Saga of the Sanpitch Volume 17, 1985 - Sanpete County

prisoners, but also the invited guests. Boasting of their feats in arms, their prowess in battle, and their power
to destroy whom they would, the arrogant savages spoke with contempt of the weak, unprotected
settlement, threatening to destroy it as they had done Shoshone villages.
The settlers were saved from this threatened destruction by the wisdom of Brigham Young, for the
leaders of the victorious Utes remembered that the great white leader had not made war upon them. His
people had fed them and treated them with kindness, Because of this policy, the hints of torture and threats
of annihilation thrown out by the proud chief and his men were not carried out. The danger, however, of an
assault by this howling band of savages was still present, and threatened to flare up at the least provocation.
To protect themselves from an attack which might come at any moment, night or day, the pioneers decided
to build a fort. But of what? They were surrounded now, not by weak Sanpitches, but by powerful Utes. To
procure logs from the higher elevations, the men would have to leave their homes unguarded for long hours
and subject themselves to the dangers of being ambushed and slain. The dilemma in which they found themselves
was indeed serious.
While debating the problems of constructing a fort, one of the men suggested that stone from the gray
hill might be used to build the walls. This idea was well received. The stone was of good quality and nearby,
and the men could guard their homes while at work on the fort. The suggestion was acted upon immediately,
and soon the men were at work quarrying. Within a very short time, a strong stone fort, the walls of which
were eight feet high and two feet thick, had been built. Later in the summer of 1854 a bigger and stronger
fort was built of stone, and in l866, when Chief Blackhawk went on the warpath, a stone fort was built around
the Tabernacle Block in Manti. These forts, built of stone from the gray hill, protected the settlement from
destruction by hostile Indians from the beginning of the Walker War in 1852 until the close of the Blackhawk
War in 1867.
In view of the fact that serious trouble developed with the Indians, the pioneers were thankful they
had made their settlement near the gray hill as advised by their leader. They believed the forts constructed of
stone from the lowly mountain had saved their lives, and that the inspired leadership of Brigham Young had
been vindicated.
During this early period the value of the gray hill as a source of fine building stone became known
throughout the country. From its well stratified and evenly bedded deposits of Oolite stone, beautiful creamcolored
blocks were cut, not only for private and public buildings in Manti, but for some of the more pretentious
residences in Salt Lake City. Into the magnificent Salt Lake Temple went two large tablets of this
stone, and in the year 1852, William Ward, a sculptor, carved a block of it for the Washington Monument. As
the valuable deposit of Oolite stone was developed, the gray hill assumed added importance, and became
known as the Manti Stone Quarry.
Source: THE MIRACLE OF THE MOUNTAINS by William H. Peterson, 1942, pp. 6-15.
79