End of July projects

In June I picked up my final Saturday Sampler kit and finishing kit for last year's Saturday Sampler sponsored by American Quilting in Orem, Utah.  I came home and put it away stating that I would work on it after all the company and trips.  Well, that time finally came and I have had so much fun sewing all the parts together .

But before I could start sewing all the blocks together I had to do the applique on the big house block.

Pretty cute!

Now all the corner blocks and borders are on.

I am in the process of appliqueing a vine with leaves and the flower centers in that middle white border around the whole quilt.  It will take some time.

This year's Saturday Sampler began on July 12th.  It will be a Christmas quilt and these are the simple beginnings.  I'm sure they went easy on us so we can finish last year's quilt.

I also finished Set 6 of my Modern Farmer's Wife Revival Quilt sew along with patterns provided by Karen Walker on Craftsy.  Set 7 has been downloaded and I've pulled the fabric.  Those blocks will be an August project.  Hubby's on a business trip so I'm cleaning including carpets the rest of the week.

Provo City Center Temple

I was at the post office this week and took these latest pictures of progress on the Provo City Center Temple.  When at the post office, this is the south side of the temple.  Last winter the north side was covered in white plastic but the same thing is now happening on the south side without a need for protection from the cold.

The masons are slowly replacing all the mortar between the original bricks with mortar made as they would have made it over one hundred years ago.  The original bricks are a soft brick and if the harder mortar of today was used it would compromise the bricks.

My original pictures east were of a gigantic hole in the ground.  It is now completely covered up and there will be underground parking in this space.  That structure will be the glass encased viewing and waiting pavilion when finished.  Just a little update.

Joel Ricks and Eleanor Martin

Joel Ricks, was born on Donaldson Creek farm in Trigg County, Kentucky 18 February 1804.  He married first Eleanor Martin on May 1, 1827.

After his marriage, he remained with his father working on the farm until July 15, 1829, when he visited the new state of Illinois for the purpose of looking up its advantages for settlers.  He made the trip on horseback and after going as far north as Madison County, he finally located a farm on Silver Creek, about 20 miles east of Alton.  He then returned to Kentucky and in company with a brother-in-law, Abel Olive, and cousin, William Ricks and their families, he again returned to Illinois on September 12, 1829.

Abel Olive secured a farm a short distance from Mr. Ricks and William Ricks, one further north in Christian County, where his descendents continue to live to the present time.

Mr. Ricks was a hard-working and industrious man and accumulated property quite rapidly, and soon became one of the foremost farmers of that region.

About 1830, Mr. Ricks and his wife joined the Campbellite (Christian) Church, with which they continued to affiliate with until the fall of 1840, when Mormon missionaries came into the neighborhood preaching their doctrines.  Mr. Ricks attended one of their meetings out of curiosity, but soon discovered that the new doctrine agreed in every respect with his interpretation of the doctrines of Christianity taught by the Savior, and his apostles, as recorded in the New Testament.  He therefore accepted the new religion and was baptized by Elder George Boosinger on June 6, 1841.

On March 20, 1842, Mr. Ricks started on a visit to Nauvoo, Illinois to see for himself what the new church organization was, and what manner of man was Joseph Smith, the prophet.  While at Nauvoo, he had several interviews with the prophet and with prominent Mormons and returned to his home greatly impressed with what he had seen.  In August 1845, he sold all his possessions in Madison County, and in company with James Olive, removed with his family to Nauvoo and was thereafter unto the time of his death identified with the Mormon organization.

Shortly after his arrival at Nauvoo he purchased a city lot on the Prairie some distance back of the Temple, for a town residents and also a farm at Appanoose.  At Appanoose at this time resided Ezra Allen and family of whom we shall have occasion to speak later.

During his residence at Nauvoo, Mr. Ricks was actively engaged in assisting to erect the magnificent temple.  During this period, the prejudice against the Mormon people in Illinois was very pronounced, being stirred up by irresponsible people, who hoped to profit by expulsion of the Mormons from the state.  Bands of lawless men roamed about the country and destroyed hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of Mormon property, burning homes, driving away cattle, and in other ways harassing the people.  Repeated appeals were made to the governor of the state, but as he seemed to be in sympathy with the outlaws, no redress was obtained for their wrongs.  Feeling that there was no hope of living at peace with their Christian neighbors, or enjoying their rights guaranteed by the Constitution, within the limits of the United States, they determined to seek a new home in the wilds of the unknown West.  This exodus was determined upon during the season of 1845 and began in the early winter of that year.  Leaving their possessions to their enemies, thousands of the Saints abandoned their homes in the dead of winter, and began the long weary pilgrimage towards the Missouri River.

Mr. Ricks, with several teams, crossed the Mississippi River at Fort Madison, on April 27, 1846 and was among the pioneers who crossed the territory of Iowa.  At regular intervals these companies tarried for a few days and plowed and sewed large tracts of land to be harvested by those who should come after them.

Arriving at the Missouri River near Council Bluffs in July, Mr. Ricks and family made a temporary residence on Silver Creek, where he planted and harvested a crop and made other arrangements to continue the journey westward.  In 1847, he sent out one of his best teams with a pioneer company, which left the Missouri River for the Rocky Mountains.  Under the leadership of Brigham Young, this company, after many hardships and trials, reached the Valley of the Great Salt Lake on July 24, 1847, where they founded Salt Lake City.

Mr. Ricks remained at the Missouri River until the spring of 1848, when he joined the great company under the leadership of Heber C. Kimball. This company consisted of 2417 souls and 792 wagons and was probably one of the largest caravans that ever crossed the Great Plains.

While on Elkhorn River, about 20 miles west of Omaha, this company was attacked by Indians. Thomas E. Ricks and a number of other young men crossed the river on horseback to drive in some cattle that were feeding there when the Indians opened fire upon them. Thomas was wounded and fell from his horse and was left for dead by his com­panions. As soon as the news was brought to camp, Mr. Ricks hitched up a team and crossing the river went out in search of the body of his son, supposing that he had been killed.  After looking around for some minutes he was set upon by two Indians on horse back. As soon as he saw them he turned his horses towards camp and tried to escape but they rode up on each side of him and one of them pointed his gun at Mr. Ricks and with the muzzle two or three feet from his body, pulled the trigger, the gun misfired. This was repeated two or three times and when the Indian found he could not kill him, he dropped back to the rear of the wagon where he stole a small trunk containing some clothing belonging to Mrs. Ricks, which he carried away with him. Mr. Ricks always felt that this escape on this occasion was providential. It trans­pired that Thomas had been rescued by some of his companions who had crossed the river and, finding him lying in the grass, had succeeded in carrying him away. The wounds that he received on that occasion he carried in his body as long as he lived.

As the departure of the company could not be delayed and as Mr. Ricks was determined to go to the Rocky Mountains with his company, a spring wagon was fitted up and Thomas was placed in it and was car­ried along in the pilgrimage westward. He recovered rapidly and was pretty nearly well before the company reached the Rocky Mountains.

On arriving at the valley of the Great Salt Lake, in September, Mr. Ricks located temporarily at Bountiful, about 12 miles north of Salt Lake City, where he erected a saw mill and remained during the winter of 1848-49.  In the spring of 1849, he took up some land at the foot of the mountains at Centerville, about 6 miles north of Bountiful, where he made him a home and continued to reside for nine years.  His former frontier ex­perience stood him in good hand and enabled him to prosper in this western wilderness.

Soon after locating at Centerville he engaged in the tanning busi­ness at Farmington, the county seat of Davis county, about six miles north of Centerville.

While residing at Centerville he passed through the famine period caused by the grasshoppers and crickets.  It was in the year 1854, when the crops along the fertile district lying between the mountains and the lake were growing nicely with the prospects of an abundant harvest that the grasshoppers came. They came in such numbers that the settlers saw at once, that unless something could be done to drive them away that everything green would soon disappear and that all prospects of a harvest would vanish. When it is remembered that the nearest settlement was more than a thousand miles distant this prospect looked gloomy indeed. Being of a religious temperament and having had occasion to rely upon the Lord before, all went to him in this instance, and strange to say the next morning soon after sun rise, the grass hoppers rose in the air like a cloud and in such numbers as to darken the sun, it seemingly being a habit with them to exercise after a night passed on the growing crops. While in the air a strong wind came down off the mountains and blew them suddenly over the lake where the myriads settled in the briny waters and were drowned, later when the wind changed from the west these grass hoppers were washed upon the shore in such number that for miles and miles they made a windrow two or three feet deep.  The crops were saved. This case was paralleled two or three years before when the crops were green and thrifty, thousands of millions of crickets came marching down off the mountains like, a vast army invading the plain. The settlers saw at once that unless some­thing happened that every green thing would disappear from the earth in a short time, but remembering the Lord and feeling sure that He would help them in the hour of trial they laid their case before Him. This time tens of thousands of seagulls carne out of the west, pouncing down upon the army of crickets and destroying them. The old settlers of this region regarded these occurrences in the nature of miracles, as remarkable as the flight of quails, which saved the Israelites during their flight from Egypt. The first legislature of Utah, in recognition of this, passed a law making it a penal offense to kill a gull within the limits of the state. This law is still on the statute books of Utah.

In the spring of 1858 when the territory was threatened with in­vasion by the United States army all of the Mormon settlers left their homes again and headed towards the desert region, towards Mexico.  Mr. Ricks with his family went with the rest as far as Nebo in Juab valley.  Fortunately the government was convinced of the folly of its course and peace was restored and the Saints returned to their homes. Mr. Ricks and his family reached Centerville early in July. It is a fact that in most of the settlements where crops had been planted that they had grown and matured without irrigation and without any care from anyone and were ready for harvesting on the return of the settlers.

The spring of 1859 settlers began to be attracted by reports of the richness of Cache Valley, located about 75 miles north of Centerville.  Mr. Ricks in company with James Quayle and Justin Shepard decided to go up and look over that region. Arriving in Wellsville about the first of June they found about 10 or 12 families who had built a few cabins and were engaged in putting in crops. They crossed to the eastern side of the valley and riding along the foot of the mountains they came to Providence Bench, overlooking the bottom lands of the Logan River, which at that time were covered with a dense growth of willows and cottonwood, and the sage brush flat where Logan now stands. Not being able to cross the river to the north side they rode down through what is now the College district and returned to Wellsville for the night.

Notwithstanding the lateness of the season they found snow several feet deep on the northern slope of all of the hills.

Cache Valley at that time was so cold that for several years after the arrival of the first settlers it was not an uncommon occurrence for frost to bite the wheat in July. Mr. Ricks decided to locate in the new valley and returning to Farmington began to make preparations for removal. About July 20, he took his wife Sarah B. and her family and started to Cache Valley where they arrived on the 23rd of July, making a temporary encampment on the present site of the Brigham Young College. Later he made his home and built a cabin on the corner that is now occupied by the Thatcher Brothers Bank building. After putting up hay for the winter he returned to Centerville and brought his other family to Logan and built them a cabin on the brow of the hill where Moses Thatcher's residence now stands. Since that time, Mr. Ricks has been identified with every step for the development of Logan and Cache Valley.

 In connection with Ezra T. Benson and others he built the first saw mill and grist mill in Logan, he also engaged in the tanning busi­ness which at that time was a very important industry for the early settlers. He was one of the first stockholders of the Co-operative In­stitutions which were organized in 1868, also the Deseret Telegraph Company, which was formed about the same time. He maintained for years a ferry boat on the Logan River on the west side of the valley, and later built a bridge there which he presented to the county. He served as Treasurer for Cache County for more than 30 years. He was always regarded as one of the foremost citizens of Logan, an honest, reliable, hardworking man. At the time of his death his descendents in the Rocky Mountain Region numbered 377 souls.

Eleanor Martin, Mr. Ricks' first wife, having been born and reared on the frontiers of civilization was in every respect a true wife and a noble woman. Her life was cast among the people and in a region where troubles and trials were the lot of all, but she never faltered in her duties or shirked a responsibility. She wore out her life in the finding and re­deeming a wilderness and we feel sure that in the great hereafter when justice shall be done to those who laid down their lives for the race, she will be counted among the noble ones. She died Feb. 18. 1882.

Eleanor Martin Rick's own account of the important events of her life is written on the first page of a book, which records Patriarchal Blessings given by her husband Joel Ricks. She lived in Clark County, Kentucky, until she was twelve years of age, when she moved with her father to Trigg County. Following her marriage to Joel Ricks in 1827, the events of her life follow closely those of her husband.  They were both baptized on the same day; they went through the Nauvoo Temple together, and they shared in the great exodus of the Saints from Nauvoo.

Her first Utah home was at Farmington. In 1857 she moved with her husband to Logan, Utah, where she arrived before the first surveying of the city had been completed. Joel and Eleanor are undoubtedly the only couple who have their names on the deeds of every piece of property on the west side of Logan Main Street between Center Street and First North.  In this area, about where the Bluebird now stands Joel built a large rock house.  Whenever LDS church authorities visited Logan, they went directly to the Ricks home where they were sure of kindly hospitality.  Eleanor kept an immaculate home and was an excellent cook. 

To illustrate her southern hospitality her grandchildren say that every fall their grandmother held a “Pumpkin Festival”. When the crop was at its best and the new molasses was ready for sweetening she sent word to all her grandchildren to come to see her during a certain week. Then she made dozens of pies and served her family and friends gen­erously. When she grew older and could no longer see to read her Bible and Book of Mormon, it was these same grandchildren who read to her.

Eleanor was trained in the arts, which grace the home.  A lace collar of netting, which is a keepsake of the family, is an exquisite example of her scale.  Her curtains and the deep valances on her spotless bed’s were edged with her knitted lace.  Those who saw them honored her white knitted bedspreads.  She wore fine blue and white counterpanes.  Her flowerbeds brightened the desert.

Eleanor was a descendent of James Martin and Sarah Harris, and of Thomas Turner and Catherine Smith.  Her lines include the Daubneys, Jennings, Overtons, Clairbornes Smiths of Virginia.

The following is an excerpt from the obituary of Eleanor Martin Ricks published in a Logan paper:

". . . She was the mother of eleven children and had ninety-four great grandchildren . . . she endured with her husband many of the hardships and persecutions heaped upon the Saints in early days. She crossed the plains in 1848, and even when in the midst of the desert one of her sons was shot down by savages, she did not murmur or complain. The greatest anxiety of her later years was that she might live to enter the Logan Temple and there do work for her dead that she could not do anywhere else. But the Temple was not completed, and hence her desires were not realized . . ."

However, as soon as the temple opened, through her husband's efforts, the work, which she had dreamed of doing, was accomplished, and a record of it was carefully preserved.

Note:  BYU has the Joel Ricks Family papers and histories in its Special Collections Department in the basement of the Harold B. Lee Library.

 

24th of July exploratory outing

This weekend has been the quietest weekend of the summer for us, but a year from now it will be one of our busiest.  The National Foote Family Association will be coming to Salt Lake City for their annual meeting.  It will be their chance to meet descendants of the Footes who moved out West during the mid 1800's. Glen and I have been serving on the planning committee and the Plaza Hotel on the corner of West and South Temple streets will be the meeting place.  On Thursday, the 24th of July which is also a state holiday, we traveled north to check things out in anticipation of a year from now.

We knew that the parade would be forming right in front of the Plaza.  When planning dates, we thought the Pioneer Day weekend would be a great time to visit SLC and learn about the pioneer legacy, but were concerned what that meant in terms of crowds and traffic.

The news is good.   Floats, bands, horses, antique cars, and a clown or two were lining up but it was orderly and quiet and half of the street was open for traffic of which there was little because it was a holiday and not a work day.  We had to stop a bit behind a horse and carriage, but drove right to the Plaza parking garage.

It was very enjoyable to walk up and down the street looking at the floats before they were on the move.

It was amiable and fun to hear the bands doing a bit of last minute practice before they were off.

This float was my favorite because I am a sunflower kind of girl.  We thought the Plaza would be a good walkable location.  City Creek shopping is across the street to the southeast and Temple Square
is directly east.  The Family History Library is directly north.  Downtown SLC is a very compact and fun downtown.

More floats.  Cherry pie anyone?

My alma mater's float with the Salt Lake Temple in the background.  Unfortunately, the float blocks out the statue of the university's namesake, Brigham Young.

We also found that it would be possible to rent bicycles to ride.

The beginning of the parade was peaceful with just a few spectators.  There would be many more at the main parade route, South Temple at State Street to 200 East then south to 900 South and then east to Liberty Park.  We sat and watched awhile at the fountain on the North side of City Creek.

Then we were off to see how crowded Pioneer Village at This is the Place would be.  It was crowded.  We then explored Millcreek Canyon.  It is a beautiful little canyon and very forested.  And then we were off to Little Cottonwood Canyon and Snowbird.

We took the tram to the top and it was beautiful.

One feels like they are on the top of the world and there were trails in every direction.

That is the Salt Lake Valley in the background in the west.

I look south towards home.  After the ride down, we enjoyed a late lunch at The Forklift while we discussed possible bus option tours for the group next year.  Honestly, if you were coming from back East, wouldn't you like to go to Snowbird in the beautiful Wasatch Mountains and ride the tram?

Photos courtesy of Glen's cell phone.  I forgot to charge my batteries.

Summer reads with an India twist

I did a bit of reading back in June before all the company came.  I read two novels which were set in India as well as the British Isles.  Both traveled back and forth in time as descendants tried to find the true story of a ancestor.  The Kashmir Shawl is the story of a Welsh Christian missionary couple in the northern part of India and eventually Kashmir as the world, including India, descends into war.  It is also the story of a Kashmir shawl which is found in the the drawer of a dresser in a former missionary's home in Wales and the great grand daughter who takes it to Kashmir in search of its origin and how it come into her great grandmother's possession.  If you read it, you will probably be googling Kashmir as I did.  It is a beautiful place.
 

I really enjoy books written by Lucinda Riley.  This one did not disappoint.  The settings were vivid, the characters interesting, and there are mysteries to be solved in surprising ways.  An Indian woman passes on her life story to her great grand son at her 90th birthday party in India.  She tells him that she trusts him and feels like he is the one to read her until now secret life story.  She is sure that a baby she bore in England did not die as she was told and she wants him to find out the truth.  The contrasts between culture and different ways of living combined with prejudice may break your heart.  Don't let the plot device of a movie being filmed in an English manor in present day keep you from exploring the past for that is were the true story lies.

Fat Man's Squeeze

I managed to do some sewing before my machine dropped into its cabinet and out of sight for the duration of family visits for three weeks.  I'm blaming my occasional grumpiness on a sewing machine no longer in plain sight and available to calm me down.  If I offended you during this busy time, please forgive me.

I made a patriotic quilt in June in honor of the 4th of July.  Last December I came across "Strip-Smart Quilts" by Kathy Brown at JoAnn's.  It caught my eye because of the red, white, and blue which always catches my eye.  Of course, I used my coupon and bought it.  Later this spring Grant's Park by Minick and Simpson hit the shelves at quilt shops.

Do you see the similarity in color way to the quilt on the cover?  I knew this was my fabric so bought a jelly roll of Grant's Park which sat around mocking me for weeks. I knew that June was my time to tackle my very first jelly roll quilt.

The book had great instructions and diagrams.  The only difficulty that I had was that once I had sewn strip sets, cut them on the diagonal, and mixed them up and sewn them into blocks I had blocks with four sides on the bias.  It made it a bit tricky when I was sewing on my borders, but it looked much better after I did the machine quilting.  I loved the look of a binding which matches the outer border.

I created a simple label with my sewing machine for the back.

I put a stripe of small blue print down the middle and used the largest print in the collection for the rest of the backing.

The name "Fat Man's Squeeze" caused confusion at our family reunion during the Quilting Bee.  Kathy Brown said the name came from a favorite hiking trail in the Appalachian Mountains where one had to squeeze between two large rocks.  This quilt looks great draped over a chair in my family room.

The long drive home

It was finally Saturday, time to pick up our grand son from EFY, pack up the grand girls, and return them to their families in Arizona.  But we had a few more stops to make along the way.  If you have never pulled off the I 15 at the I 80 to visit Cove Fort, you MUST do so on your next trip north or south.  It is a wonderful step back in time.

Cove Fort was built in the 1867 to provide protection from the Indians and to provide shelter for travelers who were on the "Mormon Corridor."  It is located about half way between Fillmore and Beaver.  The tours are informative and you will love seeing things and furnishings from long ago.

Cove Fort was also a telegraph station, Pony Express station, and stage coach stop.

One could get a meal and find a place to sleep.

Twelve rooms surround the yard in the middle, six on the south which include the telegraph room, office, kitchen and dining rooms, laundry sewing room, and one bedroom with access to a cellar.

The kitchen end of the dining area.

The loom in the laundry area.

Clean long johns.

Boys bedroom.  Each room had a door to the yard as well as a door to the next room allowing one to move from room to room if needed.

The building in the background was the blacksmith shop of Ira Hinckley, the builder of the fort.  Ira Hinckley was the paternal grandfather of Gordon B. Hinckley.

Beautiful vegetable gardens have been replanted on the west side of the fort.  Six missionaries are called each summer just to work in the gardens.  I may have found my missionary calling.

My favorites, hollyhocks.  These were growing every where, but I especially loved these in front of the rock wall. The fort walls are thick and made of lava rock which was found nearby.

The six rooms are on the north side of the fort are bedrooms.  Notice how each room has it's own fireplace chimney.  You can't miss TJ in his orange shorts.

I loved the quilts and coverlets in each room.

They were large rooms with room for sitting or for more than one bed.

Looking through this doorway, you can see just how thick those lava rock walls are.

The three black locust trees were planted by Ira Hinckley.  They were large and beautiful and have outlived their usual life span by many years.

If this were a B and B, I would reserve a room in a minute.

Once again, very thick walls.  The outer walls were a couple of feet thicker than the inner walls.

There were gun portholes on each wall.  Luckily, they were never put into action.

The wheel in the background is not a spinning wheel.  It is called a weasel and was used for winding equal length skeins of yarn.  When there was enough yarn for a skein the weasel would make a popping noise and stop, thus the term, "Pop goes the weasel!"

Another view.

This is what you do when you run out of red.  I always run out of red.  I love red in quilts.

That is a photograph of Ira and his wife, Eliza Jane, on the wall.

The dress is a replica of a dress worn by Eliza Jane.

This is a chair of Ira's and was donated back to the fort by Gordon B. Hinckley.

This upper walkway has been restored on the east side.  It use to encircle all four walls.

The very tall black locusts trees provide the feeling of being in a tree house.

Long stairway back down.

View of walkway from below and the gates at the main entrance which were wide enough for a wagon and team of horses.

The barn has been recreated on the north side.  Horses were kept here and provided fresh teams for the stage coach lines and the Pony Express.  We explained to the kids that Cove Fort was much like a service station, the horses got fuel to eat and travelers could find something as well.

More gardens on the south side.  The missionaries are provided with fresh produce from these gardens.

Just look at that sky!

It was Ruby's birthday.  She is standing in front of the cabin where Ira Hinckley lived in Coalsville.  It has been moved to the Cove Fort grounds.  Ira was essentially called on a mission to build Cove Fort from Coalsville.

The fort in the distance.  Stop by sometime to experience a long ago time.

Our EFYer had a hard time staying awake on this trip.  He had essentially stayed up the night before saying goodbye to all his new friends.  Here he is asleep on his great aunt Wylene's couch in Hurricane.

And at Tuachan in St. George.

Grandpa encouraged him to move to the grass after the table left marks.  We had a Dr. Pepper intervention as we didn't want him to sleep through. . .

The Wizard of Oz!  This was our final stop for the day and it was a great one.

Some people carry a book where ever they go.

The Dr. Pepper worked and he was up for the show.

The birthday girl sang along and wished she had been cast as a munchkin.  We met three other people celebrating their birthday that day, the waitress at Arshel's Cafe in Beaver, the concession stand helper with Dr. Pepper, and the lady sitting right behind Ruby at the play.  They were both beyond excited about that connection, two people celebrating their birthday by hanging out with Dorothy!   Grandpa had purchased great tickets with seats center stage and just three rows back.  The Yellow Brick Road passed by in front of the first row so we felt like we were in the middle of the action.  The wicked witch flew in right over our heads!

When we arrived back at our rooms just before midnight, Ruby asked for a picture with July's Supermoon on her magical 10th birthday.  Love you sweet girl!  The next day we delivered our grands to their parents.  We were so happy to have created some special memories with them!