OCR Text |
Show Page Eight - The Pyramid - November 19, 1997 Blackhawk TV documentary to recount Sanpete9s history EPHRAI- M- June Crane never really knew her maternal grandfather, Soren P. Jensen. He died when she was only four years old, but she knows all about how he fought in Utahs Black Hawk War. The war ended many years before Crane was born, yet she feels a strong connection to it. It took place m the region her grandfather emigrated to when he was 22 years old, a region that is now the city and county in which both she and her mother reside. It is a part of her heritage, a piece of family and state history that will never be forgotten. Crane talks about how her grandfather was in charge of bringing bodies back to Ephraim for burial after the skirmishes between the settlers and American Indians, and how he was a guard at Knoll Station in Ephraim She talks about the Canyon clashing of two cultures and how people learned to live with each other, to get along. Sanpete County is full of people like June Crane, people whose parents, grandparents and fought m the war. They are all connected in the same way to this piece of Utahs past. For this reason, the Sanpete Heritage Council, of which Crane is a member, sought funding and assistance from KBYU to make a documentary on the Black Hawk War. The documentary will air this January on PBS and will be released on video that same It was directed by month. KBYUs Rob Sibley. The idea for the documentary emerged when the Heritage Council was considering ways to Mt. Pleasant, unify its citiesSpring City. Manti and Ephraim, according to Monte Bona, a heritage council member. "The Black Hawk War was something that really shaped the history of the area. It had a tremendous impact," says Bona, a member of the Mt. Pleasant City "Generations Council. later, people still remember their relatives who fought in the war." The Heritage Council received funding for the documentary from the U.S. Forest Service, Brigham Young University, State Division of Museum Services, - Utah Council of the Humanities and the Division of State History. The film was shot locally and and includes battle interviews with descendants of those who fought in ' the war. Cranes mother, Nellie Jensen Doke, is one of the people interviewed. "My mother was born when her She was father was the last of 10 children," Crane says. Her grandfather arrived in Ephraim from Denmark in 1862, about three 'years before the Black Hawk War began. Many of the battles between the Utah settlers and American Indians took place along the Highway 89 corridor between Thistle and Gunnison. Many of the battle sites along that corridor remain untouched. Those sites are being marked and identified as part of a separate heritage project. The documentary explores the wars origins in Manti, skirmishes, construction of forts and eventual resolution. It also details the life of the American Indians leader. Black Hawk. "It is a sensitive topic, because there are so many living descendants of those who fought on both sides," says John Peterson, the author of a book on Black Hawk and the Black Hawk War that is being published by the University of Utah Press. "This episode in our state history has been tucked away, but it is as important to talk about as the Utah War, Mountain Meadows Massacre, the coming of the crusade railroad, and the attaining of statehood," Peterson says. "It is as important or even more so than those events in our state history, yet it is a part of history that many " people know nothing about. Mt. Pleasant Z Family Night Lights w Peterson adds that the Black Hawk War was "fought between The settlers and neighbors". American Indians had worked and lived side by side for years. "That adds an uncommon element," he declares. It is an important story of conflict and healing for Utahns to learn, he adds. "It is a symbol for how Utahs diverse people have to learn to get along, to seek peace and a way of living and working together." Crane agrees. "The war was about two cultures clashing, but it was also about how people got along with each other. It was a very important period of time." Friday, November 28 6:00 p.m. on Main Street Free Cookies, Cider & Hot Chocolate Old Fashioned Christmas Lights and Window Decorations 100 ft. Lighted Christmas Tree Miss Utah Presentation Library holds hour pre-scho- ol MT. PLEASAN- Tchildrens hour will be held at the library today, Nov. 19, at 11 a.m. The theme is "Winter". Gailene Hooper will tell stories about animals in winter and winter activities. She will help marshmallow' children make snowmen and snowflakes. Next week the childrens hour will be about Thanksgiving, Indians and colomsts. Hooper will tell the children early Ameri- can stories about how the Indians saved the colomsts from starvation. Finger puppet and Indian necklaces will be the craft. The program was designed by Hooper to teach the children the true meaning of sharing and how this holiday originated in this spirit. All childrens hour programs are for children ages three to five and are free of charge. For more information contact the Mt. Pleasant Public Library, Pre-scho- ol 462-324- 1 t 4 ! & M 4 Bring the kids & grandkids to experience Christmas the way it was p it 1 0. Thank you for your supporting vote on November 4th. Im looking forward to serving you as your Mayor for the next 4 years . Ron Giles M Singing Qroup from Wasatch Academy Sanpete County Theatre's Performance of Sanpete's "Littlest Angel" To the Citizens of Fairy iew: r H |