4th Annual Seminar and Field Trip 2016

Thirty three people attended the June 17th evening seminar at the Granite County Museum.

Archaeologist Patricia Flint Lacey PhD presented a slide show of her discoveries at Bearmouth and the Weaver Ranch during the time she was working on her Master and Doctoral education beginning in the 1970's. She showed slides of the pictographs drawn by Vision Seekers in the Bearmouth area and replicas of knifes and arrows made from the Eyebrow "Flint" located near Henderson Gulch. The artifacts Dr. Lacey found are all at the Granite County Museum. I am certain the staff at the Museum would be thrilled to show them to you.

Marlene Chor, owner of the Budel Homestead and ranch, where her mother was raised, presented the history that started the lower Fred Burr archaeological dig. Artifacts were found in 1989 and from about 2006 to present has been an active site most every summer. 

Kenneth Schmidt (anthropologist) that is the site manager presented artifact information. This site has shown evidence of habitation by people as early as 4,000 years before the present date to the late prehistoric stage. Evidence consists of knife's, awls, arrowheads, pottery, maize (possibly brought in from Utah Wasatch Front natives), tally bones, large amounts of animal bones, post holes, hearths and charcoal. There is at least one white Shoshonian knife/awl in the numerous artifacts. These artifacts are currently stored with the landowner and will be placed at the Museum at a later date.

Ted Antonioli presented a brief history of the Fur Trappers (Peter Skene Ogden) and mountain men that traversed the Flint Creek Valley in the early 1800's. Hugh Monroe (Rising Wolf) who lived many years with the Blackfoot Indians may have been the first white man in the valley and Peter Skene Ogden was in the valley from August 2 through the 18th in 1825, as documented in his Hudson Bay Journals.

June 18th at 8am thirty four people were at the James Stuart Stamp Mill site. The Historical Society's Stamp mill being restored had a pulley belt attached and ran the camshaft for a short time. Parts were being delivered that would allow the stamps to run later in the day. Unfortunately none of the tour was present when the stamp mill was run at 1pm.

Thirty One people traveled up the mountain to the Algonquin where Ted Antonioli gave a presentation of the history of the mine and mill. A tour was made of the current building still standing. Gina Vale, owner of Hasmark presented information on the settlement of Hasmark and the old saloon building she is restoring.

Twenty six people continued on to the Georgetown and Cable City area. Bruce Cox, geologist with the Trust that currently owns the Cable mining claims gave an excellent tour of the placer's, mine and Chinatown.

The evening was spent at the Waldbillig Ranch eating barbecued hamburgers and watermelon.