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Show Cyan Magenta Yellow Black Wednesday, March 16, 2005 A5 Sanpete Messenger - Sanpete Messenger/Gunnison Valley Edition Heaven Help Us Rock barn... to creamery... to home Underneath siding are stones from original Mt. Pleasant fort By Kathy Lin Eggleston Staff writer By Corrie Lynne Player Point systems for Grandmas too! In January, I summarized my Point System and asked for volunteer test drivers. Dozens responded, and I now receive almost daily e-mails or phone calls from people needing encouragement or wanting to report successes. Little did I know that I would soon be a test driver, too. The Three Stooges, as I affectionately call my son Eric’s three boys, ages 3, 5, and 6, recently stayed with Gary and me for eight days, because of their dad’s medical problems and their mom’s schooling. Delightful little people, these guys are perpetual motion machines. One at a time, I barely hold onto my sanity; all three together can drive me to a state of exhaustion within 24 hours. When this emergency came up, I decided to use the version of my Point System adapted for preschool kids. I first tried it when Gary and I helped our daughter, Sherri, and her husband, Jon, on a family reunion trip with their four (at the time) little ones. The oldest three, Abraham (4), Jonny (7), and Cori Anne (8), understood numbers, but I figured they’d need concrete rewards. So, in addition to printing out charts, I tagged a bunch of small toys and games with a point cost and put them in a crate. I emphasized that I gave and took away points as I pleased and each night we’d have an accounting. While the trip taught me that grandmas can use The Point System to enjoy being around their grandchildren, I figured out that abstract numbers didn’t work for kids younger than 8 or 9. So, I devised the Chocolate Chip Point System. I bought disposable cups with snap on lids and wrote the kids names on them. Then I awarded chocolate chips (or mini M&Ms or anything a kid likes to eat that comes in very small sizes) for good behavior and took them away for bad. Now, I keep several cups on a high shelf in my cupboard and bring them out whenever I babysit. When the three boys arrived, I put their containers where they could see but not touch them. I’ve discovered that I don’t have to track numbers on a chart for young kids—just make sure that they see me put in and take out the chips, as appropriate. Sometimes, I let the child count them into the container, especially if I want to reinforce certain behavior. Ditto for taking them out. Taking out the chips, himself, was a big deterrent for each of the boys. My little grandsons taught me that I had to make sure they knew I was in charge. One morning Morgan (5) and Padraig (3) didn’t want to put on socks or use the upstairs bathroom. I’d told them they couldn’t go downstairs until they were fully dressed. When they ignored me and started downstairs, without socks and still in their nighttime “pull-ups,” I grabbed them and said in a very stern voice, “Who’s in charge? Who decides what you will eat, when you will go to bed, and where you will pee?” Morgan hung his head and said, “You.” “That’s right, and don’t you forget it. Now, get in the bathroom and pee so you can change into underwear.” This reinforcing of the seat of authority is so important. Little children cannot decide that they will or will not follow the instructions of their parents (or grandparents). Although they need opportunities to make choices, their quirky demands can exasperate you. I’m sure you’ve experienced a three year old who loved his Superman shorts and refused to change into anything else for days on end or a four year old who either wouldn’t take a bath or kicked and screamed when you tried to lift him out of the water. You have to figure out what’s important for your kids’ growth and your sanity, then go forward. Gary had a fight with Caelan (6) over using toothpaste one night, but he learned that his grandpa was in charge and he’d better obey. He also learned that Grandpa knew toothpaste helped prevent tooth decay and Caelan’s refusal wasn’t appropriate. But we pick our battles; later Caelan (who has serious food issues) traded trying a bit of pork and beans for avoiding toothpaste that night. And so the process goes. Next time, I’ll continue. Professional Tax Service at a Great Value! Remember we’re located at: 71 South Main 750 S. State Ephraim Mt. Pleasant 283-2002 462-2785 10am-7pm, Mon.-Fri. 9am-6pm, Mon.-Fri. 10am-5pm, Sat. 9am-5pm, Sat. Come in now or call for an appointment Maximum Refund Guaranteed or Your Return is Free!! What do you think? Write a Letter to the Editor MT. PLEASANT—As the early Mt. Pleasant settlers disbanded their fort, rocks from the fortress were used to build homes, barns or to line cellars. One such structure became know as the old rock barn. The old rock barn, with 19 inch walls, located at 236 S. 300 East, is now the home of Nina Johnson. “I never dreamed I would be the one to remodel the old rock barn,” Johnson said. “It just goes to show what a lady can do all by herself.” Homesteading An abstract of the title shows that R.B. Hayes, president of the United States, deeded 160 acres on the southwest quarter of Section 2 to when Christiana Watkins petitioned for a land grant on her homestead on Jan. 15 1878. Ownership was registered just prior to Watkins selling a lot containing the old rock barn to John Tholmann in April for $15. Tholmann later sold it to his son for $50. A little neighbor boy, Howard Redman, was a frequent visitor at the Johnson home. Howard’s mother and sister were named Nina so he called Nina Johnson Nosie. Nina and John Lofton Johnson purchased the old rock barn in 1951 and made it into a home. The Creamery In 1900, it was sold to Charles Terkelsen. Not long after that, Daniel and Sarah Morley bought the corner lot, plus the barn, and sold the barn to Heber C. Morley for $300. Morley turned it into a creamery. The Sanpete Valley Creamery Company made butter and buttermilk while another creamery on Main Street made cheese. The company’s president was L.C. Rasmussen, while P. Jensen Tvilling was the secretary. Farmers dropped their full milk cans off in front of the creamery for workers to empty. At some point the business became know as the Mt. Pleasant Creamery Company. Sold for taxes In January 1914, the property was put up for sale to Sanpete County for $104.47 to cover back taxes. The creamery redeemed the property in July of the same year. The creamery was in business until about 1918. After that the property went back and forth for taxes for several years. “People didn’t have the money back then,” Nina Johnson said. Loans were held on the barn at the North Sanpete Bank with cashiers H. C. Beaumann, H. Morley and A.L. Peterson signing the papers. A loan was also received from Mt. Pleasant Com- Today, Nina Johnson lives in the comfortable home she remodeled. mercial and Saving Bank, signed by H.F. Wall. In 1940, Ferron Olsen bought the old rock barn for $42.53 in delinquent taxes. The Olsens used the building as a home as others had. The 9-foot by 12-foot carpet in the home was lined with newspapers dated 1916. Johnsons buy Nina and John Lofton Johnson bought the building and one half acre in 1951 for $3,000. They also bought the full acre across the street for $500 and 20 shares of capital stock in the Cedar Creek High Water Irrigation Company, 120 shares of Mountain Tunnel Irrigation Company stock and 10 shares of drinking water in Twin Creek. Nina Johnson used the eight rolls of raspberries growing on the lot to help pay the home loan. She paid girls 50 cents per case to pick them and sold them for $2.50 per case. One year, raspberry plants winterkilled all over Mt. Pleasant, so she went to work for others to help pay for the home and land. John Lofton Johnson had a stroke shortly after they bought the home. It was Nina Johnson who took over the remodeling job. “We put the bathroom fixtures in before I would move in,” said Nina Johnson. “We hired Valley Builders in Gunnison and paid… to have them come and do the work.” The Johnsons bought a Westinghouse refrigerator from Valley Builders in 1948 and were pleased with the purchase. “That refrigerator lasted until three years ago,” Nina Johnson said. Dean Staker of Mt. Pleasant, a retired carpenter, helped with part of the remodeling. “The home is a lot more comfortable than it was before,” Staker said. “People just do not live without convenience anymore.” When Nina Johnson decided to cut down some of the 13 trees that were planted in the 1800s it was a major job. “I told her I would help her stack the wood,” Staker said. “I used a chain saw for days. Nina still uses the wood to heat her home.” Happy Birthday Mt. Pleasant! By Kathy Lin Eggleston Staff writer MT. PLEASANT—Citizens of Sanpete County’s Hub City will celebrate the city’s 146th birthday and 132 years of being an incorporated city on Pioneer Day, Saturday, March 19. “It is a way for us to honor the pioneers who settled the area,” said Elna McKay, a member of the Mt. Pleasant Historical Association that sponsors the annual celebration. “It is really a celebration of the city’s heritage.” Pioneer Day activities will start with an Easter egg hunt in the city park at 10 a.m. sponsored by the Youth City Council. Visiting hour will be from 11 a.m.-noon for classmates, neighbors and old friends to catch up on the news. A box lunch social will begin at noon, with those 80 years or older receiving a free lunch. For youngsters the cost is $5. Following lunch, The Good Time Singers will perform, and two octogenarians will reminisce about growing up in Mt. Pleasant. The event sponsors invite anyone who has lived in Mt. Pleasant or is interested in learning more about the area to join in the festivities. The Relic Hall will be opened after the program for visitors to view the recent renovations and the displays of relics ranging from pioneer quilts and clothing to blacksmith shop tools. The wood floors have been sanded, a bedroom has been restored and the new roof is nearly completed. “Relic Hall was one of the first homes built outside the fort,” said Roxy Washburn, who oversees the volunteer effort to keep the building open to the public. “It was the home of Mayor and Bishop William S. Seely, and it is where the Black Hawk war peace treaty of 1872 was signed by Chief Tabiona, Chief White Hair and their braves.” The home was built not too far from the settlement’s fort built on the block encompassed by State, Main, 100 East, and 100 North. The settlers chose the fort’s location because Pleasant Creek crossed it. The settlers were anxious to move out of the fort and build their homes, but when prob- lems arose they moved back inside. The historical buildings that line Mt. Pleasant’s streets remain much the same as they looked in the 1800s thanks to the city’s citizens and their dedication to their heritage and historical roots. The Relic Hall’s winter hours are Friday 1-3 p.m. or by appointment. Call Roxey Washburn at 453462-2334 more information. Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Mt. Pleasant Historical Association or Pioneer Day luncheon information, call Elna McKay at 435-462-2787. JDM Auto Sales, LLC & Small Engine Home of fine cars, trucks and vans. Auto repair, custom auto accessories, Interstate batteries, custom tires and wheels, auto restoration, safety inspections, and new and used parts. We have factory certification for Sindaiwa, MTD and associates, Briggs Stratton, Tecumseh, Hydrogear, Generic and various others. We also service and repair most all other brands, plus we have new and used small engine parts for all you do-ityourselfers! Rental units too! Pickup and delivery. We welcome all credit cards. JDM Auto & Small Engine 329 W. 100 S., Ephraim 283-6295 3/16,23,30,4/6 |
