Hannah C. Hansen Passed Away at age 21 ~February 7, 1889 ~ Daughter of Bendt and Helena Olsen Hansen

Lindbergh and "the Spirit of St. Louis" fly over Mt. Pleasant

Charles A. Lindbergh courtesy of National Geographic

On May 20, 1927 at 7:52 a.m., Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field on Long Island for Paris, carrying five sandwiches, water, maps and charts, and a limited number of other items he deemed absolutely necessary. He decided against carrying a parachute and radio in favor of more gasoline. In his single-engine monoplane, he was an unlikely candidate to succeed in the transatlantic flight as other contenders opted for multi-engine planes and at least one other crew member aboard. He fought fog, icing and drowsiness (he hadn't been able to sleep the night before taking off) during the historic trip.

On May 21, 33 1/2 hours later, (10:22 p.m. French time) Lindbergh set the Spirit of St. Louis down at Le Bourget Field near Paris. He had flown over 3,600 miles and became the first to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic.

Overnight, Lindbergh became an international hero. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and the first-ever Distinguished Flying Cross by the U.S. government, and received high honors from many other countries. 

A few months later he made  the 1927 "Lindbergh Tour" culminating with visits to 48 states and 92 cities, where he delivered 147 speeches, and rode 1,290 miles (2,080 km) in parades.^[26] At the conclusion of the tour, Lindbergh spent a month at Falaise, Guggenheim's Sands Point mansion, where he wrote the acclaimed "We", a book about his transatlantic flight published by George P. Putnam. (Wikipedia)

Add found in newspapers 1927.

Some who remember the flight over Mt. Pleasant say that he chose our city because he had relatives here.  However we have not been able to confirm this as fact.  We do know that he dropped a scroll which said: "Greetings to the People of Mt. Pleasant".  So where is that scroll today?  It was supposedly housed at the Carnegie Library, but no one in recent years seems to know anything about it or what has happened to it.

Charles A. Lindbergh and "Spirit of St. Louis" flying over Wasatch Academy.

(from Wasatch Academy Archives)

Hilda writes of Lindbergh's visit:

September 3, 1927, Colonel Charles A. Lindberg, aboard his famous Spirit of St. Louis, flying from Cheyenne, Wyoming, en­route to Salt Lake City, paused to greet the citizens of Mt. Pleasant. He arrived over the mountains east of the city.

Mayor Joseph Seely having received a telegram announcing his intentions, Mt. Pleasant had been gaily decorated for the oc­casion and all was in readiness to receive him. The massive plane from which a message of greeting was dropped, circled low sev­eral times over the city. After a stay of about fifteen minutes, he left by way of Fairview for Salt Lake City.

p. 203 History of Mt. Pleasant by Hilda Madsen Longsdorf

Courtesy of Utah Digital Newspapers


Researched  and compiled by Kathy Hafen

From Wilhelmina Morrison Ericksen Pioneer Record Book ~ Mary Margaret Ericksen Peel

COWBOY SOLUTION ~ Shared by JoAnn Hafen Granger

Cowboy rules for: Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Nebraska, Idaho, and the rest of the Wild West are as follows:   1. Pull your pants up. You look like an idiot.   2. Turn your cap right, your head ain't crooked.   3. Let's get this straight: it's called a 'gravel road.' I drive a pickup truck because I want to. No matter how slow you drive, you're gonna get dust on your Lexus. Drive it or get out of the way.   4. They are cattle. That's why they smell like cattle. They smell like money to us. Get over it. Don't like it? I-10 & I-40 go east and west, I-17 & I-15 goes north and south. Pick one and go.   5. So you have a $60,000 car. We're impressed. We have $250,000 Combines that are driven only 3 weeks a year.   6. Every person in the Wild West waves. It's called being friendly. Try to understand the concept.   7. If that cell phone rings while a bunch of geese/pheasants/ducks/doves are comin' in during a hunt, we WILL shoot it outta your hand. You better hope you don't have it up to your ear at the time.   8. Yeah. We eat trout, salmon, deer and elk. You really want sushi and caviar? It's available at the corner bait shop.   9. The 'Opener' refers to the first day of deer season. It's a religious holiday held the closest Saturday to the first of November.   10. We open doors for women. That's applied to all women, regardless of age.   11. No, there's no 'vegetarian special' on the menu. Order steak, or you can order the Chef's Salad and pick off the 2 pounds of ham and turkey.   12. When we fill out a table, there are three main dishes: meats, vegetables, and breads. We use three spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup! Oh, yeah ... We don't care what you folks in   Cincinnati  call that stuff you eat... IT AIN'T REAL CHILI!!   13. You bring 'Coke' into my house, it better be brown, wet and served over ice. You bring 'Mary Jane' into my house, she better be cute, know how to shoot, drive a truck, and have long hair.   14. College and High School Football is as important here as the Giants, the Yankees, the Mets, the Lakers and the Knicks, and a dang site more fun to watch.   15. Yeah, we have golf courses. But don't hit the water hazards - it spooks the fish.   16. Turn down that blasted car stereo! That thumpity-thump ain't music, anyway. We don't want to hear it anymore than we want to see your boxers! Refer back to #1!   A true Westerner will send this to at least 10 others and a few new friends that probably won't get it, but we're friendly so we share in hopes you can begin to understand what a real life is all about!!! And there is more............. The COWBOY Solution to save Gasoline. OBAMA wants us to cut the amount of gasoline we use.....   The best way to stop using so much gasoline is to deport 15 million illegal immigrants!   That would be 15 million less people using our gas. The price of gas would come down..... Bring our troops home from   Afghanistan  to guard the borders....   When they catch an illegal immigrant crossing the Border, hand him a canteen, rifle and some ammo and ship him to   Afghanistan ....   Tell him if he wants to come to   AMERICA  then he must serve a tour in OUR military....   Give him a soldier's pay while he's there and tax him on it......   After his tour, he will be allowed to become a citizen since he defended this country..... He will also be registered to be taxed and be a legal resident..... This option will probably deter illegal immigration and provide a solution for the troops in   Afghanistan  and the aliens trying to make a better life for themselves. .......   If they refuse to serve, ship them to   Afghanistan anyway, without the canteen, rifle or ammo.   Problem solved.....   If you think this is a good solution to both the problems, forward it to your friends........... I just did..........

EARLY SCHOOLS OF MT. PLEASANT

Simpson School

EARLY SCHOOLS OF MT. PLEASANT

AS I REMEMBER THEM
Amasa Aldrich-1923

The following is taken from History of Mt. Pleasant

By Hilda Madsen Longsdorf pp 273-274

Photos added by Kathy Hafen

Replica of what a One Room School House
May have looked like.

Let us go back to the schools of yesterday, of our home town, and see what we can remember about fifty years ago. In memory, let us travel back to the sagebrush streets, and the little one room log hut, about 12xlS feet. There "Auntie" Hyde was my first teacher, calling "To Books, to books, to books," at the hour when school was to begin. Books were scarce and often we had to borrow from each other. After graduating from her school, we found another teacher in the old one-room log schoolhouse, built on the lot just across the street, south from the home of Tailor Johnson, Second North and Third West Streets. This school¬house was an improvement over the one where "Auntie" Hyde taught, in that we had slab benches with wooden legs for seats, and a slab nailed to the wall for a desk. We sat facing the wall, with our backs to the teacher. Joseph S. Day presided over the school. Graduating from Mr. Day's school at this place, we find ourselves in another schoolhouse, known as Simpson's School, built of white adobies, on the Rosenlund lot, west of the Simpson home, where Joseph Page and John Carter taught.

Hamilton School

Our next march forward was back to the city hall lot, where another larger building had been erected, of logs, and where David Candland and Nathan Staker held forth as teachers. Another stride forward, and we find ourselves in the best building that Mt. Pleasant had until the erection of the present Central School building on the corner of Main and First East.

 This schoolhouse was built of white adobies and consisted of one large room. The benches and desks were home-made, and had room for two pupils on each seat. We all sat facing east. In this school began the real educational system of Mt. Pleas¬ant. Besides teaching "Readin,' 'Ritin,' and 'Rithmetic," we studied grammar, geography, and we had a smattering of hygiene, with calisthenics thrown in for good measure. But in my eagerness to make haste, I am forgetting that we had a school in the Social Hall, where Miller, Henniger, and others taught. In passing I must not forget to say that the Rev. Duncan McMillan came to Mt. Pleasant, and opened a school in the Liberal Hall. While not a student of his, only to attend spelling matches in the evening. in which I took extreme delight, this school was patronized by a number of the young men and women of those days. From that beginning had developed the present splendid Wasatch Aca¬demy. What strides have been made since "Auntie" Hyde, Day, Page. Miller, and Carter taught in the humble one room log huts, with scarcely a facility compared with today. This is in brief the picture of the schools of yesterday, as I remember them after the lapse of half a century.

God bless the teachers of yesterday, who have long since been gathered to that better land. And now, I am wondering what fifty years hence will bring to the generation still unborn.

Charleston Apartments Salt Lake City, Utah

What Connection do the Charleston Apartments in Salt Lake City have to Mt. Pleasant?

Elvena Olsen was born in Mt. Pleasant, Utah July 3, 1890.  She was the daughter of Hans Peder Olsen and Ana Kjerstina Madsen Olsen who were converts to the L.D.S. Church from Denmark.  

Elvena was raised in Mt. Pleasant and attended school here. 

She married Charles Andreas Peterson June 15, 1914.  Charles become a very well-known contractor in Salt Lake City.  In the 1930s the Charleston Apartments were built and named "Charleston" after Charles Peterson.  The Charleston Apartments were known to be the finest apartments west of the Mississippi at the time of its opening. A Mr. Eliason was the General Manager and Secretary and Treasurer. Elvena and Charles Peterson became very prominent Salt Lake City residents and built and managed several other properties, including a dry cleaning business.  They also were early investors in Las Vegas hotels and casinos..

They had a beautiful home at 1330 South 1300 East where I used to visit as a child.  I was very impressed because it had an elevator, and a baby grand piano.  The grounds were meticulously cared for by hired gardeners.  I especially remember the climbing clematis which reached the second floor and could be seen from their dining room.  Elvena was my great aunt.  Kathy  

comments:Hello! I posted a comment to the blog post titled Charleston Apartments Salt Lake City, Utah (link below) and my comment has not been added. The comment tells the true and accurate story/history of this landmark building and I would appreciate it either the blog post was updated with the true history or if at least my comment was added for a number of reasons. 1. This is history and when inaccurate information such as this is broadcast to the world, it is "misinformation", it confuses and distorts each of our history to the point we don't even know where we came from. 2. This is my heritage and my family's heritage, it distorts my very own credibility when business partners, investors, etc. conduct due diligence on me and it confuses and distorts our identity because the Charleston Apartments Inc. was the cornerstone of our lives and an enormous part of our very existence. I could list numerous other reasons why it should be a crime to post information that is untrue or inaccurate, but I hope you get the point. I'm sure that this was not published with any ill intentions, but it has very real, very negative implications for myself and my family. So, please update it with the true information, which I have already provided in my comment or post my comment.

My great grandfather, Sid Eliason Sr., built the Charleston Apartments with Charlie Peterson, who conceived of the idea, did all of the planning and architecture and later asked my great grandfather to finance the building, which is when my great grandfather become a 50%/50% partner with Charlie. But Charlie ran well beyond his budget and in order to finish the building my great grandfather had to buyout all of Charlie's interests and he was then removed from the equation. The Charleston Apartments stayed in my family for many decades, passing from my great grandfather to my grandfather and finally to my father and my uncle who sold the building just about a decade ago. That building defined the remnants of a lost legacy, the last great heritage of the once prominent Eliason name. See the following YouTube video originally produced by Jackit Productions out of Hollywood California, broadcast across the nation multiple times (https://youtu.be/tqnUsuJJD5U) To you, the inaccuracy may seem trivial but to us, those of us whose lives were defined by the building, it is a very big deal. The Charleston Apartments Inc. defined who we are, it consumed every waking moment of our lives, ripped us apart and pulled us back together until finally it came time to sell, something that I will regret for the rest of my life. So, for those of us who actually did own the building, who owe our heritage to the dividends it kicked off, to read something made available in public domain that is untrue, it is incredibly offensive and I hope that you feel an obligation to society to correct it.

Your comments speak for themselves 

Female Relief Society October 1876 ~ Donations and Minutes

Meeting held December 11, 1876
Opened with singing "Oh Ye Mountains High".  Prayer by Sister Peel.  Singing "Come All the Saints Who Dwell on Earth".
Sister Morrison then rose and opened the meeting in usual manner and read a letter of Sister Elise Lar..., aabout dressing  the dead.  Said that the garments must be placed (next?) to the body, then the shirt or shemy? and the Robe shall be placed on the right shoulder, and then for all  things she wanted to how we was going one with... .  ....matter she wanted Sister Morrison to write with return mail how much we have all each gathered and hoped that we was working with success.  Then Sister Morrison addressed the sisters and said, that before she left her home, she called on the Lord, that He may give her

so much of the good spirit that would ..... and guide her in as much as that  we would have a good meeting and that the same spirit may direct us.  that good principles and the plan of salvation may be .........out in such manner that we all would be benefited by.  For the Spirit of distribution is always on hand to lead us astray and he make himself known ......we ever a good act will find its way.  After she ...out a good many good principles, she gave room for others to talk in hopes that all the sisters will bear their testimony.

Sister Peel then rose and felt well for the opportunity to be together with the sisters, bore her testimony and then spoke about some business matter of the Society, which conversation took up a good part of the time.  Sister Simpson and a few others spoke afterwards and the meeting was closed with prayer.
MFC Morrison, Pres
L Hasler Sec.

Lee's Memories

The Following comes from Lee R. Christensen's book: "You Knew Me As Buddy and other Tales"

His book is a compilation of letters he has sent to friends over the years. His memories of going to school at Hamilton Elementary, North Sanpete and Wasatch Academy are filled with his wonderful humor.

July 1896 Storms

Peter Hafen Remembers the July 24, 1946 Flood

Photos were taken by Dr. G.B. Madsen and submitted by his daughter, Lynn Madsen.

On July 24^{th   (or 25th)}, 1946 there was a baseball game at Mt. Pleasant at the North Sanpete Baseball field. I was there watching the baseball game. It was a mostly sunny day downtown Mt. Pleasant.  A big black rain cloud crossed the east mountain, and put down an excessive amounts of water.  Someone hollered out at the game “There’s a flood coming, everyone better leave for home”. My brother, Donald, Cameron Maxwell and myself decided to run over to   Pleasant Creek and look at the flood.  At that time there was a foot bridge on each side of the auto-traffic bridge with a 2 by 6 inch railing running between the footbridge and traffic bridge, both running horizontal to Pleasant Creek.  The three of us were   leaning on the railing, watching the water rise in the Creek and hearing the rocks clunking down.  The water was almost up to the top of the bank when some guy came by, crossed the bridge and stopped on the other side, got out of his vehicle and cussed us hollering “You kids better git for home.” That scared us and we turned to head back to the ball field. We were only about one or two steps away from the railing, when the bridge railing went into the creek.  We went back to the ball park where my mother found us. She had been desperately looking for us.  We hopped in her car and went west on second north, looking for a way to get across the creek, so we could get home. 

We saw all the bridges from State Street to Fifth West being taken out by the flood.  We barely made it across the fifth west bridge when through the back window, we watched the same bridge we had just crossed, collapse into the flood.

 When we arrived home, a large pine tree came down Main Street in the flood.  It wedged between the railroad track and the railroad sign at an angle, which diverted most of the water coming down Main Street across the highway and to the north side of the road.  We had about a foot of mud in our front yard, but due to the pine tree diverting most of the flood across the road to the north side, our neighbors across the road, the Braby’s got more mud than we did.  The Braby yard had about two feet of flood mud.  The water came up to my grandmother, Carrie Hafen’s front porch to about an inch of the door. She was living across the road from us at the time.  John Maxwell and Bert Hafen put on their hip boots and were going to get my great grandmother, who was an invalid, due to a fall and broken hip. Before they got to her, the flood had subsided and the water and mud didn’t get any higher than an inch to the door
.

 The mud and water subsided in the following week. We spent our time digging items out of the Braby’s yard that had come from Rex Matson and Leonard Eliason’s electrical and sporting goods store.

Both were located in Dr. Mills Optometry building, which was located on State and a little north of Main.  The flood wiped out half of that building.  When we took the items we had found back to the owners of the store, we told them that there was a three foot square box still intact that we hadn’t disturbed. The box had  the store’s name on it.

They came down to Braby’s yard and dug it out.  It contained a large, beautiful chandelier. Luckily there was no damage to it. 

Daniels home on 400 East and 100 South

Rex Matson appreciated what we had done; retrieving items from his store and telling him of the big box containing the chandelier.  He gave us a softball mitt and a softball bat that we had dug out of the mud.  We were happy for the prize.

North Sanpete Seniors 1925-26

North Sanpete High School Seniors 1925-26

North Sanpete High School Seniors 1925-26

From Wilhelmina Morrison Ericksen Pioneer Record Book ~ Gladys Italia Ericksen

Carl Christian Anton Christensen - An Early Pioneer of Mt. Pleasant and Popular Artist

Carl Christian Anton Christensen (November 28, 1831 – July 3, 1912). Better known as C.C.A. Christensen. He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and studied at the Royal Academy of Art in Copenhagen. In 1850 he joined the LDS Church and subsequently served as a missionary in Norway and his native Denmark. In 1857 he immigrated to Utah, traveling with the Christiansen Handcart Company.  He was a skilled painter and decorator and decorated many homes in pioneer Utah. He is best known for his Mormon Panorama, a series of 23 large paintings that depict the history of the church. He came to Mt. Pleasant in 1859 and was one of its first settlers.  

History of Mt. Pleasant p. 32 by Hilda Madsen Longsdorf


On page 49 of the History of Mt. Pleasant we see that C.C.A. Christensen donated 10 (hours or days) of labor  5 teams and 5 wagons for the building of the Mt. Pleasant Fort.

 And page 173 we find:  Madsen and Anderson continued to operate the theatre and dance hall on the second floor of the brick building, (Old  ZCMI) and here the public witnessed Shakespearean plays by John S. Lindsay and Company, also other high class companies, home dramatics, etc., as well as the C. C. A. Christensen's panoramas, minstrel shows, sleight of hand performances, hypnotism, etc., and many heated political rallies, setting forth free trade, tariff on wool, etc.

The scenery for the hall was painted by C. C. A. Christensen, a very popular artist. Music for the dances was mostly furnished by the Peter Almertz orchestra, consisting of John Waldermar, Rebecca Beckstrom, Bent Hansen, and others. Brigham Lee was floor manager and prompter. The east room of the building was used as the city council headquarters. On top of the building had been arranged seats, and at daybreak on holidays the Brass Band assembled; their music could be clearly heard in the distance, as the stars and stripes were unfurled. It had been common for the band, in their band wagon, to serenade the city, and they were usually treated with plenty of home-made beer and refreshments.

History of Mt. Pleasant by Hilda Madsen Longsorf p. 173

In the fall of 1869 and on through 1870, a regularly organized Home Dramatic Company furnished the scenery by donation of the members, and Brother C. C. A. Christensen, of Ephraim, painted the pieces.

                                 PLAY

                                 By Malvina Crane, 1926

The first general gathering place I remember was the Social Hall-still standing on the southwest corner of the square. Later, Yeppa Jessen built a larger house two blocks east, which at once became the most popular place in the little community. This hall had a platform in the east end, which .our theatrical troop could use as a stage, as soon as suitable scenery could be bought from C. C. A. Christensen, a local celebrity.

History of Mt. Pleasant by Hilda Madsen Longsorf  pp. 303-304

Painting

In 1862 Christensen did stage painting for a theatre in Springville, Utah.

The first major art work that Christensen undertook while in Utah was a commission from Dimick B. Huntington to do a collection of paintings from the Bible and Book of Mormon, in collaboration with Dan Weggeland.

Christensen is best known for his Mormon Panorama, a series of 23 large paintings that depict the history of the church. Christensen also painted scenes from the Book of Mormon such as Nephi and Zoram Return with the Record. There was a whole series of Book of Mormon paintings. They were originally issued by the Sunday School for use in classrooms and were latter issued in lithography form.

Christensen began touring with the 175 feet (53 m)-long Mormon panorama in 1878. Christensen would transport it about Utah, Idaho and Wyoming, giving presentations along with the panorama. He did this during the winter when he was not busy working on his farm.

 After Christensen's death the panorama was stored away. Many years latter it was discovered again and brought back to light, partly by the efforts of Boyd K. Packer. It would gain its fullest recognition almost a century latter when it would be showed at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City.

Christensen also painted some of the murals in the Manti and St. George Temples. Christensen also did paintings for the Manti Tabernacle.

Another theme of some of Christensen's paintings was Manti and its surroundings.

Christensen often collaborated with Dan Weggeland in his work in Utah.

Other Utah activities

During his first days in Utah, Christensen found little time to paint. He did various odd jobs such as laying brick and burning charcoal as well as farming.

Christensen translated the lyrics of many LDS hymns into Danish. Some of his translated texts are still in use. Christensen also wrote poetry and contributed to Bikuben. Latter he would serve as an editor of that publication. He was also a coauthor of the History of the Scandinavian Mission.

Christensen was an instructor in drawing and Danish at the Sanpete Stake Academy (now Snow College).

Christensen served a second mission from 1865-1868. He went on a mission to Denmark from 1887-1889 during which he worked as the editor of the Scandinaviens Stjerne.

Information taken from Wikipedia:  

Carl Christian Anton Christensen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The Hill Cumorah" by C.C.A. Christensen depicting Joseph Smith, Jr. receiving the golden plates from Moroni.

The following song written by C. C. A. Christensen
was sung by Fred Christensen and Peter Monsen.

TO BUILD MOUNT PLEASANT CITY

    My Brethren and my Sisters dear,

   And for all whom I now appear,

  A little song you now shall hear

   About Mount Pleasant City,

From Brigham Young we got the word,

 To organize and build a fort

And then in unison we went forth

To build Mount Pleasant City.

Here worked every man and ox,
Some mixed the mud and laid the rocks,

 While others hauled poles and logs,
To build Mount Pleasant city.

I'll tell you how the work was done,

It was because we all were as one.
And common interest pushed us on,
To make a home and city.

We grubbed and plowed the land below,
And while we worked, the grain would grow, 

And then harvest came you know
Abundantly and pretty.

We plenty had for man and ox,

And there the Fort stood, built of rocks,

 A unit then and not of blocks,

Was then Mount Pleasant city.

We lived within, with each a room,
In which the spinning wheel and loom
Was the woman's pride and boon,
For industry and beauty.

And where a man had cows and sheep, 

And prospects for a crop to reap, 

Contented and happy he could sleep

 Because he did his duty.

But that was fifty years ago,

And times will changes bring you know,
And that we see, is even so

Here in Mount Pleasant City.

page 193  History of Mt. Pleasant by Hilda Madsen Longsdorf 

Painting of the tarring and feathering of Joseph Smith by C.C.A. Christensen.
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