Dear
Editor,
A
Genuine Legacy of
Love
In
1859
a little band of Mormon pioneers
decided to settle here on the banks of
what is now known as “Pleasant Creek”.
Some of these pioneers had left their homes in
Europe , some from
back East. Most had no hopes of seeing
their families that they had left behind ever again. They came to a barren wasteland full of sage
brush and cedar trees. And then, local
Indians turned against them and the Black Hawk War was fought.
In 1909 the city council of
Mt.
Pleasant
After
the success of this monument building, this same committee decided to take it a
bit further and form an Mt. Pleasant Pioneer Historical Association. They went through all the procedures
necessary and then they encouraged the citizens of
Mt.
Pleasant West Main
Street make
Mt.
It is very appropriate to house the items in the Seely home because William S. Seely was the first mayor and bishop ofMt.
Pleasant
It is very appropriate to house the items in the Seely home because William S. Seely was the first mayor and bishop of
Not
everyone is appreciative of this history.
Some have said that the next generation won’t “give a hoot” about the
early pioneers or our founding fathers.
I sincerely hope they are wrong.
But many good citizens don’t take what they have today for granted. They know it came by sacrifice, faith and
love.
I
want to tell you of another “Legacy of Love” that has happened in
Mt.
Pleasant
This volunteer work includes both work-related projects as well as hosting at the Relic Home. We were told to keep a log of these hours by the Utah Museum Association because they can be counted as “in-kind” donations for many government grants. In volunteer hours there are over 10,000 in the past five years. That is a modest estimate because many hours were not logged. In the number of visitors, the numbers keep rising as more people become aware of the many family history type material we house there. The working-blacksmith shop attracts even more and serves several communities with live demonstrations educating young people as well as old.
This volunteer work includes both work-related projects as well as hosting at the Relic Home. We were told to keep a log of these hours by the Utah Museum Association because they can be counted as “in-kind” donations for many government grants. In volunteer hours there are over 10,000 in the past five years. That is a modest estimate because many hours were not logged. In the number of visitors, the numbers keep rising as more people become aware of the many family history type material we house there. The working-blacksmith shop attracts even more and serves several communities with live demonstrations educating young people as well as old.
To bring this into the present focus let me tell you of a family from Texas
As
was stated in the July 3rd newspaper, the Relic Home is in much need
of repair. The Relic Home and Blacksmith
Shop qualified
for Mormon Pioneer National Heritage
funds more than any other entity in
Mt.
Pleasant
When my husband asked the Executive Director
why we haven’t been included, he said: “Oh, I forgot”.
The
$5000.00 offered to us last week was to
be divided between the Relic Home and the Depot south of town. The $5000.00 amount is only a pittance of what has been spent on other so-called historical projects here in town. Millions of dollars have been spent on
projects that really have no “Mormon- Pioneer” focus
The
Executive Director of the MPNHA has received many awards for his historical
buildings preservation work. However, he
has totally forgotten the Mt. Pleasant Pioneer Historical Association’s
objectives and needs. He has forgotten what the statue in front of the library
represents. I hope Mt Pleasant citizens and administrators who believe this
Executive Director is such a wonderful asset to our community, remember the
people who really have performed a “Legacy of Love”; that is our pioneer forefathers who
had the real struggle in making our community livable and a great place to
live. I hope Mt. Pleasant citizens and
administrators will remember the Black Hawk War soldiers who lost their lives,
lost limbs, left widows and children to fare for themselves all because of their
faith and their courage.
There was good
reason for the Pioneer Board turning down the monies offered. Details may come out in the future, but the entire board resolved to not make it a political matter at this time because of our 501c3 status that we have struggled so hard to get. I am not siding with anyone. I am on the side of those people who have gone before us and lived their lives so that You and I,
as well as future generations, can have a pleasant community in which to live. I hope and pray that future generations can feel a sense of gratitude by walking where their ancestors walked, and get a feeling of how it was even more than 150 ago.
The following quote comes from Steve Berry author and founder of History Matters an
organization dedicated to aiding the preservation of
heritage:
“History
comes alive when someone is able to not only read about the past but also able to visit the places, see the artifacts, appreciate the images, read the actual words. For most people, history starts with learning about their family or their community. Imagine trying to discover your genealogy without anything tangible to search. Preservation of our heritage is a vital link to cultural, educational,
aesthetic, inspirational, and economic legacies — all of the things that quite literally make us who we are. History plays a vital role in our everyday lives.
We learn from our past in order to achieve greater influence over our future.
History serves as a model of who to be and who not to be — of what to champion and what to avoid. Every day, decision-making around the world is based on what
came before us.”
Yes,
History matters to me and my family.
Does it matter to you and yours?
I
sincerely hope so,
Kathy
Hafen
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