Sanpete Tales: Humorous Folklore From Central Utah

There used to be so many Peter Peterson and Jens Jensons in central Utah that "Jens!" elicited about a half dozen "Ja?" s. You had to know nicknames: "Peggy" "Short Pete", or "Jens Fiddler", for instance, or even "False Bottom" or "Woodenhead". As the colorful monikers imply, these were good-natured folk who didn't take themselves too seriously. Their stories-the humorous ones-were remembered by old-time Sanpeter Edgar Jenson ("Eddie Miller" for short) and are reported by his grandson William Jenson Adams. The latter offers them in honor of his ancestors and as sly, inside jokes that would have made any Jens or Peter smile.

Tucked away in old trunks, desks, and bookcases in countless homes are stories of the pioneers who made the American West what it is today. In Sanpete County, Scandinavian immigrants add an additional dose of humor and unpretentious humanity to this heroic period.