UNKNOWN YEAR ~ UNKNOWN TEACHER ~ UNKNOWN STUDENTS ~~~ FROM THE BETTE MILLAR COLLECTIONS

 

Unknown Year ~ Unknown Teacher ~ Unknown Students

Bette Millar is on the middle row ~ second from the left.

Hamilton Class
Unknown Year ~ Marsden Allred, Teacher ~ Unknown Students
Bette Millar is on back row ~ 3rd from the left 

PHOTOS FROM OUR ARCHIVES

 

Hamilton Elementary

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James Jensen Wines and Liquors 

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Lundberg Block 

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Main Street Looking East 

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Sanpete County Coop
(the gentile store)
In 1866, Mormons were ordered not to buy at Gentile stores.
By 1868, signs printed with "Holiness to the Lord" above a drawing of an All-Seeing Eye were hung over the front doors of all Mormon businesses, "

~~~~ 

Safeway Store on the North Side Of Main Street

HAMILTON SCHOOL 1896 ~~~ Researched, Compiled and updated by Tudy Barentsen Standlee

 

THE TOWN BELL (from our archives)

 

 The following are excerpts taken from Hyrum Fechser's biography "Your Family and Mine ~ The Fechsers"
The town bell was ringing furiously, something was wrong, men, women, and children were in the street, everyone asking these very questions, "What's wrong?"  "Maybe a Fire, maybe a child lost".  "Maybe Indians".

The town bell was really the church bell and the town was now about four years old.  .......
John Fechser, the miller (Hyrum's father) was in the crowd. He had come here from Germany, where he had learned the milling business.

...........

During the past ten years there had been a lot of Indian trouble, they were reported to be in Pigeon Hollow near Ephraim.  Uncle John and some other men were sent to head the Indians off, he was the only one to return, the rest were kiled by the Indians, some emigrants were coming to Fairview, and were way laid by these Indians; all were killed.  Today at Fairview (Pioneer Cemetery) you can see an old plank head stone with this inscription, THE GIVENS FAMILY, KILLED BY THE INDIANS 1869.

GIVEN FAMILY MASSACRE 

In the spring of 1865 John Given and his wife Eliza and their four children, John Jr., Mary, Anna, and Martha settled in the meadowland about 110 feet west of here. They built a cabin and willow shanty. Charles Brown and Charles W. Leah were helping them plow and plant crops. Early in the morning of May 27th, they were attacked by a band of Indians. Brown and Leah escaped and ran six miles for help which came too late. The entire Given family was massacred and their cattle and household furnishings were taken. The murdered people were buried in Fairview.


Editor note: The Hamilton School Bell served the same purpose as the church bell in later years. I well remember it ringing at 8:00 a.m. in the morning, telling you that you only had one hour to get to school. It would also ring at noon and at 9:00 p.m. for curfew as well as ring when there was a fire. That bell now sits in front of our Blacksmith Shop and Relic Home as a DUP marker.

 

Here's An Oldy But Goody ~~~ Wishing it was better. Hamilton Elementary Circa 1921 ~~ Johanna Hafen Collection

On the back it says, left side, count 7 rows back, boy looks like Uncle Neil Hafen. 

Hamilton Cherry Crunch

 

One of my favorite memories of Hamilton Elementary was the delicious Cherry Crunch with Caramel Sauce.  Alice, my mother in law, worked for school lunch for several years.  This came from her recipe album. And so now I share it with you:

1 1/2 Cups of Flour

1 1/2 Cups of Oatmeal

! Cup of brown sugar

1 square of margarine

1/2 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp of soda



Mix dry ingredients together with melted butter.



Sweeten and thicken 1 quart of cherries

Add almond flavoring and coloring to suit your own taste.

Put of the crumbly mixture on the bottom of a casserole dish.

Then put the thickened cherry mixture on top of the bottom crumbs.

Put the other half of the crumbly mixture on top of the cherry mixture.



Bake 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Serve with whipped cream and the following sauce.



1 Cup of hot water

2 cups of sugar

1//4 cup of Margarine

4 cups of instant dry milk

Combine hot water and sugar and heat until the sugar is dissolved.  Then add the margarine.

Place in a blender and add instant dry milk, gradually blending until smooth.  Makes the equivalent of two cans (14 ozs each) of commercial sweetened condensed milk.

ENJOY!

Tragedy Occurred In Heating Plant Of Hamilton School ~~~ March 24, 1922

 

Hamilton Teachers circa 1940s

 

Old North Ward Church ~~~ Alice Hafen Collection

In this photo you can see the Carnegie Library on the left and the Hamilton Elementary on the right.  Also  you can see the fire escape slide  coming off the school.  

I didn't realize the church was built that far south on the lot. 

I also didn't know of the annex behind the church. 

New Meeting House
January 4, 1865, a special meeting was called for the purpose of discussing ways and means of erecting the new meeting house, as the Social Hall was now too small and a larger place was needed to accommodate the people. It was proposed to erect a large meeting house in the center of the church block. (Location today at 75 South State Street). A resolution was adopted assessing each person over eighteen years of age $10.00. Besides, a property tax of three percent was levied upon the property. William S. Seeley, (the first Bishop and also Mayor), Amasa Scovil, Niels Rosenlof, and William F. Reynolds were appointed as a building committee. February 17th, a contract was let to James Hansen and Niels Ro­senlof to erect the building. It was to be of white adobe and was to be completed by May 1, 1866. The contract price was $14, ­000.

Work was at once begun, a good foundation laid, and the wall started, but on President Young's next visit, he told the people the building was too small and, consequently work was discontinued for the time being.

Two years later, August 16th, Paul Dehlin, Abraham Day, and Samuel S. Witten were appointed to supervise the building of the meeting house, on the foundation laid in 1867, at which time, on account of the trouble with the Indians, work was suspended. Ebbie Jessen took contract for the mason work for $800.00 and Erick Gunderson and Jacob Rolfson the carpenter work for $2,000.00 A poll tax of $10.00 for each man was paid towards it.

It might be interesting to know that at that time adobes were $10.00 per thousand, and freight on window glass was $25.00 cwt., from the Missouri River. At about this time some people became dissatisfied and apostatized from the church. The High Council, a quorum of twelve men, chosen by the church to settle difficulties among the Saints, was organized with Bishop Seeley as the president.
During the fall of 1871, the new meeting house was completed and dedicated. This new building furnished ample accommodations for church services. The building was of white adobes and faced the west with a fine pulpit in the east end of the room. Three large windows were on the north and the south and two on the west. One on each side of the door. Later there was a gallery built in the west end of the building with a stairway at the north side of the entrance.
The following is copied from the Minutes of the High Priest Quorum: "December 30, 1871, High Priests met in the New Meeting House. Several of the brethren spoke in Danish and several in English." During the past year the meetings had been held in the Fourth Ward schoolhouse and the Social Hall.

Taken From Hilda Madsen Longsdorf; "Book of Mt. Pleasant.

from our archives: ..........PAULINE RASMUSSEN RETIRES

My mother-in-law, Alice Hafen saved many clippings that we like to share with you.  However, she didn't always save a date as well.  Perhaps someone can help fill in the blanks.

I do know that Pauline Rasmussen was my Kindergaarten teacher.  I will not share with you what year that was other than it was a long time ago.  I also remember how she scolded me when I accicentally flipped a shovel full of sand from the sandbox into Tyler Tuttles face. 

Lee R. Christensen comments:
Kathy: Great to see your Web site honoring Pauline Rasmussen. She was a legend in her own time. My mother, a grade school teacher herself, always considered Pauline the "best".
You have an early picture of Pauline - Pauline Monson - with Carre Hafen as a child with friends.

Back Row L to R: Hazel Anderson, Lucile Rolph, Etta Rolph and Carrie Nielsen

Front Row L to R: Ada Jensen, Cloe Swenson, Elouise Poulson and Pauline Monson

This picture was taken on Charley Renborg's porch.

on second west and third south; southeast corner of intersection

 Pauline, even then, is showing us how to sit in her classroom. Her son, Granny Peterson, was the quarterback on the football team with Carrie's son Neil who was, in today's terminology ,a wide receiver. lee

Mt. Pleasant Photos From Our Archives

Hamilton Elementary

 ~~~~~~~

James Jensen Wines and Liquors 

 ~~~~~~

Lundberg Block 

 ~~~~

Main Street Looking East 

 ~~~~

Sanpete County Coop
(the gentile store)
In 1866, Mormons were ordered not to buy at Gentile stores.
By 1868, signs printed with "Holiness to the Lord" above a drawing of an All-Seeing Eye were hung over the front doors of all Mormon businesses, "

~~~~ 

Safeway Sore on the North Side 

1955-56 Hamilton Elementary Fourth Grade

Plans For New Elementary ~ 1958 ~ Researche and Compiled by Mary Louise Madsen Seamons

First Schools In Mt. Pleasant ~ Research done by Mary Louise Madsen Seamons ~ pictures added by Kathy Hafen

Soon after the settlers of Mt. Pleasant had built homes and churches and their crops planted, the colonists made certain that  education was available for their children, as they believed that "the glory of God is Intelligence" and that "no man can be saved in ignorance."

On January 13, 1860 a single teacher opened the first school, sponsored by the LDS Church, in a rough log cabin inside the fort.  Children attended school when they were not needed at hone.  Soon other schools constructed of log and adobe were opened; one in each of the for wards of the town, and the number of teachers was increased.  Eventually a Territorial Superintendent of Public Instruction was named.  He was assisted by a County Superintendent and; locally, by a Board of Trustees consisting of three elected men.  Few textbooks were available, so the children were taught from all types of printed matter including religious books and pamphlets, on blackboards and slates, and through such oral recitation as spelling bees.

In 1875 the ecclesiastical leaders in the East, fearing for the souls of the "misled" mormons, established   mission school in small Utah communities in an attempt to "save the children."  One of these, Wasatch Academy sponsored by the Presbyterian Church, survives in Mt. Pleasant.  For a short time there was also a school supported by the Methodist Church.

Other, more permanent structures, were soon built.  One of the first was a red brick building constructed on the corner of First West and First North, near one of the early schools had been.  This was later remodeled and used as the City Hall.  It now serves as a mortuary.

Hamilton Elementary  

Hamilton Elementary School was completed in 1896 at First East and Main.  The three-story, red brick building consisted of twelve classrooms; four on each floor, and the necessary offices for administrators.  Separate entries were maintained for boys; for girls, and for teachers and staff.  Indoor plumbing was added in the 1920's.

The building had a large brass gong which was usually rung by sixth graders who served as hall monitors.  These monitors watched the round faced clock on the wall above one of the rooms and rang the bell for changing classes or for other assignments during the day.  Students were eager to be monitors so they could spend the day reading and catching up on assignments or just enjoying a day of ease.  The school building was capped with a large school bell which was rung by pulling down vigorously on the attached rope.  If the monitor were strong enough; he or she was also allowed to ring this bell at the appropriate time in the morning.  The bell is now in front of the Mt. Pleasant Historical Society Museum on State Street about a block and a half south of Main Street.

A spiral fire escape was later installed on the outside of the building as a safety precaution.  Although students were forbidden to play on the fire escape, it helped provide them many hours of entertainment in the evenings, on weekends, and during the summer months as they played "Hide-and-Seek" or "Run, Sheep, Run" or used it as a slide.

Hamilton Elementary (Slide Fire Escape View)

Instruction was provided for students in grades one through six, sometimes with the addition of kindergarten, until the school was replaced in 1962.  It originally housed all classes through grade eight until the seventh and eighth grades were moved to the high school.

Hamilton Elementary ~~~~ Ray I. Johansen Class circa 1947

1.  Joan McArthur                                                                 15. Lynn Olsen
2.  Kathleen Rowley                                                             16. Peter Hafen
3.  Janet Inglefield                                                                17. Roger Burnside
4..Ada Simons                                                                      18. Elna Mae Johansen
5.  Carol Jean Woolsey                                                        19. Mona Quinn
6.  Alvareta Draper                                                               20. Janet Frandsen
7.  Doris Rowe                                                                      21. Carolyn Jensen
8.  Tammie Madsen                                                              22. Que Syndergaard
9.  Ronald Shelley                                                                23. Mr. Ray I. Johansen
10.Frank Pritchett                                                                 24. Andy Petersen
11. Anna Burnside                                                                25. Ronald Bushman
12.  Diane Ball                                                                      26. Clark Truscott
13. Gloria Daniels                                                                 27. Calvin Petersen
14. Deanna Seely                                                                  28. Reed Syndergaard

 

In Busy Mount Pleasant ~ Compiled by Arla May Stansfield ~ Typing, Editing and Artwork by Elaine Arla Stansfield Bezzant

Pioneer Monument Photo ~ Restored by David R. Gunderson ~ Shared by Betty Gunderson Woodbury

Dear Kathy,  Some time ago David made some improvements on my picture of the Mt Pleasant Pioneer Monument and sent it to you but neglected to identify the three women in the picture.  Here is the updated information  1911 l to r  Louisa Beckstrom and two daughters Selma and Emily. I have enclosed a second picture also recently improved by David of my Great Grandmother Louisa Beckstrom that you may add to the collection.               Thanks,  Betty Gunderson Woodbury   

And  Thank You Betty for sharing.  Kathy             

~Josephine Pagano Allred Peterson ~

~~~~~~~~