A DAY IN THE COTTON MISSION (Radio series)

It is a mater of history, days spent in this mission, Cotton Mission unique in many ways...

It really began in 1849, when Parley P. Pratt and a group explored the region. Fifty men left Salt Lake City, equipped with 12 wagons, a carriage, 24 yolkes of cattle, 38 horses and mules and 7 beeves. Besides crackers, bread and meal, they carried 150 pounds of flour per man. Pratt with 20 of the men pushed farthest south following Ash Creek to the Virgin down to the mouth of the Santa Clara where they camped on New Years Day 1850. On the trip they discovered rich deposits of iron ore near Cedar city. The findings and recommendation of the Pratt Company lead directly to the Iron Mission and colonization of Parawan and Cedar City.

John D. Lee was another of those early ones, exploring the area in 1852.

In 1854 there were those called to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Indians in the area. Among them we recognize the names of Jacob Hamblin, Thales Haskel, Ira Hatch, Rufus C. Allen and Thomas D. Brown. There were 25 in all on the first trip.

On December 10, 1854 Jacob, Ira, Thales, and Augustus went to Santa Clara to live among the Indians on that stream.

Jacob Hamblin wrote of this experience:

"The second night after we started, we camped near the river: Found some Piedes hunting; they were very much pleased to see us. I told them that we had come to stay with them now and teach them how to build houses and raise grain; this pleased them very much.

No men in the church were ever more devoted to duty than these Indian Missionaries, who spent the best years of their lives traveling among the Indians - living in their squalid Habitations, working with - trying to understand - ever trying to lift them to a higher way of life.