A curated reading list. Last updated July 7, 2025.
Arrington, Leonard F. “Utah and the Depression of the 1890’s.” Utah Historical Quarterly 29, no. 1 (January 1961): 2–18. During the depression of the 1890s, the private sector had to step in to help mitigate the crisis. Arrington points out that during this time the federal government was staunchly committed to the doctrine of laissez-faire with many state governments following in tandem. For Utah, this meant the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took the lead in aiding Utah citizens. Arrington chronicles various methods the church undertook to provide aid, such as opening job opportunities in major Utah cities and organizing wards to turn unused property into vegetable gardens.
Hinton, Wayne K. “The Economics of Ambivalence: Utah’s Depression Experience.” Utah Historical Quarterly 54, no. 3 (1986): 268–85. Utah has a long history of resisting federal involvement in its affairs. However, Wayne Hinton takes an opportunity to show that in times of need, Utahns were not prideful and took the federal government’s help in stride, with overwhelming support. Despite this instance of accepting help, Utahns’ general attitude towards federal involvement in its state, which has largley stayed the same, has led to the misplaced historical belief that Utah refused the aid when presented to it. Additional Great Depression articles here.
O’Neil, Floyd A. “Utah’s Twentieth Century History: Reprise and Nostrums.” Utah Historical Quarterly 74, no. 2 (Spring 2006): 100–113. O’Neil breaks down Utah’s twentieth century into its various major historical events. In this list, O’Neil briefly highlights some of the economic struggles Utah also faced, including the gradual economic downturn in the mid 1920s that led directly into the Great Depression and the economic lull of post-WWII. By briefly mentioning the ebb and flow of Utah’s economy during the twentieth century, O’Neil shows Utah not just as an individual state but as an example of the overall trend occurring in the United States.
White, Jean Bickmore. “So Bright the Dream: Economic Prosperity and the Utah Constitutional Convention.” Utah Historical Quarterly 63, no. 4 (Fall 1995): 320–40. Utah’s economic struggles of the early 1890s left the territory wondering how best to secure a better economic future. Jean White writes of Utah’s journey to statehood as being initiated by a dream for a brighter economic future. White takes this opportunity to describe how the economy was shaped by the politicians trying to figure out what defined Utah as a state and how that would be different from its identity as a territory. This includes a list of dos and don’ts that the Salt Lake Tribune issued to the delegates to show what Utahns themselves desired economically as a new state.
Young, Kimball L. “Utah Public Debt History.” Utah Historical Quarterly 75, no. 1 (Winter 2007): 4–21. For the last sixty years, Utah has ranked among the top states for its debt handling. It has held a triple-A rating by three of the most prestigious economic institutions. But as Young points out, Utah citizens ranked first, as of 2007, in the number of citizens that declare personal bankruptcy. Young credits Utah’s debt-related economic prowess to its politicians who not only helped Utah during troubled times but also prepared for when those times would next come. Young details the full history of Utah’s public debt, showing that to have a strong future economy requires constant attention to one’s debt.
