Dent Cooper

When I first got this Service Learning Project assignment, I did not know what I was going to do it on. I wanted to do something that was of value to me and my hometown community. So the first place I started was to go and see the different historical sites around my hometown of Washington Utah. I first went to the Historical Relief Society and they had nothing that interested me that I could do for this particular assignment. All they really do at this building is have wedding receptions and Church meetings and such. I then turned my attention to the Historic Cotton Mill, in which the early Mormon settlers built to take care of the Cotton crop which was a big part of what they did back then. What I found is that, everything imaginable has been done on the Cotton Mill. It is now home of Star Nursery. Then finally came the idea of old Nisson’s Mercantile. Nisson’s was erected in the year of 1918 and at first just sold merchandise for ZCMI. Now according to some of its loyal customers it’s one of the best kept secrets in Washington County.

Why I bring your attention to this store is that about two years ago rumors started around town that Nisson’s may be destroyed because the state wants to come in and make Telegraph Road a four-lane road. These rumors quickly became true, and now the Nisson family and the community of Washington are in a fight to save the historical little building. This has come about because the so called bigger businesses have come to the town of Washington. Home Depot and Wal-Mart have made themselves known in the town. The state thinks that in order to accommodate all the new traffic that has come to Washington they need to make the road a four-lane road. Another problem that stands in the way is that just across Telegraph is the Mill Creek Museum that is older than Nisson’s and it is a Historical site as well. They want one or the other to be torn down, and everyone thinks that Nisson’s will go first.

The owner of the store is Quentin Nisson. He has owned the store for about sixty years now. He is 84 years young and still works about six hours a day. When I asked Quentin about the store being torn down, he said that he would like to see it become a museum of some kind, but that is after they are done practicing their business. He does not want it to be torn down or sold away from the Nisson name.

The Historic plaque that stands outside of the store reads, "This Washington City landmark was built in 1917 by Calvin Hall and his wife Cenia. It has a black lava rock foundation with a full basement under the main floor. Water from springs North-East of the store was piped here to cool the motors that ran the coolers on the meat and vegetable machine. The Post office was located in the back of the store until the late 1930's and in 1946 Quentin and Gwendolyn Nisson bought the "Merc.". It has been the center of public gathering and information since it was built. All of the children of Washington love to go and browse and purchase the penny candy. It is affectionately called the old store." How true this is, I remember trekking two miles in the dead of summer just to spend a couple of dollars on penny candy that would get eaten before I ever reached home. The full basement walls are made of concrete which will make it that much harder for them to tear it down.

Quentin is a man who has always ran a fair business. He has been loyal to all of his customers, who in turn still come to his store rather than the big name stores that he has to compete with. One customer said that Nisson’s prices may be a little bit higher, but the friendship is a lot more genuine. Although Home Depot and Wal-Mart have come in to bother Quentin and

his store he says they are just as busy as they were when those stores were not there. He says that in order to stay in business you have to be competitive.

Quentin has been involved in the community since he has lived there. He has been Mayor of Washington and has been the leader of many other projects that have helped out the town. In my own personal opinion I think that the community owes him something. He has done so many things that have helped the community grow and be prosperous, he needs to get something in return.

The Government of Washington City has not said or done anything late to do with the well being of the Nisson business. It will probably be down the road a few years before anything drastic will take place so right now it is a waiting game. This summer I plan to try to find out more information on what is going to take place, and I want to be involved as much as I can in the salvation of the Nisson store. I plan to start a petition (if there is not one already going) to save the Nisson store. I want to circulate it throughout all of Washington County, because if you have been in this store you will not have forgotten about it. Usually when the city council gets together to meet about things in the community they make sure it is in the newspaper so that those who want to attend can. When that time comes I will be there to support the saving of this Historical building. I don’t know why but it is hard for me to see old buildings like this get destroyed. This is something that when people think of the little town of Washington they remember the "Old Store." It’s a permanent landmark in community and should remain that way.

One thing that I have learned about service learning projects is that I end up finding out way more than I thought I would about the project I chose to do. I grew up in the small town of Washington and I grew up with a small town mentality, and I will always have that with me. I think that it is important to stand up for you community and what goes on in it. To lose Nisson’s

would be like losing your favorite toy. It is very important to me to take a stand on what I believe to be important. I hope that Nisson’s will stand forever and the people of Washington will rally together to keep the store standing. It was built to stand 300 years so I hope they will let it stand that long.