Faces in the Crowd - Salt Lake City Pioneer Day 1897

This 1897 photograph captures a glimpse of the cross-section of people living in Salt Lake City at the turn of the last century.

This photo (source) is of a float for the Pioneer Semi-Centennial (Pioneer Day) on July 24, 1897. The float itself is rather interesting as it is a replacement for a Chinese dragon from Rock Springs, Wyoming, that was originally planned. The Chinese dragon made an appearance the year prior, 1896. Read more about that here and here. 

Salt Lake City's Pioneer Centennial celebration on July 24, 1897.
Colored by author. Original from USHS.

The Chinese dragon never made it from Rock Springs, Wyoming, (the parade organizers didn't pay) so this float was made as a replacement. It was titled "the serpent of the Great Salt Lake" and was described as "It's gaudy trappings will be covered with drapery which will glisten with salt crystallizations.”

But more than just the story of the float, I like that it shows all types of people. The images below are detailed clips of people in the crowd.

Two Black women. They are dressed up with puffy sleeves and wearing nice hats.

A fellow with an interesting beard, maybe Chinese (it's hard to tell).

 Buffalo Soldier (Black Soldier) stationed at Fort Douglas.
His situational awareness training is evident as he is is looking directly at the camera 

Two Chinese individuals. They could be from the SLC Chinatown at Plum Alley or they could be from Wyoming- Rock Springs and Evanston both having a high number of Chinese residents.

A loving dad and daughter. A White family who are out to see the parade. Dad is wearing a bowler hat, a more expensive style than the utilitarian style hat of the man in the foreground.

Shoshone-Bannock individuals, probably part of the parade. Likely from Idaho.

Well-dressed White kids. Away from parental supervision. Perhaps friends, perhaps relatives.

An older White lady with a fancy hat. She does not appear to be very pleased.
It is likely hot and the sun is bright.

A Recap of the 2022 Sema Hadithi History Conference

What a weekend with the Sema Hadithi Foundation!

On Friday, we toured the Richmond Park area, a historically Black and multi-racial neighborhood in SLC, and talked about the lives of four remarkable women (Images 1-2).

Friday night was a remembrance celebration where I received an award for researching forgotten histories.

Some great food was provided by @papastewskitchen and entertainment with @pepper.rose.slc, @findafinley, @caribbean.nightingale. (Images 3-6)

And I learned about the cultural significance of red velvet cake (Image 7) and found that I really liked this Honey Lovin Hot Sauce from Papa Stew's Kitchen (Image 8).

Saturday was the history conference. I presented about H. H. Voss and Franklin Ave (now Edison Street). And I learned all about the importance of military bands and their relation to the 24th Infantry Buffalo Soldiers stationed at Fort Douglas, from @fiona_robinson.

A good, but busy, weekend.

An 1899 map of Salt Lake City's neighborhood plats

Salt Lake City map, Published by W.H. Whitney, August 1st 1889

Maps are fun! This map from 1899 is new to me. It is a real estate map of SLC showing the various platted neighborhoods.

Some examples:

Image 2: Glendale Park Addition

Image 3: Fort Douglas and Red Butte Creek. Poperton Place is the prominent Pink cutout north of Fort Douglas.

Image 4: Utah Driving Park Race Track (500 E 2100 South)

Image 5: Hot Springs Lake (neighborhood to the west in red is near Northwest Middle School)

The official description is "Compiled from the Records and Actual Surveys By Simon F. Mackie, Civil Engineer. Published by W.H. Whitney, August 1st 1889"

There are plenty of sites on the internet that would love to sell you this lovely map, but don't fall for that.

You can download your own copy from Stanford University's Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection.

URL: purl.stanford.edu/sy439kf2563

Private Frank Bear-Heel

Gravesite of Private Frank Bear-Heel at Fort Douglas Cemetery, Veterans Day 2021.

This is the gravesite of Private Frank Bear-Heel (~1872-1893) at Fort Douglas Cemetery in SLC as it appears on Veterans Day of 2021.

Private Bear-Heel (Ma-to Sig-ti-e) was a Native American of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. He served in the U.S. Army, Company I (for Indian) of the 16th Infantry and was stationed at Fort Douglas, Utah, when he died.

The “Indian Companies” were an experiment in the 1890s by the U.S. Army. The Army’s stated purpose of the program was cultural integration, specifically to:

1. Withdraw enlistees from the warlike tribes and give satisfactory employment to a considerable number of young men who were generally dissatisfied and liable at any time to become hostile;
2. Educate the Indians in the rules and customs of civilized warfare, unlike the savage warfare they were accustomed;
3. Transform the Indian character from that of savage enemy to that of friend and citizen of the U.S.

Only 780 Native American’s enlisted in the program, half of the nearly 1,500 slots that were authorized. Many of the enlisted were Sioux from the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota and were surviving family members to the Sioux killed on January 29, 1891 at the Battle of Wounded Knee.

Private Bear-Heel died at Fort Dougals by suicide on August 28, 1893, after he heard that his father had died; he was buried with military honors in the Fort Douglas Cemetery. Private Bear-Heel was the only death of the 16th Infantry, Company I while they were stationed at Fort Douglas between 1893-1895.

A Salt Lake Herald Republican newspaper article described Pvt Frank Bear-Heel as about 21 years old, the oldest son of Bear Heel, a respected member of the Two Kettle Brule Sioux Tribe. He enlisted at Rosebud Agency on December 27, 1892. He was described as intelligent and able to speak and write English (which was not a requirement to enlist). He was an able Soldier in good standing and a popular man.

Sources:
SL Herald 1893-05-29; SL Herald 1893-08-30, Fort Douglas Museum exhibit; Warriors in Ranks: American Indian Units in the Regular Army 1891-1897 by Robert Lee.

Pvt Bear-Heel’s U.S. Army internment form showing his native name as Mato Sigete

Photos of Co I, 16th Inf at Fort Douglas. From Fort Douglas Museum exhibit

The exhibit of Co I, 16th Inf at Fort Douglas Museum

Happy Juneteenth & Intro to Sema Hadithi Foundation

Happy Juneteenth (the first Federally official Juneteenth)!

Today I would like to highlight a new non-profit organization that I am a part of:

The Sema Hadithi African American Heritage and Culture Foundation.

The group was founded last year by Robert Burch and recently obtained official 501(c)(3) status. We are partnering with the Utah Division of State History and other organizations to help preserve and tell the story of African Americans in Utah.

Give them a follow on Facebook: Sema Hadithi African American Heritage and Culture Foundation. 

I am part of the Black Women Research Group which highlights amazing stories, some of which I have shared here. 

But there are so many other stories that others have compiled including a history of the celebration of Emancipation Day, Black women social clubs, the Black church in Utah, stories and illustrations of Buffalo Soldiers in Utah, and lynching of Black men in Utah.

I’m still working on a number of stories for this group and hopefully you will see more of them soon:

• Frankie McMonnas (? – 1902) and her niece Frances Worfork (1879-1945). Frankie’s occupation on the 1900 census is listed as Nurse and Frances lists hers as School Teacher… Intriguing, hopefully I can learn more about these women.
• Ella Louise DeBies (1889-1985): “A lady really had to work for a living in those days” but she was able to send her son to the U of U in the 1920s.
• Colored Women want ads- classified advertisements of people looking to hire Colored Women, generally for domestic housework tasks. And Colored Women looking for people to hire them.
• Restaurants where Black people were allowed to eat in SLC. So far I have the St Louis Hotel and Café, Black Elks Club, and some Asian owned cafes. (Anyone know of anything specific and I will add it to my list).
• More short but intriguing stories from the Interviews with African Americans in Utah Oral History Collection at Special Collections, Marriott Library.
  
  
  

An Attack on Thelma Steward and Wallace Thurman led to the Formation of the Salt Lake Chapter of the NAACP

Calvary Baptist Church Aug 1910, 679 E 300 South,
road construction in foreground. From UDSH

On April 9 1918, 2 Black teenagers were assaulted by about 6 White Soldiers from Ft Douglas at the intersection of 200 South and Main St SLC.

This incident and the lack of any accountability helped spur the creation of the Salt Lake Branch of the NAACP.

The two teenagers were Thelma Steward, age 19, and Wallace Thurman, age 15.

Thelma was the daughter of Samuel Steward- the longtime caretaker of one of SLC’s underground Comfort Stations (previous posts). Wallace went on to be a part of the Harlem Renaissance. Both teenagers were members of the Calvary Baptist Church, at the time located at 679 E 300 South (and now located at 1090 S State).

The two groups physically bumped into each other on Main Street and name calling started. Then Soldiers knocked Wallace down several times and badly beat him. The Soldiers also beat Thelma, then seized her and drove off with her in their automobile letting her out a short time later. Wallace reported that the Soldiers appeared to be drunk.

This incident outraged the Black Community of SLC, especially the membership of the Cavalry Baptist Church and a meeting was held on April 15 1918.

As a result of that meeting Pastor George W. Hart filed a protest with the SL City Council on April 18 1918 in which he stated the SLC Police deliberately stalled any investigation and allowed the Soldiers to escape in their anonymity.

It was this incident that prompted Pastor Hart and many members of the Calvary Baptist Church to organize the Salt Lake Branch of the NAACP in Feb 1919.

Pastor Hart served as the first president and Thelma served as the first secretary.

Sources: Oral History Interviews: James E. Dooley, Albert Fitz 1, Clarence Beridon 4-5, All from Marriott Library; SL Telegram 1918-04-18; Des News 1918-04-18

News clipping headline from Deseret News 1918-04-18

The only image of Thelma I could find, from her obit, SL Trib 1980-05-13

In 1918, SLC residents largely curtailed Thanksgiving festivities during the Spanish Flu pandemic

Cooks at the Ft Douglas Hospital prepare
for Thanksgiving, SL Trib 1918-11-28.

In Nov 1918, the second wave of the Spanish Flu was spreading throughout SLC and Utah. 

The mass gathering events of the State Fair and LDS General Conference the previous month and the large public gatherings on Armistice Day of November 11 1918 were taking their toll and flu case counts and deaths were on the rise.

SLC had closed the schools, churches, clubs, and theaters and had limited the number of people in stores and on public transportation.

Restrictions were still in place on Thanksgiving, Nov 28 1918. All public gatherings that would normally be celebrated had to be cancelled including church services, club gatherings, and all sporting events.

Even the 13th Annual Newsboys Thanksgiving hosted by Russel L. Tracy of the Tracy Loan and Trust Company (and now know for Tracy Aviary) was cancelled for 1918.

The large public institutions such as the jails, orphanages, and hospitals still provided a festive feast for their residents but mostly Thanksgiving was celebrated on a smaller scale in people’s homes.

Churches adapted to the situation and many pastors prepared and sent out a program for people to observe within their own homes including Bible readings or a short sermon read by members of the family.

Charity organizations were still active and delivered turkeys, geese, ducks, roasts, vegetables, and pies to needy families in SLC. The ducks having been donated by the Elks’ Lodge from their recent hunting expedition.

The Fort Douglas Military Hospital, which was one of the isolation hospitals for flu victims, planned a large feast which included more than 200 ducks and turkeys.

However, because of the high price of turkeys in 1918, the County Jail provided chicken and the State Prison provided pork with all the normal Thanksgiving fixings.

Sources: SL Trib 1918-11-28, Des News 1918-11-30

Citizen Protests and the Possibility of Military Occupation in 1885

 Flag at Fort Douglas 1864, from UDSH.

1885 was a time of civil unrest in SLC and which resulted in an act of citizen defiance that the US Army was asked to intervene, but refused.  

In the 1880s, tensions were high between the Mormon and the Gentile citizens of SLC.  The Utah Territorial Governor overturned a lawful election in 1880 (Cannon vs Campbell), the Edmunds Act of 1882 had made polygamy a felony, Utah women lost their right to vote in 1887, and many other issues.

On July 2 1885, Mormon apostle John Henry Smith was arrested for unlawful cohabitation, he was the most prominent Mormon to be taken into custody up to that point. Although the case against Smith was dismissed the fury of the Mormon citizens of SLC had been roused.

On the morning of the July 4 1885, SLC awoke see that the US flag on many prominent buildings had been lowered to half-mast. Flags at City Hall, County Court House, Salt Lake Theater, ZCMI, the Tithing Office, Deseret News, and the Gardo House (official residence of the President of the LDS Church) had all been lowered.

At first it was supposed that the flag indicated the death of former President Ulysses S. Grant, but this was soon dispelled when Fort Douglas continued flying the flag at full mast and no bulletins announced his death.

The flag had been placed at half-mast by private citizens as a “sign of mourning and the death of liberty” to the Mormon citizens of SLC. The mostly Mormon citizens deemed it a proper manifestation, but the Gentiles of the City saw the act as offensive and treasonous.

Tempers grew and alliances formed mostly along religious lines. Governor Eli H Murray, a staunch anti-Mormon, immediately telephoned the Commander at Fort Douglas, Gen Alexander McCook, for military aid to compel the raisings of the flags. Gen McCook refused to interfere.

By 5pm, a mob had formed marching on Main Street to ZCMI threatening to break in and raise the flag. Eventually all the flags were all raised to full mast by the cooperation and de-escalation of City and Mormon leaders. Although violence was threatened, none was initiated.

Source: History of Utah V3 by Orson F Whitney, 1898, p398-407

On a humorous note:
Anticipation of similar antics with the flag was predicted for the following July 24^th 1885 celebration and preparations for another mob incident were made. But former President Ulysses S. Grant died on July 23 1885 and Governor Murray issued a proclamation to the people of Utah recommending that flags be draped in mourning until his burial. “The Governor did not recommend that the flags be half masted although he well knew they would be and that this was a perfectly proper proceeding.”

On a serious note:
During the SLC Council special committee after action review, a committee member who was a Gentile said that he “would not condemn the coolness of General McCook but quoted General [Patrick E.] Connor, the founder of [Fort Douglas] as having said that ‘if he had been there the flags would have been run to the top of the mast, or he would have poured hot shot into the streets of Salt Lake City.’”

In an alternative history timeline SLC could have had its own Bloody Sunday incident. Instead, the US Army refused to intervene in a mostly peaceful act of civil disobedience and the 1885 4th of July is now a relatively unremarkable day in SLC history. 

Elnora Dudley: Queen of the 1898 Emancipation Day

Elnora Dudley 1898 from UDSH.
colorization done by colourise.sg

This is Elnora Dudley (1883-1956) who was crowned the queen of the SLC Emancipation Day celebration of 1898.

Today is Juneteeth, a holiday that will be widely celebrated this year. The Utah Legislature only officially recognized it in 2016. Historically in Utah (until about 1940), Juneteenth was not commonly observed. Rather, Sept 22, which is Emancipation Day, was celebrated by SLC’s African American community.

The first SLC Emancipation Day was celebrated Sept 22 1892, the 30th anniversary of Lincoln’s initial proclamation. Each SLC Emancipation Day featured a parade, speakers, music, and a banquet. The local newspapers made note that this was the first time people of color would parade the streets of SLC.

The 1898 Emancipation Day celebration, of which Elnora was crowned queen, was even more special as it also celebrated the return of the 24th Infantry (Buffalo Soldiers) to Fort Douglas from their recent deployment to Cuba.

Elnora was crowned queen after the parade was completed. She was dressed in white silk and her crown was adorned with pearls. She expressed thankfulness toward Abraham Lincoln and then read the Emancipation Proclamation.

Elnora was the only child of Willis and Mary Ella Dudley. She was born in Tennessee and came to SLC as a child with her parents, about 1892. Her father worked as a porter while her mother ran a small boarding house. Elnora was a talented pianist and often played at community celebrations and weddings.

Elnora never married and she and her mother lived together renting out extra rooms in their home and occasionally working as maids for local hotels. They rented a home in Central City for 22 years and in 1935, 4 years after her mother’s death, Elnora was able to purchase the house for $2,800. Elnora continued to live in her house and rent out extra rooms until her death in 1956. Upon her death her house and all the contents, including her beloved piano, was sold at auction to settle her estate.

Nazi Symbol on Headstone in Fort Douglas Cemetery

Headstone as it appears today, soon after Memorial Day 2020

Veterans Affairs recently announced that they will be removing this WWII grave marker from a German POW buried in the Fort Douglas Cemetery. 

There are only three headstones with swastikas in US military cemeteries, this one at Fort Douglas and two at Fort Sam Houston. All 3 are scheduled for removal

After removal, the VA plans to store the headstones in the National Cemetery Administration History Collection where they will be preserved.

Paul Eilert was 38 years old when he died of cancer in 1944 at Bushnell Army Hospital. He was the first WWII German POW to die in Utah. That may be why his headstone is so unique as he died before there was an official Army policy in place for WWII POW headstones.

The headstone was privately purchased by other German POWs who pooled their meager earnings of 80 cents per day to purchase it. With full permission of the US Army, donations totaling $275 were used to purchase the headstone.

Not much is known about Eilert’s life before or during the war. Most of what is known about him is from his death certificate. He was an unmarried factory worker in Berlin before the war. He attained the rank of Corporal in the German Army.

There seems to be some confusion if the engraving on the headstone is that of a Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves (a high-level Nazi award) or is an Iron Cross (equivalent of today’s US Army Bronze Star award for heroism in battle). Most recent newspaper articles refer to it as a Knight’s Cross but the SL Tribune article from 1944 when he was buried calls it an Iron Cross.

Sources: MilitaryTimes June 1 2020; SL Trib May 25 2020; SL Trib Oct 6 1944; Splinters of a Nation by A.K. Powell.

Headstone as it appears today, soon after Memorial Day 2020

Headstone when it was installed, SL Trib Oct 6 1944

Daughters of the American Revolution Fountain now in Liberty Park

 Fountain as it is today in Liberty Park

This 115-year-old drinking fountain has a history of dysfunction.

Originally it was located in front of the Salt Lake City Public Library (now O. C. Tanner building at 15 S State St). It was donated to Salt Lake City by the SLC chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

The fountain was designed by the son of a local DAR member who was an art student at Princeton. It was then made in Vermont at a cost of $650 (about $19K in 2020 dollars). It is made of Gray Vermont Granite with the emblems of the DAR on two sides. On the other two sides read: “Erected by the Spirit of Liberty Chapter, D. A. R.” and “D. A. R., designed by W. M. Allen.” Cups were supplied to dip into the water trough and a separate drinking trough for dogs is at the base.

It was dedicated on Nov 18 1905 with much ceremony and the Fort Douglas regimental band provided music.

Unfortunately, things went downhill from there. Shortly after the fountain had been installed one of the pipes burst and the fountain sat idle for months because of a dispute between the plumber and the City.

In June 1908 the City determined that the plumbing design was defective and the water bowl of insufficient depth. The DAR intended to repair the fountain but enough funds were never raised.

By July 1910 the fountain still had not been fixed and the SLC Committee on Sanitation recommended that the fountain be shut off permanently.

In Nov 1921 the fountain had fallen into further disrepair and the City Commission decided to move it to Liberty Park. Plans were made to reconstruct it and to make it a bird and dog fountain but, true to its past, enough funds were never raised and it was never repaired.

Today it remains a civic ornament and is on display in a flower bed at Liberty Park.

Sources: DAR Magazine V28 and various historic newspaper articles.

 Fountain as it is today in Liberty Park

 Fountain as it is today in Liberty Park

 Fountain as it is today in Liberty Park

Fountain as it appeared just after installation in 1905, from UDSH.

Fountain as it appeared just after installation in 1905. From DAR Magazine V28 3

Update April 5 2021: 
The Utah State Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution have a blog post about this fountain. 

Sale of the Spoils From the Bear River Massacre

The Bear River Monument at the Fort Douglas Cemetery, after the
restoration project by the Corps of Engineers. Photo taken Feb 2021

Today in history, February 4 1863, Col. Patrick Connor and his Soldiers returned to Fort Douglas (then Camp Douglas) after the massacre at Bear River- which took place on January 29 1863 near present day site of Preston, Idaho.

The Deseret News printed quite the summary of the battle describing the Shoshone winter camp as “excellent winter quarters in a deep ravine” and the battle initially in the Shoshone’s favor but “soon the Indians were completely broken and in full retreat; but very few of them escaped… From 250 to 300 were undoubtedly killed in the fight or in the river in the attempt to escape. The Chiefs Bear-Hunter, Sag-witch, and Lehi were among the slain. A thousand bushels of wheat a large amount of beef and provisions, together with an abundant supply of powder, lead, bullets, and caps were found in the encampment… What the command thought worth bringing to camp they took, and destroyed the balance, leaving enough only for the preservation of the squaws and papooses."

Two things I found interesting in the Deseret News report, first was that there was a public “Sale of the Spoils: The arms, mules, horses, ponies, and other property taken from the Indians” were sold at public auction at Fort Douglas on Feb 12 1863.

Secondly, the number of US Army Soldiers whose feet were frozen outnumbered the killed and wounded, combined. Soldiers with Frozen Feet=79, Killed=22, Wounded=49.

Funerals for the deceased Soldiers started on February 5 1863. The Bear River monument at the Fort Douglas Cemetery is currently undergoing preservation efforts.

Source: The Deseret News, 11 Feb 1863, p4-5

The Deseret News Feb 11 1863

The Deseret News Feb 11 1863

157th Anniversary of the Bear River Massacre of 1863

Today, Jan 29, is the 157th anniversary of the Bear River Massacre of 1863. Colonel Patrick Connor from Fort Douglas led a detachment of U.S Army Soldiers and attacked a winter camp of hundreds of Shoshone men, women, and children.

Bear River at the site of the Shoshone winter encampment north of Preston, ID.
Some survivors hid in the willows along the edge of this river. Jan 2020.

Site of the battlefield, much of which is now farmland. Jan 2020.

Chairman Darren Parry speaking at today's memorial event. Jan 2020.