WALKER INDIAN WAR (Taken from History of Mt. Pleasant ~~~ Hilda Madsen Longsdorf)

 

HAY BARN ~~~ Located on 500 West and 100 South Mt. Pleasant~Researched and Conpiled by Tudy Barentsen Standlee

 

The Lives of Six Pioneer Girls

 

Becky Bartholomew:
History Blazer, September 1996

The life stories of six cousins--Clarissa Wilcox, Martha Wilcox, Mabel Wilcox, Luella Hurst, Ida Hurst, and Mary Young--born in three Utah towns between 1863 and 1893 reveal what it was like to be a girl growing up in pioneer Utah.

First memories: Martha was only five years old when someone came to the house to tell her mother that Mormon President Brigham Young had died. Martha remembered that moment all her life.

Clarissa received her first pair of buttoned shoes at age five. Her father, a shoemaker, cut them out of the bootlegs of a man's discarded hightops because leather was so scarce.

As a young girl Luella was afraid of the Indians who went house to house begging. Actually, Utah Indians by that time were friendly, but Luella had heard stories from male relatives about the Indian wars of previous decades, and they filled her with imaginary terrors.

Play: When not helping their mothers, the girls played games they called nip-cat, pomp pomp pull-away, Sister Parute, and rounders (a ball game). They also played hide-and-seek in the sagebrush.

Treats: For treats the girls ate parched field corn and homemade molasses candy. As an old woman Clarissa confessed, "I couldn't stand to eat another bit [of molasses candy] to this day." They also gathered grass and shrubs on which honeydew had condensed during the night and then boiled it down into a sweet syrup. As they grew older and went to community dances; the girls sometimes went at intermission to buy crackers, cheese, and tinned salmon for refreshments.

Clothing: In warm weather small pioneer children mostly went barefoot, especially in towns like Moab where they could not have kept the sand out of their shoes anyway when they went to fetch a bucket of water.

Their mothers made all the families' clothing. In summer the girls wore calico dresses (not slacks or shorts) and in winter dresses made of a homespun material they called "lindsey" (actually linsey-woolsey). One girl's mother would get up early on winter mornings and warm the children's clothes on the stove.

Clarissa somehow got the idea that the only dress appropriate for special occasions was black satin. One year her mother made her a black satin dress, and for the rest of Clarissa's life she always owned such a dress. The year before she died her granddaughter made her a maroon satin dress. It took some persuading before Clarissa agreed to wear non-black.

Work: Martha, when eight years old, was sent on an urgent errand. But on the way she met a friend, and they lallygagged until Martha's mother finally sent someone else. When Martha got home, fully expecting to be punished, her mother just told her to go and play. Martha felt so bad she told her mother she needed "a good licking." So her mother sent her to cut a fresh willow stick. Martha brought back a green one, and her mother gave her several stinging lashes. When Martha yelped, her mother asked, "What's the matter? Didn't I give you enough?" Martha answered, "I didn't think you would whip me so hard." "Well," said her mother, "you asked for it."

At age nine or 10 the girls got their introduction to serious work. Mabel, as the oldest daughter in her family, and Ida, because her mother was a midwife and gone frequently, took over most of their families' household duties: cooking, cleaning, scrubbing clothes on a washboard, milking cows, and tending the younger children. Early morning and late evening work was done by the light of coal-oil lamps.

By age 10, especially if there were few boys in the family, the girls began to help in the fields. At first they weeded or dug potatoes, then (for 25 cents a day) gleaned the wheat after the harvesters had gone through. By age 14 they were able to help shock bundles of grain or hire out in other peoples' homes. Since her mother died when Martha was 13, she spent her teenage years cooking and keeping house for her father and older brothers.

Schooling: School was held only a few months a year in one-room, log schoolhouses. The girls started at about age seven and usually quit by 13 or 14 to work. Most did not go past the eighth grade, but they learned the skills needed to survive in their day.

By today's standards these six cousins had hard lives. They could not even go to the store and buy material to make their own clothes. But they had loving families, lots of friends, and games and dances to enjoy.

Source: Histories of Clarissa Jane Wilcox Meiling, Martha Anna Wilcox Westwood Foy, Mabel Wilcox Johnson, Alice Luella Hurst Nielson, Ida Susannah Hurst Patten, and Mary Ethel Young George; in Montel and Kathryn Seely, Seely History, vol. 2 (Provo: Community Press, 1996).

Mabel Wilcox - From The Lives of Six Pioneer Girls

·  

VALENTINE DAY

 Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and Valentine cards are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine.

The Mt. Pleasant Relic Home features many artifacts preserved to help future generations appreciate and become more knowledgeable of old-time traditions and crafts. Two examples of the familiar valentine are given here, using separate techniques but with the common medium of paper.

The following picture is a valentine made in 1820 and brought to Utah with one of the original pioneers, Mrs. Marie Clemenson. It was given to her mother in 1820 and no doubt was a treasured keepsake which crossed the plains with Mrs. Clemenson to Utah. It is an excellent example of the art of paper pricking. Paper pricking is the art of piercing holes in paper with a needle. Paper pricking is one of those old-time crafts that have largely been set aside in favor of more modernized crafts.
The actual valentine was too large to scan and so the following is only a portion. The words are in the Danish Language.

Another papercraft became a lifetime hobby of one of the daughters of another original pioneer. Clarissa Wilcox Meiling, born in Mt. Pleasant in 1863, created thousands of hand-made, hand-cut valentines and sent them to notable figures such as Governor Maw, Governor Lee, President Grant, and President George Albert Smith. As you visit museums and libraries in Utah as well as New York, Los Angeles, and Canada, you will recognize her hand-cut intricate beauties. The following picture is one of Clarissa's Valentines that Pauline Seely donated to the Mt. Pleasant Daughters of Utah Pioneers. They later donated it to our Relic Home.

In February of 1950, the Provo Herald honored her with an article and her picture as she fashioned one of the old style valentines.

Among her collection was an intricate hand-cut valentine which she made when she was 17 years old for her sweetheart, who later became her husband. It was bordered with a braid of her own black hair and tied with faded blue ribbons. Her special sentiment read:

"I cut my own Valentine,

and weave it with my hair --

with my own hands, I pen these lines,

and send them to thee with care.

My hair hangs down in ringlets,

my eyes as black as slots,

and my heart lies in your bosom

when you are gone afar."

The International Daughters of Utah Pioneers honors Clarissa Wilcox Meiling in their lesson book this month of February with her story and pictures of her craft. We are proud to honor her as one of Mt. Pleasant's own.

These two examples of handcrafted valentines can be seen at the Mt. Pleasant Relic Home. Also included in our collection are an assortment of Victorian-era valentines which are ever popular and many are hand-crafted as well.

Mt. Pleasant's Own Brass Band

The following was recorded by Mrs. Louise Hastler: In the autumn of 1869 the governor sent out a notice to the citizens of Sanpete County that a military drill would be held the first week
in November, did requested all soldiers and men that could bear arms to be ready and on hand for a three-day drill. The gathering place would be between Ephraim and Manti. All captains and officers of the Indian War organizations should be represented and also the Military bands . . . .

When this notice was served the brethren wanted to make a good showing and made necessary preparations. John Hastler had arrived in Mt. Pleasant in October and brought with him a full set of musical instruments from Switzerland. Bishop Seeley and the leading brethren engaged him to organize a Brass Band at once. This was affected about the 15th of October, 1869, with John Hastler, James Hansen, Bent Hansen, John Waldermar, Andrew Beckstrom, Daniel Beckstrom. James C. Meiling, August Wall, Aaron Oman, Peter Syndergaard. Andrew Syndergaard, Soren Hansen, Lars Nielsen (Fiddler), Mortin Rasmussen, Jacob Hafen, Ulrich Winkler, Oscar Barton, Charlie Hampshire, and Paul Coates. John Hastler and Olaf Rosen­lof were chosen as their leaders. John Hastler distributed the instruments at once.

In three weeks, at the appointed time, they were able and ready to play six or more of our national and popular tunes, which made a good showing for Sanpete County. Their efforts were much praised and appreciated by the visiting staff."
At these drills all the Indian War officers and soldiers wore blue coats trimmed with brass buttons. These coats were home­made, but, in the different communities there were a number of tailors as well as women who came to the various homes and made men's clothing. It is remembered that Mrs. Jepsen Stohl, as well as others, were thus employed.
HISTORY OF MT. PLEASANT by HML pp 131-132

Home of Mrs. Annie Woodhouse Candland ~~~ Updated, Researched and Compiled by Tudy Barentsen Standlee

 

Home of Martin Van Buren Aldrich and his wife Joanne Marie Olsen ~~~ Updated by Tudy Barentsen Standlee

 

PIONEER DAY 1970 ~~~ 111th Anniversary ~~~ Taken From Louise Johansen Scrapbook

 

Pioneer Merchants

PIONEER MERCHANTS OF MT. PLEASANT

History of Mount Pleasant by Hilda Madsen Longsdorf
pp 326-330
(Compiled 1922)

During the fort wall days of Mt. Pleasant, Alma Bennett

and Miner Wilcox sold a few necessities.

Later, as the people began to move from the fort, some goods were brought in by peddlers.

In the early sixties John Dahlin and others conducted sort of a store in one room of a small house on a lot where S. E. Jensen now lives at First East and First South; and from a small room of a dwelling house just south John Wheeler and David Candland sold goods. Some say Peter Jorgen Jensen was also

located in this neighborhood. 

Freighting was done by ox teams across the plains from eastern points to Salt Lake City, and then in turn it took a long time to make the trip from Salt Lake City to Mt. Pleasant.

About 1863, Alma Bennett had a small workshop on a lot where A. C. Madsen's home now is on State Street and Third North where he made and sold furniture, he also sold articles made at a crude sawmill owned by George Wilson, Henry Mc. Arthur and A. H. Bennett, east of town. Later, several people made and sold furniture, among them James Olsen, Nils Rosenlof, and Harold Christian Beaumann, Sr.



In 1866, Paul Dehlin had sort of sawmill machinery oper­ated by a big water wheel, placed in the stream on Main Street between Third and Fourth west about where the Clyde property is now located.

In 1864 William Jennings established the Jenning's store, on the lot where William Hansen now lives, north side of Main Street between Second and Third west. It was managed by Joseph Stanford. Anthon H. Lund and Charlie Hampshire clerked there for a short time.

About 1869 a Co-op store was started, later this company erected a building on the southwest corner of the intersection of Main and State streets.

A few years later on account of the increasing business of this company they built a brick building on the northeast corner of intersection Main and State streets.

The brick for this building was made west of town under the direction of Andrew Madsen and C. W. Anderson; Martin Rasmussen, James C. Meiling and others did the burning. Among those who did the excavating were John Meyrick, Paul Coates, Sr.; Lars and Andrew Christensen were masons, and Jacob Rolfson and Eric Gunderson, Sr., were carpenters. Nothing but first-class bricks or materials were put into the building at that time.

The same clerks, Charlie Hampshire, Ole Sorenson, Blenda Dehlin, and Lauritz Larsen, served in this building; among those who later served were Wellington Seely, Wm. Morrison, Jr., Stena Jensen, Louise B. Madsen, Caroline Johansen, Nora Jorg­ensen, Lena Madsen, and Minie Johansen.

In 1898 the Equitable Building was erected and the stock was transferred there. This company built the Branch Building on Third South and Second West, which for some time they operated in connection. Later Tathen and Dun. Then George Christensen, then the Progress Branch, and then Paul Monsen and Vern Gunderson were located there.

In 1893 the Union Mercantile Company was organized. They did business in the brick building formerly occupied by the Co-op store. In 1897 the company was reorganized as Madsen & Sons Mere. Co., who were in business for a number of years. Madsen & Longsdorf began business in the building in 1898




selling machinery and repairs. S. D. Longsdorf also had a grocery and produce store there. Three years after the building of log Co-op Store, G. G. Bjelke, John Waldermar, Magnus Rosen­berg and others built an adobe building west on Main Street which was considered much more up to date than the "Log Co-op." They were joined by Niels S., Andrew, and Hans S. Nielson.

In this building sprang into existence what was later known as the Sanpete County Co-op. It was then known as the Lower or Swedish store or Gentile store, and did a flourishing business with N. S. Nielson, August Wall, Hans Nielson, (clerk) Andrew S. Nielsen and Henry Ericksen as clerks.

During the seventies John Waldermar had a butcher shop in a log building opposite the Sanpete County Co-op, where Henry Ericksen and A. B. Waldermar were the clerks. Among the meat dealers a little later were Mike Jorgensen and Taylor Armentrout. A joke well remembered was a wager a young man made at that time that he could, blindfolded, hit a mark with a cleaver on a chopping block in Armentrout's Shop. He was blindfolded and as he raised his arm to strike, M. G. Rolph slipped the young man's hat on the mark; the man struck and cut his own brand new derby right in two. This caused quite an excitement at the time, but Rolph had to furnish a new hat.

Other meat dealers were DeLong, Niels Rasmussen, Evan Ivie, and Keen Tidwell. In 1889 the Ericksen Meat & Grocery Company was established by Henry Ericksen and Alif Ericksen. Later Joseph Seely, Al Peterson, John Ericksen, Andrew O. Mad­sen, and Stewart Seely were located on the north side of Main Street, between State and First West.

It is thought that Hutchin and Lither opened the first drug store unless Dr. Evans earlier sold drugs. They say he sold every­thing and customers were welcome to help themselves from any bottle back of the curtain. It is said 1. B. Hunter also sold drugs. Lindsay had a drug store in Nickolsen's building, north on State Street. This building was later moved to Main Street and was occupied by Dr. E. C. Mills and others. Biddle, Wright and Moss were located on Main Street; later they sold to S. H. Allen and Thomas West, who, in 1889, established a later type drug store. William Clos and Paul Vanoric were the druggists there. W. W.


Woodring also had a drug store. In 1897, A. H. Maiben built the Palace Pharmacy, which later was Maiben and McGraw, Maiben & Aldrich, and of later date, A. D. Sutton Drug Company, R. W. Weech Drug Company, and now we have on the corner of State and Main, where the old log store once was, the drug store owned and operated by Ed Johnston.

It is remembered that in the early days Mrs. Coates had a small store in part of an adobe house on the lot where the Hans Nielsen home now is. Later her son held forth in what is now known as the Willard Kofford block.

Daniel Beckstrom had a furniture shop about where Lawrence Carlsen now lives. Ferdinand Clark and Christian Johanson car­ried a stock of furniture on State Street, as did also Axel Bjelke.

Back to the stores again-Niels Lund conducted one in part of the adobe building on the lot where P. C. Lund's home is today. Sorn J. Neilson had a store where Roy Christensen now lives. Later he and his brother, Neils Peter, and H. C. Beaumann, erected a store on Main Street, on part of Peel's lot, where the DeGraff sisters, Antoinette and Annie, clerked. Abram Johnson, Lena Jorgensen, Rozena Fechser and Amelia Olsen were among the first clerks there. In 1895 Larsen Brothers had a store, on Larsen's lot, south of the South Ward Chapel, where Alex Poulsen later located.

Some of the early Main Street stores which need only be men­tioned in passing, were Brown & Acord, the creamery stations managed by Peter Matson and Ole Hansen, and James B. Porter's book store a block east; Tarvey's notion store, Arrowsmith notion store, Aldrich Brothers in the Progress Building, W. O. Ash & Company, Hardware, which started as a tin shop and developed into a leading hardware store, located in part of the building used by the Consolidated Furniture Company.

Tathen and Selby conducted what was known as New York Cash store, or Golden Rule; later John Selby became sole owner, and later the National was operated there by Straws.

Another store of early importance was the one operated by George Farnsworth and others. It was started in part of a small building about where the B. F. Lovel home now is. Later they built a frame building just south. The building had an upper story where furniture was carried in a limited way. Abram John­son and Amasa Aldrich were the clerks who served. Later A. Kofford's two-story frame building was erected on Main Street, near where is now the grocery department of the Wasatch Merc. Niels Rolph, it is said, had conducted a small needle shop in his father's property in the northeast part of town. After his death, M. G. Rolph operated the store erected on Main Street. Many remember the auction sale conducted there when L. P. Nelson acted as an auctioneer. Martin Kroll conducted the first confec­tionary store, also the first bakery. It was located between State and First West, on Main Street, many remember the ringing of a bell as the door was opened. Peter Jensen was formerly located on this block, also.

Many such stands have since operated and vanished, however, Anthon Gunderson, located west on Main Street, and Peter Jensen. formerly located in part of the Mt. Pleasant Opera House, held forth for many years.

J. E. Gunderson bought and made improvement on Main Street, and J. C. Penney Company started business there in 1911, with W. B. Hicks as manager. Postgard's Jewelry Company, which later became the Squire Jewelry and Floral Company, was estab­lished in 1920, between First and Second West on the north side of Main Street, and later they moved one block west, and then back again.

So history is made.

Happy Valentines Day

 

Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and valentine cards are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine.

The Mt. Pleasant Relic Home features many artifacts preserved to help future generations appreciate and become more knowledgeable of old-time traditions and crafts. Two examples of the familiar valentine are given here, using separate techniques but with the common medium of paper.

The following picture is a valentine made in 1820 and brought to Utah with one of the original pioneers, Mrs. Marie Clemenson. It was given to her mother in 1820 and no doubt was a treasured keepsake which crossed the plains with Mrs. Clemenson to Utah. It is an excellent example of the art of paper pricking. Paper pricking is the art of piercing holes in paper with a needle. Paper pricking is one of those old-time crafts that have largely been set aside in favor of more modernized crafts.
The actual valentine was too large to scan and so the following is only a portion. The words are in the Danish Language.

Another papercraft became a life time hobby of one of the daughters of another original pioneer. Clarissa Wilcox Meiling, born in Mt. Pleasant in 1863, created thousands of hand-made, hand-cut valentines and sent them to notable figures such as Governor Maw, Governor Lee, President Grant and President George Albert Smith. As you visit museums and libraries in Utah as well as New York, Los Angeles, Canada, you will recognize her hand-cut intricate beauties. The following picture is one of Clarissa's Valentines that Pauline Seely donated to the Mt. Pleasant Daughters of Utah Pioneers. They later donated it to our Relic Home.

In February of 1950, the Provo Herald honored her with an article and her picture as she fashioned one of the old style valentines.

Among her collection was an intricate hand cut valentine which she made when she was 17 years old for her sweetheart, who later became her husband. It was bordered with a braid of her own black hair and tied with faded blue ribbons. Her special sentiment read:

"I cut my own valentine,

and weave it with my hair --

with my own hands I pen these lines,

and send them to thee with care.

My hair hangs down in ringlets,

my eyes as black as slors,

and my heart lies in your bosom

when you are gone afar."

The International Daughters of Utah Pioneers honors Clarissa Wilcox Meiling in their lesson book this month of February with her story and pictures of her craft. We are proud to honor her as one of Mt. Pleasant's own.

These two examples of handcrafted valentines can be seen at the Mt. Pleasant Relic Home. Also included in our collection are an assortment of victorian-era valentines which are ever popular and many are hand-crafted as well.

Home of Mrs. Fannie Vilate Candland Miles ~~~~ Researched and Compiled by Tudy Barentsen Standlee

 

Home of Martin Van Buren Aldrich, and wife Joanne Marie Olsen ~~~ (from our archives)

Lt. Governor Spencer Cox Message and Mt. Pleasant Brass Band ~ 1869

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

MEMBERS OF THE BRASS BAND 1869

John Hasler, Director

Daniel Beckstrom................... August Wall

Charlie Hampshire................. Andrew Beckstrom

John Waldermar.....................Peter Syndergaard

James Meiling.........................Andrew Syndergaard

James Hansen.........................Lars Nielsen (Fiddler)

Bent Hansen............................Morten Rasmussen

Loren Hansen..........................Oscar Barton

Jacob Hafen.............................Paul Coates

Aaron Oman............................Ulrich Winkler

TO GRANDMA WILCOX ~~~ by J.O. Meiling June 6, 1921

Mary Young Wilcox died May, 1929 with over 600 descendants.

Mt. Pleasant Brass Band (From our archives)

Home of Sarah J. McKinney ~ Researched and Compiled by Tudy Barentsen Standlee

We have posted this home in the past, but there have been changes as of the summer of 2017.  Terrel and Glenda Seely had the white paint removed.  They then sealed the natural brick and we think it looks quite nice.  

Home of Jens C. Meiling and wife Hannah Peterson ~~~ Researched and Compiled by Tudy Barentsen Standlee

Home of John Henry Seely and wife Margaret Folkman Peel ~ Researched and Compiled by Tudy Barentsen Standlee

Home of Peter C. Meiling and wife Clarissa Jane Wilcox ~ Researched and Compiled by Tudy Barentsen Standlee

 

Made by Mrs. Clemensen's Mother in the early 1800s