Letter to Wilford Woodruff -- Settlement in Utah

In July 1893, Fred was struggling to determine a proper home for his family. There were other LDS men in this situation in Pocatello, who'd come from different locations. They determined, with Fred writing the letter, to reach out to Wilford Woodruff, the fourth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Woodruff had been in this position since 1889) for guidance. They came to him with a proposal to dig a well and create an establishment in the desert lands west of Salt Lake. It's hard to determine exactly where they proposed -- "Granite Mountains" in the Dugway District southwest from Salt Lake on the American Desert.

It no doubt seems to reference this general region in the desert west of Tooele (where George Reynolds and Joseph F. Smith directed the feedback). Here's a map from Google, not looking very hospitality. The Dugway here is the government facility built around WWII for testing purposes reg. chemical agents and other top secret projects. It would not have been the reference Fred was making. The pin on here is for Granite Peak. A not very hospitable place. I don't believe Fred and his family every attempted to settle out here in the end.

I've included the document, along with response notes from Joseph F. Smith and George Reynolds.

Document Type: Letter
When Written: July 16, 1893
Location: Pocatello, Idaho
By whom: Frederick J. Kohlhepp
To whom: Wilford Woodruff
Additional Notes from: Joseph F. Smith, George Reynolds
Originals: Yes
In Possession by: LDS Church History Library

Content:

Wilford Woodruff,

Dear Brother We your bretheren have contemplated going down to the Desert near Granite Mts. in the Dug way District south west from Salt Lake on the American Desert, for the purpose of sinking an artesian well for the purpose of irigation, and if we could strike water there we intended to go down there and take up land colonize there, and before taking any further steps, we thought it adviseable to ask your advise on it.

[p2] Being acquainted with the Well driveing buisness, and we brethren have families and no land and we would like to get homes for us and our families; We have an Idea that if we could get water there, it would be a great opening for settlements.
Please write as soon as convenient, as we would like your aproval and ever wishing to be dictated by those in authority, ever praying for your wellfare, we remain your brethen in the Gospel.

Fred J. Kohlhepp
John. Ethos Olive.
John J Cairns
William K. B[??]seter

[p3] P.S.

We are all from different places, here working for means to make us homes somewhere.

I have been through that part of the country several years ago, and think by the lay of the land that wells could be got there.
Fred. J. Kohlhepp
Pocatello Idaho

In other handwriting by J. F. S. [Joseph F. Smith]:

I think these brethren should counsel with the Presidency of the Tooele stake, as they may know something about the region they speak of. If they can spend the means + time to test the wellboring question, and if successful, enough land could be reclaimed thereby to make a settlement where schools + meetings could be had allright. Otherwise, they had better locate [wards?] to other settlements. J. F. S.

[return note]

Fred J. Kohlhepp
July 16 '93

Dear Bro Ruben: Will you read this on the train, and present the matter to the Presidency of the Tooele stake as suggested in Prest. J. F. Smith's memo:
G. R. [George Reynolds]

Religious Experience, Mormons, Marriage, and Miracles (Lisbonbee Account 4)

Continuing Eda's account:

“Well back to the story again, as father wnet on his Westward travels. He had many interesting experiences I have heard him say ( many times) he awoke at night hearing his name called and heard a voice say, “Fred, Fred why are you wasting your time here.” He was raised in a religious home, and always no matter where he was said his prayers before going to sleep at night. The Lord was with him.

He had heard about Utah and the Mormons. The most he had heard was none too good. In his journey he came to a fork in the road. One road went south the other to Utah. He let his horse choose the way. The horse took the road to Utah. So father came to Utah, in 1886 when he was 24 years old.

Along about this time he dreamed of a beautiful girl. He never forgot the dream, and was always looking for the girl. In Utah he went to work in a mine near Toole. Father Guilliand, a Methodist Minister he had met before in his travels, looked him up to keep him from the Mormons. One Sunday night walking down an aisle in the Methosids churchin Toole, he came face to face with the girl of his dream. My father was a handsome young man 6ft. tall. He had black cury hair and dark brown yees, and there was beautiful little mother, just five ft. 2 inches with beautiful big blue eyes, and brown hair. Her skin was white and clear as lily. It was love at first sight. He looked at her and she at him. Thinking they know each other. After an embarrassing monment they excused themselves and parted. Later they met again through a mutual friend. Mother was visiting a brother in Tooele, and had attended the Methodis church with a girl friend. Mother preached the gospel to my father. He had found what he was searching for. He was baptized 6 days after they were married, nine months later they were sealed in the Logan Temple. Mother was ill at the time with rheumatism. She went into the temple on crutches and came out walking. She had been healed. [3]”

Commentary:

1. The Call. Eda emphasizes how Fred was strongly impressed by the need to stop wasting his time by wandering from place to place. Or was he pushed from place to place by being told that that he was wasting his time here?

2. I think Eda is the only one to mention Fred’s religious upbringing and his attention to personal prayers.

3. The horse story is further elaborated in Fred’s partial autobiography.

4. The Methodist Church and Mary Ella. Eda’s account here is unique in being so detailed. We learn why Fred went to the Methodist church and what minister was guiding him. We see that he met Mary Ella at this Methodist church. What she was doing in the church was another question, given that she was a Mormon. I believe another account claims she was singing in the choir, and he noticed her there, while walking down the aisle. Eda’s account has her just visiting a brother, and attending the Methodist church with her friend.

5. Although Eda is romanticizing their physical descriptions, it is still nice to receive them. The description of Fred somewhat matches the description given in the passport application. This is the first description of Mary Ella that I have ever read.

6. Fred’s conversion. It is interesting that they were married before Fred joined the church. She must have had a lot of confidence in his decision-making. Of course, his baptismal date must have been set before then. I think it shows of Mary Ella’s personality that she preached the gospel to him. While Fred must have been receptive in many senses, I don’t think he immediately “fell in.” There is a copy of a letter from this time period in the special collections at BYU in the Minerva Teichert papers from Mary Ella to Fred, which seems to note some possible tension here. I will transcribe the letter when I locate it later.

7. The healing story that occurred at the temple sealing is unique, noted only here in Eda’s account to my knowledge.