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A History of the Involvement of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Tanning Industry in Utah from 1847 to 1973

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A History of the Involvement of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Tanning Industry in Utah from 1847 to 1973 Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 1973 A History of the Involvement of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Tanning Industry in Utah From 1847 to 1973 Paul Edwards Damron Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the Economic History Commons, and the Mormon Studies Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Damron, Paul Edwards, "A History of the Involvement of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Tanning Industry in Utah From 1847 to 1973" (1973). Theses and Dissertations. 4634. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4634 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. 10 f0 A histofhistonHISTORY OF THE involvementINVOLVEMTNT OF THEnineBANEnime CHUKCH OPOFJESUS CHRIST OF laheelaweeLAWERDAYLAWERLATTER day SAINTS IN THEnirevirelreirerranningnanningTANNING industryINDUSTRY IN UTAH FROM 1847 TO 19733973397319733.973 A thesis presented to the i department of charchchurch history andanc doctrine of the college of religiousreligionsinstruction brichardbrigham young university in partial fulfillment 1 of the requirements for the4 he degree master of arts by paulpatilpatliedwards damron august 1973 Tthish fchesisyh SO J s bby paul Eedvardsedwardsd w a d S DdairrondaireonDaairronron iss a-acceptedp te in its presentprasentpresen1 form by the department of chulchurchulchchurchch history and doctrine in the college of reireligious1191.9kg I1OUs instruction of brigham young uzirversitvuniversity6 as satisfying1 the thesis requirements for the degree of master of arts russllrrusslerrueRUS R ririch committeecommrtteeco Mmittee chairman ralcrsx ej s ra harr i S committee member ww f y daic iamarlamarlamlarhamlar C berrett department chairmachairman typed by sharon bird 11 A aciwowledgmentsck114 0 WLEDC7 M 1nanTS apprecjappreciationahlaejatjon is extended to kathleen Dardamrontiron for her patience in workingwordingat home while I1 have been away working on this thesis the last three summers the childrenchiidren daviddavidt 9 markmarks danny julie 9.9 and nanette also deserve a thanks for putting up with a busy father daringdarlngduring the research phase of this vorkwork I1 would like to extend to the stafstazstaffshafff of the church t historianhistorians office in salt lake city a special 4hanksthanks they have been most cooperative and helpful alsoaleoalsop the staff of the utah state historical society havehavok been most helpful dr leonard arrington helped me consider the taiiningbiningbanning industry inawl141 utah as a possible topic folforrorzor my thesis his interinterviewvieurviewy gave meraerne the assurance that it could be done alalsoaleosoamoasov I1 express appreciation for his written works of utah history which gave me much background materialsmratrsrial I1 trafanttrantwantgant to thank drdv russell R rich for his going the second mile with me daringduring the writing of this paperpapero for his promjpromapromptnesst ness in giving aid 9 and his interestinterestsI1nterestnterest the many people who contributed to my knowledge from personal interviews deserve my thanks and last of allaliailails I1 would like to express gratitude to sharon bird for typcyptypinging this thesis a paul edwards damron iiilil TABLE OPOFCONTENTS page acknowledgments iii chapter 101 introduction 1 importance OF THE PROBLEM 0 0 1 THE PROBLEPROBLEMPROBLEXIXI 0 0 45 0 9 0 0 0 2 DEFdefinitionIN ITION OF TERMS 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 blbll0graphlbibliographicalAL ESSAY 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 3 DESIGNDESIGNI OF THIS investigation 0 0 9 0 6 0 0 4 PURPOSBpurpose 5 1 262 tlletileTIISTHAE BECINNBEGINNING1 NG OF uieuleteeTHE altierAlliERLELEATHER INDUSTRYLTDUS rfryrary inu01IN UTAH41 ji 0 0 0 0 s 0 0 s 0 0 9 0 0 4 6 343 SUCCESSSUCCo ESS 9.9 EXPANSION AND GROWTH OF LEATHER manufacturerslvlmktufacjlfk TRERS 185018571850 1857 0 0 9 4 0 0 1 0 0 17 44aaa METOE lertLEATLEATHER114eraer INDUSINDUSTRYplu71eikyIRY FROM THE UTAuta11UTAH11 WAR TO llieitieitleTHE COMING OF THE RAILROAD 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 505 FROM THE COMING OF THE RAILROAD IMTO 1384 39 111 1 606 TTHEE LLEATHEREAt1ta TER BWUSTRY FROM 1884 TO 1973 0 f 0 53 7 SUMMARY AND conclusions 0 0 10 9 0 0 0 69 SUMMARY 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 fsas 0 0 v 0 0 0 0 69 conclusions 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 4 6 0 0 4 73 bibliography 74 APPENDIX 0 v 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 82 IV v appeappendix11odix1dix pactpagege map A of early utah settlements 0 6 a a 9 6383 B review of tanntanninging industry involvement 0 0 0 84 C number and percent of people occupied in4 shoesiftioeloeand leather products in the mountain west in 1850 0 0 0 9 p 0 a e 0 88 doD the tanning procesgrocesprocessS in the wells tannery 1973 90 chaplerchaptercricrlCZiapter I11 introduction importance OF VIETHE PROBLEM because of basic needs of human life and because of the tools required to provide for those basic needsoneedsjneedson industry is essential for the survival of any community the commu- nity of the church of jesus christ of latterlatterdayday saints in the great basin was involved in almost all basic industries because of the unique migration of the majority of its members to the mountain west where new settlements were made basic industries had to be established for the simple reason that when the people arrived here there were no indu- stries at all there were many basic industries that had to1-0 o be establishedablishedpesiest such as gristmills for grinding grain saw mills for preparing lumber for builbulibuildingbuildingsbuildingodingo founderiesfound eries for mak- ing tools and leather tanneries for clothing and equipment needs the church in the early days in utah gave some priority of importance to the tanning industry numerous instances are evident in which the church was directly responsible for its growth in many other instances the churchs encouragement of this industry are also evident most books concerning the history of utah contain a short summary of the tanning industry but nowhere can be 1 2 16 found a combinedckomlzo ned collection ofooaf01505701717 thehe rotatedreialzelal ad facts of ththisthigq industry0 THE PROBLEM how involved was the church in this industry and how assentessentessentiallailal did the church consider it to be for the survival of the great basin kingdom questions considered were as followfollowssss 1sas1 what factors influenced the growth and expansion of the tanning industry 2e2ae of what economic value was the leather industry to the survival of the early great basin communityconununilty 3 what brought about the eventual decline in uyetheulebhe importance of this industry 4 when did the tanning I1industry cease to be a vital factor affecting survival and progress in the area of the great basin 5 what are the present day factors afaffectingfectingacting the industryindustry1 definition OF TERMS when the term great basin kingdom is used it will6111 refer to the social political and economic settlements of the members of the church of jesus christ of latterlatterdayday 3 saintsainasain1saintss people outside thetltlletileie presentpres rit boundaries of utahetcutcth will be included1 if their activities involve the great basin kingdom some settiesettlesethiesettlerstrs came to salt lake citticitycityi the center of 1thehe great basin Kingdokingdommp only to be assigned to places away from the present land area of utah economic analysis of the shoe and harness industries which receive theirthe A r raw material from the tanneriescanneriestanntanneriesperleserieswill not be emphasized jo butbutpbubp because of their close relationrelationshipshupskUp to the tanning industry some involvement with the shoe and harness businesses is necessary biographies of people involved in tanning will be ilmilimilimitedeted to theircheir relationship to the industry bibliographical ESSAY the previous research done on this subject has been sparse there are a number of scholarly histories in which a brief summary of the tanning industry is containcontainededoedp but no extensive coveraqsicoverage can be found inan them for instanceinsianceeancep lelandleileland H creer has a summary in his gofoundillfoundellFounandunddilldirldirimg2 of an empireme richard r- burton inlnhis the altycltyC itzity of theug saintssaintsdandjandand across the roccxroccaRQ ckycaky mountziinsmount to california gives soinesomesorne informationformationinformationormationmalionmabion leonard arrington interweaves the effectseffectsactsof the tanning 0 industry on the great basin in his book greatgrea fcsinsanbasinsxn K inqaomxngdo an Econorniconnic jeconpjnxc1 econornicI histoid of the latterlatterdayday salnts2 183019001830 1900 A ak1k4 mailymany olotherdier historieshlst arx1rx es havehaive information ofox the rjrinjtjgtanning industry but only to the extent of two or three pages unpublishedunpubunput lisheddished research is a little more extensive joel E ricks in his fontiauformsfontiqFontiq and methods of early settlement in utah and surrounding areas 1847187184718771847 187187771 mentions the tanning industry myrtle KM burnett back in 1945 wrote about the industriesandaxndastries of the Morcormonsmormonsmons 1847 1900p and spent about two pages on the tanning industry john G crook spent one third of hihiss thesis on the tanning industry and had perhaps the best collection of details on the tanning industry up to this 1973 datedateidateldanei
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