HEAVENLY VOICES AT THE BIG TREES

Manti Messenger, [Manti, Utah], January 31, 1903

In the Spring of 1903, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was on a pleasure tour of California. The excursion was composed of 325 travelers including church officials, old choir conductors,150 members of the choir and paying guests. They pulled out of Salt Lake City’s Oregon Short line depot on March 16^th, occupying a special train of seven Pullman cars. Their route via the Southern Pacific included Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, Pacific Grove and Santa Cruz.

One of the choir’s many stops was Big Trees Grove.

"The Salt Lake Tabernacle choir excursionists are now among the big trees, [illegible] and all. These great giants of the forest are proving the strongest attraction that the visitors from Utah have yet found. They stand there the mighty sentinels of time binding the past and present together and proving an object lesson to the students of the world."

The choir reportedly sang at several rail stops, including Santa Cruz, but it is not known if they sang while at Big Trees Grove.

"Next morning we awoke to find ourselves at Santa Cruz, on one hand the city, and on the other the boundless Pacific. To breakfast, then a glance through the curio shops, a stroll along the beach, gathering shells, and sea weeds. Took the narrow gauge to what is called Big Trees, and the grandeur of it is beyond this poor pencil of mine to ever attempt to describe. Imagine, if you can, hills on both sides covered with pine trees* just as high as one can see, underbrush covered with blossoms and as the train glides around the sides of the mountains, glance downward; far below is a little running rill, and a wagon road winds along the side of the stream, and looks like a small blue and white ribbon. On the stump of one of the trees 43 persons easily stood at once."

An account of this journey provided evidence of one beloved, long told story about the Fremont Tree. Learn about that revelation in my book, Historic Tales of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park - Big Trees Grove.

* They surely meant to say redwoods.

Sources: “Singers Among the Big Trees,” Deseret News [Salt Lake City, Utah], March 20, 1903; Salt Lake Tribune, March 16, 1903; “Tells of Choir’s Excursion to the Coast,” Ogden Standard, April 2, 1903; “Mormon Choir at the Big Trees,” San Francisco Chronicle, March 21, 1903.

 .