Books thought destroyed in bonfire are found

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Library books thought to have been burned in a mysterious bonfire this past weekend in Colorado City, Ariz., were found Tuesday at Deseret Industries in Cedar City.

Eight to 10 pallets of books stacked waist high were discovered at the Deseret Industries store, and the books appeared to be in good shape, said Stephanie Colgrove, who oversees the library in Colorado City, a town that is home to the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

"It's bizarre. So bizarre I really can't describe it," she said.

The Colorado City Police Department received a call that the books were at the thrift store owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. An officer and Colgrove went to the store and verified the books were the ones owned by Friends of the Library, Colgrove said.

Hundreds of books, including many owned by Colgrove's family, were destroyed in a bonfire this past weekend.

Colgrove said she thought the pallets of books that surfaced in Cedar City had been burned in the fire, too.

"There is a silver lining," Colgrove said.

She isn't sure who gave the books to Deseret Industries without permission, but Colgrove said the police are investigating the alleged theft.