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TOOELE COUNTY -- Iosepa is one of those Utah places you're more likely to read about in a ghost town book than actually visit. But Saturday, the town was alive once again.
As part of Archeology Day, a group digging in Iosepa invited the public to see what they've found. A lot of Utahns are interested in the state's history, but one of the biggest mysteries in the early years of Utah is this little town.
It's out in the West Desert of Tooele County, north of Dugway.
For the past few years, a group of archeologists have been trying to solve that mystery.
This is more close to home. It's definitely way closer to home than Indiana Jones.
–Marlette McKinney
And while Indiana Jones finds his treasure in a nicely-timed 2-hour movie, for real life archaeologists a couple of years is considered quick.
"This is more close to home," said Murray resident Marlette McKinney. "It's definitely way closer to home than Indiana Jones and who we are."
McKinney and her family made the trip to the lost town of Iosepa Saturday morning because they wanted to see what those archeologists were doing. The kids loved it.
"They need to know there's more than video games," said Murray resident Roy Skog.
But as games go. this one can be just as adventurous and maybe more important. The people digging are college students from New York. They held an open house so anybody could go out and see what they've been doing.
"It's a way to share our findings and share the discipline and share this brand of science," said Benjamin Pykles, a professor at the State University of New York at Potsdam.
Among the findings: old tools, glass and even the siding of an old harmonica.
Iosepa was a town of about 200 Hawaiian residents who moved to the West Desert of all places in 1889 to be a part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"It's really important to understand the history of where everybody came from," said McKinney.
Pykles says while the archeology part of Iosepa is exciting, the story of the Hawaiians who moved out to Utah and persevered to start their own community is equally intriguing.
"The story is amazing," he said. "You have this group of pacific islanders coming out here to the West Desert and successfully settling a town out here."
The settlers left just 28 years after forming the town, making Iosepa one of those great Utah ghost towns.
Digging into its past most likely won't result in the discovery of a Lost Ark or a Temple of Doom, but it will help tell Iosepa's story.
"It helps to know just what other people have done in their lives," said Skog.
The group says they still have a lot of work and uncovering to do. They plan on being out at Iosepa through the summer and even next year.
Even though Saturday was the "official" Archeology Day, Pykles says his group could show people around the excavation site the week of July 19 through the 23. Pykles says his team will be on site from 7:30 a.m. to about noon.
E-mail: acabrero@ksl.com
