Near Jensen in Uintah County, Utah — The American Mountains (Southwest)
A Real Pioneer
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 17, 2013
1. A Real Pioneer Marker
Old homesteads are scattered throughout Dinosaur National Monument, each a memorial to hope and hard work. This cabin and the nearby structures are part of the homestead established by Josie Bassett Morris in the early 1900s.
Nearing 40 years of age, divorced and with her children grown, Josie wanted a home of her own. She chose this spot for its plentiful water and good pasture, the natural resources necessary to grow fruits and vegetables and raise cattle.
Family and friends from Vernal often visited. The cabin floors were softened by braided rugs, the beds were warmed with handmade quilts, and Josie's favorite pictures hung on wallpapered walls. In summer, beds of cosmos, marigolds, and poppies ringed the cabin.
There was always lots of work and never much money, but life here at Cub Creek suited Josie's independent spirit. She lived in this cabin until shortly before her death in 1964 at age 90.
Erected by National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Settlements & Settlers • Women.
Location. 40° 25.52′ N, 109° 10.498′ W. Marker is near Jensen, Utah, in Uintah County. Marker can be
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Twentieth Century Homestead (within shouting distance of this marker); A Fremont Mystery (approx. 0.8 miles away); What Makes a Wilderness? (approx. 8.6 miles away in Colorado); Jensen (Mau-be) Ferry (approx. 9.3 miles away); Fight for the Heart of Dinosaur (approx. 9.6 miles away in Colorado).
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Josie Bassett Morris Homestead
Also see . . .
1. Josie Bassett Morris.
Wild and dangerous, romantic and adventurous, the American West is for most people today an almost mythological world, one separated from ours by time, technology, and civilization. Yet, for Josie Bassett Morris, the Wild West was a stark reality. Josie lived most of her 90 years in this austere, yet beautiful, landscape, when people depended on the bounty of the land for survival and "neighbors" for companionship. (Submitted on February 27, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Josie Bassett.
Josie Bassett was born the first of two girls to Herb Bassett and Mary Eliza Chamberlain (Elizabeth)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 17, 2013
2. Marker detail: Josie Morris at her gate in 1953
3. Marker detail: Josie on a horse
For most of her 50 years here, Josie lived alone.
4. Marker detail: Josie using an axe
She did all the work required to maintain a home, including tasks that many people at that time might have called “men’s work.”
Credits. This page was last revised on October 14, 2020. It was originally submitted on February 27, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 274 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 27, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
