VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
IVAN HASKELL
The
Peteetneet Museum has been very fortunate to have a number of local gentlemen
volunteer their time at Peteetneet. One
of them, Ivan Haskell, volunteers three hours each Friday afternoon as a Tour
Guide.
Since
Ivan is an accomplished author of numerous books of local historical
information, we will let him tell his own story this week.
“To
me, Peteetneet is a hallowed memory, a journey f life! I went to school here in 1938. I put many miles on my roller skates on the
front sidewalk going back and forth from the road to the building.
It
was an exciting time in my life, going to school and learning the alphabe,
spelling and read. Then there were
numbers, then arithmetic and writing, the solar system, and of course,
recess. I was the Peteetneet artist
until third grade.
It
was a great happening if the Orem electric train happened to be starting a
journy to Salt Lake City. Everyone rand
to the fence by the cut north of the building to watch the train pass by. We were taught the various outdoor games;
softball, baseball, basketball, marble games, football, skiing and sleigh
riding on the hill in the winter. Never
to be forgotten was the competition with Taylor School.
I
passed the monthly show bills for the old Star Theater for an extended period
of time. This was a great experience
because I was given a pass to see all the movies as many times as I wanted
during the month.
I
have the distinction of having the only Grand Champion Quarter mare at the Utah
State Fair in 1965. I was a charter
member of the Wakara Riding Club. I also
raised and showed Polled Herefords. One
of my heifers was the Reserve Champion at the Utah State Fair in 2000.
A
grand, noble building is Peteetneet. It
is a building that initially began construction in 1897 and was completed in
1901. It taught our family members for
more than eighty years. It is a building
that is now considered “Payson’s Identity.”
Payson
had three outstanding features that it was known for: (1) the Nebo Stake
Tabernacle, which originally served, Lake Shore, Benjamin, Salem, Spring Lake,
Santaquin, Genola, Spanish Fork, Genola, Goshen, Payson and Eureka.; (2) the
Payson Race Track, which was a drawing card of horse racing throughout the state
and attracted many to the grandstand to watch the races. They were held at various times during the
year including the Labor Day weeked. and (3) the Peteetneet, a grand old
building that served as a school and gave a foundation to many people in the
area.
Two
of these identities are now only memories, razed, because someone want the
change and felt they were no longer viable to the community. Peteetneet too, was on the chopping block,
but a group of people rose up and formed a groupd called “People Preserving
Peteetneet.” This group, through hard work and effort turned the run-down
building into the beautiful facility we see here today.
The
musem and culural arts center house items as ancient as 2500 B.C., but most are
from the 19th and 20th centuries that covers the pioneer
period to current times. Changes have
take place, ingenuity was used, improvments have been made that can be seen in
this building. History is here for all
to see, learn from, and contribute to a person’s education.
We
are getting stagnant when we don’t make the effort to take advantage of these
opportunities. I might mention, there is
no cost to tour the museum, it is free.
The museum is a 501(c)c tax exempt facility. That means that all donations are tax
deductible. There is a container located
in the main hall where donations can be made if you feel the desire to help
cover the cost of operating the building.”
Ivan
has been a volunteer at Peteetneet for many years. He has served as vice-president of the Payson
Historical Society and the historian.
Is is continually researching and writing to record local and family
histories. He has completed several
historical books. The following books
are some of his work: Payson Pioneers–Volume 1, 2 and 3; The Haskells
for 400 Years; and Life and Times of Ivan. I also completed a book on the Payson City
Council meetings that convered almost 70 years.
He is also the author of a number of pamphlets.
Be
sure and stop by the museum and get acquainted with this man who is a storehouse
of Payson history and other historical information.
No comments:
Post a Comment