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Golden Spike National Historic Site |
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Completion of the world's first transcontinental railroad was celebrated here where the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads met on May 10, 1869. Golden Spike was designated as a national historic site in nonfederal ownership on April 2, 1957, and authorized for federal ownership and administration by an act of Congress on July 30, 1965. |
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Hovenweep National Monument |
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Hovenweep National Monument in southeastern Utah protects five prehistoric, Puebloan-era villages spread over a twenty-mile expanse of mesa tops and canyons along the Utah-Colorado border. Multi-storied towers perched on canyon rims and balanced on boulders lead visitors to marvel at the skill and motivation of their builders. |
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Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail |
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Led by Brigham Young, roughly 70,000 Mormons traveled along the Mormon Pioneer Trail from 1846 to 1869 in order to escape religious persecution. The general route is from Nauvoo, Illinois, to Salt Lake City, Utah, covering about 1,300 miles. The Mormon Pioneer Trail travels through five states over both public and private land.
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Natural Bridges National Monument |
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Natural Bridges protects some of the finest examples of ancient stone architecture in the southwest. Located on a tree-covered mesa cut by deep sandstone canyons, three natural bridges formed where meandering streams eroded the canyon walls. The bridges are named Kachina, Owachomo and Sipapu. At 6,500 feet above sea level, Natural Bridges is home to a variety of plants and animals. Plants range from the fragile cryptobiotic soil crusts to remnant stands of Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine. Natural Bridges was established in 1908, making it the oldest National Park Service site in Utah. |
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Old Spanish National Historic Trail |
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Santa Fe emerged as the hub of the overland continental trade network linking Mexico and United States markets—a network that included not only the Old Spanish Trail, but also the Santa Fe Trail and El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. After the United States took control of the Southwest in 1848 other routes to California emerged, and use of the Old Spanish Trail sharply declined. Because of its rich history and national significance, the Old Spanish Trail has been designated as a national historic trail.
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Pipe Spring National Monument |
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Pipe Spring National Monument, a little known gem of the National Park System, is rich with American Indian, early explorer and Mormon pioneer history. The water of Pipe Spring has made it possible for plants, animals, and people to live in this dry, desert region. Ancestral Puebloans and Kaibab Paiute Indians gathered grass seeds, hunted animals, and raised crops near the springs for at least 1,000 years. In the 1860s Mormon pioneers brought cattle to the area and by 1872 a fort (Winsor Castle) was built over the main spring and a large cattle ranching operation was established. This isolated outpost served as a way station for people traveling across the Arizona Strip, that part of Arizona separated from the rest of the state by the Grand Canyon. It also served as a refuge for polygamist wives during the 1880s and 1890s. Although their way of life was greatly impacted, the Paiute Indians continued to live in the area and by 1907 the Kaibab Paiute Indian Reservation was established, surrounding the privately owned Pipe Spring ranch. In 1923 the Pipe Spring ranch was purchased and set aside as a national monument. Today the Pipe Spring National Monument - Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians Visitor Center and Museum explains the human history of the area over time. Daily tours of Winsor Castle, summer "living history" demonstrations, an orchard and garden, and a half-mile trail offer a glimpse of American Indian and pioneer life in the Old West. |
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Pony Express National Historic Trail |
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The Pony Express National Historic Trail was used by young men on fast paced horses to carry the nation's mail across the country, from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California, in the unprecedented time of only ten days. Organized by private entrepreneurs, the horse-and-rider relay system became the nation's most direct and practical means of east-west communications before the telegraph. Though only in operation for 18 months, between April 1860 and October 1861, the trail proved the feasibility of a central overland transportation route, and played a vital role in aligning California with the Union in the years just before the Civil War. Most of the original trail has been obliterated either by time or human activities. Along many segments, the trail's actual route and exact length are matters of conjecture. However, approximately 120 historic sites may eventually be available to the public, including 50 existing Pony Express stations or station ruins. |
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Utah History Fair |
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The Utah History Fair, Utah's affiliate of the National History Day program, turns kids into historians. It gets them involved in primary historical research and provides a series of competitions where they can present their findings. History Fair students can choose their own topic from any era of history. Based on their interests and abilities, they can also choose the method of presenting their information. There are four presentation categories: students may build an exhibit, write an historical paper, produce an audio-visual documentary, or create a dramatic performance. Participants can advance through a whole network of history fairs. Regional finalists go on to the State History Fair, and state finalists are invited to National History Day, the national history fair in Washington, D.C.
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Utah History Research Center |
300 S. Rio Grande St.
Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1182
Phone: 801-533-3535
The Utah History Research Center is a service of the Utah State Archives and the Utah State Historical Society. Search for historical documents, cemetery burial records, manuscripts, newspapers, yearbooks, telephone directories, map, architectural drawings, photographs, and more. Located within the old Rio Grande Depot, the Research Center has been newly designed to meet researchers' needs. It is open to the public Monday through Friday, with additional hours on Saturday.
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Knowledge Quest |
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Knowledge Quest offers historical outline maps and timelines designed for the interactive study of world history and geography.
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Lesson Plans for the Utah Historical Quarterly |
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These lesson plans, made available by the Utah State Historical Society, are designed to involve teachers, students, and parents in using the Utah Historical Quarterly to learn more about local, state and the nation's history.
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Public PIONEER - Utah's Online Library |
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Public PIONEER is a service of the Utah State Library Division. Provides databases of magazines, newspapers, Deseret News archives, Salt Lake Tribune archives, and academic journals. |
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Salt Lake County Archives and Records Management |
2001 S. State Street #N4100
Salt Lake City, UT 84190-1300
Phone: 801-468-2332
The County Archives holds historical records from Salt Lake County dating from 1852. Types of records available include Property and taxation, public health, aging services, public safety, and adminisration records.
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SLCo Sesquicentennial Celebration |
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A look at 150 years of county services, government, and life in Salt Lake County. Especially fun is exploring the time capsule information on this website. |
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Utah History |
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This website provided by the Division of State History and the Utah State Historical Society aims to presere and share Utah's past for the present and future. Areas of interest include archaeology, historic preservation, and history programs. |
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Utah History Encyclopedia |
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The first complete history of Utah in encyclopedia form, consisting of 575 articles and over 200 historic photographs. In the Utah History Encyclopedia, over two hundred contributors write about the individuals, organizations, locations, institutions, and topics important to Utah history. This landmark volume provides an essential resource for anyone interested in the history of the state.
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Utah History for Kids |
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Learn about Utah history and facts, from prehistory to the present, including American Indians, explorers, Mormon settlement, mining, statehood, the effect of wars and the Depression, and more. The site also includes fun and games, along with homework help. |
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Utah History to Go |
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Learn all about Utah state history, including important people and places. Includes history facts and lessons, a state history timeline, and some history vignettes from The Salt Lake Tribune. |
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Utah State Archives and Records Service |
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The Utah State Archives and Records Service is a state government agency that works with records created by other state and local governmental entities in Utah. Records of historical value are housed in our permanent collections and are available for research. We also facilitate good records management practices within agencies.
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Utah State Library |
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Supports Utah public libraries through networking, consultation, training, reference, and educational services; provides library services to the blind and physically disabled; administers grants, ILL services, and contracts for access to commercial databases; coordinates statewide library development planning; works with counties to administer county bookmobile services; collaborates in providing full-text electronic access to stage agency publications; maintains a collection of materials of general interest to Utah state agencies and provides loans and information to libraries, state agencies, and the public.
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