The annual Discovery Days Celebration was held on Saturday, March 9 2024 at the Heritage Park in Mesquite. Each ward or branch provided an activity or food booth for the community.
There were activities for all ages including horseshoe throw, pole wrestling, wagon rides, rubber band shoot, branding, and horseback rides, cow milking, crafts.
This year’s organizers, Jennifer and Larry Reber, welcomed all who came and all who volunteered to make the event possible. Pres. Ryan Toone of the East Stake in his remarks shared an example about his father serving others with no apparent personal benefit to himself. When he asked why his father did it, he replied “It’s just good to help other people.”
Toone also quoted Leo Milton Hardy, who wrote: “I think this is the best valley and the best climate to live in that you can find. This is the best place in the world to live your religion and live the gospel and to raise families. When we first came to Mesquite, we lived in wagon boxes and look at us now. We were blessed, we had to be blessed.”
Toone went on to say “Think about your heritage and what they did for you and think about the heritage you want to leave for others. “
President Hollingshead of the West stake encouraged the attendees to be grateful for the people who come and add to the story of the valley and said, “the thing that makes it beautiful is the people that live here.” “Their testimony got them through tough times and it will help us get through our tough times.”
There was a variety of delicious food. Homemade dough made into fresh corn tortillas in amazing speed and efficiency by Rosa Zarate and her daughter Isela from the Spanish branch. “I’ve been making tortillas as far back as I can remember, it was a tradition passed down from my mother and grandmothers many generations back.” Rosa said.
Hot scones made and served by the Anthem Ward Elders quorum were served with butter and honey or jam. The men rolling out the dough, cooking, and serving where happy to share their love of scones with others.
From the Old Mill Ward, John Zarate demonstrated kettle corn cooking in a wok style pan over a camp stove.
The Summer Crest Ward’s lemonade stand provided several different flavors of refreshing lemonade. “These lemon cookies were made from a recipe in my grandmother’s cookbook” Terry Butterfield said.
On display were several cookbooks, one dated 1982, compiled by people in the valley; showing that another way to connect with and preserve heritage is through food.
Many children were delighted to pick up and hold baby chicks and bunnies brought by the Laren Abbott. There were also goats, turkeys and several varieties of chickens to see. Horseback rides were made available thanks to the Hafen family who helped the children and adults ride around the grassy field.
This year, in memory of local resident, Sam Reber, Leon Gubler and Andy Ballard from Hurricane generously provided wagon rides for all wanting to experience a little bit what it was like to travel by wagon the way the first settlers did.
Arden Bundy and his nephew helped participants brand their initials or their family brand on a block of wood which they could keep as a memento. The first settlers had to raise their own food; many settlers had cattle which they branded to aid in sorting them when they were rounded up.
A large mechanical milk cow from the Nevada Farm Bureau used in agriculture education provided fun to the kids trying to milk her. At one time there was a dairy co-op in Mesquite. There also used to be several large dairies in the valley.
The children of the early settlers did not have manufactured toys so they had to use their creativity to make their own toys using what was available. “The children often would use scrapes left over from quilts to make rag dolls,” Kayleen Hughes said. Several volunteers were on hand to help attendees make bracelets and rag dolls from fabric scraps and assemble small cardboard handcarts.
Rubber band shooting, a pastime of children not so long ago, was easily taken up again by adults who remembered playing, though the younger generation needed some instruction on how to shoot the rubber bands. Scott Sessons said, “I grew up hearing stories of how they would cut up the old rubber car tires into rubber bands.”
Information about the history of the Virgin Valley including a timeline of the settling of Bunkerville, Littlefield, and Mesquite was presented by Geraldine Zarate of the Historical Society.
A presentation of how water has influenced the growing community was presented by Aaron Bunker, hydrologist for the Virgin Valley Water District. Charts and maps of the wells and storage tanks were displayed and a short video about water also provided further insight into this most important resource.
Thirty years ago, citizens of Virgin Valley and surrounding communities came together to picket a pornography store twenty-four hours a day, 7 days a week for 2 ½ years! The display showed the timeline of the events surrounding the picketline, the court cases that were brought and how dedicated the citizens were to eliminating this vile business from the valley. A slideshow of pictures of the picketers could be viewed. Original picket signs, letters from Utah’s governor, T-shirts and other memorabilia were on display thanks to Dena Hoff, committee member for H.O.M.E. (Help Our Moral Environment.)
The Anthem Ward Relief Society displayed several handmade quilts, furniture, dishes, photo albums, and other items from ancestors.
A well-loved tradition in the valley is Dutch oven cooking. Thanks go to Danny Allen and John & Jennifer Woods and others for the delicious meal of smoked meat, beans, coleslaw, potatoes and cobbler that was served for lunch at the pavilion. Attendees savored lunch while listening to “Old Time Fiddlers” band which includes Monte Morganson on guitar and his wife Teresa vocalist and fiddler, Gary Butler on banjo and his wife, Julie on bass. Their music adds so much to the whole event.
BYU Pathway also had a display with information on the benefits and how to sign up for the education program. They also offer classes for learning English as a second language.
Resources are available to find out more about your own ancestors and preserving photos, videos, and audio recordings of them for your family remembrance and for future generations. Contact your local Family History Center for more information, services are free to the public.
Krissy & Richard Cook were the assistant organizers and will organize the event for next year.
