Utah's Historic Sites
Utah's Historic Sites encompass a rich tapestry of cultural, historical, and archaeological significance, reflecting the diverse narratives that shape the state's identity. Notable locations include Alkali Ridge, where a series of habitation sites reveal the evolution of Anasazi culture, and Danger Cave, which offers insights into the ancient Desert culture of the Great Basin. Emigration Canyon holds historical importance as the route taken by Brigham Young and Mormon pioneers during their migration to the Salt Lake Valley. Fort Douglas stands as a testament to military history, symbolizing federal authority in the region during the 1860s. The Old City Hall and the Reed Smoot House highlight political developments, with the former serving as a pivotal site for interactions between federal and local leaders, and the latter connected to significant tariff legislation in the early 20th century. The Young Complex is integral to understanding the political and religious dynamics of the time, associated with Brigham Young's leadership during the westward expansion. Collectively, these sites offer a glimpse into the complex interplay of indigenous cultures, religious movements, and political history that define Utah's past.
Utah's Historic Sites
Alkali Ridge
Location: Monticello, San Juan County
Relevant issues: American Indian history
Statement of significance: This is a series of thirteen habitation sites along Alkali Mesa. Excavations helped clarify the development of Anasazi culture in the San Juan drainage, by defining the Pueblo II period (c. 900-1100). Local development from Basketmaker III (400-700) through Pueblo III (1100-1300) periods was shown to be a continuous growth influenced by neighboring peoples.
Danger Cave
Location: Wendover, Tooele County
Relevant issues: American Indian history
Statement of significance: Results of excavations at Danger Cave formed the basis for definition of a long-lived Desert culture that existed in the Great Basin area. The earliest cave stratus (c. 9500-9000 B.C.E.) is characterized by crude chipped stone artifacts; Zone II (c. 8000-7000 B.C.E.) by milling stones, basketry, and notched projectile points characteristic of the Desert culture; and Zones III, IV, and V (c. 7000 B.C.E.-500 C.E.) by materials showing an elaboration of the same culture.
Desolation Canyon
Location: Green River, Carbon County
Relevant issues: Western expansion
Statement of significance:John Wesley Powell (1834-1902), naturalist and explorer, led a Smithsonian expedition down the Colorado River in 1869 to the previously unexplored canyon, giving names to the natural features along the way.
Emigration Canyon
Location: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County
Relevant issues: Religion, western expansion
Statement of significance: Forms the natural passage through the Wasatch Mountains to Salt Lake Valley traversed by Brigham Young and his Mormon followers on the last leg of their journey from the Missouri Valley in 1847.
Fort Douglas
Location: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County
Relevant issues: Military history, western expansion
Statement of significance: This fort was established in 1862 on a site occupied by the army stationed here to maintain federal authority in the Mormon territory in the 1860s. It also represented an effort to protect transcontinental telegraph lines, mail, and transportation routes.
Old City Hall
Location: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County
Relevant issues: Political history
Statement of significance: Erected between 1864 and 1866, it served both as a municipal building and Utah territorial capitol until 1894. This site was a focal point for confrontations between federal officials and Mormon leaders.
Smoot House
Location: Provo, Utah County
Relevant issues: Political history
Statement of significance: This was the residence of Reed O. Smoot (1862-1941) from 1892 until his death. Smoot, a U.S. senator (1903-1933), was a staunch advocate of protective tariffs. The Hawley-Smoot Tariff (1930) raised import duties to an all-time high and invited retaliation by other nations, actions that most scholars believe exacerbated the Great Depression.
Young Complex
Location: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County
Relevant issues: Political history, religion, western expansion
Statement of significance: Brigham Young (1801-1877), was the second president of the Mormon Church and colonizer of Utah. From 1852, when their construction began, until Young’s death, these buildings were closely associated with events in western expansion and settlement, and political, social, and religious movements of the era. During this time, Young was the predominant political and religious figure in Utah Territory. Young joined the Mormon Church in 1832 and by 1835 had become one of Joseph Smith’s Twelve Apostles; after Smith’s murder at the hands of a mob in 1844, Young became leader of the church. In 1846, he led the Mormons out of Nauvoo, Illinois, and ultimately conducted a group of his followers to a site near Great Salt Lake, then in Mexican Territory.
Arave, Lynn. Unforgettable Utah: Historic Moments Milestones and Marvels. The History Press, 2024.
Ockey, Natalie. "LDS Church Sites in Utah." Utah's Adventure Family, 16 Mar. 2023, www.utahsadventurefamily.com/lds-church-history-sites-in-utah/. Accessed 5 June 2024.
Strand, Brandy. "Opinion: We Can’t Get Back What Is Lost. Preserving Utah’s Historic Places Is Investing in Our Future." The Salt Lake Tribune, 23 Apr. 2024, www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2024/04/23/opinion-we-cant-get-back-what-is/. Accessed 5 June 2024.