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Carole Mikita ReportingA rocking chair that once belonged to Brigham Young has made its way back to Utah from the East Coast. Two brothers presented it to LDS Church historians.
The Beehive House, Brigham Young's residence, has a new addition that may have been an original piece of funiture. A bentwood style rocker, belonging to brothers Robert Young, former Mayor of Augusta, Georgia, and Skip Young, of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina has returned home.
These descendants of Brigham Young who are not Latter-day Saints donated their grandmother's favorite chair.
Robert Young: "Tradition is that this came out with the original settlers, with Brigham Young's family to Salt Lake City."
Skip Young: "My dad, he had loved the chair, remembered being rocked in it and remembered other people being rocked in it. He got it and restored it."
Brigham Young was a furniture maker; his tools remain in his office. Church historians are very happy to have one of his chairs.
"You've really blessed us in many ways by bringing this chair here and sparking our imagination about what role that might have played in Brigham's life and in his household. So thankyou very, very much."
The chair really belonged to one of Brigham Young's wives, Lucy Decker Young, who is buried here on First Avenue. It was her family that passed it on through five generations."
Mildred Ferguson Young moved the rocker from Salt Lake to California to Georgia.
Robert Young, Former Mayor of Augusta, Ga.: "We didn't think that was the right place for it so we wanted to put it back with the rest of the things it was used to being around."
Skip Young, Former Eastern Airlines Executive: "It's history to us, but it's a greater history to the Mormon church and the people of Salt Lake City, and I just felt like that's where it needs to be."
The Young brothers hope their gift will influence others to donate pioneer antiques. The chair will likely remain at the Beehive House...where it was originally used to rock babies to sleep.
