PROVO — It was the spring of '83, and Utah County was being washed away.
Heavy rainfall the year earlier had saturated the soil. That, combined with moisture from an extreme winter, brought devastating landslides and floods in April.
"As far as our county was concerned, we had major, major problems," said Clyde Naylor, engineer and director of Utah County Public Works. "There was actually a time — because of the Thistle landslide and the flooding — that for at least one day, every major highway and every major railroad in Utah County was closed."
Naylor remembers those difficult times as one of the "highlights" of his career.
He remembers evacuating people from their homes and the calamity as the floods swept in.
"There was a mudslide that was coming down this canyon through a bunch of homes. It reminded me of the green monster movies where 'the thing' is creeping down. It literally took the homes right off the foundations," he said.
He put in 20-hour workdays during the flood.
And that kind of time typifies Naylor's dedication to serving Utah County.
Utah County Commissioner Gary Anderson worked right alongside Naylor during the flood. "Clyde has been through more floods, more road rebuilds, more bridge rebuilds, probably more than anyone in the state," he said. "He has more institutional knowledge and more know-how than anyone I've ever met."
Anderson said Naylor is a valuable member of the Utah County team. "Clyde is a county treasure. We are dreading the day he retires because he knows where everything is hidden. He will leave a legacy of trails and parks and debris basins and roads that is unmatched in my lifetime — and will remain unmatched in years to come."
Geril Wilson, now a senior juvenile court judge, also worked with Naylor. "I don't think the county has ever had an employee or elected official as dedicated as Clyde Naylor. Very dedicated, he loved his work. He was very into the things that would make the county better," he said.
Naylor was raised on a small farm in Provo where part of the Brigham Young University campus now stands. "I've milked cows where the Marriott Center is," he said.
He later became a student at BYU and married his high school sweetheart in 1951. In 1960, Naylor graduated with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and also received a master's degree in structural engineering in 1962.
He then worked as an engineering consultant. He taught part-time at BYU for 13 years as an assistant professor of civil engineering.
In 1978, Naylor was elected to the office of county surveyor. Shortly after his election, he was appointed county engineer and public works director. Since then, he has served seven consecutive terms with the county.
Naylor decided to work for Utah County when he saw a need for someone with engineering experience.
"There were a lot of things happening. Road design, building design. We still use a lot of consultants for those things, but engineering experience was kind of missing."
Naylor said his favorite contributions fall within the park system. Since he began working for Utah County, 13 parks and several miles of trails have been developed.
"We decided we would try to develop a county park system that was unique," he said. "Not to compete with city parks but to provide other opportunities for people."
Naylor also recognizes the growth of building development over the span of his career.
At the time he came to the county, all the county offices were housed either in the Historic Courthouse or some temporary office buildings along Center Street.
The Historic County Courthouse, which was built in 1926, has become a place of nostalgia for Naylor. He recommended the renovation of the building in 1974 and is now an expert on the courthouse's history and design.
The courthouse has been a place of celebration for Naylor's family as well. One of his children had a wedding reception there, and Naylor and his wife, Fae, were recently surprised at the courthouse with a celebration for their 50th wedding anniversary.
When Naylor thinks of his years with Utah County, he said what he most enjoys about his job are his co-workers. "(They are) good people to work with," he said. "They really take their jobs seriously — try to do things that are important."
After 29 years of working for the county, Naylor is still thinking of ways to improve it.
"I will probably retire by December of 2008," he said. "But there are several things I would like to finish, most of which I won't be able to."
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