A century and a half ago, some left and some stayed. Some found a new faith and traveled halfway around the world to a little valley in central Utah. Some lived out their lives in Denmark, holding to the traditions and ways of their forefathers.
So, all these years later, when a group of descendants of the former met with descendants of the latter, there was interest all around. It happened last Saturday, when Mt. Pleasant hosted a visit by the Danish men's Olympic curling team.
The team, Ulrik Schmidt, Lasse Lavrsen, Carsten Svensgaard, Brian Hansen and Frants Gufler, finished seventh in the Games; not as good as they had hoped, but nothing to be ashamed of, either. Medals aside, they were given a golden welcome by the people of Mt. Pleasant.
"We're just tickled pink to have you here," Mayor Chesley Christensen told the delegation at a kick-off reception at City Hall. But then he had to explain what that meant. The Danes all spoke very good English, but that was a colloquial expression they were not familiar with. Before day's end, however, they were using it themselves. It was not the only thing they learned on their visit.
"It's very overwhelming," said Schmidt. "It's a strange feeling to be here, to see the pride the people take in their roots. There is a lot of warmth." He has been to the United States many times, he said, but this small town "is quite different from the rest of the U.S. The people here are more sincere, I think."
Mt. Pleasant was established by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint settlers in 1852 but really didn't get going until a colonizing party of Scandinavian converts ? people with names like Madsen, Larsen, Frandsen, Jensen, Johansen and Christensen ? arrived in 1859. They built flour mills and saw mills. They dug irrigation systems and planted crops. They built houses and barns just like they had back home.
The industry of those first settlers ? and those who came later, many of which also shared Danish heritage ? paid off, and the town prospered. They built fine stores and buildings along Main Street. It became known as the "Queen City" of Sanpete County.
A two-block section of Main Street is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. "It's supposed to be one of the best examples of an old, small-town Main Street in the country," said Mayor Christensen.
And while no one would say it looks like towns in Denmark, there are some similarities, said Peter Goss, architectural historian who came along to talk about those features with the Danish delegation.
"Half-frame buildings with adobe in-fill, pair houses with kitchen/living area in the center and other rooms on each side ? they are very familiar with those in Denmark." Building materials are similar, too. "They use a lot of mud-dried brick, what we call adobe."
Lunch for the delegation was held at the Horseshoe Mountain Restaurant, where owner/chef Sil Hathaway, with some Danish family connections of his own, prepared a buffet featuring some Scandinavian favorites: sweet and sour cabbage, Danish potatoes, roast beef, cherry strudel.
"There are a lot of old Danish recipes in town," he said. "People bring in family recipes all the time and ask me to make them."
The red cabbage was a particular favorite. "We always have it at Christmas," said Eline Andersen, press attache for the Danish delegation, who accompanied the team.
But if the food had some Danish flavor, the entertainment was American: songs sung by sixth-graders from Mt. Pleasant Elementary School, followed by tall tales shared by Paul Turner.
"I'm a legend spinner," said Turner, "which means I don't have to get it exactly right." He enlisted the help of several team members to help him tell Butch Cassidy stories.
The men had great fun donning the Western hats and playing along ? but no one made a better cowboy than Frants Gufler, whose John Wayne imitation had the whole room cracking up.
Afterward, honorary certificates of Mt. Pleasant citizenship were presented. The team also brought pictures to share. And they signed autographs.
"Curling is new to us," said Sally East, director of tourism and economic development for Sanpete County, "so it is fun to have them come so we can learn more."
Although very popular in Canada and Scandinavian countries, curling is one of the sports that gets less attention in the United States.
In addition to the men's curling team, Denmark brought a women's curling team and one moguls skier. "Winter sports are much smaller for us than summer sports," said Kim Larsen, the team's physiotherapist, who also came to Mt. Pleasant.
Overall, he said, the Danish experience at the Olympics has been good. But the competition schedule has been such that they have not had a lot of time to get out and see things, he said, so this excursion was very enjoyable. He was impressed with the mountain scenery in the area, something they don't have at home, and with the welcome they received.
"It's a great experience," echoed Lavrsen. While staying in the Village has been a lot of fun, he said, "it's nice to meet people other than in the Village. We're not used to towns like this, where everyone is so friendly, so aware of roots."
But the Mt. Pleasant residents were impressed, too. "Having them come all the way here makes us feel more a part of the Olympics," said Agnes Heath. "This is what it's all about," she said.
All too soon, it was time for the outing to end ? for some to go and some to stay. But both sides would carry memories of shared laughter, shared warmth, shared heritage.
"Being a Dane in Utah is a special experience," said Anderson. "It make us feel part of a greater family."
E-MAIL: carma@desnews.com