Journal of Andrew Madsen ~~~ EDMUNDS TUCKER ACT

position to issue the Manifesto which has been read in our hearing and which is dated September 24th, 1890, and that as a Church in General Conference Assembly, accept his declaration concerning Plural Marriage as authoritative and binding.

Andrew Madsen's Journal 1869 ~ 1872 Brigham Young Visits, Church Completed, Grasshoppers, Flour Mill, Co-op Herd, Peace Treaty

General Morrow, having made several successful attempts in routing and scattering the Indian Tribes, met with a number of their Chiefs at Mt. Pleasant and a Peace Treaty was concluded.

During the Fall, the new meeting house was completed and dedicated, the same affording ample accommodations for the Saints.

Black Hawk Camp ~ Daughters of Utah Pioneers ~ 2000

DESCRIPTION OF THE MT. PLEASANT FORT

July 1859


The following statement is made in Andrew Madsen's Journal:


"During the month of June, we were kept very busy in attending to our crops and the building of the large fort wall." July 10th, Apostle George A. Smith and Amasa Lyman visited the settlement, after giving much good instruction and advice to the people, proceeded to organize the Saints on Pleasant Creek into an ecclesiastical ward. William Stuart Seeley was chosen and ordained Bishop with Harvey Tidwell as first counselor and Peter Yorgen Jensen as second counselor. The office of president was thereby vacated, and Brother James R. Ivie felt very much pleased when released from the responsibility that had been placed upon him, in the establishment of the colony for which he had worked so hard. As it was a very pleasant place in which to live, the name Mount Pleasant Branch was adopted for the colony, giving credit to its pleasant location, beautiful mountains, fields and surroundings.






Work continued on the fort wall until July 18th, when it was completed, and had the distinction of being the finest fort in Sanpete County. Following is the summary of descriptions of the fort, given by Andrew Madsen, Peter Monsen, R. N. Bennett, and Peter Gottfredson. "It enclosed the block later known as the Tithing Yard. 26 rods by 26 rods, enclosing about five and one-half acres of ground, between Main Street and First North, and State Street and First East." "It was made according to instructions and was built of native rock, taken from the surface or dug out of the ground." "It was laid with mud mortar." "The wall was 12 feet high, four feet wide at the bottom, tapering to about two feet at the top.






This wall, in order that the maneuvers of the Indians could be watched from the inside, was built with port holes every 16 feet. about seven feet from the ground. The holes were about two feet wide on the inside, and about four inches on the outside, and about 18 inches high." "Later the inside of the wall was utilized for one wall in the erection of houses, 16 feet square, with one port hole in the middle of the one wall of each house." "There was a flat roofed house in the northwest corner of the fort upon which guards could stand and view the country."






"There were two large gates, one in the center of the north wall, and one in the center of the south wall, with a small gate adjoining it, giving a thoroughfare in passing. These openings had heavy wooden gates. Small entrances were in the east and in the west walls, which made it convenient, as they were not always obliged to use the same entrance." "The water supply was obtained from Pleasant Creek, which passed almost parallel east and west through the center of the fort. A large bridge was erected over the stream." "All corrals for the cattle were built to the north, just outside the fort, leaving a road-way between." At this time Mount Pleasant was a thriving community of about eight hundred inhabitants, with about 1200 acres of ground under cultivation.

North Sanpete Football Team 1929-30

(Comment by Lee R. Christensen): The North Sanpete football team of 1929 was the first football team I saw in action. Neil Hafen, on a "sleeper" play ,my first play. I don't know who was expected to throw him the ball, Granny Peterson ,the quarterback, or Vernon Christensen, halfback, but I doubt either of them could have thrown the ball across the field to Neil. The ball in those days was much fatter than today's ball. The field was dirt, the tumble weed stickers many , and the times simpler. I was a 2nd grader, on my own, wandering over from Hamilton to see the game. And like everyone else roaming up and down the sidelines following the team. Go Rams!!!  
Lee R. Christensen

SIX MEN DROWN

article from Mt. Pleasant History 1859 - 1939

In the Spring of this year, 1868, a number of men from Mt. Pleasant and elsewhere were called by the Church to go to the terminus oto the Union Pacific Railroad to bring immigrants to Utah.  The Railroad had this year been completed as far westward as Cheyenn, Wyoming.  In response to the call, the following left Mt. Pleasant:  Moroni Seely, Christian P. Jensen, Hyrum Seely, Christian Madsen, John C. Johnson, Conderset Rowe, Andrew Syndergaard, Joseph Caldwell,
Thomas Fuller, and others, with William S. Seely as captain, Phillip Hurst as assistant, and Jens Christian Nybello as night guard.  In Salt Lake, on the 15th of June, they joined the other Church teams.  All was well, until they reached Green River, where they found it necessary to ferry the loaded wagons with the cattle across the stream.  On June 26th while crossing at Robinson's Ferry, the cattle stampeded and men and cattle were swept overboard:  six men were drowned.  Niels Christopherson and Peter Smith of Manti, Thomas Yeats, of Millville, Peter Nielsen of Fairview, Christian Jensen and Christian Nybello, of Mt. Pleasant.  The last two named were the only respective families.  Andrew Syndergaard, of Mt. Pleasant, who was an excellent swimmer, swam across the stream several times, endeavoring to save the men.  Without doubt, had it not been for his efforts, others would have perished.

September 4th, the company returned home, bringing with them a number of immigrants who desired to make Mt. Pleasant their home.  They were  met at the crossing of Sanpitch River by the Mount Pleasant Brass Band, and at the entrance of the town, by the Sunday School children.  In the evening, a grand welcome party was given them.  This was the last company sent to meet immigrants, as in May of the next year, the great Pacific Railroad was completed by the Junction of the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific Railroads at Promontory Point, northwest of Ogden, where the last rail was laid and the last spike, a golden one was driven

Alice Hafen's Funeral Program

HOW MT. PLEASANT CELEBRATED ITS 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

MT. PLEASANT PIONEER MONUMENTDid 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.