Chase Park-Centerville, UT Historic Family Homes

Historic Chase Property for Sale!

This is the granary that was build on the property of Isaac Chase.  It was later used as a small home.
The granary is located at

23 W Chase Ln, Centerville, UT 84014

and was for sale in July of 2014 when all these photos were taken.

While driving in Centerville in July 2014,  I saw that the old Chase Family Granary was for sale.  We decided to drive by again to check it out on 24th of July Pioneer Weekend in 2014.    This post contains many of the photos I took that day and the info recorded on the historic markers.  (I have yet to obtain good photos of the Frank Leslie Chase farmhouse where Claire Weiss grew up.)

Here is what is written on the historic marker shown above:

In 1859, George Ogden Chase and his wife Josephine Streeper moved to Centerville with two small children. They moved into the log cabin built in 1849 by Thomas Thurston. This cabin was traded by Brigham Young to George's father, Isaac Chase, for his share of the Chase Mill in Liberty Park in Salt Lake City. The next year, George has a large white home built next to the cabin. Twelve more children were born here.

The 110-acre property was self-sustaining, as George built a two-story rock granary, laundry, ice house, smoke house, large barn and corral. He grew hay and grain for market, fruits and vegetables for his large family, and raised beef, lambs, and pork. The homestead was called "Chase Park" because of its full acre of lawn and shrubs, which surrounded the main home, log cabin and granary.

Josephine had been a school teacher in Salt Lake City and taught in the North Centerville Sunday School for many years. She kept a diary from 1881 to 1894, painting a picture of life in the Chase home. Visitors were numerous, including friends, church leaders, salesmen, and wanderers. These were elaborate events with-storytelling around the fire.

The home remained in the Chase family until 1982. In 1989, the home began to deteriorate and was torn down, leaving only the log cabin, the granary, and memories of the one grand home at Chase Park.

This marker explains that the Chase home in Centerville that was once located here on Chase Lane (1000 North) was demolished in 1989. There is a large pile of rocks where the home once stood and it someone has planted flowers there.

These old stairs once let to the adobe home with the large front porch.

The adobe cabin was built by George Ogden Chase in 1860 and was demolished in 1989. Chase Park had many black locust trees, just like Liberty Park.  The front porch was added about 1920. 

Here's what the Utah Division of State History had linked to the picture above written in 1919. ("Utah since statehood: historical and biographical" (1919), vol. 3.)

George Chase home at Centerville.

Property was in exchange for Chase property in Liberty Park. The ground belonged to his father, Isaac Chase, but home was built by George. Used in Utah Historical Quarterly, Jan. 1961, Historical Notes section.

George Ogden Chase, son of Isaac Chase, was with the family as they journeyed westward to Utah and settled in the capitol city, which remained his home until 1860, when he removed to Centerville. He secured the patents to much land in Centerville and in adjoining towns, which were issued to him and he deeded out to the respective settlers and in many cases trusting them for pay which he never got. Like his father at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City, George O. Chase planted the black locust around much of his land, which later caused the place to be known as Chase Park. The home and place are still so designated today. This is one of the few pioneer homes still in use,

The old cabin is still used as a residence.

In 1859 Isaac Chase receive the "Thurston-Chase" cabin and surrounding farm in exchange for his mill property at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City.  His only son, George Ogden Chase, his second wife, Josephine Streeper, and their children moved in to the cabin in 1859.  They lived her until a nearby adobe house was finished in 1860.  This cabin was used as an additional bedroom when company would come for Christmas.  The three-room addition to the south of the cabin was completed in the 1940's.  The property remained in the Chase family until 1974.

Note the historic marker on the right side of the door.

This old Chase cabin still has a family living in it.

At first we didn't know if this was the smokehouse, an ice house, or an outhouse.  We have since determined it is the smokehouse.

This small upstairs bedroom was where David Weiss and his brother Max slept.  Photos of the rooms are available at the Zillow.com site mentioned below.

Note the thick walls of the original Chase Granary. 

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The Chase Granary is now for sale.
 Zillow.com info has more photos that are interesting and the Google street view will help you get oriented.

Go to:   http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/23-W-Chase-Ln-Centerville-UT-84014/12662594_zpid/

23 W Chase Ln, Centerville, UT 84014

1 bed, 1 bath, 1,318 sqft

Zestimate®: $164,518

Rent Zestimate®: $1,260/mo

HISTORIC SITE! Cute little cottage located right off of main street in Centerville. Custom built oversized workshop included. Home was previously a granary and needs some TLC. Open deck also accessible from bedroom.

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There is an interesting article in the Utah Historical Quarterly (Volume 29, Spring 1961) where descendants highlighted some of the interesting history the the 100th birthday of "the gracious home" in Chase Park. The article points out that the home was probably the oldest continuously occupied house in Davis County--remaining in the hands of one family and occupied by family members during all that 100 years time period. 

The adobe home was owned by Kate Chase, Ella Chase and Fanny Dean Matthews when it was purchased by Mrs. Josephine Chase Bradshaw who was the owner in 1961.   Max Weiss said at one time Claire Weiss had title to some of the property.  The cabin remained in the Chase family until 1974.   Claire Chase Weiss grew up in the farmhouse (located south of the cabin and adobe home and not yet pictured here) built by Frank Leslie with John Croft, the craftsman father-in-law, helping his son-in-law Frank.

The Mark and Cyndy Weiss family have pictures from 1996 of the Weiss children in front of the farmhouse that will be inserted later.

On the city website I learned that Centerville was the located between the two growing communities of Farmington and Bountiful and thus became "The City In-Between" or Centerville.

Here's an excerpt from this book written by granddaughter of George O. Chase, Josephine Chase Bradshaw (older sister of Clarissa Chase Weiss).

"At the time the family moved to Centerville, there was one willow tree that stood on the property.  When the home was built they put it under that tree and it still stands today.  (Note from Cyndy-this was probably the same tree that caused the adobe house destruction in 1989?)  A two-story home was first built with one large room upstairs and one large room downstairs, a log room on the north side and a leanto on the south.  The roof was made of split willows laid on logs, straw and diret were piled on the willows and it leaded dreadfully.

"Immediately the family started plans for a permanent home and in 1862 the large adobe home was built, and Josephine Bradshaw at the age of 81 still lives in that home.  (Ed. note: I remember when  Auntie Jo came to our wedding reception in 1975.) This family planted a full acre of lawn and beautified their land with shrubbery.  From that time on it was known as Chase Park.

"Besides the Thurston cabin and the large adobe home, a grainary was built.  It had two stories and grain was stored in bins on the bottom floor.  The upper level was used as a playroom by the Chase boys, as a practice hall for the family and the town band, and at one time it was converted into a Tea Room and many luncheons and dinners were serve there.  In 1952 the grainary was converted into a home."     (See p. 271 of the book The City In-Between.)

Written by Mary Ellen Wood Smoot in 1975.  Mark Weiss has a copy of this book that once belonged to Claire Weiss.

Here are some more interesting places to stop by the next time you are in Centerville, UT.

This is the statue on the monument honoring early Centerville pioneer families.

On the plaque at Founder's Park monument (as well as on the city website) are these concluding words by Vestil Harrison:
"The groundwork for all the conveniences we enjoy today was laid by the early pioneers of Centerville, whose suffering, diligence, and faith in the cause that brought them here made this the choice land we had inherited.  We honor these noble pioneers!  
May the dedication of this monument to their faith, sacrifice, and deeds, inspire us to emulate them and revere their memory with profound gratitude."
 

As I think of these pioneers, I think of the great faith of 
Isaac and Phebe and 
George and Josephine Chase.   

It is easy imagine their legendary family gatherings at Christmas time.  Their industry in building up Chase Park remains part of the legacy passed on to us today.  With great faith these pioneer families dedicated themselves to building up Zion in the Rocky Mountains.

As one descendant of Isaac (who was the father of George O. Chase) wrote:   

“Isaac Chase had three things:   

His wealth, his tools, his testimony.   

He left his wealth in New York and Nauvoo.   

He left his tools at Liberty Park, 

but he always kept his testimony.”

 

This is likely the chapel where the funerals were held for many of the Chase family members.  Originally built in 1879, many additions have been made to this chapel over the years.  Josephine talks of teaching Sunday School in her diary.  Likely she and her many children once walked these halls.  There is a "Church Well"  with fresh water available with or without chemicals available in the parking lot.  A Daughters of the Utah Pioneer (DUP) log cabin museum is located behind the chapel.

This is not too far from the Si's Curve In where David Weiss worked at this father's (Simon Weiss) fast food stand during David's Junior and Senior years of high school.  It is located on Hwy 89 where Bountiful turns into Centerville.

We will have to check the old photos to see if this is maybe part of the original Si's Curve in located across the street from the Junior High School.

Family rumor has it the students from the Junior High across the street drove away the lunch crowd and the business didn't survive.

Chase Family Scrapbook

Chase Family Scrapbook 

This weekend I went through the Chase Family Scrapbook that was made by Clarissa Chase Weiss (1900-1991) and probably compiled between the years of 1940 and 1980.  

The scrapbook is about 16 inches by 18 inches and loosely bound with brown shoelaces.  There are about 90 unnumbered pages.

Claire Chase (age 6) is marked in this picture. 

Claire was always interested in her family history and proud to share it.  In 1947 Mrs. Simon Weiss was the committee chair for the event “Chase Cousins Reunion” held at Liberty Park.

The Chase Home in Centerville no longer stands, but the cabin does along with an historical marker.

Clarissa Dean Chase is 7 years old in this picture and sitting next to the piano.  Claire's brother David Harold Chase died at age 10 four years after this photo was taken (gun accident). 

Max Weiss (son of Clarissa Dean Chase Weiss) bought the old Chase upright piano that is shown in the picture above and had it for many years.

This Deseret News article is typical of the many articles Clare pasted into her oversized photo album/scrapbook. Note that this 1942 reunion was sponsored by Chase Cousins Club under the leadership of Mrs. Simon Weiss (Clare Chase Weiss).

About one third of the book is a collection of the Family Genealogical research that was gathered over the years.  Most of it was from Kate Chase’s research.   The George Ogden Chase family had a lifetime membership in the Chase Genealogical Association.

Aunt Kate Chase did much of the temple work for her Chase family.

Note the Life Membership to the Chase Family Organization.

One paper describes how “Kate Chase saves the Chase Mill at Liberty Park” from being torn down.  Another tells of “Christmas at Chase Park” in Centerville.  It looks like some of the contents where items that were passed on to Claire by family members and she collected them all into this scrapbook.

Claire has collected  various newspapers articles referring to the Chase Mill from the 1960-1980’s.  Perhaps these were handouts shared during reunions with the Chase Cousins.  Claire also pasted in articles that had no family history connection but were simply interesting to her. 

George Ogden Chase's sword is now in the Daughters of the Utah Pioneer Museum.

In 1990 Karen Weiss (Claire's daughter-in-law) transcribed and duplicated a 35 page history of Clarissa Dean Chase Weiss for family members.  Most of that material is not found in the scrapbook.

Some pages are typewritten copies of other older documents that Claire duplicated and then pasted into her scrapbook.   A few of the pictures are original, but most are copies.  The entries are not in any chronological sequence and, unfortunately, rarely does Claire reference the source of her  information.

This is the John Alden Home in Massachusetts.  The Chase family was descended from the Mayflower Pilgrims.  This was a quite a status symbol in Clare's day.

Many entries from the Josephine Streeper Chase diary are pasted in the scrapbook.  A wonderful synopsis of the Streeper diaries was written by Fae Decker Dix in the Utah Historical Quarterly (and available as a pdf online.)  The actual diary was given to the Marriott Library University of Utah Special Collections in 1970.

Thirteen pages are simply pasted in pictures of historic buildings along with random postcards.  There are also some pictures of items that are now located in the Salt Lake DUP (Daughters of the Utah Pioneer) Museum.

More pictures of Chase Park and the home (built in 1860).  The cabin was built in 1849.   The woman in the upper right is Josephine Chase Bradshaw who cared for the home for many years.  

Historic Site Marker on 1000 N. (Chase Lane) and Main Street in Centerville, Utah.

Much of the information in the scrapbook was prepared by Josephine Chase Bradshaw (1892-1978) and is also included in the book Centerville-the City In-Between by Mary Ellen Smoot and Marilyn Fullmer Sheriff (1975).   Josephine Chase Bradshaw actually lived in the old George Ogden log cabin after her husband died and she returned west to Centerville.   As the historical plaque reads: "The stately home remained in the Chase family until 1982. In 1989, it began to deteriorate and was torn down, leaving only the log cabin, the granary, and memories of the one grand home at Chase Park."  (1000 N. Main Street).

Max Weiss (son of Clarissa Dean Chase Weiss) writes fondly of his "Aunti Jo" in his biography published in 2013.  Max worked for her picking cherries and painting.  He also bought Aunti Jo's cherry orchard for $2000 when he was 16 years old and sold it just prior to his marriage. 

 In 1998, a Chase family historian,  William V. Saunders, published two biographies (one about Isaac and the other about Phebe) that contains more accurate Chase family information than that found in Claire's scrapbook.  

Pictured are children of Brigham Young and Claire Ross (Isaac and Phebe's daughter), who became one of Brigham's many wives (marrying in Nauvoo in 1844?) and bore him four children.  She died in 1858 and sister wives helped raise her children.

One of the treasures in the scrapbook was the actual recipe from the chicken and biscuit meal that was served frequently to Brigham Young and Heber K. Kimball in the Old Chase Home in Liberty Park.  There are no notations about who recorded this recipe.

Chicken and Biscuit Dumplings were served to Brigham and the Twelve.

Christmas Dinners in the Centerville "Chase Park" were a held until Aunt Kate Matilda Chase died in 1937.

Following the death of Grandma Claire, Betty called family members in California to let them know.  One letter from Rose Cross was particularly kind and found its way into the scrapbook as a kind of final tribute to Claire.  Aunt Betty probably wrote the note in the upper left of page one.

The Pioneer Chase family and the Jewish immigrant Weiss family seemed to get along just fine.

This letter tells how Rose Weiss Cross (granddaughter raised by Max and Annie Weiss) adored her Chase relative Claire Chase Weiss who married into the Weiss family in 1917.

Upon the death of Claire Weiss (1990) Betty Dean Chase Lillywhite Olson gave the Chase Family Scrapbook into the keeping of David Mark Weiss, grandson of Claire. Betty wrote in a card to her nephew Mark in 1989, "I am unwilling to fill out the 'tribal' information sheets.  I respect your interest.  The genealogical interest is not at all a priority in my understanding of life..."  Maybe that is why Betty so freely gave her mother's scrapbook to her nephew.

You are all invited to come and look through the scrapbook the next time you visit the Mark Weiss family in Logan, Utah.  Meanwhile, we will continue to search for a way to scan and share the important pages of “Grandma Claire’s Scrapbook”.