Preserving Heber Valley’s Pioneer Heritage
What an incredible milestone for historic preservation in Heber Valley. After devastation when the cabin was disassembled last year, with careful planning, and community collaboration, the historic John and Mary Giles Crook Cabin has been reassembled, bringing an important piece of our valley’s pioneer heritage back to life.
John and Mary (Giles) Crook were English immigrants and among Heber Valley’s earliest pioneers. They built this humble log cabin as their first home in the valley. In 1859, other settlers constructed similar cabins, placing them close together to form what became known as Fort Heber.
For decades, the Crook Cabin stood near the entrance of the Homestead Resort, serving as a reminder of the determination, sacrifice, and resilience of our valley’s earliest settlers. When the cabin was removed, its original logs and materials were carefully preserved by the Hicken family, with the hope that one day it could be restored.
This past spring, students from Wasatch High School’s CAPS program played an important role in the project, identifying, inventorying, tagging, and helping develop plans for the cabin’s reassembly. Mike Johnston prepared the engineering plans, while skilled craftsmen Paul Lamphier and Allan Gehring, along with dedicated volunteers and Crook family descendants, helped bring the historic structure back to life.
Special recognition goes to the Alice (Crook) Hicken family, the extended descendants of John and Mary Crook, the Heber City Historic Preservation Commission, and Ron Carlile and his family for their contributions, commitment, and support throughout this remarkable restoration effort.
We love sharing the stories that connect our community to its past. The restoration of the Crook Cabin is more than the rebuilding of a historic structure. It represents generations of family history, the preservation of our pioneer heritage, and the power of a community coming together for a common purpose.
Congratulations to everyone who helped make this historic milestone possible!
