cutler's camp at the big grove on silver creek - Brigham Young ...

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ushy shrubs, and small trees th<strong>at</strong> are not very deeply rooted in most places. R<strong>at</strong>her, <strong>the</strong>y extend up gradually about ten to twenty feet from <strong>the</strong> w<strong>at</strong>er to <strong>the</strong> surrounding countryside. The terrain along <strong>the</strong> creek is moder<strong>at</strong>ely hilly. Wh<strong>at</strong> are today ne<strong>at</strong>ly terraced, cultiv<strong>at</strong>ed fields of Ivl--- - - -- - - Sallie Emeline Whiting Cox First wife of Frederick Walter Cox G. E Anderson Collection #2789 courtesy of Photographic Archives Harold B. Lee Library Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah beans, corn, and o<strong>the</strong>r grains no doubt were mostly rolling hills and open prairie grasslands when <strong>the</strong> Momns arrived in 1847. The land east of <strong>the</strong> mek gradually inclines to a substantial hillside. It is covered by large trees dense enough to screen out much of <strong>the</strong> dght during <strong>the</strong> summer. Even today, <strong>the</strong> <strong>grove</strong> sup- ports plenty of wildlife, including many varieties of birds, small mammals, snakes, and a herd of large, healthy-looking deer. This mini<strong>at</strong>ure forest on <strong>the</strong> hill extends along <strong>the</strong> creek for a considerable distance, embracing it <strong>at</strong> some points and encompassing an area of perhaps forty acres. The <strong>grove</strong> w doubt provided <strong>the</strong> Mormons withvaluable supplies of food, fuel, and building m<strong>at</strong>erials. The countryside beyond <strong>the</strong> <strong>grove</strong> to <strong>the</strong> north, easf and south rolls on to o<strong>the</strong>r hills, most of which do not support more than a few trees today. The <strong>camp</strong>site was loc<strong>at</strong>ed in a somewh<strong>at</strong> protected area between <strong>the</strong> creek's east bank and hillside. This plot of about twenty acres eventually contained a "community [th<strong>at</strong>] consisted of a number of log cabins, a store or two, a blacksmith shop and a mill."32 A cabin, resem- bling <strong>the</strong> ones built here, is described in <strong>the</strong> settlers' oral tradition as "not more than fourteen feet sqw."33 The cabins were "shingled with split timber about three feet long" and included "one four light window." The fur- nishings typically included handmade chairs, tables, and bunk beds with "split timber for sl<strong>at</strong>s upon which <strong>the</strong>y put . . . straw m<strong>at</strong>tresses." This small space sometimes was divided in half by extending "a pole across <strong>the</strong> room with a crotcbed stick." When affordable, a wood-bum- ing stove was used to he<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> cabin. In spite of <strong>the</strong> Silver Creek site's limit<strong>at</strong>ions, it also sustained gardening and farming in small fields. The Momns raised pot<strong>at</strong>oes, squash, sweet corn, and o<strong>the</strong>r vegetables, sometimes in quantity to trade for o<strong>the</strong>r pr0visions.3~ William Arthur Cox observed: "During <strong>the</strong> summer of 1848, <strong>the</strong>y . . . <strong>at</strong>e [squash] until <strong>the</strong>ir faces turned yellow, and <strong>the</strong>ir neighbors thought <strong>the</strong>y had yellow jaundice."3s When more extensive farming was <strong>at</strong>tempted, it necessarily was loc<strong>at</strong>ed beyond <strong>the</strong> <strong>grove</strong> on <strong>the</strong> prairie. Plowing <strong>the</strong> prairie sod reportedIy took considerable effort. Once <strong>the</strong> sod was turned, <strong>the</strong> farmer would "strike each sod with an ax, and into it <strong>the</strong> hole so made," a helper would drop corn seed.36 The surrounding grass lands provided more than ample grazing as well as hay. The Saints' livestock probably included horses, oxen, c<strong>at</strong>tle, chickens, and possibly sheep- The Silver Creek Saints eventually constructed a gistmill on <strong>the</strong> creek.37 It most likely was erected in 1849 or 1850, only after some of <strong>the</strong>m had decided to remain in Iowa According to a local journalist, Men
Wortman, "A mill was built to utilize <strong>the</strong> power fur- nished by <strong>the</strong> w<strong>at</strong>ers of Silver Creek and <strong>the</strong> Mormons stayed for several years, planting crops, and preparing for <strong>the</strong> continu<strong>at</strong>ion of <strong>the</strong>ir migr<strong>at</strong>ion"38 Cordelia Morley Cox reported th<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> first mill was constructed by "hollowing out a [tree] stump [and] arranging a spring pole, so th<strong>at</strong> in a kid of mom and pestle fashion [<strong>the</strong>y] could pound up enough coarse meal to do <strong>the</strong> famdy all day." She fur<strong>the</strong>r noted th<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong>y "usually had pancakes for bdcfast, cornbread for dinner, with plenty of milk, butter and eggs."39 Certain fe<strong>at</strong>ures of <strong>the</strong> Silver Creek site, such as <strong>the</strong> creek, woods, hill, and surrounding grasslands, were crit- ically important for cre<strong>at</strong>ing and sustaining even a temporary settlement Out of <strong>the</strong> timber in <strong>the</strong> <strong>grove</strong>, F, Walter Cox and Edwin Whiting probably constructed some of <strong>the</strong> wagons th<strong>at</strong> canied <strong>the</strong>ir families to Utah Cox and some of <strong>the</strong> Whiting bro<strong>the</strong>rs, especially Almon, also may have used <strong>the</strong>se same m<strong>at</strong>erials for making primitive Shaker-style furniture (a craft th<strong>at</strong> subsequently would bring Almon considerable notoriety).a The men bartered <strong>the</strong> surplus chairs in Missouri for pro- visions. The women sometimes took in <strong>the</strong> laundry of "gold diggers" headed for California in exchange for much-needed cash money. Religion was, by all accounts, a central fe<strong>at</strong>ure of daily life <strong>at</strong> Silver Cmk. Yet <strong>the</strong>re is no indic<strong>at</strong>ion th<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> Mormon settlers constructed a church building. They most likely held services in a cabiq a tent, or simply out of doors. Cutlerite history maintains th<strong>at</strong> "Regularly, church services were held and faith renewed as <strong>the</strong>y studied and prayed toge<strong>the</strong>r seeking to learn God's will for <strong>the</strong>m."41 Because <strong>the</strong> Cutlerites had concluded th<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> origiual Mormon Church was "rejected," this report persists, <strong>the</strong>y discontinued "baptisms, blessings, and ordin<strong>at</strong>ions" <strong>at</strong> this time.42 A cemetery, eventually composed of perhaps a dozen graves, was established east of <strong>the</strong> Big Grove.43 It was loc<strong>at</strong>ed on high ground about halhay up <strong>the</strong> next hill, although no sign of it is readily apparent today. The contemporary inhabitants of <strong>the</strong> area told me th<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> remains were reburied in an eisting cemetery <strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> top of <strong>the</strong> next hill across from a small Protestant church44 The reloc<strong>at</strong>ed graves reportedly were marked, but I have not been able to identify <strong>the</strong>m. The entire Silver Creek community picked up and moved shortly after <strong>the</strong> Kansas missionaries returned to Iowa45 A variety offactors probably contributed to this decision. The creek may have been too small, unpre- dictable, or o<strong>the</strong>rwise unsuitable as a mill site. The billy7 surrounding cauntqside most likely presented farming di££iculties gre<strong>at</strong>er than could be solved by existing tech- nology. The settlers' kinfolk, fiends, and o<strong>the</strong>r Mormons had ei<strong>the</strong>r confirmed west or remained sc<strong>at</strong>- tered near moredesirable loc<strong>at</strong>ions in southwestern Iowa And <strong>the</strong>y had sound reasons for anticip<strong>at</strong>ing can- flict with government officials and neighbors. Local Gentile (civil) authorities arrested Alpheus Cutler and <strong>at</strong> least one o<strong>the</strong>r Silver Creek Saint in 185 1 for practicing plural marriage.46 Cutler resolved <strong>the</strong> problem by "putting asiden his remaining plural wives.47 F. Walter Cox complied with <strong>the</strong> court by temporarily moving two of his three wives to ano<strong>the</strong>r jurisdiction (near CarterviUe, Pottaw<strong>at</strong>tamie County) and leaving for <strong>the</strong> Salt Lake Wey in 1852. Summary and Conclusions For about five years, from 1847 until 185213, Cutler's Camp <strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> Big Grove on Silver Creek served as a temporary en<strong>camp</strong>ment and way st<strong>at</strong>ion for Mormons headed west. It also was <strong>the</strong> loc<strong>at</strong>ion of an increasingly dissident branch of <strong>the</strong> Church and was <strong>the</strong> oper<strong>at</strong>ional base for a little-known Mormon mission to n<strong>at</strong>ive Americans in Kansas. Although some of <strong>the</strong> Silver Creek Saints continued west, o<strong>the</strong>rs became disaf- fected. After being cut off from Utah Mormonism, <strong>the</strong>y elected to remain in Iowa Very romantidy and r<strong>at</strong>her ironically, <strong>the</strong> Cutlerites' history, based on oral tradition, subsequently concluded th<strong>at</strong>: The years of calm and quiet experienced in MiUs County was a happy time for <strong>the</strong> little band who had suf- fered so much The rich Iowa soil produced crops and foods in abu&nce and <strong>the</strong>y were once more free to build homes and things needed to furnish <strong>the</strong>m. From time to time families joined <strong>the</strong>m here, usually rel<strong>at</strong>ives or acquaintan~es.~8 In 1852, a party of Silver Creek Saints scouted <strong>the</strong> loc<strong>at</strong>ion of a new settlement about thixty miles sou<strong>the</strong>ast in Frernont County7 Iowa49 Given <strong>the</strong> Book of Mormon name of "Manti," it quickly developed into a thriving frontier village. Manti also sewed as headqwters for <strong>the</strong> Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite) from its 1853 for-
Page 1 and 2: CUTLER'S CAMP AT THE BIG GROVE ON S
Page 3 and 4: Map showing locati
Page 5: Fmderick Walter Cox courtesy of Dan
Page 9 and 10: Related Families (
Page 11 and 12: point near the con
Page 13: 49. Fletcher and Fletcher, AIpheus

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