How did Gunnison get its’ name?
Captain John W. Gunnison
In October, 1853, Captain John W. Gunnison and his men made camp at Willow Creek (Axtell) in the Gunnison Valley. He had been commissioned to explore and survey a route called the “middle line” from the Mississippi River to the pacific as a possible right of way for the railroad.
Before sunrise on the morning of October 26, 1853 the camp cook arose to make a fire. Capt. Gunnison went to the river to wash and was completely surprised and startled by the crack of gunfire. The cook lay dead. As Capt. Gunnison ran toward the fire, his body was pearced by many arrows and he too expired, as did the rest of his company.
This unfortunate tragedy cast a shadow of deepest gloom and sorrow throughout the territory. residents honored him by naming the area Gunnison.
Although this is a tragic ending for such an honorable, brave man, there is a bright side to the story. As it turned out, Capt. Gunnison’s visit to the valley was kind of a lucky thing for the locals, since the settlement known as Gunnison was originally known as Hog Wallow.
Before sunrise on the morning of October 26, 1853 the camp cook arose to make a fire. Capt. Gunnison went to the river to wash and was completely surprised and startled by the crack of gunfire. The cook lay dead. As Capt. Gunnison ran toward the fire, his body was pearced by many arrows and he too expired, as did the rest of his company.
This unfortunate tragedy cast a shadow of deepest gloom and sorrow throughout the territory. residents honored him by naming the area Gunnison.
Although this is a tragic ending for such an honorable, brave man, there is a bright side to the story. As it turned out, Capt. Gunnison’s visit to the valley was kind of a lucky thing for the locals, since the settlement known as Gunnison was originally known as Hog Wallow.
There’s not much that can ruin a feller’s day worse that a flood of arrows headed in your direction in the early morning.
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Sanpete Valley Slang (Sanpetese)
Speaking Sanpetese is an art not known to many, but I’ll try to assist you with your communication skills while traveling through Sanpete County. To expert linguists, Sanpetese is known as the Cockney of the Western Hemisphere.
- Speaking mainly in colloquialisms, Sanpeters are famous for saying one thing and meaning something else. For example, “Workin’ hard or hardly workin, ha,ha” means “Hi, it’s been a while, how are you?” "Hellooooooooo, whatdayaknow” means “I ain’t seen you since yesterdee!” “How ya doin" means “I’ve never seen you before in my life, but I’m glad to meet you.”
- Keep in mind that using double negatives and subject/verb disagreements are considered reverent. When speaking in the negative, such as “I don’t have any”, please replace with “I don’t got no...” or ain’t got no...” is even better. Please use “we was” rather than “we were”, and you will get better results from the locals.
- With Sanpetese, much like Latin languages, there is no neuter. There is “he” or “she”, but no “it”. For example; “She’s a cold one out there.” and “He’s the biggest rock I ever saw!” Although both masculine and feminine are acceptable, feminine is preferable, but there are no rules. Most Sanpeters have a tendency to use the feminine. It’s unspoken, but I suspect the reason for this is to appear more sensitive. For example; “Hey, did you get ‘er done?” Or “That house of your’s, she’s a real beautte!”
- Some words, although not commonly used by many outsiders, are common in Sanpete County. Words like Jag ( small load) or reconnoiter (to gather together), and cypher (zero or nothing).
- “T’s” in the middle of a word are recognized, but not used, such as moun-en (mountain), or sum-em (something)
- Many Sanpeters like to mix up the cadence of their lingo by starting out fast and ending up slow. For example; “So, - doanyofthesecarslookgoodtoya?” The reverse is also proper, such as “HowwouldyoulikeitifIsangoutoftune, would-you-stand-up-and-walk-out-on-me?”
Gunnison Inn- 12 North Main, PO Box 356, Gunnison, Utah 84634, Phone: (435) 528-7840
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