Gunderson Confectionary ~~~ From Our Archives

This is one of those Glass Plate Negatives restored by Tudy Standlee. The plates were discovered in the attic of the Relic Home. The Gunderson Confectionary was located at about 245 West Main.  The building still exists and is now owned by Central Utah Mental Health.

Obituaries from our Obituary File

Emaline Tidwell Phipps

HIDDEN MIRACLES OF THE NATURAL WORLD ~ Shared by Larry Staker

Hans Christian Davidson

Home of Bent Hansen Sr. and wife Helen Olsen ~ Researched and Compiled by Tudy Barentsen Standlee

Trailing Sheep to the Winter Range by David R. Gunderson

North Sanpete School District Formed and Consolidation of Schools in North Sanpete ~ Researched by Mary Louise Madsen Seamons ~ Photos inserted by Kathy Hafen

                       $20,00 for the building and site in Moroni were approved.

The red-brick North Sanpete High School building, constructed on a piece of land known as "the City Square" which had been purchased from the city at a cost of $2,250.00 was partially completed in 1912.  Some of the upper - floor classrooms were left unfinished because of difficulty with finances.  The foundation was constructed of concrete, a deviation from the usual stone base. 

The completed building consisted of classrooms on three floors, a central auditorium and a gymnasium.  A "mechanical arts" building of white stone was constructed just north of the original high school prior to 1939.  Here the girls were instructed in "domestic science" and the boys were instructed in "industrial arts". Occasionally, over the years, the classes were reversed and the boys took "home economics" and the girls tried their hands at "shop".

The number of students attending schools in Mt. Pleasant during the years 1910 to 1916 varied from a low of 750 in 1915-16 to a high of 803 in 1912-1913.  Although these figures do not give specific numbers attending each grade, it is likely they were more concentrated in grades one through eight as Mt. Pleasant is primarily an agricultural town and students were needed at home during the spring, summer, and fall months to help with farming and livestock chores. 

At the annual school meeting held on Monday, July 12, 1916, the local school board for Mt. Pleasant was officially dissolved "as the County of Sanpete had been by law consolidated into two school districts of the first class".  And a board of five trustees had been appointed.  The first school board consisted of C.N. Lund, of Mt. Pleasant, Jabez Faux Jr. of Moroni, Henry Jackson, of Fountain Green, John S. Blain of Spring City and Elam Anderson of Fairview.  The outgoing board turned over indebtedness of $39,884. 51 to the new members, along with assets consisting of real estate (five and a half lots) valued at $5,000.00, district school buildings valued at $25,000.00, the high school building valued at $40,000.00, furniture and fixtures valued at $4,000.00 and apparatus valued at $650.00. Total assets $74, 650.00. The books were closed.  North and South Sanpete School Districts had officially been organized. (the above information are taken from N.S. School Board minutes.)

As had been true of the early inhabitants of Mt. Pleasant, education of children remained a high priority.  New buildings were provided, existing facilities were upgraded, and citizens and educators kept abreast of new innovations and vital issues in and out of the community.

Students continued to attend both Hamilton Elementary (grades one through six) and North Sanpete High School (grades seven through twelve).  Statistics from 1966 through 1989 show continued growth in the district, with the exception of a slight decline between 1969 and 1972, and the total number of students nearly doubled.  There was a similar slump in the overall enrollment of the State of Utah, though not quite so pronounced.  The total enrollment of the state over the same period also increased almost as dramatically.  Consistently more students attended the elementary school in Mt. Pleasant than in any of the other four elementary schools in the district, but Mt. Pleasant was also the largest of the towns.

Beginning with the tenth grade, students from Spring City attended North Sanpete High School.  Students from Indianola, Milburn, and Fairview joined them in grade eleven.   Other high school students in the district attended Moroni High until the two high schools were consolidated in 1958.  No statistics are available for the number of high school students who were from Mt. Pleasant.

Consolidation of Schools

Early in 1958 the issue of consolidating the high schools in the district was raised.  A study was authorized which resulted in the recommendation to convert the school at Mt. Pleasant into the district high school and the school at Moroni int the junior high school.  Elementary schools were to remain as they were, with the exception of Wales which would be consolidated with the school in Moroni.  That fall the change was implemented.  The transition was made quite smoothly, and no real concerns were broached.  In March of 1980 the Board approved moving the ninth grade to the high school.  

See: Truths About Our Heavenly Mother

Peter Azel Peel

Peter Azel Peel was born September 12, 1881 west of Mt. Pleasant, Utah in the bottoms--- as it was called.  He was the son of Christian Fredrick Peel and Mary Miranda Seely.  He attended elementary school that was also located in the bottoms.

Azel had three brothers and two sisters. They were Justus Wellington, Theressa, Orange Frederick, John Henry Lemuel and Jennie Eunice.  When Justus Wellington and Theressa were small children, they became ill with diptheria, and within a week's time of each other, both lost their lives.  They had nothing to give them to check the disease at the time.

Peel Homestead 

In 1894, when Azel was twelve, his father died of rheumatic heart condition.  This was very hard on the family.  Being the oldest son, he took over many responsibilities for a boy of his age.  His mother and all worked very hard to sustain a living on one farm.  Later they  moved to Mary Miranda's mother's home on 5th West and Main Street.

  P.A. Peel is the second from the left on the back row.  
Missionaries to Southern States Mission

Peter Azel attended Snow College for a short time, and then he was called on a mission for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints --- to the Southern States.  He left for the mission on November 5, 1902.  After serving an honorable mission, he returned home in March of 1905.

On March 18, 1908, he married Mary Margaret Ericksen in the Manti Temple.  They moved down to the farm and were very happy down there, but Mary Margaret's grandmother Morrison was very ill and she was needed to help take care of her.  So they moved to town before their first daughter, Margaret, was born, February 15, 1909.  They had three other girls.  Alice, Lois and Barbara.

In 1916 they bought 10 acres west of Mt. Pleasant, and they moved down there.  There was only a one-room frame building on the lot.  It was used for their bedroom, kitchen and living room  Mary Margaret's father was wanting to build a bigger barn; the one he had was too small, so he gave it to Azel if he could move it.  He moved it by team to their ten acres, putting it nest to the one room.  He built a platform that served between both barn and kitchen.  Azel put planks on half of the barn for a floor, and Mary Margaret covered it with home-made carpet, and that made their bedroom.  The barn was 30 ft by 20 ft.  It was very cold sleeping in the winter, but they all managed to get along.

In the spring and summer of 1923 Peter Azel and a neighbor , Charlie Peterson, Alice and Lois made twenty thousand adobes.  Then Azel dug a basement and made a foundation.  That fall he moved the barn onto the foundation.  He sold ten thousand of the adobes and made enough money for a mason to line the house with the remaining ten thousand adobes.  By winter they were in their new home, and what a happy day it was.

Pete Azel trained oxen to pull a wagon, and he would drive them in the 24th of July parade.  He tanned many different kinds of hides; he used the leather to repair harnesses, braid whip, and make many useful articles.

He purchased his first sheep dog directly from Scotland. He named Scottie.  He proved to be as useful as an extra farmhand.

Azel was also a butcher for Ericksen Meat and Grocery for many years; he also did butchering for many townspeople.  He raised bees; he kept about 20 hives.  He extracted the honey and sold it to help out with their meager living.

He was an assessor for Mt. Pleasant for many years.  He was ward clerk for four different bishops in the Mt. Pleasant North Ward.  He was bookkeeper for Farmer's Equity, the building where he worked was just west of the old D&RG Depot.  He kept beautiful books, he was a very good penman.

Peter Azel loved his fellow men.  He was never too busy to stop his work and help someone who needed something done.  H was always happy; he always looked on the bright side of life.  His nieces and nephews said he was a peacemaker.  He made the remark one time that he had heaven here on earth.  He loved to hunt and fish whenever he had any spare time. 

On February 14, 1954, at age 73, he died of a heart condition.  How we all loved him and revere his name.  (by Alice Hafen, a daughter)

Missionary Log Book  

If this book is lost, holder will please mail to Elder P.A. Peel, Mt Pleasant, Sanpete Co., Utah   For it is of value..

IDAHO FALLS TEMPLE

Rambouillet Sheep Started In Utah By Sanpete Pioneer ~Vernal Express December 15, 1953

Home of David Edward Young and wife Mary Ann Clark ~ Researched and Compiled by Tudy Barentsen Standlee

Postcards From the Past ~ Mary Margaret Ericksen Collection ~ Alice Hafen