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Aggie makes documentary of small Utah town By
Melissa Woods
Black and White. Happy and Sad. Day and Night. Young and Old. Rocket Scientists and Farmers. Rocket Scientists and Farmers? What a difference! Or is it? According to Elizabeth Lester, a Utah State University undergraduate studying American History, these two extremes exist right in our own back yard. Literally. Lester will be showing her documentary at the student showcase for Utah State University from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday at the TSC International Ballroom. Thiokol, a rocket plant, is located off Hwy 83 in Corrine, Ut. Right next to this is Promontory, Utah. Promontory is located 90 miles west of Logan. One driving through this town may not even realize that hidden along the 15-mile dirt road is an actual town. Sheltered among many acres of farm land are exactly 15 homes and one little church. Those living here have to commute a half hour one way to gas up, buy groceries and go to work. "I don't know if you can classify Promontory as a town." Lester said, "It is a very isolated group of people living in the same proximity." Lester is directing a film documentary on the landscape and humanity of Promontory. But, the example of Promontory is one example of a larger picture. Lester received an Independant Research Grant to aid in her studies. Most research grants given to undergraduates of USU have been science oriented. She will be the first person to receive a grant in the field of humanities. She was granted an URCO grant (Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities). Through the grant and help from other departments with equipment, Lester has been able to carry out her documentary. Lester got the idea when she was studying in England. Lester's mom of Brigham City would mail copies of Box Elder News and Journal in cure for her homesickness and also to inform her what was going on in her home town. Promontory had a bi-monthly article that would appear in the Box Elder Newspaper and became a big hit amongst her English peers. The Promontory exerpts are written by Kay Draper and include personal stories such as what one neighbor had for dinner or who came to visit, etc. Lester said her friends were surprised that small places such as Promontory actually existed beyond the films. But, according to Lester's research, these places do exist. "The west still survives in pockets," Lester said, "but it has changed." Darby Peterson, an 8-year-old girl who lives in Promontory, has high aspirations to take over her family's farm. She said that she didn't know what horses were used for in farm work. Farmers currently use tractors to farm the land, swathers to gather hay, combines, and other high-tech equipment. Yet among this technology Lester explains, "they deal daily with problems that people faced 200 years ago." It is not uncommon for a resident to get water from a well, battle with fires or face snake infestations. She said almost everyone there has a story pertaining to snakes and "definitely" with rattle snakes and blow snakes in particular. "One family had two blow snakes living under their freezer," She said. The wells however, are not the "wishing wells" that may come to mind. They are hooked into pipes and can get through the homes through a faucet. When Lester set out to film this town, by herself, she loaded her camera, film and notebook on her back and began knocking on doors. "Many of the people don't even have phones." She said. During Lester's investigating she came across a woman who has lived in Promontory for 30 years. In response to Lester the woman said, "I am just a newcomer here, you need to speak with someone who is a part of Promonotory." And just who are those people who are a part of Promontory? As shown in the documentary, they are people whose names are as old as the land. The generations that have been born and raised in Promontory and leave the legacy to their future generations. Others are those who have escaped city life to live in a peaceful and isolated town away from the city. "Promontory is very much its own planet," she explained. "Every single person is there for a different purpose," Lester said. She said there were some who didn't fit her depiction of a comfy, peaceful, tight knit community. According to Lester, the older generations did not see themselves as having anything important to say. But the younger generations were excited and had a lot to say. "I thought I'd be stepping back in time, " she said, "Little diner, close knit community." Peterson said, "It's not like in the movies, it never is." Promontory does not have a gas station, school or business community. Asides from farmwork, many have to travel elsewhere for work. Many of the families support themselves through their farmwork. But others work outside the town in other communities. "Most of them are farmers and ranchers but most have to do multiple jobs," She said, "Some work at Thiokol and others drive to nearby towns." Many of the people keep to themselves. Lester said this is much different from small towns depicted in movies or in the back of our minds. Some have come as from as far as Alaska and are highly intellectual. Apart from displaying her documentary at the student showcase for Utah State, she said she might look into documentary contests and will definitely send it to her friends in England.
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