Widows of Main Street

Immigrants from Ireland, Great Britain, and all over Europe, including Virtue Butcher and her family are sailing to America for a new start, religious beliefs, or to join families…

Prologue:

 

Virtue Butcher Clift, married at 16, became a businesswoman in Salt Lake City. After the passing of her husband, Francis on 12/24/1913, she inherited his large estate as his only wife. This was taking the responsibilities for running several businesses’ i.e. Clift House, a popular SL boarding house on the corner of 300 So. and Main / East Temple Street.

 

The widow took out a Construction Permit in 1919 to demolish the Clift House and build the Clift Building at 272 S. Main St., Salt Lake City in her husband's memory. (Structure/site info form)

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Virtue Butcher was born in Sprowton, Norfolk County, England, and she is the oldest of three girls. It is a small village located on the East Coast of England, bordered by the town of Norwich that is the center for textile manufacturing, notably, Norwich shawls.The Butcher family is among 200 residents; by 1901, it will reach 2,359 populations…

 

On March 20, 1839, a knock is heard on their front glass-paned door; George answers the door, looking harried, wearing rumpled trousers and long-sleeved cotton shirt. “Ta, for coming,” to the midwife, this is our first babe.”He leads her to the bedroom where his sister is providing comfort to his wife, Sophia.

 

“You can wait in the Parlor, George,” says Sarah.

 

“It will probably be a little while, being the first,” comments the midwife, commencing to bring another babe into the world.

                               

                   #

 

A wail is heard from the bedroom, and Sarah opens the bedroom door. “You are the father of a lovely daughter,” as George leans over and kisses his wife’s cheek. The midwife swaddles the baby in blankets and hands her to Sophia who peers down on their daughter, Virtue’s rosy-pink face and smiles…

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LDS / Mormon missionaries contact the Butcher family and convert them to the Latter Day Saints' faith. Immigrants from Ireland, Great Britain, and all over Europe are sailing to America for a new

start, religious beliefs, or to join families…

 

George Butcher arranged for their departures, as he was going first to prepare lodgings for them. He writes a letter to the shipping office, “I am George Butcher, I want to purchase tickets for my wife, Sophia, my three daughters, and my sister on the steamship, Windermere….” Virtue’s family now had Virtue"14, Charlotte "12, and Elisabeth 7.

 

Sophia and her daughters sorted through gowns deciding which would be suitable on the ship, which ones to place in the steamer trunks, “What is the climate in America?” asks Virtue, holding up a long navy blue gown for her Mother to see.

 

“It was a desert, but Brigham Young, leader of the Mormons, is transforming it into a new city.”

 

George books his departure, “Here are instructions for how to reach me, but there will be long lapses, as we are sailing on separate ships,” he tells Sophia. “I will have a home prepared for you and the children when you arrive.” Walking to where his daughters are seated by the fireplace,

“Help each other, and your Mother and Aunt, and I will be waiting for you and your Mother,”

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Sophia, her daughters, and sister-in-law close the cottage door after taking one last look, and climb in the carriage; their steamer trunks, and personal possessions that they can take are on a wagon. “It isn’t far to the terminus in Norwich, but it is 100+ miles to Liverpool where we meet the Ship,” Sophia interjects, as they leave their home to start a life in America…

 

Virtue, Charlotte, Elisabeth, their mother, and aunt board the Great Eastern Main Line train, arrange their belongings that they are carrying, as well as lunches they have packed for the journey. Sarah and Sophia silently look out the train window, watching passengers making their way to the train.

 

The train crosses England from the East Coast to the West Coast, indicating how narrow the country is in some parts. Upon arriving in Liverpool, there is much“hustle and bustle” as this is the main shipping port of the United Kingdom of Britain, encompassing Northern Ireland.

 

After leaving the train, Sophia gathers everyone together and draws papers out of her satchel.

 

“Your Father has made arrangements for us and our steamer trunks are to be conveyed to the

wharf where the Windermere is anchored. It is located at 37 and 38, Lewis Wharf on Waterloo Road.”

 

“Do you have all the tickets and names of our contacts?” Sarah asked, carrying her bags.

 

“Aye, there will be the church Elders to meet us. We will go to the Office, and secure our passage,” looking at her family, as Sophia replied.

 

George had told her, “You can only carry 10 pounds on the ship, and a certain amount of baggage. Basically, whatever fit in the steamer trunks were their “worldly possessions.”

               ###

 

Virtue and her family were nervous about the long voyage, and traveling across America to their new home, but with a feeling of anticipation for what was ahead.Sophia, Sarah, and the young ladies walked up the gangplank of the ship, Windermere, and joined other English converts bound for the port of New Orleans.

 

Date: Apr. 24, 1854 " 460 passengers.

 

“As the vessel started in motion, the songs of Zion, blending in soul-inspiring harmony…”

Storms, than smallpox broke out… The majority of the 40 cases survived, but 10 did not; unfortunately, burials at sea were common.

 

“The passengers of the Windermere had passed through a terrible storm, the panic created by the ship taking fire, their number decreased by smallpox, still another fearful calamity threatened them. The fresh water supply was getting short, and the store of provisions was falling. The passengers were limited to one hard, small sea biscuit for a day’s rations….”

 

About the time, the Windermere had been out of Liverpool for about seven weeks without sight of land, the Island of Cuba came into view….

 

“On the morning of the 25th of June, the ship entered the mouth of the Mississippi River. The passengers were “more glad” to look upon the plantations of orange groves that bordered the banks of the river than the great strong surging waves of the Atlantic which they had left behind them. Sometimes the Negroes would call from the shore and bid the emigrants welcome….”

 

After disembarking the ship and assembling with other families, Sophia and Sarah collected their trunks, and Virtue and the rest of her family went to the Wagon Master’s office to join the wagon train heading West to UT….

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Francis Clift, a pioneer mining man and financier, plus the Walker Brothers and other pioneers came through New Orleans, and joined with a wagon train; Francis signed on to drive an ox team, arriving in SLC in 1851.

 

Paraphrased " “Pioneers migrated to this country in the early days of its settlement, came by ox carts and wagons, all supplies had to be freighted a thousand miles by ox or mule teams, and sometimes new-comers made their way hither from the Missouri River in hand-cart trains.”

 

“All immigrants had to tramp this weary road over vast and arid plains and toilsome mountains;

the journey took several months.”

                        ###

 

A year after arriving in America, July 5, 1855, Virtue Butcher married Francis Clift in Salt Lake City. She was sixteen years old….

 

(Apr. 26, 1887 " The Clift House, Main St, Newly Furnished Throughout " A.C. Brixen and Bro, Proprietors) Salt Lake Democrat - 5 cents)

Author's Note

Widows of Main Street is a chapter of a Block in Time about the early history of Salt Lake City, Utah in the 1900s. The story includes actual events and historical characters, such as the widows who carried on after the death of their husbands. Another widow built an office building that housed 22 Railroad companies, and later, a furniture store and several millinery / hat shops.
The main character is Adam Rawlings who grew up in Montana, and is a Special Agent for the Railroads protecting General Agents, shipments going to all the towns, cropping up, and of course, the passengers from outlaws...

Reviews

[SyberRose]

Wow...I love the title...and of course since I was born in England and my great grandfather came here from Ireland too made it even more interesting to me Dianne...My husbands grandfather came from Russia thru liverpool on a ship...so this right up my alley haa...Youre doing a great job Dianne...Rose

[Diane Lockard]

Thank you, history is so fascinating, especially if you can relate to it.... As I said in the notes, it is a part of a Historical Fiction book, A Block in Time about the early history of Salt Lake City, Utah with actual events, and the widows who carried on after their husbands passed away.
The main character is fictional, Adam Rawlings, Special Agent for the railroads to protect the General Agents, shipments to the towns, cropping up, and passengers from the outlaws...
A second widow built an office building that housed 22 railroad companies, and at one time, a furniture store, and several millinery / hat shops. Thank you for stopping by. Diane

[A. Amos]

Touching yet beautiful, you know how to play with words and take a story to a different level. Thanks for post

[Diane Lockard]

Thank you, I love exploring the history of places and people...

[A. Amos]

Well history is what we are lacking and only true wisdom can be learned by history, so thank for your writing.

[Jocelyn_wonders]

This will make a great yarn.
Jocelyn

[Diane Lockard]

Thank you, It is part of a story about SLC in the early 1900s, across the way is the Judge Building built by Mary Judge, another widow of Main Street...

[Will Neill]

once again Diane you have seamlessly mixed story and fact, a pleasure to read.
Will

[Diane Lockard]

Thank you, as the saying goes, truth is stranger than fiction, and it is great to combine the two..