1 May 1877


Retrenchment Association; Fourteenth Ward Meetinghouse, Salt Lake City, Utah Territory

White building with wood trim, Salt Lake City, circa 1890

Salt Lake City Fourteenth Ward meetinghouse, circa 1890. (Courtesy Church History Library.)

[. . .] President Mrs. M. I. [Mary Isabella Hales] Horne told the sisters that their labors were but just commencing; that the Conference minutes calling upon them by the unamimous vote of that august assembly, to go into the silk business, was suggestive of the magnitude of the work before them. Counselor Miss E. R. Snow said she hoped this mission given to the women would be taken into immediate consideration by every one who had at heart the present and future interest of Zion; she felt it to be a very important one. In having it conferred by unanimous vote of the conferense, the sisters might expect the benefit of the faith and prayers of this great body of people: she alluded to the means which had been used to start the Silk Association, and the encouragement which had been given to the people to interest themselves in this industry; she said that in Brigham City they were going to have a department in their Co-operative store for homemade silk, and if the sisters were energetic in this direction they might all have home made silks that would be durable. Silk culture and its present and future success was the principal subject before the meeting. A beautiful silk dress pattern which was manufactured from the elements of Farmington was exhibited; the first silk dress ever make [made] in Utah. President Mrs. M. I. Horne then announced to the audience Bishop [Leonard W.] Hardy and he addressed the assembly [. . .] said he had never anticpated seeing a silk dress manufactured without machinery; the sister who made the dress presented it as a voluntary Temple donation; added that it had been purchased (by Mrs. M. M. Barrett [Matilda M. Barratt]) and the money given to the Temple, and that lady had given the dress to Miss E. R. Snow, who he hoped might by the blessing of God live to wear it out. [. . .] Miss Snow expressed her thanks and good feelings to be the recipient of such a gift. [. . .] [p. 178]

Source Note

R. S. Reports,” Woman’s Exponent 5, no. 23 (1 May 1877): 178.

Cite this page

1 May 1877, Retrenchment Association; Fourteenth Ward Meetinghouse, Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, The Discourses of Eliza R. Snow, accessed March 19, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/eliza-r-snow/1870s/1877/05/1877-05-01