heights. Hence, Nicholls Road was named.
The little white house also has quite a history. Vernon and Marguerite Nicholls moved into the pale, adobe structure in 1929. Previously, the house had been built by Vernon's parents, who lived in a tent with their six children until it was complete in 1914.
The original house featured small rooms including a few bedrooms, a parlor, and a kitchen. It also had a back porch and a closet.
In the late 1930s, Vernon and Marguerite added electricity, extra rooms, siding, a sewer, and a white picket fence. This is where they built their dreams, raising three children.
They hoped their extensive property could provide a haven for the community. This was a time when families put down roots and stayed, belonging to a town.
The Nicholls enjoyed looking out on the pasture as horses grazed. They nurtured an extensive flower garden including Marguerite's favor-ites: peonies, roses, and petunias. They always wanted a park across the street.
In 1967, a dentist and his wife from Salt Lake City moved in nearby. They were greeted by the Nichollses with lunch and a bouquet of peonies from the garden. Bob and Marian Runnells became friends with the Nicholls and had a strong neighborly bond, with Vernon helping the Runnells run their farm by building fences and stacking hay.
At that time, Fruit Heights had a tradition of picnics in a canyon park. There were games for children, and Vernon used his melodic voice to sing humorous songs. The residents shared stories about early settlers and this tradition made the Runnells feel included and bonded to the town. This setting was destroyed when a flood changed the path of the canyon stream.
Today, the Runnells own the little white house and are renovating it. Marian notes the thick adobe walls (under the outer slate covering) keep the interior of the house warmer in winter and cooler in summer. This project, along with her dedication to keeping the history of Fruit Heights alive, earned her the city's Humanitarian Award, presented by Mayor Rick Miller. Runnells hopes to someday have the house listed on the Historic Register, as Vernon Nicholls wished.
The Runnells hope to revive the town gathering of yesteryear with a day dedicated each year for an old-fashioned ice cream social when the home's renovation is complete. The day would honor those early settlers of Fruit Heights who built a community on the values of hard work and neighborliness.
Runnells emphasizes how important the Nichollses' open space is. "Cars park by our pasture and the occupants watch the horses. Children and their parents pick grass and feed the horses. The rush-rushÖis forgotten for at least a short time," writes Runnells.
Another recent project has kept pace with the Nichollses' dreams. Resident Bonni Jones also had a vision of a park on Nicholls road. She and many others built Castle Heights Playground across from the little white house in barn-raising fashion.
"Our city is deeply indebted to Mrs. Runnells for preserving a piece of our city's history, and helping us remember the gifts and efforts of our early settlers," Mayor Rick Miller said.
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