Recollections of Newel Nelson ~~~~ Son of Edgar Nelson and Talula Frandsen Nelson

How Many Remember This Ed Sullivan Show?

Journey of Faith ~ Erick and Caroline Gunderson ~~~ (The Great Salt Lake Meridian) by David R. Gunderson

With permission of David R. Gunderson, we include the following book to our blog.   I will do a few increments at a time, as I have done with the Andrew Madsen and James Monsen histories.  I will also paste the pages over to David's own blog page: http://davidrgunderson.blogspot.com/

This book will be of interest to not only the Gunderson Family but also to the Brotherson, Ericksen, Peel,   Madsen, Larsen and more.

Glade Peterson: Born in Fairview ~ Founder of the Utah Opera Company

Why Don’t People Smile in Old Photographs? And More Questions From Our Readers

You asked, we answered

Photography was so expensive when it was first introduced that people treated getting their photo taken like a once-in-a-lifetime portrait opportunity. (Lauren Simkin Berke)

By Anna Diamond

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE | SUBSCRIBE JULY 2019

Q: Why don’t people smile in old photographs?

— Art Ross | Kingwood, Texas

Although we tend to think the subjects had to hold their faces still for an uncomfortably long time, exposures from the early days of commercial photography only lasted about 5 to 15 seconds. The real reason is that, in the mid-19th century, photography was so expensive and uncommon that people knew this photograph might be the only one they’d ever have made. Rather than flash a grin, they often opted to look thoughtful and serious, a carry-over from the more formal conventions of painted portraiture, explains Ann Shumard, senior curator of photographs at the National Portrait Gallery. When George Eastman, founder of Eastman Kodak, introduced hand-held cameras in 1888, it made photography more accessible and casual. Photos from around the turn of the 20th century include a lot more candids, and a lot more smiles.

A Young Civilian Takes on A Military Recognition

Home of Alonzo Cahoon and wife Mary Ann Erickson ~~~ Researched and Compiled by Tudy Barentsen Standlee

This house has recently been sold again.

Days of 47 Celebration in Utah

 The parade has been called the "Days of 47" only since 1947. It was originally "Pioneer Days," until 1931 when it became "Covered Wagon Days." But what ever the name, this parade celebrates Utah's unique history.

After traveling thousands of miles across the plains in wagons or pulling handcarts, the last thing the pioneers wanted was a parade. And they didn't celebrate the first anniversary of their arrival; they were too busy fighting crickets and trying to fend off starvation.

But on July 24th 1849, Salt Lake residents were awakened by a blast of cannon fire and a brass band marking past their homes. It was the first parade marking the arrival of the pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley.

The early residents continued to celebrate the date, and by 1897 -- the 50th anniversary -- the pioneer processional, as it was called, had become a good sized parade.

LDS Church wards and stakes, businesses and community groups have always sponsored floats in the parade. The military has always been well represented, and of course it always includes horses, bands, children and queens.

From the beginning, the pioneers who arrived in the valley before 1869 were honored with a dinner each July 24th. The last living pioneer died in 1967. Her name was Hilda Ericson and she was 108 yeas old.

In 1931 they began calling the celebration covered wagon days. In 1943 the Sons and Daughters of the Utah Pioneers took over the celebration and adopted the name, Days of �47.

The Royalty of 1943 did not ride in the parade because of gas rationing, but 50 years later -- in 1993 -- they finally got to take that ride.

Since its earliest days, patriotism and the military have been prominent, and every year, the Mormon Battalion is honored. But it was 1991 when Utahns welcomed home a victorious US military from the Gulf War; they received applause and a standing ovation.

Again in 1997, Utahns were brought to their feet. It was the sesquicentennial. Those who participated in a 93 day re-enactment of the pioneer trek across the plains made their final march through the streets of Salt Lake City. That sentiment of honoring pioneers is at the heart of every Days of �47 Parade.

The Sons and Daughters of the Utah Pioneers keep the memory alive. It is a procession of symbols, handcarts, beehives, sego lilies and crickets, which speak to themes of faith and sacrifice, solidarity and thrift, trial and deliverance.

It is our history preserved, teaching generation after generation about the values of the past, and perhaps give us the strength to endure our own challenges.

Justus Azel Seelye Family Reunion ~~ August 5th

Carl Lyle Seely (Cork) Will Be Missed

Charles Staker Will Be Missed

Leo Osman Osborne Has Passed On

Leo Osman Osborne

OCTOBER 16, 1936 ~ JULY 12, 2019 (AGE 82)

OBITUARY

Leo Osman Osborne, beloved father and grandfather, passed away on July 12, 2019 surrounded by his family after a courageous battle with cancer.

Leo was born the third child out of three sons on October 16, 1936 in Spring City, Utah to William Virgus and Athene Osborne. He graduated from North Sanpete High School where he was involved in sports, speech and debate and drama. He also graduated from Snow College and attended BYU. He married Lou Ann Hafen on December 9, 1955 in the Manti Temple. He and Lou Ann raised four children, Lyle, Laura Lee, Lance and Lorette, and lived in Nephi, Utah for 56 years.

Leo was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where he served in many callings including scout leader, Elders Quorum presidency, Sunday School teacher and president, and assistant ward clerk for 36 years.

He was also active in the community, helping with little league baseball and football. He enjoyed advising the Juab High School Rodeo Club, but one of his greatest accomplishments and enjoyments was being a member of the Ute Stampede Committee. He served on this committee for 49 years and Leo made life-long friendships with the men and women he served with. Leo worked for the Juab County ASCS office as a manager, and through this employment, he was involved in the National Association of ASCS where he was voted as the vice-president and president of the Utah group. He went on to serve as the secretary-treasurer with the national group of the NASCOE for 13 years and RASCOE for 7 years. Through these groups Leo traveled the country and was well known and respected for his work.

Leo enjoyed the time he spent each year hunting the Spring City mountains with his dad, brothers, sons, grandsons and nephews. He loved his family very much and he did everything he could for each individual to show them how much Grandpa Ozzie loved them. He could be heard at every function his children and grandchildren were involved in, either cheering them on or trying to make his point.

He is survived by his children, Lyle (Jodie) Osborne, Laura Lee (Kevin) Ockey, Lance (Tausha) Osborne, and Lorette Nielsen. He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 63 years, Lou Ann Hafen Osborne, his parents, and his two brothers, Connell and Glen Osborne.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to all of you for your many acts of kindness and love.

Home of Niels Schaug Haarby and wife Andrea Arnesen ~~~ Researched and Compiled by Tudy Barentsen Standlee

Shellee Rigby Funeral Program

Roll Away Saloon by Roland Rider ~~~ A fun folklore story

https://youtu.be/k2WMDgoDZpo

MYSTERIOUS SYMBOLS SCATTERED ACROSS THE WESTERN UNITED STATES

From Our Obituary Files ~~~~ Joseph Rodley Bagnall

also see: https://mtpleasantpioneer.blogspot.com/2012/09/joseph-and-sarah-ann-frobisher-bagnall.html

Joseph Rodley Bagnall, 100, of Provo, died May 27, 2001 in Provo.

He was born in a log cabin in Chester, Utah on October 23, 1900, to Joseph F. and Hannah Christensen Bagnall. He married Florence Noland of Mt. Pleasant, Utah on January 6, 1927 in the Manti LDS Temple. Joseph attended elementary school in Chester and high school at Snow Academy in Ephraim, Utah. In the late 1920's he received his Bachelor's Degree from the U of U and taught at the elementary school in Salem, Utah. Taught at the elementary school in Mt. Pleasant, Utah, and later at Moroni High School and studied part-time at the University of Utah to prepare for a career in school administration. Served as Superintendent of the North Sanpete School District in the 1940's.He Served as Representative from Sanpete County in the Utah State legislature. Served also served as manager of the Southern California Regional Welfare Ranch located in Perris, California. This splendid ranch was acquired from Louis B. Mayer and the Statler Hotel Interests, and he served all LDS as a welfare farm director for the stakes in Southern California. He earned a Master's Degree in Education from Claremont College in California. Served as Director of Adult Education for the Arcadia, California Unified School District. Served as the first principal of the Richard Henry Dana Middle School in Arcadia, California. He and his wife lived in retirement in Provo, Utah, where he opened his home to six of his grandchildren who attended BYU.

Joseph served as bishop of Mt. Pleasant, Utah, North Ward, and as president of the North Sanpete Stake of the LDS Church. He also served as an ordinance worker in the Los Angeles Temple for eight years as well as the Provo Temple for an additional eight years.

Survivors include his two children, Dr. Joseph Albert Bagnall of Oceanside, CA, Marilyn Rae Richards Purnell of Provo, eleven grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Florence nine years ago.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 2, 2001, at 1 p.m. in the Cascade chapel. at the Sundberg-Olpin Funeral Home, 495 South State St. in Orem. Friends may call 11:15 a.m. prior to the services at the Funeral Home. Interment will be in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.

Joseph Rodley Bagnall, 100, of Provo, died May 27, 2001 in Provo. He was born in a log cabin in Chester, Utah on October 23, 1900, to Joseph F. and Hannah Christensen Bagnall. He married Florence Noland of Mt. Pleasant, Utah on January 6, 1927 in the Manti LDS Temple. Joseph attended elementary school in Chester and high school at Snow Academy in Ephraim, Utah. In the late 1920's he received his Bachelor's Degree from the U of U and taught at the elementary school in Salem, Utah. Taught at the elementary school in Mt. Pleasant, Utah, and later at Moroni High School and studied part-time at the University of Utah to prepare for a career in school administration. Served as Superintendent of the North Sanpete School District in the 1940's.He Served as Representative from Sanpete County in the Utah State legislature. Served also served as manager of the Southern California Regional Welfare Ranch located in Perris, California. This splendid ranch was acquired from Louis B. Mayer and the Statler Hotel Interests, and he served all LDS as a welfare farm director for the stakes in Southern California. He earned a Master's Degree in Education from Claremont College in California. Served as Director of Adult Education for the Arcadia, California Unified School District. Served as the first principal of the Richard Henry Dana Middle School in Arcadia, California. He and his wife lived in retirement in Provo, Utah, where he opened his home to six of his grandchildren who attended BYU. Joseph served as bishop of Mt. Pleasant, Utah, North Ward, and as president of the North Sanpete Stake of the LDS Church. He also served as an ordinance worker in the Los Angeles Temple for eight years as well as the Provo Temple for an additional eight years. Survivors include his two children, Dr. Joseph Albert Bagnall of Oceanside, CA, Marilyn Rae Richards Purnell of Provo, eleven grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Florence nine years ago. Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 2, 2001, at 1 p.m. in the Cascade chapel. at the Sundberg-Olpin Funeral Home, 495 South State St. in Orem. Friends may call 11:15 a.m. prior to the services at the Funeral Home. Interment will be in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.

Ole Nicolas Clemensen Family Group Sheet

Because these family group sheets were recorded while the Mt Pleasant original pioneers were still alive or their first generation recorded them, they are considered to be "Origial Source Documents".   

The Town Blacksmith and the Town Farrier

Almost all of the farming implements were home-made and hand-made. Peter Madsen Peel, who was the first blacksmith in the colony, is credited with having made most of them; however, some people made their own.
George Farnsworth, who in his native land learned the farrier trade, was said to be an excellent "Shoer," assisted, and also kept the oxen shod. Iron was very scarce and hard to get, being obtained usually from the wreckage of immigrant wagons. Straight oak sticks were brought from the mountains for making bows for ox yokes. These sticks were cast into a fire long enough to roast them thoroughly, then they were bent into the required shape, and when complete were thought to be just as good as those brought "from the States."

In 1859, on the 11th of August, they began harvesting their first hay crops, consisting of native grasses growing in abundance in the lowlands, called the Hay Field, which was south and west of where Chester is now located. The only means of cutting the grass was with home-made scythes and snaths, raking it with rakes and pitch forks which were made from native wood and such iron as could be obtained. Much time was consumed in haying on account of this simple method, and the use of ox teams, sometimes one ox and a cow, in hauling it so great a distance. As soon as hay crops were put up, harvesting of the grain began. This was handled in about the same manner as the haying.

The grain was cradled, raked up into bundles and bound by hand, then hauled into the yards and threshed by being trampled on by oxen or flailed with willows or flails by men. The separating of the grain from the chaff was accomplished by waiting for a light wind or breeze, at which time, the farmers would toss it into the air, against a canvas, erected upright like a wall, the grain falling into another canvas, while the chaff was blown away. This was repeated several times, or until the wheat was thoroughly separated or clean. Sometimes, when the people did not have a cradle, the wheat was pulled up by the roots with the bands. When this was done, the stacks would be as black as the earth. The crops were good and much grain was harvested; however, much of it matured late and some was frozen, due to the fact that some of the settlers had arrived late in the spring and did not get their seeds planted early enough to mature. The women always took an active part in the harvesting, helping with the raking, binding, and the gleaning, etc.

The railroad was built for the purpose of getting the coal from Wales, where coal had been discovered in 1855, and was the first discovered in Utah. Later it was recognized of good quality for blacksmithing and other purposes.

James Wilson had a blacksmith shop on the corner where the drugstore now stands. James Borg and Ole Clemensen had a harness shop and Abner Crane had a blacksmith shop on first west. Anderson's Blacksmith Shop was located on the east side of State Street, about Third South.
Several Blacksmiths and Farriers were needed to keep up with the demands of planting, cutting and harvesting.

Wilson Blacksmith Shop

One story told by Peter Gottfriedsen: It was the inherent nature of an Indian to steal, and this brings to my mind an incident told of an Indian who brought a half worn out axe to a blacksmith to be fixed. The blacksmith said, 'I can't fix it, it hasn't any steel in it.' 'Oh, yes,' said the Indian, 'It all steal, me steal it last night.' "
(excerpts taken from Hilda Madsen Longsdorf, "Book of Mt. Pleasant")

CHRISTENSEN MISSIONARIES TO SCANDINAVIA 1850 TO 1890 FROM SANPETE

Brigham Young started sending the Scandinavian Converts to Sanpete in 1849.

In 1849 Sanpete County was settled by Latter-day Saint settlers organized by Isaac Morley under the direction of Brigham Young. and was given the name Sanpete after Chief Sanpitch.

During the second half of the nineteenth century, when Mormonism preached its doctrine of the "gathering" with vigor and conducted a program of organized migration to Zion,   Some thirty thousand converts from Norway, Denmark, and Sweden felt persuaded to gather with others to Zion.

Many of the original settlers to Sanpete  were later called to go back to their homelands to preach the Latter Day Saint Gospel there.

The following men with the name "Christensen" were a great representation of those eager and willing to go back to their homeland to share the gospel.

Home of Christian Fredrick Peel and wife Mary Miranda Seely ~~~ Researched and Compiled by Tudy Barentsen Standlee

Shellee Rigby Obituary

Pony Express Route and Stage Stops

The Following is taken from Wikipedia:
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License

Pony Express was a mail service delivering messages, newspapers, and mail using relays of horse-mounted riders that operated from April 3, 1860, to October 1861 between Missouri and California in the United States of America.

Operated by Central Overland California and Pike's Peak Express Company, the Pony Express was a great financial investment to the U.S. During its 18 months of operation, it reduced the time for messages to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to about 10 days.^[1] It became the West's most direct means of east-west communication before the transcontinental telegraph was established (October 24, 1861), and was vital for tying the new U.S. state of California with the rest of the United States.

The Pony Express demonstrated that a unified transcontinental system of communications could be established and operated year-round. When replaced by the telegraph, the Pony Express quickly became romanticized and became part of the lore of the American West. Its reliance on the ability and endurance of individual young, hardy riders and fast horses was seen as evidence of rugged American individualism of the Frontier times.

The In 1860, there were about 186 Pony Express stations that were about 10 miles (16 km) apart along the Pony Express route.^[7] At each station stop the express rider would change to a fresh horse, taking only the mail pouch called a mochila (from the Spanish for pouch or backpack) with him.

The employers stressed the importance of the pouch. They often said that, if it came to be, the horse and rider should perish before the mochila did. The mochila was thrown over the saddle and held in place by the weight of the rider sitting on it. Each corner had a cantina, or pocket. Bundles of mail were placed in these cantinas, which were padlocked for safety. The mochila could hold 20 pounds (9 kg) of mail along with the 20 pounds (9 kg) of material carried on the horse.^[14]Eventually, everything except one revolver and a water sack was removed, allowing for a total of 165 pounds (75 kg) on the horse's back. Riders, who could not weigh over 125 pounds (57 kg), changed about every 75–100 miles (120–160 km), and rode day and night. In emergencies, a given rider might ride two stages back to back, over 20 hours on a quickly moving horse.

It is unknown if riders tried crossing the Sierra Nevada in winter, but they certainly crossed central Nevada. By 1860 there was a telegraph station in Carson City, Nevada Territory. The riders received $100 a month as pay. A comparable wage for unskilled labor at the time was about $0.43–$1 per day.

Alexander Majors, one of the founders of the Pony Express, had acquired more than 400 horses for the project. He selected horses from around the west, paying an average of $200.^[15]These averaged about 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm) high and averaged 900 pounds (410 kg)^[16] each; thus, the name pony was appropriate, even if not strictly correct in all cases.

Pony Express route[edit]

The approximately 1,900-mile-long (3,100 km) route^[17] roughly followed the Oregon and California Trails to Fort Bridger in Wyoming, and then the Mormon Trail (known as the Hastings Cutoff) to Salt Lake City, Utah. From there it followed the Central Nevada Route to Carson City, Nevada Territory before passing over the Sierra into Sacramento, California.^[18]

Kimball Stage Stop 

The Kimball Stage Stop was a station on the Overland Trail near Park City, Utah. Located in the Parley's Park valley near U.S. Route 40 at the head of Parley's Canyon, the station was built by William H. Kimball in 1862. Kimball also built a bridge across nearby Kimball Creek. The station's hotel was notable for its dinners, and was visited by Mark Twain, Walt Whitman and Horace Greeley, served at first by Kimball's wife Melissa Burton Coray Kimball, and later by another of Kimball's wives, Martha Vance Kimball, .^[2] The station also served the Holladay Stage and the Wells Fargo Express Company.^[3]

The chief building in the complex is the hotel. It is a T-shaped two-story sandstone building, housing dining rooms, guest rooms, a store, and for a time, a post office. Two log barns are part of the complex.^[2]

The Kimball Stage Stop was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 16, 1971.^[1]

Stagecoach Inn 

Camp Floyd was a short-lived U.S. Army post in the Cedar Valley (and now part of Fairfield), Utah, United States. The Stagecoach Inn was a nearby hotel which also served as a stagecoach stop and, during 1860-1861, a Pony Express stop. Both were listed on the National Register of Historic Placesin the 1970s, and now are included in a Utah state park known as Camp Floyd / Stagecoach Inn State Park and Museum.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Youtube narrated by a British Man 

Mt. Pleasant Pioneer Monument

MT. PLEASANT PIONEER MONUMENT
Did You Ever Wonder
How Mt. Pleasant Celebrated Its First 50 Years?Well, for starters, they sent out a letter to each household with the following statement in the first paragraph, “The labor of opening up a new country amid the vicissitudes of pioneer life surely draws upon the admiration of everyone who appreciates integrity. The pioneers made habitable for us this uninviting land and laid the foundation for all the comforts that we enjoy; and that too, under conditions of extreme poverty and constant fear of attack from the Indians. These facts place us who enjoy the fruits of their labor, under a debt of gratitude to which all will acknowledge by taking a part in the erection of a suitable monument to their honor.”
The monument to which reference was made is the very one that stands in front of the Mt. Pleasant Carnegie Library today. The names inscribed on the base of the monument are the original heads of families who settled here in 1859. The money raised to erect the monument came from the families of those original pioneers. Each family was assessed $35.00 to have their pioneer ancestor included on the monument. That $35.00 sum in the year 1909 would be the equivalent of today’s $850.00, according to Consumer Price Index of 2009.
The names that follow are the names found on the base of the monument:RIGHT PLATEWm. Seely
Neils P. Madsen
Rasmus Frandsen
M. C. Christensen
Nathan Staker
Jens C. Jensen
John Tidwell
Henry Wilcox
Peter Mogensen
John Carter
Orange Seely
George Coates
George Farnsworth
Jens Larsen
Peter Hansen
Svend Larsen
Rudolphus R. Bennett
Christian Brotherson
Daniel Page

Back Plate
Niels Widergreen Anderson
Andrew Madsen
Mads Madsen
Neils Madsen
Christian Madsen
John Meyrick
Jens Jorgensen
Jens Jensen
Peter Johansen
Neils Johansen
Justus Seely
James K. McClenahan
John Waldemar
Christian Hansen
Henry Ericksen
Andrew P. Oman
C.P. Anderson
Christian Jensen
James Harvey Tidwell
Martin Aldrich

Left Plate
Jefferson Tidwell
Paul Dehlin
Mortin Rasmussen
Hans C.H. Beck
Peter M. Peel
Erick Gunderson
Alma Zabriskie
Soren Jacob Hansen
John F. Fechser
Andrew P. Jensen
Wm. Morrison
Hans Y. Simpson
George Frandsen
Peter J. Jensen
Jacob Christensen
Frederick P. Neilson
John L. Ivie
Christian Neilson Christensen
Isaac Allred
Andrew Johansen


And the endeavor itself did not take years to complete. The proposal letter was sent out March 1st of 1909. The monument was in place and unveiled on July 5th, 1909, less than 6 months later. One can only imagine how long a similar endeavor would take today, not to mention the money that would need to be raised.

And what about the celebration itself? Who was there, who spoke at the unveiling of the statue? Joseph Fielding Smith, President of the Latter Day Saint Church, dedicated the monument. President Smith delivered an eloquent and impressive Dedicatory speech and prayer. President Smith began by saying “ it was rather out of his line to attempt to address on any subject except church work ; that to this discourse he would have to deal principally with the Church or he would not talk of the pioneers of Utah, but he did not wish any nonmember to take offense to his remarks or think that he considered no one else worthy of mention as he estimated all men by the lives they lived and their value as loyal, useful citizens”.
A three day celebration on the 5th 6th and 7th of July was held. According to the book of Mt.Pleasant, authored by Hilda Madsen Longsdorf. The following are excerpts from her book. The celebration was the greatest in the history of the town. People in the hundreds came from far and near. A non-resident described it as “ an unsurpassed success, without any unpleasant incident to mar the pleasure of the occasion under skies bright and blue – with stirring strains of music from martial and military bands, with salutes from canon and cracker; with eloquent oration and sweet singing, pleasing the large audiences; and to those inclined towards athletics, sports were provided daily”.

The monument was unveiled by Mrs. Sarah Borg, who was the second girl born in Mt. Pleasant. When the veil released by her from its fastenings, the flag with which the monument was covered, fluttered slowly to the ground, and amid the cheer of the vast crowd gathered, the beautiful shaft was revealed in all its splendor and glory; a splendid fitting tribute destined to stand throughout the years to come, to the work, trials and achievement of the Pioneers. A silent but emphatic testimonial of the great appreciation of the present generation for the mission so successfully performed by the brave men and women who settled Mt. Pleasant fifty years ago. (one hundred and fifty years ago in 2009).

This year, we the citizens of Mt. Pleasant have the opportunity to celebrate the founding of Mt. Pleasant with our own style and appreciation for those original brave pioneer families. On March 28th we hold our annual Pioneer Day, which is held at that time because it is significant to the fact that those original pioneers came north from Manti, Ephraim and Spring City in March of 1859 to once again try a new settlement, having been driven south a few years before by hostile indians. Because they recognized there was good ground here to raise crops, and good prospects to raise their families. We honor those families for their faith, courage and perseverance. We indeed owe them a great amount of gratitude whether we personally are a descendant or a newcomer, we reap the many abundant rewards of their unselfish labors.

HUNTINGTON MAMMOTH

My Apology To My Home Town ~~~ by Ellice McClenahen Carter

Independence Day 1861

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(From the History of Mt. Pleasant, by Hilda Madsen Longsdorf)

Independence Day, July the 4th, 1861, was celebrated with appropriate ceremonies. A new flag pole was erected on the Church Square. It was one straight, long pole brought from the mountains by Svend Larsen, Abraham Day, William Morrison Sr., and others, and prepared with a plane and' draw knife brought from Norway by Erick Gunderson Sr., was set up by Erick Gunderson Sr., Gunder E. Gunderson, Jacob Rolfson , William Morrison Sr., and others. There was much rejoicing; an ox had been killed for the occasion and a public dinner was given in the bowery, on the south side in the square. A pitch pine torch in each corner of the bowery furnished the light for the dance held in the evening, for which music was furnished by John Waldermar, James Hansen, Lars Nielsen (Fiddler), and others. All enjoyed them selves to the utmost. R. N. Bennett states, "I recall the dances held often in the old bowery, dancing on the dirt floor, some of us barefoot, but we would make the dust fly. Bishop Seeley was great on big eats. A saying was, 'We'll cut a squash, kill a chicken and have a treat.' The only fruit I remember we ever had were bull berries, service berries, and choke cherries, these were dried and used in the winter, too."

History of Mt. Pleasant p. 72 by Hilda Madsen Longsdorf

 

Home of William Skrevelius Olson and wife Sarah Jane Tidwell ~~~ Researched and compiled by Tudy Barentsen Standlee

Fourth of July

The following is taken from History of Mt. Pleasant by Hilda Madsen Longsdorf: 

The Fourth of July was appropriately celebrated. Wellington Seeley and George Frandsen had been appointed to see that a liberty pole was erected and that the American Flag was hoisted at sunrise. The 24th of July, honoring the pioneers, was also fittingly celebrated.

In the evenings, the voices of the children could be heard at their gatherings in the street. Among their popular games were Steal Sticks, Stink Base, Pomp, Pomp pull away, and many other similar games. For the grown-ups, there was buggy riding behind spirited horses, and with the first fall of snow, sleigh riding, in bob sleighs, and later on in the fancy cutter, drawn by fancy horses, bedecked with strands of tingling bells. There was always dancing.

Rasmus Frandsen and Perry McArthur were appointed man­agers and conducted all the dances. Sometimes other musicians joined the John Waldermar, Lars Nielsen group in furnishing the music.

Game:  Pump, Pump, Pull AwayTwo 20 ft long imaginary lines are drawn about 50 ft apart. All the players line up on one or the other line. “It” stands between these two lines and calls out to both sides “Pump, Pump, Pull Away, Come Out Or I’ll Pull You Out.” Players from both sides try to race to the other side without getting caught by “It.” While the players are racing to the opposite side “It” tries to catch one of the players and taps him/her lightly three times on the back. If this player cannot get away before “It” has so tapped him, this player also becomes “It.” Now when the lead “It” calls out the same phrase the players again try to get safely to the other imaginary line. Both “It” people can catch these players and tap them three times gently on the back. Anyone caught becomes “It.” Sometimes a number of “It” persons will gang up on a person to catch him/her. The goal of the game is to be the last person caught. The last person caught becomes “It” for the next round of the game.  

The following is taken from ConstitutionFacts.com        https://www.constitutionfacts.com/

So what did happen on July 4, 1776?

The Continental Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. They'd been working on it for a couple of days after the draft was submitted on July 2nd and finally agreed on all of the edits and changes.

July 4, 1776, became the date that was included on the Declaration of Independence, and the fancy handwritten copy that was signed in August (the copy now displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.) It’s also the date that was printed on the Dunlap Broadsides, the original printed copies of the Declaration that were circulated throughout the new nation. So when people thought of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 was the date they remembered.

In contrast, we celebrate Constitution Day on September 17th of each year, the anniversary of the date the Constitution was signed, not the anniversary of the date it was approved. If we’d followed this same approach for the Declaration of Independence we’d being celebrating Independence Day on August 2nd of each year, the day the Declaration of Independence was signed!

How did the Fourth of July become a national holiday?

For the first 15 or 20 years after the Declaration was written, people didn’t celebrate it much on any date. It was too new and too much else was happening in the young nation. By the 1790s, a time of bitter partisan conflicts, the Declaration had become controversial. One party, the Democratic-Republicans, admired Jefferson and the Declaration. But the other party, the Federalists, thought the Declaration was too French and too anti-British, which went against their current policies.

By 1817, John Adams complained in a letter that America seemed uninterested in its past. But that would soon change.

After the War of 1812, the Federalist party began to come apart and the new parties of the 1820s and 1830s all considered themselves inheritors of Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans. Printed copies of the Declaration began to circulate again, all with the date July 4, 1776, listed at the top. The deaths of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams on July 4, 1826, may even have helped to promote the idea of July 4 as an important date to be celebrated.

Celebrations of the Fourth of July became more common as the years went on and in 1870, almost a hundred years after the Declaration was written, Congress first declared July 4 to be a national holiday as part of a bill to officially recognize several holidays, including Christmas. Further legislation about national holidays, including July 4, was passed in 1939 and 1941.https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=823365018368490611#editor/target=post;postID=612198047640260485