Hannah Blakeslee Finch Morley: (1811-1874)

Hannah Morley represents the common lives of many pioneer women who made tremendous sacrifices in settling the state of Utah. Her first husband and two infant sons died before leaving Nauvoo, Illinois with the pioneers. In 1844 she became the second wife of Isaac Morley. She gave birth to another son, but he also died and was buried in Nauvoo. Hannah traveled with the Latter-Day Saints to Winter Quarters, Iowa where she gave birth to another son, Simeon. They crossed the plains in the Brigham Young Wagon Company and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on September 22, 1848. Hannah was one of the few people to keep a diary while crossing the plains.

In 1849 her husband, Isaac was called by Brigham Young to lead a group of 224 people to settle in Manti, Utah. They arrived in mid-November and spent a very cold, hard winter where they lived in dug-outs in the side of the hill and in the back of wagons. In the spring when the ground unthawed, hundreds of rattlesnakes slithered out from the side of the hill and into the dugouts. The screams of the settlers were heard by the nearby Ute Indians who came to their rescue and helped to kill over 500 rattlesnakes in exchange for the skins and the meat of the snakes.

While the Indians were sometimes their friends, the settlers also suffered many troubles with them. One day Chief Wakara (Walker) surrounded Manti with a band of 500 warriors and demanded the custody of Hannah’s baby, Simeon as a test of the sincerity of Isaac Morley in giving them supplies from Salt Lake. If the baby wasn’t handed over he threatened to burn and kill the villagers. Knowing the Indians were fully capable of such a threat, Hannah handed over her baby. The parents spend a sleepless night in fasting and prayer. The next day Chief Walker returned to the fort gate with Simeon. He was dressed in complete Indian costume including colorful beaded moccasins and with his body stained brown. He said, “Your squaw feel bad. I bring him back.” The statue Reunion is of Hannah Morley and her child, Simeon at his return.

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