Mt.

Thursday, April 2, 2026

HOME OF ANN WATKINS SEELY (from our archives)

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

JOSEPH PAGE AND ALICE MILLS PAGE ~ELIZABETH (sisters) ~ PIONEERS OF THE MONTH ~ APRIL 2026

Joseph Page & Elizabeth ~Alice Mills

Contributed By

Joseph Page, born Feb 6, 1830 to Daniel Page and Mary Sockwell in New Jersey, migrated to the west after joining the church. He and his family arrived in Nauvoo just as the saints were being expelled so they came by wagon to Utah. In 1862 he was sent to Florence, Nebraska to help immigrants come to Utah. In 1863 he married Elizabeth Mills to whom three children were born before her death in 1869. Joseph asked her younger sister Alice to take care of his three children and they were married that same year. Alice eventually had ten children.

Alice, born Jan 2, 1847 to Thomas Mills and Alice Allen in England, was converted in England with her family and then baptized aboard the ship as they crossed the Atlantic Ocean. She enjoyed seeing a whale, not far from the ship, spout water.

Joseph was one of the first school teachers in Mount Pleasant. He had a good voice and people would walk for miles to hear him sing. He was elected mayor of Mt. Pleasant in 1870; a position he held for ten to fifteen years.*

In 1873, he was appointed postmaster for Mount Pleasant which position he held for twelve to fifteen years.* His wife assisted him in the post office when he was gone with his freighting business. During his appointment as postmaster, some money sent through the mail was lost, and he was accused of stealing it. In court, he was promised that his sentence would be easier if he admitted to stealing it. He told them he had not taken the money. He had to sell a good share of his large herd of sheep to pay the attorney fees. When the new postmaster was installed, a large table that was fastened to the wall was moved and the envelope of money found.

During the Black Hawk War in 1867 Joseph was a Commissioned Regimental Adjutant with the rank of Major in the 1st Regiment Cavalry. While making a trip to Nevada in 1871, he was ambushed and shot through the knee. His leg was crippled the rest of his life permanently bent at the knee. He got around on a wooden leg strapped to his leg and waist. He turned to bee keeping and raising orchards to provide for his family.

While living on a ranch in Orangeville, Alice helped care for over a 100 hogs. She had many friends in Orangeville and served as secretary in the Relief Society for many years. Joseph died in 1911 and she followed in 1920.

*Family histories vary on time.

Source:

History of Joseph Page written by his granddaughter Elizabeth Pearl Preston Redmond.

Alice Mills Page

Contributed By

Alice Mills, daughter of Thomas and Alice Allen Mills was born January 2, l847 at Radcliff, Lancashire, England.

Through the Mormon Elders, her father and family were converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and shortly after Alice was 8 years old, they started for Zion, crossing the Atlantic Ocean. When they were a few days out Alice was baptized on board the ship.

While on the ocean, Alice saw a whale spouting water not far from the ship. They were delayed in sailing by stormy weather and after a month on the water they landed at New York, they settled in Pottsville, Pennsylvania where they lived for some time. While here the children would gather walnuts by the bushel from the woods and store them for winter use.

Alice’s father was very industrious and desired the children to be the same, so he required the girls to knit so many rounds on a stocking every day.

They moved to Alton, Illinois and while living here Alice’s brother Willie was very ill and her father went to get some Mormon Elders to administer to him. He had to run all the way as the Elders were leaving that day and he was afraid they would be gone before he could get there. He arrived just in time, but in doing so he over did himself and never recovered.

His death was a very heavy blow to the family as they were left to provide for themselves as well as earn money enough to migrate to Utah. While there Alice worked at a boarding school (a girls’ seminary) as a nurse maid for two lady teachers who taught her in the evenings.

Later they moved to Council B1uffs, Iowa, always getting a little closer to Utah. From Council Bluffs the family started on their journey across the plains in l86l in a wagon with ox team. I have heard mother tell how the young folks would gather around the camp fire, sing songs and enjoy themselves until bedtime.

After reaching Salt Lake City they lived there for awhile then moved to Mt. Pleasant, Sanpete County, Utah. Here Alice became acquainted with Joseph Page who married her sister Elizabeth. After three children were born to them his wife died and later he married Alice. Joseph was the mayor of Mt. Pleasant and postmaster for fifteen years. He also taught school eighteen years and Alice assisted him, she was also assistant postmaster and did the business at the office while Joseph freighted with an ox team, which consisted of three yoke of oxen and two wagons, to a mining camp in Nevada.

While he was freighting, the Black Hawk and Indian War broke out and he enlisted in the Utah militia. He was made adjutant general with the rank of major. During this war, he was shot through the left knee crushing the bone. He was taken home and as there was no doctor nearer than Salt Lake City. Alice had to take care of him until the doctor arrived from Salt Lake City, a distance of over one hundred miles, by ox team.

When Dr. Anderson arrived he said there was no use of doing anything for him as the bone was so badly shattered and the leg was swollen so badly, but Alice being so determined to do all that could be done to save him. She wanted the doctor to dress it and she took care of him. Finally through their faith and prayers after one and a half years he was able to get out of bed though the leg was bent straight back from the knee leaving him a cripple for life.

Alice became the mother of ten children in Mount Pleasant. She had many friends and was loved and respected by all who knew her. When her youngest child was 6 months old she with her husband and family moved to Orangeville, Emery County, Utah. Soon after arriving in Orangeville their next to the youngest child died.

While living in Orangeville she made many friends and was secretary of the Relief Society for many years. After living in Orangeville, some years her husband bought a ranch ten miles east of that place on Huntington Creek, and during the winter months the children attended school at Orangeville.

While living here they had a herd of over 100 hogs. One day 6 or 7 of these hogs had got into the granary under which was a potato cellar. They had gone down a dozen stairs to get into the cellar when Alice found them. Joseph wasn’t able to get them out on account of his leg, so Alice coaxed them and tried to get them out every way they could but finally could see they would stay there until they had eaten all of the potatoes. So she carried 30 bushel of them up and put them in a bin in the granary above the cellar. When the hogs got hungry enough they walked up the steps and came out. Joseph thought Alice had left the door open but the next day he saw one of the hogs climb over a tight pole fence which was around the granary and stand on its hind legs with its front ones against the wall while with its teeth it pulled the spike out of the staple which held the door shut. Then he knew Alice hadn’t left the door open.

When the Uintah Indian reservation was opened in 1906, Alice and her husband and family moved to Roosevelt where she with her husband went into the bee business.

Four years later her husband died at the age of 8l leaving Alice to finish life’s journey alone. Nine years later she had an attack of the influenza from which she never recovered and on the September 13, 1920, she died at the age of 73 years.

This history written by her daughter Lorana Page Anderson

Alice Mills Page

Contributed By

Alice Mills, daughter of Thomas and Alice Allen Mills was born January 2, l847 at Radcliff, Lancashire, England.

Alice’s father was very industrious and desired the children to be the same, so he required the girls to knit so many rounds on a stocking every day.

When the Uintah Indian reservation was opened in 1906, Alice and her husband and family moved to Roosevelt where she with her husband went into the bee business.

This history written by her daughter Lorana Page Anderson

Alice Mills Page

Contributed By

Alice Mills, daughter of Thomas and Alice Allen Mills was born January 2, l847 at Radcliff, Lancashire, England.

Alice’s father was very industrious and desired the children to be the same, so he required the girls to knit so many rounds on a stocking every day.

When the Uintah Indian reservation was opened in 1906, Alice and her husband and family moved to Roosevelt where she with her husband went into the bee business.

This history written by her daughter Lorana Page Anderson

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

HISTORY OF MADS CHRISTIAN AND MARIANE JENSEN GJETTRUP ~~~(from our archives)

Wandering the Cemetery on Memorial Day I ran onto these graves. GJETTRUP

A name I wasn't familiar with. And so I did some research and I found this wonderful history.

Enjoy

Posted 10 Nov 2012 by Trini

Monday, March 30, 2026

Home of Albert Remund and wife Anna Mina Madsen

Sunday, March 29, 2026

HOME OF JACOB CHRISTENSEN INGER CHRISTINA THOMPSON AND INGEBORG ANDERSON ~~~ from our archves

Saturday, March 28, 2026

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF JACOB CHRISTENSN ~Taken From History of Mountainville ~ Melba Hill

photos courtesy of Mt. Pleasant Relic Home

House Research and photos by Tudy Standlee

Friday, March 27, 2026

MADSEN PHOTOS ~~~ TAKEN From the Johana Madsen Hafen Collection

Johannah Madsen, Anna W. Madsen, Alice Madsen, Willis N. Madsen ~ On the Columbia River

Neil M. Madsen

Unknown

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

SIMPLE RULES OF BEHAVIOR ~~~ AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

MILDRED MORLEY SEELY

Monday, March 23, 2026

FLOUR MILL, TAR KILN, DRAMATIC COMPANY AND A SQUAW BURIED ALIVE

1924

and through Spanish Fork Canyon. The road would shorten the distance to Salt Lake City, and the freighters and others would not necessarily have to go by way of Nephi.

Sunday, March 22, 2026

UNKNOWN PHOTOS (We have names on some but would like more history)

Hazel Hansen

Unknown

Ruth and Helen Madsen

Unknown

Saturday, March 21, 2026

HAMILTON ELEMENTARY BEGINNING ~~~ History by Janice Nielsen

HAMILTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The settlement of Mt. Pleasant began like the settlement of most colonies in Sanpete. Although the first settlers labored diligently, their efforts were often demolished. But with much determination a group of sixty from Fort Ephraim surveyed a Fort site and planned a colony on Pleasant Creek and finally succeeded. The Fort was very well planned and organized. Because these sturdy pioneers had been schooled in crafts and many professions in their native lands, a log one-roomed schoolhouse was included in the fort. A.B. Strickland, (it has been said he was also very strict) and Mrs. Oscar Winters served as the first school teachers in the fort. The schoolhouse was also used as a chapel, theater, dance hall, and meeting place. At one end was a huge fireplace which provided heat, and light. Even though the floor was dirt, young and old liked to dance to the music of violins; the bishop's stand was often converted to a stage for a Shakespearean drama. The school was a center of community activity. Because they had been taught well the fundamentals of living and survival, they used the environment to work at their command. Regardless of Indian aggression, homes sprang up and schools soon dotted the town site in various homes. "Aunty Hyde"s school was the first built outside of the fort. "Aunty Hyde" was a very interesting person who was most often attired in a dark-colored bonnet and smoked a pipe. She did not use a bell but brought her children to school by calling "to books, to books, to books." She often prepared her evening meal at school in the fireplace, making it very difficult to study with all the aroma. The schoolroom was situated one half block west of the present High School. (This was in 1980, the present high school is 500 East and 700 South.) There became other classes held throughout the town and tuitions were paid by the parents. the few books that were available were also paid for by the parents. At this time classes were not graded as they are now but went by readers first; the primer reader, next; first primer reader, second, third, fourth and fifth. (If one completed the fifth reader, he was considered educated as the material was very hard.) Practice writing was done on slates. Children rarely got to school before Christmas as school was a secondary consideration. It was the same in the springtime as soon as the ground was bare, work on the farm began and had preference over school. So most school seasons did not exceed four months. Methods and practices started changing as teachers were getting degrees from college and universities. During this time Sister Margaret F.C. Morrison was able to place an organ in her school and music became to be an important part of the curriculum. Schools and ward houses were still used in conjunction with one another. Educational advancement was always in the uppermost mind of the people of Mt. Pleasant. The old houses used as school buildings located in different districts of the town were abandoned and a central school was established in 1896. It was a beautiful three story school building, erected on the corner of Main and First East Street at a cost of about $20,000. The new school was called Hamilton Elementary, probably getting it's name from one of the first attempted settlements led by Madison D. Hambleton. (This name was later changed to Hamilton.) It was indeed a happy day for the settlers to have such a fine, large modern building in their city. This school sometimes housed grades up to the 8th grade and had anywhere from 350 to 600 students at one time. (This building was not used as a church either.) The outside walls were made of blocks of rock and red brick with four regular classrooms and a few smaller rooms on each floor. One of the smaller rooms on the 3rd floor was used as the library and housed the ladder to get up to the belfry. One of the walls seperating the library from one of the other rooms could be rolled up like a roll top desk to make an assembly room. Later, this wall was nailed down. It seemed the 3rd floor was a poor place for an assembly room. This new school had blackboards which were easy to write on and easily cleaned. Until about 1942 the restrooms were out in a separate building to the south of the main building. Later the supply room on the 2nd floor was converted into the restrooms. At that time they were called "toiletrooms." In this same separate building, the meals were prepared and brought to the school on a big cart pulled by the cooks. School lunch program was introduced during the 1930's. One hot dish of soup or chowder was served for a penny a bowl. Every student donated a bowl and spoon to the school for this purpose. Students usually brought a sandwich or something else to go with it. When in Kindergarten each child brought his own milk. The belfry housed the bell which was heard all over town because of it's remarkable tone. People often set their watches or clocks to the sound of the bell from the elementary school. It was used as 9:00 p.m. curfew, warning of fire, flood, other special occasions because it could even be heard beyond the city limits. It rang with much force. In fact, if you were on the 3rd floor when fire drill was called, the building actually swayed. It was rung on a pull on a big rope that hung from it to the teacher's entrance on the first floor. A smal gong attached to the side of the stairs was rung by a little jerk on a small chain. Sixth grade students felt it an honor and an important position to be assigned to answer the telephone in the Principal's office and to ring the gong for class change and to ring it other scheduled times. The little bell became used for the fire drills. Fortunately there was never a fire in the school building even though the students loved the fire drill especially if they were on the third floor because they had the privilege of sliding down the three story high fire escape with it's spiraling curves. Often in the summer or after school hours a favorite pastime was climbing up the slide and going down. It was worn very shiny and the metal was actually worn thin. It would appear that a million students had escaped fires in the Hamilton School. This bell has been preserved by the Daughters of Utah Pioneers and put on display on the top of the Pioneer marker on the north side of the Pioneer Relic Hall in Mt. Pleasant. A piano was placed on the 2nd floor. With a gong from the bell, the students were called from their play on the school ground and lined up by their assigned door. Each class lined up in threes and to the rhythm of the piano marched to their classrooms. If anyone got off step or goofed up they were to put in time after school in the awkward squad. Thus it was necessary for everyone to learn how to march left, right, and how to keep time. All were expected to do this. Again, when every one was marching to the beat, the sway of the building could be felt. Children were excused with about the same procedure. Those who lived on farms outside of Mt. Pleasant, would wak to the county road where they would be picked up by a canvas covered wagon. The wagon was pulled by two beautiful big, well mannered horses owned and driven by Lawrence Barton who guided them with love, not whips. About twenty students rode in the school wagon and were among the first to be at school. Later, school buses replaced the horses. Another incident which most of the senior citizens remember about their days in school was the double tragedy of death of the Principal and Janitor. On the morning of March 24, 1922, Principle Elmer Johansen and Janitor Kanute Terkelson were both accidentally electrocuted on the landing at the top of the steps to the furnace room. (more details in a future post.) Through Japan's sneak attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, our nation was plunged into a bitter struggle that lasted until 1943. The teachers and students loyally supported drives to buy thrift stamps and war bonds were purchased by the teachers and students. Tons of scrap metal were hauled to a spot out by the furnace room. In one of the rooms that was a restroo, was piled up end to end with bundles of old newspapers and other papers in the paper drive to help the war effort. Many special events can be remembered such as the annual "May Day" held outside so the May Pole could be braided and all grades danced a special dance. A spring dance festival is still held where all children participate. Hamilton had a well groomed band which often played for some of the town special events and were often invited to march in various parades through the state. After serving as the public schoolhouse for Mt. Pleasant for over sixty years, it became necessary to get a new schoolhouse for Mt. Pleasant. It was built on the same block as the Hamilton School on the south side; so the old one could be used until completion of the new one. This new building was completed in 1962.

(Each era has its own memories of Hamilton Elementary School. Those memories listed in the above history are not the same as mine. However, we thank Janis Nielsen and others for preserving this history. We would like to hear your memories. Please share with us your thoughts and remembrances.)