| Show Eighty Years Ago Plans Were Made in on Old Home By NANCY SORENSEN A The young man turned to ithe the pretty coed with whom he was dragging Main and said sid Well that's where it all start- start Ml ed cd He nodded at the old oldhouse oldhouse oldhouse house standing just north of the Bank of Ephraim and partially partially partially par par- secluded by a group of trees Yes in that venerable house which still retains a touch of the pride and dignity that once made it a stately mansion mansion mansion man man- sion originated the institution of higher education we now know as Snow College The mansion belonged to Canute Peterson who Jn do the year 1888 was serving as stake president He entertained such church authorities as Wilford Woodruff and John Taylor in his home On one such evening evening evening eve eve- ning as the church authorities sat around the dinner table the idea of creating an institution institution of higher education was first approached Of this incident Sarah D. D Jensen a granddaughter of Canute Peterson relates Snow College really began in the late around the dinner table of my grandfather er Canute Petersons Peterson's home The school was then only an idea in his mind Church authorities authorities authorities auth auth- were always entertained entertain entertain- ed in his home and as they sat around the dinner table he approached them with the idea of a higher institution of learning The first class of the in in- known as Sanpete Stake Academy was held on 5 1888 in the Ephraim Ephraim Ephraim Eph Eph- raim Social Hall located above the op Co-op Store This building building building build build- ing is now used by the Ephraim Ephraim Ephraim Eph Eph- raim Roller Mills The enrollment at the Academy Academy Academy Acad Acad- emy increased rapidly and it became evident that a buIlding building building build buIld- ing would have to be erected to house the classrooms In the original out lay-out of Ephraim the lot where the college now stands was designated designated designated as a city park It so happened that the church owned a plot of land south of town which was used as a silk farm The church traded waded this land to the city for the theland theland theland land designated as a park and the first building on the campus campus campus cam cam- pus was constructed the Noyes Building In the early the name of the institution was changed from Sanpete Stake Academy to Snow Academy It was called called called call call- ed Snow in honor of Erastus and Lorenzo Snow missionaries missionaries missionaries mission mission- aries to the Scandinavian countries beloved of their converts who settled in this valley The name was further changed to Snow Normal College College College Col Col- lege and in 1923 was given the name by which it is now known Snow College After 77 years Snow College College College Col Col- lege continues to grow a monument of progress the heart of Sanpete County After After After Aft Aft- er 77 years the house where the school began stands silent and unnoticed a part of another another another an an- other era Yes that is where it Jt all be be- gan Could we but unlock the thedoor thedoor thedoor door of time again light would shine through those latticed windows and laughter would ring from the mansion where a group of dedicated men met around the ithe dinner table and made plans for an institution of higher education Is it any wonder why the people of this area arca want to preserve the house as a pioneer pIoneer pioneer pio pIo- neer memorial |
