The Relic Home, photo by Randee Ryan

While our granddaughters were visiting us, we took them to the Relic Home located on Utah Highway 89 in Mt. Pleasant, UT.   This was another one of those wonderful events to do with little or no cost.  The Relic Home features an interesting look into the past generation’s lifestyle, the clothes they wore, the living areas, the equipment that they used, and all without the electronics we enjoy today.

Our granddaughters thought this was so exciting since they had just received a Prairie Diamond ring from the Blacksmith shop located next to the Relic Home,  in Mt. Pleasant, UT.  Owner, Pete Hafen was working in his shop during our visit, and made each of the girls a ring.

Continuing our travels  south on Highway 89, we came across the town of Salina, UT.  There we discovered a wonderful western shop to visit. There was not so much different from this shop and the shops in our former state of Colorado, except for an item that they carry in their jewelry department.  We saw the prairie Diamond rings for sale.  The girls were really excited to see their new prized possession on display in the Burns Saddlery!

Family owned since 1876

 

 

The Prairie Diamond, Then and Now

Prairie Diamond Rings

This is a very sweet poem that depicts the resolve that so many of our ancestors had.  While the Mormon pioneers crossed the plains many young men and women met their soon to be spouse.  Without any way to save for a wedding ring, a sympathetic blacksmith came up with the perfect solution.

Prairie Diamond

As the settlers came west to settle their land,

Many of the youth walked hand in hand.

Some fell in love and wanted to marry,

But, money and jewelry they did not carry.

A kind young blacksmith knew just what to do.

He bent the nail from an old horseshoe.

The Prairie Diamond  was the name of the ring. 

So much happiness it surely did bring.

During the early days of the Mormon settlement of Nauvoo, Illinois, a blacksmith and a wagon shop was family business owned by Chauncy Webb and it included the talents of his father and his brothers to provide the much needed services in the LDS community.  The blacksmith shop along with a wagon shop was located on the corner of Parley and Granger Streets.  The blacksmiths furnished the iron parts for the wheels, and the wheelwrights were the experts in wheel construction of the wheels.  This was a vital service needed when the LDS community began their trek west to the Salt Lake Valley.  During the height of the bustling community there were forty-eight blacksmiths and fourteen members listed as members of the Nauvoo Coach and Carriage Manufacturing Association.

Historic Webb Blacksmith Shop in Nauvoo, Illinois

Today, in Nauvoo, Illinois there are still blacksmiths that make and give out Prairie Diamonds to everyone that visits their blacksmith shop. Now Nauvoo is not the only place with a working blacksmith shop.  Mt. Pleasant, Utah has a working shop owned and operated by Pete Hafen, located at the Relic Home.  He also makes the Prairie Diamond and gives these out to visitors.

In 1997 as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began their reenactment of their trek from Nauvoo, two young singles meet and fell in love.  Without a means of an engagement to present to the young lady, a blacksmith gladly provided the prospective groom with a special Prairie Diamond to present to his new fiancee.

The Prairie Diamond received its name due to the diamond shape stamped on the head of the nails, representing the manufacturer, the Diamond Company.

 

 

 

Grandpa Tell Me About The Good Old Days

Emma’s-Sleighride by Robert Duncan

While driving around our new community, we were unaware that  we had moved into the boundaries of the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area.  There are so many points of interest,  stories to learn about and  events to attend.  I was drawn to the song released many years ago by the Judd’s, “Grandpa, Tell Us About the Good Old Days”  kept playing in my mind.  I began to recall the many stories that I had heard as a child from my grandparents and so wanted our grandchildren to hear everything that I could remember.  My husband never knew any of his grandparents, so he missed out on so many wonderful opportunities to have precious memories he could have had.  He was determined that our grandchildren would know how much they were loved, just how special that they are, and that there was so much fun in learning about the past while  visiting with their grandparents.  They would learn not only about our lives, but those of many special men and women in our family as well as those that are known and unknown.

Best Of Friends, one of many original works by Robert Duncan

 

While searching for music to have to share with our grandchildren,  I ran across a beautiful slide presentation  featuring the paintings of a very talented artist, Robert Duncan using the Judd’s song, Grandpa Tell Me About The Good Old Days .  It is with great memories I wish to share this wonderful song and artwork that depicts a time of not so long ago.

We began our time with our grandchildren telling them stories of the past.  They loved hearing of persons they wish they knew.  Before they went home, another visit was planned for them to come back to the “Good Old Days”,   as they put it.  This has become the theme of each visit.  Now we hear from them regularly wanting for “Poppa to tell them more about the “Good Old Days”!

 

 

URBAN LEGEND, OR FACT ? Personal Story of Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Such a delicious, moist cake! Check out the recipes at Recipe 4 Living.

In 1963 my grandmother came to visit and being the marvelous cook that she was, she brought a new recipe for the most delicious cake I had ever tasted. This recipe she claimed “has a remarkable story behind it.” She told me that a personal friend of hers had had an experience while staying at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.   While dining in the Peacock Alley Dining Room, she selected a beautiful slice of a bright red cake for dessert.    She requested to speak with the Head Baker to request the recipe.   She did receive the recipe with an accompanying bill.

Before she would share it with me, she made me promise that I would never share it with anyone.  I have searched the Internet for proof  this of this story and find that it is considered an Urban Legend.  Since my grandmother claimed that she knew the person, I choose to believe her  story.   By the way, I still have her original recipe and there are similarities.  I have yet to find one exact in both the cake and frosting recipes.

There are many different recipes for a  Red Velvet Cake, a  Waldorf Astoria Red Cake,  a Southern Red Velvet Cake, or so many other various names.  Each of them are really delicious.

She had a friend that gave her the recipe for the genuine Waldorf Astoria Signature Red Cake featured on their desert cart.  Baking with her was always special because she taught me her techniques, the “ways of real southern cooking” she used to call them.  We quickly began to get busy  making this delicacy for my family.

Another piece of cake, please

Over the years, I have made numerous “Waldorf Astoria Red Cakes.”   Each year it was the birthday cake of choice of my daughter and she also requested this special cake for her wedding.

We decided that it was a special cake that we would like to share with someone that needed cheering up.  Along the way we decided to make these cakes for our friends for Christmas.  We get the entire family involved in making these cakes.   We have been doing this so long that the grandchildren fit right into the plan.  They get to help with the delivering of the cakes as well as the best tasters ever!

For a memorable treat while we were staying at the Waldorf Astoria in the early 1980’s, we were delighted to see our special cake still featured from their dessert cart.  Of course we indulged ourselves to our favorite cake!

 

Future Archaeologists Find Rare Dinosaur Skeletons In Their Garden

One day our home schooled granddaughters were interested in dinosaurs after seeing a Magic School Bus “In Time Of The Dinosaurs” episode.  They decided paleontology was their career choice.  Our youngest was sitting out under a tree in the back yard, pondering the task, when we arrived for a visit.  The older granddaughter was researching on the computer.

Poppa took up the idea and went to explore the dig site.  The “proper tools”   had been assembled and away to work they went.  When suddenly a worm was discovered. 

The back story to this adventure was that a large dead shrub in the front yard had been removed due to roofing tar buried underneath the roots.   The little girls heard this and they were sure that this was where the dinosaur skeletons would be.  We left their home to go to a store that specialized  in educational supplies.  Onward  in search of dinosaur remains.  We hit the jackpot!  There we found a large bag full of different species made of plastic.  After the children went to bed Poppa and I went to the house and planted our find in the front garden.

Searching for Dinosaurs in the front garden.

The next morning, with great excitement the girls called and invited us over for their dig. They had discovered an entire new species of dinosaurs, their skeletons were completely preserved.  These were a pygmy species.  Some were no bigger that your thumb. They spent the day digging, discovering various family pods of dinosaurs.

This story was remembered during a recent visit.   We were so thrilled that they have memories of days since passed.  This was a Grandparent payday!  We plan on many more memories that they will want to share with their children and grandchildren!

They learned that the Fairview Museum had a full scale replica of a nearly fully intact Columbian Mammoth.  The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area, and the Utah Heritage Highway 89 has an abundance of attractions that we will be sharing with our grandchildren.  The mammoth was unearthed on the nearby Wasatch Plateau in 1988 while excavating the Huntington Reservoir.  More is yet to come on the treasures within the Fairview Museum and their next visit.

Fairview Museum in Farirview, Sanpete County, Utah

 

 

 

 

Share Your Family Heritage Before It Is Lost

The delightful surroundings of our new home were in direct contrast from our former city dwelling.  Our old neighborhood was much larger than the entire city of Mt. Pleasant, Utah.

State Street, Mt. Pleasant, Utah. Photo courtesy of Mikayla Ryan

The homes in Colorado were much closer together; the covenants were strict, the noise of heavy traffic, busy streets, and all that  goes with suburban living were suddenly replaced.   Now we found ourselves  one block from the center of town, rarely do we hear traffic, (this only happens when a large semi comes through town).  Walking downtown among the charming aged buildings sent our thoughts in a twirl wind of images of a past long ago.

The original buildings in downtown Mt. Pleasant, Utah.

Each building has a  plaque describing the original use and who owned it. Visiting and living in a historic  town has so much of yesteryear that we have forgotten.  I so wish that this was the case of the towns my ancestors help to establish.  I would love to walk the streets and tell my grandchildren of their heritage.  Thankfully, we have country living at its very best. We can incorporate the stories of our families with the surroundings of the historic buildings still standing. The old blacksmith shop at the corner of the Relic Home is amazing.

Photo courtesy of Mikayla Ryan

Walking through the door seems to embrace one senses of longing for a time that quickly faded away.  We realized that the only way our family heritage would survive another generation was to tell everything that we could remember from the stories our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents shared with us when we were younger. This became our mission, salvage any and all that we could remember and begin to share our heritage with our grandchildren.  On their first visit to our new home, we took them downtown.  We stopped at each building to learn what we could.  After touring the town we went home to sit by the fireplace to talk about the “Good Old Days.” The children loved this and wanted more and more.  Of course smores didn’t hurt!  

Making a Puppet Theater That Will Delight Children!

Puppet Theater created from an old cabinet. Total cost $15.00

Our little granddaughters loved to play with puppets, so for a special Christmas gift we decided to make them one.  We were very busy just like everyone else and we didn’t have the woodworking tools. To make this as easy, less time consuming, and inexpensive as possible, we took stock of what we did have. We had an old double door cabinet, white latex paint, sticky foam letters in various colors, and fabric. We decided to turn the cabinet around making the front double doors the back and the back the front of the theater. This became the storage place for the puppets and the puppeteer as well. What we needed was an easy way to move this heavy cabinet, raise it to the proper height, and a way to hang the theater curtain.  To solve this problem my husband bought a 4’x4″ wooden post and cut the lengths we needed. Next we decided to attach handles at the four corners, on the side of the cabinet. The legs were attached with deep wood screws to the bottom  of the cabinet.  The posts came next, he measured the height that he wanted for the stage and for the curtains to be hung.  The posts were cut to the proper height and then before attaching the posts, he drilled holes into the posts to slide the towels through for the curtain rod. Once this was done, he secured the posts to the top of the cabinet by screwing them into the underside of the top and into the posts.  The post was secured to the back corners of the cabinet, then covered with caps to protect the children from any injury. The construction was complete, the next step was to sand and paint the posts and cabinet. As he was painting, I selected fabric to make the curtains.  I made a header so the curtains would have a ruffle at the top.  The main curtain was tied back, and the second set of curtains was to be kept closed to hide the puppeteer. Once the paint was dry and the curtains were pressed, we slid the towels through the curtain pocket and placed the towel rod into the holes previously drilled  into the posts. For the final touch, we selected letters to spell out the girls names to stick on the front of the theater. On Christmas, they were delighted to have a personalized puppet theater of their very own! We were treated to many puppet shows over the years.  They spent hours in their theater that we made for under $15.00.   As the girls grew too old for the puppet theater it found a great new home at a center for abused children.

Memorial Day in a Small Quiet Town Paying Honor to Their Heritage

Veteran’s Memorial Drive Photo courtesy of Mikayla Ryan.

The small, quiet town of Mt. Pleasant, located in Sanpete County, Utah goes all out for Memorial Day.  The Veteran’s Memorial Drive is lined with United States flags much the same as every other cemetery in the United States.  What really caught my attention as we turned into the entrance was not a grave had been overlooked.  There were flowers, plants, or wreathes placed upon every one.  Never had I beheld such a sight.

Decorated graves in Mt. Pleasant, Utah. Photo courtesy of Mikayla Ryan

Over my lifetime, I have been to many cemeteries, never has one been so honored as this one.  My husband, Randy and I would take our daughters and granddaughters to the graves of our family members, to honor them and place flowers of remembrance.  For the Veteran’s and their wives, we would place flags as well.  We were in amazement to see each of the graves decorated.  Many of these graves have dates as far back as the 1800’s and they too were adorned.

Heritage is a priceless treasure!  Once the older generations are gone so are their stories.  I so wish that I had family members that I could visit to learn their stories.    I would pass these along to our children and grandchildren.  The memories are sometimes the only thing that we have to keep us going.

Take time to make a memory, share your stories, give your children and grandchildren a glimpse into your life.  Share your parents stories, keep it going for future generations.  This community honors their heritage unlike anything I have ever seen!

Families gather to pay tribute to their family members. Photo Courtesy of Mikayla Ryan

 

 

Mt. Pleasant and the Historic Treasures She Provides

Photo courtesy of Mikayla Ryan

My husband and I recently moved to Mt. Pleasant, Sanpete County, Utah.  This charming community is a wonderful change from the metropolitan city and suburbs of Denver, Colorado.  Little did we know that we were living in a historic area.

Look for these signs for a wonderful adventure into your heritage.

In Mt. Pleasant State Street is also  Utah Heritage Highway 89. Sitting on this prestigious street or highway is the Relic Home.  A large portion of The Relic Home is part of the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area. Historians have verified that this is where the final Black Hawk Treaty was signed.  The end of the Black Hawk War provided peaceful interactions with the Native Americans in Mt. Pleasant as well as other pioneer settlements in south central area of Utah.

While studying the historical records of the “Utah History since Statehood” historians have discovered that the home was designed by Brigham Young, the second President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a carpenter who actually laid the wooden floor planks in the front hall.  This wonderful heritage area will be a source of many wonderful adventures with our grandchildren, for many visits to come.

The Relic Home

Photo courtesy of Mikayla Ryan The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area and Utah Heritage Highway 89

Grandparents Camp

Having your grandchildren for summer visits brings about change for all.  Grandchildren visiting for whatever reason brings great joy to both the children and the grandparents.  If you are wondering what to do and how to occupy their time without boredom, here is a creative idea that can be as lavish or as simple as you wish. Grandparents camp is a great way to spend the summer months, a few weeks, a weekend, or a day care setting.  The ideas are unending, depending on the interests of the children and the age groups.  You can run your’s just like a camp, with check ins, bunk assignments, camp shirts, bedrolls, eating assignments, handouts for sign ups, field trips, and anything else you can imagine.  Use your local attractions, points of interest, and free activities to fill in the time.   There are many free summer activities with the local libraries, museums, fire departments, and such in your area.  Check these out as you plan your camp fun. We have friends that have the same size families and they have a combined end of the camp field day competition.  The grand finale consists of all family members, competing with their children, for the coveted traveling  trophy.  It is a fun day for any and all types of races, egg tosses, water fights, silly and zany activities as dressing up with as many different articles of clothing.  The activities are geared to the various age groups. For the parents there is a special event, parent proficiency.   Baby dolls are used as props so the parents can showcase their skills in a number of events. The situations become more demanding and distracting and the fun begins.    With the assistance of family members posing as children, the mommy or daddy is presented with situations that require their immediate attention.  The time clock is running as each event arises.  The situations become quite comical  as a child (adult) having a tantrum, or a child (adult) coloring on their sibling, triplets demanding attention, crying or tugging on the parent as they try to do complete task. One of the favorites is a father feeding a hungry toddler, change an infant, and cleaning up pudding spilled on the floor, all simultaneously. Ribbons are awarded to all participants, and the stand ins are awarded based upon their naughtiest actions.  The children love this event.