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Show Ur a h Pres a s sociation 467 East Third South Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 mmm special mmm This Week: Vol. 3 No. 13 Thursday, April .2. 20 I!)8l cents single copy Ldhi Talberaacl Memories By Gordon Bennett recollection of that , My earliest uniquely majestic old Tabernacle happens to be of a lazy autumn Sunday afternoon in 1941. My family and 1 had rattled over from American Fork in the Model A Ford to visit Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Cliff Bennett. Our periodic trips to Lehi were experiences I really looked forward to, bumps, rattles and all. Seeing all my Bennett cousins and ' then visiting with Uncle John and Aunt Eunice Hutchings was always a very special Sunday afternoon treat. These wonderful people are an important part of my Lehi heritage. My mother, May Leone Hutchings Bennett was raised and educated in Lehi. To me, Lehi is and was unique. Lehi, in 1941, had fully little cement street posts with a lantern on top, few paved roads, fewer paved sidewalks, and horses and dogs everywhere. Also, Lehi had steam engine trains that tooted and rattled through both ends of town day and night. Lehi had two business districts, upper and lower Lehi, and the Royal Theater. Lehi had, above all things, a real live rodeo where as a young boy, (and now a middle-age- d man) I sat and thrilled at the cowboys and cowgirls. Yep, partner, Lehi residents can be justly proud of this city's unique heritage. But that day, that early fall Sunday afternoon, when I first really took note of that enormous white-face- d structure where the beginning of my "romance" with the Labi SUk Tabernacle,-A- t first -r I believed the building to be the Nauvoo Temple. I soon found out that it wasn't the Nauvoo Temple. Moreover, to this freckled faced kid from American Fork, the Tabernacle appeared more like a 700 foot high pinnacled mountain of snow. And, in fall's full color the crimson-cask- e Schwedler maples around the Tabernacle grounds made the building more impressive. Infatuated as I was with that "mountain," it was not until 1954 did I really have direct association with the marvelous edifice. Through some fateful twist of still-runni- and the Now, about the Lehi Tabernacle. As an outsider (even though I consider myself a loyal Lehi convert) I have called upon many sources, both documented and otherwise, to obtain interesting and factual data regarding the which may be meaingful to Lehi citizens. Much appreciation is extended to those who knew and loved the tabernacle best. Also, appreciation is extended to all who took personal pride in this remarkable Utah Valley landmark. The year was 1900. Lehi along with every other struggling community in the valley was considered a member of the Utah Stake of Zion. The stake headquarters was housed in the Provo Tabernacle, presently situated on First South and University Avenue. The Utah Stake of Zion had been formed in 1852 by President Brigham Young and the stake area covered from Point of the Mountain to Cedar Valley; to the Wasatch Mountains and south to S;- .nish Fork. However, distance and difficult transportation modes left outlying communities, including Lehi, feeling very disassociated with stake functions. In 1901, the Alpine Stake was formed and in the American Fork Tabernacle. Now, for the first time, Lehi became a more important element in "stake" activities. Abel John Evans was ordained as second counselor to President Stephen L. Chipman of the newly formed Alpine Stake Presidency. Abel John Evans was a Lehi businessman, prominent dedicated churchman, ' mayor, state senator, bishop, lawman, legal advisor, city advocate and who knows what else. The people of Lehi loved Abel John Evans. head-quarter- religious still-wintr- gatherings. Namely, a Tabernacle of (heir own. Talk of a Lehi Tabernacle (nol a stake center) had begun a few years prior to the turn of the century. By 1889 after discussing the financial and material obligations of such an undertaking Continued on page A-- :t Library Hears Tall Tales A Tall Tale Contest is currently being conducted at the Lehi Library for people who have overdye books. Anyone who has delayed returning book to the library should write down Ihe excuse for thier overdue books and no fine will be charged. Amnesty Week (no fines week) is from March 30 to April 13. All Tale Tales will be judged and the winners will be given special prizes besided having the priviledge of reluming books at no charge. Amnesty Week and The Tale Tale Contest are being held in conjunction with National Library Week from April 5 to April 11. Many other events have been planned by Lehi librarians Janeen Watkins, Rhoda Holcomb and by members of the library board. HarrelPs Serves Opening Buffet ' ! it IV) A buffet will be served at Harrell's Family Restaurant at their Grand Opening Saturday, April 4. The delightful food at Harrell's will become familiar to all who attend the Grand Opening beginning at 1 p.m. The buffet is only $2 for adults and $1 for children under 12 years of age. Connie Grace and Music City will entertain through the day and Miss Lehi, Debbie Palmer, will present at the celebration. Han-ell'- s is )Qcateq at JS0Q . JEast Slate, Lehi." ,; , ....... Lehi Scholars Make Finals The finalists in the Deseret News-KSSterling Scholar Awards have now been selected. A total of 15 finalists are three Lehi High School Seniors. They are Brad Christof-fersoVocational Education; Wendy and Jay Powell, Homemaking; Powell, Business Education. Brad is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Christofferson; Wendy is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William G. Powell, and Jay is the son of Mr. and Mrs. R. Gene Powell. These students will compete on April 8 at Utah Technical College in Salt Lake for final judging. In each category, a winner and two runners-u- p will be selected. The winners will be announced at a televised awards ceremony on April 14. L n, conspiring misbehavior of the love bug, I crashed and burned over a dark-eye- d Lehi beauty and my interest in Lehi took on new dimensions. I especially liked the dimensions of the dark-eye- d beauty, but that is an entirely separate story. Tabernacle large, members helped too. However many a meal was trundled to the construction site at 200 North Center, by wives and Relief Society sisters. Biscuits, jam, jerky and a ladle of whole milk was the mainstay meal of the working men. Made entirely of limestone hauled in by wagon from the lake by the saints of Lehi, the project was approved. Construction work on the Lehi y Tabernacle began in Ihe month of February, 1900. Even with frost in the ground an enormous basement ws scraped out by teams of horses, men and crude equipment. Nearly all of Ihe endless hours of labor were freely donated by LDS Church members and some non- - of lxhi and it became apparent that members of Ihe LDS Church in Lehi needed a place for people red-haire- d, d, nature With a Lehian serving in the stake presidency the people of Lehi had good representation in the church. American Fork was Ihe place people traveled to for many years to attend conferences and other slake functions. It certainly was much more convenient to do this rather than going to Provo. Bui the trip to American Fork evenlually became troublesome for the Briefly: LEHI STAKE TABERNACLE - Stately and Beautiful Pioneer Homes Were Built To Last ; Many Are Still In Use Today Testimony to the fact that the early Utah pioneers built well is evident in a home built by Joseph Johnson Smith in 1883. It is the current residence of a n Lee J. and Joy Smith and is located in northern Lehi. Joseph Johnson Smith was a skilled mechanic and came to Lehi in 1851 at the invitation of Bishop David Evans. Until this home was completed, his family lived in a house to the west, on a flat area below the edge of the hill above the creek. This early pioneer was Lehi's first blacksmith and was also a carpenter. He made the first plough and nails in the community, surveyed and dug the Smith Ditch, which is still in use, and built a flour mill and made a machine for planting grain. He was also a farmer and set up a livestock ranching business, leased sheep out on shares, and kept honey bees and developed an extensive husbandry business. When the family moved to the big house on top of the hill, he all the furniture, including the tables, chairs and bed frames. Today the home is still much the same as when it was built, except for a few conveniences such as a furnace and bathroom. The large, rooms are bright and cheery. "A bay window was added by John J. Smith after he purchased the home in 1916 to make the kitchen bigger and sunnier," said Lee. "The home was sold in about 1895 and several people have lived here," said the Smiths, as they recounted some of the history connected with the house. "One of the owners added a small addition to the north side," Lee said, noting they plan to tear it down because it has great-grandso- "Soon after 1938 my home covered with deteriorated. The house includes a living room and bedroom, one step up from the kitchen, and earlier also housed a small bedroom off the kitchen. This has since become the furnace room. Upstairs are two large bedrooms, with a small loft room that was used as a sewing room about halfway up the stairs. I 'v.-.v- ' wish they were back now," said the Smiths. Also still in use is a large barn to the east of the house. "This was built and in use before the house was finished," Lee said, noting that it is probably over 100 years old. Also still in use is a machinery shed that was used prior to the finishing of the house. father had the stucco," Lee stated. Water had damaged the adobe and a cement skirt was also added to the base around the house to protect it from moisture. When the outside was refinished, the "gingerbread" adorning the front porches was torn down and the front modernized. "We yosS-- ' I'll Cancer Crusade Now Underway An army of several thousand volunteers will converge on Utah County residences beginning April 1 to distribute educational materials and collect donations for the annual Cancer Crusa'de sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Residential Crusade chairman Jeanne Brockbank of Provo said the goal this year for the county is $45,000 which will be used to help cancer patients living in the county. Mrs. Brockbank has spent the last several months recruiting volunteers - mostly women - to organize volunteers in each city in the county. Evelyn G. Harris is chairman for Lehi. "As volunteers cover residential in the county, they will distribute materials that encourage people to eat properly, develop good health habits, stop smoking if they do, have regular health checkups, and the chairgive man said. "Information is also given on where the Cancer Society spends the money collected." Other Lehi workers who will conduct the Cancer Drive in Lehi from April 1 to April 10 are: Chairman of the South area is Lueen Kirkham. Helping her will be Paula Faddis, Laurie Chapman, Evelyn Harris, Julie Chamberlain, Kathleen Lott, Sandra Phillips and Carol Gray. Chairman of the North Area is Ardell Zimmerman. Working with her will be Lois Cook, Liz Childs, Roxie Russon, Lorene Carlton, Judy Barlow, Lois Rushton, Annette Webb, Elrita Miller and Kathryn Phelps. areas had-mad- 4 l M Is high-ceiling- t ! : . ' S. ' two-roo- PIONEER HOUSE STILL IN USE - The Joseph Johnson Smith home in north Lehi is still in use today. |