Brief Life History of Simon Schneitter

When Simon Schneitter KWJL-QXY was born on 6 July 1823, in Wimmis, Bern, Switzerland, his father, Christian Schneitter, was 45 and his mother, Elisabeth Zumkehr, was 23. He married Maria Louisa Dintheer on 29 May 1860, in Courtelary, Bern, Switzerland. They were the parents of at least 1 son. He died on 17 September 1900, in Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States, at the age of 77, and was buried in Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States.

Brief Life History of Maria Louisa

When Maria Louisa Dintheer KWJL-QX1 was born on 17 April 1821, in Erlen, Thurgau, Switzerland, her father, Johannes Dintheer, was 26 and her mother, Anna Magdalena Rietmann, was 21. She married Johannes Kaspar Pfister on 31 January 1848, in Sulgen, Thurgau, Switzerland. They had no children. She then married Johann Heinrich Baumberger on 24 November 1851 in Fraumunster, Zurich, Switzerland. They had one child, Marie Louise Baumberger. She then married Simon Schneitter 29 May 1860 in Courtelary, Bern, Switzerland. She died on 4 July 1893, in Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States, at the age of 72, and was buried in Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States.

History of Simon and Maria Louisa Schneitter & their daughter Maria Louisa Schneitter Watts (Taken from Watts Family’s American Bicentennial Encyclopedia) *Editor’s note: Maria Louisa Schneiter Watts was “Grandma Watts” to Quentin Watts, owner of the WATTS LUMBER CO at the corner of Vose and Radford in North Hollywood. It was Quentin who sent us this history written, or at least completed, July 7, 1959, by his late Aunt Marie Louise Watts. “Grandma Watts’s” maiden name – Simon Schneitter being her stepfather – was Bamberger. She was a first cousin to Simon Bamberger who also was from Bern, Switzerland and who became – when Utah entered the Union as its 45th state – its first governor. (https://www.familysearch.org/memories/memory/215068088?cid=mem_copy)

Simon Schneitter was born July 6, 1828 in Wimms Bern, Switzerland. Maria Louisa Dintheer Baumberger, who became his wife, was born April 17, 1821, in Erlen Bern, Switzerland. By her first husband, Maria Baumberger already had a daughter, Maria Louisa, born July 24, 1853, in Gover Bern, Switzerland. Simon was a watchmaker by trade, owning his own ship, and his wife worked with him. He made the watches, and she made the cases. When the Latter-day Saints missionaries came to their home in 1862, they were welcomed and often stayed with them. Before long the message the missionaries brought was accepted by their hosts. Simon and Maria sold their business and made preparations to go to America. With their two children, Maria Louisa, and Simon Jabez, they left Switzerland for Liverpool, England. The ship Antartic, left Liverpool on May 23, 1863, with four hundred and eighty-six immigrants. Fifty-seven of them were Swiss under the guidance of John Huber. During the voyage to America ten children and one adult became ill, died and were buried at sea. The ship docked at Castle Garden, New York on Friday, July 10, 1863. From Castle Garden they went to Albany, Niagara Falls, Detroit, Chicago, Quincy, and, finally, St. Joseph, Missouri. By steamboat they traveled up the Missouri River to Florence, Nebraska, where they outfitted themselves with wagon, ox team and supplies for their trek across the plains. Three trains were organized under the leadership of John R. Murdock, John F. Sanders, and Wm. B. Preston. They left Florence, Nebraska July 25, 1863, in the John R. Murdock Company, arriving in Salt Lake Valley September 9, 1863. A few weeks after their arrival in the valley they learned they were to go to Midway to join the other Swiss families who had already settled there. It was late in the fall when they started. Cold weather and snow made it impossible to go through the mountains, so they camped on Provo Beach until the snow had melted the following spring, and the wagons could be driven through the canyon. On their arrival in Midway, they were greeted by the other Swiss families. They felt at home in this beautiful valley as it reminded them of Switzerland, surrounded as it was by mountains much like their homeland. It lies at the junction of two great ranges where the east-west Uintah’s meet the north south Wasatch. They settled on several acres of land on which was one large hot pot (Editor: spring or geyser) and several small ones. A log house was built in Snake Creek Canyon which stood until about 1900 when it was destroyed by fire. The land had to be cleared of sage brush so that crops could be planted. Although farming was entirely new to them, they soon learned to cultivate the land. It was not long before crops were growing all around the hot pots. Cattle and chickens were added and soon they were making their living off the land. When Park City had developed into a mining town and Provo had been settled, people heard of the hot pots and would go over in their wagons to see them. It was then that they dreamed of building a hotel and resort. In 1886 a two-story brick hotel and a swimming pool were started. The hotel, still in use, is now known as the “Virginia House”. A hole was drilled at the base of the large hot pot, and the water was piped to the pool. It because a very popular bathing resort. Visitors came from many parts of the United States to spend their vacation and to bathe in the invigorating mineral water. Maria Louisa Schneitter died September 4, 1893, and Simon Schneitter died September 17, 1900. After their death, their son Simon Jabez, his wife and family operated the Hot Pot Resort. He died September 27,1938, and his wife died September 1,1950. His family operated it until 1951 when it was sold to the Whitaker brothers, the present owners. Thus ended eighty-seven years of ownership by the Schneitter family. Their daughter, Maria Louisa, was ten years old when they found their new home in Midway. She helped her stepfather clear the land, plant and harvest the crops. Every Friday during the spring, summer and fall she and her stepfather drove to Salt Lake City with a wagon load of butter, eggs and vegetables. Some of the most prominent people in Salt Lake City were their regular customers. Mrs. Conrad Wilkinson who operated a millinery shop was one of them. On one of her trips Maria Louisa mentioned to Mrs. Wilkinson that she would like to stay in Salt Lake as she thought there were more advantages in the city for a young girl. She stayed in the milliner’s home attending school until Mrs. Wilkinson’s health compelled her to close the shop. Maria Louisa then went to live in the home of Dr. Joseph Benedict. In 1882 she married Richard Alfred Watts and raised a family of seven children, six sons and one daughter (Editor: this only daughter, of course, had to be the author, Maria Louise Watts) all of whom were living when she passed away July 29, 1932 in Salt Lake City at the age of seventy-nine.

Brief Life History of Simon Jabez

When Simon Jabez Schneitter K812-DDJ was born on 30 June 1860, in Saint-Imier, Bern, Switzerland, his father, Simon Schneitter, was 36 and his mother, Maria Louisa Dintheer, was 39. He married Velate Manhart on 18 September 1898. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 1 daughter. He immigrated to United States in 1863. He died on 27 September 1938, in Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States, at the age of 78, and was buried in Midway City Cemetery, Midway, Wasatch, Utah, United States.

Several dozen active hot pots are near the town of Midway in northwestern Wasatch County, Utah. Hot pots are natural hot-water springs that form crater-like depressions usually 10 to 20 feet in diameter in mounds of tufa (calcium carbonate) that are typically 3 to 10 feet high. The largest hot pot in this area is the Homestead Crater which is over 200 feet in diameter, 55 feet high, and the water inside the crater is over 65 feet deep. The crater began forming about 10,000 years ago when snow melting from the Wasatch Mountains seeped down about two miles into the earth. The water, once there, was heated by nearby volcanic activity and pushed upward again. As it made this journey it acquired minerals that eventually led to the limestone formation of Homestead Crater.

The Homestead Crater is at the Homestead Resort and has been developed. The photos are showing the top opening of the crater which is reached by climbing 78 stairs and inside the crater where you can swim in the hot springs.

Heber Valley Heritage Foundation