The Taylor, Romney, Armstrong Company of Salt Lake City, have for many years been one of the most prominent and substantial business concerns in this city. To successfully manage a large mercantile establishment and keep it in the fore rank in a great city Salt Lake requires men of ability and long business experience. That Orson D. Romney fills requirement to a high degree has been thoroughly demonstrated by his long and successful career as Assistant Manager, Secretary and Treasurer of the Taylor, Romney, Armstrong Company is well and favorably known by the best businessmen of this whole inter-mountain region. His connection in a business way with many of the leading enterprises of the State has brought him prominently before all classes of people.

He is a native son of Utah, having been born this city August 15, 1860, and is the son of Bishop George Romney and Vilate Ellen (Douglass) Romney, a sketch of his parents appearing else­where in this work. Mr. Romney received his cation in the public schools of Salt Lake City at the Deseret University, now the University of Utah. Upon completing his scholastic education he entered the employ of S. P. Teasdale, with whom he remained until 1878, when he became a teamster for the company of which he is now assistant manager. He worked his way up his present responsible position year by year, working for some time as a carpenter and familiarizing himself with the branch of the business pertaining to building, contracting, etc., and then entered the office, where he was for a time bookkeeper, and was later made secretary and treasurer. He filled these positions until 1888, when he was called to go on a mission for the Mormon church, and his place was filled for a time by brother, George E. Just prior to his return 1892, at the annual meeting of the directors, was elected to his present position, which he at once assumed. In his position of assistant manager he is nominally the head of the firm, having entire control of all the business of the esablishment, which consumes his entire time.

On September 4, 1884, Mr. Romney was married to Miss Emma Frances Phillips, daughter of William George Phillips and Maria Ann Tuckfield Phillips. By this marrriage they have had five children:
1--Vilate Ellen Romney 1885-1964
2- Gertrude May Romney 1888-1961; md. Shirley Young Clawson
3- Orson Douglas Romney, junior; 1892-1950; md. Leona Hamlin June 15, 1916
4- Melbourne Romney, 1895-1973; md. LaRue Brown Petersen
5- William George Romney 1897-1916

Mr. Romney's home is located at No. 360 Third Street, one of the most desirable residence portions of the city, located in the Twentieth Ward, where he has lived since 1869.

The Romney family is one of the most prominent and well known in the Mormon Church, as well as in this city, and our subject has been especially active in his Church relations. In 1888, just previous to his departure for Aukland, New Zealand, where he had been called to serve in missionary work, he was ordained a member of the Thirteenth Quorum of Seventies. He mas­tered the native language of that country and for the first year acted as traveling missionary, having jurisdiction over a number of districts, and completing his labors at Wellington, in the southern part of the North Island. During this time he also presided over three branches of the European mission, and after laboring in this field for three years, spent five months in travel.

In September, 1891, in company with H. S. Cuttler, he started home by the way of Sidney, Australia, going from thence to Adelaid, Ceylon and Suez, and from thence to Cairo, where he spent two weeks, and after a visit in Alexandria crossing the Mediterranean, and visiting the leading cities of Italy, Switzerland and France, crossing the channel and visiting London, Liverpool, Edin­borough, Glasgow and Belfast, reaching New York on January 27, 1892. He was met here by his wife and together they visited a number of the large Eastern cities, reaching home on February 14th. He has been active in Church work in his Ward since returning home, and is now [1902] one of the Seven Presidents of the Thirteenth Quorum, and active in Sunday School work.

Mr. Romney has spent the greater portion of his life within the confines of Utah, and his whole interest has been centered here. While his time and attention has been given principally to the business with which he has been connected for so many years, he has also found time to interest himself in many other enterprises which have been for the advancement and growth of the city and State, and besides his interest in the company of which he is Assistant Manager, also has holdings in the Co-operative Furniture Company, in which he is a director; the Oregon Lumber Company, and in the Amalgamated Sugar Company, in which he is a heavy stockholder. He is also largely interested in much valuable real estate in Salt Lake City. He is yet a young man, but has demonstrated his ability to succssfully conduct large enterprises and is ranked as one of the most progressive and reliable business men of the city. His travels have tended to make him broad minded and liberal, and he enjoys the confidence and respect of all who have been associated with him, both in public and private life.

Biographical Record of Salt Lake City and Vicinity:Containing Biographies of Well-Known Citizens of the Past and Present, National Historical Record Co., Chicago, Illinois. 1902. Pages 605-606.

Additional information, bold, [bracketed] photos, etc. added by Lucy Brown Archer and Dave & Kristin Cook.

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