Show HISTORY OF IRON MANUFACTURING ING IN EARLY DAYS DRYS OF CEDAR E. E CRANE WATSON I During every school year continuous ous ons applications are made by students students students stu stu- dents of ot all grades for incidents and nd accounts of pioneer history so I gladly gladly glad glad- ly respond to the request to write of the beginnings of ot the making of Iron in our county using rising references from journal Joumas letters lettera tend find statements published in the Star Journals Journals Jour Jour- nals naIl of Discourses writings of those taking part in the enterprise I In November 1849 a commission from Governor Brigham Young and the legislative assembly authorized Parley P. P Pratt with witha a company of fifty to leave at once on an exploring explorIng exploring ing of southern Utah The The experiences experience and privations of this party from Salt Lake to the Santa Clara and return were full tull of suf sufferings aUf aUf- and brave endurance On their return Feb 1st lat 1850 they t re- re re reported ported that in the valley of the the Little Little Lit Lit- tle tie Salt Lake were were favorable places pl c s for the lI building of towns owns w-n w dw dwelling emphatically upon the quan quantity lt of iron as as a magnetic ore unsurpassed ul in quality Following this report George A. A Smith was waa selected selected sel leI leader of f a company 0 with supplies supplies sup sup- up plies and equipment to colonize the first settlement in this valley They left Salt Lake City City December 1850 reached what is now Parowan after 39 days day of travel in midwinter win mid ter er through almost trackless territory Jan 13 1851 After helping to to build and establish the genesis of Parowan Henry Lunt fath father r of our present Stake President was was detailed by Geo A. A Smith with thirty-five thirty others others oth oth- ers UI to locate and create our home hometown hometown hometown town which h wal was known knoW at once by its name name because of the plentiful growth of Cedar trees on the chosen spot Uncle John Urie Urle in his journal says Bays further was al done which gave e extended assurance of the predominance of iron and coal and was discovered d in December that year Mathew Carruthers in an article 17 17 Journal of Discourses Discourses Discourses Dis Dis- courses writes The summer was necessarily spent in raising grain forthe forthe for forthe the sustenance of the settlement Roads were made to to the canyons experimenting experimenting experimenting ex ex- upon th the resources constructing constructing constructing con con- such works as means of the settlers and circumstances would warrant After a visit by Gov Brigham Young and Company he writes in the Mill Star One of the principal items of interest pertaining pertain pertain- ing to our temporal needs is the manufacture manufacture man man- of iron We can to some extent the immense importance that the production of this mineral will be to Utah when we reflect that all the iron that has hal thus far been used has hal been transported a thousand thousand thou thou- I sand Band miles with wagons wagon over over mountains mountains moun moun- through rivers and rugged can can- So after consideration and planning by these foresighted leaders lead leaders lead lead- leaders ers of men an epistle was sent to the presidency of the European Mis- Mis Von son n with a full ful ful report of conditions in n Utah and a recommendation to organize a company for the manufacture manufacture manu manu- facture of iron in Utah and to sell stock to the wealthy members of the church Funds received thereby was added to t this subscription for stock were were made by the Church Gov Brigham Yo Yong ng and other citizens cit cit cit- With no funds in the treasury and subscriptions ns not available for forone forone forone one year members of the company loaned money on their own own credit to purchase necessities to begin business SI and negotiated a a. a purchase of a blast brast furnace and other apparatus for the purpose of experimenting upon the ores They endeavored to concentrate the effort of all men in any wise acquainted with the making f iron John Smith v pf 0 O. S. S was s appointed appointed appointed ap ap- pointed to supervise these I experiments experiments experiments ments which produced every variety of iron The first wares wares' made was wasa a pair of dog irons irons' which Geo A A. A Smith at April conference in a wordless iron sermon displayed Uncle Uncle Uncle Un Un- cle John Urie Urle writes write I An additional call of one hundred families was made to strengthen the Cedar colony colony colony col col- ony this com company any was composed of recent converts from Wales Wale Scotland Scotland Scotland Scot Scot- land and England skilled iron workers work work- ers era coal miners blacksmiths and farmers a much needed acquisition to our favorite enterprise An org organization organization or or- g of the Deseret Iron Co was wal effected which gave us method and everything seemed to be on a proper roper foo footing The company chartered chartered chart chart- ered by the Utah Legislature re with witha a of an appropriation appropriation appropriation of besides individual individual At a business ual subscriptions a meeting Isaac C. C Haight wa was elected General Manager of the Deseret Iron Iron Co o. o He writes Sept 24 24 1854 The fum furnace ce is completer completed and is said d by bi those who h have ve seen it it to to be ae as as' as g goodas good d' d das as as any they have seen in or any any other country we also have six coke ovens ovens ovens' and intend to add six others The Urie Urle Journal speaks of a pair of engines of 80 30 horse horsepower horsepower power being brought to the iron works The industry was was wa developed develop develop- ed sufficiently to to make some Anc And AndIrons AndIrons Irons Plowshares nails Flat Irons Iron and Cog Wheels fo for machinery The Theone Theone Theone one much prized relic is a a bell on display at the Carnegie Library on which hangs a placard stating Made fn 1855 from itom native iron by For it Cedar City Pioneers Pioneers' years rang the hour for weddings funerals meetings political business or r religious religious lg- lg ious loul it gave the alarm ot oI of danger from from fl fire or flood it signaled led the hour for the cows to be taken to or coming from the herd it told the time for gathering at balls and theatres In honor of its origin and service this ol old relic took a trip to Salt Lake City and was wa on dl display pl I at our State Capitol Its latest venture venture venture ven ven- ture was WIlS at Provo where it peale announcement of the opening session of Utah Steel Day June 2 1924 Roads were made coal opened up with a seven foot vein of pure coal within a few miles of the Iron works On account of snow and ice develop develop- developments developments ments were temporarily abandoned although the purpose se was to resume efforts the next year A train of prevented and caused It to be unnecessary The treasury was empty Indian depredations were on the townsite had been practically practical practical- ly wiped out twice by floods then the coming of Johnsons Johnson's army made lit it unc uncalled for as their eq equipment brought such supplies of iron for proposed destruction that was later utilized for construction In all all' parts of the territory Following these events the U U. P. P R. R R R. R v. v was s' s coming so that the settlers operations were turned to agricultural pursuits needed needed needed need need- ed more than all else In an editorIal editorial editor editor- ial Mill Star Volume 17 Bringham rn Young says We will see see the time timo when Utah's iron tron mountains will be transformed into ponderous machinery machInery machinery mach mach- railroads of husbandry hus- hus bandry and of household convenience and utility can Who can now calculate the ratio of her developments development and progress or the limit of her growing grow grow- ing log power and importance Our reference re reference reo re- ference is so ao voluminous it is impossible impossible im im- possible to write many details details details de de- de- de tails and the name of that incomparable able group of pi pioneer neer Iron Numbers of their are with with us pioneers In other lines pertaining per- per to the growth of our city may they ever live up to o the standards of I their fathers and perpetuate their I names with honor onor t I |