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229 and moved r e p e a t e d l y t o t h e f r i n g e o f th e w e s te r n f r o n t i e r , f i n a l l y s e t t l i n g i n t h e M ountain W est, i t s p o p u l a t i o n became more and more h e te r o g e n e o u s i n c u l t u r a l h e r i t a g e . Though Mormons o f a l l e t h n i c b a c k g ro u n d s mixed f r e e l y , n e v erth ele ss s e v e r a l com m u n itie s i n t h e F a r West w ere com­ p o sed c h i e f l y o f one o r more f o r e i g n e t h n i c g ro u p s . New c o n v e r t im m ig ra n ts were a s s i s t e d i n a d o p t i n g Mormon f r o n t i e r l i f e by t h e C h u rc h ’ s p o l i c y o f s e n d in g e x p e r ie n c e d c o l o n i s t s w i t h t h e n o v ic e s when fo u n d in g new settlem e n ts. In i n s t r u c t i n g newcomers i n t h e methods of p r e p a r i n g and b u i l d i n g w ith lo g o r adobe o r i n t h e manner o f c o n s t r u c t i n g d u g o u ts o r c a b i n s , t h e e x p e r ie n c e d c o l o n i s t s r e l i e d on t h e i r own b a c k g ro u n d s and t h e r e b y i n i t i a t e d th e f i r s t im p o r t a n t and p r a c t i c a l s t e p s i n t h e d i f f u s i o n o f t h e i r own f o l k s k i l l s and v a l u e s . The e a r l i e s t s e t t l e r s had p r e v i o u s e x p e r i e n c e i n t h e A m erican n o r t h e r n Midwest where t h e y u s e d l o g s , lu m b e r, and b r i c k t o b u i l d c a b i n s and houses. They s u b s e q u e n t l y a d o p te d adobe a f t e r c o n t a c t w ith Mexicans i n t h e F a r W est, and t h e u s e o f s t o n e was i n t e n s i ­ f i e d by an i n f l u x o f E u ro p ea n Mormons. The f i n d i n g s o f t h i s s tu d y i n d i c a t e t h a t a l l Mormon F a r West c o m m u n ities p o s s e s s e d t h e same h o u s in g forms i n t h e n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y r e g a r d l e s s o f t h e c u l t u r a l b ack g ro u n d of th e s e t t l e r s or th e k in d s of b u ild in g m a te r ia ls used. And t h e s e h o u s in g form s a r e a l l t r a c e a b l e t o t h e New E n g la n d Midwest h e a r t h of Mormon c u l t u r e . Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.