Monday, October 11, 2010

Things to see - The Orson Pratt House

Orson Pratt House

The Orson Pratt House is the only remaining house in Utah associated with Orson Pratt, on of the most influential and important leaders in the first half-century of the LDS church, noted mathematician, astronomer, scientist, author, public servant and educator, Self-educated in a wide range of disciplines, he gained international recognition for some of his published mathematical and astronomical theories. He served 13 terms in the territorial legislature and 8 terms as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Orson Pratt had his house built in 1862 while helping direct the settlement of St. George and the Cotton Mission


More on the Orson Pratt House

The large, two-story home was built in 1862 by Orson Pratt with adobe walls 18 inches thick. Orson Pratt was one of the most remarkable men in early LDS Church history. He joined the church in Kirtland, Ohio in 1830 at the age of 19 (when he was baptized by his brother Parley) and was immediately called by Joseph Smith to serve the first of several missions. He was the first Elder's Quorum president in the Church and an original member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles where he served for the balance of his lifetime. Orson experienced first hand the hardships, persecution and many forced relocations of the saints. After an arduous trek he was one of the first two members to view the Salt Lake Valley in advance of Brigham Young's party. Because of Orson's mathematical expertise he helped lay out the plat maps for that city. In addition, he was an author, editor, publisher, scientist and an educator. He crossed the continent many times on foot, horseback, wagon and finally railroad and crossed the Atlantic Ocean sixteen times on old, three-masted sailing ships, taking the gospel message to the British Isles. In 1861, Orson and Erastus Snow were called by Brigham Young to lead a group of 309 families to relocate to Southern Utah and establish the city of St. George. Their mission was to grow cotton and raise sheep in order to supply the new Utah cities to the north with much needed raw materials to produce fabrics. (These materials were then in short supply due to the Civil War.) The beautiful home he built was the first permanent structure in St. George. Approximately three years later Orson Pratt was called by Brigham Young on yet another proselytizing mission to England and the home passed to Richard Bentley.


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