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Show t: History studrnt fogte to pmBsir gltostt towo by Mark Rathjcn Chronicle staff A University of Utah history student has come to the rescue of a southern Utah ghost town. Doug Becks tead, who discovered the early Mormon settlement of Grafton while working at nearby Zions National Park, is trying to preserve the town from the random destruction of vandals and the planned exploitation of developers. Grafton was founded in 1859 by Mormon settlers sent by Brigham Young to grow cotton along the Virgin River. It was abandoned in 1935 and has since been used as the set for several movies, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The Duly Utah ChrMude, Tf iday, ISevcaacr r : - . same feeling the other descendants of the town have." Beckstead would like to see the present town preserved as either a national park or historical site. This would allow the town to be restored without being exploited. Not only developers, but vandals and '3 -- ' - 4 1 movie producers threaten Grafton, Beckstead said. Vandals paint graffiti on headstones and steal doorknobs from houses, and movie makers have torn down buildings and fences to build sets. But the movies made in Grafton have also helped Beckstead get people interested in saving the town. "The way I approach people is to ask them if they remember the bicycle scene in Butch Cassidy, then tell them that was filmed in Grafton. Then I tell them about Developers have recently proposed this recreation a development thing and the first thing converting the town into major area and resort, Becks tead said. they say is 'How could they possibly be allowed to do that, and what can we do to In a presentation to the Washington County Commission in January, The stop it?"' Beckstead replies that people should Grafton Development Company described plans to build a lodge, swimming pool, RV write letters to local politicians or anyone park, restaurants, gift shops, rodeo arena who might be interested in saving Grafton. and other recreational facilities at the site. Robert Redford, who starred in Butch Beckstead began studying Grafton as a Cassidy, has expressed interest since project for a history class. But his initially Beckstead wrote to him, Beckstead said. Besides saving the town of Grafton detached investigation was transformed into a personal search when he discovered itself, Beckstead is working to preserve its he was a descendant of one of the town's history. He is planning to write his masters thesis on the town and wants to form a original settlers. Those involved in the proposed historical society to bring together people development of Grafton have accused with information about the area. "The Grafton Historical and PreservaBeckstead of just stirring up trouble and of tion Society will be primarily concerned having no connection with the town. a "I came back and said, 'I've got pretty with Grafton but will take in the entire darn good connection. My great, great, upper Virgin River area because their is a great, great, grandfather is buried there, lot of history down there," he said. Grafton is an unusual ghost town and I don't want his grave made into a because the it was an agricultural community. "That's said. he tourist attraction," Doug Beckstead, a University of Utah history student, is battling against developers who want to turn the southern Utah ghost town of Grafton into a tourist attraction. Grafton, where the bicycle scene from Dutch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was filmed, is located near Zions National Park. comfort of Salt Lake City, Beckstead said. Most ghost towns are former mining towns Still Grafton supported a population of 168 that died when their mines gave out, while at its peak in 1864. farming towns usually survive and often grow into !arge cities. In spite of the hard life, those that held Although Grafton began as part of a on were a tight-kn- it group who found cotton mission, residents were soon forced plenty of time for music and dancing and into subsistence farming to survive. The singing, Beckstead said. erratic course and flash floods of the Virgin Fifteen former residents of Grafton are River eroded their fields and eventually still alive. Several of them joined they turned to raising cattle. descendants of town residents for a reunion Many early settlers abandoned the in Grafton last September. community and returned to the relative For members and their guests only nSMSLME QflKS PRIVATE CLUB KUTV brings you live football action, as the rivalry continues. 11 :30am 0 Saturday cm TOGETHER join us every Tuesday Night for the loose Jamacian dance beat Brigham's Saturday night dilemma. . ASUUASBYU Dance November 17, from 8:30 to 12:00 KCGL 2 dollars wI.D.. 3 dollars without. FM-10- 6. J |