President Ezra Taft Benson turned his heart to his pioneer roots June 11 when he dedicated a gristmill constructed in 1854 under the direction of his great-grandfather, Elder Ezra T. Benson of the Council of the Twelve.
"May this project continue to expand and grow and may the people of this great valley undertake further projects in support of this mill," the prophet said in his dedicatory prayer. "We're thankful that the TooeleT county commissioners are here and others who have sponsored this project. My great-grandfather would be proud."Accompanying President Benson was his wife, Sister Flora Benson, whose mother was born in this valley located at the south end of the Great Salt Lake.
About 200 community residents and interested persons gathered outdoors under a sunny sky at the seven-acre mill site which, over the past two years, has been made into a historic park under the direction of the mill restoration committee.
At the beginning of his remarks, President Benson referred to Adobe Rock, a landmark northeast of here near the shores of the Great Salt Lake.
"Great-grandfather stood on that rock and viewed the entire valley when he first came to this valley," he said. "I have often wished that I had the energy and strength to climb that rock. I would like to do it, and so if you see from the distance some person climbing that rock, that's me!"
His comment evoked laughter from the audience.
The rock is legendary in Tooele County, according to Maxine Grimm, restoration committee member.
She told the Church News that when President Brigham Young would visit the valley, a sentry would be stationed on the rock to watch for him. At the first sighting of President Young, the guard would rush back to the settlement and inform everyone so they could prepare for the prophet's arrival.
In fact, Sister Grimm said, when President Benson visited the community two years ago, a sentry was posted on the rock "just for fun" to watch for his arrival.
Music for the dedication was provided by a chorus of children who sang as President Benson watched them attentively. One song seemed especially appropriate. Written by Janice Kapp Perry, it is titled "Ezra Taft Benson."
The words are "We honor all the prophets of the last dispensation/ And now we add the worthy name of Ezra Taft Benson,/A man who has been honored in his country and abroad/And now we honor him as a prophet of God./Our prophet is a man of faith who leads forth in courage./ The Lord has been preparing him through long years of service./ He lives a life of purity, he listens to the Lord./ And we honor him as a prophet of God."
"We practiced it every day for a week," said Christine Steadman, who conducted the chorus.
Expressing gratitude for the children and the song they sang, President Benson applied the words of the song to his efforts to encourage study of the Book of Mormon.
"I rejoice in this good book and pray God to bless the children, particularly the children who have supported this project," he said.
Sister Benson spoke briefly, mentioning her father, Carl Christian Amussen, a convert from Denmark who crossed the plains to the Salt Lake Valley and became a prominent jeweler and watchmaker in Salt Lake City.
"I'm proud of the life he lived and hope I may be worthy of his success," Sister Benson said.
Before the dedicatory program, the Bensons joined local dignitaries for a luncheon in a miller's home that has been constructed on the site. Afterward, he posed for pictures standing next to a portrait of his great-grandfather.
Ezra T. Benson, who is mentioned in D&C 136:12, was called by Brigham Young to lead the settlement of Tooele Valley. He first supervised building of a sawmill, lumber from which was then used to build the gristmill.
Later Elder Benson was called by President Young to lead the settlement of Cache Valley, which straddles the Utah-Idaho border. Thus, President Benson's roots are in Idaho.
Much of the original machinery is still intact in the mill, which was operated until 1939. The last operator, Oscar Jones, was present for the dedication.
Although it was left to deteriorate after 1939, the mill was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and, on that occasion, was called the most significant structural landmark between Salt Lake City and Reno, said Ouida Blanthorn, a committee member.
The restoration process, which began in 1983, is still going on, but the building has been given a face lift with new siding, and it has been made more structurally sound. The historical park includes a log cabin built in 1875, a privy, a blacksmith shop, hay wagons, a hay derrick and a sheep camp wagon.
"We hope to eventually grow and harvest wheat and mill it as it was done in the early days," Sister Grimm said. "We have a visitors center that will house interesting artifacts, records and pictures pertaining to the mill."
Future plans include stocking the nearby stream with fish for the benefit of handicapped persons, according to project chairman Jack Smith.
Among special guests at the dedication was Kaosrow Semnani, a Salt Lake City developer and a significant contributor to the project. An engineer himself, Semnani said he was attracted by the structural integrity of the building.
Originally from Iran, Semnani is not a member of the Church. "But I'm still a member of this community," he said.
