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Glenn Beck brings history to life at Preston fundraiser to benefit library, Oneida Stake Academy
- Necia Seamons
- Jul 3
- 3 min read
Necia P. Seamons Correspondent- The Preston Citizen
The idea that the United States should only welcome law-abiding immigrants willing to adopt its values isn’t unique to this country. That’s what attendees of a fundraiser held in Preston learned last weekend.
In a riveting presentation based on the stories connected to artifacts from the history of the United States, well-known media personality Glenn Beck shared the original agreement between Stephen F. Austin and the 1824 Mexican government regarding the settlement of Texas. In it, officials delineated the Mexican government’s expectations of Austin’s new colony:
• Only law-abiding residents would be admitted.
• Officials required notification if any laws were broken — and if they weren’t, and Mexican officials found out, the whole deal was off.
• For every 100 families admitted, a Catholic church would be built where services would be held in Spanish.
• For every 100 families admitted, a school would be built in which the Spanish language would be taught.
Beck, a resident of Franklin County, offered three weekend shows featuring some of his artifacts to help raise funds for the expansion of the Larsen-Sant Library and the restoration of the Oneida Stake Academy building as a cultural center and museum of local history.
Each show was packed with people — some local, some from long distances — interested in Beck’s ability to bring history to life. He told the audience that it wasn’t the dates and names in history that helped him understand the past, but the stories of the whats, whys and hows connected to those names and dates.
For over an hour to an hour and a half during each show, his audience learned details Beck has uncovered in documents and artifacts that shed light on the American story.
For example, slavery — condoned by the king of England — was rejected by all but two of the country’s first 13 colonies. South Carolina and Georgia would not let the practice go.
So, to preserve the push for independence from England, the founding fathers removed language from the Declaration of Independence that would have prevented slavery in the new nation.
If that hadn’t happened, Beck said, the new country would have been 70 years ahead in its effort to end slavery.
Beck also thanked the community for its neighborly welcome to his family over the years. In turn, attendees expressed gratitude for the support he has lent to local efforts.
“In the 15 years he has lived here, he has given of his time and talents, and never asked for a cent of compensation,” said Richard Stewart. Stewart and his wife, Sue, have put much effort into raising funds for the expansion of Preston’s Larsen-Sant Library.
The fundraiser was held in the new Franklin County Event Center at the fairgrounds, under the largest flag in Southeast Idaho, according to County Commissioner Zach Stewart.
Organizers were thanked repeatedly by attendees for the opportunity to listen to Beck.
“We are extremely grateful for his time — it was not an easy thing for Mr. Beck to give three shows last Saturday,” said Brandon Olsen of the Oneida Stake Academy Foundation. “He was very generous to our cause.”
Beck told the audience that some of his extensive collection will be open to the public as early as next year in a new museum he is having built in Texas.
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