ORDERVILLE

Management

The group was managed by an annually-elected Board of Management consisting of nine men who bought and sold goods on behalf of the entire settlement. They also directed labor performed by the settlers. The president was the bishop, and the vice presidents were usually his counselors. Thus, there was a very close connection between spiritual and secular. Orderville was divided into 33 departments, and each year members of the board met with the department directors to determine what the needs were and how many workers would be proportioned to the department.

In order for new members to join, the entire community had to vote. A new member was welcomed into Orderville only if the admission vote was a two-thirds majority. All newcomers were interviewed to determine their motives for wanting to join the society. They were also asked a number of questions regarding their moral and spiritual habits. New members had to agree to follow the strict standards and conditions of the settlement, including no swearing and giving up tobacco, tea, and coffee. Brigham Young cautioned against "allowing those whom might become parasites on the body from becoming members." When members wanted to leave, they were given back the capital they had initially invested along with their surplus credits for that year. If the members leaving had debts, they were usually forgiven.

Success

Although the United Order was practiced in many Utah communities during the late 1870s, Orderville was unique in both the level of success it experienced under the communal living style, and in the duration of the experiment. In the course of a few years, Orderville grew into a thriving, self-sufficient community. The success and relative wealth of the community attracted more settlers, and Orderville grew to about 700 people. Orderville not only provided for the needs of its population, but produced a significant surplus for sale to other communities, which was used to purchase additional land and equipment. The extreme poverty of these settlers likely contributed significantly to their devotion to the principles of the United Order.

Economic Expansion and the End of the Order

The Order continued in Orderville for approximately 10 years. During the early 1870s, the economic environment improved in southern Utah. The discovery of silver nearby led to railroad facilities and an influx of people to the area. Local farmers were able to find a market for their goods and gained more profit. The neighboring towns that had once bought goods from Orderville now found themselves able to import materials from other regions. Orderville goods became "old fashioned".

The youth of Orderville envied the youth in other communities and the so-called Pants Rebellion is one example of how the youth influenced economic change. One young man started collecting wool from docked lamb tails. After collecting enough, he secretly went to Nephi where he traded the wool for a pair of store-bought cotton pants. Scandal ensued when he wore the pants to a social dance which excited the other youth, including one young woman running up and kissing him. Upon investigation, the Elders determined the pants were communal property and confiscated them; however, they allowed tailors to use the pants as a pattern. The new style was so popular that young people were using the grindstone to purposely wear down their old pants in order to get new ones. The Pants Rebellion ended when the Elders eventually gave in, began importing cotton cloth, and gave tailors permission to make cotton pants in new styles.

Other social and economic changes began to change community life. The communal dining system was abandoned in 1880. Three years later the value system assigned to labor was adjusted, introducing a level of inequality that had not existed before. Families were also given their own spending money. These changes led to tension and much internal disruption of the Order. While these internal conflicts and changes eventually would have led to the end of the practice of the United Order in Orderville, national legislation ensured it. In 1885, the enforcement of the Edmunds Anti-Polygamy Act of 1882 effectively ended the order by jailing many of the order's leaders and driving many of the others underground. Members of the community held an auction using their credits as payment. Orderville continued its tannery, wool factory, and sheep enterprise, which were overseen by the Board of Management until 1889.