James and
Margaret Houston arrived in Utah Territory September 1848, a few months after the
infamous “cricket war” and when the “miracle of the gulls” happened. During that
time, pioneers were threatened with starvation because of severe crop destruction
from drought, frost and crickets. Fortunately, James and Margaret arrived with
ample provisions and were blessed to make it through the trying times of 1848. However,
little did they know that events similar to those of 1848 would come back in later
years with a vengeance -- but worse.
 |
| James and Margaret Houston 1817-1864 and 1825-1912 |
A severe drought during 1855 occurred throughout Utah Territory, and it apparently forced massive numbers of grasshoppers into the valleys. The grasshoppers' arrival was quite an intimidating sight:
"The Deseret News reported one massive appearance in which
'the grasshoppers filled the sky for three miles deep, or as far as they could
be seen without the aid of Telescopes, and somewhat resembling a snow storm.'
These locusts were known to fly overhead several hours a day for a period of
two or three weeks. When they landed they could be even more troublesome."
The noise from the grasshopper swarms was also noteworthy:
"To a person standing in one of these swarms as they pass over
and around you, the air becomes sensibly darkened, and the sound produced by
their wings resembles that of the passage of a train of cars on a railroad when
standing two or three hundred yards from the track."
Heber C.
Kimball, a leader in the church and community, wrote describing the extent of
the devastation in 1855:
"[...] The grasshoppers have cut down the grain, and there is
not fifty acres now standing of any kind of grain in Salt Lake Valley, and what
is now standing, they are cutting it down as fast as possible.
In Utah county the fields are pretty much desolate; in Juab Valley
not a green spear of grain is to be seen, nor in Sanpete, nor in Fillmore.
In Little Salt Lake they are still sowing, also at Cedar City, that
county being so much later the grain is not yet up, but the grasshoppers are
there, ready to sweep down the grain as soon as it comes up.
In the north as far as Boxelder the scenery is the same.... and to
look at things at this present time, there is not the least prospect of raising
one bushel of grain in the valleys this present season.... I must say there is
more green stuff in the gardens in G. S. L. City than there is in all the rest
of the counties; still there is a great many of the gardens in the city
entirely ruined.
Brother Wm. C. Staines told me this morning that he had 500,000
young apple trees come up and they are all cut down to the ground, and many
gardens where the peach trees were full of peaches, every leaf and peach are
gone."
On top of the grasshoppers and the earlier drought,
the winter of 1855-1856 was very severe. Animals such as cattle, horses, and
sheep froze to death or died of starvation because of the scarcity of
provisions. In various parts of Utah, snow was even measured to a depth of eight
feet.
To further complicate
things, an influx of 5,000 "Mormon" immigrants (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) arrived in Utah Territory during
1855 to settle. This was a very large number given Utah's resident population was
reported as being 11,380 in 1850. Furthermore, gold hunters en route to
California passed through the valleys of Utah in relation to the California
Gold Rush. A large number of these gold hunters were also destitute of food and
had scant supplies.
The people in
Utah Territory were encouraged to exercise faith amidst these challenges. The
Deseret News remarked on May 23, 1855 that 'through faith and obedience they can
prevail in the grasshopper war, at least as well as they did in the cricket war
of 1848.'
The
grasshoppers were finally gone by the time James and Margaret planted corn and
potatoes on June 10, 1855 on their farmland in Salt Lake City. They were told
by others that their crops would not mature. However, the crops did come up,
albeit small in size, and they had something to harvest. James and Margaret were
among the very few who had anything for the winter.
James and
Margaret also had a very young family at this time. On December 1, 1855, Margaret
Jr. was born. By the end of 1855, the names and ages (years) of their other children
were as follows: Thomas (2), Joseph (4), James Jr. (5), John (7), and Elizabeth
(9).
In spite of the great challenges James and Margaret and other Utah pioneers faced, James and Margaret were generous with their harvest and shared with others:
In spite of the great challenges James and Margaret and other Utah pioneers faced, James and Margaret were generous with their harvest and shared with others:
"The corn
was small and only nibbins, but James threw the corn into the loft. Winter
came, and Margaret shared with others and still there was more corn. She kept
dividing and it was wonderful how it lasted. She made corn cakes also, and
divided them with others."
How is it that something
like small "nibbins" of corn could sustain a large family through such
hard times? How could this humble harvest also be divided among others who were in such great need and distress?
After the trial
of faith, came the blessings.
Gladys Banks, a
granddaughter of James and Margaret, recorded details of a miraculous event in
the form of a skit. It is entitled "The Empty Flour Barrel" and based
on a true incident in James and Margaret Houston's life.
<Start of skit>
The Empty
Flour Barrel
Scene 1
(Margaret is seen standing at the flour barrel* with a pan in her
hand bending over the flour barrel in the act of dipping flour out. Her husband
comes in at this time. She is dressed in the pioneer style and as she bends low
in the barrel to get the flour her stockings are seen below her skirt.)
(Enter James)
James: Well, well, Margaret. I saw your stockings when you stooped
to get flour from the barrel.
Margaret: (Coming forward with a small amount of flour in the
pan.). Yes, James, we will be needing some more. This is all we have and still
you keep sending our friends in to get some flour or some bread. Only
yesterday, I baked three loaves and Brother Black came last night and said you
said he could get a loaf as his wife was sick and couldn't bake. Early this
morning while you were milking, Sy Perkin's little Pete came and asked for a
loaf, he said they had all gone to bed without supper because they did not have
any bread. I gave them the second loaf. James, you sure beat the world in
giving stuff away.
James: Margaret, do you know that Brother Brigham [Young] told us
last night at our Priesthood [church] meeting that if we [who] had food would
divide with those that did not have, we would never miss what we gave away? I
promise you that as long as we divide our flour with our friends there will
always be some in the barrel.
Margaret: James, how impractical you are. When the flour is gone,
it's gone. I scraped all there was in the barrel.
James: We shall see my dear. But never let us turn a hungry child
from our door.
Scene 2
(Same as Scene
1)
(Margaret making hot cakes and has some piled on a plate)
Margaret: Well, this is the last of the flour. Whatever will we do
when it is gone?
(Enter Libbie)
Libbie: Oh, Mother, I am so hungry. May I have a hot cake?
Margaret: Yes, you may have one, but not any more, because Father
and John have not had dinner yet.
Libbie: (She takes a cake in her hand and shakes her head as if in
deep thought). Oh, maybe I'm not very hungry for I had breakfast this morning
but Maggie Jones didn't. May I give this to her if I don't have any?
Margaret: Well, of all things, there it goes again. Yes, of course,
Libbie child. (Pats her on the head). Take one to your friend and you have two
if you want them. (Libbie takes a cake and starts eating it and joyously runs
out with one for her friend).
(Enter John and Billie)
John: Mother, we sure are hungry. Got anything to eat?
Billie: Hmmmmmmm. Them cakes sure do smell good. My Ma can't make
any. She hasn't had flour for a long time. My Pa is sick in bed.
Margaret: Yes, of course, John, boys are always hungry. (Shakes her
head and looks at both boys as she gives them the cakes). Billie, you say your
Pa is sick! Well, you had better take some cakes over to him and your Ma. (She
wraps cakes that are left on plate in a clean cloth and gives them to Billie).
Run quick, now, and take them to your Ma, Billie.
Billie: Thanks Sister Houston. I know this will make my Pa better.
Margaret: (At her wits end). Well, whatever will I do for bread for
James? (She looks at empty plate). Oh, me, Oh, my.
(Enter James)
James: Well, my dear, is supper ready?
Margaret: Yes, when you milk the cow because that is all there is.
James: Where is the bread?
Margaret: You gave it all away and I used the last flour for hot
cakes and ours and the neighbor's children ate them.
James: Have you looked in the barrel since you got the last flour?
Margaret: James, how stupid you are!
(Margaret goes to the barrel and scoops out some flour)
Margaret: James, your faith is a wonderful blessing. We will have
supper after all. (She rushes to his
side with the coveted flour. They both look glorified).
(Enter Mary Brown)
Mary: Oh, Brother Houston, I wonder if I could borrow some flour.
Jack has been working for Brother Knight and he promised to let us have some
flour, but we haven't got it yet. We are right out now, but we will pay you
back as soon as we can get it. They say you are the only ones in the ward
[neighborhood] with flour.
James: Well, Sister Brown, you may get it if I have it. Get the
flour, Margaret.
Margaret: James, you saw me scrape the barrel.
James: Margaret, there is flour in that barrel. Get it!
(She goes to the barrel and scoops out some flour which she gives
to Sister Brown).
Margaret: The Lord has surely blessed us.
James: We shall never want as long as we divide with our neighbors.
<End of skit>
The fact that James and Margaret would share under such difficult and trying circumstances is a miracle in itself, to have such character and charity. The other miracle, of course, is that the family did not go without after they shared with others the little they had. Through faith, and obedience to the counsel given by church leaders, miracles were wrought. The empty flour barrel kept on giving and provided life-sustaining nourishment!
Adapted by Thomas S. Hartley, 3rd great grandson, January 2017
__________________________________
Skit Characters:
James Houston -- Father
Margaret Houston -- Mother
John -- a small boy (son)
Libbie -- a young girl (daughter)
Mary Brown -- a neighbor
Billie -- a small boy
Mary -- a friend
Time -- In Salt Lake in early pioneer time
Scene: A pioneer home with a large flour barrel, in corner stove,
rude table and chairs. Yet it has an air of hominess about it.
* The flour mentioned in the skit may be referring to either corn flour or wheat
flour. It is my opinion the family records point more strongly to the flour
being corn flour.
__________________________________
Story adapted
and information obtained from the following sources:
James
Houston and Margaret Crawford Descendants and Ancestors. Pages 179, 246, 250-251, 283-285, 410-411
"Pestiferous Ironclads: The
Grasshopper Problem in Pioneer Utah":
U.S. Census Bureau: Utah Resident
Population
"Time Line: U.S. Migration, Mormon
Emigration, and the Handcart Experiment"
https://history.lds.org/timeline/us-migration-mormon-emigration-and-the-handcart-experiment?lang=eng
"Miracles
of the Gulls":
"The
Grasshopper War of 1855 and the Provo Sugar Miracle":
"The Gold Rush of 1849"
Source of grasshopper
images:
https://pearlsofprofundity.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/grasshoppers-eating-corn-stocks.jpg
https://pearlsofprofundity.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/swarm-of-locusts-1.jpg
https://pearlsofprofundity.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/swarm-of-locusts-1.jpg
