Jackson, Wyoming's Mormon Row is a fascinating place. Thomas and Sara Moulton joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) in 1841 in Northhampton England. In
1856, Sarah Moulton surprised Thomas by telling him she had been
secretly stashing money in a fruit jar for 15 years and had enough to pay their way for a move to America for the extended family.
Boarding the ship the Thornton on May 3, 1856, The Moulton family
had been assigned to the Willey Handcart Company. Although fewer than 10 percent of the 1846–68 Latter Day Saint emigrants made the journey west using handcarts, the handcart pioneers
have become an important symbol in LDS culture, representing the
faithfulness and sacrifice of the pioneer generation. They continue to
be recognized and honored in events such as Pioneer Day, Church pageants, and similar commemorations.
Above, examples of carts at the Mormon Handcart Historic Site at Devil's Gate, WY. Three days into the trip, Sara Moulton gave birth to Charles Alma Moulton. The trip from England to the Salt Lake Valley was one of the most harrowing and tragic migrations in American history. Charles survived the trek west in a handcart and grew up to ranch in Idaho, and h He and his wife Rhoda raised a large family. Three of their sons Homesteaded in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on Mormon Row. Click the 2 photos below to enlarge and read more about the community:
Mormon Row, formerly known as the town of Grovont, was settled in the late 1890s by Mormons from the Salt Lake region. Due to the Homestead Act of 1862, which granted land ownership to any person willing to build a house and cultivate the area for five years, this community established a presence in the area east of Blacktail Butte. Settlers secured 27 homesteads that they built close together to share labor and community. They dug miles of ditches to bring water from the Gros Ventre River to their fields. In the winters, these ditches would freeze so families traveled to the river with buckets to gather their water.
It wasn’t until 1927 that the Kelly Warm Spring cooled, caused by hydrologic shifts from the Gros Ventre slide flood, and offered a dependable water source to residents year round. Families mainly grew hay and ninety-day-oats, as these were a few of the only crops that were able to survive the short growing season and harsh conditions of Jackson Hole. Families also owned cows, whose milk and meat provided food, as well as horses, that helped settlers till the fields.
The town of Grovont once contained multiple ranches, homes, a church, and a school. The church, built in 1916, played a critical role in the community, serving as a social stage for all, regardless of faith. Although the building was moved to Wilson, it is marked at Mormon Row by fence posts, two cottonwoods, and a spruce tree. In the mid-1900s, Mormon Row was acquired to expand Grand Teton National Park and in 1997 the district was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The John Moulton Barn is part of John and Bartha Moulton’s homestead.
Today, this barn and their more modern-style, pink stucco home still
stand on their homestead, which was inhabited seasonally until the late
1980s. Many travel from around the world to photograph this historic
structure.
Just south of his brother’s homestead, the T.A. Moulton Barn is part of
the Thomas Alma and Lucille Moulton homestead. Settled in 1910, T.A.
took over 30 years to build his barn. Along with the John Moulton barn,
photographers from around the world travel to take photos of this iconic
structure with the Teton mountain range in the background.
Above, examples of carts at the Mormon Handcart Historic Site at Devil's Gate, WY. Three days into the trip, Sara Moulton gave birth to Charles Alma Moulton. The trip from England to the Salt Lake Valley was one of the most harrowing and tragic migrations in American history. Charles survived the trek west in a handcart and grew up to ranch in Idaho, and h He and his wife Rhoda raised a large family. Three of their sons Homesteaded in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on Mormon Row. Click the 2 photos below to enlarge and read more about the community:
Mormon Row, formerly known as the town of Grovont, was settled in the late 1890s by Mormons from the Salt Lake region. Due to the Homestead Act of 1862, which granted land ownership to any person willing to build a house and cultivate the area for five years, this community established a presence in the area east of Blacktail Butte. Settlers secured 27 homesteads that they built close together to share labor and community. They dug miles of ditches to bring water from the Gros Ventre River to their fields. In the winters, these ditches would freeze so families traveled to the river with buckets to gather their water.
It wasn’t until 1927 that the Kelly Warm Spring cooled, caused by hydrologic shifts from the Gros Ventre slide flood, and offered a dependable water source to residents year round. Families mainly grew hay and ninety-day-oats, as these were a few of the only crops that were able to survive the short growing season and harsh conditions of Jackson Hole. Families also owned cows, whose milk and meat provided food, as well as horses, that helped settlers till the fields.
The town of Grovont once contained multiple ranches, homes, a church, and a school. The church, built in 1916, played a critical role in the community, serving as a social stage for all, regardless of faith. Although the building was moved to Wilson, it is marked at Mormon Row by fence posts, two cottonwoods, and a spruce tree. In the mid-1900s, Mormon Row was acquired to expand Grand Teton National Park and in 1997 the district was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Antelope Flats abounds with bison, elk, pronghorn, moose and coyotes.
When
driving to Mormon Row from Jackson, I took Antelope Flats Road and then
turned off onto a bumpy, muddy 2 mile road to get there. No turning back....
It had been raining, and by the time I got back to the ranch, the under carriage of my car was coated with 2-3" of thick mud, and my license plate was barely readable. Needless to say, I wasn't happy, as I had just washed my car 2 days before and it was spotless. It took an hour at the corral with a low pressure hose to get it clean. Oh well...
On a happier note, while driving back to the ranch, I was rewarded with a black bear sighting! As of September 1st, it is officially bear season and they're being spotted everywhere. Along the 8 mile Moose Wilson Road through Grand Teton National Park, I spotted a bit of a traffic jam. As I got closer, a park ranger was positioned along the road, moving cars along and making sure drivers maintained a safe distance to the bear. I snapped these as I drove by. The bear was up in a tree eating, overhanging the road... VERY cool!
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