NEWS!
First "Legacy Series" Artisan Art Book/CD Coming!
Our Kickstarter.com project -- http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1795825629/saga-of-the-sanpitch-artisan-art-book-cd-legacy-se -- is launched, and June 2013 Utah Pioneer Heritage Arts releases the first Artisan Art Book/CD of the Legacy Series, in which Utah's top songwriters, singers, and visual artists combine to tell the stories of Utah's pioneer history.
The Saga of the Sanpitch tells some of Sanpete County's history, which is rich in Native American history, pioneer stories, and conflict between the two.
Cherie Call, Payton Kemp, Mary Kaye Knaphus, Kate MacLeod, Sam Payne, Clive Romney, Ryan Shupe, and Gary Voorhees have collaborated with Sanpete County visual artists Laurie Lynn Farrer, Susan Gallacher, Shirley Taylor-McKay, Larry Nielson, Kathy Petersen, Carl Purcell, and Jason Quinn to create a stunning package that deserves a place in every Utah home and wherever those with Utah roots live.
Release is targeted for June 20th, 2013.
EXTRAORDINARY CULTURAL HERITAGE ADVENTURE!
July 8 - 13, 2013
Hay field outside Spring City National Historic District
July 8 - 13 are the dates for the first annual 6-day 5-night Story Road Utah Tour!
This guided, all-expense-included bus tour through three National Parks and the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area will feature arguably Utah's most experienced tour guide, Mary Ellen Elggren, two musician/storytellers, a master Utah history teacher, local step-on guides, and a packet of historical materials, CDs of old pioneer songs and new Utah Folksongs, a packet of pioneer game implements, and printed material relating to all the places the tour will visit and the stories that go along with them!
$899 gives you a full week of stirring stories, amazing vistas, powerful education, great experiences and professional entertainment in the company of others who love Utah history.
Towers in Red Canyon leading to Bryce Canyon National Park
For more information or to reserve your place, call tour guide Mary Ellen Elggren at 801-541-6937 or Clive Romney at 801-706-1997.
Scandinavian-style home in Ephraim
St. George Tabernacle on which Miles Park Romney served as Master Mechanic.
Cotton plants outside Jacob Hamblin's home in Santa Clara, Utah. Brigham Young hoped to establish a thriving cotton industry in the warm St. George climate, but lack of water prevented the plan from being successful.
Abandoned pioneer home near Ivins, Utah, on the Shivwits Paiute Indian Reservation.
Schoolhouse at Fort Bluff
A brief introduction to the history of Tropic - one of whose founders was Ebenezer Bryce, for whom Bryce Canyon National Park is named. Below listen to Sam Payne's performance of his song written about Ebenezer's famous comment to those who raved about the park's beauty: "Yes, but it's a helluva place to lose a cow!"
"Helluva Place To Lose A Cow" by Sam Payne
More on the History Tour
You'll see, hear and feel a huge variety of historical, geographical and cultural experiences. Below are more glimpses into what this experience will entail.
A wood stove in a restored pioneer home in Kanab, Utah.
Jagged rocky peaks looking southwest from Rockville, on the Virgin River near Zion National Park.
Vivid red sentinels stand guard at the entrance to Red Canyon, ascending toward Bryce Canyon National Park.
A pioneer portrait of Orderville in its early days watches over a modern diorama of the United Order settlement that was nicknamed "Soup Town", because they ate in a communal kitchen, being served from the same soup pot.
The twilight moon watches over the Green River near the Red Cliffs Lodge near Moab.
Pioneer Heritage Program in Tropic
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Clive Romney, our executive director, visited the beautiful Tropic Heritage Center on Thursday, October 18th to help present an evening of storytelling and songs about southern Utah pioneers. Joining Clive for this entertaining evening were guest artists Miriam Wagstaff of Tropic, Payton Kemp from Washington, Quinn and Donene Griffin from Escalante, the Spencer sisters, Jaydyn and Alayna, of Lehi (with Escalante roots), and Bob Apperson on bass.
Megan Cottam's fiddle students provided an energetic warmup for the evening.
Below are pictures from the show.
Clay Wagstaff and Sheree Roundy join Clive in singing "Diggin' In The Dirt", to the accompaniment of the rhythmic sounds of shovel (not seen because it is off camera), two hoes, and spade (played expertly by Sheree). The question to be answered is, "Who's playing first and who's playing second hoe?"
Clive tells the story of his wife's great-uncle, Orson Adair, who was born in Orderville, Utah, just a few miles from Tropic. Orson was the oldest son of Jedediah Grant Adair, who was a cattleman, dairyman, and horse rancher, but who felt he could provide a better living for his family if he also became a teamster - a freighter, who would haul his own products and those of his neighbors to the larger southern Utah towns, and then exchange them for manufactured goods, which he could take back to Orderville and sell to his neighbors.
Jedediah later moved to Tropic and opened the first mercantile store here. He also had a ranch and a hotel in Widtsoe, now a ghost town, up in the mountains.
But Orson's story is that as he took over the duties (at age five!) of caring for the farm livestock in his father's absence, he developed a great gift at working with animals.
By the time he was seven, he could handle a team of horses, driving a wagon around the ranch to do his chores.
Now, he couldn't harness the horses, because he was too short. But in the morning his mother would harness the team for him, and Orson would climb up on the wagon, and do the rest.
Back then, teamsters always traveled in caravans, for safety.
So one day, just before Orson's seventh birthday, when his father, Jedediah, ended up with two wagon loads that had to go in two different directions, he asked Orson's mother if she thought Orson, in company with other freighters, was capable of driving that second wagon.
She thought he was, so they asked Orson if he would do it. He replied, in essence, "I'll do it for my daddy, and to make my momma proud."
So they packed up a bedroll and other necessities, for him, and sent him off on what was to become just the first of many trips for Orson Adair, the boy freighter, who was soon famous all over southern Utah!
On one of the first days out, the other freighters hatched a plan. They always stopped for the night near a farmhouse, so they could get fresh milk for their evening meal.
So on this night they sent little Orson to the nearest farmhouse with a bucket for milk, and a twenty-dollar gold piece to pay for it.
What happens next is the subject of the song that Payson sang, "Like a Man", listenable below.
Jaydyn and Alayna Spencer teach the audience the chorus to "The Handcart Song", which was written by John Daniel Thompson McAllister, of Parowan, and then St. George.
Jaydyn and Alayna are granddaughters to Jerry and Sheree Roundy, who were the driving force behind the creation of the Escalante Heritage Center.
One of our motivations in doing this heritage concert in Tropic was to stimulate interest in doing similar programs at other heritage centers.
Our plan is to identify and develop the local talents as much as possible, then foster collaboration between Utah's rural communities so they can strengthen and complement each others' artistic abilities.
After that, UPHA will supplement their resources with whatever they lack.
Jaydyn and Alayna actually live in Lehi, but were willing to come to Tropic to perform because they have relatives nearby.
Miriam Wagstaff, who lives in Tropic, is the 2012 Youth Division State Fiddle Champion!
Miriam began her violin studies with Megan Cottam, who lives and teaches in Tropic. But after excelling in Megan's Suzuki Violin School, she recently began traveling weekly to Provo to study violin, fiddle, and piano there.
But Miriam doesn't limit herself to the musical arts.
She also studies and excels at Irish Step Dancing, and studies that in Provo as well.
So don't be surprised if you see her on stage doing any of the above things with a very high degree of skill. This little lady is an artist in many genres and at many levels.
Miriam's parents are Clay and Rebecca Wagstaff, internationally renowned artists who choose to live in Tropic for its simpler lifestyle, but who regularly travel to New York, where they exhibit and sell their artworks.
But they likewise are multi-faceted people who fill their life with many arts and skills.
Rebecca, for example, makes organic soaps, which we have tried and love. We hope soon to feature them on UPHA's website.
Clay is a renaissance man who has built much of his own home and art studio, and on the day of the heritage concert in Tropic was seen moving chairs from the school to the heritage center, and doing countless other things to make it all a success.
Thanks to Clay and Rebecca for doing so much to bring the arts to a high level in Tropic, and enrich the lives of their neighbors.
And thanks to Megan Cottam, who is raising a wonderful generation of fiddlers in south central Utah through her violin school. She and her husband Garrett are a great credit to the community.
Her efforts have already created one state fiddle champion, and from the level of performance we saw from her students on Thursday, October 18th, there may be others coming up!
By the way, one ingenious mother there had created a "practice cello" for her little child to "play" with the fiddle ensemble. The strings were slack, so no sound was produced by the instrument, but the child bowed right along with the ensemble, and soon will be ready for the real thing!
Payton Kemp, although he lives two hours away in Washington, was willing to perform in Tropic to support UPHA's efforts to foster collaboration among rural Utah communities.
Payton also is involved in other activities besides his music - he plays football, and had to arrange to miss practice to do this show. Thanks, Payton.
A big thanks goes to his mother, Leanne, and his father, John, who brought the whole family up to support Payton in this concert. It's people like the Kemps who make me passionate about supporting their efforts to bring culture to rural Utah.
Payton was a regular performer at Tuacahn Amphitheater last year. He is taking a break this year to concentrate on his athletics, but still performs often.
We've posted two of the vocals he has recorded on this website, so don't miss his performances below. He's a remarkable performer!
Besides performing "Like a Man" on this concert, Payton sang "Hang On, Little Joseph", which brought tears to the eyes of many in the audience. The latter is the story of James and Joseph Kirkwood, of the 1856 Willey Handcart Company.
Payton has the ability to make you feel that he is the person he is singing about in the song. It's a wonderful gift, which brought a lot of magic to the evening.
All in all, the evening was a great success, making great connections for several performers in southern Utah, and many believers for UPHA.
We welcome your feedback. Email us at clive@upharts.org. We love to hear from you!
"Like A Man" performed by Payton Kemp
Quinn & Donene Griffin sing "Waltz Across the Fifty", Quinn's original song about herding cattle out on the plateau they called "the fifty", and missing his wife so much that he dreamed of waltzing through the sagebrush and sandstone with her. The heritage tie-in is that one and two generations earlier, his grandfather and father had done the same thing he was doing! The song is featured below.
Quarterly Breakfast Social Sept. 29, 2012
Think the Sistine Chapel on a personal level.
Think the Secret Garden made visual.
Think C.C.A. Christensen's church history panoramas.
Lynde Mott, visual artist, historical researcher, mother and wife, has created this and so much more in her home in Pleasant Grove. Check it out at www.lyndemott.com. Lynde's work is a great example of how one person can use her talents to celebrate community and family history in a very individual way.
Here are a few photos of our visit to her home as part of the 3rd Quarterly Breakfast Social of 2012.
Nauvoo mural from Lynde & Randy Mott's living room (the "Nauvoo Room")
Nauvoo scene circa 1846 from the corner of Lynde & Randy Mott's "Nauvoo Room" (their living room)
The mosaic tile beehive that greets you as you stand on Lynde & Randy Mott's front porch.
Even Lynde's "utility bathroom" off the garage and back yard is fully muralized.
Even the garage doesn't escape Lynde's artistic touch.
The kitchen table is also "muralized". Would that be "tableized"?
