Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Mining; Uranium; Swasey, Royal; Swasey, Eva
Royal and Eva Swasey are seen here with their two young children. Royal went to Temple Mountain to mine uranium. He wrote to his wife that he had bagged 150 bags of ore that day and that handling the ore had made him sick. Later he wrote and told...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Recreation; Geology; Swasey, Royal
Royal Swasey is standing on top of a geological formation called Teapot Rock. The Swasey brothers were some of the first to take their horses and cattle onto the San Rafael Swell, and they liked it so much they stayed. Rod, Sid, Charlie and Joe...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Swasey Family; Joe's Office; Cliff Dweller; USGS
C.T. Lupton of the United States Geological Survey took this photo of Joe Swasey in front of the cave that the Swaseys first called the "Cliffdweller." This massive rock has a cozy little cave near its base that provided shelter to the Swasey...
These are some horses in Royal Swasey's (Joe's son) farm. The Swaseys rounded up the wild horses, bred them with their own, and made a living by selling them in the nearby towns. Joe's children became part of his business. Joe's grandson, Monte...
The Swasey Brothers on the San Rafael Swell made their living wrangling the wild horses along with their own, then breaking them and selling them. The tradition continued into the next generation. These are some wild horses broken by the Swaseys....
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Swasey Family; Wild Horses; Joe Swasey
Joe Swasey continued to breed wild horses with good stock. He went to Polluse Valley, Idaho and brought back many Appoloosa horses. Monte Swasey said of his grandfather, Joe and his father, Royal, "They had every color and shape imaginable. They...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Swasey Family; Cliff Dweller; Joe's Office
This is a relatively recent photograph of the Cliff Dweller. The wood floor is no longer there. It shows the cave is not very deep, but did provide shelter for the Swaseys and others. It is about six to eight feet deep and twelve feet wide. The...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Swasey Family; Wild Horses; Swasey, Joe; Swasey, Royal
Joe Swasey's son Royal took this photograph on the San Rafael Swell of one of the last wild horse roundups that Joe Swasey participated in. It was in the 1950s. The Division of Grazing felt like the horses were using too much of the grazing land,...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Swasey Family; Camping
Royal Swasey is cooking in a dutch oven in the San Rafael Swell. Camping outdoors and on the San Rafael was a way of life for the Swaseys for two or three generations. When Monte Swasey, Royal's son, was asked about the Swell, he said, "I lived...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Swasey Family; Snakes; Swasey, Royal; Eastering
Royal Swasey is holding a large blow snake with Jess Larsen looking on. This is the family outing over Easter. Easter on the desert was such a long standing tradition it is called "Eastering."
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Swasey Family; Snakes; Swasey, Royal; Larsen, Jess; Behling, John
This photograph was taken on an Easter outing of the Swaseys. Families and friends would get together and spend Easter weekend on the Swell. It still is a tradition today. Royal Swasey is on the left, Jess Larsen with sanke wrapped around his neck,...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Swasey, Joe
Joe Swasey's sons camping. They are making camp for the night; bedrolls and other supplies can be seen in the photograph. The comment on the pictures reads: "Looks like the Upper Cowboy Camp in Coal Wash." Joe's sons were Royal, Legrand, Ross,...
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Swasey Family; Swasey, Royal; Horses
Joe Swasey's oldest son, Royal, is standing in front of a team of horses. Royal was born in 1888 in Molen where Joe and Mary Etta settled. He had one older sister, Genevieve. The date of the photograph is about 1908. Royal would have been 20 years...
Emery County (Utah); Swasey Family; Larsen, Eva; Swasey, Delores
Eva Larsen (center) married Royal Swasey. She is standing next to Delores Swasey, Royal's sister. Others in the photograph are of Eva's family. L-R Helen Larsen, Delores Swasey, Eva Larsen, Mary Larsen, Nora Larsen.
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Swasey Family; Swasey, Royal; Geologic Formations; Sid and Charley
Royal Swasey is standing near the sandstone formations named for his uncles--Sid and Charley. The Swasey boys named many of the rock formations on the Swell. Royal Swasey is Joe Swasey's oldest son.
Emery County (Utah); San Rafael Swell; Swasey Family
Swasey Family gathering on the San Rafael Swell. This photo must have been taken after Joe died in 1930 because he is missing in the photo. His wife Mary Etta is standing on the right. Standing L-R Quinten Jensen, Glen Swasey, Leland Nielson, Monte...