Sunday, March 14, 2021

Mt. Pleasant Pioneer Day 2011 (20 Years Ago)

 


Oldest Man  in attendance was Dean Staker at 95 years old, standing with Roxey Washburn on his left 
and Mt. Pleasant Royalty

Reva Cox Fillis and her son Russell came from California for the event.

Newlyweds  Carolyn Christensen Larsen Hafen and Donald Hafen

Earlene Beck Hansen and Husband Jerry Hansen


Newlyweds Pat Beck Stevenson and Grant Stevensen visiting with Sally Rosenlof Fox



Roxey pins corsage on the oldest lady in attendance, Edith Ellswood, age 99.

Thursday, March 11, 2021

Utah Humanities

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EMPOWERING UTAHNS TO IMPROVE THEIR COMMUNITIES
THROUGH ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT IN THE HUMANITIES

UTAH @ 125 FEATURES
LOCAL SHORT STORIES
Utah Humanities is thrilled to be participating in Thrive125 by offering humanities-related events. You can view the event recordings on our YouTube channel in our Thrive125 playlist. Topics include “When Utah Was México,” “125 of Refuge,” “Wintertime Native American Tales,” and more. If you weren't able to attend the events, be sure to watch the recordings!

As part of the Thrive125 events celebrating the 125th anniversary of Utah's statehood, the Utah Department of Heritage & Arts has created Utah @ 125. This project is a collection of short stories by Utah writers, each 125 words long, one word to represent each year of official state history, all the words layered together as part of an ongoing conversation about Who We Are and Why We’re Here.

Our own Willy Palomo, Program Manager for the Center for the Book, wrote a phenomenal piece titled Do You Know Me? for the collection. You’ll definitely want to read it.
THE UTAH POETRY FESTIVAL DURING APRIL,
NATIONAL POETRY MONTH
April is National Poetry Month! Celebrate with us at the Utah Poetry Festival.
Each day during the month of April, the Utah Poetry Festival will promote a Utah poet to celebrate both the festival and National Poetry Month.

Poets of all ages, styles, training, publishing, and performing backgrounds are encouraged to send a video of themselves performing or reading one brief, original poem to the festival organizer and Utah’s Poet Laureate, Paisley Rekdal, by March 1st, 2021. Please contact Paisley at paisley.rekdal@utah.edu.

Selected videos will be shared via social media, along with information about the poet and any links to the poet’s feeds and sites.

Learn more about the Utah Poetry Festival here.
UTAH HUMANITIES

Empowering Utahn's to improve their communities through active engagement in the humanities.

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

1898 Fire On Mt. Pleasant Main Street

 



Main Street Fire    (History of Mt. Pleasant) p 180

About one a.m., on the morning of the 24th of July, 1898, a fire was discovered on Main Street, about one. half block west of State Street. The alarm was sounded and along with the fire engine, volunteers formed a bucket brigade. Most of the buildings were frame, and the flames could not be checked, in spite of their efforts, until all on the block between the Equitable build­ing and Consolidated Furniture Store had been destroyed.

Those who sustained losses were: Dr. S. H. Allen, store build­ing; M. G. Rolph, building and cigar factory; Dr. A. Lundberg, building, household furniture, dentist and jewelry tools; M. C. Kroll, store and bakery; Maiben & Aldrich, drug store; New York Cash store, merchandise; Equitable Co-op Store, building; Victor Nielson and Olaf Olson, Shoe Company; Kofford & Johnson, building and stock. The Post office, owned by John N. Ericksen; C. E. Hampshire, barber shop; Dr. C. McGoughan, office furniture; Dr. H. P. Morrey, office fixtures; J. C. Barton, barber shop and fixtures; Carl Kroll and Hyrum Hansen, each shoemaker fixtures. The Odd Fellows, Masonic, Workman and Woodmen lodges, their hall and furniture. Some were partly insured. The fire being checked by an adobe wall in the Lundberg building, saved the Con­solidated Furniture Company, W. O. Ash & Company, and a frame building built by Nils Rosenlof, later owned by Rasmus Anderson. A year later, this frame building was also destroyed by fire.






Monday, March 8, 2021

Mary Lou Nichols Plays her Great Grandmother's Organ

2009 

Mary Lou Nichols, her husband, and her daughter visited our Relic Home. They were also in attendance at our Pioneer Day Program in March 2009-. When she realized that this organ had been donated by her great grandmother (Ida Fechser), she asked for permission to play it. Ordinarily, we wouldn't allow such a thing. But since she was a direct descendant, we did allow her to sit down and play a few chords. It plays beautifully and she seemed delighted to be able to do this. Mary Lou is a descendant of Mads Madsen, John F. Fechser, and Abraham Johnson

Saturday, March 6, 2021

Niels Christian Nielsen and Maren Larsen Nielsen ~~~ Pioneers of the Month ~ December 2020

 



Niels Christian Nielsen
Individual Information

BIRTH DATE
29 January 1805
DEATH DATE
23 March 1877
GENDER
Male
surname spelled "Neilson" on roster. The family came on the John J. Boyd in 1855.  The family was: Niels age 50, Maren age 52, Anne Catherine age 18 and Karen age 16.  The family was listed as Nilsen on board.  They emigrated from Vensyssel District. 

Companies

Canute Peterson Company (1856)
Approximate age at departure: 51



Autobiography of Andrew Madsen (who also was a passenger)


. . . In 1855 my father decided to sell his old homestead and emigrate to the United States, and settle with the Mormons in Utah. The money he received for the farm was to be spent for emigrating to America his family and other poor people.


November 23, 1855, myself, Neils Peter, Neils, Grathe, and Bena and I left home and started for Copenhagen, accompanied with our father, arriving there the next day. This was the last time I ever saw my father.


We began making preparations for the voyage across the Atlantic. Knute [Canute] Peterson [Petersen] was chosen President over all the Mormon emigrants in our vessel. November 29, 1855 we set sail for Kiel, Germany and landed there at midnight. From there we took a train for Gluckstad, Germany and arrived there at 2 p.m. the following day. We then took a vessel for England and on our journey were four days and nights on the North Sea. We landed at Grimsby, December 4th and went from there to Liverpool by train arriving December 5th.


December 6th we boarded a sail vessel, 508 persons in all, of which 437 were from Scandinavian decent.


Just before we sailed, Apostle Franklin D. Richards came on board and gave us many encouraging remarks and bade us farewell, after which we set sail and were soon lost from all sight of land. [p.1]


Many of us became seasick. The voyage was not a pleasant one and our vessel was not equipped for so many people and we suffered many disadvantages. We had tiers of bunks around the sides and boxes in the center. We were all compelled to eat off the boxes we had to sit on. We were somewhat delayed on our journey.


On December 19th a terrific storm came up and our vessel rocked, tossing us from one side to the other, boxes and all. Again on the 22nd, 23rd, 24th, and 25th, Christmas day, these storms continued, and on January 1, 1856. it was so terrific that one of our masts was split and wrapped with chains, and all the sails were taken down. The captain became so discouraged over the unsatisfactory conditions that he forbid any of us to sing or pray upon the vessel. But this did not prevent us from fasting and praying in secret which was ordered done by President Peterson, [Petersen] after which better weather prevailed. A few days after the heavy storm we came on to a vessel which was drifting with broken masts and sails. Our lifeboats were lowered and our sailors went out to rescue those on the vessel. About forty men were saved, together with some valuables and the large wrecked vessel was left to its fate on the broad ocean. The sailors taken on board were of great assistance to us as our sailors were about worn out. A day or so later the emigrants and those on board the vessel were frightened by a fire which broke out under the captain's cabinet. The smoke poured in on the emigrants in the lower deck, almost suffocating them and it was only with great difficulty that it was extinguished.


There was no great excitement as the Saints had faith in God and felt that he would deliver them safe to the promised land, and preserve them from any such a frightful death. Our rations were very coarse and simple and our water became very low owing to the long time on our journey.


There were six grown people and about fifty children who died on our voyage and were buried in the sea. The principal cause of death among the children was from measles which brought much anguish the parents.


We arrived in New York after a long and tiresome voyage of eleven weeks and three days. It was a great joy to us after the many hardships we had suffered, to leave our vessel and go on land.


In New York we stopped at Castle Garden two days and then took a train for St. Louis, arriving there March 1, 1856. None of us could speak English and it was very difficult for us to get along. Those able to work did so when work could be had. I received work on a steamboat and received $2.50 per day and later went on a farm at $15.00 per month.


About June 1st, President Peterson [Petersen] gathered a company and we sailed on a steam boat to Winter Quarters, now Florence, Nebraska where we began making preparations for the journey across the plains to Utah. [p. G-4] [CANUTE PETERSON'S [Petersen] COMPANY ARRIVED IN SALT LAKE CITY SEPTEMBER 16-21th, 1856, (Church Almanac 1997-98, page 172)] While we were getting fitted out a number of us secured labor erecting a wall around a farm, and in about three weeks were fitted out. Our outfit consisted of sixty wagons and two yoke of oxen, with six to ten persons to each wagon.


President Peterson was out Captain and appointed as assistant captain for each ten wagons. We started on our journey for Salt Lake City, June 19, 1856. The first day's journey was a hard one. Some of our oxen were wild and we did not know how to handle them and consequently did not make much headway the first day. The following day we made good headway. It was very hot and our oxen became very tired, traveling with their tongues out, some of them getting overheated and dying. We were compelled to leave some of our supplies, owing to our heavy loads and this was taken off and left. After a few [p.2] weeks journey we reached the unsettled wild west, where the buffaloes were grazing in great herds.


One day there was a stampede and our oxen became frightened, rushing together, one outfit crashing into the other. The women and children became frightened, some of the wagons were broken and a few of our numbers were hurt and one man killed, which caused a gloom to pass over us. He was buried in a coffin such as we could prepare. We then repaired our outfits and journeyed on. A few of the buffalo were killed, dressed for beef and divided among our company.


Now and again the Indians were seen roaming from one side of the valley to the other and on occasions, they would come to visit us. In order to maintain a friendly feeling, we would ofttimes give them some of our supplies and provisions such as we could spare. We were compelled to guard our oxen at all times when we were not traveling to prevent them from being driven away or stolen by the Indians. We were called together morning and night by the sound of a bugle to receive our instructions. Sundays, we had meetings and regular services were conducted, adding much comfort and pleasure to our journey.


Sometimes we had dances on the green grass and enjoyed ourselves as best we could. During the days while journeying along, nearly all of us walked except those who were sick and the smaller children. We went along laughing and singing the songs and hymns of Zion. We arrived at Salt Lake City, September 20, 1856 and on the entire journey of three months not more than a half dozen persons were seen outside of our own company. . . . [p.3]


BIB: Madsen, Andrew. Autobiography, pp.1-3. (CHL)
(source abbreviations)


Canute Peterson Company (1856)


CROCODILE FOR LUNCH ~~~ Submitted by Larry Staker


 

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Remembering Mom's Clothes line ! Submitted by Carol Corcoran (from our archives)

 



My mother would hang clothes outside and in the winter down the basement. We only had a “ringer washer until” about 1968 then we got an automatic washer and a dryer!
I still hang my clothes on the line outside! But I don't need to worry about Freeze dried.

I'll bet you remember "the clothes line!"



Remembering Mom's Clothesline

There is one thing that's left out. We had a long wooden pole (clothes pole) that was used to push

the clotheslines up so that longer items (sheets/pants/etc.) didn't brush the ground and get dirty.

You have to be a "certain age" to appreciate this one....

(But you YOUNGER ones can read about "The GOOD ol' days"!!)

I can hear my mother now.....

THE BASIC RULES FOR CLOTHESLINES:

(If you don't even know what clotheslines are, better skip this.)

1. You had to hang the socks by the toes... NOT the top.

2. You hung pants by the BOTTOM/cuffs... NOT the waistbands.

3. You had to WASH the clothesline(s) before hanging any clothes - walk the entire length of each line with a damp cloth around the lines.

4. You had to hang the clothes in a certain order, and always hang "whites" with "whites," and hang them first.

5. You NEVER hung a shirt by the shoulders - always by the tail! What would the neighbors think?

6. Wash day on a Monday! NEVER hang clothes on the weekend, or on Sunday, for Heaven's sake!

7. Hang the sheets and towels on the OUTSIDE lines so you could hide your "unmentionables" in the middle (perverts & busybodies, y'know!)

8. It didn't matter if it was sub-zero weather... clothes would "freeze-dry."

9. ALWAYS gather the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes! Pins left on the lines were "tacky"!

10. If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothes pins, but shared one of the clothes pins with

the next washed item.

11. Clothes off of the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothes basket, and ready to be ironed.

12. IRONED???!! Well, that's a whole OTHER subject!