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Show The Survey 15 architecture in Utah have concentrated on the early (1847-70) Mormon farming settlements along the Wasatch Front, there are no specific studies on the architecture of Great Basin ranching. The preliminary field visits indicated that several main property types could be expected in the field: buildings associated with Mormon settlement and culture, ranch houses, and ranching structures such as outbuildings and corrals. Because the state preservation office had little previous experience with the architecture of ranching, surveyors could not rely upon previous experience and would have to identify specific building types and styles as they were encountered. A canvass of prior folklife research from Grouse Creek showed it to be as scant as historical and architectural data. In the early 1970s, a student at the University of Utah assembled a brief collection of Grouse Creek folklore. Several general surveys of Mormon folklore-notably Austin and Alta Fife's Saints of Sage and Saddle (Fife and Fife 1956) and Jan Brunvand's Guide For Collectors of Folklore in Utah (Brunvand 1971), and a series of journal articles by William A. Wilson (Wilson 1976a, 1976b, 1981)- proved useful in gaining an impression of the kinds of folklore, folk arts, and folklife the research team might encounter. These sources and the preliminary visits suggested the presence of a variety of traditions ranging from an old-time dance orchestra to traditional ways of cowboying. The American Folklife Center's Folklife and Fieldwork (Bartis 1978) and Jan Brunvand's The Study of American Folklore (Brunvand 1968) were useful in identifying general topics. The folklife checklist for Grouse Creek listed cultural features under the headings of history and geography, occupational life, religious life, social life, and artistic life (see page 21). Not surprisingly, the themes of religion and ranching quickly emerged from the historical data, and the draft statements of historic and cultural contexts included "late nineteenth-century Mormon town planning," "the livestock industry in western Box Elder County," and "early log architecture in Grouse Creek." An essential element of planning the field investigation was making local arrangements and seeking the cooperation of the community's authorities. Grouse Creek, like many small, unincorporated Utah towns, has no elected officials, but the Mormon bishop and his counselors fill the leadership role. The bishop in Grouse Creek was a rancher named Douglas Tanner, and Carter met with him to describe the project. A student of local history himself, Bishop Tanner not only approved the work but ultimately became one of the main sources of information on ranching traditions in the area. Other arrangements reflected Grouse Creek's isolation. Although the valley is located just 150 miles northwest of Salt Lake City, direct access is blocked by the Great Salt Lake and by mountains that surround it on three sides. None of the roads entering the community are paved, and the roads from the north and east cross several mountain passes that are closed from November until June. There are no motels or |