FORT HARMONY RESTORATION MEETING
Fort Harmony Historical Society Meeting Jan 30, 2008

Meeting Commenced: 4:30 P.M. at the Library
Members in attendance; Lyman Platt, Karen Platt, Rachelle Colvin, Vernile Prince,
Roger Simister, Boyd Fenn, Mac Macdonald, Edwina Jones, Sharon Prince

Margaret is ill, Dorothy and Hal Torgersen have company, Della Fenn is excused.

Karen noted- Margaret does not want to be Vice-President anymore- we need a new one.
Edwina Jones- new Publicity Chairman
Rachelle Colvin- new Secretary will serve w/ Julie Danis as backup.

Lyman received certificate from the LDS Church History Dept. for submitting a copy of Jane White’s Fort Harmony CAD plot.

Lyman and Karen went to Fort Bridger this year located in Winslow, Arizona.
- Did not like what was done with their Fort. It was not built or started
well. They did not do an archaeological dig so all the information is at risk of being totally lost. Let’s make sure we don’t do that with our Fort.
- They stopped at the Historical Museum in Winslow. This is along Route 66. They do a newsletter (they showed and passed around for all to see) –do we want to do one???? Comments were no because website serves that function.

Lyman – Happy 80th birthday to Boyd Fenn.

Karen- Main issues
- We have someone who has money to buy the 7 ½ acres with 5 acres of water.
- Karen will ask the Redds if they can come up with some money
- We have a lawyer now- he said that as a 501 c 3 corporation we can own land
- Wants to put a building on the 2 ½ acres…might be able to have a pre-manufactured log home donated.
- Mike Empey’s office wants to help. Karen is going to write a proposal for $500,000 to $700,000
- Would rather have donor for land and then build a building.
- Jim will pursue that possibility.
- Need to submit proposal by the middle of February.
- Needs help writing proposal and wants to know what kind of building we want to have.
- We want to put in a Civic Cultural center, Museum for Fort…
- If we get building and money and New Harmony want to annex to the Interstate it would go to them.
- The building can be a county or town building. We need to be looking at the long term permanence of it, the upkeep, utilities…
- Restore the Fort? Yes, but it will be years down the road.
- Mike Empey suggested getting Bennett and Hatch on board.

Lyman- We need to apply for this money, if we don’t bid for it, it will just go to
someone else. It might as well be Fort Harmony. You get an idea and you go after it.
- The new Lawyer, Steve Swindle, is helping us with the paperwork. See what he has already put together for us. (passed around papers that he had already done for all to see)
Karen- Eventually we will be our own 501 c 3 non-profit corporation, Vicki Tyler is covering us until then, but she has counseled us that we about 3 years to get it. At that time, her office would have to terminate their support.

Jim- New Harmony, if they annexed out to the freeway, it would be city
property instead of county.

Lyman- We would help them get their needs met, but ours would also be met.

Jim- Wants permission to contact the New Harmony city officials regarding this.

Vernile- Annexing is not that easy…

**Discussion regarding the unhappiness of New Harmony wanting to annex.

Karen- The issue is getting a building- manned by volunteers. Bluff and Escalante have done
so, either volunteers or figure out how to pay for taxes, upkeep, etc.

Vernile- Money would be available for a Senior Center.

Karen - There is plenty of room on that acreage for a Senior Citizens Center.

Lyman- -We have discussed that as one of the buildings we want.-The archaeology dig has started momentum. Matheson’s office has seen what we’re doing and was excited.
-Appropriations- every year new money is available and if you are doing good thing with it you can get more.
- The whole process needs to be looked at as a long term process
- The Lee Family wants to know what’s happening with Fort Harmony. Karen and Lyman have been invited to Arizona in May or June by the Lee’s
-Lee Family bought the statue and it is in storage.
-Brother and Sister Madsen are involved/ in charge for the Lee Family fund raising activities.
-Redd Family might be another source.

Karen- -We want the 2 ½ acres and the 5 acres
-We need to have several options and be flexible. A bird in the bush is worth 2 in the hand. Lyman) but Karen will let go of the one to get the other 2.
-There is a slight possibility of a State Park

Lyman- -There is land around here that will be developed as commercial property within the next 5 years.

Karen- -Do you want me to write the proposal for the $700,000.

Lyman- -Could see it developing in this way, 7 ½ being sold this year, put in the foundation, waterlines, and get it ready for the next year.

Lyman- -We had $2500 worth of volunteer labor for the archaeology dig. That makes over $120,000.00 in volunteer labor for FHHS.

Karen- -Eldon Smoot has promised us 12 acres, Jim, will he donate this land?

Jim- -Well, he won’t sell it to anyone else.

Karen- -Jim, will you ask him if he will give us the land?

Karen- -We can’t put a community building on the land directly south of the Fort because that is where the old corrals were. - Could have a barn raising there.


Jim- -Does it have to be a building, building?

Karen- -It can be a barn
-I would put the Memorial garden on the 2 ½ acres
-5 acres directly south for the barn, community building next 5 acres south.
-20 acres below for the retirement center and then have a park and play area.
with an outdoor theatre.

Lyman- -We can work outside the Fort walls when it dries up.

Karen- -We need to do this like Pipe Springs and Cove Fort.

Edwina- -Volunteered to make a map of the area and what the sections are and what is going where.

Karen- -Right now the County owns where the Fort and the Library is, but we need to look into possibility of leasing the Fort property to take care of it.

Edwina- -Can the Barn be the Community Center?

Karen- -Karen no. When the archaeologists come, we need a place for them to put their
stuff.

Boyd- -Could we make an elegant barn?

Karen- -Yes, like Cove Fort is a good suggestion.

Jim- -What can we do with the property east of the Fort?

Lyman- -Move along, I need to give the Financial Report

Karen- -Jim, Boyd, Vernile, think this through for an outline for the proposal.
Karen wants Jim to see about a commitment to donate land, or we need to pay for it.

Lyman- -Gives the Financial Report. See Financial Report.
We have total of about $800.00.

Karen- -The State says we can work on the berm.
-Caleb Smith is in charge of that for his Eagle project. He will need out support.

Fort Harmony Days-
-we need to schedule a date so we can tell the Redd Family and other people who want to attend.
-end of May, first of June
-lets tentatively plan on Memorial Day Weekend, everyone check their schedules and see if this will work.

Dave Maxwell-
-Water Glyphs- Feb 15th will check and schedule

For Harmony Histories-
-We need histories on everyone who has lived at Fort Harmony.
-Go to the Website and look up a person, coordinate with Lyman to make sure no one else is working on that person, collect information and put together a history- min. of a paragraph, max. what ever you want.

Lyman- -His Cousin John Hottel, who did the spinning demo at Fort Harmony Days last year, has donated a Weaving Loom to Fort Harmony Historical Society. If you want to see it, it is at the Platt’s house. Maybe we could do a DUP field trip to try it out.

Karen- Can Boyd, Jim and Vernile draw up a plan for Karen- it’s due about Feb 15th

Next meeting in 2 weeks- Feb 14th @ 4:30

Meeting closed- 5:50 P.M.