WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Washington County, Utah)
RANDOLPH "DOLPH" ANDRUS, JR.
(teacher, car salesman, tourism promoter, architect)
BIOGRAPHY
Randolph Andrus, Jr. was born in Washington, Utah on July 14, 1890. He went by Dolph Andrus throughout his life.Dolph also worked for a while in the Cotton Mill in Washington.
He also worked in the flour mill in Washington, and later ran the flour mill in mouth of Cedar Canyon.
On June 2, 1911, Dolph (and his girlfriend, Irene Jones of Cedar City) graduated from the 4-year Normal Course at the Southern Branch State Normal School of the University of Utah. In the summer of 1911, Dolph went to summer school at the University of Utah and fulfilled the requirements to receive his teacher's certificate. He worked as a principal and school teacher in Orderville, Utah from 1911-1912, and Kanarraville, Utah from 1912-1915.
Meanwhile, Irene had spent the 1911-1912 school year at the Branch Normal School in Cedar City getting a nursing certificate. Dolph and Irene were married in the St. George L.D.S. Temple on December 24, 1912.
In September of 1915, the young couple and their infant daughter Torma moved to Bluff, Utah. There, Dolph worked as the Principal of the Bluff school, Postmaster, and Maxwell car salesman. During his time in Bluff, Andrus participated in three significant expeditions into Navajo Country, visiting landmarks in southern Utah and northern Arizona such as Monument Valley and the Natural Bridges. In the fall of 1916 Andrus invited Dr. W. H. Hopkins, H. Stanley Hinnricks, and O. C. Hansen, photographer for Schramm-Johnson Drug Co, to ride in the Maxwell into Monument Valley, following their pack trip with Zeke Johnson to the Natural Bridges that they had come to photograph. This was a weekend trip that proved he could get the Maxwell into Monument Valley and back. It did require help back from a team of horses by Hugh Hyde that was arranged for before they left. In the spring of 1917 Andrus left with Dr. William H. Hopkins, dentist and enthusiastic photographer, on an automobile journey into Monument Valley. Once through the valley, they continued on to Kayenta, Arizona, Tuba City, and Lee's Ferry, eventually turning north and arriving in Cedar City, Utah. Later that summer, Andrus returned to Monument Valley with photographer L.W. Clement. Andrus signed a contract agreeing to outfit a trip for Clement to take photographs of the Natural Bridges and Monument Valley for a potential motion picture that would promote tourism for these beautiful yet remote landmarks. This time, Andrus brought his wife Irene Andrus and three-year-old daughter Torma along, and instead of an automobile the group used burros for transportation. The photographs taken on all three trips sought to promote tourism in the area and the development of accessible roads. However, it would be many years before the federal government constructed a highway through Monument Valley in 1970. U.S. Route 163 was constructed to go through Monument Valley; its scenic route connects Bluff, Utah and Kayenta, Arizona.
In 1918 Andrus's family left Bluff and moved to Cedar City. Dolph was the general contractor for the Parowan High School Building and the house that is now the Garden Cottage Bed and Breakfast in Cedar City.
Dolph Andrus eventually became a licensed architect and spent stints in Salt Lake City, New York, Los Angeles, and Sunland, California. He was Chief Architect for Federal Housing Administration in Salt Lake City and worked in the LDS Church Architect Office. His "wonderful obsession" was a building system using precision precast concrete blocks 24" x 24" to be set by unskilled labor. He built his home in Sunland using that design. Dolph tried to complete a patent, but never got it.
Irene died December 25, 1980 in Salt Lake City.
Dolph died February 1, 1981 in Salt Lake City.
FAMILY
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Dolph's Parents and Siblings:
Randolph Andrus Matilda Sandberg Andrus Randolph "Dolph" Andrus, Jr. Laron Steen Andrus |
(7/19/1862-7/24/1934) (married 2/27/1889) (9/25/1870-1/15or22/1973) (7/14/1890-2/1/1981) (married as shown below) (8/8/1904-4/18/1996) (married Rose Ashby) |
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Irene's Parents and Siblings: Uriah Treharne Jones Mary Alice Higbee Jones Abbie Treharne Jones Irene Mary Malicent Aston Zelma Emron |
(2/10/1861-2/13/1929) (married xx/xx/xxxx) (3/1/1863-3/1/1936) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (7/22/1889-12/25/1980) (married as shown below) (4/13/1891-12/20/1897) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) (2/5/1895-12/9/1980) (married Raymond Hunter Lunt) (7/16/1898-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx) |
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Dolph & Irene's Family: Randolph "Dolph" Andrus, Jr. Irene Jones Andrus Torma Andrus J. Quentin Andrus Beverly Jane "Beej" Andrus Berwyn Jones Andrus |
(7/14/1890-2/8/1981) (married 12/24/1912) (7/22/1889-12/25/1980) (4/21/1914-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Hosea L. Walker and Emil E. Henderson) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Alice Earl) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Howard B. Paulsen) (xx/xx/xxxx-xx/xx/xxxx) (married Virginia Agnes Woolley) |
PHOTOS
Photos on the web:FamilySearch photos for Randolph (Dolph) Andrus Jr. (and family)
WCHS photos:
WCHS-02344 Photo of Dolph and his father in a wheat threshing operation
WCHS-02390 Photo of Randolph & Matilda Andrus and Randolph Jr. (Dolph)
WCHS-02391 Photo of Doc Hopins and Dolph Andrus on horses in 1917
REFERENCES
Autobiography of Dolph JonesPart 1: 1890 - 1900
Part 2: 1900 - 1910
Part 3: 1911 - 1915
Part 4: Including Part 1 of the Autobiography of Irene Jones
Printed March 1967
Note: These are very large files and may take a while to load.
Dolph Andrus certification of birth, blessing, baptism, and confirmation
hand written on St. George Temple stationary
Dolph Andrus' Autograph Book
1905-1906
Dolph Andrus photograph collection 1915-1980
Utah State University Special Collections and Archives
Dolph Andrus's Monumental Highway Expeditions
Utah State University Digital Library
Links to Utah Digital Newspaper articles about Dolph Andrus
Find-A-Grave entry for Dolph Andrus
Historical Sketches of Uriah T. Jones and Mary Alice Higbee and Their Family
by Irene J. Andrus
103 pages