A Mansion for 56 Wives: Uncovering Brigham Young's Gardo House in Utah
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 มิ.ย. 2024
- Dive into the heart of history with Ken as we take a rare tour inside the Gardo House, the palatial estate of Brigham Young, a leader with 56 wives and a vision of utopia in the desert. From lavish drawing rooms to a secret billiards room, discover how this mansion symbolized power, controversy, and the struggle for a Mormon State.
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Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
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In the video I said Brigham passed in 1887, I meant to say 1877. The date was correct in my script, but I misspoke. 😅 Thank you all for watching, cheers!
Nice video, although it’s pronounced “Brig-um,” instead of “bring-um.”
F.Y.I The Mountain Meadows Massacre was never taught for Utah History. I only learned of it years later while at university from an actual Indigenous Individual, who taught Native American Studies at the University of Utah. Many Indigenous People suffered during this. You should do that one next, if your goi g to do Utah History.
Or do an episode on the Devereux Mansion, which is across from the Arena/Old Union Station area in Salt Lake City, Utah.
I know nothing about the LDS, But I thought that 1887 would have been a bit late for the style, LOL.
That house looked like the epitome of old west grandeur. I’m glad we still have photos of it!
Had a relative who was traveling to the new 'Utopia ' with the first group. The leaders insisted everyone give them all their money and the leaders would pass out a little at a time from a pool. Well, my relative wasn't going to do that. He said it was his money and he'd take care of his own family. They threw him and family out of the wagon train. He took his family, and they did just fine on their own and never looked back.
Avoided a cult. Smart.
Brigham Young had the Lion House, The Beehive house, the Gardo house, and other homes and farms where his wives lived spread from Logan (Northern Utah) to St George (Southern Utah). He didn’t have all his wives living in the same house. Many lived together in big houses and some had their own smaller houses and lived very close to each other. Bro Brigham was a wheeler-dealer with women and property and was stingy with his money. He died a multimillionaire at a time when that was an enormous amount while almost all of the average Mormons were dirt poor.
I wondered what happened with all of his wives after he died. Did they inherit any of his money? How did they manage to survive after he was gone financially?
He built his Expires off the tithes of strugglng early settlers. Pretty much how the LDS Corporation is 200 billion Expires today.
Must be nice to become a millionaire off tithing.
@@brittanyrussell8851Happens too much.
@@sylvialujan5641today? Not true.
Am I the onoy one whose immediate reaction to the exterior image was The Munsters?
Nope! I noticed that immediately. But then I got to thinking, and couldn’t make up my mind whether it looked more like The Munsters house, or the Bates Motel from the movie Psycho. Still, it’s a beauty . . . and a real hoot to think of TV and the movies!
Nope. I did too.
Looks like the Adams family house
I was going to say The Munsters. 😂😂😂
It’s the Second Empire style.
Irony of the Federal Reserve building on top of it in the end.
You know That’s Right!
Yes, considering the fact the FED (which is not federal at all…but a private corporation) is controlled by international bankers.
“60 dinner guests or wives”, ya got a sense of humor Ken!!!!
Those were the words he spoke to his followers about his many wives,, " Bring um young".
😊
I was about to type that joke
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
While studying the LDS church in the 70's ...almost bought it until I observed at many 'gatherings' of sorts, grandpa often had a 12-15 yr old sitting on his lap..Um...NO.
Breed em young
The central historical building of that entire area and they let it get torn down. THAT looked like one heck of a great mansion. A perfect example of a Victorian. We are sooooo lucky the pyramids and Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower are not in the USA, or they would be GONE!
These monuments to money have been built and abandoned and destroyed over thousands and thousands of years. It is called progress.
We might appreciate the architecture on this channel, but keeping these monstrosities alive is hardly worth the time or effort. Especially in states as meager as Idaho and Utah.
@@IntriguedLioness
Not a good reasoning, if you want tourists to think that Idaho is more than potatoes harvest or Utah is more than its peculiar religious movement. Tourists bring a lot of money to struggling local economy and justify the upkeep. Also, beautiful buildings entice them to visit museums or stay at the hotel, as well. Many of the Gilded age mansions of the 5th avenue of New York city survived because they had repurposing potential, themselves.
@@Polemodrome not to extend a disagreement but Idaho is known more for skiing and backpacking then a lone Victorian.
And as a former Manhattanite the very few 5th Ave mansions that were reporposed is a slight percent compared to the many condominium buildings that were built when they were razed.
Rather have a city block housing hundreds of families than one wealthy family.
No need comparing a rapists den to actually works of historical wonder and art
@@sylvialujan5641
Correct. This 2nd empire mansion was the fruit of the architect and his contractor's cooperation, not the misdeeds of the one who commissioned it. It is deeply unfair to associate to a building the unrelated faults of its owner.
It reminds me the instance of Concord Quarters: the wonderful Afro American lady currently owning this mansion lovingly restored it, even though it was such a throwback to plantation slavery. It is foolish to hate material history. If we had to go with spite everytime, even war memorials would go up in smoke...
Oh those Mormons...and it always benefits the men.
Always.
Exactly. But the weight women carry is very heavy. In many aspects plus she's they're the ones behind the successful organization. ( And, just in case others read this I won't accept arguments. What I believe is what I know and what I see and in some ways what I lived so don't bother yourself into talking to me)
However, what a house! At least he meant to be responsible 😅.
Yes that's one of the things I hate about being LDS.
Ya think ?
But not all Men subscribe to such madness!! 😮
This house was built for only one very favored wife. The Lion House which was also built by BY was built for several of his wives and children. Other wives and children were housed in substandard houses farther away from his own house the Beehive House. Yes, Young took tithing money that most church members couldn’t really afford to pay because most of them were extremely poor, but because of his ego he felt that he and his associates “deserved better” because they were “God’s chosen servants”. Also, he died in 1877 not 1887. How do I know this? I worked as a docent at “This Is the Place” living history park at the mouth of Emigration Canyon in Salt Lake City where BY and most of the other pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley from the surrounding mountains, and we were expected to be able to answer any and all questions that visitors asked about BY, the Mormon Church and the basic history of the people living in the Utah Territory.
Thank you.
I read the diary of a woman who knew him well. He was not a very nice person
I had no idea Young lived so comfortably.
And died so happy because he definitely wasn't lacking for sex.
He had so much money he could have built a railroad to transport his people to utah, but he made them push handcarts. Also, not all of his wives lived with him. If they fell out of favor he banished them away from Salt Lake City to live in squalor and die of starvation.
@@1Nida Wow...that's coldblooded. Banishing them away to live in squalor and die of starvation when he could have simply divorced them.
To them each wife that's acquired means they can attain a higher level in heaven so even if he hates the woman she serves a spiritual purpose and he doesn't want to be completely rid of her. Sad for her since she couldn't have the chance to find happiness elsewhere.
@@melissaarellano5177 Wow, that's interesting because someone else posted a comment saying that when any of his wives fell out favor with him, he would banish them away to live in squalor and die of starvation. If each wife serves a spiritual purpose, I'm curious how treating them so badly falls in line with his believe that he will attain a higher level in heaven.
Such vanity on many levels!
It should also be mentioned that not all LDS men had plural matrimonial situations. It was very costly to support a group of wives and children, therefore only the wealthy, more highly placed leaders of the church had them. They also did not always live together in one home. Many had families in various communities around the state and perhaps only saw these families a few times a year. There was a pecking order as well, the more highly favored wives/families spent much more time with the husband/father.
The Muslim laws governing polygamy are much better all the way around. The man has to provide each wife with her own home as well as equal time and money. Each marriage has its own contract where the bride specifies anything she wants including the dowry amount and no additional wives.
@@anonz975Unfortunately, it’s not always done properly. I met a lot of plural wives in Saudi Arabia that were not treated equally.
@@anonz975if i am not mistaken the scripture for multiple wives was in the old testament. It would be common to Jews Christians and Muslims. The book of Mormon may have more.
BY was a real piece of work.
Who says LDS men supported their wives?
The House was built for Brigham Young’s youngest wife, he was supposed to reside there as well it was also supposed to be for entertaining guests of Brigham young and the LDS church. Through numerous government seizures it was later returned to the church and rented out to various wealthy people until the church decided to sell it with the option of repurchase if it was ever sold. Later it was sold to colonel Holmes who gave it as a birthday present to his wife the “Silver Queen” Suzanne Branford Emery Holmes Delitch Engalitcheff. That’s where the art gallery and garage was built, and the amazing furnishings and lavish parties took place. Later in 1921 it was sold back to the church and then they sold it to the federal reserve. The federal reserve bank shown in the video is not the location of the original house, the original location now has a high rise office building sitting on it. So sad it was torn down, as many gilded age mansions were.
How old was she ....12 ?
Suzanne Branford Emery Holmes Delitch Engalitcheff was the first owner of the 1925 LeBaron Rolls Royce Silver Ghost which I owned in the 1970s. She owned it while living in Pasadena and it was found in a barn in Santa Barbara. I have a nice picture of it from the 1920s at the mansion in Pasadena which has been used in many TV shows. It is now in Japan in a museum. You can see it by searching on its serial number S222PK. It is one of only two LeBaron bodied Rolls Royces ever built. The other one was not a ghost but a Phantom I. Now, why the heck did I sell it??
I'm awestruck! I love ornate buildings with lavish interiors.
As an Ex-Mormon I understand context was needed for this house, but I do wish a bit less of the sugar coated history could have been left out. It's a tough topic though so I can understand how anything said on this religion will be controversial. Keep up the good work :)
There’s already a lot of false information about the LDS faith, and this is not the channel for that.
@@mpaulm uncomfortable facts about the faith don't always equal "false".
@@michaelfisher7170 It sure does when you don’t research them.
@@michaelfisher7170glorified fairytales
@@KnockingONwood1111 more mythology than fairy tale but I get what you mean. That covers every religion.
I love this spooky Victorian ornamented house❤
A splendid confection.
Built with tithes from the faithful. Guess he was the original Joel Osteen.
Built with the tithes from sheep, I would say!
better to be a sheep than a wolf@@IntriguedLioness
You're right, a false prophet and fraud.
Or Jim Bakker 😄
I bet Brigham Young was nicer to the people in need, unlike Osteen's performance during the hurricane that flooded so much of Houston. He denied shelter in his "temple" to people who had no place to go. The Mattress Guy gave more charity than the stupid church. Mattress Guy paid for shelter and gave them new mattresses in and from his store. That is a real Christian.
Wow!!! Thanks Ken… I always learn something new with each video that you post!!! Keep up the great work
Ken this mansion is absolutely sumptuous!! Thanks
My inner Beavis and Butthead: "huh, huh, this guy's smart."
Aww man, been yrs since ive seen that show….😂😂
What a beautiful, ornamented house! It’s such a shame that it was torn down.
As a Mormon, I appreciate the accurate telling of the history of the religion even if it is not something to be proud of. Brigham Young's second house, the "Lion House" stands today, and I would love to see you do a tour of it.
As a Mormon you'll appreciate learning real history. Mr. Young had 5 wives, each with her own house. That was an absolute rule. They attribute more to him and others because of the custom of "adopting" widows with children. They were under his protection and jurisdiction, but she could make him get lost any time she wanted if he was a bully or didn't suit with her children. He did pay her bills, though so they would put up with anyone. He did not get bedroom privileges. That would be a slap in the face to her dead husband.
phonetically, Bringham Young sounds like "bring 'em young"
And he did
@@debbieadams1588 the average age of his wives at the time of marriage? 32.
my heart broke a little when he said it was torn down how sad and wrong this historical beauty should have been protected thank goodness for the historical preservation act which i dont even know if Utah has i hope after losing this beauty and who knows how many others some sort of preservation laws were passed by the way love your channel thank you for caring
56 wives!! And I don't even manage to keep a single girlfriend for more than two years
😑
Build a mansion....they will come.
😂, I had trouble keeping up with one wife, divorced now and staying that way
Because his wives never had the option to leave.
I am sure you would rather have a person stay with you out of their free will rather then violating their consent.
You're so special 🤮
@@matildagreene1744
You mean, you wouldn't share him along with 55 others plotting against you to be on top of the pecking order? How shocking
😂
Polygamy doesn't have its place in a world where children mortality rate isn't that high, we are no longer in the bronze age.
Yeah and the running joke in Utah is: Everybody is related to everybody."
Great history on Gordo. Salute. 🎩
His wives were scattered throughout the utah territories. From Montana to California, from Colorado to Oregon. Not in just one house or place. Just fyi
Really doesn’t matter! Just having all those wives is an abomination!
Why does that matter?
Because his video is historically inaccurate, and it is riddled with his negative interpretations.
Love the entire house.
I recently discovered a distant marriage connection to Young. My 5th great-grandfather’s second wife had a nephew who was an early Mormon (converted in 1833). He followed Joseph Smith west to Nauvoo, where he died from illness. His widow became one of Young’s wives.
That is sad for your distant nephew and his widow. In the Mormon church, marriage continues in to the after life, and men can remarry after the loss of a wife and he will be married to both. Women who lose their husband have to "divorce" the husband who died before they can remarry, leaving the first husband alone in heaven. I cannot imagine having to cut ties with a husband after he died.
What a GRAND Home! WOW! ❤
Another great video! Have you heard of Swannona Palace in Virginia? New to your channel so you may have covered it already. I’ve gone a few times, absolutely beautiful architecture! Sure the history is fascinating as well
Such a shame it was torn down. It looked beautiful
Very nice reaserch as usual...
Is Norman Bates home?😮
I would love to live in a house like that.
Oh, ick. You and his other wives? Honey, you're better than that. Go on a house tour instead.
Such a beautiful place. So absolutely sad that it was torn down.
Love the mansion, love the Mormon Christmas music, thou im not a Mormon myself.
It's sickening that it was torn down.
There were MANY homes like this, in Salt Lake City. My great, great grandfather had one.
It was pretty. Certainly would have been expensive to take care of. Glad there were pictures of it so people could see what it was like. Thanks for sharing. 😊
I wish i could have seen it. There's only one street in downtown slc that has the mansions, which is South Temple. Most of the buildings in where the reserves are is really ugly.
Thanks for handing the troubling history delicately.
There are a few intact buildings. Like The Governors Mansion, McCune Mansion. Some old ones that are scaled down are in Wheeler Farm and This is the Place.
Thanks for showing my city!
The Addams family?
I find it ironic that BY died before he could enjoy the house, and then his successor didn’t want it. Seems almost biblical unto itself.
Love your videos, learn something new every time. Thank you.
Decent sized Second Empire "villa" sparked controversy in 1870s Salt Lake CIty. In 1870s Pittsburgh, It could have been home of a successful owner of a smallish downtown department store and no one woulda given it much thought! Either way, I like it! Second Empire is perhaps my favorite probably my favorite Victorian style, Even if I live in a "mere" Italianate rowhouse.
I am curious as to when the interior photos were taken that are shown in this video.
Another piece of the history of the house is the following story: Isaac Trumbo rented the Gardo House from the church in late 1894. It had belonged to the LDS church, but after the Edmunds-Tucker act it was confiscated in 1887. It had been rented out to various parties since that time, and it had been damaged. Pres Wilford Woodruff was well acquainted with Colonel Trumbo, and so it was arranged that Isaac and his wife would rent it. Isaac Trumbo was expecting that he would be appointed senator for when Utah was made a state and so wanted to establish residency in Salt Lake. The Trumbos spent a great deal of time and money renovating and updating the mansion.
Utah became a state in 1896. However, there was much political infighting as to who the senators would be, including accusations against Ike Trumbo, and support for other contenders. In the end, Isaac was not chosen as a senator. His wife was very embittered over the affair. The Trumbos claimed they had spent about $17,000 on the renovations for the mansion. Wilford Woodruff sent the Trumbos a check for $10,000. In an apology in the newspaper, the first presidency of the church concluded, “In the time of our deep distress, when bitterness and hatred were manifested against us in almost every quarter, Colonel Isaac Trumbo came to Utah, and showed an interest in our affairs. It is sufficient to say that probably no single agency contributed so much to making Utah a State as the labors of Colonel Isaac Trumbo and his immediate friends.”
Side note: Isaac Trumbo was my maternal grandfather's uncle.
American harem protagonist
They sure have the most convincing argument to recruit all the horny jackrabbits to their church!
That looks like the Adam's family house.
What a nice "house" lots of windows to clean.... The Devereaux Mansion is also a nice place to live. Utah is a great state, so many beautiful national, state and local parks. The locals always seemed friendly.....
I think it's comical that Young died before he got to use it!!!!
Old men + many young women = Early death.
Fact of life. Even the God's Favored Ones weren't exempt from that rule of nature.
Yeah but he died in peace as the only thing he was worried about was his pecker...
Naw...he used it alright...and used the stupid women who bought his BS story..LOL
The estimated wealth of the Cof LDS by 2044 is expected to exceed $1 Trillion!
I'm so glad they tore a beautiful home down ,only to replace it with a stark, ugly building. What a shame!
You may think it ugly. It was a utilitarian building with a midcentury design. It has its place as well.
@@ght33 ...And the current building (shown in the video) DID NOT even replace the house. Where the house was (and the original 1920s FED building was) now has a much larger high rise building.
Brigham Young was an accomplished carpenter and made his own furniture. The china was also mostly hand made by the saints who came from other parts of the world....settling in southern Utah. Check out the Fillmore Museum. Also, he employed many of the craftsman from pioneer settlers in the Utah territory helping them to support their families. There is always a backstory to consider when taking the surface information into consideration.
It was a beautiful house and yet another masterpiece of American craftsmanship destroyed by small minded troglodytes.
These huge Victorian mansions were extremely expensive to maintain and the design was by 1920 very out of date, and had been for a while. Some of them had "facelifts" to modernize the fronts in the 1920s or were cut into apartments or became Funeral homes
Redwood Road in Utah is named so, because Redwood was put on the road.
I used to live on Redwood Rd. across from the drive in theater.
Became the site of the Federal Reserve you say? Can’t ever escape the Feds.
the Mormans are a branch of the Free Masons.
I thought the first image I seen of the house reminded me of the Adam’s family house.
I live in SLC and seen most old buildings gone.
Torn down to make way for the Federal Reserve….a curse to us all !!!such a waste!!
The exterior look and butler pantry
Hello… the Gardo house was located at 70 E South Temple Street, at the corner of State Street. It is not the location of the federal reserve building, which is one block south at 120 S State Street, on the corner of 100 South Street and State Street.
Con man extraordinaire.
Interesting, if Churches were taxed back then I wonder when it stopped? Is there a house related to that?
Man-shun , Im happy letting God take-care-of-me .
How are you feeling, Ken?
It’s been almost 2 years since the accident. I’ve come a long way. Thanks for asking 🙂
@@Jean.A.squirrel sure thing, I covered it in a video a long time ago. I was T-boned by an SUV that ran a stoplight going about 50mph. Had to relearn to walk and all the fun stuff that comes with that. My physical therapist is a miracle worker and I’m about ready to start filming in-person house tours again on a somewhat regular basis.
💛💛💛
I grew up in Utah. I've never heard of this house. Im not saying it's not BY's house, but the house all Mormons know as BY's house is the Lyon House right next to the temple.
The power and greed of con men never ceases to amaze and disgust one.
Bring 'em young!
It makes me sick in more ways than one
Thanks for covering the LDS history in a respectful manner.👍
Clearly the Human Ego had not managed to conceive ", Freedom of Religion" = "Freedom of Thought". In the present we are gaining vast evolving into this consciousness.
"All9w", "Discern rather than being Judgemental" and "Embrace the truths of the Universal Laws", particularly the "Universal Law of Attraction".
We are Nonphysical Energies having a Physical Journey, without memory of our true self. ... but we are getting there!
Uh….????
It’s known as the Mormon Massacre in Utah. Not all of Brighams wives were living.
Is that where they filmed "The Addams Family"? It looks exactly like that.
So sad this wasn’t preserved for historical architecture purposes. It would have made a great museum.
A little less talk of the house and a little more talk of Brigham Young marrying a 13 year old child when he was 42 years old is in order. Half of his wives he married after he was in his 40's, and 50's were in their teens or early 20s. Today we call that pedophilia. And it's not much unlike Warren Jeff's marrying young girls. The average marrying age for women in the mid 1800s was between 24 to 26 years old. And let's not pretend that there weren't any young eligible young men in their late teens and early 20's.
Today mormons will tell you that they don't practice polygamy anymore leading people to believe they no longer believe in polygamy. Not true in the least! They believe it is mandatory in the next life and men can be "sealed" to 2 or more women in the next life if their spouse dies or they divorce. So, since mormons won't tell you all this, someone needs to. Joseph Smith was as bad or worse than Brigham. He not only took a 13 year old bride, he was also "sealed" to other men's wives. He wasn't just randomly murdered by a mob. He was killed by men who abhored his abberant polygamous ways.
Uncle Pervy is always sugar coated...obviously. Look at all the pedophiles that get a light sentence or if they are a standing member of the community ...a slap on the hand....TRUTH.
Brigham young lived in the Beehive house. Which still stands near temple square. Also it should be noted that this was interesting however not very factual. I would invite you to come to salt lake and see some of what I am talking about.
So many off these homes of the eraare built by millionaire's only to be torn down. Craftsmanship at its finest.
The house was full of Gaudiness ‼️
It's a shame such a beautiful house could not be saved. Instead, there is the Federal Reserve box in its place.
A small point, but the man’s name is Brigham Young, not Bringham Young. There is no N in the first name. Otherwise, great job on an over-the-top house.
It's a joke. Anyone who has been around Mormons know well of their attraction to 12 yr olds....LOLOL 🙃
I can barely handle my one wife and he had 56…..
Bear in mind that having 56 wives means having 56 mothers-in-law. Yikes.
Cause he's a perv.
My GGGGAunt’s family immigrated before the Rev War and were Quakers. She “married out of fellowship” and was kicked out of the Quakers. She married a Lewis and they helped establish Mormonism. A couple of their children were killed by non-Mormons. (I am not Mormon) Just interesting info I found while doing my genealogy
Awesome beautiful mansion such a shame the way it came about. an even greater shame the way it met its demise. As the Bible says
The thief comes to steal kill and destroy
You are right. He was a misogynistic thief, and his son his temple followed his demise. Sadly, his sheep still exist.
you're vile!@@IntriguedLioness
🤣 Nothin' like materialism
Bring em fat, bring em thin, but bring em young!
Don't forget his brother
Bring more than one..
Utah is a freaking weird place. Young wasn't a nice person. There's plenty of real history on him. Not apologitics. Stay away from apologitics in any religion.
House was creepy and too Victorian looking for me.
Talk about grandiose. Can't imagine what it would cost to keep it going. Sad to lose the fantastic architecture . Should have learned that less is more including wives.😂
A bit of an Addams family look to the house
My cousin Miriam Works was his first wife little did she know!!!
Right....LOL What are you, 200 years old ?
@@matildagreene1744 clearly you do not know how genealogy works..
@@BlaineShire🤣Did you send your money to 23 and me ? 🙃 Good luck !
@@matildagreene1744 nope I did it myself over 50 years!
@@BlaineShire So did we (now in our 80's) about 30 yrs. ago. Most information and pictures are passed down from our grandparents by actual presence(pictures) or stories from their lips. Agencies are not accurate and will even admit glitches in their system for 'DNA info gathering' but people still send them their $$ .
Not a fan of why the Gardo House was built. Extremely impressed with how it was built. Revolted that it was torn down. It should have been perserved and cared for, and used for something positive. Maybe instead of being a home for 56 wives of one greedy man, it could have been used a boarding school to educate Women. Tearing it down and throwing a box on the land seems just as criminal as Brigham having 56 wives.
Almost as bad as Virgin Worship in the Catholic church....now we have pervs killing very young girls for sport it seams. Rather piggish....in our male controlled world.
Such a grand house too bad it was torn down. There were many beautiful houses in Salt Lake, but not as grand. We have lost so many beautiful things. However, imagine what it would cost to maintain it today! Thank you for sharing this video.
Inaccuracies.
The thumbnail house was for _one_ wife.
Amelia.
They were met with suspicion for (allegedly)bedding married women which may have inspired some hostility amongst the husbands. Some things never change.
Thousands of Mormon converts died pulling handcarts to Salt Lake City, while Brigham Young’s European furniture, paintings, textiles and wine cellar went by train.