Ute Chief: Walkara/Wakara, aka Chief Walker, aka Colorow

 Walkara was a Northern Ute Chief of the Timpanogo and Sanpete Bands.  He may also have Shoshone ties.  Walkara is the Shoshone word for Hawk.  He was known as a diplomat, leader, warrior and horseman.  He was the chief when the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints entered the Utah area.  He was born along the Spanish Fork River in Utah.  He liked to fish in Utah Lake.  He spoke English, Spanish and Native languages.  He was known as a great horse thief with his brothers, especially in southern California.  There he had conflict with Juan Antonio Cahuilla leader.  Mountain men would trade them whiskey for stolen horses.  

In 1847 the Mormons settled in Salt Lake which was between Ute and Shoshone territory.  Walkara objected to their having a permanent settlement and wanted to drive them out.  However his brother intervened, so the Mormons had peace with the Timpanogo.  Utes were advised not to steal from the Mormons, but some did resulting in retaliation from the Mormons and the death of six men at the Battle Creek massacre.  Walkara supported attacking Fort Utah, but he held negotiations with Brigham Young after which he invited Mormons to settle Sanpete County.  The Utes were helpful to the settlement which was some ways for the next closest settlement.  Walkara and his son were baptized in 1850.  The Utes had a slave trade using women and children and the Mormon community tried to stop this.  This lead to poor relations.  Additionally many nonMormons were traveling through the area and competing for resources.  This resulted in the Walker War of 1853.  The Utes were angry with both the Mormonee and Merikats (terms used to distinguish mormons and nonMormons.  James Alexander Ivie shot several Utes and one later passed away.  The Utes demanded compensation but Ivie felt it was self defense and refused.  The Utes, demanding the death of a EuroAmerican to compensate were denied, so a Ute shot and killed Alexander Keele.  This lead to open hostilities.  Towns were attacked.  Mormon communities became tighter and turned into forts.  Four men were killed driving a ox-wagon from Salt Lake to Manti.  Brigham Young and Walkara negotiated a peace in May 1854.  The underlying problems were not resolved and would blow up again ten years later in the Black Hawk War.  Walkara was rebaptized and many of his people were baptized at this time.  Walkara died in 1855.  

Magazine Article Review: Forging a Faith, Nebraska Life

 Forging a Faith by Matt Masich, photographs by Christopher Amundson, Nebraska Life, January/February 2024, pp 40-45.

In the late summer of 1846 Mormon pioneers, fleeing persecution in Illinois established the first town in Nebraska.  The had been four months crossing Iowa, a journey they expected to make in three weeks.  But the rain and the muddy conditions lead to a very hard pull across the territory.  Arriving on the western edge of Iowa, Brigham Young negotiated with Peter Sarpy, who had a post in Bellevue on on the opposite side in Iowa and a ferry crossing, for ferrying across the river.  There was no way for him to ferry the thousands wanting to cross, so the Mormons made there own ferry.  After crossing they were for a brief time in Cutler Park where they established a government, but the Otoe thought it was too far (The Omaha were OK with the location) from the river so they moved east three miles and established Winter Quarters on the Missouri River.  The Nebraska side of the River was Indian territory at the time.  

Thomas Kane was a friend of the Mormons.  His father was a friend of President Polk.  Using his influence with his father he asked the president if there was any way the government could help the Mormons.  The agreement was that the Mormons could raise a militia to serve in the Mexican American War and they would allow the Mormons to stay in Indian territory.  The Mormon Battalion brought countless benefits: The land deal gave the Saints a place to stay; serving the nation in time of war was great for public relations; the Army, instead of hindering the emigration, was now paying Church soldiers to go west; and much of the soldiers’ pay could be funneled back to their families to buy provisions.  The enlistments took place in Iowa in what was known as Kanesville.  Thomas Kane visited with the recruitment and became ill and was laid up for a month.  

Brigham Young was anxious to be on the west side of the river so they could leave earlier in the spring and avoid flooding on the Missouri River.  Starting in August the Saints began to harvest local grasses.  They put away 2000 tons for the animals.  The Saints erected crude log cabins in which to stay, and a few sod houses.  That winter there were 3500 people in Winter Quarters with 538 log cabins and 83 sod houses.  The population would reach a high of 4000 with 800 homes.  They were able to get supplies shipped up from St. Louis.

Many died.  Death had begun to show its face crossing Iowa due to disease.  Disease (diphtheria, typhoid, scurvy, malaria) also haunted the Saints in Winter Quarters, and as winter come on there was less disease but more death due to cold and malnutrition.  About 600 died while they were at Winter Quarters, half babies and infants. The cemetery was west of town, at the top of the hill.  At times there were so many deaths the grave diggers were overwhelmed.  Sometimes a corpse would lie in the home for a couple deaths before collected and buried.  

Brigham Young lead the first group in the Spring.  They traveled west and eventually ended up in Utah.  Huge number of Saints followed.  By the late 1860s 70,000 Saints had been through the area.

The Saints abandoned Winter quarters within a couple years as promised.  There still was Mormon settlement on the Iowa side of the river.  The property was inhabited in 1854 for the Florence Land Company.  James C. Mitchell named the town Florence after a child, niece or granddaughter.  

The Mormons abandoned the area and nothing of the original settlement is left today except for the pioneer cemetery and the Mormon or Florence Mill.  There is now a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the cemetery property.  

The Utah War as per Echo Canyon Rest Area

In 1857 James Buchanan decided the Mormons were open open rebellion based on the report of some disgruntled government officials who had been in Utah.  This had given the Saints ten years in Utah free from federal interference.  Fortunately diplomacy prevailed in the end.

there may be old breastworks up there

 

Mormon Battalion Was Mustered in Kanesville, Iowa, Kanesville Visitor Center

 Thomas Kane was instrumental in lobbying President Polk as a way of supporting the Mormons in their treck west.  The president wanted to assure the loyalty of the Mormons.  After the recruiters had tried recruiting in the eastern Iowa locations where the Mormons had camped, Captain James Allen finally arrived in Kanesville.  Brigham Young encouraged people to enlist, for the financial help it would give the church.  Each recruit would receive a $42 clothing allowance, but unifors were not required.  Much of that money went to support the church in Winter Quarters and on the journey west.  The mustering of the Mormon Battalion also provided a way for the church to show their political support for the United States.  Over five hundred joined the Battalion, five companies, which was the only unit, "Mormon Battalion," with a religious name.

Mormon Battalion uniform and equipment

Brigham Young and a man saying goodbye to his wife

Kanesville Visitors Center: Brigham Young Sustained as Prophet

 In the winter of 1847, three years after the death of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young was impressed that it was time to reorganize the first presidency.  This was after he had been to Utah and back ith the first emigration company.  Kanesville was in essence the headquarters of the church during this time.  Not all the apostles were present, but they did have a majority and a quorum.  On December 5 they determined it was proper to reorganize the first presidency.  They hastily constructed a tabernacle in which to do this.  It held 1000 people.  On December 27 the members met in Kanesville Tabernacle and sustained Brigham Young as Prophet with Heber C. Kimball as first counsellor and Willard Richards as second counsellor.  The Kanesville Tabernacle did not survive.  It was hastily constructed, over a natural spring.  The wood was green and warped over time so it soon was not safe.  A replica was built in 1996 but it too was torn down in 2022 as deemed unsafe.  There is now a memorial, visitor center there.  Kanesville is now Council Bluffs.  The memorial is located off of E. Kanesville Blvd at Benton St.  

Heber C. Kimball, Brigham Young and Willard Richards

Where the tabernacle was located in 1847

An artistic rendering of the original tabernacle

Mormon Trail Center Tells the Story of Mormon Migration to Utah: A New Prophet is Called

 Since the Martyrdom of Joseph Smith in June of 1844, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had been lead by the Council of twelve apostles with Brigham Young as the President of the Quorum.  After the first group had traveled to Salt Lake, and Brigham Young had returned to the Iowa/Nebraska area, he felt impressed that is was time to reorganize the First Presidency.  A tabernacle was built in Kanesville (now Council Bluffs) to facilitate this.  Although not all twelve apostles were present thee was enough for a quorum.  The others were impressed as well that ut was time.  Brigham Young was sustained as prophet and president of the church.  His counsellors were Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards.  

12 Apostles

Brigham Young

The New First Presidency

Sustaining by the apostles

Leaving Nauvoo

Across Iowa

On the Missouri

To the Salt Lake Basin

A New First Presidency

Ship travel

By Handcart

By Train

Mormon Trail Center Tells the Story of Mormon Migration to Utah: To the Salt Lake Basin

 There was intense planning before the trek.  And there would be several groups to travel the Mormon Trail.  The first was in 1847 with Brigham Young.  

Th Mormon Trail from Nebraska to Utah

They arrived in Salt Lake Juy 24 1847.  Some actually arrived a few days earlier and began plowing and digging ditches.  From the valley bench Brigham Young has declared, "This is the right place."

Leaving Nauvoo

Across Iowa

On the Missouri

To the Salt Lake Basin

A New First Presidency

Ship Travel

By Handcart

By Train

Temple to Temple

Mormon Trail Center Tells the Story of Mormon Migration to Utah: Across Iowa

It was thought that the 300 mile trek across Iowa would take four to six weeks.  However in reality it took three and a half months or more.  This was because of the muddy conditions they encountered as they traveled, and poor preparation due to being forced to leave more quickly than they had planned.  After leaving in June, the first Saints arrived along the Missouri River in mid June.  They had hoped to arrive at their final destination that year, but they realized this would not be feasible.  Instead they settled along the Missouri.  

trek across iowa

Wagon stuck in the mud

William Clayton wrote Come Come Ye Saints

Diantha Clayton his wife

Come Come Ye Saints

Reaching the Missouri River

Leaving Nauvoo

Across Iowa

On the Missouri

To the Salt Lake Basin

A New First Presidency

Ship travel

By Handcart

By Train

Mormon Trail Center Tells the Story of Mormon Migration to Utah: Leaving Nauvoo

 Located across the steet from the Winter Quarters Cemetery and the Winter Quarters Temple, is the Mormon Trail Center at Winter Quarters.  This center should be considered a history museum telling the story of the Mormon migration, from Nauvoo to Salt Lake, and then from Europe to Salt Lake.

The presentation begins and ends with a statue of Jesus, for it is in Him that people have faith.  It was to follow Him that people left their homes to gather with the Saints (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)

The Saints were torn because they dersired to finish the temple, and receive their co venants with the Lore, while they were being pressured to move.  5600 received their endowment while in Nauvoo, with the busiest time being just before they exodus.  Other ordinances were performed but numbers are less accurate.  This includes sealing and baptisms for the dead.

Willard and Jenetta Richards were sealed

Best known photograph of Nauvoo

Joseph Smith

Nauvoo map

Items in a trunk to go west in the wagon, doillies and ceramics

A typical wagon load

Lots of study behind where to go?  They thought they were going to Upper California, which was then part of Mexico.

crossing the Mississippi from Nauvoo on ice

Leaving Nauvoo

Across Iowa

On the Missouri

To the Salt Lake Basin

A New First Presidency

Ship travel

By Handcart

By Train