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54 would have f a c i l i t a t e d t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f t h e i r much u sed way s t a t i o n s on t h e G re a t P l a i n s . Had t h e s e way s t a t i o n s b e en c o n s t r u c t e d some y e a r s a f t e r t h e S a l t Lake V a lle y s e t t l e ­ m en ts, t h e y most a s s u r e d l y would have c o n t a i n e d warm and com­ f o r t a b l e adobe b u i l d i n g s . Thus, i t was d i r e c t c o n t a c t w ith t h e M exicans, a f t e r a l l , t h a t r e s u l t e d i n t h e Mormon d e c i s i o n t o use ad o b e. Documents f a v o r i n g t h i s argum ent a r e r a t h e r e x p l i c i t . Mormon p r a c t i c e s o f making adobe were e x a c t l y l i k e th o s e o f t h e M exicans, and even th e Mormon te rm , " d o b i e , " d e r i v e d from th e S p a n is h and c o m p le te ly r e p l a c e d t h e E a s t e r n te rm s " s u n - d r i e d b r i c k " and " u n b u rn t b r i c k . " The mass r.nnverslnn +.n nHnhe by Mormons i n l a r g e p a r t a c c o u n ts f o r t h e r a p i d i t y w ith w hich th e y e s t a b l i s h e d them­ s e l v e s i n t h e numerous m o u n ta in v a l l e y s and b a s i n s o f th e West. Mormons became th e f i r s t o f th e A nglo-A m erican sub­ c u l t u r e s t o i n c o r p o r a t e adobe a s a f u l l y i n t e g r a l p a r t of th e ir m a te ria l fo lk c u ltu re . Mud C o n c re te C l o s e l y r e l a t e d t o adobe b r i c k i s " p o u re d ado be" o r what was l o c a l l y c a l l e d " c o n c r e t e . " In some a r e a s o f th e Mormon West where a h ig h lim e c o n t e n t o c c u r r e d i n th e c l a y , t h e lim e c l a y was mixed w i t h w a t e r , l o c a l g r a v e l s , and s m a ll q u a n titie s of stra w . The mushy c o n c r e t e m ix tu re was t h e n p o u re d o r s h o v e le d i n t o a p la n k w a l l form. U n lik e th e p ou r­ i n g o f modern P o r t l a n d cem ent c o n c r e t e ( n o t a v a i l a b l e in Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.