Hey kids, this is Jeremy again and guess what?… It’s the last week of July and that means it’s time for our ‘Historically Significant Utah Week’. Being that we just celebrated the 24th of July (Utah’s birthday) aka Pioneer Day, aka Pie and beer day, we thought it would be fitting to highlight the ‘This is The Place Monument’ and Heritage Park.
The location of the park is where, on July 24, 1847 Brigham Young first saw the Salt Lake Valley, which would soon become the new home for the Mormon Pioneers. Members of the LDS Church believe Young had vision shortly after they were exiled from Navoo, Illinois. In this vision he saw the place where the church would settle and “make the desert blossom like a rose”
This mass religion exodus is generally defined as taking place between 1847 and 1868. That is when organized companies traveled to Utah by wagon or handcart. After the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 LDS emigrants generally traveled by train.
From 1847 to 1868 an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 pioneers traveled to Utah. Hundreds of thousands of other emigrants passed through Utah on their way (primarily to California).
Despite the romanticized idea of worn and weary pioneers traveling by handcart only about 3,000 people total, were in hand cart companies. Five hand cart companies came to Utah in 1856, two in 1857 one in 1859 and two in 1860. Each of these companies had accompanying supply wagons to carry food, tents, and other supplies…one wagon per 100 people.
In 1917 B.H. Roberts and a boy scout troop built a wooden marker identifying the spot where the first wagon party entered the Salt Lake Valley. In 1921 it was replaced by a white stone Obelisk that still stands today.
Development of the monument began in 1937 with sculptor Mahonri M Young, a grandson of Brigham Young, was commissioned to design and create a larger monument. In 1947, on the 100th anniversary of the entrance into the valley, This Is The Place Monument was dedicated and attended by nearly 50,000 people.
The current location of the monument is now a living heritage museum. There is a village with actual pioneer homes, a blacksmith, tinsmith, and saddle maker. A visitor center with ice cream shop, grill and donuts. You can milk a cow, ride a train even have your wedding reception in the main building.
Find out more information by checking out the following:
This Is The Place Heritage Park
2601 Sunnyside Ave S, Salt Lake City, UT 84108
(801) 582-1847
We will ALWAYS love your “likes” BUT don’t forget to click that little SHARE button (or retweet) *sharing IS indeed caring* You can find us and subscribe on Soundcloud, Spotify, Stitcher, or Itunes, IHeartRadio, Google Play, and TuneIN. Leave us a review and Follow us on the Twitter @tnupodcast, Instagram @Tnupodcast, or on Facebook The New Utah Podcast