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From: "Jerry R Richards" <>
Subject: [HANDCART-L] Alfred Solomon
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 14:04:13 -0600

Found this in Familt history Suite. Hope it is of some help.

Jerry R.

Alfred Solomon
Orson F. Whitney, History of Utah, Vol. 4, p.503
Alfred Solomon, boot and shoe manufacturer, ex-marshal of Salt Lake City,
and present Bishop of the Twenty-second Ward, came to Utah when he was
twenty-one years of age. He was born in the town of Truro, county of
Cornwall, England, September 10, 1836. His father's name was William
Solomon, and his mother's maiden name, Nancy James Hocking. The father was
a shoemaker, employing a number of men, and his trade was chiefly among
miners working in the tin and copper mines of western Cornwall. Alfred was
the seventh son, and one of thirteen children. He received a common school
education, but at thirteen began working with his father at the shoemaking
trade.
Orson F. Whitney, History of Utah, Vol. 4, p.503
In his eighteenth year he became a Latter-day Saint, being baptized on the
6th of April, 1854; the only one of his father's family, excepting his
married brother William, to embrace Mormonism at that time. During the next
two and a half years he continued working with his father, at the same time
laboring in the interests of his religion, delivering tracts, accompanying
the Elders, and assisting them in their open-air preaching at Truro and the
neighboring towns and villages. Desiring to come to Utah, he began saving
means for that purpose, and when he had enough to pay his passage over the
Atlantic— four pounds and five shillings—sent it to Liverpool, asking those
in charge of the Latter-day Saints' emigration agency to notify him when
the next ship would sail. His parents, getting an inkling of his design,
did everything in their power to dissuade him from it. His mother told him
she would rather follow him to the grave than have him go to America and
mingle with the Mormons. But all in vain.
Orson F. Whitney, History of Utah, Vol. 4, p.503
Early in 1857, having received word that a ship with Mormon emigrants would
sail from Liverpool in the latter part of March, he determined to take
passage [p.504] on it. He was not yet twenty-one, and fearing his parents
would prevent him from leaving home, he left without their knowledge. Only
his brother William knew of his departure. He had scarcely a change of
clothing, and just enough money to pay his fare by steamer from Falmouth,
to which place he trudged on foot. He landed at Liverpool penniless, to
find that he would have to wait several days for his ship. An old lady whom
he had met on the steamer, and who was going to sail in the same company,
offered to pay his board bill at the lodging house where they stayed if he
would help her look after her luggage. While there he received a letter
from his parents, containing three pounds, with which he paid his board
bill and bought an overcoat and other necessaries for the voyage.
Orson F. Whitney, History of Utah, Vol. 4, p.504
He sailed on the 27th of March, and landed at Boston on the 20th of April.
Having no more money, he had made up his mind that he would have to stay
there for a season, when, to his great joy, two of the brethren whose
acquaintance he had made while on the ocean, offered to lend him enough to
take him to Iowa City, the western railroad terminus at that time. The fare
was ten dollars and fifty cents. At Iowa City he found that the trains to
take the companies across the plains—one half with ox teams the other half
with handcarts—would not be ready for three weeks. While waiting on the
frontier, Mr. Solomon worked for Senator Kirkwood, of Iowa, fencing corn
fields, at a dollar a day. On the eve of the departure of the ox train,
Jesse B. Martin, who had been appointed captain of it, came to him, and
asked him to drive his team to Utah. He gladly accepted the offer, and with
the money received from Senator Kirkwood, after reimbursing those who had
paid his railroad fare from Boston, he fitted himself out for the journey.
He left Iowa City about the 20th of May. Between Wood River and the Black
Hills great herds of buffalo were encountered, so dense that the train was
compelled to stop at times and let them pass. Some mornings the men had to
go outside the camp and shoot off their guns to scare away the buffalo from
the cattle, which became frightened and stampeded, both in and out of the
yoke. In one stampede three persons were killed. The plains abounded in
game, herds of deer and antelope being seen on either side of the road most
of the time, while herds of elk were often descried on the banks of the
Platte. One day John Taylor and Erastus Snow overtook the company, and told
them of the killing of Parley P. Pratt, in Arkansas, also of the coming of
Johnston's army. Mr. Solomon reached Salt Lake City on the 12th of
September.
Orson F. Whitney, History of Utah, Vol. 4, p.504
Three days after his arrival the Territory of Utah was placed under martial
law by Governor Brigham Young, as a measure of defense against the invading
force. The newly-arrived immigrant began working for Samuel Mulliner at
shoemaking, but owing to the unsettled state of affairs, very little labor
of that kind was done, as all were preparing to meet the army. He served in
Echo canyon that winter, and was one of the guards left at Salt Lake City,
when the people moved south. After the move he worked for Robert J.
Golding, having charge of his shoemaking department. He was one of the
special police called into service under Mayor A. O. Smoot, to keep in
control the rough element that had followed the troops to Utah. He assisted
Captain Andrew Burt, the brave and capable chief of police, in the
detective department, and was one of the posse who went with Deputy
Territorial Marshal Robert T. Burton to arrest the rebellious Morrisites in
1862. He was an artilleryman under Major Ladd in the old militia
organization, and one of the original members of the Salt Lake Fire
Department. From 1876 to 1880 he served as constable of the Third precinct.
Orson F. Whitney, History of Utah, Vol. 4, p.504
About the year 1870 Alfred Solomon, with his brothers William and James,
formed a co-partnership as manufacturers of boots and shoes. A year or two
later William was called to settle in Arizona, and Alfred and James
continued the business. They were the first, it is claimed, to introduce
machinery into Utah for such manufactures. Their product was purchased at
wholesale by Z. C. M. I. until that institution began to manufacture the
same line of goods. Solomon Brothers then started their wholesale and
retail business, which has continued to this day.
Orson F. Whitney, History of Utah, Vol. 4, p.504
Alfred Solomon has been a married man since June 3, 1860, when he wedded
Ellen Gyde, who died November 26, 1871. Prior to her decease, he had
married, on March 28, 1868, his second wife, Emma S. Brown, who died May
10, 1877. His third and present wife, Mary Louisa Solomon, was married to
him September 22, 1873. Thus, while he had lived in polygamy, and reared a
large family of children, he was not living in such relations at the time
of the enactment of the Edmunds law. His hospitable home was open to those
"on the underground" in consequence of the crusade, and in this and other
ways he proved to the exiled Church leaders a staunch and faithful friend.
Orson F. Whitney, History of Utah, Vol. 4, p.504
In February, 1886, he was elected city marshal and appointed chief of
police, and by re-election and re-appointment served in those offices until
the Liberal party took the [p.505] city government in 1890. Marshal
Solomon's most distinguished service was in February, 1888, when in
conjunction with Mayor Armstrong and a posse, he ejected the land jumpers
from the public lands of Salt Lake City, as related in the twenty-third
chapter of the previous volume.
Orson F. Whitney, History of Utah, Vol. 4, p.505
In the Church, Mr. Solomon was a ward teacher for thirty years, and a
Sunday school superintendent for seven years, prior to which he had served
fifteen years in the Sunday school cause. He became Bishop of the
Twenty-second Ward March 31, 1889, the date of its organization. From the
summer of 1891 to that of 1893 he was absent upon a mission to his native
land. He presided successively over the Newcastle and Cheltenham
conferences, and had temporary charge of the European mission, from the
departure of President Brigham Young, who had been summoned to the
dedication of the Salt Lake Temple, until the arrival of his successor,
President Anthon H. Lund. On his way home, Bishop Solomon visited the
World's Fair at Chicago. On July 17, 1894, he was called by President
Lorenzo Snow to labor in the Salt Lake Temple, where he has continued as a
regular worker up to the present time.

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