"Downtown Ogden, Past and Present"

Just call Connie (Currier) Rudy “A Keeper of Ogden’s History.” She is now sharing her 20 years of research in a recently published book “Downtown Ogden - Past and Present,” 150 pages documenting the history of the downtown businesses.

She will be doing a book signing this Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Leonard Good Community Library.

Rudy has been combing through courthouse transfer records, Boone County history books, Trail Tales publications and old Ogden Reporter issues, researching her hometown history. After endless hours at the library Rudy now lays claim to being just the second person to have read every issue of local paper dating back to 1874.
The other person? Doug Nebbe, another keeper of Ogden’s history, has a wealth of knowledge as well.

Rudy’s interest in Ogden’s history was sparked by Mabel Nair Brown’s writings for the Ogden Reporter’s special Centennial  edition published in 1966.

“When I moved back to town in 1982 I was just curious about the buildings,” says Rudy. “My first interest was my grandfather (Dr. Cooper) and I was curious where his office was located. Every time I came across a fact, it brought about 10 more questions. I guess you can say it is a hobby that got out of control.”

Deeper and deeper she delved, averaging five to seven hours a day, reading, making copies, writing notes.

Then people started telling her “you need to put this in a book.”

Read more in the April 13, 2016 issue of The Ogden Reporter.