This article was published in the Ogden Standard Examiner on July 23, 2010

By:  JaNae Francis, Standard-Examiner staff

OGDEN -- Following today's parade festivities in downtown Ogden, families have a free opportunity to participate in an annual open house at the Weber County Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum, located at 2148 Grant Ave. in Ogden.

Following the parade and until late afternoon, those who choose to participate in the free museum festivities today may enjoy children's games on the lawn as well as a number of other activities as extra volunteers converge on the facility.

Curator Karen Stark said there is plenty to discover about early pioneer life and the history of Ogden at the museum, even for those who have visited many times before.

Over the last three years, the museum volunteers and especially Stark have made a concerted effort to put together displays that are easily understood with touchable items and visually stimulating arrangements. With federal funding helping them, they want these efforts to better tell the story of the people who left the items behind.

"We're a place not just for descendents of Mormon pioneers, but for all the residents of Weber County to learn about where they are living," Stark said. "This is the only place in Weber County that tells the story of the early pioneers."

She said the Ogden museum is different from others run by the Daughters of Utah Pioneers throughout the rest of the state because the Ogden story is unique and much more diverse than that of other areas.

First of all, the area was purchased by James Brown from Miles Goodyear. In Ogden, Goodyear had a fort and a cabin as well as a sizeable portion of land before the pioneers arrived, she said. Other areas of the state were not bought. They were simply settled.

Also, because of the junction of the railroad, people from throughout the world came in with a lot of influences that were not found in other areas of the state.

"It was not just Mormon pioneers," Stark said.

The building itself has a unique history. Historians believe it was the first of several Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stake Relief Society buildings.

Bought with money Relief Society members earned from selling eggs that their hens laid on Sunday, and money earned from the sale of gleaned grain from harvested fields as well as donations of 5 cents per woman per year, the building took 36 years to come to fruition from the time Brigham Young organized the stake Relief Society, according to a history published by the museum.

Besides enjoying the old structure of the building, those who visit have a chance to enjoy many new offerings. A historical slideshow, now available on DVD, features images from early Mormon pioneer history.

"That's one of the new things we've done, is pull in modern technology in telling an old story," Stark said.

"That's one of the things Karen has been working on for the last three years is pulling areas together to tell stories," said Marti Clayson, public relations specialist for the museum. She also noted a goal to give those who are the subjects of display human qualities.

She pointed to a mannequin display of women's undergarments from the pioneer era as one example. "If you are looking at someone's underclothing, that's quite a humanizing effect," she said.

"We used to have these things folded up and in our display cases. To have this mannequin set up, the girls are going, 'Oh, my stars.'"

She points to a pillow the woman has tied to the back of her waist.

"They are surprised that there was a time when you wanted a noticeable bump on the back."

Stark said a new pottery exhibit also is an important feature for demonstrating to visitors the lifestyle of the early pioneers.

"Pottery was essential for food storage," she said. "Many of the immigrants had worked in the pottery industry but they were specialized. They had to figure out how to put together this whole industry."

During a tour of the building this week, Linda Watson of Uintah, president of the Far South Company of the Utah Daughters of Pioneers, showed three young girls a display featuring items where visitors are asked to guess the use of each antique.

One item that the girls thought must have been for cooking soup actually was a chamber pot.

Nine-year-old Savannah Ruiz of South Ogden said she enjoyed the tour. She pointed to a tea service brought to Utah from England in 1855 as her favorite item in that surrounding area.

"I'm more of a tea-party girl," she said.