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.

 

 

 

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!  

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.

Mt. Pleasant 4th of July Parade

Showing Respect For the Flag during the July 4th Parade in Mt. Pleasant, UT. Photo courtesy of Mikayla Ryan

All I can say is WOW!   I have never experienced something as wonderful as the 4th of July in Mt. Pleasant, Utah.   Being abruptly awakened first thing in the morning we were greeted with the report of the cannons paying tribute to the very reason we celebrate July the 4th in the United States.   Loud booms, some very close and others farther away, echoed up and down the valley of Sanpete, as the cannons were firing their rounds for a cannon salute.

Enjoying the Mt. Pleasant, Utah July 4th Parade Photo courtesy of Mikayla Ryan

Next was breakfast in the park, followed by the Mt. Pleasant 4th of July Parade.

Mayor David Blackham “Ringing the Bell For Freedom!” Photo courtesy of Mikayla Ryan.

During the parade, Mayor David Blackham’ s horse drawn carriage stopped in front of the Relic Home at 150 State Street, to officially “Ring the Bell for Feedom!” The Relic Home is part of the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area, on the Historic Utah Highway 89.  This is now the location of the Hamilton School bell.  It sat proudly in the bell tower to be rung for the commencement of the school day and the time at night to announce curfew in the town. Many personal histories that are housed within the Relic Home mention how they had wished that they could have rung that bell.  As a special celebration for the 4th of July the Relic Home made the bell available for anyone to ring, and sign the official document that will be preserved in the Home for generations to come.  If you missed ringing and signing the document this activity will continue until the 24th Of July Days of the Pioneers.

An Unexpected Adventure With Pirates

Our daughter had a migraine one day and needed us to take her little girls.  On the spur of the moment we contrived a pirate treasure hunt.  Within the time it took for my husband to go pick them up and bring them to our house, we had all the makings for a fun adventure in our backyard. It is amazing how the girls really got into the pirate adventure when they saw the props to help them along.  Thankfully Poppa, with his great style of storytelling adventure they were all set.  A treasure map had been drawn to keep them searching, as they traveled through the jungle, rowed down the stream, looking for the various signs on the treasure map.

It’s Not Here, We Have To Keep Looking.

I quickly designed the pirate hats that I made out of construction paper.  The stuffed parrots were used to sit upon their shoulders came from the puppet theater, which I will blog about in another post.  We had a treasure chest that was filled with jewels, left over from past projects, eye patches, that came from past Halloween goodies, the swords were quickly made from wrapping paper rolls secured with masking tape.  The biggest prop to make the Pirate King believable was a gold earring.  Now  Poppa who is ultra conservative, was a bit dubious about this one so I had a clip on gold hoop that worked perfectly. After the treasure was found, we had a pirate’s bountiful lunch with grilled cheese sandwiches, chips, lemonade, and popsicles.

Recently this little adventure was remembered by our daughter and granddaughters and they posted to their social media.  It was so heartwarming to hear after all these years they remember a special moment.

Be a Part Of History; Ring The Bell At The Relic Home

 

Photo courtesy of Mikayla Ryan

During the July 4th celebration until the Pioneer Days on July 24th in Mt. Pleasant anyone wanting to be a part of history in the making is invited to ring the bell at the Relic Home  and place their name on an official document that will become a part of the collection of the Relic Home.

Today that very sturdy bell is now a treasure of the Relic Home.   This historic bell will once again ring out loud and clear to all who wish to be part of history.  According to Arla May Stansfield Simpson the bell was rung precisely at 8:00  am by “Old Man” Ellertson, then again at 8:45 am to alert the coming of the hour 9:00 am and then again at curfew which was 9:00 pm.  The children would terminate their game of Kick the Can, Run Sheep Run or helping themselves to apples or cherries from a nearby yard, and make a dash for home.

For 75  years the bell of Hamilton School rang for the commencement of the school day.  It was also rung for the warning of fire, danger, calls to all within the sound range to come to town.

A wonderful blog titled, A Day At School ~ written by Talula Nelson ~ taken from History of Arla May Stansfield Simpson’s History presents us with  glimpses into the past for the many school children that attended Hamilton School.

Photo courtesy of Mikayla Ryan

For a $1.00 donation you can become a lifetime member of the Relic Home. Donations help to fund the upkeep and renovations required to maintain this historic treasure.

http://www.mormonpioneerheritage.org/

http://sanpete.com/pages/mormon_pioneer_heritage

http://hamiltonelementaryschoolpictures.blogspot.com/

 

Are You Competing With Electronics for Your Grandchildren’s Attention?

What do you mean take a walk with Grannie, I’m too busy doing my work.

In today’s world practically everyone is connected to some electronic device.  If you are like many grandparents that want to spend time  with their grandchildren; it may be a struggle to have them shut down their Ipad, Iphone, tablet, cell phone, or any number of applications to spend time with you.  According to the American  Academy of Pediatrics, children spend and average of seven hours per day on some form of electronic entertainment.  http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Pages/Media-and-Children.aspx

Today’s children are spending an average of seven hours a day on entertainment media, including televisions, computers, phones and other electronic devices. – See more at: http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Pages/Media-and-Children.aspx#sthash.qDAPRe9v.dpuf

Children and teens should engage with entertainment media for no more than one or two hours per day, and that should be high-quality content. It is important for kids to spend time on outdoor play, reading, hobbies, and using their imaginations in free play. – See more at: http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Pages/Media-and-Children.aspx#sthash.qDAPRe9v.dpufhttp://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Pages/Media-and-Children.aspx “

Children and teens should engage with entertainment media for no more than one or two hours per day, and that should be high-quality content. It is important for kids to spend time on outdoor play, reading, hobbies, and using their imaginations in free play. – See more at: http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Pages/Media-and-Children.aspx#sthash.qDAPRe9v.dpuf

Children and teens should engage with entertainment media for no more than one or two hours per day, and that should be high-quality content. It is important for kids to spend time on outdoor play, reading, hobbies, and using their imaginations in free play. – See more at: http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Pages/Media-and-Children.aspx#sthash.qDAPRe9v.dpuf

Children and teens should engage with entertainment media for no more than one or two hours per day, and that should be high-quality content. It is important for kids to spend time on outdoor play, reading, hobbies, and using their imaginations in free play. – See more at: http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Pages/Media-and-Children.aspx#sthash.qDAPRe9v.dpuf

Children and teens should engage with entertainment media for no more than one or two hours per day, and that should be high-quality content. It is important for kids to spend time on outdoor play, reading, hobbies, and using their imaginations in free play. – See more at: http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Pages/Media-and-Children.aspx#sthash.qDAPRe9v.dpuf

Children and teens should engage with entertainment media for no more than one or two hours per day, and that should be high-quality content. It is important for kids to spend time on outdoor play, reading, hobbies, and using their imaginations in free play. – See more at: http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Pages/Media-and-Children.aspx#sthash.qDAPRe9v.dpuf

Children and teens should engage with entertainment media for no more than one or two hours per day, and that should be high-quality content. It is important for kids to spend time on outdoor play, reading, hobbies, and using their imaginations in free play. – See more at: http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Pages/Media-and-Children.aspx#sthash.qDAPRe9v.dpuf

The AAP recommends that parents establish “screen-free” zones at home by making sure there are no televisions, computers or video games in children’s bedrooms, and by turning off the TV during dinner. – See more at: http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Pages/Media-and-Children.aspx#sthash.qDAPRe9v.dpuf

The AAP recommends that parents establish “screen-free” zones at home by making sure there are no televisions, computers or video games in children’s bedrooms, and by turning off the TV during dinner. – See more at: http://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Pages/Media-and-Children.aspx#sthash.qDAPRe9v.dpuf

My husband and I have a simple little rule, when the grandchildren come to visit us, in the car all electronics are turned off.  Simply put,  they can do that any time,  this is your time together and you want to spend it just with them.  At first, this was a difficult concept to grasp, but after a few minutes, everyone was engaged with each other.  We found that if you establish the criteria as to why there is no electronic engagement, things flow so much better.

The children look at the landscape instead of watching a movie and we take turns making up stories  from our imagination.  Usually we have done our homework and found out interesting facts about the area we are traveling through.  We also tell stories and just when we are getting to a very exciting part we turn the story over to someone else to take up where the last one stopped.

We told our grandchildren that they can do those things when they are home alone, but this is our time to spend with them.  We want them to know we are interested in them. We begin the trip or visit with activities we have in mind.  Asking what they would like to do helps them feel engaged in the activities.

We tell stories about relatives, events, history, or share their heritage with them.  They love hearing funny stories, especially if they are innocent stories about their parents.  If financial resources are a challenge, check your local area for free activities.

We like to stop at the Historical Markers, we read the marker and learn about the local area. We found a wealth of information recently driving on Utah Highway 89.

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

The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area is a wonderful place to begin a travel into your own heritage.