Page 4. The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

Frosty dreamed about becoming a famous explorer and
going on a great adventure day after tomorrow.

He twiddled his toes under the blanket because the thought of
going on a great adventure in the dark woods made Frosty just a little nervous.

Page 3. The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

Frosty's big brothers told him a tale of bears with glowing red eyes
who lived in Uncle Dick's Cave in the dark woods.

Frosty's big brothers were going to become famous explorers
and go on a great adventure day after tomorrow.

They would search for the bears with glowing red eyes
who lived in Uncle Dick's Cave in the dark woods.

Page 2. The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

Frosty's Great Uncle Dick had been a gold prospector a long time ago.
He dug a cave in the dark woods, but Uncle Dick didn't find any gold.
Now the cave was empty...or was it?

Page 1. The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

There was once a boy named Frosty who lived at the edge of the dark woods.
The dark woods made Frosty just a little nervous.
The dark woods made Frosty twiddle his toes, which he always did,
even when he was just a little nervous.

The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave

We've been pretty serious for several posts and I'm getting tired of black and white photographs. So with your kind indulgence, we're going to hear a little story.

You all remember Uncle Dick, the bachelor brother of William Henry. I get the impression he might have been a colorful character. He was a prospector. One of his mines was up Swift Creek Canyon. In fact, I believe the cave still existed in the 1990's when it was finally blasted shut because teenagers were up to mischief. It was on the south of the canyon and dug into the north side of the hill, near the camp ground if I'm not mistaken.

Many of you older cousins and grandchildren probably know more about him than our family did, but I do know one story.

When my daughter Andrea was in middle school, she did a report on her grandfather's (Forrest's) experience with Uncle Dick's Cave. He may have embellished the experience a bit - and when I took the report years ago and turned it into a kid's story, I certainly embellished it a bit more. So, just for fun, and because it is in color, relax and enjoy The Tale of Uncle Dick's Cave (copyright kkhamblin) which will follow.

Freighting on Crow Creek

Freighters on Crow Creek
Date: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown

Pulling into the shade, freighters pause for the photographer. Bringing in supplies via Crow Creek from Montpelier and the railroad was an important fall enterprise because snow storms could quickly close the road, isolating the valley. These freighters were probably looking forward to a break at the Half Way House to rest their teams. How many fellows do you count? I believe there are seven.

Land Commissioner

During the early years of the last century,
William Henry Kennington was a United States Land Commissioner for Wyoming at Afton.
Above is one of the documents he filled out.

A grand son, Forrest Kennington related the following: "In 1952, Carl Cook, a lawyer practicing in Afton, filled out deed papers for me and told me this story: He, Carl Cook, visited the land office in Afton and filled out papers for people settling in the Etna area. (Carl Cook was one of the men who selected the name of Etna for the town...). He said he wondered why William Henry wrote so slow.
With a smile Carl started writing and said that when you are old, you just write slow."

This document gives us a good look at William Henry's penmanship as an older man (he died in 1916 at the age of 74); the letters are still firm and the script even and flowing.

Temple Announced for Star Valley

A shot of the major buildings in Afton with Star Hill in the background.
The high school (below) was built to the east of the public school.

The Tabernacle

What a great day for Star Valley - a temple announced by Pres. Monson at the Sat. Conference session. I would bet tears were shed by everyone who has a tie to the valley. What a great convenience it will be for the western side of Wyoming and I would imagine eastern Idaho.

Speculation would be fruitless because the behind the scene work has been done and the site is chosen. But it's still fun to wonder - there's the Temple Bench tradition (flat plateau behind the High School at the mouth of Swift Creek Canyon), the Tabernacle has lots of room to the east and maybe to the south (if that land reverted to the church after the high school was torn down), or maybe someplace high (but snow removal is a real concern several months of the year) or some beautiful spot in the Lower Valley (which has grown so much in the past 30 years).

We'll just wait and see. In any event, wonderful changes will be coming to Star Valley.