Super Stock Blog

By Naomi Hatch

   the 20-30 Club is one of the oldestclubs in the community. its name stems from the fact that the original memberswere married in the 1920s and ‘30s. Their purpose is to foster and preserve theheritage of their forefathers in the Town of Taylor.

   they meet one Monday a month at theTaylor Pioneer Museum for a potluck dinner, a short program and lots ofvisiting. Years ago if there wasn’t a planned program, Vern Hatch and JohnBallard entertained with their stories about some of the people in thecommunity.

   the Taylor Pioneer Museum has quitea history. it was built in the early 1930s to house the Daughter of the UtahPioneers (DUP) under the direction of Jane Hatch, Lizzie Willis and EmmaKartchner, but with the help of many, many volunteers.

   Ed Reidhead, who owned a lumbermill, furnished lumber for the project, telling the women they could pay himback when they were able. As soon as the building was completed, they beganmaking quilts and sold them to pay their debt.

   many townsmen donated time to theproject, including John and Jack Hatch, Perry  and Lawrence Pearce, Shirl Tenney,  Hunt and Gyle Standifird, Frank Perkins, Josh Allen, WalterLewis and Leo McCleve.

   they had rummage sales and auctionsthat raised money to purchase materials for the building. it took several years,but the building was finally completed.

   Kate B. Carter, president of theDaughters of Utah Pioneers, came from Salt Lake City, Utah, to dedicate thebuilding. the first DUP meeting was held on Nov. 8, 1940, with members meetingoften to share stories of their pioneer ancestors. they held parties, quiltingbees and donated artifacts for what they called the “relic room,” an additionon the northeast side of the building.

   in 1947 Jane Hatch passed away andthe DUP organization gradually became less active, leaving the buildingneglected. seven couples took on the project of repairing the building,including Walter and Ann Lewis, Vern and Lena Hatch, Clad and Eva Willis, Leoand Ella Mae McCleve, Paul and Vera Rogers, Jim and Della Rhoton, and Joe andMae Brimhall.

   they borrowed $2,000 from the bankin Holbrook, and went to work replacing the roof, adding a bathroom and serviceporch, and painting the building inside and out. once again the town cametogether, volunteering time and labor, and holding fundraisers to repay theloan. Ella Mae made a beautiful flagstone fireplace.

   in the 1950s the Rhotons andLewises were playing cards one Sunday afternoon. Feeling some guilt, the sevencouples met and decided to start the “Church Going Club.” Fines were set formissing church, with the couple missing the most meetings having to furnishdinner for all of them. Soon each member suggested the name of a friend orrelative, and those names were voted on, increasing membership. the new membersincluded Lan and Viva Hatch, John and Thelma Frost, Ralph and Grace Reidhead,Ivan and Mae Brewer, John and Thora Ballard, and Idell Solomon. this was thebeginning of the 20-30 Club.

   the building was flooded in 1941and again in 1952, so again they worked hard and cleaned up mud and waterdamage.

   in March 1985 the club elected AnnLewis and Lena Hatch as presidents. they served faithfully until their healthlet them no longer serve. Through the years members of the 20-30 Club tookturns serving as president, and organizing the programs and dinners.  

   Each member of the 20-30 Club hassigned his or her name on small pieces of wood of an old table that JoeBrimhall had repaired.

   the Pioneer Museum was owned by TheChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and in September 1987, TaylorStake President Pete Shumway presented a quit claim deed of the building to theclub, which partnered with the Taylor-Shumway Heritage Foundation and the Townof Taylor.

   Carmen Shumway, a member of the club,remembers how quickly everyone came together to make the building into a museumin order to provide a secure place for the famous Jennings Drum. 

   in 1997, Leola Jennings, who hadpossession of the Jennings Drum, wanted it in a museum. she told Lenn Shumwaythat if Taylor didn’t have a museum and secure place for the drum, she wasgoing to give it to St. Johns. 

   it didn’t take much time for cluband heritage foundation members to organize the artifacts in the Relic Room,make curtains, paint and fix up the building in order to have a grand opening ofthe Taylor Pioneer Museum on July 5.

   That one museum led to four moremuseums being opened in Taylor, thanks to hard work and many volunteer hours.

   if you are interested in touringthe Pioneer Museum, located at 14 S. 400 East, you can make arrangementsthrough the Taylor Museum by calling 536-6649, or visit the Taylor Museum atMain and Center streets from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

   on Saturday, Sept. 4, all museumswill be open from 1 to 3 p.m., except the Taylor Museum, which will be openfrom 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

<a href="http://www.azjournal.com/news/126/ARTICLE/6022/2010-09-01.htmltag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.azjournal.com/news/126/ARTICLE/6022/2010-09-01.htmlWed, 01 Sep 2010 21:23:42 GMT 00:00″>Taylor Pioneer Museum And 20-30 Club Share A History