Affiliated Ute Citizens of the State of Utah

  A Newer World: Kit Carson, John C. Frémont, and the Claiming of the American West  A Newer World: Kit Carson, John C. Frémont, and the Claiming of the American West — by David Roberts (history nonfiction) is a vivid, deeply researched narrative exploring the intertwined lives and expeditions of two towering figures in the U.S. westward expansion: frontiersman Kit Carson and explorer‑soldier John C. Frémont. Roberts follows their journeys from 1842 through the mid‑1850s into largely uncharted Western territories that helped define the emerging United States. Drawing on little‑known primary sources and his own travels in these landscapes, he recreates their harrowing treks — second in importance only to Lewis and Clark’s — and illustrates how their actions advanced America’s “Manifest Destiny.” Alongside tales of hardship and adventure, the book offers a thoughtful, modern‑sensitive critique of the cultural tragedy these expeditions inflicted on Native American peoples, port...

  Kit Carson: The Happy Warrior of the Old West: A Biography Kit Carson: The Happy Warrior of the Old West: A Biography — written by Stanley Vestal (the pen name of author Walter Stanley Campbell), this classic 1928 biography presents a detailed narrative of the life and adventures of Christopher “Kit” Carson , one of the most famous figures of the American frontier. Based on extensive research and personal stories from the landscapes and people of the Old West, Vestal traces Carson’s journey from inexperienced greenhorn to legendary frontiersman. The book covers his early years on the Santa Fe Trail, his time as a mountain man and fur trapper, his service as a wilderness guide (including for John C. Frémont), his military roles in the Mexican‑American War and the Civil War, and his later years as an Indian agent and rancher. Vestal’s biography portrays Carson as a brave, resourceful, and adaptable figure — known for his calm demeanor and skill in rugged wilderness life — reflec...

  Life In The Rocky Mountains by W. A. Ferris and Paul C. Philips Life in the Rocky Mountains: A Diary of Wanderings on the Sources of the Rivers Missouri, Columbia, and Colorado from February, 1830, to November, 1835 — authored originally as a firsthand journal by Warren Angus Ferris during his time as a trapper and explorer for the American Fur Company , this book offers a rich, detailed account of life, travel, and survival across the American West in the early 1830s. Ferris’s diary chronicles his nearly six‑year journey from Missouri into the vast Rocky Mountain wilderness, following the great rivers and interacting with Indigenous groups, mountain men, and the natural world in its unaltered state. The narrative was later edited and supplemented by Paul C. Phillips , who provides broader historical context, a biographical introduction to Ferris, and insights into early exploration and the fur trade. The book combines vivid descriptions of rugged terrain, wildlife, weather, h...

  Kit Carson's Own Story of His Life Kit Carson’s Own Story of His Life presents the firsthand account of the legendary American frontiersman Christopher “Kit” Carson as he dictated the story of his life in the 1850s. Beginning with his flight at age seventeen from his apprenticeship in Franklin, Missouri, Carson describes his entry into the West—joining a caravan bound for Santa Fe and launching a remarkable career as a trapper, hunter, guide, rancher, U.S. Army courier, Indian agent, and military officer. Over decades on the frontier, his exploits made him one of the most famed figures of the American West, often compared to Daniel Boone. In 1856, while living in Taos, New Mexico, an illiterate Carson dictated his memoir to Colonel and Mrs. D. C. Peters. Though this manuscript remained unpublished for decades, Kit Carson’s Own Story of His Life was first edited and brought to print by artist and writer Blanche C. Grant in 1926. This edition offers an unvarnished look at Carson’s ...

  Frontier Regulars: The United States Army and the Indian, 1866-1891 by  Robert M. Utley  Frontier Regulars: The United States Army and the Indian, 1866–1891 by Robert M. Utley is a detailed study of the post–Civil War U.S. Army and its role in the Indian Wars of the late nineteenth century. Utley focuses on the small, professional regular army that remained after the Civil War and was tasked with enforcing federal policy across the vast trans-Mississippi West. Scattered in isolated forts and operating with limited manpower and resources, these soldiers became the principal instrument of American expansion. The book examines the major campaigns between 1866 and 1891, including conflicts such as Red Cloud's War, the Great Sioux War, the Nez Perce War, and the long-running Apache Wars. Utley analyzes not only battlefield engagements but also the logistical and environmental challenges of frontier campaigning—long supply lines, harsh terrain, unreliable intelligence, and th...

  The Military and United States Indian Policy, 1865-1903  by Robert Wooster This scholarly work offers a critical and comprehensive analysis of how the United States military shaped and executed Indian policy in the decades following the Civil War. Rather than simply recount battles or troop movements, Wooster examines the institutional role of the U.S. Army, how military leaders influenced policy decisions, and the complex interaction between civilian government directives and military action on the western frontier. Wooster argues that the U.S. Army’s approach to Native American relations was driven by a combination of political pressures, strategic assumptions forged in the Civil War, and conflicting objectives — all of which contributed to inconsistent and often brutal policies toward Indigenous peoples. Through clear narrative and analysis, the book places military operations and policy formation in a broader national context, showing how strategic thinking, institutiona...

  A Brief History of Springville, Utah:  From Its First Settlement September 18, 1850, to the 18th Day of September, 1900: Fifty Years This work is a detailed, firsthand historical account of the early development of Springville, Utah, chronicling the first fifty years of the city’s existence — from its founding on September 18, 1850 by Mormon pioneer settlers to the closing days of the 19th century. Written and compiled by Don Carlos Johnson near the turn of the century, the book draws on local records, pioneer recollections, and community memories to paint a picture of life in a frontier settlement. Spanning roughly 124 pages, the narrative highlights the struggles and achievements of Springville’s earliest residents as they transformed rugged land in Utah Valley into a thriving agricultural and civic community. Topics covered include the arrival and organization of pioneer families, the development of local institutions and governance, the hardships of frontier life, the gr...

  War Cry on a Prayer Feather by Nancy C. Wood  War Cry on a Prayer Feather by Nancy C. Wood (published 1979) is a unique collection of poems and prose that reflects the beliefs, ethics, spiritual insights, and cultural experiences of the Ute Indians of Colorado and New Mexico. Rather than a conventional history book, it brings together expressive writings that capture the voices, worldview, and cultural traditions of a people whose way of life has been deeply affected by historical change. The selections in the book include lyrical poems and narrative passages that speak to themes such as connection with the land, reverence for nature and the Great Spirit, endurance through hardship, and the search for meaning and identity in a changing world. These texts—some traditional, some modern—offer readers both cultural insight and poetic reflection, serving as a window into the spiritual heart of Ute life. Alongside the words are evocative photographs that further illuminate the bea...

Confederated Ute Indian Lands Confederated Ute Indian Lands by Gerald T. Hart is a detailed ethnohistorical study examining the land claims and territorial history of the Confederated Bands of Ute Indians in the American Southwest. Published in 1974 as part of the American Indian Ethnohistory series, the volume brings together historical research, ethnography, and legal documentation to analyze the origins, use, and eventual loss of Ute lands under United States expansion. The book focuses particularly on Ute territories in present-day Colorado and surrounding regions, exploring how mining booms, settlement, and federal policies led to land cessions and disputes. It includes historical analyses of treaties and agreements, documentation presented before the Indian Claims Commission, and cultural studies of different Ute bands, including those of the Uintah and White River areas. By combining legal records with anthropological insight, the work provides a comprehensive account of how Ute...

  Aboriginal and Historical Groups of the Ute Indians of Utah: An Analysis With Supplement This document presents an historical reconstruction of Ute ethnography based on archaeological evidence, early historical accounts and inference (p. 99). The bulk of the data in the document deal with economic geography, aboriginal land use, social and political organization and the effects of the introduction of the horse on various social institutions, as viewed from the pre-horse and post-horse perspectives. Steward notes that in terms of political organization, especially in the pre-horse period, the Utes had no clearcut units. Villages were composed of loose aggregates of families, while anything larger involving multi-village groupings, lacked sufficient interest on the part of the people to warrant definitive organization. Because of this, the term 'band' used throughout this document cannot be used in any absolute sense. Its general political application here is to submission to t...

  Troubled Trails: The Meeker Affair and the Expulsion of the Utes from Colorado When U.S. Cavalry troops rode onto the Ute Indian Reservation in northwestern Colorado on September 29, 1879, they triggered a chain of events that cost the Utes their homeland: a deadly battle at Milk Creek, the killing of all men at the Indian agency headed by Nathan Meeker, and the taking of three women and two children who were held hostage for 23 days. The Utes didn’t seek a fight with the whites, most of whom they viewed as friends. However, powerful whites in Colorado wanted the Utes expelled. The Meeker affair was an opportunity to achieve that. In Troubled Trails, Robert Silbernagel casts new light on the story of the Meeker Affair. Using details from historical interview transcripts and newspaper articles, he reveals the personalities of the major characters—both Indian and non-Indian. He tells the story from many perspectives, including that of Indian Agent Nathan Meeker; the U.S. military; ...

  Murray Family History Compiled and Published by Descendants of Jermiah Hatch Murray Murray Family History is a carefully compiled record of the descendants of Jeremiah Hatch Murray, preserving generations of family stories, genealogical research, and historical context. Created and published by Murray descendants, this volume brings together documents, personal accounts, and lineage records to honor the lives, migrations, and legacy of the Murray family. Rachel Wanzitz Allred Murray

Life Under the Horsehoe: A History Of Spring City   Life Under the Horseshoe: A History of Spring City by Kaye C. Watson is a detailed local history of Spring City, Utah, set beneath the distinctive horseshoe-shaped mountains that frame the town. The book traces the community’s origins from its earliest settlement in the Sanpete Valley through its growth into a stable agricultural and cultural center. Watson blends narrative history with photographs, family records, and firsthand accounts to present a vivid picture of daily life in a small pioneer town. A central focus of the book is James Allred and the early period often referred to as the Allred Settlement . Watson explains Allred’s role in selecting the site in 1852, organizing the first settlement along Canal Creek, and guiding its early development. The hardships faced by these settlers—ranging from isolation and environmental challenges to conflicts that led to temporary abandonment—are described in detail, showing how p...

  Utah Historical Quarterly Volume 43, Number 3, 1975 In “Spring City: A Look at a Nineteenth-Century Mormon Village,” the Allred family is closely connected to the community’s early settlement, leadership, and long-term stability. Members of the Allred family were among the original Mormon pioneers who helped establish Spring City in the 1850s, taking on key roles in both civic and ecclesiastical life. Most notably, John P. Allred served as a bishop and community leader, influencing not only religious life but also town organization, economic cooperation, and social order. The Allreds were involved in farming, irrigation projects, and local governance, reflecting the typical Mormon ideal of blending spiritual duty with practical labor. Through intermarriage, church service, and sustained residence, the Allred family became woven into the social fabric of Spring City, illustrating how a small number of extended families could shape leadership, continuity, and identity in a nineteen...

  History of Sanpete and Emery Counties, Utah: With Sketches of Cities, Towns and Villages, Chronology of Important Events, Records of Indian Wars, Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens History of Sanpete and Emery Counties, Utah (1898) is a late-nineteenth-century county history that documents the settlement and development of central Utah, combining town sketches, event chronologies, and biographical profiles of prominent pioneer citizens with a substantial section devoted to what the authors term “Indian wars.” The book’s Indian accounts focus primarily on the interactions and conflicts between Mormon settlers and Indigenous peoples of the region—especially Ute and Paiute groups—during the mid-1800s, with particular attention to events connected to Wakara’s War and, more extensively, the Utah Black Hawk War (1865–1872). These narratives describe raids, militia responses, abandoned settlements, and defensive measures taken by local communities...

  Utah’s Black Hawk War by John Alton Peterson A first-rate investigation into a little-known episode of the Indian Wars, this study examines Utah’s Black Hawk War—a conflict that raged for nearly a decade and cost several hundred lives, yet is rarely mentioned in histories of the American West. During the war, a Ute elder named Black Hawk assembled a coalition of Utes, Shoshones, Navajos, and Paiutes and launched attacks on Mormon livestock settlements across central and southern Utah, determined to drive the ranchers from their land. As Peterson explains, the conflict was little publicized at the time, even within Utah itself, largely because the Mormon Church deliberately obscured its existence. Brigham Young and other church leaders feared that the federal government might seize upon an Indian uprising as a pretext to send troops into the territory—troops who, after suppressing the Indians, might then turn their attention to polygamists and other perceived nonconformists. As a ...

  History of Provo, Spanish Fork, and Utah County  by Edward W. Tullidge  Published in Salt Lake City around 1884–1885, this work presents a detailed historical account of Provo, Spanish Fork, and the wider Utah County region. Compiled from excerpts originally appearing in Tullidge’s Quarterly Magazine, the book reflects Edward W. Tullidge’s role as one of early Utah’s most prolific historians and chroniclers. The volume is printed in double columns and includes a substantial section titled “Utah County with Biographical Sketches of Representative Men,” offering biographical profiles of prominent local figures alongside broader historical narratives. These sketches provide valuable insight into the social, political, and religious leadership of Utah County during the late nineteenth century. As both a regional history and a biographical reference, the book is an important primary source for researchers interested in early Utah settlement, local governance, and community d...

  Early History of Provo, Utah by J. Marinus Jensen This comprehensive local history chronicles the founding and growth of Provo, Utah, from its pre-settlement period through the early 20th century, with extensive narrative on pioneer life, community institutions, and political development. Jensen draws heavily on pioneer accounts, official records, and local lore to describe how Provo was established in the traditional territory of the Timpanogos Ute Indians —the Indigenous people who had long inhabited the Utah Valley before Euro-American settlement. The book includes chapters on: Early Native presence and interactions — noting the Timpanogos Utes as the valley’s first long-term residents and their way of life based on fishing and seasonal food sources. First European and U.S. contact — from the 18th-century Spanish Franciscan expeditions to the 19th-century fur traders and mountain men who first encountered local Ute bands. Settlement and conflict — detailed accou...

  Winkler, A (1978). The Massacre in Thistle Valley.  Frontier Times, 52(3), 12-13, 40, 42-43.

  Provo: Pioneer Mormon City Provo: Pioneer Mormon City , compiled by the Workers of the Writers’ Program of the Work Projects Administration for the State of Utah, is a comprehensive historical account of Provo from its origins as a Mormon pioneer settlement through its transformation into a regional community. A central and particularly significant theme of the book is the complex, often fraught interaction between Mormon settlers and the Timpanogos people , whose homeland encompassed Utah Valley long before Euro-American settlement. This emphasis is most clearly developed in Chapter IV, “Fort Utah Mission,” Chapter V, “Second Fort Utah – ‘A Very Eligible Place,’” and Chapter VI, “Indian Slaves and the Walker War.” These chapters examine early missionary efforts, the establishment and relocation of Fort Utah, negotiations and conflicts over land and resources, and the escalating violence that culminated in warfare and forced displacement. The book does not shy away from detailin...