Tag Archives: Mt. Pleasant

The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area Has 4 Best Main Streets

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!

Which Main Streets did I miss? Share your favorite in the comments.

PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND THE MORMONS SHARE A RICH HISTORY

Bryon C. Andreason author of Looking For Lincoln in Illinois series has a new addition to his collection with his newly published book, Looking For Lincoln In Illinois; Lincoln And Mormon Country .  This new book introduces the rich history of the early Mormon leaders and Abraham Lincoln.  This edition contains over thirty amazing stories that connect President Lincoln with the Mormon community and members.

Lincoln and Mormon Country by Bryon C. Andreasen
Lincoln and Mormon Country by Bryon C. Andreasen

It is an honor for the Mormons and the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area to be recognized by the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition and the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area with the publication of Andreason’s latest addition to his popular series.

Andreason amply tells of the great generation of the nineteenth century pioneers and of the Latter-day Saints,  in Nauvoo to the state capital of Springfield.  Included in this publication are maps, historic photos, Mormon expeditions, descriptive battles, interesting events of his travels, the now famous inns in which Lincoln visited.   Also included in the edition are Brigham Young and various Mormon apostles of the time.
The book also includes colorful and engaging looks at key figures such as Brigham Young, various Mormon apostles, and more. Anyone inspired by Lincoln, as well as Mormon and Illinois history enthusiasts, will appreciate this look back at a long-past, but not forgotten, landscape.

 

Those with any interest in the history of the nineteenth century history, Abraham Lincoln, and Mormon history will sure be pleased with his latest publication.

Legends, Lore, & True Tales in Mormon Country Edited by Monte Bona
Legends, Lore, & True Tales in Mormon Country Edited by Monte Bona

There is another interest that the Looking For Lincoln and the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area have in common, it is the recently published book Legends, Lore& True Tales In Mormon Country.  This insightful book was edited by Monte Bona, Director of the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area.

It contains contributions from authors Christian Probasco, Steven J. Clark, Eileen Hallet Stone, James Nelson, Jack C. Billings, Ed Meyer, Jack Monnet, Jason Friedman, and Shirley Bahlmann. These gifted authors have brought to life the exciting life and times in the Mormon Country.

Interesting and beloved stories of Brigham Young, Hiram Bebee, Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid, Maude Adams, Chief Walkara, Chief Black Hawk , and Zane Grey’s ghost and numerous other stories. This book is a wonderful addition to your library, our family truly enjoys learning between myth or fact in our new home.

These books are a great Christmas gift for all that have an interest in the Mormon Country, and in President Abraham Lincoln.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mt. Pleasant Hub City Days 4th of July 2015

Each year Mt. Pleasant hosts the Hub City Days in the Little Denmark District.  The events surrounding the 4th of July attract around 10,000 spectators in a small rural setting of 2,700 residents.

Flag in the 4th of July '15 parade
Photo Courtesy of Randy Wootton

The presentation of the flag brings everyone to their feet.

Mayor David Blackham driving vintage Ford tractor pulling the City Council Members in the 4th of July Parade
Mayor David Blackham driving vintage Ford tractor pulling the City Council Members in the 4th of July Parade. Photo Courtesy of Randy Wootton

This year the citizens were treated with the Mt. Pleasant Mayor, David Blackman driving his vintage 1949 Ford Tractor pulling the City Council Members.  There of course, is candy a plenty thrown from the various floats to the crowd.

To kick off the festivities, the PRCA, Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association sponsors a rodeo on the 3rd and 4th of July.   The city of Mt. Pleasant hosts a Rodeo Fun Night

—Games on Horseback at Mt Pleasant Rodeo – Free admission for a variety of games for children and adults to enjoy on the 2nd of July.  Here you will get in the spirit of the cowboy life in Sanpete County with horse games, calf pull, stick horse races, hide races, barrel riding, and musical tires on horse back.  The video clips of the festivities courtesy of Randy Wootton.

On the 4th of July the day starts Breakfast in the Park Cancer Fun Run: $5—Free t-shirts. Tennis Tournament—High School Tennis courts. Doubles & singles  Book Sale, chess & checkers on Library Lawn. Children’s Parade—Mammoth Parade—Mt. Pleasant City Park: Entertainment, Craft/Food Booths all day  Free games, prizes & wagon rides in park by Youth City Council “Best Pie in Mt. Pleasant” contest—$100 prize—. Hub City Rodeo—Mt. Pleasant Rodeo Arena (Mutton Bustin’).   This year, there were 90 entries for the parade.  Following the rodeo fireworks in the park.

2015-Hub-City-Days-Rodeo-194x300

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Mountain Man Rendezvous is in the city park with muzzle loader shoot-outs, exhibits, trading, displays, candy cannon explosions, tomahawk and knife throwing contests, frying pan tossing, dutch oven cook off, kids games, native American dancers, historical reenactments and more. Participants camp out in authentic teepees and wall tents during the three day event. Spectators are always welcome.

 

Candy Bomber Will Highlight Mt Pleasant Fly-In

DATE 06/21/2007 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.

Candy Bomber Will Highlight Mt Pleasant Fly-In.

Gail Halverson, renowned as the Berlin Candy Bomber, will be the guest speaker at the Mt. Pleasant Fly-In. He will speak at the Mt. Pleasant Airport at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 22nd.

Col. Halverson was an Air Force Lieutenant in 1948-49 when he was touched by the friendliness and excitement of the children of Berlin. He decided to do something special for them and dubbed his effort “Operation Little Vittles”. He gathered all of the candy he could find and attached it to miniature parachutes. His pilot buddies joined the effort with candy, gum and handkerchiefs, and the candy bombing

began. The American Confectioners Association came aboard and sent tons of candy and gum to Westover AFB for processing. Lt. Halverson received additional troop support when 22 schools in Chicopee, MA converted an old fire station into a Little Vittles Headquarters. They made parachutes and tied on candy and gum. The final product was shipped to Halverson at Rhine Main AFB.

By January, 1949, more than 250,000 parachutes loaded with candy had been dropped on Berlin by Lt. Halverson and his fellow pilots to reach over 100,000 children who were in Berlin during the Russian Blockade. Col. Halverson received the Cheney Award in 1948″ for an act of valor, extreme fortitude, or self-sacrifice in a humanitarian interest.”

Col. Halverson’s appearance at the Fly-In is part of a two day event that will feature morning and evening RC Aerobatic Shows on Friday, June 22nd. A fund raising breakfast for a Haitian orphanage will be held on Saturday morning, June 23rd, at 7:30 a.m.

From 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., on Saturday, children (8-17) will be given free airplane rides (as recourses allow).

Helicopter rides ($25 per person) will be open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, along with activities for children, including the candy parachute drop at noon.

The Fly-In is part of an on-going effort by David Fullmer, the volunteer manager of Mt. Pleasant’s airport. Fullmer is a recreational pilot who has big plans for Mt. Pleasant’s little airport. The Fly-In is part of a ten year effort by Fullmer to cater to those who fly for pleasure. His goal is to entice pilots to visit Sanpete County for an afternoon, a day or even longer.

“Mt. Pleasant’s Airport is unique among rural airports because it’s so close to town, ” says Fullmer. Most rural airports are miles away from the nearest town, making it difficult for pilots to access services such as restaurants or motels. “But our airport is only about a half a mile from the edge of town. It gives us a lot of options.” He adds that there are countless other attractions in the area that add to the appeal factor: fishing, miles of high mountain trails for 4-wheeling, mountain biking and hiking, rock climbing at Maple Canyon and snowmobiling and snow kiting in the winter.

“Once the airport becomes known in the pilot community in Utah and the Intermountain West as a place that caters to recreational pilots and as a center point for a great place to visit, all kinds of things can happen”.

For more information about the Fly-In or the Mt. Pleasant Airport, contact Fullmer at 435-427-9131

Information about the Fly-In is available online at www.sanpeteflyin.org. Fullmer may be reached via email at tpjr@cut.net.


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For more information Contact:

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

‘Honest Apple’ Day Oct. 21 Event Celebrates Heritage Fruit, Includes Contests, Fun

DATE 09/25/2006 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.

‘Honest Apple’ Day Oct. 21
Event celebrates heritage fruit, includes contests, fun

Sanpete County’s Native Wines will once again pay homage to one of its favorite ingredients during the 7th annual Honest Apple day Saturday, Oct. 21.

Numerous kinds of heirloom apples will be available for sampling, along with homemade apple pies, apple cider, apple butter and apple wine. There will also be a witch contest, poetry, musical performances, wine and cheese testing’s, an apple pie contest and more.

The fall event has become an annual tradition of Native Wines, a Mt. Pleasant company owned by Bob Sorenson and Winnie Wood. Located in a historic building at 72 South 500 West near downtown Mt. Pleasant, Native Wines is renowned for making unfiltered wine. Sorenson and Wood use fruits that are picked from wild trees and shrubs in the mountains and valleys of central Utah in their products, including apples.

Honest Apple Days runs from noon to 6 p.m at Native Wines. The festivities get underway with the symbolic “splitting of the apple” at 12 p.m by Jeffrey Berke, the event’s “highly distinguished poet laureate.” Mark Cantor will be master of ceremonies for the day.

There will be an “Ugliest Witch in the West” contest, with cash prizes being awarded for both children and adults. People may sign up for the contest at Country Squire, 74 W. Main Street in Mt. Pleasant.

The “World’s Best Apple Pie” contest will be held in the afternoon, with more than $200 in cash prizes to be awarded. Pies must be entered by 3 p.m. for judging. Other Honest Apple events include the “Crowning of the New Princess Pomona” and Live Irish Folk Music featuring “Last Night’s Fun.”

Apple goods of all kinds will be available for sampling and purchase throughout the day, and the owners of the local restaurant, Loose Caboose, will also be on hand selling refreshments. Some of the varieties of apples that will be available that day include Fameuse, Pinora, Samsou, Wolf River, Cinnamon Spice, Cameo, Goldrush, Goldblush, Hawaii, Winesap Wagner, and Ozark Gold.

For more information on Honest Apple Day, phone Native Wines at (435) 462-9261. Information is also available online at http://www.nativewines.net

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For more information Contact:

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

Rhubarb Festival Celebrates 7th Anniversary

DATE 05/05/2006 2:15 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.

Rhubarb Festival Celebrates 7th Anniversary

Seven years ago, Winnie Wood and Bob Sorenson dreamed up the idea of hosting a thematic celebration that would bring people to Native Wines, the winery they started in the small town of Mt. Pleasant, and to other attractions in Sanpete County.

The chosen theme? The ubiquitous rhubarb.

OK, so the common garden plant is used in making all kinds of food products ranging from pies and bread to jams, jellies and ice cream sauce. Bob and Winnie, who make wines from native fruits and plants, also use rhubarb in some of their products. But does that warrant holding an annual celebration to honor the rhubarb plant?

Winnie and Bob thought so. They even came up with some funky events for the special day: a rhubarb pie-eating contest, unique foods made from rhubarb, wine-and-cheese tasting, an ugly truck contest, and even crowning someone “the rhubarb queen.”

Thus, the Sanpete Rhubarb Festival was born. Now in its seventh year, it’s a smashing success, attracting people from all over the state to Mt. Pleasant City and Sanpete County.

The local Mt. Pleasant company Peel Furniture Works, which crafts heirloom quality replicas of early Utah pioneer furniture, came on board in recent years as a sponsor, and has added its own special twist to the celebrations. In addition, for the past few years the festival has also included a soap box derby, one of the few remaining in the state, to help bring the once-popular races back to the streets of Mt. Pleasant.

This year’s Sanpete Rhubarb Festival is set for May 13 from noon to 6 p.m. at Native Wines, 72 S. 500 West, and at Peel Furniture Works, 565 W. Main Street. It will include a lot of interesting things to eat and drink made from the plant, including ice cream, soda pop, salsa, syrup, pies and pickles, as well as musical performances, vendors, sidewalk sales and more.

The celebration begins with the Ugly Truck Contest and Parade at noon. Ugly trucks from all over the region enter the parade, which runs down Mt. Pleasant’s Main Street. The only stipulation is that the truck must run.

The parade will also include “The Rhubarb Royalty” float. The Royalty include a “Queen of Rhubarb,” a “Defender of the Rhubarb” and “The Rhubarb Maiden.” The royalty also preside over events such as the pie eating and raw rhubarb eating contests.

There will be live music following the parade, including “old-time cowboy music” at Peel Furniture Works, as well as heritage craft demonstrations, food, contests and more until 5 p.m.

Native Wines will also be releasing the rhubarb wine made in 2004 and will be open for wine and cheese tasting from noon to 9 p.m. At 3 p.m., judging for the “best rhubarb pie in the world” begins and at 4 p.m. a raw rhubarb eating contest. An awards ceremony for all the day’s contests will be held at 5 p.m.

The soap box derby will begin after the noon parade, hosted by local resident John McClellan and Mt. Pleasant City. Soap Box Derby races used to be a popular event in Sanpete County, with a lot of local residents taking part as children. Nationally, races have grown in sophistication over the years, but Sanpete County’s races remain true to the original “anything goes” soap box derby philosophy. Cars can be made of any material, including plastic, wood, metal. They should be about six to seven feet long and about three feet wide. Drivers should range in age from about eight to 16 years. For additional information on the derby, contact McClellan at (435) 462-3808 or Mt. Pleasant City at (435) 462-2456.

For more information on the festival, call Native Wines at (435) 462-9261 or Dale Peel at (435) 462-2887.

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For more information Contact:

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

Plans for Equestrian Center Unfolding

DATE 02/10/2006 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.

Plans for Equestrian Center Unfolding

Mt. Pleasant Main Street Committee, in coordination with Sanpete County Economic Development and Kevin Christensen, director of the county’s Travel and Heritage Council, has unfolded plans for the development of an equestrian center that will serve all of the county.

The proposal, which was presented by the equestrian center committee at a Mt. Pleasant Main Street Committee this week, will be presented to the Mt. Pleasant Redevelopment Agency (RDA) Board on Tuesday, Feb. 14 2006.

“The centre will be a great asset for Mt. Pleasant City and Sanpete County,” Christensen said. “It has the potential to bring hundreds of visitors to various events sponsored by the community and to local clubs. The new complex will also provide stall space for lease. Riders will have the ability to escape cold weather during the winter, and during the summer months, they can head to the nearby mountain trails and experience the beauty of the Manti-La Sal National Forest.”

The equestrian center will be located on 55 acres of land on the north side of the Mt. Pleasant industrial park. Plans call for an indoor arena, two outdoor arenas, covered stalls, trailer parking, RV parking, a multi-purpose building with showers, a play area, tent area, and, possibly, a swimming pool. The adjacent airport, which focuses on recreational flying, will add another important dimension for tourism plan.

“This project, which will be developed in phases, will make an outstanding contribution to the economy of Mt. Pleasant and Sanpete County,” says Monte Bona, a member of the Main Street committee and Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council. The center’s development is part of an ongoing campaign by the heritage council to promote outdoor recreation throughout the region.

“Horse enthusiasts along the Wasatch Front need a place where they can participate in arena activities, as well as take advantage of the outstanding horse trails in a beautiful mountain terrain. Local trainers, clubs, schools and horse owners will be proud to host activities and invite fellow enthusiasts to visit the equestrian center in the Sanpete Valley.”

Bona says the Sanpete County region currently has more horses than it did back in the days when the animals were the main source of transportation, and horse enthusiasts are looking to construct a facility that would let them exercise, train and hold horse-related events and activities year round. In addition to horse enthusiasts and local business owners, Bona adds that all of the county could see direct and indirect effects from an indoor arena.

Benefits would range from bringing more tourists into the region to filling up hotels and motels, to expanding educational offerings for people inside and outside the community.

“We are continually looking for new opportunities that will allow Sanpete County to promote its many historical and recreational offerings,” Bona says. “This facility would complement the many other attractions we currently have.”

The center will also tie into a equestrian program at Mt. Pleasant’s Wasatch Academy. The Century-old private boarding school will be a major player in the project. Vern Fisher, Wasatch Academy’s director of development, is coordinating the Center for the school. “This is a wonderful opportunity for Wasatch and for the communities of Sanpete County,” he says, adding that the school’s growing equestrian program will link with the Center. Betsy and Pat Page, who direct Wasatch’s equestrian program, will also serve on the center committee with Fisher.

Kevin Stallings, who is heading the center committee, praised the effort and the expertise each of the committee members brings to the project. Other committee members are: Jared Nicholson, Ernie Booth, Dean Daniels, Juanita and Keith Ranch, Wanda Terry and Robert Olson.

Architect George Olson, who is located in Mt. Pleasant’s old caboose in the Railroad Depot Heritage Village, has prepared the design work on a volunteer basis. He has designed many other major recreational projects and will be crucial to the Center’s development.

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For more information Contact:

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

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