Miracle of the gulls facts for kids
The miracle of the gulls is a famous event from 1848. Many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often called Mormons, believe it saved their second harvest in the Salt Lake Valley. While early records don't mention it, later stories say that seagulls miraculously saved the 1848 crops. They did this by eating thousands of insects that were destroying the fields.
The first crop was planted in 1847, very late in the growing season. It produced a small but useful harvest. The next spring, the pioneers used seeds from that first harvest to plant their second crop. But then, they watched in dismay as crickets attacked. Less than two years before, in October 1846, many pioneers were saved by quail that flew into their camp. This happened during their long journey to the Great Salt Lake, providing them with much-needed food.
The Traditional Story of the Gulls
After Brigham Young led the first group of Latter-day Saints into what is now Salt Lake City, Utah, they had a fairly mild winter. Even though late frosts in April and May damaged some crops, the pioneers seemed to be doing well. They hoped to grow enough food to support themselves.
However, in late May, huge swarms of insects appeared. These insects are now called "Mormon crickets" because of this event. They are not true crickets, but a type of katydid. They have small wings and cannot fly. Instead, they travel in massive swarms on the ground. Mormon crickets eat all plants in their path. They also eat any insects that die along the way, even other crickets. These insects are known to swarm in parts of the Mountain West, especially in Utah and Nevada.
These insects seriously threatened the pioneers' food supply. Stomping on the pests did not stop them from entering the farms. As some were killed, others would just move forward. This is a way for them to survive, by having so many numbers that some will always make it. Latter-day Saints often compared this disaster to the 8th plague of locusts from the Bible.
According to the traditional stories, many gulls appeared around June 9, 1848. This happened after the pioneer farmers prayed very hard. These birds, which live near the Great Salt Lake, ate huge amounts of crickets. They would drink some water, then regurgitate the crickets, and then keep eating more. This went on for about two weeks.
The pioneers saw the gulls' arrival as a miracle. Church leaders like Orson Pratt and George A. Smith often told this story. The traditional story says that the seagulls completely destroyed the insects. This saved the crops for about 4,000 Mormon pioneers who had traveled to Utah. Because of this event, the Seagull Monument was built. The California gull is also the state bird of Utah.
At the dedication of the monument, a report in The Atlantic magazine quoted "President Smith." He said, "I am only telling what I saw. Whenever the gulls had eaten their fill, they would fly to the creek banks. There they would spit out the dead pests. These piles lay along the stream, many as big as my fist. These piles literally covered the creek banks. After the crickets were almost gone, they tried to hide from the gulls. The birds became so tame that they followed under our wagons, into our yards, and under every shelter where the crickets hid. With the help of the Lord, we were able to gather a fairly good harvest that fall."
Looking Back at the Event
Seagulls did come and eat many crickets in 1848. However, there are a few things to know about this event. This includes how common such events were and how people saw it at the time.
- Records from before the Mormon pioneers arrived show that different types of gulls, including the California gull, lived near the Great Salt Lake. These gulls ate various insects, including crickets.
- Gulls spit out the parts of insects they cannot digest. This is similar to how an owl spits out pellets. While this behavior seemed strange to the pioneers, it is normal for gulls.
- The crickets caused a lot of damage to the crops before the gulls arrived. Even after the gulls had been eating crickets for weeks, the crickets were still a big problem.
- The crop damage in 1848 was caused by frost, crickets, and also a drought. The gulls only helped with one of these problems.
- At the time, not everyone thought the gulls' actions were a "miracle." The First Presidency of the church, in their official summary of the first few years in the Salt Lake Valley, mentioned crop damage, frost, and crickets. But they did not mention the gulls at all.
- Gulls regularly returned to eat crickets for many years after 1848. They likely did so for years before as well. This makes the 1848 event seem less unusual.
See also
In Spanish: Milagro de las gaviotas para niños
