What faith he had, the Pioneer,
Who planted civilization here!
And how he wrought
And bravely fought
To chase the desert's frown away,
And make for us a better day!
What price he paid
That he might aid
Fair freedom and a home to win
And make a state worth living in.
We honor him,
Let nothing dim
The mem'ry of the Pioneer,
Unto the last we'll it dear!
(taken from Hilda's Scrapbook)
Friday, July 31, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE
(A fun walking tour of Main Street found amongst Hilda's Memorabilia)
Next stop is Mt. Pleasant City. As I step from the train, the first sign that meets my eye is "ROOMS 5 BLOCKS EAST 1 BLOCK NORTH". I am next attracted by a road sign that reads: "Fairview - 6 1/2 miles, Thistle - 37 1/2 miles, Provo - 57 miles, Price - 95 miles, Spring City - 5 miles, Ephraim - 15 1/2 miles, Manti- 23 miles, Gunnison - 38 miles. After sizing up the conveyances, I decided to walk up one side of the street and down the other. Between third and fourth west is a red BLACK SMITH SHOP sign with a sign PEARLESS, on the west side and LUCKY STRIKE TOBACCO on the east side. Nearly a block east we notice a blue sign advertising FIRESTONE on the west side of the building, with the sign BENT HANSEN AND COMPANY LUMBER in front. We pass the building painted yellow and two sign boards advertising DODGE BROTHERS and LUCKY STRIKE. As we pass the brick house surrounded by pines we see the sign SWEET CHOCOLATE. In front of the building is a painted sign SANPETE COUNTY COOP GENERAL MERCHANDISE. Next is the Mt. Pleasant Bank Building. On the front is painted 19BANK01. On the front of the LAMONT BUILDING upstairs are the following signs: A. SUNDWALL, M.D., and P.L. HOLMAN, SURGEON AND PHYSICIAN. In the east window, the sign reads W.D. TUELER, DENTIST. In the lower window is MRS. LAMONT MILLINERY and JAMES SQUIRE JEWELRY. Next we come to the GUNDERSON BLOCK. Next is the JAMES F. JENSEN building plainly labeled. Then we pass the CLEANING AND PRESSING and the MAYTAG SHOP. Next a frame building with a lot of CIRCUS posters; then the GOOD YEAR TIRES SERVICE STATION. On the corner of Main and 1st west is the MT. PLEASANT POST OFFICE and SEELY HINCKLEY GARAGE. and next is a BARBER SHOP. And now for a hot dog at REDI-QUICK LUNCH. Now the PYRAMID building, on the west side is the sign UTAH MEAT AND PRODUCE. The next building is the EQUITABLE building occupied by PROGRESS MERCANTILE CO. In the window upstairs is I.O.O.F. HALL. Now we are at SKAGGS', SAFEWAY. The WASATCH BLOCK comes next, L. A. PHILLIPS, DENTIST is located on the second floor, and J.C. PENNEY occupies the ground floor.
More than likely you have not observed the sign POST OFFICE and HENRY GEORGE CIGAR on the side of the building. The NORTH SANPETE BANK BUILDING which is built of stone with larger glass windows now greets the view. The next building we se is occupied by JOHANSEN BROTHERS and the COMPANMOUNTAIN STATES TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH Y upstairs. Now the next building we see is built of stone with large glass windows now greets the view. The building has a sign: PALACE PHARMACY near the top and is occupied by SLIM'S BARBER SHOP. The next building is labeled at the top LUNDBERG BLOCK. In the front on the ground floor is the sign, big enough for near-sighted people to see CONSOLIDATED WAGON AND MACHINE. Over the door is the sign JOHN DEER PLOWS.
My, we are hungry again and here we are at the CITY LUNCH ROOM. On the second floor is the sign, beginning to age DR. A. LUNDBERG, DENTIST. on the ground floor is the RECREATION HALL. Last year the CONSOLIDATED FURNITURE COMPANY built a fine new building, putting the name F. C. JENSEN on a marble plate in front. Over the sidewalk, facing west, is the sign FURNITURE, and facing east, HARDWARE. We won't forget the RED FRONT SHOE SHOP just east and in the old BANK BUILDING is the OPTICAL SHOP and CONFECTIONARY. At the intersection of Main and State is the Doughboy erected by the Service Star Legion in 1926. On the southwest corner of the next block is the sign, MADSEN AND LONGSDORF, and in the front window is the sign, S.D. LONGSDORF. On first east we come to the BISHOP'S STOREHOUSE. Opposite is the PUBLIC SCHOOL, ERECTED IN THE YEAR OF THE LORD 1896. We now turn west and on the opposite side of the street from the one we have just traveled. The next building is the CARNEGIE LIBRARY. Nest we know, although it is not labeled is the Pioneer Monument which was erected on the fiftieth anniversary of the coming of the pioneers in the year 1859.
Going west we pass JOHNSTON DRUG STORE. Two sign boards, advertising PEET GREENALDI SOAP and VELVET CIGARET are set in a distance from the street. A lumber building where cream and eggs are handled is labeled ELECTRIC SUPPLIES. It must be strictly up to date, according to the sign. The next sign west is BJELKE SHOE HOSPITAL. On the red brick building next, appears the sign ERICKSEN MEAT AND SUPPLY. And on an upstairs window reads L.P. NELSON AGENCHY, NOTARY PUBLIC. Across the alley is another cream station.
And now we are almost dead but are not ready for MERZ MONUMENT, although it is near Decoration Day. The beautiful MOBILE OIL HUB service station comes next. After passing a home with a hedge fence, ther is a lumber building with the sign COMMERCIAL PRINTING and in the window is WATCH MAKING AND JEWELRY.
The train now whistles and we only notice the GUNDERSON CANDY SHOP, and on third west a house with the sign ROOMS FOR RENT. just as we arrive at the station, we notice N.P. NIELSEN SERVICE, and R.R. CROSSING. On the depot stands out boldly, AMERICAN RAILWAY and WESTERN UNIION TELEGRAPH AND CABLE OFFICE. We now leave Mt. Pleasant at the elevation of 5857 feet and board the train for Denver, which is 719 mile away.
(Some of you no doubt will remember things differently as to the signs along Mt. Pleasant's Main Street. Different generations remember different things. some may argue that the railroad station was never American Railway, but always the Denver Rio Grande. We have retyped the original document for easier reading purposes. Also, in some cases the penciled in writing was very difficult to read. The original is at the Relic Home in Hilda's Scrapbook.)
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Pioneer First Hand Account of Arrival Into the Salt Lake Valley
Taken from Hilda's ScrapbookOriginal source "The Utah Farmer" - July 1922
Monday, July 20, 2009
Night On The Town --- A Charming story as remembered and told by Louise F. Seely, first published in Saga of the Sanpitch 1998
It was a beautiful spring day - - - just right to begin housecleaning. Aunt Hilda always worked from the cellar up, so her first chore was to go through the fruit jars on the cellar shelves, selecting the good ones to dust and place on clean papered shelves. The fruit that hadn't kept well, that was showing signs of fermentation or mold, was opened and the contents poured into buckets to be disposed of later.
With the cobwebs swept down, shelves washed and re-papered, floors swept, and stairs scrubbed clean, the room was finally finished, the day almost spent. Hilda looked on the room with satisfaction, picked up the bucket of fruit, but just at that moment her big Plymouth Rock rooster helped himself to a beak-full of fruit. Hilda changed her mind and immediately poured the contents of the bucket into the chicken trough. This taste of fruit might be a nice change from the handsful of wheat she fed her chickens morning and night.
Hilda didn't see her chickens again until evening when she went to feed them. What she saw startled her almost beyond reason. There on the ground lay every one of her chicks; roosters, hens and spring pullets. At first glance she thought a skunk or weasel had been in her flock. On closer inspection she saw them sprawled in every unlikely position possible: some lying with wings widespread; some lying on their sides, others cramped in strange, grotesque positions with their heads under their bodies; some on their backs with legs straight in the air; and some had fallen across another's lifeless body.
Had she killed them? She knelt down and felt a body. It was warm. Then she realized she had a drunken flock of chickens. She knew just how it had happened - - - the fermented fruit, of course.
Since the bodies were still warm, her first thought was to cut their heads off and dress them, but she was too tired after her day of housecleaning. So she decided to leave them in the cool night air and finish the job in the morning.
Bright and early the next day she approached the yard and was startled to see the dead chickens up walking around - - - a little wobbly, to be sure, but up and walking. she gave them plenty of grain and fresh water, and by night they were chipper as ever. Who knows, maybe they enjoyed their "night on the town."
With the cobwebs swept down, shelves washed and re-papered, floors swept, and stairs scrubbed clean, the room was finally finished, the day almost spent. Hilda looked on the room with satisfaction, picked up the bucket of fruit, but just at that moment her big Plymouth Rock rooster helped himself to a beak-full of fruit. Hilda changed her mind and immediately poured the contents of the bucket into the chicken trough. This taste of fruit might be a nice change from the handsful of wheat she fed her chickens morning and night.
Hilda didn't see her chickens again until evening when she went to feed them. What she saw startled her almost beyond reason. There on the ground lay every one of her chicks; roosters, hens and spring pullets. At first glance she thought a skunk or weasel had been in her flock. On closer inspection she saw them sprawled in every unlikely position possible: some lying with wings widespread; some lying on their sides, others cramped in strange, grotesque positions with their heads under their bodies; some on their backs with legs straight in the air; and some had fallen across another's lifeless body.
Had she killed them? She knelt down and felt a body. It was warm. Then she realized she had a drunken flock of chickens. She knew just how it had happened - - - the fermented fruit, of course.
Since the bodies were still warm, her first thought was to cut their heads off and dress them, but she was too tired after her day of housecleaning. So she decided to leave them in the cool night air and finish the job in the morning.
Bright and early the next day she approached the yard and was startled to see the dead chickens up walking around - - - a little wobbly, to be sure, but up and walking. she gave them plenty of grain and fresh water, and by night they were chipper as ever. Who knows, maybe they enjoyed their "night on the town."
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Hilda Madsen Longsdorf
Hilda Electa Madsen was born at Mt. Pleasant, Utah, on November 28, 1877, to Johanna E. Anderson and Andrew Madsen. The youngest of ten children. She attended Mt. Pleasant public schools and received the fullest education offered. She then clerked in the family-owned store, A. Madsen and Sons, at Mt. Pleasant. Later she worked in a new store operated by the family at Scofield, Utah. Residing at the home of her brother, Neil Madsen, she also worked as a telephone operator while in Scofield. Being an accomplished horsewoman, she often rode on horseback from Scofield to Mt. Pleasant, a distance of thirty-five miles, to visit friends and relatives.
She belonged to the L.D.S. Church and served for years in the presidency of the M.I.A. she was also active in the Mt. Pleasant Pioneer Historical Association. When the Association was organized in 1909, she became its first secretary and held this position for thirty-seven years until her death in 1946. A special assignment she looked forward to for many years was the planning of the Pioneer Association's annual meeting. Soon after Christmas she called a committee to her home to complete arrangements for the March Celebration. On the morning, afternoon, and evening before Pioneer Day, Hilda's home was alive with people, bustling in and out, making sandwiches and Danish beer. Hardly was the occasion over, when Hilda called the committee together again to begin plans for the next year's event.
She was interested in the preservation of pioneer relics and worked energetically to keep Mt. Pleasant historical relics in Mt. Pleasant. By carefully studying her father's early history of Mt. Pleasant and his own journal, and by doing extensive research on the subject, Hilda was able to complete the writing of the book, Mt. Pleasant, published under the direction of the Mt. Pleasant Historical Association in 1939. Of the one thousand books printed, all copies have been sold. (the third edition is now on sale) Historians have found Hilda's Mt. Pleasant an important source book for the study of early Mt. Pleasant and Sanpete County.
She was a member of several civic and social clubs. Among them were the O.N.O. (Our Night Out) Club, and the Daughters of Utah Pioneers. She served as president of each of these clubs on different occasions.
Hilda loved parties and holidays and prepared well in advance for them. She had costumes and decorations ready for every occasion, neatly labeled in her store room. but of all holidays, she liked Christmas best. Ever mindful of Santa's long journey,she always left him a bowl of candy with a stimulating drink. When the children of her brother Andrew were young, they often stayed at Hilda's house on Christmas Eve. When they awakened early on Christmas morning, they found knots in the legs of their underwear, the sleeves and legs of their outer clothing were mysteriously sewn together. This had been doneto give their mother extra time to light the candles on the tree.
After her own nieces and nephews were no longer Santa believers, she helped Santa in other ways. She made a Mrs. Santa Claus suit and on Christmas Eve or early on Christmas morning, she with her husband, Showman and brother Andrew and his wife Abbie, would ride all over town in a cutter, (later a car). They would gaily ring sleigh bells and undoubtedly bolster the faith of all small children in Santa Claus. Whenever they saw a light, they would stop, ring the sleigh bells, and Hilda with a Merry "Ho! Ho! Ho!" would go in, leave the toy or bag of candy, fruit or nuts. This surpirse would leave the youngsters spellbound and the parents wondering who had visited them.
Hilda loved to entertain and the parties she gave were second to none. A great deal of planning went into these parties. Preparations started with a thorough housecleaning and she and the family worked for weeks. Then the house would be decorated outside as well as inside. A festive atmosphere prevailed everywhere, as mountains of food filled the kitchen. For days afterwards, the family and close friends ate party fare. Her gay humor and instinctive ablity to create rhyming jingles made her parties something special. Everyone who received an invitation was sure to come.
She was a practical joker and her friends never knew just what to expect from her, but it was always fun. One afternoon when Hilda was entertaining the members of a club to which she belonged, each guest was surprised and relieved to find at her place one of her own silver spoons. Many of them had been hunting for that "lost" spoon for months. To this day no one knows how Hilda managed to obtain those spoons, undetected.
She also loved patriotic holidays. On these special days flags would be flying, her home would be decked with red, white and blue bunting, and at least one decorated float would be standing in her back yard. One of her favorite roles in life was being the "Goddess of Liberty" in the annual Fourth of July Parade.
Hilda loved to raise flowers and enjoyed working in her garden. The ground around her home became a community show place. she loved animals and always had several pets, ranging from piglets to parrots. Old Joe, the parrot, a member of her family for nearly forty years, was known for his friendly chatter to most of the town's people and children. Most of all she loved children. Soon after his mother's death she took a young boy, Bill Tomlinson, into her home and cared for him as though he were her own child until he reached maturity.
On October 7, 1919, Hilda was married to Showman Doyle Longsdorf in Salt Lake City. After their marriage, they made their home in Mt. Pleasant, where Showman operated a grocery and implement store. Hilda and Showman were very happy, sharing each other's interests, desires, and activities; always striving to improve Mt. Pleasant.
Unfortunately Hilda suffered from crippling arthritis during the last ten years of life, but kept active all the time. On a Friday night, January 12, 1946, her nephew Bruce found her after she had suffered a stroke. He and a niece, Johannah Hafen, were at her side when she died. Her death was a great loss to her family and the community.
(Hilda's history was taken from the Madsen History book, published by the Lars Madsen family Organization, 1967; pages 316-317.)
She belonged to the L.D.S. Church and served for years in the presidency of the M.I.A. she was also active in the Mt. Pleasant Pioneer Historical Association. When the Association was organized in 1909, she became its first secretary and held this position for thirty-seven years until her death in 1946. A special assignment she looked forward to for many years was the planning of the Pioneer Association's annual meeting. Soon after Christmas she called a committee to her home to complete arrangements for the March Celebration. On the morning, afternoon, and evening before Pioneer Day, Hilda's home was alive with people, bustling in and out, making sandwiches and Danish beer. Hardly was the occasion over, when Hilda called the committee together again to begin plans for the next year's event.
She was interested in the preservation of pioneer relics and worked energetically to keep Mt. Pleasant historical relics in Mt. Pleasant. By carefully studying her father's early history of Mt. Pleasant and his own journal, and by doing extensive research on the subject, Hilda was able to complete the writing of the book, Mt. Pleasant, published under the direction of the Mt. Pleasant Historical Association in 1939. Of the one thousand books printed, all copies have been sold. (the third edition is now on sale) Historians have found Hilda's Mt. Pleasant an important source book for the study of early Mt. Pleasant and Sanpete County.
She was a member of several civic and social clubs. Among them were the O.N.O. (Our Night Out) Club, and the Daughters of Utah Pioneers. She served as president of each of these clubs on different occasions.
Hilda loved parties and holidays and prepared well in advance for them. She had costumes and decorations ready for every occasion, neatly labeled in her store room. but of all holidays, she liked Christmas best. Ever mindful of Santa's long journey,she always left him a bowl of candy with a stimulating drink. When the children of her brother Andrew were young, they often stayed at Hilda's house on Christmas Eve. When they awakened early on Christmas morning, they found knots in the legs of their underwear, the sleeves and legs of their outer clothing were mysteriously sewn together. This had been doneto give their mother extra time to light the candles on the tree.
After her own nieces and nephews were no longer Santa believers, she helped Santa in other ways. She made a Mrs. Santa Claus suit and on Christmas Eve or early on Christmas morning, she with her husband, Showman and brother Andrew and his wife Abbie, would ride all over town in a cutter, (later a car). They would gaily ring sleigh bells and undoubtedly bolster the faith of all small children in Santa Claus. Whenever they saw a light, they would stop, ring the sleigh bells, and Hilda with a Merry "Ho! Ho! Ho!" would go in, leave the toy or bag of candy, fruit or nuts. This surpirse would leave the youngsters spellbound and the parents wondering who had visited them.
Hilda loved to entertain and the parties she gave were second to none. A great deal of planning went into these parties. Preparations started with a thorough housecleaning and she and the family worked for weeks. Then the house would be decorated outside as well as inside. A festive atmosphere prevailed everywhere, as mountains of food filled the kitchen. For days afterwards, the family and close friends ate party fare. Her gay humor and instinctive ablity to create rhyming jingles made her parties something special. Everyone who received an invitation was sure to come.
She was a practical joker and her friends never knew just what to expect from her, but it was always fun. One afternoon when Hilda was entertaining the members of a club to which she belonged, each guest was surprised and relieved to find at her place one of her own silver spoons. Many of them had been hunting for that "lost" spoon for months. To this day no one knows how Hilda managed to obtain those spoons, undetected.
She also loved patriotic holidays. On these special days flags would be flying, her home would be decked with red, white and blue bunting, and at least one decorated float would be standing in her back yard. One of her favorite roles in life was being the "Goddess of Liberty" in the annual Fourth of July Parade.
Hilda loved to raise flowers and enjoyed working in her garden. The ground around her home became a community show place. she loved animals and always had several pets, ranging from piglets to parrots. Old Joe, the parrot, a member of her family for nearly forty years, was known for his friendly chatter to most of the town's people and children. Most of all she loved children. Soon after his mother's death she took a young boy, Bill Tomlinson, into her home and cared for him as though he were her own child until he reached maturity.
On October 7, 1919, Hilda was married to Showman Doyle Longsdorf in Salt Lake City. After their marriage, they made their home in Mt. Pleasant, where Showman operated a grocery and implement store. Hilda and Showman were very happy, sharing each other's interests, desires, and activities; always striving to improve Mt. Pleasant.
Unfortunately Hilda suffered from crippling arthritis during the last ten years of life, but kept active all the time. On a Friday night, January 12, 1946, her nephew Bruce found her after she had suffered a stroke. He and a niece, Johannah Hafen, were at her side when she died. Her death was a great loss to her family and the community.
(Hilda's history was taken from the Madsen History book, published by the Lars Madsen family Organization, 1967; pages 316-317.)
Saturday, July 18, 2009
SMALL TOWN MEN - - - by Virginia Scott Miner (found in Hilda's scrapbook)
It takes big men to deal with little towns
And not themselves grow smaller year by year;
To stand the endless flick of envious tongues,
Nor mind too much. To see the reason clear--
The aching need for power or for love;
the bitter emptiness of those who fear
The slipping decades; and slow week by week,
The gentle, awful patience of the meek.
Who know they bear within them some great lack
Of vigor to attack or yet hit back.
><
Yet one who truly knows his town will find
It's people not more cruel than they're kind.
He'll see the shining goodness - - - all the care
They give the sick or needy neighbor there;
He'll see the washerwoman's younger son
Out playing with the banker's. They are one.
Small-town folks, that if folks be clean
And pay their bill, they'll wait till it be seen
Which has the better boy.
><
But he who does not truly know will see
Only the smallness and the snobbery,
And slowly with the years he will become
The thing he sees - - - the essence of the sum.
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