Virgin Valley History Discovery Day was held on March 21 at Heritage Park. Displays of the history in this valley and its ancestors were presented. Skills were shared, and there were many demonstrations and activities for children, who could ‘rope a steer,” get dunked in the water tank if the ball hit the target, try hoop rolling like pioneer children, milk a “cow” or watch branding irons heated and letters burned into wood. The event was sponsored by the East and West stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was free and open to the community.

The VFW presented the flag ceremony with a flag raising and the Star Spangled Banner. West Stake President Jared Hollingshead, and Tavis Wakefield, counselor in the East Stake Presidency, welcomed everyone and spoke of the heritage we have received from our ancestors.

“We stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before. With freedom and opportunity, they made this valley a welcome place to live. We have come to remember their ways of life and learn from them,” Wakefield said. “We thank them for their hard work, their blood, sweat and tears that it took to build this valley. We love them for their perseverance.”

President Hollingshead spoke of the pioneers who settled this valley. “With faith and hard work, the early settlers looked after one another. That pioneering spirit and same spiritual feeling exists today in this valley. There is a wonderful sense of community here. We have come to honor our heritage and renew relationships and to gather in a spirit of love and unity.”

A pioneer legacy was demonstrated and shared. A Dutch-oven lunch of chicken, potatoes with plenty of onions, and ham and bacon was cooked in 22 Dutch ovens over an open fire. Jon Meirhoff learned Dutch oven cooking from his grandfather and started cooking at 6:00 a.m. to have the lunch ready.

Bluegrass music and some pop music entertained everyone thanks to Gary and Julie Butler and Teressa and Monte Mortenson, who played fiddle, bass and guitar. Some favorite tunes were “Stop the World,” “Jerusalem Ridge,” “Foggy Mountain Special” and the exciting “Orange Blossom Special.”

Baby goats to feed, bunnies to hold and pet, a tiny pig digging with his snout, ducks to watch and many breeds of chickens on the grassy area were favorites of the children. Tidus, a grandson of the Abbotts said, “The baby goats are about three weeks old, and they are named Scout and Cinder.” Laren Abbott said he has Easter eggers, White Polish and Bresse, from France that are prized for their flavorful meat.

Horseback rides were a new experience for kids to ride around the field on horses thanks to Derik Hafen and family. You could try panning for gold at another station, which was demonstrated by Clint Sudweeks.

McKay Magoon, local resident and a farrier, brought his truck with an anvil and forge to demonstrate how he makes horseshoes. He heated the horseshoes in the forge and placed them on the anvil, and pounded and shaped them to fit his pattern. Then it was “better step back” he said, as the sparks flew from the red-hot metal.

Calligraphy was demonstrated by Bob Lystrup. “I practiced and taught myself,” he said. There was a long line waiting for him to write their name with his elegant, Old-English style calligraphy in a color of their choice.

A favorite stop in the warm weather was the homemade lemonade and raspberry lemonade. “The homemade cookies and bars were made using family-tested recipes handed down from generations,” the ladies said.

“Where in the world did your ancestors come from?” was the question above a large world map. You could take a tiny flag pin and put it on the country of your ancestors. At last look, Europe had the most pins squeezed together.

A patriotic T-shirt quilt was on display at a family history display. The red, white and blue shirts had been worn by David Abplanalp, Lt. Col. Retired, who served in the Navy and Army in Germany, Texas, Hawaii and Vietnam.

The family heirloom—an Edison Cir. 1905 phonograph—was demonstrated by Jeff Hoyt. He played some of the cylinders and said, “Once it is turned on, it keeps going using centrifugal force. The large tube attached can amplify the sound.”

“Herbs and Honey” was the title of Kylie and Megan Teerlink’s display of quart jars of herbs and their uses. “Many of the plants can be harvested here or in the mountains nearby: blue Elderberry, mullein, Chaparral Creosote, sage and Brigham tea. The Indigenous people and the pioneers used them for medicinal purposes and tea,” they said.

History displays inside included the history of the culinary water system in Virgin Valley by Aaron Bunker, hydrologist at the Virgin Valley Water District. Pioneer Women in the valley displayed pictures of women who served the community by Geraldine Zarate. The history of the picket line that lasted 36 months from 1993 to March 1996, had photos and memorabilia.

Shem and Cheryl Teerlink organized the event, and Krissy and Richard Cook assisted them to make it a successful learning experience.