San Juan Bits & Pieces

Articles Published About San Juan County

This blog initially was used to archive articles written by Janet Wilcox and published by Neil and Becky Joslin in the Blue Mountain Panorama. In 2019 it was revived and includes articles printed in the San Juan Record, as well as other venues. By republishing digitally, more photographs can be added, and comments and corrections can be quickly upgraded. A blog is a more permanent historical location and is searchable. Thank you for reading my articles in the newspaper, as well as on the Internet. If you have ideas for stories, please contact me at 42janetkw@gmail.com

Friday, November 22, 2024

She's Tops When it Comes to Decorating Cakes: Julie Orr Lucero

When people talk about dough and salt you expect them to be good cooks. Well, Julie Lucero is that, but has also taken those basics a creative step further and has been making “salt dough” ornaments since 1990. Those who have attended the “Tree for All” at the Blanding Wellness Center or booths at the 4th of July or 24th in Monticello over the years, have probably seen and bought some of her products. Many of her creations feature carefully made and painted Nativity scenes, often with southwestern design. Sometimes the holy family is in a hogan, or by it.

Julie has always had a creative talent which was encouraged by her high school art teachers in the ‘70’s. When Julie first began painting, she primarily did ornaments for Christmas trees, but 15 years ago she started using clay to make cake toppers for wedding cakes and other celebrations. She has made nearly 50 such intricate creations. One of the hardest ones was for a military wedding, with the groom dressed in his uniform. She replicated every one of his medals in minutia!

Another very difficult topper was one that featured a bride with long curly hair, which she was also able to recreate. Sometimes the bridal toppers were a secret for the couple, whose parents or friends send a photo of what they wanted for the special occasion. These were always a wonderful surprise! Her weddings creations were featured in Bridal Fair Magazine after they saw her creations at the Salt Palace. The cake design for Austin and Valerie Howe’s wedding was a zebra print, other bride dresses were made to look like intricate embroidery.

The subject of her creations has expanded from weddings to prom dates, birthdays, holidays and even Dean Lyman’s hunting success! One cover picture for Fire Mountain Gems in 2014 featured a cake with detailed replicas of all kinds of expensive gems all made by Creative Clays (her web site.) She learned that skill at a workshop in Logan where they taught her to use oil paints sprayed with polyurethane to replicate the “real deal.”

She continues to make magnets and other salt clay miniatures such as the Eagle Dance and hogans which are primarily sold at the Bluff Fort. She also has painted many large pictures of San Juan County and the Navajo culture as well as decorative walls in her own home and for others. She is a genius at replicating and capturing the uniqueness of any occasion. If you can describe it or show it, Julie can recreate it in miniature.

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

New Minerals (Shumwayite and Greenlizardite) Discovered in San Juan County

By Janet Wilcox

The discovery and naming of two new minerals found in San Juan County, has recently created great scientific interest. In April 2024, Dan Shumway a local miner, artist and writer was contacted by “Rocks and Minerals” magazine editor Mark Jacobson with the news about the discoveries. (The publication comes out in Nov/Dec 2024.) New minerals have to go through an extensive scientific process before they are named and must relate to specific areas or people. For this documentation, the editor interviewed Dan about his background and role in the discovery. For several years Dan guided various scientists to remote mineral sites in the county. “If something catches their eye, they will collect samples,” Shumway explained. “The specimens and sites are numbered and recorded. Next the material is taken to a lab for closer examination using modern equipment and technology. I’ve enjoyed my association with these renown and competent professions.” Occasionally they camped somewhere in the outback and often shared experiences around the campfire. Dan’s guiding skills, knowledge and familiarity of San Juan’s remote areas and mineral sites were of great value, as were their experiences in foreign countries. Dan began mining the summer of 1963 and later he teamed up with Jack Tate in 1966 when they mined in Utah, Colorado and Arizona. Tate along with Reed Hurst hauled ore for him. Since retiring he has used his creative talent landscaping their home, painting and writing poems. This one illustrates the uranium boom years in San Juan:

Shumwayite by Dan Shumway My grandfathers were both mine operators As were myself and my dad. We mined in the years before regulators Finally got too bad. All told we worked more than 200 mines Acquiring knowledge of that domain. As a 3rd generation miner in my family line, Hand-on mine lore is in my brain. Today, details of mines on the Colorado Plateau Are being lost to “reclamation” So scholars seek me out for what I know, Including unrecorded history and location. Upon guiding them to one lost site They discovered a mineral “new” A uranium element they named Shumwayite And told me “Dan, we named it for you.” Now that’s high pay and an honor rare To have a mineral name for me. On hearing this I asked the scholars there “Could it also honor others in my family?” I explained, “Shumways were noted participators In building the uranium industry years ago. So let it honor successful Shumway mine operators. And prominent prospectors of the plateau?” Now fleeting are trophies, awards, Hollywood fame Even an academic degree Compared to a mineral with the Shumway name That will be recognized into eternity? In September, 2014, Dan led Joe Marty to a seldom seen mineral location north of Red Canyon in SJC. (Marty is a renowned mineral micromounter Hall of Fame Awardee, for whom the mineral martyite was named.) “It was a difficult hike in broken terrain, but soon after we arrived Marty’s keen experienced eyes detected what he suspected might be a new mineral,” Shumway explained. He helped Joe collect samples and later lab tests confirmed that indeed it was a new, never before recognized uranium mineral. Shortly afterwards Dan was surprised and greatly honored when Marty told him, “We have found a new mineral and it will be named for you!”

Dan is part of a long and wide lineage of Shumway uranium prospectors and mine operators. His grandfather A.E. Shumway, his father DeVar, and many other uncles and Shumway cousins were deserving of this honor. He told Marty that “Shumwayite” would also honor all those who helped establish the uranium industry on the Colorado Plateau including both San Juan and Grand counties which boomed because of the wealth from uranium production Other formerly unknown minerals were also discovered by the Green Lizard mine in the White Canyon district. The Green Lizard is now closed with a bat accessible grate. It is one of hundreds of mines scattered throughout San Juan County which produced uranium, radium and vanadium and brought new wealth and businesses into the SE Utah. San Juan County has long been a destination of explorers and adventure seekers. In 1898 John Wetherill (one of the discoverers of the Mesa Verde ruins) led an archeological expedition into Red Canyon. During a lunch stop, he noted yellow, blue, black, and green mineral stains surrounding two different petrified trees. A century later local miners began mining uranium as well as other metallic elements but low prices, and high costs of transporting ore made it unsuccessful. Finally in 1926 vanadium ore began to be mined in White Canyon. By 1939 scientists discovered that uranium could be used to generate nuclear fission which could run turbines and generate electricity. And the uranium boom began!

The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) was founded in 1946 after WWII. Their focus was to find ways to utilize uranium to run turbines and generate electricity in less expensive ways. (In 1955, Arco, Idaho became the first city in the US to provide electrical power in this way.) This efficient use quickly expanded uranium demand and set off a prospecting and mining boom in southern Utah. White Canyon production doubled in 1955 with the startup of additional mines. Nine companies operated 15 different mines at that time and more opened later. The Blue Lizard accounted for 85% of the total production in White Canyon. (It was located south of the Green Lizard site). After 1970 all uranium ore was used by commercial nuclear power plants for generating electricity. Peak ore production was reached in 1978. Mining engineer, Leonard Howe, forecasts that soon small generators the size of a refrigerator will be available for households and with the click of a switch they will be used for either heating or cooling a home! Dan is a 3rd generation mine owner/operator: “Mining is in my DNA and in my heart” he explained. Many treasured uranium memories occurred in the 1950’s as he spent the summer months at this father’s remote mining camps. In that by-gone era he was free to roam the rims and canyons for miles. As an 11-year-old he started selling mineral specimens and rocks he found. He enjoyed exploring alone and often experienced the “thrill of discovery” when he found a particularly nice, unusual or rare mineral treasure. He started working underground in the mines in 1963. Since then, he was mostly self-employed and either operated or worked in over 30 mines during the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. The last mining he did was in 2008-2009 and his partners then were Vern and Chance Shumway. For many years Dan was away, out in the hills mining while he wife Betty was home in Blanding raising their four daughters. In 1976 they built a home north of Blanding. Like the pre-historic pueblo people, Dan gathered lots of rocks to build the house and it became a monument to his travels and was great place to raise kids. After their daughters left home Dan and Betty started going to sunny Arizona for the winter. For 10 years they sold rocks and minerals to Snowbirds and tourists. After 60 years of marriage, they now have 7 grandchildren and 5 great grands. They raise three separate gardens each summer, saw firewood, and continue to landscape their yard with rocks and minerals from every corner of San Juan. Dan has also written hundreds of poems and stories in rhyme and when grandkids come, he loves telling them about the elves and leprechauns that used to hide in his mines. He especially enjoys visits from his friend, Joe Mary and they often drive out to where the BLM coved up the mineral sites and where Joe discovered the new minerals: Shumwayite and Greenlizardite.

Shumwayite by Dan Shumway My grandfathers were both mine operators As were myself and my dad. We mined in the years before regulators Finally got too bad. All told we worked more than 200 mines Acquiring knowledge of that domain. As a 3rd generation miner in my family line, Hand-on mine lore is in my brain. Today, details of mines on the Colorado Plateau Are being lost to “reclamation” So scholars seek me out for what I know, Including unrecorded history and location. Upon guiding them to one lost site They discovered a mineral “new” A uranium element they named Shumwayite And told me “Dan, we named it for you.” Now that’s high pay and an honor rare To have a mineral name for me. On hearing this I asked the scholars there “Could it also honor others in my family?” I explained, “Shumways were noted participators In building the uranium industry years ago. So let it honor successful Shumway mine operators. And prominent prospectors of the plateau?” Now fleeting are trophies, awards, Hollywood fame Even an academic degree Compared to a mineral with the Shumway name That will be recognized into eternity? All told we worked more than 200 mines Acquiring knowledge of that domain. As a 3rd generation miner in my family line, Hand-on mine lore is in my brain. Today, details of mines on the Colorado Plateau Are being lost to “reclamation” So scholars seek me out for what I know, Including unrecorded history and location. Upon guiding them to one lost site They discovered a mineral “new” A uranium element they named Shumwayite And told me “Dan, we named it for you.” Now that’s high pay and an honor rare To have a mineral name for me. On hearing this I asked the scholars there “Could it also honor others in my family?” I explained, “Shumways were noted participators In building the uranium industry years ago. So let it honor successful Shumway mine operators. And prominent prospectors of the plateau?” Now fleeting are trophies, awards, Hollywood fame Even an academic degree Compared to a mineral with the Shumway name That will be recognized into eternity?

Shumwayite by Dan Shumway My grandfathers were both mine operators As were myself and my dad. We mined in the years before regulators Finally got too bad. All told we worked more than 200 mines Acquiring knowledge of that domain. As a 3rd generation miner in my family line, Hand-on mine lore is in my brain. Today, details of mines on the Colorado Plateau Are being lost to “reclamation” So scholars seek me out for what I know, Including unrecorded history and location. Upon guiding them to one lost site They discovered a mineral “new” A uranium element they named Shumwayite And told me “Dan, we named it for you.” Now that’s high pay and an honor rare To have a mineral name for me. On hearing this I asked the scholars there “Could it also honor others in my family?” I explained, “Shumways were noted participators In building the uranium industry years ago. So let it honor successful Shumway mine operators. And prominent prospectors of the plateau?” Now fleeting are trophies, awards, Hollywood fame Even an academic degree Compared to a mineral with the Shumway name That will be recognized into eternity?

For many years Dan was away, out in the hills mining while his wife Betty was home in Blanding raising their four daughters. In 1980 they built a home north of Blanding. Like the pre-historic pueblo people, Dan gathered lots of rocks to build the house and it became a monument to his travels and great place to raise kids. After their daughters left home Dan and Betty started going to sunny Arizona for the winter. For 10 years they sold rocks and minerals to Snowbirds and tourists. After 60 years of marriage, they now have 7 grandchildren and 5 great grands. They raise three separate gardens each summer, saw firewood, and continue to landscape their yard with rocks and minerals from every corner of San Juan. Dan has also written hundreds of poems and stories in rhyme and when grandkids come, he loves telling them about the elves and leprechauns that used to hide in his mines. He especially enjoys visits from his friend, Joe Mary and they often drive out to where the BLM coved up the mineral sites and where Joe discovered the new minerals: Shumwayite and Greenlizardite.

Sunday, October 20, 2024

Max and Lydia Palmer: Builders of Boats, Bungalows, and Businesses

Dozens of boats and homes have been built by Max Palmer and Lydia, his right-hand man in the course of their 68 years of marriage. They first met in SJH (when school was in the administration building) and according to Max, "that was all it took."

His love of building began in 7th grade when Ken MacDonald was his shop teacher. He asked the boys what they wanted to build and most picked simple things like bird houses and stools but Max wanted to build “a big boat.” Mr. MacDonald taught him first how build a support frame on pillars. Max built the bottom first; then they turned it over and finished the top. In the course of the next 30 years, Max built many cabin cruisers in this same manner. His professional boat building began in California and the boats became fancier and larger. He even entered them in the annual Los Angeles big boat show. He also bought an old Army jeep, tore it apart, and resurrected it to its former glory, then sold it.

While in California, Max also trained as an oral roentgenographer in a dental laboratory in Whittier. He learned to take and analyze x-rays mainly for orthodontists or for head injuries. When they moved to Paradise Valley in Arizona, Max set up an x-ray lab in Phoenix using his x-ray skills. They eventually moved to Idaho, then Cedar Mountain where Max built 3 cabins.

One Christmas, Lydia bought a fancy Santa Claus suit for her husband. They went to Duck Creek Village and rented a snowmobile for Christmas. They had made dozens of popcorn balls to surprise his family who had no idea that Santa was coming. Santa Max delivered treats while son Tony kept the machine running. Christmas cards were in a gift can for his parents, Glen and Helen and the rest of the family. He tossed the gift can to his dad and quickly left so no one could find Santa even though they tried! When they returned to Blanding they delivered more treats to Melvin Wright, Clessa Black, Clarence and Reva Rogers and other friends. Eventually the Palmers moved back to Blanding where he built dozens of homes. Lydia’s job was positioning wood for sawing, holding it when it was nailed and keeping their children involved and out of trouble. San Juan Builders was their go-to for supplies and tools and Scott Hurst was a valued friend who gave him excellent advice. However, building boats was a trickier job and required a special kind of mahogany so they moved to California where this wood was available. He built over a dozen cabin cruisers.

One of the homes they restored was the Louella and John Rogers home on Main Street & 5th south. Max designed a strong wall and Charlie Sipe made the frame. Max also worked with Jeff Rogers on his home and in the mid-70’s built the home where Julene & Scott Christensen now live. Max and Lydia used petrified wood to embellish both fireplaces. Because she loved red, it was the dominant color of bricks, paint, and counters in that home. The Palmers planted lots of apple trees on their Dairy Lane property now owned by Wesley Hunt. Max also built a small A-frame there as well as a large home on the rim of Long Canyon with decking on all sides. These homes were built right and made to last. As you drive around San Juan give a salute to this master builder and his family for homes and boats that have stood the test of time.

Friday, September 27, 2024

Madge Shumway: Matriarch and Model of Longevity and Love

By Janet Wilcox

Madge Metro Shumway is likely the oldest person in Blanding but her memory and opinions are still sharp and vivid. She was born in 1927 with family ties to Yugoslavia. Her grandparents Charles and Pauline arrived in Ellis Island in 1907. Her grandfather Charles Metro (Metrovondavich) was a barber who spoke seven languages and he could carry on a conversation with practically everyone he met while working in New York. This gift of gab and story telling runs deep in the Shumway family. His wife Pauline Brauch was an only child and her father John was a holistic chiropractor, keen on healthy living and exercise. These traits were also influenced Madge’s choices in life.

The Metro family eventually moved to Phoenix, then Tuba City. Because her mother knew shorthand, she was able to get a job with John Walker who was a lawyer in Tuba. This was during the Great Depression and women were beginning to break out of traditional roles and work outside the home. The family eventually ended up in Bluff where they lived in the Decker home for 13 years. Her grandparents were strong southern Baptists and they weren’t happy when Madge was baptized in the LDS religion (in the Bluff swimming pool); however, her mother did play the piano for LDS church meetings. Madge attended grade school in Bluff. “Bluff was a fun place to live. There was fresh artesian water and lots of things for children to do and explore,” she said./a>

When Madge started high school in Blanding, she boarded with John and Luella Rogers and she would catch a ride with the mail carrier to get back and forth on the weekends. She was active in pep club and other school activities. She met DeVar Shumway at this time through his sister Dixie who was her friend; however, he had turned in his mission papers and served for two years in Georgia.

When WWII broke out dozens of San Juan County men enlisted including DeVar, Rex Nielson, Aroe Brown, Prock May, Edward Keele, Bo Montella, Dee Galbraith, Devon Hurst, Frank Beeson, Lyle Johnson, Melvin Hurst, Spin Jones, Billie Eichenberger, Willard Guymon, Joe Albertano, Tex Bradford, Jess Grover, Dave Guymon, Dee Black, Ben Black, Aaron Harvey, Glen Shumway, Tex Bradford, Samuel Holliday, Frances Bayles, Platt D. Bayles, Jack Hunt, Wayne Laws, DeReese and Rex Nielson, Keith and Kent Redd, Bart Lyman, Keith Harvey, Carlie Carroll, Toddy Wozniak, Sylvan Johnson, Leonard Jacobs, Dean Butt, and Kline Black. [Many of their experiences are in Issue #20 of Blue Mountain Shadows. At least 56 of these veterans are buried in San Juan County.]

While DeVar was serving in the Navy (on the USS O’Brian), Madge worked for Zenos Black in the San Juan High office. When Devar returned home on a 30-day leave he went straight to the SJH office, telling Madge, “I’m here to propose!” however, she had planned to go to Utah State! Not one to give up, he drove down to Mexican Hat to talk to her parents. Her mother wasn’t too excited but the wedding plans proceeded. They caught a ride north with Cleon Shumway to Salt Lake; unfortunately, they ran out of gas in Price and had to siphon some in order to finish the trip! (In those days gas was rationed.) They were married in the Salt Lake temple April 4, 1945 along with 10 other couples. After 65 years of marriage, Madge’s advice to others is “Never go to bed mad!”

Their first home in Blanding had a tarpaper roof, which didn’t fare well in unexpected hailstorms. DeVar started mining in Cottonwood and was often gone. In 1955 they moved to Colorado with their 8 children where he continued his mining business. By 1975 mines were being shut down, so they sold their Colorado ranch and moved back to Utah and built a new home in 1991 on the east side of town. They ended up with12 children, which included two sets of twins. Jim and Joe were born in 1947 and Jill and Jane in 1959. Their other children include Dan, Casey, Sallee, Clark, Kerry, Alan, and Jason. It was always a lively household and the children had weekly cleaning assignments. They were taught to work and not complain. Madge often told her kids, “Tell me when your siblings do something good, not just what bothers you!”

Madge did most of the cooking but the kids and Devar often helped. Favorites were biscuits and gravy and meat and potatoes. Allan has the title of “cooker man” and is considered a gourmet chef. (He also served 12 years in the Navy.) Three of the boys served missions. Five of their children live in Blanding and check on their mother often.

The Shumways have over 100 descendants which includes: lawyers, teachers, a doctor, CSI, military service, national AARP program, coaches, police officers, musicians, fire fighters, arson investigations, cooks, medical professions, teachers, airline mechanics, poets and writers. The Shumway family has not only served one another but also our community and our nation, a lasting tribute to good parenting.

Thursday, August 8, 2024

Grover Cattle, Crops, and Education Built SJC Traditions

Jess Morris Grover was a well-rounded educator who learned about animals and work from his father and taught those same principles to his family. They in turn continue to teach those same principles to their children. Before becoming an Ag teacher at SJH in 1940, Jess was a cowboy in northern Utah and also worked at the USU dairy for several years. He cowboyed with the Browning Livestock Company in Northern Ut, and Wyo. He graduated midterm, then went to Blanding with Ray Perkins, his roommate. He lived with Joe Nielson, Bud Nielson and Carl Perkins while he was a 1st year school teacher. Singles in those days often had socials at the Blue Mountain Dude Ranch and that’s where he met Afton Hurst. Since it happened to be Leap Year, she asked him his opinion about girls proposing! The strategy worked and they married 4 days after she graduated from SJHS in 1939. Their first child, Merlin, was born in April 1942.

The Saturday after Afton’s graduation they got their marriage license, then bought a new Chevrolet car, and two days later were married in the SLC temple at 10:30 at night; there were 20 couples married in that session! The Grovers first lived in one of the apartments in the Castle House, which in those days was the first Blanding motel! They lived there for 2 years. When school let out. (April 4 1942) he next got a job in Henderson, Nevada on a dairy farm for a rich lady. However, WWII erupted and he was drafted into the Army & moved back to Penrose in Box Elder. He served in a Vet/medical group, working with local people to help procure food for the military. During the War, served in Europe. Jesse would trade cigarettes for candy, which he gave to kids and he often helped drunk soldiers get back to base. Many of his comrades fought in the Battle of the Bulge but his commanding officer kept him on base as he noticed he was a church attender. At that time Princess Elizabeth (who later became queen) helped transport military leaders and she once gave Jess a ride to the train station so he could go to church. The Branch president had prayed for help as they didn’t have priesthood holders and help was much needed. Jess provided veterinary service for farmers in England and France and gathered produce and dairy products for the troops.

The Army offered advancements if soldiers would stay but Jess missed his family and returned home. He hadn’t seen his daughter for 22 months. Even though jobs were scarce, he was able to find work at the Ben Lomond farms in Logan & was hired as a herdsman for their Guernsey cows. Jess also Worked for Cream of Weber Dairy but money was tight so after 2 years the whole family decided to move to Montana. He started work there taking care of cattle all over the state; however, a car accident changed their plans and they gathered up their milk cows and moved to Blanding. Zenos Black talked Jess into teaching at SJHS and Erv Guymon helped them get a 1 room building in the area where Yaks is where they also kept their cattle. Jess farmed and ran 400 cattle on the Blue Mountain but often did veterinarian work for Blanding and Monticello ranchers. He also did custom haying in Montezuma Canyon for the Daltons as well for as Harrison Oliver, the Nielsons and Carl Perkins. In addition, he kept his teaching certificate current and often had to take summer classes. Because of this, his wife and boys often had to take care of the livestock and milk business.

Jess was finally successful in getting the school district to restart FFA (which it continues to do). He had good rapport with Native Americans students and taught them skills that helped them be successful raising livestock on the reservation. Many became good athletes and FFA leaders. In addition, they learned parliamentary procedures as well as agricultural strategies. Mark Maryboy was one of his students. He also worked with the San Juan Extension Service to implement the Junior Livestock program in 1972. Another Grover enterprise started in 1955 which was running the Blanding Dairy. They delivered milk, house to house 6 days a week and took ice cream to cafes. They even sold milk to Meadow Gold who eventually turned around and brought milk to Blanding. Eventually Kenneth & Don Brown bought the dairy. Both of his parents had a love of youth and agriculture and Jess had a major influence in the lives of many people. Clisbee Lyman and Don Smith were some of his first students. He was good friends with Bud Nielson and helped start VFW. The San Juan County Fair and FFA are now a permanent part of county history, thanks to the efforts of Jess Grover.

Thursday, August 1, 2024

The Stone Lizard Flourishes with Simpson TLC

Craig and Kathy Simpson’s family bought the Blanding Motel from Gary and Sharon Guymon Sept. 2011 and embarked on a journey of creativity, problem solving and success. Their son Adam designed a metal Stone Lizard which became the motel’s namesake. He also made signs and metal sconces for the rooms. They first painted the outside, replaced the teal awnings and added planter boxes. The old office became the mechanic room and they took out the coal burning stove and repaired everything that didn’t meet HIPAA requirements (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996)

In keeping with the Southwest theme, they purchased rugs, utilized petrified wood, and purchased rustic chairs/ beds/ couches from the Grand Canyon Lodge. They took out all the old carpeting, textured the walls, repainted and added hardwood floors and put in tongue and groove ceilings and even added petrified wood sinks. They put in triple trusses to support the floors and utilized both tile and wood in the floors. Room #19 became a breezeway into the back where they maintained a beautiful garden, fire pit, with patio furniture that was used by guests for outdoor meals. Next came landscaping: Many of the trees that Blickenstaff’s planted were still producing fruit.so they weren’t starting from ground zero. The Simpsons brought in 30 additional trees and 60 shrubs which helped control noise from the road and they put in both a drip and a sprinkling system. They also planted grapes, herbs, and other crops that could be utilized for meals. Their son Adam designed and made signs as well as metal sconces for all the rooms. A retaining wall was added, as well as a gate and vent covers. In 2022 they fixed the last 6 rooms, replaced the sidewalk and added large outdoor rocks. Then they celebrated by taking their family to Italy!

Over the years they’ve had many interesting guests: Thurl Bailey, as well as Utah's Lt. Governor have stayed there as well as the head of BYU grounds, and a college professor from Kenya who invented a water purifier. The Crow Canyon staff came twice a year with anywhere from 18-30 people, for 3-4 nights. They did lots of night photography. The Lizard staff would cater meals for large groups like this. Europeans were especially interested in SE Utah and Craig would print out maps for visitors so they knew how to get to interesting places in the county. The quality of their accommodations and meals soon spread and the state identified them as a “preferred” provider. Their excellent service also resulted in a positive article in the New York Times! As priorities changed, they decided to sell The Stone Lizard which occurred in 3 months. The new owners are Lela and Denny Jones and the Stone Lizard is still ever present and welcoming.

Saturday, July 27, 2024

Blanding Motel & Stone Lizard Site Turns 70 this Year: Part I, The Blickenstaff Era

The motel used radiant heat. After about 15 years, Gene decided it would be more economical to have a coal-fed boiler. John and Kurt were put in charge of cleaning out the coal dust and clinkers from the boiler. The two boys spent one entire summer in the crawlspace under the motel, insulating hot water pipes by wrapping and taping newspaper around them. John recalled, “Whenever we came to the Sunday comic section, we would stop what we were doing and read the comics.”

Besides his job and helping to raise a growing family, Gene volunteered at the San Juan Nursing home. He was honored in 1983 for his volunteer service where he spent countless hours visiting the residents and sharing books with a reading circle (a program which he conceived and organized). He was Blanding’s first PR man and loved talking about San Juan County. He even painted a white square on the back side of their living quarters and used it as a screen to show slides he had taken of San Juan County to motel guests during summer evenings.

Their son Todd, recalled: “Motel Blanding is where I grew up from 1963 (birth) to 1976, when we moved three blocks to our new home on 100 East and 100 North in Blanding. The motel was attached to our home, which had two-stories and an unfinished basement. There were 19 rooms (1-20 with no #13). It was heated by a large coal furnace. There were trees, flowers and lawn to maintain, and we had a huge garden in the back. To save money, dad built a flat roof over all the rooms, so the snow had to be shoveled off the roof in the winter. The motel required a lot of work. We helped clean rooms, plant, water and weed the garden, prune the trees, shovel coal, clean the furnace, shovel snow and much more!”

“I also remember when Blanding first paved 100 West, adjacent to Motel Blanding. I rode my bike up and down the newly paved street before the asphalt was set. I came into the house covered with asphalt and oil that flipped up onto me from my bike tires. Mom took me out on the back porch, stripped off my clothes, stuck me in the large utility sink, and used turpentine to remove the street from my skin.”

div>Kurt recalled, “Mom and dad had a sink and toilet in their bedroom, but the only bathroom that had a bath/shower was on the ground floor. One shower for a family of 10. I honestly don’t know how we managed, but we did. We had an upright piano in the family living quarters of the motel. Most of my siblings and I took piano lessons from Mabel June and Shirley Palmer. Regrettably, I did not stick with it long enough to become proficient, but my sister Denise did, and she has “paid it forward” by being the accompanist for many performances, as well as teaching and inspiring many young people in Blanding and Monticello to develop their musical talents.”

“On New Years Eve, we could invite one friend over and mom and dad would let us have a motel room all to ourselves,” Todd remembered. “We would stay up late, play games and watch TV. Every October, deer hunters from California would come and rent rooms. It was one of the only times during the year when we would actually fill all of the rooms. Some of the same hunters came each year. They would bring us oranges, pomegranates, nuts and other goodies from California, and we became friends with them. My dad was a good deer hunter and we loved going with him during the hunt. He would always bring one home and hang it up in the garage where it was cool. We had a refrigerator in the garage and mom was always sending me out there to get something out of the fridge. When I was young, I was scared to go out there when there was a dead deer hanging up. I would put a football helmet on and not look directly at the deer. I would quickly grab whatever mom needed from the fridge and dart back into our house.”

“The garden was amazing! All the fruit and vegetables you could imagine. My favorites were the corn and all the various fruit trees we had”, Todd added. “My mom made delicious pies, cobblers, jams and jellies. The garden was also a fun place to play hide-and-seek. Dad planted several fruit trees behind the motel and kept a large vegetable garden there as well. We harvested cherries, apricots, apples, and peaches, which Mom bottled for use in the winter. Dad created his own hybrid corn seed and prided himself on having corn ready to eat by July 24th. Our summer meals always involved produce from the garden, including corn, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, radishes, asparagus, cantaloupe, and other goodies. I spent hours hoeing weeds and keeping the furrows cleaned out so water would flow to the end of each row.”

From Kurt’s perspective, “The main purpose of the motel was to provide an opportunity for 8 children to learn to work and contribute to the family economy. We all had various chores to perform and were expected to be helpful and diligent. This early training, coupled with the high expectations of my parents, were a great foundation for a lifetime of service and many successes that have blessed my life immeasurably. I am extremely grateful for my Motel Blanding roots and look back on my early years with fondness.”

Many Blanding residents have fond memories of the Blanding Motel: Amy Watkins recalled that Dr. Broughton ran his traveling optometry clinic out of the last unit, and she got first pair of glasses from him.