Recent Publications from Heritage Associates

Grass Creek Canyon Coal

"Many old settlements have vanished as if by the wave of a magician's wand, leaving only memories to prove they once existed."

The pride and history of Summit County is alive and well. This book was written to preserve its rich and diverse history.

Tales of Luke's Hot Pots
&
The Mountain Spaa Resort

The history of Luke's dates all the way back to days when an Indian called "Red Cap" used the hot springs to cook his meat and sooth his muscles in the 1850's . . .

"Legend has it that a gang of outlaws stopped to take a swim in the old hot pot. They were interrupted by a band of hostile Indians. The outlaws quickly put their gold in an old, iron kettle and buried it. The gold remains hidden to this day."

A Legend in Mink
Mink Ranching in Summit County, Utah

"Utah is one of the largest fur producing states in the nation, second only to Wisconsin, the reason being the cold Utah winters, which are ideal for mink to grow their coveted winter fur. Most of the fur farms in Summit County are family businesses, often operated by two or three generations of the same family. This is the account of an old-fashioned, American success story."

Bonner's Corners

After 130 years, three houses stand as some of the most striking ever built in Utah. Generations of the Bonner family, as well as thousands of visitors to Midway, Utah have enjoyed the story and sheer beauty of these examples of Gothic Revival style.

"After John Watkins built his own picturesque, red-brick home, with white gingerbread trim in 1869, the Bonner brothers asked him to build a similar home for their parents in 1876. Knowing that they would soon be married themselves, they contracted with Watkins to build them two smaller versions of the house directly across Main Street on two facing corner lots. They were completed and furnished just in time for the Bonner brother's double wedding in 1878."

Heritage Associates will help you
discover, preserve and utilize your heritage.

Midway

Provo Canyon

In April 1859, John Wesley Witt traveled with his wife, Lavina, and their five children, up the new Provo Canyon Road to settle what became the Heber Valley. While traveling along the steep road in a driving snowstorm, the Witt’s wagon with all its contents suddenly tipped over into the swirling waters of the Provo River below.

Working quickly, Uncle Dan and others helped lift the heavy wagon box off the family and miraculously snatched up the 13-day-old baby daughter, Nancy, as she began floating down stream. They salvaged what they could: the bake oven, one sack of flour and one chest of clothes. But most of their belongings were lost.

The Witt family arrived in the new settlement on April 29, 1859. The weather was cold, snowy and the conditions were miserable as they made their first home out of the wagon box placed in a rude dugout.

John and the other men soon put in a crop of wheat and barley grain with the hope that it would be ready for harvesting before winter. The Witt and nineteen other families celebrated a meager, but happy first Christmas of 1859 in the Heber Valley.

Dee Halverson has finished the text for his second book on Midway, entitled My Love Affair With Midway. This will be out sometime next spring, filled with unpublished photographs, maps, and untold stories that will make anyone familiar with Midway, UT fall in love with her all over again.

Contact Dee Halverson: wdh@heritageassociates.com for information.

Midway, Utah

The House that Jack Built

Sometimes referred to as the Mushroom House, this picturesque home in Midway, Utah has a story worthy of another name: The House that Jack Built. Dee Halverson recounts the history behind it's unique curved shingles, hidden turret and carriage house, and why a United States president was a frequent guest, in a new book to be released in January, 2012.

Midway: Portrait of a People is a sequel to Midway: Portrait of a Town, and includes stories and photographs of each of the canyons surrounding the beautiful valley made famous by the 2002 Winter Olympics. Find out how a natural hot pot, owned by Swiss immigrants, became part of the world-class Zermatt Resort and Spa. Unique photographs show views of the valley seen only by horseback and described by local old-timers who know the trails and tales by heart. A must-read for hikers, bikers, photographers and history buffs who love the Wasatch mountains.

For more details on Midway: Portrait of a People, contact:

wdh@heritageassociates.com

Midway, Utah

Mining for Memories

Dee Halverson went on a mining expedition in Midway, Utah last week. A hundred years ago, would-be millionaires made fortunes from silver in the neighboring valleys, but Dee was searching for something much more valuable. Memories.

Kay Probst, Midway Utah

Kay Probst has been exploring this valley for more than seventy years, and knows every canyon, trail and peak personally. Devil's Hole, Sid's Canyon, Bonner Hollow, Dutch Fields, Gerber Springs, Snake Creek, Jesse's Mound—there are stories for dozens of campfires, heroes for every bike ride and villains for every hike.

Mount Timpanogos from Memorial Hill, Midway Utah

History is scattered all around Midway if you know what to look for. The town hall, a pot-rock saw, the House That Jack Built, an old sheep camp, hot pots, Memorial Hill—the mountains themselves have stories to tell.

Over the mountain to Park City and Brighton

They just need to be written down. Heritage Associates is making sure they won't be lost to future generations by mining for memories. Midway: Portrait of a Town was published in 2003. Midway: Portrait of a People will be available for Christmas.

Photos by Scott Robinson

Dee will follow anyone anywhere for a good story.

Midway Utah Celebrates 150 Years

Wasatch County, Utah

What are you doing April 15, 2009? Bake a big cake to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Midway, Utah. Dee Halverson will blow out the candles, although his wish is coming true. Since writing Midway: Portrait of a Town, Heritage Associates has worked towards creating a memorial to the earliest pioneers.

On April 15, 1859, after a long, difficult journey up the Provo Canyon Road, Benjamin Mark Smith, David Wood, Jesse McCarrell, Sidney Epperson and Jeremiah Robey and their families were the first to settle the lower part of Snake Creek. They called their settlement "Smith's Grove."

A few weeks later, another settlement on the upper part of Snake Creek was founded as "Mound City." A fort was established by the two growing communities for protection against Indian hostilities in 1866. Because it was exactly midway between the two earlier settlements it was designated Fort Midway.

The Mound City site has been recognized by an historic monument on the Homestead Road for many years, but the Smith's Grove location has been long forgotten. This year a new LDS Chapel is being constructed on Center Street not far from the original "Smith's Grove" location. Preliminary plans indicate that the Smith's Grove Chapel will be ready for dedication about the time of the 150th anniversary. Plans also include a memorial plaque and monument on the site to honor those who first established Midway.

Home to resorts, golf courses, and spectacular scenery, Midway is one of the fastest growing towns in Utah. Residents both new and old salute the foresight and hardiness of the first pioneers.

Midway, Utah

Midway: Portrait of a Town
by
W. Dee Halverson

Midway: Portrait of a Town was commissioned by the Midway Heritage Foundation for publication in 2003. Midway is located off highway 40, south of Park City, Utah in Heber Valley. It gained international attention during the 2002 Winter Olympics as the site of cross country and Nordic skiing events.

In preparation for this project, Heritage Associates spent two years examining private and government archives, collecting photos, oral interviews and historic documentation. The result was a hardbound book richly illustrated with images, stories and photographs from the past and present.

During the research of Midway, many other stories came to light. In the town, which was founded in 1859, there are numerous architectural masterpieces. Bonner's Corners was produced by Heritage Associates to tell the story of the original families who lived in the unique red houses that still stand on Midway's Main Street.

Bonner's Corners
by
Dee Halverson

Luke's Hot Pots is another offshoot of the Midway project, describing the history of hot pots (turned resorts and spas) that the area is known for.

Smith's Grove, settled April 15, 1859, is one of two original settlements that joined forces to build Fort Midway. Current research is underway for a Sesquicentennial Celebration in 2009, supported by business, religious and community leaders.

The Swiss influence in Midway is undeniable. Heritage Associates has followed the paths of 20 original settlers who came from the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland to this verdant farm valley in Utah, and will soon be able to connect those early contributions to the contributions Midway's citizens continue to make.