Utah History Happenings Blog

Communities
See what’s happening with Utah history! Explore the past and get excited about the present through historical stories, highlights, program updates, and more. This digital resource serves as your window into the captivating stories, perspectives, and significant events that have helped shape the Beehive State. With meticulous research and insightful analysis, we aim to contextualize and breathe life into Utah's most cherished narratives, ensuring that the legacies of the past continue to resonate in the present.

Introducing our newest oral history grants cohort

Through support from Utah Humanities and the Utah Historical Society, the oral history grant provides funding to collect and transcribe interviews and share the content with local communities through public...
Published October 16, 2026

Jessie Carter: Where Women Made History

Utah women are everywhere – shaping our communities, our past, and our future. In this “Where Women Made History” series, learn about women from across Utah and the places they...
Published October 14, 2026

Peoples Online

By Jordan Kiyak When Helen Papanikolas and her team at the Utah Historical Society put together the Peoples of Utah, it was considered groundbreaking. Upon its publication in 1976, it...
Published September 16, 2026

NHD Utah National Contest Honors

College Park MD |  12-18 June 2026 In June, 47 Utah students, along with their teachers and family members, traveled to Washington, D.C., to compete at the National History Day...
Published July 8, 2026

The Museum of Utah is a 2026 Blue Star Museum

Free admission for military personnel and their families from May 16 until September 7 The Museum of Utah is pleased to participate in Blue Star Museums, a program that provides...
Published June 2, 2026

What is Deseret currency?

Visit the Museum of Utah, opening June 27 on the Utah Capitol Complex. If you were to walk into a general store in 1850s Salt Lake City, standard U.S. dollars...
Published March 24, 2026

Why is Utah’s state bird the California Gull?

Visit the Museum of Utah, opening June 27 on the Utah Capitol Complex. You may be asking yourself: Why would one of Utah’s official symbols be named after a different...
Published March 24, 2026

What were boss bikes used for?

Visit the Museum of Utah, opening June 27 on the Utah Capitol Complex. If you’re not sure, you’re not alone! In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a boss...
Published March 24, 2026

Utah Historical Society 2026 Annual Awards Ceremony Recap

The Utah Historical Society’s annual awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made a significant contribution to history, historic preservation, community history and scholarship in Utah. Whether these efforts are...
Published February 2, 2026

Utah History Explorers Additional Resources

Updated: 11/13/2025 Thank you for being a member of Utah History Explorers! Below are a few additional resources and materials to help enhance your experience. Please note: there are resources...
Published November 2, 2025

Utah History Explorers Adventure Kit Download

Updated: 11/13/2025 Welcome to Utah History Explorers! Did you know Utah is getting its first-ever state history museum? This adventure kit is going to give you a sneak peek at...
Published November 2, 2025

Help Us Update Utah’s Markers and Monuments Database

The Utah Historical Society takes seriously its legislative mandate under Utah Code 9-8-203(3) to maintain a record of the state’s monuments and markers. We manage a public-facing database that provides...
Published September 4, 2025

The First Utahns

A curated reading list. Last updated July 7, 2025. Archeological evidence suggests that Utah has been home to human beings since 11,000 BC. Utah’s first people, the Paleoindians, lived in...
Published July 7, 2025

Utah During The Great Depression

A curated reading list. Last updated July 7, 2025. To understand Utah during the Great Depression, we must understand how individuals, businesses, and government responded to the most severe economic...
Published July 7, 2025

Economics In Utah 

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...
Published July 7, 2025

The Asian American Experience In Utah

A curated reading list. Last updated July 7, 2025. The Asian American experience in Utah is a complex one. Much of the scholarship dedicated to Asian American histories in Utah,...
Published July 7, 2025

Film In Utah

A curated reading list. Last updated July 7, 2025. First invented in the late nineteenth century as silent “moving pictures,” movies became popular in the world of entertainment in the...
Published July 7, 2025

National History Day Contest | 2025 Recap

On June 6-13, 2025, 63 students represented Utah at the 2025 National History Day contest, competing alongside 3,000 students from 58 state and international affiliate programs. The rigorous academic competition...
Published June 26, 2025

The Stonewall Legacy in Utah | Civic Season 2025

Updated Sept. 19, 2025, with the help of Connell O’Donovan. The New York City police raid on the Stonewall Inn, located on Christopher Street, on June 28, 1969, ignited a...
Published May 28, 2025

Juneteenth Commemorations in Utah | Civic Season 2025

On Juneteenth, Americans remember the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, the news of emancipation finally reached Galveston, Texas, where an estimated 250,000 enslaved Black...
Published May 28, 2025

Utah’s Own Betsy Ross | Civic Season 2025

You may know the story of Betsy Ross, even though historians debate whether she was really the one to sew the first American flag as we know it today. What’s...
Published May 27, 2025

Martha’s Journey To Washington

By Eliza Carr, public historian for the Utah Women’s History Initiative After a four-year delay, a statue of Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon has taken its place in the National Statuary...
Published December 3, 2024

UHS Launches Inaugural Member Month This Summer

Join The Utah Historical Society in August for our inaugural Member Month. We are hitting the road to host events across the state (see dates below) and everyone is invited!...
Published June 11, 2024

UHS Staff Favorites From Our Collection

Utah’s history comes to life in our collection through a vast array of treasures. At the core of our mission to foster curiosity about the past, inform the present, and...
Published May 3, 2024

Celebrate Women’s History Month In Utah

Women’s history matters all the time, but this March we’re highlighting the women who shape the Beehive State! We’re so excited to kick off a month full of history and...
Published February 8, 2024

UHS Launches Youth Advisory Council

Join the Youth Advisory Council for its inaugural year! The Utah Historical Society is looking to gather feedback from Utah’s Gen Z community in an effort to ensure our organization’s...
Published February 2, 2024

The Utah Historical Society Recognizes 2023 History Award Winners

Congratulations to our 2023 History Award recipients. The Utah Historical Society’s annual awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made a significant contribution to history, historic preservation, community history and...
Published January 12, 2024

Dr. Cynthia Furse: Inventor & Engineer

This blog post is based on an interview between Dr. Cynthia Furse and Carly Bagley, a state employee for the Utah Historical Society. We’ve included additional resources at the end...
Published November 2, 2023

State History’s New Look And Feel

A note from Director Jennifer Ortiz After six months of design research and working with our Marketing & Communications team, we are delighted to reveal the Utah Historical Society’s (formerly...
Published August 7, 2023

Meet Our History Ambassadors

Interested in public history, but aren’t sure where to start? Consider an internship or career shadowing opportunity with us! Whether you are looking for a one-year commitment, career shadowing, or...
Published August 3, 2023

Happy Birthday Utah Division of State History

Happy 126th birthday to the Utah Division of History! We know, we look great for our age. Throughout the past several decades of preserving and sharing Utah’s past, our division...
Published July 22, 2023

Utah History Conference Changes

Why We Are Changing the Utah History Conference By Jennifer Ortiz, Director, Utah Division of State History After lengthy discussions with our board, staff, and community members, we’ve decided to...
Published May 17, 2023

Award Nominations

2023 Outstanding Achievement Awards Now Being Accepted! The Utah Division of State History’s annual awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made a significant contribution to history, prehistory or historic...
Published May 11, 2023

History Ambassador

The History Ambassador program is designed to be a cohorted experience geared towards current university and college students, or those transitioning careers. The Ambassador program is a year-long program for...
Published March 16, 2023

Latina Legislators Make History

By Katherine Kitterman Women’s representation in politics continued to increase in the latest midterm elections, and Utah’s state legislative session is now underway with a record number of 27 female...
Published January 30, 2023

Call for Proposals: Public Health in Utah and the American West

Special Issue of Utah Historical Quarterly Guest Editor: Dr. Benjamin Cater, Associate Dean, Foundational Explorations, and Associate Professor of History, Point Loma Nazarene University Utah Historical Quarterly is planning a roundtable conversation for...
Published August 18, 2022

Pintura Ditch

Prepared by Lindsey M. Evenson, Jennifer Bannick, and Everett Bassett of Transcon Environmental, Inc. for Washington County Water Conservancy District. This discussion of the Pintura Ditch and Washington County irrigation,...
Published August 3, 2022

Don’t Squish the Cake

Or Why to Avoid Hardware Store Mortar While Repairing Historic Masonry By Jansen Bennett, Historical Architect Like any good blog on historic mortar, I’m going to start by discussing cake. ...
Published July 23, 2022

Raising Recognition of Utah’s Latino Community & Places

Written by Christopher Merritt, State Historic Preservation Officer Leer in Español The rich historical legacy of Utah’s Latino residents can be difficult to find. Few of the Latino community’s physical...
Published July 13, 2022

Papers

2018 Theme – Conflict and Compromise in History The 1936 Olympics: From a Spark to a FlameHannah Dooley – Senior Nancy Wake: The White Mouse – Heroine of WWIIRemington Minor...
Published July 6, 2022

Don’t Burn Down History!

As we enter yet another fire season, we all know the destruction that fires can have on air quality, watersheds, and even personal property and sadly human life and safety....
Published June 30, 2022

The Uranium Boom and Free Enterprise

By Nate Housley During the uranium boom of the 1950s, thousands of would-be prospectors flooded into the “four corners” region of the Colorado Plateau hoping to strike it rich. The...
Published June 27, 2022

Welcome our new UCSS Assistant Coordinator!

Matthew (he/him) joins the SHPO team as the new Assistant Coordinator for the Utah Cultural Site Stewardship (UCSS) program. He comes into this job with extensive experience in public relations,...
Published June 21, 2022

Using Visual Art in Historical Research

By Jessica Breiman, Special Collections Digital Archives Librarian, University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library The digital exhibition Mining the West: Primary Elements began as a loose collaborative experiment in...
Published May 20, 2022

Arrowhead Trail (aka Old US-91 Highway)

Prepared by Lindsey M. Evenson, Jennifer Bannick, and Everett Bassett of Transcon Environmental, Inc. for Washington County Water Conservancy District. This discussion of the Old US-91/Arrowhead Trail through northeastern Washington...
Published April 20, 2022

Utah SHPO Leaves State History on May 4th

In 2022 the Utah legislature passed House Bill 350, which removes the Utah State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) from under the umbrella of the Utah Division of State History (UDSH)...
Published April 13, 2022

Fix Your Wood Windows Blog

Windows on historic buildings are an important mark of the architectural character. While this is obvious for decorative or stained glass windows, it can be equally true for buildings with...
Published April 6, 2022

Celebrate National Libraries Week 2022!

April 3 – 9 is National Libraries Week, and we’re celebrating by honoring Utah’s Carnegie Libraries! We often take for granted our local libraries and all the good things they...
Published March 23, 2022

Utah Women at Work in the Legal Field

by Cassie Clark, Public Historian Women in the United States have long overcome obstacles designed to prevent them from working in the public sphere. During the 1800s, men, and some...
Published March 16, 2022

Thinking About Geographic Names in Utah

Editors’ note: This is part of a series of short essays designed to understand historical markers, monuments, and place names in historical and contemporary perspective. By Arie Leeflang The stories behind names...
Published March 15, 2022

Visit Sites with Respect

Written by Elizabeth Hora, Public Archaeologist Let me start off by saying thank you. You opened up this page to learn more about how you can protect the past, and...
Published March 10, 2022

Stewardship Updates January 2022

Moving into 2022 we have several goals to help direct the course of our program this year. One – Steward Retention and Appreciation Two – To continue to emphasize to the general...
Published March 7, 2022

Stewardship Updates December 2021

We gave out some fun awards in recognition of the fantastic first year of our program. Lucky Horseshoe Award – Tim Gittins During one of his site visits, Tim popped not...
Published March 7, 2022

Interdisciplinary Poster Session

2022 Utah History Conference Water at the Confluence of Past & Future The moment is ripe to bring interdisciplinary perspectives to bear on the place of water in our society—and...
Published March 7, 2022

This Is My Story: Q&A with Pastor Henry McAllister

Editors’ Note: The latest issue of Utah Historical Quarterly (winter 2022) details the long history in Utah of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), a predominantly African American Pentecostal...
Published February 18, 2022

Bettye Gillespie: A Civil Rights Leader

by Cassie Clark, Ph.D., Public Historian Feature photo of Bettye Gillespie from the Hill Top Times, 1979, Utah Digital Newspapers, Digital Library Services Department, J. Willard Marriot Library at the...
Published February 15, 2022

Let That Brick Breathe!

By Amber Anderson, SHPO Tax Credit Coordinator Did you know that historic masonry is meant to breathe? Whether it be brick, stone, or another type of masonry unit, masonry is...
Published February 9, 2022

Utah Cemetery Interactive Map

By Amy Barry, Utah Cemeteries Program Manager Cemeteries and burial sites are home to amazing histories. Each burial has a story of the individual. Each cemetery has a story about...
Published February 9, 2022

UCSS Forms Preview

Below you will find the forms we require to be signed when you start as an active site steward. Don’t worry about filling these out now, that will be taken...
Published January 31, 2022

Ash Creek County Wagon Road

Prepared by Lindsey M. Evenson, Jennifer Bannick, and Everett Bassett of Transcon Environmental, Inc. for Washington County Water Conservancy District. This discussion of Washington County’s historic wagon road through Ash...
Published January 26, 2022

Meet Bernard Augustine DeVoto

The Most Famous Ogdenite You’ve Probably Never Heard Of By Scott L. Greenwell “The chief glory of every people arises from its authors”[*]                                                             ~Samuel Johnson Ask anyone in Ogden...
Published January 10, 2022

USHS at 125 Speaker Series

In commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the Utah State Historical Society, we are offering a series of monthly presentations or roundtables beginning January and culminating in August 2022. The...
Published January 3, 2022

Utah History Month

We are kicking-off 2022 with Utah History Month, an opportunity to share ways in which you can engage with our team at State History and our partners through many resources.  ·        ...
Published January 3, 2022

December Staff Spotlight: Cassie Clark

By Jason Carrillo, Communications Intern This month we are proud to introduce our newest public historian: Cassie Clark! Cassie grew up in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, a mountainous dune-decorated region...
Published December 15, 2021

Happy GIS Day!

Written by Deb Miller, SHPO Records Manager What Is GIS? GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems, which is mapping software on a computer and is used both by everyday people...
Published November 16, 2021

October Staff Spotlight: Savanna Agardy

By Jason Carrillo  Hello and welcome history friends to October’s Staff Spotlight! This month we are more than excited to showcase and spotlight the one and only Savanna Agardy. If...
Published October 21, 2021

Descriptive Updates Statement

The Utah Historical Society is conducting a review of the descriptions and terminology of our artifact catalog. We are working to update outdated descriptions and headings of works within the collections to...
Published October 5, 2021

Unshelving Our History

For the past academic year, Cathy Gilmore has served as the Editorial Fellow for Utah Historical Quarterly. Cathy is a graduate student of History at Utah State University. By Cathy...
Published September 2, 2021

History and Geology: Q&A with Rasoul Sorkhabi

Rasoul Sorkhabi is author of “From Edinburgh to Salt Lake City: Archibald Geikie’s Travels in the American West, 1879,” Utah Historical Quarterly 89 (Summer 2021) Introduce readers to your background...
Published August 19, 2021

Lidar Site Exclusive

Public Archaeologist Elizabeth Hora shows us some really cool Lidar scans of recent excavations at Terrace on the Transcontinental Railroad, and explains what we are looking at....
Published July 14, 2021

Steward Spotlight July 2021 – Dennis Weder

If you have ever had the pleasure of traveling into the West Desert with Utah Cultural Site Steward Dennis Weder, you will be amazed at how quickly the barren landscape...
Published July 14, 2021

Teaming Up to Record Rock Imagery

Utah SHPO, URARA, and Logan Simpson Team Up to Record Rock Imagery in Central Utah Written by Tina Hart, archaeologist at Logan Simpson Design Robert Van Orden, a member of...
Published July 5, 2021

What is historic in West Valley City and Kearns?

By Langston Guettinger, Historic Preservation Specialist/Architectural Historian at Logan Simpson Design Only in the last twenty years has popular culture come to reevaluate midcentury American architecture with the advent of...
Published June 23, 2021

UPAN Pledge 2021 Week 3 Resources

The following guides are just some of the amazing artifacts that are common to Utah! Each guide will show you some of the specific information an archaeologist can gain from...
Published May 24, 2021

UPAN Pledge 2021 Week 2 Resource

This interactive map has all sorts of sites that you can visit! You can filter by historic, prehistoric, or even museums! Or you can activate all layers to see just...
Published May 24, 2021

“I Have Shot My Betrayer”: Q&A with Lisa Tait

Editors’ Note: The SPRING 2021 UHQ opens with the story of Amanda Olson, the working-class daughter of Swedish immigrants whose story dominated local news in 1891. After Olson was either raped or...
Published May 17, 2021

Current Issue

Spring 2023 Utah Historical Quarterly To receive your copy, BECOME A MEMBER of the Utah State Historical Society Within the pages of this issue, women raise children, spin cloth, found...
Published May 16, 2021

Climbers and Archaeology

By Elizabeth Hora, Public Archaeologist at the Utah Division of State History Within the space of two weeks, I have heard reports of more than four sites (all rock imagery!)...
Published April 19, 2021

Sugar Beets and Religion: Q&A with Matthew C. Godfrey

Editors’ note: The winter 2021 edition of Utah Historical Quarterly features an article on the sugar beet industry, labor organizing, and business interests of LDS officials. We asked the author,...
Published April 6, 2021

Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month 2021

Welcome to Utah’s Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month! Every year the Utah State Historic Preservation Office rounds up the very best events so that YOU can get to know the...
Published March 23, 2021

Descriptive Updates Statement

The Utah Historical Society is conducting a review of the descriptions and terminology of our archives and special collections catalog. We are working to update outdated descriptions and headings of works...
Published February 26, 2021

Teach Your Content with a Utah Twist

By Wendy Rex-Atzet, Utah Division of State History In my work with the National History Day (NHD) program, I have witnessed the transformative power of relevancy in student learning. So...
Published February 1, 2021

Steward Spotlight: Darrell and Marty Thomas

For this, our first ever Site Steward Spotlight, we will be spotlighting not one, but two dedicated Site Stewards. Marty and Darrell Thomas are a dynamic stewarding duo with 20...
Published January 26, 2021

Calling All Students!

The Utah Professional Archaeological Council is having it’s winter meeting, and Saturday is a special presentation just for Utah’s students! If you want to learn more about what it takes...
Published January 11, 2021

Blog Series on Historical Memorials

The Utah Historical Society is launching a blog series on historical memorials in Utah. We seek proposals for short historical essays that place historical markers, monuments, and place names in...
Published January 6, 2021

Utah Committee on Geographic Names

Originally created and defined by two Utah governors’ executive orders, in 2024 the Utah Committee on Geographic Names (UCGN) became a committee of the Board of State History, which serves...
Published January 5, 2021

Manuscripts Collection

Researchers wishing to cite a collection should include the following information :(title of work), Utah Historical Society. For example : The Allan Kent Powell Research Collection, circa 1850-2012, Utah Historical Society....
Published January 5, 2021

Architectural Drawings Collection

Researchers wishing to cite a collection should include the following information :(title of work), Utah Historical Society. For example : Sullivan-Tallon House, Restoration and Remodel, Utah Historical Society. Rights Statement Unless...
Published January 5, 2021

Audio Visual Collection

Researchers wishing to cite a collection should include the following information :(title of work), Utah Historical Society. For example : The Shiplers Commercial Photographers Collection, 1903-1980, Utah Historical Society. Rights Statement...
Published January 5, 2021

Utah at 125: A Bibliography

In January 4, 1896, after decades of struggle, Utah became the 45th state to enter the Union. Utah’s path to statehood was complicated and often controversial, which makes its journey...
Published December 31, 2020

Call for Papers: Public Health & the Common Good

The Utah State Historical Society announces the focus of its 69th annual conference to be held September 20-24, 2021. Beginning January 1 we are accepting proposals for papers, sessions, and...
Published December 10, 2020

Call for Papers: Revisiting The Peoples of Utah

In anticipation of the 250th anniversary of 1776, the Utah State Historical Society is revisiting The Peoples of Utah, published in 1976. The original Peoples of Utah, which surveyed a...
Published November 12, 2020

Site Visitation and Sustainability in Southeast Utah

By Allison Aakre, Manti-La Sal National Forest, Shanna Diederichs, Woods Canyon Archaeological Consultants, and Donald C. Irwin, Manti-La Sal National Forest Introduction The landscape of Southeast Utah, with its deep...
Published October 22, 2020

Utah Cemeteries & Burials

Genealogy research is a booming industry, and Utah is a leader in resources. In 1997, the state legislature created a mandate for the Utah Division of State History to be...
Published September 28, 2020

Tour of Utah’s National Historic Districts

Written by Cory Jensen, NRHP Coordinator and Chris Merritt, Utah SHPO Many Utahs and tourists do not know the depth and breadth of Utah’s architectural history, and the preserved building...
Published September 23, 2020

Nine Mile Canyon Stewardship Day – but Virtual!

Every year Project Discovery, the Nine Mile Canyon Coalition, the Bureau of Land Management, the Utah SHPO and many, many others have gathered in Nine Mile Canyon for a day-long...
Published September 18, 2020

Have You Completed Our Student Covid-19 Survey?

By Lisa Barr, Historical Collections Curator Recognizing that we were living in historic times, in April, State History staff developed The Covid-19 Memory Project, which is geared towards K-12 students...
Published September 14, 2020

101 Anniversary of the End of World War I

By Valerie Jacobson, Information Specialist Late June 1919 was a day for many to rejoice. The Treaty of Paris was signed, bringing an official end to the Great War. How...
Published September 1, 2020

Relevance, Rights & Responsibilities

By Kevin Fayles, Acting Director When you see the photo above, did you think it was a historic image? Could you tell it was actually taken just a few days...
Published August 26, 2020

B-Limey! Historic Kilns in the Foothills

Written by Christopher W. Merritt, Ph.D., State Historic Preservation Officer You can see the knife-like scar in the foothills near the brightly shining white “U” near the University of Utah...
Published August 19, 2020

Q&A with J. Michael Hunter on Bees and Beekeeping

Editors’ note: J. Michael Hunter’s article “Laying the Foundation for Utah’s Beekeeping Success” appears in the summer 2020 issue of Utah Historical Quarterly. In this Q&A Hunter offers a fascinating...
Published August 6, 2020

Guest Blog: URARA

We have a guest blog from the Utah Rock Art Research Association (URARA) this week! If you haven’t already heard of this organization, they are a fantastic group of people...
Published July 29, 2020

What’s in a Name: Rock Imagery

You may have noticed that we at UPAN and in the wider State Historic Preservation Office, we refer to “rock imagery” when discussing prehistoric/Indigenous petroglyphs, pictographs, and other culturally meaningful...
Published July 20, 2020

Utah’s Prehistory in Artifacts

Written by Erin Haycock Editor’s note: The artifacts you are about to see have all been looted, or stolen. Looting is the illegal removal of archaeological materials from archaeological sites....
Published July 6, 2020

Some of My Favorite Photographs

By Doug Misner, Research & Collections Manager The Utah Division of State History has over a million photographs in our holdings with almost 300,000 digitized and accessible online. These images...
Published June 16, 2020

Iosepa: Utah’s Pacific Islander Pioneers

Benjamin C. Pykles, Historic Sites Curator Church History Department, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “Hawaiians in the Utah desert! What?” This was my initial reaction when I...
Published June 10, 2020

Utah’s Universal Heritage

Savanna Agardy, Utah SHPO Compliance Archaeologist World heritage is defined as cultural or natural heritage that has outstanding universal value. Universal value in heritage essentially means that world heritage belongs...
Published May 18, 2020

Disease & Healthcare in Utah History: A Resource Guide

By Shavauna Munster & Holly George When considering the history of illness, signpost pandemics such as the Justinianic plague, black death, and Spanish influenza often come to mind. However, intermittent...
Published May 8, 2020

Archaeological Site Etiquette

               If you’ve hiked, biked, rafted, or traveled anywhere in Utah, chances are you’ve found ancient ruins and artifacts, also called “archaeological sites”. An archaeological site is anything left by...
Published May 5, 2020

COVID 19 Memory Project

The Covid-19 Memory Project is designed for K-12 students to share their experiences during this unique time in our history. Student responses will become part of a permanent historical collection...
Published April 30, 2020

March 2020 Newsletter

Click here to check out March’s Utah Public Archaeology Network Newsletter! Want to get Utah Public Archaeology Network’s newsletter delivered directly to your email inbox? Click here and never miss another cool...
Published March 10, 2020

Researching Segregation in Utah

By Christine Cooper-Rompato My forthcoming article in Utah Historical Quarterly, “Utah in the Green Book,” explores the history of hotels where African Americans could spend the night in Utah during...
Published March 2, 2020

February 2020 Newsletter

Click this link to view the February 2020 Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/0c2c6c8ae9fd/utah-public-archaeology-network-newsletter-november-3694181 Want to get Utah Public Archaeology Network’s newsletter delivered directly to your email inbox? Click here and never miss another cool story or...
Published February 11, 2020

January 2020 Newsletter

Click this link to view the January 2020 Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/5e84bf55d25a/utah-public-archaeology-network-newsletter-november-3835077 Want to get Utah Public Archaeology Network’s newsletter delivered directly to your email inbox? Click here and never miss another cool story or...
Published February 11, 2020

December 2019 Newsletter

Click this link to view the December 2019 Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/0c2c6c8ae9fd/utah-public-archaeology-network-newsletter-november-3694181 Want to get Utah Public Archaeology Network’s newsletter delivered directly to your email inbox? Click here and never miss another cool story or...
Published February 11, 2020

November 2019 Newsletter

November marks Native American History Month! Click this link to view the November 2019 Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/0c2c6c8ae9fd/utah-public-archaeology-network-newsletter-november-3694181 Want to get Utah Public Archaeology Network’s newsletter delivered directly to your email inbox?...
Published February 11, 2020

Industry & Immigrants in Turn-of-the-Century Utah

Holly George This week alone, I ordered stuff from China, searched the app of a certain giant retailer several times, happily opened a new package, and listened to a podcast...
Published February 10, 2020

Utah Commits to Combat Archaeological Vandalism!

On Friday, January 24 over 80 people from 44 organizations participated in person or on a webinar in Utah Public Archaeology Network’s (UtahPAN’s) inaugural meeting! Everyone brought incredible energy and...
Published February 3, 2020

Jacob Simmons: Young Utah Historian Making History

By Dr. Wendy Rex-Atzet, State Coordinator, Utah History Day Brighton High School senior Jacob Simmons has stories to tell.  Since middle school he has honed his skills as a historian...
Published January 29, 2020

Front Row Seat to Atomic Age

Editors’ note (by UHQ editorial fellow Haden Griggs): The Diablo nuclear test was part of a larger series of tests known as Operation Plumbbob that took place at the Nevada...
Published January 23, 2020

Working in the Research Center

By Valerie Jacobson, Information Specialist How often do you have a Utah History question and don’t know where to find the answer? The Research Center is able to help facilitate...
Published January 14, 2020

UtahPAN 2020: Combat Vandalism

[Note: We are re-posting this excellent post from a few weeks ago that was originally shared primarily with archaeologists.]It’s December already! Your mysterious narrator has spent the last week snowed...
Published December 31, 2019

Juvenile Joyriding

By Melissa Coy, Digitization Program Specialist On the night of October 23, 1909, “boys with aspirations for a joy ride” stole a car, drove it around for “a few hours...
Published November 19, 2019

Finding Patterns in Plant Ecology

Guest post by Morgan from Abbott Botanical Assessments Plant blindness is a common affliction found among members of the public and scientific community alike. This ranges from not recognizing differences...
Published October 10, 2019

What is the National Register?

What is the National Register and how do I Nominate a Building? (Part 1) As the National Register Coordinator at the Utah State Historic Preservation Office, this is a question...
Published October 9, 2019

What’s New in Collections?

By Michele Elnicky, Historical Collections Specialist Hello, I’m Michele. As a member of the Collections team along with Lisa Barr who’s been working with Manuscripts, Sabrina Sanders, Manager of Artifacts,...
Published October 8, 2019

October 2019 Newsletter

Click this link to view the October 2019 Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/551e2715af9d/utah-public-archaeology-network-newsletter-september-3584933?fbclid=IwAR3bBobA0epomCd66t9c-aYuSURMKRMcQOFQe67iijs79HFhm4K9hxskHx8 International Archaeology Day is October 19, 2019!...
Published October 6, 2019

Welcome to the Public Archaeology Lab

The Public Archaeology Lab has officially opened its doors! Staff from the Antiquities Section of the Utah Division of State History poured sweat, blood, and a few tears into polishing...
Published October 1, 2019

A Peek Behind State History’s Curtain

By Kevin Fayles, Assistant Director of Operations Since 1952, we have had an unbroken streak of 67 annual Utah State Historical Society conferences. To put things in perspective, here are...
Published September 24, 2019

September 2019 Newsletter

Click this link to view the September 2019 Newsletter: https://us3.campaign-archive.com/?u=71e6606aec1876243402bdd94&id=89e5399421...
Published September 5, 2019

Chinese Railroad Workers Teacher’s Workshop

By Chris Merritt, Ph.D., Utah Division of State History and Erin Huber, Visual Artist, West Lake STEM Junior High  The Tanner Humanities Center at the University of Utah hosted a week-long teacher’s...
Published August 28, 2019

When Buffalo Bill Came to Utah

In the spring 2019 issue of Utah Historical Quarterly, Brent M. Rogers explores William “Buffalo Bill” Cody and his checkered relationship with the state of Utah and members of its...
Published August 20, 2019

Point A to B

by Katie Barber Katie excelled during her internship with State History, so we hired her for the summer. How often do you think about where you are in the world?...
Published August 12, 2019

Great Things in Store

By Taya Wallace Taya did such a great job during her internship that we hired her for the summer. In the fall she will begin an internship at the Office...
Published July 30, 2019

A Distance Reading of Immigration in Carbon County

Digital Techniques for Utah History By Nate Housley The Marriott Library at the University of Utah houses a number of oral history collections that can aid in interpreting Utah’s history....
Published March 19, 2019

USHS Research Resources

At the Utah State Historical Society, we’re all about helping you conduct professional or personal research in a quick, efficient manner. We know that you want to find what you’re...
Published March 4, 2019

Welcome to the UHQ Blog

Welcome to the new blog for the Utah Historical Quarterly, Utah’s historical journal of record. This blog will feature less formal—but still substantively analytical—essays and thought-provoking pieces about Utah history...
Published February 25, 2019

Submission Guidelines/CFP

From 1928 to the present, Utah Historical Quarterly has published on all aspects of Utah history. Even as UHQ continues its commitment to themes traditionally associated with Utah history, it challenges readers and authors...
Published February 13, 2019

2022 Call for Papers

Water at the Confluence of Past and Future The Utah State Historical Society and Utah Division of State History invite proposals for papers, sessions, panels, or multi-media presentations for the...
Published February 7, 2019