My Mom loved to share the stories of Southern Utah and our Pioneer History. This is one story she often told me and I miss her most on days like today!
In 1863 a group of members were sent by the Prophet Brigham Young to settle the Panquitch Valley. The winter of 1864-1865 was extremely cold and snow was deep. Crops were planted but the season was short and they did not mature. The wheat was still green when the first snows came. Soon the Panquitch pioneers began to run out of food and supplies. The closest supplies were forty miles to the west over the difficult Bear Valley Road in Parowan. Seven men, were selected to go from Panquitch to Parowan to get flour and food for their starving families. They began with oxen and a wagon. Soon the snow was so deep they had to abandon the wagon and oxen and walk. The snow was soon so deep the men could not walk. In faith they decided to kneel and pray. The men laid a quilt on the snow to kneel on. After their faithful prayer for help to save their families the men rose to realize that they had not sunk in the snow. They continued on their journey by laying a quilt on the deep snow, when they walked to the end of the quilt, they would lay the next quilt down. They continued laying quilts one end to another, relaying the quilts as they went. They were able to reach the town of Parowan by walking on the quilts.
The following words were written by Alexander Matheson: "We decided that if we had faith as big as a mustard seed, we could make it and bring flour to our starving families. So we began the quilt-laying in prayerful earnestness. The return trip was harder with the weight of the flour, but we finally made it to our wagon and oxen and on home with thankfulness to the Lord for his goodness. The whole settlement welcomed us, because we had been gone longer expected. There had been prayers, tears, and fears which turned to rejoicing and cheers."
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| The Quilt Walk Monument in Panquitch Utah |
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