Subject: "Amelia's Palace": mansion built for BY's favorite wife
Date: May 13, 2010
Author: Courtney#19  [pics below]

It got torn down in the 30's I think. Another well kept secret about Brigham Young, besides him ordering the extermination of immigrants from Arkansas (not Missouri) is this: he built a mansion for his favorite wife, Amelia, across the street from the Lion House. Apparently it was so ostentatious even some of the faithful commented on its extravagance. John Taylor I believe moved in when he became prophet, but was embarrassed by the money spent on it when so many pioneers were literally starving. Sad when you think of Emily Partridge, one of Brigham's wives, who had to make a living for herself (and her child with Brigham) without help. For references, see lds.org family search, and In Sacred Loneliness by Todd Compton. Also Wife No. 19 by Ann Eliza Webb Young.
Our current "Amelia's Palace" is of course the City Creek Center. The parallel is sad but true. Brigham young took tithing money for his own support and now the church is using funds originally derived by tithing income to build a 4 billion dollar mall. They have lied about the funding and the cost. They are not a church. They need to be thrown in jail for fraud.

 

Subject: Re: "Amelia's Palace": mansion built for BY's favorite wife
Date: May 13 13:59
Author: Greyfort

I have Ann Eliza's book. It's an excellent look into how it really was in Utah for the Saints. She left the tyrant because of his lack of care for his wives. He didn't care if they went hungry, while he lived the good life. And such a man has a university named after him.
 

 

Subject: Re: "Amelia's Palace": mansion built for BY's favorite wife
Date: May 13 14:11
Author: drilldoc

When talking to TBM's about polygamy, I like using the example of Orson Hyde. Orson Hyde would have been the third Prophet of the church, but because he apostatized in the early days of the church, he lost his order of position in the twelve. He died before he could become prophet, but not without indulging in his fantasies along the way. It seems Orson Hyde married a 15 year old girl! But what's striking about the marriage is that he married her when he was 60 years old! Yuck! A platonic relationship? No, he fathered 6 children from her up until he died. My mother says that's what they did back then. Huh? No, not really - that's what mormon polygamists did back then.

 

Subject: Yeah, he wasn't such a good dude. n/t

 

Subject: Re: "Amelia's Palace": mansion built for BY's favorite wife
Date: May 16 02:30
Author: Anon

The hypocritical thing of it was, Amelia was childless. Wasn't one of the reasons polygamy supposed to've been commanded to procure "tabernacles" for all those waiting spirits?
Talking about Taylor. Was he ever exed for staying with polygamy even after it was forbidden?


 

Subject: Pic and links
Date: May 13 14:18
Author: JW the Inquizzinator

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/80/248556009_dabb78082d.jpg



http://www.familyoldphotos.com/5c/images/sep/UTsaltameliapalace-r.jpg
 


 

Subject: Grrr . . .
Date: May 13 14:38
Author: Ed

Every time that I think that I can't loathe Brigham Young any more than I already do, something like this comes up.

 

Subject: Amelia was also the b!tch from hell.
Date: May 13 16:46
Author: Uncle Mo

I find some small measure of justice and irony in the fact that the most powerful man in Utah Territory (who likely even ordered hits on people) kowtows to a personality stronger than his own.

Ann Eliza Young's observations in "Wife No. 19":

http://books.google.com/books?id=0ngFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA497#v=onepage&q&f=false

> Since the marriage [of Amelia to BY], Amelia has ruled with a hand of iron, and she has her lord [BY] in pretty good subjection. She has a terrible temper, and he has the benefit of it. On one occasion he sent her a sewing-machine, thinking to please her; it did not happen to be the kind of a one which she wanted; so she kicked it down stairs, saying, "What did you get this old thing for? You knew I wanted a ' Singer.'"

> She had a Singer at once.

> I was once present when she wanted her husband to do something for her; he objected, and she repeated her demand, threatening to "thrash him," if he did not comply. It is, perhaps, unnecessary to say that she was not obliged to ask him again. I know he is afraid of her, and that she holds him now through fear, rather than love. She accompanies him to the theatre, and occupies the box, while the rest of the wives sit in the parquet. She goes with him on his visits to the settlements, and drives out with him constantly.

> She has a beautiful new house, elegantly furnished, and Brigham has very nearly deserted the "Bee-Hive," except during business hours, and spends most of his time at Amelia's residence. She dresses elegantly, has jewels and laces, and has saved ten thousand dollars out of her " pinmoney," which she placed in bank. I am delighted at her success in getting so much ; the other wives have succeeded in getting nothing but their living from him, some scarcely that; and I, for my part, congratulate Amelia on her good management. It was a hard struggle for her to marry him, and all she gets will never half repay her for the suffering she has endured in the past, even if she has grown contented now.
 


 

Subject: All of which proves the old saying:
Date: May 13 17:41
Author: PhantomShadow

There's no fool like an old fool.

 

Subject: Re: "Amelia's Palace": mansion built for BY's favorite wife
Date: May 14 00:13
Author: Reinventing Grace (not logged in)

http://historytogo.utah.gov/utah_chapters/mining_and_railroads/thegardohouse.html
Inside photos, full story

http://jfs.saintswithouthalos.com/images/amelias.htm
color postcard

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19740323&id=NjkpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=930DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6563,5515431
To be recreated in Trolley Square, 1974. Did it ever happen?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardo_House

 

Subject: That "History to Go" article is fascinating, good laydown of UT statehood quest
Date: May 14 12:51
Author: JW the Inquizzinator

and to use a Gentile....poor Trumbo

 

Subject: "A well kept secret"? Hardly...
Date: May 14 13:12
Author: et in Utah ego

The Gardo House, as demonstrated by the nice links courtesy JW the Inquizzinator, is a pretty well known part of Utah history. Perhaps not to recent students/residents, but I certainly saw photos and postcards as a child and heard about it in Utah history classes as well as just regular small talk about downtown SLC architecture. Its destruction was tragic for many reasons.

To answer Reinventing Grace, to my knowledge that plan to recreate the building at Trolley Square never materialized or even got off the ground.

The building does shed interesting light on the life of BY, though, doesn't it?

 

Subject: Wow, some amazing pic's in that link n/t

 

Subject: I always bring up the Gardo house when I give my reason I left the church.
Date: May 15 02:34
Author: Rubicon

Most TBM's [True Believing Mormons] I have brought it up with have never heard of the home. I show them the website photos from the Utah Historical Society and it kind of floors them. I have also noticed the church is focusing more on Joseph Smith than Brigham Young. Brigham is an embarrassment to the church and they are going to aggrandize Joseph now and leave the old Utah tycoon in the shadows.

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