006 (Grade 5) Slanted Wayside Panel: Stuck in the Mud 550 words / Panel Description: 3.7 minutes
In front of you, is a slanted panel 3 feet wide by 2 feet tall, and about 3 feet off the ground. About 20 feet, or 6 meters, beyond the panel, is a small berm leading up to a paved road. On the other side of the road, is a farmer’s field. Several feet behind you, is a white fence with posts about every 4 feet and 3 planks run between the posts. This fence marks the western side of a cemetery. There is an opening in the middle of the fence to enter the cemetery. The other 3 sides are bordered by small trees and bushes. Around you is a rolling landscape with trees and farm fields.
There is a black banner across the top on the panel. Left side text reads Locust Creek Campsite. Right side of the panel has the white, orange, and black triangular logo for the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail.
Title: Stuck in the Mud Main Text: Heavy rains and severe storms left roads muddy and flooded. Horses sank to their bellies! Brigham Young stopped the wagon train and set up camp here near Locust Creek. For about 2 weeks in early April 1846, 300 families and their wagons spread out on the land around you. Through song and dance, they raised their spirits.
During this stay, poet and camp clerk William Clayton learned of his son’s birth back in Nauvoo, Illinois. He penned the lyrics to the Latter-day Saints’ now famous anthem, “Come, Come Ye Saints” (originally titled “All is Well”). Inspired by his words, the Mormon pioneers continued westward.
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In the top left corner of the exhibit panel is a map. North is to the right. Locust Creek is a meandering, blue line from the left middle to the top right of the map. Below the creek, is a diagonal dashed purple line that represents the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail. Nearby roads are shown in dark gray. In the bottom right corner of the map, near the intersection of 220th Street and Fillmore Road, is a black flag with “You Are Here” in white text. Locust Creek is about one-half mile, in front of you.
A colored illustration of the Locust Creek campsite fills the panel. In the center of the illustration, is a group of several men, women, and children huddled around a glowing orange campfire. The women are wearing bonnets and dresses and wrapped in blankets. The men are wearing jackets and brimmed hats. Some are standing, some are seated, and some are stretched out on the ground. A shaggy white dog with a black face lies down next to 1 of the men. In the bottom left corner, a group of 3 men are huddled in a group and wrapped in blankets. Behind the center huddle and to the left, are 4 pitched tents, scattered across the ground. To the right, are 2 covered wagons. The spoked wheels of the wagon are partially sunken into the mud. 1 wagon has 2 people seated in front and is led by a team of oxen.
In the bottom right corner of the panel, is a QR code that you can scan with a mobile device to explore more about this wayside, including audio description.
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