Mormon Colonies in Mexico

by Thomas Cottam Romney, Martha Sonntag Bradley (Foreword)

"Romney’s unique vantage point is the strongest draw of this Romney and his family lived much of their life in the Mexican Mormon colonies. But the narrative’s value is much broader and deeper than just that. Romney’s insights into Mexican politics and personalities, and his view of the course of history from inside rather than from outside, are fascinating, colorful and opinionated. He was clear about who he admired and why, and who he did not."
—from the Foreword

In the 1880s, as a precondition to granting Utah statehood, the United States government enacted laws to put a stop to the Mormon practice of polygamy. Those who continued to practice this principle were forced underground as federal marshals roamed the territory searching for "polygs." In response, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints looked for safe places to send its members; many found refuge across the border in Mexico.

Unavailable since its original publication in 1938, this important document of a little-known chapter in Mormon history is now reprinted with a foreword by Martha Sonntag Bradley. Romney was raised and spent much of his life in the colonies, making this book a significant contribution to LDS history. It chronicles a new kind of Mormon pioneer facing the hardships of an unfamiliar land, a tenuous relationship with the government, and the necessary fortitude to hold fast to one’s belief in the face of difficulty and trial.

Genres: History, Religion, Nonfiction

346 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1938

Reviews

[Jenicca Porter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not great literature. It is not even good literature. But it is about a place that I love so that deserves some stars.

[David Barney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful story of Mormon Pioneers settling, established their homes and live in northern Mexico. A good history of a group of people that have not been studied much.

[Dan-o · Rating 2 out of 5]

After a recent visit to the Mormon Colonies in Chihuahua Mexico I was intrigued by the forces that had driven them to settle there and the stories behind the life they had led. So many leaders of the Mormon Church and culture have come from the Colonies that is seems to have been perhaps the last Mormon Exodus microcosm following their trek West to the Salt Lake Valley. The Saints practicing polygamy in the late 1880’s and 90’s were driven from the country. They fled to Mexico and Canada. Seven colonies were established in the 150 mile corridor South of the US-Mexico border in the states of Sonora and Chihuahua. For the next 20 or so years they built small cities from nothing and created society where only desert grasses had grown. They were known for their prosperity and in most cases put the local populations to shame for how well they had done financially. Famous Church family names such as Romney, Eyring, Ivins, Teasdale, Call, and many others came from the Colonies and have since gone on to greatness. In the early 1910’s there was a political revolution in Mexico, creating great unrest and anti-American sentiment. At this time, all of the colonies were emptied and their residents escaped to Texas, Arizona, and Canada. Despite many of the families returning within a few years of their expulsion, the colonies never quite regained their same level of distinction after that event. Much of the book is dedicated to that part history.
This is probably the least well-known book I've read in a long time. Maybe ever. I would probably rate the writing style as two stars, but the book was published in 1938 and is not very “contemporary”. There were multiple instances where the word choice was less than politically correct in regard to Native Indian or Mexican people mentioned in the book. I did not find these comments offensive and was interested to see the word choices Romney used, but this could be somewhat offensive to those groups. At the same time the writing style was relatively professional and the book was not particularly difficult to read. Overall, I enjoyed the book and do not regret having read it. I would probably not recommend it unless you have an interest in Mormon history or the Colonies in particular. I would not read it a second time (though I rarely read anything twice). There is nothing inappropriate in the book that other readers should be aware of.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an excellent history of the Mormon influx into Mexico beginning in the year 1885, the settlement of the Mormon Colonies in Mexico (In Chichucha: Diaz, Dublan, Juaraz, Cave Valley Pacheco, Gracia (Round Valley and Chuichupa, and in Sonora: Oaxaca and Morelos), of the development of and life in the Colonies, the eventual threat to the Mormon colonists by the Revolutionaries, the Exodus in 1912, and of the return of some of the colonists to Mexico during and after the Revolution. Some discussion of the reasons for and the Mexican revolutionaries involved in the Revolution. The book was written by Thomas Cotton Romney who lived in the Sonoran colonies for 25 years - he later became an educator and author and was encouraged to write the book. A very good history of the era of Mormon history in the American Southwest and Mexico (circa 1885 - 1919).