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Winter Quarters: A 'refiner's fire'

July 1997 will mark the sesquicentennial of the arrival of the Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley. Continuing through December 1997, the Church News will publish articles on the epic trek and the establishment of the Church in the Rocky Mountains. The series began in June 1995. This is the 16th article in the series.

At Winter Quarters, Nov. 24, 1846, Hosea Stout wrote in his journal: " . . .this day was the first day that my only living child now seven months and two days old ever was in a house, being born in the wild, rude and uninhabited prairies and remained so till now, a perfect child of nature. So much for my New house or more properly speaking my little shanty."1

Hosea, like many Mormon pioneers, had suffered great tragedy crossing Iowa as three of his children,

his wife, Marinda, and a stillborn babe had died from exposure and illness. Soaked wind-blown tents and bedding, and cold, drafty wagons had been their only home. More than 12,000 fleeing refugees from Nauvoo battled frustration and tragedy over the 330-mile distance as the water-logged, muddy trails became impassable. Some 2,000 wagons had reached the Council Bluffs area of the Missouri River and the remainder of the Camp of Israel was still strung out all along the Iowa trail. The Church and its pioneers were valiantly struggling for their very existence. As Appleton Milo Harmon so aptly described their tragic circumstance, they were "exiles in a Christian land."2

For the Stouts and some 3,500 other Saints, the sloping prairie land at the base of bluffs on the western side of the Missouri River seemed a safe haven where they could see the winter through, regroup, re-supply and prepare for a westward march to the Rocky Mountains and the Great Basin the next spring. Winter Quarters, now three months young, was a "thriving" metropolis when compared to the trials of the Iowa trail and promised "civilized" relief to the sick and weary.

Hundreds of covered wagons and tents were neatly arranged in this first frontier town in Omaha Indian territory, later to become the state of Nebraska. Cabins and "shanties" were beginning to take form. Unknown to the Stouts and countless other Saints, Winter Quarters would not be the safe harbor they merited but would turn into the forge of the very Refiner's Fire and test the mettle of even the most noble. Hosea's only surviving child, Louisa, whom he called his little "Prairie chicken," likewise would succumb to intestinal problems and die when she was just 16 months old.

George Q. Cannon, recalled the "indescribable privations and hardships" that he suffered on the edge of the Missouri. And yet, the faith of the Saints was rewarded, for God blessed them. George Q. Cannon wrote, "No happier people ever lived then, nor since . . . when people were deprived of almost all comforts of life. . . . They were happy because the peace of God rested down upon them, and they were sustained and buoyed up in the midst of their trials and difficulties."3

It is a tragic commentary that all that is left of this frontier winter quarters, which served its purpose for two years as a staging-ground and jumping-off point for the Mormon trek, is its cemetery. Some present-day residents of Omaha and the former Florence recall seeing the rock and shovel markers of the approximately 400 sextant-identified graves. Today the graves have no markers as souvenir hunters have likely removed them. However, the graves are honored by Avard Fairbanks' Winter Quarters Cemetery Monument of a husband and wife huddled together grieving over the grave of their child, "titled A Tragedy at Winter Quarters."

As the Saints progressed across Iowa and approached the Missouri River the influenza and respiratory illnesses that beset them became compounded by aches and fevers of a malarial nature. And then in the fall of 1846 an epidemic of scurvy, canker or "black leg," ran its course through most families. The end of 1846 found more than 400 Saints suffering from some kind of illness. The pioneers understood that scurvy was due to a deficiency of vegetables in their diet but they had no access to these during the winter months.

Wilford Woodruff and his wife, Phebe, lost two sons, one due to canker that was a terrible manifestation of scurvy wherein the mouth is full of cankerous sores making eating difficult. Brigham Young and his wife, Louisa, also lost 7-month-old Moroni to canker.4

Horace K. Whitney described the "black-leg" variant which his wife, Helen Mar Kimball, suffered following childbirth when she lost her baby girl: "This disease would start with dark streaks in the ends of the fingers and toes, which increased and spread until their limbs were almost black, causing such intense agony that death would be welcomed as a relief from their suffering."5

The Camp of Israel was strung out all along the trails of Iowa and across the Missouri River into Indian territory. Some camps were located another 150 miles northwest in Ponca Indian country. On the eastern shore of the Missouri, Council Bluffs became the staging ground for the Saints as hundreds of wagons queued up to cross. Limited ferry access proved to be the major bottleneck impeding the westward advancement in late summer and fall 1846.

The Brethren came to realize that there was no way to get all the pioneers on the western bank in 1846 and yet, those who had already crossed needed a place of refuge for the winter. Returning to Council Bluffs on the Iowa side was not an option as it would only create problems in the spring of 1847 when the river water-level was high and everyone would have to cross again.

A place to winter on the western side of the Missouri was now critical but this was Indian territory and the U.S. Indian Intercourse Act of June 1834 prevented intrusion and permanent settlement on Indian lands and prohibited non-Indian hunting or trapping in Indian country.6

The Twelve felt that the Saints' contribution to the Mormon Battalion and supportive letter from Captain Allen, the Army recruiter, gave the Saints license for "temporary" quartering on the western bank. Considering the dire circumstances, a selection committee was appointed to find a suitable location and appropriate agreements with the Omaha and Otoe tribes were negotiated.

Sept. 23, 1846, marks the formal beginning of Winter Quarters. The location offered excellent river transportation, defense from marauding Indians, fresh water access and near proximity for grazing the 10,000 (30,000 according to B.H. Roberts) head of cattle which accompanied the Saints.7

Describing Winter Quarters, Parley P. Pratt said that it ". . .was a beautiful town site. The land sloping up from the immediate banks of the river sufficiently high to be secure from high water, and then stretching away in an unbroken plain to the hills, which swelled up at less than half a mile distant in beautiful rounded grassy points, or in rising benches, one above another. . . ."8

President Brigham Young helped survey and lay out the town, following what had been done previously for the City of Zion in Missouri and Nauvoo. Winter Quarters had a Main Street (called Second Main) running roughly north and south. Other streets were placed parallel and perpendicular to Main Street and were extra wide by past community standards.

Due to the town's location on Indian land no ownership rights accrued to any of the pioneers. The town was divided into 22 five-acre blocks measuring 380 x 660 feet each with 20 lots per block for a total of 594 lots. All houses were to be built on the outside of each block near the streets with yards, running behind them to form a garden area and a place for barns in which to stable "daily-use" animals such as a "milch" cow. Five wells per block was the maximum permitted.

A high council was designated that was to serve an ecclesiastical role and also function as a municipal council. "The council was instructed to oversee and guard the conduct of the Saints, and counsel them that the laws of God and good order are not infringed."9

Winter Quarters was finally divided into 22 wards, each comprising a city block. The high council had immediate jurisdiction over a bishop and his two counselors, who were designated to minister to the spiritual and physical needs of the members. Bishops handled the collection of tithes and the distribution of resources in order to help the poor and needy. In short order all tithes and distributions were managed under the direction of Presiding Bishop Newel K. Whitney.

A "bishop's storehouse," administered by Bishop Whitney, opened its doors in December 1846. Dry goods, groceries and other provisions were purchased in bulk at wholesale prices. The distribution of resources to needy families was then handled out of the storehouse.10 Two other private stores also functioned just south of Turkey Creek in what appeared to be a commercial zone.

In its municipal council role, the high council was the governing court of law, licensing bureau, chamber of commerce, board of trade, security enforcer and taxing authority. It handled the distribution of town lots and land acreage outside on an equal-occupancy basis. The economy was based upon a general barter trade as no money was issued. A police force was authorized with Hosea Stout at its head. Municipal taxes were assessed on personal property values. Tax money paid for the services of herdsmen, road builders, the police, cemetery workers, the city marshal and the camp historian.11

The lateness of the season focused all efforts on the critical issues of providing feed for the animals during the winter and planting crops for spring harvesting. Pioneers labored cutting hay and stacking it for the stock, breaking ground for spring crops, fencing the fields, and some preliminary sowing. Not until this was accomplished could work begin on building cabins to provide winter shelter.

Journals record that the sound of the axe could be heard late into the night as men worked feverishly to complete shelters. "By 30 December 1846, Winter Quarters consisted of 538 log cabins, 83 sod houses, and a population of 3,483. Eventually `about 800' cabins, huts, caves, and hovels were built and occupied."12

A blockhouse and the beginning of a stockade were built as defensive measures against any possible attack. Cannons were placed on the north side of Turkey Creek and likely served more as a warning than actual deterrent against attack. Not until late 1847 was the stockade completed.

Thomas Bullock who had helped many of the remaining poor out of Nauvoo barely had time, himself, to occupy a sod cave' in the bluffs at the top of Cutler Street. "Thesesod caves,' looking like outdoor potato cellars, had fireplaces at the upper end and were supported by ridgepoles and two center uprights. The ceilings were reinforced with willow and straw to minimize seepage and blankets improvised for doors. A few had window panes positioned right into the dirt walls."13

Willard Richards, a member of the Twelve, built a large octagonally shaped home that was called the "Octagon, roundhouse or doctor's den." It served as home for the extended Richards clan, make-shift hospital for "Dr. Richards" and post office for "Postmaster Richards." The roof was covered with straw and 45 loads of earth. Until the Council House was completed in February 1847 the Octagon also served as the office for the Twelve, high council and municipal council.

Nearby, but at the extreme north of the city, was the home of Heber C. Kimball which was reputedly the largest house in Winter Quarters, with four rooms on the main level and two upstairs. It also contained several adjoining row houses.14

One of the major innovations under President Young's direction was the establishment of a mail service between Nauvoo and Winter Quarters and all points in between. With family members spread over 10,000 square miles, the mail provided unprecedented communication for its time. There were some 1,500 Saints in St. Louis (including the Miles Romney family and many other evacuees from Nauvoo) and the soldiers in the Battalion who were also part of this close network. This service allowed the Twelve to remain in contact with the Saints. The Seventy's quorums built a sod-hut "basket factory" which was probably located near Turkey Creek at the north end of town as it was administered by A.P. Rockwood. Thirty men were employed making willow baskets, washboards, bushel baskets and tables for trade in Missouri in exchange for food and feed. Another 150 men were gainfully employed on the construction of a grist mill that also used the creek water to drive the water wheel.15 The inability to inexpensively grind wheat was a major problem for the Saints.

Industry settled in the community as workshops of various kinds were erected, and carpenters, mechanics and blacksmiths established their trades - all contributing in the joint effort to prepare the wagons that would be leaving in the spring.

Regular meetings were held with the Sabbath and priesthood meetings being supplemented by fast and prayer meetings.16 "The Stand" had been erected on Main Street and served as an open-air meeting site accommodating some 300 members. Beginning in early 1847 the bell from the Nauvoo temple, known as the "Nauvoo Bell" (which presently hangs on Temple Square in Salt Lake City) was erected at The Stand. Larger meetings were held at this location in reasonable weather. Smaller meetings were usually held in cabins in the various ward blocks.17

In this remarkable and unprecedented frontier community the Twelve, under President Young's leadership, managed "Israel in the Wilderness."18 At a meeting of the Council on Nov. 23, President Young made the prophetic statement that "if we follow council it will not be long before we will have no poor among us and there would be thousands and tens of thousands to write, preach the gospel & build temples."19 The Brethren interviewed trappers and explorers, listened to the ideas of the Council of the Fifty, and held planning meetings between Dec. 20, 1846 and Jan. 14, 1847. Finally a revelation was given through President Brigham Young, at Winter Quarters, showing the will of the Lord concerning the camps of Israel.20 (See Church News, Jan. 11, 1997.)

In retrospect, we would have to agree with George A. Smith that Winter Quarters was "quite a town."21 There was no doubt that it magnificently fulfilled its role as "The Kingdom of God on Wheels."22

Gordon W. Romney is executive secretary of the Church Pioneer Sesquicentennial Committee.

Notes:

1 Juanita Brooks, ed., On the Mormon Frontier - The Diary of Hosea Stout 1844-1861, University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, Utah 1982, 1:213.

2 Richard E. Bennett, Mormons at the Missouri, 1846-1852 "And Should We Die. . ." University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Okla., 1987, p 285.

3 George Q. Cannon, LDS Collectors Library '97, Collected Discourses Vol. 3, Aug 6, 1893, Infobases, Provo, Utah, 1996.

4 Bryson, Conrey. Winter Quarters, Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City, 1986, p 163.

5 Ibid, p 73.

6 Mormons at the Missouri, p 101.

7 On the Mormon Frontier - The Dairy of Hosea Stout, p 84.

8 Parley P. Pratt, Jr. ed., The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, Law King & Law, Chicago, 1888, p 383.

9 B.H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Century I, Brigham Young University Press, Provo, Utah 1963 3:150.

10 Mormons at the Missouri, p. 117.

11 Ibid, p. 118.

12 Ibid, pp. 80-81.

13 Ibid, p. 79

14 Winter Quarters, p. 57.

15 Geographical information for this article is based on the research of Marjorie Conder, Curator of the Museum of Church History and Art and staff researcher Jenny Lund; also historian Gail Holmes of Iowa and Nebraska.

16 Unpublished, typewritten biography of Lucy Bigelow Young by Susa Young Gates and part of the papers of Leah Widtsoe, courtesy of the G. Homer Durham family, p. 14.

17 Marjorie Conder research.

18 Franklin D. Richards, LDS Collectors Library '97, Collected Discourses Vol. 5, Apr 5, 1896, Infobases, Provo, Utah, 1996.

19 On the Mormon Frontier, 1:213.

20 Doctrine & Covenants Section 136

21 George A. Smith, Journal of Discourses, Vol 2 July 24, 1854, p.23, Photo Lithographic Reprint of Exact Original Edition, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1964

22 LDS Collectors Library '97.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Winter quarters: winter of 1846-1847

Residents who lived somewhere on:

Block 1: Wilford Woodruff

Block 2: Mary Fielding Smith

Block 3: John Taylor, W.W. Phelps, George Cannon

Block 4: George A. Smith, John Smith, Newel K. Whitney, Orson Pratt

INDIAN TERRITORY (LATER NEBRASKA)

Source: Jenny Lund, Museum of Church History and Art.

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