Levi Jeans and Ponytails

Burton McAllister, my mother-in-law's maternal grandfather, bought his family farm from Clara Spencer in the mid 1940's in Southern Utah. The farm was not intended to be the source of income, but the source of food for his family and a place to call home. Burton and his family raised 60 head of cows, grew the hay to feed them, ate them in gratitude, grew vegetables to go with them.

The land that houses the McAllister farm has turned up artifacts going back to the Piute Tribe boasting grinding stones and beads. It also falls on the land that was once the Kanab Fort that tragically burned to the ground killing a local woman and her five sons. There is a historical marker located there.

Southern Utah, being the media mecca that it is, soon brought the movies to film in the unique landscapes for the Western movies of the time. Burton was known to be somewhat of a horse whisperer. His horses were rented by movie producers to be used in the Westerns moving pictures. There was once a time that a movie producer requested to purchase one of Burton's favorite horses. Burton requested what, to him, seemed like an unreasonable amount of money. The producer agreed to the price, and Burton, being a man of his word, had to sell.

In the 1960's Burton McAllister fell victim to mortality's curse and passed away. His daughter Ada had married a Burton of her own and was now Ada Judd. Burton and Ada Judd bought the farm a year after her father's passing to work for their own children. Ada and Burton had five daughters and one son...with hay fever. Those little girls worked the land with their Daddy, driving tractors and riding horses in their Levi Jeans and ponytails. The girls made quite a sight for visitors to the area. They were no strangers to the hard work or the farm equipment, but at the time, it wasn't so common to see a clan of girls doing the men's work and faring just fine. Any boy that courted a Judd girl got a shot at working that land as well. Any man that married one see's the strong work ethic and independent spirit these ladies procured in their days getting their hand's dirty on the farm.

Burton Judd recently met his time of mortality as well and the farm is in limbo. The land is rich with potential in that area of the country, in beautiful red rock country on the border of Arizona and Utah. The family has not decided what to do with the land at this time and the ties to the memories are rich, telling by the light in my mother-in-law's eyes when she spoke of her memories there. There might not have been any amazing ties to the history of the United States, but this family has roots that run deep to this spot on the map.