A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....07-25-03...Utah - "This is the place"

Mama_Bear

[Mama_Bear]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997. Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dansangel, dutchess, Aquamarine ~

Today we leave the comfort of our air-conditioned tour bus for the open-air, ox-drawn Conestoga wagon as we join the sons and daughters of the Utah Pioneers in celebrating their annual Pioneer Days. (With our apologies to our Finest Utah FRiends for arriving a day late.)

"Pioneer Day" - July 24

Pioneer Day in Utah, a state holiday, is recognized by the Mormons as the day they entered into Utah Valley (what is now called Salt Lake City) on July 24, 1847. It was on that day, the President of the Church, Brigham Young, pronounced from a nearby mountain top "This is the place". Along with Brigham Young were 143 men, 3 women, and 2 children that entered into the uninhabited Salt Lake Valley.



The Mormon Trail

From 1846 to 1869, more than 70,000 Mormons traveled along an integral part of the road west, the Mormon Pioneer Trail. The trail started in Nauvoo, Illinois, traveled across Iowa, connected with the Great Platte River Road at the Missouri River, and ended near the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Generally following pre-existing routes, the trail carried tens of thousands of Mormon emigrants to a new home and refuge in the Great Basin. From their labors arose the State of Deseret, later to become the Utah Territory, and finally the State of Utah.


PACKIN' THE WAGON

Many pioneers overestimated the amount of cargo they could haul. As the long journey weakened and wearied the oxen, loads were lightened. Such heirlooms as prized furniture, book collections, china, and pianos were often abandoned along the trail. Sometimes precious items were left along the trail with the hope of picking them up at a later date. Such was the case with the Kimball family in 1847. As they approached the mountains, they unloaded their piano...... (shown below)
......dug a large hole, wrapped the piano in buffalo skins, carefully placed it in the hole, and then covered it with dirt. The following spring an ox team transported it to Salt Lake City.


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The "Nauvoo Neighbor" suggested the
following list of provisions every
family wagon should have:

1 good strong wagon, well covered with a light box 2 or 3 good yoke of oxen between the age of 4 and 10 years 2 or more milk cows 1 or more good beeves 3 sheep if they can be obtained 1000 lbs. of flour or other bread or bread stuffs in good sacks 1 good musket or rifle to each male over the age of 12 years 1 lb. powder 4 lbs. lead 1 lb. tea 5 lbs. coffee 100 lbs. sugar 1 lb. cayenne pepper 2 lbs. black pepper 1/2 lb. mustard 10 lbs. rice for each family 1 lb. cinnamon 1/2 lb. cloves Cooking utensils to consist of a bake kettle, frying pan, coffee pot, and tea kettle Tin cups, plates, knives, forks, spoons, and pans as few as will do A good tent and furniture to each 2 families

.

.

.

1 doz. nutmegs 25 lbs. salt 5 lbs. saleratus 10 lbs. dried apples 1/2 bushel of beans A few lbs. of dried beef or bacon 5 lbs. dried peaches 20 lbs. dried pumpkin 25 lb. seed grain 1 gal. alcohol 20 lbs. of soap each family 4 or 5 fish hooks and line 15 lbs. iron and steel A few lbs. of wrought nails One or more sets of saw or grist mill irons to company of 100 families 2 sets of pully blocks and ropes to each company for crossing rivers 1 good seine and hook for each company From 25 to 100 lbs. of farming and mechanical tools Clothing and bedding to each family not to exceed 500 pounds Ten extra teams for each company of 100 families

The key to surviving the westward trek
was to take enough but not too much.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


They traveled by the tens of thousands in creaking wagons, by horseback, and on foot. Many made the 1,297-mile westward trek on foot, pulling 500 pounds of provisions and belongings in rickshaw-like handcarts. They built bridges. They braved unforgiving weather and fought disease. They buried their dead along the way. They were the Mormon people and in 1847 they began the greatest organized mass migration of a single group in America's history, to a place of refuge and religious freedom in Salt Lake City, Utah.

These are the men, women and children who built a community that grew into Salt Lake City, now a beautiful, bustling metropolis.


Salt Lake City is, among
many other things, the....

home of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,
the world famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir,
and was the host city for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.



Today we give a Finest salute to the brave
pioneers who ventured west and settled
in the Utah Valley ~ and to their sons and
daughters who keep the pioneer spirit alive.

Utah's State Symbols

Utah has more state symbols than any state I have profiled to date. They are seriously into their symbols, LOL, and they have a few surprising ones. Who would have thought that the California Gull (Larus californicus), would be the state bird of Utah? Apparently even the seagulls are leaving California! ;-)

The reason for this choice for state bird is probably in commemoration of the fact that these gulls saved the people of the State by eating up the Rocky mountain crickets which were destroying the crops in 1848.

Orson F. Whitney says that in the midst of the devastation of the crickets, "when it seemed that nothing could stay the devastation, great flocks of gulls appeared, filling the air with their white wings and plaintive cries, and settled down upon the half-ruined fields. fields. All day long they gorged themselves, until the pests were vanquished and the people were saved. After devouring the crickets, the gulls returned to the lake islands whence they came."

Along with the standard state symbols; flower- the Sego Lily, symbol - Beehive, and animal - the Rocky Mountain Elk, are the state "cooking pot" - the Dutch oven, the state "fossil" - the Allasourus and the state "historic vegetable" - the sugar beet. Each of these symbols carry with them a story of Utah's rich history. Click HERE to learn more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As with every state I have profiled, Utah cannot be presented in full in just one post. There is so much more about this interesting state than I have been able to present here. I will leave it to you to discover the rest of Utah for yourself. Click on the pictures to learn more about these fascinating points of interest.

The Great Salt Lake occupies 2,500 square miles
northwest of Salt Lake City, but it was once part of
the much larger Lake Bonneville, which 18,000
years ago extended across 20,000 square miles
including parts of Idaho and Nevada.

10 Common Myths
about the Great Salt Lake


Ab Jenkin's "Mormon Meteor" rolling out to
begin another speed record attempt, 1931.



Attracting close to 5 million people
annually, Temple Square is Salt Lake's
biggest attraction and one of the major
tourist destinations of the West.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


And, last but not least, we offer...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Thanks to the following websites for
providing history and images of Utah....

The Official Utah State Website


The Sons of Utah Pioneers

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 07-21-03...Military Monday 07-22-03...A Few More of our Military Finest 07-23-03...Christmas in July 07-24-03...JH2 - "New D.N.C. ad: will it work?...Wow What a Day!"

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me an FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[FreeTheHostages]

Another cow?! LOL! OK, that DOES IT!! ! I'm off to find a photo of a cow in Utah for this thread!!

Yup, re the calendar page: I'm thinking us Christians will have something to say about the *real* point of human existence which might be entirely different from "finding oneself." Well, I suppose on can find oneself on the road to Damascus.

[JustAmy]

Good Morning, One and All.

[FreeTheHostages]

A real Utah news story (from April 2001):

SALT LAKE CITY — Eight activists, including one dressed as a spotted cow, distributed veggie burgers outside federal court yesterday in support of a case that could determine what kind of demonstrations are legal at Utah schools.

A federal judge postponed ruling on the lawsuit brought by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, whose members were threatened with arrest in early 1999 after handing out fliers promoting vegetarianism at a Taylorsville junior high school.

The animal-rights group is suing the Granite School District, claiming its members' free-speech rights were limited.

Between five and 12 PETA members distributed leaflets and carried signs on three consecutive Wednesdays at Eisenhower Junior High School, which flew a McDonald's corporate sponsorship flag and offered free meals to students. PETA claims the fast-food company mistreats animals and promotes an unhealthy diet.

Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Dee Benson asked defense attorney Alain Balmanno what kind of disruption the protesters caused kids in the classroom.

"So they looked outside the (classroom) windows? Is that so bad in this land of the free and home of the brave?" Judge Benson asked.

The lawsuit hinges on a state statute passed in 1973 that allows school administrators to prohibit behavior that disrupts school activities. PETA attorney Brian Barnard said the statute is overly broad and allows schools to silence speech they don't agree with.

"If my clients were picketing about the football team, none of this would have happened," Barnard said.

Benson canceled an April 19 trial date because there is no dispute over the facts of the case. He did not say when he would make a decision on the lawsuit.

[dutchess]

What a great thread today Lori. As a little one my brother, two cousins and I along with mom and aunt traveled cross country to California. This was pre car airconditioning etc. Stopped at the great Salt Lake for a swim. Refreshed, we headed on through the desert not realizing that you needed to rinse off. The salt crystalized on all of us, we were grumpy and miserable.

BTW...next stop LA...drove through right though the WATTS riots with snipers on the highways. (my aunt was the lead driver and thought it would be cool to be there!)

Have to run to work but wanted to say hi!

[Mama_Bear]

Matter of fact, if you don't mind, I'm going to print your post to add some more tidbits to our meeting today.

No, I love it! Happy to be able to contribute to the children's pioneer experience. Baking bread sounds like fun!

BTW, how is your Beardie doing? Last I heard she was about to lay an egg and you were thinking she could be having some problems. Is she doing okay?

[FreeTheHostages]

Tough state to lose a cow in:

[Mama_Bear]

Happy Friday to you Meekie.

[Pippin]

Oh, Meekie!

Now you're "stealing" from BURKA MAN!

I'm gonna tell!LOL!

TOM! Meekie has your looney graphic!

NEENER!

[Mama_Bear]

Hi ductchess. Gosh that sounds like a very interesting trip across country. I remember the Watts riots. That is the last place I would have wanted to be. LOL.

I have seen the Great Salt Lake and the salt flats as we drove past on one of our trips across country. All I remember about it is how alien and forbidding the place looked. I can't help but think that I would have been more than a little disappointed after that long hard journey across the plains had I been with Brigham Young as his party crested the mountains east of what is now the Utah Valley and he proclaimed "this is the place". I'm sure the valley must have been beautiful and not at all like the nearby salt flats, still, I think I would have been envisioning something else....maybe palm trees and sandy beaches. LOL.

[iceskater]

Good morning all! It's beautiful here today. Busy day at work but it is Friday.

Free, it seems to me there's way more to life than being so wrapped up in yourself that figuring yourself out is the whole point. Seems kind of limiting to me.

Well, enough philosophizing for me today. Work is going good. My skating is going great. And my cats are my cats. What more can I ask for? LOL.

[iceskater]

BTW...next stop LA...drove through right though the WATTS riots with snipers on the highways. (my aunt was the lead driver and thought it would be cool to be there!)

I am old enough to remember the riots in Baltimore. I remember the tension and the curfews and how concerned my family was. My grandfather lost his business in all the destruction of the riots. Your aunt sounds amazing to go through all that in LA.

[FreeTheHostages]

Free, it seems to me there's way more to life than being so wrapped up in yourself that figuring yourself out is the whole point. Seems kind of limiting to me.

Yup, it could be worse than limiting. It could be downright frightening. After years of introspection, one could discover that one is someone who is basically too wrapped up in oneself!

[Mama_Bear]

Cloves and nutmeg were important seasonings . . . .

Apparently so, along with pepper! 1 lb cayenne pepper and 2 lbs black pepper? Seems like a lot of pepper to me. 1000 lbs of flour is an awful lot to be hauling along too, but I guess families could be fed on nothing but bread if need be.

[Mama_Bear]

Good morning Pippin. Still having computer problems at home? At least you do get to pop in occasionally from work, but we are used to seeing a whole lot more of you. Hope you can get on line at home soon.

[Calpernia]

Morning Free! Love that quote on the calendar today.

[Fiddlstix]

Good Morning Everybody.

You Know The Drill
Click the Pics J

Coffee & Donuts J

[Calpernia]

That is funny! Gizmo probably thought he was getting a chicken nugget for a snack :)

We will enjoy our reading day with the little ones. This is our 5th meeting of our bookclub my friend and I put together. It has grown! Have a great weekend if I miss you later on.

[Calpernia]

That's it! Making ribs tonight. Mooo mooo good!

Our jersey cow has the prettiest eyes!

[Calpernia]

Thank you! I kept the thread open while compiling my notes to make sure you didn't mind printing the thread.

I've been soaking Maya (my beardie) nightly in warm water. This is suppose to help if she is egg bound (as per the breader. She really seems to like it.

No eggs yet. She is still eating. This is my first go with lizard breeding. So it could be 'me' with first time mom syndrome. All I can do is hurry up and wait.

[iceskater]

Maybe those spices were good because they don't spoil as easily as something like dill or basil? Or were they used for trading perhaps? Not to mention being strong enough to mask the taste of not-so-good food.

100 pounds of flour doesn't sound like much if you think of a pound of flour per day to make bread each day. That's only a little over 3 months worth.

It took a brave person to venture forth into the unknown like that. It's pretty amazing when you think about what the pioneers had to overcome.