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!
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