Ephraim
Since the 1850s, Sanpete County's history has revolved around the rivalry of its four leading towns - Mt. Pleasant, Gunnison, Manti, and Ephraim. Ephraim, long portrayed as the epitome of "the Utah farm village," refused to concede primacy of place to its nearest competitor, even though Manti captured both the county seat and one of Utah's first four Mormon temples. In the 1950s, Ephraim finally eclipsed all its rivals in size and two decades later passed the Census Bureau's magic 2,500 mark to become Sanpete's only urban place.
Outwardly, Ephraim still resembles its Sanpete rivals and the classic Mormon village, but inwardly it has always differed in significant ways. From its founding in 1854 until the end of the Black Hawk War in 1872, Ephraim functioned as Sanpete's most important fort. Platted across one of the San Pitch River's largest tributary "creeks," Fort Ephraim arose next to a sizable Indian settlement, "presenting the appearance of two cities, side by side, with entirely different manners and customs" according to one early observer.
Its function as a fort drew a very diverse population to Ephraim, with Danes forming a bare majority by 1860. Divisions naturally developed, prompting the church to appoint outsiders as bishops. The fourth, a Norwegian named Canute Peterson, arrived from Lehi in 1867 and, after a peace parlay with Antonga Blackhawk and others, helped bring stability and prosperity to a newly incorporated (1868) City of Ephraim. By 1872 the city had built two imposing structures a block apart on opposite sides of Main Street - a cooperative (co-op) store and a tabernacle.
Brigham Young's appointment of Canute Peterson as president of Sanpete Stake in 1877, enabled Ephraim to serve as church seat and become the site of the stake academy, the forerunner of Snow College in 1888. The school grew very slowly, not moving into its first permanent building for nearly 20 years. Not until after the LDS Church turned the school over to the state in 1932 did it become a bonafide two-year college. The school now (2023-2024) numbers nearly 5,800 students between its Ephraim and Richfield Campuses and rivals agriculture as an economic base for Utah's smallest college town. Snow College has had a much more enduring impact on Ephraim's growth than the ephemeral railways, agricultural businesses, and light industries once located on the west side of town. The college has also made Ephraim the most cosmopolitan place in Sanpete, connecting it with the other towns and the rest of the state through its manifold programs.
The growth of Snow College has also altered the composition of Ephraim's population which by 1880 had become about 90 percent Scandinavian. At that time, about half of all residents had one of eight surnames: Anderson, Christensen, Hansen, Jensen, Larson, Nielsen, Olsen, or Peterson. No wonder they used nicknames like "Petee Bishop" (a son of Canute) to keep the identities of the townsfolk straight! It could be said that non-Scandinavians married a Christensen, left town, or never felt fully at home. To compound matters, fully one-fourth of Ephraim's Mormons had, by choice or birth, entered the plural form of marriage.
To revive the town's Nordic heritage, a few Ephraimites started a Scandinavian Festival in 1976. Held on the weekend before Memorial Day, the festival now features numerous events centered on Ephraim Square and the Snow College main campus.
Historic Ephraim Square encompasses three historic buildings, the Ephraim Co-op, the Old Granary Art Center and the Bishop’s Storehouse. The Ephraim Co-op building and the Old Granary Art Center were constructed of Oolite stone between 1871 and 1874. They are a rare example of Greek revival architecture with a King Post Truss roof.
The co-op building was built to serve residents of the area with merchandise from the parent ZCMI company in Salt Lake City, through which many items became available in the area for the first time, including store-bought shoes and lace.
The building also housed the first post office, a dance hall, and the upstairs housed the Sanpete Stake Academy from 1888 to 1904, which later became Snow College. It was the center for many town meetings and educational activities.
The granary was built for the LDS Church Relief Society to feed the hungry. The granary is now the location of the Central Utah Art Center and the Co-op is now the Snow College Alumni House (formerly Ephraim Cooperative Mercantile). In 1996 the Co-op building was restored to the fine building it is and in 2024, became the new Snow College Alumni House, managed by Snow College making it once again a building tied to the beginnings of Snow College and a central focus of Main Street.
Cited from https://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/e/EPHRAIM.shtml
Daughters of the Utah Pioneers
The Daughters of Utah Pioneers was organized on April 11, 1901 by Annie Taylor Hyde who was the daughter of President John Taylor. She and 54 other women wanted to preserve and honor the names and achievements of men, women, and children who were the pioneers that established Utah. The Daughters of Utah Pioneers is now an international organization known as the International Society of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. The Society’s aim is to preserve the history of original settlers of the State of Deseret and Utah Territory, including the pioneers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Fort Ephraim Camp DUP came into being in 1932 and has continued to flourish across the years under the leadership of able captains and the dedication of the daughters.
Our Story
In 2019, Ephraim city started the process of renovating the Pioneer Park. In 2020, with the help of the Sons of Utah Pioneers and Daughters of Utah Pioneers, they began working on the Pioneer Park. The first task was tearing down the addition to the Hans Hansen house, then the local missionaries, and volunteers helped renovate the house and the cabins on the property. Dedication of the newly remodeled Hansen House took place at Scandinavian Days in May of 2021. The park is run by the Fort Ephraim Camp Daughters of the Utah Pioneer's, volunteers and local service missionaries.
Every donation counts
Donations
Ephraim Heritage Museum is a non-profit organization operated by the Fort Ephraim Camp Daughters of Utah Pioneers alongside with volunteers. It is the community and visitors who can help us make a difference! Even one dollar can help! Click the link or come visit us in person to donate.
places to see
places to see
Ephraim Co-op
The Co-op was built in 1871. This building served as a mercantile store and as an early form of a chain of stores in Utah, specifically known as ZCMI. In the 1890's, when the railroad came into Sanpete, the Co-op was able to more readily get its products. This building also shares a common history with Snow College. In 1888, the upstairs of the Co-op was where Snow College held its first classes.
places to see
Pioneer Cemetery
The first man to die in Ephraim was Mane (pronounced Man) Warring. There was no cemetery in Fort Ephraim at the time so a group left Ephraim to take the dead to Spring City for burial. On their way, they were warned by some white men of approaching Indians and were told to dig a grave and bury the man right then. Consequently a grave was dug and is evidently when and how the old cemetery was started.
Canute Peterson Home
Canute Peterson built his home in 1869 right by Snow College. He was the stake president of the Sanpete Stake, July 5, 1877. He was assistant superintendent of the Manti Temple and laid the Northwest cornerstone. He also served on the Ephraim City Council and the State Legislature. He was ordained a Patriarch by President George Q. Cannon on May 15, 1892.
places to see
places to see
Snow College
Snow College, originally called Sanpete Stake Academy, started in 1888. The purpose was to help educate the settlers and their children. The first classes were first held in the upstairs of the co-op but, were later moved to Snow College campus when the Noyes building was finished in 1909.
Antonga Black Hawk
Referring to the book Utah's Blackhawk War by John Peterson, when Latter-day Saint settlers first spread into Utah’s mountain valleys in the late 1840s, they squatted secondarily on territory claimed by Mexico but primarily upon traditional lands of Utah’s indigenous tribes. Peterson describes the various tribal groups—Northern Utes, Paiutes, Gosiutes, Piedes, Pahvants, Shoshone, peripheral tribal entities, and amalgamations of the same—to put a human face on those whom the Saints eventually displaced. Their leaders are identified and characterized, including Antonga (Black Hawk) and his extended family. Peterson guides his readers through the impact of white settlement in the 1850s on Native American lands in Utah’s most desirable and potentially productive valleys. The usurpation, which resulted in the elimination of food sources for the Native Americans, provoked the Walker and Tintic Wars in the 1850s and which also led to Black Hawk’s aggression in Utah’s most extensive Indian war. The hostilities lasted from 1865 to 1872. The Black Hawk Indian War was the longest and most destructive conflict between pioneer immigrants and Native Americans in Utah History. The traditional date of the war’s commencement is 9 April 1865, but tensions had been mounting for years. On that date bad feelings were transformed into violence when a handful of Indians and Mormon frontiersmen met in Manti, Sanpete County, to settle a dispute over some cattle killed and consumed by starving Indians. An irritated Mormon lost his temper and violently jerked a young chieftain from his horse. The insulted Indian delegation abruptly left, promising retaliation. This group of Indians left to go find Blackhawk who was having dinner with a family in Manti. Once Blackhawk was told of what had just transpired, he felt it was time to retaliate. Over the course of the next few days and until approximately 1870, many settlers and native American tribes lost lives and hundreds of cattle were stolen. Many Indian lives were lost as well to epidemics of measles and smallpox because of the lack of immunity they had to such diseases.
Black Hawk was born c. 1830 and Died September 26, 1870. We know that the actual name "Black Hawk" came from Brigham young in jest, referring to the Warrior, Chief Black Hawk of the Sauk tribe in Illinois.
Antonga Blackhawk was injured in a battle which took place in the Gunnison, Utah area at a place called Gravely Ford. He had been shot through the stomach. Word spread amongst the community that Blackhawk had been shot. In 1866, Canute Peterson of Ephraim paid a visit to the ailing Chief Blackhawk taking gifts of sugar, ham, breads, beads, molasses, tobacco, tea, coffee, flour, medicines and clothing to his home in Spring Lake, Utah. Blackhawk was so affected by the kindness shown him that a friendship developed, which partially ended the hostilities.
Five important Chiefs called upon Canute Peterson's home to express their respect and appreciation. As they talked, "Sarah Peterson prepared a meal of the good things that could be brought from the cellar and pantry". After a good meal, Canute Peterson and Blackhawk along with other towns people and Native American's retreated to the Juniper Tree (now referred to as the "Peace Tree") which sits on the south bank of the creek on the property of town resident, Hans "Rich" Hansen. There they agreed that they would not fight as long as water continued to run in the creek. (To this day, water still flows in this creek). Being true to ancient traditions, the Chief honored their friendship and commitment to each other. Both acknowledged their connectedness in spirit. They were making a sacred vow to live in harmony. Does this not demonstrate the humanity, virtue and compassion of Antonga Blackhawk and his friend Canute? Just a kind heartfelt gesture from Canute Peterson and Blackhawk, who willingly offers the sacred pipe to honor Canute's kindness and compassion.
Monuments
Peace Tree
Old Fort
Ephraim Settlement
Indian Massare
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