BR: D20 How long did the Pony Express Last? Why? April 1860 October 1861 (The telegraph)
Utah Studies Ch. 10 The Territory Prospers
The Railroad & Change As the Civil War ended, the U.S. was looking for ways to further unite the country, and heal the wounds the war brought. Railroads were seen as one of the answers. Utah was chosen, as Crossroads of the West, to be included in the new Transcontinental Railroad. Two companies came to meet in Utah. From the East came the Union Pacific Railroad, and from the West came Central Pacific. VID The railroad companies hired 1000s of immigrants to help lay the rails. Union Pacific hired many Irish, and other European immigrants, while ~17,000 Chinese helped Central Pacific build their line. It was very dangerous work. VID, Map of RRs in 1860 ^, 1870 v
May 10 th, 1869: Promontory Point, UT Look at the Photo: What do you notice? Is anyone missing? VID
Utah & the Railroad Meanwhile, Utah wasn t just watching all of this happen. Brigham Young got a $2 million dollar contract for Utahns to build a railroad roadbed from Echo to Weber Canyon, leading the Union Pacific to Ogden, UT. He was also given the promise that the railroad would continue south to SLC, and then go West. Instead, U.S. Pres. Ulysses Grant decided the railroad should continue north of Ogden, and not pass SLC. This obviously upset Utahns, but what do you do? Meanwhile, Brigham Young got another contract, this time from Central Pacific, to help to the West. Utahns cut down trees for ties, etc. They also sold food and other supplies to both companies for their workers. They met at Promontory Summit, north of the Salt Lake. Golden Spike VID
Railroad Brings Changes Railroads improved the lives of Utahns in many ways. Mining was now much easier, since ore could be moved with a train, rather than by mule or wagon, to other areas of Utah with smelters, or to other places outside the territory for processing. Trains also allowed Utahns to sell their agricultural goods to other parts of the country. Things like wheat, fruit, beef, etc. For example, 60k lbs of dried peaches were sent Eastward by Dec. 1870. The rails brought settlers (Mormon and otherwise; many RR workers settled here in Mining Camps, etc.) & tourists as well. It took 100 days for the Brigham Young and the first wagon train to leave Nebraska and reach Utah. A stagecoach cut it to 14 days. The railroad only took 2 days!
Connecting Utah Meanwhile, Utah became more interconnected itself. Railroads sprang up to connect the state. And with the railroads came more people too. Utah would never be the same again. Left: Corinne, UT: By May 1869, Corinne was home to 1000, no Mormons, and it became Utah's second largest city, with over 500 buildings including 28 saloons, 24 gambling houses, 16 liquor stores, houses of prostitution, etc. Railroad Towns HO / John Powell Corinne
Settlements in the 1870-80s Up until the 1870s, the eastern half of Utah was still home to the Native Americans, mainly the Utes. That soon changed. 1877: Vernal Utah is founded by Captain Pardon Dodds, who was is charge of making sure the Ute Indian Reservation ran ok. He built a cabin nearby modern Vernal, UT. He was later joined by other families. It was called the Bench. The land was desolate, describe as: A large barren cactus flat with desert lizards, scorpions, and snakes. More families followed. Take a minute, and rename it! LINK Moab Utah was founded in 1878, by trappers and later settlers. It was named after a desert land in the Bible, which seems appropriate.
Hard-Pressed Pioneers The San Juan Mission was called for 200+ families to settle the barren land of San Juan County. To reach their destination, they had to drop down over 1000 feet, and then continue onward. Today it is known as Hole-in-the-Rock. Today, the area is known for its beautiful scenery, and it dryness. Many families gave up from the harsh conditions, but many stayed, and helped settle nearby Monticello and then later Blanding UT. That scenery however continues to draw many people to the area: VID Iosepa: Meanwhile, the missionary efforts of the LDS church had converted many Polynesians to the faith, and many wanted to join the rest of the Mormons in Zion. They ended up settling in 1889 an area nearby Tooele, UT, and called it Iosepa, after Joseph F. Smith, the missionary who taught many of them in Hawaii. VID
Religions in Utah Prosper As we read before, other religions began coming to Utah during this period, and more followed in the 1870s and 1880s. Catholics and Protestants established churches, schools, and hospitals as well. Dr. Duncan McMillan arrived in 1875, and led the Presbyterian church here in the state, mostly in Central Utah. He was joined by Dr. Robert G. McNiece in Salt Lake City, and Rev. George W. Martin in Manti. They founded several churches and schools. Baptists came to Utah in 1880, and the Lutheran and Methodist churches came to Utah in this period as well. Thomas Corwin Iliff led the Methodists in Utah, and he was very open about his disapproval of Mormon polygamy, and published pamphlets and such letting everyone know. Rev. Lawrence Scanlan
Schools in the Territory The first school in Utah was just a tent, with students taught by Mary Jane Dilworth in 1847. The Mormons often held schools for their children in the ward buildings where they held church on Sundays. Others could attend these schools, or join a private school. Wealthy families usually hired a tutor to privately teach their children. After some years, others opened up schools to make schooling affordable, such as the Presbyterian Church. Duncan McMillan was a pioneer in the public education of the Territory, founding Wasatch Academy in Mt. Pleasant, the oldest secondary school in Utah today.
Higher Education Meanwhile, what about college? The first to open was the University of Deseret (later Utah) in 1850, which closed, but reopened in 1867, basically as a glorified high school (there were none in the territory at the time). Other schools* soon joined the ranks: Brigham Young University* in Provo (1875) Westminster College* in SLC (1875) Utah State University in Logan (1888) Dixie State University* in St. George (1888) Snow College* in Ephraim (1888) Weber State University* in Ogden (1889) Southern Utah University in Cedar City (1897) *These started as academies for high school students, but later become colleges
Electricity! The world was a different place before electricity. It was dark and dangerous outside, with just gas and candles to light the way. In 1880, electricity came to Utah, with a traveling circus using a generator! The next year, generators were installed along the canyon rivers that flowed out of the Wasatch mountains, starting in Salt Lake City. Ogden, Logan, Provo & Park City joined by the end of the 1890s. Service was spotty and unreliable much of the time. As electricity improved, change sped up too. Factories and mines could run away from water now, opening up new opportunities, and electricity was more reliable. Trolleys began running in the bigger towns too! VID
Amusement & Telephones Those trains also took people to Utah s first true amusement park, known as Saltair, built in 1893. It had a roller coaster, many people relaxed on the beach or in the Salt Lake, &many would enjoy the day before riding the train back at night. VID Lagoon also opened during this period (1896), and still runs today, along a railroad stop. It was actually first built to encourage more people to ride the train, which is why it was built halfway between SLC and Ogden. It was very popular, and its still popular today. VID Meanwhile, the telephone had been invented in the mid 1800s, and it came to Utah in 1879. Nearly 10 years later, 1880 saw 500 subscribers, and by 1890, 1200. It started mostly with businesses and the very wealthy. It wasn t until the 1920s and later that most people got telephone service in Utah.
More Mining! While many Mormons were doing other activities, like ranching, farming, manufacturing, etc., mining was still big business in the territory. It was during this period that the Tintic Mining District flourished, nearby Eureka, UT. Other towns that arose included Frisco, UT and Silver Reef, down South near Leeds, UT. Both of these last two towns became ghost towns when the ore ran out. Meanwhile, coal became a hot mining commodity during the late 1800s. Helper, UT, nearby Price became a prominent area for coal mining, as did much of Carbon County, named because of the coal. Many of the towns there today were founded during this period, like Castle Dale, Huntington, Orangeville, etc. While many were Mormons called to settle the area, many of them also worked in the mines, especially in the winter. VID Silver Kings & A Queen
Indian Farms & Reservations As mentioned before, the Native Americans living in the area continued to be marginalized or treated as inferior by the locals and the U.S. government. The early farms that Mormons had tried to encourage the Indians to settle were the first forms of reservations that would soon house the remaining natives. Several reservations were created during this time, including the Uintah-Ouray Reservation, which had originally been rejected by the U.S. Congress, as well as the Navajo Reservation in 1884. Some smaller ones were created by 1900, as the map shows (see handout also):
Buffalo Soldiers & Butch Cassidy Buffalo or Black Soldiers came in large numbers to Utah in the 1880s, working at Fort Douglas, and then later Fort Duchesne in Eastern Utah. They guarded railroad lines, settled disputes between natives and settlers, and enforced the will of the Federal government. They were nicknamed Buffalo Soldiers because in part their thick, curly hair reminded the Native Americans in Eastern Utah (& elsewhere) of buffalo fur. VID In many ways, Utah wasn t much like the Wild West of legend. In other ways it was. Butch Cassidy, the son of Mormon immigrants to Utah, was one of the people who gave the Wild West its mystique. Who Robbed the Train? Handout p 204
Utah Studies Ch. 11.1 Utah Seeks Statehood Roadblocks, & Polygamy
Seeking Statehood The people of the Utah Territory sought statehood 6 different times, but failed each of these times: 1849, 1856, 1862, 1872, 1882, and even 1887 Why did Utah keep seeking statehood? Here s why: They would be full citizens, able to vote for president, etc. Utah s representatives could vote in Congress As a territory, you can only share in debate; you have no vote. Puerto Rico is such an example today. Utah would also have 2 Senators in Congress, which it didn t have Utah s judges could be elected locally, not appointed federally Utah could write its own constitution, to decide its own laws Utah could control state education (feds control this in territories) Utah would pay taxes, but get all federal money and privileges in return
So Why Not Allow Utah to be a State? Lots of reasons though Utah had enough people, experience, loyalty, etc., they didn t have federal trust. Federal officials often had a negative view of Utah and Mormons, for a variety of reasons (some that we ve mentioned before): Unity: Mormons value unity, and this stretched to all aspects of life, including economics and politics. This bothered other Americans, and a minority of Utahns who felt like individual thought, diversity, and separation of church and state were more important. Politics: For many years, Mormons were the majority, and so with majority ruling, they got what they wanted. In 1870, the liberal party was formed by non-lds people who disliked the control the Mormon church had. In response, the Mormons created the People s Party. Courts: Many courts were run by local judges, who often happened to be Mormon Bishops. Nonmormons felt discriminated when put in this situation against Mormons in court.
Roadblocks to Statehood, Cont. Economics: LDS leaders liked to control the entire economy of the territory, with their own Mormon businesses, and many Mormon leaders encouraged Mormons to only shop at Mormon stores. This ticked off these who weren t Mormon. Education: Mormons set up private LDS schools, for other Mormons. They believed education, like any other service, should be paid for. And they included religious teachings in their schools. Others, such as Protestants, etc., felt that schooling should be free to all, funded by public taxes. Immigration: Mormons encouraged more and more Mormon converts to come to Utah. Others thought that we should keep the land and jobs for those already here. Polygamy: the practice of multiple wives bugged other Americans a lot, and seemed indecent. Mormons on the other hand believed their right to do so was protected by the Bill of Rights, and no one s business. Modern Day Perspective on Polygamy
Federal Punishment of Polygamy So, in order to enforce their version of morality, the U.S. Congress passed the following laws against polygamy, one of the twins of barbarism according to the newly formed Republican Party: Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act (1862): Stated that no one was allowed to marry more than one person at the same time, and no church in the territories could own more than $50,000 (a clear attack on the Mormon church). The bill wasn t heavily enforced however. The Edmunds Act (1882): Made polygamy punishable by a $500 fine and up to 5 years in prison. Polygamists also lost the right to vote, hold office, be in juries, etc. The Edmunds-Tucker Act (1887): Took the vote away from all Utahn women, and all polygamist men. Abolished the local militia and confiscated all the property of the LDS church. The last law devastated the LDS church, taking away their many businesses, banks, property, etc. Mormons basically lived as outlaws.
Living on the Underground After the Edmunds and Edmunds-Tucker Acts were passed, many men and some women went to prison for practicing polygamy. If you didn t want that, you could go underground or into hiding, and move to a Mormon colony outside of the country, like in Mexico or Canada, or hide in other places where you wouldn t be known and punished for your crime.
Polygamy & Court The LDS church believed that the Supreme Court would uphold their right to practice polygamy, as protected by the first amendment. They were wrong; in Reynolds v. The United States, the Supreme Court said that only religious belief, not its practice, was protected, so polygamy laws were not unjust. Meanwhile, in Utah things got worse. Mormons were in shock over the ruling, and many nonmormons made a game of going on cohab hunts, nabbing polygamists for cohabitation, and getting roughly $20 per person they grabbed. Can you imagine if we did a similar thing today? Think-Pair-Share: What groups of people might be targeted today? Is that fair? Polygamy Handout
The Manifesto: After all the trials and difficulties that Mormons who practiced polygamy suffered, it is difficult for many of us to not feel for them. After all, in their eyes, they were simply trying to live their lives as they thought best, with the world coming after them for it. Wilfred Woodruff, the 4 th president of the LDS church, after John Taylor (who died in hiding), realized that the LDS Church could not survive this onslaught. After much consideration and prayer, he issued the Manifesto (1890), which officially ended the church s support of polygamy. This satisfied many people, as they saw the practice as evil. President Harrison also issued a pardon for all past polygamists, and things got considerably better for many people, although many polygamists felt somewhat abandoned by their faith, leading to some to leave the LDS church and to continue with polygamy in hiding.
Political Change & Statehood! Utah had two parties for many years, leading up to statehood: the People s Party, which was mostly Mormons and supported Mormons The Liberal Party, which was made up of mostly non-mormons and often fought against the LDS Church. After the Manifesto, the LDS Church worked to make Utah more like the rest of the country. The People s Party was disbanded, and many Mormons joined the Democratic Party, since the Republican party had fought against the Mormons and polygamy. Many Mormons were called by their church leaders to become Republican to balance out the parties in the state. With polygamy out of the way, most of the country was happy to welcome Utah to the U.S. as a state. Women had lost the right to vote after gaining it in 1870. They regained it in the new Utah Constitution, which was ratified in Nov. 1895. The U.S. approved of the constitution, and Utah became a state in January, 1896. Ten months later, during the first state elections, a women (Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon) was also elected as the first female state senator, beating out her husband for the spot!