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Show Tij'3i' jJ IU tJft Emery County Progress Castle Dale, Utah Tuesday April 16,2002 IB Emery County fyM49 0 , r r A& Show Time! The reigning Miss Emery County, Barbara Burke held a benefit concert at the Emeiy County High School auditorium on April 8. This benefit donated the proceeds to a mentoring program for special needs children and youth in Emery County. The Snow College Ascension Show Choir entertained the audi- ence and made Eileene Thompsons day when they pulled her out of the audience to be sung to by the 1 2 young men. Also Adriana Wilstead who was turning 4 years old. Local performers also held the audiences attention while bringing together a worthwhile program. This benefit was a night for the family and was filled with music, laughter, and even a little bit of romance. e How Emery County Towns Were Named Huntington and Lawrence By SYLVIA H. NELSON Looking into history to find out how Huntington got its name, became more interesting with every history book found. The first version quoted here is found on pages 182-- 3 in the big red history book Emery County There are many controversies as to how and why Huntington was given its name, but it seems a proven fact that in the 1850s a party of explorers for the Mormon Church, three brothers, Dimmick, William, and Oliver Huntington, with others in the company made an exploration trip into eastern Utah. Ever traveling northward and camping at various places which later became known as Muddy Creek, Perron Itiver, and Cotton- 880-1980. wood River, the company evidently camped under the Cottonwoods for some time. After exploring the area, the company traveled northwest, heading for the mouth of a canyon they could see in the distance with red ledges showing along the mountain side. They encountered an Indian village along the river bottom. At the startled bark of the dogs, the village became suddenly alive. The Huntington brothers waved to the camp in friendly gesture, then descended to the camp w here they were greeted with suspicion until Dimmick spoke to them and explained their visit and made peace. One party member, Moses Draper stated in his diary, We made camp on the banks of the river and started to prepare our evening meal. Dimmick, w ho was very well liked and respected l by all, went to the river for a pail of water, and in his absence one of the group said, propose to name this river Huntington, in honor of )immick." There are other legends of this, but i 1 at any rate Huntington settlement undoubtedly adopted its name from the river. The history Castle Valley: A History of Emery County originally produced by The Emery County Company of The Daughters of Utah Pioneers in 194!), was reprinted by the DUP in 1992, and may still be available. On is a more expanded pages 199-20- 0, version of the I luntington Brothers version, but goes on to say that Despite the long-hel- d legend that it was named for these Huntingtons, an LDS church historian said it was named for an old explorer" who had come through Castle Vulley at an earlier time. It shows that Huntington Creek carried this name before October, 1 853, w hen William Huntington made a trip ... to Moab Even in an excerpt from Oliver Huntingtons accounts is a quote, The next day we traveled to Huntington Creek" plainly implying that the stream already carried the name at the time. (Taken from book on Origin of Western Names.) And there is no reference in any of the diaries or writings of the Brothers Huntington of it being named for any of them. There may be even more versions written somewhere. Even though the town of Luvvrence was first settled in 1S7!) and 1880, and there were many families who settled there, Castle Valley states that Previous to the organization of the (LDS) ward in 1 88!), the people belonged to the Huntington ward. At a Stake con- - ferenee held in Castle Dale on August 12, 188!), Law rcnce was organized into a w ard of its own and was named in honor of President C. (!. Lawrence. And that wras that. Two other quotes from Castle were also inValley", pages little facts. teresting IX'cember 18, 1879, a baby girl w as born to Philander and Lurretia Burch, the first w hite child born in Lawrence. litis caused me to wonder if the settlers knew of Indian children ho had been born there earlier. Then on .Ian, (5, 1880, a baby girl arrived at the home of Robert W. and Lucinda I fill." litis baby was named Ivy, and later Itecame the wife of Reuben Brasher. Ivy and Reuben were lopg time residents of Castle 271-27- 5 vv Dale. ' |