History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

THE CALIFORNIA COLONY. 593
rounded with thriving farms; 50 a road was constructed
as far as the timber belt in the neighboring mountains,
each man working incessantly until it was completed,
and all this was accomplished without incurring
debt, a small balance remaining in the county
treasury when the settlers were ordered by Brigham
to Salt Lake City. 61
Of Elder Samuel Brannan's party which arrived in
San Francisco, as will be remembered, in the summer
of 1846, mention is made in connection with my History
of California. 52
During this year, a settlement
named New Hope was founded by a portion of the
company on the north bank of the Stanislaus River,
near its junction with the San Joaquin, but was abandoned
when news was received that the brethren had
resolved to remain in the valley of Great Salt Lake.
Most of the Mormons still remained, however, in California,
betaking themselves to farming and lumbering
until the time of the gold discovery, when they gathered
at the mines on Mormon Island. Between 1848
and 1850 about a hundred and forty of them found
their way to Utah; the remainder cast in their lot
with the gentiles, and most of them, among whom
was their leader, apostatized, though a few afterward
joined the Mormon communities at San Bernardino
and in Arizona. 53
60 Elder Rich, who arrived at S. L. City from San Bernardino in April
1852, reported 1,800 acres in grain, and about 1,000 in vegetables. Destret
News, May 1, 1852.
51 Shepherd's Colonizing of San Bernardino, MS. See also letter of Amasa
Lyman, in Millennial Star, xiv. 491-2; and extract from N. Y. Herald, in
Id., xv. 61; Richards' Hist. Incidents of Utah, MS., 23; S. F. Herald, Aug.
21, 1852; Hughes, in Hastings' Or. and Gal., 96; Utah Scraps, 11.
62 Vol. v., 544-54. On pp. 543-4 (note 35) is a list of the members.
63 Frisbie states that after the gold discovery the Mormons, many of whom
had now become wealthy, refused to pay tithes, whereupon Brannan appealed
to their sense of duty, but finding them fixed in their resolve, frankly told
them they were sensible, and had been damned fools for paying tithes so
long. From that time he ceased to be an elder. Rem. , 33-4. For further
details as to Brannan's party, see Glover's Mormons in Gal, MS., passim;
Larkin's Doc, MS., iv. 55; Olvera Doc, MS., 14-15; Larkin's Off. Corresp.,
MS., ii. 42; Millennial Star, ix. 39-40, 306-7; Times and Seasons, vi., 1126-7.
Sutter spoke of them in the highest terms. ' So loug as these people have
been employed by me,' he says, 'they have behaved very well, aud were industrious
and faithful laborers.' Ilutchings' Ccd. Mag., ii'. 196. In Jan. 1847
Hist. Utah. 38