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Historic Copperton
Historic Copperton is a tiny town that defied the boom-bust cycle typical of mining towns.The commercial mining industry has driven Utah’s economic, political, and social development. Most towns associated with the mining industry went through…
The Case of Anne Bradley
The tumultuous love affair between former Utah senator Arthur Brown and his mistress, Anne Bradley.In the twenty-first century we consider political scandals and courtroom drama to be characteristic of modern times. But a hundred years ago, things…
USS Utah Silver Service
In 1909, more than 26,000 Utah schoolchildren helped purchase the silver service used on the American battleship USS Utah.$10,000 is a lot of money today. It was even more in 1909, particularly when it was spent to buy a bunch of silver platters and…
Helen Zeese Papanikolas
A famous historian used her girlhood memories of Carbon County to completely change the way we understand Utah’s past.She passed away in 2004, but Helen Zeese Papanikolas is still revered in Utah as an historian whose work made it impossible to…
The Bear River Massacre
The Bear River Massacre was an event that changed the landscape of northern Utah and the fate of the Shoshone people.In the early morning cold of January 29, 1863, between 270 and 400 Shoshone men, women, and children were killed by the U.S. Army…
Mormon Foodways
Each culture has its own specific food traditions, and here in Utah we have funeral potatoes!The ways people prepare and consume food are some of the most culture-specific practices to be found within communities. Here in Utah, we have a heritage of…
The Woman’s Exponent
Mormon women wrote and published a newspaper for and about Mormon women. The paper had a small circulation and was replaced with the Relief Society Magazine shortly after the newspaper declined.In 1872, a unique publication for women emerged in Utah.…
The Godbeites
A group of disaffected British Mormons and merchants formed the Godbeite movement after openly declaring their opposition to the LDS Church.In October 1869, a group of men who had been converted to Mormonism in Great Britain openly declared their…
Julius Taylor and the Broad Ax
For four years Julius Taylor operated his black newspaper, The Broad Ax, for African Americans living in Utah. Taylor was not only a racial minority in Utah, he was also non-religious and a democrat.In the 1890s there were about six hundred African…
Martha Hughes Cannon
The story of an ambitious and successful young woman who lived in polygamy.In the late nineteenth century, Mormons in Utah practiced polygamy, an institution seen as barbaric by the rest of the country. One polygamous wife found plural marriage both…
Joe Hill
Joe Hill has become a deeply ingrained part of Utah folklore. The Wobbly songwriter was executed for murder in the state in the early 1900s.At the turn of the twentieth century, the labor movement in the United States was on the ascendance as workers…
Utah Folk Music
Utah’s rich tradition of traditional music ranges from ancient and modern Native American songs and dances to a variety of European and American musical traditions.While it is not well known, Utah has a rich heritage of traditional music, both…
Dry Farming
Adequate water for crops proved to be a challenge for settlers throughout Utah. Those in Box Elder County established a strong dry-farming practice, due to inadequate water supply.When the Mormon settlers arrived in Utah, they immediately planted…
The Lynching of Charlie Benson
An episode of frontier justice in Logan resulted in the lynching of a man named Charlie Benson. The crime went unpunished, although the act was labeled “deplorable” by local newspapers.On Valentine’s Day in 1873, Logan residents were…
Logan Canyon Place Names
Place names can make an interesting study for anyone interested in local and regional history. Two locations in northern Utah’s Logan Canyon illustrate.One of the most popular summer recreation spots in Logan Canyon was and still is a meadow on the…
From Cabinetmaker to Undertaker: Niels Lindquist
A Swedish immigrant went from furniture maker to undertaker in the Logan area during the 1800s.Neils Lindquist was an accomplished cabinetmaker who converted to Mormonism and emigrated from Sweden to Salt Lake City in 1863. He built furniture in Salt…
A Grand Old Lady - Salt Lake's Ambassador Club
The captivating and controversial past of Salt Lake City’s old Ambassador Club.An imposing structure sporting spires and turrets on Salt Lake City’s 5th East is long gone, but its ghosts include those of polygamist wives and a controversial…
The Divine ‘Miss B’ – Maud May Babcock
Maud May Babcock was a tireless teacher, visionary, theatre maven, and a force of nature. She profoundly influenced countless students, actors, and leaders from across the state.Maud May Babcock came to the Beehive State from upstate New York in 1892…
Zane's Antipolygamy Crusade
A key figure in the struggle over polygamy was US Supreme Court Justice Charles Zane. His tenure on the bench saw hundreds of people convicted of illegal cohabitation or polygamy, leading some to call his work an “antipolygamy crusade”.The…
The House That Eggs Built
A Hyrum businessman, Soren Hanson, and his massive empire built of eggs.The economy of Cache Valley in northern Utah began to evolve in the late 19th century from its pioneer subsistence roots to specialized private enterprise. A leading figure in…