1. BR: T2D21
What were some interesting things you learned about your community while completing your Guided Tour Assignment? Share!

2. Ch. 8 Turmoil in the Territory
Utah Studies
Ch. 8 Turmoil in the Territory

3. Coming Together
Mormons and Native Americans had their struggles, but also many successes. Natives and Mormons lived very different lifestyles, but despite these, they usually got along.
Disease was one of the most challenging difficulties they faced. The Mormons brought diseases like typhoid, diphtheria, the flu, scarlet fever, measles, smallpox, etc. which left many natives sick or dying.
However, when one side struggled, the other assisted their fellow people. When the Mormons almost starved in bad winters, the Indians showed them things they could eat, like Sego Lilies, which is the state flower as a result. Mormons helped care for sick and starving natives as well.

4. Conflict Among Natives
The Mormons soon realized that the tribes didn’t all get along. The Utes, Shoshone and less aggressive Paiutes were rivals, and competed with each other for resources, etc. The Utes and Shoshone usually didn’t meet each other that often, as they lived far apart. But they sometimes fought and killed each other, even other groups in the same tribe.
One conflict that emerged was the Walker War (1853), named after Chief Walkera, whom we’ve talked about. Why did war break out?
1000s of new white settlers arriving every year
Less animals for everyone to hunt & eat
Fenced off areas cut off Natives from hunting grounds, trails, etc.
Sickness had killed many Natives
Attempts by Mormons to end the Slave Trade.

5. Ways to Come Together
The Mormons, like most white people, honestly thought that their way of life, religion, culture, etc., was the best option for the Natives (instead of their own culture) like many other whites before, who attempted to force the Natives to be like them.
In Utah, the same sort of Manifest Destiny type thinking prevailed. Many of the Indians obliged the Mormons, perhaps having heard that fighting this trend elsewhere had only ended in death and despair for the Natives. VID
One of the most famous of these missionaries to the Indians was Jacob Hamblin. He had settled in Tooele, UT, but in a fight with Indians his gun had jammed. He felt this was a sign from God that he should not kill, but instead befriend the Natives, and he spent the rest of his life doing just that. Hamblin HO

6. The Utah War
Meanwhile, trouble was brewing in the East. Though half of the territorial leaders were local Mormons, the other half were outsiders picked by the Federal Government. Many were good men who soon realized the Mormons were pretty average people.
Many however came to Utah with bitter prejudice against the Mormons, and they never let those go. In all, 3 different federal judges, a surveyor and an Indian agent all returned East, with word that the Mormons were just as bad as rumors said, and leaving a bitter taste in the Mormons’ mouths as well.

7. Preparations for War
Summer, 1857: Pres. James Buchanan, believing the horrific stories he heard coming out of Utah, organized an army to take care of the supposed threat.
Alfred Cumming was sent as the new territorial governor. The army was called the Utah Expedition, and made their way by foot and horseback. Albert S. Johnston was promoted to colonel, and put in charge of the army of men, the largest army the U.S. had organized in several decades. It was called the Utah Expedition.
Meanwhile, the Mormons had no clue. They were celebrating Pioneer Day when the news of the approaching army arrived. When they found out, many wondered if this would be a repeat of what had happened in Missouri and Illinois. VID

8. War Starts…but Not in Utah
As mentioned before, an uneasy peace returned to the Utah Territory. Johnston and the Utah Expedition stayed nearby to protect Gov. Cumming, but not too close, heading a bit west of Utah Lake, and establishing Camp Floyd VID
After only three years, Camp Floyd was uprooted and sent back east in preparation for the Civil War (June, 1861). The supplies they couldn’t take were sold for dirt cheap to the local Mormons. For instance, $150 wagons sold for just $10.
Nearly 100 soldiers from Camp Floyd later became generals in the Civil War. 50, including Albert S. Johnston, fought for the Confederacy, and 48 for the Union.

9. After Camp Floyd
After the Army left, Gov. Cumming worked with local leaders to continue to enforce the law and keep the peace. He was seen as a success by both Mormons and nonmormons alike.
However, he was a Southerner, and with the political climate as it was with the Civil War, he knew that we would likely not be reappointed, so he resigned and left several months later as a friend to most in the territory.
Camp Floyd, though short lived, left a lasting impression. Many soldiers stayed behind and settled in Utah, as did others who came with the Army, leaving Utah more diverse than before.
Meanwhile, the Fed. Government never quite forgave Utah for Buchanan’s Blunder. It would take another ~40 years to become a state.

10. Settlements, Transportation & Mining
Ch. 9
Settlements, Transportation & Mining

11. New Settlements
After the Utah War, more and more Mormons converted and came to Utah, many from Europe. And more settlements were planned and created as a result.
For example, Huntsville was settled in 1860, named after Jefferson Hunt, who led seven different families into the area.
They met Chief Little Soldier and his Shoshone tribe, but to avoid conflict, they agreed to pay the Indians an annual tax of cattle, flour, and vegetables. They were later joined by a large group of Danish settlers.
Get in pairs, and one pretend to be a) Little Soldier, and b) Jefferson Hunt. Each of you write a short speech (1-2 paragraphs) explaining why you came to this agreement. How will it help your people? How will it keep the peace? Share and help one another!

12. The Cotton Mission
Meanwhile, Brigham Young saw a lot of potential in the Southern part of the Territory, in what is now known as Utah’s Dixie. He felt that the climate could provide “the Territory with cotton, sugar, grapes, tobacco, figs, almonds, olive oil…[&] produce wine for the holy sacrament, for medicine, and for sale to outsiders.”
Several small communities were colonized, like Ash Creek, but the biggest group were 300 men and their families, who in 1861 settled along the Virgin River, and created St. George, perhaps named after one of their leaders, George A. Smith, a Mormon apostle*
Despite many problems, the town grew. It soon had lots of cotton growing and being traded and sold. However, floods, heat, drought, and many other such problems plagued these saints. St. George soon became an important stopping point on the way to California. *Article, Hard Life Handout

13. Transportation
Before the railroad came to Utah, people would often take a stagecoach, a faster wagon that was run by daring individuals who risked life and limb traveling through Indian country, taking freight, travelers, mail, etc.
The routes had rest stops along the way, to change horses, get some food and rest, etc. VID This was the same route that the Pony Express would take for several years. SVID.

14. The Telegraph
Sadly for the Pony Express, the end came almost as soon as it got started. It ran weekly from April 1860 – October 1861, then died with a whimper.
Why? The telegraph, of course. The telegraph used wires to transmit a message, just a simple sound, instantly.
Obviously, it changed things drastically. By October, 1861, the telegraph reached Utah, and the transcontinental line ran straight through the territory, and soon the many towns were connected.
Two days later, the Pony Express officially ended. VID

15. Camp Douglas
As the Civil War broke out, a year after the departure of Camp Floyd and Johnston’s Army (1862), 750 soldiers from California and Nevada arrived, under Col. Patrick Edward Connor. They were there to protect the mail and telegraph lines from attack by Indians, robbers, etc.
Col. Connor didn’t care for the Mormons. He built Camp Douglas on the East Bench, overlooking SLC, which is part of the University of Utah today. That way, they could keep a watchful eye on the Mormons. VID
He tried to minimize Mormon influence in Utah, starting the Liberal Party, which fought the Mormon church, created a newspaper, etc. He was also infamous for many attacks on Indians (which we’ll discuss in a bit).
He also opened Utah’s first silver mine, drawing many non-Mormons to the state, and is known as the Father of Utah Mining: A Place of Many Religions Handout

16. Bear River Massacre, 1863
Connor also didn’t like the Indians, like many Americans at the time. Traveling pioneers had shot and killed many a friendly Shoshone, out of fear, spite, etc. Soon, the Shoshone saw the white men as enemies.
After some raids in Northern Utah in 1863, Connor determined it must have been the Shoshone, though he had no proof. He planned an attack, and when several renegade Shoshone attacked some gold miners, that was his cue. He didn’t plan on taking any prisoners.
Just north of the Utah border in Idaho, Connor and his men attacked a camp of 300 Shoshone, leaving hardly any survivors, including men, women and children, and then burning their teepees. Today it is known as the Bear River Massacre.

17. The Black Hawk War:
The U.S. government planned on relocating all the Native Americans in Utah to a reservation, much like had been done all over the U.S. during this period. Brigham Young, a trusted friend, and a government Indian Agent met with the leaders of several of the different bands, including his friend Sanpitch, and talked with them in 1865.
Brigham Young convinced them that this was their best (and only) option, since the government wouldn’t take no for an answer. They were promised land in the Uintah Basin (nearby Price, and Moab, Utah), and promised thousands of dollars to pay for food, shelter, clothing, and training in agriculture.
They signed the treaty, believing they had no other option. The treaty slowly made its way to Washington, but was rejected as too generous by Congress. Meanwhile, the Indians were forced by the government agents in Utah to relocate, and many starved and died as a result. Yet they hadn’t gotten a single thing they were promised. Black Hawk, son of Sanpitch, decided that enough was enough: VID

18. Extra Credit:
If you want to see where Black Hawk is now buried, it is close by, nearby the pavilion and park at Spring Lake, UT, just south of Payson. See the link for directions: , and then answer the questions on the handout:
1. Read the “Grandfather” poem on the plaque. Pick one line from it, and share it below. Why did you pick that line?
2. According to the plaque, where was Black Hawk born?
3. In 1867, what did Blackhawk do? Why?
4. Share one more interesting fact you learned from the plaque

19. Mining & Mormons
Brigham Young encouraged the Mormon settlers to mine, but only for the necessities; things like lead for bullets, iron for tools, coal to burn, salt for food, etc.
Bingham Canyon was one of the first areas in Utah to be found with rich deposits. Sanford and Thomas Bingham, two Mormon brothers who were farming the local area, told Brigham Young they’d found flecks of gold. He discouraged them from following this “worldly” venture, and they dutifully obeyed.
George Ogilivie & Archibald Gardner, two soldiers from Camp Douglas on the other hand had no problem ignoring the Prophet. They discovered some silver in Bingham Canyon, and soon nearly all the soldiers in camp were busy staking claims and mining with their free time.
The lack of railroads made it hard to transport the ore, so the mine (Clay Bar) nearly closed. 5 years later (1868), it had produced $2 million in gold. Once the railroad arrived, mining really took off.

20. Mining Takes Off
The West side of the Oquirrh Mountains (just on the other side of Bingham Canyon) lay other rich deposits of ore. In 1864, Gen. Patrick Connor (promoted after Bear River) built the territory’s first smelter, and founded Stockton, Utah’s first non-Mormon town.
The Indians told the soldiers that other ore could be found there. Ophir sprang up, as a typical mining town with saloons, bars & gambling halls, etc.
Mercur would later become a booming mine town, thanks to new mining processes, in 1893, and millions of dollars’ worth of ore would come out of the nearby mines. Not much there today, however. VID, LINK

21. Before Skiing, it was Mining!
In Little Cottonwood Canyon, where you can find the Snowbird and Alta Ski Resorts, mines also opened up. The three famous ones were The Emma, the Prince of Wales, and the South Hecla.
Meanwhile, Park City was founded by some soldiers looking for ore from Camp Douglas, who found some quartz, which proved to have all sorts of ore in it, like silver, gold, and lead. The richest mine in that area was the Ontario, founded in 1872.
All of these mines drew immigrants to Utah, looking to strike it rich! Many Irish, Welsh, Swedes, Finns, Chinese, Greeks, and others came, most of whom were not Mormon, further diversifying the population.

22. Life in the Mining Camps
Life wasn’t easy for miners (as you might recall from our Strike it Rich! Activity). It was very dangerous, and people died from many dangers. Dust was bad, but poisonous gases or collapses could kill you as well.
However, a rich mine would pay well. $3-4 dollars a day was common, and so many, including locals, would come and work the mines.
After most of the ore dried up, many of these towns disappeared or became incredibly small. Some however eventually became ski resorts, due to their high elevation and large amounts of snow, and now have a new lease on life, and are an important source of income to the state. VID

23. “It’s Just Business”
Many of the newcomers to Utah also came as entrepreneurs, or people willing to take a risk and create a successful business. Many of these started in the mining towns, such as Park City, Ophir, Bingham Canyon, etc.
However, some came to other, predominantly Mormon, communities as well. Many Jewish families opened successful businesses in Salt Lake City. For example, Julius & Fanny Brooks opened a hat shop, and brothers Samuel & Fredrick Auerbach opened a grocery store, a bank, and later a department store.
Many of these “gentiles” as the Mormons called them did well, and they enjoyed the respect of the local Mormon community.

24. Growing Benefits & Co-ops
These new stores brought many benefits to the locals. People didn’t have to make everything they wanted from scratch anymore…they could go to a store and buy it! Things like furniture, clothes, building supplies, etc.
Meanwhile, Mormons had businesses too. Many were Cooperative Associations, which meant that they were jointly owned by many in the community. This lessoned the risk any one person had to invest in the venture. It was also a way for the Mormons to help each other, as some merchants overcharged for basic products.
The first Co-op was organized by Lorenzo Snow in Brigham City, UT. Soon, others sprouted up around the territory. The largest of them all (with various branches in parts of the territory) was the Zion’s Cooperative Mercantile Institution aka ZCMI. VID, Candy Display

25. Pros and Cons of the Co-ops
The way that ZCMI worked was to ship in goods from the East, as well as local goods, and then resell them to locals for an affordable price. For example, a woman might sell her fresh butter to the co-op, and in exchange get a nice bonnet from St. Louis. In turn, the Co-op would then sell her butter to other locals. It was a win-win for many.
By doing this, and getting many things shipped in bulk, they got better prices, and could pass those savings on to their customers, like Costco or Sam’s Club does today.
However, just like these stores do, Mormons were encouraged to do business with the Co-ops, and thus non-Mormon merchants suffered. They weren’t making the profits they had before, and some left.

26. Factories & Textiles
ZCMI had many different factories producing goods for the locals, such as shoe and boot factory, as well as a tannery to treat the leather the shoes were made of. Photo Gallery
ZCMI also created a cloth manufacturing branch, and had several textile factories built across the territory. They used either wool (produced locally, like in Sanpete County), or cotton (also produced locally near St. George). There were many such early factories, in Ogden, Washington, Salt Lake City, Hyrum, Grantsville, Beaver, Provo and even Springville (which processed cotton).
Provo’s Woolen Mills were the first factory built in the territory. They used the water from the Provo River to power the waterwheel, and they imported the machinery from the East. It provided clothes and jobs for locals and even others outside the territory. VID, V

27. The Silk Industry
Utah also had an attempted silk industry, using silk worms, just like they had in China for hundreds of years! Brigham Young encouraged it as something that women and children could do, from the comfort of their homes.
It wasn’t easy, though. Worms had to be imported, Mulberry trees had to be planted (the worms eat their leaves), and the kids helped by gathering these fresh every day. A large, carefully maintained room had to be used, with a constant temperature. Silk Reading Act; Traditional Silk Production
Despite their best efforts, the silk industry struggled to ever become very profitable. By the end of the 1800s, it had been largely abandoned as impractical, but it is an interesting part of our history!