THE MORMON STATE OF DESERET: A STUDY IN POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY

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1 THE MORMON STATE OF DESERET: A STUDY IN POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY Lawren ce R. Handley Mr. Handley is a graduate student in Geography at the University of California, Berkeley. In the fall of 1975 he will assume a faculty position in Geography at Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois. Mr. Handley also erves as chairman of the G. T.U. alumni chapter. On July 24, 1847, the vanguard of the Mormon migration reached the valley of the Great Salt Lake. By December, 1849, the Mormon population had increased to over 8,000, and was spread over 26 settlements from Ft. Bridger west to near Carson City, and from Ogden south to Manti. Within two and a half years the Mormons had established the foundation of their theo-democratic kingdom in the Great Basin. This presentation will deal with the Mormon's expansion between 1847 and 1851, and the political unit, the " territory" and "state" of Deseret, that was an attempt to claim the Great Basin unto themselves. Within this very brief time span is contained one of the most rapid and best planned colonizations witnessed in world history, and the establishment of an independent political state, attempted only five other times in U.S. history, exclusive of Congressional organizations. This enormous migration, rapid and expansive colonization, and establishment of an exaggerated political unit is characteristic of the change effected upon an individual person or group by the available land, spaciousness, abundant resources, and great distances of the Western United States. The course of events in Mormon history from are constant struggles to establ ish themselves on the frontier. They were driven from 2

2 Kirtland, Ohio in because of external antagonism, internal dissent, and financial disaster; in they were driven from I ndependence and Far West, Missouri because the local population was antagonized by the Mormon religious fervor and they feared their growing numbers; and in the Mormons were driven from Nauvoo, Illinois (a city they dominated but not the surrounding country) by violent antagonism and fear from the local population, which ended in the murder of Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith. In each settlement the Mormons had attempted to organize a political entity in which they could assure themselves of some protection, yet in each case the influx of Gentiles prevented the dominance of the Mormons at either the county or municipality level. When the Mormons began to encounter problems at Nauvoo in 1842, there were numerous attempts to arrest Joseph Smith, and he was convinced that there were plots to assassinate him. Joseph Smith made the prediction that the Mormons would be "driven to the Rocky Mountains."l From this date to 1845, Joseph Smith and his trusted aides secretly worked on plans of movement to a new Zion somewhere beyond the Rockies. Government exploration reports were studied of California, Oregon, Vancouver Island, and the Great Basin. Based primarily on the reports of Captain John C. Fremont's crossing the Great Basin while enroute to California, the Mormon leaders chose the desolate and secluded Great Salt Basin as the place to build their new Zion. Information about the Great Salt Basin was scarce, and information about the rest of the Great Basin was non-existent. However, the Mormon leaders were reassured that it was nearly 1000 miles from the nearest frontier, and that in such an isolated and desolate region they would not be pressed by the Gentiles. In the Great Basin the Mormons would be allowed to develop their church and society, and to effect any political organ ization to protect themselves. Dale Morgan best illustrates the Mormon's distinct group consciousness, and the need of isolation : " They came as a great group in flight from an antagonistic society, a group in search of the peace and social freedom isolation could confer. They came with a remarkable conception of social responsibility and with a full recognition and acceptance of a ruling authority which was at once political and ecclesiastical."2 Even before the Mormons had reached their new Zion in the Great Basin, Brigham Young made known their political intentions. In a letter to President Polk on August 19, 1846 Brigham Young declared : " Should we locate within the territory of the United States as we anticipate we would esteem a territorial government of our own one of the richest boons on earth, and while we appreciate the constitution of the United States as the most precious among the nations, we feel that we had rather retreat to the deserts, islands or mountain caves than consent to be ruled by governors and judges whose hands are drenched in the blood of innocence and virtue; who delight in injustice and oppression."3 In the same letter Young further stated that they would petition the United States for territorial government, and that the boundaries of this territory should be from Mexico on the south to Oregon on the north, and from the Rockies on the east to the Cascades on the west. Thus having their political intentions known the Mormons proceeded to explore and colonize the Great Basin upon their arrival in Brig- 3

3 ham Young stated : " he intended to have every hole and corner from the Bay of San Francisco known to us (the Mormons)."4 The Mormon vanguard of 148 men entered the Salt Lake Valley from Emigration Canyon (just to the south of Salt Lake City). Exploring parties were dispatched each day to determine the amount of timber, water, grazing land, and altitude of the mountains in the immediate area. This systematic exploration was repeated for each valley and each mountain as the Mormons continued to explore the Great Basin in the years to come. Within two days of his arrival Young organized an exploring party to survey various points in the south end of the Salt Lake valley, and the next day the Tooele Valley to the west was explored. On August 9, 1847, Jesse C. Little was placed at the head of an exploration party to visit the Cache Valley, to the north of Salt Lake City, which the Mormons had heard from Jim Bridger was not as dry and barren as the rest of the Great Basin. On August 12 another exploring party was sent into the Utah Lake valley, to the south of Salt Lake City. Then again in December, 1847 Parley P. Pratt led an exploration party into the Utah Valley, Cedar Valley, and the Tooele Valley. Other than short explorations into the mountains and canyons, 1848 saw only the two great explorations into northern California, and into southern California. Most of the Mormon energies in 1848 went into the establishment of settlements in those areas deemed favorable from the 1847 explorations. Brigham Young's plan of colonization was specific: "As the Saints gather here and get strong enough to possess the land, God will temper the climate and we shall build a city and a temple to the Most High Ho1W)ft ~lor.tloa. 1n tbe Cnat B..1n SCala o 100 ~ Klha... ; /... - Je!ter.on Hunt, 18.' ~- Jean C. Li t.tle, Aug~t arley P. Putt, winter,

4 God in this place. We will extend our settlements to the east and west. to the north and to the south, and we will build towns and cities by the hundreds, and thousands of Saints will gather in from the nations of the earth. This will become the great highway of nations." 5 All sites of colonies were selected beforehand by Brigham Young from the information brought in by the explorations, so that when a company of settlers departed to a new colony they knew exactly where to go. The Mormon plan of settlement followed a policy of selecting the most favorable site in a valley and establishing a "hub colony." G Then centering on this colony, subsequent settlements developed throughout a valley. In this fashion Salt Lake City was founded in August, 1847 (as the "hub colony" for the whole Mormon colonization), on September 29, 1847 Bountiful was established 10 miles north, in the fall of 1847 Farmington was established 17 miles north of Salt Lake City, and Parley's Park and Pleasant Green were both established in the fall of 1847 within a few miles of Bountiful. Following such a pattern, 15 settlements had been established by the end of 1848, stretching from Ogden 40 miles north of Salt Lake City, to South Cottonwood 10 miles to the south, and from Sugar House on the flanks of the Wasatch, to Bingham on west of the Jordan River. There were by this date more than 4,000 Saints in the Salt Lake Valley, most residing in or in close proximity to Salt Lake City. It was in the fall of 1847 that the two longest Mormon explorations set out. In August, 1847 Captain James Brown set out for the San Francisco Bay to collect back pay owed members of the Mormon Battalion, to inform those Battalion members discharged at Los Angeles to remain and work in the California gold fields until I«lRMON COLOHIES ESTA8LISlIED 1"7 48 'llure 2 sc.l. 50 " / J. ) L..-~...;.,j"'-' Ilub Colonies o SettleM:nts 1949 Settluenu. Callfom h TraJI II Hanti 1 (N.,",'"'' 22. ' 9'9) 5 LfCEIIO

5 the following spring, and to explore the California Trail from the Snake River in Idaho, along the Humboldt River in Nevada, to the Sierra crest. The other expedition set out in November, 1847 under Captain Jefferson Hunt to explore the southern route to the sea. They were to purchase seed grain and cattle from Col. Williams of the Rancho del Chino east of the Pueblo de los Angeles and to explore the region along the Old Spanish Trail. The results of these two explorations provided the Mormons with the information that would later be used for their religious and political assertions upon Western California and Southern California. Two other expeditions of note prior to 1850 were the exploration of the Sanpete Valley in the spring of 1849, and the expedition of the Southern Exploring Company during the winter of The former expedition resulted in the establishment of Manti in November, 1849, 135 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, as a mission to the Ute Indians. The latter expedition was to the south of the Great Salt Lake Basin to survey the natural resources and to choose sites where colonies could be established. They were to explore the Sanpete, Sevier, and Panguitch Valleys, and the unknown country farther to the south. The results of the expedition were enormous, several places were found well-suited for the establishment of colonies, particularly where Cedar City, Parowan, and Fillmore, are located today. In the Little Salt Lake Valley a coal seam, and an apparently large iron ore outcropping were observed, upon which Brigham Young immediately dispensed colonists to work, leading to the establishment of Parowan, the " Deseret Pittsburgh". 7 This expedition also explored into "Morman Dixie" along the Virgin and Santa Clara rivers and were impressed with much warmer temperatures in the middle of winter, but not pleased with the barren appearance of the land. However, it wasn't until the 1860's that Brigham Young decided upon the establishment of his subtropical paradise on the Virgin River. The Mormon's systematic exploration of the Great Basin by 1850 had made known to them many of the available resources, sufficient water supplies for irrigation, and a general knowledge of the land they were to claim as their kingdom. And a complete kingdom it was ; there was iron and coal for development, grist mills had already been established, and several sawmills were in operation, a crude woolen textile mill had been set up, as had a leather works, a developing agriculture economy based on irrigation, and grazing lands in the mountains for sheep and cattle. In 1850 there were 11,380 people in the Great Basin of which only about 500 were Gentiles, the kingdom had its own army as the Nauvoo Legion had been resurrected in 1850 to deal with the Indians, and they were minting their own gold pieces, and using notes from the old bankrupt Kirtland Safety society. However, in 1848 two events were to change the fortunes and future of the Mormon's Zion; the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on February 2, 1848, and the discovery of gold in California. By the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo the Great Basin passed from Mexico to the United States as part of the Mexican Cession. The Mormon leaders had already decided upon a course of action if their region became a part of the United States; they would petition the U.S. government to grant a territorial government. With the discovery of gold in California in 1850 the number of Gentiles passing through the state began to increase, and the number remaining in the state also 6

6 began to rise. Prior to 1850 the Mormon Church under the auspices of the High Council was the governing body of the region. This provincial ecclesiastical government 8 was a good ruling body, and it was without discrimination yet the growing number of Genti les were agitated by its presence. After the treaty was ratified in 1848 Congress was slow to take any action in the newly acquired territory. California had been placed under a military government that had no military force behind it, but the eastern part of the cession was left dangling. Brigham Young and the High Council took immediate action : fl sooner or later the problem of the relationship to the Salt Lake settlements to the national government would be solved, and the people stood a better chance of getting a satisfactory government if they took an active initiative toward the formation of such a government than if they simply awaited the pleasure of Congress, which at this time, as at most other times in history was neither especially conversant nor especially patient with the problems of the West." 9 On May 3, 1849 Dr. John M. Bernhisel left Salt Lake City for Washington, carrying a memorial and 2,270 signatures asking Congress for territorial governmenpo The proposed boundaries for this territory (Figure 3) included all lands "Lying between Oregon and Mexico, and between the Sierra Nevada and the 27th degree longitude west of Washington W.L., or particularly bounded and described as follows, to wit, commencing at the Rio Grande del Norte, at its crossing the 32 degree N. L. (or the northern line of Mexico), thence running west on the 32 degree (or the northern line of Mexico), to the Pacific Ocean; thence along the coast northward to the 42 degree W.L. thence on said 42 degree to the Sierra Nevada; thence PIIOPOSED STATE OF DESfRfT HAY FlJUre 1 '\... Seale, I ' 00 L..--I '.. ~1 -~... :. -'"..... :-... 7

7 continuing along the summit of the Sierra Nevada or Snowy Mountains to the 42 degree N.L., thence running east by the southern boundary of Oregon to Green River; thence northerly up the main channel of the Green River to 43 degrees N.L. then east on Washington; then south along said degree to 38 degrees N.L. ; thence west on said degree to the Rio Grande del Norte; thence southerly down the main channel of said river to the place of beginning."l! This territory took in all of the Mexican Cession not claimed by Texas nor California. In the main the territory was to take in all of the Great Basin that had been explored by the Mormons and found inhabitable, and afford a large buffer zone on the east from the approaching frontier. The boundaries also desc ribed what has become known as the "Mormon Corridor" into southern California and the Pacific Ocean.12 However, the memorial for territorial government for the Mormon's never reached Congress. Dr. Bernhisel was persuaded in the east that the Mormons should ask for state government instead. At the same time in Salt Lake City the migration and the unforeseen problems with the Gentiles had persuaded the High Council to call for a constitution convention and that the constitution be taken to Congress immediately. Almond Babbitt departed for Washington on July 27, 1849 to ask for a seat in Congress as the representative of the state of Deseret. In the process from wanting territorial status to asking for immediate statehood the boundaries of Deseret were altered (Figure 4). The boundaries of the state of Deseret became : " including all the Territory of the United States, within the following boundaries, to wit: Commencing at 33 North Latitude where it crosses 108, Longitude, West of Greenwich; thence running South and West to the Northern boundary of Mexico, thence ALTERED BOUNDAR IES: STATE OF DESERET NAACH, 1849 Fiaure 4 Sui. o 100 "', ~ ~"'\ /..... ~J ' ". "..... "

8 , l 1 I f I I West to and down the Main Channel of the Gila River, (or the Northern line of Mexico), and on the Northern boundary of Lower California to the Pacific Ocean; thence along the Coast North Westerly to the 118 0, 30' of West Longitude; thence North to where said line intersects the dividing ridge of the Sierra Nevada Mountains; thence North along the summit of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the dividing range of the Mountains, that separate the waters flowing into the Columbia River, from the waters running into the Great Basin; thence Easterly along the dividing range of mountains that separate said waters flowing into the Columbia River on the North from the waters flowing into the Great Basin on the South, to the summit of the Wind River chain of mountains; thence Southeast and South by the dividing range of Mountains that separate the waters flowing into the Gulf of California, to the place of beginning, as set forth in a map drawn by Charles Pruess, and published by order of the Senate of the United States in 1848."13 The proposed state of Deseret was enormous in size, covering about 265,000 square miles. 14 In Washington, Dr. Bernhisel and Alma Babbitt explai ned the extended boundaries : "We admit the boundary asked for is large when we consider the area, but if land susceptible of cultivation, that will admit of a dense population, is taken into consideration, it is not so large; and we are not advised of a single dissenting voice within our proposed boundaries, that objects to being included therein." 15 The State of Deseret was to be a vast inland kingdom except for the "Mormon Corridor". Covering the Colorado Plateau and the Basin and Range physiographic provinces, the northwest half of Deseret was of interior drainage into the Great Salt Lake, Walker Lake, Carson Sink and Pyramid Lake, and numerous small ephemeral lakes, and the southeast half of Deseret was in the Colorado drainage system. All of Deseret's territory faces inward toward the center, and the Mormons felt that Salt Lake City was the center. The legislature of the state justified the boundaries of the state on the basis of its having natural boundary lines, "this rendering accessible all territory included for all useful and necessary purposes pertaining to government'16aii of this land, the Mormons were confident, nobody else would want. They had dropped claims on the eastern Rocky Mountains front out to the 104th meridian because the land would be difficult to govern from west of the mountains, it faced east rather than toward Mormon country, and because the frontier would be rapidly approaching it. They had discarded the Rio Grande Valley because it would be too difficult to control from across the mountains, the Rio Grande Valley culturally and economically looked east and south, and New Mexico was already making its own clamor for statehood. A portion of southern Oregon was included because Oregon territory was by 1849 officially part of the United States, whereas previously the 42 0 parallel was the northern limit of the U.S. territory. This Oregon section was also very arid, yet had a few scattered oases around which irrigated agriculture appeared fe,asible, and the area could be linked with the Mormon settlement in western Nevada. California west of the Sierras was included in the State of Deseret. The waters drained east into the Great Basin, the region was arid, and overall belonged to the characteristic Mormon territory. This same region was also claimed by California out to the meridian, and when California 9

9 was awarded the region in 1850 the Mormons, Brigham Young in particular, were very adamant that this territory belonged more to the Mormons than it did to California. Southern California, from the Colorado River to the Pacific Ocean was included in Deseret. It was an arid region with some interiorly drained valleys, and the eastern portion of southern California could easily have been linked with the Mormon core area. Yet the Mormon claim went to the Pacific Ocean. This "Mormon Corridor" has many parallels in history, such as the Polish Corridor established after WWI, the Colombian corridor to the Amazon River, and the Pennsylvania corridor to Lake Erie. The Mormons wanted a direct outlet to the Pacific Ocean. Northern California was too populated, and San Francisco was a booming Gentile town. Southern California was scarcely populated, was mainly in large ranching enterprises, and contained two good seaports at San Pedro and San Diego. The Mormons wanted a seaport to bring their merchandise and proselytes to Deseret without having to pay the very expensive freighting costs across the Great Plains, and without having to bring the emigrants through the filth and vile of a New Orleans or a St. Louis. On March 9, 1849, Brigham Young discussed the benefits to be derived from such a plan : " if, on a more thorough knowledge of the country, we can find a practical wagon route up the Arkansas or up the Rio Grande, it will avoid the winter and a contact with the corrupt apostates and Gentiles that swarm at New Orleans, St. Louis and upper Missouri, or if we find a practical seaport at the head of the Gulf of California or elsewhere on the Pacific, and can find a practical route across some of the Isthmuses of Central America it will, perhaps, Mor.on Set.tltMnt.!atab~hbed Fllure 5 '. :... Sc.,o D 100 '----' 10

10 facilitate the emigration from Europe to these valleys." l7 Between May, 1849, and August, 1851 (when the newly appointed territorial officials reached the Salt Lake Basin, and the Provisional Government of the State of Deseret ended), Brigham Young and the Mormons continued the spread of colonies into the potentially supportive valleys. In this period from the spring of 1849 to the fall of 1851, 43 settlements were established (Figure 5). By 1852, there were eight " hub colonies"; Salt Lake City, Ogden, Provo, Manti, Parowan, Brigham City, San Bernadino, and the Mormon Mission (Genoa). Brigham Young lost no time in sending colonies out into the claimed territory of the state. The Mormon Mission was founded in the Carson River Valley in the summer of 1849 by 80 men, with the purpose of protecting the western portal to the Great Basin, and to develop a lucrative trade with California bound immigrants. The Mormon policy was also to control all watering places and key points, particularly ferries, along the California Trail from the Green River to the Carson Valley. Into the Little Salt Lake Valley colonization moved in January, 1851 to establish Parowan as a base for development of the iron and coal deposits located in the area. Then in February, 1851 Brigham Young called for a Mormon mission to establish a colony in Southern California. ls In March, 1851 a company of 520 Mormons set out "... for the purpose of establishing a settlement in the southern part of California, at no great distance from San Diego, and near the Williams' ranch and the Cajon Pass, between which and Iron County Parowan we design to establish settlements as speedily as possible... so as to have a continued line of stations and refreshment between this point DESERET AND TIlE K>R.HClH OOM.R IOOR 1.51 i, '., Scale o 100 L-...J Mites... ",.... '~j / :

11 and the Pacific, which route is passable during the winter months."19 In June, 1851, the Mormons acquired the Rancho de Van Bernadino, 30 miles from Williams' ranch, and 100 miles from San Diego, containing about 100,000 acres. This ranch also was located near the proposed Butterfield Overland Mai I route between Yuma and San Francisco. In reference to this mail route and the Mormon Corridor Brigham Young quickly had Dr. Bernhisel at work in Washington asking the government for federal money to improve the road between San Bernadino and Salt Lake City and making it a post road. Along the corridor Young also had plans for establishing settlements at Barstow Station (a Mormon trading post), and at Las Vegas (which wasn 't established until 1855 by the Mormons). When the permission for statehood was not granted in 1850, the Mormon hopes of an inland empire did not die. The Mormons vowed to remain in cultural control of the Great Basin even though politically it was impossible. However, even the cultural dominance over the old Deseret territory ended in 1857, when Brigham Young recalled all outlying settlements to protect the Mormon core area against the approaching army under Albert Sidney Johnston sent to install and enforce Gentile territorial officials. The Mormon State of Deseret effectively lasted for two short years, yet in two years the Mormons had established themselves in the Great Basin and had effected a cultural, ecclesiastical, and political control over onetenth of the United States. Their explorations, expansion and colonization, and political ascendency into this vast realm of the Great Basin from has not been paralleled by any nation or community in any region througho'ut American history. (1) Nels Anderson, Desert Saints (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1942), p. 35. (2) Dale l. Morgan, The State 01 Deseret, Utah Historical Records Survey, Utah State Historical Society, Vol. VIII, No. 2, 3, 4, April, July, October, 1940, p. 68. (3) Thomas Cottam Romney, The State 01 Deserer (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, Berkeley, 1929), p (4) Milton Reed Hunter, Brigham Young the Colonizer (u npublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Ca lifornia, Berkeley, 1935), p. 29. (5) Milton R. Hunter, Utah : The Story of Her People (Salt Lake City: The Deseret News Press, 1946). p (6) Ibid., p (7) Nels Anderson, op. cit., p (8) Nels Anderson, op. cir., p. 86. (9) Dale l. Morgan, op. cir., p. 82. (10) Ibid. (11 ) Ibid., p. 83. (12) Milton R. Hunter, Brigham Young the Colonizer, p (13) Preamble, Constitution of the State of Deseret, March, (14) Nels Anderson, op. cir., p. 88. (15) Thomas Cottam Romney, op. cir., p (16) Ibid. (17) Milton R. Hunter, Brigham Young the Colonizer, p (18) Milton R. Hunter, Brigham Young the Colonizer, p (19) Ibid. 12