A Gathering Place

History of Beaver Springs cabin in Tony Grove- Logan Canyon

Nestled among the trees of beautiful Tony Grove in Logan Canyon is one of my favorite places on earth - the Israelsen Family cabin. Since I was a little girl, I’ve gone to the cabin for annual reunions, New Year’s celebrations, snowmobiling, horseback riding, etc.

At our reunion this summer, I asked my grandma to review the history of the cabin with me. This is what she said.

In the early 1900’s her grandfather, Nicholas Crookston, asked the government for several acres to homestead, which they granted. He loved being in the mountains and in order to have rights to the land, you had to prove you were homesteading. So he did.

When his son (my great grandfather), Robert Burns Crookston, was married with children, he asked his father if he’d give a portion of the land to him to build on. He said, “Sure. Why don’t you look around and decide which piece you’d like.”

My grandmother said she remembers riding up there with her parents when she was a little girl and looking around for the perfect spot. My grandma said, “when we came to this spot, my father knew right away that this is what he wanted.” His father gave him the land and shortly thereafter, my great grandfather had a little railroad car transported up there, which became the beginnings of a family cabin.

When my great grandfather died, he divided the land between his children. Since my grandparents were living in Logan, and had the ability to care for the cabin, they inherited that portion.

Over time, that little railroad car was added on to, and added onto again. And now there’s a beautiful addition to accommodate the growing family. My grandparents had twelve children and all of them, plus grand children and great grandchildren gather at least once a year for our family reunion. This year we had over 130 people and it’s amazing that you don’t feel cramped.

The cabin has been a gathering place for decades. It’s a place for people to go and feel peace. It’s amazing to me, that all the years I’ve been there, I don’t ever remember feeling contention. We have a diverse family, but everyone is welcomed and loved and there is a strong sense of family unity and loyalty.

The cabin represents to me a place of gathering, hard work, family unity, being still, building memories, sacrifice, service, and love. One of my cousins said something this year that really stuck with me. He said, “Service is a way of showing love to others.” We don’t necessarily enjoy the jobs that service requires, but we do them, because we love the people we’re serving.

He gave the example of cleaning out my grandma’s basement after my grandpa died. It was infested with mice. It was a disgusting, dirty job, that I’m sure none of them looked forward to, but they did it, because they love my grandma.

I think of all the hours of service offered by different family members at the cabin or otherwise, and have a great amount of respect and love for all of them.

I’m so grateful my grandparents and their predecessors had the foresight to create such a haven for our family and many others to enjoy.

This is a bronze sculpture my dad made of his grandfather, Robert Burns Crookston. He's the one who started the cabin and now whenever we walk into the main room, it's as though he's with us. The bronze is titled "Coach" because that's what people called him. He coached at Utah State for many years.

My grandmother is an artist and several of her children and grandchildren have inherited that gene. I didn't. But, obviously, my dad did and I enjoy his work.

This is the original cabin - it was an old railroad car.

I come from a family of hunters, so there are almost as many stuffed animals in the cabin as there are people. The bear below was my grandpa's crown jewel. He shot it in Alaska a few years ago, accompanied by two of his sons.

The cabin has a nice blend of rugged and artistic - representing both of my grandparents.