May Trek to Fillmore Territorial Statehouse and Cove Fort

by Jerry Johnson

This month, May, the Sons trekked to Fillmore and Cove Fort, Utah. At Fillmore, a Baptist southern bell was the historian docent who told us about the happenings surrounding Fillmore being the first State capital of the huge State of Deseret until the US congress cut the state back to present day Utah.  Brigham Young then wanted the capital and legislature to be in Salt Lake City, but the federally appointed Governor Cummings said it was to remain in Fillmore. They did so for one session in which the Legislature moved that the capital of Utah was to be changed to Salt Lake City and that was to be the seat of the Utah congress. 

    The history of Cove Fort was also very interesting.  LDS President Gordon B Hinkley’s grandfather was the one sent down there by the Church to establish a place of safety for those traveling through the area.  It is an interesting site of show and tell.  We enjoyed the trek very much.