BOUNTIFUL—Over the last 100 years, O. King Green has seen a lot – mostly from a mountain top on a horse. Green is responsible for paving several of the trails above Bountiful and celebrated his 100th birthday on Aug. 5. 

“I was born in Salt Lake City and moved to Bountiful in 1946,” Green said. “After I got out of the service we built a home on 10 East and 400 North. It was the first home built up there. We saw all the changes. It was only farm land or vacant ground.”

In 1955, the Greens sold that home and built another one in the same area. “That’s when I got my first horse and I’ve never been without one since. It’s great therapy to have a horse.”

Green joined the back country horsemen and started trail blazing after the flood of 1983. “I flooded our backyard,” he said. “I started to build a trail up Ward Canyon. It was a challenge but I worked on it when I had any spare time. I loved being up there.”

In 1991, Green started the trail up Holbrook Canyon. “You couldn’t ride a horse up there then,” he said. “I would go as far as I could get then I’d build that trail until I got to the top of the mountain. I got some help on it too. I loved that, I’d spend all the time I could building the trail up there.”

He also worked on the Kenny Creek trail up Mueller Park Canyon. “I love the mountains. I spend time building trails whenever I can.”

Green worked as a carpenter before the war and after the war started working at Hill Air Force Base as an aircraft mechanic and then writing modifications on the missile program. “When I retired I started carpentry work again,” he said. “I enjoyed that probably more than anything. I would do finishing work on stairway railings, crown moldings, just general finishing work. I worked with three different interior decorators. It was a great enjoyment for me.” 

Green has also kept a diary since 1936. “I’ve written in it every night,” he said. “Every night before bed I write in my journal. My wife died in 2015 and I miss her a lot. Now as I read every night I feel like I’m living back in those days.”

There have been a lot of changes over 100 years, said Green. “I grew up in the Depression. Everybody was poor then. But nobody thought they were poor.”

Everyone helped so much during WWII, he said. “You could only get three gallons of gas and you couldn’t go over 35 mph. There was food rationing, food stamps and war bonds. Everybody got into the war (effort).”

Green said he’s always been fascinated with the pioneers and took part in the wagon train into Salt Lake City along the Mormon Pioneer Trail. “Another ride was on the Honeymoon Trail from Arizona to St. George,” he said. “We’d sleep on the ground. I loved that so much. There’s lots of rides I’ve been on that are very choice.”

At 100, Green has given up riding. “I quit riding because I couldn’t sit straight on the horse,” he said. “But today on my 100th birthday I got on him and rode around. It felt so good to be in the saddle again. I’m blessed to be able to do that.”