By Julie Johansen
For the month of October, the Emery County Historical Society presented “The Swasey History, Folklore and Stories” on Thursday evening. Edward Geary, Emery County Historical Society President, introduced Frances Swasey, a descendant of the Swasey family that came to Emery County even before most of the early settlers.
Frances began with a quote from Mark Twain that she used as a subtitle of her presentation, “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.” She first introduced Rodney Degrass Swasey, who came to Utah in 1857. Genealogy of the Swasey family was then traced to the four young men who came to Castle Valley in 1875: Charles, age 22; Sidney, age 18; Rodney, age 15; and Joseph (Joe) age 13. Joe was the one who stayed in Emery County. These men brought 800-900 horses to the area through Joe’s Valley.
“It is impossible to discuss the history of the San Rafael Desert without including the stories of the Swaseys,” Frances said. The Swasey boys had many experiences that never became folklore.
Frances outlined some of the most notable folklore, including “Sid’s Leap,” “Sid Wins a Bet,” and “Joe and the Wildcat.” She shared pictures and stories of landmarks left by the Swaseys, Swasey’s Cabin, the Refrigerator, and Temple Mountain (Uranium) Mine. The Swasey family always provided the Indians for the early 24th of July parades.
“The Characters Continue” introduced some of the more recent Swasey descendants that the audience might remember, such as Monte Swasey. Frances then gave a list of what she had gained from studying about her Swasey family ancestors: resilience, humor, independence, problem solving and cooperation. Suggestions for recording a history concluded her presentation.
Frances had many stories, pictures, artifacts and lists on display around the room for observation by attendees for the presentation.