One of a Kind Tree

 Weeping Elm Tree

on grounds of the Historic Utah County Courthouse, Provo, Utah

Ulmus Americana - weeping willow and elm tree grafted together

It was purchased and planted in 1927 

Despite many efforts, people have not been able to create another tree like this. 

Seedlings grow but don't achieve the same tabletop shape. 

Read more here and here 

Utah - RootsTech - Exhibition Hall

The Exhibition Hall is one of my favorite parts of RootsTech

150 companies 

It's fascinating to talk with people about their products

The New England Historic Genealogical Society was celebrating the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Mayflower. Through the Relatives at RootsTech phone app, I met a woman who's my 9th cousin once removed. She pointed out that we are related to Constance Hopkins who came to this country on the Mayflower. 

virtual reality applications for genealogy

Vendors gave short demonstrations of their products

The theater area featured soft couches and chairs, candy, and prizes

special activities for children 

early morning - once the exhibit hall opened these tables were filled 

with people meeting, eating, resting

Utah - Transcontinental Railroad

Tour along the Transcontinental Backcountry Byway

Route of the 1869 Transcontinental Railroad - This section was built by the Central Pacific Railroad. Our guide was an archeologist with the state of Utah. The landscape has changed very little since 1869. Trains used the rails until 1942. The rails were taken up and vehicles can now drive on the original grade. 

archeologist Chris Merritt (middle)

Some trestles aren’t safe for cars so the road detours around them

Merritt showed us artifacts from the Chinese section of Terrace

 

stone culverts allowed water to flow under the railroad tracks

Peplin Cut

Great Salt Lake in the distance

our group of 50 took over this small cafe in Snowville, Utah

They did know we were coming 

Read more about the railroad and byway here and here
Chinese workers - here and here
Very informative articles here and here

Utah - Benson Grist Mill

 Benson Grist Mill in Stansbury Park, Utah

“… built in 1854 in Lake Point, which was then known as Twin Springs Creek. It was built to serve the early Mormon settlers in Tooele County. In 1855 the mill site community became known as Richville and served as the Tooele County seat until 1861. A tannery and sawmill were built nearby. After sitting idle for more than 40 years, restoration of the mill began in 1983 to preserve the mill site for present and future generations.”  source

original millstone was imported from France

Read more here 

Utah - Iosepa

“From 1889 to 1917, Latter-day Saint converts from Polynesia settled in Iosepa, a remote desert colony in Utah’s Skull Valley. Archaeological investigations at the town site have revealed how these pioneers from the Pacific sought to make the desert "blossom as the rose" by drawing upon their traditional cultures and their newfound faith.”  (source) 

our tour bus

flags from Polynesian countries mark Iosepa's cemetery

one of the town's fire hydrants

Iosepa has several underground ovens. The largest pit accommodates 700 pounds of meat. Another hole holds 500#. They dug a special one for us since they were cooking “just” 50 pounds for us. Pork roasts were wrapped in foil, put in a wire basket, lowered into the hole, put on top of stones that covered a fire. Then the food was covered with watercress, covered with burlap, and then covered with dirt. The process started at 3 am!!!

uncovering the oven - removing the tarp, then the soil

removing the burlap

watercress on top of the basket of meat

the basket of foil-wrapped meat

We also had chicken teriyaki, rice, macaroni salad, fruit, and guava cake. 

lunchtime entertainment

reproductions of petroglyphs found in mountains above the town site

The men standing are from the two families that bought the land that includes the Iospea town site, cemetery, and pavilion built by the Iosepa Historical Association. Before building anything on the ranch the owners check to make sure it won't negatively affect any Iosepa sites (the man sitting on the stage is from Fiji) 

archeologist Benjamin Pykles conducted a dig at Iosepa  

from the cemetery looking towards the town site

Dishes made in Ohio were found at the town site

with artifacts from the schoolhouse

George Sadowski (left), descendent of people who lived in Iosepa. George’s mother was full blooded Hawaiian and his father was Polish.  George is a shirt cousin. His Sadowski people didn’t come to the States from Poland until 1940s or so. Ours came over in the early 1700s. I talked with George for a long time about the Sadowski line. He knew a lot about his Hawaiian ancestry but nothing about his Polish ancestry. 

Iosepa in the distance - you can see the pavilion in the center at the base of the mountain

************

added June 29, 2019

image taken at Benson Grist Mill in Stansbury Park, Utah

The three people on the left work for Ensign Ranch, the group that owns the land that includes Iosepa. The two men in black ball caps are George & Michael Sadowski, our shirttail cousins. Man on the right is archeologist Benjamin Pykles.