Utah Construction Company
A major American construction, engineering, mining, and development company that helped build landmark western infrastructure before evolving into Utah International and later becoming part of General Electric.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Utah Construction Company was an American engineering and construction enterprise founded in 1900 by brothers Edmund Orson Wattis Jr., Warren L. Wattis, and William H. Wattis. Its early expansion was supported by financing from prominent Utah families associated with David Eccles, Thomas Dee, Joseph Clark, and James Pingree. Thomas Dee served as the company's first president, followed by David Eccles; Eccles's son Marriner later led the company while also serving as chairman of the Federal Reserve. The company established its reputation through large-scale transportation infrastructure. In 1904, only four years after its formation, it won the contract to construct the Western Pacific Railroad's Feather River route between Oakland and Salt Lake City. The difficult line, completed in 1909, involved extensive grading, tunneling, and track work. Its commercial success positioned Utah Construction to capture a substantial share of railroad construction in the Mountain West during a period of rapid network expansion. Anticipating that the railroad-building boom would eventually slow, the company diversified into water infrastructure. In 1917 it received the contract for O'Shaughnessy Dam in California's Hetch Hetchy Valley. The project was environmentally and politically controversial because it flooded the Tuolumne River valley, but its completion demonstrated the company's ability to manage technically demanding dam work. In 1922, Utah Construction entered a partnership with Morrison-Knudsen. With engineer Frank Crowe involved in the partnership's dam program, the two companies went on to build major western water projects. Utah Construction participated in 58 dams between 1916 and 1969, including Hoover Dam. During the Second World War, Utah Construction became the lead contractor in the rapid construction of the Alaska Highway. Following concerns about the vulnerability of Alaska after the attack on Pearl Harbor and reports of Japanese naval activity in Alaskan waters, the United States government authorized an overland connection between Alaska and the contiguous United States. Contractors working under Utah Construction's leadership completed approximately 1,500 miles of highway in seven months and seventeen days. The company's postwar scope extended well beyond civil construction. In the 1950s, it entered mining and adopted the name Utah Construction & Mining Co. Its interests included the Marcona iron mine in Peru, the Lucky Mc uranium mine in Wyoming, and the Navajo coal and power operation in the Four Corners region. It also entered land development, acquiring the Moraga Ranch in the San Francisco Bay Area and developing the property into the community of Moraga, California. In the East Bay, it reclaimed approximately 400 acres of San Francisco Bay shoreline that became part of the modern South Shore area of Alameda. During the 1960s, the company undertook additional defense-related construction, including work on hardened Minuteman missile silos across the United States and the Cheyenne Mountain Complex near Colorado Springs. In 1969, the company became publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol UC. That year, it sold its construction business to Fluor Corporation and changed its corporate name to Utah International, reflecting its broader mining and resources orientation. General Electric acquired Utah International in 1976 in a transaction valued at more than $2.2 billion, then sold it to BHP in 1984. The original Utah Construction identity therefore ended as an independent operating brand, while its engineering, infrastructure, mining, and development activities continued through successor owners.
History
Utah Construction Company was established in 1900 by Edmund Orson Wattis Jr., Warren L. Wattis, and William H. Wattis. The Wattis brothers obtained financial backing from the Eccles, Dee, Clark, and Pingree families, giving the new company access to capital for infrastructure projects at a time when railroads were expanding across the American West. Thomas Dee became the first president and held that position until his death in 1905. David Eccles succeeded him, and Eccles's son Marriner later became president. The company's first major breakthrough came in 1904, when it received the Western Pacific Railroad contract for the Feather River route linking Oakland with Salt Lake City. The route required extensive excavation, grading, tunneling, and track construction through difficult terrain. Completed in 1909, the five-year undertaking became an important commercial and technical success and helped Utah Construction secure additional western railroad work. Recognizing that railroad expansion would not continue indefinitely, the Wattis brothers diversified into dams and other heavy civil projects. In 1917, the company won the contract for O'Shaughnessy Dam in California's Hetch Hetchy Valley. The dam's construction was controversial because it flooded a scenic valley within the Sierra Nevada, but the project strengthened the company's capabilities in major water infrastructure. In 1922, Utah Construction formed a partnership with Morrison-Knudsen of Boise. Associated with engineer Frank Crowe, the partnership built dams throughout the American West. Utah Construction ultimately participated in 58 dam projects between 1916 and 1969, including Hoover Dam. In 1931, the Wattis brothers helped form Six Companies, the consortium assembled to construct Hoover Dam. This project was among the largest public construction efforts undertaken by the United States at that time and reinforced Utah Construction's standing as a national-scale contractor. During the Second World War, the company led work involving the Alaska Highway. The strategic road was planned after the United States became concerned about the defense of Alaska following the attack on Pearl Harbor and reports of Japanese naval activity in the region. Army and civilian contractors working under Utah Construction's leadership completed roughly 1,500 miles in seven months and seventeen days. After the war, the enterprise became more diversified and increasingly resource-oriented. In the 1950s it moved into mining and used the name Utah Construction & Mining Co. Its holdings and projects included the Marcona iron mine in Peru, the Lucky Mc uranium mine in Wyoming, and the Navajo coal mine and power plant in the Four Corners area. The company also entered real-estate and land development. It acquired the 3,000-acre Moraga Ranch in the San Francisco Bay Area and developed it into Moraga, California. In Alameda, it reclaimed approximately 400 acres of bay shoreline that became part of the South Shore area. The company's 1960s work included defense construction. It served as lead contractor for hardened Minuteman missile silos distributed across the United States and participated in construction of the Cheyenne Mountain Complex near Colorado Springs. In 1969, it became a New York Stock Exchange company under the ticker UC. The same year, the construction division was sold to Fluor Corporation, while the remaining business changed its corporate name to Utah International. This reflected a strategic shift away from contracting and toward mining and other international activities. General Electric acquired Utah International in 1976 for a reported value exceeding $2.2 billion. In 1984, General Electric sold the company to BHP. The original Utah Construction Company consequently ceased to operate as an independent corporate identity, although its projects and successor businesses remained part of the history of American infrastructure, mining, and engineering.
- 1984
Sale to BHP
[1]General Electric sold the former Utah International business to BHP.
- 1976
Acquisition by General Electric
[1]General Electric acquired Utah International, the renamed successor to the company.
- 1969
Public listing and construction divestiture
[1]The company listed on the New York Stock Exchange as UC and sold its construction business to Fluor Corporation.
- 1950
Expansion into mining
[1]During the 1950s, the company diversified into mining and adopted the name Utah Construction & Mining Co.
- 1942
Alaska Highway construction
[1]Utah Construction led a contractor effort that completed approximately 1,500 miles of the Alaska Highway in wartime conditions.
- 1931
Six Companies organized
[1]The Wattis brothers helped create Six Companies, the consortium that built Hoover Dam.
- 1922
Morrison-Knudsen partnership formed
[1]Utah Construction and Morrison-Knudsen formed a partnership for dam construction and related western infrastructure.
- 1917
O'Shaughnessy Dam contract
[1]The company won the contract for O'Shaughnessy Dam in California's Hetch Hetchy Valley.
- 1909
Feather River line completed
[1]The difficult five-year railroad project was completed, creating a foundation for further western transportation work.
- 1904
Feather River route contract
[1]Utah Construction won the contract to build the Western Pacific Railroad route between Oakland and Salt Lake City.
Products and positioning
A large-scale infrastructure and natural-resources enterprise specializing in difficult transportation, water, defense, mining, and land-development projects in the western United States and selected international markets.
Transportation construction · 1904
Railroad infrastructure
Railroad construction was Utah Construction's initial core business. Its best-known early undertaking was the Western Pacific Railroad's Feather River route between Oakland and Salt Lake City. The work required major grading, tunneling, and track-laying operations across difficult western terrain and established the company's reputation as a contractor capable of delivering large, technically demanding transportation corridors.
Heavy civil engineering · 1917
Dams and water infrastructure
The company expanded into dam construction after receiving the O'Shaughnessy Dam contract in 1917. Through its partnership with Morrison-Knudsen and participation in Six Companies, it became involved in a broad program of western dam building, including Hoover Dam. Its historical record attributes 58 dam projects to the company between 1916 and 1969.
Highway construction · 1942
Alaska Highway
Utah Construction led Army and civilian contractors in building the Alaska Highway during the Second World War. The approximately 1,500-mile route provided a strategic overland connection between Alaska and the contiguous United States and was completed in an exceptionally short period under wartime conditions.
Mining and natural resources · 1950
Mining operations
From the 1950s, the company developed a substantial mining portfolio under the Utah Construction & Mining and later Utah International identities. Listed activities and assets included the Marcona iron mine in Peru, the Lucky Mc uranium mine in Wyoming, and the Navajo coal mine and power plant in the Four Corners region.
Real estate and civil development
Land development and reclamation
The diversified company applied its construction and land-management capabilities to development projects. It acquired the Moraga Ranch in the Bay Area and developed it into Moraga, California. It also reclaimed approximately 400 acres of San Francisco Bay shoreline in Alameda, contributing to the area later known as South Shore.
Defense construction · 1960
Military infrastructure
During the 1960s, Utah Construction served as lead contractor for hardened Minuteman missile silos in the United States and worked on the Cheyenne Mountain Complex near Colorado Springs. These projects extended the company's civil-engineering expertise into strategic defense infrastructure.
Brand decisions
1984
Sale to BHPM&ABackground
General Electric later reassessed ownership of the former Utah International business.
Action taken
General Electric sold the company to BHP.
Aftermath
The enterprise entered BHP's corporate structure, completing the transition away from the original Utah Construction Company identity.
1976
General Electric acquisitionM&ABackground
Utah International had become a diversified mining and resources company after the 1969 separation of its construction operations.
Action taken
General Electric acquired Utah International in a transaction valued at more than $2.2 billion.
Aftermath
The company ceased to operate as an independent public enterprise under its previous identity and became part of General Electric.
Acquisition value. More than $2.2 billion (1976 acquisition)
1969
Separation from the construction businessStrategyBackground
The company had developed substantial mining, land-development, and other non-construction activities.
Action taken
Utah Construction went public on the New York Stock Exchange, sold its construction business to Fluor Corporation, and changed its name to Utah International.
Aftermath
The corporate identity shifted from a construction contractor toward an international resources business.
1950
Expansion into mining and resourcesStrategyBackground
After decades in heavy construction, Utah Construction sought additional growth and diversification beyond contracting.
Action taken
The company entered mining and operated under the Utah Construction & Mining Co. name, developing interests in iron, uranium, coal, and power generation.
Aftermath
The business became increasingly resource-oriented and was later renamed Utah International.
1917
Diversification into dam constructionStrategyBackground
The Wattis brothers sought to reduce dependence on railroad expansion, whose long-term growth prospects appeared limited, by moving into major water and dam projects.
Action taken
Utah Construction pursued and won the O'Shaughnessy Dam contract, then expanded its dam capabilities through a partnership with Morrison-Knudsen.
Aftermath
The move created a major new business line and helped the company participate in numerous western dam projects, including Hoover Dam.
Recent events
- 1984
General Electric sells Utah International to BHP[1]
M&A
General Electric disposed of the former Utah Construction enterprise by selling it to BHP.
- 1976
Utah International acquired by General Electric[1]
M&A
General Electric acquired the diversified company, then operating as Utah International, in a transaction described as exceeding $2.2 billion.
- 1969
Company enters public markets and sells construction business[1]
M&A
Utah Construction listed on the New York Stock Exchange as UC and sold its construction business to Fluor Corporation during the same year.
- 1942
Utah Construction leads Alaska Highway work[1]
Other
Working with United States Army and civilian contractors, the company helped complete the approximately 1,500-mile Alaska Highway in seven months and seventeen days.
- 1931
Utah Construction participates in Hoover Dam consortium[1]
Other
The Wattis brothers helped organize Six Companies, the consortium selected to build Hoover Dam, then one of the largest construction undertakings commissioned by the United States government.
- 1917
Utah Construction awarded O'Shaughnessy Dam contract[1]
Other
The company entered major dam construction through the O'Shaughnessy Dam project in California's Hetch Hetchy Valley, a project that remains associated with a significant environmental controversy.
- 1904
Utah Construction wins Feather River Railroad contract[1]
Other
The company secured the contract to build the Western Pacific Railroad's Feather River route between Oakland and Salt Lake City, establishing its early reputation in major railroad construction.
Sources1 sources
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