One of the other places I visited in St. George last month was Brigham Young's Winter Home and Office. My friends and I stopped by on Independence Day. I was somewhat surprised that the location was open as senior missionaries from the Church greeted us with enthusiasm. They conducted tours even on holidays! The yard was in great shape. The figs, grapes, and whatnot still produce fruits fit for consumption after decades.
While the house belonged to Brigham Young, it was a dentist's office in the early 20th Century. The State of Utah later acquired the property before it became a public museum.
Brigham Young was a prominent figure in Utah whether or not you were part of the LDS Church. The tour guides showed us that there were pilot programs for silk and vineyard in the earlier days of the settlement. Neither reached the industrial scale, but the house held some of the fruits of those labors. It was also interesting to learn that Brigham Young was an amateur geologist based on books on the shelf.
That's apparently an original piece of furniture after restoration work. I had forgotten the name of the manufacturer. I should have written it down.
The old-school oven/furnace was in pristine condition. The guides elaborated in detail on its functionality.
These were lime soap that hardened in ambient air. I don't think those are usable now, but if someone knows otherwise, please let me know.
Here is Brigham Young's office. Whatever you think of him, he was the territorial governor of Utah before it became a state. I learned that his father fought with George Washington during the American Revolution. I'm always fascinated by the six degrees of separation of historical figures.
I noted that he and Amelia (one of the wives to which the house belonged) did not sleep in the same room. Given Brigham Young was old by the time this house came to be, it could be an age thing. I know my grandparents didn't sleep in the same room in their later years due to them both snoring, but they still hung out during the day.
I took this picture inside the white building next to the house (see first photo). Here was where the Church canonized the texts of the proceedings of the ceremonies inside LDS temples. Apparently, it was all oral traditions before Brigham Young had them organized at this location.
How long did it take Brigham Young to travel from Salt Lake City to St. George? It took several weeks as he visited all the major settlements on the way down. He was the territorial governor, so he used the opportunity to survey what was going on.
If you like history, I highly recommend you stop by this winter home when you stop by Utah.
