JUAB COUNTY FAIR-1930 STYLE

The Juab County Fair is being held in August, and to get us in that rural mood that is bright like the sun coming over Nebo, or soft as a sunset on Redcliff's, we encourage all to exam the Fair booklet entitled "GOAT" which stands for Greatest Of All Time". Be an attendant and gaze at the events, or be a participate and see the wide variety of displays you can put in. Today, we print parts of the program from the 1930 Fair. As we only have one page to put our information on, we are only showing a few of the business' that contributed to the Fair, thus not relying on the taxpayer dollar to foot the bill. That is similar to this years Fair, so we honor those decades ago and this year. In 1930, Great Fair visitors came by car; horse and buggy, or the train station, which was near the Fairgrounds. Folks could catch a ride to the Goldsbrough for lodging or at the high class Forrest Hotel. Back then, the easy way to arrive was down Depot Street, as that is where a lot of busyness were located, including the Livery Stable where my Grandfather and his kids ran "Harris and Sons Livery". It is now difficult to get the Fairgrounds that way, as people didn't watch for the trains, so drive down Track Street. You may have to ask a local where that is. Some of us old timers recognize some of the names of Fair Contributors of 1930 and we thank them and the new ones. And the customers at The Toggery in 1930.we are sorry for what the horse did on the sidewalk coming out of The Tunnel Bar, and thanks J. Earl Reid for the clean up. It is good for your garden though, but not as good as Bovine or Turkey, but the smell could drive anybody to drink. By the way, the Tunnel was also used later as a cafe then a beauty parlor.

JUAB COUNTY FAIR IS YOUR "GOAT" FOR 2022

Yup, they gave it a good title. The annual Juab County Fair has been going strong for years, and this year will turn out to be a GOAT, which means Greatest Of All Time. That says a lot if you go back and look at all the Fairs in the history of Juab County. We were a County before we were a State. Not only it looks like it will be great in general Fair areas, but will include roping goats, so not sure if you cheer for the roper or the goat! Going through the Fair Book, it was quite easy to see that one heck of a lot of volunteer work goes in to this event, so wanted to make sure we paid tribute to all those dedicated to this event. Their Favorably Fair work is Fare Free. It has been occurring for many decades, and often times, it is a year round job, and many of the volunteers are seldom recognized. We do that today, and it is okay if you express your appreciation to those people, and to those that are making a great effort to get the blue ribbon. Congratulations to all and make sure you thank the food trucks for making a good lunch or soda and the EMT for being there to give you or your goat CPR!.

HAPPY HEAVENLY BIRTHDAY LAVON HARRIS JONES

In earth time, today is your 112th Birthday, but we are sure that Heaven time is much different than our time. And yes, as promised, your kids are still all fine and dandy, and today, four of your five kids got  together for steak, and Gary B. called us from Alaska, so we put it on speaker phone and all patrons of Sizzler went silent and since we are all old and deaf, they all paid us respect and listened to the Nephi Jones family dry wit with our Family Home Evening at Lunch Time. We will see you sooner than you think. Remember a couple days before before you passed through the Veil, you declared you were almost Home. I insisted you were at the home you have lived in most of your adult life, but you had enough strength in your Cancer ridden body to say something like "No-Home". I had thought you were talking of the home by Salt Creek where you were born or the one up below Oakey's your dad had the Sawmill. Nope, you declared "Our Real Home" and that is when I recognized you were talking about Heavens Home, where you would joined your father-Evan Harris and your mother-Eliza Hitesman Harris. I was then put at ease and hoped you felt the same, as I felt their presence. See you soon. We all love you Mom and you can reassure Justin that you didn't have big ears when the photo was taken, but they were "in" at the time, with Bows!. Gary's last words on the phone were "Happy Birthday Mom, We Know You Are With Us Now". How profound.

IF YOU LIKE RODEOS, WE HAVE ONE MORE AT JUAB COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS

 A lot more people are finding the true American sport is Rodeo's. It is one of those "Made in America" sort of things, and it is where we still honor God; the United States of America and like the Iditarod, it is a sport that shows competition and yet where each contestant hope the best for the other. We present a print of a photo from many years ago where it shows the Fairgrounds of yesteryear. We are guessing-but we think it is before 1935, when Juab County did a make over to start the Ute Stampede. We invite all of Utah to come to the Ranch Rodeo at the Juab County Fair. We can seat thousands and you will enjoy it with a thousand smiles, and enough space to sit, even for all of the nursing home residents around. Just don't park on the Railroad Tracks nearby. When "Big Boy" comes through town with 100 rail cars pushing it, your  brand new truck is going to get pushed all the way to Nortonville, as it takes time to stop a train. The folks gathered here in the Grandstand are the workers and their family who worked at the Plaster Mine up near the mouth of Salt Creek Canyon. Have fun.

LIFE IS MET TO BE HARD FOR ALL OF US. BE BITTER OR GET BETTER.

 

TODAY IS PIONEER DAY IN UTAH

175 years ago today, the first herd of Mormons arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Head Wagon Master was Brigham Young. Although many historians like to dance around the subject, he was one of Americas greatest colonizers that lead the good American Saints away from the bad Americans who unlawfully killed and drove them out of the points east of Utah. They were and remain different and as such, riots slaughtered and tortured them to leave. Once they arrived in Salt Lake, they were later followed by people that still don't like them and but come to Utah to drain their water away from the farms. Policitcans, various religious leaders and State Legislators are said to blame, or many people believe, just to make money by taking over their farms. The Pioneers only wanted the American Dream and intended to be self sufficient in the Desert. Back in Washington D.C. a United States President was said to be less concerned about Due Process or the Constitution, so he sent soldiers west to confront the non-conformist. Kinda makes me wonder if any President may send more soldiers to in prison us or take away our guns and water. The first photo depicts the struggle of the Pioneers coming west, and then upon their arrival, they soon found that they were also invaders on Indian land, as they were doing the same thing that the Mexicans were doing to Utah and find gold for Spain and Rome, taking it away from the Ancient Indians that were here. Mormons always wanted to feed the Indians rather than fight them, but the folks back east wanted to drive the Indians away to Education Encampments, almost like what Hitler did years ago with Jews. You make your own thoughts. How many Indians do you see in the second photo by Bev Doolittle? Study history, as it gives us knowledge of the past and may just tell of the injustices we will again enforce on others in political positions..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GARY B. JONES-A NEPHITE LIVING UNDER NORTHERN LIGHTS

Yup, today is the day GB Jones. It is your official day that you became an old man. The good thing is you are not as old as me or your brothers, so there is still hope you can make it. And hope you tell Gary Jr. what a lucky guy he is to have you enter in to his life as his Daddy. It is dang hot down here, sod me and Jaynette did some pulling weeds in our yards, but I am now inside and she is still grooming a horse in the back. On Moms BD, me, Jaynette, Hal and Weston and their wives are meeting in Provo for lunch. Wish you could appear, but that is a heck of a long trip you used to do all the time............when you were young. The one photo is the improper way to teach a lamb to follow us which included Justin, Kent and Gary Jones, with Alma or LaVon Jones taking the photo. Thanks for all you have done for your parents; siblings; nieces and nephews and the kids and race dogs of Alaska. The world and God knows the goodness you have brought to the world on earth.

DESERET NEWS SPECIAL EDITION OF JULY 24, 1947

Although Catholic Father Escalante and his European type Explorers/Invaders traveled through Utah in 1776, the first real white invaders or settlers were the Mormons on July 24, 1847. They came here in droves, as folks back in Illinois and Missouri didn't like or try to understand the Mormon ways, and thought "the only good Mormon was a dead Mormon". People of the LDS religion were murdered, tarred and feathered and brutally butchered and even a State Governor ordered their expulsion, so they headed west and although Brigham Young had already sent Scouts and explorers to the Salt Lake area, Brother Brigham arose from his ailments near Emigration Canyon and proclaimed "This Is The Place" or words to that affect. Some folks believe was in error, as the place to go was California and now those gold lovers are coming back to Utah as their forefathers must have been misguided way back when. At any hoot, we have an original Deseret News from the hundred year anniversary of the Founder's arrival and decided to put a few pages on our blog. One depicts the Mormons(we now call ourselves members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) being busy as a bee, and thus we are the Beehive State. Another photo depicts the long dresses that were in fashion and much longer than the mini-skirts of the 1960;s and still another page showing the building of the Salt Lake Temple and other structures. At the time, the LDS Church wanted to be self sustaining, so they grew mulberry trees so that silkworms could eat the leaves and make silk material; wool; winery(its true); vegetables; and just a heck of a lot of good work ethics that we don't find in our latter days. So take a gander and then go celebrate in your rural home town or at Days of 47; Fiesta Days in the Fork of the Spaniards; or Ogden. But Behave in the Beehive State, or Porter Rockwell may hunt you down as he did many others all the way to the Land of the Nephites, across the stream of the children of Moroni!

BLACKHAWK ENCAMPMENT WILL BE HERE IN AUGUST

That opening Title is kind of like today's major media. It is kind of the truth and kinda ain't. As we type this, we are looking at The Times News, the local paper in Nephi, Utah, when it was printed in 1935. There has always been rodeos in Utah since the Pioneers arrived in 1847. It started in a Cowboys back yard, then in Nephi organized to the "Turtle Rodeo" as everything moved so slow. Then came the Blackhawk Encampment which was a four day event tied in with our Homecoming. Utah Governor Blood was the guest speaker and the rodeo was put together much like the Ute Stampede is now, with a lot of volunteers. Before Cotton Rosser, the 100 head of wild animals were railroaded in by Colborn and Sorenson, and considered the largest rodeo in the world. The Chair of the Committee was P. L. Jones, who would later become the Nephi Mayor, and instrumental in binging the water and sewer system to town as well as our airport. The Encampment was to honor the Veterans of the Utah Indian Wars(named after Chief Blackhawk), but also to honor the peace we had with the Indians, and I recall the the Nephi Pioneer Park had a variety of tents, and Indians who were among those who danced their way through the parade of 69 floats. At the same time, Juab County was in the process of building new bleachers at the Fair Grounds to be used for horse races and the rodeo, rather than at the park. You can read all the local news of yesteryear, and if you still owe Earl Reid for your cowboy hat at the Toggery, he is willing to accept a bushel of wheat at ninety cents. Another good deal is getting a large head of lettuce at O.P Skaggs for one buffalo nickel. The parade featured Miss Nephi and The Blackhawk Queen, but I would pay two bits to see who the Goddess of Liberty was. In 1935, the oldest survivors of the Blackhawk War was Wm. A. C. Bryan and Nicoli Lund, both over a century old. If you get deadly hurt on a bucking bull, Anderson Funeral Phone was 168! 

HOW TO MAKE AN ANCIENT ARROW OR SPEAR

A few weeks ago, one of our history blog readers(Angella Condos) put an article on FB showing that Obsidian was 500 times more sharp that a steel blade, so I thought I would throw in my two bits worth and add to that fact. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to volunteer to assist the Anasazi State Park of Utah; Utah History Department; University of Utah and others to study the history of the Anasazi Indians, or what I have come to refer to as the "Ancient Ones". Depending on who you believe, there are a variety of opinions of what that term means including the Navajos that thought it was evil and forbidden to hike in the prehistoric area where the Anasazi hid their food and in cliff dwellings in the four corner area of Utah. The Anasazi lived there around three thousand years ago, and disappeared in about 1500. Some believe they modified themselves into Hopi or Pueblo culture, becoming basket weavers. Up by Nephi and Antelope Island, the digs we did there were of the Fremont culture. At any hoot, I wanted to show what a Prehistoric Indian dwelling looked like; the image demonstrated by Angie, then an arrowhead and the Black Obsidian rock I made it from. It took an entire day to make one good arrowhead. It takes patience and we used deer horns, just as the Ancient Ones did a few thousand years ago. The arrow itself is made of wild rose stocks that are stretched out in the sun and then we take the sinew from an animal and while it is still fresh, wrap it around the arrow. I used leather gloves as I am sure the ancient ones cut plenty of fingers, or were just better at it then I was. A buddy and I doing a hike, discovered a previously unknown area on the shores of ancient Lake Bonneville, where we found Black Obsidian, which is solidified hot lava from ancient volcanos of the past.

UTAH'S FOUNDERS DAY WILL BE CELEBRATED ON JULY 23, 2022

The Mormon Pioneers arrived in the Utah Territory on July 24, 1847. This year it is on a Sabbath day, so we will celebrate it on the day before which is a Saturday. Back then, Mormons helped the United States make it a US Territory including parts of Nevada and all the way to San Bernardino, California and the LDS folks still celebrate it there with parades and such. Brigham Young lead the entourage to Utah. He was a true leader and Colonizer and not dumb, He had access to the Lewis and Clark dairies' as well as when John C. Fremont explored the West; Father Escalante's notes of 1776 and information from Trappers that roamed this area, so advance people and Mormon Scouts were sent ahead to explore and Brother Brigham wanted settlements where ever a spring of water flowed. Mormons have always been interested in singing and music to cluster the mustard to push the handcarts and wagons forward. They learned good work ethics along the trail west. With Archeologists; Indian permission and the University of Wyoming, I was privileged to assist with  an archaeologic dig at Martins Cove where a lot of Handcart folks perished, but my great-great grandmother made it to Salt Lake, then Nephi. One of the item's we dug up was parts of a harmonica, which was proof they loved music to bolster their spirits. That is why Mormons like to sing and dance and upon their arrival, they established what was called the Promised Valley Playhouse, which went on for several years before it closed. Today, we will shed light on a program from 1974.

ED AND BRENDA NEWTON ARE THE GRAND MARSHALS OF MONA

Throughout life, we often see highways or buildings named after those that are elected to political offices, and seldom for their real dedication to their service for and to others. This is not the case in downtown Mona, Utah. Ed Newton and the former Brenda Pay have grow together for their love of family, our country and their Pioneer heritage. I know of no other couple that are more deserving of being hailed as the Grand Marshalls for the Mona Pioneer Day celebration this Saturday. If you are not from these parts, you don't have to be a Mormon or from Monas. to attend and enjoy this celebration of our Founders Day program. Ed was on the front lines of Viet Nam, and risked his own life to rescue his comrades in arms. He was instructed not to run in to the hail of bullets', but with no regards to his own wounds, he saved them. He was shot in the neck which pierced his back and give up for dead and placed in the truck with other thought to be dead soldiers. He was very much alive and fought through his unwelcome home to America that he loved. He is still a servant of the people of Mona. Ed and Brenda. All Hail To The Grand Marshalls.

TODAY IS THE DAY IN COWBOY TOWN, USA

It used to be a long travel to the Cow Place in California, or Madison Square Garden in New York, but  you need not spend that gas money anymore. The Heart of Utah's Juab County is the place to be for the next three nights where you can see some of the PRCA best in making money for their trip to the NFR in Vegas. Call to get your tickets or just show up and you will be treated by home town fans in the friendly City of Nephi for the Ute Stampede rodeo. This is the place to cheer for the bucking bull or the rider. They are all the cream of the crop. Get that second crop of hay in and you are set for the rodeo. It will be a hot one, but we have ice cold beverages and you can wander down and see the bucking horses and pick your favorite. Look for their brand. Four numbers which show the year they were born and the number assigned to that horse. And yes, you may even see one of the kin of the Garrett family, who have been a part of the rodeo including at least four generations. Say thanks to all the volunteers that put together the best family entertainment of the year. And watch the clowns and how they expertly save the lives using the same skill as a good cop-diversion tactics!

TOMORROW IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE UTE STAMPEDE. GET YOUR TICKETS

To me, the Ute Stampede coming to town is much like what the Deer Hunt used to be like when I was a kid, when their was a lot of big bucks around and they had winter feeding grounds before the people arrived to build their homes and business where deer survived. Todays program is from a few years ago, and we give praise to all of the volunteers who freely gave their time and energy to bring back the good times of yesteryear when we bucked hay just to save our nickels and dimes for the Carnival and watch rodeo. Come back home to home town fun.

WELCOME TOTHE UTE STAMPEDE

Todays program is 38 years old, but you will find this weekend's actions as thrilling as they were back then. And if you go down to the Fairgrounds today, you can see a real Carney at work, putting up on the fun slides and rides. But it is hotter than a pancake out there, so take so good Vitamin Water. In fact, take two and give the second one to a Carny or to one of the hard local workers that are putting the finishing touches on everything. We wanted to pay special thanks to all the local folks who put countless hours for this family entertainment. One of those great sponsor's that has been helping with the Stampede as well as the Third Ward Carnival has been the Garrett Honda Shop. It started with Rob and Erma Garrett; then Luck and Glade Sanders; Kirk, then Jeff. A special to them when everybody in Utah came to Nephi to purchase their Honda 50 and Kirk was about the only one the Japanese taught how to fix then. And thanks to Ed Rutherford  and Cotton Rosser, who at one time had the biggest rough stock herd in the world.

TODAY WE PRESENT A RELIEF SOCIETY PROGRAM FROM BYU.

 I normally save things related to the family since our Nephi arrival in 1852, but for Petes sake, I have no idea why I saved this, but will list it here so I don't feel guilty about throwing it away. Perhaps I was running to be the first man to be a Relief Society President.....I really don't know.