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Show 2B Kama Valley Fiesta Days, July, 1990 Folk History of The Kamas Valley fort During the 1850's, Mormon explorers pushed eastward across Parley's Park in search of timber. They found a high mountain val- ley drained by the Weber and Provo Rivers and founded a settlement, which they named Rhoades Valley, for Thomas Rhoades, a member of their party. Many of Rhoades' trips to the Lost Rhoades Mine, reputedly one of the richest in the State of Utah, began here. The early settlers built a frontier town without many luxuries, but with ample homemade comforts. The Indians resented die loss of their lush valley, with its meadows and beaver-fille- d streams. They remembered the Taos trappers, who had been there long before die Mormons, and had trapped their animals and stolen their children to be used as slaves in New Mexico. The Indians also remembered the miners who had forced them to toil in deep pits, digging out a yellow rock that they then carried away on their pack trains. To protect themselves, the settlers built a fort in 1858 at the east aid of the Valley. rior of die After the k War, the Indian problem lessened, the fort fell into disuse, and was Anally abandoned in 1870. Thomas Rhoades moved away. The new settlement was built outside the fort and became known as Kamas, named for the camas root, a food used by both the Indians and the pioneers. The Valley's elevation made farming difAcult, but the town soon found a cash crop in timber. Great forests of pine covered the mountains and canyons above the town. Timber camps were erected near the headquarters of Beaver Creek, the Provo, and Weber Rivers. The first pioneer timber cruisers came upon long abandoned mines and discovered the ruins of stone houses. Near the mines, they found rotting logs Black-haw- that marked where timber had been cut, so long before that oily the remains of logs were visible. Arms such as Blazzard's, Grey's River, and the Great Lake Timber Company built camps from Poulsen Basin to die Norway Flats, and Murdock Mountain. Many of those camps were in use for decades and the skeletons can be found in brush-chokcanyons aid rocky basins all through the mountains. Lata, well-kno- The fort was 30 rods square (almost 500 feet by 500 feet), with. high walls, and had gates in both fts east and west ends. Fifty families had cabins The evidence of Spanish and there. The cabins ringed the inte Mexican mining in the mountains ed 16-fo- ot above Rhoades Valley was apparent when a group of Mexicans were caught taking small children 'to New Mexico to be sold as slaves. Since Governor Young had outlawed taking slaves in Utah, the Mexicans agreed never to return, but they did say it was the most profitable business they'd had since they packed gold ore from the mountains more than 50 cient treasures. And in many cases, they aren't just tales, old maps support the claims. In recent years, chunks of gold have been found near Kamas. years before. Further evidence of Spanish mining near Rhoades Valley is found in old maps, copied by explorers from even older maps. One such example is found in a map. which marks a spot near present day Hoytsville. The spot is malted simply as "Old Spanish Mine." A fascinating .discovery made in 1858 by General Johnston's Army may indicate how long ago the mine was worked. Half buried in a sandy wash, a Spanish cannon was found. When pulled out and cleaned, it was found to have been cast in 1776 in Seville, Spain. There are many old mines around Kamas, which have been worked by iron tools. Some have been found above Kamas near Beaver Creek and in Moon Canyon. Others have been found on Hayden's Fork, north of Minor Lake, Currant Creek, and on the upper Weber River. Dick's Drive Inn 235 East Center Wishes good luck to all those participating in Kamas Valley Fiesta Days Thanks for your business this past year 783-431- The list of mines and stories seems endless. Every mountain town from Oakley and Holiday Pari; to Francis and Woodland have tales of lost mines and an 2 Kamas, Utah 84036 Dick and Arlene Music In The Early Days The first orchestra was organized with George B. Leonard, managa, the Ant violin; Mrs. Chalotte Pack, concertina organ, and Antina; John Smithies, bass violin, and Parley Neeley, violin and organ. At times a band from Heber Valley would play fa the dances. This band consisted of Henry Walker, violin; Wm. Wheeler, banjo; A1 Rhodes, violin, and Wm. Bancroft, ented early singer of the Valley was Agnes Pack, who was considered to have one of die sweetest voices and was especially noted for ha Scotch songs. Jesse Burbidge was also well known as a singer. They very often sang duets togetha. Ha voice passed along to ha son, James Jesse Burbidge sons, espeBill as he was cially William, Or-lan- d. a dulcimer. known, was very musically talented The people of the Valley loved and was very good to play for music uul did enjoy dancing. Tal |
