Appreciation goes to the people who gave time, energy, and money and love to preserve and restore the Wasatch Block Building. Their legacy of love has saved this historic Main Street building!

These good men and women, acted together as first responders to the city’s dilemma of what to do with the condition of the Wasatch Block Building. Monte Bona-Mt. Pleasant City Representative, Dave Blackham-City Buisnessman who financed the project initially, Jim Noorlander Roofing-General Contractor, Hannah Caldwell-Computerized Floor Plan, James Draper Construction Co., Kevin Stallings Heating & Air Conditioning Co, Tony Kelso Plumbing, Danny Winona-Electrical Co., North Sanpete Disposal Co, Richard Clayton-Construction, Earl Hansen-Construction, Horseshoe Mountain Hardware, Dax Welding-Metal Works, Christiansen Glass and Paint, Enio Solares-Stucco work, Caldwell Concrete-cement work, MKJ Construction-Backhoe, Christensen Ready Mix-cement, Parry Siding-Aluminum Soffit and Fascia, John Nuttle-Excavation, Westroc-cement, John Stilson-Painter, and all the building suppliers and operators who helped, the many people who worked with them on the project, and those who supported them in their work to preserve and restore the building, on Main Street, in Mt. Pleasant, Utah. The City administrators of Mt. Pleasant, especially Dave Oxman and Jon Woodard who were very helpful! You did the right thing! May God Bless you!

A disastrous condition prevailed on Main Street in the spring of 2008. The abandoned adjoining building structure east of the Wasatch Block Building collapsed and the walls of the Wasatch Block Building became unstable.

This was due to a wet season and extensive building neglect.

The buildings shared a common wall and when the first building crumbled and fell to the ground, it imposed upon the common wall of the Wasatch Block Building.

It also shares a common wall with the building west of it.

Further neglect could have caused disaster for that entire block of buildings in the historic Main Street District.

Much talk and discussion ensued and many comments were shared with David Blackham, about the disaster and the buildings neglect and what to do about it.

As his Pharmacy business is also on Main Street, he participated in many of these discussions with local people and city officials. It did not take Dave very long before he made the decision to help with the preservation of such a stately building.

My husband, David Blackham, accepted the advertised proposal set forth by the CRDA and work on the preservation and restoration project began.

Dave asked Jim Noorlander to help with this project and he hired local people to do the clean up and restoration work.

Later discussions and circumstances led to the project actually receiving CDBG and State History grants.

At this stage of the project, the city chose how the grant funds would be spent, and who would be hired to finish the project. When the grant money was spent, the city requested that Dave pay for the grants, or to back out.

Dave chose to back out, as this project was clearly a city project! Dave’s money invested in the building, that initially saved the building, has been committed by the city council to be returned to him.

In every stage of the process of the work and discussions about the restoration of the building, I witnessed my husband surrender his money and his position with love for this community and do what was best for this project to go forward in preserving the Wasatch Block Building.

I witnessed Jim Noorlander, the general contractor of this building service project, accept money from me for his worker’s labor, but he never took money for his own labor. He only charged for his daily expenses to do this project, such as lunches and gas money to get to the site.

His contribution was a labor of love and a donation of time, energy and money! He put in the sweat labor along side his workers and then stayed late to clean up the worksite, making it presentable each night.

He re-roofed the building also. All organizing of materials and work schedules was done as a service to the community on his own time and his own dime!

He was the main reason the initial clean up and restoration project was so well done and was done at a very reasonable cost.

I witnessed Monte Bona work and worry over the building project and put in his own time, preparing grant requests and applications, talking to countless officials on the state and national level, caring about how it all turned out.

He was never paid for any of his expertise, neither his time nor energy, yet he did serve our community as he did oversee of the project, the grants and did help with trouble-shooting and problem-solving issues of the restoration project.

Later, Dave Oxman would continue the overseeing of the project for a very nominal fee. His help was also needed and his time was a great service to the community.

Other workers finished out the project, but they were hired by the city, and I don’t know whom they all are, but they also deserve appreciation for being able to follow through on this project to completion.

This building was preserved by a legacy of love from those who worked to save it and to restore it in any way! They are the good people in our community, the hero’s in this situation! They are our neighbors and our friends! T

he Wasatch Block Building, is a legacy building, preserved by our community for everyone to enjoy! It is the tallest, stateliest and most beautiful building on the historic Mt. Pleasant City Main Street!

Dianne Blackham,

Mt, Pleasant