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Show .,, , ' ''-"!.,, C t j j f (fV ' ' A successful 125th Escalante Festival was held last weekend with lots of food, fun and activities. Visitors were able to take a relaxing ride through town with Klancy Ott and Shondelle Cottam at ESCALANTE On Saturday, May 26th the Escalante Center sponsored a festival honoring the 125th year of the settlement of Escalante in 1876. The theme was "Our Historical Heritage" and centered on the history of Escalante from 1876 to the present. The day began with a breakfast of hot cakes, bacon and eggs served under the trees north of the Senior Citizens Center by the Escalante Chapter of the Sons of the Utah Pioneers. While breakfast was being served, a little orchestra consisting of Betty Alvey, Lynn Gates, and Brent and Gary Griffin, entertained on a truck sponsored by the Escalante Lions Club. At 8 a.m. several people re-enacted the raising of. the Indian Blanket that served as a flag on July 4, 1876, because no American Flag could be found in the valley. Sam Spencer, portraying Peter Barker, rode his horse down the street at a fast gallop to the flag pole to inform Andrew Schow, portrayed by Calvin Schow, that he was unable to get a flag in Panguitch, and by the helm. The covered wagon was provided courtesy cour-tesy of Bob and Mira Loy Ott of Scenic Safari Guided Horseback and Stagecoach Rides located at Kodachrome State Park. Escalante Festival A Resounding Memorial Day Display of Events "Shucky Darn" he didn't know what we were going do. Following the blanket raising, the crowd moved to the lawn of the Senior Citizens Center and re-enacted re-enacted the raising of the American Flag on July 24, 1876. This time it was a flag that had been sewn by Mary Ann Schow, wife of Andrew, portrayed by Martha Schow. At 9 a.m. the 5K fun run, under the direction of Escalante High School track coach Monte Marshal, began. The old Escalante gym on First West was decorated with clothes lines from which hung red, long handled underwear, bib overalls, and other items that were worn by the early pioneers. Around the perimeter of the old gym were craft booths with artists distributing their wares and demonstrating their talents. Root beer, cinnamon rolls, bread and jam and other goodies were sold from the old "Wilcock Store." There were quilt displays, crochet work, knitted items, and various kinds of hand work. Soap making, spinning and weaving, saddle making, leather work, wood carving were only a few of the many things that were on display. Outside there was a horse shoeing demonstration and kids could get there picture taken with "Sweet Alice." They could also go for a ride on "Sweet Alice" because "Sweet Alice" turned out to be McKay Bailey's mule. Bob Ott brought his team xf mules and covered wagon from Cannonville and took people for rides around the town in the wagon. An historical time line .was created with pictures and commentary telling the story of Escalante from 1876 to the present. This proved to be a center of attraction with the hallway where the display was set up being so crowded that it was difficult to get past one another. The time line committee has been busy emailing pictures that were requested by former Escalante residents. From 2 to 5 p.m. there was entertainment including violin playing, country western singing, cowboy poetry, etc., and people enjoyed listening to the talented (See FESTIVAL on page 4-A) FESTIVAL From Front Page people of Escalante and Boulder. At 5 p.m. a dinner of barbequed beef brisket, cole slaw, beans, rolls and cobbler was served to the town, catered by Mike Ahlstrom of Hoo Doos Catering in Tropic. At 8 p.m., in the Escalante Stake Center, a premier Reader's Theater was presented on the early explorations and settlement of Escalante. People were able to hear in the first person the story of the Indians giving way to the white man, and also early pioneer first i hand stories from such people as Andrew Schow, Josiah Barker, Alice Woodhead Barker, Mary Alice Shurtz, Captain James Andrus, Major John Wesley Powell. Almon Harris Thompson, Isaac Riddle, Don Carlos Shurtz, Jacob Hamblin and others. Many former Escalante residents returned for the festival and it is estimated there were over 800 people who attended the festival in the old gym. Everyone felt the day was a great success. |