MPNHA Press Release – MPHNA – 10 years and going strong
The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area Has 4 Best Main Streets
Posted in November 18, 2015
These 13 Towns in Utah Have the Best Main Streets You’ve Gotta Visit
There’s just something about the Main Street in any town. It’s often part of the town’s historic district, and typically features some of the oldest buildings in the area. The best Main Streets are bustling, vibrant places where members of the community, along with visitors, shop, eat and mingle. Here are a few of Utah’s best Main Streets; maybe you’ve visited some of them recently!
You’ll find many of Ephraim’s shops on Main Street.
Many of the buildings along Mount Pleasant’s Main Street are original to the town – built in the 1800’s. The town added fiber optic lines, so you can surf the Internet while sitting in a historic building.
If you live in central Utah, chances are good that you’ve done some shopping on Richfield’s Main Street.
If you prefer something more rural, Main Street in Torrey is very charming, with its beautiful old trees, making a shady canopy overhead.
Which Main Streets did I miss? Share your favorite in the comments.
Legends, Lore and True Tales in Mormon Country (American Legends) By Monte Bona
Monte Bona, along with the collaborative efforts of talented professionals have given us an authentic view of those brave men, women and children who left their homes, family, wealth, and country to establish the communities in South Central Utah.
The powerful stories of the early settlers in the region that is now identified by the Congressional designation as the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area, are touching, informative, and compelling
These pioneers certainly left a legacy that illustrates a structure that was steeped in codes of conduct, traditions, and principles that everyone embraced for the sole purpose of succeeding in a somewhat hostile environment. Their stories come to life as you read of their inventiveness, cooperation, conscientiousness, and pure resilience. You will also be moved stories of with miracles that occurred..
Many may be interested to learn that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons were not the only secular group that assisted with the settling of Utah. Jewish settlements, and contributions of a Presbyterian Minister, were instrumental. There were great sacrifices, large doses of humility, and traditional morals that were all combined to make their efforts a true success.
I have a great appreciation for the time intensive work completed by Monte Bona that has gone into producing Legends, Lore and True Tales in Mormon Country (American Legends). It is commendable that such an undertaking has been made to tell their stories. What a great job he has done!
The pictures are an added bonus, they help to recreate the trials, tribulations and the triumphs of the early pioneers. Mr. Bona has done a tremendous job in compiling this must have book for those who seek to find their family history, and a great resource for future generations. Without a doubt this is a book that you will read, reread, share, and retell the stories, legends, lore and true tales to everyone. I highly recommend this book to all who seek the true tales in Mormon Country.
‘Bike for Cure’ Event Honors Mother, Grandma Proceeds to Raise Funds For Breast Cancer Research
| DATE 09/08/2006 7:15 AM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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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. ‘Bike for Cure’ Event Honors Mother, Grandma Proceeds to Raise Funds For Breast Cancer Research |
| When Ephraim resident Erika Stover and her three young daughters – ages 7, 4 and 1 – get on their bicycles Saturday, Sept. 23, it won’t be for just another family bike ride. They will be taking part in the inaugural Bike for the Cure in Spring City, riding in honor of a mother and grandmother who died of breast cancer.
After her mother, Susan Sermersheim, passed away last December after fighting breast cancer for five years, Stover wanted to find a way to honor her memory – and recognize a Sanpete County town her mom loved. So she, along with her best friend, Melanie Wathen, organized Bike for the Cure, a fundraiser being held in and around the region of Spring City. “My mother loved Spring City,” Stover says. “She and my stepfather used to come down from Springville just about every Sunday and just drive around looking at the old houses. She loved the history of the area.” Bike for the Cure is being held in conjunction with the Arts Festival in Spring City taking place the same weekend. All of the proceeds from entry fees for the bike event will go to support the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which is dedicated to help finding a cure for breast cancer. “During the five years she battled cancer, my mom always wanted a cure found, she was worried about her daughters and granddaughters,” Stover says. “This is my way of honouring her, and doing my part. I have three daughters – I want a cure found too.” Stover adds that the event is open to “everyone. The entire state of Utah, bikers, families, anyone who has been touched by cancer, etc.” There are two longer rides (58 miles and 42 miles) for experienced bikers beginning at 7:30 a.m. Entry fees are $35 for adult riders ($40 after Sept. 11) and $15 for children under age 14 ($20 after Sept. 11). A shorter ride ( 5.5 miles) for families will begin at 8 a.m. and will wind its way through the town so that participants can view historical homes. Entry fees for that ride are $25 for adults and $10 for children under age 14 (prices go up to $30 and $15, respectively, after Sept. 11). Advance registration is available online at on www.active.com. (search for “Bike for the Cure” under upcoming events). Additional registration forms can be found at local bike shops throughout Utah. Registration is also available the day of the event. Stover, who moved to Ephraim from St. George a year ago, says she plans on making Bike for the Cure an annual event, as it holds a special place in her heart. Not only does it honor her mother, but it was also a special gift from a best friend. “Melanie didn’t know my mom, but she came to her funeral. Afterwards, she called me up and said she could tell what an inspiring woman my mom was,” Stover says, choking back tears. “Then she tells me: ‘I didn’t sleep at all last night, thinking about what we could do, and I have an idea: we’re going to do a bike race.’ We are both bicyclists, so it was a perfect idea. I know that my mom would be honored and proud.” For information about the event, contact Erika Stover at 435-283-2158. # # # |
| For more information Contact:
Monte Bona |
Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area Bill Approved
| DATE 07/28/2006 7:15 AM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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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. Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area Bill Approved |
| Call it serendipity. As Utah was celebrating it’s heritage on Monday, July 24, with Pioneer Day celebrations, the U.S. House of Representatives was passing a bill establishing the National Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area.
The national designation recognizes the history, architecture and culture along “the heritage highway,” and includes U.S. Highway 89 from Fairview to Kanab, the Boulder Loop (state highways 12 and 24), the All-American Road (highway 12) and the six counties through which the route passes: Sanpete, Sevier, Piute, Wayne, Garfield and Kane. For many Sanpete County residents, the bill’s passage was indeed a historic event. People like Mt. Pleasant’s Monte Bona, executive director of the Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance, and Gary Anderson of Utah State University’s Extension, have spent years working on the measure and Bona even helped draft the original bill. “It’s very rewarding that the bill establishing the Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area was finally approved, and the fact that it happened on Pioneer Day makes it an even more momentous,” says Bona. The bill underwent several renditions in the past six years and survived three sessions of Congress. “Now we can really move forward to honor our pioneer heritage,” he says. Bona says that the cities and towns in the six-county area are the best remaining example of how Mormon pioneers colonized the west. “The heritage area includes countless examples of rich cultural and architectural history shaped by the early settlers,” he says. Bennett also expressed joy over the bill’s approval, saying it will mean increased economic opportunities for many Utah communities along Highway 89, as well as heightened recognition “of the remarkable and inspiring stories of the Mormon pioneers.” There are 27 such designated areas in the country. Traditionally, areas that attain national heritage designation enhance their heritage tourism opportunities. The bill specified that up to $10 million may be spent on development of the heritage area, including activities such as historic preservation of buildings and signage, but no more than $1 million per year. Funds are matched on a 50 per cent basis. A management plan must be written and submitted to the U.S. Department of Interior before major projects are started, Bona says. The Heritage Highway 89 Alliance will be working to forge partnerships with local governments, businesses and private organizations to achieve the goals of the heritage bill. The bill, which whose chief sponsor was Sen. Bob Bennett, passed the Senate last July, now goes to the president for signature. Rep. Chris Cannon helped see the bill through the House. |
| For more information Contact:
Monte Bona |
Heritage Highway to Benefit From ‘Preserve America’ Grant
| DATE 02/21/2006 7:15 AM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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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. Heritage Highway to Benefit From ‘Preserve America’ Grant |
| A project that will involve posting historical signs and markers along U.S. Highway 89, The Heritage Highway, has been selected to receive a Preserve America Grant worth nearly $100,000.
The grant was announced this week by First Lady Laura Bush, who is the honorary chair of Preserve America, a White House initiative that encourages and supports community efforts to preserve cultural and natural heritage. The Sanpete County project was one of two Utah initiatives to receive support in this inaugural funding round. In total, grants totalling nearly $3.5 million were awarded to projects in 28 states. The grant will be used to develop regional interpretative and marketing sites along Heritage Highway 89, extending from Fairview in the north to Kanab in the south, says Monte Bona, a member of the Utah Highway 89 Alliance and Mt. Pleasant City Council. The objective is to improve visitor appreciation for the heritage corridor by providing a theme and message through brochures, kiosks, and signage in the six counties along the highway, Bona says. “Mt. Pleasant City and Sanpete County served as the designated applicant for the Highway because of its Preserve America status, but the beneficiaries also include Sevier, Piute, Wayne, Garfield and Kane counties. This a project for the all of the Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area,” he says. The grant is Sanpete County’s latest connection to Preserve America. Two cities in the county — Mt. Pleasant and Manti — have been deemed “Preserve America” communities by the federal agency. In addition, Kanab, on the southern end of Highway 89, has also earned the honor. The distinction recognizes and designates communities that protect and celebrate their heritage, use their historic assets for economic development and community revitalization, and encourage people to experience and appreciate local historic resources through education and heritage tourism programs. Mt. Pleasant received its designation in August 2004 and Manti in November 2004. Mt. Pleasant was recognized for its preservation efforts and enjoyment of its historical and cultural resources as an important part of the country’s heritage. Manti was honored for its use of Old City Hall as a museum and travel and information center, and praised for the more than 4,200 community volunteer hours that went into revitalizing the building. The Manti Historic Preservation Commission, which was established in 2003, was also recognized by Preserve America for playing a vital role, as is the effort to have parts of the city listed in the National Register of Places as a historic district. Kanab was designated in 2005. Communities designated through the program receive national recognition for their efforts. Benefits include use of the Preserve America logo, listing in a government Web-based directory to showcase preservation and heritage tourism efforts, and eligibility for special existing and proposed Preserve America grants and funding through various government agencies. The overarching goals of Preserve America include a greater shared knowledge about the Nation’s past; strengthened regional identities and local pride; increased local participation in preserving the country’s cultural and natural heritage assets; and support for the economic vitality of communities. For more information, visit www.PreserveAmerica.gov
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| For more information Contact:
Monte Bona |
Star Theater Expands into Family Entertainment Center, Unique Loan Program Provides Assistance
| DATE 11/16/2005 8:31 AM |
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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. Star Theater Expands into Family Entertainment Center, |
| When you meet the security officer for the Star Theater and Fun Center in Huntington, you quickly realize that you are entering a most unusual operation.
The security guard, Zachary Taylor, is nine years old. “Zachary is very diligent in helping us keep bicycles parked nearby and working hard to keep things clean and orderly,” laughs Janice Mounteer, who owns the business along with her husband, Percy. The Star Theater and Fun Center in Huntington is quickly becoming a unique entertainment and educational center for young people and adults in Emery County and adjacent Carbon County. Theater owners Percy and Janice Mounteer are well along in a process of turning an old bank building, a former post office and a cluster of abandoned store fronts into a lively activity center that stands as a model for smaller communities in Utah and throughout the country. “When we purchased the Star Theater three years ago, we dreamed of creating a center offering a wide variety of activities in addition to conventional movie-going,” Janice Mounteer says. “We started with the cinema and concession stand, and we have now expanded with a fun center for families, including a grill.” She added that to their surprise, the grill is also appealing to coal truck drivers from the mine. “They go by our place 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They use their CB radios to place pick-up orders.” The theatre is also available to businesses as a corporate meeting place and training center. Additionally, a learning center equipped with 20 computers will soon be available to young people and adults. “We plan to provide small snacks for kids and encourage them to stop by to study before getting together with their friends,” Janice Mounteer says. “We are using the services of Collette Clements, a terrific elementary school teacher in this area, for our after school program. We also plan to have the computers available for adults who want to develop their computer skills.” As well, the “Little Theater” will be opening Nov. 19 that has an LCD projector. The center will then offer big screen sports on Monday nights, bingo on Wednesday and karioke on Friday evenings. On Saturdays, there will be free movies. The center will soon also have a dance hall available for youth and young adults. The Fun Center building was constructed in 1907 and originally housed the Castle Valley Bank, a toy store, and a general merchandise store. The walls were made on site, using mud and rock brick that was formed and fired by hand. Percy Mounteer currently uses the former bank vault as his office. The Mounteers are upgrading their facilities and services through a unique loan arranged with the help of Gordon Holt, president of the Utah Business Lending Corporation. Holt’s organization acts as a lending intermediary for the Rural Development office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They provide loans for business acquisitions and construction or modernization and for the purchase of equipment and supplies. They also provide working capital for entrepreneurs. “Our organization is uniquely positioned to strengthen the business environment in small communities throughout the state. We are also working with the Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance and Utah State Extension Services to identify businesses in rural Utah that might benefit from our programs,” Holt says. # # # |
| For more information Contact:
Monte Bona |
Spring City’s Annual Heritage Day May 28 – Press Release 5/15/2005
| ATE 05/15/2005 7:15 AM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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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. Spring City’s Annual Heritage Day May 28 |
| This year Spring City’s Annual Heritage Day will be held on Saturday, May 28 and include a tour of historic homes and an art and antiques show.The entire town of Spring City is designated as a National Register Historic District due to its large concentration of historic houses, barns, log cabins and outbuildings built by English and Scandinavian pioneers.
Fifteen homes and buildings are included in this year’s tour. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for children and are available at the Old Spring City School. The art and antiques show will include paintings of current Spring City artists including Osral Allred, Lee Bennion, Kathy Peterson, Linda Budd, Susan Gallacher, M’Lisa Paulsen, and Cassandria Parsons. In addition, this year’s show will feature “Art Squared,” a wall of one foot square paintings by these and other artists and nationally known Utah artists, including Michael Workman and Brian Kershinik, that will be auctioned during the day. Breakfast and lunch will also be available at the City Bowery on Center Street. Proceeds from Heritage Day go to support ongoing efforts to save and restore the Old Spring City School, a 100-year-old Victorian structure that has stood proudly in downtown Spring City for more than 100 years. It is featured on city council letterhead and is prominently displayed on the city’s logo. Built in 1899, the school has eight classrooms, four on each level, as well as a large attic space, complete with windows. At one time, it housed all the grades, and was even used as a middle school and high school. A “new” elementary school was built next to the Historical Old School in 1920 and uses for the old school began to diminish. Eventually, the old schoolhouse became a make-shift storage facility for the school district. It hasn’t been used as a school since the 1950s. Several years ago, friends of Historic Spring City started raising money to save the building, including adding the historic home tour and art sale to Heritage Day events to help raise money. The group also received a grant from the National Parks Service (Save America’s Treasures program). Plans call for using the building as a community center. For more information on Spring City Heritage Days, contact Kay Watson at (435) 462-2211. |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Mt. Pleasant’s Pioneers to be Honored March 19 – Press Release 3/9/2005
| DATE 03/09/2005 1:15 PM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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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. Mt. Pleasant’s Pioneers to be Honored March 19 |
| The founding fathers of Sanpete County’s hub city will be honored during a special luncheon March 19 at the Mt. Pleasant Recreation Center, 10 N. State Street.The annual Pioneer’s Day luncheon will be held at 11 a.m. and include a reception, box lunch, and program. The program will feature the Orem performing group “The Good Time Singers.” Two longtime Mt. Pleasant residents, both in their late 80s, will also share their reminisces about growing up in 146-year-old town. “It is really a celebration of the city’s heritage,” says Elna McKay, a member of the Mt. Pleasant Historical Association, which sponsors the annual event. “It is a way for us to honor the pioneers who settled the area. We invite anyone who has ever lived in Mt. Pleasant to attend, and anyone who is interested in Mt. Pleasant. We are also always interested in having new members join,” she says. Cost for the luncheon is $5.The annual celebratory lunch is one of the two main programs supported by the Mt. Pleasant Historical Association. The group also looks after Relic House, a museum that displays relics ranging from pioneer quilts and clothing to blacksmith shop tools and equipment.
The association recently renovated a bedroom in the house, including wallpapering, sanding the floors, and cleaning and repairing linens and furniture. “We’ve worked very hard on it,” McKay says. The group also just purchased a historical log cabin that they plan to move on to the property. “We have a lot of old blacksmith tools and equipment and we needed a place to display and store them,” McKay says. Relic House was one of the first homes in Mt. Pleasant to be built outside of the fort that housed the area’s first settlers. Mt. Pleasant City was officially founded in 1859. Nearly two-thirds of the city’s earliest settlers were Scandinavian pioneers who immigrated to Utah from Canada, the United States and England. For more information on the Pioneer Day Luncheon, contact McKay at (435) 462-2787. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Sanpete County Aims to Add More ‘Preserve America’ Communities to its List – Press Release 2/20/2005
| DATE 02/20/2005 7:36 PM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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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 Aims to Add More ‘Preserve America’ Communities to its List |
| Sanpete County is the proud home of two of Utah’s four Preserve America communities, and local preservationists and government leaders would like to see the numbers increase this year. Preserve America is a White House initiative that encourages and supports community efforts to preserve cultural and natural heritage. It is chaired by First Lady Laura Bush. Currently, 220 communities throughout the United States carry the designation, including Mt. Pleasant and Manti.“We’d like to see cities and town all throughout Sanpete County become Preserve American communities,” says Monte Bona, a member of the Mt. Pleasant City Council and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance. Communities apply for the designation through the national agency. The most recent communities were announced by Mrs. Bush earlier this month, and the next quarterly deadline for applications is March 1. “We are encouraging our communities that have projects and programs that convey their national heritage to apply for the program,” Bona says.
Mt. Pleasant received its designation in August 2004 and Manti in November 2004. Mt. Pleasant was recognized for its preservation efforts and enjoyment of its historical and cultural resources is an important part of the country’s heritage. “You honor our nation’s past and inspire and educate for the future,” Mrs. Bush wrote in a letter to the community. “As your community shares its story with residents and visitors, you set a great example for others.” Manti was honored for its use of Old City Hall was a museum and travel and information center, and praised for the more than 4,200 community volunteer hours that went into revitalizing the building. The use of Old City Hall as a travel information center is an important component of Manti’s participation in regional efforts to promote tourism along Highway 89, the spine of the proposed Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area. Reuse of the building is also a cornerstone of an ongoing Main Street Enhancement Project. The Manti Historic Preservation Commission, which was established in 2003, was also recognized by Preserve America for playing a vital role, as is the effort to have parts of the city listed in the National Register of Places as a historic district. “Manti is being established as our county seat,” Bona says. “This designation, as well as the development of the Mormon Pioneer Heritage Center, which is being developed in coordination with Snow College and Utah State University, is among the reason’s the city is key to our development efforts.” The proposed Mormon Pioneer Heritage Center will coordinate research and extension efforts in recreation, heritage tourism and agriculture, and is closely connected to the proposed bill by Sen. Bob Bennett to establish a Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area. The goals of Preserve America include a greater shared knowledge about the Nation’s past; strengthened regional identities and local pride; increased local participation in preserving the country’s cultural and natural heritage assets; and support for the economic vitality of communities. Communities designated through the program receive national recognition for their efforts. Benefits include use of the Preserve America logo, listing in a government Web-based directory to showcase preservation and heritage tourism efforts, and eligibility for special existing and proposed Preserve America grants and funding through various government agencies. For more information, including brief profiles of the communities, application forms, and procedures, visit www.PreserveAmerica.gov/communities.html. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Library Receives Early Christmas Gift from Arts Council – Press Release 12/18/04
| DATE 12/18/2004 7:15 AM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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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. Library Receives Early Christmas Gift from Arts Council |
| The Folk Arts Program of the Utah Arts Council and the Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council are giving Mt. Pleasant a special gift this holiday season.They have donated 46 cassette recordings by folklorist Jens Lund to the Mt. Pleasant library. Lund interviewed a number of local artists and historians about the traditions and lifestyle of Sanpete County residents as part of a project to document and present local culture.
The project, “Utah’s Sanpete Valley: The Heart of the Mormon West,” produced a driving tour of Sanpete County. The tapes are 90-minute “history lessons” of the Sanpete County region, complete with stories and anecdotes told by people residing in the area. The tour allows people to listen as they explore and pass through the region in their vehicles. The package also included a written guide with maps, photos, illustrations and text featuring local residents and attractions . The collection of cassette recordings donated to the library include interviews with local residents Victor Rasmussen, Helen Dyreng, Senator Leonard Blackham, Mack and Ora Morley and Virginia Nielson, to name just a few. There are also recordings of performances by Dee Blackburn, Aden “V” Johnson, Joe Frishknecht, Hilmar Peterson, Nyra Nielson and others. Transcriptions of many of the tape-recorded interviews are also being donated. “These recordings will provide a unique resource for those researching local history for years to come,” says Carol Edison, folks arts coordinator for the Utah Arts Council. “The Utah Arts Council and the Sanpete Heritage Council are delighted for them to be housed in Mt. Pleasant’s fine library. We encourage anyone interested in learning more about Sanpete Valley and its people to listen to the tapes and learn from some of the people who’ve helped create that history.” The tapes are also available for purchase at tourist centers and museums throughout the area, including the Fairview Museum, Mt. Pleasant City and Ephraim Co-op. The 90-minute program is available on two tapes or compact discs. For more information about the Folk Arts Program of the Utah Arts Council and it’s programs to document and present traditional Utah arts and culture, visit www.http://arts.utah.gov/folkarts or call 801-533-5760. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
Drive-In Is Longtime Hometown Favorite – Press Release 10/27/2004
| DATE 10/27/2004 7:15 AM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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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. Drive-In Is Longtime Hometown Favorite |
| It is been an icon in Mt. Pleasant for more than five decades. For many, its name is synonymous with fun, good times and comfort food. We’re talking, of course, about Rodgers Dairy Freeze.It has proudly stood on Main Street and U.S. Highway 89 for 50 years, selling ice cream, hamburgers, French fries, onion rings, and even salads and pasta to locals and visitors alike.
Over the years, it has seen many owners, most recently Rodger and Jenni Johansen, but its mainstay has remained the same: good times, good food and a helping hometown goodness on the side. The Dairy Freeze is a little lesson in local history itself. The L.U. Mumford family, who built the Dairy Freeze, served a prominent resident from Moroni who was the bishop of the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ward, so the story goes. He ordered a sweet combination of ingredients that included pineapple, strawberry, chocolate so often that it became known as the Bishop Shake. It is still on the menu, along with about a dozen other combinations and flavors. The Johansen say they keep people coming back by changing the menu often, trying out new things and giving their customers a chance to have their say. They also try to make their business part of the community, even offering free shakes to anyone willing to donate historical photos of Mt. Pleasant or Sanpete County. # # # |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
FOR SALE: ONE HISTORICAL UTAH TOWN, $1 PER PERSON” – Press Release 10/23/2004
| DATE 10/23/2004 7:00 AM |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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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. FOR SALE: ONE HISTORICAL UTAH TOWN, $1 PER PERSON” |
| Kelly Taylor is practically giving away a historical Utah town.For $1 per member, families can purchase 1.1 acres of land to build a home or cabin. The only requirements are buyers must be descendants of one of the town’s original settlers and agree to document their entire family history.
“If there are 10,000 people in a family line, fine, each family member can each pay their $1 when they want to, there are no upfront requirements,” says Taylor. “But they have to trace their ancestry for us, starting with the youngest newborn baby and going back to the original pioneer who lived in the town. Right now, we are working with one family who has traced their roots back to a settler who was a polygamist, and there are 1,000 descendants from him.” Taylor and his 90-year-old father, Vance, own 88 acres of land in Wayne County that was once known as the town of Giles or the Old Blue Valley. They bought the land, located in southeastern Utah near the Fremont River and east of Capitol Reef Park, in 1971 but never developed it. A few years ago, they considered selling it for use as a feedlot. “The minute we offered it, it started wearing on my mind. I kept asking myself “is this the best use for this old historical town, turning it into a cow pasture?”” Taylor says. He and his father decided a better idea was to give the town back to the original inhabitants, so to speak. “So we started talking with the county about restoring it, and they bought into the idea right away,” Taylor says. The town of Giles was created in1880, set up by Mormon settlers to produce cotton, sorghum and silkworms. “It was intended to grow things that couldn’t be grown anywhere else in the state except maybe in Dixie,” Taylor says. The town was named after its first bishop and county commissioner, Henry Giles, who died not long after its settlement. Between about 1880 and 1910, more than 90 different families lived in the town. “It was the biggest town in Wayne County, next to Loa,” Taylor says. “During that time, about 1,200 acres of land was cultivated and farmed, using a lengthy and intricate ditch system that diverted water from up the Fremont River.” But the area was plagued by flooding, and in 1910, there was such a severe flood that all of the residents had to flee. “They walked away with nothing. Some of them had been there 30 years. Many of them couldn’t even get their team of horses or anything from their homes, the flood took every bit of it and rolled it down into the Grand Canyon,” Taylor says. According to local history, the town’s bishop at the time stood on the highest hill and proclaimed that what people saw and experienced that day would never be believed, Taylor says. “Entire homes, whole orchards and herds of livestock were floating by, going down the river. It was just devastating. Everyone was released from their mission and told to find new lives and new places.” All that is now left of the town is the outline of rock foundations where homes once stood, along with some chimneys and the fragments of a church. “But all of the adobe bricks that the houses were made out of have long since decayed, it’s just a pile of rubble at the foot of the wall” Taylor says. He has been gathering personal histories and old photographs of the town, which he plans to publish on a web site. “I’m interviewing different people every week. I sit down with them, pick their brain and put on a tape and let them talk.” He even has a photo of the old church with about 40 people standing out in front of it. “This area is just rich in Mormon history,” he says. He also holds reunions at the town’s site twice a year, on Memorial Day and Labor Day. In preparation for selling plots of land to descendants for $1 per person, Taylor has divided the town into its original 1.1 acre sections. “It isn’t about money to us. We want people to build on the lot, but with materials that authentic to the era, and collect old farm pieces — anything that will make it look like it did back then. I hope that families come here and plant a whole variety of plants and trees and gardens, varieties that the settlers were sent here to grow,” Taylor says. He is also hoping to locate and move old buildings and cabins from other areas of the state into the town. “No way am I putting anything in there made of new lumber. We want people to put forth a real effort and help us restore the area to the way it once was.” If you have questions or information for Kelly Taylor, he may be reached at his St. George home at (435) 656-0252. ### |
| 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 |
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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 SPRING CITY 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 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 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 MORONI |
| For more information Contact:Monte Bona Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council (435) 462-2502 |
