Mendonites are catching 'heritage fever'

By Kimberly Ralphs

MENDON -- What's new in Mendon is what's old, as historic restorations and preservation of heritage take center stage for citizens.

"I think we've caught the restoration and heritage fever," Mayor Sydney Larsen said.

Larsen began the Quality of Life committee a few years ago in an effort to preserve Mendon's culture. He said the committee tries to improve Mendon's quality of life and preserve its heritage.

"We have a lot of community support in these types of things," Larsen said, "and we really appreciate that."

Richard Watkins, of Mendon, is a member of the committee and said that quality of life "revolves around culture.

"What we're doing looks at all aspects of culture from a position of heritage," Watkins said.

Larsen said that Watkins has been the "town collector of town documents and artifacts" for 20 or 30 years. Currently, Watkins keeps some of the larger historical artifacts in his barn, but said he would like to see them displayed in a better place.

"Having all of that stuff stashed away isn't doing anybody any good," Watkins said. "It's time for this stuff to be moved into a setting (where) it can be shared and applied."

Watkins said the historical items may be stored a "heritage house," one of the projects the committee is considering. He said the house would also be used as a meeting place for Mendon's historical groups, including the Quality of Life committee, the Mendon Historical Society, and the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.

Larsen said they are trying to find a turn-of-the-century home for the heritage house.

"We need a place to put them (historical artifacts) where people can look at them and where they will be safe," Larsen said.

Another possibility for the relics is the Mendon train depot, built in 1916. Paul Willie, also of Mendon, is currently spearheading an effort to renovate the depot so it can be used for either a museum or a civic center. If it becomes a museum, it would showcase some of the artifacts that Watkins has collected, but Watkins said the depot is probably going to become a civic center instead.

Some of the committee's other plans include restoring historic cabins, building a country store, and building a multi-use elementary school. Watkins said the proposed school would be a "school for everybody" and a "cultural center for everything." He said they are developing a model that combines school and the community.

Watkins said the school may contain a library, recreational facilities, and classrooms that could be used for meetings when school is not in session.

In addition to helping with these projects and donating artifacts, Watkins has donated some of the old letters and photographs he had collected to Utah State University's special collections.

Watkins said that he didn't get interested in history until he was in his late thirties. "It's been always tucked in my soul somewhere," he said, "(but) I didn't get much of a consciousness of it until later."

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