SPRING CITY—Tom Crisp, a lifelong Spring City resident who worked on major construc- tion projects around the state and once rescued 40 hunters who were stranded in the mountains above the town, has been named Spring City’s Citizen of the Year.
He will also be the grand marshal of the Spring City Pioneer Day parade.
Crisp’s ancestors were some of the first settlers of Spring City. He often talks about growing up on the family farm and shares fond memories of his childhood.
Crisp is known for his hard work, honesty and kindness to everyone that he meets. In 1978, he started his own construction company. He worked on I-15 in Salt Lake and Ogden, Currant Creek dam and tunnel, and Starvation and Soldier Creek dams. In Sanpete County, he built roads for the U.S. Forest Service, sewer and water systems, irrigation ponds and turkey pads.
He did the excavation for North Sanpete Middle School, North Sanpete High School, Fairview Elementary and Wasatch Academy. He also did excavation work for Terrel’s, Kent’s Market and Horseshoe Hardware. Crisp also worked on management and cleanup of the floods of 1983 and 1984.
The highlight of his career was working on the Alaskan Pipeline.
In fall 1983, a very early snowstorm stranded a large group of elk hunters above Spring City. At more than 7 feet deep, the snow was higher than a CAT bulldozer.
Crisp spent several days clearing the roads to rescue the hunters. He found 39 hunters with one still missing. The miss- ing man was finally found off the road under a tree. The man told Crisp that if he hadn’t cleared the road and found him, he would have died.
Crisp and his wife, Norma, who have been married for almost 63 years, have four children, nine grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. They have enjoyed traveling the world.
He enjoys flying his Cessna, riding motorcycles, water skiing and annual fishing trips to Alaska. He still enjoys taking his wife on road trips, getting off the freeways and exploring the back roads.
Crisp’s family is his most important job. He loves spending time with his family, friends and neighbors telling stories. He also loves Spring City and quietly helps others when he sees a need.
