Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Academy Rock


Pictured are ax heads discovered in the quarry where the stone for the Oneida Stake Academy was cut from the Cub River mountainside 120 years ago. They were found when Keith Mackay of State Stone returned to the quarry in 2005 to cut rock that has been and will yet be used in the academy's restoration. 
John Nuffer was the head stone mason on the Oneida Stake Academy. He and his young wife, Louisa Zollinger, were living in Glendale (about five miles from Preston) amongst other members of Nuffer’s family who homesteaded there.
         The calling required his full attention, so the young family moved to Preston as the Hale family did.
         Although the plans for the academy came from church officials in Salt Lake City, Nuffer, who apprenticed in the city of Stuttgart, Germany, “modified the design considerably, accounting for its beautiful Gothic appearance,” stated one of his sons, Myron, in a letter to Newell Hart and reprinted in the Cache Valley News published by Hart between 1969 and 1982.
         The stone from the building came from Nuffer’s brother, Fred. He ran a quarry on his property 10 miles up Cub River Canyon from Franklin (six miles from Preston) on Sheep Creek. Stone from the quarry was used “on the better buildings going up throughout the neighboring towns,” including Logan, where it was used to build the college.
         “The contract to build the academy called for 2000 cubic feet at 25 cents per foot. The stone was used for corners, sills and water table.
         “All work was done by hand. ... We used 12-foot churn drills and blasted large blocks loose from the main ledge. We had to be careful how much powder we used so as not to shatter or cause seams in the stone.
         “We usually had to put a second charge in the opening made by the first charge to dislodge the block from the man ledge. The block so dislodged was from six to seven feet thick and about 20 feet long. From then on all tools used were hammers, axes, wedges and squares.
         “Grooves were cut with axes where ever we desired to split the block, then wedges were set in the grooves about 10 inches apart and driven in with hammers. Then we dressed them down to the right measurement, allowing one half inch for the stone cutters to take out all the tool marks we made.” (Statements of Fred Nuffer published in Cache Valley News #45, 1972.)
        

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

1907 OSA Diploma


This diploma was earned by Ollie Foss in 1907.
To see the entire diploma, click on the image.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Harold B. Lee recalls OSA

"In the fall of 1912, I entered the Oneida Stake Academy at the age of thirteen years. Mother had not yet permitted me to wear long pants, and when I entered high school I was the youngest of the class and was one of the only two in school who were wearing knee pants. "

"When I entered school I was anxious to continue my music training. The high school band offered the best opportunity. My first instruments were an alto [saxophone] and the French horn. . . ."

See rest of article at the following link: www.mormonhistoricsitesfoundation.org/publications/sitescene4_haroldblee.htm

Monday, February 15, 2010

OSA Basketball Players

Parker Carver and his friend Lon Miller played ball for the Oneida Stake Academy.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Monday, February 1, 2010

In Memoriam of Don Hampton



The members of the Oneida Stake Academy Foundation mourn the loss of one of their founding members: Don Hampton, 78, died Jan. 28, 2010.  He is pictured second from the right in this picture taken the day the Oneida Stake Academy reached its final relocation point in Benson Park in January of 2004. Pictured with him are board members (from left) Leo Geddes, Elliott Larsen, Doug West, Del Davis (foreman for Lindsey Moving) and Necia Seamons.

As the grandson of John Nuffer, the academy's principal mason, Don had a unique and special love for the Oneida Stake Academy. His efforts to involve his extended family in their grandfather's honor provided a catalyst for additional fund-raising when the committee first began the monumental task of raising $1.3 million to move the academy from its original location to Benson Park, 2.5 blocks away.

Don diligently worked to raise the funds for the academy's restoration. His friendship and dedication will be sorely missed by members of the Oneida Stake Academy Foundation. We extend our love, condolences and appreciation to his family.
When the academy was moved, several trees were trimmed to allow room on the streets for the building to pass. 
Pictured is Don picking up branches on Oneida.


Don helping to clean up the Academy lot. 


Don and Jan Seamons install a water hydrant on the academy lot.

How to Donate

As the Hampton Family has invited Don's family and friends to donate to the restoration of the Oneida Stake Academy in lieu of flowers, please click on this form, to print it out and send in with your donation, to P.O. Box 555, Preston, Idaho 83263.

We will notify Don's family of your generosity to one of his dreams.
Thank you.