Armed with four boxes from Lehi historian Richard Van Wagoner, John Knollin Haws Jr. invited four Lehi residents to help him form an archive for Lehi. Today, those archives boast more than 38,000 cataloged items.
Just four years ago, John Knollin Haws Jr. was just a man with a dream.
But armed with four boxes from Lehi historian Richard Van Wagoner, Haws invited Lehi residents Judy Hansen, Mike Southwick, Rhea Lewis and Lynette Harris to help him form Friends of the Archives. “What started out with four members, has grown to around 30 people wanting to preserve our city’s histories,” said Lewis.
Today, thanks to Haws and his vision, what basically started out as a kitchen table meeting has morphed into the Lehi Historical Society and Archives with its own building, located just south of the Lehi City Library. The society boasts more than 38,000 cataloged items, ranging in topics from biographical information, Lehi history, Lehi homes and police and servicemen to women of Lehi, newspaper collections, Lehi scouting and paintings from Lehi artists.
With an impressive memory and vast knowledge of Lehi, Haws has written much of what is in the archives. He was an expert on Camp Floyd, the Pony Express, Saratoga Resort, Utah Lake, the sugar factories and much more.
Born Jan. 13, 1954, to John Knollin and Shirley Messersmith Haws, John loved the family and old Lehi he grew up in. His wife, Jeanette, said, “He participated in every club there was in high school and served as student body president of Lehi High School from 1971-72.”
This was also when Haws developed his love for history and started collecting presidential pins and posters, which displayed fill a gymnasium. Jeanette said he began collecting when his grandmother wanted to vote for John F. Kennedy for president, but grandpa did not agree so she felt like she couldn’t vote for him. However, in defiance, she saved the newspaper announcing JFK’s win and gave it to Haws, sparking a lifelong passion.
Haw’s father, Knollin Haws, described John this way. “He was a fine boy. He was friendly, warm and courteous. He got his Eagle. He did very little wrong. He was a straight arrow. He was exemplary.”
That exemplary boy grew up to go on a mission to England for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When he got back, at age 21, he ran for the Lehi City Council as a Progressive Party candidate and ended up being the first non-Democrat to win since 1967. His platform was that his youth could bring a fresh new approach to city government. He served from 1975-84.
Over the years, Haws also worked for the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems and Kohlers.
But at age 56, Haws did what many might have thought was too late to endeavor. He went back to school, fulfilling a lifelong dream of obtaining a degree in history education and graduating magna cum laude from UVU. That degree helped him become the debate teacher at Lone Peak High School. During that time, his debate team was named School of the Year for the National Forensics League (NFL), won sweepstakes at the NFL National Qualifier Tournament and took second at State.
At church, Jeanette said, “He touched kids no one else could.” Just recently a man drove by while Haws was walking outside. “He screeched his brakes, hopped out of the car and ran back to give John a hug. They loved him because he loved them.”
Haws died June 28, 2017.
The purpose of the Lehi Historical Society and Archives is to collect, obtain, record, preserve, protect, educate, and promote the history of Lehi and its peoples.
