[Deseret] First telegraph poles planted on Salt Lake's main street. (1)
[Deseret] Mark Twain learned about the Great Salt Lake Desert by riding across it in an overland stagecoach in 1861. In a desolate area west of Eureka in Juab County stands a little log cabin called the "Mark Twain Cabin." Here he paused to recuperate on his journey to Nevada and California. (1)
[Deseret] On October 18 the Overland Telegraph line was completed and joined in Telegraph joins in Tooele County. (1)
-- During 1861-1862
[Deseret] Third movement for Statehood begins in December 1861. (1)
-- During 1861
[Deseret] -1862 Third movement for Statehood begins in December 1861. (2)
[OREGON TRAIL] The removal of troops from the western frontier to fight in the Civil War drops emigration to 5000 in '61 and '62, and 10,000 in '63 after word of gold strikes in Montana filters back east. The Pony Express goes bankrupt following the completion of transcontinental telegraph lines. Pony Express owner Ben Holladay extends his stage company to Oregon. (3)
-- Mar 6, 1862
Salt Lake Theatre dedicated. (4)
-- Jul 1, 1862
[Utah] The US Congress outlawed polygamy for the 1st time. The Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act, signed by Pres. Lincoln, made polygamy illegal in American territories. It led to the prosecution of over 1300 Mormons. It also granted large tracts of public land to the states with the directive to sell for the support of institutions teaching the mechanical and agricultural arts. It also obligated state male university students to military training. The education initiative resulted in 68 land-grant colleges. (5)
-- Jul 8, 1862
[Deseret] the Morrill Act (an anti-bigamy law) was approved by President Lincoln. (1)
Morrill antibigamy bill became law, designed to prevent practice of Polygamy in U.S. territories. [See Anti-Polygamy Legislation.] (6)
U.S. president Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act, the first federal anti-polygamy legislation. (4)
President Abraham Lincoln signs the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act which not only bans plural marriage but limits church and non-profit ownership in the territories to $50,000. The measure has no funds allocated for enforcement, and President Lincoln's opinion is to leave the Mormons alone if they leave him alone. (7)
-- Sep 10, 1862
[U.S. Religious History] Rabbi Jacob Frankel became the first Jewish chaplain in the United States Army. (8)
Footnotes:
1 - History to Go, Pioneers and Cowboys, http://historytogo.utah.gov/timeline/pioneersandcowboys.html
2 - History to Go, Statehood, http://historytogo.utah.gov/timeline/statehood.html
3 - Clackamas Heritage Partners, http://www.historicoregoncity.org/HOC/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=107Itemid=75
4 - Hemidakaota, "Church Chronology from 1800-2000," http://www.lds.net/forums/scripture-study-forum/12108-church-chronology-1800-2000-part-1-a.html#post214550
5 - Ratnikas, Algis, TimelinesDb, http://www.timelinesdb.com/listevents.php?subjid=201title=Utah
6 - Ludlow, Daniel H. editor, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Macmillan Publishing, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 4, Appendix 2: A Chronology of Church History
7 - Wikipedia, 19th Century (Mormonism), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19th_century_(Mormonism)
8 - Cline, Austin, History of American Religion: Timeline, http://bit.ly/Fwgbe
Mormon History Timeline /Chronology
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
