Show SLAVERY IN UTAH IT Is is verv very hard for the younger generation especially those who are unfamiliar with the early history of this territory and those who later became residents of it to comprehend or realize the fact that african slavery existed within its ita borders and that quite a few slaves were brought to these valleys by the pioneers in 1847 and many more were brought in by those who followed later there are some few negroes still residing in various parts of this state and in in idaho who were brought za here as aa slaves and held as such until the close of the civil war when the war broke out many slave holders left this territory with their slaves and returned to the southern states because they believed by so doing the risk of losing them would not be so great one of these unique characters who was brought here in 1847 by the pioneers resides in spanish fork and his name is alex bankhead he is greatly respected and held in high esteem by all the people of that flourishing little city 1 while visiting their home the latter part of last december mr and mrs bankhead at our request related their early experience in utah mr bankhead belonged to to the famous family of Bank heads of alabama and several male members of that family became converts to mormonism and when they came to the territory they brought their slaves with them two or three members of the family located at wellsville and some of their ex slaves who still reside in m that place and corinne assumed the names of their masters in time alex bankhead became the property of bishop smoot who located locate clat at provo mr bankhead is now well on to 70 years of age and he well remembers brigham young and the other early leaders of the mormon church he informed us that when this city was waa in its infancy the slaves always congregated in a large room or hall on state street almost opposite the city and county building baere they would discuss their condition and gaze in in wonderment at the lofty mou mountains a which reared their snowy peaks heavenward and co completely mple tely forbade dorbad e them from ascertaining I 1 how they could make their escape back ack to the south or to more congenial dimes ch mm por for we were assured that their lives live in the e then new MW wil wilderness denim was far from b being e ing hap happy py and many of them were subjected to the same treatment that hat was accorded the plantation L lr a of tha south I 1 M ira ww ahorn rn in 1 ai north carolina not very far from newburn she was the property of a gentleman by the name of redd she in company with a number of other slaves were on their way to utah and while pass ing through the state of kansas during the dark hours of the night the majority of them made good their escape which was a great loss to their owner but mrs bankhead was not so successful in that direction and she was brought on to utah after residing in this city for some years she finally was transferred to dr pinney of salem in the course of time she married mr Raak bankhead head they both have a very distinct recollection of the joyful expressions ions which were upon the f faces aces of all the slaves when they ascertained that they had acquired their freedom through the fortunes of war r at that time man many y negroes according to mr Bank heads statement left salt like lake city and other sections of the territory for california and other states mr and mrs bankhead naw now own a little home including twenty acres of land they are both devout and strict mormons cormons Mor mons she belongs to the ladies relief society of her ward and takes an active part with her white sisters in all work of that character mrs bankhead visited salt lake during the pioneer jubilee and observed in the parade flake green who now lives in idaho and mrs jane james of this city who formerly lived with prophet joseph smith and her brother isaac manning who assisted to erect the nauvoo temple the last named gersoni and other members of our race came here with ith the pioneers |