In the spring of 1905, Junius Wells, on assignment from the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, arrived in Sharon, Vermont. He proceeded to locate the site of Joseph’s birth, procure the land, design a monument, arrange for and supervise its construction and oversee the dedicatory ceremony.
The shaft of the monument, protruding above the base, is 38 ½ feet tall. It represents one foot in height for every year of the Prophet Joseph’s life. The obelisk weighs 40 tons and is one of the largest single pieces of flawless polished granite in the world. The base is made of four pieces of granite that combined weigh 60 tons.
In 1905 no large trucks or cranes were available for lifting or moving these massive pieces of granite. Moving 100 tons of granite from the quarry in Barre, Vermont to the monument site (approximately 35 miles) was an overwhelming task. Fortunately, there was a railroad from Barre to Royalton. That left about 5 1/2 miles on curving, steeply sloped dirt roads from Royalton to the monument location. The elevation rose about 800!
A special wagon with 20” wide wheels was used to transport the granite from Royalton to the site. Even with the wide wheels, the wagon tore up the dirt roads so much that planking was laid down to prevent this. As the wagon moved over the planks, men picked up the planks and carried them around to the front of the wagon. They continued this awesome task for the entire 5 ½ miles! On reaching the steep inclines of Dairy Hill Road, it became apparent that the team of 22 horses could not pull the heavy load up the hill. A team of oxen was enlisted to pull a block and tackle fastened to the front of the wagon and then to the largest trees they could find on the route in front of the wagon. With the oxen pulling the block and tackle rope, and the horses pulling directly on the wagon, they were able to move the wagon about 80 feet before having to reset the pulleys.
It took six weeks to move the granite from Royalton to the site of the monument. Part way up the hill, a mud hole, exacerbated by a recent rain, completely blocked their path. An empty wagon coming down the mountain, had become stuck in that muddy swamp, and it was apparent that there was no way to cross the mud hole with the heavy-laden wagon. As Junius Wells was about to give in to the many obstacles he faced, he offered a fervent prayer. A north wind began to blow and a “Canadian Clipper” came through the area that night, dropping the temperature 35 degrees in three and a half hours. The mud hole froze solid, and they were able to transport the wagon over the swampy area with no difficulties. The weather later warmed allowing the concrete to set, and it would not be that cold again for the duration of the project. “I called that providence,” Brother Wells commented.
The significance of the monument is perhaps best expressed in a blessing President Joseph F. Smith left as he closed the dedicatory service. “Peace be with you, and unto this place, unto this monument and unto all who come to visit it…”
For more information, visit: https://www.lds.org/locations/joseph-smith-birthplace-memorial?lang=eng
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