March 2014
In This Issue
Sheep Brand and Earmark Identification Cards
Message From the Frontier Homestead
BY TODD PRINCE, PARK MANAGER
As we move into the spring season, staff is
busy planning and coordinating upcoming
events, as well as preparing for the rush of
school groups that comes with the warming
weather and end of school. Beyond that,
we are also engaged in improving services
to our visitors. Among these are a cell
phone audio tour that we hope to launch in
April, and major improvements to our
winter sleigh exhibit. Ryan and his
interpretive team have been working on
new ideas and preparing a grant application
to support the exhibit.
I am pleased to announce that Kris Bahr has
accepted a part-time position at the park.
Kris will be helping us develop a formal
volunteer program, bolstering our social
media efforts alongside our visitor services
coordinator Amy Howe, and assisting park
staff with education programs. Her efforts
should help us to build a solid volunteer
program, allowing us to expand our living
history programming and other educational
efforts.
When a valuable member of our team
recently stepped down to pursue personal
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Message From
the Frontier
Homestead
The Model T:
Symbol of
America Part I
First Monday
Upcoming
Events at
FHSP
Event
Calendar
From the
Past: The Hay
Derrick
interests, Amy Howe stepped up to take
on additional responsibilities in our
social media efforts and graphic design.
If you’re getting tweets, Facebook
messages, and email campaigns, those
are most likely coming from Amy. She
has also been hard at it coordinating
our Sheep to Shawl event, seeing to the
logistics of planning the event, and
coordinating volunteers.
Under the leadership of new
Foundation Chair Sandi Levy, we are
seeing a new focus to the Foundation
Board that will generate additional
funding to support the park and its
programs. Many individuals have
dedicated countless hours to the Chair
position and board of trustees over the
years, each bringing distinctive talents
New FHSP Artwork
By Kenzie Lundburg
Continued on page 4
March 2014 ● Volume 4, Issue 1 ● Friends of the Frontier Homestead State Park ● (435)586-9290
The Model T: Symbol of America Part I
BY PETE WILKINS
Frontier Homestead State Park has acquired a 1923 Ford
Model T Touring Car. Located inside the museum with the
Gronway Parry Wagon and Carriage Collection, it bridges
the gap in history from the handcart to the hand crank.
This is the first in a series of four articles detailing the
history, impact, and use of the Model T.
Henry Ford was a great thinker and a great innovator. He
did not invent the moving assembly line or the division of
labor. After these concepts were introduced to him, he
made them into the most efficient manufacturing process
the world has ever seen. Henry Ford loved mechanics and
engineering, and he also loved the idea of freedom and
independence. His ideas became American ideas. He
believed that hard work was transforming. He was
courageous and also stubborn to the point that he nearly
rode his success with the Model T into the ground.
Henry Ford began secretly developing the Model T in
1906. By 1908 Ford had a car that was affordable,
extremely strong, very light, simple to operate, and easy
to maintain. From 1908 to 1927 the Model T Ford was a
symbol of the industrial power of the United States and
for most of those production years was the most popular
automobile in the world. Fifteen million cars were
manufactured, a record that held until 1972. Henry Ford’s
goal was to provide a car for the multitudes made of the
finest materials and built by the best workmen. He had a
dream of getting people off the farm and out of the house
and out to see “God’s great open spaces”. He mobilized
his generation and all of us after that.
For several years before the final Model T rolled off the
assembly line in 1927, his son and President of Ford Motor
Company, Edsel Ford, tried to convince his father that it
was time to make a new car. Finally sales flagged so much
that there was no arguing the point any longer. The plant
was shut down and workers were sent home while Henry,
Edsel and other talented folks came up with the very
popular Model A. One wonders if Henry Ford had been
less dedicated and less enthusiastic about the Model T, if
it would have been such a great success.
First Monday
BY SANDI LEVY, CHAIR
Time flies when you’re having fun! The Iron Mission Museum Foundation
(IMMF) has so many plans! We continue to sponsor First Monday each month,
and have had two interesting events already – a screening of the film Drums
Along the Mohawk and a demonstration by the Sagebrush Fiber Artisans.
There were many spinners at the Museum for the latter event and it was so
interesting to learn about different wools and what goes into getting it from its
raw state to yarn. The next event features master leathersmith Ron Flud who
will talk about saddlemaking. If you haven’t attended a First Monday, please put it on your calendar! There is no set
cost for these presentations, but a $3 per family donation is requested.
IMMF has become a co-sponsor of the annual Groovefest event, which occurs the last week of June. This fund-raising
partnership will make some improvements to Frontier Homestead possible. If you are interested in getting involved
with this endeavor, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
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Friends of the Frontier Homestead State Park ● (435)586-9290
Upcoming Events at the Frontier Homestead
MARCH
BY AMY HOWE
Spring is springing and we are ready with an exciting slate of activities to get the
family out of the house and enjoying the warmer weather.
25 – Story Time
10:00 am
First Monday events sponsored by the Iron Mission Foundation continue. Saddle
29 – Sheep to Shawl 10:00-3:00 Making with Ron Flud will be April 7, the art of Bill Sherwin May 5, and a preview
APRIL
1,8,15,22,29 – Story Time
10:00 am
rd
3 – First Monday 7-8:30pm
MAY
6,13,20,27 – Story Time
10:00 am
3rd – Archaeology Day 10-3
5 th- First Monday 7-8:30pm
of Groovefest June 2. Each of these runs from 7:00 to 8:30. There is a $3 per
family suggested donation for these events.
Two of our popular Saturday activities continue this spring. On March 29 is
“Sheep to Shawl” where you can see the work that goes into getting fiber made
into clothing. The weather looks like it will cooperate and allow us to use the
buildings and the grounds. May 3 sees the return of “Archaeology Day”. Some
old favorite activities will return and some new ones introduced as we look at
technology through time.
Remember that your current Friends card allows you to attend our events for
free so come check them out.
To stay up to date and connected to the park, please join our pages and
bookmark our website. As you attend events and share experiences with us,
please also share your pictures and videos by uploading them to Facebook. We
would love to hear from you!
FACEBOOK: Facebook.com/FriendsoftheFrontierHomestead
YOUTUBE: YouTube.com/FrontierHomestead
WEBSITE: www.FrontierHomestead.org
Participants in Archaeology Day - 2013
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Friends of the Frontier Homestead State Park ● (435)586-9290
From the Past: The Hay Derrick
BY BRIAN THOMPSON
Hay for livestock in a horse-driven society was as important as gasoline or electricity is today. The oldest technology for stacking
hay throughout the irrigated sections of the Rocky Mountains was the hay derrick that allowed farmers to build haystacks in their
fields. Haystacks were important because they provided a way for livestock to have food year round through winter conditions.
Hay derricks, usually homemade devices, consisted of a central pole rigged so that it could rotate on its base. Hay derricks showed
the ingenuity and creativity of early farmers to create a means of making their work be more efficient. Because the derricks were
homemade there are a variety of different designs. Depending on the materials that were available and the needs of particular
farms the derricks have different properties. Due to the fact that they were homemade different types of hay derricks are also
found in specific regions.
There are six main designs of derricks with sub categories in each of those six designs. The reason for these differences is that as a
farmer needed a hay derrick he would have to build it himself. However there were no blueprints to follow. He would create the
hay derrick based on a neighbors design and upon his own knowledge of derricks. Due to this lack of uniformity there were
differences in every design and construction.
By means of pulleys, rope, and a one-horse hookup, the loading fork could be raised and rotated over the haystack. When
tripped, the hay would drop onto the stack. Men on top of the stack would arrange the hay so that it would shed water, thus the
hay would cure rather than rot. Occasionally rattlesnakes might be hiding in the hay and provide a surprise for those on top of the
hay pile. The stacks were built one section at a time.
The differing designs in the hay derricks allowed for advantages and disadvantages. Some of the early derricks were fastened to
the ground and therefore were not able to be moved from location to location. This was not a problem as the entire crop could fit
inside the barn. As productivity increased and the need for more stacks of hay also grew the derricks were created to be more
mobile. When one section was finished, the derrick was hitched to a horse and dragged to the next section. This allowed farmers
to continue to stack their crop by allowing them to stack in different sections.
Hay derricks were used widely and are still used in places to stack hay. As these derricks
were an excellent solution to a problem they still work well to provide the technology
needed to deal with the constantly changing needs of the producer. While there might
have been many designs, each hay derrick served its purpose and is a testament to the
ingenuity of the western settlers.
Continued from page 1
and knowledge that have contributed to the success of the Foundation and park.
Thank you to Paula Mitchell who most recently served as the Foundation Chair
and extended her tenure until Sandi could be confirmed as the new Chair. I’m
excited by the energy and enthusiasm of the board as we move forward with
plans to make the park a star attraction in Iron County
As always, be sure to regularly check the Park’s website,
http://frontierhomestead.org, for news and announcements regarding upcoming
events, programs, and new developments.
Right: An Iron County mining operation circa 1935
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Friends of the Frontier Homestead State Park ● (435)586-9290