Timothy Merrill and Dr. Brian Cannon, History
In recent decades many scholars have put polygamy under the spyglass of inquiry—filling volumes with their findings—yet surprisingly little has been written on the Mormon Underground and the prison life of polygamists in the 1880s and 1890s. The extant literature devoted to this important era of Mormon history is piecemeal at best, focusing upon specific locations, particular time periods, or individual persons. In addition, the broader economic implications have not been addressed adequately. With nearly 1000 Mormon polygamists serving prison sentences, how were their families impacted financially?
Arrested polygamists paid huge fines and court costs. George Q. Cannon earned the honor of having the largest bond placed upon his head—a remarkable $45,000. Most polygamists were placed under bond anywhere from $500 to $1500 and were fined between $300 and $500. There were also attorney fees and court operating costs. An example is Ole Jensen, who had a $1000 bond placed on him, was fined $300, and paid attorney and court fees totaling $133. According to his tithing receipts, he earned $705 in 1885, $650 in 1886, and $420 in 1887. From this data we see how the years on the Underground took a heavy economic toll on his earning capacity by limiting his productivity. It is also revealing to note that Jensen’s court costs and fine ($433) were greater than his entire earnings for the previous year ($420).1
Polygamists convicted of unlawful cohabitation were generally sentenced to terms of six months, while those found guilty of polygamy could serve terms of up to two years. During that time, the polygamist fathers and husbands were concerned for the financial well being of their families. The correspondence between the jailbird and his lovebird often revolved around temporal concerns. For example, Thomas Kirby’s wife Ann wrote him 21 January 1889, “We sold the roosters for 9 ½ cents per pound and Alice has a new dress with the means.” In addition to poultry, Ann also sold butter and dried peaches (for 8 cents a pound) to neighbors. Jane Jenkins struggled financially after her husband Andrew was imprisoned. She wrote, “I hope to get along with as little as possible. I have only had one dollar of coal since you went down there.” Wilford Woodruff assured his wife, “I have made arrangements with Brother Jack to give you $30 order at the beginning of every other month.…. I have only received about money enough since Christmas to pay the present tuition of Clara and Lucy…. Nearly all my rents have stopped payments.”2
I researched over twenty primary sources, obtained from the BYU Special Collections, including journals, diaries, correspondence, and biographies. I also combed secondary sources for pertinent information. I discovered that there was not a significant amount of information available on the economic activity of polygamists. I therefore adapted my strategy from a purely economic one to a coping strategy model. In other words, since I could obtain sufficient data to scrutinize their economic conditions, I chose to study how they coped with their economic hardships. This led me to the finding that faith was the main coping strategy among polygamists. It was faith that allowed them to find solace in suffering and meaning to their afflictions, as well as patience to their economic setbacks.
I prepared my findings in a twenty-six-page study that I submitted for publication to BYU Studies.
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1 Hamlin Cannon, “The Prison Diary of a Mormon Apostle,” The Pacific Historical Review 16, no. 4 (November 1947); Ole Jensen, Diary, BYU Special Collections. The year Jensen was released, 1889, his earnings were $306, the lowest of any recorded year.
2 Thomas Kirby, Diary, BYU Special Collections; Gustave Larson The “Americanization” of Utah For Statehood. San Marino, California: The Huntington Library, 1971, 187; William Hartley, “In Order to be in Fashion I am Called On a Mission: Wilford Woodruff’s Parting Letter to Emma as He Joins the ‘Underground.’” BYU Studies 15 (1974): 112.