--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 21 number: 2 published: 1917-12 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations, \"Front of the New Meetinghouse at Parowan,\" *Improvement Era* 21, no. 2 (December 1917): 136." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2102unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera2102unse start_page: 136 end_page: 136 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1917-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2102unse publication_year: 1917 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1917, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Front of the New Meetinghouse at Parowan — 136 IMPROVEMENT ERA this county in an early day, says " 'Mormon' Trace." So says Mrs. Hick- this county in an early day, says " 'Mormon' Trace." So says Mrs. Hickman. "T. D. and Jeff McKinley, who came to the state in 1848, knew it by no — other name designated the trace. The Scotts, Larimers, Mundells, Irwins, Kendalls and others say the same, and so it was known from Nauvoo to the end of the journey. If this is doubted, let those who doubt it come down into Southern Iowa and investigate. We would also refer Curator Harlan to G. H. Ragsdale, in Des Moines, who grew up beside the trace, and see what he says about it. We would also refer him to Thomas Brandon, of Melrose, a real pioneer of southern Iowa, who is now over 90 years of age, and still owns the farm he entered at Dodge's Point, in Appanoose county. He came to Iowa long before it was a state and dealt with the "Mormons" — lived on the trace when they passed through at one time came up to Char- — iton Point and purchased a "claim" of a "Mormon" he says it is the " 'Mor- mon' Trace," and was known by no other name. But this is sufficient for the present. If necessary, more can be said later when Mr. Harlan visits Chariton. In speaking with County Supervisor Will Allen, who belongs to a pio- neer family, he says he never knew it called anything else than the " 'Mor- mon' Trace," and the highway across the county is platted as the "'Mor- mon' Trace" road, and this is corroborated by County Auditor C. W. Rose. It matters little to the people, and much less to the early Pioneers who blazed this silent trace of the past, and who are now being remembered by those who live along the weary way they traveled, whether or not history and monuments shall name their pathway "trail," "trace," "way," "track," "course" or "mark." What the Pioneers would most desire, and what appears to us most important, is that the people, not only of Iowa, but of all the world, in deep reflection might catch a silent and pene- trating testimony of the spiritual power that actuated these "Mormon" Pioneers in their flight, and which has left in all western America a clear and mighty trace of influence for pu- rity of life, good will towards men, and true service of God. Front of the new meeting house at Parowan