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Show June 1998 Mormon Miracle Pageant Supplement Manti City planning Sesquicentennial observance Karen H. Buchanan "I here w as a chill w ind blow wagons left Salt Lake City for the The Mormon Pioneers, mem- journey. October 28, 1849. After ing from the north, and Brother bers of The Church of Jesus Christ difficult travel through canyons, Isaac suggested that everybody get of Latter-da- y mountains and desert, they arrived to the shelter of the south side of Saints, came to colonize what is now' Manti at the re- Nov ember 9. and w ere greeted by that lull. They were all pretty tired, and even a north wind could not quest of Church President, three feet of snow. Led Isaac Local historian Albert Antrei. Young. by Brigham budge some of them from their w chil224 in and omen tells the his men. of book. camp by the creek. Only when the Morley, experience dren with 240 plus head of cattle HIGH. DRY AND OFFSIDL, lowering clouds began to turn into and other animals, and 40 to 50 MANTI. 1849. snow banks did they all forget their By -- 1 Early settlement of Manti rich with stories of courage, unity and hope Brigham Young has earned the respect of historians as a master colonizer. No sooner had the Saints put tentative roots into the parched soils of the Salt Lake alley, than they were plucked up and transplanted elsewhere. Such was the group who answered the "call" to settle in a valley called Sampeech after a brother of the infamous Ute chieftain. Walker. Linder the direction of Isaac Morley. a company of 224 men. women and children left Salt Lake City on October 28. 849 and spent the next month cutting and carving a wagon trail to the chosen site on the south side of a limestone 1 spur. Visualize this hill as it must hav e appeared before it w as know n as temple hill. Where there are now manicured law ns and shrubs, sparse grasses and clumps of rabbit bush grew, their green interrupted by the grey of sagebnish in the more fertile spots. In place of carefully tended beds of pansies and geraniums, Indian paintbrush and wild Sweet William nodded w ith the canyon breezes. The few tourists here then were passing Utes or Paiutes who may have taken advantage of a natural observation point. In the endless hours betw een human v s, only rabbits, lizards or an oc- - casional coyote traversed this mound. The native flora and fauna were subject to a centuries-ol- d cycle. Winters saw snowdrifts forming on the lee of the lull as the south winds predominantly scoured the crest. In the early free agency to st.iy on the creek bank to join Brother Isaac on the south side of the stony lull." Manti City has allocated nings, Manti has dev eloped into an active city of close to 3.000 resi- S6.000 to fund activities for the dents. It is the county seat of year-lon- g celebration. I ach month In later v ears that lull became known as Icmple Hill and the imposing edifice now there w as com- Sanpete pleted m 888. I he settlers suielv must have wondered if all the winters here would be like this first of their but they w ere told by the local Indians that tins was indeed an unusually severe one. Men and boy s slun eled the snow into vv ind-ros so that the animals could paw their way to vvlial grasses there County, houses the County Court louse, the County Fair grounds, the South Sanpete School District offices and several viable retail establishments, as I well as a clothing manufacturing plant. Besides the dominant Cliureh of Jesus Christ of and production of hand-mad- e quilts. There are plans for parades and tours, dances and dinners, a Saints, there are other church organizations as well as civ ic groups wagon tram, a mountamman renw ithin the dezvous and or an Indian powcity. The year of 1999 marks the wow celebration. Special events ing proved strong forces, howwere beneath. 150th year of the pioneers" en- are scheduled on the Fourth of ever. and the follow mg spring, the The first house was log built trance into the valley of the July, the 24th of July (anniversary settlers emerged and began to build A celebration is of the pioneer's entrance into the a town. The name Manti" was for Lather Moiley and his family Sanpitch River. It was ready to for souls. the over of ten entire Salt Lake Valley ). and of course, y ear to complanned selected from The Book of MorIt the arrive date, November 19th. mon and officially approved by move into by December. had no memorate the sesquicentennial Feba dirt floor. vv ho also rev iscd that windows and President Hinckley, President of By day. special Brigham Young, the v to name more were local built. the Two LDS Church, or his citizens. John of "Sampeech" Sanpete, ruary, twenty the valley and county bear today. Some of the settlers, however, Calhoon. and John Keeler have e has been inv tied to speak. These first, hardy settlers conchose to stay in their wagons and been chosen to ov ersce the celebra-tioAn invitation to the governor has tended w ith long w inters, dry sumMr. Calhoon is designated as been extended as vv ell. You are also others dug cav es into the sandstone mer. and capricious frosts. They sides of the lull, and thus they spent the City Chairman, and Mr. Keeler invited to attend these exciting battled rattlesnakes which issued that first harsh vv inter. serves as a representative of the events all during the year of 1999 from the limestone hills in hunFrom these difficult begin LDS Church. in Manti. dreds that lirst spring; and Indians who. displaced and increasingly outnumbered, v ented their frustration in constant harassment. Significantly, this was not an isolated scenario. During the colonization period, the same story was enacted in scores of sister settlements throughout this v alley and much of the Great Basin. To others of the westward movement, homesteading in the lush valleys and more hospitable climates of California and Oregon, the semi-desevalleys of Utah seemed have might unlikely sites for successful communities. Yet, it was because the Mormons were spring, mule deer searched for the first grasses across the bare slopes. As the summer sun dried out the sink the grasses quickly went to seed and w ithered. By late November, this hill was quiet and colorless. Thus it must have appeared to a group of tired pioneeis in 1849 when their leader indicated that this place was now home". That w intei the most sev ere in the memory ot local Indians, Some dug caught them shallow caves into the south face of that limestone lull, where they were partially protected from the northerly blasts and benefitted from what little warmth the winter sun prov ided. Others tried the winter in dwellings constructed only of canvas and the tipped-u- p boxes of their wagons. Their livestock suffered too. for the deep crusted snow concealed the scanty grass; and in spite of all efforts, less already a community that they sucthan half the cattle survived the ceeded. A shared history, religious w inter. conv iction, and spirit of obedience Tenacity and necessity, combrought success vv here others may bined w ith a respect for their eall- - have failed. Gardner Village begins to select an over-a- ll theme. Other contests throughout the year will include original song and story' writing as well as creation w repre-sentati- n. rt C.C.A. Christensen, a famous local artist of the late 1800s, painted what he saw as the scene of Temple Hill, November 1849. This oil painting now hangs in the Manti Temple. photo courtesy LDS Church - Wliat remains today is a cluster of specialty shops located in restored contains the outlines of the Latter-da- y ill feature a special theme. Contest will be held before the year vv cabins, houses and buildings nestled adjacent to the Gardner Mill. Vintage pioneer architecture, antique fixtures, red brick paths and bridges over a pond, create a relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere for shopping, dining and discovering some of Utah's most colorful history. Open Year Round Monday - Saturday Shop 1 Oam - 8pm r Now listed on the National Historic Register, the old flour mill is home to Archibald's Restaurant tuid Country Furniture & Gills. Mmi MtKtEs .Jf: COPY ii iHtkft CSiBi I |