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Show 'f Seufli CettM Utoft Supplement To: Gunnison Valley Niews The, Salina Sun Garfield County News The Richfield Reaper VOLUME 2 NUMBER . THURSDAY, JULY 30, of Southern Jtah 31 1981 X i. Cathedral Valley: Capitol Reef's Hidden Gem (Editors Note: Capitol Reef National Park is located in an area roughly bounded on the north by the San Rafael Swell, on the east by the Green River, on the west by high ridges of the Wasatch Plateau and on the south by Lake Powell. The park headquarters is 30 miles east of Loa and 37 miles west of Hanksville, Utah. Writer Davidson is a Park Ranger responsible for public information activities.) CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK, Although Capitol Reef National Park is bigger than Bryce and Zion Utah I The major part of the Waterpocket Fold became Capitol Reef National Park in 1971. This fold in the earths crust is the best and most readily viewable of its kind in the United States and stretches 100 miles from Thousand Lake Mountain to Lake Powell. The fold (or moncline to geologsits) was pushed up during the last 60) million years as the Colorado Plateau was itself uplifted by forces deep within the earth. . Mountain; the South Desert, Hartnet Desert and the Middle Desert Old Church's Stained Glass While that question probably doesnt mean much to most people of the area, it has a profound meaning to members of two LDS wards in Richfield, and to another contingent of connoisseurs of such art The large window, which measures some 15 feet high and eight feet across die lower half, has been at the back of die chapel in the building at Fourth South and Second West since its construction in 1913. second reason is that the window is seriously sagging near the bottom of the east side, and its stability is questionable. When ward members move, the building will probably be sold, and with it, the window The structure has already been offered for sale by the Richfield Utah Blast Stake presidency, and the advertisement does not specify that the window wont go with it By Zell Gibbs early writer in Mining Review, a national publication, described his impression of Kimbaly and Sevier It is high upon the Valley thus: mountain, and from a vantage point on Signal Peak, the Sevia Valley, in all its grandeur, spreads out like a panorama The building itself was completed in to the east and north, while to the south Mt Baldy and Mt. Belknap, in their 1913, with the first sacrament meeting held there June 8 of that year. It was imperial majesty, look down upon a dedicated two years lata on June 15, region holding the wealth of Croesus in its bosom. 1915. An Earlier, when (anginal plans were being considered for new building, suggestions were considered in which ; the famous window might be included It has been a conversation piece, not as part of that new building. wily among members of that ward and of the Richfield Third Ward which has But plans were approved and conshared the building the past three struction moved ahead without any years, but was recently featured on the place for the window. front cover of the IDS Churchs Ensign While the window seems to reflect the Magazine. heart of the old building to many, to get However, much to the dismay of the it into condition would be a major job. thousands of persons to whom the Several stained glass experts who have examined it, state it would probably window is a landmark, the magazine failed to identify its location in a have to be taken out of the building and feature story on stained glass windows, repaired, no small task. In addition to but did manage to incorrectly identify the comer which is sagging, causing the crown at the top of the window as several of the small individual pieces of Ward in Salt glass to break out, there are several being in the Twenty-Firother pieces of glass which have been Lake City. broken and not replaced. The magazine did, however, in its To match these could also be a current issue, run a letter to the editor from Robert Ogden, forma1 resident problem to anyone attempting to make now living in Texas, who brought the repairs. matter to the editors attention and The window came to Richfield from finally got the window properly iden- Salt Lake City where it was made. It tified. arrived by train in a large crate, and was brought to the site where the new But why the concern for the window? was being constructed, in a Two reasons. First, members of the two building a team of horses. ward which attend church in the wagon pulled by st building will soon be going to church in a new building nearing completion on Fourth West near Eleventh South. The Total cost of the new building was $16,534. In 1929, a boiler, stoka, coal bins and bishops office were added, at a cost of $2,634, and in 1937, the recreation hall, which was located to the east as a separate building, was enlarged and remodeled with a stage being added. A kitchen and rest rooms part of that project. were also a Another excerpt from the dairy of Orville C. Pratt reads: The Valley of Sevier is truly the loveliest spot, all things considaed, my eyes eva looked upon. Someday other, and that not distant, it will swarm with enterprising countrymen and be regarded, as indeed it is, the garden of the Great Basin of the California Mountains. This was written in 1948. By 1868 the prophesy was in process of being fulfilled. a The first gold mining company in this In 1954, another addition was built, was organized, and the Mighty region two the this one between structures, Tushar Range exploded into activity them two This linking story together. almost The wald famous overnight section provided for a Relief Society Mine ignited a burning Annie Laurie School room Junior and room, Sunday lust fa gold that people and prospered four classrooms. Sevier County. Just what the future holds fa the old structure remains to be determined. Two other old LDS ward buildings, abandoned when new structures were completed, are still in use. The old Second Ward church on Second North and Second West has been an apartment building for over 30 years, and the Ward building on First old Third-Sixt- h North and Third East was purchased by the Assembly of God Church which continues to hold services thae. With a target move-i- n date of Sept. 1 ward building, at the new First-Thir- d the old building will soon be vacant, its highly prized gothic stained glass windows future also in doubt But aps there will be a rescue of some to make sure that such a rare prize not be destroyed, but placed con-- ; The chapel had already beeen conplace where its beauty will and of the to remind us past structed around the area where the rip a enprial decor fa the future. glass was to go, but it fit perfectly. I One of the first persons to propose its protection was Charles Kelly, the first Superintendent of Capitol Reef and a noted historian and western writer. From 1943 until 1950, Kelly had served as a custodian without pay at Capitol Reef and came to know the land intimately. In Kellys day, the entire Capitol Reef area and most of Wayne County was the end of the earth. The road from Sigurd to Torrey wasnt paved until 1940 and the stretch from Torrey to Fruita (the old Mormon community in the center of the park) remained dirt for another Today, things have changed some. Wayne County folks can cover the 200 miles to Provo in a little over three hours legally. Travelers can speed to straight Capitol Reef over beautiful Highway 24 from points east and west. Suddenly, Cathedral Valley and the other wonders of the North District arent another planet or the end of the some doing to earth. But it still takes - ' ::!r see them: ' There are primitive dirt roads into the North District but the family sedan just isnt suitable transportation. country like? Unforgetable. I will and always remember my first trip not just because I fell off my motorcycle there, either. It was April, still coolish, but the sun growing ever more dominant. Just outside the east boundary of the park, I wheeled off Highway 24 at a sign River Ford. There the marking Fremont River (a stream by backeast standards) must be forded. The day I crossed about 18 inches of water was flowing from some spring rain; its usually less than a foot in dry periods. hills you climb The rolling pink-gre- y like are first they moonscape; through also can be treacherous. When it rains, this clay is slick beyond imagining and will stop the best four wheel drive, dead. Soon the first of many panoramas a valley called North presents itself Blue Flats. As you slowly twist around turns and bob over rises, Thousand Lake Mountain and its approaches extend to the North in constantly changing perspective. To the south, the stark basalt peaks of the Henry Mountains loom against the sky. You are still driving through Lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management. After a dozen miles, you reach a junction. Dont pass up this one mile spur road because youll miss an overview of the lower part of the South desert drainage trough. These stark broken badlands are very im- pressive to a flatlander. Roads are rutted and washcut in places and rock debris sometimes litters the (Continued on Page 8) Mountains, Valleys Comprise Center Of Panoramaland Window Has Uncertain Future What will happen to the stained glass window in the old First Ward Church? Whats a sojourn in the remote decade. As for Cathedral Valley well, that was almost another planet. myriad mesas, ridges, monoliths, buttes and valleys. For ages, the forces of erosion have done a powerful work on this land that drains Thousand Lake ouuding is due to be vacated by LDS Church soon and building has been placed up for sale. This vast drainage area that the National Park Service administers as the North District of Capitol Reef National Park was almost unknown only a generation ago. It was known best by the few stockmen who had been grazing cattle in the area since Mormon pioneers arrived in the 1880s and, as one author noted, few stockmen are . Some of these treasures of scenic beauty remain virtually unknown, even to Utahns. Among these are the soaring stone monoliths of remote Cathedral Valley. Huge stained glass window at rear of chapel in Richfield First-Thir- d Ward is waiting for future to be decided. Old narrow, twisting track. At least a high clearance vehicle is needed; better yet, a four wheel drive. Its an all day trip just to taste the country. travel writers. national parks combined, it is probably the least well known of the national parks in Utah. Within its 378 square miles, however, may lie more variety of eroded landforms and environments than any other national park in the intermountain west. Where the waterpocket Fold begins its sprawl southward from Thousand Lake Moutnain lies a .colorful land, of comprise three throughs of the drainage. Cathedral Valley lies in the Middle Desert vastness, almost hidden. From elevations in any direction, in any season, one can look out ova this valley and marvel at its simplisitic beauty. There is no harshness of line nor color, nothing that offends the eye. Fields form a patchwork quilt of texture form and color, embroidered with silver streams of irrigation wata. Well kept homes and gardens attest to the pnde and industry of a contented people, and the valley in its entirety is framed with the cool, green lace of many varieties of trees and shrubs. Richfield and Salina, being centrally located and more heavily populated, are the heart and the hub of Panoramaland. Their restaurants, hotels and motels are geared to carry heavy tourist traffic, and all sightseeing and recreational regions are within easy driving distance. Monroe, a shot way south of Richfield, is a charming rural town at the base of beautiful Monroe Mountain. A unique spring thae has long been a source of health and recreational bathing. High in healing minaal content, the spring feeds an out-do- a pod for those looking fa relief from muscle tension, arthritic, and rheumatoid conditions. The water bubbles up through the earths crust at 168 degrees farenheight, cools and maintains 8 very comfatable temperature. A short drive up Monroe Canyon is Monrovia Park, boasting cool canyon breezes, isolated, rustic and restful camp and picnic sites. In the southern part of the county is Creek Canyon part of the Old Spanish Trail. It is a very unusual and historic canyon. Many Indian petroglyphs dot the shea cliffs, and small caves, used as homes for tribes make fa good exploring and photographing. Gear long-fagott- On the floa of the canyon, Creek wends its way through ' Clear lush meadowland, willow and cottonwood trees, creating diversion fa the eye and adding enchantment to the canyon walls by way of contrast. Waterfalls cascade down the shea cliffs in many places, giving comforting coolness to the unique rock formations. Add to this very old, very rustic cabins hug the shoreline, more picturesque than practical, but offering shelter fa those who like to rough it. Many Fish Lake extends for 6 miles in length, and is approximately a mile wide. Along its shoreline are three very fine resorts, the first to be established being Lakeside, which offers all the amenities fa an active but restful vacation. Fish Lake Lodge, since its inception has been an ideal and foavorite family vacation spot. This concept has been carried on and added to for almost 70 years. The Lodge stretches for 360 feet and includes entertainment for all ages. A ballroom of 9600 square feet has provided weekend and special occasion dancing for Sevia County residents for three generations. in 1911 Bowery Haven, on the north end of the lake, is a wonderfully quiet and restful vacation. Rustic place to weekend cabins and a modern, spacious, beautifully furnished motel rooms are conveniently located. Mackinaw weighing in at 35 pounds are not uncommon, and wata sports of all types are enjoyed without crowding. Plenty of elbow room, no waiting in line, no worry about parking, long, lazy days of space, sky, sun, shade, and the excellent fishing the creek serenity, plus good food, fisher, fun provides, the cool, shaded camp and and frolic, make it Sevier County's top picnic sites, and you have a perfect attraction. rock base for hikos, hounds, fishermen, geologic, and InThe Sevia County Fair is another of dian Culture enthusiasts. the many things the County can really Fish Lake is Sevia Countys scenic be proud of. Now in its 98th year it is a A and recreational deservedly peak event. Exhibits of all host, scenic, 40 mile drive from Rich- sorts, horse shows and rodeos, aucfield and Salina, it is one of the most tions, Demolition Derby are only a very beautiful Resort Lakes in Western few of the noteworthy events scheduled America. It lies 8750 feet above sea annually. level, surrounded by scenery that is The fair this year begins August 3 and incredibly beautiful, in the very heart of one of Americas most pristine runs through the 8th. The fair draws from all areas of southern Utah and is National Forests. an event very few are willing to miss. Numerous sparkling, clear streams Dont fail to participate this year. The feed into the Lake, are excellent for fairgrounds at Richfield is the only stream fishing, and make for place to be during the first week in delightfully cool and shady campsites. August. back-packer- s, |