OCR Text |
Show Historical Society shown film MAESKH SPFCIAL-Uintah County Historical Society members met for their November meeting at the Golden Age Center, November 13 with President Presi-dent George Long conducting the meeting. The group was shown a film (that was produced by the efforts of the Forest Staff at Dutch John and Tish Mc Fadden,) of the Osker Swett family homesteading the Green Dale and Flaming Gorge area. Comments were made; by Ada Green Murray, Mary Swett Arrowsmith, Earl and Myrle Sweet Moore, and Lewis Sweet. George Long also made comments as he was a guest at the Orson Burton home as a young boy. This was one of the last homesteading, pioneering efforts in Utah and included the clearing of the land, building homes, fencing, haying and caring of the livestock. Oscar Sweet with the help of brothers and family built a saw mill on Bear Creek. Only two trips to Vernal a year, in the spring and the fall for supplies. In the spring they needed seed to plant, in the fall supplies for the winter and the fruit to can for winter. A trip would take two and half days, camping out on the way. On the trip back they stayed at the cave on Brush Creek. The kids often walked as the road was very bumpy. They had a post office for a short time with mail delivered from Manila three times a week. They also had a school with lessons sent that the young teacher would give. If the people needed something a man went out on horse back to Linwood, a town across the Green River to the north and east. The town served the ranchers and sheepmen and consisted of a general store and post office, a hotel and several saloons. This once thriving small town dwindled down to one store and post office in the store ' before it was completely abandoned for the Flaming Gorge reservoir. The families who lived there got together for special occasions, enjoying their lives and each other. Those families who lived there were Bill, John and Stanford Green, Oscar Swett, grandmother, Elizabeth Ellen Swett and son Lyman, Sylvan and Joe Arrowsmith, Orson Burton and his brother Josh. Sylvan and Mary Swett Arrowsmith were the last of the original homesteaders living there. They moved out this past spring. President Long suggested that the next meetings be held the next three months of the new year 1980 on Saturday Satur-day at 2 p.m., with the next meeting to be January 12. |