Your publications
It occurs to us (the royal “we”) that it would be cool to have a record of Westerners’ new publications (as well as other achievements) noted on this blog.
Yes, it’s true that some names might be popping up incessantly, but that’s a risk we must take. With that in mind, please do send by comment or email any books of the past year or the future that should be noted.
Take note that we have two fine bookselling Utah Westerners (are there more that I’m not aware of?) ready to sell us any titles that catch our fancy: (Ken Sanders Fine Books and Benchmark Books — Curt Bench).
(They didn’t ask for that plug–honest.)
Congratulations, Bob Steensma!
We just learned today that Bob was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the South-Central Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies. He was surprised with the honor at the Society’s annual meeting (held in Salt Lake this year). As many of us know, Bob is a scholar of great breadth–and a gentleman as well. His latest book is Wallace Stegner’s Salt Lake City.
The Utah Westerners are fortunate indeed to have people like him in our midst. Congrats, Bob!
July 2010 Meeting Announcement
See the announcement here: july 2010 announcement
Upcoming Pony Express Field Trip
Fort Douglas Military Museum and Utah Crossroads chapter of OCTA are sponsoring a Pony Express field trip on September 11. The trip will leave SLC at about 8 a.m. and return about 5 p.m. Our own Joe Hatch and Pat Hearty will lead the trip.
The trip will visit Simpson Springs and points between. $60 gets you a seat on the bus, a box lunch, a guidebook, and entrance fee.
Note that this is in conjunction with Utah State History’s annual conference on September 8-10. (More on that later).
Call (801)581-1251 for more info.
Congrats to Tom Warner!
Tom has been sharpening knives at L Lorenz for 50 years. That has to be some kind of a record. Congratulations for a LOT of work well-done!
Carl Woolsey and Wally Chambers Jr on 2010 UW Field Trip
While visiting Ephrim Utah on the Utah Westerners 2010 field trip, we passed by a home which Brent Reber had owned and restored. Brent and his wife sold this home to Wally Chambers Jr.
For those that do not know, Wally Chambers Sr. was one of the Utah Westerners founding members. We saw Wally Jr. and stopped this massive 56 passenger bus in front of his home. I knocked on his door, introduced myself when he answered and informed him that this big Le Bus was the Utah Westerner 2010 Field Trip.
Wally Jr. was absolutely overcome and I invited him on board to say hello to Carl Woolsey and the rest of us miscreants. He went to the back of the bus to say hi to Doc and let us know how much the UW had meant to his life and family. He was the veteran of many, many field trips with his dad.
It was a great moment on a trip filled with great moments.
Utah Westerners 2011 Field Trip-Rocky Mountain Rondezvous: Fur Trade Sites of the West. June 10, 11 & 12-2011
Rocky Mountain Fur Trade Rendezvous Site’s with Fred Gowans will be the theme of the Utah Westerners 2011 field trip. Fred Gowans has graciously agreed to lead the Utah Westerners on our annual field trip for 2011. It will be a 3 day 2 night foray, lead by our own Fred R. Gowans: emeritus professor at Brigham Young University who specializes in the history of the fur trade in the American West. He has written several books on subjects such as Fort Bridger and the Rocky Mountain Rendezvous. We are also expecting our own Jack Tykal author of Etienne Provost: Man of the Mountains to be helping us explore the sites and history of this fascinating era of western americana.Pat Hearty in the news
A Salt Lake Tribune article highlights Westerner Pat Hearty’s involvement in the Pony Express re-ride taking place right now. Pat is president of the National Pony Express Association (!) Here’s the link to the whole story (while the Trib maintains it) http://www.sltrib.com/outdoors/ci_15229291
And here’s the story’s first couple of paragraphs:
Pat Hearty experienced his “Pony Express moment” at 3 a.m. on a dark and empty west desert night as he rode his big sorrel horse west from Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge.
“There was not a man-made structure or a light,” he recalled about participating in a Pony Express re-ride. “Chills ran up and down my back. It must have been just like this. It was kind of an epiphany, a direct connection to 1860.”
Hearty is the Utah president of the National Pony Express Association. Like hundreds of other riders, he will be participating in the 150th anniversary Pony Express Re-Ride beginning today through June 26….
Hearty will be among the 600 riders and 1,200 volunteers scheduled to participate as they transport commemorative letters and personal mail. Each rider participating will take the Pony Express Oath and receive a commemorative Bible.
He said annual re-rides such as
this one help connect riders with the history and importance of the Pony Express.
“Our purpose is to keep this in the public eye and tell about how these riders and station people helped build the life we enjoy,” said Hearty. “It is that connection with history that grounds us in our lives. It gives us a sense of time and place.”
The re-ride is scheduled to come into Utah around 5 p.m. from Nevada on June 12. There will be a potluck dinner, food and entertainment at a party at Willow Springs near Callao that night.
May newsletter
Get the May 2010 newsletter and meeting announcement here. And y’all come!
Fraughton is honored by Westerners International
The Westerners International Buckskin Bulletin has printed a nice article by Vern Gorzitze about Ed Fraughton, naming him a Living Legend (#52).
Congrats, Ed, and thanks, Vern, for letting the world know about one of our notable Utah Westerners.
See the article here.
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