September Donations

September was a great month for new donations to the Pioneer Memorial Museum. We received a large collection of textiles from the Pioneer Craft House in Salt Lake City, including a fascinating pink costume trimmed with bells.

We also received a beautiful stick pin that belonged to Ann Wilkie Hooper, pioneer of 1854.

Accompanying the stick pin was a watch fob chain that belonged to Ann Wilkie's husband, John Hooper, also a pioneer of 1854.

One September donation has left us more than a little puzzled. We were given a beaded, black velvet hat for which family history states it was "worn across the ocean" by Samuel Saviour, pioneer of 1860 from England. The style of the hat and the beading, however, look more Native American (perhaps Iroquois?) to us. If you can shed any light on the origins of this hat, please email us at pioneermemorialmuseum@gmail.com.

Pioneer Day Smash!

This year, our open house for Pioneer Day was enormously successful! We had about 500 visitors between noon and five pm. The children's activities, which included building a model handcart or wagon in conjunction with pioneer story telling, went over quite well. Many visitors enjoyed the music as well as the craft demonstrations. We were even featured on Channel 4, highlighting pioneer hair art. We are pleased that so many people chose to spend their Pioneer Day with us, and hope to have such fantastic attendance for our future events.

New Acquisition: Trunk!

We recently received an 1889 domed metal and wood trunk that was originally owned by Oscar Alexander Wood, a pioneer of 1852. He came to Utah when he was thirteen years old in the David Wood Company. The trunk has two sections inside, and is paper lined including a label showing a picture of a little girl. The trunk can be dated from the patent dates stamped into the metal hinges. Wood passed the trunk down to his daughter, Linnie Maggie Jane Wood Smith. She gave the trunk to Sarah Jane Griffiths Smith, who was the grandmother of the donor, Kevin Hatch. This trunk is now on display in the central area of the first floor of the Carriage House.

Nauvoo Temple Key

On May 7, the Mt. Nebo DUP presented to the Pioneer Memorial Museum a key from the Nauvoo Temple. The key was originally owned by Henry Ichabod Young, pioneer of 1850. He and his wife Temperance Jolley Young settled in Mona, Utah, and together had 13 children. More information can be found on Henry I. Young at this link: Henry Ichabod Young
Also, the family of Richard Ledosquet donated two portraits of these pioneers, as well as a biography of Henry I. Young for the Pioneer Memorial Museum library. We are so grateful to have these treasures to preserve and display for everyone to enjoy.

First post!

I've been meaning to start a curator's blog for a while now, and today is the day! I want to use this forum to share the wonderful treasures at the Pioneer Memorial Museum with our website visitors.

I thought I would start with a relatively new acquisition, which was entrusted to our care in July 2011. We were fortunate enough to receive four pieces of traditional Scottish Highland dress that originally belonged to John Alexander Cameron, a pioneer of 1861. He was born 25 December 1818 in Barcholl, Argyll, Scotland. He came to Utah in 1861, and died 8 October 1903. For more biographical information on John Alexander Cameron, click here.

John Alexander Cameron, wearing full Highland dress, including the kilt
and sporran now at the Pioneer Memorial Museum

We received his pleated wool plaid kilt, the leather belt, a spectacular sporran with silver thistle detail, and one argyle sock. It is a rare treat to see so many pieces of a Scottish outfit survive in one place. 

The kilt dates back to 1830-45 and was probably made at the weaving firm William Wilson & Sons of Bannockburn. The tartan is Cameron of Erracht, and the main part of the kilt is one large piece of fabric. The pleats are sewn into a tan waistband, and it has a small coin purse incorporated on the inside.

John Alexander Cameron kilt c. 1845

The sporran is an integral part of the Scottish Highland dress and is a pouch that serves as a pocket. Cameron's sporran is made of leather with silver trim; the white hair is probably goat hair and the black hair in the silver tassels is probably horse hair. Notice the thistle in the right corner of the top part of the sporran.

The donation also included one argyle pattern sock. The toe area suffers from loss, and the heel has been darned. There is a number printed at the top of the sock, 3036. The belt is dark brown leather with a silver buckle.

All of these items, which were given through the generosity of Beverly B. Reed, are on display on the main floor of the Pioneer Memorial Museum in case 52.