We have found a cheap but exciting way to have fun in Nephi, Utah

I attended baseball games in Nephi, Utah last night and tonight, and had a great time, and it seemed like all of the kids playing and their families did as well. It didn't cost a dime either. The first photo is of McCord Jones; the second is he and the team and the third his McCord with an RBI and you can see him heading to first and the kid coming in home. The last photo is of Gentry Jones's team winning the championship tonight for his age group. Nephi City does a great job keeping this long standing tradition of going out to the ball game as good entertainment and tonight's game was a nail biter with great kids and spectators.

Alma Jones of Nephi, Utah passed away 32 years ago today.

Alma Coyn Jones of Nephi, Utah, USA passed away 32 years ago today. In tribute to him, I thought it was fitting to go through the contents of another one of his "cigar boxes". In the old west, cowboys carried their good stuff in leather sachets placed in saddle bags. When cigar smoking arrived in Juab County, the empty boxes became an excellent source to "keep stuff", as my father did. Some boxes were for nails or papers, but the contents of this one were....well...interesting! If such a box were discovered in this present day of violence, national security operatives may have been called. But no fear, these are the contents of a decent and noble man who passed away at age 81, leaving behind several cigar boxes of "good stuff". In this 5 cent cigar box, he had shotgun shells; World War I Ammo; medication from Nephi Drug; an unsharpened FFA pencil; sheep tag; mason's pencil; honorary FFA member pin; boondoggle; the mouthpiece from the family clarinet(I assume he hid it as none of his five kids played it very well); his wristwatch; a bar of soap that floats; a marble, but the most prized possession was his firecrackers. Alma liked to always have a supply on hand to light one behind some body when they were least expecting it. Thanks Dad for your guidance and entertainment, back then and now.

The place to be for a fourth of July celebration is in Nephi, Utah.

If you are coming to Nephi for the Fourth of July celebration, here is a little side information about the log cabin in the Southeast corner of the Nephi City Park(it used to be called "Pioneer Park"). Some folks think it was used by pioneers, but actually built in 1934 by the Juab County Daughters of Utah Pioneers as a memorial to those early settlers. Although there was some cost involved, most of the work and materials was donated by locals to pay tribute to the noble pioneers of Juab County, Utah. Now the rest of the story, at least my side of it. The logs used to construct that log cabin were taken from the forest area north of Devil's Kitchen on the Nebo Loop Road. Evan Harris had a sawmill there and volunteered to bring the logs down with a team of horses. His contribution may have been his last act of nobleness as he died at his home in July, 1934, the home being located next to the creek, where the second Juab County Jail is now located. The photo is taken from the Alice P. McCune book of The History of Juab County, and her note to The Times News is taken from Vol. 24, No. 33 of August 16, 1934. I hoped to place the entire contents of the paper here,  but it was a large paper, being 15 1/2 inches wide and 11 inches tall. We also included a photo of Evan Harris, as well as his official license and badge to show he was given a license to "operate an outfit for the threshing of grain in the State of Utah During the year 1918". It was given the stamp of approval by some guy in Washington named Hoover. In addition to the DUP honoring Mr. Harris, we included a copy of a speech about Dad's composed by his daughter in 1931.

This is a short history lesson about trains in "Little Chicago" or Nephi, Utah of 130 years ago.

If you are coming to Nephi, Utah for the Ute Stampede Rodeo, you will undoubtedly hear the train going through Nephi with it's loud whistle. It is a few octaves higher than the first train that came to town on May 3, 1879. Back then, Nephi became known as "Little Chicago" as there was enormous activity around the depot, which was on First South and three blocks down from Main. That street was commonly called "Depot Street" and lined with business' such as "Co-Op Furniture; J.W. Summerhays Wool; Livery Stable; Booth and Broadhead Harness and Saddles, then Harris Blacksmith shop and in 1888 it was Cooper and Pyper, with all of those names being popular pioneer names. You can't get to the rodeo grounds on that street anymore, but we wanted to see if we could find the Depot that was built there and still used when I was a kid. Prior to 1879, the trains from up north only came to Santaquin hill, or what us old folks call "by Doc Steele's place". In those days it was a settlement referred to as "York", as Nephi freighters had to drive their teams up there to get loads for anything south. We have three photo copies of trains from those days, taken from the history book called "They Left A Record" and information from Alice P. McCune's book of the History of Juab County. Yesterday, we interviewed a Union Pacific employee where the Depot used to be, trying to find the exact spot in the second photo. We had to rely on this writer's recollection when the U.P guy responded with "Your guess is as good as mine". After a preliminary investigation, four of the Nephi Jones Boys believe we found the Depot with the only thing remaining being the heavy timber dock area. We then traveled up "Track Street" to try to match the area where the last photo was taken, which was of the Sanpete Valley Railroad. That was built in 1880, to haul coal from the mines of Wales in Sanpete County, to the main track built the year before in Nephi. We took a photo of the area we think where the original photo was taken, as it is right across the street from where the "Central School" used to be. That also became Nephi High. Our photo matches the home still standing across the street by the Veterans Memorial.

Let's stroll back in time a little....it is Nephi, Utah on March 1, 1899 and there is a wild party going on.

March of 1899 was quite the year for America. President McKinley named Mt. Rainer as a new National Park; a new over the counter drug was invented called "Aspirin" and George Dewey is named the first Admiral of the Navy. Utah Mormons were still mourning the lost of their leader-Brigham Young, who had died 22 years before, and the Tintic area of Juab County became the 3rd largest mining district in this brand new State called Utah. If you didn't understand what a football was, you were about to find out, as in that year, the University of Utah won two of its three games on Walker Field in Salt Lake, with both victories over the 9th Calvary. Nephi's A.W. McCune was trying to be a United States Senator, but the most important thing going on in Nephi was the "Old Folks" party. Yup, that is what they called them back then. It was to honor the Seniors of that day. It was held in the basement of the old North Ward LDS Chapel, which was built in 1891 and tore down in 1973. We have taken a photo copy of the outside of that chapel as well as in the inside, both from the history book called "They Left A Record". As I stumbled across a ribbon from that occasion, I thought I ought to seek out a "Young Folk" to make sure of what I had heard was correct. I talked to 100 year old Ellen Garrett, who gave me the low down of what took place at such parties. She said after she married Joe Garrett, she was too young to know better and roped in to the committee to help round up people and assign tasks for the yearly party. Joe enjoyed helping to transport the 200 or so that attended the gatherings. A bon-fire was built in the back where food was kept warm, then taken downstairs and eaten. In Ellens day, the party just got started after the vittles were consumed, as Joe's Dad-Rob Garrett was the caller for square dancing, and those "Old Folks" soon became young again and could do a Do Sa Do then Circle Left then an Allemande Right, but you had to be careful if you wanted to do the Promenade as that would need a Chaperone. While it was the older folks that was honored it was the younger ones that did the cooking and organizing, and all who attended wanted Joe Garrett to be their driver, as he could entertain as good as any.

It is hard to believe with temperatures of 100 degrees, but in a few months, it will be cold again.

In parts of Juab County, the day time temperature has been hanging around 100 degrees, but there will be a time when it will be as cold as hell!  Welcome to Utah. When it does get freezing again, we can always crank up the furnace, but it is nice to have a fireplace, just in case, where we can burn coal or wood and cook our meals. Some political folks think the wood burners are the only air polluters, but they don't like to talk about our vehicles, as they get lots of tax money from gas sales. Now where do we get the coal if things get bad. I went over to Nephi's Johnson Coal yard, but couldn't find the usual stack of coal in the back. We used to drive to the south of the home and find it in the back. Bring your own gunny sack! We then went up to Dwane Tidwell's place but it looks pretty scare there too and their name is nearly gone from the roof. Now is the time to start saving some of that old wood for the fireplace, and even save up not filling the landfill too.

Tracy Booth. Episode Two.

Tracy Booth approved of the blog information we submitted on what it was like to grow up in Nephi, Utah during the 1950's and 60's. He left out a couple things he wanted to add, and I forgot to add a most important shot of his license plate. As a kid, he remembered the sheep herds that came through Nephi on their way back and forth to the west desert. Some came down 7th North when there wasn't a golf course there, and another escape route was to the south in to what is now called "Sheep Lane". Tracy remembered the south part of Nephi walkways replaced by cement, but when they needed to have heavy snow cleaned off, the south was cleaned off by the father of Jim Parks(now Jim McWilliams) who was nicknamed Gunpowder Parks. He used a wooden sled pulled by two horses, followed by every barking stray dog in city limits. On the north side of Nephi, it was Jon(or John) Jackson, who lived about a half  block south of Raymond Jackson, and was either a brother or uncle to Ray and walked with a limp. He also used a horse and wooden sled. If you see the red hot Chevy with "Mt. Nebo" on it, you will know Tracy is back home. Yes, he does like to climb Mt. Nebo, having found a hidden note on the trail hid there many years ago by two of the Jones boys. Tracy also wanted to point out that "marrying that Jenkins girl from the 3rd ward next to the hollow was a real wise choice by me.(Hell, even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while)". As previously noted, Tracy Booth became "infamous" in scaring a teacher at Juab High in the 1960's, then became famous in his repeated words of wisdom in his letters to the editors of Salt Lake papers, and for graduating from Juab High School; Snow College then Weber State, then two tours of duty in Viet Nam with a Navy helicopter squadron. Yes, Tracy you are our true to life hero. We all take our hats off to you.

During the hundred years of the 20th century, who would you consider the most "famous" and "infamous" of Juab High graduates.

In asking myself the same question and after careful study of thousands of people that have been given diplomas at Nephi and Juab High School, there really is only one person that could qualify for  both titles. It is the one and the only Tracy Booth. A couple weeks ago, he contacted me to share his views of what it was like to grow up in Nephi, Utah in the 50's and sixties. What he has put down in three pages could not be covered by anybody else and so descriptive without describing the details. I asked him to give the exact details of what he did to a Juab High School teacher when he was in school, as the story continues to change. Tracy responded by "The more the story gets told, the better it gets. Pretty soon, it will be me that shot President Kennedy". Back then it was a prank which received the support of another teacher/coach, who gave Tracy a blank pistol for starting races and sent him down to scare a teacher with it. Needless to say, what he did couldn't be done in schools today, without a total shut down of everything. At each class reunion the story is retold, and now there are at least a hundred people who witnessed the "point blank" encounter, even though there was only about 25 desks in the classroom where the Juab County Recorder's office now is. Although other students thought Tracy was headed to Sing Sing or Alcatraz, some people knew his intelligence as he excelled in scholastic's; Seminary graduate; went to Boys State and played baseball. Come to find out he was not a "Clyde" looking for a "Bonnie", but found Joann Jenkins, who was the finest of the finest and grew up in the fine home of Elwood and Corine Jenkins. I had to make sure Tracy was still a good guy, so who else would tell me the truth more than his mother in law, and she confirmed he is a great man and one of the best salesmen there is for a construction supply company in Salt Lake. There should be a 1954 photo of the first three kids of the Jenkins family, showing Wayne, Elwood, Joann and Jim; a photo of teachers Tracy spoke of and high school graduation stuff.

An entry on Facebook asked if anybody recognized what an eight track was, so tthough I would show mine.

It is true, I have five eight track machines and a few hundred tapes and records. One just doesn't know when one will break, and once we get them all hooked up properly, we can put a whole herd of cowboys singing the same song, but at different pitches. Gene Audrey; Roy Rogers and Slim Whitman all singing "Back in the Saddle Again".  We also thought to include a photo of a real phone as somebody had never heard of such a thing. We don't even have to ask the operator to dial the number for us, we can do it ourselves.

The Ringley Brothers and Barum and Bailey Circus came to Nephi today...

Not only is this a true story, it is about as exclusive as it gets. The Circus came to Nephi on this day in history-June 14, 2016. All sixty four box cars pulled in to the Nephi area at approximately 2:40 P.M. As there was only three people to witness such an event, the train departed the area at 2:54 P.M. We are not sure exactly where they are heading, but the rumor mill at the water hole at Mills Junction reports they were full steam ahead, going to the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, starting on June 16th.

I hope the photos turn out, as we had fun waving to the circus folks and have them wave back. Indications are the 145 year history of this circus may be the only places to see wild animals(other than those Juab County workers on the road to Mills), so get your tickets.

Happy 72th Birthday to Weston Jones of Nephi, Utah

Yup, he has survived it this long. Here are a few photos from his past put together in a very happy hazard manner. First photo shows Dave Carter willing to give $20,000 reward to catch up to Weston and Ron Jones should get that amount, finding Wes in the west desert eating watercress in a secret canyon. Although Weston Jones has shot a lot of deer over the years, the third photo is important as it is the only one he has actually cleaned himself, and he did a very poor job of it. His brothers refused and as a Fish and Game cop was pulling up, Wes had no choice to do it himself. Yes, Weston had his innocent days as shown in the next photo. We know, it is hard to believe isn't it. Then comes other memorabilia of his past including his family and his ass backwards siblings! Weston still works and enjoys life, but still longs to jump aboard a C-130 and do some last fly over maneuver's but not in the Far East anymore.

The McCune family and Nephi, Utah will always be connected.

In 1900, at the turn of the century, some of the most rich and influential names in America were J.P. Morgan; Wm. Randolph Hearst and Vanderbilt. However, the history books fail to include the millionaire and influential Nephi, Utah man called Alfred Wm. McCune, who became rich and famous at twenty-one. He contracted to build portions of the Utah Southern Railroad, then owned mines in Utah, Montana, British Columbia and Peru. He was born to Matthew McCune while his father was in the British Army, being stationed in Calcutta, India, which was then a part of the British Empire. While in India, Alfred and his wife Elizabeth joined the LDS religion in 1857, and came to Utah to join other new converts. They were first directed to Farmington, then settled in Nephi, Utah. I wasn't sure why I had so many McCune documents until I found a marriage between a Jones and McCune which occurred during pioneer times. Sena Jones married Thomas McCune and  we found a letter from August, 1902, showing Thomas McCune "took a large herd of sheep to Trinidad, Colorado to sell them for .50 cents a head in 1898". After Alfred McCune made a few million, he built the "McCune Mansion" near Capitol Hill in Salt Lake, and lived there until 1920. Although his wife was active in the LDS Church, Alfred was more of a giver of money, then church attender. As such, he donated his mansion to the LDS church, with the hope that LDS President-Heber J. Grant would live there. President Grant thought that was a little too much, so the church turned it in to the "McCune School of Music". Through the years it has been with different owners and used as the Salt Lake Center for BYU; Cultural Center; Dance School, and I recall going there for a wedding reception, and couldn't resist exploring each of the rooms of that palace. Alfred's wife was well known throughout the world; active in women's rights issues in 1899; entertained by Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle, then held high ranking positions in the LDS church. To my knowledge the first history book about Juab County was written by Alice Paxman McCune, and she supplemented her documents by interviewing some of the elderly people throughout Juab County including my grandfather. One of our photos should be of her home, which is now surrounded by foliage. In the 1950's, she had a beautifully kept rose garden on the west side of her home. It was there, she taught this lad how to pluck weeds from that garden without removing the soil. Her son was James P. McCune and his home was up and around the corner and the present owner keeps it as manicured as it was when Jim lived there, building it similar to the southern mansions where his wife was from. Other McCune business ventures included the Bailey-McCune store, which was on main street and visible with the photo taken from the Post Office steps of years ago. Early McCune's operated the McCune-Read ranch at Mills, and at times there was 30 ranch hands working with cattle, sheep and horses and Sena Jones McCune often cooking one mutton a day for their grub. If you go to the Nephi City Cemetery, in the northwest corner, you will see several two foot stone sentinels which surround and watch over the 44 McCune's graves, which include Church leaders;Doctors; Attorneys, Judges and military titles of Corporals; Captain's, Majors, and Colonels. Although there may not be the name of McCune in the Nephi or Mills phone book, the McCune's and Juab County are still one for all and all for one. And if you know the Juab High School song, you now know the words were written by James P. McCune, and the music by Alice P. McCune.