Ryan Esplin

Jared Sanders

History 2700

Service Learning Project

Title of Project: Rediscovering Old Cedar Fort, Part II

            At the end of spring semester, Anna and I (Ryan Esplin) worked with York Jones to prepare a proposed service-learning project for the students of Southern Utah University (for details about the project, please refer to last year’s submitted service learning proposal).  Mr. Jones was excited to see something being done about Cedar’s old fort, and we were in a position to help.  Bogged down by full-time work and other responsibilities, no work was done on the project between spring and fall semester.  When school resumed again, Jared Sanders was enlisted into the project, forming what we like to call the SUU Triumvirate.  We were excited to push the project forward, but we did not know exactly in what direction the project should go. 

The ultimate goal was to establish a monument where the old Liberty Pole stood inside the fort.  We felt, however, that we first needed to make sure that the coal creek trail would go through the fort.  The trail would assure us that the people of Cedar City would have access to the old pioneer site.  For the past few years, the coal creek trail has been enjoyed by thousands of citizens, but it is not yet completed.  According to Bob Tate, Parks and Recreation Director in Cedar City, the trail will follow Coal Creek in a northwest direction of town, eventually crossing Interstate 15.  Ideally, the trail will then cut back southward, crossing the Cove area of Cedar City.  The end result will be a circle encompassing the town.  Our goal was and is to have parts of that trail go through the location of the old cedar fort.

            We first needed a map of the proposed coal creek trail system.  The first stop was the office of Jared Barton, CAD and GIS Coordinator for the Cedar City Engineering Department.  A polite and helpful person, Jared provided a map of the Cedar City area with the trails in question.  Next, Bob Tate told us the current status of the coal creek trail.  Like most bureaucratic junk, the trail lacked funds for completion in the near future.  Tate emphasized the fact that the City Council has the responsibility to allocate the funds necessary for the project.  Tate, however, threw in another curveball when he said that the city offers funding on a priority list.  It shall be emphasized that Tate was positive about the proposed trail going through Cedar Fort, and gave us the go ahead to get something done.

            York Jones, a legend in the Cedar City area, gave us new insights about the direction we should take the project.  Mr. Jones, a relative of an early founder of the area, is a history buff that wants things done for the city.  He has done extensive work on researching and publicizing the history of Cedar City, such as the old cedar fort.  He and Morris Shirts, a former history professor at SUU, discovered the actual location of the historical site.  The two men put markers at some of the corners of the fort, indicating where the walls used to exist.  Their work was done during the 1980s, and since that time, not much has been done.  When we called York about the trail system, he gave us a brilliant idea about how we might be more effective in accomplishing our goal.

            Mr. Jones told us to set our sights on acquiring a place where the monument could be built within the fort boundaries.  By doing this, we could reach our ultimate goal, and put pressure on the city to route the trail past the monument.  Next, we realized that if we could get a small piece of land around the monument, our chances of getting the trail in the direction of the monument would be reached.

            Another key player in the project was Rick Holman, Administrative Services Director for Cedar City.  We met once with Mr. Holman in his office, and later we went to the actual site of where we would like the monument to be placed.  It was an exciting field trip, and we decided on a location for the historical site.  The only obstacle, however, was that the land was not owned by the city.  The owners of the land would have to be approached with the idea of selling the land. 

            Mr. Holman wanted to have an outline and sketch of the monument area before we asked about the land.  The size and amount of land had to be determined, which required another meeting of the Triumvirate with Holman, Tate, and Mr. Jones.  Anna Davis drew a beautiful sketch of the area, and we all reached an agreement on the size.  Thirty-five by thirty-five square feet, the land will contain shrubs, trees, and grass.  The monument will be surrounded by a circular walkway, complete with park benches and display units.  The main feature is the flagpole rising above a rock-based monument, with a plaque describing the Mormon pioneers.  It’s a beautiful design, and we are very grateful to Anna that she took the time to draw it. 

Our next step was to have a CAD drawing of the dimensions of the property, and thankfully, the CAD department at SUU provided us with the assistance we needed.  In return, we have promised to acknowledge their role in the project on either the monument plaque or an adjacent display case.

            Finally, Rick Holman was willing to set up an appointment with David Whitehead, owner of the land where the Coca-Cola Bottling Company is located.  After a failed meeting with Mr. Whitehead, Mr. Holman went alone to the owner and was able to acquire the land.  We now had what we wanted, which leaves us to this point.  As it stands right now, a contract is being written by a city attorney to acquire the desired land, and hopefully in December or January, we will be allowed to go before the Planning Committee to allow the city to proceed with the desired project. 

We are extremely happy about the progress we have made.  Mr. Jones desperately wanted someone to do something about the old Cedar Fort.  He pointed out that it is important to have young blood pushing forward such a worthy cause, and we were glad to do our part.  Needless to say, more work needs to be done.  Fortunately, we were able to ignite a fire under the city leaders to have something done about the fort, and now we are poised for further work on the site. 

Project’s Intended Audience and Beneficiaries:

            Obviously, the citizens of Cedar City will benefit from the new monument.  Furthermore, as people drive along I-15, the flag emanating from the monument will undoubtedly impress them.  Having such a noticeable monument close to the freeway will encourage many people to investigate further into the city’s history.  History classes can also go to the site to receive hands on experience about past events. 

            The History Department at SUU would benefit from the publicity that such a monument would produce.  We would make sure that the plaques contain the involvement of history students from the college, which could bring greater credibility for the department.  Also, if this service-learning project is popular, other students might want to continue doing similar projects, which would enhance the image of the University as a whole. 

            A far-fetched idea we devised is to address our monument to the Utah Historical Society.  The society publishes articles about topics of Utah history, and if they are interested, we will happily send an article about the history of Fort Cedar.  These achievements could help to further promote the prestige of the SUU history department, as well as the beautiful monument itself.

Local Contact Person(s) or Agency:

            Three individuals (we like to call them the three musketeers) are important contacts in the fort project.  York Jones, local historian, can provide in-depth analysis of the Cedar City area and is well acquainted with the project.  Bob Tate, Parks and Recreation Director, is leading the coal creek trail project, and will be important in bringing the trail to the monument.  Finally, Rick Holman, Administrative Services Director, is the main man with the city, and will make sure that the city will acquire the property.  Outside of these three individuals, Mayor-elect Gerald Sheratt should be contacted.  The former University president worked diligently in providing many new buildings for the college, and it is our hope that he will do the same for the city. 

            Along with the mayor, members of the City Council should be contacted and asked about supporting the project.  Although they are unaware of the current progress of the project, it would not hurt to hear their views.  Also, it would be important to know of any concerns the councilmen have about the monument.  By knowing their opinions, we could be more prepared when making our presentation before the council.

            Finally, the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and the Sons of the Utah Pioneers must be approached about contributing funds for the project.  We want to be absolutely sure that the project will be accepted by the city, before we approach the two agencies for their help.  Fortunately, Mr. Jones can be helpful in assuring the assistance of the two groups.  Because of his long association with both groups, York Jones, as liaison, will be instrumental in asking for project funds. 

Anticipated Workload For History Students to Fulfill All or Part of the Project:

            While we are excited that we will probably soon have the land, the actual building of the project is going to take some time.  Lots of planning and preparation has to be made before the Planning Commission and the City Council will approve the project.  Fortunately, we have already researched the historical significance of the site, and have a map and sketch of the monument.  Cost analysis of building the monument still needs to be made, which can be easily done by consulting construction companies and city officials.  After the City Council has approved the project, and funding has been established, history students can begin construction of the monument.  A detailed history will need to be showcased on the display boards of the monument, which is added work for history students. 

Expected Timetable or Schedule of Work:

            We found that a little work every two to three weeks made a difference in acquiring the land.  Currently, we are experiencing the slow progress of bureaucracy, which could push the project well into the future.  Once the monument plan has been approved by the city council and funding has been provided for it, a construction team can do most of the necessary manual labor to erect the site.  Of course, history students can help in the building of the monument, but it isn’t necessary.  After completion, history students could be used as guides for youth groups or any group for that matter.  That would give more work-time for SUU students.  Also, the historical display cases would need to be written by history students.  Consequently, no real timetable can be established, but we hope that within a year or two, the monument will finally be in place.

Technology-related Resources or Applications:

            If our presence is required at the City Council meeting, we will have the opportunity to try our hand at creating a technology-based presentation.  Also, with permission from the Cedar City Corporation, we could link off of the City’s website (www.cedarcity.org) and have pictures of the monument, as well as its historical significance.  Also, if the site is a success, it could be placed on the SUU website to show off the history department and its student achievements.

Connections to Other Service-Learning Projects:

            We will gladly welcome any student who wants to join our crusade (although we still want to be known as the SUU Triumvirate).  Next semester, any students that feel they can contribute to the project can contact one of us.  Also, most important to the monument project is the linking of the coal creek trail system to the site.  Pushing this through can be another Service-Learning project for an ambitious history student.

            With the trail system, Bob Tate’s goal is make the trail into a complete circle through all of Cedar City.  With that in mind, students could search out other historical places on or near the trail that would complement the existence of the cedar fort monument.  The entire trail could be a historical rendition of the area, complete with facts and details of Cedar City.  History students would have ample opportunities for research, as well as significant hands on experience in the field of local history.

            Excavating the remains of the old fort is still a good possibility.  Some of the remains have never been disturbed, and are buried beneath the soil.  Mr. Jones pointed out that the footings of the fort walls could still be located.  When surveying the sight, the area’s vegetation made it obvious to Mr. Jones that the walls can still be found. 

Anything Else Relevant to the Feasibility of the Project:

            Volunteerism is very important to the creation of the monument.  The owner of the Coca-Cola Plant building was supportive of our idea, and will willingly donate the land to the city.  We have also come up with other ideas of volunteerism in the community.  Local construction workers and landscape technicians could be asked for their assistance, and funds for the site might be donated from previously mentioned historical groups. 

            Another idea we have tossed around deals with publicity.  By going to the Daily Spectrum and the school newspaper, we feel that we can drum up some attention toward our cause.  Local citizens might be interested in providing their services.  Anna Davis has already contacted the Humanities and Social Sciences Senators about writing an article in the HSS college newsletter.  Anna has also asked the Senators about possible funding from the SUU Senate.  There is a remote possibility the Senate will give us the money we need, but we will have to patiently wait until the actual project is approved by the city council.

We feel it important to address some of the dilemmas that will be faced in the future creation of the monument and the coal creek trail.  According to a proposed path to the monument site, the trail would follow an old existing creek bed that runs under I-15.  City officials are afraid that the tunnel is not high enough to pass government safety rules.  It this is the case, an alternative of some sort would have to be devised to get the trail across the freeway.  These alternatives may include enlarging the existing tunnel to meet government regulations, or to extend the trail further north.  One other solution is to move the trail southward, and go along industrial road to the historical site.  An underpass for this road already exists, but it would have to be expanded.

One last point of concern that should be mentioned is the road adjacent to the monument site.  The road is owned by the city, but is a dirt road, and would have to be paved.  This would allow for better access to the site, but Mr. Holman was concerned about the width of the street.  He did, however, feel that city engineers could work something out.

Conclusion:

            Rediscovering Old Fort Cedar was an exciting adventure for all involved.  We became better acquainted with the area’s history, and established a working relationship with some of the local city officials.  York Jones has been a pleasure to work with, and we look forward to further deliberations with him.         

            We have not reached the end of our project.  Furthermore, we will not stop working on the project.  Anna will be leaving the country after fall semester, Jared is leaving Southern Utah University in the spring to pursue graduate school, and Ryan will be attending law school in the fall of 2002.  Sadly, the Triumvirate will come to an end.  It is imperative that the work goes forward if we are not present for the project’s completion.  With any luck, after all of our efforts, we can reach the conclusion of our journey in the near future.

            Most gratifying, perhaps, is how well the project is moving forward.  Now that the land appears to be in place, it seems like the city is excited about what we are doing.  Bob Tate is a staunch supporter of the trail system, and he feels that historical sites are important to his plan.  Possibly our greatest regret is that we did not complete the project during Cedar City’s centennial year, which will end in a few weeks.  We can only hope that the monument will be a fitting postlude to the already worthwhile events that have taken place this year.

            The monument’s greatest achievement is its asset to the community.  We believe that our project is a worthy cause, and will help future generations to learn about Cedar City’s noble history.  A monument does exist in the southwest corner of the fort site.  This marker, however, is the product of years of deterioration and neglect.  We have prepared a better location for a better monument that we hope will be enjoyed by many.  Community members can gain a better realization of their wonderful heritage from projects like the old cedar fort monument.