Early Recollections of Highland by Della Miller Hatch

EARLY RECOLLECTIONS OF HIGHLAND

By Della Miller Hatch

Since the Miller family was some of the earlier, not the earliest, residents of Highland, I would like to add some of my memories and experiences.

My parents, George and Emily Miller, with some of their family, moved to Highland in the fall of 1918, the year of the flu epidemic. We moved to the farm of Uncle Boise Wells. Father was to run the farm since the man, Charlie Parker, who had been running the place had died with the flu. Charlie had married my sister Luetta. Uncle Boise was married to my father’s sister, Emma. At that time, Uncle Boise was a sheepman and was quite well-to-do. The farm was quite big and had a nice large house on it which still stands. (2023) It was on the same street as the old Beck place, just a little south (10595 N 5600 W).

At the time, Highland boasted a “Little Red School House,” and many of my fondest memories of Highland are centered around the school house. All schools closed that fall because of the flu and didn’t open until the first of the year. I was in the 8^th grade and my brother Lloyd was two years behind me. A Mr. Jensen was the Principal and teacher of the four upper grades. There was only two rooms so there was four grades in each room. The other teacher was a woman but I don’t remember her name. Mr. Jensen was a good teacher and a lot of fun. I enjoyed that year of school more than any year I went to school. For the 8^th grade graduation we put on a program and received our diplomas.

Then there were many other functions the school house was used for. On Sundays it became the church house and many, many times it was a social hall for parties and dances. When the Ward could afford it, we had “Carter’s Band” from Lehi for dances and they were very good. The nice thing about the Ward was that everyone turned out for everything. We were like one big family and what good times we had. Sometimes people from Alpine came to the dances and I remember the floor being so crowded sometimes we could hardly move. But it was fun. There was a furnace in the little basement room and you had to go outside to get to it. There was no plumbing of any kind in the building but there were two nice outhouses on the far side of the lot.

We also had good times when it was our turn at “Mutual Dell” each summer.

I got married 5 November 1924. I married John L Hatch who had bought the Beck place. He became a widower after he moved there and had 4 children when we got married. We lived on the Beck place two years and our first baby was born there. Enclosed is a picture of the house. I think it is still standing.

You have a much different Highland now than it was between 1918-1926.

Source: HIGHLAND HISTORY: A compilation by Charles T Greenland II for the Highland Historical Society

Early Recollections of Highland by Della Miller Hatch

EARLY RECOLLECTIONS OF HIGHLAND

Menu:

Contact Us

Hours

Site Links