Hike of 1917: Pioneer Trail

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Bishop Wm. O. Stephens and the Henefer M. I. A. Bee-Hive Girls who served the lunch to the boys.

Hike of 1917—Pioneer Trail By John D. Giles, Supt. Y. M. M. I. A. and Deputy Scout Commissioner Ensign Stake.

To the M. I. A. Scouts of the Boy Scouts of America belongs the honor of having done more in recent years than any other organization to honor the Utah Pioneers and perpetuate the Pio- neer Trail or "Emigrant Road," as it was familiarly known in early days. For six years the scouts and their leaders have honored the pioneers, and in modern scout fashion emulated the example of the pathfinders of the "Great American Desert." Of the six annual pilgrimages made by the boy scouts over portions of the old "Mormon" trail none, except possibly the first, in 1912, was so filled with historic interest as the "hike" this year. Two incidents of the trip were of special importance from a historic standpoint, and will be recorded for the informa- tion of those who become interested in the Pioneer Trail. The first item of unusual importance was the visit of Church and scout officials to the point where the original trail enters the state of Utah from Wyoming, and where most likely the first of a series of monuments marking the trail will be placed. The second incident was the erection of a sign-board marking, as nearly as it is possible to determine, the spot where President

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Brigham Young, the great pioneer leader, first beheld the valley of the Great Salt Lake, with his natural eyes, and made his now famous remark, "This is the place." The 1917 hike, under the direction of Scout Commissioner Dr. John H. Taylor, began Saturday, July 21, and ended Tues- day, July 24. For the better part of four days the eighty- odd boys and their leaders traced the footsteps, sang the songs, and in a very much modernized manner lived the lives of the Pioneers. Through the courtesy of the Union Pacific, the pioneer railroad of the west, and with the approval of the newly created Public Utilities Com- mission, the boys were car- ried by train from Salt Lake on Saturday morning, July 21, to the little town of Hen- efer, in Weber Canyon, ar- riving there for a public meeting at the ward chapel at 11 o'clock. The good peo- ple of Henefer had arranged a very elaborate and interest- ing program of musical num- John D. Giles standing by first mon- ument put up by M. I. A. Scouts, in bers, short talks, poems, etc., 1912, jour and one-half miles from as a supplement to the ad- Henefer, on the first annual trip over dress of Major B. H. Rob- the trail. erts, who was the principal speaker. Previous to the meeting, Major Roberts had briefly pointed out to the scouts the route of the Pioneers from the mouth of Lcno canyon to Henefer, and in his address he followed the course from that point to the Salt Lake Valley, describing, in an eloquent and instructive manner, the conditions prevailing in the country traversed, and the hardships encountered. The address also included an impressive tribute to the little pioneer band who led the way to the present "desert" empire, and their inspired leader-President Brigham Young. Following a dainty but substantial basket lunch, served by the girls of Henefer, on the town square, the scouts departed on the first leg of their journey. The trail, leaving Henefer, follows up Wash Creek through what the natives call "Dixie," past the immense reser- voir in Last Canyon (called ten-mile canyon in Pioneer days)

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I7»e annual swim in the East Canyon Reservoir.

to the junction of Taylor and East Canyon Creeks. At the res- ervoir a stop was made for the "annual bath" (some of the boys claimed it was semi-annual for them). Toward evening a de- tour, made necessary by the enlargement of the reservoir, was taken a short distance up Taylor Hollow, where the first camp was made. Every boy "checked in" on schedule time and, bar- ring p. slight delay in the arrival of the supply wagon, every- thing went off according to program.

Ascending Little Mountain.

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View of Reddings Cave and surrounding country.

The following morning a short hike was made up East Canyon to Camp Clayton, established in 1912 and named for the Pioneer Wm. Clayton and his son, Col. N. W. Clayton. Here the plans for a quiet religious camp for Sunday were upset by the overturning of one of the supply wagons loaded to the guards with "grub." The efficiency of the teachings of scout- craft was vindicated, time and again, in the events that fol- lowed. With the strictest discipline prevailing, the boys ap-

Eating Lunch on the Utah-Wyoming Line. The fence marks the divid- ing line. Left to right: Hyrum C. Smith, George Albert Smith, John D. Giles and Dr. Taylor. Sitting: B. H. Roberts, G. A. Smith, Jr., Henry E. Giles.

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plied the things that scoutcraft had taught them, and not only was the wagon preserved intact and hauled by hand up a steep embankment, more than fifty feet, but practically all the food, including eggs, was recovered and distributed to the various units to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. Sunday evening, around an immense bonfire, a typical scout program was carried out, including songs, stories, etc., and the distribution of candy. Monday, July 23, was a day of especial interest. The scouts made an early start to make the ascent of "Big Moun- tain," from the summit of which the Pioneers caught their first glimpse of the Salt Lake Valley, and thence on to Camp Grant, in Mountain Dell fork of Parley's Canyon. During this part of the journey the scouts were placed under the direction of Charles H. Spencer, Jr., camp commandant and deputy scout

Mouth of Emigration Canyon where sign has just been erected mark- ing spot where Brigham Young made his now famous remark: "This is the place." Boy Scouts and others assembled for exercises incident to mark- ing exact spot as nearly as can be determined.

commissioner of Granite stake. Scout Commissioner Dr. John H. Taylor, accompanied by John D. Giles, deputy scout commis- sioner for Ensign stake, H. E. Giles, and John D. Giles, Jr., left the party at Camp Clayton and journeyed by auto (which had followed the trail from Henefer traversed seventy years before by oxteams) to Echo, where a party consisting of Major B. H. Roberts, who had returned to Salt Lake after the meeting at Henefer, Elder George Albert Smith, Patriarch Hyrum G. Smith, George J. Cannon and George Albert Smith, Jr., fourth grand-

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son of two of the original Pioneers, was met. Major Roberts took charge of the combined party and guided the way over the original trail which leaves the main highway near Castle Rock to the point on Yel- low Creek at the mouth of Coyote canyon, where the '

road crosses what is ^5u now the dividing line between the states of

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5a3fi Wyoming and Utah. 1 On the journey the party stopped at Reddings' Cave, a prominent land mark very clearly described ^^^"^SB •*

-- in the journal of Or- SSiKn son Pratt as the point 6 '

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^b /^'v:V'l»l= at which Elder Pratt's advance scouting par- ———- — ' ty was formed. " ''•'" At ^""-"' ...' ".- the the state line Just before reaching the summit of lunched upon Big Mountain, party what is probably the exact point at which the trail crosses the state boundary. A careful survey was made of the landmarks and the surrounding country in order that the spot might easily be located in the future by members of the party. The journey then led off the trail through the hills to Was- atch station, on the Union Pacific, at which point the Lincoln Highway was reached. From Echo the highway was followed over the route later adopted by the Pioneers from Echo up Weber Canyon to Coal- ville, up Silver Creek canyon, through Parley's Park over the summit into Parley's canyon, and on to Mountain Dell, where the boy scouts were joined at Camp Grant, named in 1912 in honor of President Heber J. Grant. The boys were assembled around the evening bonfire, and after cheers for the visitors, brief talks were made by Major Roberts and Elders George A. Smith, Hyrum G. Smith and George J. Cannon. The journey of the day to the state line was described by Major Roberts, and each of the speakers in turn commended the boys for the good work in which they were engaged. Tuesday morning, July 24, the hike was made over Little Mountain into Emigration canyon. Here the boys were met by a committee in autos and carried to the mouth of the canyon, to

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the site of the sign marking the place where President Young, after viewing the valley some minutes in silence said, "It is enough. This is the right place." The party assembled at the place determined upon as being undoubtedly the point at which the now famous remark was made. The large sign board, con-

Lunch time on the Pioneer Trail at mouth of Coyote Canyon, on Yel- low Creek, at point where trail crosses Wyoming-Utah state line. Left to right: George Albert Smith, John D. Giles, Jr., Henry E. Giles, George Albert Smith IV, George J. Cannon, John H. Taylor (standing), Hyrum G. Smith, B. H. Roberts in right foreground.

sisting of an upright with a cross-arm, was firmly planted, fac- ing the valley. The inscription reads as follows: "This is the — place Brigham Young, July 24, 1847." Following the erec- tion of the sign, Major Roberts addressed those assembled up- on the historical significance of the spot which had just been marked, and expressed the hope that some day a substantial granite monument of suitable design would be erected to re- place this simple and unpretentious sign board which marks the spot temporarily. He also read from the journal of Wilford Woodruff in whose wagon President Young was riding when this point was reached. After final instructions were given by Scout Commissioner Taylor, the troops "fell out," and the 1917 hike was a matter of history. The boys returned to their homes in autos, street cars, etc. The trip was unquestionably one of the most successful and instructive scout hikes ever made by M. I. A. Scouts. The "First Aid" staff, in charge of Deputy Commissioner Claude C. Cornwall of Cottonwood stake, was almost lost sight of by rea- son of its lack of activity, the treatment of a snake-bite and a

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few slight cuts and bruises being all they were called upon to do. Splendid discipline was maintained throughout, and every boy returned home without a serious mishap to mar the trip. Not a boy who was fortunate enough to be a member of the party will likely forget his experience and the valuable information gained concerning the Pioneers and the early days of the West.

Just below the summit of Big Mountain.

Here's a hope for more scout hikes, more honor to the brave Pioneers, more respect for the great Pioneer leader and his as- sociates !

List of Participants

— Assistant Superintendent B. H. Roberts. Board members: George Al- bert Smith, Hyrum G. Smith, George J. Cannon. Scout officials: John H. Taylor, M. I. A. Scout commissioner; Chas. H. Spencer, Jr., deputy commissioner, Granite stake; John D. Giles, deputy commissioner, Ensign stake; Claude C. Cornwall, deputy commissioner, Cot- tonwood stake. — Visitors Henry E. Giles, John D. Giles, Jr., George Albert Smith, Jr.

Granite Stake

— Ward W. R. Cook, Lyle Hogan, Lenard Walton, Forest Win- Miller chell, Eli LeCheminant, Harvey Nelson, Owen Walton, Owen Bringhurst Harrison Ball, Herman Johnson, Harry Chambers. — Forest Dale Ward Allan Brockbank, Delbert Schrepel, James Bur- dette, Rolland Smith, Jack Freeze, Theo. Curtis, Howard Clark, Guy C. Wil- son. — Waterloo Ward Stellan Thedell (patrol leader), Clair Anderson, Brook L. lamoreaux, George Nichols, Ernest Agutter, Adolph Dietz. Parleys Ward —W. L. Thomson (scout master), Clifford Thomson, Ern-

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est Thomson, Frank Thomson, Jo- seph White, Henry Taylor (patrol leader), Leslie Deyer, Lyro Ped- rini, Robert Longson.

Salt Lake Stake. Twenty-eighth Ward Fredin — Beesley (scout master), Mathew Haslam, Douglas Kingdon, Byron Bath, Clarence Gowan, Glen Hack- well. Nineteenth Ward—Albert Mol- ter, Phillip Davis. Twenty-fourth Ward — Walter Arnold, Alfred Jordan, Robert Pe- terson. Liberty Stake — Emigration Ward Reed Vet- terli, Jack Green, Charles Taylor, Owen Ensign, Hadley Hanks, Clyde Fagergren, Frank Randall, Donald Folsom. Le Grande Ward— David J. Smith (patrol Carlos J. leader), Badger, Morris Ashton, Todd Bro- berg, Arthur Folkerson, Alton Melville. B. H. Roberts addressing Boy Scouts at point where Brigham Young made his now famous re- mark, "This is the place." Picture taken immediately after sign mark- ing spot had been erected. Apostle George Albert Smith at extreme right.

Ensign Stake. Twenty-first Ward—E. B. Eld- redge (scout master), Jack Hanes, Lawrence Abbott, Will Holding, Dick Wilks, Evan Giles, William Manley. Twentieth Ward—Jack Nichol- son (patrol leader), Mark Nichol- son. Eighteenth —Harvey Glade. — Ensign Ward David S. Ed- wards (scout master), Arthur Bleasdale, Kenneth Bywater, Ray White, Ambros Higham, Ernest Hagen, Wilford Hagen, Reed Rollo, Ralph Rich, David Edwards, Henry Edwards, Ben Knight. B. H. Roberts pointing out Echo Cottonwood Stake. Canyon to Boy Scouts who are about — Winder Vinal Casper (patrol to leave for hike over Pioneer trail leader), Howard Gunderson, El- from Henefer to Salt Lake. Hot Cooley.