Calling the acquisition and restoration of Cove Fort by the Church a miracle, President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the historic structure May 9 in a service which, because of heavy rain, was moved from the fort to a meetinghouse in Kanosh 18 miles north.

President Hinckley and his wife, Marjorie, arrived at Cove Fort, located in central Utah near the junction of I-15 and I-70, for the dedicatory service with hundreds of other descendants of Ira N. Hinckley and his brother, Arza Erastus Hinckley. Ira was called to spearhead construction of the fort in 1867 by President Brigham Young. Arza assisted him with the project.President and Sister Hinckley were greeted warmly by enthusiastic relatives, but cooly by Mother Nature as she unleashed a steady downpour of rain on the fort and surrounding area.

President Hinckley, under cover of umbrella, went to the portable podium and quipped, "It's raining." He announced that the Kanosh Ward meetinghouse had been made available and readied for the service and encouraged the wet onlookers to travel there for the meeting and return to the fort at their next opportunity.

An estimated 550 people, mostly members of the Hinckley family, filled the chapel and cultural hall for the service conducted by Elder Loren C. Dunn of the Seventy and executive director of the Church Historical Department.

As he stood to speak, President Hinckley, who had dressed for an outdoor service, referred to his plaid jacket that he wore over a shirt and tie. "I feel awkward, dressed as I am, standing at a pulpit in a dedicated meetinghouse. It's seldom that I'm not in a dark suit in these circumstances."

He explained that the jacket was given him by Relief Society sisters in Alaska two or three years ago when he attended a stake conference there. "I wanted to say that to emphasize that it is of Church origin," he said, smiling.

He grew serious as he expressed, with some emotion, his feelings concerning the historic fort - deeded to the Church from the Hinckley family Aug. 13, 1988, prior to the beginning of its restoration. (See additional Cove Fort background in Aug. 20, 1988, and June 17, 1989, Church News issues.)

"What has been done is a great and significant thing from the point of view of the Church, the state, and the nation, as a matter of fact," said President Hinckley. "Once forts were found in abundance across this great land. There are very few left. Cove Fort is the only one of the pioneer Church forts which still stands in its entirety. I think it was built more solidly than most of them were. Most were stockade in form, with upright poles of lumber that are long since gone. . . .

"But this tremendous structure of volcanic rock stands after 125 years. A century and a quarter since those stones were laid, they are still in place. It is a remarkable structure, unique and different, I think, from others that exist in this nation."

He went on to detail some of the circumstances surrounding Cove Fort's construction, the faith and sacrifices of its early occupants, and the fort's history and varied ownership through the years after the Church sold it in the early 1900s.

In introductory remarks, Elder Dunn also gave a brief history of the fort and discussed the restoration project.

"As the historical notes in your program indicate, in 1867 President Brigham Young called Ira Hinckley to build and occupy a fort on Cove Creek, halfway between Fillmore and Beaver. The fort was to offer protection and accommodations to travelers along the `Mormon Corridor' from Salt Lake City to St. George. It was also the center of Church activities and programs for the ranchers, miners and other families dispersed throughout this area. . . .

"The fort has now been restored and, with this dedication, will be open to the public. There are two additional phases to be completed in the restoration of the Cove Fort area. These include the restoring of a barn, corral, log house, blacksmith shop and pond, which will be on the west side of the street. On the east side of the street will be picnic grounds, a parking lot, restrooms and a dwelling for missionaries and the caretaker, as well as general landscaping. This will all be completed sometime during the summer of 1993, and a dedication of the entire area will be held on that occasion.

"The reason for the dedication of the fort itself at this time is that it will be open to the public for a full year before the rest of the complex is completed, and it seemed appropriate to invite the descendants of Ira and Arza E. Hinckley, as well as the missionaries who would be working here and local Church leaders, to a dedication of this structure prior to its being opened to the public.

"At one time, there were 16 major pioneer forts in the [Utah] territory and scores of smaller protective forts.

Of that number, virtually all are gone, and Cove Fort will serve as a representation of a very significant part of the pioneer heritage - not only of the Hinckley family, but of the entire Church."

In his address, President Hinckley recounted the accidental shooting at the fort of his father, Bryant S. Hinckley, who spent the first 10 years of his life living there. As a boy of about 8 years, Bryant was wounded in the leg by a ball from a 38-caliber pistol.

"His father held him and cuddled him and sent a fast horse to Beaver to get the doctor," related President Hinckley. "The doctor came after some time and poked with a darning needle to try and get that ball out - a very painful and difficult thing. He never was able to get it out, and father carried that ball in his leg to his death."

President Hinckley also told of visiting the fort with his children and father when his father was 85 years old. "He sat and told of his experiences there," he recalled. "He told us of the occasion when Brigham Young came and held him on his knee and gave him a coin. He said that one of the greatest mistakes he ever made was spending that money.

"There are memories there for each of the descendants of these two families. Arza operated the fort for years. It was a great place. Thousands of meals were served there. I think of the women scrubbing linens to make them clean and bright and fresh to set a beautiful table for those guests who came. I think of the tremendous responsibility of raising food and preserving it, the tens of thousands of loaves of bread baked to accommodate those who came there. It was an arduous and tremendous responsibility, one much appreciated by those who lived there. The fruits of it were received by those who traveled there."

President Hinckley expressed gratitude and admiration for the many people who helped with acquisition and subsequent restoration efforts, saying that it's a "miracle that we have it" as he detailed the multiple owners of the fort, difficulty attaining it and the structure's good repair despite being 125 years old.

He expressed regret that his cousin, Arza A. Hinckley, who was especially instrumental in the acquisition efforts of the Hinckley family and the donation of the fort to the Church, passed away this past February at age 81.

"Now the Church has the fort. And I want to say on behalf of all of this family, we're so grateful the Church does have it. . . . I want to thank in behalf of everyone here, and in behalf of the entire Church, those who worked so assiduously and skillfully to restore it. If you haven't been through it, you must go through and see it . . . restored to the condition that it once was and furnished beautifully, as it once was. As you go through those rooms, you will develop an increased appreciation for those who constructed the old building and furnished it and served as hosts there through the early years, when it was such an important part of the history of this section of the territory and subsequently of the state."

In his dedicatory prayer, President Hinckley expressed gratitude for the "faith of our forebears, for the Prophet Joseph Smith, for those who held their faith and testimony in higher regard than they held their very lives. . . .

"We're grateful for the faith of those who came to Cove Creek, in response to a call from the prophet of the Lord; who came without hesitation to do that which needed to be done, when it needed to be done; who set to work and built with skill a fort which afforded peace and security and comfort to many who traveled this part of the earth."

Other speakers at the dedicatory service included Betty Hinckley Nibley and Alonzo A. Hinckley. Prayers and musical numbers were offered by family members.

During a luncheon that followed the dedication, Pres. David L. Christensen of the Fillmore Utah Stake remarked: "We've been delighted to be a part of the Cove Fort dedication this day, and also the past three years to provide missionary and guide service for the activity out at the fort. It's been a great blessing to our stake. Couples are called and set apart to serve at the fort, which is open from 9 a.m. until 7 a.m., later during the summer."

Commenting on the change of venue for the dedication, Pres. Christensen said, "The rain hampered our plans just a bit, but we're grateful for rain any time we can get it."

Sister Hinckley, eating lunch with a daughter and two granddaughters, commented on the blessing of being with her family: "We're just very happy to be here. Families are so important, and heritage is so important to give people a feeling of continuity. In spite of the rain, which is welcome in this area, we've had a wonderful time together. It's been a very spiritual experience."