Celebrating Panaca and Uncle Leo's 93rd Birthday

My mother's oldest sibling and my Uncle, James Leo Wadsworth, celebrated his 90th birthday on May 22,2012 in Panaca,Nevada. On a side note May 22nd is my younger brother Craig Wimsatt's birthday. My parents were driving to Panaca for the celebration on May 19th and I decided to tag along.

I love Panaca,Nevada. My mother was born there and it was the home of my grandfather James Allen Wadsworth from birth. One of the first settlers of Panaca was my great great grandfather George A. Wadsworth. After listening to the missionaries he was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints in 1852 at 23 or 24 years of age. In 1856 he came to America from Pillery,Yorkshire,England with his wife Elizabeth Broadbent and their eight week old son,Nephi John Wadsworth my great grandfather.  A more detailed account of how they eventually ended up in Panaca is on my mother's blog. Right now the population of Panaca is about 1,000,yes I have the correct number of zeros. My posts will not give a lot of the history of Panaca because my mother has done so on her blog and believe me she is a much better writer than I am.

I spent time every summer of my childhood and youth in Panaca and enjoyed every minute of it. Panaca was a child's dream. You had freedom in Panaca that you weren't allowed in the city. Springs,ponds,horses,chickens,barns,my grandparent's gardens-vegetable and flower,the general store,malt shop,granny's cooking,Cathedral Gorge, Court Rock,sleeping outside with granny on a double bed under the stars but what truly made Panaca special was family and our heritage.

This building is now the Panaca Heritage Center. It began as The Wadsworth Store started by James Allen Wadsworth my grandfather Jame's Uncle and namesake. I don't know the exact date it was established but sometime in the late 1800's. After Jame's death the store was run by my great grandfather Nephi John brother of James and eventually my grandfather James Allen. The store was then named N.J. Wadsworth & Sons General Mercantile. 

This is a replica of the sign (not exact). The original sign was damaged in a flood at my parents home. How my mother obtained possession of the sign is another story found on her blog. Its a good read for sure! 

My grandparents James Allen and Lois Wadsworth are a huge part of Panaca's Heritage and the store. Until we made our recent trip there was only one photo of my grandparents in the Heritage Center. My mother made this fabulous collage with pictures of my grandparents and a brief  timeline of some of the important events and service of my grandparents. We were able to deliver this collage to the Heritage Center with the promise that it would be displayed for the 24th of July celebration.  I am proud of my heritage and even though it was a rather large task for my Mom I am very proud that this commemorative collage will be hanging in the Panaca Heritage Center. I could actually feel that my grandparents were pleased.

While we were touring the Heritage Center my brother Paul pointed out this cabinet and said that it reminded him of granny's kitchen. At that moment my Uncle Pete said that it was indeed granny's cabinet. Right then I was flooded with fond memories of time spent in my grannies kitchen.

In the top picture from left to right Ethan Monrreal (my niece Jeni's son)Justin Wimsatt, my nephew and my mom and dad. The bottom picture from left to right my brother Paul Wimsatt, Tracy Wimsatt (Craig's wife), my brother Craig Wimsatt,Uncle Pete Horlacher locking the door,Ethan,Justin,Ina and George Wimsatt. Four generations are in this photo. I will have a few more posts on this trip to Panaca so stay tuned..........