History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

INDUSTRIES. 327
At Salt Lake City and elsewhere throughout the
country manufactures began to thrive. Isolated, poor,
having brought little or nothing with them, these settlers
were peculiarly dependent for necessaries and
comforts upon themselves, and what they could do
with their hands. And it would be difficult to find
anywhere in the history of colonization settlers who
could do more. Among them were many of the best
of Europe's artisans, workers in wood, iron, wool,
and cotton, besides farmers, miners, and all kinds of
laborers.
At Tooele and several other settlements gristmills
and saw -mills were established before the close
of 1852. 15 Near Salt Lake City, a small woollenmill
was in operation. 16 At Parowan and Cedar
City, iron-works were in course of construction;
at Paragoonah, a tannery had been built; and at
Salt Lake City, in addition to other branches of manufacture,
flannels, linseys, jeans, pottery, and cutlery
were produced, 17 and sold at lower prices than were
asked for eastern goods of inferior quality. "Produce
what you consume," writes Governor Brigham Young
in his message of January 5, 1852; "draw from the
native elements the necessaries of life ; permit no vitiated
taste to lead you into indulgence of expensive
luxuries which can only be obtained by involving
yourselves in debt; let home industry produce every
This excellent advice
article of home consumption." 18
15 The first grist-mill built at Tooele was erected by Ezaias Edwards; in
1849 a saw-mill was built at Provo by James Porter and Alex. Williams, and
in 1850 a grist-mill, by James A. Smith and Isaac Higbee. At American Fork
Azra Adams built a grist-mill in 1851; at Manti a grist-mill was built by
Brigham Youn^ and Isaac Morley, and a saw-mill by Charles Shumway; in
1848 Samuel Parish built a grist-mill at Centreville. Utah Sketches, MS.,
passim. In Salt Lake county there were, in the autumn of 1851, four gristmills
and five saw-mills. Utah Early Records, MS., 158. Near Ogden, Lorin
Farr built a grist-mill and saw- mill in 1850. Stanford's Ogden City, MS., 3.
16 In March 1851 the general assembly appropriated $2,000 for this pur-
pose. Utah Early Records, MS., 123.
17 'Our pottery is nearly completed;. . .cutlery establishments are com-
pleted.' Hist. B. Young, MS., 1851, 26.
18 In Id., Nov. 6, 1S52, similar advice is given to the saints: 'Buy noarti
cle from the stores that you can possibly do without. Stretch our means,
skill, and wisdom to the utmost to manufacture what we need, beginning with