UPCOMING EVENTS

THE UTAH HISTORY HAPPENINGS BLOG


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.
Featured image for “National History Day In Utah Recognizes Teachers Of The Year”

National History Day In Utah Recognizes Teachers Of The Year

National History Day in Utah is thrilled to announce two outstanding educators who have been named our 2024 Mike Johnson…

Haille VanPatten

Featured image for “Utah Civic Season Reflects On The 60th Anniversary Of The Civil Rights Act”

Utah Civic Season Reflects On The 60th Anniversary Of The Civil Rights Act

Authored by: Tamara N. Stevenson, Ed.D. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is an important example of how social, political,…

Haille VanPatten

Featured image for “National History Day In Utah: Highlights From The 50th Annual National Contest”

National History Day In Utah: Highlights From The 50th Annual National Contest

On June 9–13, 59 Utah students competed in the 50th Annual National History Day Contest in Washington, D.C. During the…

Haille VanPatten

Featured image for “Apply to Participate in a Salt Lake City Youth250 Workshop”

Apply to Participate in a Salt Lake City Youth250 Workshop

Calling institutional leaders and Gen Z individuals: You are invited to apply to participate in our Youth250 workshop, to inform the…

Haille VanPatten

Featured image for “UHS Launches Inaugural Member Month This Summer”

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…

Haille VanPatten

Featured image for “UHS Staff Favorites From Our Collection”

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…

Haille VanPatten

Featured image for “Celebrate Women’s History Month In Utah”

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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “UHS Launches Youth Advisory Council”

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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “See your memorabilia in the forthcoming Museum of Utah”

See your memorabilia in the forthcoming Museum of Utah

Jan. 31, 2024 – The Utah Historical Society requests donations to the Celebrations gallery. The Museum of Utah is slated…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Utah museums partnership receives prestigious NEH grant”

Utah museums partnership receives prestigious NEH grant

We are thrilled to share that, in a competitive process, the Utah Historical Society has received a grant from the…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “The Utah Historical Society Recognizes 2023 History Award Winners”

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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “UHS Ambassador Helps Audit Markers And Monuments Database”

UHS Ambassador Helps Audit Markers And Monuments Database

This blog was written by Kyler, a UHS Ambassador who has been working closely with the Women’s History Initiative. In…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Rio Tinto Kennecott donates $10 million to Museum of Utah ”

Rio Tinto Kennecott donates $10 million to Museum of Utah 

SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 10, 2023—As part of its 120th-anniversary celebration, Rio Tinto Kennecott announced a donation of $10 million…

eweist

Featured image for “Dr. Cynthia Furse: Inventor & Engineer”

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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Digitally Translating History: My Utah Historical Society Internship”

Digitally Translating History: My Utah Historical Society Internship

By: Maddison Tenney, Women’s History Initiative Intern for Winter 2023. Tenney is a graduate from BYU who is now attending…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “State History’s New Look And Feel”

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,…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Meet Our History Ambassadors”

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…

Haille VanPatten

Featured image for “Happy Birthday Utah Division of State History”

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…

Haille VanPatten

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Utah History Conference Changes

Why We Are Changing the Utah History Conference By Jennifer Ortiz, Director, Utah Division of State History After lengthy discussions…

Haille VanPatten

Award Nominations

2023 Outstanding Achievement Awards Now Being Accepted! The Utah Division of State History’s annual awards recognize individuals and organizations that…

Alycia Rowley

History Ambassador

The History Ambassador program is designed to be a cohorted experience geared towards current university and college students, or those…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Latina Legislators Make History”

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…

Katherine Kitterman

Featured image for “Remembering Olivia and Juanita, Me, You, and the <em>UHQ</em>”

Remembering Olivia and Juanita, Me, You, and the UHQ

By David Rich Lewis Olivia Coombs was dead. George Wood shot her and her daughter, Emily, on July 28, 1862,…

Kevin Fayles

Featured image for “Call for Proposals: Public Health in Utah and the American West”

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…

Katherine Kitterman

Featured image for “Utah History: Building Connections Throughout the State”

Utah History: Building Connections Throughout the State

Founded in 1897, July 2022 marked the 55th anniversary of the Utah Division of State History and the 125th year…

Kevin Fayles

Pintura Ditch

Prepared by Lindsey M. Evenson, Jennifer Bannick, and Everett Bassett of Transcon Environmental, Inc. for Washington County Water Conservancy District.…

Alycia Rowley

Aumento del reconocimiento de la comunidad y los lugares latinos de Utah

Por Christopher Merritt, oficial de Preservación Histórica del Estado de Utah División de Historia del Estado de Utah Read in…

Alycia Rowley

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…

Alycia Rowley

Yee Yen: The Most Famous Embezzler of Salt Lake City’s Old Chinatown

Jackson Keys, Undergraduate Student at Brigham Young University, Department of History Wanted: Yee Yen On February 22, 1897, an etching…

Alycia Rowley

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…

Alycia Rowley

Papers

2018 Theme – Conflict and Compromise in History The 1936 Olympics: From a Spark to a FlameHannah Dooley – Senior…

Alycia Rowley

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,…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “The Uranium Boom and Free Enterprise”

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…

Katherine Kitterman

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…

Alycia Rowley

Who is Edith Chapman? Utah’s early LGBTQ+ History in a Salt Lake City House

By Kelsey Neeley, Salt Lake Community College A charming yet unassuming house in Salt Lake City is just one historic…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “<strong>Using Visual Art in Historical Research</strong>”

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…

Kevin Fayles

Featured image for “Meeting Florence and Flo: History and Friendship in the Old and New Wests”

Meeting Florence and Flo: History and Friendship in the Old and New Wests

By Richard L. Dana It was January 1, 2015, and Marianne Sezon, my wife, was taking the oath of office…

Holly George

Featured image for “Bringing War Home: Object Stories and Community Memory of Modern War”

Bringing War Home: Object Stories and Community Memory of Modern War

By Susan Grayzel, Ph.D. and Molly Boeka Cannon, Ph.D. You decide to tackle that long-postponed task—going through the boxes of…

Katherine Kitterman

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.…

Alycia Rowley

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…

Kevin Fayles

Featured image for “Fix Your Wood Windows Blog”

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…

Alycia Rowley

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…

Alycia Rowley

Governor Cox Encourages Everyone To Pledge to Protect the Past

Every year beginning around Spring Break, the state kicks off the annual “archaeological vandalism” season with a bang. In 2021,…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Utah Women at Work in the Legal Field”

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…

Alycia Rowley

Understanding Ancient Life At Utah Lake: The Culture-History of the Smith Family Archaeological Preserve

It can be hard to look at thousand year old artifacts and gather a sense of what life was like…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Thinking About Geographic Names in Utah”

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…

Katherine Kitterman

Visit Sites with Respect

Written by Elizabeth Hora, Public Archaeologist Let me start off by saying thank you. You opened up this page to…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Celebrate Archaeology and Historic Preservation with these great events”

Celebrate Archaeology and Historic Preservation with these great events

Welcome to Utah’s Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month! Every year the Utah State Historic Preservation Office rounds up the very…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Stewardship Updates January 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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Stewardship Updates December 2021”

Stewardship Updates December 2021

We gave out some fun awards in recognition of the fantastic first year of our program. Lucky Horseshoe Award –…

Alycia Rowley

Interdisciplinary Poster Session

2022 Utah History Conference Water at the Confluence of Past & Future The moment is ripe to bring interdisciplinary perspectives…

Katherine Kitterman

Featured image for “Utah Women at Work: Introducing the Women’s History Month 2022 Theme”

Utah Women at Work: Introducing the Women’s History Month 2022 Theme

By Cassie Clark, Ph.D., Public Historian It is no surprise that the survival and growth of cultures are dependent on…

Alycia Rowley

Full Conference Program

TBA…

Alycia Rowley

Plenary

TBA…

Alycia Rowley

Keynote

TBA…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “This Is My Story: Q&A with Pastor Henry McAllister”

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…

Katherine Kitterman

Featured image for “Bettye Gillespie: A Civil Rights Leader”

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,…

Alycia Rowley

Let That Brick Breathe!

By Amber Anderson, SHPO Tax Credit Coordinator Did you know that historic masonry is meant to breathe? Whether it be…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Utah Cemetery Interactive Map”

Utah Cemetery Interactive Map

By Amy Barry, Utah Cemeteries Program Manager Cemeteries and burial sites are home to amazing histories. Each burial has a…

Alycia Rowley

UCSS Forms Preview

Below you will find the forms we require to be signed when you start as an active site steward. Don’t…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “2021 Utah Cultural Site Stewardship Program Report”

2021 Utah Cultural Site Stewardship Program Report

No excerpt…

Alycia Rowley

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.…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “FY23 Budget Requests for the Division of State History”

FY23 Budget Requests for the Division of State History

By Jennifer Ortiz, Director As we start this new year, we are grateful for our funding requests included in Governor…

Kevin Fayles

Featured image for “Meet Bernard Augustine DeVoto”

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…

Katherine Kitterman

Featured image for “USHS at 125 Speaker Series”

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…

Katherine Kitterman

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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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “December Staff Spotlight: Cassie Clark”

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…

Kevin Fayles

Featured image for “November Staff Spotlight: Lisa Barr & Sabrina Sanders”

November Staff Spotlight: Lisa Barr & Sabrina Sanders

By Jason Carrillo, Communications Intern Most Utahns know the Rio Grande Depot has a storied history. Since it was built…

Kevin Fayles

Happy GIS Day!

Written by Deb Miller, SHPO Records Manager What Is GIS? GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems, which is mapping software…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Native Places: An Indigenous Atlas of Utah and the Intermountain West”

Native Places: An Indigenous Atlas of Utah and the Intermountain West

Editors’ note: This is the first of a series of short essays designed to understand historical markers, monuments, and place…

Katherine Kitterman

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…

Kevin Fayles

National Register Multiple Property Submissions: What are they and how can they help you nominate a building?

Written by Cory Jensen At the Utah State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) I’m frequently contacted by property owners curious about…

Alycia Rowley

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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Unshelving Our History”

Unshelving Our History

For the past academic year, Cathy Gilmore has served as the Editorial Fellow for Utah Historical Quarterly. Cathy is a…

Katherine Kitterman

Featured image for “History and Geology: Q&A with Rasoul Sorkhabi”

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…

Katherine Kitterman

Featured image for “The River Voyage of William Lewis Manly: Q&A with Michael D. Kane”

The River Voyage of William Lewis Manly: Q&A with Michael D. Kane

Michael D. Kane is coauthor (with Nathan N. Waite) of “Avoiding Mormons, Running Rapids, Encountering Western Utes: William Lewis Manly’s…

Katherine Kitterman

Featured image for “Top 5 Reasons to Attend the 69th Annual USHS Conference”

Top 5 Reasons to Attend the 69th Annual USHS Conference

Looking for a reason to spend some time with us at our annual history conference? Here are our top 5:…

Katherine Kitterman

Lidar Site Exclusive

Public Archaeologist Elizabeth Hora shows us some really cool Lidar scans of recent excavations at Terrace on the Transcontinental Railroad,…

Alycia Rowley

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,…

Alycia Rowley

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…

Alycia Rowley

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…

Alycia Rowley

Week One: Let’s Learn About Utah’s Archaeology!

This is a collection of readings about Utah’s cultural history curated for the 2021 UPAN pledge drive…

Alycia Rowley

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…

Alycia Rowley

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…

Alycia Rowley

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

“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…

Katherine Kitterman

Stewardship Updates May 2021

Updates for the stewardship program in May 2021 are highlighted by Coordinator Ian Wright.…

Alycia Rowley

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Current Issue

Spring 2023 Utah Historical Quarterly To receive your copy, BECOME A MEMBER of the Utah State Historical Society Within the…

Katherine Kitterman

Featured image for “A Colorful History: Black Rock’s History and Graffiti Woes”

A Colorful History: Black Rock’s History and Graffiti Woes

Christopher W. Merritt, Ph.D. Utah State Historic Preservation Officer  It is unclear when the first human laid eyes upon the…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Release of New Salt Lake City & Ogden City Sanborn Maps”

Release of New Salt Lake City & Ogden City Sanborn Maps

By Roger Roper, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Historians have long known about the value of Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps,…

Kevin Fayles

Climbers and Archaeology

By Elizabeth Hora, Public Archaeologist at the Utah Division of State History Within the space of two weeks, I have…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Sugar Beets and Religion: Q&A with Matthew C. Godfrey”

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,…

Katherine Kitterman

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…

Alycia Rowley

Descriptive Updates Statement

The Utah Historical Society is conducting a review of the descriptions and terminology of our archives and special collections catalog. We…

Alycia Rowley

Meet Your New Coordinator

No excerpt…

Alycia Rowley

Late Archaic Period Rock Imagery

No excerpt…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Teach Your Content with a Utah Twist”

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…

Kevin Fayles

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…

Alycia Rowley

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!…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Blog Series on Historical Memorials”

Blog Series on Historical Memorials

The Utah State Historical Society is launching a blog series on historical memorials in Utah. We seek proposals for short…

Katherine Kitterman

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…

Alycia Rowley

Manuscripts Collection

Researchers wishing to cite a collection should include the following information :(title of work), Utah Historical Society. For example : The…

Alycia Rowley

Architectural Drawings Collection

Researchers wishing to cite a collection should include the following information :(title of work), Utah Historical Society. For example : Sullivan-Tallon…

Alycia Rowley

Audio Visual Collection

Researchers wishing to cite a collection should include the following information :(title of work), Utah Historical Society. For example : The…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Utah at 125: A Bibliography”

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…

Katherine Kitterman

Grant Announcement for the Utah Cultural Site Stewardship Grant

What is the Utah Cultural Site Stewardship Grant?The Utah State Historic Preservation Office (UT-SHPO) will be offering grants to organizations…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Call for Papers: Public Health & the Common Good”

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…

Katherine Kitterman

Featured image for “Call for Papers: Revisiting The Peoples of Utah”

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…

Katherine Kitterman

Featured image for “Choices Matter: Complicity and Action During the Holocaust”

Choices Matter: Complicity and Action During the Holocaust

By Heidi Chudy, Program Assistant, Utah History Day “A man wearing a star stood on the outside platform- the only…

Kevin Fayles

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…

Alycia Rowley

Utah Cemeteries & Burials

Genealogy research is a booming industry, and Utah is a leader in resources. In 1997, the state legislature created a…

Alycia Rowley

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…

Alycia Rowley

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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Have You Completed Our Student Covid-19 Survey?”

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…

Kevin Fayles

Power Up! The Columbus Power Plant in Little Cottonwood Canyon

Since at least the 1860s, entrepreneurs used the ample water supply found at the confluence of Little Cottonwood and Maybird…

Alycia Rowley

The Architecture of Hunkering Down in the 1950s & ‘60s

We have all experienced our own “hunkering down” during this pandemic year of 2020. Some 60 years ago, other Utahns…

Alycia Rowley

Saber Rattling in Strawberry Valley: The 1888 Encampment of the US Army in Utah

Written by Christopher W. Merritt, Ph.D., Utah State Historic Preservation Officer Over 900 soldiers from the Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “101 Anniversary of the End of World War I”

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…

Kevin Fayles

The Peculiar Historical and Archaeological Journey of Utah’s First House: The Devereaux Mansion

Written by Christopher W. Merritt, Ph.D. State Historic Preservation Officer How many times have you traveled South Temple in downtown…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Relevance, Rights & Responsibilities”

Relevance, Rights & Responsibilities

By Kevin Fayles, Acting Director When you see the photo above, did you think it was a historic image? Could…

Kevin Fayles

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…

Alycia Rowley

Outlaws and Artifacts: A Daggett County Partnership at the John Jarvie Ranch

Written by Chase Roberts Utah Division of State History and Christopher W. Merritt Utah State Historic Preservation Officer If you ask…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Q&A with J. Michael Hunter on Bees and Beekeeping”

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…

Katherine Kitterman

Guest Blog: URARA

We have a guest blog from the Utah Rock Art Research Association (URARA) this week! If you haven’t already heard…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Milestones: Utah’s History of Equal Access Rights for People with (Dis)abilities”

Milestones: Utah’s History of Equal Access Rights for People with (Dis)abilities

By T. Michelle Tucker, Utah State History Volunteer On July 26, 2020, our nation remembers the passage of the Americans…

Kevin Fayles

Featured image for “What’s in a Name: Rock Imagery”

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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for ““Race Riot” Fears in Salt Lake City: September 1965”

“Race Riot” Fears in Salt Lake City: September 1965

By Christopher James Blythe In September 1965, many people in northern Utah were convinced that the NAACP had planned a…

Katherine Kitterman

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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Some of My Favorite Photographs”

Some of My Favorite Photographs

By Doug Misner, Research & Collections Manager The Utah Division of State History has over a million photographs in our…

Kevin Fayles

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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “The Diminishing Pando Clone: History and Forest Management”

The Diminishing Pando Clone: History and Forest Management

By Jedediah Rogers It’s rare that a grove of aspen trees enjoys world renown, but this is the case for…

Katherine Kitterman

Featured image for “A Little Tale of One City: The Salisbury Building and the Lens of Clifton Bray and the Salt Lake Telegram”

A Little Tale of One City: The Salisbury Building and the Lens of Clifton Bray and the Salt Lake Telegram

By Greg Walz, Research Center Manager How might one analyze older photographs of Utah — downtown Salt Lake City in…

Kevin Fayles

Featured image for “Utah’s Universal Heritage”

Utah’s Universal Heritage

Savanna Agardy, Utah SHPO Compliance Archaeologist World heritage is defined as cultural or natural heritage that has outstanding universal value.…

Alycia Rowley

Preserving and Studying Utah’s Mining Heritage

No excerpt…

Alycia Rowley

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…

Holly George

Archaeological Site Etiquette

               If you’ve hiked, biked, rafted, or traveled anywhere in Utah, chances are you’ve found ancient ruins and artifacts, also…

Alycia Rowley

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.…

Alycia Rowley

Celebrate Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month with us!

Welcome to May, and welcome to Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month! This year we’re hosting online events perfect for history-lovers…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Utah’s Biggest Earthquake In History: And You Don’t Even Probably Know About It!”

Utah’s Biggest Earthquake In History: And You Don’t Even Probably Know About It!

By Christopher W. Merritt, Ph.D., State Historic Preservation Officer With trembles strong enough to shake “the dignity out of all…

Kevin Fayles

Featured image for “Utah’s Biggest Earthquake In History: And you don’t even probably know about it!”

Utah’s Biggest Earthquake In History: And you don’t even probably know about it!

Christopher W. Merritt, Ph.D., State Historic Preservation Officer With trembles strong enough to shake “the dignity out of all judicial…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Preserving Textiles: A Glimpse into Collections Care”

Preserving Textiles: A Glimpse into Collections Care

By Sabrina Sanders, Artifacts Collections Manager The collections held by the Utah Division of State History are as diverse as…

Kevin Fayles

Featured image for “This Is the Place for Us: Somali Settlement in the Salt Lake Valley”

This Is the Place for Us: Somali Settlement in the Salt Lake Valley

By Haden Griggs             The This Is the Place monument in Salt Lake City commemorates and evokes the struggle nineteenth-century…

Katherine Kitterman

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…

Alycia Rowley

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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…

Holly George

What’s going on with the Moab Rock Art Nomination to the National Register?

Here at the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) one of our main duties is to identify and nominate properties to…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for ““Utah History Day on the Hill” Showcases Young Historians”

“Utah History Day on the Hill” Showcases Young Historians

By Dr. Wendy Rex-Atzet, State Coordinator, Utah History Day Each year during the legislative session, the Division of State History…

Kevin Fayles

Ways We Can Combat Archaeological Vandalism

No excerpt…

Alycia Rowley

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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “January 2020 Newsletter”

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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “December 2019 Newsletter”

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…

Alycia Rowley

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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Industry & Immigrants in Turn-of-the-Century Utah”

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,…

Holly George

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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Jacob Simmons: Young Utah Historian Making History”

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…

Kevin Fayles

Featured image for “Front Row Seat to Atomic Age”

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…

Katherine Kitterman

Featured image for “How to Order Historic Images from Our Research Center”

How to Order Historic Images from Our Research Center

By Gregory Walz Research Center Manager Two photographs:  one of Ezra Taft Benson taken on February 22, 1953, and one…

Kevin Fayles

Featured image for “Working in the Research Center”

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…

Kevin Fayles

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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Urban Revitilization in Utah’s “Rural” Downtowns”

Urban Revitilization in Utah’s “Rural” Downtowns

By Steve Cornell, Historical Architect, Division of State History Let’s look at Lehi.  I happen to reside here so I’m…

Kevin Fayles

Featured image for “In Search of the Spanish Trail: Santa Fe to Los Angeles, 1829-1948 – Steven K. Madsen’s Research and Photographing The Old Spanish Trail”

In Search of the Spanish Trail: Santa Fe to Los Angeles, 1829-1948 – Steven K. Madsen’s Research and Photographing The Old Spanish Trail

By Lisa Barr, Museum & Historical Collections Curator As a historical collections curator for Utah Division of State History, I…

Kevin Fayles

Featured image for “What is the National Register and How do I Nominate a Building? (Part 2)”

What is the National Register and How do I Nominate a Building? (Part 2)

By Cory Jensen, National Register Coordinator In a previous post, I gave some background on what the National Register of…

Kevin Fayles

Featured image for “From Obscurity into the Light: Master Surveyor Henry G. Sherwood”

From Obscurity into the Light: Master Surveyor Henry G. Sherwood

By Kristine Shorey Forbes The recent discovery of a sheepskin map purported to be the original plat of Salt Lake…

Katherine Kitterman

Featured image for “The Utah Historical Quarterly: Over 90 Years of Amazing Research”

The Utah Historical Quarterly: Over 90 Years of Amazing Research

By Lisa Buckmiller, Program Support Specialist What do Sanpete Oolite Limestone, Taylor A. Woolley, Hollywood, World War I, and a…

Kevin Fayles

Featured image for “Juvenile Joyriding”

Juvenile Joyriding

By Melissa Coy, Digitization Program Specialist On the night of October 23, 1909, “boys with aspirations for a joy ride”…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for ““Recent Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Projects – More Exciting Than It Sounds!””

“Recent Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Projects – More Exciting Than It Sounds!”

By Amber Anderson, Tax Credit Coordinator Two properties in Salt Lake City were recently awarded historic rehabilitation tax credits! Both…

Kevin Fayles

Featured image for “Women’s Suffrage: 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment”

Women’s Suffrage: 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment

By Christina Epperson, GIS Analyst, Utah Division of State History As a woman today, it is easy to take for…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Design Through Time: A History of Military Gravestone Design”

Design Through Time: A History of Military Gravestone Design

By Amy Barry, Utah Cemetery & Burials Program Manager Marking burials with gravestones has always had a myriad of meanings.…

Alycia Rowley

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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “What is the National Register?”

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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “What’s New in Collections?”

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…

Kevin Fayles

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!…

Alycia Rowley

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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “TRANSCRIPT OF Utah at the Crossroads of the Mind: History and Philosophy at Midcentury”

TRANSCRIPT OF Utah at the Crossroads of the Mind: History and Philosophy at Midcentury

November 1, 2019, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Location: University of Utah, Marriott Library, Rm 1150 SCHEDULE Panel: 9:00 –…

Katherine Kitterman

Featured image for “A Peek Behind State History’s Curtain”

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…

Kevin Fayles

Featured image for “Exploring the History and Archaeology of the Great Salt Lake’s Gunnison Island”

Exploring the History and Archaeology of the Great Salt Lake’s Gunnison Island

by Arie Leefang, Archaeology Records Manager Among the collection of Great Salt Lake Islands, perhaps there is none more prized…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Certified Local Government Program—Spring City CLG Grant Project”

Certified Local Government Program—Spring City CLG Grant Project

By Alena Franco, CLG Coordinator The Certified Local Government (CLG) program is designed to promote historic preservation at the local…

Alycia Rowley

September 2019 Newsletter

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

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Chinese Railroad Workers Teacher’s Workshop”

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…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “When Buffalo Bill Came to Utah”

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…

Holly George

Featured image for “Where are the women’s voices? How I found the mother lode.”

Where are the women’s voices? How I found the mother lode.

By Rhonda Lauritzen, independent biographer and author. In the spring of 2017, I had no idea the journey ahead when…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Point A to B”

Point A to B

by Katie Barber Katie excelled during her internship with State History, so we hired her for the summer. How often…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “From the Mountains of Spain to the Mountains of Utah”

From the Mountains of Spain to the Mountains of Utah

By Holly George On a normal afternoon in April 2017, Daniel Jones, a friend from the bus who worked at…

Holly George

Featured image for “Great Things in Store”

Great Things in Store

By Taya Wallace Taya did such a great job during her internship that we hired her for the summer. In…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “How Did I Get Here? – Follow the Historical Markers”

How Did I Get Here? – Follow the Historical Markers

By Christina Epperson, GIS Analyst, Utah Division of State History It’s mid-July as I write this blog post and the…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Remembering One of Salt Lake City’s Forgotten: Louis A. Bertrand”

Remembering One of Salt Lake City’s Forgotten: Louis A. Bertrand

By Laurie J. Bryant, Independent Historian [On July 2nd, at the Salt Lake City Cemetery, we unveiled a monument for…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Kick-Off “Utah History Happenings” for Utahns of All Ages”

Kick-Off “Utah History Happenings” for Utahns of All Ages

By Kevin Fayles, Assistant Director of Operations, Utah Division of State History I am not a professional historian, but I…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “A Distance Reading of Immigration in Carbon County”

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…

jmsharp

USHS Research Resources

At the Utah State Historical Society, we’re all about helping you conduct professional or personal research in a quick, efficient…

Alycia Rowley

Featured image for “Welcome to the UHQ Blog”

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…

jmsharp

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…

Alycia Rowley

2022 Call for Papers

Water at the Confluence of Past and Future The Utah State Historical Society and Utah Division of State History invite…

Alycia Rowley