THE DESERET AGRICULTURAL AND MANUFACTURING SOCIETY IN PIONEER

BY LEONARD J. ARRINGTON*

HE GOAL of Mormon agricultural policy in pioneer Utah was T expansion and complete self-sufficiency: Territorial occu­ pancy and self-sufficiency as a minimum; maximum utilization of local water supplies and community self-sufficiency where possible; and family self-sufficiency when practicable. An attempt was made to facilitate family self-sufficiency by allotments of irrigated land sufficiently large to permit each family, whether farmers, craftsmen, or factory workers, to raise its own fruits and vegetables. These were intensively cultivated and took the place of specialized truck farms in the Mormon economy. Many fami­ lies were saved from starvation by these gardens in years when field crops failed from lack of water, pests, or other calamity. For the benefit of immigrants from the Northeast and Europe who did not have the understanding or background to make the best use of their water and family plots, Mormon authorities delivered a recurring series of "Agricultural Sermons" in which instructions were given in the use of water and the management of crop and livestock enterprises. The twin goals of territorial expansion and self-sufficiency were plugged in four ways: (1) By an internal improvement program which centered attention on the construction of canals and irrigation works intended to assure maximum use of available water resources throughout the region; (2) by encouraging in various ways the production of certain critical items, such as tobacco, flax and hemp, sheep and wool, and silk; (3) by the Cotton Mission, which was intended to supply the territory with cotton, grapes, raisins, olive oil, wine, and other semi-tropical products; and, above all, by (4) sponsoring and supporting the Deseret Agricultural Manufacturing Society.

* Professor Arrington is one of the most indefatigable investigators of Utah's economic history and a many time contributor to this journal. 166 UTAH HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

The Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing Society is of particular interest in 1956 because of its founding one hundred years ago. It is also significant as an organization dedicated to the goal of agricultural improvement and "self independence." Finally, it proved to be the parent of a large number of organ­ izations established to gather and dispense information and pro­ mote improved practices in agriculture and other fields. The Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing Society was incorporated by an act of the territorial legislature on January 17, 1856.1 Its stated purpose was to "promote the arts of do­ mestic industry, and to encourage the production of articles from the native elements" in . The act of incorporation specified that the society was to hold an annual exhibition at Great and at other places in the territory as deemed appropriate. The Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing Society occu­ pied a semi-official status, both with respect to the territorial government and with respect to the church. The territory made regular appropriations to the society for payment of premiums and other purposes, which varied from one thousand dollars to more than ten thousand dollars annually.2 The responsibility for the gathering of the agricultural statistics of the territory was invariably lodged with the officers of the society. The president of the society was directed to appoint an agent for the territory to receive and dispose of the titles to the public lands appor­ tioned to the territory by the Morrill Act of July 2, 1862, for the purpose of establishing an agricultural college and experiment station.3 The society was also the designated recipient of the seeds and plants distributed by the U. S. Patent Office, and, later the Department of Agriculture. Finally, when the terri­ torial assembly wished to promote a particular industry, as in the case of wool-growing, appropriations were made to the society to be expended by them in behalf of the particular industry singled out for assistance.

Resolutions, Acts, and Memorials, . . . ( City, 1855 [1856]). 2Some of the non-Mormon governors of the 1870's and 1880's, being imbued with a laissez-faire conception of government responsibility, vetoed appropriations to the society. See, for example, Deseret News, May 12, 1887. 3Approved January 20, 1865. Acts, Resolutions and Memorials . . . (Great Salt Lake City, 1865). 54-55. D. A. & M. SOCIETY 167

Along with its unique status in the government of the terri­ tory, the Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing Society was also a creature and instrument of the Mormon Church—at least for the first twenty or thirty years of its existence. In the general conference of the church following the incorporation of the society, virtually an entire session was devoted to a reading of the act of incorporation and the by-laws of the society, and to an "agricultural sermon" explaining its plans and purposes.4 Dur­ ing the membership drive which followed the conference a mes­ sage was sent to all the bishops appointing them and their counsellors to be agents of the society, asking them to urge members of their to join, and authorizing them to collect two dollars in dues.5 Teams of members made annual visits to each ward and stake for a number of years to plead the cause of the society and advertise the fair. These visits were usually timed to coincide with regular Sunday services. The first president of the society was the Presiding Bishop, Edward Hunter, who continued to serve until 1862, and was replaced by Apostle , who served until 1877. John R. Winder, a member of the Presiding Bishopric, and later a member of the church First Presidency, succeeded Wood­ ruff. The presidents and directors for many years at least, appear to have been selected by, or submitted for the approval of, Brig­ ham Young,6 and officers served without pay, as was the case of all church functionaries. As president of the church, moreover, showed no hesitancy in requesting the society to carry out specific tasks in the church's economic program. With his approval, for example, "companies" of members were formed to supply the Utah market with such products as sugar, molasses, tobacco, and hemp.7 The society also provided information and assistance to the cotton and silk missions during the 1860's. A perusal of the minutes of the society indicates that all major decisions were submitted to Brigham Young for his counsel. When given, his

*"Minutes of the General Conference," Deseret News, April 9, 1856. Hbid., June 18, 1856. "Journal History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (here­ after referred to as JH), April 15, 1864, Church Historian's Office, Salt Lake City. 7Ibid., January 28, 29, 1859. 168 UTAH HISTORICAL QUARTERLY advice was invariably accepted.8 When, for example^ the officers of the society were negotiating in 1872-73 for the purchase of land for a race track, the president called on Brigham Young to ask "if it was for the best advancement of the kingdom of God to have a race track." Young replied that "he did not consider that the advancement of the kingdom of God required any such thing, but that it would be playing into the hands of gamblers, and blacklegs to have a race track." When this was made known to the society, they promptly dropped the whole idea.9 The annual territorial fairs sponsored by the society also had religious significance. Most of them were held on the tithing grounds or other church properties. They were invariably held to coincide with the October general conference of the church, thus making the annual fall excursion serve both God and Mam­ mon. The diplomas awarded for prize exhibits in each field of agriculture, manufacturing, and handicraft contained the All- seeing Eye, with the inscription, "Holiness to the Lord." The territorial emblem, the beehive, was also on the diploma, as well as a background consisting of a perspective view of the as it would look when completed.10 As president, Brigham Young took a personal interest in these fairs, and made suggestions for their improvement. For example: President Young visited the Fair today. He said he wanted to see the Fair kept open a week next year and he wanted the Society to fence off a square on the west side of the city and build pens and stalls for animals and a home for the productions of agricultural, arts and

8On August 13, 1864, for example, a committee was appointed to visit President Young "and learn his mind about holding a fair." On the next day they reported that "The President said that he would do nothing about a fair for this year." So, on the motion of one of the directors, the committee's report was received, "and the holding of the fair was dispensed with for this year." Other problems were handled similarly. The church president was asked what they should do with their money, whether they should hold a stock fair or a general fair, and the hours at which the fair should be open. "Minutes of the Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing Society, 1863-1874," typescript, Church Historian's Office, entries for August 13, 14, 1864; April 7, 8, 16, 1865; June 30, 1869; May 6, 1873. The original Minute Book is in the Archives Division, .Utah State Historical Society. Hbid., March 22, 1873. aoDesere< News, November 21, 1873. D. A. & M. SOCIETY 169

manufactures so that they would be all together, also lay off a race course for the trial of the speed of horses, and if they would build a pen to try the strength of bulls in, he would assist them to fit up the Fair grounds.11

In addition to its sponsorship of the territorial fair, the socjety held monthly meetings at which lectures were delivered on the culture of different tree and row crops and breeding of livestock.12 There were also many talks on "home industry," and the necessity of providing a market for agricultural products by establishing and patronizing manufacturing enterprises. The meetings were always opened and closed with prayer, as was true of all church meetings. Beginning in 1861, the society acquired a piece of ground in Salt Lake City to serve as an experimental garden. Seeds, roots, and cuttings received from the federal government and other sources were planted on this plot.13 This was the first pub­ lic experimental garden in the territory, and may have been the first in the west. It was originally called Quarantine Farm, and later, Deseret Gardens. As a part of the same project, officers of the society parti­ cipated in a meeting of the bishops and leading farmers of Salt Lake County to take steps to prevent the adulteration and mix­ ture of seeds. In one instance a resolution was passed "that the persons present at the meeting . . . would not cultivate broom or coffee corn on the lots in this city, and the Bishops were instructed to use their influence with the members of their wards to exclude these productions from their lots."14 In another in­ stance, bishops in other parts of the state were urged "to dic­ tate in their wards the sowing of seeds, the planting of sugar cane, broom corn, etc., so as to procure the purest quality of seeds of all kinds and prevent their hybridization and deteriora­ tion."15 A similar meeting of bishops and others, a year later,

11JH, October 4, 1859. 12"Minutes of the Deseret Agricultural and Manufacturing Society," passim. ••'••• • • 13Deseret News, March 20, April 3, 1861; JH, April 4, 1861. ^Deseret News, April 27, 1868. ' 15JH, August 18, 1868. 170 UTAH HISTORICAL QUARTERLY adopted measures to prevent overgrazing of the Salt Lake City Herd Ground.16 The society also attempted in various ways to improve the quality of die livestock in the territory. In 1869 it succeeded in getting the legislature to appropriate $5,000.00 to be expended in importing improved breeds of sheep.17 The sheep were to be sold and the proceeds go into a fund for the continual impor­ tation of improved varieties.18 Three years later, the society imported about $12,000.00 worth of breeding cattle.19 Some of this represented an investment by the society, and some was advanced by private interests. The society also invested in a fish farm, and introduced the "Cachmere" or Angora goat into Utah. After Utah became a state in 1896, the organization came under the direct control of the state government. The president and members of the board were appointed by the governor, with the consent of the legislature, and the annual fairs became official "State Fairs." In 1907 the name of the society was changed to the Utah State Fair Association, which is its present name. Its sole function since then seems to have been the sponsorship of the annual fair.

uDeseret News, May 4, 1869. 17Approved February 3, 1869. Acts, Resolutions and Memorials . . . (Salt Lake City. 1869), 2. 18See also Deseret News. March 4, 6, 1869. "Ibid., February 16, 1872.