Hyrum's First Settlers

CAMP HOLLOW On April 6, 1860 the first pioneers of Hyrum encamped on this stream, they lived in wagon boxes, shelters dug into the banks, tilled and planted about one hundred acres of virgin soil. Later in the fall, following the advice of Apostle Ezra Taft Benson, they moved about one mile south west, built a fort and named the place Hyrum in honor of the beloved brother of the prophet Joseph Smith, both of whom were martyred at Carthage, Illinois June 27, 1844. HEADS OF FAMILIES Ira Allen Niels B. Nielsen Hugh Parks Andrew A. Anderson Thomas Williams George Nielsen Calvin Bingham Christopher Olsen Andrew A. Allen Andrew Nielsen Alonzo Bingham Soren Neilsen Alva Benson Adam Smith Hans Monsen Oliver McBride William Williams Noah Brimhall David Osborn Jens Jensen Sr. Jonas Halversen Hans E. Nielsen David Parks Rasmus Jensen ERECTED 1962
HISTORY OF CAMP HOLLOW 125 YEARS LATER In March 1860 a group of pioneers left Cedar City to settle in Cache Valley. They explored the valley and decided to make a settlement about 5 miles east of Old Fort Wellsville, called Camp Hollow. These pioneers led by Ira Allen, arrived on April 8, 1860. At first they lived in wagon boxes or tents. Those that didn't have these, built 13 dugouts, holes in ground with logs at west end for wall. Larger logs were placed over top with thick covering over the branches. The settlers planted 100 acres of corn, wheat, oats and barley for winter. More families joined them and they decided they needed a townsite with more water and with higher and better drained land. In the fall of 1860 Camp Hollow was deserted.
Sherry Nelson wrote an article for the Hyrum Crusader as part of the U.S. Bicentennial and looking back.  She added, "They were sent by Brigham Young to settle a new area that could provide an outlet for the ever growing number of Saints pouring into Salt Lake Valley, and also to provide new grazing land for the livestock.  They found a beautiful valley.  The foliage and greenery were a joy to them and the children loved the abundance of the wild flowers.  But all was not rosy for these early settlers.  They had problems with water, the freezing bitter cold and with Indians."
Sherry also wrote a brief summary of Ira Allen, Captain of the first founding party, and talks about that first summer in this manner.
"The company could not go through the canyon east of Brigham City owing to the snow in the mountains, but went by way of Collinston over the low summit eastward, then south along the foothills to Fort Mendon, (then one year old), and south to Wellsville, arrive there April 1, 1860.
Springtime was near when the company arrived at Camp Hollow but the ground was not ready to plow.  Those who did not have wagon boxes and tents decided to make dugouts to live in.  Everybody worked like one big, united family and within two weeks plenty of timber was down.  Then part of the men and all of the ox teams rushed the plowing while the others excavated for dugouts.  Cooking was done outside.  The settlers lived in these dugouts, wagon boxes, tends and on log cabin.
They planted crops, but water was needed.  The canal from the Little Bear River was dug, using an old spirit level for navigation, and completed by 28 men and boy in 21 working days (not eight-hour days nor a forty-hour week, but from dawn until dark, about sixteen-hour days).  They camped on the ditch and Alva Benson used his son's mule team and went from family to family gathering what provisions he could get such as bread, butter and buttermilk and delivered them daily to the men.
Water reached the burning crops the first part of July, but the crops were so far gone that water didn't do much good, and crickets and grasshoppers soon made away with what was left.  Because of this distressing situation most of the men had to leave for Ogden and other places south to work to get food for the remainder of the season.
As soon as houses were ready, families left Camp Hollow and moved into the fort.  By late fall Camp Hollow was completely evacuated.  Hyrum was born.

Poppies and Memorial Day

In 1947 the U.S. published a stamp which honored Moina Belle Michael for establishing the Poppy Memorial Day, which occurs the Saturday before Memorial Day.  After WWI the poppy became a symbol of the tragedy of war.  This was further engrained in our psychy after John McCrae wrote the poem Flander's Fields.  He noticed poppies growing in the burial grounds for those who had died in the war.
In Flanders Fields: John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

"Its references to the red poppies that grew over the graves of fallen soldiers resulted in the remembrance poppy becoming one of the world's most recognized memorial symbols for soldiers who have died in conflict"  (Wikipedia)

Michael wrote a poem responding to "In Flanders Fields"
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
She was instrumental in making the Poppy part of Memorial Day.  By 1922 Veterans of Foreign Wars began selling poppies.

The History of Gold Star Mothers

Manteca Ministerial, that puts on the festivities at Woodward Park does a very good job of honoring Gold Star Families.  I was doing a book for my stamp collection a few years back, and came across some information about Gold Star Mothers.  Gold Star Mothers was started during WWI in honor of George Vaughn Seibold by his mother Grace Seibold.  George was an aviator, who was shot down over France.  He had been cited for bravery before his death.  His family had difficulty finding out what happened when his letters stopped because he was attached to a foreign unit.  Grace kept herself from facing her son's probable death by visiting hospitals and serving.  She finally joined a group of women in similar circumstance.  Gold Star Families have a special part in our society.  Of course out veterans carry the bigger sacrifice, but their families have also sacrificed.  In my sister-in-law's family they lost a nephew to war violence this year, just before he was due to retire from the military.  I can not imagine the sacrifice.
http://www.goldstarmoms.com/whoweare/history/history.htm

A few years ago we had the honor of being a Blue Star Family.  These are families who have someone serving.  Mark was in Iraq.  Gold Star Families are those who have sacrificed a family member to defense of our freedom.

Northwest Shoshone Tribe

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865580684/Native-American-tribe-buries-remains-150-years-after-massacre.html?pg=1
I came across a very interesting article in the Deseret News about the Northwest Shoshone Tribe.  They were subject to the greatest one day loss of life as a result of the Bear River Massacre.  I have visited this site many times.  I lived for a couple years among the Western Shoshone People.  The Shoshone Nation extends from Wyoming, through Southern Idaho and into Nevada and even reaches California in the Death Valley area.  This article mentions that only ten people of the Northwest Tribe speak the native tongue.  I imagine that in different areas there are different accents and dialects, but there were a few who spoke the native tongue in Duckwater where I lived.  They also taught the language in school.  It was very difficult.  I know three or four words, Debus (stink bug) Habigna (flower) and summa waitha baitha watsawitha (one, two three, four.)  I wish I could remember more.  I know many native peoples are struggling to preserve their language and their heritage.

There were also many other beautiful things about the Western Shoshone culture.  The Bear Dance and the Round Dance were some of my favorite.  Also the gathering and roasting of pine nuts.  The native dress was beautiful.  Also the tradition of cradle boards.  The design of the Shoshone Cradle Board is unique and beautiful.  The are made of woven willow.  They work.  You can wrap a crying baby in a cradle board, and they are comforted by the tightness of the wrap.  We wrap them in a blanket in white culture, which works the same way.

Othello Radar Station

The Othello Radar Station was established in 1952.  This would have been shortly  before my family move there.  Wikipedia explains the reason for the station.  "Othello Air Force Station was one of twenty-eight stations built as part of the second segment of the Air Defense Command permanent radar network. Prompted by the start of the Korean War, on July 11, 1950, the Secretary of the Air Force asked the Secretary of Defense for approval to expedite construction of the permanent network."  I found this quote from the Othello Outlook 2012, "Sixty years ago July 25, 1952: Othello was able this week to take her place at the head of the list, as far as public spirit is concerned, as “Operation Skywatch” was put into action and the first week of observation completed without missing a single shift.  Long-range bombers have shrunk the world to the point that any place on earth is susceptible to an attack.  The air observers’ part is to locate low-flying aircraft that might be hostile.  Though the local post is manned on a 24-hour basis and is considered 100 percent staffed, another 10 volunteers are needed to place a double watch on at all times."  Operation Skywatch was a program to keep watch on the skies.  The radar company did this through the use of several different radar  as well as watching the sky, and using volunteers.  At the ten year mark, there was a presentation to the community, also reported in the Outlook:
Feb 8, 1962 p 8 The film “Operation Skywatch” sponsored jointly by the Pacific Northwest Bell Telephone Company and the 637th AC&W Radar Airbase played to a capacity house last Tuesday night. 
   The evening go off to a nice start when Robert Hill introduced Major McElroy who after welcoming the audience expressed his appreciation that the 637th was the site chosen for the Operation Skywatch.  After his brief speech, the Major introduced Ed Williams of Pacific Northwest Bell who demonstrated microwave, satellite transistors, solar cells, and radio waves to a highly appreciative audience.
   Col. Klem F. Kalberer acted in behalf of Col. Atkinson, both of Larson Air Base.  Col. Atkinson was unable to attend because of the illness of his wife.  Col. Kalberer accepted presentation of the film on the behalf of the Air force.  A call was placed to the Air Defense Headquarters in Colorado Springs and a picture of what planes were in the air within a certain range at the time the phone call was made was projected to the audience, over the loud speaker.
   Major MeElroy presented a copy of the film to Major Med Faudree for the city of Othello.
   The local Parent-Teacher Association, headed by Mrs. Howard Beitz and Mrs. Roger Hardan, served coffee and cookies to the more than 1,000 people who attended Operation Skywatch and stayed to enjoy the evening’s entertainment even if there was standing room only.
I think it is unusual that a community of 2000, would have over half the community at an event like this.
 

Ken Burns: The West: Episode 2: Empire Upon the Trails

I enjoy the history of the United States, and especially the West.  Of course the story is too broad to put in a series of movies, but the stories told are interesting.  This is the second part of the series directed by Steven Ives and produced by Ken Burns available through Netflix Instant.  It tells the story of the Whitmans in Washington, missionaries to the Cayuse Indians in Washington close to Walla Walla.  They blamed the Dr. Whitman for an outbreak of measles which killed half the tribe.  They decided to kill those in the mission, and the Dr. and his wife were killed, along with a couple of the Sager children.  The Sager family is a sad story.  Both parents died on the trek, leaving the children orphans in a strange land with no family.  They were adopted by the Whitmans, and subject to the massacre. 
This episode also tells the story of Texas and Sam Houston.  There were two episodes, not just one.  The Alamo and also the Battle of Goliad, where over three hundred Texians forces were executed after they had surrendered.  This was as much a rallying call as the Alamo.  This painted Santa Ana as a cruel man.  The Battle of San Jacinto turned the tide and as a result Texas claimed its independence.
The Mormon immigration also presented, with a brief history of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith.  This concludes with the Mormons digging an irrigation ditch and planting potatoes. 
The reprehensible treatment of the Cherokee, and the other Eastern tribes that were removed to the West, and followed The Trail of Tears is also presented.  This is a sad episode in our history supervised by Andrew Jackson.  
The program concludes with a brief explanation of the Mexican American War in California (but was mostly fought in Mexico.)  We do see General Vallejo, but the story of the Bear Flag Revolt is not told very well.  However this fulfilled Polk's goal that the United States extend from one coast to the other.

The Death of John Wayne, Down Winder

I had always thought that John Wayne's cigarette habit lead to his getting lung cancer, and his death.   However there may be more to the story.  I came across something today which pointed to a possible different cause of the cancer.  I was looking at information on the actress Susan Hayward, and found this quote.  "Was diagnosed with brain cancer, allegedly the result of being exposed to dangerous radioactive toxins on location in Utah while making The Conqueror (1956). All the leads John Wayne, Agnes Moorehead, John Hoyt, Pedro Armendáriz, Hayward and the director Dick Powell died of cancer. The case is still a scandal.
I had never heard of this particular incident, although I knew Saint George was part of the down wind area, and there is a large cancer center there now as a result.  

I found this quote in a website called "The Strait Dope." frecil Adams:
I'm horrified to have to report this, John, but your girlfriend's claim is only slightly exaggerated. Of the 220 persons who worked on The Conqueror on location in Utah in 1955, 91 had contracted cancer as of the early 1980s and 46 died of it, including stars John Wayne, Susan Hayward, and Agnes Moorehead, and director Dick Powell. Experts say under ordinary circumstances only 30 people out of a group of that size should have gotten cancer. The cause? No one can say for sure, but many attribute the cancers to radioactive fallout from U.S. atom bomb tests in nearby Nevada. ...

The movie was shot in the canyonlands around the Utah town of St. George. Filming was chaotic. The actors suffered in 120 degree heat, a black panther attempted to take a bite out of Susan Hayward, and a flash flood at one point just missed wiping out everybody. But the worst didn't become apparent until long afterward. In 1953, the military had tested 11 atomic bombs at Yucca Flats, Nevada, which resulted in immense clouds of fallout floating downwind. Much of the deadly dust funneled into Snow Canyon, Utah, where a lot of The Conqueror was shot. The actors and crew were exposed to the stuff for 13 weeks, no doubt inhaling a fair amount of it in the process, and Hughes later shipped 60 tons of hot dirt back to Hollywood to use on a set for retakes, thus making things even worse.

Many people involved in the production knew about the radiation (there's a picture of Wayne himself operating a Geiger counter during the filming), but no one took the threat seriously at the time. Thirty years later, however, half the residents of St. George had contracted cancer, and veterans of the production began to realize they were in trouble. Actor Pedro Armendariz developed cancer of the kidney only four years after the movie was completed, and later shot himself when he learned his condition was terminal.

Howard Hughes was said to have felt "guilty as hell" about the whole affair, although as far as I can tell it never occurred to anyone to sue him. For various reasons he withdrew The Conqueror from circulation, and for years thereafter the only person who saw it was Hughes himself, who screened it night after night during his paranoid last years.

Wikipedia gives this version when talking about the film "The Conquerer"
The exterior scenes were shot on location near St. George, Utah, 137 miles (220 km) downwind of the United States government's Nevada National Security Site. In 1953, extensive above-ground nuclear weapons testing occurred at the test site, as part of Operation Upshot-Knothole. The cast and crew spent many difficult weeks on location, and in addition Hughes later shipped 60 tons of dirt back to Hollywood in order to match the Utah terrain and lend verisimilitude to studio re-shoots.  The filmmakers knew about the nuclear tests but the federal government reassured residents that the tests caused no hazard to public health.
Director Dick Powell died of cancer in January 1963, seven years after the film's release. Pedro Armendáriz was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 1960, and committed suicide in 1963 after he learned his condition had become terminal. Hayward, Wayne, and Moorehead all died of cancer in the 1970s. Cast member actor John Hoyt died of lung cancer in 1991. Skeptics point to other factors such as the wide use of tobacco — Wayne and Moorehead in particular were heavy smokers. The cast and crew totaled 220 people. By 1981, 91 of them had developed some form of cancer and 46 had died of the disease. Several of Wayne and Hayward's relatives also had cancer scares as well after visiting the set. Michael Wayne developed skin cancer, his brother Patrick had a benign tumor removed from his breast and Hayward's son Tim Barker had a benign tumor removed from his mouth.
Dr. Robert Pendleton, professor of biology at the University of Utah, stated, "With these numbers, this case could qualify as an epidemic. The connection between fallout radiation and cancer in individual cases has been practically impossible to prove conclusively. But in a group this size you'd expect only 30-some cancers to develop. With 91, I think the tie-in to their exposure on the set of The Conqueror would hold up in a court of law." Indeed, several cast and crew members, as well as relatives of those who died, considered suing the government for negligence, claiming it knew more about the hazards in the area than it let on.