Thomas Duncombe Dee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas D. Dee
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| Born | November 10, 1844 Llanelli, Wales
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| Died | July 9, 1905 (aged 60) |
| Known for | Utah Construction Company |
Thomas Duncombe Dee (born November 10, 1844 – died July 9, 1905) was an important businessman in Utah, United States. He was known for helping to start the Utah Construction Company.
Contents
Early Life and Moving to Utah
Thomas Dee was born in a town called Llanelli in Wales. When he was 12 years old, his parents joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Four years later, in 1860, his family moved all the way to Ogden, Utah, in the United States.
Building a Business Empire
Before moving to Utah, Thomas was learning to be a carpenter in Wales. When he arrived in Ogden, he quickly started building homes and other buildings. He was very good at it!
In 1876, Thomas Dee teamed up with two other businessmen, David Eccles and Hiram Spencer. Together, they started many different companies across the western United States. These businesses included things like making sugar, cutting lumber, managing water, making shoes, and even banking.
Leading the Utah Construction Company
In 1900, Thomas Dee became a key investor and the very first president of the Utah Construction Company. This company was based in Ogden, Utah. It grew to be a very important company, building many large projects.
Sadly, Thomas Dee passed away on July 9, 1905. Just a few days before, on July 3, he was inspecting a possible site for a dam. He slipped and fell into the water. He then got pneumonia, which is a serious lung infection, and died from it. The next year, in 1906, a community in Oregon was named Dee, Oregon, in his honor.
Community Service
Thomas Dee was also very active in his community and church. For more than 20 years, he was a leader for the Sunday School in two different church areas in Ogden. For almost 20 years before he died, he also served as a helper to the bishop in his church area.
Besides his church service, Thomas Dee also held other important jobs in the community. He was a member of the Ogden City Council, helping to make decisions for the city.
