Category Archives: Ephraim

Secret’s Out: Sanpete County’s Outdoor Opportunities Are Second to None

DATE 12/22/2005 1:54 PMFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Secret’s Out: Sanpete County’s Outdoor Opportunities Are Second to None

The secret it out: when the weather outside starts getting frightful, there is one thing that is sure to be delightful: outdoor recreation in Sanpete County.

“More and more people are definitely discovering how wonderful winter time is in Sanpete County,” says Monte Bona, a member of the Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council.

The fantastic snowmobiling routes, friendly people and outdoor sports opportunities are among the reasons that the county has been dubbed the “best outdoor recreation experience” in Utah. And the combination of fresh snow and access to fabulous routes keep people coming back year after year, local sporting enthusiasts say.

For starters, there is Skyline Drive, one of the state’s most beautiful scenic drives. Situated on the top of the Wasatch Plateau it gets an abundance of snow, it is slowly being recognized as one of the state’s best snowmobiling areas. The drive is 87 miles long and located above the 10,000-foot elevations means it offers some spectacular views.

Fairview Canyon, which is maintained during the winter months, is a popular an snowmobiling access point for The Energy Loop: Huntington and Eccles Canyons Scenic Byway. The loop, which splits off to either Scofield or Huntington, is also known as one of the most beautiful scenic drives in the country.

The Division of Parks and Recreation also grooms about 80 miles of access trails to the plateau out of Ephraim and Manti. It makes it convenient for the snowmobilers or cross country skiers is the access to nearby towns — Fairview, Mt. Pleasant, Moroni, Spring City, Ephraim and Manti.

Then there is the redesign of the Arapeen trail system. The routes, found primarily in the Manti LaSal National Forest, have been carefully marked and mapped to ensure that riders find their way around the 370 miles that make up the trail system. The redesign was several years in the making and includes bridges, culverts and water bars. In fact, the forest holds some of the state’s largest elk and deer herds.

One of the newest winter activities is snowboarding. Economic development officials say the snowmobiling and snow boarding are huge benefits for the county, contributing by means of people eating in local restaurants, staying in hotels and bed and breakfasts and visiting stores and shops. County officials are hoping to build on the reputation for excellent winter sports venues by getting visitors to spend more time in the local cities and towns visiting local attractions.

When the snow melts and the cold weather subsides, Sanpete County is still a popular spot for outdoor sports. For starters, the back country roads are open to vehicles, ATVs and bike riders. Rock climbing is also a big draw in the summer months with the county’s rugged cliffs that draw rock climbers from all over the country. In particular, Maple Canyon, located west of Moroni, offers climbers more than 80 established routes.

Fishing, horseback riding and camping are all other popular warm-weather sports.

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For more information Contact:

Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

Holiday Celebrations Set for Sanpete County

DATE 12/08/2005 12:43 PMFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Holiday Celebrations Set for Sanpete County

The cities and town along U.S. Highway 89, the Heritage Highway, are gearing up for this year’s Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, starting this weekend with the historical bed and breakfast tour and annual Messiah concert in Ephraim.

“We want people traveling down the Heritage Highway U.S. 89 to stop off in the cities and towns along the highway for an old-fashioned Christmas,” says Monte Bona, a member of the Utah Highway 89 Alliance.

The annual “Bed & Breakfasts” tour of historical and heritage homes will be held Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. Nine bed and breakfasts are taking part this year and are located in Spring City, Ephraim and Manti. Many of the bed and breakfasts are historical structures that have been painstakingly and lovingly restored as bed and breakfasts. A complete listing of bed and breakfasts taking part in the tour are available online atwww.utahheritage.com

On Saturday and Sunday, the Messiah Concert will also be held in Ephraim at the Eccles Center for the Performing Arts on the Snow College campus. The 7:30 p.m. concert, which features performances by local residents, as been held every year since 1934. It includes an 50+ player orchestra as well as more than 100 local singers. Every year the concern attracts a wider and larger audience. Local resident Judy Morgan, professor of music theory and director of choral music at Snow College, has directed the performance for more than 20 years. For information, contact Contact Judy Morgan for information, 283-7469.

On Dec. 21, Sanpete County’s “hub” city will hold it annual holiday celebration at 6 p.m. at the Mt. Pleasant Recreation Center on Main Street. The main attraction will be a visit from Santa Claus, who will arrive by fire truck. There will also be refreshments, activities and the annual “big bucks” drawing for a shopping spree at area merchants. “Big Bucks are given out to people who visit local merchants. Santa will draw the name of the winner during the festivities. The winner need not be present to win. There will also be door prizes donated by local businesses and other holiday activities. The event is supported by local businesses in Mt. Pleasant City. For information call (435) 462-2502.

The holiday celebrations will wrap up Dec. 31 with the county’s annual New Year’s eve celebration at 9 p.m. at Manti High School. The 18 and older event is a fund raiser for the community swimming pool. The $5 entrance fee includes food, big band music and a floor show. For more information, contact John or Diane Keeler 835-9421.

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For more information Contact:

Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

Annual B & B Tour Sure to Please

DATE 11/25/2005 7:15 AMFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Annual B & B Tour Sure to Please

Want to see what an old-fashioned Christmas celebration looks like? Then head to Sanpete County Dec. 10 for the annual “Bed & Breakfasts” tour of historical and heritage homes.

People living along the Wasatch Front are sure to delight in the decorations, decor and atmosphere of the homes included on the tour, not to mention the quaint, “small-town” feel of the cities along Sanpete County’s historical U.S. Highway 89, the Heritage Highway.

Nine bed and breakfasts are taking part this year and are located in Spring City, Ephraim and Manti. Many of the bed and breakfasts are historical structures that have been painstakingly and lovingly restored as bed and breakfasts.

The free tour runs from noon to 5 p.m. Bed and breakfasts taking part in the tour are:

Spring City

  • The Garden Bed and Breakfast,11650 N. 8500 East (take 400 South to 500 East, turn right, then travel three miles to the “bead and breakfast” sign). A “romantic getaway spot” nestled at the foot of Horseshoe Mountain. o 1894 Osbourne, 216 S. Main Street.

  • Scott Farm Bed & Breakfast, 885 N. Main Street. This country-style home is located on 10 acres of land.

Ephraim

  • Ephraim Homestead, 135 W. 100 North. This homestead features a barn and log cabins, as well as a Victorian Gothic home.

  • Pherson House, 244 S. Main Street. This Victorian cottage was built in 1895. The house is famous for being the storage place of paintings by C.C.A. Christensen. Manti: o Legacy Inn, 337 N. 100 East. The inn features a historical Victorian house and antique-filled rooms.

  • Yardley Inn and Spa, 190 S. 200 West. The inn is housed in a structure built in the 1890s. The home has two luxury, three-room suites complete with whirlpool tubs and fireplaces.

  • Historic Manti House, 401 N. Main Street. It features antiques and renovated historic rooms. It’s also home to a gift store that sells antiques and other heritage crafts.

  • Heritage House, 498 N. 400 West, a peaceful, country Victorian home. Each room is designed around a specific theme that honors a family member.


For information on the tour, phone (435) 462-7449.

For more information Contact:

Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

SANPETE COUNTY DOUBLES AS MOVIE SET FOR FEATURE FILM

DATE 08/28/2005 8:35 PMFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

SANPETE COUNTY DOUBLES AS MOVIE SET FOR FEATURE FILM

Parts of Sanpete County, including its Hub City, Mt. Pleasant, doubled as a movie set this past month for the filming of the feature film “Last of the Mustangs.”

Several hundred local residents even got a chance to serve as movie extras during the filming of a parade scene that was shot on Mt. Pleasant’s Main Street.

“There was a huge turn out, people came from all over — decked out in Western clothes — to give their kids a chance to be in the movie or to be an extra themselves,” says Monte Bona, a member of the Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council.

Bona says that Sanpete County and Mt. Pleasant appealed to the film’s producers because of its heritage buildings and beautiful landscape. “The area suited their film perfectly. There is great scenery and a lot of horses, sheep and other animals, as well as heritage homes and farms.” The director’s spouse also grew up in Ephraim so she was familiar with the region.

The Los Angeles-based movie crew spent nearly three weeks in Sanpete County shooting the film, which is about girl who decides to photograph wild horses for a school project. After visiting a ranch and falling in love with the horses, the girl learns about illegal activities that might jeopardize the mustangs.

Much of the film was shot at a ranch only a few miles away from Mt. Pleasant. Other scenes were shot in Mt. Pleasant City Hall, in local businesses and campgrounds, and even in the city’s police station and jail.

The horses that appear in the movie are also local “movie stars.” They were supplied by Lamont Christensen of Fairview, who owns Christensen Livestock Co.

The film, which will be released in theatres, stars Miranda Cosgrove as the girl who goes to the ranch, and Fred Ward as her father. Robert Wagner also has a small role.

Bona says that the Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council hopes more movies will be filmed in the area in the future. “Sanpete County really is an ideal film location,” he says. “It’s situated near the Provo and with two hours of the Salt Lake International airport. In addition, there are a lot of wide-open spaces and not too many power lines around, which makes it perfect for people hoping to re-create a pre-1950s feel in a film.”

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For more information Contact:

Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

Great Basin Experiment Station Restoration – Press Release 5/23/2005

DATE 05/23/2005 7:15 AM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Great Basin Experiment Station Restoration
In 1912 a research station was created nine miles up Ephraim Canyon, which later became known as the Great Basin Experiment Station. The mission was to find the causes and a remedy for the summertime floods that had been devastating the communities and farms below. For the following 60 years, the Station was in the forefront of watershed and rangeland research. In time, after researchers moved on, the old station sat virtually unused and fell into disrepair.Determined to preserve this important part of the community’s and the Nation’s heritage, Snow College, the USDA Forest Service, and the city of Ephraim began working together to find a way to preserve and use the facilities. Through the foresight and vision of those involved, the old Station was given an expanded role and rededicated in 1992 as the Great Basin Environmental Education Center.

During the summer of 2005 the center will host workshops including Mythology in the Night Sky, Dutch Oven Cooking, Geo-caching OHV ride, Utah’s Native Plants, Back Country First Aid and several Star Parties. We also accept groups who want to use the facilities for educational conferences, youth service projects, or other purposes. The center can accommodate 42 people.

For more information and to register visit www.snow.edu/gbeec or call us at 435-283-7261.

 

Where we are & how far it is to:

Logan, Utah . . . . . . . .   205
Moab, Utah . . . . . . . . .  225
Ogden, Utah . . . . . . . .  155
Provo, Utah . . . . . . . . . . 75
Salt Lake City, Utah . . . 120
St. George, Utah . . . . . .225
Mc Donald’s . . . . . . . . . . 10
The Nearest Mall . . . . . .  75
Peace and Quiet . . . . . . .  0
Pure Spring Water . . . . . . 0
A Warm, Friendly Staff . .  0

 
For more information Contact:Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

Scandinavian Festival a Celebration of History, Heritage – Press Release 5/14/2005

DATE 05/14/2005 7:15 AM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Scandinavian Festival a Celebration of History, Heritage
The 200th birthday of storyteller Hans Christian Anderson will be celebrated at this year’s Scandinavian Heritage Festival and Conference May 26 to 28 in Ephraim.The popular annual event, which combines food, fun and heritage, attracts thousands of people to Sanpete County every year, many of whom travel along U.S. Highway 89, the Heritage Highway.

The conference celebrates Mormon pioneers from Scandinavia who colonized Central Utah in the 1800s and the estimated 600,000 Utahans who can trace their ancestry to Scandinavian immigrants.

Sanpete County’s culture has been greatly influenced by settlers who arrived first in the Salt Lake Valley from the Scandinavian countries and then were assigned to colonize central Utah. Many were farmers, carpenters, stone masons, cabinetmakers and furniture builders. The architecture of their farm buildings, cabins and houses were influenced by construction techniques and building forms from back home, uniqueness that is still present today.

Many local residents dress in Scandinavian costume for the annual festival, which provides an opportunity for people to learn about the influence of Scandinavians in Utah; connect with their Scandinavian roots; experience art and culture; and taste great food.

Events include a parade, golf tournament, a 5K run, softball tournament, storytelling, bread making and activities such as rock climbing and pony rides. There will also be live music, an art show, street dance, and other attractions. The festival begins with an afternoon golf tournament on Thursday.

Events will be held from noon until 11:30 p.m. on Friday, May 27, and from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 28. Display and food booths will line College Avenue between 100 and 300 East from noon until dark on Friday and from 9 a.m. until dark on Saturday. There will also be numerous opportunities to sample heritage cooking, including a “Little Denmark Supper” and a barbeque turkey dinner.

The festival also includes a special Scandinavian history conference at Snow College from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday and Friday headed by Brigham Young University professor Lynn Henrickson. The purpose is to give participants an understanding of the Scandinavian influence in the development of the West. The conference includes keynote speakers and workshops. It is held on the campus of Snow College in the historic Noyes Building’s Founders Hall. For more information or to register, contact Kim Cragun, (435) 283-4747.

For more information on the Scandinavian Festival and a complete schedule of events, visit the website, www.ScandinavianHeritageFestival.com .
For more information Contact:Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

Talking, Listening to the Animals Key to Young Horse Trainer’s Success – Press Release 4/4/2005

DATE 04/04/2005 7:15 AM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Talking, Listening to the Animals Key to Young Horse Trainer’s Success.
Ruth (Mellor) Livingston’s gift for working with horses was spotted by one of the best-known trainers in the country when she was only 15 years old.She was enrolled in a clinic taught by horseman Richard Shrake, renowned internationally for his resistance free training techniques that involve learning to understand what a horse is saying.

“After the clinic was over, he called me up and said he’d like to take me under his wing,” Livingston said. She started studying with Shrake and, at age 17, became the youngest-ever person to be nationally certified in resistance free training. She traveled around the country with Shrake training and hosting clinics.

“I guess I was just a natural at it,” she says with a laugh. Livingston’s love for horses developed at age 10 when she moved to the small town of Chester after her mother had remarried. Her stepfather was involved with horses and fostered Livingston’s interest in the animals.

Now, at age 23, she runs her own successful horse training center, Silver Dance Ranch, in Moroni. She works with horses in need of all kinds of training, from getting them ready to accept riders to preparing them for competition and to figuring out complex behavior issues. She also holds horse clinics around the state, including a session for “spooked horses” in Lakeshore later this month and a youth clinic in Ephraim in May.

“I love the idea what I can take a 1,250-pound animal and get inside of its head and have it communicate with me,” says Livingston, who has three show horses of her own. “I can work with that animal, train it and teach it to do all kinds of amazing things that it otherwise would never have done.”

While she laughs off comparisons to Robert Redford’s character in the popular movie “The Horse Whisperer,” a key to Livingston’s training program is watching, listening to and learning from the animals, the same kinds of techniques utilized in the movie.

“Horses do talk to you. You can see so much in their body language, and you learn to pick up on that,” she says. “A flick of an ear, a look in the eye, a swish of the tail, all of these little things can tell you a lot about the animal’s frame of mind and whether they are ready to listen and learn from you.”

Learning to know what the horse is telling the person working with him is what resistance free training is all about, Livingston says. “You work with the horse’s mind first, building respect and confidence between horse and trainer, using the lowest amount of resistance possible,” she says. The goal is to help people and horses develop a relationship through patience, kindness and understanding.

The most common problem people have with horses is that they don’t fully understand the workings of the horse world, Livingston says. “A lot of people think that horses are like other pets, and that if they feed them, take care of them and love them, the horse will love them back. But with horses, respect must be taught first, and love comes out of that,” she says. In the horse world, animals push one another around and a hierarchy is established, she says. The most domineering horse becomes the most respected and trusted horse and emerges as the leader. “All of the other horses love that horse because they trust him; they know that he will take care of them.”

Because trust is a vital part of the horse world, it’s also crucial in the horse-training world. “For horses to fully trust you, you have to you become one with the horse in a sense, you have to earn their trust,” Livingston says. “Most of the problems with horses are based on trust issues: a horse gets pushy, dominant or scared, and problems arise from that.”

When she is working with a horse, Livingston has the animal live at her ranch where she feeds, cares for and works with them daily. During the winter, she can accommodate up to six horses at a time, and during the warmer months, up to 11. “While I am working with a horse, I allow the owners to come in and observe and take lessons to figure out what is going on with the horse,” she says.

For more information on the Silver Dance Ranch, phone (435) 851-6758 or email silverdanceranch@hotmail.com.

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For more information Contact:Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

Holiday Celebrations Scheduled in Sanpete County – Press Release 11/29/04

DATE 11/29/2004 6:29 AM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Holiday Celebrations Scheduled in Sanpete County
It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Sanpete County, with numerous holiday activities planned from now until the week before Christmas.We want people traveling down the Heritage Highway U.S. 89 to stop off in the cities and towns along the highway for an old-fashioned Christmas, says Monte Bona, a member of the Mt. Pleasant city council.Events are listed by date, time city and location. They are:

Thursday, Dec. 2

  • 4 to 9 p.m., Manti Holiday Home Show, to benefit the construction of a community swimming pool. Seven homes on display. Tickets are $5 in advance or $6 at the door and are available at the Manti City office or through participating businesses.
  • 7 p.m., performance by the singing group, Bar J Wranglers, at Snow College s Activity Center. Tickets are $9 in advance or $10 at the door. Family tickets (for up to six people) are $40. For information call 283-7253.
  • 8 p.m., performance of It s a Wonderful Life at the Ephraim Middle School. Admission is $2.
  • 5 to 9 p.m., Gunnison Home Tour sponsored by the Gunnison High School Drill Team. Nine homes are on display. Tickets are available at Valley Furniture or Rasmussen s Ace Hardware.

Friday, Dec. 3

  • 6 p.m., Ephraim City’s Parade of Lights down Main Street. Entertainment will be held prior to the parade starting at 4:30 p.m. at the City Building.
  • 5 to 9 p.m., Gunnison Home Tour sponsored by the Gunnison High School Drill Team. Nine homes are on display. Tickets are available at Valley Furniture or Rasmussen s Ace Hardware.

Saturday, Dec. 4

  • 2 to 8 p.m., Sanpete Valley Hospital s annual Holiday Home Show in the Fairview/Milburn area. Tickets are $5 and available at Beck s Home Furniture and the Sanpete Valley Hospital.

Thursday, Dec. 7.

  • 7:30 p.m., Christmas choral concert, Eccles Performing Arts Center, Snow College, presented by the Snow College Music Department. Tickets are $1 and proceeds benefit the Shop-With-A-Cop program.

Wednesday, Dec. 8

  • 7:30 p.m., LD Singers Christmas Concert, Ephraim LDS Institute. Free admission.

Thursday, Dec. 9

  • 7:30 p.m., performance by the Utah Symphony at Snow College’s Eccles Center for the Performing Arts. Snow College musical groups will perform prior to the symphony starting at 6:30 p.m. Building tours will also be held.

Friday, Dec. 9

  • 6:30 p.m., City of Mayfield Christmas Party, Mayfield LDS Ward. Santa Claus will visit and there will be entertainment by the Mop Heads. A pot luck dinner is planned. For information, call Dorothy Robertson, 528-3629 or Teri Robertson, 528-3663.
  • 7:30 p.m., LD Singers Christmas Concert, Ephraim LDS Institute. Free admission.

Saturday Dec. 11 and Sunday Dec. 12

  • 7:30 p.m. Snow College and the City of Ephraim present the annual performance of Handel s Messiah at the Eccles Performing Arts Center.

Wednesday, Dec. 15

  • 7 p.m. Ephraim Middle School holds Yule Candles, an annual candlelight ceremony, at the Snow College Eccles Performing Arts Center.

Thursday, Dec. 16

  • 7 p.m. Children’s chorus performance at the Snow College Eccles Performing Arts Center. Free admission.

Friday, Dec. 18

  • 2 p.m. annual Christmas draw in downtown Mt. Pleasant at the recreation center. Santa Claus will be in attendance. Tickets for the draw are free with every $5 purchase from participating local vendors. For information, call 462-2502.
  • 6 p.m., Fairview City’s Lights Parade. Santa Claus will visit and refreshments will be served after the parade at the City Hall. Call 427-3858 for information.

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For more information Contact:Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502
 

Preserving “Main Streets” a Priority in Cities Along U.S. Highway 89 – Press Release 10/08/2004

DATE 10/08/2004 1:44 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Preserving “Main Streets” a Priority in Cities Along U.S. Highway 89
  The cities and towns along U.S. Highway 89 are continuing their efforts to restore their historical Main Streets, with many of the cities making Main Street preservation projects a priority. As well, many of the local governments are making such projects part of their master plans, emphasizing that historical preservation is a key to economic success.Indeed, traveling along U.S. Highway 89 is like stepping back in time. Many of the buildings along the route have been lovingly preserved, restored and renovated. Most of the preservation efforts have been spearheaded by local citizens’ groups and supported by grants from private and state and federal government agencies, in coordination with the Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council.Here are highlights of some of the many important Main Street projects that have been completed or initiated in the region:FAIRVIEW
Fairview Museum of History and Art. The building was constructed as a school in 1900 of quarry-sandstone. It burned down in 1916 and was rebuilt in 1917. However, the roof design was significantly changed during the reconstruction. The Fairview Museum Corporation restored the building to its former glory. There was a complete structural reconstruction and profile-design restoration of the roof in 1999, which brought it back to its original appearance. The interior has also been refurbished as galleries.

Main Street: The Citizens’ Advisory Committee, coordinated by Mary Goodwin, worked to make improvements along the historical Main Street. This included renovated existing historic buildings, improving the downtown park, getting new businesses to locate downtown and planting trees and flowers.

MT. PLEASANT
 Carnegie Library: Sanpete County is home to three of Utah s remaining 17 Carnegie Libraries, including Mt. Pleasant s library that was built in 1917 and designed by the Salt Lake City architecture firm of Ware & Treganza. The library anchors Mt. Pleasant s Main Street and the numerous the buildings that have already been restored as part on the city s ongoing effort to preserve its historical Main Street. Recently, Mt. Pleasant City was designated as a Preserve America community by First Lady Laura Bush. Historic Railroad Depot and Caboose: An 1890’s Denver Rio Grand Depot was restored and moved to the Heritage Village on U.S. Highway 89 in Mt. Pleasant. It serves as an information center for the Utah Heritage Highway Alliance and is also the cornerstone of the Heritage Village. The Utah Heritage Foundation recognized the restoration with an award last year. The depot is also an antique and heritage products store. There is also a historical caboose that doubles as a restaurant on the site. The caboose was donated by the Hogle Family through the Garfield Western Railway Company. Illusion Academy: This high tech center that houses a computer illustration business. It is located in Mt. Pleasant City’s old industrial arts building that was once part of Sanpete County’s high school. Owner Dean Kleven, a computer illustrator who has worked for Disney and Dream Works, creates designs that are used in children s books. He also produces high-tech digital imaging and three-dimensional graphics, such as the kind used to produce movies such as Toy Story. The building also double as a community classroom where free courses are offered on computer illustration, web design and the Internet.

SPRING CITY
  Historical Old School: The old school on Centre Street has proudly stood in downtown Spring City for more than 100 years. It graces the city council s letterhead and is prominently displayed on the city s logo. Built in 1899, it once housed both elementary and secondary students. It has not been used as a teaching institution since the 1950s. Most recently, it has served mainly as a storage facility for the school district and has deteriorated over the years. The two-and-a-half storey structure is now being restored and rehabilitated by the Friends of Historic Spring City with support from the National Parks Service’s Save America’s Treasures program.

FOUNTAIN GREEN Theatre & DUP Building: The 100-year-old theatre and dance hall was restored for use as a community center, where local artisans and craft makers can display their talents and wares. The structure is really two buildings: one side was used as a theater, the other, as a dance hall and later a cultural hall by the LDS church. The project was supported by the Fountain Green Heritage Committee, the Eccles Foundation, and local volunteers. Local volunteers also helped restore the Daughters of the Utah Pioneer Building. A former Bishop s warehouse, the structure was built in 1906. The building is now used by the DUP for its meetings and as a museum.

EPHRAIM
 The Noyes Building, Snow College: The Noyes Building was built between 1899 and 1908 as the Sanpete Stake Academy, one of several academies built by the LDS church. The building houses classrooms, labs and offices and administrative offices for Snow College. The exterior of the building consists of handmade brick and local oolite limestone. The building s restoration included framing the historical formal entrance stairway by a new stone platform that continues around the base of the building to create a basement consisting of the first-floor classrooms.

Ephraim Co-op: A large stone structure, the Ephraim co-op was built in the late 1870s as a cooperative store and is now home to a well-known handicraft store and museum. These two structures are good examples of the kinds of buildings Ephraim hopes to improve and protect through its new master plan. The city recently approved a new plan that calls for maintaining historically important buildings along Main Street and in other sections of town.

MANTI
 City Hall: Manti’s city hall is one of the oldest city halls remaining in Utah. It was built in the late 1870s. The building features Italianate details such as a low-pitched hipped roof and decorative bracketed eves. It is the only surviving example of this style of architecture in the county. It had been neglected and deteriorated over the years, but was restored by the Manti Historic Preservation Commission and Manti Destiny Committee with support from the Utah Division of State History. The building is being used as a visitor s centre, museum and reception hall. Carnegie Library: One of only 17 remaining Carnegie Libraries in Utah, the Manti Library was designed by Watkins and Birch, a Provo-based architectural firm that also designed several other library buildings.

Historic Manti House Inn: Run by Jennifer and Jason Nicholes, the renovated inn was built in the late 1800s and originally to provide housing for people working on the Manti LDS temple. building sat vacant for several years until it was turned into a bed and breakfast in 1985. Since that time, it has been a popular attraction for visitors to the Manti pageant in the summer, as well as to newlyweds and couples celebrating anniversaries. It also has two banquet halls that are popular places for wedding luncheons.

GUNNISON
 Star Theater: The community group Save our Star is moving ahead with plans to buy the historical theatre located on Gunnison’s Main Street and restore it to its former glory. The theatre, which is listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places, is believed to be one of the last Beaux Arts-style theaters in the Western United States. Built in 1912 as the “Casino Theater,” it was one of several similar theatres built in the state around that time. Other structures include Ogden’s Egyptian Theater and the Capitol Theater in Salt Lake. The name was changed to the Star Theater in 1936. Restoring the theater is the first step in restoring heritage sections of Gunnison s Main Street.

MORONI
 Moroni Opera House: The historical Moroni Opera house has been under restoration on and off since 1991. It is now complete, thanks to the efforts of a volunteer-run Moroni Heritage Development Commission with support from the George S. And Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation, National Heritage Foundation, Utah State Historical Society, and Community Impact Board. The building has an interesting history. It was built in 1891 after the town’s residents realized that people had talents and no place to perform them. In the 1930’s, it was converted into a feed processing plant for the turkey industry. A mill was later built on the site. The city eventually made restoring the opera house its Centennial Project and a volunteer group began applying for grants to help fund the effort. The opera house is used for dinner theaters, children’s theatrical performances, dance performances and community events. ###
For more information Contact:Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

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