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Show 4B THE GREEN SHEET Thursday, February 18, 1988 HISTORICAL FEATURE Soap, Antelope Island Salt, Way Of Life For The Spencer Family Home-mad- e In order to keep themselves, their homes and their clothes clean they made their own soap by burning sagebrush to make lye. Then they would fill a barrel with the ashes and pour water on top, letting it leach down, catching the water at the bottom and mixing it with grease that they had collected for many from and months cooking rendering out hogs. To get salt, the settlers would go to Church Island (Antelope Island) on a sandbar, and could go dry shod all the way except for about 100 yards near the island shore. The island also served as pasture for the cattle to feed upon, and the lake was so low at that time that they could drive them across. However, as the lake got higher the men used a big flat to boat George belonging Chambers to transport the cattle across. When they reached the island they would build a fire to signal the folks back home to let them know that everything was all right. Their families would build a similar signal fire on the south shore to let them know that they had received the message. The same set of signals were used when the herders and the cattle returned to the mainland. The flatboat cattle barge ended up in Frank Chambers bam yard that was located where the Central Lumber once stood (next door to the Gem Theatre). It was used as part storage building by the lumber company and was tom down in the 1970s. During one bitter cold winter when feed for the stock was down to a low ebb Hiram and the other settlers had to go down to the bottom land and shovel the snow off the grass so that they could haul it up to the cattle to keep them from starving to death. by LaRee Pehrson Green Sheet Staff Writer Part 5 of a Series MAGNA. In the spring of 1869, Hiram Theron and Mary Spencer moved back to his Uncle Dans ranch north of the Power House their own three Hill, with children and their adopted Indian boy. head of Dan They on cattle shares, and Spencers they gave 15 pounds of butter a of the calves for head and the use of the cows for one year. Every week Mary Spencer made 100 pounds of butter that they would take to Salt Lake on Saturday to give Dan Spencer his share. Their share they traded for commodities such as groceries and clothing. To further supplement their food supply they would go into the mountains in the early days of fall to gather sarvice berries, which they brought home to dry so that they could be used during the also winter months. They collected pine nuts and made beef jerky to add a little variety to their meals. The canyons in the Oquirrhs also provided a good supply of oak and maple wood both for their own use and for sale. However, it took two days to cut it, and a day to bring it down, making it a time consuming, back breaking task. Because of the long distance between here and Salt Lake, the wood commanded a good price, selling for $6 or $7 a cord. Because there was such a small supply of money in circulation the Spencers took their pay in things that they needed from the store. In fact the only cash the family had was when the traveling people who often stayed at their place would pay in silver for a nights lodging, care for their horses and a home cooked meal. took one-ha- 80 lf CLASSIC HAIR DESIGN OFFER EXPIRES FEB 25. WCOUPOR LADIES FASHION CUT & STYLE IMAGE MAKER BY ORLY $1099 IJ Reg. 16 HELENE CURTIS PERMS Ref i Tinted n6. 4j CHILDRENS HAIRCUTS Cut Age 1 Style Included Under 10 Reg. Fashion Hair Designer Current 1 FesAron Techniques Contour Indmdual 3884 So. 3600 West LUCY LEWIS CAU FOR APPT. M A A VOt-UIVo- S I AM On Aug. 8, 1869, Hiram Theron and Mary welcomed their fourth child, a baby girl, bom at Point of West Mountains and ushered into this world by Ann Bertoch, an early day midwife. They named her Jane Edith. A short time later they moved from the Daniel Spencer Ranch and built themselves a ranch of e their own a east of Toronto Cave, just north of the Arthur Mill. Later Alexander Adamson, the first postmaster house here, built a big where Dan Spencers log cabin once stood and George Chambers built a rock house close by. For the next 36 years Hiram Theron Spencer devoted much of his time building up his spread. He built a house with four rooms on the main floor and two on the top. He also constructed a summer kitchen, a root cellar and a cooler cellar that had cold, clear water running through the center of the half-mil- two-stor- y two-stor- y building. In the cooler cellar there were shelves on both sides filled with flat pans of milk, fruit, butter and other things that needed to be kept cool. The flat round milk pans allowed the cream to rise to the top, which was then skimmed off to be churned into butter. When the eggs were gathered they always counted 13 to a dozen, for the extra egg was saved for the Relief Society to give to the needy. In addition to the house, which came to be known as "The Half Way House," Hiram Theron built a bam, cow sheds, pig pens, and chicken coops. Down in the meadow he raised Timothy Hay, part of which he kept for himself and part of which he sold to add money to the family coffers. He also pastured other peoples cattle. Up near the off the land bam he measured for the Indian Campgrounds which was reserved strictly for the Indians who were traveling across the valley to stop and rest. It was a good days drive with a loaded team from Salt Lake to Point of West Mountains, and although other people wanted to camp in that space, Hiram Theron refused to break his word to his Indian friends. Originally the road ran straight from Toronto Cave to the Power House Hill. Later it went up around the base of the mountains and ran under the spillway when the Utah Copper began its operation. From early fall until late spring the road to Salt Lake was very bad, due to the heavy rainfall and the alkali soil. Sometimes it was almost impossible to travel. But there were always a few foolhardy people who woidd venture forth and become stuck on their way to and from Salt Lake. It was then Hiram Theron was often wakened in the middle of the night to help someone out of the mud. While he was gone his wife Mary would fix something for them to eat and a place for them to sleep, in spite of the fact that she now had four children of her own to care for and "Indian Dan." On Jan. 16 1872, Mary Spencer delivered a fifth child at Point of West Mountains, who was named Grace Maude. However, by 1874 "Indian Dan" had gone on to the "Happy of his Grounds" Hunting ancestors, reunited at last with his own kind. At the time some said that the consumption was brought on by bringing up an Indian boy in a white mans world. However, it was later discovered that the Indian race is highly susceptible to tuberculosis and diabetes through genetic factors. As the years passed the also acquired other Spencers to in addition neighbors Alexander Adamson and George mile Chambers. About one-hawest stood the James Bertoch Ranch that was the main stop for the overland stage. Still another half-mil- e west was the Spencer Ranch, and a half-mil- e beyond that was the old rock house built by Frank Toronto. Some of the older Bertoch children lived in the house after Frank Toronto died, and it was later occupied by Dan and Emma Spencer Jacobs. It was here that Mary Howard was born. Further to the southwest were the homes of the Thomas Drurys, Israel Spitz and the William Inkleys. Still further west was the Frederick Kesler home . . . another rock house known as the Toronto Ranch. It was owned by Joseph Toronto, a Mormon pioneer of Italian extraction, who figured prominently in building Nauvoo Temple. He also Janet Alice, married Pete Reid, he owned the property at the cave, measured off enough land for which was used as a stable for them to have a ranch of their own horses and cows, and at one time located due east of his spread. Although the life of the pioneers the cave was so big that it could house a threshing machine or a was hard, there was still much pleasure to be had through simple load of hay. Theron Hiram when on Later Continued on page 11 and Mary Spencers oldest child, the QUIET TIME... H. Theron and Mary B. Spencer enjoy sitting on the porch of their home near Toronto Cave. The home was located directly north of Arthur Mill. flEDflg C3JKISB t M lf CUB g liVUJRj WIN A FREE JRtPJO JLR SAN FRANCISCOIDctoils On KSOP o BMP WEST VALLEY CITY West Valley Housing Authority now has money available for eligible residents to fix up their homes. 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Challenges in today's Army abound for young men and women! A variety of opportunities are available to you. You may qualify for the Gl Bill plus the Army College Fund amounting to 25,200 for college. How much you earn depends on how long you enlist for and in what specialities you qualify. Army skill training will challenge you and give you the pride of knowing that you can succeed. That positive attitude will stay with you through college and beyond, giving you an edge on life. Check out these possibilities at the Army Job Fair at Valley Fair Mall . . . Army Combat Arms Transportation Supply Public Affairs Finance Medical Personnel Services Thursday, Friday and Saturday February 18, 19, 20 From 10 a. m. until 9 p.m. ARMY. Fair Housing Equal Opportunity Agency BE ALL YOU CAN BE. |