Betty and the Gulls

Betty and the Gulls tells the miraculous story from 1848 when the pioneers in the early Deseret Territory faced starvation and ruin. After planting and nurturing their crops all season, clouds of crickets swarmed upon them and threatened to devour their entire crop. Although the Salt Lake Valley is almost 1000 miles away from the ocean, miraculously, thousands of seagulls appeared, devoured the crickets, and saved the early Mormon settlers from sure disaster.

Betty and the Gulls is a second piece by Minerva Teichert to celebrate the miracle of the seagulls coming to eat the crickets and save the first crops of the Salt Lake valley. She loved the story of how the seagulls swooped in after much prayer and saved the crops of the early Salt Lake pioneers. Minerva not only recounted the story often, but she learned of the details of the entire event directly from her grandmother Minerva Wade Hickman, who was present at the miracle.

During May and June of 1848, the worn-out and malnourished Mormon pioneers discovered that crickets had become their enemy. The starving Latter-day Saints watched in horror as these bugs were chewing the young, green leaves of such crops as corn, beans, wheat, flax, and potatoes. It was a matter of survival for the pioneers. Saving the crops from the "ceaseless gnawing of the ruthless and insatiable invader" as described by historian B.H. Roberts, became a matter of fervent prayer. In what has been described as a miracle, the answer to their prayers came when thousands of sea gulls from nearby Great Salt Lake flew in and began feeding on the crickets. This event, known as "the Miracle of the Gulls," brought new hope to the struggling pioneers. (Comprehensive History of the Church 3:331-333.)

Reference: minervateichertgallery.com

Reproduced from the artist's original artwork of Oil on Canvas. Painted 1935.