A mine explosion, a shipwreck on the high seas, a touch of romance and the early days of mining -- they are just a part of the action at the 10th annual History and Heritage Pageant in American Fork. It will be today, Monday and Tuesday from 6 p.m. to sundown at the cemetery, 26 W. 600 North, American Fork. The pageant is presented by the City Cemetery and the Cemetery Committee. Admission is $3 per person or $10 per family. Tickets are sold at the north and south entrances to the cemetery. One ticket is good for admission all three nights.

The pageant, which changes yearly, features humorous and inspiring stories from the lives of selected individuals or families who are buried in the cemetery. Actors present 10- to 20-minute vignettes of the events in those lives. There also will be entertainment nightly at 8:30.

All ages are invited to attend and enjoy food, entertainment, wagon rides, arts and crafts displays, and 25-cent ice cream cones.

The craft demonstrations include pottery by Myra Dalton, Dennis Zuban and Nash Wilkey. Nita Evans and her children will demonstrate how to card, spin and weave wool. Janet Peer and Marie Bassett will show how to create bobbin lace. Grant Iverson will show some of the skills used by mountain men, and Pauline Iverson will demonstrate beading.

Historian Betty Spencer will be on hand to sell and sign copies of her book, "American Fork: The Growing Years." She will also talk about the history of the community.

The vignettes include "The Wreck of the Julia Ann." It was a sailing vessel shipwrecked in 1855 while transporting Latter-day Saints and others from Australia to California. Its passengers included Charles and RosaClara Logie, who came to settle in American Fork.

In September of 1855, the Julia Ann set sail with a total of 56 people on board.

After almost one month at sea, disaster struck. On the evening of Oct. 4, 1855, the ship smashed into a coral reef. After hours of struggle, 51 emigrants, led by Captain B. F. Pond, were able to reach a small, uninhabited island. There they remained for almost two months, subsisting primarily on shellfish, coconuts, turtle meat and turtle eggs, before Pond was sufficiently prepared to attempt to seek help. They eventually made their way to the United States.

The Logies are buried in the American Fork Cemetery.

Another vignette focuses on Earl Eric "Hap" Holmstead. He taught school at American Fork High School for 40 years. An athlete, scholar, hunter, fisherman and mechanic, he was reportedly the first man in the history of the University of Utah to earn awards in four different sports.

Herbert and Jane Bate were American Fork residents who built Bate Hall. It was across the street from where Albertsons now sits and was a recreation building, used for civic functions and dances. The pageant will tell of their lives and some of the happenings at Bate Hall.

Betsy Bonny Murdock Green was among the first Greens in American Fork. They had a waystation near where Wal-Mart is today, where they were known for serving pies. Audience members will get a taste of cherry pie and will be able to buy pieces of pie if they wish. The pie will be provided by Flour Girls and Dough Boys.

Green's son-in-law was James Chipman, founder of the Star Flour Mill. Folk artist Eric Dowdle recently created a jigsaw puzzle commemorating the mill; those puzzles will be available for sale.

Three brothers of the Padfield family were among those killed in the Scofield mine disaster in 1900. At least 200 were killed in the Winter Quarters Mine, near the community of Scofield, making it the worst mine disaster in the country at the time. It has since been bumped to No. 5.

Only 125 caskets could be brought from Salt Lake City; the rest had to come from Denver in order to bury the dead.

President William McKinley sent a wire, expressing his "intense sorrow upon learning of the terrible calamity which has occurred at Scofield," and his "deep sympathy with the wives, children and friends of the unfortunate victims of the explosion."

The vignette tells how the community of American Fork came together to help the Padfield family survive their loss.

Roxanna Leavitt Fletcher Huntsman Snow was one of the first schoolteachers in American Fork. The vignette tells the story of her life in music, narration and dance.

Alan and Sharlene Walker will tell tales of American Fork Canyon and display relics of the canyon. Alan Walker was raised in the canyon as his parents were the curators of Timpanogos Cave for years. He is an author of one book about canyon lore and is working on a second book.

Dee Sparks will tell stories of pioneer days in the community and show replicas of early handcarts.

Five Buck Pizza, hot dogs, chips and drinks will be available to purchase, along with the traditional 25-cent ice cream cones. The Daughters of Utah Pioneers will sell honey taffy.

Those who purchase a ticket to attend the pageant may also have a free wagon ride.

There will be entertainment, with country-western singer Ryan Hardman on Saturday, M. Ryan Taylor with patriotic music on Monday, and the Old Time Fiddlers performing on Tuesday. The entertainment begins at 8:30 each evening.

Event chairwoman Cindy Holindrake invited the community members to attend, saying they would enjoy the stories and other activities.

"There is a story behind every headstone," she said. "If people have stories to tell, we will also be accepting stories for future vignettes."

For more information, call the cemetery office at (801) 763-3095.

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