Define Pioneer

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Prior to 1897 who was considered a pioneer?

a.                  Anyone that crossed the plains prior to the railroad in 1869

b.                  Anyone that crossed the plains in 1847

c.                   Anyone that walked the entire distance

d.                  Anyone that was part of the 148 that crossed with the first group

Yesterday’s answer:

D   A warehouse explosion

Referring to the Gardo House in Salt Lake City:   By April 5, 1876, when much of the mansion was complete, an unfortunate incident occurred on nearby Arsenal Hill (now Capitol Hill) where local businesses had several large warehouses and stored gunpowder and explosives.

The explosion of several powder magazines and subsequent concussions resulted in the shattering of many windows in the downtown area, some of which were in the Gardo House. It was believed that the explosions occurred when two teenage boys who were hunting wild chickens (Charles Richardson and Frank Hill) fired their guns into one of the magazines. Both young men died in the explosion. In order to replace the Gardo House windows that were shattered, new glass had to be ordered from the East.

According to the writings of Leonard Arrington, “Mother Young and Amelia, for some unknown reason, had indicated shortly before Brigham Young’s death on August 29, 1877, that they did not wish to live in the Gardo house. Therefore, Brigham had executed a ninety nine-year lease for himself as trustee-in-trust at the rate of one dollar per year. In essence, the property was to be held in trust for the Church to be used as a Mormon “White House.”

International Society Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Museum Memories (Talon Printing: Salt Lake City, 2011), 3: 16