OCR Text |
Show Volume II , Issue II Page 13 The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS November 1999 By Shanna Francis Stanley Ferrin Wangsgaard, Local Historian people who have come and gone is Local historian Stanley incredible. He can tell you a little Wangsgaard’s autobiography begins, “ something about most everyone who’s I was born at home at Huntsville, lived in the Valley during the past 100 Weber, Utah in what was called ‘The years, and who they are related to, and Olsen Place’ . . . a two room log house how. Mr. Wangsgaard covered by board siding unpainted and is also an avid weathered with a shanty or lean-to genealogist and, across the back, at the wee hour of 3:20 amazingly, has most of a.m., on 21 October 1920. . . ” the genealogy records The Wangsgaards later moved to of the people who “The Lofgreen Place.” The biography have lived their lives continues, “I remember my here in the Valley. He grandmother Ferrin living with us here, has collected through and when she died . . . being given a the years a wealth of glimpse of her in the cold front room information. Mr. covered by a white sheet. I remember Wangsgaard states that birthday parties with friends and he has been interested cousins–lots of cousins . . . I also have in Huntsville’s history a vivid memory of my first bout with all of his life. He hay fever while leading the Derrick modestly states that he horse to pull the hay up into the barn. has collected “things” My brother Clint was also afflicted and through the years–in we splashed water into our eyes from actuality, he has a cup trying to get relief.” collected a lot of “My grandmother Wangsgaard died things through the 19 October 1927, two days before my years! birthday. She knew the day before that In June 1991 Stanley was appointed her death was imminent on that day, by the Huntsville Town Council to be and told my mother to go and pay her co-historian with water bill [for her], Erma Wilson. What because she didn’t does an appointed want to owe a soul historian do? For one when she died. She thing, they collect also told her to get four news articles from the quarters change and to paper about anyone see that I got them on from the Valley. my birthday, as she Items include wouldn’t be here.” o b i t u a r i e s , Thus it was that engagements, Stanley Wangsgaard weddings, and any began his life in news articles about Huntsville almost the people who live seventy years ago. I here, or about events met Mr. Wangsgaard a related to the Valley little over a year ago and Ogden Canyon. when I was trying to Items are archived find some historical and kept in the Stanley Wangsgaard information for an Huntsville Town Hall. article for the Ogden Historical items go back to 1860 with Valley News. I did obtain the the first modern day settlements within information I was looking for, but, in the Valley. The history of Peter Skeen addition, I found something more Ogden is found there, and the valuable–one of the most interesting settlement of Huntsville by Jefferson people I know living in the Valley! Hunt and the first seven modern day With my own personal love of history, families that settled in the area. and more especially, my love of the The Town hall is home to about 30 history of the Valley, I felt as if I had or more thick loose leaf sized binders found a gold mine after meeting Mr. full of information stored by subject, Wangsgaard. His knowledge of the such as biographies and obituaries. Valley’s past, its antidotes, and the The Huntsville Cemetery has even been indexed, and this information is also stored. There are also about 13 or 14 larger binders (with about 20"x18" pages) Historical La Plata Cabin. filled with larger sized material. Material is collected and compiled for posterity. Mr. Wangsgaard says that so few people are interested in the material, “but it is very rewarding for those who come and find out things about their families.” Stanley Wangsgaard married Pauline Cottle on September 1, 1944. Together they have had nine children, four daughters and five sons. The Wangsgaards also spent much of their married life living in Salt Lake City. In 1975, with their children’s help, the Wangsgaards built the family cabin in Huntsville where Stanley and his wife Pauline spend most of their summers. This is also home to what has become known as the Wangsgaard Memorial Park. Stanley writes in his biography, “I had been wanting to find an old log cabin to put on the park as a museum, and in 1990 I stopped to see William Poulter who lives on the road to the Monastery, because there was an old log cabin in his barnyard that looked like it was about to collapse. When I asked him what he was going to do with it, he told me that if I wanted to tear it down and move it, it was mine. With the help of my sons, we numbered the logs and tore it down . . .” By 1991, the family had finished reassembling the cabin. A foundation had been poured, and some new logs were purchased to replace those that were rotted or eaten by termites. The cabin was historically built at LaPlata, and later moved down to Huntsville for use after the mining city died. The cabin now stands fully furnished with collected antiques, along with another cabin that is in the process of being restored. There is also a refreshment stand that used to be located on the bottom of Pineview Reservoir where the trolley made a stop on its route up the canyon before the Pineview Reservoir was built. The Wangsgaards often allow Valley residents to use their park and museum area for reunions and family get-togethers. Mr. Wangsgaard can usually be found at the Huntsville Town Hall on Tuesdays throughout the year. For more information about the historical documents, or for arrangements to visit the family historical museum, you can contact him at the Town Hall, at his Huntsville cabin at 745-1817, or at his Salt Lake residence at 801-328-1358. Happy Thanksgiving Bring this in for a Free Gift THE CLAY POT Presents the 13th Annual Country Holiday Boutique November 20 10 A.M. - 7 P.M. 4100 N. 2900 E. Liberty You are invited to shop or browse our unique selection of goodies, gifts and decor-all handcrafted. HostessesKatherine and Kathy Johnson |