Emery County Cabin facts for kids
Emery County Cabin is a very old and important building. It's one of the last few historic frontier post offices still around in the United States. This cabin was built way back in 1879. In the 1880s, it became the official post office for a town called Muddy Creek, which is now known as Emery in Emery County, Utah. Today, you can visit this special cabin at This Is The Place Heritage Park.
History of the Cabin
The Emery County Cabin was one of two cabins built by early settlers named Charles Johnson and Joseph Lund. They built their homes on homesteads along Muddy Creek. Before these log cabins, most people lived in "dugouts," which were shelters dug into the side of a hill. The Lund cabin was the first log home in the area.
When Joseph Lund moved away, a rancher named Casper Christensen and his family moved into the empty cabin. In 1882, Mr. Christensen became the postmaster for the area. This meant his log home became the official post office for both Muddy Creek and Quitchupah.
The logs for the cabin came from Miller’s Canyon nearby. Workers smoothed one side of the logs and cut grooves into each end. They stacked the logs with the smooth side facing inside the cabin. The gaps between the logs were filled with mud or clay. Willows were used as a base for plaster, nailed to the logs. Then, mud was plastered over the willows, smoothed, and painted with a white lime mixture. The roof was made from cedar shingles.
The Post Office Years
In 1879, people settled in Muddy Creek Canyon, creating a town simply called "Muddy." No one is quite sure why the town's name changed to Emery. It might have been to honor Governor George W. Emery, who was the territory’s leader in 1875. Emery County was named after him in 1880.
Casper Christensen was officially appointed postmaster of Muddy on December 1, 1883. His daughter, Hannah, worked as his assistant. In the early days, settlers received mail only once a month during summer. In winter, they got no mail at all. Mail was brought by horseback from San Pete County.
By 1882, mail service improved to once a week. Mail traveled 60 miles from Price, Utah. Casper Christensen was very important in Emery during its settlement. Besides being postmaster, he was also a leader in the local LDS Church branch.
The cabin wasn't just a post office. It also served as a doctor’s office! Wiley Payne Allred, a doctor, used the post office to help people. He would set broken bones, pull teeth, and use herbal remedies.
Moving and Saving the Cabin
After a few years, settlers realized there wasn't enough good farmland along Muddy Creek. Larger areas suitable for farming were several miles south. So, in 1886, a canal was built to bring water from Muddy Creek to this new farmland. The current town site of Emery was planned in 1887.
Soon, settlers from Muddy Creek began moving to the new town. The original town on Muddy Creek became a "ghost town." Many buildings were left behind, including the old post office. A new post office was built in the new town of Emery.
In the 1920s, a man named Clyde Mortensen needed a home. He used horses to move the old post office cabin to Emery. It served as a temporary home for him. After that, it was used for storage. This saved the cabin from being destroyed, which happened to many other pioneer cabins.
In the early 2000s, Shaun Delliskave, Clyde Mortensen's grandson, donated the cabin. He gave it to This Is The Place Heritage Park in Salt Lake City. This cabin is very important because it's one of the few old frontier post offices still existing.
The Utah Home Builder's Association (HBA) helped restore the cabin. They adopted the building through a program called "Adopt-a-Home." The HBA helped rebuild and renovate the old post office. Because it served many purposes in the past, it now houses the park's interpretive potter. This means a potter works there, showing visitors how things were made long ago. This cabin is the first building at the park from Emery County.
The cabin at This Is The Place Heritage Park was officially dedicated on June 20, 2009. To celebrate, the park held "Emery County Day." Residents from Emery County received free admission for the special event. Ellis V. Allred, a great-grandson of Casper Christensen, helped dedicate the cabin.
