How 1860s settlers turned Paiute sacred springs into a polygamist fortress and hideout in Arizona

How Mormon Settlement at Pipe Spring Displaced the Kaibab Paiute

For over a thousand years, the Kaibab Paiute called these desert springs Matungwa’vu, or Dripping Rock. They gathered seeds, hunted game, and raised crops around the precious water.

Then Mormon settlers arrived in the 1860s and built Winsor Castle right over the springs. The fort cut off Paiute access to their sacred water source while creating the perfect hideout for plural wives fleeing federal marshals.

Here’s the story of how one spring changed two cultures forever, preserved today at Pipe Spring National Monument where you can walk through Winsor Castle yourself.

Ancient Waters Ran For Thousands Of Years Before Mormons Arrived

For over 1,000 years, Ancestral Puebloans and Kaibab Paiute Indians used the life-giving waters of Matungwa’vu, meaning “Dripping Rock” in Paiute.

This sacred spring helped their community survive in the harsh Arizona Strip desert. Families gathered seeds, hunted animals, and grew crops using the water.

The spring flowed year-round, making it the only reliable water source for miles.

Spanish explorers passed through in the 1820s, followed by American fur trappers in the 1850s, but the Paiute people kept their waters until the Mormons came.

Broken Pipe Gave Sacred Waters A New Name

Jacob Hamblin and his Mormon missionary group found the spring in 1858 while traveling through Paiute land. When someone’s pipe broke, they held a shooting contest using the pipe pieces as targets.

The winner called the place “Pipe Spring” after their game.

James Whitmore saw potential in the water-rich area and started the first Mormon cattle ranch there in the early 1860s. His business ended when Navajo raiders killed Whitmore and his ranch hand Robert McIntyre in 1866.

The Mormon Church later bought the property from Whitmore’s widow for $1,000 in 1870.

Mormon Leader Drew Plans To Take Over The Water Source

Mormon leader Brigham Young visited Pipe Spring on September 11, 1870, and walked the grounds, planning a fortress. His smart design called for two sandstone buildings with a protected courtyard between them, fully enclosing the spring.

Young knew whoever owned water controlled the desert, and his fort would give Mormons complete power over this key resource. He put Anson Perry Winsor in charge of the ranch and told him to build the fort to be both useful and safe from threats.

Stone Fort Built Around The Desert’s Most Valuable Resource

Workers started building the fort in 1870, cutting red sandstone from nearby cliffs and bringing pine wood from Mount Trumbull, 50 miles away.

The huge two-story building took two years to finish, with thick walls, gun holes, and heavy wooden gates. The spring now flowed right under the parlor floor in the north building, locked inside the fortress walls.

Locals started calling the big structure “Winsor Castle” after its first manager. The fort worked as both protection and ranch, making 7,000 pounds of cheese yearly.

Kaibab Paiute Saw Their Sacred Spring Locked Behind Walls

The Kaibab Paiute watched as their sacred Matungwa’vu got shut behind fortress walls. Water that had kept their people alive for over 1,000 years now helped Mormon settlers and their cows.

Some Paiutes worked at the ranch as laborers, but their normal way of life with the land changed forever.

The tribe faced a tough choice: change to fit the new reality or try to keep their old way of life without steady water. Mormons offered some protection from slave raids, but Paiutes lost their freedom and self-reliance.

Thousands Of Cows Destroyed Ancient Desert Plants

Mormon ranchers brought thousands of cattle to eat the plants around Pipe Spring, ruining the fragile desert ecosystem.

Native grasses that had fed Paiute communities for hundreds of years died under the hooves of these big herds. Too many cows and natural drought turned once-good areas into sandy wastelands.

Sagebrush replaced healthy grasses, making it nearly impossible for Paiutes to gather food like before.

As their food sources died off, many Kaibab Paiute had to rely on Mormon settlers to survive, changing their once self-sufficient way of life.

Young Woman Sent Messages From The Middle Of Nowhere

The Deseret Telegraph Company ran its lines to Pipe Spring in December 1870, linking the remote outpost to Salt Lake City. Eighteen-year-old Eliza Louella Stewart became Arizona Territory’s first female telegraph operator, working from a small office in Winsor Castle.

The telegraph turned the isolated fort into a message center for the entire Arizona Strip region. News could travel instantly between the distant ranch and Mormon leaders, giving the church more control over the area.

This new technology helped Mormons keep their grip on the region’s most valuable resource: water.

Government Officers Searched The Territory For Plural Marriages

Congress passed the Edmunds Act in 1882, making polygamy a federal crime with fines up to $500 and jail time up to five years. U.S. Marshals started arresting Mormon men throughout Utah Territory, forcing many to run or hide.

The Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1887 made things worse, letting the government take church property and forcing wives to testify against husbands.

Mormon leaders rushed to find safe places for plural families away from law officers. The remote Arizona Strip, outside Utah Territory, offered a perfect hiding spot for those practicing plural marriage.

Plural Wives Found Safety In The Remote Desert Fort

Pipe Spring’s far-off location made it perfect for hiding plural wives from federal marshals. At least eleven polygamous women and their children hid at Winsor Castle between 1884 and 1893.

The fort got the nickname “Adamless Eden” since most men stayed away to avoid arrest. Nine babies were born to these plural wives while hiding at the isolated ranch.

The women ran the property, raised kids, made cheese, and helped each other through hard times. Their husbands visited now and then, traveling in darkness to avoid being caught.

Hidden Rooms Protected Families From Government Raids

Federal marshals needed wives to testify against polygamist husbands, so Pipe Spring’s isolation helped families avoid court.

The fort’s upper rooms, first built for telegraph workers and ranch hands, became living spaces for plural families. Lookouts watched for strangers, giving families time to hide if marshals came near.

The castle’s strong design now protected people from legal rather than military threats.

Supply wagons regularly traveled between Pipe Spring and Mormon towns in Utah, bringing needed items to the hidden families while keeping their presence secret.

Polygamy Ban Ended The Fort’s Role As Underground Railroad

Mormon Church President Wilford Woodruff issued the 1890 Manifesto, officially stopping new plural marriages. This change came after decades of federal pressure and the threat of shutting down the church.

As the church publicly stopped polygamy, federal prosecution decreased, and Pipe Spring’s role as a polygamist hideout slowly ended.

Some plural families stayed for a while, but the fort went back to mainly cattle ranching. The Church sold the property in 1895 to Benjamin F. Saunders for $5,000, ending its 25-year ownership of the contested spring.

Visiting Pipe Spring National Monument

Pipe Spring National Monument tells the story of Mormon settlers who took over this desert oasis from Kaibab Paiute people in the 1870s.

For $10 (kids under 15 free), you can tour Winsor Castle where plural wives hid from federal marshals. The site is open daily 8:30-4:30 MST.

Morning hours feature pioneer and Paiute craft demonstrations in summer. You can also hike the half-mile Ridge Trail to see petroglyphs and views of the Arizona Strip.

The monument is at 406 Pipe Springs Road in Fredonia, Arizona.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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