Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 1946 A Historical Study of the Exploration of Utah Valley and the Story of Fort Utah Ray C. Colton Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the Mormon Studies Commons, and the United States History Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Colton, Ray C., "A Historical Study of the Exploration of Utah Valley and the Story of Fort Utah" (1946). Theses and Dissertations. 4612. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/4612 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]. A easthaSThistoricalORICAL SIUDYSTUDY OF tietleT a explotioiiFLICPLO ui liolloLIC OF utieutleUUTAHtihtietleaih VALLEY ALD tiffiTEEyeryme STORY OF FORT UTAH A thesisthe s i s presented to the jepartlieptjepartxjent olof01 historyliistory lrighaiaurighzld founfoungyoungyoun university 142381420 1 8 in partial fuirfulrillaientillmentwillment of the requirements forffonor the degree masterida ster of arts by ray C colton 1946 TATABLEBLE OF Ccoivjtets0 tk TS n1 CHAPTER PAlageRASErageIIZE I1 introduction1ntroductioi 1 II11 physiogeogpispiffPHYSIO jeograpify OF UutanuyanL VALLEY 4 geography 4 geologicalceoloxeolo icalicelhistoryJistorystony 5 lililiIII111 irePRE iormocormo exploration OF UTAH viiVALLEYY 10 each pathfiiider left idsilisakisims iarklarkbark oriorlon ututahutbhh valley 10 escalantees6alanteescaianbe eerldaldanderidrid dominguezDominnez 11 spanish 1exicanmexican rradera1radersbraderagraders 16 arur frzj1pertrappers lndcndend raderstraders2 I171 chereiherevlhere provo ototcrotG oftott its ivalva116ale116amaameaieale 211 xlremdfremontut irin utah valley 22 ridgers3ridrerlsjjridgersjJ keport of utahutan valleyvailey 25i IV liroiaisliroilitiiai43AiSals CFOJ uraliueailudanu2ailuzanUTAH zalleyVALLEYVALLLY 27 rtrcheoioicalxsrcheojoeical and etilnoloetnnologicalethnologicalical iackroandia ck round 27 escalascalscalanteescalantealteelteanteate kithitllitilitlavith ttetie tinipdnootis2impdno6otzis 29 farfur tratrapperslersaersiers aulaandurad hetneane uteU te ladiaiisIndicindicinsilsins 31 ute indians contemporary vitia the kormonsluormwiscormons 32 V oj&on EXPLOIT TICN OF UTAKUZAH VALLEY 40 jlixplorationsalxlxdiordiod t ons darinsdurinsdaringdarlngduring 1847 40 activities ifin utah vallejvaileyvalley JLdurinjurinirintrin6 1848 andarid the early part of 10164949 42 1 ikikiraisjlxirjiishiraisirmis 1 at battlebattiecreek 454 bonebomesonesome reasonsreusensreusons for tlethe foundyoundyounafoundingiicc rz of fortyortort uitutahila 49 C HA 1 CHAPTERPTEAyeryea PAbagreXE VI timTIEytleyliejoui1ingboulbojiji d1i4g OF foryyortFORTFOAT UTAH 522 ereprepreparationpardtionpardgard tion in saitsaltiildkejakejdke city 522 trip to the titilapanogos or provo river 544 arnenvrnenmn en teswatass fofortrt Uutaht a h asettlede t t 1 ed 60 building of fort utah on its first site 63 the families are brou8ntjarountlaroibrojaro unt tobo the fort 68 VII LIFE II11I1 FORT UTAH ON 1lysITSas2s filfilistzilistist siresladsiadSITE 72 agricultural developments in the ievkiev1ievlev colony 72 civil and military activities durindaringduning 1849 74 spiritual edncatidiiuleducjti3iial and recreational functions 77 family liflirelifee in fort utah 79 infant industries introduced in the colony 83 cennoncannonexplodes lillskills dayton injures cehndehndeanbeancean 85 church authorities visit ton site selected 87 fort utah A base for exploration and colonization 90 VIII WAR CLOUDS GATgratl feelerIERFER AT loatbortkortFOHT UTAH 94 provo river ailallan indian endezvoasiiendezvous 94 skirraskirmishish between little chief and valwansnipflaiisillipvanWansnip 94 indian relations during ttlletrieie 3prinoprinspring and Susimmersummermalermaierof 1849 96 olaroldroidoldfold bishop murdered1durdered 100 open warfare ImpenimpendingdinS 101 ilessen&erslesselbesseilesseiicersacers0 dispatched to governor young 10510 captain howard stansburyStansburynry consulted 107 expedexpedeexpeditionaryI tionary force rashedrushedsashed to fort utah 109 chaiterCHAPTER PAPAGEGE IX THE BATTLEB I1 TZLL OKONtekteetiitilTHE1 PAOVO 112 aariarar council held 112 A reconnoiter of lneime enemy 112 troolsdroolstroops take their positions last lvinuteivaivj nute tracetruce sousoughtaht2ht 114 first days assault 115 the second days fighteight A turning point 119 one dead and anteenininteenli6ilteenteelteen Wouriwoundedded 124 sunday a day of liestrest indian encampment deserted 126 troopstroobroo ps sent to intercept the retreating indians 127 peace parley held troops return to salt lake city 132 X yortSORTFORTUTAH oiOU ITITS secaisecdiSECONDD SITE 13-1360 this thesis restricted to the 0torystory of fort utah 136 fort utah moved1doved to its second site 137 utah county created proveprovo city laid oatout 139 indian associations spring alaana jarlyearlyberlyberiy sulsonniersumnlerliaerkiaer 1850 142 talkervalkerdaikenwalken threatens liassacreLias sacre oiettesovxietteolettebietteoiette Coucounterslitersriters 146 ecclesiastical aldeldandend intellectual eroderoeproeprogressress 148 civil development legal and ecclesiasticalecclesiabtical courts 151 industrial1 elpaexpaexpansionr sionslon 153 population increased colonists ovedloved14 out of fortdortport 154 iafirCHAFTERcikafir pdaedgepasA GE XI ortbortjortport2ortOAT atadutaduiah1 3 PART 1Us luulieeleeJLR lil 2ptldi10l3 158 fort utchutehutdh 6a diiiiiditaryiiiitarydatary tary rfoserhose 18158 h farelfareilarentfareiitdarelit colony tcto utah clantycoaritycoanty totovloviisloveisv ns 19159109log fortyortort utah cilitia6ilitiabxilitib oaon i econnoiterineconnoiteriuc axpediionsexpeditiolsexpeditious 19159 incidents leadinleddinleading to the fellerbialker ar 161 lortfortport utahs part in thetneane daikerdalkerdackerjalker Vfarfurvar 16516 provo1 rovonovo sceliescene of peace parley teersneeks boys warmarmurmurdereddereadereddeneaurderedurmurdered 168 ivhlad wallyullyuil built around provo city 169109log tinticgintic waafarvfarr 12172 provo militia 1856 to the elidnd of the hdyvi7 madmar blaeblacblackblaekraawk darar 0 175 XII FortkortCRTFORT UUTAHTA 11 1yayorialiadivljoalalizedORIALildladIaD 181131 bibliography 184 TABLE OF illustratioiisillustjratiois TABLE iacrelaorelagePAGE I1 fort utah at its first site 1849501849 50 511 II11 Ihotost8ticphotosttic copy of cabin location in fort utah 70 31 liililIII111 indian prisorkeiprisoners1 celielcjliel zikhikIK andalaaaladana his dqauvsquusquy 130 IV fort utah being 1ebuiitrebuilt oron its secondoecond13econd sitealte 135 V early n ladkadp of proveprovo 141 CHAPTER I1 introduction the exploration of utah valley and the history of fort utah is the story of the conquest and colonization of the american frontier discovered in the days of western expan- sion the valley was identified with the principal factors in the development of the intermountain west it heard the chant of the gray robed franciscan priests became a favor- ite haunt of the trail blazing far trapper and trader was the site of the ancient rendezvous of the indian saw the gold seekersseederstrudge wearily on to california and with the founding of fort utah served as the springboard of southern utah mormon colonization today this fort is the foundation of the modern and beautiful city of provo utah during its heyday fort utah was identified with the redman as well as the white it was the guardian and outpost to the south of salt lake of brigham youngs colonization plan it was the scene of extensive bartering with the indian it was the setting of major peace councils and it was a base of military operations in protecting those courageous mormon pioneers as they built an empire from the heart of the ameri- can desert in narrating the story of the exploration of this valley and the establishment of this pioneer outpost it is intended not to portray an isolated fragment of history although the 2 main setting will be centered here batbut to build another link in the development and colonization of the intermountain nestwest one of americaamericas last frontiers in writing this thesis a thorough study of all avail- able scarcesource material has been attempted published volumes have been gleaned pioneer diaries and manuscripts have been copied and will be quoted several descendants of utah pio- neers and historians have been interviewed in brief when- ever a possibility for any additional information was known a thorough investigation was made and if related to the sub- ject was incorporated within this paper during this project splendid cooperation has been re- ceived from most of those contacted such helpful assistance is greatly appreciated without this material completion of this theme would not be possible it is hoped by the author that this composition is ac- curate in facts and interpretations but the possibility of error is frankly allowed since observers do not see things alike and memories have often been recorded imperfectly ap- parent discrepancies have been found in the surveyed material these will be commented on in the following pages not with the intention of belittling the coendablecoc mendaonimendaoni endableblebie research that has been thus far made but with the purpose of arriving at a truer picture of this epoch of mormon colonization and vital link in american history 3 the entire and complete picture