Springville pioneer stories now online

Lights! Camera! Action! These words were being heard at the Springville Pioneer Museum (sponsored by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers). Pioneer histories and stories were being told and filmed to share and preserve those stories of the pioneers who first settled the Springville and Mapleton area.

This project was made possible by a grant from the Springville City Arts Commission.

High school students, Lauren Whiting and Brendan Murphy did the filming to help bring these pioneers to life and preserve local history. “So Our Children May Know”. The following stories were told:

George “Beefsteak” Harrison; The Story of Benjamin Freeman Bird; Mary Jane Chase Finley; James Buchanan Porter and wife Mary Ann Leslie; Eliza McDonald Clyde; John Sanderson Groesbeck Family; Robert Alexander Hutchinson. These films were added to the three films from the 2017 Film Festival: The First Eight (the first eight families to officially settle the Springville area); Life of Cynthia Davis Clyde; and How the Halls Came to Springville.

A special thank-you is given to those who shared their ancestor’s stories and to all those who made this project possible.

Susan Bartholomew, Pioneer Museum Director, extends an invitation to the public to stop into the museum to view these films and other interesting exhibits. These films can also be seen on the YouTube Springville Pioneers Channel. After you have watched them you might be inspired to record your own family history.

The DUP sponsored Pioneer Museum and the Springville Historical Society is located at 175 So. Main Street. The museum is opened on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 1-4 p.m. Admission is free. You can call 801-491-2076 for further information.