1976 Exhibit Brochure
Fort Buenaventura was built in 1845 by Miles Goodyear, Utah’s first permanent white citizen, just east of the Weber River on a site located approximately 100 yards northeast of a large sand mound lying almost directly west of the west end of 28th Street. One of the cabins built by Goodyear stands on the Ogden Temple Square and is the oldest residence in Utah.
2023 Exhibit Guide
This painting features Native Americans and settlers living in Fort Buenaventura, located in present-day Ogden. In the foreground is Pomona, a Ute woman, sitting on a horse led by a man assumed to be her husband, Miles Goodyear, responsible for building the Fort in 1845.
Pomona was described as “a young, handsome Ute woman, whose native grace, beauty, amiability won admiration of all who knew her1.” The fort in this artwork aligns with the description provided in Andrew Goodyear’s 1847 journal entry, which he wrote upon meeting his brother, Miles, at Fort Buenaventura.
Kaysville Area Connections
Fort Buenaventura may have been the original destination of Edward Phillips and John Green who scouted north to Ogden in the winter of 1849-1850 for a suitable location to settle their families. No other settlements were occupied between Ogden and Farmington. They were “turned back2” at the northern edge of Davis County at the sand ridge where they encountered snow too deep and frozen for travel. Staying overnight at Holmes Creek, they determined to return in the spring.
Artist
Farrell R. Collett (1907-2007)
Farrell Collett was born in Bennington, Idaho, but spent most of his life in Utah. He received early art training from Brigham Young University and the University of Utah, but pursued additional studies at the California School of Fine Arts, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the American Academy of Art, while simultaneously working as a freelance illustrator.
He was a professor as well as the Chairman of the Weber State art department for many years, and his work has been included in numerous national and international exhibitions and collections. Collett has received many awards and prestigious recognition for his work, and is featured in many private and corporate collections in the U.S. and internationally.
Sources
- “Bicentennial Historical Art Collection.” 1976 Exhibition Brochure, Special Collections, Weber State University.
- Eyes Toward the Past. DVD.
- Karras, Marilyn. “Cabin a Monument to Freedom”. The Ogden Standard Examiner, 12 Sep. 1976, Sun., page 17.
Citations
- “The Indians – Goodyear’s Story.” Our Prize Articles Column. The Home Sentinel, Manti, 22 Aug 1889, Thu, page 1
- “Autobiography of Edward Phillips (1813-1896)” as dictated to Sylvia Phillips. 1889.
Notes
Copyright owned by Weber State University Storytelling Festival. All rights reserved. Painting shown by Kaysville – Fruit Heights Museum with permission. Painting number 12 in the 2023 exhibit guide.
