My HeritageBy Joseph Hansen

I was born Feb. 15,1878 in Logan, Utah. I went to the Third Ward Sunday school. I began school when eight. My father farmed and I used to help him. I used to drive the cows, after milking, to what was called the %u2018cow herd'. Two men used to take all the cows away from the town during the day.

I was told that at five I used to crawl under one of the horses named Polly and curry comb her. She never harmed me. When I was older I drove horses to mow hay. I loved horses and liked to be around them. I always helped with the threshing, then we had to pitch the straw because there was no blower on the thresher.

About two blocks from our house was an icer pond where I skated. I learned to skate when I was ten. Later Andrew Petersen and I would skate clear from our place to the Benson Ward, about six miles. On Saturdays we would play pomp on our skates. We were divided into two sides. The leader would call %u2018pomp' and we would charge, the one being caught had to go on the other side.

When I was about 15 I would go to the canyon, in the fall, with my brother Neils, to get wood. Sometimes we would stay over night in a cave. I recall one night when we planned to stay. During the night there was much snow fell, but we with our horses were protected in the cave.

One time when we were threshing at a certain place, a girl came out to play with the boys during the noon period. This day after helping with the noon dishes I went out there and threw her in the water trough. She never spoke to me again.

Another time when threshing we stayed in the barn to sleep. Upon awaking there had been much rain and the tracks of the horses were full, but just the same we threshed that day. One year I worked at the same place and hauled wheat for three weeks. We built one stack with one thousand sheaves in one setting.

John Bridalson and I went to the grist mill to get a grist of flour. I tied the team, but must have tied the wrong horse, as we came out to find the team gone, only the hitch strap was left. I went into town and found the sheriff had the horse. He then went with me to get the strap, so I could claim the team. When the horses had broken loose they ran down the street in Logan on the wrong side of the street, and even onto the sidewalk, straight west across the street from the Tabernacle. They broke one of the fire hydrants off, then back on the road they went and broke the wagon box and also the hind wheels. When they nearly drove over the man with the dray wagon they were caught. The sheriff gave me back the horses but the people told me, even the dishes in the store rattled, and the run away had created a great fright.

When 17 I began going to dances, especially the ones held in the Benson ward. I liked the girls there better.

When I was 20, my brother, Neils, and brother in law, Axel Everson, went to look over Teton Basin and to work on a road. On their return they stopped to file on some land in the Basin, later they went there to live. Two years after, my sister Tillie and myself followed them. I worked for Neils and neighbors, doing farm work.

In 1901, before going back to Logan, I met a girl by the name of Amanda Swenson, who later became my wife. I met her at Neil's home. She was coming along the road. I asked Neil's wife, Emma, to invite her in and said I would take her home. In July, on the 4th we attended a dance with a group of young people. We sat on seats in a wagon box. That was only the beginning. On Sunday, Charles Knight, my sister, Till and Amanda and myself went to the canyon to pick berries. We didn't get many berries but had a good time.

That winter, on Christmas night, we started to go to Hayden, a small community nearby, to attend a dance. When we arrived the hall was crowded so we decided to go to Lee Creek. On the way we got lost in the fog. We drove round and round on the cemetery, before stopping to ask directions. We started again but were all so cold we had to get out and walk behind the sleigh to keep warm. We reached Lees ward at midnight and danced until 3 a.m.

I used to play my guitar, and did it in may homes. On Christmas eve 1902, I sang and played at the Swenson home. Often Charles Knight sang with me. Often we met at the Meikle home%u2014Sophia was a half sister to Amanda's mother, there we had dances and fun.

On one occasion we had a dance in a newly made store, where all on the project had been invited. After many people had gone the owner of the place locked the doors and the rest of us stayed until 7 a.m. On going home I did the chores and went to bed.

In the summer of 1902 I worked for Bob Jordan, hauling hay and irrigating. I really ran his farm at Willow Creek, just north of Idaho Falls. That fall I herded sheep in the canyon and spent the following winter doing odd jobs for George Mortimer and lived with them. The next March, the 18th I married Amanda Swenson in the Logan temple at 6 p.m. Uncle John bought us a wedding gift%u2014crystal ware. It consisted of a creamer, sugar bowl, butter dish and salt and pepper shakers. My sister gave us some doilies and a beautiful center piece.

After a month of married life I went to work on the Milner Dam, near Milner, Idaho. I took some horses with me. Amanda stayed in the Basin.

Typed into Word by Julie Schenk Lassetter 21 July 2007 from a typed mimeographed copy from Norma Elaine Hansen Gardner's Book of Remembrance