Past Perfect

"Every man is quotation from all of his ancestors"

-Ralph Waldo Emerson-

This past week was spring break for my kids. Since I wasn't able to be home with them during the week, and we weren't able to go anywhere for a break...instead we did little things throughout the week in the evenings after I got home.

Wednesday was without a doubt my favorite field trip. It all transpired kind of by accident. I called my Grandma Thacker and asked if she would join us for dinner. I thought we could go and see the graves of some of our ancestors; Baxters who are buried in the cemetery here in Pleasant Grove. As I thought about my plans early that morning, I remembered that there was a pioneer museum located not far from our home. On a whim, I looked up the information online and found the contact number. I knew it was last minute, and apologized as such, but asked if we could arrange for a tour that evening...just for our family. I told the woman on the phone (whose name was Ruth) that some of my family had been raised and buried in Pleasant Grove and gave the last name. I quickly found out she was also related to Baxters. She was excited to meet us that night at the museum...the oldest standing schoolhouse in Utah.

It was such a great experience! We discovered so many great things about the men, women and their families who first settled our new home town. It was amazing to know that some of them were our own ancestors. It was wonderful to see how things used to be; pictures of the old tabernacle and beautiful stained glass windows salvaged from the building before it was demolished; pictures of a sleighing party on the old Main and Center Streets; and a photo of a bed and breakfast style hotel that was operated by my great, great, great grandfather and his family. There were 3 log cabins, one of them the original first cabin built up by the mouth of the canyon where Battle Creek pours out into the valley. And of course dozens and dozens of stories.

This is the original school room. Notice the rounded ceiling. It was built that way on purpose, since the building was also used as social hall of sorts where plays were put on and musical concerts conducted.

Another relative, Sandy, show Maryn and Ashlyn how the pump organ works. Maryn pumped and Sandy took Ashlyn's hands and showed her how to play chopsticks.

The second school room, and all of the people we spent the evening with; Maryn, Conner, Ashlyn, Paul, Ruth, Sandy and Grandma Thacker.

My grandmothers grandparents; John Kelly Baxter and Elizabeth Morton Baxter. Grandma told us that John was killed walking home from church one evening well before Grandma was born. 

And some graves of the Mortons. I loved how our shadows were cast over them...it seemed like an appropriate thought somehow...a linking of past and present.