Sylvanus Cyrus Hulet House

Sylvanus Cyrus Hulet Home, sometime after 1882.

This is a post which I have certainly enjoyed writing. Not only is this site a historic home and the site of a PokeStop, you could also say that it is a family home. Sylvanus Cyrus Hulet was my 6th great uncle. The home is still standing, and is still being used as a residence. In front of the home is a marker which is pictured below. The marker reads as follows:

SYLVANUS CYRUS HULET

1826-1901

A CONVERT OF 1831

UTAH PIONEER 1850

SETTLED IN SPRINGVILLE

CALLED TO THE DIXIE MISSION 1861

MOVED TO SUMMIT 1872

CHILDREN BY CATHERINE STOKER

JOHN RILEY

SARAH ANN

BARBARA ADLINDA

SYLVANUS CYRUS

SYLVESTER SILAS

CATHRYN MELISSA

EMMA TRYPHENIA

CHARLES FRANKLIN

LUELLA

OSCAR WILLARD

CHILDREN BY ELZINA R. MILLER

NORA DEAN

ELIZA ELLEN

MINNIE ELZINA

THERESA

CORA

DAUGHTER BY ELIZABETH DALLEY

EMMA WRIGHT

Marker Outside Sylvanus Cyrus Hulet Home

Sylvanus Cyrus Hulet was born on March 14, 1826 in Nelson, Ohio to Charles and Margaret Ann Noah Hulet. He was the fifth of eight children born to Charles and Margaret, who also adopted two children bringing their total to ten. Charles also had a son from his first wife, who died shortly after his birth, and two daughters from his fifth wife (she may have also been his sixth wife, as there is little evidence to support the validity of some of his marriages.) All in all there were thirteen Hulet children from three different marriages, plus five stepchildren belonging to Mary Lawson. The family converted to their new faith in 1831, and the children were all baptized as soon as they were old enough.

Sylvanus married Catherine Stoker on May 19, 1850 in Mt Pisgah, Iowa. After arriving in Utah Sylvanus and Catherine were called upon to help settle Springville, and he built a home there for them. His primary means of providing for the family were farming and chair making. In 1861 the family was called upon again to help settle a new region. This took them further south to Utah's Dixie where they helped to settle St. George, and Sylvanus again built a home there for his ever-growing family. Sometime before 1872 Sylvanus had purchased some farming land in Summit, about 60 miles north of St. George, and took to splitting his time between the two locations. The travel was quite difficult and time-consuming so in 1872 it was decided that the family would reside permanently in Summit. The couple served many church callings here. After the town's relief society was organized Catherine became the president. She did much to aid the sick, and this is what eventually led to her death. It is said that during an outbreak of disease she was tending to an afflicted family and caught the contagion herself. She died November 8, 1882.

After Catherine's death Sylvanus married Elzina Robena Miller, who was born in Parowan to Robert and Eliza Patterson Miller on February 9, 1861. There were seven children in her family, and her parents found it difficult to make ends meet with such a large family to care for. Elzina often worked outside the home doing household chores such as washing clothes to help earn additional income for the family. She worked in Sylvanus and Catherine's home for several months before Catherine's passing. It is said that in her final days Catherine asked Sylvanus to marry Elzina, as she knew how the household was to be run. They were married in 1883, and had five daughters (one of whom was adopted.) She was a good cook, and was very generous. No one left her home without a good amount of deliciously prepared food. The family had a ranch in the mountains where they produced cheese and butter, and kept bees for honey. She lived as a widow for 29 years, passing away in 1930.

Sylvanus married a second wife, Alice Elizabeth "Betsey" Dalley, in 1884. She was born to James and Emma Wright Dalley on November 1, 1860 in Summit, Utah. Her mother bore 15 children, 11 of whom survived. In 1863 Betsey and two of her brothers were stricken with fever. Both of her brothers eventually died, and Betsey was ill for several months. Once she had recovered it was discovered that she was blind in one eye and completely deaf. Her mother had never been a particularly strong woman, and in 1875 she died, shortly after giving birth to her 15th child. Her father had three other wives besides Emma, and was the father of some 44 children, although only 30 survived. I haven't been able to find much information on Betsey herself. She and Sylvanus were married October 7, 1883. The couple had one daughter who they named Emma Wright, after Betsey's mother.


Sylvanus was the bishop of the Summit  Ward until 1888. He passed away October 22, 1901. Of the three homes he built while creating towns out of barren land, only the Summit home remains. The photo below shows what it looks like in 2018. Hopefully it will be around for a while longer yet.

Sylvanus Cyrus Hulet Home 2018

Bodil Mortensen Memorial

This memorial, which also houses a Poke-gym, is located in the Parowan Heritage Park at 19 Old US Highway 91 in Parowan, Utah. The memorial consists of a bronze sculpture of Mormon Pioneers traveling with a handcart, and an etched plaque.

The plaque reads: 

"Tribute to Bodil Mortensen

Welcome home our dear and beloved Bodil. Not to the valley where your sister anxiously awaited your arrival, but to this small peaceful valley which is now your spiritual place of rest here on earth. The same valley wherein lie the bodies of parents and many family members. Bodil Malene Mortensen was born in Denmark on August 5, 1846 to Neils Otto Mortensen and Maren Kristine Hansen Mortensen. Not to parents of royalty, great privilege or wealth. Just people of ordinary Danish status whose intention it was to migrate to America and join other members of a newly found religion.

Bodil's pilgrimage to the new world was not without the usual problems encountered in oceanic and land travel, but the story of Bodil and her family is only one such story that could be told as there were hundreds of others that suffered through the same trials and tribulations as did they. Many completed their journey, but several like Bodil perished during their trek westward. A tribute to these people seems like a small acknowledgement for what they gave to us all. Their honor and influence did not stop at their graveside. For this we give eternal thanks and gratitude. Memorial presented by members of Bodil's Family."

Bodil's journey to Zion began when she was nine years old. Her older sister had made the journey the year before and was living in Salt Lake City. Bodil's parents decided to send her with some family friends, Jens and Elsie Nielson, along with their son Niels, and then they would make the journey the following year. During the long trek, which began in Denmark, Bodil was charged with helping Jens and  Elsie look after Niels who was 4 years younger than her. They had many experiences together, both good and bad. 

After arriving in America the group traveled by train to Iowa City where they joined up with the Willie Handcart Company. The winter storms had begun early, causing problems for the company. They traveled up Rocky Ridge, a particularly difficult 15 mile trek, in one such storm. Upon arriving at camp it appears that Bodil was sent to gather firewood, as they found the young girl frozen to death the next morning, still clutching some twigs in her hands. The rest of her family made their journey West the next year, and passed by Bodil's grave in Rock Creek, Wyoming without knowing of her death. They settled in Parowan, Utah, which is why this memorial was placed there by her family. Her mother was never the same after learning of Bodil's death, and eventually died of a nervous breakdown.

Jones Iron Works

Blast Furnace (left) and Dedication Marker (right)

This site is a walking park in Enoch, UT. I may not have known to stop and investigate if not for the Pokestop indicated on my Pokemon Go. It is a historic iron works built by John Pidding Jones, a Mormon pioneer from England, in the 1870's. John had been involved extensively with the Deseret Iron Works previously, and before coming to Utah was engaged in iron working with his two brothers. Originally the iron works consisted of a foundry, blacksmith shop, blast furnace, coke oven, and a lime kiln. Today all that remain on the property are the blast furnace, made from an old steam engine, and the outline of the stone coke oven. The iron works was in operation from about 1875-1898.

The following is an excerpt from the Biography of John P. Jones, written by his son Hyrum. It gives details on the building and operation of the furnace, as well as what sort of products were made and where they were used:

John P. Jones

"Making iron was a part of John, and it was not long before another foundry and furnace were built at Enoch. He knew very little about farming and stock-raising. As soon as his new home was finished, he began the work of building another cupola furnace, a blacksmith shop, a foundry and a coke and charcoal oven. This proved to be a monumental undertaking for such a few workers. Un- daunted by the Herculean task, he and his four stalwart sons worked long hours until the buildings were finished. Raw materials for building the structures were nearby and plentiful. Rare sand for the foundry was needed. This was found in the springs just one-half mile west of the furnace. Fire-clay was needed to line the furnace, and this was found in abundance about three miles north of town. Rock for the coke and charcoal oven was plentiful. Wood to burn into charcoal could be brought in from the foothills; coal could be hauled in from Cedar Canyon mines about 18 miles away. All the hauling at this time was done by ox-team. This was slow, but dependable.

Blast Furnace

John Lee had already built a lime kiln to make quick-lime for the mortar to hold the sun-dried brick and rock together, which was used to build their houses. One item needed badly was a steel shell for the furnace. They heard of a steam boiler that had blown up at a saw mill in the mountains near Paragonah. A team of oxen and wagon were sent for it, after which it was set up on end and lined with unburned brick and plastered on the inside with fire-clay mortar. The shell was a little small but it would do. The steel shell was nearly eight feet high. This was not tall enough, so un- burned brick were used to extend the furnace up another seven feet. A platform was built within two or three feet of the top to hold fuel and scrap-iron as well as a man to stoke the furnace.

Coke Oven

Lumber for the foundry and blacksmith shop was available at a number of saw-mills in the near- by mountains. Scrap iron was brought in from the homes in the valley. Several tons of small cannon balls were hauled in from Camp Floyd, which were brought to Utah by Johnston's army. By utilizing scrap iron, little or no lime for a flux was needed. Very little iron ore was used in this operation so there was a minimum of **** to dispose of. The furnace would burn off most of the impurities when a combination of charcoal and coke were used. There would be very little sulphur and phosphorus to make the smelted iron brittle. The iron produced in this operation was not steel, for it was .not combined with carbon; it was not pig iron, neither was it wrought iron; however, it resembled wrought iron because it was malleable and could be worked in the blacksmith shop.

Producing the blast of air which was necessary for the furnace was a major problem. Among the few things that John Pidding Jones brought from England was a small copper fan. Each of the four blades were about 5 by 7 inches. There were two pulleys, one on each end of the shaft; about four inches in diameter and four inches wide, to accommodate two belts. This was placed in the bottom of the furnace.

The power to drive the fan was produced by a three-team horsepower machine -probably a relic from the defunct Deseret Iron Industries Company of Cedar City. The power was led by tumbling rods to a large wooden pulley about 20 inches wide and 26 inches in diameter. It had to be sturdy and well-balanced to reduce vibration. To make a pulley of this size required considerable skill. It was made wide so that the two leather belts would lead from it to the fan about 8 feet away. One revolution of the wooden pulley would turn the fan 6.28 revolutions, or about 1200 RPM. The speed thus produced would make the blast of air necessary for a real hot fire in the furnace. Just before it was time to tap the furnace, the sparks would fly eight to ten feet into the air and the noise was terrifying. The horses had to be driven at a slow trot in order to produce the necessary blast the last few minutes before the tapping was done.

At one time the noise of the furnace and the hustle of the men excited the horses and when some of the sparks fell upon them they became frightened and they began to run. Samuel B., a boy of about 12, was operating the horsepower. He jumped down and dodged between the frightened horses barely in time to avoid being trampled by them. Members of the crew stopped the runaway teams and quieted them, and then work went on as before.

Iron Ore, with Scrap Iron Behind

John P. Jones was the foreman and organizer of the crew. Each man and boy was instructed on just what to do. Spectators were not allowed too close in order that they would not interfere with the operation, although many people came from miles around to watch. One boy was assigned to drive the horses; two or three boys were to keep the piles of scrap iron, coke and charcoal in good supply on the platform near the top of the furnace. Molds were prepared days before in the foundry. They were of molder's sand and plaster of Paris so that the molten iron could be poured from the ladle carried by two men into them. The ladle had two long handles, one on each side of the castiron pot, so that the heat would not be too unbearable. Great excitement and anticipation was felt each time the furnace was fired.

Sylvester F. fed the furnace from the platform, John Lee worked in the foundry as the molder and patternmaker, Hyrum helped carry the ladle, and John P. was kept busy checking the blast controls and supervising the whole operation. One heat would last six to eight hours and no one had time to rest or scarcely get a drink of water. Products of the furnace were molded into stove grates, andirons, fireplace grates and parts of machinery such as cog wheels, shafts and pinions. Also forged were sawmill machinery such as tracks, wheels, levers and controls, pulleys and rolls for the molasses mills in Dixie. They also made horse-shoes and horseshoe nails. The largest single casting made was a 500 lb. hammer. It was almost more molten iron than the furnace could hold. The hammer, when finished, was perfect and was used to drive piles into the Virgin Riverbed against which the dam was built to get the water out onto the Washington fields. This hammer required 120 bushels of coke and charcoal to smelt enough iron to make it. Coke and charcoal were prepared in the coke oven days before, and this alone was no small operation. A number of large pieces of machinery were cast for the rock crushers at Silver Reef. They also made a large kiln in which to roast the ore and thus separate the minerals from the waste. The Silver Reef Company and the mines of Pioche, Nevada were the best cash customers of the John Pidding Jones and Sons Iron Company.

Brick-Lined Interior of Blast Furnace

The furnace was operated only when there was a demand for castings. In Margaret Lee Jones's diary she made the following notation: "John is preparing to cast tomorrow because the little pinion on the binder was stripped and there are many acres of grain ready to cut."

As you can see it took considerable preparation to prepare for a single heat. This furnace was operated off and on for nearly 20 years. A remnant of the old furnace still stands as a token of the hard work and indomitable will of a great ancestor. It remains a monument to the industry of those pioneers who sacrificed and endured so much for the sake of their posterity, as well as to their undaunted faith in their religion, which prompted them to such works."

Monument reads "IN MEMORY OF JOHN P.
AND JOHN LEE JONES & SONS
MANUFACTURERS OF IRON
1856"

Deseret Iron Works

The Deseret Iron Works is located at 400 North 100 East in Cedar City, Utah. This site hosts a Pokemon Gym, which is located at the marker, and stands on a grassy area set aside as a Utah Historic Site.










The marker is a large piece of an iron ore body, and bears two plaques. The largest plaque describes the Deseret Iron Works, while the smaller of the two tells about the blast furnace that was located here.











The large plaque reads:
"DESERET IRON WORKS
This monument marks the spot where on September 30, 1852 the first iron was manufactured west of the Mississippi River by the Mormon Iron Missionaries sent here by Brigham Young.
This 5 1/2 ton ore body was obtained from the Iron deposits about seven miles west of Cedar City in the Three Peaks area; it is about 61% Fe. The smaller specimens are some that were actually hauled by horse-drawn vehicles to this site and were found during excavations. The Blast Furnace, Foundry, Pattern Shop, Coke and Charcoal Ovens, Waterwheel and Offices of the early Pioneer Iron Works were located North, South and East of this monument.
The technology of using coke was brought by these early iron workers directly from England where the use of charcoal had been out-lawed and which was a relatively new idea, especially in American iron manufacturing. In spite of floods, which inundated the Iron Works, the undependable water source, and other natural and man-made difficulties, considerable iron was produced here until 1858, making the iron industry one of the leading factors in the economy of the Utah territory.

Dedicated November 11, 1978 (Cedar City's 127th Birthday)"

The smaller plaque declares the site a Utah Historic Site. It reads:
"PIONEER IRON WORKS BLAST FURNACE
To satisfy an urgent need for manufactured iron products, a small group of English, Welsh, Scotch, Irish and American pioneers answered a call from Brigham Young to become 'Iron Missionaries' to settle Iron County and make iron. They arrived in Parowan on January 13, 1851 and produced the first iron west of the Mississippi on September 30, 1852 on this site. Due to economic, social, environmental and technical problems, the Iron Works was closed down in October 1858."

According to the history of the Deseret Iron Works, during the years of 1851 and 1852 survey work began, to be sure that the necessary components were present in the region to begin the iron making process. In 1852, after successfully creating iron in the area, work began on the blast furnace. Their Iron Mission was put on hold, however, after one of many of Utah's Indian Wars broke out. Their efforts were focused on fort building during The Walker War, rather than producing iron. Once a peace treaty was struck with Chief Walkara, iron production resumed. Their success was to be short-lived, as by 1858 the fickle nature of Coal Creek, the main source of power for the iron works, finally drove the operation to shut down.

Here is a sketch of the iron works, which is depicted on the larger plaque.

Here is a map of the iron works.

Chief Walkara

This Pokestop was found in the most unlikely of places. I had pulled off the interstate to take a "pitstop" at the Meadow, Utah exit. (Utah I-15, exit 185) and had to decide between two gas stations. Since I was off the freeway I brought up my Pokemon Go to see if I could rack up some distance while I explored the area. One gas station was the clear winner for restrooms, snacks, and other amenities, but at the other gas station I found this little gem!

The marker reads:
"Chief Walkara
(Chief Walker, Wakarum)
1810 ca. --January 29, 1855
Walkara, Ute Indian chieftain, was one of the principal Indian chiefs when the Mormons first entered this area in 1848. Feared from California to New Mexico, he was a remarkably sly chief, daring horse thief, savage slave trader, furious enemy, admirable friend, and unprincipled lover. He became a war chief unrivaled in his ability to lead his band with cunning, power, and fierceness.
His name refers to yellow buckskin. Nicknamed the "Hawk of the Mountains" and "Napoleon of the Desert" he was an opportunist in the changing of the west. He was more notorious than great, more bandit than chief. Without question, white and Indian alike, he was the West's greatest horse thief, stealing over 1000 horses on one raid alone. His horse stealing adventures are legendary.
The ill-fated "Walker War" began in July 1853 and lasted until May 1854. Every Mormon settlement was transformed into an armed fort. The final cost was upwards of $200,000 and many lives. Peace was concluded after a mile-long peace train under Brigham Young met the aging warrior on Chicken Creek (Levan).
Born on the banks of the Pequinarynoquint (stinking) River in Utah County, Walkara was buried in a seplechre of stone on the rugged eastern hillside above  this little community of Meadow. His grave was located up Dry Canyon, the first canyon north of Corn Creek. On the day of burial two of his squaws and some Piute  children were offered up as sacrifice. Besides his weapons, trinkets, presents, the tow squaws and two girls, a young boy was fastened alive to the pedestal beside Walkara's body. It is presumed the grave was robbed by whites in 1909. It is interesting that another famous chief and brother, Kanosh was buried just a short distance from here.

Plaque presented by Millard Jr. and Sr. High School 1973"

The Walker War was one of a series of "Indian wars" fought in Utah between 1849 and the late 1860's. These wars came about when Mormon settlers began disrupting the hunting and trading of Utah's native peoples. Several uneasy peace treaties were made during this time, but these peace-times were eventually broken by one side or another, resulting in another war. Chief Walkara was the leader of the Timpanogos Utes during the Walker War, and resented the fact that the Mormons were encroaching upon their hunting grounds, and limiting their trade, most notably the slave trade between the Timpanogos and Mexico. There was not one single event that led to the war, but rather a series of events, and each side had their own ideas as to what sparked the fighting. After the war had wound down, and a peace treaty was struck,
Chief Walkara converted to the Mormon faith and took up the name Joseph Walker. This being said, it was reported that his funeral was drastically different from those typical of church members. Walkara was entombed rather than buried, and had several sacrifices made on the day of his entombment. It is recorded that he had women, children and horses killed and entombed with him, as well as a live boy (or two.) Body counts may differ, but all accounts point to sacrificial offerings.
The peace achieved during Walkara's lifetime was short-lived, as more skirmishes broke out in years to come, eventually leading to the Blackhawk War.

For more info on the Walker War click here.
A newspaper article about Walkara can be found here.
Information on his burial is here.
Click here for info on the Black Hawk War.

Cedar City's Old Brickyards

View of Monument from Sidewalk

This Pokestop/historical marker is located in the corner of the CAL Ranch Stores parking lot in Cedar City, Utah. It is on the edge of the lot, nearest the intersection of 800 South and Main Street. The marker was erected in 1990 by the Iron County Historical Society, along with Cedar City Corporation, Melling Masonry, Big D Construction Corporation, and Walmart Stores, Inc. The last contributor is significant because before it was a CAL Ranch, the building housed Walmart.

The monument reads as follows:


"It is believed that the first fired brick in Utah were made in Cedar City in connection with the attempt of the Deseret Iron Company to manufacture Iron in 1852. The blast furnace was located in the vicinity of 400 North and 100 East. Fired brick was made near there for use in the lining of the blast furnace and construction of some brick homes and public buildings.

By the turn of the century, most of the brickmaking operations had been moved to the southern outskirts of the city. These were located here, immediately north, northeast, east and southeast of this monument. They supplied the bricks for homes, commercial and public buildings for Cedar City and some surrounding areas, until well into the 1930's. The Old Administration Building and the Old Main Building on the Southern Utah University campus, several blocks north of here, were constructed from brick made here. It is a memorial to the various brick makers including Bryant, Fretwell, Dutton, Rollo, Jakeman Palmer, and others unrecorded and those who worked for them."

Unfortunately I haven't been able to find any more information available online regarding the Brickyards in Cedar City.

I did, however, find some of the photos used for the monument. They can be accessed through Southern Utah University's Sherratt Library. Below are the links to two of the photos which are hosted on the library's digital archive.

Mud Mill

Brick Kiln

Welcome to My Blog!

Thanks for checking out my blog! The way I figure it, there are lessons to be learned while you are out exploring and hunting for Pokemon. Many of the Pokestops and Pokegyms that you encounter can yield interesting information about your home state, home town, or neighborhood. My blog will explore the information I glean from playing in my area, and I hope that you will make a concerted effort to learn about your neck of the woods as well!