05 Thursday Apr 2018
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Paragonah Fort
Paragonah was founded in 1852. Indian troubles caused its abandonment a year later until 1855 when the Pioneer Fort was built. The site was selected and dedicated by President Brigham Young. The Fort was 105 feet square with walls 3 feet thick at the base. A second story was added in 1857. A large room served as Church, School and Amusement Hall. Homes were built around the inside of the wall. The public square includes the site of the Fort, which was torn down in 1879.
05 Thursday Apr 2018
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Paragonah Town Square
This area, a part of the Great Basin, has evolved from the time of Lake Bonneville. It has known Anasazi Indian civilizations as evidenced by nearby ruins. It has seen the Dominguez-Escalante expedition of 1776 which passed west of this valley. It has hosted explorers and traders on the Old Spanish Trail which came through Bear Valley and entered the Parowan Valley at Little Creek. It knew the Jedediah S. Smith expedition in 1826. Even Parley P. Pratt and his company explored here in 1849 to search for sites for Mormon colonization.
Apostle George A. Smith led an expedition and colonized what is now Parowan in the year 1851. That spring, 40 acres were cultivated near Black Rock, south of town. In 1852 others joined the farming venture, building rude huts for shelter at “Red Creek,” as it was originally named. In 1853 the settlement was abandoned due to Indian skirmishes, and was not resettled until 1855 when a fort was erected.
The town’s name was originally spelled “Paragoonah,” an Indian word meaning “many watering holes.” Artesian wells dotted the landscape, which today have been replaced by gravity-flow sprinkling systems that provide water to the abundant stands of alfalfa.
This Centennial year of 1996 finds a peaceful community with a spirit of unity, freedom from density of population, clear spring water, and clean air. Nearby canyons provide ample opportunities for fishing, hunting, and other recreation. Old homes and barns, the Black Rock Cave, and Anasazi remnants make it historically unique. Today, the proud community honors its past and future in the Town/Church square at this spot.
05 Thursday Apr 2018
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DUP Marker # 555 in Layton, for other DUP Markers visit this page.
In my exploring and searching out these historic markers I talked to an employee at Layton Cycle & Sports and asked about the plaque that was supposed to be on the building – he said that a lady had taken it until after the remodeling so I’ll try back later and hopefully get photos of it.
30 Friday Mar 2018
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Fort Bridger, Wyoming was established in 1843 by Jim Bridger and Louis Vasquez. It served as a trading post for those who were traveling westward along the Oregon Trail, as well as LDS Pioneers, the Pony Express, the Lincoln Highway, and the transcontinental railroad. The fort was also commonly used to trade with the local Native Americans.
The fort was not very glamorous, it was even a disappointment to most travelers. It was simply two log cabins about 40 feet in length connected by a fence to hold horses. Most visitors complained about insufficient supplies and it being over priced. They did, however, have a blacksmith’s that many travelers took advantage of.
By 1858, Fort Bridger became a military outpost. Today, Fort Bridger is a historic site. Jim Bridger’s trading post is reconstructed, along with other historic buildings from the military. There is also a museum with gift shops available for visitors.
Related Posts:
30 Friday Mar 2018
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The Mormon Wall
On August 3, 1855, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, concluded arrangements for the purchase of Fort Bridger from Louis Vasquez, partner of James Bridger, for $8,000. Final payment was made October 18, 1858. A cobblestone wall was erected in the fall of 1855, replacing Bridger’s Stockade. A few additional log houses were built within the fort. The place was evacuated and burned on the approach of Johnston’s Army September 27, 1857. A portion of the wall is here preserved. In 1855, Fort Supply was established by Brigham Young six miles south where crops were raised for the emigrants.
This is UPTLA Marker #25, located at Fort Bridger, for the rest of the series visit this page.
30 Friday Mar 2018
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The First School House in Wyoming
In 1860 Judge Wm. A. Carter erected this school house for the education of his four daughters, two sons and other children of the fort. Competent instructors from the east were employed and the students of this school were permitted to enter Eastern colleges without further preparation. Thus the way was paved for future education in Wyoming.
This is D.U.P. Marker #52, located at Fort Bridger, see others in the series here.
22 Thursday Mar 2018
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Bluemel Homesteads
The Bluemel brothers, Henry John and William Oswald (Will) from Randolph, Utah, came to the Bench in February 1891 to establish the first homesteads after the Army opened the area yo homesteading. Because the elevation is higher than the post headquarters at Fort Bridger, the area was named “The Bench.” After staking claims, Will returned to Randolph to bring back their father, Henry Carl, to help them build the first house. It was a small, one-room structure built of logs with a dirt roof. Henry Carl and Will returned to Randolph to care for their family while Henry John spent the first winter alone in this home.
Will married his sweetheart, Emily Louise Pearce, in 1894 and brought her to his homestead. In 1895, Henry John married Melissa Jane Stewart, a daughter of James Wesley Stewart. Stewart was a scout in the Brigham Young party. Mary Elizabeth, a young sister of the Bluemel brothers, came for a visit. She met and later married James Wiley Stewart, a son of James Wesley.
As the area grew, the need for a community center became apparent. The first center, measuring 18 by 30 feet, was build on this site. The building served as the first church, school, community hall, and overall general meeting place. As the area continued to expand, the center was replaced by a larger building in a different location.
The Henry John homestead is still owned by his descendants who bought part of the William Oswald homestead to accommodate their growing family. This monument stands where the two homesteads come together.
See other D.U.P. Historic Markers here.
22 Thursday Mar 2018
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Erected by the members of the Woodruff Stake in honor of the Mormon Pioneers who passed this point on Wednesday July 7, 1847 and in subsequent years.
This monument is at the Lyman Rest Area just off Interstate 80.
21 Wednesday Mar 2018
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Continuing the Journey West
Just a few miles from where you’re standing, the emigrants would come to the first of several trail “splits” that would take them to a crossing on the Green River where they would camp for the evening.
Even with South Pass behind them, Oregon or California-bound travelers still faced more than half their journey and the roughest traveling portion of the trail. Emigrants headed to Utah were slightly better off as they were less than a month away from journey’s end.
As you continue your journey, think about the courage of the people who passed through this country and settled half our nation.
This historic marker is located on a walking path loop on Highway 28 just west of Farson, stopping here you can see all these markers:
21 Wednesday Mar 2018
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Pilot Butte & “Graves” of the Unknown Emigrants
Welcome to the Pilot Butte Emigrant Trails Interpretive Site. The purpose of the site is to help you gain a sense of what life was like for the 400,000 emigrants who left their homes to seek a new life in the West. They were seeking wealth, religious freedom, land of their own, a new life. They all found hardship and suffering along the trail.
At the bottom of the path you’ll see the actual trail ruts of the Oregon, California, Mormon Pioneer, and Pony Express National Historic Trails.
The signs along the path relate some of the history of the westward expansion. During your visit, look around. This area is largely unchanged from the days of overland emigrants. Imagine what it would have been like to walk, ride a horse, or drive a wagon halfway across America and a long way from home.
This historic marker is located on a walking path loop on Highway 28 just west of Farson, stopping here you can see all these markers: